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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Spoiler role
Martin hopes to crash his own retirement party
Special to the HHJ
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
- Although 2005 marks his
final season as a fulltime
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series competitor, don’t
expect Mark Martin to cruise
through it collecting tributes
and parting gifts.
Instead of accepting acco
lades for a NASCAR career
that harks back to the
1980 s, Martin will be busy
in the shop, at the garage
and on the track, working to
secure what he hopes will be
his first NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series title.
But already, there are
plenty of accolades coming
from his peers.
“When I left the drivers
meeting at Homestead last
year, I grabbed him on the
shoulder and he looked at
me and I said, ‘Buddy, when
I grow up I want to be like
you,’ “Jimmie Johnson said.
“I truly meant that. The guy
has so much class, so much
fire.”
A four-time NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series run
ner-up, Martin came close
in 2004, finishing fourth
behind eventual champion
and Roush Racing team
mate Kurt Busch in the first
“Chase for the NASCAR
Busch champ Truex feels early pressure from peers
Special to the HHJ
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
- As the reigning NASCAR
Busch Series champion,
Martin Truex Jr. is a literal
moving target for his com
petitors.
Not only did Truex win
the title in his first full sea
son, but he also had tremen
dous success at NASCAR’s
flagship venue, Daytona
International Speedway.
Truex won the pole for
SPLIT
From page 1B
“but we shot 18-of-40 from
the free-throw line.”
That would also explain
why Tiftarea was able to out
score Westfield 20-13 in the
third quarter, and take a 53-
50 lead heading into the final
frame.
The Hornets, who also ben
efited from Ryans Sims’ 14
points, Daniel Peake’s 9 and
Bryn Collins’ 7, outscored
them 19-9 down the stretch
for the win.
SENIORS
From page 1B
the high school practices.
Although he was a nose
guard on the Bears football
team, Busbee said that wres
tling is his favorite sport.
“I love the one-on-one com
petition,” he said.
His season record is 35-5.
“He’s the toughest wres
tler on the team,” Burch
said. “I’d hate to have to
wrestle him because he
has no pity on the mat.”
Burch says that Leslie
Lane is another leader on
the team.
Lane got his start in wres
tling his sophomore year.
“I didn’t make the baske
ball team my freshman year,”
Lane said. “The wrestling
coach invited me out.”
Wrestling has turned into
his favorite sport.
“It’s a contact sport,” he
said. “It’s another form of
legal fighting.”
Lane is 22-7 with 15 pins in
the 160-pound weight class.
“He never gives up,” Burch
said. “He works hard and has
improved a lot.”
Seth Lavender is another
Bear wrestler who works
hard. He has competed for
Houston County for three
years.
“I see my role as wres
tler who gives 100 percent,”
Lavender said.
He got involved in wres
tling through his friend
F
NASCAR
Mark Martin looks on in the garage area during Preseason
Thunder at Daytona International Speedway Thursday.
NEXTEL Cup.”
It marked a huge rebound
from his 17th-place finish in
the 2003 final point stand
ings, and for Martin, who
announced last October that
2005 would be his final full
time season, the opportunity
to leave near the top of his
last year’s season-opener
at Daytona in his first visit
to the track, then finished
third in the July event at the
2.5-mile superspeedway.
One year later, those
results have set the bar of
expectation even higher for
the 24-year-old native of
Mayetta, N.J. They have also
become an even bigger bulls
eye for his competitors.
Clint Bowyer, who will run
his first full season in the
And then there was the
next night.
In that contest, Deerfield-
Windsor scored 17 points
in the first quarter while
Westfield netted 15.
The Hornets countered
with 19 in the second quarter
to the Knights’ once again
17.
That put them tied at the
break.
Things started out on an
even par following that but
didn’t go Westfield’s way
'This is a real solid team, we have
good coaches, and they work us hard.
We have intense practices and (that)
prepares us for the matches.’
- Houston County senior wrestler Anthony Nguyen
Busbee.
“I’ve known him since
the first grade,” he said.
“Wrestlin
g keeps you in good shape.
I like it for the aggressive
ness.”
Lavender wrestles at 140.
“He’s a great team player,”
Burch said. “He could wres
tle at 135, but I asked him to
go up to 140. He can make
that weight with his clothes
on. He works hard.”
Andrew Nguyen wrestles
at 112 and has been with
the Bears for three years. He
missed his sophomore year
IHpu Client
CHor Special
form was paramount.
“My biggest fear in 2003
and I agonized over it every
day was, ‘I don’t want to go
out like this. What a dis
grace,“ Martin said. “Two
thousand four boosted my
self-esteem by a lot and I
think that we can come back
NASCAR Busch Series for
Richard Childress Racing,
made his presence felt
immediately by posting the
fastest time of the day dur
ing practice at Daytona this
past week.
Boston Reid, 22, has the
look of yet another young
Hendrick Motorsports driv
er ready to contend.
Reid will share duties in
the No. 5 with Blake Feese
this season.
later.
“Deerfield went on a 22-7
run toward the end of the
third quarter and beginning
of the fourth,” Hunter said.
“When we had two start
ers on the bench in foul
trouble. (We also) had 17 of
our 27 turnovers in the sec
ond half.
“We cannot have that
many turnovers and expect
to win.”
All told, the Hornets were
outscored 26-16 in the third
due to an injury.
His cousin Anthony
Nguyen wrestled for Warner
Robins and got him involved
in the sport.
Like all of the seniors,
Nguyen thinks of team first.
“This is a real solid team,”
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SPORTS
and have a great 2005. If it’s
not as perfect as we hope,
it’ll still be not on a great
decline after having such a
bright and shiny 2004.”
One reason for Martin’s
zeal is his team.
It returns intact from
2004, and 2005 will be his
second full year with crew
chief Pat Tryson.
The rest of their crew,
whom Martin credits for a
strong 2004 effort, stayed
put after Martin asked each
of them to stick with him for
one final campaign.
Martin’s not sure what
2006 holds; he’s interested
in the NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series and he knows
he wants to race something,
somewhere, some of the
time.
Son Matt also has begun
his racing career and Martin
is very involved in that
effort. But he has unfinished
business of his own.
“That would be pretty
strange to not have the
champion come back and
do the tour,” Martin said
of the possibility of winning
the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series title.
“It’s my hope right now
that I can screw it up roy
ally.”
Truex fully understands
the scope of his competition
and respects the challenge
ahead of him in 2005.
“I don’t feel confi
dent about defending my
title because of the two
new tracks (Autodromo
Hermanos Rodriguez in
Mexico City and Watkins
Glen International),” Truex
said. “But it (repeating as
NASCAR Busch Series cham
pion) is a goal of mine.”
and 23-11 in the fourth.
Revis once again led them
in scoring, this time with 19.
Collins had 12, Arnold 11,
Rob Tillman 8, Sims 6 and
Peake 5.
The loss dropped Westfield
region record to 0-2 (5-9 over
all). They and Southland-it’s
the same in the girls’ bracket
- both share that mark and
were slated to meet Tuesday
(results pending). Deerfield
improved to 2-0 in the divi
sion (15-3 overall).
Nguyen said. “We have good
coaches, and they work us
hard. We have intense prac
tices and (that) prepares us
for the matches.”
Nguyen moved up to 112
from 103.
“He’s been around forev
er,” Burch said. “He’s steady,
works hard, always shows
up and never misses a prac
tice.”
These seniors contribute
more than wins for the Bears.
To a man, they provide lead
ership to a young team.
“It’s our job to prepare
the underclassmen for their
turn,” Lane said, “and it
■
/T -W \ f fwf'
HHJ Joe Sersey
Houston County's Nikki Thomas does a flip during
practice Monday at the school.
PREPARE
From page 1B
“We could have placed
better,” Pritchett said. “We
needed to hit our jumps and
tumbles a little better.”
Houston County has com
peted against every team in
the region except Valdosta.
“At Okeefenokee, we
won by 53 points,” said
Pritchett.
SWIMMERS
From page 1B
in a tie with 59. The Bears
capped off their year with a
49-1 record.
Cameron Tufts led the
Bears at the meet by set
ting a new meet record in
the 200 Individual Medley.
He swam it with a time of
2:10.69.
His brother Windfield
swam to two first-place
finishes. Both were in the
freestyle. The first was in
the 200 and the second was
in the 100.
He just missed the state
qualifying time in the 200
by two-tenths of a second,
Parker said.
Also, Matthew Hughes
qualified for state for the
first time in the 100 breast
stroke, and the boys relay
team of the Tufts brothers,
Brennone Lawson and Will
Spence set a a new meet
PANTHERS
From page 1B
Still, all was not lost.
First, there was the benefit
of the experience itself, said
Perry head wrestling coach
Randy Mizell.
Along with that, the
Panthers had a few of its
own wrestlers that stood
out individuality.
Tony Patterson, wres
tling in the 119-pound
division, pinned one oppo
nent for a win, while Chad
Shelton, showcasing his
talents at the 135-pound
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2005 ♦
At that meet were Coffee
and Lowndes. Pritchett says
that her team’s strength is
their base stunts and team
tumbling.
“We’re the only team
that can do a Walk Up
Single Base Heel Stretch,”
Pritchett said. “Saturday
will be a measure of our
ability against top teams.”
record in the 400 free at
3:36.78. They beat the old
state qualifying time by 10
seconds.
“This was a great meet
for our team,” Parker said,
“And things are really
coming together as I had
planned. We have quali
fied all six relays - three
boys three girls, and have
qualified in 12 individual
events; the most ever for a
Houston County team.”
Parker added his goal was
to get everybody qualified
by the end of the Americus
meet so that his swimmers
could train for state.
“I reallydidn’t want any
body distracted by the fact
they hadn’t qualified for
state,” he said.
In addition to the county
meet, Houston County will
host a meet - also at FVSU
- Saturday.
level, defeated another 13-
3, and Sam Noel, at 171
pounds, edged his 5-3.
For those who got away,
be forewarned: “We entered
the back door to the state
duals this year,” Mizell said
of the fact the team fin
ished third at the qualifier
held the week before and
only got in because the sec
ond place team pulled out
due to illness.
“Next year I expect to
enter through the front
door.”
Byron, GA
GREEN ACRES FARM
SS6-4550
3B
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