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page 8A - Wednesday, March 2,1994 "Houston Times-Journal Upson-Lee Drops Panthers In Bth By BILL OVERTON Sports Editor After .being smoked in last week's opener, the Perry baseball team showed signs of snapping out of its youthful shell, winning a pair of weekend games before falling to Upson-Lee 4-3 Monday afternoon in Macon. The Panthers, 2-2, played the Knights for the right to go to the championship of the Lem Clark Invitational, but the Knights' Bruce Salter squeezed home Brent Lowe in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide the margin of victory. Unlike a 10-0 loss to Jackson in the opener of the tournament last Tuesday, Perry's bats were more alive against the Knights. The Panthers only banged out five hits, but they were timely in giving Perry a 3-1 advantage through four innings. Perry, which struck out 10 times in the loss to Jackson, only whiffed seven times in the extra inning affair. After spotting Upson-Lee a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first, Perry pitcher Jason Brett settled down into a groove. Over the next four innings, he allowed only two hits, while striking out two. Hornets, from 7A half. The Hornets were able to keep Cranford to only 11 points in the final 19 minutes, an improvement which still wasn't enough for Westfield. "I guess the kid's human," Massey jokingly explained. "He's, far and away, the most complete player I’ve seen in the GISA." Westfield never led in overtime and trailed by four with under a minute left. But after a pair of free throws by Phillip Rigdon, the Hornets were just two back at 63- 61. Westfield had a chance to tie or go ahead with 35 seconds to go. However Matt Shepley stumbled in the lane and lost control of the ball, which ended up in Jamie Walker’s hands for the Eagles. Walker was immediately fouled and proceeded to hit the first end of the one-and-one with eight seconds left. But after missing the second free throw, Westfield had once last chance. Rigdon worked and found a contested three from the left comer, but it bounded long and the game was over. Trailing 37-22 with just over two minutes left in the first half, Westfield began the comeback trail. Shepley connected for a three pointer and after an Eagle turnover, John Shipley converted a layup to pull the Hornets within 12. Westfield eked closer after Lon Talton whipped in his third trey of the half to put the Hornets 10 back at 41-31 with 35 seconds to go. Shepley added a free throw, and Westfield had nearly cut the deficit in have, trailing 41-32 going to the dressing room. "There was no doubt that we would begin to play better," Massey said. "I'm not sure what Albany, from 7a Perry, which is 1-4 during Thomas' six years against Albany based teams, has its own source of inspiration. While Thomas admits that there may bp little to prove to the rest of the state, the team still wants to prove to itself that it can beat an Albany team. [ HILDERBRAND’S | 922 Carroll St • 987-5042 \ s Drawing To Be Held s March 19 - 1:00 t ! Mickey ffW I j Mantle j W \ ij Cf I ! Baseball » ® jj I 1994 ! a 5 Baseball \ Cards are In \ However, Brett began to tire in the sixth. With one out, Lowe homered over the right center field fence to cut the margin to 3-2. The next batter, catcher Ryan Riggins, deposited Brett's pitch deep into the center field sky. Bin Dallas Waldrip caught up with it at the warning track. In the seventh with Perry still holding a 3-2 lead, Brett walked Salter to open the inning. Salter then stole second and pinch hitter Ches Reese moved him to third with a ground out to second baseman Jason Cantrell. Andy Chatham then bunted in the first of the two squeeze attempts. The run scored and the game went to an eighth frame. For Perry, Tim Allen had two runs scored and a triple in the losing cause. Catcher Joaquin Gonzales and left fielder Jamie Walker each had an RBI. Friday, Perry beat Northeast 11- 8 to earn its first win. Cantrell scored two runs in a 2-3 performance. Brett scored two runs and Terry Yawn also went 2-3 with two runs scored. Waldrip picked up the win in relief of Brett Saturday, the Panthers knocked turned us around. The kids got into the flow of the ball game. Defensively, we started to execute a little better. And we got our fans back into the ball game." The third quarter was mostly a period of frustration for both squads. Only 15 points were scored in the quarter between the two teams, and Westfield still trailed 48- 40 going to the deciding quarter. As it turned out, the deciding quarter was not the deciding quarter. Westfield exploded in the fourth, mostly behind center Jake Walls, who scored 10 points in the frame. The Hornets sent the standing room only crowd at Tattnall Square Academy into a frenzy with 2:02 left in the game as Talton came up with a steal and passed to Walls for the game-tying layup along with the foul. "We felt confident the entire second half," Massey said. "The kids just refused to quit. Once the opportunities started to fall for us, you could see we were kind of like a shark in bloody water." Walls made the ensuing foul shot to give Westfield a momentary 55-54 lead. It would be short-lived. After Cranford made the second of two free throws, Westfield took its cracks from beyond the three point line, with both Shepley and Talton getting solid looks. But neither shot fell, and Cranford took the ball coast to coast for a layup and a 57-55 Stratford lead with just under a minute left. Shepley hit two pressure free throws with 48 seconds left to tie the game again. Cranford had one last shot with time fading to win it outright, but his baseline three pointer bounded long and the two teams went to the extra three minute period. "In the past two years, we've been real nervous," Perry senior guard Keith Wimberly said. "We should be better prepared for that experience. We've just got to play to our potential." Uame time for Thursday night’s tip-off is 5:30 p.m. mA ; jSt - v Wm, «X -1-. VUMI , x Perry pitcher Jason Brett unleashes one In Monday's loss to Upson-Lee. Brett pitched 7 Innings In the 4-3 defeat. off Southeast 6-5 with three runs in the top of the seventh. Cantrell again had a solid day, going 2-4, while Allen matched his numbers. Waldrip struck out seven, before giving way to lefty Troy Davis. Perry will play its home opener March 10 at 4 p.m. against Dodge County. PANTHER NOTES: The third annual Perry 100-inning r BT fit lllfe Jeff Dortch aklea high In an attempt to acore two polnta. Rodeo, from 7A school, beating Cody Lambert for the all-around title in New Mexico High School competition. "It's (rodeo) something I feel like I should have done a long time ago," said Garlington, adding the primary difference from riding the circuit out of high school to riding the circuit as a 33-year-old rookie was knowledge. "I kind of know a little bit (now)," he said. "I feel like I can ride with them (the cowboys in the National Finals Rodeo)," said Garlington. "I can go to the finals. I just want to ride the beasts." Garlington knows that he has a long road ahead to make it to the finals. Over the next month, the Floravista, N.M., cowboy will ride in rodeos in San Antonio, Texas, Monroe, La., Valley City, N.D., ONLY THE PRICE IS SMALL. A, Kubota M-30- Series tractors are dard features. A powerful diesel engine with direct fuel-injection, for example. Wet disc brakes, power steering, hydraulic draft, position and combination implement control. Next, Kubota offers 2- or 4-wheel drive. Standard or low profile con figuration. Even a new, narrower version for con- V I There’s no small choice of models either, urn A Select from five, offering 44-76 PTO horsepower. You match the right size to And like we said, the price is right. Come in to see these new Kubota. Walker Rhodes 912 Jemigan Street Perry, GA 31069 987-1f73 « Fax (912) 968-8465 Extravaganza will be played March 12 at 10 a.m. at the high school. There will be a home run hitting contest for those interested, as well as a base race for kids. The proceeds will go to player jackets and the Perry Athletic Department. For donations or pledges, call Bob Jones at 988-6298 or Sandra Jones at 987-2167. and San Angelo, Texas. "As many as I can get to," he said of his future rodeo plans. "I'm trying to get a sponsor," he added. For now, it's a trip to San An tonio, dropping by Baton Rouge to pick up a check. Wiggins, from7A Houston Lake pro Mike McCollum said that he was pleased with the turnout, despjte the weather. "It was tougher on Saturday because of the wind," McCollum said. "After the wind died down today (Sunday), we had some good scores and close matches. There were ties in every flight" Former FSU Great Inspires Alumni By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Rod Sellers told a gathering of Flonia State alumni last Saturday at the New Perry Hotel, to never give up. "Those three words," said Sellers, "applies to athletics, busi ness, academics, and, especially, family life." Sellers said that events in life were not always easy; that events, especially in families, were some times difficult "You can overcome by keeping a positive attitude," said Sellers. "If you can work hard, you can over come a lot" Sellers said that as a high school senior, he was around 6-1, 155 pounds. He said that he was told by Florida coach Ray Graves that Florida was not going to offer him a scholarship to play football at that school. "'Simply for the fact that you are not major college material (Florida would not offer Sellers a scholar ship),'" Graves told Sellers. Sellers told the audience that he enjoyed playing and beating Florida while he was at Florida State. At Florida State, the player who was "not major college material" was named a two-time consensus All-American. He finished his ca reer with 212 catches for 3,598 yards and 23 touchdowns. He aver aged 119.9 yards a game receiving. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Sellers also holds Seminole records for 16 receptions in one game (vs. South Carolina, 1968), 30 consecutive games catching a pass, 260 yards in one game (vs. Wake Forest, 1968), five touch downs in one game (vs. Wake For est, 1968), eighteen 100-yard games in a career and five 200-yard games in a career (four coming in one season). Sellers said the best year Florida State had during his three years playing for the Seminoles was his senior year, 1968, when the team went 7-2-2. The Seminoles opened the year with a tie against Alabama, 37-37, and closed the year in the Gator Bowl with a tie against Penn Perry, from 7A Dodge County scored the opening two of the half, Perry scored the next seven unanswered to take a double-digit lead at 40-29. From then on, Dodge never really contested the Panthers and got no closer than 10. While coasting by 20-plus points in the fourth quarter, Thomas was able to give his seniors a curtain call to the predominantly Perry-based audience. W? arby-Q Ppjjr Our new Arby-Q is piled high with stow-roasted Hr roast beef, marinated and simmered in a zesty, W lightly smoked barbecue sauce. m \ Real &nUwt hutc At * P%iu! drbjjif %99 C s MBS3SS3SEEI • Senior Citizens Discount • Free In-Town Delivery, • Durable Medical Equipment • Computer Medical Records • Emergency Service • Complete Line of Sundry Items mm [ DRUG CO.] YOUR FAMILY PHARMACY We Provide Printouts For Insurance Records And Income Tax Records At No Extra Charge. Mon-Fri 8:30-6:00 Sat 8:30-12:30 3S riM | h 11 W hMk RRR R M JpR %||p Rod Sellars speaks to the Florida State alumni at the New Perry Hotel Saturday. State, 17-17. For the year, Sellers had 1,496 yards and 12 touchdowns on 86 receptions. "Athletics is a tremendous tool to help academics," said Sellers, adding that sports taught "discipline, self-confidence and the willingness not to give up. Too many young people give up on too many things." Yet, Sellers said that academics was more important than athletics. "I can't say it enough," he said, adding that too many athletes wanted to make the professional ranks. "Why should someone risk their whole future in professional football when they might only get four years out of iL" After graduating from Florida State, Sellers was the number one draft choice of the New England Pa triots. He later played for the Dallas Cowboys, before closing out his professional career with the 1973 Miami Dolphins Super Bowl team. Sellers was in Perry to speak at the Middle Georgia Florida State Alumni Banquet In addition to Felton’s and Richardson's totals, Perry received 12 points from senior center Boris King and 10 points from senior Keith Wimberly. Another senior, Stacy Francis, added eight points. C.J. Mincey led Dodge with a game-high 16 points. Both teams advance to • the GHSA Class AAA Tournament, which begins in Albany Thursday night. . V Hubert Bennett 1036-A Macon Street, Perry, GA 987-2114