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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
True
Patriots
The Chargers and
Patriots faced off at
Perkins Field Monday
in one of many Warner
Robins-Perry
Recreation depar
ments football games
on the day. Photos,
clockwise, Patriots
quarterback Gordon
Wells (4) hands off to
Antwon Campbell. The
Chargers’ cheerlead
ing squad take a break.
Chargers players
Aaron Howler (12),
Sterling Hardin (31)
and others wait for the
third quarter to begin.
Saints cheerleaders
perform for the oppo
sition’s fans during
halftime. For more
photos, visit our Web
site at hhjnews.com.
HHJ Don Moncrief
PERRY —
From page 1B
That thought eludes no
one and hits no harder than
in the Panthers Pit. In fact,
Conley was so concerned
about the emotional dam
age after the loss to the
Raiders, he said he person
ally called each player
Saturday.
“We are so close to
becoming as good as we can
be,” he said. “The kids keep
buying into what we’re sell
ing and playing hard but
after Friday, I thought to
myself, ‘Golly Pete.’ I felt
like someone had suddenly
let all the air out of me, so I
could just imagine what it
would do to the kids being
in that arena. And it is very
emotional, don’t let anyone
kid you on that.”
Conley’s words were
those of confidence and to
stay the course. He said
they responded well and
after seeing “most of them”
at school Monday, added
they appear to have weath
ered another storm.
However, the goal
remains the same: To get
them over that edge.
This week, being a bye
week.for them, they’ve var
ied their routine. The staff
DEMONS-
From page 1B
when we want to,” the coach
continued.
Pruitt said the Demons
are still trying to improve on
three intricate fundamentals
of the game like carrying out
fakes and maintaining
blocks.
According to Pruitt one
player that is steadily
improving from week to
week is running back Alton
Sanders.
To Pruitt, the junior is get
ting better at the little
things, improving the com
plexity of the Wing T offense
which benefits from play
action running and play
action passing.
“We’re trying to use Alton
in a number of different
ways,” Pruitt said. “We want
him to be a complete back.
Not just running the ball
and catching the ball but
blocking too. He’s improving
each week, though, he’s got
ten better each week.”
Pruitt is stressing consis
tency and continuity to his
young bunch of Demons in
their preparations this week.
“We’re just trying to get a
little better and have some
continuity,” Pruitt said.
“Someone might play strong
safety this week. Next week
he’s outside linebacker and
the next week he’s corner
back. We just have to get into
a groove and we haven’t
done that yet.”
HHJ Prediction:
Warner Robins 24,
Jonesboro 20
1 felt like someone had suddenly let all
the air out of me r so I could just
imagine what it would do to the kids
being in that arena/
Perry head football coach Chuck Conley
gave them Sunday off
they typically watch game
film. They had a light day
Monday and Conley said
they’ll also be given Friday
off.
Part of their time, he
added, will be allotted for
working on things they
struggled at a short list
he added while the rest
will be used to prepare for
Southwest, their next oppo
nent.
As far as turning in the
right direction, Conley
reverts back to his earlier
statement. And he should
know. He’s seen and done it
before.
“When I went to Screven
(County),” he said. “In
their history they had had
little to be encouraged
about. The first year I was
there, we were 3-7. Three
years later, we were playing
HHJ Josh Gordon
Nick Butler gets his big bandaged paw up to deflect a
Tucker Pruitt pass in blitzing drills during Monday's
practice. Butler has been nursing various injuries this
season but has managed to keep his motor working
and disrupt the timing of opposing offenses.
Living on the edge ...
Warner Robins Jonesboro
Power rating 101.45% Power rating 83.78%
l l Rushing offense
Passing offense [^j
I l Rushing defense
Passing defense | |
[ ] Special teams
l ! Giveaway/takeaway
A V equals an advantage if only in terms
of statistical data. A “=” means they’re even
for the championship.”
What makes this Perry
team different?
“If anything it’s their
ability to show uninhibited
emotion,” said Conley,
“which is a good thing.
That’s one of the reasons
we make them hold hands
when we pray as a team.
When it’s down and dirty,
fourth and one, we tell
them to squeeze a little
tighter. That’s how they
know they’re part of a
team.”
“Let me say this,” he
added. “As much as it hurts
to lose, this is also an excit
ing time because we’re
almost there. We know
where we’ve been. We’ve
suffered but the kids con
tinue to give it their all. As
long as they continue to do
that, we’re going, to be
alright.”
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Zook begins to pick up support
FireßonZook.com has
been a popular site
ever since the Miami
loss, but Florida fans are
learning to believe in the
coach, albeit very slowly.
Zook named a true fresh
man Chris Leak the starting
quarterback, but he engi
neered the largest road come
from behind victory in school
history at the unfriendly con
fines of Kentucky’s
Commonwealth Stadium.
Not bad for an 18-year-old.
Leak finished 20-35 for 268
passing yards and a pair each
of touchdowns and intercep
tions. Most importantly, his
team has started to beheve in
him.
Florida (3-2, 1-1 SEC) has
shown well in the fourth
quarter as well, outscoring
opponents 70-20 in the final
period.
It should also be noted that
the Gators are extremely bal
anced on offense, rushing 172
times and throwing 169.
ARKANSAS FOR REAL:
Last year when Arkansas
made the SEC title game
against UGA, and got blown
out, every fan and pundit
thought it was a fluke.
Apparently, that was not the
case.
The Razorbacks (4-0, 1-0
SEC) are ranked in the top 10
and playing as if they belong
back in the Georgia Dome at
season’s end ... or perhaps in
another Dome on the bayou.
Running back Cedric Cobbs
is a big reason for Arkansas’
success this year.
In their overtime victory in
Tuscaloosa over Alabama
Cobbs racked up 198 rushing
yards.
In fact, the rushing offense
has been the focus of the
Houston Nutt era. With Nutt
at the helm the Razorbacks
have rushed for 200 yards as a
team in 23 of his 66 games ...
they are 20-3 in those con
tests
TIDE NOT ROLLING ON D:
In fact, the reason Alabama
has even been in games this
season is because of their
offense. Quarterback Brodie
Croyle threw the longest TD
pass of his career Saturday
versus Arkansas, a 71-yard
bomb to Dre Fulgham.
Running back Shaud
Williams has done his part as
well. He is only the second
player in Alabama (2-3, 1-1
SEC) history to have two
career rushing TDs of 80-
yards or more. He sits second
in the SEC and ninth in the
nation in all-purpose rushing
yards in 2003, averaging
157.2 per game.
AUBURN COMING
AROUND: After a Clemson
esque beginning to their sea
son, an embarrassment on
national television, Auburn
has been steadily improving
from week to week.
Granted, they played a
Western Kentucky team
Saturday that’s just not very
COLLEGE notebook
Compiled by Josh Gordon
good, but quarterback Jason
Campbell is finding his
rhythm. He threw 13 times
Saturday completing 12 of
them, making him fifth all
time in single game comple
tion percentage in the SEC.
He threw only 13 times
because the Tigers (202, 1-0
SEC) are running the ball
better with each passing
game.
The Tigers’ defense is also
third in the SEC and eighth in
the nation in scoring defense
allowing just 12.5 points per
game.
With the bulk of their con
ference schedule yet to come,
it remains to be seen if
Auburn can continue their
intensity in conference play.
BULLDOG DEFENSE:
After graduating a bunch of
players from the defense,
including the linebacking
corps, and withstanding a
myriad injuries in the presea
son I thought UGA’s defense
wouldn’t be very good this
year.
I would be wrong.
Georgia (3-1,1-1 SEC) leads
the conference in scoring
defense with 8.5 points per
game, a mark good enough for
fourth in the country.
Junior defensive back Sean
Jones has emerged as one of
Region football standings
GHSA Region 4-AAA
Team W/L/T Region Prcntg.
Mary Persons 4-0-0 2-0-0 1.000
Peach County 3-1-0 2-0-0 1.000
Northeast-Macon 3-0-0 1-0-0 1.000
Southwest-Macon 2-2-0 1-1-0 0.500
Dodge County 2-2-0 1-1-0 0.500
West Laurens 1-3-0 1-1-0 0.500
Dublin 1-2-0 0-1-0 0.000
Perry 1-3-0 0-2-0 0.000
Central-Macon 0-4-0 0-2-0 0.000
Friday
Perry bye
Peach County at Central
West Laurens at Dodge County
Mary Persons at Dublin
Northeast at Southwest
GISA Region 3, Class I AAA
Team W/L/T Region Prcntg.
Deertield-Windsor 6-0-0 0-0-0 0.000
Sherwood Christian 4-2-0 0-0-0 0.000
Westfield Schools 3-2-0 0-0-0 0.000
Southland Academy 1-4-1 0-0-0 0.000
Friday
Sherwood at Westwood
Tattnall Square at Deerfield-Windsor
Windsor at Southland
Westfield at Stratford
GISA Region 4, Class I AAA
Team W/L/T Region Prcntg.
Central Fellowship 1-3-0 0-0-0 0.000
John Milledge Academy 3-3-0 0-0-0 0.000
Windsor Academy 2-4-0 0-0-0 0.000
Pinewood Christian 0-6-0 0-0-0 0.000
Friday
Mount de Sales at Central Fellowship
John Milledge at Riverside
Windsor at Southland
George Walton at Pinewood
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2003 ♦
the most exciting players in
the country in that time as
well.
He picked three passes in
the first four games of the sea
son tying him atop the SEC
charts this year and putting
him sixth in the nation.
Coach Mark Richt told the
dawgpost.com that the run
ning back job is still up for
grabs until someone claims it.
The battle waged by Tyson
Browning, Kregg Lumpkin,
Ronnie Powell and Michael
Cooper doesn’t come down to
who can run the ball the best
or even who catches the best.
Richt said for a player to
differentiate himself from the
pack he must prove he is able
to block well and pick up
blitzes out of the backfield.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED:
Tennessee is 4-0 overall and
2-0 in the SEC. The last time
they started a season this way
they went 13-0 and won a
national championship in the
Fiesta Bowl over Nebraska.
The Vols are no slouch this
year either, having already
beaten a very good Florida
team and amassed impressive
rushing yards with Cedric
Houston and Jabari Davis.
As impressive as the Vols
have looked this season, they
are still lacking one impor
tant statistic with which they
usually don’t struggle.
Currently the Vols have yet to
score off of an opponent’s
turnover all season.
3B