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Sports
Panthers claim
region golf title
PHS to play for state May 10
By Jj JOHNSON
—
Perry captured the Region 4-AA
£lf title earlier thi* week at
bulon.
The
Panthers took
the win with a
four-stroke
victory over
Harris
County at the
Cedars Golf
Course.
Perry
recorded a
340 for the
Bgjß |t;«
Spainhour
day, up from a
score of 314 on the same course a
week before.
“Playing conditions were not
good," Panther golf coach Johnny
Barton said.
“The conditions affected the
scores of all the teams,” Barton said.
“The greens were very slow, and the
pin placements were terrible."
The victory enables the Panthers
Westfield golfers tune up for
state meet with pair of wins
By PHIL CLARK
Times-Iqurnal Ssorts
The preliminaries are nearly
over for the Westfield golf team,
with a final regular season tune-up
April 29 with Stratford and
Drcrfield, played at Stonebridge,
the site of the state tournament.
Playing at Riverside in Macon
April 20 against FPD and Mount
dc Sales, the Hornets extended
their regular season unbeaten
streak, but posted a score of 328, far
above their season stroke average,
and far above what it will no doubt
take to win their third state cham
pionship in the past four years.
Jon David Kennedy led the
Hornets with a 77, followed by Joe
Todd at 78, Mitch Greer at 86 and
Matt Moore at 87.
FPD shot a team total of 334,
Central Fellowship overcomes
Hornet lead, picks up win
By PHIL CLARK
iiMajmßNALSro.yis
The Westfield Hornets failed to
hold on to an early lead here April
20, and Central Fellowship
Academy went on to pick up a cru
cial 7-4 region lAAA win over the
Hornets as the two teams battled
for the final region playoff spot.
After Central scored a run in the
top of the first inning with the help
of a Westfield error, the Hornets
came right back with three runs in
their half of the first.
Gary Virden led off with a base
on balls and Trevor Jones singled.
After Jones stole second base, both
runners scored on a Will Sexton
double, giving the Hornets a 2-1
lead with nobody out.
After a wild pitch put Sexton on
third base, cleanup hitter Jared
Shell delivered a sacrifice fly to
score Sexton.
But the Hornets’ bats went
silent as they watched Central tie
Windsor s Harris outduels Weir
Hornets fall 6-0 in region 1-AAA battle
By PHIL CLARK
Completing one of his best days
this season, Westfield sophomore
Daniel Weir battled Windsor’s Todd
Harris on even terms through four
innings before die Knights combined
four hits with two Westfield errors to
break open a dose game in a 6-0
region 1 AAA baseball game played at
Windsor April 22.
Weir struck out 10 Knights batters
while allowing just eight hits, no more
than one to any Windsor batter.
But the Westfield, offense was
stymied by Harris, a big left-hander
who beat the Hornets for the second
time this season, and for the second
time, struck out 16 Westfield batten.
Harris allowed just a solid single in
the fifth inning by Chance Jones, the
only Westfield starter who did not
strike out against Harris.
The Hornets managed just five
baserunners, and got two runnen on
bass only in the seventh inning on a
to advance to the Georgia High
School Association Class AA state
golf tournament at Hartwell May
10.
Barton said the team would
travel to Hartwell for a practice
match on the course next week.
“1 don't know much about the
course except there will be lots of
hills and water," he said.
Brandon Spainhour led Perry
with an 80, good enough for the
region low medalist title.
Steve Lowery had an 86 while
Joseph Fountain finished at 87.
Greg Brantley also finished with an
87.
Perry won the region title two
years ago, and won the state cham
pionship in 1995.
Barton said he was very pleased
with the region win, especially con
sidering the youth of the 1999
team. Spainhour is the only senior
on the club.
Sixteen teams qualify for the
state title round.
while Mount de Sales came it with
a 373. Kennedy’s 77 took low
medalist honors.
Two days later, playing on their
home course, the Perry Country
Club course, the Hornets shot a
team total of 308 to beat Stratford
and FPD.
Kennedy was again low medalist
for the Hornets and for the match,
firing a 74 over the par 71 Perry
course.
Matt Moore shot a 74, Joe Todd
77 and Mitch Greer 83. R.G.
Lamar is the fifth member of the
Westfield squad, which has been
pared to five players for the tourna
ment.
Perry’s Whitney Christie was
low medalist for Stratford with a 77
while Chaz Robbins led FPD with
his 81.
the game with two runs in the
third, then take the lead for good
with two more in the fourth,
including a home run by third
baseman Brian Lemley.
Westfield managed just one
more run, that coming in the sixth
inning.
Chance Jones led off with a walk
and after a passed ball put him on
second, Jacob Walker scored him
with a solid single to left field.
Kip Ashley got the win for
Central while Matt Hardy was the
hard-luck loser.
Central Fetlowahip 102 211 0 7
Westfield 300 001 0 4
Winning pitcher Kip Ashley Losing
pitcher Matt Hardy
Leading hitters: Westfield Jacob Walker
3-3, Will Sexton 1-2 (2 RBI)
Central Fellowship: Jason Poole 1-2 (3
runs) Brian Letnlev 1-2 (HR) Casev Collins
1-1 (RBI)
one-out walk to pinchhitter Will
Sexton and an error at second base on
a grounder off the bat of Chance
Jones.
Michael Durough and Shawn
Greer each scored two runs for
Windsor.
Weir earlier in the day led the
Westfield B-team to a 10-7 victory
over the Knights, with a double, his
first home run of the season and a
walk, scoring twice and driving in
three of Westfield's runs.
Kory Kitchens had his best day of
the year with two angles and two
doubles in five appearances, scoring
three times while driving in one run.
Mark Hulbert had two hits,
including a double, and scored twice,
while Griffin Hamsley, who went all
the way on the mound to pick up the
victory, also contributed two base hits.
Jordan Hob and Clayton Lewis
each had doubles for the Hornets,
(Sac WEIR, Page SA)
Page 4A
- Wed.. April 28. 1999
,—-■• - —
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PICK A PAIR - Named Most Valuable
Players for the 1998-99 Perry High Lady
Brown, Thomas take top Lady Panther awards
ByALLINEKENT
EVE THE
The varsity girls team from Perry High School cele
brated their season April 19 by holding their Basketball
Banquet at Qunicy’s. The event was attended by team
members, parents and coaches.
Although the Lady Panthers ended with the 1999
season with a 11-14 record, head coach Max Vickers
said that the season should be considered successful.
“I learned a lot this year, I do every season. And the
girls did too.”
Kiki Woodard was selected by Vickers as the Most
Harris County ends Panther
hope of second baseball crown
ByALUNE KENT
Perry ended their season last
weak and their hopes of back to
back region championships with
two losses to Harris County in the
first round of the 4AA playoffs.
With the win the Tigers move
on to face Bleckley County this
week for the region championship.
It is the fourth year in a row that
Harris County has made the
region playoffs. They entered the
match with a 12-game winning
streak.
Perry lost the first game of the
Harris County, Jackson take
Perry out of region tennis play
ByALUNE KENT
FognjpTwtprJomiNAK.
Dwayne Heard ended his senior year undefeated on
the year but it was not enough to push the Panthers past
the region playoffs.
Both the boys and the girls tennis seasons came to an
end last week as the Panthers fell in the first round of
the region playoffs. The boy’s lost to Harris County
while the girls were defeated by Jackson. >
Heard, Perry’s number one singles player ended the
season without a loss. He only lost one match as a
junior.
Perry is graduating only one other senior off the ten
nis team, Brandon Pfleegor, the number two singles
Westfield golfers win region 1-AAA tide
Freshman Jon David Kennedy fires 71 at Houston Lake for win
By PHIL CLARK
foffmUMia-Jftyim; ...
Westfield’s Jon David Kennedy fired a one under par
71 over the tough Houston Lake
Country Club Course here April
26 to lead the Westfield Hornets to
the region lAAA golf champi
onship.
The win is the first step in the
Westfield bid to win their third
state tide in the past four years.
Three Hornets were named to
the lAAA all-region team, includ
ing Kennedy, Matt Moore and Joe
Todd. Marvin Arrington was named region coach of
the year.
Kennedy, a freshman, birdied number nine (his fin
ishing hole, the teams started play on the back nine) to
dose out a round of 36-35 and beat Stratford’s Chris
James by three shots for low medalists honors.
Moore and Stratford’s Whitney Christie tied for
third with 755. James, Christie and Stratford teammate
Nash Rolfez were also named to the all-region team.
Westfield finished with a team total of 308 to beat
Stratford by seven shots. The Eagles 315 was 43 shots
better than third place finisher Mount de Sales. The
Cavaliers shot a team total of 358, tournament hosts
Central Fellowship Christian Academy came in with a
380 and Windsor dosed out their season with a 400.
The state tournament will be held at Stoncbridge in
Hesstu Tims-Jurat
Panthers are Krystall Brown and Brandie
Thomas. Awards were presented April 19.
Improved player. Woodard, a sophomore, saw consider
able playing time during the season and scored in the
double digits in several key games helping the Panthers
earn a third place seed in the region playoffs.
The Coaches award was presented to Bonnie Fagin,
a senior. “She is a leader on the floor, very coachable,"
Vickers said. “She always did whatever 1 asked of her."
Outstanding players of the year. Krystal Brown and
Brandy Thomas were leading scorers for the Panthers
and both were “leaders on the floor". The two were the
only returning starters on this year’s team.
doubleheader played in Hamilton
10-9. David Talley hit a home run
early in the game with a runner on
base. ~ ; 5 jiiJH
The game, tied up in tfrb-sev
enth, stretched out three extra
innings before Harris County
scored a run and took the win.
Perry lost the second game 13-
8.
Head Coach Lee Whatley said
that although his team had spent a
lot of time practicing for the type
of game Harris plays, the Panthers
just didn’t execute.
“It seemed like we just couldn't
player. Both of these young men have been instrumen
tal in the team’s success for the last four years, according
to their coach Bert Bozeman.
“They have both been staples of our team," said
Bozeman. “They both have a lot of experience and both
set a good example. “
Bozeman went on to praise all the members of both
teams for their sportmanship.
“Some players allow the game to bring out flaws in
their character. Not these kids. They are all rood kids,
they compete well and hold their heads high. They play
the game the way it should be played."
Both teams finished with a winning record and sec
ond place in the sub-region.
Albany. Westfield, Stratford and Deerfield will play a
warm up match at the course April 29 in preparation
for the May 1 state meet.
The Westfield Hornets qualified in 12
events for the May 1 state qualifier, and the Lady
Hornets will be represented in six events after the
region lAAA meet held April 26 at Stratford.
The qualifier, which pits regions one and two
against each other while regions three and four com
pete in the other meet, determines which athletes qual
ify for the Georgia Independent School Association
state meet in Albany the weekend of May 7-8.
The Lady Hornets’ Connie Thompson will have a
chance to qualify for state in both the shot put and dis
cuss, while Katie Byrd will compete in both the 100 m
and 200 m dashes. Ann Peake will give it a go in the
10cm hurdles, while the 4x400 relay team of Lauren
Byrd, Rachel Moore, Nicki Dean and Katie Byrd will
(See TRACK, Page SA)
Times- Journal Photos by Charlotte Perkins
do anything right. We missed
catches, played bad on the field,
couldn’t hit or throw. Nothing
went our way,” Whatley said.
Perry will graduate many key
seniors next month among them
University of Georgia signec
David Coffey, who batted .567 this
season. Whatley expects other
members of his team to play on the
college level, including David
Talley and Kent Franklin.
The Panthers recorded some
milestones this season including
wins over top ten ranked Warner
Robins and Bleckley County.
Westfield, Deerfield, Southland and
Stratford will be the tournament
favorites. Southland is defending
champion, while Westfield won in
both 1996 and 1997.
GISA Region 1-AAA and 2-
AAA state track
qualifier is May 1
Phil
Clark
Tlmo-JeMmal
Sports
Westfield
basketball
sidelines change
Michael Drake, Headmaster
at Westfield Schools, announced
a couple of coaching changes last
week that have a far-reaching
affect on the athletic picture at
Westfield.
There will be only one new
face, but the sidelines at basket
ball games take on a whole new
look.
In girls’ basketball, assistant
coach Leigh Ann Johnson has
been promoted to head coach.
"She will, if effect, be the girls’
head coach”, Drake said.
“We wanted to establish more
stability, and we looked back on
die Donna Campbell years when
she was head coach for girls'
softball, basketball and track. We
are doing the same in Leigh
Ann’s case, and we feel like she
will establish just the continuity
we are looking for."
Drake said, ‘Coach Billy
Sellers will now be free to devote
his time to baseball, in addition
to assisting with football, and
playing a role at basketball
games other than on the side
lines. He will have planning time
in the winter months for his
spring baseball program. That
should help the baseball program
tremendously.
“This is in no way a reflection
on Coach Sellers’ ability as a bas
ketball coach. We had just got
ten to the point that we were
stretching him out a little too
far,” Drake continued. “We are
satisfied with the decisions we
have made along these lines.”
At the same time, Duane
Hunter was introduced as the
new boys’ basketball coach.
Hunter will replace Rennie
Atkinson, who is leaving
Westfield after two years to
return to Tattnall Academy,
where he will be the athletics
director and assist in football,
with no basketball responsibili
ties.
Atkinson said “1 am just sim
ply burned out on basketball, at
least for the time being. After
coaching for so many years, I just
feel I can be better in some other
capacity. The opportunity to be
the athletics director at Tattnall
is simply something I can't pass
up."
Hunter comes to Westfield
from nearby Fullington
Academy in Pinehurst, where his
boys team split regular season
games with Westfield last sea
son. Hunter served as head
coach for both the boys and girls
teams, but at Westfield, he will
coach only the boys in basket
ball, and will help with football
as well.
Prior to the Fullington job,
Hunter had been an assistant at
Monroe Academy from 1993-
1995. Ironically, Hunter
assumed the assistant's job at
Monroe when Jim Massey left to
become head coach at Westfield
in 1993.
Hunter is also a versatile
coach, which fits in well at
Westfield. He was head baseball
coach at Monroe, and is the golf
coach at Fullington.
Perhaps just as impressive in
Hunter’s case is his classroom
credentials. Drake, in an inter
view last week, said “Coach
Hunter brings excellent class
room credentials to Westfield.
He has been STAR teacher for
two straight years at Fullington,
where his Economics classes are
three-time winners of the
Georgia Stock Market Game.
Aside from Economics, Hunter
teaches world geography, gov
ernment and psychology.”
For Johnson, it will be her
first head basketball coaching
assignment. She has been an
assistant to Sellers in girls’ bas
ketball, though, and coached the
Lady Hornets B-team.
Johnson said of her appoint
ment “1 am both shocked and
pleased. I didn’t expect it to hap
pen, but I appreciate the oppor
tunity, especially at Westfield,
where I really feel comfortable. I
had a couple of other job oppor
tunities, but I just wasn’t mady to
make a move to anothei »~.ioo'.
But 1 am delighted at the oppor
tunity I will have here at
Westfield."
Coach Ronnie Jones, the ath
letics director and head football
coach at Westfield, said “I
thought coach Sellers was doing
a good job in girls' basketball,
but now he will have more time
to devote to baseball. 1 hated to
lose Rennie Atkinson, more so
(See CLARK< Page SA)