Newspaper Page Text
10A
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9. 1992
Perry sports
Brian ■
ML ( Lawson
Sports editor
She's nuts,
but there's
more to it
Let me start by saying that the
last thing in the world I would ever
want to do is defend Marge Schott
or racism.
But, the furor over the comments
Schott made concerning various ra
cial and ethnic groups has been dis-'
figured beyond all reason.
The things she is reported to have
said arc ugly, ignorant and come
from somebody with a brain the
size of a pea.
But, they arc not illegal and free
speech in our country is protected
by the law.
Now, the baseball owners, the
same group who was twice found
guilty of colluding in an effort to
kill the free agent market and who
drove Commissioner Fay Vincent
from the game because he wasn't
their flunky, is meeting to decide
what to do about Schott.
Putting the owners in that posi
tion is like making Bart Simpson
hall monitor.
There have been several interest
ing and stupid statements made
since the Schott story became
news. They range from a state
assembly demanding a ban on her
to wild speeches about Nazism. I
have no problem with their criticiz
ing racism, hut I don't think this is
the only example of it in the entire
United States. These people act
like the language Schott used is ap
pearing for the first time in Amer
ica.
Vincent was asked if he had ever
heard Schott make racial slurs. He
. declined to answer, saying "I can't
answer that question because thatj
gets to whether I've heard other
owners make similar remarks."
How many other owners are being
investigated? Is Schott the only
racist who owns a major league
team? Why is it that all of the
people who have worked with her
for so long suddenly recall in such
vivid detail the remarks she made?
Some of the remarks go back years;
why is it suddenly in the news?
Let me see if I can stake out my
position on this before we go on.
I don't think Marge Schott should
be in control of the Cincinnati Reds
and I know baseball would be better
off without her.
But, she owns the team. She paid
for it and as far as I know there is
no law in baseball that supersedes
the first amendment's guarantee of
free speech.
If there is away to prove Schott
failed to pay Eric Davis or Dave
Parker what they deserved you have
a legal argument against her.
But bad taste and stupidity are not
in and of themselves illegal.
I think the woman should have to
spend a month with a below
poverty level family in South Cen
tral Los Angeles and see what the
real world is like. But as much as I
detest what she is reported to have
said and the attitude she represents,
the people trying to rc-dcfine free
speech in this country aren't with
out their own sins.
Most people I know assume the
relationship they have with their
employer is based on payment for
.services rendered.
I don’t know what the people who
sign my pay check say about me in
private conversation, it’s really
none of my business. And they
don't know what I say about them.
The point is when I'm at work, if
I do my job I expect to be paid. If
they treat me unfairly or withhold
my salary then we'll have a prob
lem, but the contract has nothing to
do with what they mutter to the
secretary.
The argument against that is that
baseball holds a special place in the
American fabric, and that preserva
tion of the game's integrity is part
of the public trust.
Maybe it should be that way, but
it isn't. If baseball really eared
about integrity they would have left
an independent commissioner in
place, they would have pressed
much harder on representative hir
ing and there would be some sort of
revenue sharing between the large
TV markets and the smaller ones.
Baseball is concerned with money
and the fight over Marge Schott is
about economics, not decency. She
Please see LAWSON, page 11A
Lady Panthers open with win
against Macon County 51-48
By BRIAN LAWSON
Sports Editor
The Perry Lady Panthers opened
their season with a come from be
hind 51-48 win over Macon
County Tuesday night.
Benita Billings scored eight fourth
quarter points and sparked the Lady
Panthers who trailed by as many as
six points with three minutes to
play. At the 1:33 mark, the Lady
Bulldogs led 46-43, and with
Perry's offense stymied by the Ma
con County press the game looked
out of reach.
But Billings, who had only scored
two points in the first three quarters
and was playing with four fouls,
late a furious last minute rally for
the win.
With the Panthers trailing 46-43
with she grabbed a rebound, drib
bled the length of the floor and
passed to Melinda Howard for a
lay-up. With 51 seconds left, she
got free on the baseline and scored
to put the Panthers ahead, 47—16.
With 35 seconds to play Takesia
Rogers ran down a loose hall and
passed full court to Melinda Howard
who scored to make the score 49-
46. Latonya Turner hit a jumper to
put the Lady Bulldogs within one at
49-48.
The Panthers got the ball back and
Billings was fouled with 18 seconds
left in the game. She missed the
front end of a one and one and Ma
con County set up for die last shot.
Perfect named MVP at WHS football banquet
By BRIAN LAWSON
Sporls Editor
Danny Perfect capped a record set
ting senior year at the Westfield
football banquet Tuesday night by
receiving All State honors and the
Marvin E. Arrington Award as the
team's Most Valuable Player.
Perfect set eight school passing
records this season in leading the
Hornets newly designed offense un
der Coach Joby Boydstonc.
"He picked up the offense faster
than any player I've ever coached.
He’s a leader, a good athlete, he
never complained and lie did every
thing we asked of him," Boydstonc
said in presenting die award to Per
fect.
John Shipley received The Hous
ton Home Journal Player of the
Year award. Shipley played both
ways for the Hornets. He was the
team’s second leading rusher with
283 yards and two touchdowns, he
caught 25 passes for 235 yards and
he completed four passes for 47
yards.
Brad Dehem, die Hornets' leading
rusher and receiver was named Of
fensive Plaver of the Year.
Linebacker Lance WaLson, who led
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The tourney's winning pair, Frank Gasaway, far left, and Kerry Gaillard, second
left are flanked by association president Chris Knobloch, third left, and the
events sponsor RAM Golf representative Mark Lemon.
HLCC hosts Assistant Pro tourney on rainy Monday
The winning pair Irom Monday's
Georgia PGA Assistant Divsion
Pro/Pro Golf Tournament at Hous
ton Lake Country club, are Eagles
Landing Country Club's Frank Ca
saway, and Kerry Gaillard,. Despite
heavy rains throughout the day, the
pair shot a blistering 65 to capture
the SI,OOO first prize.
The event's format called for both
team members to tec off and then
select one of the shot's to continue
with. The player who's drive was
The Lady Bulldogs tried to get the
ball to Turner but with six seconds
left, Billings stripped her of the ball
and raced down for a game clinching
lay-up as time expired.
"We started slow and I think our
players were a little nervous. But
for them to come through like that
at the end shows me they have a lot
of heart. I wasn’t sure we had it in
us. We had some tired players on
the floor and they could have quit
but they didn't. It means a lot to
see our girls play like that," Coach
Tim Simmons said.
The game opened with both teams
having trouble taking care of the
basketball. The Lady Panthers had
two steals and committed three
turnovers in die first minute of the
game.
For the quarter the teams
committed 16 turnovers.
Fouls were also a problem for
Perry early on, Starters Arica
Askew and Thornton picked up two
each in the quarter and the Lady
Panthers committed a total of eight
first quarter fouls.
Angela Leagett led Perry's first
quarter scoring with six points, and
Billings, Christy Thornton and
Rogers each scored a basket.
The Lady Panthers led after the
first quarter 12-9.
Perry struggled in the second quar
ter getting outscorcd 12-5. They
were cold from the field connecting
on only two shots and Macon
the team in tackles, was named De
fensive Player of the Year.
Lon Tallon received the Coaches
Award for his multiple contribu
tions to the team's success and his
exemplary attitude.
Offensive lineman Sean Cooper,
who was the team's emotional
leader, was named Most Improved
Player.
Lee Talton, the Hornets' long
snapper on place kicks and punts,
was named Special Teams Player of
die Year.
Thad Hawk was given the Top
Hornet Award for his work on the
scout team, imitating the Hornets
opponenLs each week.
Five Hornets, including Perfect
were named to the All Region
Team, Boydstonc announced.
The other four players arc Shane
Hester, Lon Talton, Dehem and
Cooper.
Jeff Dehem, Shipley and Watson
were named Honorable Mention All
Region.
Perfect was the only Hornet
named to the All State team, but
four other Hornets were Honorable
Mention. They arc Hester, Brad
Dehem, Lon Talton, and Cooper.
not selected hit the next shot and
the players alternated to the green.
Where they both had an opportunity
to hit the same pull.
The tournament was part of the
event schedule the Georgia PGA
Assistant Division association.
Association President Chris
Knoblach, said the group is plan
ning 11 events for next year. Forty
four teams of assistant pros from
club's around the state competed in
the event.
County controlled the boards to
take a 21-17 halftime lead.
Perry bounced back in the third
quarter oulscoring the Lady Bull
dogs 15-8 behind, Lcagctl’s six
points. Thornton and Rogers
chipped in four each and the Pan
thers committed only five
turnovers in the quarter compared to
nine in the second quarter.
Going into the final eight minutes
Perry led 32-29.
With seven minutes to go in the
game, Macon County set the stage
for Billings heroics by applying a
full court press would resulted in
several Perry turnovers.
Trailing 33-29 at the seven
minute mark, the Lady Bulldogs
went on a 14-4 run in the next
three and a half minutes.
With Macon County leading 43-
37, Perry began to rally led by
Billings and Leagett who scored six
in the quarter.
"We just didn’t execute against
their press and we're going to have
to play smarter. Getting game ex
perience will help but we will have
to play a lot better to compete with
Dodge County Friday niglu,"
Simmons said.
The Perry scoring was distributed
among six players. Leggett led the
way with 23 points, Billings had
10, Thornton and Rogers scored six
points each, Howard had five points
and Askew had one point.
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Award winners from the WHS football banquet. Front row from left, Lon Talton
and Lee Talton. Second row, Sean Cooper, Danny Perfect, Brad Dehem and
Lance Watson. Top row, Thad Hawk and Shane Hester. The 1992 team was
praised for their dedication, hard work and character by the coaches.
HLCC assistant pro Scot Carnlcy
and his partner Perry Country Club
assistant pro John Smith shot a 75.
The top five finishers were:
Gasaway/Gaillard 65
Dan Hogan
Danny McNally 68
Robby Watson
Rob Allen 68
Mark Moody
Andy Edwards 69
Marie Watkins
Tim Weinhart 69
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Benita Billings hits the game clinching lay-up.
PHS wins Ist game 72-64
By BRIAN LAWSON
I Sports Editor
The Perry Panthers rolled over an
undermanned Macon County team
14-62 in their season opener Tues
day night.
In the second and third quarters the
Panthers defense pressured the Bull
dogs, created turnovers and scored in
clusters to provide the difference in
the game. For those two quarters
Perry ouLscorcd Macon County 42-
30.
The Panthers struggled somewhat
in the opening and closing quarters
and the totals from those two
quarters show an even game, 32-
32.
Keith Wimberly led the Perry at
tack with 21 points, Eric Richard
son scored 16 and Michael Lane had
14 to pace the Panthers.
"I'm very pleased with Keith
Wimberly, he came through and
played well. Garriett Curry played
very well for a sophomore in his
first start and Michael Lane hit
some good shots. We played very
well for minutes at a time, but I
was disappointed with our overall
play. We made no pretense of
blocking out underneath the basket
y and I'm disappointed with some of
b our defensive play," Coach Carl
i. Thomas said.
The Panthers led after one quarter
17-14 on the strength of eight
points from Lane and three, three
pointers. Both teams had trouble
shooting the ball and the Panthers
were six of 18 shooting for the
quarter.
Lane' hit two of the three and Eric
Richardson connected on the other.
The second quarter saw the Pan-
Journal
ihcrs began to pull away behind
their press. With Macon County
leading 20-19 with 5:39 left in the
half the Panthers went on a 13-5
run, on the strength of several Bull
dog' turnovers.
Erie Richardson thrilled the Perry
crowd with a breakaway dunk after a
steal to push the Panther lead to
25-22.
The teams went into the locker
room with Perry leading 38-27 be
hind seven points from Wimberly,
six each from Richardson and Boris
King and Arthur Billings collected
one free throw.
The Panthers pushed their lead to
16 with 3:51 left in the third quarter
51-35.
The Bulldogs, who played without
two of their best players couldn't
solve die Panthers third quarter man
to man defense.
The Panthers were ahead 59-40
with just over a minute to play be
fore Bulldog Jcrel Brown hit two
shots to end the quarter with his
team trailing 59-44.
The Panthers emptied their bench
in the third quarter and six Panthers
were in the scoring column for the
quarter.
Richardson had five, Wimberly
and King had four each, King and
Lane score three a piece and Tarvish
Felton added two.
The Panthers were oulscored 18-
15 in the fourth quarter. Brown
scored 12 for the Bulldogs and Perry
was outshot by a wide margin as
Macon County scrambled to reduce
their double digit deficit.
Perry kept control of the game
Please see Ist, page 11A