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Crappie season is here—7A Sports Veto F. Roley Sports editor Perry softball teams finish '94 season The first sport of the high school season is over. Less than six weeks after the first pitch was thrown, the area's high school softball teams put up the bats and balls and wait until next year. And, all in all, it wasn't a bad year for the two teams. Last year, the Panthers won just one or two games. I don't know the exact total since the Home Journal was going through a change of sports editors and Perry was not re ally getting covered, and you can always tell what kind of year a team is having by the willingness of a coach to call in information. The Panthers were also the subject of a Title IX investigation, of which enough has been said this year. The Panthers finished the season above .600, claiming second in the sub-region. Only a hard fought loss in Jackson prevented the Panthers from going further than they did. Kelly Britsky has done a great job as the coach of the Panthers. It's hard to find any criticism of the job that she did; and, the fact that there are a very, very few disgrun tled rumblings heard is also good since one of the best signs of a bad job is having everybody happy. Please see Roley, page 8A —Phil L Wm Clark I uiiWLs I Phil Clark predicts the weekend Oops! A 7-3 week certainly doesn't do much for your season's percentages in this picking busi ness! Last week's games bring up a couple of interesting questions, though. First, are the Houston County Bears really down that much from last year’s playoff sea son? And, secondly, are the Peach County Trojans really down that much after three years of challeng ing serously for the AAA state championship. Both teams lost Friday night, Houston County to Bleckley and Peach to Swainsboro. The other miss was the Baldwin win over Lakeside Evans. Houston County has dropped to 1-3, but more importantly, 0-2 in region 3AA. The Bears get a chance for redemption Saturday night, though, as they host 1-4 Harris County. And the Bears will get their first region victory over the Tigers. Phil's pick, Houston County. < Peach, by the way, is idle this week. Westfield opens the region lAAA part of their schedule Friday night at Windsor as they meet former Hornet player Ricky Ellis, now the Windsor head coach. Windsor has lost three in a row, but the losses came against three pretty good teams, Tattnall, Mount de Sales and Brentwook. This could be a close game for a while, but the Westfield defense won't give the Knights much and Westfield's speed will produce enought points for their sixth win. Phil's pick, Westfield. Stratford at Southland. Region openers, here, too. Stratford, as Westfield, could be looking ahead a week to their meeting Oct. 14, but there's not likely to be a slipup. Southland beat Terrell Friday night to halt a three game winless streak, but they won't be able to keep up with the Eagles. Phil's pick, Stratford. Warner Robins at Central. Central is 3-1, but their three wins have come against teams with just two wins among them. That's not enough to mount a threat to the de fensively-tough Demons. The game is at Central, but that doesn't matter. Warner Robins Please see Clark, page 7 A Hornets whip Tiftarea 46-8 By Phil Clark Special to the HTJ It was expected to be easy, and it was. The Westfield Hornets traveled to the small Tift County commu nity of Chula Friday night with a mission...to gain for Coach Ronnie Jones his career victory number 150. It turned out to be a game in which Jones could play everybody he brought to the game. In all, 12 Hornets handled the ball, six of them scored touchdowns in the lop sided 46-8 victory. Tiftarea coach Ron Drummonds speculated after the game that "Westfield should be in the state championship game again. We are young, and we don't have a lot of boys out for the team, but even so, Westfield was just the dominant team tonight." Drummonds, many may recall, once coached at Macon County High School, and was the architect of the program that has been so successful for C.B. Cornett. In fact, it was Drummonds who hired Cornett as a Macon County assis tant. Tiftarea won the toss of the coin; but, that was the only thing that went their way all night and that wasn't for long. Taking Alex Gambill’s kickoff around the five, Tiftarea’s Scott Ewing fumbled around the 20, and J.R. Moore re covered for the Hornets. The Hornets quickly capatilized with Brian Staines, Michael Davis and John Morton chewing up the yardage. Morton went over from twelve yards out for the game's first score, early in the first quarter. A little razzle-dazzle produced a two point conversion as holder Matt Shepley took the snap and tossed to wingback Davis coming around to the right side, and Davis went in untouched for ai>B-0 lead. The defense got into the act early as linebacker Brian Nash picked off a John Cavahaugh pass at the Westfield 48 and rambled 52 yards Panthers end season By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor After losing their chance to win the sub-region championship last week with losses to Houston County and Dodge County, the Panthers ended their season Thursday, losing two of three games to Jackson in the region playoffs. "We had a real good year," said Panther head coach Kelly Britsky. "I was really impressed with the girls and proud of them. "They made a lot of improve ment. They learned how to win, they learned what it took to win." Britsky said that her team had dodged the bullet all year from its Panthers remain undefeated in region, beat Jackson KI- <aßwjF-'. 'J&'/ ffiaA - H . jgwSf V* wEI ’ • V; ■.}'■;%&'. ~. ', '; J L S;'v % IrapgHHp BfeHaL* in M HI JMk • M |TJ Rr"^PHBHHL p»i BiHL »p ■i Jf,jpv MjMmm '*' l|L, vv v ,'* r "* '’' s||py Jackson quarterback Jason Pipkin (#l7) had a long night Friday against the Panthers. Here three defensive linemen are in search of quarterback meat: Jamal Dean (#64), Andy Johnston (#77) and Bruce Rider (#59). down the right sidelines for the score and the first of six straight Gamble PATs made it 15-0, still in the first quarter. The rout continued in the second quarter as Morton got his second score of the night on an 8-yarder midway through the second quarter. Staines later added a 23-yard TD run and again Gamble was true on the PAT and the score was 29-0, with time still left on the second quarter clock. There was time enough, in fact, for the Hornets to practice another of their weapons, the field goal. Moving the ball down to the Tiftarea 19, the drive stalled, but Jones called on Gamble for a 36- yard field goal try, and the senior nailed it through the uprights as Westfield took a 32-0 halftime lead. The second half saw a procession of young running backs behind sophomore quarterback Ben Hulbert. Hulbert and senior Michael Williams scored second half touch downs to build a 46-0 lead before Tiftarea scored late in the game. The Hornets gave up the six points on a three yard run by Scott Ewing after freshman quarterback Cavanaugh used split end Earl Hill and Ewing to move the ball down field. A two point conversion made the final score 46-8 in a game that was over around 8:30 p.m., for all practical purposes. Ronnie Jones came to Westfield last year after three years at GHSA Calhoun County, where his team was 24-9. He had previously coached at Brookwood in Thomasville for 11 years, winning two state championships ('B3 & 'BS), so he is no stranger to the winners' circle. Jones was very humble in talk ing to a reporter after the game. Jones was heard to say, "Winning 150 games just makes me feel old." He is, by the way, 16-3 simce com ing to Westfield, with one of those losses coming in the state final last year. inability to hit. The Panthers hit around .300 for the season, which is not a good mark in slowpitch softball. "We were able to get the hits that we needed at the right time," said Britsky. However, the Panthers started the three game series with a win in Perry Wednesday. For much of the year, the Panthers had problems with the first inning. However, Wednesday, it would be the first inning that would propel the Panthers to the first win. With one out, Amber Fendley would and Marnie Mills would Please see Panthers, page 7A Wednesday Oct 5,1994 6A Westfield head coach Ronnie Jones won his 150th game Friday night as the Hornets dominated Tiftarea 46-8. Jones is shown with quarterback Matt Shepley and trainer Mike Edgars. Jones collects number 150 By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Westfield Coach Ronnie Jones accomplished some thing that very few coaches at any level accomplish during their careers, he won his 150th game as the Hornets dominated an overmatched Tiftarea team 46-8. "I have always been fortunate," said Jones, after jok ing that 150 wins means that he is getting old. "I have always had good athletes and good help in good assis tants and good coaches. "There have been a lot of coaches, good coaches," Jones continues, "but, they have not been at the right place at the right time. "I wouldn't change anything for the world." Even though Jones credits others with much of suc cess, his record speaks for itself. In 18 years as a head coach, he has never had a losing season, with his worst year being a 5-5 mark at Brookwood his last year on the job. Jones' career mark stands at 150-56-1, an out standing .729 winning percentage. His 1983 Brookwood team finished the season with a perfect 13- 0 record, winning the state championship, one of three that Jones has won. Jones not only has a great career record, but he has done it either building programs or rescuing programs. He started the Woodland Christian program, winning his first state championship in the first year of the pro gram. At Calhoun County, he took a team that had lost 18 straight games and guided them to a 10-2 win season just three years after taking over the program. Even Westfield has improved under Jones. After go ing 7-4-1 in 1990, the Hornets suffered through two losing seasons the next two years, winning just two games in 1991 and four in 1992. In Jones' first year at the helm at Westfield, the Hornets were state runner up, finishing with an 11-3 mark. Jones received his first head coaching job at Woodland Christian in Phenix, Ala., starting the pro gram at the school. Woodland Christian didn't have a football field or a gym when Jones started practice in 1976. "We practiced in a man's pasture," said Jones of his first practices. "We had to run around chickens and guinea pigs." Although Jones remembers losing his first game, he didn't lose to many games there after, leaving the school after three years with 19 wins. After leaving Woodland, Jones went to Brookwood where he coached for 11 years and won 90 games. At Brookwood, Jones was also women's basketball coach for one year, where he coached Julie Moran, who ap pears on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Also at Brookwood, Jones applied his coach's Midas touch to men's basketball and baseball. While his men's basketball team was not as successful as the baseball and football teams, Jones says his three years show a winning mark. In 11 years on the diamond, Jones won one state championship—his 1986 Of old soda fountains—7A Houston Times- Journal By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor The Panthers maintained their top ranking in GHSA 3-AA with a 21-14 beating of the Jackson Red Devils Friday night in the Panther Pit. The game was a hard fought de fensive battle, with the Panthers managing just one drive on the night, an 11 play drive in the third quarter that ended with Kiwaukee Thomas’ 23 yard touchdown scam per. The other two touchdowns con verted by the Panthers were on a 90 yard kickoff return to start the game by Dexter Kendrick and a 62 yard run late in the game by Thomas, which gave the Panthers a 21-7 lead. Throughout most of the night the Red Devils seemed to have the Panther offense stymied, with Perry getting only six first downs on the night and 193 yards total offense. And, although the Perry defense bent all night, they did not break. Jackson helped the defense by going to the air, despite the effectiveness of William Smith, who had 147 yards on 16 carries, including a 65 yard run to start the game that tied the game at seven each. "We can't live with prosperity," Ronnie Jones' Record Year Team Rec. Pact. 1976 Woodland Christian, 7-3-1* .682 Phenix City, Ala. 1977 Woodland Christian 6-4 .600 1978 Woodland Christian 6-5 .545 1979 Brookwood Schools, 8-2 .800 Thomaston, Ga. 1980 Brookwood Schools 7-4 .636 1981 Brookwood Schools 8-3 .727 1982 Brookwood Schools 8-3 .727 1983 Brookwood Schools 13-0* 1.000 1984 Brookwood Schools 8-4 .667 1985 Brookwood Schools 11-3* .786 1986 Brookwood Schools 8-2 .800 1987 Brookwood Schools 8-3 .727 1988 Brookwood Schools 6-4 .600 1989 Brookwood Schools 5-5 .500 1990 Calhoun County H.S., 7-3 .700 Edison, Ga. 1991 Calhoun County 8-3 .727 1992 Calhoun County 10-2 .833 1993 Westfield Schools, 11-3® .786 Perry, Ga. 1994 Westfield Schools 5-0° 1.000 #=State championships @=State runner-up °=Year-to-date Years School Rec. Pact. 3 Woodland Christian 19-12-1 .609 11 Brookwood Schools 90-33 .732 3 Calhoun County H.S. 25- 8 .758 2 Westfield Schools 16-3 .842 18 Total 150-56-1 .729 Brookwood team beat Westwood for state honors, giv ing him his second championship against the Wildcats with his football team beating Westwood in 1985 for the top trophy. At Calhoun County, Jones' team served notice early in the season that they were through playing patsy. Morale was so bad in Edison that only 14 players showed up for Spring training. However, morale took a big boost when Calhoun returned the opening kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown against Taylor County. "All the stands were silent," said Jones. Later, Jones would take his Calhoun team into Montezuma to face perennial power Macon High School, which was undefeated, with the two teams settling the game in overtime. Macon County scored on its possession and went for one, putting the pressure on Calhoun. Jones and his team responded, charging into the endzone. They then went for two, with Calhoun County completing the two point play, making the score 8-7. Perry head coach John Stephens said, noting that the play happened right after the kickoff return that gave Perry the early lead. He added that the play was the "favorite play" of the Red Devils. "It wasn't some thing that we were not familiar with. There was no shock, no sur prise. We never touched that guy." However, Bobby Robinson called for the pass, and the Perry secondary refused to let the pass go through. Red Devil quarterback Jason Pipkin was just six of 19 on the night for 90 yards and a touch down. The Panther front line, lead by Antwann Fann and Billy McDaniel, met often around Pipkin, hitting him on almost ever play. Pipkin was sacked six times on the night for a net loss of 47 yards, giving the Red Devil passing attack a net gain of 43 yards on 25 plays. "I was really surprised when they ran the ball like they did, that they went back to the pass," said Stephens. "The defense really knocked people around." Although Thomas kept the ball too long on several option plays, the junior quarterback showed his athletic poweress on the two long touchdown runs.