Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Sports PliH Clark Area Teams Start Baseball With Tourneys Basketball for area teams is all over for another year. Weekend tournaments took out the last of the locals: Perry, Peach County, Northside and Warner Robins. That means attention now turns to baseball. Local teams will crank it up over the next week or two. Some have already been busy, like Perry, which participated in the drawn-out Lem Clark Tournament in Macon, which stretches over two weeks. Another local tournament, the Grier-Perkins in Warner Robins, ushered in baseball two weeks ago. It is the brain-child of Warner Robins coach Mike Reneau, who was displeased with the format of the Lem Clark, which he thought took up too much time. With baseball about to get into high gear, it's interesting to browse through the National High School sports record book and check out some of the amazing statistics accumulated by high school players. It's also interesting to observe the limited number of high school phenoms which make it to the major leagues. There are 39 offensive categories listed in the record book, and you can count on one hand the high school record holders which made it to the big time. So you guys out there trying hard to make the big time, don't wary about individual records! Right away, you'd think of Ken Griffey, Jr., wouldn't you? He was impressive enough in high school to become a number one draft choice by Seattle. Yet, he doesn't hold a single national record. Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees in in the record book. He has the third highest number of triples in a career, 25, while playing for Memorial High in Evansville, Ind., in the late 19705. Another record-holder is Shane Mack, an outfielder with the Minnesota Twins. Mack played at Cerritos Gahr in California and is in the book twice. His three triples in a game is tied for the best ever, and his 16 consecutive base hits puts him in a tie for fourth. The record is 22. By the way, one of those tied with Mack with three triples is Jim Geiger, who was an American League outfielder in the late 60s, I believe with Cleveland and Boston. The most prominent name in the record book is Ted Williams, who set the record for most home runs in an inning, two, back in 1939 at Hoover High in San Diego. That record has been tied 33 times, but never broken. Did you know that Scott Skiles once hit four home runs in a game in 1982? Yes, that’s the same Scott Skiles who went on to an outstanding basketball career at Michigan State and is now with the Orlando Magic of the NBA. Or how about Tommy Greene? Green, who was drafted as a pitcher by the Atlanta Braves and traded to die Philadelphia Phillies, is now a mainstay on the Philadelphia staff. Greene hit four home runs in a game for Whiteville, N.C., High School in 1985. The only other future major leaguer you’ll find in the offensive record book is Terry Francona, who bad a brief major league career, primarily in Montreal. He is the son of a former major leaguer, Tito Francona, who played for a while in Atlanta but mostly with Cleveland. That's it. Just a handful of future major leaguers set records in high school, among non-pitchers. You :an add pitchers like Scott McGregor, David Clyde, Floyd Bannister, James Rodney Richard, Britt Bums and the Braves recent signee, Gregg Olson. I suppose the moral of the story is don't worry about records. Just play your game, and play it as well is you can. Did You Know? Babe Ruth was once a Brave. He finished his career with the club, which was then in Boston. Playing for the Braves in 1935, Ruth hit .181 with six homeruns. He retired after 28 games in Boston. Hurricanes Blow Away Panthers By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer At the start of the season, Perry head coach Bob Jones looked over his team and saw two major weak nesses—inexperience and lack of pitching. Thursday afternoon both prob lems came back to haunt the Pan ther team in a 7-1 loss to region foe Fitzgerald. Up 1-0 starting the sixth inning, the Panthers gave up two runs, both unearned two errors, two walks and a hit batsman. Both of the errors came from young fielders pressing to make defensive plays in a tight game. In the seventh inning, the Purple Hurricanes took advantage of a tired Dallas Waldrip, putting five runs across the plate. Jones was forced to leave the senior right hander in the game since he only had three pitch ers, one who was coming off an Hornets Get First Victory By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Westfield got on the winning side Tuesday after noon, traveling to Forsyth to beat region rival Mon roe 8-5. "Beside the fact that it was our first win, and we got the monkey off our back," said Westfield head coach Bert Brown, "it was a region game." "The boys rose to the occasion," said Brown. "We hit the ball hard." In addition to the 10 hits the Hor nets collected on the day, Brown said his team hit the balls that went for outs hard. However, it was a win that was almost a lost as the Hornets lost an early five run lead to Monroe. Westfield scored three runs in the top of the seventh to pull the game out. Matt Shepley singled and stole second to start the final inning of play. He moved to third on Brian Staines groundout to third. Shepley scored on Troy Nuss' second hit of the afternoon, a double. An error by the Monroe shortstop on Jake Walls' grounder put runners on the comers. Jeff Dehem grounded out to short, scoring Nuss. Lon Talton sin gled bringing in the final run of the inning. The Hornets would have to ride out a seventh in ning threat by Monroe to secure the victory. With two outs, Monroe loaded the bases on two hits and a Hornet error. However, freshman Staines recorded a strikeout for the final out, stranding the runners on base. "Brian has enough confidence that we can put him in a pressure situation and he will do what he can," said Brown. Brown said that he took some of the blame for Westfield’s 0-4 start "Part of the reason (for the start) was me running players in and out," he said. "It's hard to develop consistency. "But, the players know how I treat non-region games as experience builders," Brown continued. "In Please see Westfield, page 8A Panthers Shut Out Vidalia For Rare Win By Chad S. Lewis Special to the HTJ Following their 5-0 shutout vic tory over the Vidalia Indians Wednesday night in Perry, several members of the Perry High Soccer Team were just wondering around the field.. It was obvious that they didn’t know what to do after a victory. After all, this was the first time they had been on top after a game in al most three years. "I'm stunned but pleased," Panther coach Carl Thomas said af terwards about his first victory as the soccer coach at Perry. "But we simply played like a team and won." The entire scoring was done by a iH Members of the Perry High School golf team are (front row, hr) Cindy Dawkins, Stan Gann, Clint Payne, Marina Culley, (back row) Jim Birdsong, Andrew Willard, William Sundqulst, Paul Smith and Matt Kennedy. early week illness and the other who has to go today against Ap pling County. "I wanted to take him (Waldrip) out at the sixth inning," said Jones. "I really didn’t want him to go that long." With the loss, die Panthers drop to 4-3 on the season, 1-1 in the re gion. Perry would score its only run in the fourth inning. Tim Allen would reach second on an error by the Fitzgerald thirdbaseman. A single to left by Thad Cook would send him to third. Derrick Oliver bounced a slow roller to the first base side of the mound. The Purple Hurricanes would take the sure out at first, al lowing Allen to score the first run of the game. "You played well," Jones told his team after the game. "There is Please see Loss, page 6A f mi i up; > : ' T jrt' H g 1 1 ■ C .. .. k' yHk ' flfLi Ipr ip : ..-v".;;;. ■■■■■.: ** ijp Perfect Form Jeb Stewart demonstrates his form during the region martial arts championship held at Houston County High School. For complete details, see story on page 6A. duo from Perry, freshman Richie Gill and senior Brian Mourning. Gill got the scoring started with a first quarter goal. Then Morton fol lowed with two more to make die score 3-0 going into halftime. Following another Mourning score, Gill pul the ball in the net for Rec Department Moves To Rozar By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Drivers on Ball Street may have noticed a trailer missing around Perry City Hall. The trailer, which houses the Perry Recreation Department, was moved to Rozar Park Monday, March 15. Houston Times-Journal mmm w f % H &•% £v.\, IfrTlllr -mm |g|. i Ig# jlj|l| J|jj jg|§f |K| j£x fWm m 1 HBfl S .1 S aKh • $ -fir Jr ft? ; V ffl # |||f v Iff lip Thad Cook takes a lead off first base against Fitzgerald Thursday afternoon. Cook would later steal second. the final time in the closing minutes to seal the victory, 5-0. "They never really threatened to score," Thomas said. "The only chance they had was a penalty shot and Derrick (Webb) blocked it." The Indians, who have also struggled in the young season, fall Ben Hamrick said the recreation department was moved to Rozar Park in anticipation of a new build ing that will house the Older Amer icans Council and the recreation de partment at the park. He said the move would allow the recreation department to "oversee the construc tion of the building." Saturday, March 19,1994 Houston Times -Journal to 0-5 on the year. But the Perry squad didn’t seem to mind who they beat. Alter all, they were coming olf two losses by the combined score of 24-1, so ;ury victory was welcome. "It was tough losing by such big Please see Soccer, page 6A The new building should be completed sometime in the latter part of this year, said Hamrick. Hamrick said the recreation de partment would be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday-thru- Friday. The recreation department phone numbers are the same, 988- 8075 and 988-8131. Gann Leads PHS Golf By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer All Stan Gann did as a sopho more was win low medalist recog nition in the Region 2AAA golf tournament and finish eighth in the state. This year, the junior golfer leads a young, but experienced, Panther golf team to the region links. The only senior on the team is Woody Sundquist. "From top to bottom, it looks good," said golf coach Tony Thrift. "On any given day, with the depth that we have, it’s going to be a dog fight." Thrift said that while Gann was easily his best player, the other five male golfers on the team consis tently shot in the high 70s/ low 80s. "We've been real consistent this spring," said Thrift. "We've been practicing and playing competi tively." Thrill added that inconsistency would kill a golf team. "You can't come out today and shot a 39 and tomorrow a 49,” he said, "or shoot Page 5A Perry Beats Houston By Phil Clark Special to the HTJ Dallas Waldrip did what he does best, he pounded the baseball out of the park, and Jason Brett made an impressive start following a knee injury as the Perry Panthers beat Houston County 8-3 Tuesday after noon at Panther Field. Waldrip hit a Brett Varnadoe fastball out of the park with Brett on base in the bottom of the first inning, and the Panthers never trailed as they picked up their fourth win in tire young season. They've lost two. Coach Bob Jones said "we are still making some mental errors that we need to work on. The physical errors will come no matter how well you prepare, but the mental mistakes we can work on." The young Panthers have only Waldrip with more than two years experi ence, and just Brett and Tim Allen with two years at the varsity level. Brett, who had injured a knee stepping into a pothole while at tending the University of Georgia G-Day game, went the distance, giving up just four hits, till singles, and three runs. Only one run was earned, however. Brett also struck out seven, with four of them on called third strikes. The junior right hander walked four on an afternoon plagued by gusty winds and cool temperatures. The Panthers got things going early against Varnadoe as Brett drew a two-out walk ahead of Waldrip's long home run to left center. After a single by Tim Allen, the first of two hits for the Panthers' first baseman, Thad Cook dropped a soft liner down tire right field line that rolled into the corner for a triple, scoring Allen with the Panthers third run in the inning. Perry never trailed as Brett worked out of trouble in every in ning but the seventh, leaving eight Bears stranded. Houston picked up a run in the second, but Perry answered with two more in their half of tire second as Travis Cantrell led off with a walk and Adam Lancaster was hit Please see Houston, page 8A a 39 on the first nine holes and a SS on the second nine." Gann, the leader of the team, has a one handicap, meaning he consis tently shoots par or close to it. "He has a complete game," said Thrift. "He does not have any weaknesses." Thrift added that Gann's game off the tee was his strong suit. "He gets extremely long distance," said Thrift. Giving Gann a battle will be Andrew Willard and Jim Birdsong. "Andrew's worked really hard on his game," said Thrift. "He's played a lot of golf and is looking pretty good." "Jim Birdsong is greatly im proved," said Thrift. "His game is coming around." Other team members include Paul Smith, Marina Cully, ’Clint Payne, Matt Kennedy and Cindy Dawkins. The team opens the season Monday in Dodge County. Perry will play its home matches at Houston Lake Country Club.