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Eight-and-ohhh!!!
Panthers upend Greene-Taliaferro, win Holiday Classic tourney
By Jj JOHNSON
times-Journal Editor
GRAY Down by tour points
as late as A 4’ in the game. Pern
High came battling back to claim a
65-61 win over Greene-Taliaferro
m the finals of the Hank ol Gray
Holiday Classic basketball tourna
ment here Dec 22.
The win. the eighth straight lor
the Panthers this year, gave Perry
the championship ot the eight
team three-day tournament played
at Jones County High School
Greene-Taliaferro entered the
tournament ranked Ath m Georgia
High School Association Class A A
by the Atlanta Constitution Pern
was ranked l()th in the same poll
The game was marked with
post-season intensity and numerous
lead swaps and momentum swaps
Both teams put on streaks which
dramatically changed the tempo
and score ol the game
"I know the kills had something
in the back of their minds about this
game Panther Coach Carl
Thomas said after the win After
all Greene-Taliaferro knocked us
out of the GHSA state tournament
last spring It was easy to gel the
team up to play them '
The game pitted Perry, quicker
and more athletic, against the
Tigers, a more physical team
There is a physical part ol bas
ketball that we have to address it
we are to move to the next level of
competition." Thomas said "We
did that tonight We stepped up and
played together, added some emo
tion and played physical ball "
Quickness enabled Perry to
Hartley leads Hornets to 3rd place in tourney team 5-1
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Journal Sports
ALBANY Westfield junior Brian
Hartley scored a game-high 2X points,
including 26 in the first three quarters as the
Hornets built up a big lead and held on to
beat the Southland Raiders Dec. 22
The 68-62 win came in a battle lor third
place in the Deerfield-Windsor Christmas
tournament
Hartley, whose 15 second quarter points
- K
8 Hi
Tirvws-Journol Photo by Eric ZoMors
LOOKING FOR POINTS Trey Wilder (11) takes aim for two
points as the Westfield Hornets play in Albany.
Prep
Sports I his
Week:
Ituppv Holidays from the staff of the Houston Timrs-Journal on this Wed.. I>ec. 24. IW7
Page 6A
cause numerous turnovers during
the evening which led to Panther
points Greene-Taliaferro coun
tered with an intense defense and
rebounding skills
I he two teams played basket tor
basket during the first several min
utes before Perry grabbed a three
point lead |ust before the first quar
ler ended via a three-point goal
from Reggie Clark
That helped spin the Panthers
into a small lead early in the second
period Perry went up 21-16 at 5:42
m the second quarter on a baseline
shot by Dontamus Thomas, but the
Tigers came storming back with
eight quick points to take a 24-21
lead with .3:09 left in the half
\ 16-loot goal and a goal in the
lane both by Thomas, helped bring
Perry back to a 26-25 deficit at the
hall
Greene-Taliaferro grabbed the
momentum early in the second hall
but a three-point goal by Rtchardo
lack son with 5 16 left in the third
quarter tied the score for Perry at
52 The Panthers ran off lour points
then the Tigers responded with lour
ot their own Perry got a two-point
lead late in the period. 40- 38. to set
up the fourth period action
Thomas had no real explanation
lor the change in momentum which
occurred during the third minute ol
the final period "They just turned
it up a notch." he said
Down 47-45. Perry got back
quickly on a rebound tap-in and a tree
throw from tournament Most
Valuable Player Dannoms Harvey
Greene-Taliaferro jumped Kec k ahead
when Harvey committed his fourth
WeAicsfay Thursday
deny (hristmov
included m hu//er-bcaimg three pointer as
the halt ended finished the tournament with
76 points in three games.
rhe game was not as close as the score
might indicate Southland edged ahead dur
ing a low-scoring first quarter, but a hurry -
up mid-court three pointer by Trevor Jones
at the bu//er gave Westfield a 15-12 lead
By the middle of the third quarter, the
Hornets led by 14 points before the Raiders
scored three baskets while Westfield strug
Fridoy
Perry Born ot lokfwm Slop
the Violence loumoment,
7 30 pm
CELEBRATION TIME - Members of the Perry
Panthers celebrate winning the Bank of Gray
Holiday Classic at Jones County High Dec. 22.
foul of tlie game at the AO I mark
Johnny Watkins tied the game
with 4 'A |et( on j three point h.o
ket. and Perry took a lead seconds
later when Watkins drove the lane
Greene-Taliaferro tied with four
minutes left, then Perry dominated
the game tor the next two minutes
Harvey converted a free throw to
gled to get the ball across midcourt This cut
the lead 6 4'-55 with 4 05 left in the third
quarter
The Raiders who trailed by II after three
quarters, let go a barrage of three-pointers
during the fourth quarter Critical tree
throws down the stretch by Britt Ba/emore.
Hartley and Trev Wilder held off the charge
An obviously happy Hornet coach
Rennie Adkinson said after the game "We
beat a top five team in Southland I'm
Brewer named All-Area Player of the Year
By PHIL ( LARK
Times-Journal Sports
Another year has come and
gone, state champions have been
crowned, and it s tune for the third
annual All-Clark. All Area foot
ball team
Heading the team this year is
John Brewer, the player ot the
year Brewer worked in the defen
sive backfield and as a quarter
back at Perry He started four
games at quarterback and fre
quently ended up in that role tin
the Panthers
Named Coach of the Year is
second year head coach at
Hawkinsville Jim Morrell
Morrell, who came to the Red
Devils after served as an assistant
to Rick Tomberlin at Washington
County, turned the Hawkinsville
program around. This year the
Red Devils finished 9-5 and sec
ond in Region 2-A of the Georgia
High School Association
Heading up the offensive unit
is Regan Torbert. a 6‘4" quarter
back for Peach County.
Joining him at running back is
the Red Devils' most valuable
player. Adrian Hunlen. a 61".
205-pound senior from
Hawkinsville who had several
long scoring runs during the year
Joining Brewer in the defensive
secondary are Gary Colbert of
Macon County. Marcus
Westbrook of Crisp County. Jamal
Rice of Macon County. Dante
Holmes of Perry. D J Starling of
Peach County and Burke Murph
of Westfield.
As usual, the team is selected
from areas covered by the
Houston Times-Journal and our
sister papers in Fort Valley.
Vienna and Cochran
Schools in Macon am excluded
since a paper them chooses that team
Saturday Sandsy
Parry Boys ot ktdwm Slop
the Vioiowe lournoment I
pm
Houston rimes-Journal
give Perry a 52-51 (cad a lead the
Panthers never relinquished
Watkins was good on a lay-up fol
lowing a steal, and Harvey got a tip
in .tnd a free throw to put Pern up A -
51 with 2 2<x left in the game C ireene
Taliaferro came no closer than three
[> mils again during the game
Joining Harvey on the all-tour-
() flense
Pos Name Height Weight Team Year
QB K gan Torbert 6 4 205 Peach County Sr
RB Sheldon Hogan 6 1 185 Northside Sr/
RB Adrian Hunlen 6 1" 205 Hawkinsville Sr.
RB Edrese Johnson 62" 205 Dodge County Sr
FB Louis Ivory 5 II" 190 Peach County Sr
TP Ross Peeples 6'5" 252 Crisp County Sr
WR Damien Garmon 61" 175 Warner Robins Sr
wk Trey Wilder 6'o 160 Westfield Sr.
()T Clint Payne 60" 240 Macon County Sr
OG Ant wan Shaw 6'5" 24A Peach County Sr
C Tully Payne 62" 250 Crisp County Sr
OG Keith Morton 60" 190 Perry Sr
OT Stephen Phillips 6'2" 195 Northside Sr
Honorable mention Josh Grube. QB. Warner Robins: Teri barrow. RB.
Bleckley County. Terrence Duncan. RB. Southland; Bobby Solomon.
(>1 Dodge County. Asm Collier. OL. Dooly County; Fabian Walker.
QB. Americus. Jerry Horton. RB. Westfield. Nicholas Yaughn. OL.
Westfield
Defense
CB Gary Colbert 5'9" 175 Macon County Sr
CB Marcus Westbrook 510" 170 Crisp County Sr
FS Jamal Rice 511" 170 Macon County Sr.
SS Danta Fiolmes 511 " 165 Perry Jr.
LB Kevin Morton 6'o" 2(H) Northside Sr.
LB I) J Starling S'II " 180 Peach County Jr.
LB John Brewer 61" 200 Perry Sr.
LB Burke Murph 61" 185 Westfield Sr.
I)T Quenton Armstrong 6'2" 280 Northside Sr
DT Ben Nash 6' 3" 270 Westfield Sr.
NG Robby Heaton 6'2" 2.30 Westfield Jr.
DE Bryant Hamilton 60" 190 Perry Jr.
DE Chris Tillman 6'3" 245 Bleckley County Sr
Honorable mention Richardo Jones. DB. Warner Robins; Derreck
Thomas. LB Americus; Ben Croxton. DE. Houston COunty; Eddie
Almond. DL. Dooly County.
Special Teams
K Clay Bryant 511" f 5" V ._n county Jr
K J J K>ni* jiu 215 Hawkinsville Sr.
Ret r.rnest Sims 5'9" 154 Houston County Jr
All Purpose
Moss Ross 61" 180 Bleckley County Sr.
Jeffrey Thomas 6'2" 180 Dodge County Soph.
Player of the Year John Brewer. Perry
Coach of the Year Jim Morrell. Hawkinsville
Mo?>do> Tu'-sdoi Wedneuicy
Amen<uv ol ferry bosk el
bol nobeleorm 6pm
Tim«t journal Pkoto by Inc Z«Mar»
Tournament most valuable player Dannorris Harvey
(23) is surrounded by all-tournament team members
Dontarrius Thomas (20) and Donte Holmes (21).
nainenl team were Thomas and
Holmes
IVrrs 6*. (.rrene-Taliaferro 61
Greene Taliaferro (61) Trevor
Wilson 9, Johnny Kilpatrick 12. Raymond
Wrighi < Dssaync Robbins X Keenan
Stephens 16. Charles Chaffin X
Berry 16S1 Ricardo Jackson 3.
Reggie Clark 14. Johnny Watkins 7.
Dontamus Thomas 14 Donte Holmes 5.
I Jannoius Haiscy 20
happy
The Hornets are A-1 at the break
Westneld i6K B a/cm 're 6. Wilder 11. Robert
( ausci ~. Hartley 2X Andy Conrad 5. Daniel Weir 7.
Jones V Man Moore I
s ulhland <62i Williams 3. Micah
Walker IS Regan Baiksdalc I Josh Strange 12. Todd
Sellar > 6 Mait (irtnght 5 Chuck Canon II Caleb
Cnpc X
Halftime Wesilicld •’ Southland 23 Three-point
goals Westfield Hartley 2. Jones I, Southland
Williams I Walker V Slrjngc I Carson I
■
Phil
Clark
Time* Journal
Sport*
Here’s my
Christmas
wish list
Each year. I make out my
Christmas wish list for individ
uals that I come in contact with
on a regular basis, and those
whose careers I follow from a
distance Here's this year's list
I would w ish for more folks
like Perry businessman Doug
Barnett, for whom a day does
n't go by without his checking
on the activities in the athletic
department at Perry High
School. Doug gives of himself,
his resources and his product to
ensure that the young folks at
Perry High arc treated properly
and with respect
Doug never finds fault in
our young folks, and is quick to
praise their achievements.
For the University of
Georgia football network, my
wish is that they will find a
replacement tor Larry Munson
who can capture a radio audi
ence. although certainly the
style will have to dif f cr
Nobody can replace the leg
endary Munson in the hearts of
many, but let's give his succes
sor a chance
For Doug Johnson at
Houston County High School,
a successful venture into the
world of AAAA football as his
school moves up to the Georgia
High School Association's
highest level.
Johnson has coached suc
cessfully in both AA and AAA.
and we hope that his success
continues
To my young, new-found
friend Zack Williams, contin
ued success in his go-cart rac
ing career The 11-year-old
Pcrryan is one of the top go
cart racers in the country in his
9-11 year old class, and Zack
will be moving up to a higher
level next year
For football tans in middle
Georgia, a few more Friday
nights without rain next sea
son.
For George Collins at Perry
High School, a few more foot
ball players like John Brewer
and Keith Morton, two young
men with a lot of talent, and
more class.
For Ronnie Jones at
Westfield, some of his young
ninth and tenth graders to step
up and help his returning play
ers overcome the loss of folks
like Ben Nash. Trey Wilder,
Jerry Horton. Burke Murph.
Nicholas Yaughn, Andy
Conrad. David Slappey and
Alva Davis.
And for Westfield's Larry
Bennett, recognition for the
tremendous job he does with
Westfield's junior varsity pro
gram
For Rodney Walker at Peach
County, escape from the sec
ond-round jinx that's plagued
his very fine football program
the past few years
For Conrad Nix and the
Northside Eagles, consolation
in the fact that they were elim
inated from the football play
offs by one of the surprise
teams of the year. Tift County.
The Eagles came so close to a
state championship game
For football supporters
whose teams play in Georgia
High School Association class
A. a simple explanation of w ho
will be playing in what regions
next year, and why. This classi
fication was completely dis
mantled and restructured by
reclassification, with virtually
no teams remaining in their
present regions.
For the Georgia High
School Association and
Georgia Public Television, an
agreement to televise next
year's semi-finals from the
Georgia Dome, as they did this
year It was truly a remarkable
achievement for a first-time
venture, and met with resound
ing acceptance.
For our long-time friend
here at the Houston Times-
Joumal. Pauline Lewis, contin
ued progress in her battle with
health problems. "Miss"
Pauline is sorely missed at the
paper, and in the community.
And thanks to Joan Dofsetl.
who's done a great job sitting
in Pauline's chair for the past
few months.
To all of you dedicated read
ers. the best holiday season of
all Merry Christmas!