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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Eagles launch first verbal volley
By EDDIE PELLS
AP Sports Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
- Even without the pads on,
New England safety Rodney
Harrison delivered quite a
blow.
Asked whether he will
say anything to Eagles wide
receiver Freddie Mitchell,
who dissed the Patriots’ sec
ondary last week, Harrison
took his shot.
“What would I say?” he
said. “It’s Freddie Mitchell.”
And with that, Super Bowl
week was on.
The Eagles and Patriots,
two teams with very little
history or animosity between
them, opened America’s big
football celebration with
a nice bit of trash talking
Sunday at the first of the
dozen-or-so news conferenc
es that will take place during
the week.
This was Harrison’s first
chance on the Super Bowl
stage to respond to Mitchell.
Last week, the Eagles receiv
er said he couldn’t name
any of the Patriots defensive
backs except for Harrison,
about whom he said, “I’ve
got something for him.”
Harrison, who has spent
much of his 11-year career
playing the us-against-the
world card to anyone who
would listen, found his per
fect foil in Mitchell, who let
political correctness take a
back seat and greased the
wheels for this Super Feud.
“You’re always going
to find one jerk out of the
bunch. Just like Vandeijerk.
Mike Vandeijerk,” Harrison
said, referring to Colts kicker
Mike Vanderjagt, who earlier
in the postseason suggested
the Patriots were ripe for a
loss. “You’re always going to
find one guy like that who
wants some attention and
SHOT
From page 1B
“Taurean is valuable com
ing off the bench,” Hardy
said. “Rashad is a good ball
handler. I look for him to
get trash points and to take
advantage of mismatches.
He’s quick enough to go past
a big guy.”
Hardy also mentioned the
efforts of freshman Casey
Hayward, but the reality is
that Hardy uses at least 10
players every game. His sub
stitutes know they’re going
to get playing time and that
keeps them ready.
The key for the Panthers
Hardy said is consistency.
“We're not that big,” he
said. “We have to be good
shooters.”
In their game against
Northeast, the Panthers
were 2-forls from beyond
the arc. Their perimeter
players are spending seri
ous practice time trying to
improve on that.
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'Maybe he was drinking before he
started talking. That was clearly a
mistake, because no one in this league
would attack somebody a week before
the Super Bowl.'
- New England safety Rodney Harrison
wants to do something to try
and stir up the emotions of
the game.”
Not surprisingly, Mitchell
was unavailable at the
Eagles’ media opportunity
Sunday.
Meanwhile, Eagles quar
terback Donovan McNabb
understandably took his
teammate’s side in the fray,
framing Mitchell’s comments
as meaningless blather made
during the tedious bve week.
“Freddie didn’t mean any
thing by them. It’s sad that
people have to blow them up
to make them into a story,”
McNabb said. “Freddie apol
ogized. If someone needs
those comments to get up
for a game like this, they
don’t need to be here. This
is the Super Bowl, this is the
ultimate.”
The Mitchell-Harrison
imbroglio took at least a
temporary bite out of the
other main “football” sto
ries of the week: whether
the Eagles will get lost in
the hoopla of playing in their
first Super Bowl since 1981
(Reid said he’ll give the play
ers their freedom, treat them
like adults); whether the
Patriots, seeking their third
title in four years, are on the
verge of a dynasty (Coach
Bill Belichick insists the past
has nothing to do with this
week); and, most notably,
whether Eagles star receiver
Terrell Owens will deem his
hold opponents to less than
55 points a game while scor
ing nearly 65.
Hardy said Courtney
Watkins has a lot to do with
their success on defense.
“He’s our best defender,”
Hardy said. “He’s so valu
able. We can’t have him off
of the court for very long.”
Watkins can score, too.
He put up 20 points against
Spalding.
On the girls' side, the Lady
Panthers were sixth in the
standings in 4-AAA with a 3-
6 record. Peach County was
also at 3-6 in the region.
Both teams have seven wins,
but Perry leads the tiebreak
er with a one point victory at
Peach County, 42-41.
Head coach John Chance
isn’t going to be satisfied
with fifth place, however. He
has aspirations for the third
seed in the region tourna
ment.
“We’re working to stay in
the middle of the pack,” he
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injured ankle sturdy enough
to play.
Owens, who tore up the
ankle Dec. 19 and has missed
the last four games, has not
received clearance to play
from team doctors.
Nevertheless, the receiv
er hasn’t ruled himself out
of the game and his status
has become the overarching
theme of the buildup to the
big game.
Reid said Owens has been
steadily increasing his work
and will try to “do a few
things” at a light practice
Monday, but his availability
won’t be determined until
much later in the week.
And while there will almost
certainly be an entire week
to speculate on Owens, it’s
hard to know how long the
Mitchell mess will last.
Even if it was only for
a fleeting day, it was good
stuff.
“When he says something
like that, he’s disrespecting
our whole defense,” Patriots
linebacker Willie McGinest
said. “Not only Rodney, but
me, and Tedy Bruschi and
Mike Vrabel and all the rest
of us.”
But especially Harrison.
“Maybe he was drinking
before he started talking,”
he said. “That was clearly
a mistake, because no one
in this league would attack
somebody a week before the
Super Bowl.”
said. “We can finish third.”
“Washington County is up
and down,” Chance added.
“They’re a good squad and
are capable of being up on
anyone any night.”
Washington County was
4-4 in region, 11-8 overall
heading into the weekend
and defeated Perry 53-52
earlier in overtime.
Mary Persons hasn’t won
a region game thus far this
season. They may finish
the season that way but
as Chance pointed out his
team is allowing 47 points
a game.
In their last meeting, the
Lady Panthers won by 27,
51-23.
“That’s pretty good
defense, I think,” Chance
said, “but we’re only scoring
44 points a game and that’s
not good.”
Perry still has to close out
the regular season against
Peach County today and
Dodge County Friday.
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STREAK-
From page 1B
Robins was 4-of-16 - out
scored the Demonettes 12-
10 in the third and took
a 33-31 lead into the final
bracket.
Warner Robins then out
scored the Lady Eagles 22-
14, but they didn’t pull away
until late.
The Demonettes benefited
from two Shaniqua Pauldo
put-backs but the game was
still tied at 47 when C.C.
Jackson hit a 3-pointer with
1:10 left to play.
Northside was unable to
convert on its end and subse
quently forced to foul. They
sent Symone Wilkerson,
whose free throws at the
1:37 mark has tied it at 47,
back to the line where she
hit two more.
The Lady Eagles were
once again unable to con
vert so they fouled Jackson
who connected on one-of
-1 was not
displeased. They
(Warner Robins)
played well. But,
we did some good
things going into
the postseason.'
- Northside giris head basketball
coach Casaundra Wilson
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DEMONS-
From page 1B
The Eagles led 37-35 going
into the final eight minutes,
but that was erased easily
as the Demons opened the
quarter on an 8-0 run.
Northside fought its way
back, however, tying the
score at 43 when Kenith
Ward, who had finally got
rolling, tapped in a bucket
with 3:05 remaining.
Warner Robins led 47-44
with 1:40 remaining but the
Eagles, thanks to a bucket
from Ward and Anthony
Williams and a free throw
from B.J. Stewart, were
up 49-47 with 18 seconds
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two to close out the game.
“I was not displeased,”
said Wilson of her team’s
overall performance. “They
■
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HIM Don Moncrief
Northside's Quantisha Wynn (21) makes a long pass
to a teammate as the Demonettes defend, Friday at
Warner Robins.
remaining. The Demons took
the in-bounds pass worked
it around and to Willis for
a 3-pointer. This time he
missed, however. But, the
ball kicked out to Miller who
then sank the long jumper
with :02.3 on the clock.
“Pierre’s agamer,” Warner
Robins boys head basketball
coach Chip Malone said. “He
hates to lose.
“I’m just glad we won
this,” he added, his team
having lost its last three.
“Maybe it will boost our
confidence ... let them see it
can be done.”
The Eagles did narrowly
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(Warner Robins) played
well. But, we did some good
things going into the post
season.”
miss winning it at the buzz
er. They threw a long pass
to the top of the arc on their
end and to a surprisingly
open Jeremy Holder. He had
a good look, but the shot
wouldn’t go.
Warner Robins then came
out and hit 4-of-7 shots
from the field, compared to
Northside’s l-of-5, to win it.
“Free throws,” said Eagles
boys head basketball coach
Kevin Smith in regard to the
ultimate difference. “They
have a sophomore (Miller)
hit free throws, our seniors
miss. We lose. That’s the
bottom line.”
3B
Northside's
B.J. Stewart
(12) preps
to make a
pass, Friday
at Warner
Robins.
HIM Don Moncrief