Heaves liven up league, community
Toolbox
Jim Higgins - Published: March 27, 2007
The deeper the Frost Heaves penetrate into the post-season, while the rest of the ABA frazzles like Winooski ice, the more the Heaves emerge as the one of the few ABA gangs that can shoot straight.
(Hey, if you're gonna mix metaphors, mix at least three metaphors, my daddy used to say.)
The biggest frazzle involved the Rochester Razorbacks, last year's champs and the Frostie's arch nemesis this season. Their season devolved into highly publicized shouting matches between the League prez and team co-owner as the Razors jumped ship.
One of my correspondents, Martin Kemple of Middlesex, wrote: "At this point, the whole affair reads like some ragtag Congolese Paramilitary United People's Front is about to fractionalize into some ragtag Congolese Paramilitary United People's Alliance or something."
So let's return to the gang that shoots straight.
I asked WSNO's sports director Steve Barone to pen a meditation on the Frost Heaves' remarkable first season, which may or may not end tonight at their Final Four game against Wilmington. Barone has broadcast with his partner, Joe Salerno, all the Frostie's games this year (in addition to a couple thousand or so high school games) and the following piece proves that he's not just a pretty voice.
Steve Barone offers these "Musings behind the Microphone":
Thanks Jim for allowing me to reflect on what has been a magical first season for the Vermont Frost Heaves. Win or lose tonight at the Aud against Wilmington (and I firmly believe the Heaves will win!), who could have expected their initial ride to be this good?
Just about everything about the Heaves has been brilliant, and I'm not saying that just because I'm the play-by-play guy.
Hey, right down to the marketing. Have you noticed that as we get down to the real "frost heave" season in Vermont…those orange "BUMP" signs are sprouting up all over the back roads, reminding us of that mischievous character at all home games? How brilliant was that?
Brilliant would also describe the play of this collection of outstanding young athletes who close out games and refuse to lose better than any other team I've seen in 30 years covering sports.
The memories of Aaron Cook (the former Hartford Hawk who used to torch UVM and was voted one of the top 20 minor league basketball players in the country!) scoring seven points in less than 10 seconds against Rochester, or sending the final road game of the year into OT at Quebec, enabling Vermont to secure home court for the play-offs, are indelibly etched into my brain (or what's left of it after 70 or so games this season).
But this Vermont Frost Heaves team is SOOOO MUCH MORE than one player! It evokes memories of the old Celtics teams who would get six guys in double figures, not caring who led the team in scoring, but playing team ball to win a championship.
And let's not forget the Master Craftsman, the young fellow from Cabot who dresses GQ and fits all these pieces together game in and game out. And it's seldom the same pieces. Make no mistake, Tom Brennan is correct when he says, "This kid's a star!" The only question is: How long can we keep him? And when will some Division I AD smell the coffee and hire Will Voigt?
Owner Alex Wolff and Director of Operations Mike Healey (who did not know each other before this season) have done an excellent job navigating the Heaves through the murky waters of the ABA and they couldn't have done it without the ton of volunteers and interns behind the scenes making it all happen.
The crowds have been terrific, especially in Barre, and one cannot help but wonder if there isn't a divine sense of destiny about this team. We'll find out in the next few days.
I have had the privilege of broadcasting state championship hockey and basketball games, of covering two Olympics (including watching the "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placed in 1980), of interviewing Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, and Tiger Woods…
…but I won't soon forget the 2006-2007 Vermont Frost Heaves, one of the best kept secrets in sports.
Nice wrasslin'
Speaking of "best kept secrets," his name is Shawn Burrington, a senior on the Spaulding wrestling team. In the school's final meet of the year against St. Johnsbury he jumped up two weight classes, from 112 to 125 (while still weighing 112) and won the match.
A few weeks later he brought his team-best 32-5 record to the Northern Vermont Athletics Conference championship in Vergennes where he won the 112-pound crown. Later he helped Spaulding earn the silver at the state championships in St. Johnsbury. Your secret is out Shawn. Nice wrasslin'.
Crop circles in Montpelier?
I used to be content to await the definitive harbinger of spring in Central Vermont.
It was when Montpelier Rec. Dept. utility guy, Mike Healy, hopped on his trusty steed and started grooming the Dog River playing fields.
But I've become impatient. Now I identified dozens of mini-harbingers long before the earth is ready for Healy's perky little mower. The most recent one can be seen at Montpelier's town tennis courts on Elm Street. If you look at the first two courts you'll notice the blanket of snow is crisscrossed with narrow shoveled lanes surrounding small plowed circles. No, they're not a bizarre crop circle created by aliens flying overhead with too much time on their hands.
Rather they are crudely designed by Montpelier High School's impatient tennis players seeking to hasten the spring melt. One of their coaches had them jog a mile to the courts where she met them with a trunk load of shovels whereupon they attacked the front two courts. The back two courts still retain their solid snow blanket.
In two weeks time I'll revisit the courts to see if the speed-melt theory works. In the meantime I am satisfied to have stumbled on yet another mini-harbinger of our elusive spring.
Puzzler No. 31
Last week I asked readers to recall three of the most famous upsets in March Madness history. Puzzler pro Al Fraser of South Barre, just back from Florida, nailed all three:
1. In 1993, Southern Cal beat what No. 4 team? Georgia Tech.
2. In 1986, No. 14 seed Cleveland State upset what Big Ten powerhouse? Indiana.
3. In 1987, another No. 3 seeded Big Ten team was upset by Austin Peay in the first round. Who was it? That would be Illinois, by one point.
Another Puzzler vet, Jeff Blanchard of Barre, wrote in with his personal favorite list of great upsets.
Vermont 60 – Syracuse 57, NCAA Championship Tournament, Worcester, Mass., March 18, 2005
No. 8 Villanova beat No. 1 Georgetown, 66-64, in the 1985 championship game
No. 14 Weber State beat No. 3 North Carolina, 76-74. in the 1999 first round.
No. 15 Hampton beat No. 2 Iowa State, 58-57 in the 2001 first round.
No. 13 Valparaiso beat No. 4 Mississippi in the 1998 first round.
Puzzler No. 32
Barney Bloom of Montpelier accosted me on the street last week and popped this question:
"Yes, baseball is one of the few major sports played without a clock, but it's also one of a very few number of sports where the scoring is accomplished without possession of the ball (or puck or disc, etc.)." Can you name any others? (Softball doesn't count.)
Send your sporting news and Puzzler answers to jimhiggins@pshift.com.
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