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V WEDNESDAY,
JULY 23, 2003
ON TAP
Warner Robins
National League
Friday
■ Prospects, a USSSA Major
Division travelling team (with five
Warner Robins players) at Orlando
vs. teams (and at times to be
determined)
Warner Robins
American Little League
Aug. 2
■ Junior League softball team at
South Region in Fort Myers Florida
vs. teams (and at times to be
determined)
Perry Junior League
Aug. 2
■ Debs at World Series vs. teams
(and at times to be determined)
■ Angels at World Series vs.
teams (and at times to be deter
mined)
IN BRIEF
Fall league softball
sign-ups to begin
The Warner Robins
Recreation Department will hold
team registration for the 2003
Fall Softball League Aug. 11 and
12. Teams can register between
the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at
the center at 800 Watson Blvd.
According to their release, they
will register the first 28 coed and
21 mens teams. The entry fee is
$312 per team.
For more information, call 929-
1914 or 1916.
International City
course hosts tourney
International City Golf Course
will host Bill Butler's “Drive fro
Chrysler” Scramble Tournament
to benefit the Houston County
chapter of Habitat for Humanity
Aug. 9 starting at 9 a.m. The reg
istration fee is S4O. The prize for
a hole-in-one is a brand new
Chrysler. For more information
contact tournament director
Allen Slentz at 971-7777.
WR Rec seeks
volleyball players
The Warner Robins
Recreation Department will
begin registration for the 2003
Youth Volleyball League Aug. 18
through 29 between the hours of
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program is
open to children ages 13
through 18, with an age control
date of Aug. 31. Call the center
at 929-1916 for more.
WNNG to air Falcons,
6a. Tech games
The sports department at
WNNG 1350 AM will begin car
rying radio coverage of Atlanta
Falcons football and Georgia
Tech football starting this
August. The Falcons regular
season coverage begins Sept. 7
at 4:15 p.m. and Tech coverage
will begin Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m.
TRIVIA TRIVIAL
Quick quiz...
In tennis, what’s a bagel?
On this date...
1991 Desiree Washington,
a Miss Black America contest
ant, charged she'd been raped
by boxer Mike Tyson in an
Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson
was later convicted of rape and
served three years in prison.
Born on date...
July 23, 1919 Pee Wee
Reese: The shortstop and captain
on Brooklyn’s great Boys of
Summer team, he gave Jackie
Robinson moral support in break
ing baseball’s color line.
He said it...
“A hot dog at the ballpark is
better than steak at the Ritz.”
Humphrey Bogart
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Local schools begin
practice as a team'
By Josh Gordon
HHJ Sports Writer
WARNER ROBINS
July 21 marked the
first day of “involun
tary,” mandatory football prac
tice for Warner Robins’ three
Region 2-AAAAA schools:
Warner Robins, Houston
County, and Northside.
Each head football coach had
different methods and ideas of
how to conduct the first formal
practice of the season, but all
said they were installing special
teams information this week to
make next week’s transition to
practicing in pads easier.
None of the coaches have also
had any trouble getting players
to attend off season “voluntary”
workouts in the summer, as all
three coaches said they are see
ing the same faces and work
ethic they’ve been party to all
Conley: Season’s
first practice is
Perry’s ‘best ever’
By Will Kieman
HHJ Sports Writer
PERRY Winning is contagious, so all
Perry’s football team needs to do is get
infected.
And, after starting practice Monday, Perry
Westfield holds
the line
While the Georgia
High School
Association allowed
its teams to practice
Monday, that isn’t the
case for the Georgia
Independent School
Association.
“We don’t start until
next Monday,” said
Westfield head foot
ball coach Ronnie
Jones in reference to
July 28.
Short-term he said
that meant the
Hornets will continue
voluntary weight,
conditioning training
until then.
Kaiser last coached at Statesboro High,
when the team made a run at the state
championship.
He also graduated from the University of
Georgia, where he played football. Kaiser
will coach the offensive line and be the
offensive coordinator for Perry.
“He and I have been friends for years,”
Conley stated.
Carruthers, on the other hand, comes
from Colquitt County and played ball for
Troy State. Carruthers will coach the line
backers.
Finally, Masters will fill the spot left open
by Randy Moss. Moss moved on to Perry
See PERRY, page 2B
Warner Robins Aquanauts become 'Masters' of their own destiny
By Don Moncrief
HHJ Sports Editor
WARNER ROBINS The
Warner Robins Aquanauts have
recently added a new “arm” to
their swimming program.
That’s the term head coach
James Parker uses to describe
the Masters swim team, a
group of adults competing in
age levels ranging from 20
years and up.
The team has actually been
in existence for a while Parker
said but “wasn’t officially sanc
tioned until early-to-midsum
mer.”
“We had to get registered
summer long.
“Most of our kids have been
here this summer and if they
haven’t been they’ve been on
vacation and told us,” Houston
County head football coach
Doug Johnson said.
Johnson and the Bears expect
to see 120 students on the prac
tice field this fall, according to
Johnson including his ninth
grade team.
“Varsity you’re talking about
75 which is probably pretty sim
ilar to most of the others out
there,” he said.
In terms of a numerical dis
parity from summer to fall prac
tice, Johnson saw no change.
“We’ll probably gain a few
unknown people when school
starts,” he said. “I don’t have
anyone that hasn’t been coming
(to practice).
See TEAMS, page 3B
Wetting their appetites
head football
coach Chuck
Conley believes
his team just is
coming down
with something.
“Monday was
the best first day
ever, since I’ve
been at Perry,”
Conley said.
“I think we’ll
have a great
year.”
Part of Perry’s
newfound enthu
siasm comes from
the infusion of
fresh faces on the
coaching staff.
Jeff Kaiser,
Blake Curruthers
and Shawn
Masters replace
gaps left in the
coaching staff fol
lowing changes in
the off-season.
Georgia Games Aquanauts results:
■ Florrie Cunningham first place in 50-meter breaststroke,
50-meter butterfly, 50- and 100-meter freestyle
■ Anna DeLozier first 800-meter freestyle, 400-meter
Individual medley, 50- and 100-meter backstroke
■ Tracy Burkholder first in 50- and 100-meter breaststroke
and 100-meter freestyle. Second in 50-meter freestyle
■ James Parker Second in 50-meter freestyle
■ Relay team of DeLozier, Burkholder, Parker and Cindy
Parker first in 200-meter freestyle and 200 medley race
through United States Masters
swimming,” he explained.
“They give you permission to
compete at various meets
Sports
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HHJ/Don Moncrief
Sophomore tackle Ben Harden takes advantage of a break in football practice at
Perry High School Monday to cool down. The Panthers along with presumably
most GHSA schools began their first day of team workouts on that day.
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HHJ Josh Gordon
Head coach Robby Pruitt surveys his first official practice of the season Monday at the school
while offensive line coach Brian Way, background, instructs a new crop of athletes. Pruitt
emphasized the offensive line as a facilitator for the rest of the offensive to achieve success.
throughout the year ... typical
ly one, two a month.”
That being said, the team
began its inaugural year with a
highly successful venture in
Atlanta this past weekend at
the 2003 Georgia Games state
championships.
They “strong-armed” the
competition you might say. Out
of 15 events, the Masters won
13.
One of their most decorated
swimmers was Florrie
Cunningham who was compet
ing in the women’s 20-to-25-
year-old division.
She won the 50-meter breast
stroke, 50-meter butterfly and
50- and 100-meter freestyle.
Alongside her was teammate
Anna DeLozier, swimming in
WiMt
Josh Gordon
Sports Writer
jgordon@evansnewspapers.com
Football is the
only relief for
the addiction
The first sign that some
one is suffering from
addiction is the pres
ence of withdrawal. You could
be suffering from a deficiency of
cocaine, heroin, or the nation’s
most powerful narcotic foot
ball.
It doesn’t matter what level
of football, either. It could be
recreation, backyard, high
school, college or professional.
Somehow, America’s version of
football has grabbed the oft
fleeting attention of America’s
youth and elderly alike.
You want to calm a hyperac
tive child down? Throw the
Ritalin away and scrap Barney
to plop them down in front of
Parkview-Northside in the
Georgia Dome, Michigan-Ohio
State at the Horseshoe or
Georgia-Auburn between the
hedges.
Explain the national magni
tude of a Florida State versus
Miami game to a child, then
show them how to make a field
goal.
Show them Ohio State’s vic
tory in the Fiesta Bowl last year
and the importance of a refer
ee’s position when making a
pass interference call.
Point out what a hobnailed
boot is so they comprehend
See GORDON, page 3B
A few good men
and women
The Warner Robins
Aquanauts are currently
looking for people to join the
Masters swim team.
If interested, contact James
Parker at 929-8044.
the women’s 35-to-40-year-old
age group.
She captured the 800-meter
freestyle, 400-meter individual
medley, 50- and 100-meter
backstroke.
See AQUANAUTS, page 2B
SECTION
B