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Perry soccer team hosts dinner
to celebrate Ist winning season
By CHAD LEWIS
Timw-M'WYU; SfgßH
The Perry High boys soccer
team gathered May 20 for a din
ner banquet to celebrate the first
winning soccer season in school
history.
"I couldn't be prouder of our
guys," head coach Rob Zell said
in a later interview. "Wc knew
before the season started that if
we did certain things we could
put together a winning season
and we did."
The choice of senior Matt
Froehlich as the team's Most
Valuable Player didn't come as
much of a surprise to those
attending the dinner. Froehlich
lead the team with 36 goals and
was selected as the only player in
middle Georgia to play in the
GACA all-star game June 6
"Matt is just such a phenome
nal player," Zell explained. And
not only docs he have talent, he is
very unselfish He s a true team
player."
Another senior took home the
Coach's Award Forward Chris
Lindsey was the second-leading
scorer with his 15 goals to go
along with his nine assists
"Chris and Matt worked so
well together," said Zell. They
both really knew how to make
things happen out on the field
Zell also mentioned Lindsey's
versatility.
"(Lindsey) was our most
adaptable player." he noted. "He
broke his leg his freshman year
and came back. He played goalie
a few times his sophomore year
and he played defense last year
Chris is willing to do anything to
help his team win."
Senior Nathan Garren look
home the award for Best
Defensive Player. Garren, who
was a starting player for four
years, will leave a big void in the
Panthers’ defense next season,
according to Zell.
The Hustle Award went to a
sophomore, Randy Whiddon.
While Whiddon didn't possess
the most natural ability. Zell liked
his effort and enthusiasm
"Any time Randy would make
(See SOCCER, 7A)
Panther baseball team hosts
banquet to honor region champs
By CHAD LEWIS
TIMES-jQUKWAt, SrOKTS
For the dinner banquet honor
ing his team, Perry High baseball
coach dressed up in shorts, tennis
shoes and a t-shirt, something he
called indicative of the way his
team appeared to their opponents
this season.
"I think that's one of the ways
we were able to beat some of the
teams we did," Whatley
explained to the crowd gathered
at Perry Country Club May 25.
"We were only 8-36 for the
past two seasons and most teams
didn't take us seriously," he noted.
"And when ihey over-looked us.
we wound up whippin' their
tails."
The Panthers started the sea
son with a I-8 mark before turn
ing things around in the second
half of the season. Perry went on
to finish 17-14 and managed to
win the GHSA Region 3-AA
championship for the first time
since 1992.
Due to the team's slow start,
assistant coach Andy Gentry
assumed that the baseball season
would be over in time for him to
help his wife during her pregnan
cy.
"Heck, we were 1-8 and it
looked like it was going to be
another short season for us," said
a smiling Gentry. "But fortunate
ly. we advanced to the playoffs
and we wound up have an incred
ible season."
The Panthers were 5-3 in the
post season and advanced to the
quarter-final round of the state
playoffs. Perry beat Harris
County 2-1 in their opening round
of the playoffs before beating
Jackson in the region champi
onship game.
Perry opened the state playoffs
with a two-game sweep of
Richmond Hills before getting
eliminated by Cook County a
week later.
"I've coached college baseball
for four years and high school
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PERRY HIGH SENIOR MATTHEW FROEHLICH
Froehlich will represent middle Georgia in 1998 GACA all-star game
Froehlich invited to all-star
game in Marietta June 6
By CHAI) LEWIS
TIMKS-Jul RNM Sl'KIMs
Some 15 hours after graduating from Perry High School, senior Matt
Froehlich will have just enough time to change out of his cap and gown
and into shorts and cleats as he races to Marietta for an all-star soccer
match
"They don't give you a lot ol tune to graduate.'' said a smiling
Froehlich during a recent interview
The 18-year-old lorwatd was the only high school player in middle
Georgia invited to play on the GACA All-star team June 6 Most of the
31 players invited are from Atlanta-area schtnils.
"We re all real proud of Matt, -.aid Perry High head coach Rob Zell
"He's worked hard and deserves the credit he is getting.
Froehlich will be playing alongside some of the players he compet
ed against during his playing days with the Panthers
"It's going to be niu to get a chance to play with those guys, he
noted. Tin sure we ll get a chance to talk a little about what it was like
playing against each other over the years.
Froehlich has said that he intends to continue his soccer career w hile
attending Mercer University in Macon where he plans on majoring in
engineering
He could be joined there by Perry s second leading scorer, senior
Chris Lindsey
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AND THE WINNERS ARE lndividual winners at the Perry base
ball banquet were (from left) Wade Stewart for Most Valuable Plover,
Phillip Gentry for Most Improved Player, head coach Lee Whatley,
Kent Franklin for Defensive Player of me Year, and David Coffey for
Offensive Player of the Year.
ball for eight years, and 1 can
honestly say that this is the best
group of kids I've ever had the
chance to work with." Whatley
told the group of approximately
90 people. "These players showed
a lot of class when wc traveled to
other schools and really did a
good job of representing Perry
High School."
Individual honors went to four
of the players. Catcher Phillip
Gentry won the award for Most
Improved Player for his work
behind the plate as well as his
work at the plate. The freshman
hit for a .388 hatting average and
drove in 15 runs.
"Our starting catcher quit early
in the year and wc had to bring
Phillip up from the 9th-grade
team to help us out." Whatley
explained. "But he did a good job
at a very difficult position for us.”
Kent Franklin took home the
trophy for the Best Defensive
Player The junior center fielder
anchored the outfield defense
Page 6A
Wed.. May 27. 1998
while hatting 460 and getting
credit for 28 RBI. the second
most on the team.
The Best Defensive Player was
another junior. David Coffey. The
shortstop lead the Panthers in vir
tually every offensive category,
including batting average (.567),
runs halted in (54) and home runs
(II).
Senior Wade Stewart was
selected as the Most Valuable
Player. His .410 batting average
was not the best in the line-up but
he did have Five game-winning
RBis this past season.
'Tve never given an MVP
award and I will most likely never
do it again,” Whatley admitted.
But Wade did such a tremendous
job coming through in the clutch
all season long.
Stewart will graduate along
side three other members of this
year's team Pitchers Chris
Simmons and Brandon Farmer
first baseman Billy Terry and will
be graduate June 5.
Houston runes -Journal
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READY, COACH This catcher is ready far action. He pksys for
die While Sax in the 7 and 8-year old division at me Perry
Kecreunon yeparmwriT time league.
Barristers lead Ponytail
division; enrollment for
soccer up at Rozar Park
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While the Barristers continue
their unbeaten season in the
Ochlahalchee League Ponytail
Division. R&E Industrial is still
within sight of first place
The Barristers heat Economic
Transmission 11-6 on May 18 to
improve their record to 9-6. R&E
Industrial is three games behind
them in the standings after they
split a pair of games last week.
Wayne Morris banded R&E
Industrial their third loss of the
season with a 18-15 victory. But
R&E Industrial rebounded on
May 21 to knock off the Bullets
12-! I to make their record 6-3 on
the years.
Soccer enrollment
increased at Rozar
The Perry Recreation
Department reported this week
that a record-number of local
youths participated in their soc
cer league this year.
"We had a really good turnout
this year," athletic director Alton
Ellis reported. "We had so many
kids that we didn't have enough
coaches at first.
"But as the season progressed,
we were able to get enough
coaches together to make the
program work," he added
The U-6 division had a
record-high eight teams while
the U-8 class had seven, another
record-high.
The U-lOs played against
teams from Warner Robins and
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TunM-Jountci phots by Chad loww
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THE 1997-98 PERRY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TRACK TEAM Lead by
head coach Carl Dixon (back row, third from left), the Panthers won
the GHSA Region 3-AA championship and finished fourth in the stale.
Mulcoa pulls a one
game load ovor the
Perry Police
Department in the adult
softball league.
Robins Air Force Base. The
Eagles finished on top of their
division with a 5-3-2 record, the
best-cver in that category.
The Revolutions went 2-7-1
while the Sparks finished with a
1-9 record The Hawks, the
newest U-10 team, also compet
ed this past season.
The Coyotes, Perry’s U-I2
teams compiled a 3-7 record. The
U-14 team got off to a slow start
due to the lack of coaches.
"We appreciate the effort of
our volunteer coaches and par
ents for the time and effort they
give the recreation department,"
Alton noted. "They did a fantas
tic job."
Mulcoa leads adult Perry
softball league
Mulcoa has taken the lead in
the adult softball league in the
Perry Recreation Department
League. They are in first place
with a 9-1 record while the Perry
Police Department is one-game
behind with their 8-2 mark.
W’ith the loss, the Perry Police
have fallen to a tie with Dr.
Christie for the second-place
spot The A s are in fourth place
with their 8-3 record
■
Chad
Lewis
Timet Journal
Sports
Perry High
soccer teams
my highlight
Looking hack on the spring
season, there were quite a few
moments worth remembering
The Westfield golf team fell
one stroke shy of a three-peat
in the state championship
match at Stonebridge in
Albany.
The Hornet track and field
team finished in the runner-up
spot in the region champi
onship meet while the Perry
High track team won their
region before finishing as the
fourth-best team in the state.
Of course, baseball also
look stage again this spring.
The Perry Middle School 7th
graders came within three runs
of the Houston County
Championship
Perry High won the GHSA
Region 3-AA banner before
making it to the quarter-finals
of the state tournament
But 1 would say that out of
all the spring sports teams that
I have had the opportunity to
cover this past few months, the
learn I feel made the biggest
impression on me was the
Perry High soccer program
The girls team improved
greatly in their second season,
finishing wuh an even record
on the year Coach Scan
Moistner has done a great job
of leaching basic fundamentals
to a group of girls who hadn't
been exposed to much soccer
before high school And with
so many returning starters, next
season could he a break
through season for the Lady
Panthers.
Meanwhile, the boys team
had the first-ever winning
record in schixil history. Their
other accomplishments include
an undefeated 7-0 record at
home and a first-ever trip to the
playoffs.
Granted, they didn t win an
area or region championship
and they didn't advance to the
state playoffs like some other
teams this past season
But consider the fact the
other programs are well estab
lished. The Homei golf team
has won several state champi
onships and most likely will
win some more in the future.
The Panther baseball team has
won a state championship as
recently as 1991. not too long
ago.
Soccer, on the other hand,
had no real history, at least not
one they wanted to remember,
anyway Their relatively short
history includes a couple of 0-
10 records.
But a new chapter has begun
at Perry with their recent 11-4-
I record. What seniors Matt
Froehlich. Chris Lindsey
Nathan Garren. Bruce Khma.
John Brewer and Joe Melendez
have done is established Perry
as a team that has to he taken
seriously by their competition.
They made the other teams
realize that the Panthers are
door mats no longer.
Many of us were not around
when legendary coach Eric
Staples starting establishing
Perry High as a basketball
dynasty back in the early
19505. But I was lucky enough
to be around when coach Rob
Zell and his players suited
establishing a winning tradi
tion in the late 19905.
Who knows. Perry may one
day win a slate championship
or two. You never know. And if
they do. I'll be proud to write
that I covered them the year
they started turning things
around.
•••
Check out next week's edi
tion of the Houston Times-
Journal when we take a sneak
peak at the Perry High football
program.
Head coach George Collins
and his staff recently wrapped
up their spring practice session
with more than 40 players
dressed out.
The Panthers arc returning
10 of their II men on defense
so they should be OK on that
side of the ball. Of course, the
one that will not be returning
also happened to be the leading
tackier for Perry. John Brewer.
(Contact Chad Lewis at P.O.
Drawer M, Perry, GA 31069
or email chadHShom.net.)