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Perry sports
£
Bill
Overton
Sports editor
Embarrassment
is just part of
life, Mr. Jansen
I was really happy to see Dan
Jansen get a gold medal yesterday.
Lord knows that he deserves one
just for having the heart to take all
this
Jansen was a big joke in my
household Monday afternoon. When
I found out he had slipped, I
couldn't help but laugh.
Somebody told me that he heard
something on the radio that
afternoon. A wise-crack deejay acted
as if he were calling Jansen in
Norway.
When this "Jansen" answered the
sall, he said that he didn't want to
talk about it. But after some
coaxing by the DJ, Jansen said that
he would answer some questions
right after he gets a shower.
As Jansen puts the phone down,
you hear him slipping in the
shower.
Cruel’jokes, but I got a good
laugh out of them until that
night when I saw it all take place.
You work that hard all your life
and it all seems rather worthless at
the time.
But even though Jansen may be
America's goat, he's not alone by a
long shot. Duncan Kennedy, the
United States' best shot for a first
ever luge medal, wiped out on a run
that could have put him in very
good position for a medal.
What about the Austrian skier
that lost his ski at the top of the
downhill run? That's embarrassing.
I've had moments like these
people. I just haven't had them
shown to millions of people.
So, in honor of Jansen and
Kertnedy, I've decided to reveal
some of my most embarrassing
moments in sport. Please don't let
this get outside the city limits:
I played soccer for over five
years when I was young. During
my second season, I was moved
from forward to fullback.
When you're 9-years-old, you
don't want to play defense. All you
care about is scoring a goal. So I
did right into our own goal.
In all honesty, I wasn't trying to
do it. The ball went off the side of
my foot and found its way under the
goalie's hands.
I was a decent baseball player in
my teen years. But I made a lot of
stupid mistakes. Heres a couple:
When I was 16,1 was standing
on third after a triple. I was so
proud of myself.
As the opposing pitcher faced
the next batter, I was chatting with
the third-base coach. I think I was
telling him a joke!
BOOM! Catcher throws in
behind me and I'm unknowingly
cracking a stupid joke. I'm out and
we lose by a run.
I pondered running my car into a
river that night.
Earlier in my career, I was a
pitcher, and a pretty good one. I
averaged IS or 16 strikeouts in a
seven-inning game. I had a good
hard fastball and a mean curve ball
which broke off the table (at least
fora 12-year old).
Anyway, there's a man on third
in the sixth inning. I strike a dude
out on another nasty curveball. I
can hear the "ahh" and "wow" in the
stands.
I crack a smile over at the
coaches, one of who's my dad.
The guy on third takes off and
steals home. STEALS HOME
while I'M SMILING. You don’t
know how long that lived with me.
By the way, we lost the game
by a run, 7-6.
Want some basketball? How
'bout the time I showed up at 8:30
for a 7:30 game? Made me feel real
cool!
I also remember playing junior
varsity basketball in high school. It
was a 15-man team and early in the
season (I got better later really),
there weren't enough chairs for the
bench players. So I had to sit on
the water cooler during the home
games.
That really knocked the ladies
dead, know what I mean?
If I had the pressure Jansen had
on the ice, I would have lost a skate
in the first 50 meters.
It's all a part of life —a life full
of embarrassment. That's part of
what makes it so fun.
Eagles stomp Westfield for region title
James scores 36 in Athens
Christian victory
By PHIL CLARK ,
Special to tha HHJ
MACON You could sum up
the GISA Region 2-AAA
championship game Friday night in
two words Larry James.
The big Athens Christian center
dominated the game from tipoff to
final whistle, scoring 36 points and
controlling the backboards on both
sides, leading the Eagles to an 80-
59 win over Westfield.
James’ presence under the West
field basket completely altered the
Hornets’ style of play and they were
never able to establish an inside
game.
Westfield’s Jeff Dortch hit the
first basket of the championship
game and the Hornets had reason to
think championship.
But much like the Hornets last
meeting with Athens Christian, it
turned downhill in a hurry. The Ea
gles jumped out to a 19-9 lead after
cme quarter.
Westfield did make a run at it to
open the second quarter, cutting the
lead to 21-15 with still 6:41 to go.
But again, James took control of
the game, as he scored 15 in the
first half.
Westfield did actually cut into
the lead slightly in the second quar
ter, putting up 19 to the Eagles’
17, but still trailed at the half by
eight, 36-28.
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Laurie Thompson played her last game for Westfield.
'Dogs connect
when it counts
By BILL OVERTON
Sports Editor
MACON Painfully
looking on, the Westfield girls
basketball team saw it all come
crashing down Wednesday night
at the GISA Region 2-AAA
Tournament
George Walton Academy, a
team which had lost the last two
encounters with Westfield, was
only four seconds away from a
third-straight loss.
But down 49-48, the
Bulldogs' Mandy Whitikar scored
a short jumper as time expired to
give Walton a stunning 50-49
win and everything else that
goes with it, including a
meeting the next day with
regular season champion Mt. de
Sales and a state playoff berth.
Meanwhile, Westfield could
only mourn about the events
that had just transpired. The
Hornets thought everything was
going to be alright after senior
Laurie Thompson nailed a three
pointer to give Westfield a one
point advantage with eight
Boys
Athens Christian 80
Westfield 59
James had five baskets in the
third quarter, but Westfield matched
it with five three-pointers and
stayed in the game, trailing only
55-45 at the end of three quarters.
But the fourth quarter was all
Athens Christian. The Hornets just
couldn’t seem to keep the ball out
of James’ hands, and the big center
answered with 11 more in the
fourth quarter in a 25-point period
for the Eagles.
Athens moved its record to 24-2
on the season, with one of its
losses coming in early January at
Westfield. The Hornets fell to 15-
11 on the season.
LOn Talton had 15 for the Hor
nets, while Jeff Dortch scored 13.
But Westfield just could not get the
ball inside as James continuously
swatted the ball away or altered
shots by the Hornets. Center Jake
Walls was held to just four points,
while forward Brian Nash picked up
eight.
Athens Christian will play the
number four team from Region 3-
AAA next Thursday night at Tat
tnall Square Academy in Macon.
Please see WESTFIELD, page 7A
Girls
George Walton 50
Westfield 49
seconds left.
They were wrong. After a
timeout, Walton inbounded to
Beth Joines, who had a game
high 24 points. Joines, as she
had all game, drove with her
right hand to the baseline. With
a hand in her face, her feet left
the ground and she released what
appeared to be an attempt at a
game-winning jump shot.
But Joines lofted a three-foot
pass to Whitikar, who was able
to get a clear shot at the basket
and banked home the winner.
It was all abruptly over.
There would be no semifinal
matchup. There would be no
state tournamenL There would
be no tomorrow.
"At Westfield, we always
expect to be there," coach Donna
Campbell said. "We always
expect to be in a state
tournament and, more often than
Please see HORNETS, page 7A
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Westfield's Jeff Dortch (20) releases a shot In the lane as John Shipley (21) looks on.
Perry toys with Trojans
in regular season finale
Boys
Perry 75
Peach County 65
By BILL OVERTON
Sports Editor
FORT VALLEY Just another
game for Perry Friday night.
Okay, it was a little more than
just a game. It wasn't just a tune-up
for the upcoming GHSA Region 2-
AAA tournament.
It was a win Perry coach Carl
Thomas has been visualizing for
six years. It is a victory on Peach
County High School's home floor,
and after five unsuccessful tries,
Thomas and his 21-3 team finally
accomplished the feat in a 75-65
whipping of the Trojans Friday
night in front of a capacity crowd.
The third-ranked Panthers, which
have struggled with their outside
shooting, continued to struggle
Friday night to a point. Highly
unsuccessful from beyond the three
point line (1-17 in last Saturday’s
win over Peach), Perry didn't win
the game with its threes.
The Panthers simply helped put
it out of reach.
Perry seniors Eric Richardson
and Keith Wimberly were the main
culprits. With Perry clinging to a
55-50 lead early in the fourth
quarter, Richardson surveyed
Peach's zone and launched his third
three of the game to give the
Panthers some breathing room.
Richardson said that he wanted
to put the last meeting behind him,
a game in which he only scored
eight points.
"I think last week I was a little
nervous," Richardson said. "But
once you hit a three, you get kind
Please see PANTHERS, page 7A
Panthers clipped by Peach
By VETO F. ROLEY
Staff Writer
FORT VALLEY—Christmas
does come in February.
And, once again, it was the
Perry women playing Santa Claus
to the Peach County Trojans. Last
week, the Trojans captured 30 Pan
ther turnovers to go home with the
win. Although the Perry ladies lim
ited their turnovers to 22; but, the
result was still the same as the Tro
jans triumphed on their home court
53-50.
With the loss, the Panthers fall
to 10-14, while the Trojans im
prove to 14-9 with the win.
In addition to turning the ball
over, the Panthers had problems at
the free throw line all night long.
The women hit on only eight of 25
free throws. Perry missed the front
end of the one-and-onc four times
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Tarvlsh Felton completes an eye-opening slam dunk.
Girls
Peach County 53
Perry 50
on the night, including three times
in the final stanza of play.
"It seems like every time we got
close, we would miss shots," said
Perry head coach Max Vickers. "I'm
satisfied with the effort"
The story of the night was
turnovers. Perry would fall behind
by 10 twice on the night as Peach
County would take advantage of
Panther miscues to take charge of
the game.
Instead of resigning for the long
trip home with the big loss, the
Panther played defense, forced Tro
jan turnovers and played strong un
der the boards.
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With 1:46 left in the game,
Shemia Fransciso put back a Peach
miss, giving the Tr nans a 10 point
lead, 53-43.
With just under a minute left to
go, Amber Fendley started a Pan
ther charge, hitting for two, bring
ing Perry to within seven, 53-46.
Angela Leggett came back
strong just 20 seconds later, grab
bing two offensive boards, hitting
on her second shot.
A turnover by Peach with less
than 20 seconds on the clock gave
Perry a chance to cut the, lead down
to three. However, the Panthers
missed Vickers frantically calling
for time, trying to stop the clock.
Leggett drove for the basket,
making the underneath lay-up, cut
ting the lead down to three, 53-50.
The Panthers were able to call a
Please soe PEACH, page 7A
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