JV Hornets are good too, folks
The reason? Travel teams like Augusta FC.
“I think if you look at the type of player we’re getting from travel clubs like Augusta FC, the quality of players is improving every year,“said JV coach Todd O’Brien through his noticeable Wisconsin accent. “You don’t have to worry about the technical things as much, you can start working on the tactical.
“The more you can focus on the tactical over the technical, the better off you’re going to be.“
Technically, O’Brien is right.
But all Augusta County schools along with the two cities should be reaping the benefits of Augusta FC. The Hornets are starting to see it already.
Because, and let’s face it, what’s going on here is what everybody expected to happen when the youth-soccer explosion started. The Hornets, and other teams, are starting to see soccer players, not athletes playing soccer. This is a good thing and it’s finally happening.
And another thing: Jim Critzer wanted the world to know that wrapping swagger is pretty easy.
“It’s called No. 12,“ he said.
That’s Jeremy Hahn, the Waynesboro southpaw that no-hit R.E. Lee on Friday in a 12-1 mercy-rule shortened game. (Of course, these kind of games were once called “slaughter-rule wins” but, you know, you can’t use “slaughter” when referring to anything involving kids. Never mind the fact you can totally screw them out of a big fan base by not scheduling basketball games the right way, but, I’m sorry, let me digress.) Hahn, who has enough swagger for the whole Little Giants team, needed just 75 pitches and struck out five to earn his first career no-no.
“I felt amazing today,“ Hahn said.
Really? Ladies and gentlemen let us present to you another entry into the 2008 Understatement of the Year Award.
Hahn, much like all pitchers, knew who to thank for the win. You know, like Will Freeman, who’s been quiet at the plate all season long, but made a diving catch on a slicing fly to right field. And, oh, how about the run support there, Hahn? Of course he thanked them too.
“Eric Hall was huge,“ he said.
Hall sure was, slapping an RBI single in the Giants’ three-run third that sealed the deal for the Little Giants, kept them undefeated in the Southern Valley with a 5-0 record and pushed their overall mark to 10-3.
Hmmm, the last guy to pick up his first career no-no in a Giants uniform was Jake Peeling. It happened last year, and we all know what the Little Giants did last year, right?
Of course, Critzer isn’t going to rest on his team. Always the critic, the Tabasco-laced ball coach still sees need for improvement and, once again, it’s the bottom of the order, Nos. 6, 7 and 8 to be exact.
“They are doing things,“ he said, “but we need more consistency on offense.“
Good news for Giantdom, the players don’t seem to be resting on anything either.
“We just got to stay focused now,“ Hall said. “This win doesn’t mean anything if we lose the next two.“
True dat. True dat.
Don’t look now, but Critzer was thoroughly impressed with R.E. Lee freshman hurler Taylor Davis, who got some innings in against the Little Giants. Critzer, who is pretty high on his own freshman hurler, Drew DeMoss, is just as high on Davis.
“He’s going to be a force in the Valley,“ Critzer said.
Yes, Taylor Davis, your table will soon be ready, with battles against DeMoss just around the corner.
OK, so Buffalo Gap baseball goes out and gets a big Shenandoah and rivalry win over Riverheads, you know, because these two schools love beating each other in everything. Forensics, quiz bowl, tiddlywinks, chess, checkers, Future Farming of America, everything folks. And I’m reading the story about the Bison’s 3-2 win over the Gladiators and I’m saying the Gap names out loud as I read. Come on, join me.
Ryan Sheridan.
Boone Jones.
Travis Morris.
Josh Wenger.
You know, a few guys who won a state title in football. Of course, then you look at their skipper, Chad Coffey who, well, all he did was go out in his first year and coach the Bison girls basketball team to a Group A, Division 1 state title. And the whole time I’m thinking, “gee, why not?“
Even in the loss, Riverheads pitcher Cody Montgomery “Burns” pitched, pardon the pun (again), excellent.
