Sports Greatest Rivalries

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Associated Press

The NFL notebook …

DETROIT — Calvin Johnson has gone deep again — and this time he wasn’t looking over his shoulder for one of Matthew Stafford’s passes.

The star wide receiver from the Detroit Lions took a few swings at Comerica Park on Friday night before the Tigers hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Johnson even hit one ball over the fence in left field. Johnson, who played baseball in high school, also threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Johnson said if he had tried to play another sport professionally other than football, it would have been baseball. He says he’s a Tigers fan and tries to get to the ballpark when he can.

TEBOW LETTER

NEW YORK — Lawyers representing Tim Tebow have sent a cease and desist letter to a T-shirt manufacturer they say is illegally using the name of the New York Jets quarterback to sell products.

CubbyTees.com created a green shirt that says “My Jesus” in a design that resembles the Jets’ logo. Tebow’s attorneys threatened to pursue legal action against the company for “using the name of Mr. Tebow” on its site “to promote, advertise and sell numerous T-shirts.”

BARTH SIGNS

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed placekicker Connor Barth to a four-year, $13.2 million contract. The 26-year-old from North Carolina is 63 of 75 on field goal attempts and 71 of 71 on extra points since joining the team in 2009. He is the only kicker in club history who has made three field goals of 50-plus yards in one game, Nov. 15, 2009 at Miami.

Barth also is the third player in NFL history to make four field goals from 40 yards or longer in a half, hitting from 540, 47, 46 and 44 yards against Carolina last year.

SAINTS

NEW ORLEANS — Former running back Deuce McAllister and Saints owner Tom Benson have been elected to the Saints Hall of Fame.

BENGALS

CINCINNATI — The Bengals signed cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama to a four-year contract on Friday, the first time in nine years that they’ve reached a deal so quickly with their top pick.

JETS

NEW YORK — Yeremiah Bell is joining the other side of the Dolphins-Jets rivalry.

A person familiar with the deal said the New York Jets and the veteran safety agreed to terms Friday on a one-year contract worth $1.4 million.

The former Dolphins starter adds depth to the safety position, a spot the Jets have revamped this offseason. Starter Eric Smith remains, but the Jets also signed LaRon Landry a few weeks ago, and drafted former West Davidson star Josh Bush in the sixth round and Antonio Allen in the seventh.

• The Jets have signed first-round draft pick Quinton Coples to a four-year contract.

The big defensive end from North Carolina is expected to be a starter as a rookie on Rex Ryan’s defensive line after a standout career with the Tar Heels.

Article source: http://www.salisburypost.com/Sports/052012-nfl-qcd

Quick quiz: Where is North Middlesex Regional High School located?

The Patriots have been one of Milford’s league rivals, but that doesn’t mean too many Scarlet Hawks know the answer.

“Ask a kid in the eighth grade where North Middlesex is,” Milford athletic director Rich Piergustavo says. “They wouldn’t know.”

The correct answer is Townsend, located on the New Hampshire border about 25 miles west of Lowell. After this month, it’s a place Piergustavo and the athletes of Milford won’t have to worry about anymore.

Milford is leaving Mid-Wach A (MWA) and its long road trips at the end of the school year for the Hockomock League, a move that Piergustavo feels better fits the Scarlet Hawks both geographically and competitively.

In Mid-Wach A, Milford has to drive close to or over an hour to get to four of the six other schools, including North Middlesex and Fitchburg. In the Hockomock League, seven of the 11 other schools are within about 40 minutes.

“I think geography is a big motivator,” Piergustavo said. “Is it educationally sound to get on a bus at 2:30 in the afternoon and drive an hour and 15 minutes to play a game, and do that four times, to play league opponents? I don’t think it does. Ask the kids who are taking AP (classes) and working hard, you’re trying to enjoy a sport and do the other end of high school and most of your trips are long. Tell me how that is good for kids.”

In the MWA, it wasn’t uncommon for teams playing evening road games to return at 10 p.m. on school nights.

“We’re at the southeastern tip in Mid-Wach,” Milford baseball and boys basketball coach Steve Manguso said. “We’ve got a couple trips — there’s Algonquin, then everything else is over an hour.

“Come home on a Tuesday night, it’s after 10 sometimes, depending how the game goes.”

The size difference is also a factor. Milford, a school of approximately 1,100 students, struggled to compete in some sports against MWA schools like Wachusett Regional (more than 2,000 students) and Leominster (more than 1,800), said Piergustavo.

In the Hockomock League, the Scarlet Hawks will be in the Davenport (small school) division, where they’ll be the median in terms of enrollment.

“I think everyone’s glad to have it,” said North Attleboro athletic director Kurt Kummer, the chairman of the Hockomock League athletic directors. “I think (Milford’s) going to like it, too. They’re going to be in a much better situation. Coming from Central Mass. with the big towns, now there’s smaller towns.”

“If you have a soccer program that has 100 kids trying out for three teams, you’re going to be stronger than 40 kids trying out for two teams and you cut two or three kids,” Piergustavo said. “I think it’s a pretty simple formula. We want to be in a situation where we give ourselves at least the ability to compete. Now we’ve done that in many sports. We have an exceptionally strong athletic program historically. This just levels the playing field.”

Not all Milford sports will be in the Hockomock League next year. The football team will remain in Central Mass. to complete a two-year cycle before joining in 2013. Also, the Hockomock does not sponsor boys volleyball, leaving coach Linda Zacchilli’s team without a home.

Zacchilli and Piergustavo are exploring membership in the South Alliance, a volleyball-only league that stretches from the Cape to Quincy to New Bedford.

“It’s kind of a mix of teams that don’t have a league,” Zacchilli said. “We’re looking into getting in that. That would require a lot of travel.”

Zacchilli said other options include playing an independent schedule or remaining in Mid-Wach, although the Scarlet Hawks wouldn’t be eligible for the conference title. Algonquin athletic director Fran Whitten — who runs Mid-Wach athletic director meetings as the league secretary — said he would not approve the latter, however.

“I haven’t (heard that) and that won’t happen,” Whitten said. “As far as I’m concerned they’re either in our league or they’re not in our league. They can’t have the best of both worlds. Clearly that’s something that would have to be voted on, but I would be against it.”

Mid-Wach — which counted Milford as a charter member since the league formed over 20 years ago — will change its format in Milford’s absence. Gone will be the four separate leagues (A, B, C, D) that have been decided by enrollment.

Instead the league will be divided into the Midland (big school) and Wachusett (small school) conferences, with individual teams within the conferences put into A or B based on the quality of that team.

For example, during the winter sports season, Marlborough will be in B for basketball and indoor track, and in A for gymnastics and wrestling.

“It’s no longer going to be Mid-Wach A, Mid-Wach B, C,” Whitten said. “It’s no longer going to be definable (for each school). Who’s in the A in baseball isn’t going to be the same as who’s in the A in field hockey as who’s in the A in other sports.”

Among Daily News schools — all of which are in Midland — Algonquin will compete in A, while Hudson, Marlborough and Westborough are split between A and B. The current set-up is a two-year cycle and could change after the 2013-14 school year.

“Our league is going to continue, and what I think is the best league not just in Central Mass. but in the state,” Whitten said.

Milford could maintain series with several of its old rivals. In the Hockomock League, the Scarlet Hawks will have fewer non-conference games, but Piergustavo expressed a desire to fill at least some of those spots with Mid-Wach teams, in particular Marlborough, Algonquin and Shrewsbury.

Whitten said Algonquin could be interested in maintaining a baseball rivalry with the Scarlet Hawks.

Another hanging chad for Milford could be a Thanksgiving football rivalry. The Scarlet Hawks will face Shrewsbury for the 37th time this November, but there’s no guarantee they’ll meet again in 2013. If the series does end, the problem will be getting a new team to end its Thanksgiving rivalry.

“You’re limited for your options,” Piergustavo said. “Most schools for Thanksgiving have teams locked in.”

Milford has a strong rivalry with soon-to-be league rival Franklin. The Scarlet Hawks already play the Panthers in football and Franklin will be the closest school to Milford in the Hockomock. It seems to be a natural fit for Thanksgiving — but Franklin has a long-standing Turkey Day rivalry with King Philip.

“I think that’s a very strong rivalry and who’s to say they would even do it. I would doubt it,” Piergustavo said. “That’s just another piece that will hopefully eventually fall into place.”

Despite the hangups, though, Piergustavo has no doubt it’s the right move.

“I don’t want to make it sound like we were just completely desperate to leave the Mid-Wach,” he said. “But I just think this makes more sense. … It’ll be easier to manage.”

And nobody will have to wonder where North Middlesex is anymore.

***

Zacchilli will be staying on as the Scarlet Hawks’ boys volleyball coach next spring, and possibly beyond. Zacchilli eventually plans to hand the keys to her son Peter, who is returning to school next year.

Linda Zacchilli is concerned about the strength of the program and having enough players at the junior varsity and freshman levels.

“I don’t want to just leave the program,” she said. “Right now we’re struggling a little bit with numbers. So I don’t feel comfortable leaving the team in this situation. If I feel like next year we’re back in control a little bit, I might leave. If not, then I’ll stick around. Right now I can definitely say I’m coming back next year.”

Zacchilli, however, will not continue as the girls volleyball coach in the fall, ceding to Meredith Purtell, a former player who’s been an assistant for the past five years.

***

Mistakenly omitted from last week’s note about the recruitment of Millis-Hopedale lineman Jon Baker was the commitment of his teammate, senior running back Jimmy Perkins. Perkins has committed to play at Merrimack College. …

A pair of Framingham residents (and sisters) were honored this past week. Nicoleand Kristin Gates, a junior and freshman respectively at Brimmer and May, were named all-stars by the New England Prep School Women’s Lacrosse Association. They were invited to play in today’s Connie Walkwitz NEPSWLA All-Star Game at Holy Cross. …

Two local coaches were named Coach of the Year in their respective sports by the MIAA: Algonquin gymnastics coach Amelia Davis and Framingham swim coach Michael Foley. They will be honored at a banquet on May 30. …

Hopkinton’s Jack Hilger had a weekend to remember playing for the New England Revolution U18 team last week. First Hilger scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win over South Premier Central on May 12, then scored four goals in a 6-4 win over Oakwood SC on May 13. A Daily News super teamer last fall, Hilger is going to Princeton in the fall.

(Dan Cagen can be reached at 508-626-3848 or dcagen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanCagen.)

Article source: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/sports_columnists/x1982676434/High-School-Notebook-Cause-and-effect-of-Milfords-move

BALTIMORE — I’ll Have Another needs another.

After coming out of one of the most thrilling finishes in the history of the Preakness Stakes by the narrow margin of a neck over Bodemeister, I’ll Have Another has the chance to become thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown champion.

The rather nondescript colt just may have what it takes to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed took all three spring classics — an abundance of heart, in addition to a bundle of ability.

I’ll Have Another captured the Kentucky Derby by 11⁄2 lengths two weeks ago at Churchill Downs, defeating pacesetter Bodemeister under a perfect ride from Triple Crown series rookie Mario Gutierrez. Although the Doug O’Neill-trained colt was the first horse in Derby history to overcome the No. 19 post position, Bodemeister was widely viewed as the best horse in the Run for the Roses due to his ability to hang on for second money after setting a ridiculously blistering pace that would have cooked most horses.

Yesterday at Pimlico Race Course, Bodemeister was sent to post as the 8-5 favorite for the Preakness, which is a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the 11⁄4-mile Derby. I’ll Have Another exited the starting gate as the 3-1 second choice in a rematch witnessed by a record crowd of 121,309.

In the aftermath of the gut-wrenching stretch drive that evoked a deafening roar from the packed grandstand and infield, no one should doubt I’ll Have Another’s claim to 3-year-old superiority, however narrow his margin over Bodemeister may be.

As Bodemeister set out to grab the lead into the first turn under jockey Mike Smith, I’ll Have Another settled on the outside a few lengths back. In a near repeat of his Derby run — although not achieved with nearly as fast fractions — Bodemeister set the pace into the stretch, where he sprinting clear by three lengths with an eighth of a mile to go. I’ll Have Another made steady progress to be third midway on the far turn before Gutierrez made the winning move inside a tiring Creative Cause leaving the turn into the homestretch. Although trainer Bob Baffert looked like he had a sixth Preakness victory virtually locked up, I’ll Have Another persisted with long, fluid strides to wear down the determined pacesetter in the shadow of the finish line.

I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister have developed an exciting rivalry, but the Baffert-trained colt won’t be playing the role of Alydar, who finished second behind Affirmed in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Unless he has a change of mind, Baffert won’t be sending his Derby and Preakness runner-up to take on I’ll Have Another in the Belmont Stakes.

The absence of Bodemeister certainly won’t hurt I’ll Have Another’s chances to join the likes of Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978) in his quest of a Triple Crown sweep.

Yet, Bodemeister pushed I’ll Have Another to the limit before succumbing to his nemesis just yards from the finish, which poses the question: Will J. Paul Reddam’s Triple Crown candidate be able to bounce back from such a grueling effort in just three weeks?

A total of 11 horses since Affirmed swept the Triple Crown in 1978 have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, only to come up short in the Belmont Stakes, a quirky and demanding race that is known as “The Test of the Champion” for a reason.

The thoroughbred racing world has been longing for a Triple Crown champion to energize a sport whose popularity has steadily waned since Affirmed was king. Spectacular Bid, Pleasant Colony, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, Funny Cide, Smarty Jones and Big Brown let the sport down since Alydar’s tormentor ruled the spring classics.

Upon their defeats at Belmont Park, thoroughbred pundits declared they were deemed not worthy of the Triple Crown by the racing gods.

Will I’ll Have Another, a $35,000 bargain-basement colt with less than royal breeding, win favor with the racing gods?

Well, Seattle Slew was bought by Mickey and Karen Taylor for a paltry $17,000, so we know the racing gods aren’t total snobs.

Article source: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/horse_racing/view.bg?articleid=1061132873&srvc=rss

The space required to chronicle all the unique and interesting stories about the hundreds of Mid-Iowa high school seniors graduating this weekend and next would be too vast for one edition of the Ames Tribune. With that constraint in mind, the Tribune presents 10 profiles of students from eight area high schools. Among the students chosen there are distance runners, cheerleaders, a valedictorian, a future soldier, a cakemaker, a horse rider and a girl who speaks fluent Turkish. Though varied, all 10 shared a common surprise that high school went by so quickly. In no particular order, meet some of the area’s graduates.

Ashley Damme Nevada

May is a month of memories for Ashley Damme. She’ll graduate from high school May 27, two days before a date with entirely different significance.

Damme’s early childhood was a struggle. Her family got by on food stamps, and an ever-changing roster of social workers regularly stopped by the house. That, though, was little compared to the hardship Damme faced when her mother, Michelle, whose birthday was May 14, died unexpectedly May 29, 2006. Sleep apnea and a mild seizure were listed as the cause of death.

“She’d been sick off and on for a while,” Damme said. “She went in her sleep one day.”

Damme’s father left the family around that time, and the two haven’t spoken in years. Family friends Donn and Bobbie Desher, of Nevada, became her legal guardians and though they didn’t legally adopt Damme, the Deshers are family in every other sense.

Damme, a cheerleader at Nevada, and Donn Desher are avid fans of Iowa Hawkeye football and wrestling.

“Wrestling’s big in my house,” Damme said.

It’s a sport that places a premium on toughness. Damme can appreciate that.

“Getting over losing my mom took a little bit, but she was the type of person that wouldn’t want anyone standing around moping about her,” Damme said. “I’ve lived my life in a way I knew she would be happy with if she were still here.”

This fall, Damme will attend DMACC in Ankeny and hopes to one day work for the Iowa Department of Human Services.

“I’ve always had social workers in my life,” Damme said. “Some of them were not the best, but some were quite nice. Those were the ones that helped me a lot.”

Sean Dulaney Colo-Nesco

Sean Dulaney had to break with family tradition.

The Dulaneys, Sean said, are a wrestling family, so he tried his hand at the sport of arm bars and headlocks. He soon learned, “I was not as good as my previous family members,” Dulaney said with a chuckle, “but cross country has been my thing.”

Dulaney was a three-time state qualifier, finishing 53rd out of 134 at the state meet last fall. Dulaney also runs with the Royals track team but he prefers grass to asphalt.

“Cross country’s my favorite,” Dulaney said. “Just the fact that it’s not 10 guys in a circle. There’s 100 other kids with you.”

Dulaney, a National Honor Society member, is one of 34 students graduating from Colo-Nesco this year. It’s a tight group.

“There’s no one in the school that you don’t know,” Dulaney said.

He’ll go from a school with a little more than 100 students to one with about 30,000 this fall when he attends Iowa State University to study psychology. In a few years, Dulaney will explore the other side of the state’s biggest athletic rivalry; he plans to enroll at the University of Iowa medical school.

The choice of majors was made last year in teacher Steve Lively’s classroom.

“We have a social studies teacher at our school that’s a little bit weird and kind of crazy,” Dulaney said. “He taught a psych class and since then, I haven’t wanted to do anything else.”

Sarah Galbraith, Collins-Maxwell

When Sarah Galbraith was asked about the different activities she’s participated in, the answer came with a warning.

“That list is pretty long,” Galbraith said.

Here it is: cross country, basketball, softball, track, student council, ChaMps (Celebrating High Achievers Making Positive Stands, an anti-drinking group for teens), National Honor Society, class officer and, in her remaining idle moments, she played trumpet in the band.

“I was pretty busy, so I didn’t have a ton of time to study,” Galbraith said.

There was enough time, though, for Galbraith to become the 2012 Collins-Maxwell valedictorian. She’ll continue studying, with a slightly shorter list of pursuits, this fall at Simpson College. Galbraith will major in pre-medicine and also join the track and dance teams.

As the top student in her class, Galbraith, who moved to Maxwell from Collins two years ago, will deliver a speech at today’s graduation ceremony. She said she’s nervous, and as of Friday afternoon hadn’t practiced in front of an audience. Still, one suspects it will go off without a hitch.

“I’m a pretty competitive person. I like to do the best at everything,” Galbraith said.

Ezgi Ustundag Ames

Ezgi Ustundag’s name has appeared in the Ames Tribune often the past two years, but she’s rarely been the subject. Ustundag was unable to fit Introduction to Journalism into her schedule as a sophomore so she asked to become a Tribune intern.

“I thought I was going to do job shadowing or making copies,” Ustundag said.

Days later, she was penning the first of many stories — a question-and-answer piece with former Ames girls’ soccer coach Gary Eyles.

“It was front page, and I was gasping,” Ustundag said. “My parents went overboard and bought five copies.”

When not going to school or working for the paper, she’s helping organize Aqua-palooza — a music festival earlier this year at Ames High — speaking fluent Turkish (her parents are of Turkish descent and use the language exclusively at home) and working with Students Helping Eliminate Poverty and Hunger. The group has raised nearly $7,000 to help build a roof on a house here in Ames. Construction, through Habitat for Humanity, begins this summer.

She’ll attend Duke on an all-included academic scholarship and major in international comparative studies, which blends economics, history, political science and anthropology.

“I was considering Princeton, and their international relations program is more straight foreign policy, which sounds a little dry to me,” she said.

And no doubt she’ll spend the first few weeks of class educating classmates and professors about the proper pronunciation of her name (ez-GEE, ooh-STEN-daag).

People have a fighting chance getting her first name right on the first try, “but my last name, I don’t know, 2 percent of the time.”

Mason Powers Gilbert

The long road always has suited Mason Powers.

Powers finished his high school track career with second-place finishes in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at this weekend’s state meet. Powers, who won a state championship in the 3,200 last year, is the Gilbert record-holder in three track events and owns the all-time fastest mark in boys’ cross country. He’ll run for North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City next season.

“It seems like it’s gone by really fast,” Powers said. “I’ve loved my high school years.”

He couldn’t have imagined saying those words a few years ago. As a freshman at a different school (Powers asked that it not be named), Powers was bullied, physically and verbally, on almost a daily basis.

“I’d gone to the administrators, the principal, the vice-principal, everyone I could, and it didn’t stop,” Powers said. “I got fed up, and I started looking for schools.”

His parents, Sarah and Tim Powers, like so many Americans in the midst of the housing crash, had trouble selling their home so Powers moved in with his grandparents in Ames. He started attending Gilbert as a sophomore and immediately felt welcomed. His parents’ house finally sold last year, allowing them to move to Gilbert for Mason’s senior year.

“Now we’re down here, happily,” Powers said.

Becca
Jensen Ballard

As sales pitches go, the one Becca Jensen received her freshman year was pretty convincing.

Austin Moody, then-student council president, convinced Jensen to join the council, and it’s proved to be a good decision. Jensen, whose older sister, Amanda, also was a council member, has been part of daily council meetings the past four years. The group oversees a number of programs, such as Senior Survivor, schedules appreciation events for teachers and other school employees and oversees all aspects of homecoming.

“If (Principal John) Ronca or (Associate Principal Mike) Manock need something, they come to us,” Jensen said.

Another project the council has taken on this year is raising money for Isaac Akers, a Ballard third-grader stricken with cancer. Various fundraisers have brought in more than $25,000.

“It’s been amazing,” Jensen said of the project.

Jensen, the youngest of five children — all Ballard graduates — in her family, was also a member of the tennis team, played baritone saxophone in the band and was a member of Conflict Managers and National Honor Society. She plans to study nursing through a joint program between the University of Northern Iowa and Allen College, in Waterloo.

It will be difficult, though, for those schools to match the sense of community Jensen has felt at Ballard.

“School is not something I dread,” Jensen said. “Knowing that you’re always going to see students and administration smiling in the hallway. They’re always willing to talk to you.”

Rachael Ostrem South Hamilton

Rachael Ostrem’s horse phase never ended.

Ostrem has spent much of her life in a saddle and will take that interest to William Woods University in Fulton, Mo. She’ll major in biology and minor in equestrian science.

Her family lives on an acreage north of Radcliffe (“the middle of nowhere,” she said with a chuckle), which affords enough space for four horses. Her favorite, a half-Arabian, half-Clydesdale whose formal name is “Oz a Degree Warm” but around the stable is simply called “Troi,” was born six months after Ostrem was.

“We grew up together,” Ostrem said.

Ostrem and the horse with two names have entered many show competitions, and this summer will compete for the first time at the Iowa State Fair. It’s not a rodeo, or a race, but a horse in show competition must exhibit varying gaits and follow a judge’s command. The event is not timed, but horses are graded on how well they execute commands.

“I’ve done OK. I haven’t won anything huge, but at the local level, in a few classes, I’ve won a few things,” Ostrem said.

It was hoops, not horses, though, that enabled her to go to college. A member of the Hawks’ girls’ basketball team, Ostrem was offered a full scholarship to a local community college but had her hopes set on William Woods.

“I went down there and played with the coach, and he offered me a place on his team with a partial scholarship,” Ostrem said.

She’s also played Mother Abbess in the school production of “The Sound of Music” and been a member of 4-H and Future Farmers of America. Ostrem also was on the cross country team — a sport that allowed her to display unvarnished honesty.

“I was horrible. I hated every minute of the running,” Ostrem said. “I loved the people; I ran because I knew it would keep me fit for basketball.”

Torry
Hand
Ames

Victoria Hand, who prefers “Torry” over her given first name, wanted to be a teacher until eighth grade when she discovered the world of icing and batter. Hand will attend Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis this fall and hopes to follow the well-floured path of celebrity chefs like Alton Brown.

“I would like to work at a high-end restaurant and be able to say (of a particularly stirring entree), ‘I did that,’” Hand said.

She also would like to own a bakery, with an emphasis on specialty cakes.

One of her more ambitious efforts was a cake for a friend’s 16th birthday party topped with 16 white roses made of marshmallow fondant — a firm icing used in cake decorating. Surrounded by cupcakes of the same theme, the two-tiered cake featured a Tyrannosaurus Rex wearing a pearl necklace. The reason?

“Just for fun,” Hand said.

Hand also whipped up a marble cake replica of Hogwarts Castle from the Harry Potter films, complete with three while owls and Scabbers, a character who sometimes is a rat.

You can check out Hand’s creations at her blog, letscook
togetheragain.tumblr.com.

Jackson Griffith
Ames

Jocks and singers aren’t as different as one might think.

Jackson Griffith spent plenty of time in both worlds throughout his time at Ames High School. A multi-time state qualifier in cross country and track, Griffith also was a member of the marching band (he plays trombone) and school choir (he’s a baritone) and was also part of the school’s madrigal dinner this winter (he was the king).

“The circles do kind of overlap, which is cool,” Griffith said. “I wouldn’t really be who I was without all of it.”

Griffith, who will attend Iowa State University to study either environmental science or agricultural engineering, said his fondest high school memory had nothing to do with cleats, notes or crowns. It was a 21-day trip to Uganda last summer with teacher Tim Mooney and about 30 students.

The group helped build a school in Kiringa, a village of about 1,000 people, accessible only by dirt road. Griffith moved sand, hauled rock and mixed concrete. He also met many friendly Kiringa residents and learned enough Luganda — their language — to get by.

“If you want to ask someone how they are doing, it’s ‘oli otya’ and you respond ‘bulungi,’ which means I’m fine,” Griffith said.

Jordan Staker Roland-
Story

College wasn’t for Jordan Staker. It’s not that academics weren’t important, he just had a better offer.

Staker, following in the boot- prints of his father and grandfather, made a four-year commitment to the U.S. Army. He heads out July 3 for basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Following that 2 1/2-month stint, he’ll train to become as combat medic at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

“I never thought much of anything else. I knew what I wanted to do,” Staker said.

Both of the elder Stakers saw combat time. Father, Jeff, was deployed twice, the latter a two-year tour in Iraq. The dangers of military service in wartime is not lost on Jordan, but he quells any fear with a philosophy both practical (“Somebody’s got to do it.”) and the prideful.

“I think everybody has a purpose here on Earth, and I knew that was my purpose — to defend our country and be part of something great,” Staker said.

Staker had plenty of non-military pursuits in high school. He was in track, basketball and football — last fall, he ran for 12 touchdowns — and played trumpet in the concert and marching bands.

A few of those memories likely were discussed Wednesday night, following the last day of classes, when Staker and friends gathered for a bonfire at his family’s acreage west of Story City.

“(High school felt long) while I was going through it, but now that it’s over, it seemed like it flew by,” Staker said.

Mike Malloy can be
reached at (515) 663-6933 or mmalloy@amestrib.com.

Article source: http://www.amestrib.com/sections/news/ames-and-story-county/fleeting-glimpses-class-2012.html

Saturday, nearly 121 years after Kansas University kicked it off with a 22-10 football victory over arch-rival Missouri in 1891, the historic Border War series between KU and Mizzou ended at KU’s Hoglund Ballpark with a 6-3 victory for Missouri’s baseball team and a rather calm and cordial exchange of handshakes.

For the rest of time, or at least until they meet again somewhere, somehow, in some sport, KU supporters will spin it as the Jayhawks (22-32 overall, 7-16 Big 12) winning the final series between the two bitter rivals. At the same time, MU fans likely will point out that the Tigers won the final game. Maybe it’s not dead after all.

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Kansas baseball vs. Missouri (Game 3)

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Following Saturday’s victory, Mizzou coach Tim Jamieson told reporters that he hoped the Tigers and Jayhawks could find a way to continue the Border War in the future by scheduling a mid-week, non-conference game.

“That’s something we’d be very open to in the future,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “I’m on record as saying it’s sad that this series is ending. We wanted to continue the (mid-week) series at Kauffman Stadium this year, but they canceled it.”

Now, the only way the two will meet again in any sport in the future is if they meet in the postseason or if one side or the other decides to make all the talk of potential match-ups a reality.

With both teams headed to Oklahoma City next week, that potentially distant meeting could come sooner than later. The Jayhawks will be the No. 7 seed and Mizzou will be seeded sixth. While that storyline adds a little drama to the whole thing, Price was more concerned with discussing just how important making the tournament was for his young ballclub.

“We need the experience of going to Brick Town for this team to continue to grow,” he said. “Obviously, it was a positive weekend, winning the series. We would’ve liked to finish it off with a sweep today, but they pitched better than we did and they swung the bats much better than they did the first two days.”

After playing nearly flawless baseball for the first two games of the series and earning the two victories they needed to qualify for next week’s Big 12 tournament, the Jayhawks suffered a letdown early on Saturday. An error allowed the Tigers to plate two runs in the top of the first inning, and MU added two more in the third to build a 4-0 lead. Just as it did during the first two games of the series, the early lead held up and the Tigers (28-26, 10-14) walked away with a victory as a few MU fans in the stands chanted “S-E-C, S-E-C” on their way out.

Despite falling behind early, the Jayhawks did not lay down. Michael Suiter polished off his solid series with a solo home run in the fifth to get KU on the board and Kevin Kuntz and James Stanfield followed with RBIs during KU’s three-run fifth.

“From down four to down by one, that gave us a huge confidence boost and we took over the momentum,” Stanfield said.

Added Price: “I thought we were right back in it at that point. But any time you cut the deficit to one, your starter can’t go back out there and give ‘em the run back and we did that.”

Mizzou added a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to put the finishing touches on the game and the historic series.

“I’ve never seen a rivalry as intense as this one,” Price said.

Copyright 2012 The

Lawrence Journal-World.

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
We strive to uphold our values for every story published.

Article source: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/may/20/kansas-baseball-loses-battle-missouri-wins-border-/

CHRIS DORWART/THE WORLD-HERALD

The Nebraska volleyball team did itself proud in 2011, finishing at the top of the Big Ten — an elite volleyball conference. Alas, not all NU teams fared so well.

Published Saturday May 19, 2012

ATHLETICS

Shatel: Rookie in strange new land of the Big Ten

By Tom Shatel
WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST

I wouldn’t know an Oaken Bucket if it fell out of the Indiana sky and clobbered me upside the head.

I don’t know where to stay next fall in Columbus, Ohio. I can’t remember if it’s Champaign or Champagne, Ill. And I couldn’t pick the Heroes Game Trophy out of a lineup with the Rolling Stones.

The kids’ shop at Midway Airport. The long walk past the legions of well-oiled tailgaters on the way to Camp Randall Stadium. The Mall of America. Waiting for what seemed like an hour to pass the Amish couple in the horse and buggy on the way to Penn State. The Indiana basketball museum that is Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

A lot of cool, old battleship stadiums. And a lot of punts.

Those are the images of my rookie year in the Big Ten Conference.

Here’s a confession: I still feel like a rookie.

Can you relate?

The Big Ten is a good place to be. It’s also still a strange land to find one’s self. One year into the new life, I feel like a man without a conference. I’ve moved beyond the Big 12. But I don’t feel like a Big Ten guy yet, either.

Anybody else feeling that?

This isn’t about regret. A friend of mine who is a Texas fan asked me recently if I had “buyer’s remorse.”

Interesting question. As of Friday, it’s a whole new Big 12. Our old league announced an agreement to play the SEC in a new bowl game, which is designed to rival the Rose Bowl in stature and revenues. Go ahead and connect the dots to four super football leagues in the future, with a reborn Big 12 sitting at the big boy table.

So, Husker Nation, if you knew the Big 12 would not only survive but be in position to become an SEC partner and bring in Florida State, Miami and others, would you still want to be there?

I say no. First, you can’t change what happened two years ago. The Big 12 was a mess. It had no future. It had to go to the brink of extinction to get where it is today.

Mostly, the Big Ten is just a better place for NU. The cultural fit is perfect. The money ($24.6 million per school, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) is off the charts and the revenue explosion has only begun. Academics, traditions, grilled brats to die for. The Big Ten’s got it all.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?Click the image above to join the discussion of NU’s first season in the Big Ten on the Big Red Today Facebook page.

I believe that the majority of Husker fans like it just where they are.

They just don’t know exactly where they are yet.

It was a strange year. I still found myself watching Big 12 games last fall and winter. It was hard not to look longingly at the Kansas State-Oklahoma State track meet of a football game and think, “Man, this is a lot of fun.” Compared to rock-’em, sock-’em, punt-’em robots.

Anybody else do that?

On the other hand, there was that fall day in Ann Arbor, Mich., where I looked around at the mammoth Big House, full of life and atmosphere, and thought, “I could get used to this.”

Nebraskans will get used to the Big Ten. But, for now, if you strapped Husker fans to a lie detector, how many would admit that they’ve wondered what in the heck they’ve gotten into here?

The celebration of leaving the Big 12 behind and the excitement of being the new kid in school lasted until the first day of school, when the new kid got taken to the woodshed.

The big bully was Russell Wilson and Wisconsin.

A blowout loss at Michigan. Finishing third in the Legends Division.

NU fans got bragging rights over Iowa, but the first rivalry game was a dud.

The plodding style of Big Ten football had Nebraskans looking for their remote control. The lack of urgency often shown toward the national title race was a cold splash of water. The Rose Bowl mentality.

The football season wasn’t bad but wasn’t great. Bad came in the winter with Nebraska men’s basketball. It’s one thing to get smashed at Kansas. But when it happens in front of your new neighbors at Ohio State, it’s another story.

The new kid on the block wanted to make a good first impression. There weren’t many of those.

The women provided the highlights. Volleyball, gymnastics and indoor track won Big Ten titles. Women’s hoops made a strong showing.

CHART: ALL-SPORT WINNING PERCENTAGEClick the image above to see where Nebraska ranks overall in the school’s first year in the Big Ten.

NU didn’t teach the Big Ten how to play football. Or baseball. But what did we expect? Those programs weren’t in any shape to win the Big Ten or Big 12. It wasn’t a Big Ten thing. It was a Nebraska thing.

And that’s the take-away from Year One. If Nebraska is right in any sport, it can win the Big Ten.

Getting there will be the trick. But the Big Ten will force Nebraska to keep up. Or else.

It will be harder to win a Big Ten football championship than the Big 12. That’s a fact. The big reason is Michigan.

There was no Michigan in the Big 12 North. When Nebraska was good, it could fall out of bed and win the Big 12 North. Then have to beat Oklahoma or Texas, not both.

This will be tougher sledding. But I look at it this way: Michigan will make Nebraska bring its “A” game, something that hasn’t happened in decades. A Husker “A” game would be enough to win the national championship.

NU coach Bo Pelini is adjusting to Big Ten ball on the fly. Nebraska is recruiting more upper Midwest, Big Ten areas. More big linebackers, big backs. This is a style that Nebraskans like.

The Big Ten will be a better place for Husker Hoops. Simply put, the Big 12 is a lottery pick league, a safe haven for one-and-dones.

Those kids aren’t coming to Lincoln.

The Big Ten is more about coaching and good, solid skilled basketball players from the Big Ten areas. Nebraska can get those kids.

With the Big Ten’s hoop reputation, if the Big Red can get in the top six or seven, they’ll make the NCAA tourney.

Husker baseball probably took it on the chin more than any sport in this move. But if Darin Erstad can get the program right, there’s nothing standing in the way.

Volleyball coach John Cook wrote the bottom line for NU back in the fall. Cook’s program is rolling and it rolled through a league with more obstacles than the Big 12.

If the program is right, it can win in the Big Ten. That’s what you need to know about the Big Ten so far.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com

twitter.com/tomshatelOWH

Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.

Article source: http://www.omaha.com/article/20120519/BIGRED/705199847

Quick quiz: Where is North Middlesex Regional High School located?

The Patriots have been one of Milford’s league rivals, but that doesn’t mean too many Scarlet Hawks know the answer.

“Ask a kid in the eighth grade where North Middlesex is,” Milford athletic director Rich Piergustavo says. “They wouldn’t know.”

The correct answer is Townsend, located on the New Hampshire border about 25 miles west of Lowell. After this month, it’s a place Piergustavo and the athletes of Milford won’t have to worry about anymore.

Milford is leaving Mid-Wach A (MWA) and its long road trips at the end of the school year for the Hockomock League, a move that Piergustavo feels better fits the Scarlet Hawks both geographically and competitively.

In Mid-Wach A, Milford has to drive close to or over an hour to get to four of the six other schools, including North Middlesex and Fitchburg. In the Hockomock League, seven of the 11 other schools are within about 40 minutes.

“I think geography is a big motivator,” Piergustavo said. “Is it educationally sound to get on a bus at 2:30 in the afternoon and drive an hour and 15 minutes to play a game, and do that four times, to play league opponents? I don’t think it does. Ask the kids who are taking AP (classes) and working hard, you’re trying to enjoy a sport and do the other end of high school and most of your trips are long. Tell me how that is good for kids.”

In the MWA, it wasn’t uncommon for teams playing evening road games to return at 10 p.m. on school nights.

“We’re at the southeastern tip in Mid-Wach,” Milford baseball and boys basketball coach Steve Manguso said. “We’ve got a couple trips — there’s Algonquin, then everything else is over an hour.

“Come home on a Tuesday night, it’s after 10 sometimes, depending how the game goes.”

The size difference is also a factor. Milford, a school of approximately 1,100 students, struggled to compete in some sports against MWA schools like Wachusett Regional (more than 2,000 students) and Leominster (more than 1,800), said Piergustavo.

In the Hockomock League, the Scarlet Hawks will be in the Davenport (small school) division, where they’ll be the median in terms of enrollment.

“I think everyone’s glad to have it,” said North Attleboro athletic director Kurt Kummer, the chairman of the Hockomock League athletic directors. “I think (Milford’s) going to like it, too. They’re going to be in a much better situation. Coming from Central Mass. with the big towns, now there’s smaller towns.”

“If you have a soccer program that has 100 kids trying out for three teams, you’re going to be stronger than 40 kids trying out for two teams and you cut two or three kids,” Piergustavo said. “I think it’s a pretty simple formula. We want to be in a situation where we give ourselves at least the ability to compete. Now we’ve done that in many sports. We have an exceptionally strong athletic program historically. This just levels the playing field.”

Not all Milford sports will be in the Hockomock League next year. The football team will remain in Central Mass. to complete a two-year cycle before joining in 2013. Also, the Hockomock does not sponsor boys volleyball, leaving coach Linda Zacchilli’s team without a home.

Zacchilli and Piergustavo are exploring membership in the South Alliance, a volleyball-only league that stretches from the Cape to Quincy to New Bedford.

“It’s kind of a mix of teams that don’t have a league,” Zacchilli said. “We’re looking into getting in that. That would require a lot of travel.”

Zacchilli said other options include playing an independent schedule or remaining in Mid-Wach, although the Scarlet Hawks wouldn’t be eligible for the conference title. Algonquin athletic director Fran Whitten — who runs Mid-Wach athletic director meetings as the league secretary — said he would not approve the latter, however.

“I haven’t (heard that) and that won’t happen,” Whitten said. “As far as I’m concerned they’re either in our league or they’re not in our league. They can’t have the best of both worlds. Clearly that’s something that would have to be voted on, but I would be against it.”

Mid-Wach — which counted Milford as a charter member since the league formed over 20 years ago — will change its format in Milford’s absence. Gone will be the four separate leagues (A, B, C, D) that have been decided by enrollment.

Instead the league will be divided into the Midland (big school) and Wachusett (small school) conferences, with individual teams within the conferences put into A or B based on the quality of that team.

For example, during the winter sports season, Marlborough will be in B for basketball and indoor track, and in A for gymnastics and wrestling.

“It’s no longer going to be Mid-Wach A, Mid-Wach B, C,” Whitten said. “It’s no longer going to be definable (for each school). Who’s in the A in baseball isn’t going to be the same as who’s in the A in field hockey as who’s in the A in other sports.”

Among Daily News schools — all of which are in Midland — Algonquin will compete in A, while Hudson, Marlborough and Westborough are split between A and B. The current set-up is a two-year cycle and could change after the 2013-14 school year.

“Our league is going to continue, and what I think is the best league not just in Central Mass. but in the state,” Whitten said.

Milford could maintain series with several of its old rivals. In the Hockomock League, the Scarlet Hawks will have fewer non-conference games, but Piergustavo expressed a desire to fill at least some of those spots with Mid-Wach teams, in particular Marlborough, Algonquin and Shrewsbury.

Whitten said Algonquin could be interested in maintaining a baseball rivalry with the Scarlet Hawks.

Another hanging chad for Milford could be a Thanksgiving football rivalry. The Scarlet Hawks will face Shrewsbury for the 37th time this November, but there’s no guarantee they’ll meet again in 2013. If the series does end, the problem will be getting a new team to end its Thanksgiving rivalry.

“You’re limited for your options,” Piergustavo said. “Most schools for Thanksgiving have teams locked in.”

Milford has a strong rivalry with soon-to-be league rival Franklin. The Scarlet Hawks already play the Panthers in football and Franklin will be the closest school to Milford in the Hockomock. It seems to be a natural fit for Thanksgiving — but Franklin has a long-standing Turkey Day rivalry with King Philip.

“I think that’s a very strong rivalry and who’s to say they would even do it. I would doubt it,” Piergustavo said. “That’s just another piece that will hopefully eventually fall into place.”

Despite the hangups, though, Piergustavo has no doubt it’s the right move.

“I don’t want to make it sound like we were just completely desperate to leave the Mid-Wach,” he said. “But I just think this makes more sense. … It’ll be easier to manage.”

And nobody will have to wonder where North Middlesex is anymore.

***

Zacchilli will be staying on as the Scarlet Hawks’ boys volleyball coach next spring, and possibly beyond. Zacchilli eventually plans to hand the keys to her son Peter, who is returning to school next year.

Linda Zacchilli is concerned about the strength of the program and having enough players at the junior varsity and freshman levels.

“I don’t want to just leave the program,” she said. “Right now we’re struggling a little bit with numbers. So I don’t feel comfortable leaving the team in this situation. If I feel like next year we’re back in control a little bit, I might leave. If not, then I’ll stick around. Right now I can definitely say I’m coming back next year.”

Zacchilli, however, will not continue as the girls volleyball coach in the fall, ceding to Meredith Purtell, a former player who’s been an assistant for the past five years.

***

Mistakenly omitted from last week’s note about the recruitment of Millis-Hopedale lineman Jon Baker was the commitment of his teammate, senior running back Jimmy Perkins. Perkins has committed to play at Merrimack College. …

A pair of Framingham residents (and sisters) were honored this past week. Nicoleand Kristin Gates, a junior and freshman respectively at Brimmer and May, were named all-stars by the New England Prep School Women’s Lacrosse Association. They were invited to play in today’s Connie Walkwitz NEPSWLA All-Star Game at Holy Cross. …

Two local coaches were named Coach of the Year in their respective sports by the MIAA: Algonquin gymnastics coach Amelia Davis and Framingham swim coach Michael Foley. They will be honored at a banquet on May 30. …

Hopkinton’s Jack Hilger had a weekend to remember playing for the New England Revolution U18 team last week. First Hilger scored the winning goal in a 2-1 win over South Premier Central on May 12, then scored four goals in a 6-4 win over Oakwood SC on May 13. A Daily News super teamer last fall, Hilger is going to Princeton in the fall.

(Dan Cagen can be reached at 508-626-3848 or dcagen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanCagen.)

Article source: http://www.milforddailynews.com/features/x1982676434/High-School-Notebook-Cause-and-effect-of-Milfords-move

Lucas Jackson/ReutersJerome Singleton stretches in Dallas on Tuesday.

DALLAS — Jerome Singleton, a self-described math and physics nerd, said he’s the man to beat the famed South African sprinter, Oscar Pistorius this summer at the Paralympic Games in London.

The possible faceoff in the 100 meters may be one of the most anticipated in the Paralympics, as Singleton already bested Pistorius once, in January 2011 – barely. Since then, Singleton said he has drawn on both his physical training and mental acumen to prepare for the summer showdown. It marks quite the journey not only for the Paralympic movement, but also for Singleton, who was initially a reluctant runner.

“I knew I was kind of a nerd,” Singleton said. “If you played sports you were automatically cool. That’s what happens. You’re automatically cool. It kept me structured.”

Singleton said it’s hard not to be compared with Pistorius, known as the “blade runner” and one of the Paralympic movement’s most visible faces. Singleton is a single amputee, Pistorius is a double. Pistorius played rugby growing up, Singleton played football. Both men started their running careers relatively late and are close in age (they were born five months apart; both are 25). He said he hopes their rivalry will increase the visibility of the Paralympic movement.

Although he competed as a disabled athlete throughout his childhood, Singleton said he hadn’t heard about the Paralympics until he was 19. “It should not have taken that long,” he said.

Born without a fibula in his right leg, Singleton’s leg was amputated below his knee when he was 18 months old. The son of a high school football commissioner and a computer scientist, he said he’s been drawn to math and sports from an early age.

“The biggest thing about math,” he said, “Is I knew at the end there was an answer. There was one answer, no matter what.”

Singleton played football for his high school team, ranking among the top players in his home state, South Carolina. Many of his classmates thought he merely had a leg brace. “I guess they thought I had a forever brace,” he said.

In addition to his physical training, Singleton said he’s spending time studying his leg swing, stride length and tries to ensure that his artificial limb is the same length as his leg to prevent a “wobble” effect toward the end of the race. He reviews film of his race to study at what angle he should run and how to postpone his body’s natural deceleration.

“I think having math and physics helps me test it,” Singleton said of his approach. Singleton hopes to continue his study of biomechanics perhaps in graduate school, he said, and tackle problems like hip and knee issues often experienced by amputees.

“I don’t know too much about biomechanics,” he said. “But I do know, the laws of physics. Man, if you go in motion, you’re going to stay in motion. I’m going to try and stay in motion as much as I can.”

Singleton said his disability helped fuel both his academic interests and athletic pursuits and it’s hard to imagine life any other way.

“[My parents] told me, ‘you need to be two to three times better than your competition,’” Singleton said. “My dad told me another thing, which is you never want to meet the person you could have been.”

Article source: http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/singleton-trains-his-focus-on-pistorius/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Every day is a great day to be a sports fan, but some days are better than others.

Like Saturday, when a quadruple header offers the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and the opportunity to yell yourself hoarse for eight hours – a condition treatable, medical experts and bartenders agree, by quaffing a cold, refreshing beer or six.

Disclaimer: This should not be construed as an encouragement to ingest alcohol. One wouldn’t want to pre-empt the important roles three levels of government and the striking students play in driving us to drink.

Besides, 1 p.m. is an early start for all but the most dissolute among us. But with its customary respect for the traditions of the great hockey nation that can’t beat Slovakia, the NHL has scheduled an early afternoon puck-drop for the third game of the Eastern Conference final.

Having split the first two games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers and Devils resume their rivalry at the Prudential Center (1 p.m., CBC, NBC, RDS). While midday may be among the more prudent times to be visiting downtown Newark, this is a jarring anomaly for those of us who grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada.

One suspects, however, that Gary Bettman’s warm recollections of childhood Saturdays do not include the dulcet tones of Danny Gallivan. Unencumbered by nostalgia, the NHL commissioner is untroubled by wasting Jim Hughson’s pipes on a matinee.

Why is it Hockey Nap in Canada? Subordinating HNIC to the demands of an American broadcaster may seem like a tail wagging the dog; but in this case, blame the nags.

The second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown goes on Saturday. And as was the case two Saturdays ago when I’ll Have Another won a thrilling Kentucky Derby, NBC will be telecasting the Preakness Stakes, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The U.S. network wants hockey out of the way by the 6:05 p.m. post time at Pimlico Downs.

It’s safe scheduling, unless Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist get ridiculously hot and goaltend their teams through an overtime marathon. How great would it be if Marian Gaborik ends five hours of hockey, then retrieves the puck to shove it six hole on John Tortorella?

Champions League final: The afternoon’s premier sports attraction involves neither skates nor horseshoes.

The UEFA Champions League final will be played Saturday in Munich (2 p.m., RSE, FOX, TVA Sports; kickoff 2:45 p.m.). The world’s most prestigious club football (known to us benighted colonials as “soccer�) championship matches Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga against Chelsea of the English Premier League.

After a wacky up-and-down season in the Premiership, Chelsea has played well for manager Roberto Di Matteo. But the club will be hampered by the absence of four starters: John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Raul Meireles and, most crucially, the spectacular Ramires – all out on the basis of yellow cards accrued during the Champions League tournament.

These names don’t mean much to the average hockey fan. But a bereaved Canadiens supporter, lacking a dog in the playoff fight, could do a lot worse than switching from HNIC to Sportsnet in time for the soccer final.

Better still, join the cognoscenti at a soccer bar such as Kelly’s in Pointe Claire or the Burgundy Lion on Notre St. W. Both venues will be rockin’ in some semblance of the fever that will grip any number of local pubs in West London, and a wise Bayern Munich backer will leave the scarf at home.

Hockey Night in Shawinigan: A hockey game, a soccer match and a horse race may be as much as some sports spectators can handle.

These short hitters are not fit to wear the $350 XXXL jersey of their favourite teams.

Saturday is Hockey Night in Shawinigan. And there’s soccer here in hockey-bereft Montreal.

The Impact plays the last of six MLS home games at the Big O (7:30 p.m., TVA Sports, CJAD Radio-800) before opening the expanded Saputo Stadium next month. The move can’t come soon enough for the players, who hate the hard, unforgiving pitch at the indoor facility. The good thing about soccer played on a billiard table is it tends to inhibit diving.

And while the concrete mausoleum will not be nearly as packed as it was for David Beckham, the New York Red Bulls should provide some entertainment, even without the better-than-Beckham Thierry Henry.

Finally, if you don’t fancy a subway ride there’s primo junior hockey. The Memorial Cup tournament is underway in Jean Chrétien’s hometown, and there is a preliminary-round game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and London Knights (7 p.m., RSE). Each team features a recent Canadiens’ first-round draft choice.

Defenceman Jarred Tinordi, London’s captain, was the 22nd overall pick at the 2010 draft. The Canadiens moved up five spots to get him, swapping their first- and second-round picks to Phoenix for the Coyotes’ first and fourth-rounders. Tinordi, a 6-foot-6 defenceman, is the son of former NHLer Mark Tinordi. The Canadiens prospect passed up a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame to play major junior for the Hunter brothers in London.

Saint John’s Nathan Beaulieu was the 17th overall choice at last June’s draft. The puck-moving defenceman has been remarkably consistent, posting seasons of 45, 45 and 52 points in the Q.

Jacques Beaulieu, Nathan’s father, is the general manager and coach of the Sarnia Sting, the team that has two red-hot 2012 draft prospects: Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk. Beaulieu père’s CV includes coaching stints in Saint John and London.

The Canadiens have two other prospects at the Memorial Cup. The host Shawinigan Cataractes are captained by Michaël Bournival, obtained in the trade that sent Ryan O’Byrne to Colorado. And their defence was bolstered mid-season by the acquisition of Morgan Ellis, a fourth-round Canadiens pick in 2010.

mboone@montrealgazette.com

Article source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Mike+Boone+Quadruple+header+offers+thrill+victory/6644915/story.html

Sometimes a confluence of events results in an unexpected outcome.  It can be difficult to adequately articulate how seemingly unrelated factors come together in an explosion that overturns our comfort level.  Even if all known factors are identified and acknowledged, there may be unknown factors beyond comprehension.

As a graduate of Old Dominion University, the last several weeks have been…interesting.  On May 1, I received a tip from two separate people that the administration was looking to explore a change in conference affiliation.  This was based on recent conference realignments across the NCAA landscape, including within its current conference.  One of the options the school was supposed to have pondered was a move to Conference USA.

Fast-forward a few weeks: ODU formally announced on May 17, 2012, a change from the Colonial Athletic Association to Conference USA.  This meant leaving the conference it had known for more than two decades.

After the jump we’ll explore Old Dominion’s move, three letters at a time.

Old Dominion has been a success in three seasons of FCS football.

Unabashedly, I grew up watching football from as early as I can remember.  The sport has always made sense to me, and I literally don’t remember autumn or winter seasons without football in my life.

When I started as a freshman at Old Dominion in 1996, the premiere sport was basketball (both men’s and women’s).  Jeff Capel’s program had effectively reached its peak, while Wendy Larry’s program was experiencing a renaissance of sorts.  And yet I was somewhat jealous of my high school friends who attended Virginia Tech, UVa, James Madison, and William and Mary because their schools had the premier college sport (football).

Years after I graduated, Old Dominion announced in 2006 that it would start an intercollegiate football program.  I’m aware of an earlier push during the 1980’s to get football at ODU, but that attempt failed.  That this current attempt actually came to fruition, thanks to then-president Dr. Runte and then-athletic director Dr. Jarrett, brought me endless joy.

Already a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in its other intercollegiate sports, it was natural for ODU to join CAA Football.  The conference, which had previously operated as the Yankee Conference for decades (and “A-10 Football” for a couple years), provided ODU such natural rivalries as James Madison, Delaware, and William Mary.

It meant nothing to me or other fans of ODU that CAA Football was an FCS conference (formerly D-1AA).  The Monarchs were getting a football team and would face fellow CAA rivals.

The Hampton Roads community loves its football.  A massive problem, though, is that the closest major football team (college of professional) has always been the Washington Redskins.  This isn’t an insinuation that rooting for the ‘Skins is a problem; rather, the closest football team with which the area identified was more than a three hour drive away (even without traffic).  Hampton University and Norfolk State have had NCAA football programs for some time now, but they did not capture the interest of the larger Hampton Roads area.

When ODU played its first football season in 2009, the CAA was a better conference than the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), home to both HU and NSU.  From its first game on September 5, 2009, ODU’s program provided more of a big-league feel to its football experience than either of those schools.  Hampton Roads exploded with pride in ODU football.  Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium has a capacity of just under 20,000; the Monarch sold out its season-ticket allotment.  It got to the point that they had to put some customers on a wait-list for tickets before the opening kickoff.  (Roughly 1/4 of the tickets are reserved for students and fans of visiting teams.)

The preceding paragraph was laid out to underscore this: Hampton Roads embraced Old Dominion as the premiere local football team.  Going 9-2, 8-3 and 10-3 in its first three seasons (with 21 consecutively sold-out games) while operating at net profits justifies the decision to adopt football.  The fact that it was “just” FCS didn’t matter:  Monarch fans were proud of Old Dominion football.  Old Dominion football was proud to be part of the CAA.  The CAA is proud to be the premiere conference in the FCS.

The Ted Constant Convocation Center

For fans of Seth MacFarland and “Family Guy,” I’m not using this passage to promote his new movie starring a CGI teddy bear.  Rather, I refer to the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Having attended my share of ODU basketball games at The Norfolk Scope (men’s team) and The Fieldhouse (women’s team), it should suffice to say that “The Ted” is a step above both of them.  By “a step above both of them,” I mean that “the Ted” has received recognition as one of the nation’s best arenas for its size.

Construction of the Ted in the early 2000’s was a bit of a gamble considering where ODU’s premiere sports were at the time.  The women’s basketball team was nearing the end of its run of 17 consecutive CAA titles.  Furthermore, the men’s team was floundering under the watch of Jeff Capel.

(Side note –despite that last sentence, you’ll never hear me criticize “The Capable Coach Caple.”  Having met him and some of his student-athletes, I know firsthand that he’s a good man who brought good people into the program.  However, he didn’t win enough and he wasn’t the salesman that Blaine Taylor is.  Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that these are college students who use sports as a tool for an education.  Coach Capel recruited good kids.  He just didn’t win enough to keep his job.)

Jeff Capel guided ODU to a triple-overtime win against third-seeded Villanova in the 1995 NCAA tournament. (Photo from ODUSports.com)

For the administration to invest tens of millions of dollars into a state-of-the-art arena without a guarantee of future success was admittedly a gamble.  When ODU and Coach Capel separated, the administration brought in Coach Taylor.

Since this is a football site, I submit the Cliff’s Notes version of the 2000’s.  After starting from scratch, Coach Taylor revived the men’s basketball team into a consistent winner.  In 2005 Old Dominion won the CAA basketball tournament in dramatic fashion.  Between 2005 and 2011, Coach Taylor led the Monarchs to four NCAA tournament appearances along with a semifinal appearance in the NIT – not bad for a program in a mid-major basketball conference.  Each basketball scholarship became fully endowed (ODU had more fully-endowed scholarships than the rest of the CAA combined), and the university eventually led the CAA in average attendance.  For much of her career at The Ted, Wendy Larry’s teams continued to dominate the conference as well.

The excitement that Blaine Taylor and Wendy Larry were able to generate through basketball brought donors back to the table.  The Big Blue Club, the fundraising organization that recently gave way to the Old Dominion Athletic Fund, saw steady growth in both members and donations.  This increased excitement in ODU athletics carried over to a Hampton Roads football-starved fan base that lacked a football team geographically closer than the Redskins.

Make no mistake – the continued success of men’s and women’s basketball at The Ted was integral to the success of ODU football.  In fact, football at Old Dominion may not have happened without it.

Blaine Taylor’s revival of men’s basketball played no small part in Monarch Pride.

I remember watching UNC Wilmington blow a sizeable lead to George Washington in the first round of the 2006 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.  That Seahawks squad was among the best CAA team ever comprised to that point.  But a funny thing happened – George Mason University, which received an at-large invitation to the tournament that year, beat Michigan State and UNC to make the Sweet 16.  Then they beat Wichita State to make the Elite Eight.  Then they beat the University of Connecticut to reach the 2006 Final Four.

I remember watching those GMU games and hearing their fans repeatedly chant, “C-A-A!” following their wins.  Although the Patriots lost in the semi-final round to eventual-champion Florida, I remember being struck by fans that cared about the CAA as a conference as much as I did.

On the one hand, I am a fan of ODU.  On the other hand, I am a fan of most universities that have represented the CAA.  To hear Patriot fans chanting “C-A-A” following wins when they could’ve only chanted “G-M-U” was enlightening and encouraging.  When the Monarchs beat Notre Dame in 2010, I watched the game with a Towson graduate who was just as happy for the CAA as I was for ODU.  When the senior-laden Monarch squad lost a heart-breaker to Butler in the first round of the 2011 NCAA tournament, fans of most Colonial schools offered sincere support.

2011 CAA Defensive Player of the Year Ronnie Cameron led ODU in its first conference game at Delaware.

Defending the CAA and most of its fan bases is not difficult.  I personally have rooted for most schools to succeed in athletics (except when facing ODU), and I’ve encountered fans of most CAA schools who’ve said the same thing.  Having five of twelve schools located in Virginia undoubtedly generates familiarity and thus (respectful) rivalries.  But there are also fans of CAA schools outside Virginia who belong in this close-knit conference because they care just as much.

And part of what made Old Dominion’s role in the CAA was just that – literally almost half the conference was comprised of Virginia-based schools.  With rivalries that included JMU, WM, GMU and Virginia Commonwealth, there has been a sense of rivalry that carried into sports beyond the lone common thread they all shared – basketball.

To discount Old Dominion’s burgeoning school spirit without factoring other CAA schools is a disservice to all involved.  They all helped raise the level of competition between and amongst each other in multiple athletic venues.

One advantage ODU experienced in the CAA was the aforementioned close proximity of the multiple Virginia schools, which contained travel costs to a degree.  The non-revenue-generating Olympic sports, which have attained surprising historical success on the national scale, could travel to face several conference opponents via bus trips.

The decision to switch conferences eliminates this advantage.  Although Old Dominion could continue to play other Virginia schools in non-conference games, the school will be joining a league with three Texas schools as the only Virginia-based program.  Its closest conference foe, East Carolina University (ECU), is at least a couple hours away on bus.  Between additional travel costs and additional scholarships – including more for women’s sports – cost efficiencies of CAA membership are lost.

Old Dominion’s past-and-future conference rival: East Carolina

But the Monarchs would do well if they can replicate the football success and fan support ECU has had.  The Pirates began playing what was then called “D1A” football in 1977, and remained an independent until 1997 when they joined Conference USA.  In 1991 they finished the season ranked #9 in the country.  Although the team has gone 11-14 in the last two years under Ruffin McNeil’s watch, they won consecutive CUSA titles in 2008 and 2009, have had four AP All-Americans since 2001 and averaged more than 50,000 at home games last year.  That’s pretty good attendance for a non-BCS team; the fans clearly have pride in their school.

The media confirmed rumors that ECU helped pitch ODU to CUSA, if for no other reason than to balance the conference’s geographical composition.  Ironically, East Carolina was one of the seven founding members of the Colonial Athletic Association.  (Along with Navy, Richmond, George Mason, William and Mary, James Madison and Wilmington, the Pirates played its sports in the CAA [except football] from 1983 through 2001, after which they switched to CUSA for all sports.)  For one school to go bat for sows the seeds of a mutually-beneficial relationship.

Old Dominion athletic teams have one more season to compete in the CAA.  The football team will be eligible to participate in the FCS playoffs, which was important to the administration.  They wanted to give this year’s senior class, which is the first recruiting class Coach Bobby Wilder signed, a chance to compete for the national title.

Thomas DeMarco (17) and Taylor Heinicke (14) played large roles in ODU’s success on the field.

Will ODU’s success in the CAA translate into success in CUSA (i.e., winning?)  There are too many factors to consider more than a year before the move becomes official.  But the strength of the administration points towards eventual success.  Looking out for its first recruiting class, superior fundraising and handling its departure from the CAA better than another school are all signs that the president and athletic director know to handle the business side of things.

It’s up to the players to perform on the field…which they have done to date.  For more specific analysis of its success, you can read my SaturdayBlitz article as well as a post I completed for a Charlotte 49er blogger.

Progress and advancement cannot be contained, nor should they be.  With a local market itching for a “major league” team to follow, ODU football’s instant success (27-8 through three seasons) without an immediate competitor created an opportunity.  While Hampton Roads have had the Norfolk Admirals (minor league hockey) and the Norfolk Tides (minor league baseball) for decades, the football-centric community missed a “major league” football team it could call its own.  Three seasons of sold-out games (including a three-thousand-plus wait list) provided sufficient evidence that the area was ready for a higher level of football.

That higher level of football for Old Dominion can no longer be discussed in the context of three letters.  Now when fans talk about Monarch football, it will require four:

Photo from ODUSports.com

Tags: Conference Realignment, East Carolina, Featured, Old Dominion

Article source: http://saturdayblitz.com/2012/05/19/odu-more-than-just-three-letters/