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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
KENDRICK
From page 1B
said Perry defensive coordi
nator Andy Scott. “In the
defense we played, we were
really looking for speed. So,
we decided if they weren’t
going to use him, we
would.”
Now, fast-forward to
2003. The Panthers have
just lost their season-open
er, a heart-breaking loss to
Hawkinsville.
There are tears. There is
frustration. Conley, after
gathering his emotions
together, speaks to the
group. He tells them they
have two choices: Either
accept it or learn from it
and get better.
There is silence for about
10 seconds and then one
voice is heard in the wilder
ness, booming ... strong
and firm: “C’mon guys!
Let’s get better!”
The evolution of
Kendrick was complete.
From the ashes of what
was once maybe labeled a
“problem child,” a leader
has arisen.
“He went through a peri
od of growth both physical
ly (he is now 5-foot-8, 180
chiseled pounds) and men
tally,” said Conley. “But
right now he is the heart
and soul of our defense.
“He brings to the table,
particularly with our defen
sive scheme, exactly what
we need and want, and that
is athleticism, quickness
and the heart of the line.
“He’s very competitive.
He is lining up every night
(at defensive guard) against
kids 260, 270 and doing
great. Contact anyone
we’ve played and they’ll tell
you. For them to be success
ful, they’ve got to block 51.”
Born to and raised in
Perry by Dolly Walker, he is
a self-proclaimed
“momma’s boy.”
“I love my momma,” he
said there are also two
sisters. “My dad’s really
never been around, so he
hasn’t been in the picture,
but my momma, that’s my
baby. She’s been the person
who’s guided me to keep
my head on, telling me:
‘You’re going to win even
tually.’
HORNETS
From page 1B
“They are so big up front
that they just try to pene
trate up front and folks have
a tough time penetrating.
They depend on that line.”
On offense Jones said they
are not going to try anything
fancy, just execute their
offense better with each
passing week. After growing
pains with the offensive line
thus far, Jones is ready for
them to “stand up to the
challenge.”
“Whether it’s a run play or
a pass play you’ve got to
keep those folks out of your
backfield,” Jones said.
The leader of the Hornet
offense is senior quarterback
Bubba Blalock.
“He’s got to make good
decisions when they do have
pressure on him,” Jones
said. “We can’t make mis
takes like throwing intercep
tions and taking sacks. We
have to run the ball or throw
it out of bounds. We need a
good game out of him.”
On defense Westfield has
to prepare for a similar style
offense to their own Wing T
but they execute it different
ly. Even though many of the
formations are the same
Stratford tends to throw the
ball more at almost a 50-50
Living on the edge ...
Westfield Stratford
Power rating 86.30% Power rating 86.45%
ZJ Rushing offense i j
Passing offense [
Rushing defense [
Passing defense [ ]
I 1 Special teams
ZJ Qlveaway/takeaway □
A equals an advantage - if only in terms
of statistical data. A “=” means they’re even
$ jitip
HHJ/Don Moncrief
Perry’s Tion Kendrick (51) rushes during a practice at
the high school Tuesday.
'Retween the white lines there's really
not anybody you'd rather have out
there. He's one of those kids that if
you're in the foxhole, you want that
joker out there with you.'
Perry defensive coordinator Andy Scott
“Some nights after we‘d
lose, I’d just be like ‘Mom
... God ... We were just so
close.’ She’s just the person
I can sit down and talk to.”
He received his first taste
of football at around age 13
and through the local recre
ation department. All the
while, he watched the
Panthers from afar per
haps playing through his
cousin who was also on the
team.
“I used to always see him
carry the ball and think,
“God, I’d love to get out
~ ~ *****>*«>
Pltes,,- • :...sQoVofoo t’ootu...
Vfr r~=rr— ■
HHJ Don Moncrief
Westfield assistant football coach Jamey Watson
instructs players during a practice at the high school
Tuesday.
run-throw ratio.
Jones said that his
Hornets will have to work
hard to avoid giving up the
big play on defense.
“Our problems have been
on the run,” Jones admitted.
“If we can top that they’ll
have to throw the football.”
Jones said he wasn’t going
to add any complex blitzes,
rather work on what they do
well naturally on defense
and emphasize their own
strengths.
“Blitzing isn’t really part
of what we do,” Jones said.
there and do that.”
Now he is to date
recording 14 tackles,
including two sacks.
“He has thrived,” said
Scott. “There aren’t many
defensive linemen in the
state that are as fast as
him.
“He is just a natural born
leader. Between the white
lines there’s really not any
body you’d rather have out
there. He’s one of those
kids that if you’re in the
foxhole, you want that
joker out there with you.”
“We’re more of a read
defense.”
Jones said his team will
have to control the ball as
well as try to tire out
Stratford’s vaunted defense.
HHJ Prediction:
Stratford 23, Westfield 20
Notes: Westfield’s junior
running back Josh Frenchko
is second in AAA in rushing
with 617 yards and four
touchdowns, an average of
7.35 yards per carry ...
Blalock is fifth in AAA com
pleting 28-75 throws for four
touchdowns and four inter
ceptions ... leading receiver
Andrew Arnold has six
catches for 149 yards and
four touchdowns ... the
Hornets’ defense is second
in AAA allowing 1691 total
yards and 116 points, 1371
on the ground ... Stratford’s
quarterback Watson Argo is
second in AAA in passing
with 589 yards on 60-128
throwing for three touch
downs and six interceptions
... the Eagles are led in
receiving by Patrick Hecht
with nine receptions for 156
yards and a pair of scores ...
the Eagle defense lives up to
Jones’ hype allowing just 60
points over six games and
929 total yards.
SPORTS
LANCERS
From page 1B
that’s a big concern for
Whetsel facing a team he
believes is going to put at
least one extra person at the
line to stop the rush and then
dare them to throw.
“It would be nice to think
we can line up and run it
down their throat but it’s not
going to happen,” said
Whetsel. “They’re going to
load up (at the line). That’s
why we’ve got to pass the ball
more effectively.”
That isn’t to say either will
abandon a strong running
game.
That’s where Hardison is
even more dangerous. As a
rusher, he’s compiled 602
yards on 69 carries fourth
best in all of AAA.
Complimenting him in the
backfield of a Wing T forma
tion is Blake Mears who
accounts for 533 on 89 car
ries. And, the 6-1, 205
pounder is also a linebacker
in the Cavaliers’ 5-3 defense,
with the most tackles, 68,
which includes three quarter
back sacks. Add in 5-9, 190-
pound linebacker Adam
Week five results cause major
shake up in Class AA rankings
The Associated Press
ATLANTA Upsets and
consistent play by unranked
teams in Class AA provided
significant changes in The
Associated Press high school
football poll this week, as
four new teams entered the
ranks.
With only 22 seconds
remaining, Wesleyan (3-1)
scored on Chase Howe's 1-
yard dive to pull off a 24-21
upset of last week's No. 3
Greater Atlanta Christian.
The win helped Wesleyan
enter this week’s poll in a
three-way tie at No. 10. The
loss resulted in GAC (3-1)
falling to No. 8.
Randolph-Clay (4-0)
defeated Terrell County 40-
12 and Brooks County (3-0-
1) edged Bacon County 17-
14 to garner enough voter
support to complete the
three-team tie at No. 10.
Decatur (4-0) entered the
poll at No. 9 with a win over
Clarkston 27-18. Morgan
County and Chattooga both
lost, eliminating them from
the ranks.
Early County (4-0) moved
up one spot to No. 3 while
Buford and Americus con
tinue at Nos. 1 and 2. ♦
The only change in Class
AAAAA was the exit of
Westside-Macon, tied at No.
10 last week with Douglass.
All 10 slots remain the same
with Brookwood still the
unanimous choice for No. 1.
Class AAAA saw little
Region football standings
GHSA Region 2-AAAAA
Team W/L/T Region Prcntg.
Mt Zion-Jonesboro 3-1-0 3-0-0 1.000
Northside-Warner Robins 3-0-0 2-0-0 1.000
Warner Robins 3-2-0 3-1-0 0.750
Houston County 3-1-0 2-1-0 0.667
Westside-Macon 2-2-0 2-1-0 0.667
Eagle's Landing 1-2-0 1-1-0 0.500
Jonesboro 1-3-0 1-2-0 0.333
Henry County 0-3-0 0-2-0 0.000
Morrow 0-4-0 0-3-0 0.000
Stockbridge 0-4-0 0-3-0 0.000
Today
Jonesboro at Warner Robins
Friday
Stockbridge at Henry County
Westside at Houston County
Saturday
Eagle’s Landing at Mt. Zion
Northside at Morrow
Cross country results
The Warner Robin cross
country team travelled and com
peted in the Jones County meet
Tuesday. The boys and girls
each won their division of the
meet. Mechela Knutson also set
a Warner Robins course record
with a time of 21:43. The results
are as follows:
Girls
1. Warner Robins lB
2. Jones County 57
3. Dublin BO
4. Baldwin County 9O
Girls individual
1. Mechela Knutson 21:43
Living on the edge ...
Central Fellowship Mount de Sales
Power rating 76.34% Power rating 99.36%
~ Rushing offense | = j
Passing offense
Rushing defense
Passing defense
Special teams
Giveaway/takeaway =
A V" equals an advantage lf only in terms
of statistical data. A “=” means they’re even
Smith with 66 tackles and it
becomes obviously clear why
Whetsel is concerned.
They, on the other hand,
counter with the explosive
trio of Eddie Ford, Javoris
Parker and Rashad Jones
who have rushed for 460
for the first two and 348
respectively.
“They’re one of the fastest
teams in the state in terms of
their backfield,” said Mount
de Sales head football coach
Robert Slocum who watched
change with Lakeview-Ft.
Oglethorpe out and Dalton
(3-0) in at No. 10. Douglas
County (4-0) climbed two
slots to No. 8 while the top
seven positions remain
unchanged. Thomas County
Central (3-0) received eight
first-place votes and Marist
collected five to hold down
the top two slots for another
week.
With the top three
unchanged, Class AAA expe
rienced a few position shifts
with Fitzgerald out and
Mary Persons (4-0) in at No.
9. The most significant
move occurred with Hart
County (3-1) falling from
No. 4 to No. 10 after losing
to Laney 13-8. No. 1 Screven
County (4-0) received all but
one of the first-place votes
while No. 2 Gainesville col
lected the one.
Class A continued the
trend with minor position
jockeying. Pacelli Catholic
(4-0) and Emanuel County
Institute (4-0) both
advanced one position to
Nos. 8 and 9. Commerce left
the Top 10 after losing to
No. 1 Lincoln making way
for Temple (5-0) to make
their debut at No. 10. The
top seven teams repeat this
week with no position
changes.
No. 2 Hawkinsville (4-0)
received three first-place
votes and Metter (4-0) con
tinues at No. 3.
1. Kelly Blair —22:19
4. Asia Hollingsworth 23:22
5. Charis Hollingshead
23:24
6. Caitlin Black 23:27
Boys
1. Warner Robins l5
2. Dublin 75
3. Baldwin County BO
4. Jones County— 115
Boys individual
1. Jason Willoughby— 18:24
2. Alan Schmitz 18:26
3. Vinnie Gillmore 18:26
4. Andrew Cochran 18:31
5. Mike Nakayama 19:08
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2003
films of the Lancers’ games
against Westfield and Eagle’s
Landing as well as scouting
them this past week against
Tiftarea. “We’re going to
have to do a good job of tack
ling before they get started.
We don’t want to let their
backs get in the secondary.
“Offensively, we have to
control the football and keep
their offense off of the field.”
HHJ prediction: Mount
de Sales 27, Central
Fellowship 21
Prep poll
The Associated Press high
school football poll, with first
place votes in parentheses
and total points:
CLASS AAAAA
1. Brookwood (14) (4-0) 140
2. Camden County (4-0) 117
3. Parkview (3-1) 111
4. Lowndes (4-0) 91
5. Northside (3-0) 86
6. Lovejoy (4-0) 62
7. Walton (4-0) 55
8. South Gwinnett (4-0) 50
9. Stephenson (4-1) 20
10. Douglass (3-0) 15
Others receiving votes:
Riverdale 8, Newnan 5,
Harrison 4, Westside-Macon
3, Southwest DeKalb 2, East
Coweta 1.
CLASS AAAA
1. Thomas County Central
(8) (3-0) 134
2. Marist (5) (5-0) 129
3. Shaw (5-0) 110
4. Tucker (4-1) 67 " *
5. Ware County (1) (3-1) 64
6. McNair (5-0) 61
7. Pebblebrook (3-0) 46
8. Douglas County (4-0) 44
9. Thomson (3-1) 28
10. Dalton (3-0) 23
Others receiving votes:
Sandy Creek 16, Rome 9,
Westlake 9, Mays 7, Cedar
Shoals 6, Troup 6, Paulding
County 4, Woodward 4,
Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe 2,
Clarke Central 1.
CLASS AAA
1. Screven County (13) (4-0)
139
2. Gainesville (1) (3-0) 126
3. Cedartown (5-0) 114
4. LaGrange (3-1) 89
5. Peach County (3-1) 75
6. Cartersville (4-0) 63
7. Washington County (3-1)
52
8. Swainsboro (2-0-2) 32
9. Mary Persons (4-0) 29
10. Hart County (3-1) 11
Others receiving votes: North
Hall 8, Johnson-Gainsville 7,
Fitzgerald 6, Northeast-
Macon 5, Dublin 4, Monroe
Area 4, Stephens County 3,
Carrollton 2, Laney 1.
CLASS AA
1. Buford (13) (3-0) 139
2. Americus (5-0) 125
3. Early County (4-0) 109
4. Calhoun (4-0) 89
5. Charlton County (1) (2-1)
63
6. Vidalia (2-0-1)57
7. Cook (3-0) 53
8. Greater Atlanta Christian
(3-1)46
9. Decatur (4-0) 32
10. (tie) Brooks County (3-0-
1)9
(tie) Randolph-Clay (4-0) 9
(tie) Wesleyan (3-1) 9
Others receiving votes:
Lumpkin County 8,
Darlington 6, Adairsville 4,
Mitchell-Baker 4, Irwin
County 3, Greene County 2,
Chattooga 1, Macon County
1, Washirrgton-Wilkes 1.
CLASS A
1. Lincoln County (9) (5-0)
133
2. Hawkinsville (3) (4-0) 120
3. Metter (4-0) 112
4. Clinch County (2) (3-1-1)
97
5. Twiggs County (5-0) 88
6. Landmark Christian (3-1)
57
7. Trion (3-1) 49
8. Pacelli Catholic (4-0) 40
9. Emanuel County Institute
(4-0) 33
10. Temple (5-0) 16
Others receiving votes:
Commerce 12, Bowdon 3,
Miller County 3, Calvery
Baptist 2, Taylor County 2,
Lanier County 1, Mclntosh.
3B