Houston times-journal. (Perry, Ga.) 1994-1999, August 16, 1995, Image 8

Houston times-journal., August 16, 1995, Page Page 8A, Image 8

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Newspaper Page TextSports Westfield to host pre-season softball tourney Hornets open season Saturday against Southland at 9 a.m. By PHIL CLARK Times-Journal Sports The Westfield Invitational Softball Tournament is scheduled Saturday at the Hornets’ Nest. This is the annual pre-season softball tour nament which helps participating teams pre pare for the opening of the 1995 season Aug. 22. That day, the Hornets will face Sherwood Christian in Albany. Panthers tune up for season at football camp Perry to face Jordan in season opener By PHIL CLARK Times-Journal Sports The Perry Panthers open the 1995 football season on the road as they travel to Kinnett Stadium in Columbus to meet the Region 3-AAA Jordan Red Jackets Sept. 2. ■ The game marks the beginning of George Collins’ high school coaching career. The former Warner Robins Demon star, who was an All-America at Georgia then had an outstanding pro career with the NFL St. Louis Cardinals, is • making his debut into high school coaching. He is by no means a stranger to the coaching ranks. He comes to Perry from UT-Chattanooga, and liacd coached previously under Mjkc Cavan at Valdosta State. The ‘getting-acquainted’ peri od is over and they are down to serious business out at the Panthers’ practice field. There v ill be a new offensive system to learn, but Collins will have some veterans back to ease the transi tion. Collins’ staff will be trying to liOd replacements for several players. The most critical position is at linebacker where Perry lost tjvo of the top backers in the area t{> graduation. Jarvis Stripling and Antwann Fann. ; Also gone is dependable Billy McDaniel, a defensive end, and Public school realignment to have little effect on Perry By PHIL CLARK Times-Journal Sports Some area schools will be affected by the recently proposed realignment and reclassification of Georgia High School Association member schools, announced last week. The proposal is done afte r the first year of a two-year reclassifi cation period, and the final deci sions will be made after all appeals have been heard and ruled on-. A school has the right to ask the executive committee to rule on their appeal, but a school must show a valid reason for not want ing to accept realignment. Reclassification is based on enrollment, and a school can chose to play in a classification higher that the one to which they are assigned if they desire. A good example is Southwest DeKalb in Atlanta, a school with double-A enrollment which always opts to play in AAAA. Houston County will move up in and will move ouC of region 3-AA and tentatively will play in 2-AAA, placing them in -the same region with Peach County, Jones County, Crisp County and Dublin, among others. Fitr.gerald and Worth County will alsp be moving into this region. swainsboro also moves to AAA and will play in region 4- AAA, the so-called Augusta region. Albany and Thomasville drdp to AA while Brooks County metves up to that classification and alllwill join region 1-AA which already includes perennial football powers Mitchell-Baker and Early County. East Laurens and Lamar County move up from class A and wifi be new members of 3AA Football season opens Aug. 25 with Westfield at home against Mount de Sales and Perry at home in a five-team football jamboree. Wednesday, Aug. 16,1995 Page 8A The Westfield Invitational is a round-robin tournament including Westfield, Southland. Brookwood and Sherwood Christian. Under the round-robin format, each team plays the other three and the team with the best record is considered the tournament winner. The tournament also gives teams game experi ence before the Georgia Independent Schools Association season begins. The tournament begins at 9 a.m. with a f agßgjfr* i mygiw ■ •~ ~ • .. •■ •■ ’ ■ ' PANTHER PRACTICE Jamal Dean (facing camera) works on agility drills under the supervision of Perry High Coach Mashburn. The Panthers are at football camp this week at Middle Georgia College. defensive tackle Bruec Rider, along with defensive backs Matt Hutchens and Tyree Searcy. The biggest problem appears to be finding replacements on the defensive team. Collins will have a lot of offen Houston County will move up in classification, and will move out of region 3-AA and tentatively will play in 2-AAA, placing them in the same region with Peach County, Jones County, Crisp County and Dublin. which includes Perry, Dodge County, Mary Persons, Bleckley County, Jackson, Harris County, Pike County and West Laurens. The two most-affected area regions appear to be 1A and 2A. Hawkinsville and Wilcox County will both move from 1A to 2A, with Turner County moving the opposite way. That means the rivalries between Macon County and Hawkinsville and Macon and Wilcox, all members of lA-North, will be gone. 2A also gains Montgomery County and Wheeler County from 3A and Telfair County, dropping down from 2AA. This means that 2A will now have twelve members, where it once had just four. Echols County, Lanier County and the Ware County Magnet School will also be members of the region, though’ not all will play football, but will compete in other sports and liter ary competition. Monticello and Social Circle move out of the cluttered region 8A and will now be members of South Georgia region 4A, as will Wilkinson County as they drop down from AA. The GHSA Executive Committee will meet Oct. 9 to review the changes and makd them final. Houston Times-Journal sive starters back from last year’s team, but nobody has a position nailed down as the Panthers engage in some serious competi tion for playing time as the season opener nears. Collins will have a new face or .-' v f~• j - , , 'mF * JF J^SHp * r , ' Bp ■ ' d&L — Times-Journal Photo by Eric Zallars HORNET STING Quarterback Matt Shepley (left, with ball) rehearses a pass action play during Hornet drills at Westfield earlier this week. The Hornets are preparing for their 1995 season opening game against Mount de Sales Aug. 25. Recreation department to offer craft carnival for kids Special to the Times-Journal Creative Kids Craft Carnival: Kids of all ages came and join in the fun. There will be games, crafts, food, demonstrations and a whole lot of fun. Aug. 22 from 1 - 7 p.m.; Perry Community Center, Community Room, Rozar Park; 5 tickets for $1; 6 tickets for $1 if pur chased by Aug. 18. Free Introductory Adult Craft Class: the topi ary will be the project beginning Aug. 16 from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Perry Community Center, Rozar Park. Pre-register by Aug. 11 and the cost of sup plies $5. Sports Registration Ongoing: The Perry Recreation Department is presently taking regis trations for football, soccer and cheerleading. Registration deadline is Aug. 19 or until all teams arc full. Perry Community'Center Extended Office Hours: The new Recreation Department office hours effective July 24, are as follows: game between Westfield and Southland. Brookwood and Sherwood play at 10 a.m. Games will continue approximately each hour until all teams have played all others. The final game of the tournament, set for 2 p.m.. pits Sherwood against Westfield. A $l fee will be charged, but that will be good for all six games. A concession stand will also be open. Times-Journal Photo by Eric Zellars two on the coaching staff, too, and Bob Jones has left for Southeast Bulloch and Glover Gibson has retired. The Panthers are spending this week in camp at Middle Georgia College in Cochran. The Perry Recreation Department is presently taking registrations for foot ball,. soccer and cheerleading. Registration deadline is Aug. 19 or until full. Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturday 12 to 6 p.m. First and Second Year Football Coaches Certification: Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Perry Community Center, Rozar Park, Conference Room. The Recreation Department is also presently offering the following classes: Clogging, Dog Obedience, Tumbling, adult arts and crafts class es, Middle Eastern dance, and modeling and social skills, and lollipop modeling. Square Dancing is alive in Perry! The Swing Remembering the Mick Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen several television interviews in which Mickey Mantle tried gal lantly to talk to an admiring and adoring audience. The face was hollow and shallow, and obvious ly, there was a great deal of pain. It brought a lump to the throat of those of us who knew and wor shiped the strong, robust Mickey Mantle of the 50s and 60s when he was setting the baseball world on fire and capturing the hearts of just about everybody, whether they were Yankee fans or not. We remember the boyish grin that was always present. And we saw in the interviews that Mantle tried vain ly to flash that once famous Mantle grin. But it just would not come. Mickey Mantle finally was served a pitch he couldn’t hit. Mickey Mantle died in Dallas shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, losing his battle against cancer, which by then had spread to most of his weak and feeble body. I think the ultimate example of how the public felt about Mickey Mantle was demonstrated at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium Sunday afternoon. The public address announcer, Marshall Mann, called for a moment of silent prayer in Mantle’s memory. After the moment of prayer, the entire stadium burst out in a long standing ovation, almost as if the Mick was about to appear out of the dugout. Most of the fans at the stadium probably never saw Mantle play. They didn’t have to. His accomplishments are leg endary. Everyone feels that they knew Mantle personally. And that’s as it should be. Mickey Mantle played 18 years for the Yankees. As a 24-year old in 1956, he put together what is perhaps the greatest year a base ball player ever had. He won the American League triple crown with a .353 batting average, 52 home runs and 130 runs batted in, and capped the season off by being named American League Most Valuable Player. Even though his power num bers were down, he came back in 1957 to hit .365 and win his sec ond straight MVP award. It was the 1961 season that gained Mantle the most attention, though. That was the year that teammate Roger Maris surpassed Babe Ruth's single season home run record by hitting 61. Many fans remember that Maris and Mantle were engaged in a friendly struggle as both approached the record. But Phil ClarkMß Times-Journal Sports JM||p Mantle had a slight tailspin near the end of the season and wound up with 54. Mantle scored 132 runs that year, which tied his best year in that category. Mickey Mantle was more thanjust a great hitter. He had speed, power, great defensive skills and he played everyday, though for eight years, he played on a gimpy leg that would have kept today’s players out of the lineup. When he was out of the lineup, it meant that he could barely walk. He was that determined. Still, he probably should have quit two years earlier. He hit just .245 and .237 the last two years. But he did hit a combined total of 40 home runs for a career total of 536, the most ever by a switch hitter. Former Yankee Bobby Murcer, who succeeded Mantle in center field, said “Mantle was my idol. He was the greatest player I ever saw play the game.” Hank Aaron said, “Mickey meant an awful lot to me. He was a tremendous athlete. People did n’t understand him the way they should have. He played 10 years on one leg. But more than that, he was a tremendous person.” But Oakland A’s pitcher Ron Darling, who didn’t play with or against Mantle, perhaps spoke the feelings of most baseball fans when he said “He’s part of Americana, part of the folklore of this country; a guy who grew up in Oklahoma and became arguably the greatest power-hit ting switch hitter of all time.” Skip Caray, the Atlanta Braves’ announcer, said “Many of us sports journalists are overdoing the alco hol thing. Mickey Mantle was a hero to many people. He was a very kind man, a very patient man. He was not a drunk. He didn’t show up at the ball park every day having abused alcohol, and some of us are trying to make it that way. “It wasn’t that way at all. Mickey Mantle was a hero because of what he accomplished on the field. So let’s mourn his passing and let’s learn from his mistakes. But let’s not knock Mickey Mantle because there’s absolutely nothing good that can come of that,” he said. Mantle was 63. and Circle Square Dance Club meets every Ist and 3rd Friday at the Perry Community Center. Interested in Quilting? Put your talents to work. The Crossroads Quilt Guild meets every 1 st and 3rd Thursday of every montlun the Older Americans Council room or the Perry Community Center. Creekwood pool in Perry will close for the season on Sept. 5. The pool will be closed for the week of Aug. 29, but will reopen for the Labor Day weekend, before closing for the winter. For more information concerning the Community Center or Recreation Dept, call 988- 8034. The Recreation Department is located in the Community Center at J. Frank Rozar Park off Keith Drive in Perry.