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Sports
Among Georgia’s Best...
Thomas first |
Perryan to
appear in
Ga.-Fla. all-star
football game
Bt ALLINK KENT
Hom; JotmitM. Sro«T»
Whatever plans you have
for Saturday evening, you
better change them.
That’s because for the
first time ever. Perry High
School will be represented
in the 14th annual Georgia
Florida High School All Star
game.
Those who aren’t travel
ing to the Georgia Dome in
Atlanta for the game can
watch it televised live Sat
urday by Fox Sport Net
South at 6 p.m.
Perry's own Dontarrious
Thomas has been selected
to the Georgia team, com
prised of the 35 best foot
ball players from around
the state.
Thomas, a three sport
letterman at Perry High and
a recent honor graduate,
will be attending Auburn
University on a football
scholarship.
Just last week, he was
named the Martha Hudson
Pennyman Award winner
for the prep-scholar athlete
of the year by The Macon
Telegraph.
The nomination process
for the all-star game started
in December. After the
nominations and films on
players were received,
coaches representing all
out the state met to select
the team members.
It is a team comprised of
the best of the best. Georgia
has won the game for the
last two years.
Thomas left Sunday
afternoon for a week full of
practices and activities for
the two teams.
Players go through prac
tice sessions during the
morning, then visit Atlanta
area attractions during the
afternoons and evenings.
During their stay in Atlanta
the players will have such
activities as a trip to Six
Flags, a Braves game and
Atlanta’s Speedzone.
One of the most memo
rable activities planned for
the week will be a team visit
to the Scottish Rite hospital
where the players will get to
see first hand the real rea
son the game is being
played.
"Dontarrious will get the .
See THOMAS, Page 7A
The art of picking an
Baseball fans across the coun
try, at least those who attend pro
games, are selecting all-star
teams for the National and Amer
ican Leagues for the annual all
star game. As usual, sentiment
rather than reality plays a big
part in the selection process.
Hometown favorites in the larger
cities have a better chance of
making the team, since more
fans vote.
Sentimental favorites do well,
too. And as usual, many deserv
ing play el's are left off the team.
Voters are doing rather well in
selecting the National League
team, since there are outstand
ing players at all positions. But
there are some players who are
having outstanding years that
won’t be selected to the starting
team by the fans. An example is
Sean Casey of Cincinnati. The
Reds’ first baseman is leading
the league in hitting with a .388
average, but competition at first
base will keep Casey off the
starting team.
Face it, fans are going to vote
for Mark McGwire because of last
year's accomplishments. And you
HI
■' -1 tWm
V I
Thomas: ‘I was hoping and praying’
By Toret Jolley
afe”
the sounds Dontarrious
Thomas will hear June 19.
He is scheduled to play in
the Georgia vs. Florida High
School All-Stars Football
game.
Perry High Football
Coach George Collins
describes the selection as a
big honor.
“It is a big honor. It takes
a long process to get nomi
nated for the all-star team."
explained Collins. He start
ed the process by sending
film clips of Thomas to the
Georgia team coach.
Thomas, son of Mary Jo
and Charles Lawson, said
when the coach called him
late June 9 and told him
“there might be a slight
chance" of playing, he got
nervous.
“I was hoping and 1 was
praying," said Thomas,
adding that he dreamed of
playing with the “best ath
letes in Georgia" since his
cousin Jermaine Phillips
Phil
Clark
Home
Journal
sports
really can’t knock that selection.
Casey must also beat out Hous
ton's Jeff Bagwell, who is having
an all-star year, leading McGwire
in every offensive category.
Bagwell is in the top two in
seven categories. He trails only
Sammy Sosa in home runs, Jay
Bell of Arizona in runs. Matt
Williams of Arizona in total bases
and the Mets’ John Clerud in
walks. Bagwell leads the league
in runs batted in, slugging per
centage and on-base percentage,
and his batting average of .346 is
sixth in the league.
Bagwell has earned the start
ing assignment at first base, but
McGwire leads in the voting.
Craig Biggio is a legitimate
played in the game years
before.
When Collins called back
and said Thomas was defi
nitely in the game, Thomas
admits he jumped up and
down, screaming.
“I was so happy and my
mom was hollering with
me, “ said Thomas.
The news was so great to
Thomas, he could not relax
enough to go to sleep. “I
kept everyone awake,"
admitted Thomas.
Collins said, “It is a
major deal. The good thing
about it is I know he
(Thomas) will do well on the
field but, especially, off the
field. He will not disappoint
anyone."
Collins said Thomas will
represent his family. Perry
High, and Georgia well dur
ing the many activities the
all-star athletes will partici
pate in during the week
before the June 19 game.
Thomas is headed to
Auburn University this fall.
Though a PHS honor grad
uate, Thomas earned a full
four-year football scholar
Page 6A
- Wed.. June 16, 1999
all-star baseball team by fans
choice at second base, as the vot
ers agree. Bell, the converted
shortstop now playing second base
at Arizona, is second in voting.
Atlanta’s Brett Boone is fourth, but
Atlanta’s week end homestand
against Baltimore should pick up a
lot of votes for him.
Barry Larkin of Cincinnati is
also a legitimate choice at short
stop, and he leads in voting,
though just slightly over Ray
Ordonez of the Mets. Atlanta’s
Walt Weiss is third in the voting,
although he is currently on the
disabled list. Weiss stays hurt
way too much, having played
just 90 games last season. Edgar
Renteria, the former Florida Mar
lin now in St. Louis, is perhaps
the best shortstop in the Nation
al League, but he is only fifth in
fan balloting.
Matt Williams, taking advan
tage of the thin air in Arizona as
is Jay Bell, is the leading vote
getter at third base. Williams,
who has also been hurt, trails
only Bagwell in runs batted in,
and has hit 17 home runs going
into last weekend. Williams leads
Atlanta's Chipper Jones by a
ship. He plans to study
computer engineering.
Thomas said he has no
dreams of “playing for the
NFL. I am only thinking
about my degree."
Collins concurred with
Thomas, “You can see the
ability DT has. He has been
a big part of the sports here
at Perry High. He is Middle
Georgia Track Athlete of the
Year and Macon Tele
graph's Scholar Athlete of
the Year as well. But what I
expect of him is that he gets
his degree. That is the big
thing."
Noting the Ga. vs. Florida
game will be televised from
the Georgia Dome in
Atlanta, Thomas said he is
“a little nervous.” He
believes it will be a preview
of his time coming on the
Auburn football field.
One thing Thomas is
sure he will do when the
camera pans the sidelines
and, perhaps focuses
briefly on him, is to smile
big, showing his dimples,
and say, “Hi, Mom."
Houston Home Journal
Watkins signs with Snead
State Community College
By ALLINE KENT
Ho -
It was a disappointed
Johnny Watkins who
walked off the court this
March at the Macon Col
iseum after Perry lost in
the opening round of the
state basketball tourna
ment.
“I thought it was the
end of my basketball
career, “ he said. “But
Coach (Carl) Thomas
helped me and now 1 am
going to college."
Watkins has signed a
letter of intent to play
basketball at Snead
State Community College
in Boaz, Ala. He is the
fourth player off the
1998-99 Perry basketball
team to continue his ath
letic career on the college
level.
“Johnny’s very capable
of playing college ball,"
said Thomas, head boy's
basketball coach at Perry
High School. “I am excit
ed about this chance for
Johnny. New surround
ings will give him the
opportunity to continue
to develop."
Watkins was a mem
ber of the Perry basket
ball team which earned
back to back region
championships and went
to the state tournament
three years in a row.
Snead State Head
coach Harold Morris said
during a telephone inter
view he was looking for-
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Home Journal Photo by Torey Jolley
AROUND AND AROUND THEY GO
Indian Rider Part Of High School Rodeo
State high school rodeo held in Perry
By ALLINE KENT
Home Journal Sports
Some 200 young people
from around Georgia gath
ered at Reaves Arena at the
Georgia National Fair
grounds to compete in the
21st annual Georgia High
School Rodeo Association
very slim margin. Several deserv
ing third basemen will be left off
the team, among them Fernando
Tatis of St. Louis, Vinny Castillo
of Colorado and Scott Rolen of
Philadelphia.
Mike Piazza is benefiting from
the big New York vote and leads
at the catchers’ position,
although he is not having a typi
cal Piazza season. He is not
among the league leaders in any
of the 12 offensive categories.
Dave Nillson of Milwaukee is the
only catcher in the league who is
among leaders. His .348 batting
average is fifth, and he’s also fifth
in slugging percentage.
Sosa of tfye Cubs is the top
vote getter in the National
League, and consequently is
leading the voting for outfielders.
After Sosa comes San Diego's
Tony Gwynn, who has been on
the disabled list, and who is
quest of the coveted 3,000
plateau in career hits. Then it's
Colorado’s Larry Walker, who
could be the best all-around
player in the • league. His .365
average is third in the league,
he's a consistent power hitter, an
JL JjH
JOHNNY WATKINS
Signs Scholarship
ward to working with
Watkins and excited
about what he will be
bringing to the Snead
State prograrrL
“He definitely knows
what to do with a basket
ball," said Morris. “He
will fit into our system
well.”
Morris, a graduate of
Snead State who went on
to play basketball at the
University of Georgia,
has coached at Snead
one year but is entering
his first year of recruit
ing.
“We are very happy
that Johnny will be part
of our first recruiting
class. He's a worker and
this is a great opportuni
ty for him."
finals June 11-13.
Although the competitors
were all high school stu
dents in grades 9-12, spec
tators viewed a strong per
formance from the stu
dents.
See RODEO, Page 7A
excellent base runner, and one of
the top defensive outfielders in
the game. San Francisco’s Barry
Bonds is fourth in the voting, but
like Piazza, does not appear
among the leaders in a single
category. Meanwhile the
Dodgers’ Raul Mondesi, with 19
home runs and 48 runs batted
in. is no better than fifth in fan
voting. Brian Jordan is only
tenth. Jordan is third in the
league with 53 runs batted in.
Fans don’t vote on the pitch
ers, but if they did, John Smoltz
would be the only choice among
starters. Surprisingly, Greg Mad
dux and Tom Glavine are a com
bined 8-13, even though the
Braves still sit atop the standings
in the National League east. The
bullpen has done a good enough
job to keep them there, and
Macon’s John Rocker has been a
vital part of the bullpen since he
won closer’s role.
I suppose the fans are doing a
good job in selecting this year’s
team in the National League.
Everybody can’t lead the voting,
and those who are leading are
legitimate.