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Sports
lb m Panther Tradition
Fendley family has won Staples
Award 4 times in 26-year span
By CHAD LEWIS
TiMßfrJwimSrong
The Eric P. Staples Award
given at Perry High School has
not been changed to the Annual
Murphy-Fendley Award, it just
seems that way.
Since the first Staples Award
went to Gerald Norris in 1970, not
one, not two, not three, but four
members of the Murphy and
Fendley families have won what
many consider one of the most
prestigious local honors given.
The most recent member of the
family to have her name scribed
on the wooden plaque is April
Fendley.
"I went into (Honor's Day)
prepared for the worst,” said the
latest family winner. “1 wouldn’t
have been disappointed if I didn’t
win. but its nice to keep it in the
family.”
No other family has managed
to have two winners, much less
four April's mother, Debbie
Murphy Fendley, started the trend
when she took home the award in
1972 as the first female to have
her name added to the list of win
ners.
"I think it meant a lot to me
because I actually knew 'Fessor
(Eric Staples),” explained Debbie
Fendley, who attended Perry High
when Staples was still the princi
pal. "I’ve always admired the
work he did and it meant a lot to
me to live up to the standards he
set."
The Staples Award is named
after the legendary coach and
principal and is annually given to
a graduating senior who has
excelled in both athletics and aca
demics. April Fendley was
announced winner during Honor's
Day ceremonies held May 21 at
the school auditorium.
There is a piaque listing past
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THE 1997-98 PERRY HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER TEAM
The Panthers went 11-4-1 and 7-0 at home during the 1998 season for the first winning soccer season in school history
Panthers to face 7 playoff teams next
football season as they join Region 4-AA
Bv CHAD LEWIS
Times-Jouknai. Spouts
One might assume that
because the Perry High football
team will be playing in a region
with two teams that have just
been promoted from Class A to
Class AA that they would have an
advantage of some sort.
While that may be true some
times, the Panthers may not be so
lucky. After all, the two former
Class A teams Perry will face next
season are teams that have com
bined to win a couple of state
championships in their class, in
recent years.
"It's a really lough schedule,"
Perry head coach George Collins
said during a June 2 interview.
"Were facing some teams that
have done very well for the past
few of years."
Manchester, the defending
Class A state champions, will join
the former state champions from
Macon County in the GHSA
Region 4-AA along with the
Panthers.
Perry will face its toughest
opponents early in the season.
Their first six games will be
against teams that qualified for
the playoffs last year. In all, seven
winners in the lobby of the school
and the third name reads "Debbie
Murphy” since that was her maid
en name before marrying her hus
band Stan Fendley in 1973. Her
brother, Randy Murphy, contin
ued the tradition when he was
named the award-winner for the
Class of 1975.
Twenty years later, Debbie
Fendley saw her oldest daughter.
Amber Fendley, win the 1995
Staples Award before recently
seeing her only other child win
this year's award to complete the
cycle.
"It was just magical,” Debbie
Fendley said. "I just got teary
eyed when they announced their
names. I never thought I would
see them win the award I won
over 20 years ago."
Once a Panther, always a
Panther
Debbie Fendley still goes to
Perry High School every day,
although she now has an office
instead of a school desk. She
works in the office alongside prin
cipal Phil Smith as his assistant.
She explained that she hoped
that she and Stan Fendley would
have daughters together, especial
ly since she grew up with three
brothers and no sisters.
"We were both good athletes in
school and I guess that got passed
on to our kids." she reasoned.
When asked if she could pic
ture her mother as an athlete her
self, April admitted that it was
hard to imagine, but she did have
some visual aid.
Four years ago, school officials
were cleaning out the storage files
inside the Perry High gym. Most
of the things collected were worth
less but Debbie came across an old
reel of film that caught her atten
tion. It was footage of a game she
played in during the early 1970s
The Panthers will be in
anew region next year
along with Macon
County and Manchester
who have both won
state championships in
recent years at the Class
A level.
of their 10 games are against
playoff teams.
The Panthers will not face a
couple of teams that they have
played over the years. East
Laurens is dropping to Class A
while Pike County, which failed
to win a single game in three
years, will play a non-region
schedule.
A couple of famihar teams will
also move to the new Region 4-
AA along with Perry, including
Jackson and Bleckley County.
For the past several years,
Perry had opened their season
with a match-up against their
rivals from Peach County. But
due to conflicting schedules, the
Trojans and Panthers will not be
able to face each other next year.
”1 think our players arc little
disappointed," Collins noted.
Page 6A
Wed.. June ). 1998
I
jSSsfi
when the Lady Panthers played
Taylor County at home.
"I had to borrow one of those
old projectors to sec what it
looked like," she said with a laugh.
As the old projector hummed
its familiar tunc, her daughters
Amber and April sat and watched
their mother play basketball much
like the way they do today.
"It was kind of weird to
watch." April Fendley said with a
giggle. They didn't even have a
three-point line back then."
What the ftture holds
"They always look forward to fac
ing Peach County because of the
rivalry between the two schools."
The Panthers went 3-7 last sea
son in Collins' third year at the
school During their recent spring
practices, they were trying to find
new players fill the gaps of nine
graduating seniors.
The most noticeable loss is last
season's starting quarterback and
middle linebacker John Brewer.
"John will be missed mostly
for his defense," Collins
explained. "We have 10 guys
returning on defense, but the one
guy missing (Brewer) is a hard
one to replace."
As for the quarterback spot,
Dontarrius Thomas and Dontre
Green are currently battling for
the position.
The Panthers will also have to
find anew field-goal kicker.
Senior Matt Froehlich has had
that job for the past three years.
"Were working with a few
guys, trying to find somebody
who can kick for us,” said Collins.
The Panther offense should
look different next year. Not only
are they going to have anew start
ing quarterback, they will have a
new offensive coordinator as
Time*-Journo! photo by Chod Ltwis
PERRY HIGH SENIOR APRIL FENDLEY (LEFT) AND MOTHER DEBBIE FENDLEY
In between them is the plaque listing the winners of the Eric P. Staples Award
April Fendley, who played
softball, tennis and basketball, is
scheduled to graduate along with
her classmates June 5 as the class
salutatonan. Her 98.43 grade
point average was only .04 of a
point behind the valedictorian,
Stephanie Meyer.
She will attend Oxford College
of Emory University where she
will be a pre-med student
Meanwhile. Amber Fendley is 21 -
years old and a student at Georgia
College and State University. She
will soon attend the Medical
Journal photo by Chod Lewis
1998 PERRY HIGH FOOTBALL
Dote Opponent Plocc
Aug. 28 Jamboree Away
Sept. 4 Vidalta Away
Sept. 11 Lamar County Away
Sept. 18 Dodge County Home
Sept. 25 Manchester Home
Oct. 2 Jackson Away
Oct. 9 Open -
Oct. 16 Mary Persons Home
Oct. 24 Southeast Macon Away
Oct. 30 Harris County Home
Nov. 6 Macon County Away
Nov. 13 Bleckley County Home
well.
Luke Smith, who has been at
Perry since 1990, is leaving for a
job at Cl ax ton.
“(Smith) is a good guy and
we’re going to miss having him
on the sidelines next year,'' said
Collins, who will most likely be
calling the offensive plays next
season.
After an Aug. 28 jamboree in
Warner Robins between several
local football teams. Perry will
open their regular season Sept. 4
with a pair of games on the road.
Their first home game will be a
Sept. 18 showdown with the
Dodge County Indians.
Houston Urn-Jane
College of Georgia.
"I'm proud to see them doing
so well in both sports and in
school," said Debbie Fendley. "I
think the Staples Award means so
much because it honors students
that aren't just athletes."
As for all of the Staples
Awards, both ladies agree that
they will appreciate it more as
time goes on.
“Its just such an honor to win
this award,” April Fendley said.
“It will always be something I'll
be proud of."
f. r
aid
Timas-Journol photo by Eric Zahars
YOU'RE OUT! This Braves'
first baseman tags first base dur
ing a game this past weekend at
Rozar Park while Austin Lones
looks on.. The Braves are 4-3
and in second place in the
Mighty Boys behind the Marlins.
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' w f- \
l| i yi | iii|l ,, 1 , n i | n /I 1 ' 1 I, 1
TifMkf-Jovmai photo by Eric ZoAart
THE MANY USES OF A BASEBALL GLOVE This little leaguer tries
to explore the different uses of a baseball glove, indudmg sifting
infield dirt in between innings.
Baseball
team
standings
released
Perry Rotary Club and
Barristers perfect 10-0
Eom Staff Rxtokts
League officials at
Ochlahatchee and the Perry
Recreation Department recently
released their current baseball
team standings as of June 1.
Any other league official who
would like to publish their stand
ings in the Houston Times-
Journal can call Chad Lewis at
987-1823 or fax any information
to 988-1181.
OCHLAHATCHEE LEAGUE
Ponytail girls
Barristers 10-0
R&E Industrial 6-3
Bullets 4-7
Wayne Morris 4-8
Economic Transmission 3-9
9 and 10-year old boys
Rotary Club 10-0
Richardson-Free 7-4
McNair, et al Accounting 4-6
Concessions by Cox 3-8
Beckham Brothers 2-9
11 and 12-year old boys
Crossroads Bank 11 -2
Utility Service 11 -2
Kiwanis Club 7-6
Baxters 2-10
Toiieson M 2
13 and 14-year old boys
Brantley 4-1
Hamby 5-1
OMI 3-3
Davis Company 2-4
Lowborn Plumbing 0-5
PERRY RECREATION
DEPARTMENT
Mighty Boys
7 ana 8-years old
Marlins 7-0
Braves 4-3
White Sox 2-5
Dodgers 1-6
Mite Boys
9 and 10-years old
Braves 6-0
Mariners 4-2
Rockies 3-4
Astros 0-7
Midget Boys
11 and 12-years old
Braves 7-0
Expos 5-2
Dodgers 2-5
White Sox 0-7
Adult Softball League
Dr. Christie 11 -2
Mulcoc 11-2
Perry Police Department 10-2
A's 8-6
Spirit 6-8
Northrop Grumman 5-8
Macon County 5-8
PPG 2-11
Sullivan Environmental 1-12