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AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME --
Dontarrius Thomas (Perry) comes around the final
Panther track team finishes 4th
in GHSA state competition
By CHAD LEWIS
Timks-Jki knm Si-okis
Perry High track and field head coach Carl Dixon
has some good news and some really good news
The good news is that his Panthers finished as the
fourth-best team at the CiHSA Class A A state track
meet May 15 and 16 in Jefferson The really good
news is that he will have everybody back lor anoth
er run at the state title next year
"Our guys just did super.' Dixon said after the
meet between 32 teams from around the state I
knew that if we performed like we did when we won
our region that we would have a good chance ot
doing good at state and we did
The GHSA Region 3-AA champions can give
much of their credit for finishing so high in the final
standing’s to their two relay teams
The 4xloo relay team finished with the second
best time. 42.80. just .05 of a second behind Towers
Mame/.s Taylor. Anthony Lane. Donovan Kendrick
and Dontarrius Thomas made up that team
The 1-mile relay team of Jermaine Allen.
Monterns Engram. Lane and Thomas came in fourth
with a time of 3:26.96 while Towers finished third
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STEP UP TO THE PODIUM - The four members of
the Perry 4xloo re toy learn, Donovan Kendrick,
Dontarrius Thomas, Anthony Lane and Marnezs
Pair of Braves teams on top of
their division; Police tied for Ist
By CHAD LEWIS
Time»-J<hknci Srogn
There must he something
about having the word "Braves"
written on a baseball team's jer
sey.
While the Atlanta Braves are
enjoying an X 1/2 game lead in
the National League East, two
local Braves team are also enjoy
ing sizable leads in the Pern.
Recreation League
In the 9 and l()-year old divi
sion. the Braves are 4-0 while the
Braves in the 11 and 12-ycar old
division are even hotter, opening
the season with a 5-0 mark.
The Marlins are on lop of the 7
and 8-year old division with a
perfect record of their own. 4-0.
The White Sox and Braves are
tied for second at 2-2 while the
Dodges arc still looking for their
first victory on the year
Harris homers twice
A few oohs and ahhhs were
heard Irom fans attending a May
9 Ochlahatchcc game between
Timat-Joumol photo by Eric Zoiori
turn in the 400-meter dash. He finished third in that
event and second in the 300-meter dash.
The 4x 100 relay team and
Dontarrius Thomas both finished as
runner-ups at the state track meet.
Ol the Panthers 3| team points. Thomas account
ed from 21 ot them In addition to his services on the
relay tcam.s he came in fourth in the triple jump and
third m the 400-meter dash His best finish came in
the 300-meter hurdles where he was the state runner
up
I anc also placed in the meet His time of 22 26 in
the 200-meter dash was the sixth-best in the state
For the second straight year Central Carrollton
took home the state title, but Dixon believes his team
has a chance ol doing even better next season The
Panthers will have tour seniors on next year s roster,
l-.ddie (iary. Lane. Allen and team point-leader
Thomas will be back for one more
I think as long as we don't get lat and lazy then
wc should be able to do even better next year, he
said during a recent interview Its exciting for us
rieht now "
Ttm»i Journal photo by Irk ZtMon
Taylor, receive their state runner-up medallions May
16 in Jefferson. The Panthers finished .05 of a sec
ond to Towers of Atlanta for the state title.
Tim«»-Journal photo by Otod Übn
BEAT OUT THAT THROW Moni Harris tries to beat out the throw
to first base during the May 16 Pennington vs. Hamby showdown. A
week earlier, Harris knocked a pair of home runs for Pennington.
Pennington and Hamby
10-ycar old Mom Harris sent
two pitches flying over (he 125-
foot wall for Pennington for
home runs But even that was not
enough lor a win as Hamby won
Page 6A
Wed . May 20, IVM
13-12
Barristers on top
In (he ponytail division, the
Barristers continue to dominate
their competition. With victories
Into times-Jamal
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Timai Journal bv CM
KEEP AWAY - The Westfield offensive line works Zt during
their spring workouts May 15. The Hornets travel to Windsor for a
scrimmage May 22.
Hornets face scrimmage May 22
By CHAD LEWIS
IDMBhfwwiL.SrPijs .
About this time five years
ago, Westfield football coach
Ronnie Jones opened spring
football training with only 22
players, just enough to have 11
men on offense and 11 on
defense to scrimmage against
each other.
But as the years have gone
by, Jones has quickly re-estab
lished the Hornets as a competi
tive football team and more and
more students have shown a
desire to put on the gold helmets
and the dark green jerseys
Jones had 52 players dress
out for the two-week spring
training session as Westfield
tries to build upon last year s 9-
3 season that saw the Hornets
get eliminated in the second
round of the state playoffs.
"We had a good season last
year, but we would like to go
farther than (the second round)
next season," Jones said during
a recent interview. "We’ve got a
lot more kids out here this year,
so its been more fun since we
have so much competition at a
lot of positions
"A few years ago. we barely
had enough players for each
position.” Jones continued.
"Now we have some returning
starters who can't afford to get
lazy because there are some
guys competing for their jobs ”
Jones will have to replace six
seniors, which is not the most he
has lost while at Westfield. But
as he points out, "those were
some mighty fine seniors we re
going to have to replace."
His son, Trevor Jones, will be
back for one more year at the
quarterback position. This will
be the third and final season the
younger Jones will call the plays
in the Westfield huddle.
"He's gotten bigger and
stronger in the last couple of
yean." Jones said of his quarter
'.'Hi " * * bMHB m ■ I *Brr a
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Tunas-Journal photo by Chad lam
I'M OPEN! - The Hornets practice some of their passing routes
during theu spring practices lost weak.
Soccer camps to be held at
Rozar Park June 22-26
Mom Sts ft Rgiwn
The Perry Recreation
Department will be hosting a
Major Ixague Soccer Camp June
22-26 at Rozar Park
A camp for 5 and 6-year olds
will be held from 9 a.m until
10:30 a m at a cost of 549
A camp for kids 7-ycars and
older will be held from 9 a m.
until noun at (he cost of SB7.
Camp includes a MLSC t-shirt.
There are special discounts for
siblings: $5 off for the second sib
ling. $lO for each additional
For more information, contact
the Perry Recreation IX*pajtmenl
at 988-2860 or apply in person at
Ro/ar Park located at 1060 Keith
Drive
1998 WESTFCLD FOOTBALL
Balt Oawntnf Hast
Aug. 28 Fullington Horn*
«* KJirnuii xjuarf noffset
Sap. 11 Tiftorao Away
Sap. 18 Athans Christian Away
Sap 25 Sharwood Home
Oct. 2 FPD Home
Oct. 9 Brentwood Away
Oct. 16 Open -
Oct. 23 Mt da Solas Away
Oct. 30 Stratford Home
Nov. 6 Windsor Away
hack. ' After two years at quar
terback. (Trevor) should have a
better idea of how to run our
offense."
Running the defensive unit
will be second-year coach
Rennie Atkinson. He will take
the whistle next season from
Danny Britt who is leaving for
another position for another
team.
Jamcy Watson will return as
a coach next year. He was a
part-time member of the Hornet
coaching staff last year and will
serve on a full-time basis next
season as he helps Atkinson
direct the defense.
Another part-time coach, Jeff
Dehem, will join the staff next
season Like Watson. Dehem
was once a member of the
Westfield football team as a
player, last playing in 1993
when the Hornets advanced to
the GISA state championship
game in Jones' first year at
Westfield
After nine days of beating
each other up. the Hornets will
get to knock helmets with other
teams May 22 when they travel
to Windsor Academy for a
scrimmage against Augusta
Christian and Windsor.
"This is the first year we've
been allowed to have a scrim
mage." Jones explained, "so
we re looking forward to getting
a chance to see some other
teams for a little while."
The Habitat for
Humanity Golf
Tournament will be held
May 22 at Waterford
Goff Club in Bonaire.
Golf tourney for Habitat
for Humanity
A chanty goll tournament will
be held May 22 at I p.m at
Waterford Golf Club located on
Ga 96 Proceeds will be used to
benefit Habitat for Humanity.
The donation is S4O per person
or $l6O per team for the 4-pcrson
scramble event For additional
information, contact Major Greg
Topping at 926-1419.
H
Chad
Lewis
Times Journal
Sports
Ronnie Jones
one of best in
WHS history
While trying to stress the
importance of getting open for
a pass to his young wide
receivers. Westfield football
coach Ronnie Jones asked his
players. “Don't you guys
remember playing football in
P.E.7 Just run out there and get
open.”
Such common sense coach
ing and ability to leach strong
fundamentals has made Jones
one of the most successful
coaches in Westfield's storied
history And that really is say
ing something
A few coaches to wear the
whistle over the past 25 years
include current principal
Marvin Arrington, who was the
first coach Arrington went 68-
46-3 from 1972 until 1982
Gordon Powers took the
Hornets to the state champi
onship game in 1986 and 1987,
including finishing 11-1-1 in
1987.
Todd Curkcndall look over
the job from Powers in 1990
before moving away Under the
Hornets' next coach. Joby
Boydstone. Westfield suffered
a lean season when wins were
tew and far between
For the first time in school
history. Westfield was among
the weakest of midstatc loot
ball teams I'm not saying it
was anyone's fault, but what
ever the reason, the Hornets
struggled
Then in 1993. Ronnie Jones
entered as the sixth coach in
Westfield's history and took a
team that had only 23 players
and lead them all the way to the
GISA state championship
game
It was the third game of that
1993 season when my former
editor. Jim Kercc. asked me to
cover the Hornets to sec if their
modest two-game winning
streak was fluke or not
Writer Doug Abbott and I
traveled to Macon to sec Jones
and his team take on FPD
where they were facing a start
ing quarterback. Phillip
Anderson, who had been a stu
dent at Westfield since kinder
garten before transferring late
in his high school career
ironically, many considered
Anderson the star quarterback
of the future for Westfield
Now he was the enemy, some
thing high school players aren't
really used to.
Anderson did have an
impressive game, but so did
Westfield quarterback Lon
Talton FPI) won 34-33 when
the Hornets missed the go
ahead field goal with just 2:49
left to play .
But even with the loss. I was
still impressed with the |ob
Jones and his boys had done A
year earlier, the Hornets were
blown out by FPI) at home
But under new leadership,
those 23 kids gave as much
effort and showed as much
determination as I've ever seen
on a lootball held
Jones has shown ability to
get that sort of effort out of his
players like tew coaches can
But what impresses me most of
all is his demeanor.
It was only his third game
he had coached for Westfield
and it was the first time that
season I had covered the
Homcts. so I didn't even know
which coach was the head
coach.
Like every football sideline,
there were several coaches
with headsets and clipboards
hopping up and down, scream
ing words I can t print in a
newspaper
Late in the game. I noticed
one of the men with a headset
just standing there with hand
on his chin. He didn't appear to
be saying much He was so
quiet, in fact, that I didn't even
notice him until the fourth
quarter.
As it turned out. that man
was Ronnie Jones.
If you've ever seen him dur
ing a game, you know that
Jones is not the type of coach
who rants and raves at his play
ers or fellow coaches. He's
very calm and professional He
is steady and sure, and that
confidence seems to spread to
other coaches and players
(Sec LEWIS. 7A)