Good bye and good luck Bob

I know that we as reporters cover a lot of people of the years. It is only human nature to like some and not like some as much.
I was sad this week to learn that one I have covered for a number of years and really liked talking to is retiring.
Belleville's Bob LaPointe is one of the nicest people out there and he will not be walking the side lines at the high school games anymore. I really will miss talking to him. I didn't really get to cover him in the glory days of Belleville football but I will say that win or lose the man has an enormous amount of class.
I wish I had more coaches like him to cover. It would make my life a lot easier and make for some better articles as well.
Sorry to see you go Bob but have a nice retirement. You deserve it.

What a weekend

It was quite the weekend for this sports guy. Last Friday, I attended the Division 1 baseball state semifinal between Saline and Saginaw Heritage at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek. While the game was memorable, with the Hornets prevailing 3-1 to reach the state championship game for the third year in a row, what I'll remember most though was the nighttime ride home down I-94. Whoa! For two hours or so I drove (at around 35-40 miles per hour) through a rain storm so hard my wipers even at full speed couldn't clear my windshield. Add to that a lightning show that lasted for the entire trip home, tornado-like winds that had me dodging branches and construction barrels for miles, flooded parts of the highway that had me hydroplaning all over the road and a pounding hailstorm that ended up denting my SUV's hood. Other than that, it was an enjoyable ride home. Talk about a white-knuckler. Last Saturday was much better. Clear, sunny skies all the way to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing for the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game. Milan's Thom Box and Ann Arbor Pioneer's Esham Farha helped lead the East to a thrilling, last-second 20-16 win over the West.

Memories are made in Battle Creek

Burrill Strong remembers Nichols Field. I asked him if he had ever been here before. And for the next 20 minutes, I got my answer.
"This is where Chelsea lost a few years ago," he said.
Burrill, a longtime Chelsea area photographer, was in Battle Creek shooting both Ann Arbor Pioneer and Saline during their state baseball playoff runs. It was a hot Friday afternoon and the Pioneers were running all over the bases against an overmatched L’Anse Creuse North team.
Burrill began rattling off details of the disappointing loss suffered by the Bulldogs. In between taking photos of the Pioneers’ 12-2 victory, Burrill couldn’t stop talking about Chelsea’s trip to this very field. All these years later, you could still hear the excitement in his voice of making the trip to Battle Creek with the talented Chelsea baseball team. You also could hear some sadness in the outcome of that trip.
There was plenty of excitement – and sadness – in the air on Friday and Saturday at Bailey Park in Battle Creek. Memories, both good and not so good, were being made throughout the weekend. One team would celebrate while another would head home. They all would leave with memories, but only one team in each class would leave with a state title.
The big winner over the weekend was the MHSAA. This location is perfect for these championship games and putting them all in one venue is a victory for fans of both baseball and softball. There are no fees for parking, one inexpensive ticket gets you in all the stadiums throughout the day and even the concession prices are reasonable.
The fields were in excellent shape and the entire event is run as smooth as a ground ball at C.O. Brown Stadium.
Speaking of C.O. Brown Stadium, the facility is now home to the Battle Creek Bombers, who joined the Northwoods League in 2007, the summer after the Midwest League team moved to Midland. The league features some of the top college baseball players in the country and is an affordable way to spend an evening. General admission tickets are just $5.
Bailey Park has been called the "finest sports complex in the Midwest" and I haven’t seen anything better. Brown Stadium holds 6,000 while Nichols can accommodate 3,000 fans. Convis Complex has four lighted diamonds, including Drikakis Stadium, which seats 1,000.
Bailey Park has become home to the state championship weekend for baseball and softball. And it must feel like home to the Saline Hornets, who have made three consecutive trips to Battle Creek. Unfortunately, the Hornets have lost all three times, falling to league-rival Pioneer in Saturday’s championship game.
It’s both amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.
If Burrill can remember almost every detail from one semifinal game all those years ago, imagine what the Saline players will recall from three straight losses in the biggest game of their high school careers.
The amazing part is to actually get to three state championship games. Reminds me of the Buffalo Bills’ incredible run of four straight Super Bowl appearances. That great accomplishment, of course, is tarnished by the fact that Jim Kelly and the boys lost all four.
But losing one game shouldn’t detract from what the Hornets were able to accomplish. Despite not winning the big trophy, they have established themselves as a baseball dynasty. They may not feel it now, but they should be proud of what they have been able to accomplish over this historic run.
Speaking of dynasties, the Allen Park Cabrini softball team doesn’t need a GPS system to find Bailey Park. The Monarchs, who have made the trip four of the last five years, experienced an incredible roller-coaster ride of emotions this past weekend. Cabrini broke a scoreless tie in the semifinal game on a home run by Karyn McCarty to centerfield in the seventh inning to beat Clinton 1-0. The Monarchs went wild and headed into Saturday’s championship game with confidence, swagger and determination.
The final was one for the ages. Scoreless through nine innings, each team then hit a solo home run in the 10th inning. The tie-breaker rules began in the 11th inning and each team started the frame with a runner at second base. After Cabrini failed to score, Olivet used a bunt and a single to drive home the winning run.
So not only did Cabrini swing from elated to dejected in 24 hours, they also experienced that same emotional swing in a matter of minutes after hitting the home run in the 10th only to lose the following inning.
This is what happens every year at Bailey Park. And whether or not you have a horse at the starting line, it’s an amazing event to be a part of and experience. There are baseball and softball games going on all day on Friday as teams try and fight to get to that championship game. It’s intense and nerve-wracking and emotional. There is joy and sadness and high-fives and hugs. Every time you turn around, something is happening and the memories will last a lifetime.
Just ask someone who has been there.

A pretty good rebound for a baseball player

Last Saturday, in one of the biggest games of his life, Chris Ostrowski had the kind of game that every that every pitcher has nightmares about.
The senior, who has been almost untouchable all season, lost his stuff during Saturday's Division 3 regional semifinal against Clinton.
His pitches couldn't find the strike zone, and his control seemed to not have made the trip to Grass Lake with the Fighting Irish.
Ostrowski beaned three of the first four batters and walked the other. He got the hook from coach Greg Lenhoff before even registering an out in the first inning.
"I just stunk out there," Ostrowski said after the game. "I just didn't have it."
Ostrowski's story could have ended there. A solid high school pitcher who choked away a chance to help his team advance.
But that's not the kind of kid he is.
Despite his struggles from the mound, Ostrowski found a way to help his team. He decided that if he couldn't pitch the Irish to a win, he would help them from the plate.
During the fourth inning, with the score knotted up at 6-6, Ostrowski grabbed a bat. With two outs and two strikes, the senior put a charge into a pitch and sent it up the middle, scoring teammate Connor Dishman.
The Irish never looked back after that, eventually winning 8-7.
"It's nice to be on a team where you can have a rough game, and your teammates can pick you up," Ostrowski said. "That's what my teammates did for me today."
They sure did.
But it also must be nice for the rest of the Gabriel Richard baseball team to know that even when one of their best players has a nightmare of a game, he's not going to roll over. He's going to do what ever he can to help the squad win.

The Mecca of prep baseball and softball

Go West, young man! Friday, I'll be heading to the Cereal City to cover the Division 1 baseball state semifinal which pits Saline versus Saginaw Heritage at the 5,000-seat C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek. C.O. Brown Stadium is the crown jewel of a baseball/softball complex at Bailey Park that is second to none. It's worth the trip to Battle Creek just to see the Mecca of high school baseball and softball in Michigan.

Saline baseball looks good

I had the good fortune to watch the Saline baseball team defeat the University of Detroit-Jesuit High 8-2 in quarterfinal action at the University of Michigan baseball field.
They looked like they would win easy and maybe even get a mercy but U-D fought hard and wouldn't give up.
The game was fun for me because I haven't seen baseball at that level in a few years. I enjoyed how well both teams played and I look forward to Saline maybe winning the state championship.
They have a big game Friday and if they can win maybe they will play for the title and this time come home with the championship.
Good luck Hornets! I have seen you guys play twice this year and each time you get a little better. Hope you continue to get better and maybe finish at the top.

Time to celebrate the scholar-athlete

While the end of the school year and kick off of summer means the end of game coverage for a couple months, it also signals the start of one of my favorite projects.
Granted, by August I along with my fellow sports writers will be itching to get back out to football and volleyball games. However, the summer gives me a chance to restart something I look forward to each year…the honoring of Manchester High School’s scholar-athletes.
Beginning today and lasting throughout the summer, The Manchester Enterprise sports staff will run feature stories on some of the top scholar-athletes in the Class of 2010.
I participated in a similar project at my old job in Adrian. There, our staff took nominations from the athletic directors of the 13 high schools in Lenawee County, went through the hundreds of athletes, came up with a top-10, a second team and made the rest honorable mention. On top of that, we took the top-10, chose one to be our Scholar-Athlete of the Year and highlighted each of the 10 with features in a special section.
When I brought the scholar-athlete project to Manchester in 2008, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Would having just one school to cover make it easier to come up with a top-10 among the senior class? Or would there be enough?
Over the two years, the project has been a tremendous success, with a combined 21 young men and women being honored for their success and positive feedback from the community.
The Class of 2010 has doubled the fun this year, as we have 21 scholar-athletes that will be honored. At first this presented a dilemma, as there are only 10 editions to runs these (the final round will be August 19). We thought about choosing a top-10 and making a second team at first, but in the end just decided to run two per week (one week in late July, there will be three). After all, each student on here is deserving of this recognition.
Each scholar-athlete that will be featured – Stephanie Ball, Sarah Barnett, Amanda Barker, Megan Bossory, Rob Carver, Logan Caszatt, Ryan Ernst, Brooke Fuller, Jimmy Hamilton, Taylor Heldt, Matt Johnson, Emily Lobbestael, Roxanne Rickert, Myra Sanford, Tracy Schaible, Stephen Sheler, Claire Simpson, Jenny Stautz, Stephanie Steele, Liz Timoszyk and Emily Werner – represent what’s right about the Class of 2010 and high school athletics in general. Not only have they excelled on the field or court over the past four years, they’ve also maintained high academic standards (each are 3.4 GPAs or higher) and have been active figures in the community.
Among the 21 students, there are multiple-sport athletes, All-Cascades Conference award winners, National Honor Society members, Dutch Day mentors, class officers, Civic Club (formerly Optimist) Students of the Month.
In the fall, the scholar-athletes will be challenging themselves with tough majors at high-quality colleges and universities. This group features majors in business, engineering, biology, exercise science, nursing, foreign language and more.
These young men and women are true role-models to the Manchester community. Having to balance sports, academics and everyday life is not an easy task, and these 21 students are a tribute to Manchester Community Schools, their coaches, teachers, teammates, friends and families.
I’ve been in Manchester for three and a half years now, and the amount of talented students here continues to amaze me. Once again, this summer is a celebration of the Manchester scholar-athlete. Hopefully you the readers enjoy learning more about some of the community’s best.

It's a busy spring/summer

It's going to be a busy next couple of weeks in Saline and Milan. While most athletic teams are packing up the equipment and preparing for summer vaction, the Hornets and Big Reds are still going strong. In Saline, both the baseball and softball teams are still alive in the state playoffs, while over in Milan, the softball squad is still battling in regional play. Big Red Michael Craig and Hornet Al Zeiher each have been selected to the play in the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game Monday at Comerica Park. And on Saturday (June 19), Milan offensive lineman Tom Box will play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game at Michigan State University's Spartan Stadium. It's a busy, busy spring/summer, indeed. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Spring is over, yeah!

I really have to admit that out of all the seasons that I cover high school sports the hardest one is the spring.
This one was even harder than normal because I had some medical issues and was off for a few weeks. The best way to describe it is to say it is like a sprint. Not a 100-meter dash because that is one big push and you don't stop. No, this season is like running a 400-meter dash. You start out slow but not too slow and end pushing it as hard as you can at the end.
It is not that I don't love it but I do really look forward to the summer so I can regroup and get ready for the fall.
I love high school football and I love all that goes along with it. Don't forget about me or the paper in the summer I would love to put all those pictures and everything else in the sports section.
So give me a call at 734-429-7380 or email me with your story suggestions or photos.
Chow for now.

Good bye seniors

All things must come to an end. When you start covering athletes from the time they enter high school (sometimes earlier) to the time they graduate you get to a point where you feel you really know the kids you cover. Whether it is watching a student go from being a freshman on the junior varsity football team or maybe some of those rare athletes who play varsity for four years staright.
To me those athletes are in many regards special almost like members of the family. Not that I would go and invite them over for dinner but by the same regard you feel an attachment to them. Almost as if you see them as another child. We cover them when they are doing well and we watch them struggle as almost eveyone does. The point I am trying to make is these people become a very active part of the sports section and in many ways it is sad to see them go.
Granted a lot of them go onto college and will be playing at the next level so hopefully I will get to do one or two more articles to let people in the community know what these very special individuals are doing.
Never the less I will miss writing their names in the paper every week and letting people know what they are doing for their sports teams.
This year quite a few of these type of athletes will be leaving high school behind and beginng yet another step into the aventure that we call life.
The biggest one that comes to my mind right now is Lincoln's Andrew Dillon. This man has played varsity football, basketball and baseball for the past four years. I have watched him develop talked to him in person and on the phone and wrote a lot of good things about him.
Now even as I write this out he is tearing it up on the baseball diamond and setting a new home run record for the Splitters for a single season. I have never seen one athletes so revered and talked about (in all three sports) as his coaches and the other coaches in the Southeast Conference have been. Dillon has got game and that isn't just in one sport.
Good luck, Andrew in college and all you do. He is going to be playing baseball for Oakland University next season and I can bet he will turn heads in that league as well.
Ypsilanti's Zevin Carter has been an extremely good track athletes for several years now. She will be racing at the state meet in a few days and will be headed to Minnesota State University to run track and become a nurse.
The Phoenix also had Conner Heine graduate this season and I can tell you I saw this player do some great things on the basketball court in his career. He can play basketball with the best of them and I hope he continues doing so at the next level. I know Coach Steve Brooks will miss him and would probably like five or six just like him on the team.
Belleville's Mohamed Conde was one such player I have covered all four years at Belleville. Not only his is a good athlete and basketball player he has always been a nice person and a good interview. He will be playing basketball at Saginaw Valley University and plans to be a big part of their team in a couple of years. Good job, Mo!
How about senior track star Chyann Hawk? Four events for a state competition. I hope you Grandmother brings enough food for the team at the state meet.
Willow Run's Garrett Davis and Maurice Jordan were both very good athletes and both have strong futures ahead of them. I know Davis will play football for my aluma mater Wayne State University and I am sure they fell glad to have a player with such talent. He has been one of those interviews that I can depend on and that I love to do. Jordan was a basketball player with a lot of talent that had a tremendous season this year. I think he and his coach were surprised when he was named our area's player of the year in hoops.
This players and many like them are just quality individuals and I will miss covering them and writing about them. I thing that a lot of thanks goes to the athlete's parents' teachers, coaches and even athletic directors and athletic support staff.
I can't wait to start over next season with the new talent and the juniors who become seniors.

Saline has some nice fields

I have covered a lot of different sports at a lot of different types of locations but I have to say that Saline High School is the tops.
I covered a district basketball game there in the winter and saw the pool and the facilities inside and was impressed. I really like the pool and would have loved one like that when I was in school at Southgate Anderson.
But more so than that is the fields outside.
This season I saw a couple of track meets and I love the track and the surrounding areas. It was awesome.
I also covered some baseball and softball games in pre-district play this last week and have to tip my hat to the people who designed and build the fields. Top job, A number 1.
If other schools could afford it I am sure they would copy it.
I just wanted to share that with everyone and see if any one out there agrees. Let me know.

Ernie Harwell Field??

Ernie Harwell Field at Comerica Park? How does that sound? There's a movment going around for the late Hall of Fame Detroit Tigers broadcaster to have his name affixed to the Comerica Park field. I'd love for that to happen. How about just renaming Comerica Park, Harwell Field? I bet some people would actually get behind that idea. Stay tuned. This movement could soon be gaining momentum.

Ypsi's Liz Herring is a star

For Ypsilanti senior Liz Herring this season in soccer has been a learning experience for her with a new league and tougher opponents in the Southeast Conference she says she wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
For the athlete who has been playing soccer since she was in fifth grade she says this season has been different than in the past.
“It is a tougher season this year,” Herring said. “We are not use to competing with teams that are so quick. I think we are doing better now than when the season first started.”
Herring has played varsity soccer for the Phoenix for four years and has also been on the varsity volleyball team.
She is in the ECA (Early College Alliance) program through Eastern Michigan University and will be graduating from that in a few weeks. When she does she will have completed 60 credits in college. As a scholar she will continue to get her bachelor's degree with a double major in biology and chemistry.
After that she plans to attend Michigan State University and get a Master's degree in forensic science. Her dream job would be to do work in real life like the show CSI does on television.
Herrings' coach Ed Huebner is very proud of her as a player.
“Liz clearly leads by example,” Huebner said. “She is a dangerous player when attacking. But like all the other girls on the team, plays where the team needs her the most. I have played Liz as a backup goalie, on defense, midfield and as a forward.”
He said she is a great team player and always helps the younger kids.
“She is always trying to motivate teammates around her,” he said.”She carries a special role on this team and we will really miss her next year.”
Herring said that her coach is special as well.
“Coach Ed is so much fun,” she said. “I have a deep respect for him. A lot of coaches would have given up on us but he keeps pushing us and telling we will shock someone.”
Her parents John and Cathy Jo also have three sons. Two are older than Herring and one, Jacob, is a sophomore at Ypsilanti.
She has advice to offer future athletes.
“It takes a lot of practice and dedication to play sports,” she said. “You have to put your heart into it and a lot of work but it is worth it when you are able to win.”

Dutch baseball, softball must use home-field advantage

The anticipation is growing all across the state this week.
Everywhere from Manchester to Belleville, from Adrian to Marquette, baseball and softball players, coaches and fans alike are gearing up for the second season. The district tournaments for both sports are taking place this week, beginning with Tuesday’s pre-districts and Saturday’s district semifinals and finals.
Playoff time is here again. Now the fun starts.
Some of the most memorable events that I’ve covered in my career have been high school baseball and softball playoff games. From Blissfield’s state championship baseball team and Clinton softball’s run to the state quarterfinals in 2003 to Tecumseh’s rise into a softball power (2005-present) to Manchester’s breakthrough season in softball last year, the playoffs have provided more than its share of memorable stories. And with another playoff run beginning, more magic moments are sure to be created.
Both the Manchester varsity baseball and softball teams have battled to get to this point. In baseball, the Flying Dutchmen had an up-and-down season and take a 15-15 record into the postseason. Meanwhile, the softball team (19-12, 10-4 Cascades) placed second in the conference for the second straight year, finishing two games behind Grass Lake. With the regular season behind them, both teams’ focus now shifts to making a long run in the playoffs.
Fans in town receive a special treat this year, as the Division 3 district tournament comes to Manchester. The Dutch (and Dutchmen) will be joined by Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Grass Lake, Whitmore Lake and Ann Arbor Greenhills.
Hosting a playoff round is nothing new for Manchester. In previous years, the high school has hosted regional and state rounds in volleyball, wrestling and basketball.
It’s a great opportunity for Manchester. Not only does the school get to show off its facilities (which are top-notch), the tournament should provide a boost to area businesses, with the other teams and their fans visiting over the weekend.
Being the host is something both the baseball and softball teams also need to take advantage of. They know the ins and outs of their fields better than their opponents. It should also give Manchester a home field advantage with the crowd, as it can ride the support of a larger fan base than their opponents (although the other teams are expected to bring their share of fans).
They will need to use any advantage they can, as both teams will face stiff challenges in this district. In baseball, the odds-on-favorite is Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, which roared through the season 33-1 and is currently ranked No. 1 in the Division 3 state polls. The Dutchmen will also be challenged by Cascades foe Grass Lake, which won the state title in 2007. Whitmore Lake is another threat, as the Trojans and Dutchmen have become regular playoff opponents in recent years.
In softball, the Dutch are one of the favorites to come out of the district, as they have plenty of experience back from last year’s district champion and regional finalist team. But they too will be challenged, most likely by Grass Lake. The Warriors captured their first league title since 1995 and will be just as motivated to continue their magical season. Manchester split a doubleheader with the Warriors May 20, so both teams are familiar with each other and know they can beat the other.
Another playoff run is underway, and it’s a special time of year. Memories will be made, and players, coaches and fans will be ready.