Newspaper Page Text
Sports
Wednesday, September 30,1987
Mike
Webber
Sports Editor
Bulldog bite is
worse than bark
Winning leaves a good taste in your mouth. If
you question that, ask someone from Forsyth
County High School.
After putting together a succession of victories
which has currently reached two, there’s no
doubt winning is better.
You can plan to win, but until it comes around,
you’re only kidding yourself. In that case there
will always be a stage cast with doubters.
Following Friday’s 34 point victory over Shi
loh, doubt has been erased over Danny Cronic’s
ability to get the job done. Last year’s 2-8 record,
prior to Cronic’s arrival on the coaching scene, is
all but forgotten.
Forsyth County pened the season in reverse. A
tie and a loss to Pickens County and Crestwood
respective didn’t do much for well-wishers.
Cronic, who had been on the job since early
June, was not a doubter. Despite an offense
which had only generated one touchdown in
those two games, Cronic stuck to his guns.
In a 23-15 victory over Loganville, two weeks
ago, the Forsyth County guns began to smoke.
With a 41-7 win over Shiloh, those same guns
roared like never before.
Late Friday evening there was a curious sound
emitting from the Bulldog dressing room. It was
one from joy and celebration.
Not since 1985 had Forsyth County won games
in back-to-back fashion. It’s a feeling the locals
currently relish.
Upon retiring for the evening it’s most possible
those thoughts were still on victory.
They’ll have an opportunity to make it three
straight this Friday.
Only problem, is this week’s opponent is with
Duluth’s Wildcats.
There’s only one problem in beating a Cecil
Morris-coached football team. The opportunity
may present itself but the task will always
appear tougher than realized.
If you’ve ever dipped into that comfortable
little bowl of a stadium which Duluth calls home,
you understand the difficulty. Tiger fans of LSU
and Clemson have ushered in many an unsus
pecting victim. Like a spider, the foe can rather
quickly be rendered harmless and silent.
But this may not be an ordinary football season
for Duluth and Forsyth County. Morris’ Wild
cats, after three straight, are still looking for its
first victory. Forsyth County, after winning two,
sits at 2-1-1.
Once again there’s something to be said for a
winning attitude.
This summer Cronic’s closest fears were one
of losing and generating interest. Now he’s got to
be thinking of convincing fans they haven’t yet
staked claim to a state championship.
Any doubt as to which fear he would rather
have at this time?
Problems have a way of working out. A perfect
example is the offensive woes the Bulldogs
stumbled through in those first two games. The
last two weeks that same offense, run by a
maturing Chris Bennett at quarterback, has
generated 65 points.
Bennett hasn’t been by himself either. The
backfield consists of Nick Dereszynski, a batter
ing ram of a fullback. In his last two games
Dereszynski has gained 190 yards while leading
the charge.
Halfback Donny Anderson, a shade lighter,
has put his speed to good use. Against Loganville
he reeled off one run which totalled more than 70
yards. Versus Shiloh, Anderson treated the Gen
eral defense with disrespect, gaining at least as
many on 12 carriesl
What I’m trying to express is a term called
team unity. No squad can with without it.
The first two games saw Forsyth County prove
how much they learned under new coaches, with
a new system. As for feelings, they only thought
about winning.
After a long trip to Loganville, the Bulldogs
loosened up, and played more like themselves.
Sure, it felt good to win.
Against Shiloh they looked more like a team.
It wasn’t an easy victory. Following an early
drive and touchdown celebration, Forsyth
County cheered. It was too early a victory dance
as back came Shiloh, posting 7 of its own.
Later in the opening quarter, the Bulldogs
scored again. When Shiloh’s offense began eat
ing up yards, one had a feeling of Deja Vu.
Suddenly things changed though, and for once
it wasn’t an opponent’s fortune. Forsyth County
and a key defensive play, followed by a punt.
Later in the opening stanza the Bulldogs hit
paydirt once more. This time it was Bennett, on a
twisting run of 7 yards, that gave Forsyth County
the lead once again.
Though the Bulldogs and followers didn’t sense
it at the time, victory was in the bag.
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A refreshing run in the park brings a smile to Simpson
Forsyth County prepares for Duluth
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
Duluth’s powerful Wildcats may have its
hands full of battling Bulldugs this Friday
when Forsyth County pays a visit.
After a 0-1-1 beginning, Danny Cronic’s sud
denly-turned battling Bulldogs will put a mod
est two-game winning streak on the line at 8
p.m.
Forsyth County, after tying Pickens County
7-7 in the opener and then falling to Crestwood
9-0, started a run with a 23-15 slapping of
Loganville. Last Friday it was Shiloh’s turn to
stand in line for a Bulldog brand of punish;
ment, 41-7.
This year’s game promises to be much
different than the 1986 outcome, which saw
Duluth post an impressive 41-28 win. That
game wasn’t as close as the final score, as
Forsyth County scored twice in the final 35
seconds.
Forsyth County quarterback Chris Bennett,
who engineered two long scoring drives in last
year’s game, is back. In the victory over
Loganville, Bennett hurled a pair of touchdown
These Falcons
didn’t strike
Rohn Cash may only be four years old, but
he’s already learning how to play football.
On this afternoon young Cash is led by his
father, Ronnie Cash. The pair were headed
for a football game at Cumming City Park,
proving these Falcons are eager to play
football.
Forsyth County New s
passes, his first such tosses of the season.
There’s something about Duluth which
brings out the best in Bennett. As a sophomore
in 1986, Bennett hurled scoring passes of 7 and
49 yards against the Wildcats, then ranked 10th
in AA.
“We’re feeling better about our offense,”
said Bennett after the Loganville game. “I
knew it was taking us a little time, but ex
pected us (offense) to begin playing better. We
have some good players on offense.”
One individual who proved how valuable he
is to the offense is fullback Nick Dereszynski.
Against Loganville he was a battering ram,
running for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Missing from this year’s Duluth offense is a
key ingredient, tailback Gerald Blake. A senior
who graduated this past spring, Blake riddled
the Bulldog defense for 116 yards on only 14
attempts last year.
Grandison Camer is the workhorse in the
Wildcat backfield this time. Camer is a proven
talent, having rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries
last year. Camer is no Blake though.
On the run
By Mike Webber
Sports Editor
There are those who see running as a
means of maintaining top physical condition.
A mirror image of those hopes is Glenn
Simpson, a trim 41-year old, mother of four.
Starting Oct. 6, for six straight weeks,
Simpson will offer her program to perspective
runners. For more information call the For
syth County Parks and Recreation Depart
ment.
Simpson began running five years ago.
Some might consider her a late-bloomer.
Simpson, who will teach her classes at the
Forsyth County High School track, began
running as a means of keeping her weight
down.
What started as an activity she would just as
soon avoid, has evolved into something much
more special these days. When she looks at
herself these days, Simpson sees an individ
ual, some 60 pounds lighter.
“I guess I began running as means of
keeping my weight down,” she said. “I had
just lost quite a bit of weight and wanted to
keep it down. Besides that, running gave me
an opportunity to be outside by myself. All of a
sudden I realized how much better I felt.”
It didn’t take Simpson long to work herself
into running condition those five years ago.
After only eight months of running, she en
tered a marathon (26.2 miles) event. Her first
race was the Atlanta Marathon, run through
downtown Atlanta.
“I finished,” she proudly stated. "For the 14
weeks leading up to the race, I had trained
hard, running 18 to 20 miles each Saturday.”
Today, instead of running to lose weight,
Simpson has taken the opposite plan.
“I run to eat,” she said. “I used to dread
running. It took me about a year before I relly
began enjoying it. There’s something you just
can’t explain about the feeling running gives
you.”
Simpson limits herself to about three big
races each year. The Peachtree Road Race is
considered tops, mainly because it involves
her entire family. Since she was raised in the
Buckhead area, the race means time for the
entire family to gather.
The Heart Trek, a race which raises funds
for the American Heart Association, is an
other favorite. Then there’s the grueling Hog
pen Hill Run, a 10.5 mile race held outside
Helen.
“A humbling race,” is the way Simpson
refers to that event. “It’s all uphill and takes
everything you have to finish.”
There’s a special reason Simpson holds the
Helen race in high respect. In 1983, her first
year in serious running, she captured her age
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She even stops to sniff flowers
group in the Hogpen Hill Run.
As mother to four active youngsters, Hank
(8), Mardi (19), David (10) and Bobby (16),
running isn’t her only activity.
As strange as it might appear to see her
teaching classes in running, Simpson’s career
as a youth soccer coach for the Cumming City-
Park Recreation and Parks Department is
also different.
She shares coaching duties, on a team of 6-
ad 7-year olds, with District Attorney Rafe
Banks. The move came about, some four
years ago, when son Hank registered for
soccer.
As it turned out Hank didn’t want to practice
without his mother. Dave Horton, Cummung
City Park Recreation Director, suggested
Glenn for a career in coaching.
“Coaching is fun,” she admitted. “At that
early age all I want to do s give them an
opportunity to participate and gain some self
confidence. I leave all the other duties up to
Rafe. It’s great fun, coaching soccer.”
Simpson’s running appears ready to evolve
into something else. A participant in the first
Cumming Triathlon, she didn’t compete last
year.
As for her reasoning behind teaching a class
in running, her answer is relatively simple.
“I don’t know how well it (class) will go
over, but I just want to help get it started,’’she
said. “Running is something relatively simple
and inexpensive. I’ve found it as a way to rest
and enjoy the outdoors. I now run because I
love it.”
Unlike many runners, Simpson doesn’t wear
a watch as means for competing against the
clock.
“I don’t like to wear a watch when I run,”
she explained. “I like to take time, stop, and
smell the flowers along the way. If you’re
concerned with time you can’t do that.”