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Times-Joumal Photo by irk Zellars
SAFE AT THIRD Keith Waites (sliding) is safe at third
with a triple which kept Stratford pitcher Michael Gibson
from throwing a no-hitter at the Hornets.
Gibson one-hits Westfield
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journa! Sports
In one of tiie best pitching per
formances of the season, Stratford
Academy’s Michael Gibson held
the Westfield Hornets to one base
runner April 10 and led Stratford
to an 8-1 win at the Hornets’ Nest.
Gibson struck out 11 and didn’t
walk a batter He gave up a run in
the third on a Keith Waites’ triple
and an RBI grounder by Ron
Marshall,
Stratford jumped on Westfield
starter Brian Staines for six runs
in the first, but Staines settled
down to hold the Eagles scoreless
again until the seventh.
Ben Byrd led off the Stratford
first with a walk, stole second,
moved to third when the ball
sailed into cenlerlield, and scored
on a groundout.
Hornets hold on, nip Fullington
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
PINEHURST The Westfield
Hornets fell behind 3-0 in the first
inning April 14 at Fullington, but
battied back to take a 4-3 lead
after three innings on an RBI sin
gle by Joey Brumbelow and two
straight bases loaded walks, to
Trevor Jones and Burke Murph.
Westfield golf team has sub-300 round
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
The defending Georgia
Independent School Association
AAA champion Westfield Hornets
golf team came back after the
spring break and picked up where
they left off.
On April 8 at Perry County
Club, the Hornets fired another
sub-300 team total in beating the
Stratford Eagles 298-321.
Andy Conrad’s 72 took low
medalist honors. Wes Coody shot
73, Robcit Harrison 76 and Matt
Moore 77 for Westfield.
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Timos-Joumaß Photo by Irk Zollars
SOCK HER Perry Panther Megan Strandburg steps in
front of her opponent in an effort to get at the soccer ball
during recent Perry High soccer action. The Panthers
dropped the match against the Lady Demons of Warner
Robins, 3-0.
Then the floodgates opened.
Gibson singled and Brent Payne
walked. Both scored on a double
by Ben Jones. Michael Myers fol
lowed with another double and
G.O. Heath reached on an error.
Jim Williams singled home a
run. but was thrown out trying to
steal by Waites. After a Wes
Nobles’ single, Byrd struck out to
end the inning. Six runs had
crossed the plate.
Gibson struck out every starter
in the Westfield order except
Staines.
Stratford 600 000 2-8
Westfield 0 0 1 0 0 0 0-2
Winner: Gibson Loser:
Staines
2B: Payne 2 (S), Jones (S),
Myers (S); 3B: Waites (W)
The Hornets picked up two
more in the fourth, then a Keith
Waites sixth inning home run iced
the win for senior Bryant Bledsoe.
Westfield 0 13 2 0 2 0 - 8
Fullington 3000220-7
Winner: Bryant Bledsoe Loser:
David Jones 2B: Brumbelow (W),
Jones (F), Nipper (F) HR: Waites (W)
Stratford’s Whitney Christie
led the Eagles with her team-low
76. Alfred Sams shot a 76, Walker
Stewart 83 and Cole Christie 84.
On April 10, at Riverside Gold
and Country Club in Macon, the
Hornets didn't break 300, but they
did play well enough to beat the
First Presbyterian Vikings 322-
337.
Matt Moore’s 73 was the only
round in the 70s for Westfield,
which got an 82 from Wes Coody,
83 from Joe Todd and 84 from
Conrad. Stephen Hornet’s 83 led
the Vikings.
Page 6A
Wed. April 16, 1997
Rozier leads Bleckley past Perry, 6-2
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
For the second time this year, Bleckley County
leadoff hitter Brice Rozier set the tempo of the game,
and for the second time, the Bleckley County Royals
used it to take a Georgia High School Association
Region 3AA South win over the Perry Panthers.
April 8 at Perry, Rozier led off the game with a
home run and the Royals halted a Perry rally in the
third inning to pick up an important sub-region win,
6-2.
Rozier, who had three hits for Bleckley, had led off
the first inning of a meeting earlier in the season
between the two teams by blasting a home run.
Wade Stewart and Chris Simmons were able to
handle the rest of the Royals’ batting order, but
Rozier, with three hits, two runs and one RBI, paced
the attack.
West Laurens unloads on Panthers, 16-2
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
DUBLIN The Perry Panthers played just about
as uninspired as a team can play April 12 at West
Laurens, and dropped a lopsided 16-2 3AA South
game they really needed to win to remain in con
tention for a playoff spot.
Josh Crawford led the Raiders to the win, picking
up the victory on the mound, and also blasting a sec
ond-inning home run in a 5-run West Laurens upris
ing.
Crawford had three runs batted in, as did Brad
Meeks and Bill Malone. Perry’s only scores came on
single runs in the third and fifth innings. David Talley
led off the third with a double and scored two outs
Hamlin earns ACE specialty training recognition
Special to the Times-Journal
Deborah Hamlin, a fitness
instructor for the Perry Recreation
Department in Perry, was recently
awarded Specialty Recognition in
Strength Training by the
American Council on Exercise.
The ACE Specialty
Recognition Program provides
ACE-certified fitness instructors
the opportunity to focus their
training in specialized areas of
exercise institution.
ACE currently offers Specialty
Recognition in the following fit
ness categories: aquatic exercise,
choreography, exercise and
weight control, fitness business
management, flexibility training,
mind/body integration, older adult
fitness, pre and post natal exer-
Panther tennis streak ends at nine, Lady
Panthers win first match of 1997 season
Staff, Community Reports
FORT VALLEY Perry’s
nine-match win streak was halted
April 10 by Peach County 3-2 as
the Trojans won all three singles
matches. The Panther doubles
teams won both their matches.
The loss was the first of the
season for the Perry boys and
broke the nine match streak which
WMkm
IBSwI. JW *
HIGH RISE Ronnie Midkiff 124) goes high in the air for
the Perry Panthers during 3-0 loss to Warner Robins dur
ing recent high school soccer action. Running toward the
action is Panther Brandon Pfleegor (15)
With Bleckley leading 3-0 going to the bottom of
the third, David Talley drew a walk to lead off the
inning for Perry. Back-to-back singles by Jeb Stewart
and Wade Stewart loaded the bases, and a walk to
David Coffey forced in a run.
Derrick Oliver’s sacrifice fly scored Jeb Stewart,
and one out later Carey Washington walked to re-load
the bases, but the Royals were able to get out of the
inning nursing a 3-2 lead.
That was all of the Panthers’ scoring, and the
Royals picked up two in the fifth and another in the
sixth. Perry has regular season games with Warner
Robins there on April 17, and the final game at Pike
County April 18.
Bleckley 2 0 1 0 2 1 0-6
Perry 002000 0-2
Winner: Smith Loser: Stewart 2B: Washington (P),
O’Neal (B), Smith (B); HR: Rozier (B)
later of a David Coffey single. Coffey was thrown out
trying to steal third to end the inning.
With two outs in the fifth, Jeb Stewart singled and
later scored on a Wade Stewart single. After Coffey
singled and Carey Washington drew a walk to load
the bases, Derrick Oliver flied out to left field to end
the game.
Perry 0 0 1 0 1-2
West Laurens 2 5 3 6 x 16
Winner: Crawford Loser: Stewart; 2B: Talley (P)
Malone (WL), Collins 2 (WL); 3B: Meeks (WL);
HR: Crawford (WL)
cise, slide, step/bench exercise,
strength training, walking fitness,
and youth fitness.
ACE developed the Specialty
Recognition Program to help cer
tified fitness instructors promote
their expertise to the public and to
fitness employers.
The program encourages certi
fied fitness instructors to focus
their continuing education,
required by ACE to maintain
instructor certification, in key fit
ness areas and which directly ben
efits the public, according to an
ACE news release.
Hamlin has been an instructor for
the Perry Recreation Department for
eight years. She is a member of
International Association of Fitness
Professionals, Reebok Instructor
included a 5-0 blanking of West
Laurens in a Georgia High School
Region 3AA match at Dublin High
April 8.
Perry’s singles players,
Dewayne Heard at number one,
Jeff Wilson at number two and
Brandon Pfleegor at number three
all had easy wins over the Raiders.
The number three doubles team
Houston Tines-Journal
Alliance, NIKE’s Instructor
Network, and has specialized train
ing in step/bench exercise from
ACE.
“Specialty Recognition is a
great way to show my students
and employer that I have up-to
date knowledge in specialized
areas,” said Hamlin. “I am better
able to demonstrate my abilities
and meet the needs of my class.”
The American Council on
Exercise is a not-for-profit organi
zation committed to enriching
quality of life through safe and
effective physical activity. ACE
accomplishes its mission by set
ting certification and education
standards for fitness instructors
and through public education and
research.
of Chris Lindsey and Shay
Traveti continued to impress with
a 6-3, 6-0 win, and the number
two team of Richie Sokinas and
Seth Green won 6-1-6-1.
West Laurens won the girls
matches 4-1, with Perry’s number
one doubles team of Kim
Sturgeon and Brooke Hawke
picking up another win.
Against the Trojans, Lindsey
and Traveti won the number one
doubles match 8-4, while Green
and Brandon Pfleegor won the
number two doubles match 8-1.
The Lady Panthers picked up
their first win of the year, beating
the Lady Trojans 3-2. Jessica
Nolen won the number three sin
gles match 8-5, and both doubles
teams were winners. Sturgeon
and Hawke won 8-o,in the num
ber one match, while Jessica Edes
and Kerri Landry won at number
two, 8-4.
Perry 3-Peach County 2
Singles
1. Jennifer Roy (PC) def.
Christina Kirby 8-0
2. Amanda Wilson (PC) def.
April Fendley 8-2
3. Jessica Nolen (Perry) def.
Natalie Khoury 8-5
Doubles
1. Brooke Hawk and Kim
Sturgeon (Perry) def. Kersten
Felton and Tiffany Taylor 8-0
2. Jessica Edes and Kerri
Landry (Perry) def. Kirsty Plant
and Marcia Jefferson 8-4
West Laurens 4-Perry 1
Singles
1. Carlan Brown (WL) def.
Christina Kirby 6-1, 6-0
2. Layla Smith (WL) def. April
Fendley 6-4,4-6, 7-6 (7-3)
3. April Farr (WL) def. Jessica
Nolen 6-0,6-3
Doubles
1. Brooke Hawk and Kim
Sturgeon (Perry) def. Amanda
Stauffer and Melissa Gay 6-1,7-6
(7-1)
2. Suzanne Preston and Robyn
Gay (WL) def. Kerri Landry and
Jessica Edes 6-3, 6-4
Phil
Clark
Times-Joumal
Sports
Do you see
yourself here?
In a recent issue of “Items of
Interest”, published by the
Georgia High School
Association, there was an inter
esting segment called ‘top 10
reasons to be a designated good
sport.
I’m sure this was used sim
ply as fill material, but I
thought it was interesting. It
was originally published in the
March, 1995 National
Federation News and reprinted
in the GHSA publication.
With our high school sports
seasons coming to a close, I
thought it might be a good time
to publish those ‘top 10 rea
sons. I’d like for all of you to
read the list, and ask yourself
“Do any of them apply to me?”
If so, between now and the
next football season, let’s see if
we can’t rectify it. Of course,
all of the fans and players the
top 10 refers to are from the
opposing team!
By way of explanation, the
National Federation we refer to
is the National Federation of
State High School
Associations, of which the
GHSA is a member. The
Federation has joined seven
other national organizations in
both amateur and professional
sports to adopt the “‘Be a
Sport” theme and logo.
Now, here are the top 10 rea
sons to be a designated good
sport.
10. Because taunting, trash
talk, and intimidating behavior
have no place in high school
sports, or any level of sports.
9. Your admission price is to
watch the performance of high
ly impressionable 15-to-18-
year old students, not a license
to abuse coaches, officials,
players and other spectators.
8. You want others to treat
you the way you want to be
treated, and how many of us
want to be treated with disre
spect?
7. We need more positive
role models for our kids.
6. People don’t always
remember the final score, but
they always remember the fan
in section three who made a
fool of himself or herself.
5. Because coaches and offi
cials also are teachers, Would
you also harass them in their
classrooms?
4. A national survey indi
cates that kids play high school
sports to have fun, not to be
number one!
3. It’s how you play the
game that counts.
2. It’s simply the right thing
to do.
1. Because sportsmanship
begins with you.
There you have it. Most fans
are, in fact, good sports. Most
players are good sports, espe
cially on the high school level.
It’s unfortunate that a few
inconsiderate ones can spoil an
event for everyone else.
Perhaps a good idea would
be to learn the rules of the
game you’re watching. An
ignorant fan who insists on
being seen and heard makes for
an unpleasant time for those
around him or her.
If you see yourself in any of
the 10 reasons listed above,
make it a point to improve
before the next high school sea
son begins, particularly in bas
ketball where fans and players
are situated so close together
Don’t misunderstand me. I
have no problem with fans
yelling an occasional comment
to officials, but keep it clean,
know what your talking about
and don’t linger on it forever.
Part of the mission statement
for the National Federation
reads “Good sportsmanship is
viewed by the National
Federation as a commitment to
fair play, ethical behavior and
integrity. In perception and
practice, sportsmanship is
defined as those qualities
which are characterized by
generosity and genuine concern
for others.”