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Amencus a ^ ^ ^ _ broken
By Mtke Lovvom
A headline in last week’s Leader
Trtbune asked the question,
Peach County break the
jinx?’’
Head Coach Lee Forehand
his team could beat Americus if
Panthers disguised themselves
the Jones County Greyhounds, but
asked if they could win
they were playing Americus.
Forehand said his charges had
progressed further than anticipated
in revitalizing the program, but
wondered if they were ready to
“rear up” against a team with such
name recognition.
Shortly after 10 p.m. last Friday
night, all these and many more
questions were answered. The Tro¬
jans left the field with a 35-28 win,
and in the words of their coach,
< t the biggest that could
event
possibly happen to give credibility
to the Peach County football pro¬
gram.”
The win ended twelve years
frustration for faithful Trojan
followers. The last time a Peach
County team scored 35 points on
Americus was 1972, and that was
the last time the Trojans had beaten
the Panthers prior to Friday night.
This year’s seniors were in
kindergarten when Peach last won
over the Panthers.
During the 12-year stretch, Peach
County was outscored by Americus
316-86. None of that meant
anything in 1985 except to serve as
intimidation ... and Trojan coaches
were worried about how their
players would react to the spector of
the name “Americus”.
Forehand said earlier he didn’t
think Americus had the raw talent
of past years. One coach said the
Trojans had better athletes, and
another said Americus couldn’t
match up favorably with Peach
County position-by-position. But
all of them said the same thing" —
the problem was that they were still
Americus, and their players (as
Forehand said) thought they could
beat Peach just by force of habit.
Forehand said that the next big
hurdle for the Trojan program was
learning what kind of effort it took
to beat the big names on the
schedule. He had said it was easy for
a struggling program to play with
intensity against a Jones County
but doing the same thing against a
Manchester or Americus with years
of winning tradition was a different
story.
His football team proved to
everyone and to themselves Friday
night that they are capable of play¬
ing with anyone.
The coach had said last week that
his team would have to learn how to
fight back when a quality team
“reared up at them.” In this game,
they had ample opportunity to fold
early, as the Panthers took a 21-6
lead into the second quarter. But
rather than fold, the Trojans fought
back, forging a 21-21 tie at
halftime.
Forehand pointed to his team’s
second touchdown and subsequent
two-point conversion as being the
turning point of the game.
“The touchdown that got us to
21-14 had to be the most impor-
m
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NOW LET’S GET THIS THING STRAIGHT RIGHT NOW!!
Trojan Head Coach Lee Forehand gives these
two officials an earful in the first half of Friday
night’s game. Forehand was upset over a pass
Interference call against the Trojans and spent
about ten minutes letting the officials know he
tant, »» he said. “We were down by
15 and one more Americus score
might have buried us. But getting
within seven made it anyone’s
game.”
For several weeks, the Trojans
had placed more emphasis in prac¬
tice on the passing game, and
against Americus, they filled the air
with footballs.
“We knew we couldn’t move the
ball on the ground against them,”
Forehand said. “We went down
there committed to throwing the
football, and that’s what we did.”
Forehand said as far as he could
remember, Friday night was the
first time a team he coached has ex¬
ecuted more pass plays than runn¬
ing plays. The Trojans threw 22
times and completed 13 for 231
yards and four touchdowns. Most
impressively, they were not in¬
tercepted once.
Discounting plays on which a
®he ICeaher-Sribune
Peach County’s best news source... since 1888
Vohme 98 Issue 41 Fort Valley, Peach Cou nty, Georgia Wedne sday, October 16,1985 20 pages in 2 sections
taxes raised one mill
Property tax owners in Peach
County will note a one mill increase
in their property taxes for fiscal year
1985-86, which begins October 1,
1985. The tax increase was
deemed essential to meet the
$2,567,782 budget that was
approved at last week’s regular
meeting of the Peach County Tax
Commission
“On ! 50,000 house, that will just
be an $18 per year increase,”
Chairman W. L. Brown noted.
Clerk Tom Franklin explained
that the difference in miliage is
mandated under state law.
“You take the revenue received.
Then you divide that by the net
maintenance and operating ex¬
penses. You roll back the millage
based on the amount of tax dollars
represented by the number of mills.
Clerk Tom Franklin explained
that all county employees will get
some raise in salary, but that about
90 percent of the employees will get
an average raise of 10 percent. The
sheriff s department employees
earn $11,000 to $17,000 per year;
expected them to do a better job the rest of the
night. His team certainly did a better job, as
they overcame a 21-6 deficit to down the Pan¬
thers, 35-28. PHOTO BY MIKE LOVVORN
penalty was called, that is one more
pass play than running play.
The coach was visibly pleased
with the way his team reacted as the
game progressed into quite a nail
biter.
“Our intensity built as the game
went on,” he said. “At first, we
may have been a little in awe of
them, but we didn’t panic when we
were down 21-6. I think we all
believed they couldn’t stop us on
offense and it was just a question of
our defense stopping them, which
they did very well after the middle
of the second quarter.” It should be
pointed out that the Trojans
outscored the Panthers 29-7 in the
final 2 l /i quarters.
When it came time to name the
Players of the Week, Forehand said
it was impossible to name just one
on offense and one on defense.
“Offensively, we have to give it
to (QB) Terry Walker and
clerical workers about $9,000
annually.
On the increased premiums for
liability and casualty insurance.
Franklin reported that three bids
were submitted. The highest was
$79,000; Houser and Lee submitted
the lowest bid of $40,647. Tha,,
company carried the county s
liability and casualty insurance last
year, too, the clerk added.
“One man gave me the bid and
said, “I’m ashamed to give it to
you,” the clerk added.
Jack Lee of Houser and Lee said
there were two principal reasons for
the increase. Peach County has not
carried general liability insurance
before he was asked to quote a bid
including general liability for the
next year. That accounted for the
greater portion of the increase. Lee
stated.
Another reason for the big jump
in premiums is that fewer insurance
companies are willing to insure
municipalities. Those that do have
raised their premiums dramatically.
“The number of insurance
companies that used to write
municipalities has greatly dwind¬
led,” the agent said, “The
companies that do cover municipali¬
ties charge exorbitant high fees due
to the adverse experiences they've
had,” Lee added.
When he was contacted about the
tax increase after the meeting
Commissioner W. S. M. Banks
noted that the new ambulance
purchase was long overdue. He
remarked that the fire equipment at
Station Number Two east of Fort
Valley on Georgia 96 is not housed
at present, a factor that contributed
to wear and tear on the equipment
due to the weather.
“We need to increase fire
protection all over the county,”
Banks added.
Noting that the insurance
premium involved an almost 500
percent increase over last year,
Banks added that all the
commissioners felt the need to
grant what he termed a “reasonably
good increase” to county employees
to discourage their flight to jobs in
the private sector.
Banks mentioned the need to
make the Everett Square office
building likeable, too, as a possible
reason for a tax increase.
Homecoming Calendar
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16
(1) Teacher Helmet Day (ask all classes to
participate)
(2) We Ask All Teachers To Place A Sign
On Their Classroom Door. The Sign Should
Read "GO MIGHTY TROJANS”
(3) Senior Contest At Lunch
(4) Win A Ticket
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17
(1) Poster Contest
(2) Weird Hair Day
(3) Senior Contest At Lunch
(4) Win A Ticket
(5) Tro-Jo/Tro-Jan Contest
(6) Tri-County Wake — 7:30 p.m.. Peach
County High School Auditorium (Sec related
story)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
(1) Black and Gold Contest
(2) Win A Ticket
(3) Pep Rally — Tro-Jo/Tro-Jan Contest
(4) Parade — at 4:05 p.m.
(5) Football Game
ALL WEEK EVENTS
(1) Spirit Ribbon
(2) Tro-Jo’s Jar
(3) Senior Competition
(4) Flowers Are On Sale In The Library
(5) Booster Ribbons & Pins, etc., On Sale
SPECIAL EVENTS
(1) Tri-County Wake — Thursday, 7:30
p.m. — Auditorium
(2) Parade - Friday - 4:05 p.m.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
(receivers) Greg Dennis, Jimmy
Reed, and Romundo Young, for
their throwing and catching the
football. But we also have to men¬
tion the offensive line for the pro¬
tection they gave Walker, as well as
(running backs) Reed and (Terry)
Lowe, who did an excellent job of
picking up the rush of their
linebackers.”
Walker threw 21 times and com¬
pleted 12 for 199 yards and four
touchdowns. Dennis caught four for
50 yards and a TD, Young caught
four for 69 yards and a TD, and
Reed caught two for 56 yards and a
TD, and also threw a halfback pass
to Walker for 32 yards and the Tro¬
jans’ first score.
Defensively, Forehand singled
out linebacker Darin Mitchell, who
had 14 tackles, and defensive
lineman Troy Jones, who had
eleven. He also singled out corner
back Byron Livatt “who had a per¬
sonal tragedy and played under
tough circumstances, > > Livatt’s
father was seriously injured in an ac¬
cident the day of the game. The
sophomore cornerback was also in¬
jured on the opening kickoff, but
returned to play a solid game.
Then, there was THE play. In a
game with so many big plays, it
would be difficult to point to one
that was the deciding factor, but the
one that set up the winning score
was a tremendous effort by
sophomore defensive back Julius
Simmons.
Americus was driving midway
through the fourth quarter, with
the ball near midfield, and the score
tied 28-28. Forehand said his team
was in three-deep coverage, with
three defenders covering short and
three deep, with the field divided
into thirds. It is one of several zone
pass coverages the Trojan secondary
employs.
The increase brings tne tax
millage rate to 20.10 for incorpo
raied areas and 18.62 for
unincorporated areas in the county.
The difference in millage rate is due
to a 1.48 mill insurance premium
rebate that applies to unincorpo¬
rated areas only.
Commission chairman W. L.
Brown gave a number of reasons for
the tax increase. Due to accidents to
the sheriffs cars four new cars,
instead of the customary one or two,
must be purchased next year. A 10
percent salary increase is being
given to about 90 percent of the
county employees. A new ambu¬
Freeway hearing
draws crowd
By Cornelia B. Nichols
One hundred fifty people from
this area attended the second infor¬
mal public hearing about the Fall
Line Freeway at Peach County High
School Tuesday, October 8, bet¬
ween the hours of 1:00 and 7:00
p.m. Greeting them was an array of
maps, brochures, and charts
prepared by the staff of the Georgia
Department of Transportation. At
the hearing to explain the many im¬
plications of the proposed four-lane
economic development highway
that will link Columbus and
Augusta were a number of DOT
personnel, headed by Peter
Malphurs, State Environmental /Lo¬
cation Engineer.
Generally, public opinion at the
Fort Valley hearing favored the
choice of Route F for the location of
the freeway. That route begins at
Ga. 85/U.S. 27 Alternate in
Muscogee County and follows U.S.
30 east to Geneva. At Geneva it ties
to Ga. 96 and follows that route east
through Junction City, Butler,
Reynolds, Fort Valley, and Bonaire
to Jeffersonville.
An alternate route under con¬
sideration would branch off in Fort
Valley and go north on Ga. 49 to
the interchange with 1-75 in Byron.
Judging by the maps on exhibit,
where possible, Route F would use
the existing two-lane highway in
Peach County. An additional two
lane highway would be constructed
with a 44-foot wide grassed median.
According to DOT, projected
construction cost for Route F is $209
“Simmons was responsible for
the short flats. When the receiver
on his side went deep (into someone
clse’s zone), Julius just hung out
there in the flats and read the
play. » »
What Simmons did was cut in
front of a receiver, pick off the pass
and race down the sidelines all the
way to the one-yard line (actually,
only about a foot from the goal
line). Forehand added that defen¬
sive end Robbie Hancock threw a
block on the return that got Sim¬
mons in the clear. Hancock also had
two sacks of the Americus quarter¬
back on the Panthers’ final posses¬
sion.
Terry Lowe scored from a yard out
on the next play to put the final
points on the scoreboard.
For complete game details, see
Tim Wilson's article on Page Six.
lance must be bought as well as a
fire knocker for Fire Station Number
Two that will have $5,000 worth of
turnout gear.
Liability and casuality insurance
accounts for an increase from
$9,000 to $40,647. Capital needs for
the road department and a financial
commitment to industrial develop¬
ment are additional reasons behind
the tax increase, the chairman
noted.
1 ‘We are fortunate to have just a
one mill increase,” Brown said.
“The needs of the county continue
to grow.”
million; projected traffic ranges
from 3,700 to 16,000 ADT.
A sampling of citizens’ views on
the controlled-access roadway
revealed approval of the Route F
location.
Omega Jones and James E. Gib¬
son, both Fort Valley residents, said
they “very definitely” favor Route
F.
“It would give travelers a chance
to sec Blue Bird Body Company,
our state college and one of the best
high schools in the state,” Gibson
said.
Fort Valley dentist Kendrick
Mathews, too, favors Route F.
< « It would offer us more potential
for industrial development and
business growth. It would mgkjf
Fort Valley more attractive as a
residential area, too, i » was
Mathews’ opinion.
> > That Route F is all right!”
Peach County School Superinten¬
dent Bob McClendon announced.
He added that the location was
good because of the proximity to
airports and interstate highways, as
well as the railway service available
in the Middle Georgia area.
If Route F is chosen, DOT plans
to bypass the city of Fort Valley a
few miles to the north. On Ga. 96,
about 800 feet west of Peggy Drive,
the four-line highway would veer
northward and run roughly parallel
to Peggy Drive, missing the new
high school track. It would cross
U.S. 341 and veer eastward behind
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