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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. f's : jrw JBL ~ 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. .. mSF " .>.« i 9m " .fj Hr ‘vr MW J ? ■■ M W -ndwr 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 m|Mm V, , . ( 1,.. >it rt/SL. mKtgmm 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 P- W jjmr 'Bk jbMt 9 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