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•THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1990
Perry goes for another road win today
By SHAWN AKERS
Sports Editor
At the beginning of the season,
former Perry High School baseball
coach Ronnie Royston said that one
particular thing would play a key
rule in the Panthers' region success
this year.
Winning all of their home
games was a must, he said, and
splitting the region games on the
road would ensure Perry a spot in
the region playoffs in late April.
The top four teams in the regular
season advance the region playoffs.
Five games into the region
schedule, the Panthers arc tied for
second in the region with Harris
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•
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Mark Blumen
HHJ Staff Writer
I'm a bit
rusty at bat
I had quite an experience this
weekend when I took my first crack
at swinging the bat against live
pitching.
I stepped into the batters box in
the top of the third inning against a
pitcher going, oh, about high 70's,
low 80's.
Well, he pitched the first pitch
high. You would think that would
happen after pitching to a taller
batter just before me.
The second pitch was low and
outside.
The third pitch was under the
chin.
Well, I'm in the driver's seat
now wjth a 3-0 count, or am I?
The old automatic came on the
next pilch.
Well, I heard people saying, "he
won't swing, he's looking for a
walk.”
Well, the next pitch, I swung
and dribbled one off to the on-deck
circle foul.
Full count, and I'm ready for just
about anything this guy can throw.
Guess what? I take a third strike
on the inside comer. Oh well, I'll
get him next time.
In the field I do better. 1 make
the play on the baiter getting our
team out of a bad inning.
My next lime up to bat is a lit
tle diffcrenL
All the butterflies are out of my
system and I'm going to show this
guy. Rodney Hodges, I believe is
his name.
Ball one on the first pitch. I be
lieve he's scared of me.
I take a strike on the second
pitch and on the third and fourth
pitch, he pitches high.
Well, I'm in the drivers seal
again. So I think.
The next pitch I gel a fastball
down the pipe that I drive over the
first baseman's head but it lands
foul.
I did hear some people say, "He
surprised them."
Well, the next pitch looked
down the pipe again, but this time I
swung and missed.
1 finished 0-for-2 with two
strikeouts.
the third time I was pinch-hit
for. The batter that batted for me
flew out to right field.
What's the difference in a strike
out or a fly out? It's like losing by
one run or 100 runs.
Well, there's always next week,
and hopefully I'll be ready for the
next pitcher.
♦ • *
Well, my prediction of Georgia
Tech and a Duke matchup for a na
tional championship was half right.
Unfortunately, 1 would have
rather been half right the other way.
Duke and UNLV played for the
national championship and not my
hometown Yellovvjackets.
Still, who would have ever
thought the Jackets would have
gone as far as they did.
I saw there returning players for
next year, and if Scott comes back,
they should be an awesome team.
Plus, with the addition of Ma
con’s Ivano Newbill and Auburn
transfer. Matt Geiger, the inside
game should be a lot different than
it was this year.
Basically, anything inside would
be a lot different than it was this
year.
Well, congratulations on a
tremendous year and let's all get
behind cither the Yellowjackets
the other Georgia team.
Even if it is college, at least we
have something to cheer about
since my Hawks have let me down.
. -..vV....' -.• in. ■-‘ ■
County and Robert E. Lee Institute
with a 4-1 record, one-half game
behind Jackson. Perry is 2-0 at
home in the region and 2-1 on the
road.
Not bad considering the Panthers
could be unbeaten. Their only loss
was to Harris County in Hamilton
last week, and the Tigers had to
rally for three runs in the bottom of
the seventh to win.
Perry faces another lough road
lest today in Thomaston when they
meet Robert E. Lee. The Rebels arc
5-2 overall and 4-1 in the region.
"I don't know anything about
them, but I've heard they've got a
pretty good team," said Perry
Aki-Hiro Omi scores two
Panthers swept in soccer
matches by Macon schools
By MARK BLUMEN
Staff Writer
For 38 minutes of the first half,
it looked as if the Perry High
School Panthers would pull out
their first victory in two years.
Unfortunately, the Southwest
High School Patriots lied the score
with two minutes left in the half,
and used two second-half goals to
pull out a 3-2 victory Monday
night in Macon.
Tuesday night in Macon, Perry
battled the Central Chargers but
came up with a lopsided 8-1 defeat.
The Panthers played without star
player Aki-Hiro Omi, who was
back in Perry recovering from a
cold.
It was a close defensive battle
early against the Patriots and with
34 minutes left in the first half,
Omi scored the first goal for Perry
all season on a penally kick and
only the second goal in two years.
The other goal was scored by
Quincy Williams against Northsidc,
last year, in a 5-1 loss.
"When we scored that goal, it
was like we won the world scries,"
said Panthers coach Joy McNeil.
The Panthers used tenacious de
fense and great goal keeping by
Michael Taylor to prevent any Pa
triot from scoring.
A lapse in the defense ocurred
with the Patriots crossing the ball
to Terrance Smith who beat Taylor
for the goal with only two minutes
left in the half.
Hornet tennis squads split
region warm-up Tuesday
By J.J. COOPER
Staff Writer
PERRY- The Westfield Hornets
tennis teams split in action at
Rozar Park Tuesday.
The boys team, led by top seed
Terry Watson's 8-3 win, defeated
the Raiders, 5-4.
The girls showed improvement
as they fe11,2-7.
Watson defeated Carter Tharpc 8-
3 in the #1 seed match.
The Hornet's #2 seed Jimmy
Tate also won, 9-7, over Jason
Williams.
Burkes Young fell in his match
to Clarke Holt, 6-8.
Wade Hardy prevailed in his
match over Cornwell Webb, 8-1.
Travis Watson defeated Kevin
Landers, 8-2.
Ryan Dchnad fell in his match,
0-8, to Allen House.
The number one team of Tate
and Hardy, fell to Tharpe and
Williams, 7-9.. . .
Terry Watson and Burkes Young
defeated Holt and Webb, 8-5.
Travis Watson and Dehnad fell
to Landers and House, 8-4.
In the girls action, Bristol Davis
fell to Kim Home, 8-0.
Heather Potts picked up another
win with an 8-3 win over Jennifer
Fulmer.
Leanne Smith was defeated by
Lisa Johnson, 8-3.
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"They're (Robert E. Lee) one of the teams we need to
beat in order to stay in contention for a playoff spot. If
we can beat Lee at their place, it will really help us."
Perry Coach
Tim Simmons
interim coach Tim Simmons.
"They're one of the teams we
need to beat in order to stay in con
tention for a playoff spot"
Rebel Coach Bobby Smith
echoed that sentiment.
"Perry, from what I hear, is
playing excellent ball right now,"
Smith said. "This is a game we
need to win, especially since we're
So the Panthers went into the
intermission tied 1-1 and had only
been outshol 9-5.
In the second half, both teams
were again feeling each other out.
Neither team could get the ball
into their offense. Finally, with 20
minutes left, Chris Black, who was
in a motorcycle accident and wore a
prosthesis, scored his first of two
second-half goals.
Six minutes later, Black found
another opening by Taylor and
scored.
The Patriots lead 3-1 with 14
minutes left in the contest.
"I just misjudged some of the
balls," Taylor said. "The last one
went off the tip of my fingers."
The Panthers finally got their
offense off and rolling.
With under 10 minutes left in
the game, Omi had a comer kick
that James Kendrick headed in. Un
fortunately the official ruled a hand
violation and negated the goal.
After a struggle again, Perry's
Omi had a one-on-one and again
beat the goal keeper, but only 30
seconds remained in the game.
Southwest held on for their sec
ond victory over the Panthers.
"Perry outplayed us on both of
fense and defense," said Patriots
coach John Reinhart. "They passed
better and kicked better."
McNeil echoed the response.
"We outplayed them and if we had
the goal that was taken away, plus
a trip that wasn't called, we would
Nova Davis also notched another
victory with an 8-5 victory over
Prentiss Duncan.
Tasha Haley lost her match to
Lucy Crisp, 8-1.
Laura Barfield also lost, 3-8, to
Michelle Underwood.
In doubles action, Bristol Davis
and Potts fell to Home and Fulmer,
8-1.
Smith and Nova Davis fell to
Johnson and Duncan, 1-8.
Amber Buchanan and Susan Li
ipfert, playing as the number three
doubles team, fell to Crisp and Un
derwood, 8-2.
Hornet coach Todd Curkendall
was happy with the team's effort.
The boys have already improved
on their previous year's record, as
they hold a 3-2 record.
"I'm real pleased," said Curk
endall. "We've already improved
over last year's record.
Curkendall also is pleased with
the girls, as they* show - improve
ment every match.
"We're playing more consis
tently," said Curkendall.
The Hornet girls are 1-5,
beneficiaries of a forfeit victory
over Deerfield, who played with an
ineligible player.
The Hornets will play FPD in
the first region match of the season,
Thursday at Rozar Park at 3:30.
playing it at home."
The Panthers will host the
Rebels in the season finale at the
Panther "Pit" on April 20, but get
ting the win on the road Wednesday
would be a big boost for Perry.
"If we can beat Lee at their
place, it would really help us,”
Simmons said.
Junior right hander Ken Sikes,
have won," she said. "It was by far
our best game of the year."
Outstanding offensive players for
the Panthers were Omi, Andy Pal
let, Reginald Jackson, Mark Felly,
Alyssa Ekey, Ken Grace and
Williams.
Others that contributed to the
outstanding performance were Eric
Carter, Derrick Richards, Donnie
Grant, Gage Pritchett, and Chris
Beetschen.
With the losses, Perry falls to 0-
4 and has one contest remaining. It
will be against the Central Chargers
in Macon.
Central 1-i-l will finish its sea
son later in the year.
Central coach David Ruff feels
the Perry team will be much im
proved and out to prove they can
play better.
”1 know how they feel," he said.
"We had that (a blow out) done to
us earlier."
In the Charger game, Casey
Martin and Lloyd Martin slaked the
Macon team to a ,2-0 lead, but
Williams scored to cut the lead in
half on a penalty kick with 16
minutes remaining.
Lloyd Martin and Sam Wu
scored goals just 2:17 into the sec
ond half and Central never looked
back.
Four more goals were accounted
for as the Panthers played with only
one substitution.
Andy Pallet was the lone sub
and he was playing less than 100
percent.
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2-2, will start for the Panthers.
Sikes must recover from the bad
seventh inning against Harris
County. He also lost in the final
inning against Warner Robins in a
non-region game earlier this year.
"Hopefully, Ken can come back
from that," Simmons said. "We
may have to monitor Ken a little
bit more toward the end of the
game."
It may not be that Sikes is tiring
toward the end of his outings, but
that the opposition is finally catch
ing up to his blazing fastball.
"Maybe if he gets into trouble,
we might have to pull him out,"
Simmons said. "Not necessarily
X
Perry area
[ Sports calendar J
Wednesday, April 4
Baseball: Perry High School at R.E. Lee, 4:30 p.m.
Soccer: Recreation Mite League, Knicks vs. Gators at RAFB No. 2,
5:30 p.m.
Golf: Dogwood Festival Tournament at Perry Country Club
Track: Fullington, Cross Keys at Westfield High School, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 5
Soccer: Recreation Mite League, Lazers vs. Kicks at Tanner Field No. 2,
6 p.m.
Track: Mary Persons, Harris County, Jones County at Perry High
School, 4:30 p.m.
Tennis: Perry High School vs. Mary Persons at Ted Wright Park in
Warner Robins, 4:30 p.m.; F.P.D. vs. Westfield at Rozar Park in Perry,
3:30 p.m.
Baseball: Windsor B-Team vs. Westfield High School, 4 p.m.
Golf: F.P.D. vs. Westfield High School at Perry Country Club, 2 p.m.
Wrestling: Georgia Championship Wrestling at Westfield schools
gymasium, 7 p.m.
Friday, April 6
Baseball: Mary Persons at Perry High School, 4:30 p.m.; Dccrficld-
Windsor at Westfield High School, 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 7
Soccer: Recreation Mite League, Nuggets vs. Twisters at Tanner Field
No. 2, 10 a.m.; Gators vs. Eagles at RAFB No. 2, 10 a.m.; Strikers vs.
Flyers, Tanner Field No. 2, 11:15 a.m.; Blazers vs. Knicks, RAFB No. 2,
11:15 a.m.; Rowdies vs. Dodgers, Tanner Field No. 2, 12:30 p.m.
Running: Dogwood Fun Run
Baseball: Westfield B-Team vs. Tattnall (DH) at Macon, 11 a.m.
Sunday, April 8
Baseball: Columbus vs. Perry Athletics at Perry Middle School, 2 p.m.
Monday, April 9
Golf: Westfield High School at Stratford Invitational at River North
Country Club, Noon
Baseball: Tabor High School at Perry High School B-lcam, 4:15 p.m.;
Perry High School at Pike County in Zebulon, 4:30 p.m.
Tennis: Macon County at Perry High School, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 10
Tennis: Lamar County at Perry High School, 4:30 p.m.
Baseball: Stratford at Westfield High School, 4 p.m.
because he's tired, but maybe they
arc catching on to his fastball. Then
we can pul someone in there with a
different style of pilch to mix them
up."
Smith, however, knows that
beating Sikes and his fastball wilt
be an extremely tough task.
"From what I've heard, he's had a
little bit of bad luck so far," Smith
said. "But we know how good
Sikes is. Our kids our going to
have to be on our toes to beat
him."
Simmons just hopes that the
Panthers don't forget what happened
last week in Hamilton at Harris
County.