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1994 Football Preview!
Sports
tVeto F. L
Sports editor
Of cool
autumn nights
and football
In just a few days, teams across
the nation will suit up their uni
forms, ending practice, putting
what they learned during the hot
month of August on the field of
battle.
Westfield will get the early break
on the season, going to Macon
Friday night to take on Mt. de
Sales. Last year the Cavaliers fell
34-0 to the Hornets, as a young
Mt. de Sales team met a Westfield
team that had 13 of its 24 players
seniors.
Although the Hornets have 41
players in pads this fall, only 11
were members of the varsity over
the full year last year. Counting the
members of the junior varsity he
brought up at the end of last sea
son, Hornet head man Ronnie Jones
could recognize only 16 players
when he started practice in the first
part of this month.
In contrast, Mt. de Sales should
be reaping the benefit of being
young for several years. The first
year a young team is fielded, the
team takes its licks. The second
year, the team becomes competi
tive, although it still makes young
mistakes. But when the freshmen
become juniors and seniors, watch
out.
The Cavaliers have several play
ers who will be returning to the
starting lineup for the their third or
fourth season. That alone makes
them dangerous.
However, football is a game that
is played on a field 100 yards long,
Please see Roley, page 3C
Phil
Clark
Let's tee it
off and get
started
The one positive thing about the
major league baseball strike is the
added attention football is getting.
Just about everybody you talk to is
anxious to tee it up and kick it.
That's what they'll do Saturday at
the Georgia Dome in the GHSA
triple header. And that's what
they'll do across the state this
weekend in the GISA, which starts
a week earlier than the GHSA. In
fact, the GHSA waived a bylaw to
allow Saturday's triple header, the
one that sets September 2 as the
earliest date for a football game.
The Georgia Dome has been
courting the GHSA for several
years, trying to get the organization
to hold all four state championship
games at the dome on the same
day. The move has been beaten
back, primarily by south Georgia
schools who want to keep the state
championship games as they are,
hosted by one of the finalists.
This will mark the third year of
the season opener at the Dome.
Previously it was a double header
featuring mostly North Georgia
schools. The top crowd was around
28,000. That was a large crowd in
most places, but no so in the cav
ernous dome.
So this year, the organizers
reached into South Georgia for a
couple of top teams to try and
boost attendance. Warner Robins
and Upson Lee will join Newnan,
McEachern, Dunwoody and
Brookwood in the all-AAAA
tripleheader. Warner Robins ar.d
McEaehem play at 3 p.m., Newnan
and Brookwood at 5:30, then
Upson Lee and Dunwoody at 8:30.
Dunwoody is the defending
AAAA state champion, while
Upson Lee is the Atlanta
Constitution preseason number one
team. This will be some lineup of
football games. I'll say this, it's
worth the ten bucks it'll cost to see
all three games.
I ran across an astounding statis
tic over the weekend. I see where
there are 87 head coaching changes
Please see Clark, page 3C
Panthers look
By VETO F. ROLEY
Sports Editor
Size.
While the Panthers might lack
some in experience, head coach
John Stephens says that the 1994
team is one of the largest teams
that he has had at the Panther Pit.
When Stephens looks at his
team, he sees size in the backfield,
size on the line and size on defense.
And, he doesn't see where he loses
that much speed.
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John Stephens
With Fred Ragin moving back
to linebacker, letterman Andy
Johnson looks to see a lot of action
lined up over center. Johnson goes
230. His backup, sophomore
Quincy Kendrick, steps on the
scales at 255. "He looks tough,"
said Stephens, adding that experi
ence is a problem.
At the defensive tackles,
Stephens sees even more size.
Kendrick, at 255, may see some ac
tion there, as will Bruce Rider, who
is out for football for the first time
as a 230 pourd senior.
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Kawaukee Thomas rolls out to make a pass during the Panthers summer camp at
Middle Georgia College .
Hornets have the numbers, not the time
By VETO F. ROLEY
Sports Editor
The good news is that Ronnie
Jones has 41 players to work with
in 1993. The bad news is that only
11 were on the varsity last year.
"Until Friday night, it's hard to
say (who will be starting)," said
Hornet head coach Ronnie Jones,
adding that it might take three or
I* *;?
% life
Lon Talton heads a class oi
Hornet program last year.
At the other tackle is a fresh
man, Jamal Dean, who tips the
scales at 272, and stands 6-7. "He
has been impressive at practice,"
said Stephens.
Past the line of scrimmage,
Stephens is able to throw some
more weight in his top three
linebackers, all who weigh in
around 220.
Ragin, who will also see some
line play, is "very quick," said
Stephens. Antawn Fann and Jason
Strickland will also line up at
linebacker.
In the secondary, Carlton Felder
and Steve Johnson look to start
after receiving a lot of playing time
last year. "They bring us some
leadership," said Stephens. "They
both have good range and good
speed. We are looking for them to
provide leadership."
In addition to Felder and
Johnson, senior letterman Matt
Hutchins will see action in the
Panther secondary.
Backing them will be a trio
without any experience, despite the
fact that two are seniors. However,
this is the first year out for Tyree
Searcy and Zane Prichett. Greg
Howard, a junior, also has talent,
but no experience.
"We have three kids with experi
ence, and three kids without," said
Stephens.
Kiwaukee Thomas is back at
quarterback after playing understudy
to Shawn Bass last year. Thomas
played a lot of positions for
Stephens, but did get some snaps
under center.
"He's very quick," said Stephens.
"He has quick feet, and is very
durable, too.
"He is throwing the ball much
four games for the Hornets to settle
on who starts where. "We are real
inexperienced, especially on de
fense."
The defense has only two players
that have any experience, Jere y
Campbell, who started at linebacker
last year for Jones, and Tim Allen,
who played for the Panthers at
linebacker,
tf 13 that graduated from the
Wednesday
Aug. 24,1994
1C
to size in new region
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While the starters In the backfield have graduated, Panther head man John
Stephens looks to lettermen like Germaine Brown to carry the offensive load.
better than I thought he would, and
that gives an advantage," said
Stephens. "He is doing a great job.
Last year he was cautious about his
reads. He’s reading much, much bet
ter."
Behind Thomas are two players
who have not taken a snap from
However, if Jones needed one
area of his defensive unit to have
experience, it was his defense, since
his defense is designed to allow the
linebackers to make the plays. "We
play a 50 front,” he said. "We hope
they are going to be in a lot of
plays."
In addition to Campbell and
Allen, Brian Nash will also play
behind the line when the Hornets
go to three linebackers in a
"monster" look. Lance Bryant will
also see some action at the
linebacking slots.
"He (Bryant) has been real ag
gressive in practice," said Jones.
"He has been working at linebacker;
but, we are going to start working
him at defensive end. Over the next
two-three weeks we hope that he is
playing somewhere for us."
While Campbell and Allen have
been showing that they want to
play linebacker, Jones said Bryant
and Nash must also step forward.
"They are going to have to stand up
and show a lot of leadership," he
said.
Jones added that Campbell and
Allen gave his team some size at
linebacker. "They are real aggres
sive, real big hitters. Most of the
time when they get to you, there is
a lot of contact involved."
Up front will be Mike Shepherd
and Marsh Wall at nose guard.
Manning the tackle slots will be a
foursome of Jake Walls, Jason
Dennard, David Boire and Chip
Giles. Andy Smith and Lindsey
Harrell are penciled in at the defen
sive end slots, with Chip Davis and
Keith Waites giving them a strong
Lady Panthers win—4C
Houston Times-Journal
center, freshman John Brewer and
sophomore Corey Washington.
Stephens said it was a toss-up be
tween the two as to who was sec
ond string.
"If we had to go with either of
them," said Stephens, "I think they
are two quality kids.”
n
Kawaukee Thomas
While Thomas might be throw
ing the ball better, but that does not
mean that Stephens will go to the
air, saying too many things happen
when you throw the ball and most
of them are bad.
So that means that the veer in
fantry will be in force with
Germaine Brown and Dexter
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SHr -' \Mr
Coach Ronnie Jones rarely sent In a bad play aurmg
the 1993 season, which saw the Hornets become state
runnerup.
run for the starting position.
The secondary is a big question
mark for the Hornets, with the three
players penciled in behind the
linebackers not having any experi
ence.
Ben Hulbert and John Morton
are currently the front runners for
the comer slots, while Todd Rigdon
will start at safety against Mt. de
Sales. Behind them are David
Walker and J.R. Moore at the
comers, and Scott Hill at safety.
Kendrick returning with experience.
"They played behind good seniors,"
said Stephens.
Brown brings "size as much as
anything" to the backfield, said
Stephens. "At 180 pounds, he is a
pretty good little load. He also has
good speed." Stephens said Brown
should be able to break free of tack
les at the line of scrimmage.
Kendrick is about 10 pounds
lighter than Brown, and has a little
bit better speed.
Two sophomores back up the
duo of Kendrick and Brown. Osirus
Ezell and Washington will spell the
Kendrick and Brown, who are the
only seniors in the backfield.
"We've got some good strong
kids," said Stephens.
And those strong kids will be
running behind a good size line.
At the tackles, David Cannom
(240) and Thalmus Copeland (250)
look to anchor the starting posi
tions. Ryan Stockland, who could
be the smallest person on the line
at just under 200 pounds, and Terry
Foskey (227) will go at center.
Foskey will also see action at
tackle.
At one guard, Dawkins Ennis re
turns. The other guard slot has three
people vying for the opportunity to
play.
James Thomas is a big lineman
at 240 pounds, but Stephens says
he has the quickness to be a guard
Please see Panthers, page 3C
"It's real scary," said Jones.
"None of them has ever taken a
snap."
And, the secondary should re
ceive an early baptism by fire.
Keith Hatcher, of Mt. de Sales,
threw the ball 25 times against
Terrell Academy, completing 17
passes. FPD, who is in the new re
gion with Westfield, also likes to
put the ball in the air. And Stratford
"throws it enough to keep you hon-
Piease see Hornet*, page 2C