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Sports 8~ Veto F. L Sports editor § Tragedy hits Atlanta pitching hard this year The mound must be a lonely place for Milt Hill. Just three days after the birth of his daughter, he buried her. I no ticed before I left home Monday night to do this column that he was in the game against the Marlins. I was happy to hear that his wife was with him in Florida. There are times when something intrudes in the world of sports that reminds us how truly unimportant sports are. Times like the death of Milt Hill's daughter. It also must be a long season for Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock missed some of Spring Training being with his son, who has leukemia. Sometimes in this world of big business sports, we lose sight of the fact that baseball, football, or any other sport, even when played by professionals, is just a game. We lose our perspective. Whether the Braves win or lose the pennant, there will be homeless in Atlanta. Whether the Untied States cleans up in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, there will be school systems in the state of Ge orgia that do not prepare their stu dents. If Hill could win a thousand games this year, his daughter will not come back. If Bedrock became once more the "go to" man out of the Atlanta bullpen, his son would still have leukemia. For Hill and Bedrosian, this sea son means something far different than winning and losing. I highly doubt the success of the season for those two pitchers will depend on their won-loss record, saves or ERA. I love baseball, and I love watch ing. But, when all is said and done, what happens on the diamond this year means extremely little. If the Braves have a losing season, the world will change little in its rota tion. And, if the Braves go on to sweep the World Series, the winter will still come, gang members will still kill each other in Macon, and perhaps Warner Robins and Perry, and fighting will go on in Bosnia. I admire the guts of Bedrosian and Hill, being with the team and pitching in what has to be a long season. But, I suspect their pitching serves them the way my poetry serves me. I pick up a copy of a newspaper and read that baseball players are thinking about striking later on this year. I wonder how long the game can take people losing the perspec tive of the game. In the late 19205, a sportswriter remarked to Babe Ruth that he signed a contract worth more than the President, Hubert Hoover, made in a year. "But I had a better year than he did," replied Ruth, who would leave baseball as one of its greatest, if not its greatest, player ever. Perhaps Ruth did have a better day than Hoover. But, when Ruth went oh-for-the-day, it affected few people besides his teammates. When Hoover had a bad day in late October, 1929, millions lost their jobs. Sports are great. I enjoy watch ing. And, for a few sports, while I show no great skill, I enjoy play ing. But, we must keep in perspec tive the meaning of sports. There are events that mean much more than whether some team wins a game, or some golfer sinks a putt. ** * * Just what does it take to be drafted by the NFL? At one time, a Heisman Trophy meant sure number one status and immediate big bucks. However, re cent Heisman winners have been big busts, making teams in the draft look elsewhere for high picks. But, still you would expect that the player chosen as the best player in college football would get more notice than a late contract offer from the Minnesota Vikings. Of course, Georgia native Char lie Ward can go anywhere he wants in football, as a free agent. He can also go to basketball, where many project him as a top draft choice. However, football has been his best college sport; a fact shown by the fact that Florida State was un beatable under Ward. 1 aO ~ / rt *~~ mmm § - 1 ml* f>llllf 1- j ] Clay Smith dives back Into first against Athens Chris tian. Smith has been leading a Hornet offensive charge, going six for seven In the last two games. Hornets beat up G.W. By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Lon Talton, along with his Hor net teammates, got off to a very slow start. As the Hornets were struggling to a 2-11 start, Talton, who had been the Hornet ace since his freshman season, started 0-5. How ever, the Hornets have caught fire, burning their opponents with wins in five of their last six games. Talton has been at the head of incendiary squad, collecting four of those victories on the mound, three as a starter and one in relief. Friday night, he collected his fourth con secutive win, leading the Hornets to a 14-0 win over the Bulldogs of George Walton. Hornet golfers win region By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer The Westfield golf team has ac complished half of what it set out to do in 1994. Playing ever 100 miles from home, the Hornet foursome played consistent golf to beat out Tattnall Square 307-311 to capture the Re gion 2AAA title. Mount de Sales, which finished third in the region tournament, was the next closest team, finishing the day with a score of 320. Westfield defeated Tattnall de spite the Trojans having the low medallist in the region, Sean McGinity, who finished the 18 hole tournament with a blazing 68. Ochlahatchee starts season By JIMMY SIMPSON Special to the HTJ Two newcomers in the Ochla hatchee girls' junior softball league made their 1994 debuts memorable ones when they picked up wins in their respective season openers Sat urday. Family Footwear battled down to the wire with Pennington 111 Plumbing in the initial contest to eke out a 7-5 win, while Graffiti Hair Salon posted an 18-2 victory over Family Footwear. The league, comprised of four teams, will play its games on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each Hoopfest coming this weekend at PHS The Perry Panther basketball team will be raising money Satur day, April 30, with Hoopfest '94. The day will feature an all-day three-on-three hoops tournament, a slam dunk contest and a three point contesL The day will conclude with a women's and men's alumni game. Coach Carl Thomas, men's bas ketball coach at Perry, is looking for male and female alumni players interested in playing in the alumni games. He said anyone interested in playing should contact him at Perry High School at 988-6298 or Darryl Albritton at Tucker Elementary at 988-6278. The slam dunk contest and the three point contest will take place between the halves of the alumni Proving that you don't have to throw the ball hard to dominate, Talton needed just 54 pitches to dispatch the Bulldogs. George Wal ton managed to get only three baserunners against Talton on two hits and a walk. Talton recorded one strikeout. Talton only had one inning where George Walton threatened to score, the third when the Bulldogs put runners on the comers with just one out. However, Talton got out of the inning by striking out the Bulldogs' leadoff batter and getting the final hitter of the inning to fly to Troy Nuss in center. The shutout was the second shutout of the season for Talton. Please see Talton, page 9A However, the Trojans next best player, Michelle McGinity, sister to Sean McGinity, finished with an 80, tied with the Hornets fourth best finisher, Robert Harris. "The key was having five solid golfers," said Hornet golf coach Marvin Arrington. "Tattnall had the low medallist, but they were not strong in the number three and four positions." Arrington noted that Athens Christian, which just made it into the state tournament by four strokes, also had trouble with the bottom spots on the team. The top two slots for the Eagles shot a combined 147; but, the final two Please see Golf, page 9A week. First Family coach Tim McWhorter commended Katie Beth Yelton and Cassie Murman as standouts in the first game, while Pennington 111 coach Diane Pen nington credited Alicia Powell and Elizabeth Bullard for their perfor mance. In the second match-up, Graffiti coach Jimmy Simpson compli mented Becca Roper and Jennifer Harris for their play. Earning praise from first-year coach Jeannie Sex ton was Ashley Gray and Melissa McKinney. games. The entry fee for the slam dunk contest is $3 a person, while the fee for the three-point event is 75 cents per person. The three-on-three tournament will feature middle school, high school and ODen divisions. The cost Please see Hoopfest, page 9A Remember May 21 Physicals for all area high school and middle school athletes will be give May 21 at Perry High School. The cost of the physical is $5. Chip McCarty, head trainer for Perry High School and Westfield, said that anyone wanting to partici pate in sports at Perry Middle ; Please see Physicals, page 9A Houston Times-Journal Hornets whip Eagles in five By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer The Hornets were nipped 6-5 ear lier in the year by Athens Christian in Athens on a controversial call in the final inning at first. Monday, the Hornets got a mea sure of revenge, jumping on the Eagles early and often, blowing Athens away in five innings, 12-2. The win improves the Hornets to 7-3 in the region, and 7-12 over all, with two games left. The Hor nets will make up a rainout against Stratford tonight, Wednesday, and finish the season with a non-region matchup against Southland. Hornet coach Bert Brown said the two final games would give his team a good tuneup for the state playoffs which start Tuesday, May 3 since Stratford and Southland had good teams with good pitching. "They are good preparation games for the playoffs," he said. The game saw an offensive ex plosion for the second time in four daysi The Hornets followed a 16 hit performance against George Walton with a 12 hit performance against the Eagles. Every Hornet starter ei ther contributed with a hit or an RBI. Perry area college signings Felton goes to N.E. Nebraska By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Tarvis Felton became the first player from the Panther's Region 2AAA championship team to sign a scholarship offer with a college. Felton recently signed a letter of intent to attend N.E. Nebraska Ju nior College, where he will major in physical therapy. Playing forward, Felton gave Panther coach Carl Thomas versa tility on the floor. Thomas said Felton could play inside or outside, depending on the situation. Felton is averaged 12.8 points per game for the Panthers in 1994, 8.7 rebounds per game and 3.5 as sists per game. "Tarvis (Felton) is a very intel ligent player," said Thomas. Although Felton was "always look ing for the spectacular play," Thomas said the senior could be counted on to make the smart, basic play when it counted. "He knew Massey signs with Ga. College By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer It's a big difference between slow pitch softball and fast pitch soft I gpi a K 1 Marla Massey (seated, center) signs with Georgia Col lege as her parents, Hanse and Linda Massey (also seated), and Hornet coach Donna Campbell look on. Thompson to play for MGC By VETO F. ROLEY Staff Writer Laurie Thompson, the 1993 Westfield softball team MVP, will spend her next few years at Middle Georgia College, signing a scholar ship offer to play slow pitch soft ball. "She has a winning character," said Middle Georgia head coach Malcom McPhaul. McPhaul said that he recruited Thompson for her ability to hit, field and arm strength. "She got along well with my players. They thought a lot of her.” "It's close to home and I like the people there,” said Thompson of her decision to sign with Middle Georgia College, where she said she would major in accounting. At Middle Georgia, McPhaul said Thompson would become part of a building program. He said that Wednesday, April 27,1994 Houston Times -Journal- Outfielder Troy Nuss set the pace for the Hornets with three hits, including two doubles and the first Hornet RBI of the day. Nuss was also hit by a pitch on his only other plate appearance. Clay Smith and Billy Kitchens also had perfect days at the plate for Westfield. Smith went against Ea gle pitching three times, responding each time with a single. Kitchens drew two walks and a bunt single in his three plate appearances. The Hornets also avoided a last inning fold. Against the Eagles in Athens, Westfield led going into the final innings of play 5-1. Up 8- 2 going into the final two innings of play, the Hornet offense put the game away, scoring three runs in the fourth and a single run on two at-bats in the fifth to end the game after five innings. Freshman pitcher Brian Staines, who struggled in the first and third innings, pitched perfect ball in the fourth and fifth to keep the lid on the Eagles. "He (Staines) ran into control problems against six or seven bat ters," said Jones of his pitcher's first and third innings, when when he could get away with the spectacular play." Felton said that he was going to N.E. Nebraska because "it's a pretty m 9 Tarvis Felton signs with N.E. Nebraska. Looking on (standing, l-r) are Annie Maude Brown, grandmother, Dorothy B. Releford, mother, and Perry head coach Carl Thomas. ball, a difference Marla Massey will have to adjust to. Massey, who played thirdbase for coach Donna Campbell and her the school has had a softball pro gram for only four years. Thompson is a three-year starter 0 f, |j| i % .a 'mJ J C* W cMqqr* I r'- 4 Wv Laurie Thompson (seated, center) signs with Middle Georgia College. Looking on (seated, l-r) are Buck Thompson, Debbie Thompson, Daryl Ann Thompson, (standing) Donna Campbell and Malcom McPhaul. Page 7A Staines gave up four walks, four hits and both of the Eagles' runs. "That really jacked up his pitch count," said Brown, adding that his pitcher looked tired in late in the third inning. "He was able to bear down and regain his composure in the fourth inning," said Brown. He added that it helped Staines when the Hornet offense kept the bats awake for the final two innings of play, giving Staines some cushion. Staines, who has three of the Hornets' seven wins, recorded his first complete game of the season, going the full five innings. He al lowed five hits, four walks and struck out three. Brown said that Staines figured very prominently in the Hornets post-season plans, along with fel low ace Lon Talton, "We've got two guys who are go-to guys," said Brown. "It is im portant for Talton and Staines to pitch well (in the playoffs)." Brown said that his team ap peared to be peaking. He added that he would know more about the play of his team after the games against Please see Hornets, page 9A good junior college. My mother wanted me to go away for college. Coach Thomas thought it was a Hease see Felton, page 9A Westfield Hornets, became the first Hornet to sign with a four year col lege in 1994, signing a scholarship offer with Georgia College. Georgia College, like most four year schools, plays fast pitch soft ball while Westfield competes in slow pitch softball. "I never played fast pitch soft ball," said Massey about the chal lenge she faces with Georgia Col lege. However, she thinks she will be able to adjust to the faster pitches at her new school. "I will be alright." Campbell said that Massey should make the transition from slow pitch to fast pitch with little difficulty. "She’s a solid softball player," said Campbell, who said Massey required very little coach ing. Massey is a three year starter for the Hornets, starting at second as a sophomore before moving to third Mease see Massey, page 9A and five year player for coach Donna Campbell and her Hornets, Please see Thompson, page 9A