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Sports
Byrd, Bazemore, Hartley and Saratt take Westfield honors
By PHIL CLARK
Tmo-IQURNAL Sports
Lauren Byrd, Brandi
Bazemore, Brian Hartley and
Alison Saratt picked up top hon
ors during the Westfield Schools
basketball banquet March 1.
Saratt was named the cheer
leader of the year for the Hornets.
She received the honor from
sponsor Tina Hunter.
Coach Billy Sellers presented
the Lady Hornet 3-D award to
Byrd and Bazemore. The award,
Sellers explained, is based on
Desire, Dedication and
Determination. It is the top award
Sellers presents each season.
Coach Rennie Atkinson pre
sented the best offensive player
honors to Brian Hartley.
Hartley was a Georgia
Independent Schools Association
All Region 1-AAA and All State
Panthers continue non-region games against top-rated foes
ByALLINE KENT
For the Times-Iqurnal
Perry opened their season last
week in the Perkins-Grier tour
nament and finished with a 2-3
record including a close loss to
AAAA Northside.
As regular season begins this
week including games against top
teams Warner Robins and Jones
County, watch for two late addi
tions to the Panthers roster.
Johnny Watkins and Dante
Holmes, each three sport athletes
at Perry High School, have been
practicing with the team this
week and are expected to dress
out for games starting against
Warner Robins.
Both played basketball for the
Panthers and were unable to
practice with the baseball team in
pre-season.
“Johnny and Dante will add a
whole new dimension to our
team,” said Coach Lee Whatley.
“They will definitely add
speed. Both of them can fly. Even
if you just use theip in a pinch
running role; already you’ve given
the defense something else to
worry about,” Whatley added.
Watkins, who was a leading
scorer for the Panthers basketball
team this past season, has played
Franklin goes on streak, leads
Panthers to win over Westside
Bv ALLINE KENT
For the Times-lournai.
Kent Franklin batted in seven
runs against Westside Macon as
the Panthers trounced the
Seminoles 25-4 during the
Perkins-Grier Tournament held
at Northside high school last
week.
Franklins hits included a first
inning home run with two on, a
stand up double and a single.
Perry went up by six in the top
of the first after Franklin’s home
run. Meanwhile, starting pitcher
Dustin Weir held Westside score
less during their first turn at bat.
Sophomore Jerry Drazny
escaped a rundown between third
and home to score the Panther’s
eighth run during the second
inning.
In the third, Jeb Stuart singled
and then outran the throw to first
before stealing 2nd base. Caleb
White’s single sent Stuart to third
and Franklin’s double brought
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THIS BIG ONE DIDNT GET AWAY -
Charles Sloan holds up the huge fish
selection. He ended his Westfield
career with 964 points and 101
three-point goals.
Lina Arnold was named the var
sity Lady Hornet Best Offensive
Player. A junior, Arnold led the
team with an 11.9 points per game
scoring average. Arnold also led the
team irt rebounding and had 23
blocked shots. Arnold was named
all region 1-AAA and all state.
The Best Defensive Player
award went to senior Laura Posey,
who was also named to the all
region team, and received honor
able mention all state.
Most Improved Player recog
nition went to junior Beth Ann
Murph and sophomore Juice
Todd. The Hustler award was
earned by sophomore Rachel
Moore.
Atkinson introduced his 13-4
boys B-team, citing their team-
baseball for Perry in the past.
“Johnny is a great defensive
outfielder. When he played for us
before he did a great job chalking
balls down and catching them,
Whatley commented.
Whatley has also been
impressed by Donte Holmes, a
1998 member of the Atlanta
Constitution AA all-state roster
in football. According to Whatley
Holmes “swings a bat pretty
good.”
Both Watkins and Holmes
have strong arms and are expect
ed to play outfield.
The Panthers faced tough
competition during the Perkins-
Grier tournament last week
including two teams ranked in
the top 10.
Whatley used the tournament
to move players around and give
younger team members an oppor
tunity to prove themselves.
“We are still trying to fill some
spots defensively,” Whatley said
after the tournament said.
“Our biggest concern going
intfc fhis'sSalon is pitching. We
are going to have to get better
starting pitchers out of some
other guys besides Kent
(Franklin) and Tripp (Morath),”
Whatley added.
Franklin drives in seven
runs to lead Panthers to
25-4 ivin against Westside
of Macon.
them both home.
Sophomore Willie Simon’s
single sent Franklin in putting the
Panthers up 12-3 after only three
innings of play.
Franklin caught two fly balls in
the center field and David Coffey
made a diving catch in the fourth
inning to preserve the Panthers’
17 point lead.
Tripp Morath had 5 RBI
including a triple with the bases
loaded. Caleb White and Coffey
both went 4-4 on the evening.
White, a freshman, was selected
player of the game by the tourna
ment officials.
Photo for the Time*-Journal by John Trusted
he caught at the Dodge County Public
Fishing Area.
Page 5A
Wed., Match 10, 1999
GISA All State
Brian Hartley
Lina Arnold
All State Honorable Mention
Laura Posey
Daniel Weir
All Region 1-AAA
Brian Hartley
Lina Arnold
Laura Posey
Daniel Weir
work and cohesiveness as the rea
son for their successful season.
Atkinson pointed out that dur
ing the season, eight different
Hornets scored in double figures
in a game.
Atkinson also presented varsity
awards. Will Sexton was chosen
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Photo for the Times-Joumal by Alline Kent
LET HER RIP - Kent Franklin, a member of the ball during Perkins-Grier baseball tourna
the Perry High baseball team, takes a stroke at ment action last week.
Panthers fall to Northside 7-5
fit ALLINE KEtff®**
For the Times-Iqurnal
It was one of those could have been, should have
been games.
The weather was miserably cold, the wind wicked
and the crowd sparse but Perry held their own against
Northside during the Perkins-Grier baseball tourna
ment.
The Panthers fell by two after a last inning Perry
attack failed to raise enough runs in the only scheduled
meeting between the two teams this season.
Perry fell 7-5 to the Eagles during the Perkins-
Grier tournament last week after lead-off hitter David
Coffey popped out in the seventh inning with the bases
loaded and ended the game.
Eight-run second leads Panthers past Demons
By Alline Kent
FOR THE TIMES-IQURNAL
Perry overcame an eight-run
deficit in the second inning to
come back and beat the Warner
Robins Demons 16-11 in the
Panthers’ final game of the
Perkins-Grier Tournament March
6. The Demons entered the tour
nament ranked tenth in the state.
“When we got down, it was
good to see that we didn't quit,”
said Coach Lee Whatley after the
game. “We hung in there and did
the things we had to do.”
Warner Robins went up 9-1
after the first inning of play. In the
second, freshman Panther Caleb
White, took a walk to lead off the
inning and remained on first as
Perry chalked up two outs.
Perry sent nine players to bat
All Region Honorable
Mention
Robert Causey
the team’s best defensive player.
Daniel Weir, the best rcbound
er, was also named to the all
region team and gained honorable
mention all state.
The Coaches Award, presented
by coach Jamie Watson, went to
senior Robert Causey, who aver-
and eight Panthers crossed the
plate. Tripp Morath’s double tied
the game 9-9.
The Demons scored one in the
next inning. David Coffey’s triple
brought in the tying run and Kent
Franklin’s go-ahead RBI gave the
Panthers an 11-10 lead.
Momentum was on Perrv’s side
defensively. First baseman Willie
Simon, who played a great defen
sive game, made the play at first
and then caught a pop up for the
second out. Morath struck out
the third batter to end the inning
with the Demons scoreless.
Perry went scoreless in the top
of the fourth. In the bottom,
David Talley made a diving catch
on a skipping ball and completed
the throw to first for the first out
and the made the play again after
Record fish helps slow day at pond seem great
It would be an exaggeration to say the
fishing was slow. It was more like dead. In
fact, Charles Sloan had been on the Dodge
County Public Fishing Area since 2 p.m. on
Feb. 5. He had been chunking his bait for
three hours without a single strike. He had
not even had a bump.
Despite the lack of action, Sloan was not
especially discouraged, because he knows
that patience is a valuable virtue when the
fishing is slow, as is often the case in early
February. But little did Sloan know that his
luck this day was about to change.
He was casting his number one lure for
big bass, a quarter ounce black arkie jig
dressed with a Uncle Josh’s Hank Parker
Pro Cut Size, black pork frog and he had
faith it. Sloan said he likes this type of frog
because it’s slightly larger than the standard
size.
Sloan also is the kind of fisherman who
doesn’t like to take chances. That’s why he
deeps his Lewis bait casting reel filled with
50-pound test spider wire. It’s incredibly
Houston Tims-Jouml
i wife lost but it was still a good game,” said assistant
coach Andy Gentry. “We played well and had some
good hits.”
Some of those hits came from starting pitcher Kent
Franklin whose first inning double sent two runners
across the plate and gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
The Panther defense kept the Eagles scoreless in the
first inning of play.
Catcher Phillip Gentry’s throw to second got the
first out on an attempted steal while Clay Talton made
the play at first for the next out.
Franklin struck out the next Eagle to send
Northside back out on the field after only three batters.
Franklin, Coffey and Gentry each had a double in
the fifth.
strong
and yet
still casts
easily,
Sloan
said.
A
large bass
is hard to
put in the boat under the best of circum
stances, but when it fights hard and tries to
wrap the line around underwater stumps
and brush, a strong highly abrasion resistant
line often means the difference between a
fish in the boat or a broke line.
Another plus of a strong line is that you
can crank down the drag to horse the fish
out of the thick stuff, said Sloan. To ampli
fy the power of the line, Sloan uses a seven
foot, medium heavy All Stat* brand casting
rod.
As you can tell from the above, Sloan
(SeeTRUSSELL, {Page 6A)
aged 10.6 points per game and
was honorable mention all region.
Mayo Sexton, representing the
class of 1975, presented the pres
tigious Mike Grantham award to
senior Trevor Jones.
Varsity cheerleaders were recog
nized by Tina Hunter and Mary
Margaret Brannen introduced the
B-team cheerleaders and recog
nized them as thfe Heart of Georgia
Junior Division champions.
Coach Leigh Ann Johnson
introduced members of the Lady
Hornets girls’ B-team, which
included two eighth graders, two
freshmen and six sophomores.
Melinda Gray introduced the
Vespidaettes, who lose just one
senior, co-captain Brittany Hutto.
The banauet was hosted by the
Quarterback Club, with club
president Phil Brannen as master
of ceremonies.
Tripp Morath struck out the sec
ond batter.
Franklin’s home run in the fifth
with a man on third helped to
push Perry ahead by six and seal
the Demons’ fate
The Panthers added three
more runs in the inning off of a
single by sophomore Willie
Simon and doubles by Coffev and
Talley.
Franklin and Coffey led the
Panthers with 3 RBI each in the
match-up.
Morath pitched through the
sixth inning and did an excellent
job according to his coach.
“He threw strikes with his
breaking ball and strikes with his
fastball. He was able to get ahead
in the count and put the hitter at
his mercy," said Whatley.
John
Trussell
Times-Joumal
Outdoors
Phil
Clark
Times-Journal
Sports
Joltin’ Joe has left
and gone away
Joltin' Joe has left and gone
away
Americans have adored him
for more than six decades. Now,
at the age of 85, Joe DiMaggio
is dead. The greatest baseball
player who ever lived, in the
hearts and minds of many, lost a
long fight for life that kept him
hospitalized for much of the
past couple of years.
Paul Simon wrote of him in
the hit song “Mrs. Robinson”
(from “The Graduate,” 1968).
"Where have you gone, Jot
DiMaggio, Joltin'Joe has left and
gone away. ’
DiMaggio was a fan’s player.
He went to the park every day
to do the best he could do,
because as he once said “every
day, there’s probably somebody
at the park who’s seeing me play
for the first time. I can’t rest on
anything I’ve done in the past.
I’ve got to do the best I can for
the fans who are on hand for
every game."
He was respected by those
who played with him, and those
who played against him. Ted
Williams was often classified in
the same category as
DiMaggio, that of the best who
ever played the game. Williams
said in an interview just a few
years ago, “I was really embar
rassed to even be mentioned in
the same breath with
DiMaggio. He is, without a
doubt, the best player who ever
played the game.”
Coming from Ted Williams,
that is indeed a compliment.
Williams was one of the great
est of all time, too. And like
DiMaggio, Williams had his
productive years shortened by
military service. Neither com
plained about serving his coun
try, though.
DiMaggio had that remark
ably combination of speed,
power, grace, and a tremendous
awareness of the strike zone.
He didn’t strike out much, but
he didn’t walk a lot, either. He
said in one of his later inter
views, “The fans came to see
me hit. When I went to the
plate, that’s the only think 1 had
in mind.”
DiMaggio didn't rack up
individual records, really. He
only played 14 years, so his
name is not among the career
leaders (top 20 performers) in
the 16 offensive categories. It
doesn’t matter. The total
DiMaggio package is what
made him great.
He won his only two league
batting titles back to back in
1939 and 1940. He led the
league once in runs scored,
twice in home runs and twice in
runs batted in, and captured
Most Valuable Player awards in
1939,1941 and 1948.
It was in 1941 that he stood
the baseball world on its ears
with a hitting streak of 56 con
secutive games. It’s still unchal
lenged, and figures to be the
one baseball record that will
never be broken. There are a
few fans still around who were
rooting for Joe during that
streak. There are many who
would hear of it in later years.
But to all of us, it is still ‘he
streak’.
Fifty six games in a row with
at least one base hit! And it
took two sensational fielding
plays by Cleveland third base
man Ken Keltner to end it at
56. Keltner twice went to the
line to spear hard grounders
and had to make perfect throws
to get the speedy DiMaggio.
Joe said later “It had rained
most of the morning and the
basepath was wet and slow. I
might have had a chance to
beat one or both of those
grounders out otherwise.”
After Cleveland, and
Keltner, stopped the streak on
July 17, 1941, DiMaggio went
on to hit safely in the next 14
games! Hitting safely in 70 of
71 games is probably the most
remarkable feat ever in baseball.
DiMaggio left the game
after the 1951 season. The
Yankees won the World Series
that year, the 10th time they
accomplished the feat during
DiMaggios career. He was
elected to the Baseball Hall of
Fame in 1955.
March 9,1999.
Joltin' Joe has left and gone
away.
H