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Perry Invitational2ooo wrestling
tourney this weekend at Panther Pit
Hr ALLXNB KENT
support
letics will want to mark Friday and Saturday
on their calendar. That’s when Peny High
School will host the Bth annual Perry Invita
tional 2 OCX).
Competition begins Jan. 21 at 4:30 p.m.
and continues Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. through
about 4 p.m.
Sixteen teams are expecting to competing
including Houston County, Northside, South
east. Southwest, Northeast, Central, Macon
County, Lakeside. Sumter County and Americus.
First through fourth places will be award
ed in each weight category with first through
fourth places also being awarded to the top
Tiftarea no match for Lady Hornets
By PHIL CLARK
"Tinmruhr Hor
nets beat Tiftarea for the sec
ond time this season with a
49-29 win at the Hornets'
Nest Jan. 15.
Anne Peake and Rachel
Moore combined for 10 first
quarter points as Westfield
took a 17-6 lead, and the
game was never in doubt.
Lina Arnold hit a three
pointer in the first as well.
Tiftarea’s Amanda Mar
shall. one of the GISA’s best
players, was held to just four
Lady Vikings hold
off Westfield charge
for 46-35 win
By PHIL CLARK
Home Journal Sports
Alter falling behind by
16 points at half-time, 27-
11, and still trailing by 13
after three quarters, the
Westfield Lady Hornets
put a scare into the First
Presbyterian Lady Vikings
before dropping a 46-35
decision ai FPL) Jan. 12.
With the Lady Vikings
up 36-23 after three quar
ters, Westfield’s Lina
Arnold scored the first
seven points of the fourth
quarter, then Stephanie
Thompson's basket and a
free throw' fiy 6eth Ann
Murph cut the First Pres
byterian lead to 36-33
with 3:55 left to play.
But the Lady Hornets
finally ran out of gas, and
a Katie Barnes basket
regained the momentum
for the Lady Vikings.
Barnes scored four
more points in the quarter
to preserve the non-region
win for FPD. Barnes fin
ished the game with 14
points for the Lady
Vikings, one more than
Arnold scored for West
field.
Meghan Impink had 12
and Molly Davis 11 for
FPD.
Westfield (35) Todd 6. Arnold
13. Peake 4, B.A. Murph 6. Dud
ley 2. Thompson 2.
FPD (46) Impink 12. Barnes
14, Davis 11. Harper 2. Hamrick
1. Allman 6.
Halftime .score: FPD 27, West
field 11 Three point goals: West
field 1 (Arnold) FPD 1 (Impink)
Bees
Continued from page 6A
Smith had two and George
Hart a pair for Windsor.
Holt’s nine points topped
Westfield scorers. John Har
ris had eight.
The Tiftarea Panthers
paid a Saturday visit to the
Hornets' Nest Jan 15.
Jordan Holt scored 10
first half points before pick
ing up his third foul near the
end of the period. The Hor
nets stormed to a 20-6 first
quarter lead, and by half
time, the advantage was 33-
13. on the way to an easy
67-33 win.
Tiftarea’s John Womack
tried to keep his team within
striking distance against the
quicker Hornets. Womack,
who finished the game with
12 points, scored 10 of them
in the final half.
Holt’s heroics continued
in the fourth as he rang up
another dozen points. Holt’s
29 points were the most by a
Westfield player on any level
this season.
Hunt Sexton hit baskets
in the final seconds of both
the first and second quar
ters. and finished the game
with 11 points. The 67
points were the most by the
young Hornets in a game
this season.
The Hornets will play at
Central Fellowship Jan 21.
four team scores.
Perry Highs head wrestling coach Dwayne
Dimsdale said that the tournament gives his
team an unique opportunity by having so
many matches in one location.
'lts the only time as a team, we can see 15
other teams in two days at one event. Our
wrestlers will be there the entire time, when
they aren't wrestling they will be watching
other competitors. There are 14 weight class
es with 16 guys in each weight class. Since
this is a double elimination tournament, that
is a lot of wrestling matches in just two days.’
The money raised by concessions and tick
ets for admission will be added to the school
wrestling fund to help fund traveling expens
es and uniforms for the school.
points over the first three
quarters by the Westfield
defense, particularly Rachel
Moore and Katie Byrd.
Marshall, who scored 21
points in the earlier meeting
between the two teams, fin
ished the game with just
three baskets and nine
points.
Meanwhile, the Lady Hor
nets were spreading the
scoring around, with 10 dif
ferent players putting points
on the scoreboard, including
Moore's 12 and 10 by Peake.
Arnold scored eight and
Hornet rally falls mere
points short against Tiftarea
By PHIL CLARK
HOME_JOimjjALSPORTfi___ iii __ i ____
The Westfield Hornets
struggled for nearly four
quarters against a quicker
Tiftarea team at the Hornets'
Nest Jan 15.
After falling behind by 10
points twice in the third and
fourth quarters, battled back
to pull to within a point, 57-
55, with a minute left. But
the Panthers were able to
dodge a last second bullet
and hold on for a 62-57 non
region victory over the Hor
nets, avenging an earlier 62-
58 loss to Westfield at
Tiftarea.
With 46 seconds left in the
game, Tiftarea's Jay Slocum
hit one of two from the foul
line to increase the lead to
three.
With 14 seconds left,
Westfield’s Mitch Greer was
fouled, and sank both free
throws before Ernest Greene
stole the Panthers’ inbounds
pass at midcourt. But the
Hornets themselves turned
the ball over without getting
a shot off, and the Panthers
were able to hold on for the
win.
The loss spoiled an out
Perry splits weekend games
with Southwest, Peach County
By ALLINE KENT
Home Journal Sports
A 14-point run in the last
three minutes of the game
Jan. 14 lifted the Lady Pan
thers over the visiting South
east Warriors by a score of
46-43 at the Panther Pit.
The win gave the Perry
team both a region win and a
big confidence booster before
entering the end of the regu
lar season region stretch.
Freshman Natassjia
Mitchell scored 15 points
which included two 3-point
ers in the last quarter, one of
which tied the game up with
a minute left.
“She is beginning to recog
nize her mistakes," Perry Girls
coach Max Vickers said of
Mitchell this week. “She steps
out there and go, go, goes."
Although Southeast
opened the last quarter of
the game with 11 unan
swered points and stretched
their lead to 41-30 with 3:16
left in the game, Perry didn't
let up. Mitchell hit her first
trey of the evening to start
the Panther rally.
After Mitchell’s second
trey that tied the game off, it
was defense and a little theft
that clinched the victory for
the Panthers. Kiki Woodard’s
steal and return down court
for a layup was good for the
go-ahead. After the Warriors
pass was picked off. Perry,
assisted by Mitchell’s last
second one point free throw,
sealed the Warriors' fate.
“We did some things well,”
said Vickers speaking about his
team after the game, “We stole
the ball away a couple of times
Amanda Murph 6 for West
field. Leslie Durden had six
for Tiftarea as the Lady Pan
thers dropped to 1-15 for the
season. Westfield improved
to 6-7.
Westfield (49) Todd 2. Arnold 6.
Moore 12. Peake 10. B.A. Murph 2.
Dudley 3. Thompson 2. A. Murph 6.
Byrd 2, Barrett 2
Tiftarea (29) Herring 2, Marshall
9. Brown 3. Ptlkinton 4. Durden 6.
Young 1. Shiver 2. Massey 2.
Halftime score: Westfield 26.
Tiftarea 15
Three point goals: Westfield 1
(Arnold) Tiftarea none
standing performance by
Westfield's Greene, who took
over the inside play when
Daniel Weir was forced to the
bench in foul trouble. Greene
responded bv scoring a sea
son high 27 points and giv
ing the Hornets an outstand
ing game on the backboards
as well. Weir finished the
game with 10 points before
fouling out.
Tiftarea won the game
with a balanced scoring
attack and a quick, aggres
sive defense. Carson Bowen
and Slocum each scored 14
points for the Panthers. Kyle
Grist pitched in 13 while
Josh Pope had 10. The loss
drops Westfield to 6-7 over
all, while Tiftarea improved
to 9-7.
The Hornets play at Cen
tral Fellowship Friday Jan.
21 and at George Walton the
following night.
Westfield (57) Holt 6. Sexton 6,
Greene 27. Weir 10, Jones 6. Greer 2
Tiftarea (62) Pate 2. Slocum 14.
Derek Grist 7. Kyle Grist 13. Pope
10, Bowen 14. Parkman 2
Halftime score: Tiftarea 35, West
field 24
Three point goals: Westfield 6
(Holt 2. Greene 2. Jones 2) Tiftarea
3 (Slocum. K. Grist. Pope)
and that really got us going.
These girls really play hard."
The Lady Panthers contin
ued to play hard the next
night but were not so lucky
against Peach County. Peach
County, already up by 4,
jumped out from the Pan
thers by 14 in the second to
take a 37-19 lead into the
locker room at the half.
“We had a chance to be in
it during the first quarter but
we dropped out. We tend to
get rattled not only by pres
sure but by new things,”
Vickers said.
Mitchell put 21 points on
the board against Peach
including 3 treys. Junior,
Marquita Ragin added 13
points of her own.
Vickers called his team
‘balanced’ with four juniors,
sophomores and freshmen
but said that they no longer
could be referred to as a
’young’ team.
“We have made excuses
because of their inexperience
but we are closing in to the
end of the season. If you
have been playing all season,
you're not really young any
more,” he said.
“I get a little disappointed
when we get rattled like we
did tonight but if they try to
do what I ask, that’s all 1
want. Peach was a tough
game, but we have got to
keep working. That’s our phi
losophy right now, keep
working and improving."
Vickers added.
“It was a tough night
tonight," said Vickers, “but
coming off last night makes
It a lithe better.'*
Skin a peach!
Perry rallies, downs Peach
County 92-84 in overtime
By ALLINE KENT
matter In Bie
region standings, it sure seemed to matter.
But of course, the opponent made the dif
ference the Peach County Trojans
Carl Thomas and his Perry Panthers ral
lied back time after time and then made it
through three overtime periods before nail
ing Peach 92-84 at home Jan. 15.
Michael Whitehead led the way with 39
points in the game, with A 1 Thornton chip
ping in 16 and Michael Robinson adding
17.
Whitehead’s 39 points included four
treys and 13 hits out of 17 from the foul
line. It was without a doubt - his night.
But for fans watching the nail-biter that
went back and forth all night, with never
more than a five point difference, it was the
calmness of the team and their coaching
staff that maybe was most amazing.
Thomas kept a smile and even laughed at
some
“Those kind of games are fun to watch,"
said Thomas after the Peach County win.
“But they are even more fun to play. You
get such rushes of adrenaline. You feel like
you have been playing eight minutes and
you look up at the clock and only one
minute has ticked off."
Despite two first-quarter Peach County
dunks that ignited the Trojan fans at the
game. Perry held their composure and
refused to get rattled, going into the half
with a 7-point lead and never letting up.
With 1:30 left in the game, and tied at
62, Peach County went up by two only to
Arnold leads Westfield over Windsor
By PHIL CLARK
It has not been a good year
for the defending state cham
pion Windsor Lady Knights,
and the Westfield Lady Hor
nets added to their woes Jan
14 with a 40-27 win behind
Lina Arnold's 14 points.
Windsor’s only consistent
player was veteran post play
er Merideth Cook, who had a
game-high 15 points.
The Lady Hornets jumped
Panthers get key region 4-AA victory
By ALLINE KENT
Home Journal Sports
With four region games left on the Pan
thers schedule before the 4-AA tournament
begins, what the Panthers needed most this
past week was a region win. That is exactly
what they got after beating Southeast 66-53
Friday night.
Perry pushed their region record up to 2-3 with
rematches against Dodge, Tri-County, Macon
County and Southeast still left before tournament
play starts the second week of February.
Michael Whitehead led the Panthers
against Southeast with 24 points while
Michael Robinson added 15 points. Both
Whitehead and Robinson had three treys
Ducks Unlimited banquet set for Feb. 10
Special to the Home Journal
TTTT" annual fundraising
dinner of the Perry Area
Chapter of Ducks Unlimited
will be held at the Houston
Lake Country Club on Feb.
10 at 6 p.m.
Members will have the
opportunity to participate in
a multi-gun raffle, a Polaris
Model 335 four-wheeler
statewide raffle, a cloisonne
collection of all the federal
Weir sparks Westfield over MdS Cavaliers
By PHIL CLARK
Home Journal Sports
Daniel Weir scored a sea
son high 28 points at the Hor
nets’ Nest Jan 11 as the West
field Hornets captured a 66-
58 win over Mount de Sales to
pick up their first region lAAA
victory of the year after two
region setbacks.
Weir's big night began as
he fired ten first quarter
Perry Middle School in second half of basketball season
By ALLINE KENT
Home Journal Bports
this week mark the start of the second halt ot
middle school basketball season in Houston Coun
ty As the second half begins, thiee of Periy's four
teams will be light in dying to hold on to their top
ranking.
Perry Middles Bth giode boys team, with a 2-
4 record, is the only one of the four team currently
not ranked either Ist or 2nd in the county With six
games left to ploy before the middle school tour
nament and all four losses for the Bth grade boys
within three or four points, hopes ore high that the
Bth grade team will be oble to turn the tide
around
"They have been in every gome, not ore not
getting blown away,' sold Coach Leslie Belcher
At the top of the pack are the 7th grode girls,
led by Coo<h Belcher, who stand with a 6-0 record
after meeting all of the other middle schools in the
county Coach Belchei commented on two of his
players in on interview this week, Ashley Fairfax for
Pwiy 46 SoutheMt 48 (gfala)
Fatima Stripling 8. Marqulta Ragain 4. Jessica
Green 2. KiU Woodard 13, Nataiwfla Mitchell 15.
Amber Overton 2. Niokie Hill 2
Perry 66 Southeast 53 (boys)
A 1 Thornton 8. Ronnie Collier 2. Michael Robinson
15. Ramon Foster 2. Kite Asbury 10. Michael White
head 24, Carlos Montgomery 5
Three Pointers - Robinson 3. Asbury 2, Whitehead 3
Pon y S 3 Peach County 60 (girls)
Stripling 8, Ragln 13. Woodard 4, Mitchell 21.
Davis 1, Overton 2. Hill
Three pointers- Mitchell 3
Peny 03 Peach County 04
Allen 4. Thorton 16, Collier 4, Robinson 17. Foster
7. Asbury 3. Whitehead 39. Montgomery 2
Three pointers - Robinson 3, Whitehead 4. Asbury 1
be tied up again by A 1 Thorton’s throw that
seemed to roll the rim a million times leav
ing the crowd holding their breath before it
dropped through.
Peach County went out in front again so
Kris Asbury nailed a three-pointer with 14
seconds left to tie the game and force over
time.
Perry fans chewed their nails through
the first and second OT periods, watching
the Panthers fall back by one or two only to
come right back at the Trojans.
During the 3rd overtime and with only
37 seconds left, the Panthers went up 90-
84 after A 1 Thorton shot for two combined
with one from the line put the proverbial
nail into Peach.
“It was an exciting and fun game."
remarked Thomas. “The best game we have
played all season. Even if we hacf lost it still
would have been a fun game."
out to a quick lead as Arnold
hit two baskets then drilled a
three-pointer as Westfield
took an 11-8 lead after a
quarter.
Beth Ann Murph then led
a 14-3 Westfield run In the
second quarter, sparking the
team to a 25-11 halftime
advantage.
Both teams were sluggish
offensively in the third quar
ter, scoring just five points
each before the Lady Hornets
each. Senior Kris Asbury put 10 points on the
board with 2 threes.
“We have the ability to shoot the ball well,"
said Coach Carl Thomas. “We have come
along way this season in the execution of
offense."
Execute the Panthers did. Up only 29-3 ' at
the end of the second, the Panthers took ■ rt
trol of the game in the third with a r 'ne 'nt
run that put Perry up 49-39 goiut inf the
fourth. 10 of Michael Robinson's ■' j Fits
came in the third.
Perry will travel to Dodge County Friday
night to take on the undefeated Indians
before coming home to face the Demons on
Saturday.
ducks stamps dating back to
1934, the 1999 DU gun of
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Tickets are S6O each and
SBS per couple, and should
be purchased in advance.
Ducks Unlimited was
founded in 1937 and has
over 5,000 fundraising
events around the country in
all 50 states.
points to keep pace with the
Cavaliers, who took a 13-12
lead after a quarter.
Then in the fourth, the
Hornets were able to convert
from the foul line as the Cav
aliers were forced to foul try
ing to get the ball back. West
field hit 10 of fourteen free
throws in the period and held
off a charge led by Nick
Richardson.
her great ball hondling skills combined with her
incredible play ogoinst man to man pressure ond
Sabre king, who he said is such a good player she
'could ploy ony position’
Perry's Bth grade girls, who won the county
championship os 7th graders last seoson are in
second place with their 5-1 record, their only com
ing agoinst undefeated Feagin Mill. Coach Pamela
Anderson, said that Shuntina Davis has aveioged
20+ points a gome during the first half of the
seoson
Cooch Jomes lottimores 7th grode boys, ore 4-
2 right now and ore tied for 2nd place
County ranking will determine seed placement
in the middle school all-county tournament which
will begin on February 9th The number one seed
ed team earns o bye ond a few days rest before the
tournoment starts Coach Belcher said that while
all the Perry teams hove faced each school once
already, that the second half of the season would
be even tougher
'Team defenses and offenses ore set by now,'
| A TAAA f/ciufn Ujmm# Icura a/
WCu.i JIA> aWvj i MUHwPI
put the game away, despite
seven fourth quarter points
by Cook. The win evened
Westfield’s region lAAA
record at 2-2, while Windsor
dropped to 0-3.
Westfield (40) (Todd 3. Arnold 14.
Moore 5. Peake 8. Beth Ann Murph
6. Thompson 4.
Windsor (27) Melissa Hodge 2.
Smith 2. Karen Hodge 2. Cook 15.
Bray 6.
Halftime score- Westfield 25,
Windsor 11 Three point goals: West
field 1 (Arnold) Windsor none
Georgia Ducks Unlimited
has 27 completed waterfowl
projects in the state of Geor
gia, encompassing over
13,500 acres for total costs
exceeding $2.2 million. The
latest Marsh project dedica
tion was held in Apul a I
Riverbend WMA in Laurens
County.
For tickets for the dinner
call Herb Wells at 912-987
2719.
Weir's 28 was tops for the
game. Jones had 13 for the
Hornets, Will Holt and
Ernest Greene 8 each.
Westfield (66) Kitchens 6. Holt 8.
Sexton 3. Greene 8, Weir 28. Jones
13
MDS (58) Tharpe 8. Geddls 11,
Mcßride 6. Richardson 20. Hatcher
8. Brown 2, Slocum 3
Halftime score: Westfield 31.
MDS 25 Three point goals: Westfield
2 (Holt. Jones) MDS 3 (Richardson
2. Slocum)
sold Belcher 'We will be going ogoinst the best
these teams hove to offer These lost thiee weeks
ore very important'
Middle school oction will resume today
ogainst Rumble The two seventh grode teams
will be trovelina to Worner Robins while the Bth
Steams will be ploying ot the middle school
/ afternoon Perry will face Horthsidc, this
time with the 7th graders ergoying home court
odvontoge and the Bth grode visiting
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