Newspaper Page Text
10A
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2004
Lancers adjust to change
By Riley Smith
HHJ Sports Writer
MACON
Yles, it’s a new season
- a clean slate. But
change certainly
characterizes the shift from
last year’s baseball team to
this year’s team at Central
Fellowship.
According to Lancer coach
Jeff Sans,
last year’s
team
under
achieved,
finishing
with a
FNEVKW
“mediocre” record. In the
first round of the playoffs,
they held a one-run lead in
the sixth inning of deciding
Game 3, but ultimately
came up short against even
tual state champ, Deerfield
Windsor.
“We wound up 10-10, but
we were a lot better than
that,” Sans said at
Tuesday’s practice. “And we
had a solid team. I told them
at the end of that game
‘we’re coming back next
year we’re going to make
a run at it.’”
The notion that five solid
starting pitchers would
return fueled Sans’ opti
mistic words. However,
injuries, graduation and
unfortunate departures
have taken a major bite into
the program.
The Lancers lost two out
fielders to graduation, and
currently have only three
seniors on the 12-man ros
ter.
Catcher Blake Davis is the
only senior and returning
starter. Left-fielder Ricky
LeGlon will make his varsity
debut next week.
Sans says the hardwork
ing senior is a great motiva
tor, and brings a line
backer’s mentality to every-
BEARS
From page 8A
“It might be a track meet
early.”
Look for Cassie Stuart to
handle the ball against their
press. That should free up
the Lady Bears’ leading
scorer Lindsey Holmes for
some open shots. Holmes
averages 15.3 per game. If
she gets double-teamed or
even if she doesn’t, Baxley
said the team will also need
strong play from Cassi
Stuart.
“Cassi is going to have to
handle the ball,” he said.
“They’re going to press a
lot. We’re going to play our
usual defense and offense.
Hopefully, we can score.”
Houston County plays
Riverdale in the quarterfi
nals of the AAAAA playoffs
at 4 p.m. today at the Macon
Coliseum.
EAGLES
From page 8A
“Every time you step up to
the next level, the game
speeds up,” he said. “It’s
more intense and things pick
up a little bit.
“It will be interesting to see
how they respond.
“We can’t tell how they
will respond,” he added.
“Things can go really good
MONCRIEF
From page 8A
indeed do have a child on
the team so underprivileged
... only two games into the
season I might add.)
“Why aren’t you putting
his name in lights,” you cry
out. “Why aren’t you secur
ing his college future by
helping me build a portfo
lio?”
That’s the real heart of
your concern isn’t it?
It doesn’t matter that
we’re a few trying to capture
a snapshot in the thousands.
It doesn’t matter there are
others just as if not more
worthy.
It really doesn’t matter
that there’s a team concept
at play. It really doesn’t mat
ter ... period.
It’s all about Mufasa’s boy
'The main thing that
we really want to
do, overall as a
team, Is to just get
the guys
comfortable
playing varsity’
Central Fellowship head
baseball coach Jeff Sans
thing he does on the field -
full speed ahead. Senior
shortstop Dustin Miller
transferred from FPD to
Central Fellowship this year,
and has made immediate
impacts.
“He’s (Miller) a big help at
shortstop, and he’s become
my ace,” Sans said. “He’s a
good pitcher. He doesn’t
throw hard, but he’s got a
good curveball and a decent
change-up. So that’ll keep
us in games.”
All three should start, but
will be surrounded by team
mates seeing their first
action with the varsity.
Miller will be the only pitch
er on the staff with varsity
experience. Sans isn’t quite
sure how they’ll perform
game after game, especially
early.
“That’s tough to say
because of the fact we’re
starting six people who have
never seen a varsity game,”
he said.
“I’m not sure what we’re
going to get. But they’re so
young, that at least for the
first third of the season, I’m
expecting some mistakes
and mental errors. We’re
just going to try to teach
them.”
“So, we’ve been working a
lot on pitching, obviously,
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HHJ/Don Moncrief
Houston County’s Tiffany Lewis goes up for a jumper
Saturday during the team’s playoff win over Tift County.
or really bad, so we’ll have
to get a few games under our
belt.”
He plans to go with a four
man rotation, with Chris
Wolfe as the number one
because of his varsity experi
ence last year.
The schedule looks excit
ing. Northside will start its
season against Perry next
(translated: “your”), as the
Lion King’s Raflki would
say.
He is the true king in this
jungle of sports.
The team exists to serve
him he’s never a success
because of them but always
one despite them. In other
words, if they’re winning
(games), it’s because of him.
If they’re losing, he is the
one breath of fresh air amid
a foul odor.
The worst part about it
the bottom of my sarcasm
and the top of coaches' frus
tration is once his story’s
been told (graduation and
believe it or not I DO want
to tell his stoiy) you’re sud
denly out of the picture.
All your ranting and rav
ing about how much the
and a lot on defense. Not
only making the fundamen
tal plays, but being where
we need to be when we’re
supposed to. We’re not mak
ing the plays we necessarily
need to because of the
youth.
“But they’re where they
need to be, and that’s going
to cut down on some
things.”
Despite the threat of
growing pains for the young
sters, Sans has zeroed in on
the goals he has in the
short-term and long-term.
Laying a foundation now
could yield big results for
the 20-plus junior varsity
players, and an already-tal
ented bevy of C-team play
ers.
“The main thing that we
really want to do, overall as
a team, is to just get the
guys comfortable playing
varsity,” he said. “We’re
working on getting them
comfortable on the field, and
that’s going to take care of a
lot of mistakes, not only on
the field, but at the plate.”
“I want to see five pitch
ers. I want to see them
throwing consistent strikes,
with the fastball, curveball
and change-up.
“If we get rocked because
of velocity or our curve ball
isn’t breaking as sharply as
it needs to yet, just because
they need another year or
two of experience, well we’re
just going to get rocked.
“But I want them to throw
strikes. And I want to be
fundamental on defense - a
sound defense.”
The Lancers will open
their season on Monday
against Sherwood. The fol
lowing day, the begin play in
a tournament hosted by
Westfield, facing Crisp
Academy on Tuesday and
Lagrange on Thursday.
Wednesday at Dyson Field.
First pitch is at 5:30 p.m. The
Eagles will also host a team
from New York on April 13.
The real test for his young
ballclub will come in April
when the Eagles will twice
have to play three games in
three days. That will put a lot
of pressure on his untested
pitching staff.
school/program needs our
support disappears into the
night like the Greyhound
with him on it headed out
of town.
You won’t volunteer. You
won’t attend another game.
You won’t spend a dime on
their behalf. All that talk of
“getting behind our kids”
will be replaced by silence.
Am I wrong? Prove it. I
dare you. Do so and I will
apologize to you profusely
and publicly.
Here’s my chip. Go ahead,
knock it off.
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HHJ Don Moncrief
Perry assistant football coach John Chance instructs players on blocking techniques
during the Panthers’ spring workouts, Monday at the school.
CAMP
From page 8A
what I mean by that, is
teaching them the number
ing system (we use) and
plays essentially.”
Conley also continued to
praise the efforts Randy
Moss, Perry Middle
School’s athletic director, in
terms of teaching the same
fundamentals to the play
ers so they would be pre
pared once they reached
the high school level.
So much so, he was even
able to offer up this pseudo
prediction: “I look at them
(eighth-graders) being
together (with the ninth)
after this next year and I
can see a match made in
heaven.”
That isn’t to say this
year’s squad to date
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HHJ/Don Moncrief
Central Fellowship girls soccer players run through drills Feb. 23 at the school.
SUCCESS
From page 8A
and I’d like to see us make it
to the next round of the play
offs,” Bishop said. “Those are
the two things we can accom
plish.”
As of Wednesday, about
seven girls were still involved
with post-season basketball.
They’ll join the team soon
after, hoping to get enough
training under their belts
before the team’s opener
March 8.
Bishop says defense will be
his team’s strength. Most
important, the Lady Lancers
will have an experienced
goalkeeper in Ashley
Jenkins.
Goodwill’s Donated Vehicle Auction
HU Saturday, February 28,2004
Preview/Registration at 9am
Auction begins at 10am
5171 Eisenhower Pkwy
Across from Macon State College
www.gooiMllmrks.org
Auction conducted by Grant Auction Company, LLC GAL # 1603
ill rtiepowerto MM ,im . tanulies and
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[ —————————————————————
1 look at them
being together
after this next
year and I can see
a match made in
heaven.'
Perry head football coach
Chuck Conley
hasn’t had its pleasant sur
prises. In fact, Conley said
he’s already seeing several
players rise to the occasion.
Of note, freshman offen
sive lineman Jake Mitchum
has “really stepped forward
and starting to show him
self,” said Conley, who,
Bishop said they will rely to
a certain extent on senior
Shelley O’Gorman in terms
of offense. She coincidentally
has the same role for the bas
ketball team.
“I’ve got a really strong
mid-fielder/forward in
Shelley O’Gorman,” Bishop
said. She’s actually in the
process of signing a scholar
ship to play college soccer.”
O’Gorman would be the
first player from Central
Fellowship to do so in soccer.
The school resumed the
soccer program in 1998.
Bishop notes that a few girls
played one season at Central
Fellowship, then went on to
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
along with offensive coordi
nator Jeff Kaiser spent the
evening discussing their
progress to date.
Linebacker Josh Sloat has
“done well on offense and
defense,” he added, as has
Kenny Davis at fullback
and A.J. Watkins at tail
back.
Soon-to-be senior Ricardo
Askew, has “really come out
with sort of a purpose and a
passion as far as offensive
linemen,” Conley said.
Overall, there’s a general
excitement,” he added. “I
hear little things. The kids
will get in the locker room
and start asking their
buddy: did you see me do
this, and, did you see me do
that. And that’s the general
attitude in practice.”
Piedmont College in North
Georgia. But O’Gorman’s
signing would be a first.
The soccer coaching staff
has implemented a condi
tioning program in recent
months. Bishop insists that it
has proven itself to be a valu
able asset.
Bishop serves as coach for
both the boys and girls soccer
teams although the first
plays during the fall.
Junior Jana Haggert is one
player he touts as a leader for
her faithful participation in
off-season conditioning and
early, practice sessions, while
others remained away due to
basketball obligations.