Newspaper Page Text
v H 4H • It
fin)
Westfield topples Stratford
By Phil Clark
Sports Writer
The Westfield Lady Hornets
won their thirteenth straight
game and fourteenth overall,
improving their region lAAA
record to 4-0 with a 54-41 win
over the Stratford Lady Eagles
Tuesday night at the Hornets’
Nest. The Lady Hornets broke
open a close game with a 20-point
second quarter after the two
region rivals battled on almost
even terms through the first
eight minutes.
Still leading by just five points
midway through the second quar
ter, Westfield suddenly caught
fire, with Stephanie Thompson
drilling a trey followed by a power
move inside by Ashley Burger.
Suddenly there was a little
breathing room, and a nine point
lead. For good measure,
Thompson hit another three
pointer with just six seconds left
in the half to give her team a 33-
21 halftime lead. Both Burger
and Thompson finished the game
with eighteen points.
Playing excellent defense
against the Lady Eagles’ outside
shooters Lindsey Pharr and
Lauren Hollman, the Lady
Hornets were able to effectively
shut down the Stratford offense.
Westfield coach Leigh Ann
Johnson said before the game
“Our plan is to keep Pharr from
driving inside then passing out
side to Hollman for the open shot.
We want to keep someone
between Pharr and Hollman
when Pharr tries to penetrate
inside”. The strategy worked as
Pharr was limited to seven points
and Hollman 12. Hollman’s two
three pointers came in the first
and fourth quarters.
With Burger leadihg a domi
nating backboard game, the Lady
Hornets controlled the rebound
ing statistics and a tight inside
Westfield's softball state champions honored
Kiß a 1 M&Ur ~ Lammr TM*
wMf* *■' /'"itßm VWBBy.-' '.vHHH •**Wf 1 JSMf'
HHf V f i 1&, . . flB /* >\H|< .i Av %
WrMm * ■ iL&j yWj JCTI .... 1
TOfT A AwjdL . %ffcbiwr* l -J» T 1 msZM ■•%'r ■*£2aßn
■nJfidEEf j»v mnL * , 'MflflßP'JfeurfJK, .. • *
m Bm w aLI. flk-j A *gl JM iK.iPw i-AMllwy^H—tw .
jni
B - \W <>jß B B By 1 i
«H§ |,
H■Hv • JißßhFsMßMlpv.'llflWsflijm&Mj
«
Photo by Judy Hall
The state-fast pitch softball champions, the Westfield Lady Hornets, are: front row, left to right, Becca
Roper, Kelly Smith, Lindsey Williamson, Lauren Johnson, Kate Greene, Katie Stewart, Nikki Dean.
Back row, left to right, Lana Mackey, Keri George, Jamie Madruga, Hanna Barrett, Amanda Murph,
Becca Dudley, Worth Chestnut, Abby Davidson, Stephanie Thompson.
By Phil Clark
Sports Writer
On a night during which both
Westfield basketball teams were
winning over the teams from
Stratford Academy, the Westfield
Lady Hornets state champi
onship fast pitch softball team
was honored with the presenta
tion of championship rings dur
ing halftime of the boys basket
ball team. Headmaster Dr.
Michael Franklin introduced the
team members to the huge crowd
on hand for the games and the
presentation. The team finished
with a record of 22-4, and came
through the loser’s bracket to
dominate the final day of play in
the championship series.
As Franklin pointed out, the
team got stronger and stronger
defense forced Stratford to try to
score from outside. And the
defensive efforts by Katie Byrd
and Stephanie Thompson on the
perimeter shooters sent the Lady
Eagles to their sixth loss of the
season and second in lAAA.
Stratford did make a brief run
in the third quarter when
Westfield’s ball handling went
South for a few minutes.
Taking advantage of the mis
cues, the Lady Eagles turned
three straight turnovers into six
points to close the 33-29 with
five minutes left in the third
quarter, but by the end of the
period, the lead was back to nine
points at 40-31. In the fourth,
Hollman finally got open for a
pair of two point baskets and a
three pointer to close to five
Local basketball teams
have busy weekend
By Phil Clark
Sports Writer
The Perry basketball teams
will face Dublin in lAAA sub
region games Friday night at
Eric P Staples gymnasium. It
will be the first of a pair of
meetings with the Irish over a
ten day period. On Saturday
Mary Persons in the makeup of
games originally scheduled for
January 3rd, but postponed
because of the weather. Those
games are non-region games,
but it will be the third game for
the Perry teams in five days,
two of them on the road. The
teams played at West Laurens
on Tuesday.
After the busy weekend, the
Panthers and Lady Panthers
will have an open date next
Tuesday before resuming their
as the season progressed, and he
emphasized the team balance of
pitching, hitting and defense.
The team’s only senior, shortstop
Hanna Barrett, was recognized
for her leadership role.
The team includes junior catch
er Stephanie Thompson, an all
region and all-state and all-
Houston County performer; all
region second baseman Nikki
Dean; junior centerfielder Katie
Stewart, junior all-region first
baseman Becca Dudley; junior
outfielder Amanda Murph, junior
outfielder Abby Davidson, junior
outfielder Worth Chestnut, junior
outfielder Keri George, sopho
more all-region and all-state
third baseman Jamie Madruga,
sopomore left fielder Becca
Roper, sophomore third base
Poustmt ptatne
Sports
again at 41-36 before Burger hit
a point of free throws and Byrd
added a basket with six minutes
to play. Hanna Barrett hit a
base line jumper, and by the
time Becca Dudley and Burger
each put back an offensive
rebound with 1:45 left, the lead
was again at ten points.
The Lady Eagles are the
defending region lAAA and state
class AAA champions.
Westfield (54) Byrd 4,
Stephanie Thompson 18, Dudley
7, Barrett 7, Ashley Burger 18.
Stratford (41) Pharr 7, Vaughn 4,
Katz 5, Hollman 12, Rabun 7,
Smith 2, Cantrell 2, Richardson
2. Halftime score Westfield 33-
21. Three point baskets:
Westfield (Thompson 3)
Stratford (Hollman 2).
sub-region schedule as they
host West Laurens on February
Ist.
At Westfield, it’s an even
busier schedule. After hosting
the Stratford teams on
Tuesday night, both the Lady
Hornets and Hornets will play
at Windsor Academy on Friday
night. After a trip to Monroe
Academy Saturday , where the
girls’ B-game starts at 2pm,
the teams return to the
Hornets’ Nest on Tuesday of
next week for a return match
with the Mount de Sales
Cavaliers. Earlier, the Lady
Hornets beat the Cavaliers
while the Hornets lost a tough
overtime decision.
If you want to plan ahead,
tournaments for both schools
begin the second week in
February.
man/pitcher Lindsey Williamson,
sophomroe outfielder Kate
Greene, sophomore outfielder
Lauren Johnson, sophomore out
fielder Kelly Smith, all-region,
all-state and all Middle Georgia
eight grade pitcher Lana Mackey,
and senior all-region, all-state,
all-Houston County and all-
Middle Georgia shortstop Hanna
Barrett.
Assistant coach Leigh Ann
Johnson was also presented a
championship ring, as was head
coach Rodney Culverhouse,
named the GISA coach of the
year, the Daily Sun Coach of the
year and the Macon Telegraph
coach of the year.
The state championship Lady
Hornets return all but Barrett
next season.
Thursday, January 24, 2002
Hr r -wl| ir\ /w ’ JH^T 1 -W jjfck \ Al \ j
As Perry High School
Athletic Director Chuck
Conley leaped over the judges
table, the reality sank in that
the Perry High School
Competition Cheerleading
Squad had captured the Region
lAAA title. The squad heat
seven teams Saturday January
19 to become the region
champs. The Region
Competition was held at the
Houston County High School
Gymnasium before a packed
audience. The precision of the
Perry High Squad boosted
them to first place over defend
ing Region Champs Fitzgerald
High School. Fitzgerald came
in second place.
The journey for the Panther
Competition Squad started in
July. The squad worked dili
gently and sometimes at odd
hours to prepare for the victory
on Saturday. Competitions
began in December with a first
place win at Winderßarrow
High School’s Competition and
continued through first place
wins at Jones County and
Worth County. These wins set
the stage for a head to head
show down with powerful
Fitzgerald.
The Perry High Squad is
composed of fifteen dedicated
and hard working athletes who
are coached by Love Burnsed
and Courtney Herbert. The
motto of the squad is
“Believe”. Coach Burnsed said,
“This team believed that they
had won before they ever took
the floor”. The team did just
Hornets beat Eagles for third region win
Believe! Perry High Cheerleaders Win Region
The Champs! They are coached by Love Bumsed and Bourtney Herbert, below.
By Phil Clark
Sports Writer
When Westfield coach Duane
Hunter looked at his roster at
the beginning of the season, he
must have wondered where the
wins were coming from. On a
team decimated by graduation,
Hunter was looking at a pair of
seniors who got a lot of playing
time last season, but few starts.
There were a couple of sopho
mores with limited varsity
experience. There was a tall
transfer student and a one-time
starter who did not play last
year. But Hunter has managed
to put the pieces together, and
has his Hornets playing with
enthusiasm and more intensity
than his teams have shown in
the past couple of years.
Mitch Green, who got consid
erable playing time last year at
point guard, led a second half
charge Tuesday night to propel
the Hornets to a 56-46 region
lAAA win over the Stratford
Eagles, improving to 3-1 in
region play. The one loss was in
overtime to Mount de Sales.
K' IB I Ipg
that by nailing a near perfect
routine to bring the crowd to
its feet. Burnsed had informed
the team that it would take a
perfect performance to win.
The Panthers received a near
perfect score in the team spirit
category. Many parents, teach
ers and students werd in atten
dance and cheered on the
squad as they performed. The
confidence of the squad showed
in their voices, appearance,
tumbling, stunts and dancing.
Members of the squad are:
Samantha Bartlett, Elizabeth
Bullard, Savanna Cameron,
Christine Conley, Kendra
Dixon, Curt Gentry, Tiffany
Greer scored fourteen of his
team high 17 points in the sec
ond half when the Hornets
outscored Stratford 35-25 after
the teams were tied 21-all at
the half. But Greer wasn’t the
only weapon. Chance Jones,
who didn’t play last year and
missed part of this season
recovering from shoulder sur
gery, scored a solid fifteen
points. Bubba Blalock ignited
a seven point Westfield run at
the beginning of the third
quarter with a pair of free
throws and Greer followed by a
three pointer and a two point
basket for a 28-21 lead. After
Jones and Greer hit back to
back baskets for a 12-point
lead, Stratford’s Patrick
Sullivan and Kyle Johnston
scored seven points to again
Perry Spring Soccer registration
Registration for the Perry
Recreation Dept, spring soccer
program will continue through
Jan. 27, at 1060 Keith Drive. The
program is for boys and girls, ages
Giles, Daniel Gonzalez, Kalah
McCoy, Ashley McGuire, Mary
Anne Millender, Krystal
Radford, Tam Ragin, Nikki
Willis, and Candy Wright.
Managers are Blair Brown and
Kim Scott.
The PHS squad now moves
to the State Competitive
Cheerleading Competition in
Columbus on February 2. An
exhibition for the community
will be held at 7:30 in the
Perry High School Gym on
Thursday January 31. The
community is invited to see
this award winning group per
form and show support. The
exhibition is free.
cut into the Westfield lead,
which dwindled to five at 47-42
with just over two minutes to
play. Baskets by Andrew
Smith, the transfer, Blalock
and James Liipfert, the sopho
mores, and backup point guard
Hunt Sexton helped restore
order, though, and the Hornets
posted the key region victory
over the always-tough Eagles.
Westfield (56) Mitch Greer
17, Bubba Blalock 11, Liipfert
3, Chance Jones 15, Smith 6,
Sexton 4. Stratford (46) Bayme
2, Stevens 7, Osbon 6, Kyle
Johnston 13, Patrick Sullivan
10, Horne 5, Hochstader 3.
Halftime score: tied at 21-
21. Three point baskets:
Westfield (Greer 3, Jones 2)
Stratford (Stevens, Sullivan,
Hochstader).
4-18. Fees are $25 for city resi
dents and $35 for county resi
dents. Players with uniforms from
last season will receive a $lO dis
count. For info, call 988-2080.