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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- HL 8T .W« , JKBtKttBMr »M« XHBfcw * - : jk Wi JK *s®wj hhp i- 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.