By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          For about a decade, Danny Camp’s home away from home was his vehicle.

          When you coach in Perry and then in Macon but live in Monticello, the vehicle is loaded.

          “It’s been about 50 minutes one way to Macon,” Camp said. “It was about an hour to Perry.”

          Soon enough, that commute drops to maybe 10 minutes, Camp hoping his first job in education and his final job in education are at the same place, Piedmont in Monticello.

          Camp will return to Piedmont after this school year to take over as athletics director.

          “Ready to come home, ready to come home, ready to come home,” Camp said last week. “We call it home. We’ve raised our two kids there. Too good to pass up at this stage of my career.”

          Piedmont posted the announcement on March 18, and within two days, the Facebook post had received more than 300 reactions and nearly 100 comments.

          There’s some joy in Monticello. And some joy in the Camp household. Which is much closer to work.

          “I don’t know what that’ll be like,” Camp said. “With so many hours you spend in this business, AD or coach or teach, anything period.

          “There’s a lot to be said for being 10 minutes from the house.”

          Stratford athletics director Barry Veal has known Camp for years.

          “That’s a lot of travel,” said Veal, a former baseball head coach at Jones County. “Hate to see him leave. Danny’s a great coach and a good friend of mine. But I’m happy for him.”

          Camp, who expressed appreciation for Stratford and enjoyment at getting to work with Veal for a few years, graduated from Mount de Sales in 1992 and Georgia Southwestern, after starting out at Columbus State (then Columbus College) and rooming with one Joey Hiller.

          His new wife was in physical therapy school at Georgia State and they lived in McDonough when Camp was hired at Piedmont by Ronald Bradley, a state coaching legend who went 1,372-413 as a basketball coach en route to membership in at least seven halls of fame, including the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

          “Me and Ronald Bradley, a legend,” Camp said. “It was me and Coach Bradley the first the two years.”

          Soon, Camp was in charge. He was a part of the Piedmont staff for 17 years serving in nearly every possible role. In softball, he was head coach for 14 years, and he led baseball for all 17 years. For three years, Camp served as head football coach, and he was the athletic director for 15 years.

          The Cougars won a GISA state baseball title in 2014 and softball went to three Final Fours in his last three years before leaving.

          He took over baseball and softball at Stratford before the 2021-22 school year after leading Westfield’s softball team to four straight state titles. He had a 128-13 run in softball at Westfield in that title run, having spent seven years in Perry.

          The Eagles went 44-40 in softball, and the baseball team 27-51, 7-6 entering Monday night’s game with Brentwood.

          The married father of two college students in Athens, Camp was reunited this year with Rob Fitzpatrick, who was Westfield’s head baseball coach while Camp assisted him for years while heading up the softball program.

          “I’m gonna miss Fitz,” Camp said as their eighth year together starts winding down. “That’s my guy. Great guy, unbelievable coach.”

          Piedmont is off a GIAA Class AA state girls basketball championship for the second straight year, and the Cougars have some state baseball and softball titles since titles Camp was last there.

          And he just wants to keep it going.

          “I just want to be there to support the coaches and student-athletes,” he said. “Give them the support they need to be successful.

“It’s time to go home.”

Another Northside-Jones County transaction: Two basketball coaches

          The interview process must have been fairly easy, with two candidates in one car.

          Regardless, Northside has a new girls basketball head coach and new boys basketball head coach, from the same house.

          ChoRhonda Harris and Buck Harris are headed from those jobs at Jones County to Northside, as per an announcement last week.

          ChoRhonda Harris succeeds Tamica Sneed, who went 10-12, 2-22, and 8-18 after following Ashleigh Fox, who left after the 2020-21 season for Discovery High, having led Northside to four winning seasons in five, including a Region 1-6A title and Sweet 16 trip.

          Sneed went to Northside from Peach County, where she surprisingly released despite an 84-48 record after a 21-29 stint in two years at Lamar County, the Trojans breaking a 17-year postseason slump her second season.

          Buck Harris becomes the Northside’s fifth head coach in than a decade.

          Reggie Thorpe was released from his basketball duties after one season in which the Eagles went 7-19 and 0-10. He followed Don Hudson, who spent two years in the job – coming from Houston County – as well as on the football staff – under, well, current Jones County athletics director Chad Alligood – before moving to Peach County.

          There, he joined the football staff of former Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook, and took over the girls basketball program.

          Hudson went 8-37 in two seasons, and the Eagles improved to 7-19 (0-10 in region play) under Thorpe, who’s release was unconnected to the record.

          The Eagles haven’t had a winning season since going 14-10 in 2015-16 under Matthew Simon in his first year succeeding Scott Wynn.

          Fast forward to the latest hires by Northside, ChoRonda and Buck.

          The two were married in 2017, and became co-workers in Gray in the spring of 2019, Mr. Harris moving from nearby Baldwin.

          They became parents in 2019.

          Jones County’s boys went to the Sweet 16 last season, knocking off region champs in the region tournament for the second straight year.

          The Greyhound girls had only two losing seasons under Harris, who succeeded Lance Pittman for the 2017-18 season, and had four 20-win seasons, including 25-6 in 2019-20.

          Jones County’s boys had a winning record every year under Harris, who took over in 2019-20, following Dennis Woolfolk, who moved into administration and is now Jones County’s principal.

          Buck Harris went 82-54 at Jones County, ChoRhonda Harris 120-77.