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Sports
Phil Clark
Stephens
to go under
the knife
Perry High School football
coach John Stephens, who suffered
neck and back injuries in an auto
accident several months ago, will
undergo neck surgery Monday at
Coliseum Park Hospital in Macon.
Doctors had hoped Stephens had
recovered sufficiently, and would
not require surgery. Such is not the
case, though.
While talking with Coach
Stephens earlier in the week about
his pending surgery, we talked
some about the many coaching
changes that have or will take place
before next football season. By the
way, Stephens is not one of those
who will be moving to another
school.
While this is the off-season for
football, it is the time of the year
when contracts are being renewed,
so it is probably fitting to mention
the various coaching changes.
First off all, there was the an
nouncement at Southwest Macon
that Edgar Hatcher had been fired
after fourteen seasons. The overall
football situation in Macon has
been on the decline for many years,
and Southwest is no exception.
No replacement has been named
for Hatcher, though Steve Edwards
at Northeast and Jimmy Hammonds
at Southeast have been mentioned.
I question the wisdom of moving
a coach from one school to another
within the same system. All this
does is create another opening. And
besides, neither has set the woods
on fire.
Edwards has a 19-23 record at
Northeast while Hammonds, who
started the football program at
Southeast six years ago, is just S-SS
over those six years.
George Bobo announced several
weeks ago that he is leaving the
head coaching job at Thomasville
to take an assistant's job for Tommy
Welch at Class A Armuchee. Both
men coached under Mike Hodges at
both West Rome and Thomasville,
and are longtime friends.
Bobo says he wants to be closer
to Athens, so that he cam see his
son, Mike, play for the Bulldogs.
Problem is, Bobo is a quarterback.
That's Eric Zeier's job.
To fill the vacancy left by
Bobo's departure, Thomasville
came calling to Neal Rumble, the
highly successful Peach County
coach.
Rumble is going home to coach
the Bulldogs, where he was a high
school standout as a player, and a
former coach as well. This leaves
the Peach County job open. It's a
great position, and has attracted a
lot of attention. No replacement has
been named, but it should happen
shordy.
One of the biggest surprises, to
me, was Gary Guthrie leaving a
solid program at LaGrange to take
the job at Rome High School, a
AAAA school following the
consolidation of East and West
Rome schools.
And how about Luther Welch
leaving Camden County? It seems a
change in administrative policy led
to this decision. The athletic direc
tor’s job, which Welch also held,
will be handled by a non-coach, and
Welch decided to leave.
Another AAAA job is open.
Longtime Coffee County coach
Bonwell Royal has retired. Rumors
have Central Thomas County's Ed
Pilcher in line for that job. He is no
stranger to the region, lAAAA,
having been an assistant at Colquit
County.
Two other retirements have cre
ated openings. Bill Schofill is retir
ing at Swainsboro and Gene Cook
sey has called it quits at Pelham.
Schofill played at Fort Valley High
School.
Ricky Smith is leaving Wilkin
son County and David Ward leaves
Bacon County.
Former Warner Robins High
School quarterback Chip Stuart has
left Irwin County, but his replace
ment has already been named. Russ
New comes from Bradwell Institute
in Savannah to take the job. That's a
change from AAAA all the way to
class A, a surprising move.
And of course, a couple of
changes have taken place close by.
Please see Clark, page 7A
Perry bows to Bleckley County
By VETO F. ROLEY
Sports Editor
"If you don't hit with people in
scoring position, you don't win,"
said Perry head coach Bob Jones
after seeing his Panthers go down
in defeat to Bleckley County, 5-3.
Wednesday, the Panthers would
leave eight men on base, seven in
scoring position and three on third
against the Royals. Additionally,
the Panthers would have another
baserunner thrown out at home on a
baserunning mistake to end the
fourth inning.
Mistakes by the Panther defense
would lead to four of Bleckley
County's five runs. In the top of
the first inning, with two outs and
a Royal on second base, Zack Bryan
hit a routine grounder down the first
base line which was misplayed by
the Panther firstbaseman.
A bad throw to the pitcher cover
ing first base allowed the runner on
third to score. A passed ball allowed
Bryan to move to second, where he
scored on Davis Douglas' single to
right.
"A routine high hopper to first
base that the firstbaseman gets a lit
tle casual on," was how Jones de
scribed the ball hit by Bryan. "We
compound that by making a wide
throw to first
"We were behind 2-0 already
when we should have been out of
the inning and in the dugout."
In the fifth inning, with Perry
down by one run, 3-2, and Brian
Barrs on because of an error at third,
Robby Howell hit a long fly to
left-center. However, the center
fielder and leftfielder, both fresh
Hornet golfers swing right past
By VETO F. ROLEY
Sports Editor
Even with leading golfers Todd
Rigdon and Keith Davis having dis
appointing rounds Thursday after
noon, the Westfield golf team
easily beat Monroe Academy in
Forsyth 316-324.
Ed Strickland took up the slack
for the Hornet golfers, leading the
five man group with a 76, just two
strokes off the pace of Monroe's
Brittain Vaughn, who led the match
with a 74.
Rigdon finished the day with a
79, one stroke ahead of Davis, who
checked into the clubhouse with an
80.
Horseshoe Club presents
awards to festival pitchers
BY PAULINE LEWIS
Staff Writer
There were 75 participants in the
Family Fun Pitch held on Fun Day
and sponsored by the Perry Horse
shoe Pitching Club.
Awards were presented to the
Adult and Junior winners on Mon
day, April 4, at the Horseshoe
Pitching Pit on the Agricenter
grounds. First place winners re
ceived a trophy and one year’s
membership in the club. Second
Stratford’s Eagles power past Hornets
By VETO F. ROLEY
Sporta Editor
Stratford continued its perfect
season Tuesday afternoon as they
beat Westfield 10-1 in Macon.
However, the game was closer
\\> l 1 i
Hornets head coach Bert Brown makes a trip out to the mound as Troy Nuss' day Is
done. Lon Talton, coming In, Is headed for the mound against Stratford.
men, had problems communicating,
allowing the ball to drop between
them, putting runners on first and
third.
Both runners scored two outs
later, when Douglas punched a ball
over the head of the right fielder,
making the score 5-2 in favor of the
Royals.
"If you don’t make the routine
play, and if you don't hit with peo
ple in scoring position, you don't
win," repeated Jones, who said that
his young team was making mental
mistakes in the field and at bat.
"You mentally have to come out
and prepare yourself everyday to
play," said Jones, who noted that
for many of the freshmen players
on his team, this was the longest
season they had played.
"You've got to think to play this
game," said Jones. "If you are not
focused, this game will make you
look very bad."
Jones said that his team had lit
tle speed and power. "We really
have only one guy who can hit the
ball out of the park. If we are going
to score, we need three base hits.
"When you have that type of
ballclub, you've got to play in such
a way that you don't give up a lot
of runs. You have to play good
with the gloves and make smart
plays and good decisions."
Starting with the bottom of the
first, the Panthers would make sev
eral runs at the Royals. With one
out, Terry Yawn reached second on
an error by the thirdbaseman. After
stealing third, he would score one
out later when the thirdbaseman
booted Dallas Waldrip's hard hit
Robert Harrison had an 81 and
Scott Hill shot an 85 to round out
the Hornet golf team.
"We are still not shooting what
they are capable of shooting," said
Marvin Arrington, head golf coach
at Westfield. However, Arrington
said that he was down to the five
members who would defend the re
gion championship and go for the
state championship.
"They are getting steady with
their game," said Arrington.
"However, their scores are on the
upper end of their capabilities."
Arrington said that his foursome
has shot a 295 at Perry Country
Club, which is their home course.
and Third place winners received
ribbons.
Adult winners were: First Place,
Paul Wilson; Second Place, George
Long: and Third Place, Jeff Barn
hart.
Junior winners were: First
Place, Angela Moody; Second
Place, Michael Slater; and Third
Place, Ryan Lowe.
Following the presentation of
Please see Pitching, page 7A
than the score, as the Hornets de
fense had problems getting out of
the sixth inning, allowing Stratford
to blow open a 5-1 game by push
ing five runs across the plate.
"One thing I didn't want to hap
1 ■ • i
' f J im .
Darias Waldrlp pitches against the Royals. In addlton to providing a strong arm on the
mound, Waldrlp also paces the Panthers with a batting average of .468.
grounder.
Waldrip would steal second and
go to third on a wild pitch. How
ever, he would be the first of three
Panther runners left on third when
Royal pitcher Jason Kirkland got
the final Perry batter of the inning
to ground out to short
After giving up a run in the top
of the third, the Panthers took it
back in the bottom of the third.
With two outs, Jason Brett started
the rally with a walk. Tim Allen
At the Twin Cities course, where
the state championship tournament
will be played, Westfield shot a 316
earlier this year. "It will take better
than a 316 to win the state champi
onship."
"We have a young team this
year," said Arrington, "but they are
Area golf tourneys slated
Kiwanis
The Kiwanis Club of Perry will
host their annual Kiwanis Scholar
ship Golf Tournament on Friday,
April 29, 1994, at the Houston
Lake Country Club.
The net proceeds will go towards
the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund.
This tax deductible fund gives a col
lege scholarship each year to a de
serving senior from Westfield
Schools and Perry High School.
The Kiwanis Club is seeking
monetary donations, coupons or
gifts for prizes to be given to the
participants in the golf tournament.
Sponsorship of a team (four play
ers) is S2OO.
For more information, please
contact Paul Hicks at 988-5950,
Lanny English at 988-5440. John
pen was what happened," said Bert
Brown, head coach of the Hornets.
"The boys would have come out
feeling a lot better about them
selves with a 5-1 loss instead of a
10-1 loss. It wasn't a blowouL but
Houston Times-Journal
Saturday, April 9,1994 Houston Times -Journal-
executed the hit-and-run over second
to put runners on the comers. Thad
Cook singled to left to bring in
Brett.
On a 3-2 count, Jamal Reynolds
tapped a slow roller past the mound
to short. Seeing that he would not
have a play on Reynolds at first,
Royal shortstop Jeremy Raley
turned to third to check Allen.
However, Allen was in no-man's
land. Raley threw home to get
Allen for the third Panther out of
Monroe Academy
very capable of defending the region
tide." He added that it was more dif
ficult to repeat as region champions
than it was to win the tide, since
other coaches would use the defend
ing Ude as a motivational tool.
"Todd Rigdon and Keith Davis
are playing very well," said Arring
ton. "They are pretty solid in all
Sundquist at 988-5200, Mike Jack
son at 987-1522 or Harry Small at
987-5277.
Epilepsy
Area golfers will soon have a
chance to tour the 18 holes of
Houston Lake Country Club while
raising money for the Epilepsy
Foundation of America.
Registration is on-going for the
Middle Georgia Golf Classic for
Epilepsy, which will be held at
Houston Lake May 20.
The tournament will kick off at
11:30 with lunch, tee times will
follow at 1 p.m.
The tournament will follow a
four-man scramble format, with one
player having a 0-7 handicap, an
other an 8-12 handicap, the third a
13-17 handicap and the fourth a
the score makes it seem like a
blowout."
Stratford took advantage of three
walks, four errors, two passed balls
and two wild pitches to score the
five late runs. Stratford had three
hits as they just missed invoking
the 10-nin rule, with Lon Talton
getting out of the inning on Russ
Branyan's deep fly ball to center
with the bases loaded.
"I thought we played pretty well
defensively for the first five in
nings," said Bert Brown, head coach
of the Hornets. He said the game
could have been closer going into
the sixth inning if not for baserun
ning mistakes in the second and
third innings.
"Against a team like Stratford,
you can't over emphasize the im
portance of doing the little things
right,” said Brown. "If you run out
of chances to score with mistakes
on the bases, you are digging your
self a hole."
The Hornets would score their
only run in the top of the first.
Matt Shepley would walk, and
move to second on a sacrifice by
Thad Hawk. With two outs Lon
Talton moved Shepley to third with
a single. Shepley scored on Jake
Walls' single.
That would be the last time
Westfield would threaten Stratford
pitcher Beddingfeid. Beddingfeld,
who pitched a four hitter, would al-
Page 5A
the game, leaving Cook at second
and Reynolds at first
Derrick Oliver would start the
fifth by reaching on an error by the
secondbaseman. Two outs later, a
single to left by Jamie Walker
would put runners on first and sec
ond. A wild pitch would move both
runners into scoring position.
However, Kirkland would end the
threat with a strikeout, leaving run
ners on second and third.
Please see Perry, page 7A
phases of the game, they really
are." Rigdon is ranked eighth in the
most recent Macon Telegraph rank
ings with an average of 77.5, and
Davis is ranked ninth with an aver
age of 77.8.
The Hornets improve to 5-0
with the win in Forsyth.
handicap over 18. Registration fee
is $65 per player.
Gift certificates will be awarded
to the first five place teams. For
further information, call Jackie
Klein at 987-2992.
Zip-In
Entries are currently being ac
cepted for the eighth annual Zeb’s
Zip In Invitational, which will be
held April 23-34 at Houston Lake
Country Club.
Teams will consist of two play
ers. Saturday’s round will be played
as a scramble, and Sunday’s round
as four ball stroke play.
The entry fee is sllO per player,
and includes practice round greens
fee, tournament round cart fees,
range balls, prizes, a burger cook-
Please see Golf, page 7A
in Macon
low only five more Hornets to
reach base, retiring two on double
plays.
But more than Beddingfeld, the
story of the first five innings of the
game was Stratford power, as three
Eagle hitters sent balls across the
fence.
Lead-off hitter Chad Smaha
started the show, taking a 3-2 Brian
Staines offering over the left-field
fence.
'Hie dinger off Staines was the
first gopher pitch the freshman had
thrown all year. "He got down a lit
tle bit," said Brown. The Eagles
would go on to score another run in
the first off two singles and two
walks, but Staines would end the
inning with a strikeout, leaving the
bases full of Stratford runners.
While it took opponents a long
time to find homerun range for the
first long ball against Staines, it
didn't take them long for a second
shot. In the second inning, with
Smaha on after a single, Branyan
hit a rope over the fence. "It looked
like a driver," said Brown. "He hit
the ball hard."
The third homer of the day for
the Eagles would come in the
fourth, when Joey Cranford would
take Troy Nuss deep, making the
score 5-1, with four of the runs
coming courtesy of the long ball.
