Sports
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
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■ •~ ~ • .. •■ •■ ’ ■ '
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
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—
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.
