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Sports
Times-Journal Photo by Eric Zellars
HORNETS FALL Ben Hulbert {l4) fights for a rebound
during action against Tattnall last week.
Hornets drop season
openers in basketball
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
Tattnall outscored Westfield
39-26 in the last half Dec 13 to
earn a 77-64 non-region Georgia
Independent Schools Association
basketball victory over Westfield.
The teams were tied at the half
38-38. Jason Goulder’s basket
with 42 seconds left in the half
tied the score after both teams had
turned the ball over. Westfield got
the ball back with a chance to take
the halftime lead, but a three-sec
ond lane violation with 4 seconds
left in the half killed the chance.
Tattnall came out in the third
quarter and built a 9-point lead by
outscoring Westfield 23-14. Alan
Dennard scored eight of his team
high 18 during that quarter while
Ross Hagerman and Goulder each
hit a three-pointer.
Chip Davis and Ben Hulbert hit
three-pointers in the fourth quarter
for Westfield but Tattnall was able
to score from the foul line eight of
10 times to hold the Hornets off
and pick up the 77-64 win.
Dennard scored 18 to lead four
Trojans in double figures. Goulder
Lady Panthers take pair of
subregion 2-AA basketball wins
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
The Perry Lady Panthers
picked up their second Georgia
Hijzh School Association Region
3-AA south basketball victory Dec
13 with a 63-35 victory over East
Laurens at the Panther Pit.
Monique Kendrick and April
Fendley combined for 26 Perry
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Tinwi-Jourrwl Photo by irk Zdors
LADY PANTHERS Felicia Scott (122) takes aim on the
basket in Panther action against East Laurens last week
end.
had 14. Hagerman 11 and Henry
Mahler 10.
Hulbert’s 17,including two
three-pointers, led Westfield.
Davis scored 11 and Andy Conrad
nine.
In the Dec. 10 season opener
against Monroe the teams battled
through the first two quarters dead
even as the score was tied 17-17 after
one quarter and 31-31 at the half.
By the end of the third quarter,
Monroe had eased out to a five
point lead, 51-47. Johnny
Johnson, Monroe’s big center,
scored 16 second half points to
help the Mustangs pull away.
Johnson finished with 20 to share
game honors with Kyle Scott.
John Eric Dodd had 17.
Westfield got 13 from Ben
Hulbert, 12 from Kris Asbury and
10 from Brian Hartley.
Westfield will host the Brannen
Ford Christmas tournament Dec
19-20 at the Hornets’ Nest, with
girls and boys teams from
Fullington, Crisp Academy and
Tiftarea joining the Westfield
teams in the two day tournament,
starting each day at 4 p.m.
points. It was the Lady Panthers’
third win overall against a single
loss.
Perry controlled the game from
the start as they built a 30-17 half
time lead. Teresa Scott scored 11
points for Perry and Eugenia
Radford just missed double fig
(See PAIR, Page 7A)
Page 6A
-Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996
Honors night, sports style
Panthers honored during Dec. 12 fall sports banquet
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
Perry High School honored its fall sports par
ticipants Dec 12 at the school cafeteria. Sports
honored included cross country, softball and foot
ball, as well as cheerleaders.
Rob Zell introduced his cross country team
members, and cited the boys’ team for finishing
second in the region.
Kelly Britsky made presentations to members
of her softball team. She began by recognizing the
senior members of the team, Marina Culley, Keri
Eckhardt, Allison Barrett and Andrea Duren.
Duren was the best offensive player with a bat
ting average of .460. Eckhardt won the Coaches
Award, and the Most Valuable Player award went
to Kristin Shipes.
Cheerleader coach Christy Williamson made
several presentations after recognizing her entire
squad and-thanking senior members Allison
Alford, Molly Tripp, Christie Cook, Keri Eckhardt
and Heather Myer.
The Leadership award, voted on by the squad,
was presented to Keri Eckhardt. The Spirit award
was won by Shannon Lemley and Christy Fowler
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Times-Journal Photo by Eric Zellars
PANTHERS HONORED Members of the cheerleaders, cross country, softball and
football teams at Perry High School were honored Dec. 12.
Eight Hornets named to GISA Region 1-AAA team
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
Westfield does not award
individual football trophies or
plaques based on performance.
Instead, the coaching staff
presents a plaque to each starter
on the team, and senior members
receive a game jersey.
All-region football selectees
recognized during the annual fall
banquet Dec. 11 at the school
cafeteria included all eight of the
graduating seniors and junior
Ben Nash, while Ben Hulbert
wi n 'j/j.
HORNETS HONORED Houston Times-Journal sports writer Phil Clark presents
awards to Marsh Wall (left) and Ben Hulbert. The two received honors during the
annual Westfield football banquet Dec. 11.
Lady Hornets knock off top-ranked Tattnall
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
It didn’t take long for coach
Billy Sellars’ words to come true.
After his Lady Hornets dropped
their Georgia Independent Schools
Association opener 52-37 to
Monroe Academy at the Hornets’
Nest Dec 10, Sellers said “we’ve
got a few things to work out. It’s
the first game. We’ll get better.
We’re gonna beat some people.”
That took just three days. The
‘some people' turned out to be top
ranked Tattnall Square as the Lady
Trojans came in atop the coaches’
poll in the GISA.
Christy Fowler captured the Perry
High School Cheerleader squad aca
demic award. Fowler's GPA is
98.04.
captured the academic award. Fowler’s GPA is
98.04.
Molly Tripp and Keri Eckhardt were also rec
ognized for having GPAs over 95.
Coach George Collins recognized his four
graduating seniors, Jamaal Dean, Jarvis Dean,
Dawkins Ennis and Eddie King, then turned the
program over to his assistant coaches.
Luke Smith presented the offensive player
award to John Brewer, who quarterbacked the
Panthers.
Kerry English presented the defensive player
award to Dontarrious Thomas, while Lee
Whatley’s outstanding lineman award went to
Jamaal Dean. Collins presented the Coaches’
Award to Dawkins Ennis.
and Charlie Evans captured all
state honors.
Marsh Wall captured the
Defensive Player of the Year
award, presented by the Houston
Times-Journal , and Ben Hulbert
took home the WPGA-AM
Offensive Player of the Year
plaque for the second straight
year.
Seniors who were recognized
included JR Moore, Chip Davis,
Hulbert, J.T. Shy, Brian Staines,
Wall, Evans and Keith Waites.
The eight seniors represented
Mary Katherine Walker had a
torrid first quarter, scoring a dozen
points on three two-point baskets
and a couple of three-pointers as
her team took an 18-7 first quarter
lead.
But Tattnall converted eight
free throws in the second quarter
to cut the lead at halftime to 27-25.
Two baskets by Claire Hart, one
by Jennifer Stewart and another
three-pointer by Walker kept
Westfield in front.
Stephanie Barr took over in the
third quarter with seven points
while Walker scored five, includ
ing her fourth three-pointer of the
Houston Times-Journal
13 starting positions this year,
with five of them starting both
ways.
Westfield Quarterback
Booster Club president Buddy
Roper presented the “Booster of
the Year’’ award to Jack Nash,
then inaugurated the
“President’s Award”, with
Brenda Davis capturing that
honor.
Roper also recognized Coach
Ronnie Jones as the 1-AAA
Region Coach of the Year.
Times-Journal Photo by Erie Zellars
game. By the end of the third, the
Westfield lead was back up to
eight, 40-32.
The Lady Hornets then with
stood a barrage of three-pointers
by Stephanie Warren by convert
ing 13 free throws in the final
quarter to hang on for an impres
sive 61-54 win.
Walker scored a game high 26
points for Westfield while Ban
had 15. Stewart finished with nine,
including five in the crucial fourth
quarter. Hart had 7 and Laura
Posey four.
(See RANKED, Page 7A)
Phil
Clark
Times-Journal
Sports
Honoring seniors
I had an opportunity to attend
a couple of banquets last week
during which local high school
athletes were honored. Dec. 11,
Westfield held its football ban
quet and the following night,
Perry honored members of all of
their fall sports teams.
Combined, local schools lose a
dozen football players, all of
whom had an important role with
the teams last season.
At Perry, George Collins loses
just four seniors, but they will be
tough to replace. Jamaal Dean,
the biggest Panther in many
years, will be lost off the offen
sive line that helped Perry
increase their scoring output by
60 points from the year before.
Dean also was called on to help
shore up the defensive line from
time to time.
Dawkins Ennis will be hard to
replace, too. Ennis played both
offense and defense, but it was as
a defensive player that Ennis
drew the most raves.
Jarvis Dean, Jamaal’s brother,
was a vital part of the Panther
defense and you can’t say enough
about Eddie King and his contri
butions to the defensive team,
special teams and occasionally
the offensive team.
These four guys will be Hard to
replace at Perry. They are good
ones.
At Westfield, Ronnie Jones
loses twice the number as he
watches eight players depart by
graduation.
To illustrate their value to the
team, it might be noted that all
eight seniors were named All-
Region 1-AAA. More important
ly to Jones and his coaching staff,
the eight players filled 13 starting
positions, since most played both
ways.
Seniors recognized at the
Westfield banquet were thanked
by the coaches for their years of
work and dedication.
JR Moore played on both
offense and defense, as a wide
receiver and defensive back.
Chip Davis also played as a
receiver on offense, switching
from wide receiver to tight end
this year. Chip also played on
defense as a safety.
Ben Hulbert, who won the
WPGA-AM offensive player of
the year award for the second
time, was a running back, a
defensive back, and returned
kicks. Ben was one of two
Hornets named to the Georgia
Independent Schools Association
all-state team. Hulbert rushed for
906 yards, made 45 tackles and
intercepted seven passes. He
returned punts and interceptions
for touchdowns.
Another vital member of the
1996 Hornet team was kicker J.T.
Shy, who this year did the punt
ing as well as the place kicking
and also took on added responsi
bilities as a defensive end, where
he registered 40 tackles.
Brian Staines, a running back
and linebacker, was another of
those two-way seniors Jones will
lose. Staines was a team captain,
and referred to by Coach Jones as
the team leader. He was one of
the fastest Hornets.
On the line, Marsh Wall
moved from center to guard and
had an exceptional senior year.
He also led the team in tackles
from his linebacker position, reg
istering 79 first hits and 33
assists. Wall was the recipient of
the Houston Times-Journal
defensive player of the year
award.
Charlie Evans played tackle on
both sides of the line. He was one
of the vital parts of an offensive
line that got better each game. He
also made 39 tackles on defense.
Evans was the Hornets’ other all
state selection.
Keith Waites was another
Hornet who had to assume added
responsibilities this year. Waites
was primarily a defensive end his
junior year, but when graduation
depleted the offensive line, he
was moved to a line position,
where he quickly learned the
blocking schemes in the wing-T
offense.
This group was not only an
exceptional group of football
players, but they are also excep
tional young men as well. The
coaches, the schools and the faqs
will miss all of them.