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Sports BjlS Roley *%fi Jm Sports editor The fields of sports have lasting impact I've always heard that that battle of Waterloo was won on the play ing fields of Wellington. Well, if that was true, than the battles of World War 11, particularly Normally, were won on playing field scattered throughout the United States. Take George S. Patton, for ex ample. Patton was the man who guided U.S. armies through North Africa and Sicily. In December, 1944, Patton per formed what may be the most im pressive maneuver in the face of an enemy in U.S. arms. In the space of three days, he took his Third Army out of a full battle in the Saar, and counter-attack the German Army that was pouring into the Ar dennes Forest, a feat that Mont gomery said was impossible. The attack was Hitler's last ditch effort to push the Allies back. And, it came close to succeeding. How ever, Patton closed the Bulge, and the war in Europe ended months later. What many people don't know is that the fire that burned in Patton was the fire of an Olympic per former. In 1912, he finished fifth in the Pentathlon. Another American athlete, Jim Thrope, took four firsts enroute to the Penthalon gold medal. The Pentathlon was supposed to test the skills of a soldier, combin ing horsemanship, fencing, swim ming, running and pistol shooting. It was the pistol that prevented Pat ton from taking home a medal in the competition. Before Dwight D. Eisenhower sent American and Allied troops across the English Channel, he was steeled on the playing fields. "When I was a small boy in Kansas," Eisenhower said later, "a friend of mine and I went fishing, and as we sat there in the warmth of a summer afternoon on a river bank, we talked about what we wanted to do when we grew up. "I told him that I wanted to be a real major league baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he'd like to be President of the United States. "Neither of us got our wish." Eisenhower's sports career ended at West Point with a blown-out knee. Although he would not ap pear at a Major League park as a player, he would become President. However, before his playing days were over, he, like Patton, got to meet Thrope on the playing field. This meeting was in football, and the results were the same. After a particularly hard hit, Eisenhower thought he might have injured the legendary runner. How ever, Thrope got back to his feet, and continued to pummel the Army defense. "Sports," wrote biographer Stephen F. Ambrose, "especially football and baseball, were the cen ter of his life. He was a good, but not outstanding athlete. He was well coordinated, but slow of foot. He weighed only 150 pounds. His chief asset was his will to win." As important as his will to win, which was reinforced by sports, was, sports also gave Eisenhower the tools to manage a bickering staff. As a student of military his tory, I have often felt sympathy for Eisenhower, knowing that he had on his staff the world's two largest prima donnas —Patton and Mont gomery. In the 1920 s and '3os, Eisen hower remained in the peacetime army, rising to the rank of major. During that time, he coached foot ball at various army camps. So successful were his teams, that he was offered a chance to coach at the college level. "Coaching brought out his best traits—his organizational ability, his energy and competitiveness, his enthusiasm and optimism, his will ingness to work hard at a task that intrigued him, his powers of con centration, his talent for working with the material he had, and his gift for drawing the best out of his players," wrote Ambrose. And, also, he could have added, the abil ity to work with multiple prima donnas. _ Please see Ike, page 9A Pennfngton finds niche In youth ball By JIMMY SIMPSON Staff Writer An old adage says that there are only two things that arc certain in life. Diane Pennington appears to have found the third with her niche in the field of sports coaching youth softball, “I played recreation ball virtually all my life, and after having my own parents coach ith during most of those years, 1 just wanted to be able to give something back...,” Pennington said. This season marks the third year of involvement in the girl’s junior league at Ochlaiuitchee Park for Pennington, the last two of which she has held the head coaching posi tion. But perhaps even more meaning ful is her dcsir to give to the par \ J n ji, " ■ v._ m 3-., ' ' | |f bB : i y ’ I§l '■ ■' % fftSe ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■l if .*•' M Perry High School started the 1994-95 season with summer basketball practice In preparation tor two summer basketball camps. Perry Classic scheduled for July 16-19 On July 16-19, the best golfers in the staie oi Gcoig.a will descend on Perry Country Club for the 1994 CB&T Bank of Middle Geor gia Perry Golf Classic. Over 110 golf professionals . .jjm. .y*] - r*. zTsii .j-iv ■, /,4 i PtiCs® ii *Jr /jmJi ■/» J V ySSK HIB ■ 1 -^ura*« 4H System jm Bgß^|Bl ~ * ** MBnJwSRLiL.. w • K'.. . -■ |B .jjga j 1 ’■** ~v JUie ' ' Ji*'"*'* > ‘ ~ * ag Donation to Perry Community Center Alltel's Perry area manager G.R. "Skip" Dawkins (center-left) gives a check to Perry Mayor Jim Worrall for the Perry Community Center at ftozar Park. Watching are parks and recreation manager Ben Hamrick and city manager Marlon Hay. ticipants the same opportunities she was afforded at a young age. “My mom and dad (Miriam and Duncan Feeney of Warner Robins) were always coaching us,” Penning ton said in reference to teams that she used to frequent the recreation fields with as a youth. “Some kids didn’t have parental involvement,” she stated. “It seemed like I was always the lucky one, in a sense.” Her upbringing has not only taught the Houston County native about good sportsmanship, but also about the importance of family. “There’s no doubt about it, my parents were very influential,” Pen nington said. “It makes all the dif ference in the world when you’re raised in that type of atmosphere.” Please see Pennington, page 9A from throughout the state, and 50 top amateurs will challenge the fairways of Perry Country Club. For the fifth year, proceeds from the Perry Classic will go to support the D.A.R.E. program at local Houston Tlmes-Joumol P. }t.- 1 ■] 888 CB&Tmakes donation to Perry Classic CB&T vice president Gary Bishop (right) presents a $4,500 check to Perry Country Club head golf professional Bill Hobbs for the CB&T Bank of Middle Georgia Perry Golf Classic. schools. The event will start on July 16 with a Member-Sponsor Scramble. On July 17, there will be a Mem ber-Sponsor pro-am, with the 36 Please see Classic, page 9A Wednesday, June 8,1994 Panthers start summer ball By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Perry Panther head basketball coach Carl Thomas hopes that 1994-95 is a reloading year, rather than a rebuilding year. While Thomas returns eight players who dressed for the varsity in 1993-94, only two of those players return with any experience, sixth man Stan Gann and Garriet Curry. Gone from a team that won the region championship and that was ranked at one time as the second best AAA school in the state are five starters, including Keith Wim berly, who was selected as the Mid dle Georgia Player of the Year. Thomas must find players who can step in a fill the void left by Tarvis Felton, Boris King, Eric Richard son, Stacey Francis and Wimberly. "I don’t think those kids (the five starters the Panthers are losing) will Westfield looks for depth By VETO F. ROLEY Sport* Editor Westfield lost only two starters from last year's region runner-up team. Even though the Hornets return three starters, graduation decimated the bench. Overall, Westfield head basketball coach Jim Massey loses seven seniors. "Last year we brought three seniors off the bench immediately," he said. "We are asking a lot of kids who didn't get playing time to provide depth," said Massey. And, depth is what his team needs. "Depth is really important," said Massey. "Playing pressure defense, ever now and then you get into foul trouble. When you are playing pressure offense, you have to have [\\ * M i f i _ i . :H 1 The Westfield Hornets go Into the summer looking for better depth. Seven seniors leave the 1993-94 team which went to the state quarterfinal round. Page 7A be replaced," said Thomas. "It wouldn't be fair to them (his current players) to expect them to do so." Inexperience and lack of height will be two major problems faced by the Panthers going into next year's season. "We have some kids who can handle the ball, and we have some kids who can shoot the ball," said Thomas. "I honestly be lieve that we can be a good ball club. "The kids have potential, they have the individual skills," said Thomas. Thomas said that he was encour aged by the play of the "B" team last year, a group that lost only one game on the season. Also.. Thomas indicated that Gann and Curry would provide a good nucleu to build a team around. "They pia/ed significant roles last season,” said Thoin&s, Please see Perry, page 9A fresh legs. We need to go at least eight deep, preferably 10." Last year's team finished the sea son with a 17-12 mark. The Hor nets did not bow out of the season until the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. Both starters, Lon Talton and Jeff Dortch, played the wings for Westfield. Talton won the Eric Sta ples Award for the Hornets last year. Massey said that replacing Tal ton's shooting would be fairly easy to do. "A lot of kids are willing to shoot the ball," he said. "His lead ership will be difficult to replace. Everybody had so much confidence in him to get the job done." Please see Westfield, page 9A