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Wed., Sept. 1, 1999, Houston Home Journal FaII Exiracurricular Activities Guide Page 2B At Perry High School Panthers face three of the best Class AA teams in the state during September By ALLINE KENT Home Journal Btokt» . Ifyou were a high school head football coach and had three teams on your schedule that were ranked in the top 15 in the state, it might be hard to decide which competitor you were going to worry you the most. Not for George Collins, Head Football coach at Ferry High School. For Collins, it has been easy deciding which team on the Panthers’ tough sched ule that he is most con cerned about. "I woriy about the first game, and then the next game. That first game is such a big game for us. You've got a little momen tum with you coming into the season We’ve got some tough road games but we have got to get out of the gate first,” he said. Perry “gets out of the gate” with Vidalia on Sept. 3 at home this year. This is a team Perry beat 20-19 during last season. According to Collins, the win in Vidalia got things started for the team’s 7-3 winning record last year. The Panthers have one of the toughest schedules in the region. Two of the three of the schools that will give Perry their tough est competition are early in the season back to back. Dodge County, ranked 14th in the state in preseason polls, lost to Perry 10-7 last year but returns Jeffery Thomas, who has averaged 1,000 yards a season rushing in his three years with the Indians. Manchester, who squeaked by the Panthers 14-13 last season at the Panther Pit enters the '99 season ranked fourth in the state and returns seven starters from their defense last year. Eighth ranked Mary Persons doesn’t return many starters this season but will have back senior Jamario Smith, their run ning back who rushed for more than 1,400 yards last season. Perry will face their toughest scheduling chal lenge only two weeks into the season when they start their streak of the four top teams in the region. Perry will have to travel to Dodge County and Manchester, then return home to face Jackson, a team that shut Perry out 7-0 last year before traveling to Forsyth for Mary Persons. Returning from a 7-3 season, his best in the five years he has been at the Panther helm, Collins is slow to make predictions abotit the success of his '99 squad. “If it is was based solely on the commitment our kills have and the work our coaches have done, just those two items, well we are the best team in the state. But that’s not all it depends on," he said. “We are working hard and getting better every week but so are Dodge and Manchester," Collins said. Collins will be depend ing a lot on the energy and leadership that his 12 seniors and new coaching additions will bring to the Panthers. Gone from the Panther line-up arc some familiar name to Perry fans; Dante Holmes, Dontarrious Thomas and Eddie Gary. But as much as those three added to the team. Collins is missing a few more right now. “If you think about los ing seniors, you have to mention the whole senior class. During their time here, everyone of last year's seniors gave us something that helped us." Collins said. Collins said the current senior class took over leadership of the team right after the last game of the '9B season. “It was probably Monday or Tuesday after the Bleckley County game last year, when this year’s senior class starting get ting in the weight room and encouraging others there. There it was, only November, but they were already concentrating on their senior year and were leaders in the weight room," Collins recalled. Anchoring the 12-man senior group is Quarter back Dontrell Green, back for his fourth year with Perry. He will be expected to lead the Panthers offen sively. Michael Robinson, wide receiver, has played a lot in his four years with Perry and has plenty of experience in his position. Monterrious Engram at tight end and Donovan Kendrick at tailback have also played for the Pan thers for four years while Justin Moriarty. who will start on the offensive line, returns for his second year. Collins said that the quality of the defense was progressing well. “We are looking at things a little differently from last year. We’ve got five good starters and a new coach in the secondary. Our defensive line is solid.’’ The Panthers will be looking to their three seniors and returning starters on the line; Morris Clarington. Matt Dennis, and Jonathan Whitfield. Quinton Johnson, at sale ty has seen plenty of play ing time in his Perry career and his experience will be vital to the success of the defense. Rounding out the senior class, Perry also returns Fred Ridley, a four-year starter on defense. Dustin Rainey and AB Wood, who lettered last year are expected to see a lot of playing time this year. With about a week left in the pre-season, Collins seems satisfied with the progress his team has made during their off sea V^A/alker j > Insurance Agency “For your best insurance value ” We m jmd U wfrfmt Pmf/’i tfmyfietfdt! Good Luck! Call Larry or Daryl Ann 988-8212 906 B Commerce Street, Perry, GA son practices. “We are on track with a week before we play our first game. We are working and we’ve got the players to work with," he said. Along with the familiar senior faces on the side lines, there will be three new coaches to the Pan ther football lineup this season. All three bring proven and effective lead ership to the Panther team. "We feel very comfort able ' together,” said Collins, speaking about the coaching additions. “They bring a vast amount of experience to the team." Don Sherwood will be coaching the secondary. Sherwood is a former defensive coordinator and head boys basketball coach at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon. His other coaching duties will include assist ing Carl Thomas with the varsity boy's basketball program. Perry fans will remem ber Arthur Billings, a for mer Panther standout who is returning to coach for the first time at his alma mater. Billings is a teacher at Westside Elementary in Warner Robins. “The principal at West side. Mrs. Pennington, has graciously allowed him to work with us," said Collins “and it is a great opportu nity for our program, to get a former player back. He is excited to be home." Brett Hardy comes to the Panthers from Echols County but is familiar with football in Houston Coun ty after coaching at North side High several years. He will be coaching wide receivers. "With this group we’ve got, coaches and players," said Collins. “If we can go to Dodge County and win. we’ve got a chance. We get better, but so does every one else. We will be fight ing every week, clawing for everything we get. nothing will come easy for this team. But we learned last year how to play the close games. Some we came out on top. some we didn't, but the experience will carry over for us." Open Letter From Houston County School Superintendent Dr. Charles Holloway (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an open letter to Hous ton County residents from School Superinten dent Charles Holloway.) Dear Residents of Houston County: The 1999-2000 school year has gotten off to a great start! Houston Coun ty School System employ ees are ready for an excit ing year that will take us into the new millennium. More than 21,000 stu dents are enrolled to attend one of the 33 campuses. Four new schools. Matt Arthur Elementary, Eagle Springs Elementary. Perry Primary and the Houston County Career and Tech nology Center, opened this fall. Matt Arthur and Eagle Springs are state-of-the-art facilities which offer an unparalleled learning envi ronment, as well as provide the county with greatly needed space for some of our youngest learners. The other new schools implement innovative con cepts for Houston County. Perry Primary School is an early literacy learning cen ter for all Pre-K, kinder gartners, and first graders in Perry. The Houston County Career and Technology Center offers high school students the opportunity to earn their diploma bv working at their own pace in core academic classes on Nova Net, a computer based instruction curricu lum. Board members and administrators have estab lished ambitious goals for the new school year to help improve our schools and the quality of education offered. The push to improve literacy and tech nology will continue and there will be a heavy focus on mathematics. We plan to reduce pupil We are proud to support the Panthers, the Hornets and all the young' people of the Perry area schools teacher ratios and will eon tinue to work to help stu dents improve test scores as measured by the lowa Test of Basic Skills. Georgia Eighth Grade Writing Assessment and Georgia f/?est wishes to all of our young people for a successful school year!! f/u>ef> on neaiti/uf!! The PerFj^ookstore 919 Carroll Street, Downtown Perry 987-0600 ( Best Wishes t Sp for a winning M&A y* / season! j Grant L r Myers ?w yaidemiy & famutf neecU!! 905 Jernigan Street 987-571 8 Weyerhaeuser High School Graduation Test. Other goals aim to increase communication and community involve See LETTER, Page 3B