Students at Peach County High School enjoyed a longer summer break than others in the midstate. The Sept. 4 start date didn’t help the cross country team, however. Head coach Glenn Turner struggled to find students willing to train throughout August.
“Until the kids come back, I’m not sure what I’m going to have,” Turner said Thursday.
Considering other area cross country teams have been training -- and competing -- for at least a month, the Trojans will have difficulty competing. Director of Athletics Chad Campbell said he would prefer to cancel this year’s program rather than field an uncompetitive bunch.
“Just because we don’t have school doesn’t mean that you can’t be working out,” Campbell said.
Big for his age
Veterans High School quarterback Logan Byrd certainly looks the part. He’s 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 205 pounds. The mere mention of those stats causes one of the Warhawks’ other quarterbacks, junior Andrew Holiday, to offer pride and amazement. After all, Byrd is just a freshman. Size alone doesn’t guarantee credibility in the huddle, however.
“You’ve just got to work hard every day,” Byrd said after practice one day last week. “The guys that are older than you, you give them their respect, but if they see that you’re working hard, they’ll give it back.”
Panther transfer
A recent move-in moved right into the starting lineup for the Perry High School volleyball team. Samantha Glass arrived this summer from Mason City, Iowa, where she began playing volleyball in third grade. Only a freshman, Glass offers her teammates a deep understanding of the game. But her skills as a setter are sometimes lost on a developing team that simply seeks to get the ball back over the net.
“I try to control my frustration and pick up the team when we get down,” Glass said.
Perry High was thumped in a pair of straight-set losses to county rivals Houston County High School and Warner Robins High School on Aug. 28. Still, there appear to be better days ahead for the Lady Panthers.
With Glass and fellow freshmen Reagan Shaw and Jesse Forsee, head coach Teri Hunt has a young nucleus around which to build. In addition, the Lady Panthers junior varsity team owns wins over some of its county opponents.
Check your schedule
Perry High’s Sept. 21 football game with Mary Persons High School will be played in Forsyth, not at Herb St. John Stadium. Panthers’ head coach Stacey Harden and then-Mary Persons High coach Rodney Walker worked out the change after schedules had been submitted to the GHSA. As a result, Perry will have a balanced schedule this year and next: five games at home and five on the road.
