Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Sports Bill | Overton I ffij Sports editor § Good Riddance to Kerrigan in Disney World Saturday, I said that I was glad the Nancy-Tonya thing was coming to an end. I said it was insane that our world revolves around their incident, including the other figure skaters. I said that I wasn't going to talk about it anymore. I lied. Sorry. I really hate to do this. I know you're sick and tired of hearing about these two (or are you?). But I want to come forward and say something that I don't think some people are going to like. Don't put me on the Nancy Kerrigan fan bandwagon. I don't want any part of it When I came home Friday night, I turned on the VCR and watched taped performances of the ladies' free skate. I knew that Oksana Baiul had won the gold medal thanks to the wonders of cable television, but I had also heard that Kerrigan skated well and it was very close. So it was with great anticipation that I watched Friday. I watched Kerrigan's performance. Excellent. Graceful. Well-done. I was impressed. I was still rooting for her at this point. Go Nancy! The gold is yours. Then Baiul skated and the program was just as marvelous. Great stuff. So moving that she collapsed, crying in her coach's arms, overjoyed. As we know, Baiul won the gold by one-tenth of one judge's score. TTiat’s tough to take, but Kerrigan accepted the fact that she had skated as well as she could. She was happy. I was happy. She did her best, but it wasn't quite good enough. That’s where my contentment stops. What bothers me about Kerrigan is her off-the-ice attitude. She comes across to me as being very cocky. And impatient. And a big spoiled Nat. First of all, she didn't participate in the opening ceremonies. Why? It was too cold. "Coat" is the operative word here. Maybe "gloves and toboggan" could be added. The really ridiculous part is the whole U.S. hockey team was out there, despite the fact that it had to play in less than 24 hours against France. Kerrigan didn't have to skate competitively for almost two weeks. What about the medal ceremony? Officials couldn't find a copy of the Ukranian National Anthem for Baiul. Kerrigan thought that the 10- minute holdup was because Baiul was putting on makeup. She ranted and raved, "come on." But I guess there was a reason for the hastiness. She had to hop a plane in a day so she could go to Disney World. In so doing, she missed the closing ceremonies. One of the 13 medal winners for the U.S., I would be willing to bet she was the only one not to show up. She was too busy earning her $2 million with Disney. What am I trying to say here? Basically, there are literally scores of other people that I will think of before Kerrigan when I think about the Games of '94. Dan Jansen winning a gold, taking his baby for a spin that was a great moment. Bonnie Blair winning her sixth Olympic medal great moment. I thought the Swedes beating the Canadians in a hockey shootout may have been the best of them all. But Kerrigan does not stick out in my mind because she doesn't represent the Olympic spirit. She came, she skated, she got out of Dodge. She missed out on what everyone claims to be the real defining moment of the Games the experience. THE "JUST IN CASE YOU CAUGHT IT DEPT." I played a trick on you in Saturday's paper. When I spoke on ski jumpers, I said the U.S. should have no problem getting waxed by the Fins, the Norwegians, or the Japanese. Or Budapest for that matter. Okay, I knew Budapest was the capital of a country, in this case, Hungary. Really. I just wanted to see if the loyal readers would catch it. Threesome wins Wiggins Scramble By PHIL CLARK Staff Writer The annual Eddie Wiggins Scramble is generally considered die beginning of the golf season in Middle Georgia. Forty teams braved the cold and wind Saturday and Sunday in the 36-hole tournament played over the picturesque Houston Lake layout. The wind and cold couldn't hinder the consistency of the Warner Robins team of Doug Johnson, Shaw Blackmon and Neil Hendee, which shot back-to-back rounds of 61 for a two-day total of 122 and a one-shot win over Rick Farage, Wade Roundtree and Hicks Queener. The threesome won second place with a playoff "pitch-off" win over Steve Lane, Newt Hiley and Tony Ellerbee. Both teams had finished a shot back at 123, shooting a 62 on Saturday on a 61 on Sunday. The team of David Brown, Larry Biles and Mart Baxter broke out of a four-way log jam in the first flight with a closing round of 61 to take first place with a 125. In the second flight, the team of C.W. Sanderson, Doug Pyron and Rusty Floyd broke a tie with Tom Beil, Trevor Aiken and Lanny English with a closest to the pin pitch-off. The Warner Robins team of Ed Varner, Mike Long and Mac Hardin finished third. Please see WIGGINS, page 8A Overcoming The Albany Roadblock By BILL OVERTON Sport* Editor The title aspirations will start in Albany. And that may not be a very good sign for the Perry Panthers. But Perry, 23-2, and the winner of eight straight, will get the opportunity to avenge one of its two losses Thursday night in the opening round of the GHSA Class AAA Tournament Perry will take on Monroe of Albany, a team that handed the Panthers their first loss 73-64 back on Dec. 19 in the first round of the KFC Classic. Thursday night's game will take on a more significant meaning, with the victor advancing into the round of eight. But Perry will once again have to fight off the stigma of playing one of four strong ; ij Buck Garllngton won the saddle brone competition. Garlington Pockets The Change And Moves On By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Back Garlington's check for first place in the saddle brone competition at the Georgia National Rodeo in Perry allows him to rodeo a few more days. Garlington is unlike most rookies in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. At 33, he is making his second attempt at rodeo stardom. In 1983, Garlington won Rookie of the Year honors on the International Professional Rodeo Association circuit. However, shortly after winning Rookie of the Year, ijiiifi* j| Jls Tarvlah Felton corrals a rebound from Dodge's Robert Carr. Albany city teams. And the Panthers will have to do it in a building (Albany Civic Center) that should provide comfort for the homestanding Tornadoes. "This should be a fine, well contested game," said Perry coach Carl Thomas. "If you play as well as you can, you can beat them. If they play as well as they can, they can beat you." Perry, winner of Region 2-AAA, led much of the way in the first contest, before crumbling under Monroe’s man-to-man pressure in the fourth quarter. Ironically, Monroe (20-7) reminds Thomas of his own squad. "They are the closest thing to Perry High School than any other team," Thomas said. "They remind Please see ALBANY, page 8A Garlington left the rodeo circuit for seven years. "I'm back to play," he says. And, back to play he is. This past weekend was a good weekend for Garlington. Before coming to Perry, where he posted a first place win with a 76 (Mi High Pockets, he put in a 77 in the saddle brone competi tion in Baton Rouge, leaving the rodeo in second place with one more day of competition. Garlington believes that he has a chance for National Finals Rodeo. Part of the reason comes from his senior year in high Please see RODEO, page 8A GHSA Ciass^^A.^yrnament Thursday Saturday March 11 Albany 4 P.M. Dodge Countv Peach County 5:30 P.M. 8:30 P.M. Thomson Perrv 5:30 P.M. Monroe Westside 8:30 PM- 7 P.M. Kendrick J AH games at Albany Civic Center Hornets' Season Ends Boys Stratford 64 Westfield 61 By BILL OVERTON Sports Editor The Westfield boys basketball team didn't look like it wanted any part of Stratford Academy early on Saturday afternoon. The two teams were doing battle in a GISA state quarterfinal, and Stratford had the upper hand in everything, including the most valuable indication the scoreboard. The Eagles led by as many as 19 points in the first half. But Westfield didn't just take punishment; the Hornets dished it out, coming all the way back, sending the game to overtime before bowing out of the tournament with a 64-61 loss. With the defeat, Westfield ends its season at 17-12 after starting the season with just eight wins in its first 17 games. And that gives Hornet first year coach Jim Massey some solace. "Our kids showed a tremendous amount of character and a tremendous amount of heart,” Massey said. "I'm sure a lot of folks on both sides were saying this thing's over in the first half. "But our kids didn't quiL They fought tooth and nail to get back in the ball game. It's a testament to their character." All-state selection Joey Cranford spelled the end fra- Westfield. The Eagle guard scored his regular 30 points, including 19 in the first Please see HORNETS, page 8A Houston Times-Journal Wednesday, March 2,1994 Houston Times -Journal - Perry Captures Region Title By BILL OVERTON Sports Editor With the cringing memory of one year ago set firmly in their minds, the Perry basketball team went out on a mission. The mission was simply to win a Region 2-AAA championship. But there was a little added incentive. Last year, Perry won the regular season region title but had to take a trip to Eastman for the finals with Dodge County. The Panthers' dreams of a region championship were quickly thrashed by Dodge 92- But Perry was able to avenge last year's loss with a 74-53 victory over the Indians in its own gymnasium. For the Panthers and their seven seniors, it was something worth waiting for. "This means a lot after what happened last year," said Tarvish Felton, who scored 12 in the contest. "[Dodge] played a real good game last year. They outhustled us and got out to a big lead. "This is kind of sweet to turn the tables and beat them in the championship game." On paper, the Indians didn't appear to offer much of a test for the veteran Panthers. Dodge's youthful team consists of only three seniors and eight freshmen and sophomores. f flKf .1 \ #ii. ~w.:> 9b f- ■ •; : ;v Tflp f MUm ' M ■p- In your face/ John Shipley la muggod by Andrew Collier. page 7A Boys Perry 74 Dodge County 53 But Willis Jones' club rebounded from the two spankings Perry gave it in December and January (35 and 37 points). Dodge came into the Panthers gym, where Perry had noi lost in two years, and took a 12-10 lead at the end of one quarter. Dodge's aggressive defense was the culprit, causing plenty of Perry turnovers and missed shots. The Panthers struggled to find a rhythm, especially on the offensive end. The second quarter gave Perry a little more frustration but not enough that the Panthers couldn't still manage a 33-27 lead. "We played a pretty good defensive first half," said Panther head coach Carl Thomas. "But our offensive execution was a disaster." "Our defense is what kept us in the game," said senior Eric Richardson, who scored a team-high 14. "We didn't execute offensively. But we knew the game wasn't going to be won in the first half.” In the second half, the Panthers turned the game into what they wanted a track meet. The continued defensive pressure finally translated into easy baskets which Perry was able to convert. After Please see PERRY, page 8A