BYSA may spark Spaulding
Toolbox
Jim Higgins - Published: October 13, 2009
Spaulding High School, the reigning back-to-back Division II football state champion, is having a tough year in D-I.
But the expression "wait 'til next year" has new meaning when one looks at the cavalry just over yonder hill.
That's where the mighty BYSA 7th-and-8th grade team lurks. They're approaching the playoffs of the venerable 16-team Northern Vermont Youth Football League this Saturday against Lyndon sporting a 6-0 record.
"We have a group of 8th graders that are really incredible players," said Paul Blouin, part of the five-man coaching staff headed by Brent Ashford. "They hit, they run, they just have the mindset of football players, it's hard to find those kids today."
Indeed, I watched this group of kids demolish U-32, 48-6, this past Saturday, behind a sophisticated offense that features three low-squatting backs, anyone of whom can receive the snap.
"It's all about deception," Blouin said. "We're actually hiding when we run our offense. The defense never knows who's getting the ball, so the linebackers have to stand up straight to see, and then they're easy to block."
"Basically, we've come up with a run-oriented offense that no one is quite familiar with," he added. "It's straightforward, but we have the right talent to do what we want to do and to make whatever adjustments are needed during the game."
The four captains of the Barre team anchor the offense, led by varsity-sized Marcus Thornton on the line. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he clears a lot of bodies out of the way for running backs Cody Ashford and Josh Gosslin. Quarterback Kevin Collins is the third back, capable of slant runs as well as the pass.
These four co-captains also lead the defense, helped along by defensive end Matthew Blouin and linebacker Connor Moore.
In recent memory, this is the first year Barre has been a powerhouse in the league. Locally, it's been all U-32 up until about five years ago, when the Raiders' 7th-and-8th grade teams reeled off a string of state championships and runner-ups against the big boys of Chittenden County. Working with head coach Ashford is offensive coach Mike Dindo, defensive coach Chuck Thornton, and assistants Jeff Gould and Blouin.
"We all communicate very well together," Blouin said. "It's a great group of five guys, no one's ego gets in the way, plus we laugh a lot."
Blouin says the secret of BYSA's success lies in the women who organize the whole shebang.
"Kerri Lamb is the president, and she's got her group of about half-dozen women who take care of everything. At every practice there's even two or three of them to handle anything that comes up, from broken chinstraps to missing equipment. This allows the coaches to coach."
Kick-off for this Saturday's home game against Lyndon is 10 a.m. The playing field is TBA. It's most likely to be at Barre City Elementary and Middle School, but that might change to Spaulding High School late in the week.
Central Vermont unveils Fall Ball power
In Vermont, there are two sure ways to know it's time to take the screens down: The pumpkins are ripe and "Fall Ball" is wrapped up.
Little-noticed behind the tsunami that is fall soccer in central Vermont, three teams of boys between the ages of 13 and 19 had splendid seasons, amassing a total of 22 wins against just eight losses in the Champlain Valley Fall Baseball League.
At the top of the heap in the Senior Division (ages 15-19), comprising nine northern Vermont teams, Central Vermont finished at 7-3, good enough for third place behind the 12-1 Addison Cyclones.
The Prep Division (12-13), which has four teams, saw Montpelier finish second at 6-4, behind undefeated South Burlington.
In the seven-team Junior Division (13-15), Central Vermont, coached by Tom Kennison, entered the playoffs undefeated at 8-0. They beat Vergennes 1-0, behind great pitching and the heroics of catcher Kyle Ferguson from U-32, who prevented two runs from scoring and then scored the game's only run.
In the championship game CV faced last year's champs, St. Albans, a surprise 13-10 winner over undefeated Essex.
CV was the heavy favorite having already swept a doubleheader against St. Albans (5-5) during the regular season.
But with two of CV's heavy hitters missing, the game became another pitcher's duel, with St. Albans prevailing 5-3.
CV's starting pitcher TJ Kennison gave his team a brief lead early with a two-run homer, and Jay Flanagan pitched the final three innings.
As parent Christine Smith said: "It just wasn't our day, but we went 9-1 on the season and that is nothing to sneeze at, as they say. I'm really, really proud of our team as we played throughout the season with honor and dignity."
A game for all ages
Luke Appling, I ain't.
At an Old Timers game in 1982, I watched 75-year-old Appling sock a 250-foot home run off Warren Spahn at RFK Stadium. By then, Appling, known as "Old Aches and Pains" had been in the Hall of Fame for 18 years, following a brilliant 20-year career with the White Sox.
I thought of Appling plenty on Sunday at the annual Montpelier Monties "All Timers" game. I thought of him most during each of my four at-bats, which by the end of the day garnered me a total of 160 feet of power hitting.
Oh well, my accomplishments did present Montie John Puleio a nice gag line he yelled from the outfield, "Just goes to show you Higgins, your pen is mightier than your bat." Ha ha.
Nevertheless, it was a grand day for fall ball and about 16 present, former and future Monties came out for the fun, which included the obligatory group singing of "Take me out to the ball game," and a surprise gift to former Montie's manager, Charlie Barasch.
Barasch, now on the semi-active roster, was presented with an engraved wooden bat by current manager Bob Stanton on behalf of the Vermont Senior Baseball League to recognize Barasch's decades of service to Vermont baseball.
Game highlight: In the 8th inning current Montie Bill Perreault came to bat with the team's old (and much beloved by me) titanium bat, banned since the League went all wood in 2004. Immediately, two outfield purists, Steve Chase and Will Forest, sat down in protest, forcing Perreault to abandon his folly.
Fortunately, for his briefly tarnished honor, Perreault then smacked a loud wood bat single between those two outfielders, after which Forest yelled, "See, didn't that feel and sound a lot better?" For me, the beauty of playing with (and against) old teammates is the unrestrained recognition of good play. In that sense, it was an extended play version of Warren Spahn's reaction when Appling smacked his homer. Spahn applauded from the mound as Appling rounded the bases.
Oh yeah, the outcome of the game: the Monties won.
Hoops officials take note
I was asked by Brian McCarthy of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) to alert my readers of an upcoming IAABO105 official's class starting Monday, Oct. 26, with the test on Monday, Nov. 23. It's every Monday and Thursday, 6:30 – 9 p.m. at Spaulding High School. Cost is $70. Contact McCarthy for more info at coachbcmc@comcast.net.
Puzzler No. 139
Last week I provided a year and a hint and asked you to provide the name or event.
1974: The most famous legs in TV belonged to this guy. Beauty Mist was the product. Answer: Joe Namath (Notwithstanding his bone-on-bone knee joints!)
1978: For the first time, over 350,000 American kids were playing this game. Answer: Soccer (Second best guess: Pong.)
1973: Sports fans took a while getting used to this score-boosting innovation. Answer: designated hitter (My guest archivist, Glenn Gershaneck, believes the first DH was Ron Blomberg, "another muscle- bound stone, another short-time Yankee stone glove.") 1969: The most accurate prediction of the year belonged to this guy. Answer: Joe Namath, who guaranteed the AFL Jets victory over the NFL Colts, then delivered.
1960: The world's most famous Swedish athlete. Answer: Ingemar Johannson (He of the 'toonderbolt,' or right smash, that took away Floyd Patterson's world heavyweight boxing title.) Bonus: Who is this guy? "I became a great athlete despite my chronic bad back, and was killed in a plane crash in the twilight of my career. A racehorse named after me developed into a champion." Answer: Roberto Clemente (Second best guess: Thurman Munson.)Congrats to Jan Gantzhorn, Jim Slotter, and Glenn Gershaneck. Also a belated congrats to Bill Fraser, who nailed Puzzler No. 138.
Puzzler No. 140
Who is this "right place, right time" guy?
I bounced from the Phillies to the Cardinals to the Royals and collected three rings in five years. Later I collected two more rings with the Braves.
Bonus: Higgins is catching for the Montpelier Monties during the annual "All-Timers" game on Sunday. Man on third, two outs. Batter draws a walk and Higgins spots the guy on third casually walking back to the bag and tosses to his alert third basemen, Pete L'Esperance, for a surprise tag. What's the call?
Send your sporting news and Puzzler answers to jimhiggins@pshift.com.
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