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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
HOLMES-
Frontpage 1B
during the season.
“She meant a lot of
offense,” said Lady Bears girls
head basketball coach Sid
Baxley. “She scored a lot of
points for us."
According to Baxley, before
Holmes came along, Houston
County had never had a 3-
point shooter. With her they
did, but he also pointed out
she did more than shoot the
ball.
“She was second on the
team in assists,” he said. “She
was the one we counted on to
handle the ball in the press.”
It was her overall contribu
tions that finally put her at
the top as Player of the Year.
On the offensive side of the
ball. Holmes did more than
shoot. She averaged four
rebounds a game and was sec
ond on the team with 80
assists.
Defensively, Holmes gar
nered 40 steals and, according
BILLINGS
From page 1B
As in many sports, basket
ball players spend a lot of
time in the weight room.
According to his coach,
BAXLEY—
From page 1B
“We’ve always had some
body who could shoot or some
body who could dribble,” he
said, “but now we have girls
who can do all facets."
Baxley looks to have anoth
er successful year in 2005.
Although he loses HHJ
Player of the Year Lindsey
Holmes and her 15 ppg, as
well as Tiffany Lewis 10.6 ppg
and LaTanva Harrison’s 33
blocked shots, he does have
the nucleus for another plav-
( ill- KMiston ( J ountif
First team
Boys
I Tarvis Billings. Perry
Points per game lB.O
Field goal percentage 50.8
3-pointers 24
Free throws 64-103
Rebounds per game 7 (194 total)
Coach's comer: "Versatile enough to
play inside and outside." said Perry
boys head basketball coach Bretl
Hardy. "And can handle the ball
against the press Really turned into
a good defender and accepted the
role of go-to' guy while playing with
in the team concept."
I Scott St. Cyr, Warner Robins
Field goal percentage (two-point
range) 5l
Points per game 12.7 (team
leader)
3-pomters 53
Free throw pecentage 75
Coach's comer: Was the Bear Brawl
Most Valuable Player. "(He was) and
extension of the head coach on the
floor.' said Warner Robins boys head
basketball coach Chip Malone "... a
great leader on the floor."
I Buhbs Blalock. Westfield
Points per game 21.5 (516 total)
Free throw percentage 70.3
Rebounds per game 4.5
Coach's corner: Named to the
Georgia Independent School
Association All-Region and All-State
teams. Selected to play in the
Georgia-South Carolina All-Star
game Scored more than 1,000
points in his career
1 think one of the biggest qualities
about Bubba." said Westfield boys
head basketball coach Duane
Hunter, "was his knowledge of the
game I moved him to guard this year
when he had never played there
before and he was willing to do what
ever was best for the team.
"He probably would have scored
even more but he had to handle the
ball so much at point guard Probably
one of his best moments was when
he set a single game Westfield scor
ing record with 44 against Deerfield-
Windsor"
I Kenlth Ward, Northslde
Field goal percentage 50.7
Points per game —■ 12.2
3- pointers —2
Free throws 74-125
Rebounds per game 6.5
Assists per game —l.l
I (Tie) Nick Butter
Field goal percentage (two point
range) 66
Points per game 10.6
Free throw percentage 66
Rebounds per game 6.4 (team
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Houston County's Lindsey Holmes, right, looks for an
outlet in the Lady Bears' playoff win at Tift County. The
senior ball handler was a if not the key player in
leading the team to the Sweet 16 for the second straight
year.
to her coach, was a key leader
during the Lady Bears’ playoff
run that ended in the Sweet
16.
Billings wasn’t looking for
ward to the experience but
before long, the weight room
teachers were talking about
how hard he worked.
'We've had four straight winning seasons.
We want to continue that tradition/
Houston County girts head basketball coach Sid Baxley
off run.
“We have Cassi (Stuart) and
Ray-Donee (Jones) coming
back,” Baxley said, “and
Lindsey Wynn has a lot of
experience.”
Stuart and Jones each aver
aged nearly 10 points a game
leader)
Charges taken lO (second on
team)
Deflections ll2
Steals 6O
I (Tie) Kevin Battle. Perry
Field goal percentage 50.8
3-pomters - 57 (42 percent)
Free throw percentage Bl
Assists 92
Coach's comer: "He s a great shoot
er and ball handler," Hardy said
"And great at accepting the point
guard role We wanted him on the
line when it mattered" A perfect
example: "He made eight straight
free throws at the end of the
Washington County game to seal the
victory"
Second team
Boys
I Jordan Poole. Houston County
Points per game 10.2
3-pomters 3B
Coach's corner: "Jordan was our
leader and instrumental in helping us
finish the season on a strong note."
said Houston County boys head
coach Greg Nix. "winning three
straight games at the end"
I Montay West. Perry
Field goal percentage 4l 6
Free throws 92-128
Assists 66
Coach's corner: "He's a great
defender, scorer ... floor leader in
clutch situations," Hardy said “We
wanted the ball in his hands when
the game was on the line." For
example: “He made three crucial
steals in the state playoff game
against WACO to give us the lead"
I Alton Sanders. Warner Robins
Field goal percentage (two point
range) —■ 54
Points per game 9 4
Free throw percentage 55
Coach's corner: "He's a great
defender," Malone said. For exam
ple: "He held (standout player) Tony
Douglas to 11 points in Jonesboro
and (then) 15 in the region tourney."
I Chad Hampton. Northslde
Field goal percentage 35.4
Points per game 10.4 (261 total)
3-pointers 33
Free throws 56-90
Rebounds per game 4.6
Assists per game 2.9
Honorable Mention
I Ashton Stripling, Perry
I Pierre Miller, Warner Robins
I Jamaal Hadley, Warner Robins
I Brian Moore, Northside
I Shawn Brunson. Houston County
First team
Girls
I Lindsey Holmes. Houston
County
Points per game 15.3
3-pointers 7B
Rebounds per game 3.9
Assists BO
Steals 46
I Morse ml Davis, Perry
Points per gam# l6
Rebounds per game lO
Blocks per game 3
Coach's comer "Mo is a special
player who doesn't come along
often," said Perry girls head coach
John Chance. *... a 6-foot-3 center
“Add all the things she’s
done,” Baxley said, “and it
will be tough to htive some
body fill her shoes.”
“The other players see
him working out,” Hardy
said, “and they think, ‘lf he
can do it, so can I.’ Tarvis
led by his actions.”
Stuart led the team in assists
and steals at 101 and 56
respectively. Jones garnered a
respectable 39 steals
“We've had four straight
winning seasons," Baxley
said. “We want to continue
that tradition.”
who can play offensively and defen
sively She's accustomed to seeing
double and sometimes triple teams
and will be sorely missed by the
Perry girls' basketball program ’
I Shuntina Davis. Perry
Points per game - 12
Rebounds per game 5
Assists per game 4
Steals per game 4
Coach's comer "She has great
court awareness, ball handler and
shooter," Chance said "iShei hit a 3-
pomter on the road as a junior to
send a region game into overtime
land that) after learning of the death
of a family member earlier in the day
She (was) often faced with playing
the best defender of the opposing
team *
I CC Jackson, Warner Robins
Points per game 12
Coach's comer Led team in steals
and assists and was second in field
goals (both number and percentage
shooting) Voted Most Valuable
Player by teammate "She was the
first captain of the Demonetles in the
last 13-plus years," said Warner
Robins girls head basketball coach
Tom Mobley
I Drahcir Ross. Warner Robins
Field goal percentage 53
Points per game 12.5
Rebounds per game lO 1
Coach's corner She scored 27
points in the region playoff game
against Westside and she was first
on the team in blocks.
Second team
Girls
I Tiffany Lewis. Houston County
Points per game 10.6
Rebounds per game 7.7
Assists 67
Steals 74
I Lakeisha Levi. Northside
No stats provided
I Cassi Stuart, Houston County
Points per game 9.6
Rebounds per game 3.4
Assists lOl
Steals 53
I Ray Donee Jones, Houston
County
Points per game 9.7
Rebounds per game 2.9
Assists 26
Steals 39
I Becca Roper, Westfield
Points per game 13.2
Rebounds per game 3
Assists pier game 4
Steals per game 4
Coach's comer “Becca was our
senior leader on the team," said
Westfield girts head coach Leigh Ann
Champion. "She did everything for
our team handled the basketball
90 percent of the time, leading scor
er and overall leader
"Against Deerfield-Windsor (2004
state champion) she scored a game
high 29 points... they had no answer
for her"
Honorable Mention
• Chart# White, Warner Robins
I Trycee Brown, Northside
I Quantisha Wynn. Northside
I Janay Wilson, Northside
I Latanya Harrison, Houston County
SPORTS
MALONE-
From page 1B
offense, help each other on
defense ... we stressed it all
year long. And that’s what 1
think was the key to our suc
cess they did those things,
and they saw once they did
them, it worked.”
Warner Robins (14-13) had
four freshmen, starting point
guard Pierre Miller, forward
Murk Wright, Braxton
Dugger and Xavier Jackson,
play significant minutes
down the stretch.
At one point, Malone said
the four were joined by soph
omore Dominique
Davenport.
"And I really didn’t know
what to expect out of a fresh
man, Pierre, coming in and
starting at point guard. In
middle school, he played
eight games; he ended up
playing up 27. The season is
long, and practices are long.
But communication with
kids is a big factor.”
Malone said a “firm, but
fair” approach was successful
for him with his kids. “That
way, they know where you’re
coming from, and there
aren’t any surprises down
the road," he said.
Malone suid three games
stand out in his mind this
year, in which he wus partic
ularly proud of his squad:
hunding Stockbridge its only
loss before the region tourna
ment, a road victory over
region champ Morrow and a
win over Houston County to
propel the Demons to the
HARDY
From page 1B
and won the Bear Brawl.”
Hardy spent the past two
years preaching team chem
istry to get his team to its
2004 form.
“We knew going into this
year, we were going to play 10
or 11 people," Hardy said.
“They're into the game
because they know they’re
going in."
He referred to players like
Ashton Stripling who came
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I
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Warner Robins boys basketball head coach Chip
Malone instructs his squad during a practice in late
October 2003. Despite a young squad, Malone led the
Demons to a 14-13 record and to a berth in the state
playoffs.
state playoffs.
Prior to the win at Morrow,
the Demons had suffered a
series of tough losses - some
while center Nick Butler was
at Savannah State on a
recruiting visit for football.
All remained close, but
resulted in losses.
Warner Robins will lose
Butler and Jamaal Hadley to
graduation, but Malone said
the future looks bright, espe
cially with the contributions
by the four freshmen this
past season.
“We’re looking at possibly
off of the bench against
Peach County, as to the key
to their success.
“Peach had pulled to with
in two points ... late in the
game.” Hardy said. “Ashton
came in, hit a 3, stole the
inbounds pass and made
layup. Then he caused anoth
er turnover and hit another
3. He scored eight points in
about 10 seconds to put the
game away."
The Panthers will lose
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2004 ♦
11 returning - a senior, two
juniors and eight sopho
mores,” he said. “We’re still
going to be a young team.
They can come in with the
mindset that we’re going to
try to do something. We’re
going to try to do some things
different than we did last
year because of who we’ll
have returning.”
“I’m looking for big things
out of them,” he added. “I
was really pleased with
everybody’s effort this past
year.
“Hopefully, we can step it
up another notch.”
playmaker Kevin Battle, but
they will be able to reload
with the likes of Tarvis
Billings.
“When Tarvis was hurt
last year, it opened my eyes
as a coach,” Hardy said. “I
had to let other kids play a lot
while he was injured. I
learned that you can’t bench
a player who has contributed
just because the starter is
back. It’s why we play so
many people.”
3B