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Sports vet<nr~i bjSi Roley 8 •. ■ Sports editor Stratford explodes on arrival at park I need to stop watching Westfield play Stratford. Earlier this season, I went over to Stratford after a deadline just to take photos. I made it to the Macon school in the sixth inning, with Stratford coming to bat. The game was close, with the Hornets behind 5-1. However, Stratford must have sensed my presence, for they exploded for five runs in the sixth. When the Eagles came to Westfield, I saw the entire game. Once again, the first half-inning I saw was a Stratford explosion. The Eagles’ brought the big bats out, exploding for eight runs before the Hornets ever took a bat. Last night, I was late to Macon for the game after taking photos of the Panthers' first day of Spring football. I felt good walking up to the Stratford diamond. After all, the Eagles were one of the toughest schools in the GISA and the Hornets were down by four, 4-0. However, it did not stay that way for long. Immediately after my arrival, the Eagles went out and scored five runs to stretch their lead to 9-0. One inning later, the Eagles had back-to-back-to-back homers. If I am here next year, perhaps I should avoid the Stratford-Westfield game. But, that will be hard as the Hornets will be in the same region as Stratford next year. ***** The loss to Stratford ends the season for Westfield. Although the Hornets had a losing season, the season was good, with Westfield going to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Westfield could've perhaps have gone farther if they had not ran into Stratford as early as they did. The Eagles are undefeated on the year, a season of 25 games. Other than the fact that very few teams are able to overcome the odds and finish a season undefeated, especially a season with as many games as a baseball team plays, there are few reasons why Stratford should not win the state champi onship. The Eagles are strong in every phase of the game. And, if they continue as the host team, the Eagles should be able to power themselves out of any troublesome spots with the short fences at their field. After 13 games, it was unclear if the Hornets would even make the playoffs. The team's record stood at a dismal 2-11. It would have been easy for the Hornets to write the season off, and play out the string. But, the Hornets rebounded, winning five of their next six re gion games to finish second in the region. After not winning a single regular-season game against a non region foe, Westfield beat Terrell in the first round of the state playoffs. While the season could have been better, given the Hornets prob lems early in the season with the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, it wasn't a bad season. Everyone would like a season like Stratford's; but, everyone does not have the tal ent of Stratford. Westfield won the games that it had to win. And, in the final analy sis, that is the bottom line. Looking back over the season, they won those games when many teams would have went home. Early in the season, I asked Bert Brown if he thought the Hornets were having a successful season. He said if wins and losses were used to measure success, than the Hornets were not. But, he said, if improve ment was the measuring stick, then the Hornets were getting better. The Hornets didn't quit when they could. They got better. And, while the record was not the best, they had a successful year. ***** The South's second favorite sport is started at both Perry high schools this week. Over 50 players reported for coach John Stephens and the Perry Panthers for Spring drills on Monday. At Westfield, over 40 reported for Ronnie Jones on Tuesday. Many of these players turned in Pleas® see Roley, page 8A El Thad Hawk Is caught at the plate In the sixth Inning against Stratford Academy In the second round of the GISA state playoffs. It would be the Hornets last chance to score. ftnrtujMi t » w A rJ '*°T C 1 N < S° '*L _______ ]■ *jr F mu FIT John Raber speaks at the PHS All-Sports banquet. All-sports banquet honors top Perry High athletes By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Boris King, Paul Kemp, Angela Leggett, Stan Gann, Mamie Mills, Dallas Waldrip, Amber Fendley, Terrance Hill and Natalie Taylor took home a lot of hardware from the Perry High School all-sports banquet Friday night. However, when the final award was given, Tarvis Felton took home the male athlete of the year award, and Rickieva Jackson walked away with the female athlete of the year award. The athlete of the year awards were awarded to athletes who com peted in two or more sports, and <&, - ri,m i f aaftk aa m 1 JSP I I ; I -s I. U 4 -IW# I II MPf " Boris King (seated, center) signs a letter of Intent with Piedmont College as his parents and coaches witness the event. Boris King to take talents to Piedmont By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Boris King will take his inside game to North Georgia after sign ing a letter of intent with NAIA Piedmont College Friday afternoon. "We saw Boris play two games during the year," said Todd Brooks, head basketball coach of Piedmont College. "He should be a very good Perry High School athletes show off their trophies following the 1994 Perry High School AII-SDorts who made a major contribution in one of the sports. Felton won two other major awards on the night. He was a member of the basketball team, where he won the floor leader award, and track team, where he was named most valuable player. Jackson also won major awards in two sports. In addition to the female athlete of the year, she was recognized with the hustler award in women's basketball and most coop erative award in women's track. Leggett took home the women's scholastic award, while Kemp took home the men's scholastic award. Although he was not named player at the NAIA Division I level." Brooks said the team was inter ested in King as an inside player. "Although he is short," said Brooks, "he is strong and intelli gent. He uses his body very well. His big strength is power inside." Not only did King impress the Piedmont staff with his athletic Houston Times-Journo! male athlete of the year, the night almost turned into Boris King night, as the senior picked up awards in three different sports the night after signing a letter of intent to play basketball at Piedmont Col lege in North Georgia. King took home the coach's award in basket ball, M.V.P. honors in football and a field event award in track and field. Like King, Fendley also took home awards in three sports. She turned her defensive skills into a gold glove award in softball, took the coach's award in basketball and tennis. Hill was also a three sport star, presence, he also impressed them with his character. "We were im pressed with him as a person," said Brooks. "He is a fine young man." Brooks said that King could play in his first year on the team. "We have a young team. Boris (King) is exactly the type of young player we are looking for," he said. "He can Please see King, page 8A Wednesday, May 11,1994 Houston Times -Journal- Stratford knocks Westfield out of baseball playoffs By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Five o'clock lightning struck the Hornets Monday night as the Strat ford Eagles put on a late inning power show to knock Westfield out of the GISA baseball playoffs. In the fourth and fifth inning, the Eagles used five homers, includ ing back-to-back-to-back shots in the fifth, to break open a 4-0 game, pushing five runs across the plate in each inning. Stratford would go on to win 16-0. "They are just a very talented baseball team," said Westfield coach Bert Brown. "They don't have any weaknesses. They are fundamentally sound in all areas of the game. "They are capable of scoring 25- 30 runs on anybody they play,” said Brown, "they don't have any weak nesses in the lineup. "We played pretty well in the first two-three innings. We were putting the bat on the ball, but we were hitting the ball right at some Banquet. Tarvls Felton and Rlckevla Jackson were named Athletes of the Year. getting awards from football, track and wrestling. Before the awards were handed out. Dr. John Raber, a national wrestling authority, told the ath letes, boosters and parents that they could succeed. "We carry around a pocketful of excuses why we can not accomplish a goal," Raber told the audience, saying that a person had to believe that he could achieve before he could achieve. Raber said that he was an exam ple of what someone could achieve. He told the audience that he was from a single family home, that his dad left his mother with six kids to Westfield Lady Hornets finish sixth at state meet By VETO F. ROLEY Sport* Editor The Westfield Lady Hornet thin clads finished the 1994 track season with a sixth place finish in the GISA state meet held Friday and Saturday in Albany. Westfield coach Donna Camp bell said the finish was the highest in the state of a women's track team at Westfield since she joined the staff nine years ago. Once again, it was Jennifer Smith setting the pace for the Lady Hornets. Smith, who appeared in five of the six events that Hornets qualified in, was the high point winner for Westfield, finishing the meet with 21.5 points. Smith's 21.5 points was behind third place state high point finisher Kara Leppert of Stratford, who fin ished the day with 26 points. FPD's Mandy Woods took home first place honors with 34.5 points, and Windsor's Laney West finished sec ond with 30.5 points. Stratford won the state title in both men's and women's track. The Eagles' men's team beat Tattnall Square by 17, 100-83, while Strat ford’s women’s team doubled FPD, 129-65. Westfield, with a 26, was just six points behind fifth place fin isher Westwood, and two points in front of Brentwood. "I thought we did well," said Page 7A oody. "We were only down 4-0 after three innings. We were still hang ing in there." Brown said the game could have turned in the third inning when the Hornets failed to capitalize on a po tential double play on a line drive hit to short. A double play would have kept the game at 2-0; but, the throw from short to second went into the outfield. Two runs would score later in the inning. Westfield would have one of their best chances to score in the third, when Thad Hawks' looping foul ball down first fell foul with runners at second and third. Brown said that would given some positive momentum to the Hornets heading into the last few innings. In beating Westfield, the Eagles kept their perfect season intact. Stratford has not been beaten in 25 games this season. With the loss, the Hornets finish Please see Hornets, page 8A raise. His dad later came back, but left again before a seventh child was bom. Raber said he was the seventh child. As a child, Raber said that he was kicked off the Little League baseball team in Pennsylvania by a coach who told him, ""You will never be a good athlete.'" Raber went on to win a Pennsylvania state championship in wrestling, win a college scholarship, be named coach of the year in wrestling and coach in the World Championships. "Make up your mind tonight that you will do the right thing," said Raber, "that you will be the Please see Awards, page 8A Campbell of her team's season, not ing her thinclads won four meets, finished well in the Tattnall relays and won the runner-up trophy in the region. "I'm real pleased with the season. "It was one of the best seasons we've had of late," said Campbell. "I was glad it went as well as it did. "A lot of girls gave me a good effort. Jennifer Smith had a phe nomenal track year." Smith competed in three indi vidual events, finishing in the top three of the state in each event. After taking third in the high jump on Friday, Smith took a third in the 100 meter dash on Saturday, just three-tenths of a second behind Woods, who won the event with a time of 13.0, and second in the 400 meter dash behind West, who won the event in a meet record time of 58.68 seconds. In addition to the individual events. Smith also competed on the 400 meter and 1600 meter relay teams. Smith was joined by Windy Biggers, Jennifer Lane and Stephanie Barr on the 400 meter team, which ran to a fourth place finish in the state. The 1600 meter team finished fifth with Smith, Biggers, Lane and Amy Harold. Audrea Calvin ran to an eighth place finish in the 3200 meter event.