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Sports
Westfield athletes honored during
By PHIL CLARK
Home Joirnmu. Srowi _
Coaches, parents and support
ers showed up Monday night to
honor Westfield spring sports par
ticipants at a banquet held at the
school.
Golf, tennis, track and baseball
coaches recognized the accom
plishments of the athletes, many
of whom were making their last
appearance in an athletic-related
event at the school. Some 18 of
those honored will be graduating
in less than two weeks.
Golf coach Marvin Arrington
praised his team for their achieve
ments. not only this year, but over
the past four years. The golf team
has won two state champi
onships. a second place and a
third place in the past four sea
sons
This year, the Hornet golfers
had a third place finish behind
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AMERICAN LEGION PLAYERS ~
Members of the arm American League
baseball team include (from left), David
Talley Coffey and Franklin seek
more baseball experience at next level
By ALUNB KENT
Three former Perry High School base
ball players are making an early transi
iion to the ranks of college ball by par
ticipating in the American League’s sum
mer ball program.
Kent Franklin, David Talley and David
<: of fey barely dropped their bats for the
last time as Panthers when they changed
uniforms and teammates to play ball
again. The three, all seniors, are part of
the 18-member Pied Sox team in the
American League’s Big league associa
tion for 17 and 18 year olds.
The tough schedule will not give the
s I iree much of a sbmmer vacation. The
team will play 40 regular season games
in six weeks,* traveling throughout mid
dle Georgia.
Each brings his special skills to the
Red Sox team. Franklin, who led the
Panthers in RBl’s this season, will use
It is sad to see the Hornet seniors leave the nest
Of course, to the graduating
seniors at our local schools, it’s
just a stepping stone on the road
to higher goals. But to those of
us who watch them perform, and
report on their accomplishments,
their graduation is going to be a
bittersweet event.
We're always sad to see them
leave, but proud as a peacock for
what they've done, and for what
they are positioning themselves
to contribute to society in the
future.
On Monday of this week,
Westfield honored the athletes
and support people who per
formed in spring sports. Seniors,
especially, were singled out for
their contributions in baseball,
track, golf and tennis.
Having been assigned to cover
Westfield exclusively this year, I
have become pretty close to the
young folks who give so much of
their time to represent their
school in athletic events.
For some, it’s a never-ending
cycle, going from fall to winter to
spring without a break. Let’s look
at some of those seniors, and
what they have meant to the var-
state champion Stratford and
Deerfield-Windsor. Westfield fin
ished three shots behind the win
ners. Freshman N Jon David
Kennedy was the team s medalist,
was the region lAAA medalist,
and earned all region and all state
honors.
Senior Joe Todd was also all
region and all state, while senior
Matt Moore was all region. Mitch
Greer. R.G. Lamar, Meyur Vashi
and Wes Wheeler were the other
members of this team.
Janice OToole recognized the
members of her tennis teams, and
cited Lauren Causey and Chad
Bailey, who were named to the all
region team. Each played at the
number one singles position for
the Westfield teams.
Stephanie Thompson, an eight
grader, played number two singles
and Erin Adkins was at number
three. Senior Brandi Bazemore
Talley, David Coffey and Kent Franklin.
All were members of the 1999 Perry
High baseball team.
his strong throwing arm both on the
mound and in center field.
Coffey, one of the leading batters in
the middle Georgia area, ana Talley will
cany on their shortstop-second base
combination for the team.
The team is coached by Paul Shealy, a
15-year veteran of the program, who is
very excited about the Panther additions
to his team.
This is a real treat for me," Shealy
said. These three young men are good
ball players. Everyone who knows mem
speaks veiy highly of them on the field
and off. I am excited about being able to
work with them before they go off this
fail. “
All three are expected to play college
baseball next spring. Coffey has signed a
scholarship with the University of
Georgia.
Franklin and Talley are narrowing
their selection between several schools.
Phil
Clark
Home
Journal
sports
ious programs at the school.
The busiest of the bunch was
Chad Ekey. He was an all-star in
football, playing on the line for
Ronnie Jones, and went directly
to Rennie Atkinson’s basketball
team. Without so much as a
breather, Ekey then performed
on both the baseball and track
teams in the spring.
There were numerous three
sport performers among girls
and boys sports. Three young
ladies who will be sorely missed
next season are Lauren Byrd,
Laura Posey and Brandi
Bazemore. Byrd and Posey were
fixtures on the softball, basket
ball and track teams, while
Bazemore was a member of the
Home Journal Photo by AlMne Kent
Page 6A
Wed., May 19, 1999
and Junior Lina Arnold were the
number one doubles team for the
Lady Hornets, while Christen
Watson and Julee Todd played at
number two.
For the Hornets, Brad Barfield
played at number two, James
Farmer at number three, Ernest
Greene and Brent Roper at num
ber one doubles and John Curtis
Gibbs and Spencer Shugart were
at number two doubles.
Girls' track coach Leigh Ann
Johnson recognized the region
lAAA discus champion, Connie
Thompson; the 1,600 meter relay
team of Lauren Byrd, Nicki Dean,
Rachel Moore and Katie Byrd,
which finished third in region
competition; and Katie Byrd, who
qualified for state in both the 100
and 200 meter dashes.
Larry Bennett s Hornets cap
tured a first place trophy in state
competition with a sparkling
basketball, tennis and cheer
leader squads.
Others who will be missed
include Connie Thompson, who
was a member of the softball and
track teams, as well as cheer
leaders Kelly Bryant and Alison
Sarrat, who were also baseball
managers.
Trevor Jones, Jared Shell,
Tate Parker and Gary Virden
were senior boys who wore many
uniforms. Jones was the quar
terback on the football team,
point guard on the basketball
squad and second baseman on
the baseball team. Jones was
honored last week by being
named to the 1999 National
Football Foundation Scholar/
Citizen/Athlete honor roll.
Shell was an all-state fullback
for the Hornets, was named to
the all-area team by the Houston
Home Journal (then the Times-
Journal) after gaining nearly
1,400 yards rushing during his
senior season. Shell was also the
leading hitter on the baseball
team, and was a member of the
state champion 400-meter relay
team. That team won with a time
Eighth grade Panthers claim
Houston County baseball title
By ALLINE KENT
Home Journal Sports
It's not just ice cream in
Perry that is famous for
number 31 anymore.
Perry, 10-2, clinched
their most recent baseball
championship before the
last game of the season.
Middle School baseball
coach John Warlick, when
asked ,abqut the reasons for
success, spoke proudly of
his players and their deter
mination.
“We were just strong in
every position,“ he said.
“There was not a weak play
er on our team. Even com
ing off the bench we were
still very strong."
Warlick commented that
he had something that all
baseball coaches strives for,
“excellence straight up the
middle."
The Panther’s solid pitch
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Houston Home Journal Photo by Alline Kent
MEMBERS OF THE PERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL EIGHTH GRADE TEAM CELEBRATE
The Panthers Went 10-2 On The Season To Win The County Title
Houston Home Jamal
spring sports banquet
Chad Ekey was the only
senior who participated in
four different sports, and one
of just two overall f
43.93 in the 400 meter relay.
Jared Shell, Gary Virden, Jacob
Walker and Tate Parker ran their
best time of the year in their final
performance to take first place.
Virden and Parker qualified for
state in the triple Jump and long
jump, Will Sexton competed in the
300-meter hurdles and Jared
Shell in the 100-meter dash.
Ronnie Jones introduced mem
bers of the B-team baseball
squad, which finished at 4-3.
Billy Sellers singled out mem
bers of his varsity team for special
recognition. Shell was named all
region 1-AAA and honorable men
ing, a great combination at
second and short with TJ
Hutchens and Kyle
McCarty and Morris
Johnson’s speed in the cen
ter field were all key for
Perry.
Perry pitching was led by
Chris Fiye, who went unde
feated and Russ Crum, who
pitched a no hitter and two
one hitters this season.
Matt Hunt, who spent
most of the year playing
catcher, also saw time on
the mound.
The Panthers last played
for the county champi
onship three years ago with
a team led by Perry High
School standout Tripp
Morath.
When the eighth grade
Perry Middle School
Panthers won the county
championship in baseball
last week it meant that
of 43.93 seconds (the state
record for AAA schools is 43.67).
Parker and Virden were also
members of the football, baseball
and track teams, and both were
members of the championship
relay team (the fourth member
was junior Jacob Walker).
Virden, the leadoff hitter most
of the season for the baseball
team, ran the second leg on the
relay team, after Shell, while
Parker anchored the relay team,
and was the shortstop for the
baseball team. Parker and Virden
were both offensive players on
the football team, Virden as a
wide receiver and Parker as a
running back.
Some of the seniors Westfield
will lose performed in two sports,
others in just one. But they were
all very important cogs in the
wheel. Robbie Heaton, for exam
ple, was what Ronnie Jones
called “the best lineman I've ever
coached, on offense and on
defense." Heaton was an all state
and Times-Journal all-area who
will walk on at the Citadel to con
tinue his football career. Robbie
was also on the track team,
tion all state after leading his
team in hitting with a .364 aver
age.
Sophomore Daniel Weir struck
out 52 opposing batters to lead
the team in that category, fresh
man Chance Jones led in runs
batted in and doubles, while
senior Trevor Jones was tops in
runs and tied with Shell for the
most hits. Jones also hit over .300
for the year. #
Sellers loses Trevor Jones,
Shell, Tate Parker, Chad Ekey.
Matt Hardy, Gary Virden and Ron
Marshall to graduation.
Ekey was the only senior who
participated in four different
sports, and one of just two overall.
The other was junior Will Sexton.
At the conclusion of the
evening. Headmaster Michael
Drake recognized Eric P. Staples
award winners Trevor Jones and
Lauren Byrd.
Warlick won his 31st coun
ty championship since
coming to Perry Middle
School, a feat unrivaled in
Houston county.
Those championships
have been spread across
three different sports dur
ing Warlick's 29-year
tenure at the school.
Three times during his
career, Warlick has brought
to Perry Middle School the
“triple crown" champi
onships in all three sports
during one school year.
Warlick’s continuing suc
cess in the coaching field
also seems to be a major
drive in his quest for
accomplishment year after
year.
Some might consider sit
ting back and resting on the
record. Warlick said each
championship is as sweet
to him as the fitst one, „ : , .
throwing the discus and putting
the shot.
Ron Marshall was an out
standing defensive end for the
football team, and was the desig
nated hitter on the baseball team
after a shoulder injure kept him
from catching. Ron also played
on the basketball team.
Josh Giles and Matthew Lee
graduate from the football team,
while the baseball squad loses
Matt Hardy. Two of the main
stays on the boys basketball
team were one-sport seniors.
Brian Hartley set an all-time
school record with 101 three
point baskets in a four-year
career. He was named to the all
state team and also participated
in the AA-AAA shootout.
Robert Causey was the start
ing center for two years for the
Hornets and was a valuable
rebounder and scorer. Both
these seniors will be hard to
replace.
Coach Marvin Arrington loses
Joe Todd and Meyur Vashi from
the golf team. Both were one
See CLARK, Page 7A