Houston times-journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1994-1999, April 27, 1994, Page Page 7A, Image 7
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.
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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
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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