Newspaper Page Text
8A
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 2, 1992
Perry sports
(hyp Brian i
t Lawson I
Finding my
way to the
new Dome
I went to my first football game
in a dome Sunday.
My visiting uncle and 1 acquired
tickets through a third party and
hopped MARTA to the Georgia
Dome early Sunday afternoon.
I'm not sure who came up with
the pink and blue tile scheme adorn
ing the outside of the building but
it looks more suitable for a bath
room than a fieldhousc.
Anyway, we get off the train with
about 35,000 other people all
headed to the same place to file
through the three (!), turnstiles for
this migrating horde.
Our tickets said enter through
Gate E.
So naturally we began looking for
said gate and it's nowhere to be
found. Every person we asked gave
us one stage directions, like, "Turn
left there," or "go up these stairs".
All through the odyssey to find
Gate E, I kept thinking each guide's
brief instuctions were the final leg
of the trip, but that wasn't the case.
After walking about 15 miles
around the perimeter of the tile
dome we found gate E.
My uncle and I exchanged grins of
triumph; we had made it.
As the girl took our tickets, 1
asked "Where do we go now?"
"Left," she answered.
We headed that way and encoun
tered an elevator with a line extend
ing nearly back to Perry, someone
said use the ramp and we began
heading upward.
Ramp after ramp got us to the
Club Level where we belonged.
The floors up there are carpeted I
guess to give die sky box users the
feeling that they arc at home. We
trekked down the carpeted way and
passed some very fancy accomoda
tions and food stuffs but there were
no markings as to the row, section
or lime zone we had entered.
With our water running low anti
my uncle talking about needing a
nap, we emerged into a hallway and
found our scats.
Upon sitting down, we discovered
menus on our chairs and the sheets
informed us we could have waitress
service if we so desired.
After a quick perusal of the prices
(gratuity not included), 1 went to
get us a couple of hot dogs.
The field is a pretty, artificial
Christmas tree green.
The first look at die inside of the
dome is impressive, but something
1 noticed a few years back is pro
athletes always look less impres
sive playing live than they do on
tclcvison.
What I mean by dial is, when you
see them in person you remember
they are only playing a game there
isn't that aura dial comes with per
forming on television. It's eaiscr to
remember they're not performing
surgery or putting together die uni
fied field theory.
Most of the readers probably are
aware of the score of the game, At
lanta 34-0 over New England.
I'd always heard about the noise
crowds can generate in a dome, but
that was pretty much absent during
Sunday's game.
Maybe it was the team the Fal
cons were playing or the score, but
the only lime the crowd got really
loud was when Deion Sanders in
tercepted two passes and began to
run them back. Those assembled
stood up, pretty much cn masse,
and cheered for Deion to do
something spectacular. He made
two nice plays, but they won't
make the higlight reel.
The strangest thing about watch
ing the game from a relatively high
vantage point is you find yourself
watching the two huge TV
monitors at cither end of the field
rather than much smaller players on
the field. You get close ups of the
action, you don’t lose track of the
ball and you ask yourself why am I
paying $35 to watch a football
game on TV?
Maybe if the game were better, or
if Dcion would have run one back it
would have been a better day.
The first pro game 1 ever went to
was a playoff game with the
Vikings against the Rams in the
LA Coliseum. For years the Rams
said Minnesota always beat them
Please see DOME, page 9A
Lady Hornets rally to beat FPD
By BRIAN LAWSON
Sports Editor
Alter trailing FPD for three quar
ters the Westfield Lady Hornets in
the fourth quarter to beat the Lady
Vikings 48-44 Tuesday night.
April Horsting scored 12 points in
the final 8 minutes to spark the
Hornets.
FPD jumped out to an early 10-2
lead in the first quarter, but
Horsting and Laurie Thompson
chipped away at the deficit with
four points a piece and the first
quarter ended with Westfield trailing
10-8.
The Lady Vikings built an eight
point lead by halftime paced by
Camille Grace's 8 second quarter
points. Thompson picked up her
third foul at 4:50 of the quarter and
the Hornets committed five
turnovers. Horsting scored four
points to lead Westfield's second
quarter scoring and four other Hor
ncLs added a basket each. The teams
went into the locker room with
FPD ahead 28-20.
The Hornets changed defenses at
halftime going from a 2-3 zone to
a 1-2-2 match-up zone to limit
Grace's effectiveness from the
comer.
Westfield Coach Donna Campbell
cited the adjustment as one of the
keys to the victory.
"We were able to pressure them
outside and we played more aggres
sive, that was the biggest change in
the game. We came out with a lit
tle more intensity in the second
half," she said.
Horsting opened the third quarter
scoring with a three point play,
Hornets suffer first loss of season 76-70 at FPD
By BRIAN LAWSON
Sports Editor
FPD jumped on the Westfield
Hornets early Tuesday night and
despite a sustained Westfield rally
held on to win 76-70.
The loss was the first of the sea
son for the Hornets who fell to 2-
1.
Shane Hester and Austin Abney
led the Hornets with 15 points
apiece.
Coach Cater Pierce wasn't pleased
with his teams effort.
"Mentally we weren’t in the game.
We got pushed around and we
backed down. I don't mind when
we get beat because of a scheme,
but what upsets me is when we arc
outhustled and tonight we were
ouihustlcd," he said.
Just like last Tuesday night, the
Hornets spotted the opposition a
big early lead and managed to peck
away at it.
The Vikings Led 15-4 after four
minutes, but Abney, Hester and
Chad Evans combined for 13 points
and the Hornets caught and passed
the Vikings at the end of the quarter
17-16.
HLCC hosts Asst. Pro Tourney Dec. 7
By BRIAN LAWSON
Sports Editor
Houston Lake Country Club will
be hosting the Georgia PGA Assis
tant Division Pro/Pro Champi
onship golf tournament Monday
afternoon.
The event features apprentice golf
pros from around the suite compct
ing in pairs for prize money.
HLCC apprentice pro Scot
Carnlcy will be playing with Perry
Coumry Club apprentice pro John
Smith.
"I'm looking forward to having
the rest of the assisuints getting to
sec our course. In my opinion it's
one of the best in the state," Carn
ley said.
Chris Murman, an apprentice pro
from Houston Lake is also expected
to play in the event.
Houston Lake has hosted the
tournament the past two years and
roughly 100 players arc expected to
compete.
The event is being sponsored by
Ram Golf and Dexter Shoe Com
pany.
Prior to the tournament the assis
tant division will hold their annual
meeting and election of officers.
The PGA assistant division in
cludes 10,000-12,000 members na
tionally. Officers elected Monday
will be responsible for organizing
tournaments witliin Georgia and at
tending to all PGA assistant divi
sion business affecting Georgia's
assistant pros.
The tournament will lee off at
noon Monday.
but both offense's struggled for
much of the quarter.
The score stayed 28-23 until
4:07.
The Vikings then pushed their
lead to 30-23, at the four minute
mark, but Laura Langston hit two
baseline jumpers to pull Westfield
to within four poinLs at 1:28. With
30 seconds to play in the quarter
Langston missed a jump shot but
freshman Jennifer Smith pul back
the miss and the quarter ended with
the Hornets trailing 32-30.
Campbell made the second major
adjustment in changing the Lady
Hornets offensive scheme against
FPD's defense.
"We wanted to wait to use it until
the fourth quarter so they wouldn't
have time to adjust. It freed April
up to get some good shots and we
moved the ball a little bit better in
that set," she said.
Horsting hit a short jumper to tic
the game at 32 with 20 seconds
elapsed in the quarter. The score
stayed knotted until Horsting con
verted a shot from the baseline to
put the HorneLs in front for the first
time all night.
Grace hit a free throw and the lead
changed hands twice. FPD led for
the last lime 37-36 at the 3:58
mark. Then Horsting hit back to
back shots and the Lady Hornets
were up 40-37.
The Lady Vikings scored at 1:59
to put them within one at 40-39,
but Horsting hit another shot,
Kimberly Marshall blocked a three
point attempt and Langston and
Thompson converted a total of four
FPD began to assert control in the
second quarter with strong inside
scoring and a tenacious 1-3-1 zone.
The Hornets were oulscorcd 25-15
in the quarter and they committed
six turnovers. Both coaches used a
lot of players in the quarter and the
Vikings reserves outscored the Hor
nets reserves eight to two in the
last 1:35 of the half.
The Hornets climbed back in the
game in the third quarter behind the
three point shooting of Abney and
Geoff Hill. The HorneLs took their
first lead of the second half on a
four point play by Abney who was
fouled as he drilled a three pointer.
Alter he converted the free throw,
the Hornets led 50-49 at 2:58.
The Vikings answered with a three
pointer then Abney drove the length
of the floor before dishing to Brian
Nash for a lay-up to end the quarter
with the teams tied at 54.
Hill led the Hornets with six
poinLs in the quarter, Abney, Evans
and Lon Talton each scored four
points.
The Vikings opened the fourth
quarter wfith a three point play and
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HLCC assistant golf pro Scot carmey practices his
swing. Carnley will be playing in the Assistant
Pro/Pro Championship at HLCC next Monday.
free throws after FPD began
intentionally fouling.
On the game's final shot FPD’s
Amy Gaines hit a three pointer as
the buzzer sounded making the final
score 48-44.
In addition to Horsting's 12
points, Langston and Thompson
scored three a piece as the Lady
Hornets outscored the Lady Vikings
18-12 over the final eight minutes.
Grace was held to points in the
second half.
Hosting finished with 21 points,
Thompson and Langston both had 8
points, Marshall scored 3 and four
Hornets each scored one basket.
Campbell was happy with the
win, but she wasn’t please with her
team’s first half effort.
"We came out flat. We had no in
tensity, it just wasn't there and I
don't know where it’s gone. Jen
nifer Smith gave us a spark off the
bench and it's nice to have her on
the bench knowing we can go to
her if we have to. We need our
guard play to pick up. Our offense
wasn't in sync and when Laurie
Thompson picked up her third foul
we really didn’t get much help from
our bench. I expected our press to
more effective than it's been so
we’ll have to spend some time
looking at the film's and working
on what we're doing wrong. We've
got a lot of team speed, but some
thing is missing in our press and
we'll have to try and work on it
over the Christmas break. We're
lucky we're two and one. We've
got to work on the things we're not
doing well," she said.
scored again after a Westfield miss
to pull ahead 59-54.
Alter Hill missed a lay-up after a
breakaway steal, Hester committed
a foul at the other end and FPD
converted the free throws to make it
61-55.
The Hornets rallied again and
when Abney hit a three pointer they
pulled ahead 62-61 at 3:58.
The Vikings hit two free throws
to go back into the lead and then
the Hornets committed three
straight turnovers, two traveling
calls and an errant pass all of which
FPD converted into scores.
That increased the FPD lead to
69-62 and the game was out of
reach.
The Hornets gambled and fouled
intentionally but FPD converted
their free throws and held on for a
76-70 win.
"We used up so much energy get
ting back into the game we didn't
have anything left at the end. Our
guards panicked and we didn't get
the ball to the right people. Wc;ll
have to lot to talk about at
practice," Pierce said.
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April Horsting scored 21 DOints to lead WHS
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Lon Talton makes a move for the basket against FPD
Tuesday night. The Hornets came up short 76-70.
PHS season opener
postponed until Dec. 8
By BRIAN LAWSON
Sports Editor
Macon County's victory over
Johnson County Friday night in the
football playoffs means Perry will
open its basketball season a week
later than scheduled.
Macon County school officials
approached Perry Coach Carl
Thomas and asked him to postpone
the team's opener originally
scheduled for Dec. 1 in Perry.
"We have a signed contract with
them and I'm not pleased that they
asked us to do this. I feel like if
the game is important enough to
schedule its important enough to
play. We could have forced the is
sue because we have a contract, but
in the long run it will help us at
the other end of our schedule which
is ultimately why I decided to agree
to their request," Thomas said.
A decision to postpone the game
pending the outcome of the football
game was reached Thursday. When
Macon County won, Perry's season
was officially delayed a week.
The revised schedule calls for
Perry to open against Macon
County at home Dec. 8. The Dec.
8 game that was to be played at
Macon County has been re
scheduled for Feb. 15 or 16.
The decision to delay the opener
Journal
may pose early season problems for
the Panthers, Thomas said.
They arc slated to play Dodge
County in their region opener Dec.
11.
"With a Dee. 1 opener we were
getting a late start already. Teams
began playing as many as 11 days
earlier. When we play Central Ma
con they will have played eight
games and we'll have had four. You
schedule games to benefit yourself.
We had planned to play two games
within 10 days before our region
opener. We'll be playing Dodge
having played only one game,
they’ll have played about four,”
Thomas said.
The team has been practicing for
five full weeks. The delay adds an
other week of practice and Thomas
said his team is anxious to play.
"We’re ready to play. Our players
are disappointed. They arc eager to
go ahead and get started. They've
been practicing for five weeks al
ready and we had approached last
week like we were getting ready to
play a game. You can never truly
re-create a game situation because
you can't substitute for the other
team's intensity," he said.
The Panther players who have just
finished with the football season are
Please see UNTIL, paqe 9A