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Sports
Swainsboro brings Perry Panthers'
season to a close in state tourney
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Joumal Sports
MACON Returning no
starters from last year’s fine team,
Carl Thomas was faceed wit,h a
tremendous task, to replace five
starters, with just two players with
any experience.
The Panthers come on strong to
win the region 3AA South title,
them finished second to Dodge in
the region tournament which placed
them against region 2AA number
one Swainsboro, a very good has
ketball team.
Swainsboro’s superior size took
it's toll as Perrv was repeatedly
denied inside and often had to alter
shots because of of 6’9” Randy
Hughes, playimg deep under the
basket. And consequently, the
Panthers never got into a rhythm ,
though they did play well enought to
stay close for the first two quarters.
It did take a Stan Gann three
pointer at the buzzer to pull Perry to
within 10 at 22-12 at the end of the
first eight minutes.
Garnet Curry drove inside for
four baskets in the seccnd quarter
and Gann hit three more in the sec
ond as Swainsboro increased their
lead to eleven, 41-30. From there
on, though the wheel began to come
off as Swainsboro held Perry to just
eight points in the third quarter
while scoring 20 of their own to take
a commanding 61-38 lead after
three quarters.
Swainsboro got double digit
scoring from four players, led by
Sergio Washington’s 19. Eleven of
his points came in the first quarter.
Dewayne Forts and Randy Hughes
had 15 apiece and Anthonv Cclar
scored a dozen.
Perry seniors Curry and Gann
bowed out impressively as Gann
took team honors with 18 and Curry
added 16. But the usually strong
supporting cast could contribute just
a combined 18 points in the 80-58
loss, which ends the seasonfor Perry.
Stan Gann olectrifies a
Swainsboro defender as
he sails past for a reverse
layup in the state
tournament.
FPOM THE
om_ SIDE
Middle School
faculty, students
to play March 17
The Perry Middle School
students will have a chance to gain
a hit of revenge on their teachers
March 17.
The sixth, seventh and eighth
grade teachers, aiieteria workers and
custodians will put together mens
and womens basketball teams to
play student teams.
The womens g;unes begin at 7
p.m. and the mens games will
follow.
Admission is $2 per person.
Gate proceeds go to the athletic
department and concession stand
proceeds go to the pep dub.
Softball team
Sports Fair
set March 25
The Perry High School Lady
Panthers' Softball Boosters will
sponsor Perry's first-ever Sports
Fair on M;irch 25.
The fair will be held at the new
Perry Community Center in Rozar
P;irk from 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
Vendors who will be on hand
will include Sportswise, Small
Sports, Walls Sports, Beverly's
Sporting Goods, Heroes. Many
o tliers ;tre expected.
Representatives of the Macon
Braves will also be on hand.
The fair will be an opportunity
for area residents to purchase ball
gloves, bats, balls, shirts, cleats,
batting gloves, sports wear, pants,
hats, team supplies and first aid
supplies. Orders for uniforms may
also be placed.
A baseball card will be given to
each child 16 or under and door
prizes will be given away.
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Lady Panthers better than expected
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
MACON The 1995 basketball
season is over for Max Vickers and
his Perry Lady Panthers. They did
n’t win any championships, but they
are certainly winners in the eyes of
many fans who would have written
the young team off at the opening of
the season.
That they lost to Jeff Davis
Friday night in the state AA playoffs
aside, this team gave fans their
money’s worth. At this stage, I’m
nos so sure points and statistics are
important. Just the fact that the team
got there is a big reward for the
faithful who followed them through
several lean years. It was, in fact,
Perry’s first trip to the state playoffs
since 1989.
I said I didn’t think points and
statistics were important in this
game, hut I did want to say that
Perry kept the game relatively close
for a quarter and a half, trailing by
just a few points after one quarter,
but then hit-a cold spell and scored
just nine points in the second and
third quarters as Jeff Davis, the only
team to beat Dodge County in the
regular season, used the fine shoot
ing of Sheria Brantley to pull away.
The number of seniors on this
team, just three, would give hope to
next year’s team. Amber Fendley is
the only senior who got appreciably
playing time, and surely she will be
missed, but Vickers returns a lot of
players who got extensive playing
time. Kestia Billings and Norie
Inoue also will be lost to graduation,
but look at the teturning players, all
with a year’s experience.
The backcourt of Shanetia
Gilbert and Shenequia Howard will
be one of the quickest in the area,
and the inside game will have expe
rienced players, too, with Monique
Rendrick, Natalie Taylor and
Yatosha Davis, plus wing player,
Jada Releford.
Vickers also had four freshmen at
the end of the season.
Houston Tlmes-Journol 7A
ip
■sjg&
lr
Natalie Taylor, forward for the Lady Panthers, soars
high for two points against Jeff Davis in the state
'tournament.
Wednesday March 8,1995
Rena, Corky will be
missed by columnist
I was saddened to read of the
death of Rena Rider-Goodloe last
week, although it was not a surprise.
This enterprising young lady had
been fighting a life threatening ill
ness for some time. But death
claimed her far too soon.
When I came to Perry in 1968 to
work at WPGA radio, the station did
a lot of promotions with the school,
aside from sports. I had a chance to
meet Rena Rider and many of her
classmates and teammates.
She was really something, even
then, juggling extracurricular activi
ties like a magician. Let’s see. She
played on the basketball team. But
before sho did that, she had to help
cheer the football team on as a
member of the majorette corps.
Rena was a member of the Tri-Hi-Y,
where she served as President,
Chaplain and Vice-president. She
was a member of the youth assem
bly, Christian Life Conference,
Junior Civinettes, where she took
the Miss Junior Civinette of the
South title. She was on the annual
staff, the homecoming court and
was a member of the Senior Follies
cast.
Rena Rider became a very suc
cessful real estate developer, and
served a term as president of the
Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. It’s
so sad to see young people leave
this life at such an early age. Rena
Rider fulfilled a lot of dreams.
Another death shook the sports
world in Gerogia last week with the
passing of Corky Kell, a longtime
high school football coach, and
most recently working with the
Cobb County School system after
failing health drove him from the
sidelines.
One of Kell’s pet projects was
the kickoff classic, played annually
to start the football season, at the
Gerogia Dome. He has been a dri-
Perry Recreation Department
Basketball Standings
Mighty-Mite Boys
Team Name Won Lost Tie left
Knicks 7 111
Lakers 6 12 1
Magics "*4 4 1 1
Suns 6 12 1
Hawks 3 0 7 0
Sonics 2 16 1
Colonels 0 0 9 1
10 Games each
Based on games played thru 3/4/95
Mighty - Girls
Team Name Won Lost Tie Left
Lady Bugs 8 011
Rockettes 6 1 3 0
Lady Bulldogs 5 13 1
Teddy Bears 2 0 7 1
Lady Hornets 1 0 8 1
10 Games each t
Based on games played thru 3/4/95
Mite - Boys
Team Name Won Lost Tie Left
Knicks 9 0 0 1
Hoyas 6 0 3 1
Bulls 6 0 3 1
Magics 5 0 4 1
Bulldogs 4 0 4 2
Suns 4 0 6 0
Tar Heels 2 0 6 2
Hawks 2 0 6 2
Celtics 1 0 7 2
10 Games each
Based on games played thru 3/4/95
(Missing scores from 2/7/95 - Celtics vs Bulldogs
2/7/95 Hawks vs. Tar Heels)
Midget
Team Name Won Lost Tie Left
Suns 9 0 0 1
Razorbacks 7 0 1 2
Sonir<; S O 3 2
Lakers 4 0 4 2
Magics 4 0 4 2
Bulls 3 0 5 2
Kings 2 0 6 2
Tar Heels 2 0 7 1
Jazz 10 7 2
10 Games each
Based on games played thru 3/4/95
Junior
Team Name Won Lost Tie Left
Aggies 6 0 1 2
Bulls 5 0 2 2
Tar Heels 3 0 4 2
Knicks 0 0 7 2
9 Games each
Based on games played thru 3/4/95 \
Senior
Team Name Won Lost Tie Left
Celtics 8 0 0 1
Suns 5 0 2 2
Magics 2 0 6 1
Lakers 0 0 7 2
9 Games each
Based on games played thru 3/4/95
For The Best Sports Coverage
See Phil and watch T|je Chief!!!
writer .J B
ving force in trying to get enough
support to hold the state champi
onship games at the Dome, as well.
So far, that has not happened, but
last year, there was another step in
that direction when the GHSA held
the semi final games hosted by
north area schools at the Dome.
The Kickoff Classic, though, is a
spectators dream. In 1992, the
Classic, behind Kell’s efforts, began
with four teams, two games. After
two seasons under that format, two
more teams were added last year,
one of them was Warner Robins.
Now I read that this year, with
the approval of the GHSA, there
will be two more teams added, mak
ing a total of four games. The clas
sic will be renamed for Kell. As for
the GHSA approval, it will be a
matter of formality at the Executive
Committee meeting in April.
Six of the teams involved in the
expanded format remain the same as
last year, Newnan, Upson Lee,
Dunwoody, McEachern, Brook
wood, and Warner Robins. Pope of
the Cobb County system of which
Kell was athletic director, and
Marietta, will be the other two.
The cost of admission is onlv
$lO, and tickets will be avaialbe at
any of the participating schools. The
tentative lineup will be Newnan-
Dunwoody at noon; Upson Lee-
McEachem at 2:45 p.m.; Brook
wood-Pope at 5:30 p.m., and
Warner Robins-Marietta at 8:30
p.m.