Santa Cruz Baseball Academy‘s Winter Baseball Training Session will run from December 3 to January 31. Academy is open to  baseball players age 18 and under. Indoor and outdoor facilities available.

This is a perfect training session for varsity and junior varsity high school athletes and those about to enter high school. Our program has been recommended by coaches at local high school and college programs.

The Winter session will includes technical development days, physical training, cage time with one-on-one instruction in batting, fielding and catching, and Sunday games.

Cost:

$100 one time Academy registration fee. (If you have already registered, you will not pay this fee again.)

$20/hour training sessions at Santa Cruz High School or the batting cages on Dubois Street depending on weather. Hourly time slots available for sign up:

Monday through Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm.

Sign up individually or in groups of no-more-than 6. Grab a time slot before they fill up.

$35 Sunday Games at Santa Cruz High School and other locations. Age 14 and up only.

REGISTRATION information and printable form.

References available. We have participants from Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Capitola and Watsonville.

Contact us for more information santacruzbaseballacademy@gmail.com and 831-345-2084.

Thank you!
George Arnott

4^th Grade Junior Varsity Raiders Top SciCoh 22-0

On Saturday morning the Hingham Raiders 4^th Grade Junior Varsity topped the SciCoh Sharks 22-0 with a dazzling display of sacks, blocks and punishing gang tackles. The defensive line of Griffin Cusack,  Robbie Driscoll, Jacob Nolan, Luca Milano, Brian Shannon, Nick Johannes, and Macdara Flaherty was so effective that the entire game was played inside SciCoh’s territory.

The Raiders scored on their first offensive charge when full-back Liam “The Bus” Collins found a hole, broke a tackle and made a 44-yard run into the end zone. “The Bus” was given the ball on a wedge play and secured the 2-point conversion.  During the first half the Raider’s defense was successful in preventing any offensive momentum.  Key tackles were made by many defensive backs and Jack Donohue, Cooper Estes, Connor Patten, Dominic Balonis, Drew Kenn, Jake Steele and Tommy Wilk were all involved in gang tackles.

On Hingham’s third offensive drive wingback Grant Vanzura broke two tackles to make a 21-yard run into the end zone. During the next offensive series, Cooper Estes found an opening and weaved his way up the middle for the third touchdown. Once again, Collins plowed into the end zone for the 2-point conversion, dragging half the Shark’s defensive line with him. Offensive players Ethan Gordon, Connor Stanley and Charlie Noering showed solid execution and great blocking out of the backfield.

The second half showed continued steady play by the Raiders, which provided an offensive opportunity for left tackle Griffin Cusack, tight end Max Johnson, right guard Connor Patten and right tackle Jacob Nolan to run the ball.  Both teams turned the ball over on downs and the score held at 22-0. Coach Sean Reagan praised the team’s execution, “That was a super job today both offensively and defensively. We dominated the line of scrimmage and the backs did a great job securing the ball.” Next week the Raiders JV takes on Middleboro.

It began with a Friday brawl; more than a dozen kids pummeled three Sleepy Hollow junior varsity football players following Sleepy Hollow’s victory over Ossining, according to police.

“Some kids came running from behind them, knocked them down, got them from behind, started hitting and kicking them in the face,” a witness named “Pete” told CBS 2′s Dick Brennan on Monday.

The attackers took off after onlookers started screaming, witnesses said.

Authorities told CBS 2 that all three Sleepy Hollow players were injured in the attack.

“One student suffered a concussion, all suffered bruises from the kicks and punches,” said Lt. William Sullivan of the Ossining Police Department.

Following a matchup between rivals Rye and Harrison, trash talk among fans turned into a postgame melee when Harrison won and the team jumped into the Rye High School brook.

Hometown players and fans were infuriated.

“It just escalated from there, it became one massive brawl,” Harrison sophomore David Tolve said.

Up to 200 people were involved in the scuffle and an army of cops had to be called in to break it up.

“There was one arrest and one minor injury,” Rye Police Commissioner William Connors said.

Rye residents told CBS 2 that after police stepped in some Harrison fans took to the streets, once again forcing authorities to remind fans that it’s only a game.

“Sometimes people lose track of the values of civility and sportsmanship,” Commissioner Connors said.

Authorities are still looking for leads in the beating of the three Sleepy Hollow teens.

Have you ever witnessed fans going wild at a high school athletic event? Share your story in our comments section below…

4^th Grade JV Raiders Defeat Marshfield 12-0

On the early Saturday JV game, the Hingham Raiders put together one of their best performances of the season against a tough Marshfield squad. Hingham’s dominating defense never allowed Marshfield to gain any momentum. The defensive line of Dominic Balonis, Griffin Cusack, Jacob Nolan, Max Johnson and Drew Kenn set the tone for an impressive 12-0 victory.

On the second position of the day, Charlie Noering ran on two consecutive plays: one for 25 yards and a first down, and a highlight-reel 15-yard run for the first Raiders touchdown. On Marshfield’s next offensive play, the Rams fumbled and Luca Milano recovered to give Hingham back the ball. The Rams gave the Raiders a scare on their next possession when the running back broke some tackles and ran for a 30 yard gain. Drew Kenn and Robbie Driscoll made an incredible joint tackle to prevent the Ram’s score. The next 4 plays were all Raiders when standouts Driscoll, Johnson, Balonis and Milano prevented the Rams from gaining another inch. The half concluded when Jake Steele intercepted a deep Rams pass.

The defense didn’t let up in the second half. Cooper Estes sacked the quarterback for a 5 yard loss and then made an impressive interception to get the Raiders back on offense. The Raiders wasted little time and continued to run the ball with success. Noering carried multiple times for a Hingham first down. Then on the play of the game, Hingham fumbled the handoff, but an alert Kenn picked up the ball and ran for 55 impressive yards to give the Raiders a 12-0 lead.

The defense that was already strong got even better when standout playmakers Cusack, Driscoll, Tommy Wilk, and Connor Stanley made sure the Rams got no additional yardage for the rest of the game. The final 8 offensive plays for Marshfield had the Raiders defense giving up no yards.

With this game the Raiders improve their record to 4-1. The JV team was dominating on defense, giving up only two first downs the entire game, recovering a fumble and two interceptions. The offense was also impressive with Quarterback Ethan Gordon leading the offensive unit and Liam “the Bus” Collins providing key blocks from the fullback position. Jacob Nolan, Luca Milano, Brian Shannon, Jack Donahue, Jake Steele, Connor Pattern and Griffin Cusack created many offensive opportunities with impressive execution of their blocking assignments.

KSDK.com reports seven Wynne High School students are alleged to have put nooses around the unidentified student’s neck as part of the hazing ritual.

“There was an incident in the ninth grade locker room,” Superintendent Carl Easley told KSDK.com. “Two students are being recommended for expulsion and five have been suspended from school.”

The students may face not just school disciplinary action but criminal charges as well. Members of staff may also find themselves in trouble.

“Kids at no time should be left unsupervised and we’re gonna have to revisit how we supervise students,” said Easley.

“We love Wynne, and it’s a good school system, and sometimes we just mess up,” an unidentified white parent tells KSDK.

Black and white parents are upset about the incident in a city known as the ”City with a smile.”

Hazing has received renewed media attention due to incidents like the hazing incident at FAMU, which resulted in the death of drum major Robert Champion, and the suicide of Private Danny Chen after continuous hazing at the hands of his fellow soldiers.

Follow Similoluwa Ojurongbe on Twitter and simioju.com

Aaron Chansombath (28) breaks a tackle attempt by a Goddard player.

So, for the sake of posterity, if nothing else, I give you “The Basketball Story.”

Remember how I said in a previous post that I suck at contact sports? Well, how are you going to know something like that about yourself unless you try, right?

Fall, 1981. My first year of Junior High. A Phys Ed coach who meant well but was really really misguided in this case approached me and said he thought I might be able to improve my obviously not yet fully developed hand-eye coordination skills if I were to join the Junior High Junior Varsity Basketball Team. This was one year before I discovered Boy Scouts, and had been wanting to do some extra-curricular activities, so I figured, “Hey, why not?”

What is the worst thing that could possibly happen, right?

I actually ended up getting a lot of reading done (even then I was an avid reader) because I was benched for every game, after proving in practice how much I truly sucked at this game. I had this problem with remembering to dribble. And most of my practices usually consisted of catching a basketball with my face (thrown by jerks like the red-headed Jason who clearly did not have a happy home life). Jason loved to trip me, use a basketball as a bloody nose-inducing projectile, push me down, and just generally display all of the fine qualities of a sore winner and a poor sportsman. It didn’t take long before I dreaded practice each week.

But, I had started something new, and I was determined to see it through, at least to the end of the season.

Our Junior High had an 8 year losing streak going with the neighboring town when it came to the Junior Varsity season basketball tournaments. The coach was determined to break that losing streak. Which had a lot to do, I suppose, with why I was benched every game, and Jason was the star center of every game. I went to every practice, but this usually consisted of avoiding Jason’s frontal assaults and trying not to get blood on my jersey, so combined with never being allowed to play in an actual game where there was an audience, I never really learned the rules of the game per se, and never developed a sense for how the game should be played, which by this time was fine by me. I just wanted out by this time, but I had promised the coach, my parents, and myself that I was going to see this thing through.

It was a cold, clear, night in early December.  The night of the Big Season Junior Varsity Tournament had finally come (none too soon for me) and it looked like we were going to break that losing streak with our neighboring town, at long last.

The score was tied, 30 – 30, there was one minute left on the clock. One minute left of the entire season, one minute to victory for someone if we didn’t go into overtime. The next basket would decide the victor, and the outcome of our 8 year losing streak, which was on the precipice of threatening to become a 9 year losing streak.

And then it happened. Jason purposely tripped a kid on the other team, and the kid fell to the floor with an audible thud as both of his knees slammed into the wooden gym floor. The game was stopped as the poor kid had to be carried off the floor. Jason was disqualified for the rest of the season, which was now frozen in time on that big digital scoreboard at 35 seconds. The other team replaced their fallen comrade, and we needed to replace Jason. Our two other alternates were out sick that cold December night, and so guess who was the only available alternate?

The coach patted me on the back, told me to remember to dribble if I got the ball, and to just pass it to someone who knew what the hell they were doing as quickly as possible. Okay, he didn’t say it quite that way, but there was no mistake that that was the general gist of the 10 second pep talk he gave me. Jason played center, so that was where I had to go.

The bell sounded, and the clock started. The ball was out my hands so fast you’d think I had washed my hands with Astroglide.

I will never forget what happened next. The other team had the ball. And then this kid on the other team made eye contact with me, smiled, and threw the ball to me. You could argue that he was trying to cut me a break, but I seriously doubt it. I think, and always will, that he suddenly realized that I was as sure of myself at that moment as a cat in a leaking canoe, and decided to see what I would do with it, putting the game into overtime or more likely just causing a foul.

I caught it. “Okay, here we go,” I thought to myself. “No pressure here, just no pressure at all. Dribble and pass, just dribble and pass, you can do this.”

And then I saw it. Open territory between me and the basket. Like the parting of the Red Sea, players had split on both sides and I had a clear run to the Big Win. In fact, I was pretty sure that there were no opposing team members near enough to me to stop me. I realized that I had to take the run at the basket. I HAD to. If I somehow pulled this off, I would be a small town hero. Like James Belushi in Mr. Destiny, my entire life was about to change to Jock Status and I would be POPULAR if I could just make this one damned basket, and there wasn’t even anyone in my way. Mind you, all of this went through my head in a second.

I had to take the run. I started to move, remembering with all of my concentration to dribble. In what seemed like slow motion, one of my team mates pointed behind me and yelled an almost cartoonish “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”  I honestly thought he was warning me of an opposing team member behind me that must be on his attack run.

“No way,” I thought. “I’ve got this. He will never make it to me in time.” Out of the corner of my eye I barely noticed the scoreboard.

05………. 04………. 03 ……….

As I ran toward the basket, intently concentrating on my dribbling, I ran to the basket, and with every ounce of my will and concentration, I took the shot.
The ball went in.

02……………..   01………..

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNKKKK!!!!!!!

The game was over. You could hear a pin drop in the gymnasium; the only sound was the sound of the basketball bouncing pilotless across the floor and the echo of the buzzer. As the scores on the scoreboard changed, I turned to greet the soon to be cheering crowd and the wild, ecstatic cheers of my teammates as they broke out into “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”

Wait – that can’t be right – the guy running the scoreboard had goofed – the Visitor’s score changed to 33, not ours. Still not a sound in the gym.

And then slowly, agonizingly, the laughter started in the bleachers, and the and my team became transformed into an angry mob, coming at me with yells of rage. With the confusion of a mime in an opera class, the reality of the situation slowly began to dawn on me.

Apparently in the game of basketball there is something called a rebound. Which was what everyone – except for the kid on my team who had yelled, realizing my intentions – had thought I was actually doing when I sped toward the other team’s basket. Oops. I had just won the game for the other team, the referee counted the basket, and our losing streak to this particular visiting team clicked over to 9 years running.

It was only a Junior High basketball game, after all, and Junior Varsity at that, but at the time it seemed like the greatest Epic Fail in the history of modern sports. And maybe it was – at least in our town, because 26 years later, when I returned to the town for my high school reunion, the town’s Assistant District Attorney, my former high school World History teacher, asked me if I wasn’t the kid who had won the Junior Varsity Basketball Tournament for the other team in 1981.

Some things never change, I guess.

You might think I harbored animosity towards my home town after this incident, but it isn’t true at all. I love the town with all my heart, and I always will, and I forgive that red haired Jason kid for being such a jerk all that year and even for beating me up in the locker room after the game, forcing me to wait in sub-zero temperatures outside for my dad to pick me up, by which time hopefully my lip would stop bleeding.

I just hate basketball is all.

Always have (since a cold night in December in 1981) and I always will. Come to think of it, I really don’t care for sports much at all, a prejudice that I will almost certainly take with me to my grave – I really don’t like sports. (I have a lukewarm fondness for baseball and the L.A. Dodgers, but don’t tell anyone…………)

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to my life, if it would have been any different, if I had made that basket, but in the right basket. While I probably wouldn’t have called my coach later that same night and quit the team like I did, I tend to think that things happen for a reason, that maybe, just maybe, I was somehow supposed to win that game for the other team.

Nah.

Hingham Raiders JV scores a 28-6 win over Barnstable:

On Saturday, the 4^th grade Hingham Raider’s junior varsity game against the Barnstable Silver Bullets began with an offensive explosion and ended with a decisive 28-6 victory. Hingham started out on defense with Liam Collins blowing up the Bullet’s play and recovering a fumble in the backfield. Wingback Drew Kenn capitalized on the following offensive play by cutting back up the middle for a 31 yard run into the end zone. Wingback Grant Vanzura swept right to beat the Bullet’s defense and seal the 2-point conversion. Barnstable soon answered with a touchdown of their own and the game was on, but Middle Linebacker Jack Donohue shut down the 2-point conversion.

The Raiders answered with another solid offensive charge. Fullback Dominic Balonis, wingbacks Kenn and Vanzura all picked up first downs. Deep in Hingham territory quarterback Ethan Gordon completed a pass to Tight End Charlie Noering for the TD and the half ended with the Raiders up 14-6.

Great offensive work continued in the second half with cornerback Connor Stanley intercepting Barnstable’s pass and running it down the sideline for a 15 yard gain. QB Gordon got off another bullet to Noering who ran it 25 yards for Hingham’s third touchdown. Wingback Kenn shucked and jived through the Bullet’s defense for the 2-point conversion. The Raider’s temperature climbed to 22.

Back on defense, tackle Jacob Nolan, linebacker Robbie Driscoll and nose guard Balonis held strong on the next Barnstable possession. On the punt return Connor Stanley ran the ball down the field to set up yet another successful drive. After successive advances QB Gordon pulled a sweet counter play to get the ball to Kenn. With great blocking by Tight End Will Griffin, Kenn ran it in for a TD from the 25 yard line.  Hingham was denied the conversion at the 1 yard line. Wrapping up the fourth quarter in style, Connor Patten made the tackle on the kickoff. Next it was Cooper Estes, Driscoll and Noering sacking Barnstable’s quarterback.  Also on Hingham’s lineup were Luca Milano, Jake Steele, Tommy Wilk, Griffin Cusack, Nolan Heggie, Max Johnson, Conor Patten, Nick Johannes and Brian Shannon. Next week the JV takes on Duxbury.

click on any image to activate the photo gallery:

September 15, Lynch Field, Hingham:

The Hingham 4^th grade Raiders opened the junior varsity season with a hard fought loss to the Hanover Indians 12-6. Hingham fielded an impressive list of young athletes who played both offensive and defensive positions with great gusto. On the field were Jack Donohue, Luke Milano, Charlie Noering, Nick Johannes, Ethan Gordon, Robbie Driscoll, Dominic Balonis, Nolan Heggie, Cooper Estes, Tommy Wilk, Grant Vanzura, Drew Kenn, Connor Stanley, Jake Steele, Jacob Nolan, Brian Shannon, Griffin Cusack, Ryan Devine, Conor Patten and Max Johnson.

Hanover scored early in a first half plagued by penalties but Hingham’s defense proved to be an offensive force in its own right.  Following Hanover’s second TD on a kickoff return to open the second half, the Raiders defense dug in. Corner back Tommy Wilk thwarted the 2 point conversion and the game was on.  Corner back Ethan Gordon, just back from a broken wrist, broke up a pass and followed up with a key tackle to halt Hanover’s charge.  Denfensive Ends Drew Kenn and Dominic Balonis kept pressure on the Hanover offense all day.  Midway through the fourth quarter, Linebacker Jack Donohue recovered a fumble that would set up Hingham’s scoring opportunity.  On offense, the Raiders played much better in the second half.  Wing back Drew Kenn made a great 20 yard run for a key first down. Quarterback Nick Johannes ran it down 15 yards and the offensive line’s next surge brought the ball to 1^st and goal. On the next play, Fullback Dominic Balonis powered it in for the touchdown.

On Hanover’s next drive, line backer Cooper Estes recovered a fumble with 2 minutes left in the game. This was followed by great offensive plays with quarterbacks Ethan Gordon and Nick Johannes each completing passes to tight end Charlie Noering. The clock ran down with the ball on Hingham’s 12 yard line.  Coach Sean Reagan summed up the game, “We saw great improvement in the second half on both sides of the ball.  We just ran out of time on our last drive.  The team demonstrated an ability to come from behind and that takes great heart.  For many of these kids it was their first live action in a football game.  We are looking forward to a very exciting season for these boys.”

click on any image to activate the photo gallery:

We have a large group of cheerleaders…on both JV and Varsity.

Our Varsity squad includes 3 1/2 boys….I say half because we have one training with us who is on the football team…so he will be part of the team after football is over.  We also have a lot of seniors on the squad who are cheering for the first time in their four year high school career.  They add a nice level of maturity and calm to the team.

As a mom, I have two girls on the Varsity squad.  I’m very proud of them both and the endless dedication they bring to the team regardless of the girl drama that flies around them.  Sometimes the girls who are the most dedicated on the team get drowned out by the few who live and breath drama.  Ahhh…I don’t miss being in high school at all!

But to the girls who are staying true to the purpose of being on the team….a big THANK YOU!

As a coach though, I spend most of my time with the JV squad.

I am proud of them all!  Varsity is large this year and full of talent…and fortunately I can say the same for the JV squad.  We have two very focused team captains on JV that really help me keep the new girls on the straight and narrow.  Thanks to you both!

It’s also fun to work with them, because they work as hard as the Varsity during their practices and they have a desire to learn.  Keep up the good work girls!!

And on they go, can anyone stop them…nobody knows!  Eagelfox took on the infamous Junior Varsity last night to a sold out crowd at Inspirado Studios.  How did the trash talk affect the show?  Did Eaglefox keep their clothes on the whole time?  Oooohhh, these questions will be answered!

Junior Varsity took the stage first and chose an individual challenge.  J.V. received “senses”, during their set J.V. was going to be without one sense, sight.  Their blind set began with all of the players trying to find the wall.  To start scenes, players would slowly  step out with their hands out (so as not to bump into each other) and make a clear vocal choice as to dictate who and what they were.  There were scenes about epic chess battles, shirtless step-dads and throwing very sharp darts.  At the end of the set, a very disoriented Junior Varsity received a well earned round of applause as their vision was restored.

Eaglefox took the stage next and chose a Dumb challenge and received “Pavlov’s Dong”.  Whenever they heard a sound clip of heavy breathing, two characters in a scene had to stop what they were doing to have sex.  Sex was had during a cat’s funeral, a veterans return home and during a Tom Brokaw newscast.  It was hot and on the spot, and EagleFox members DID not take their clothes off!  Weird, right?

EAGLEFOX!  The indy sweethearts won their 6th consecutive Inspirado, and can only make one think…Oh…Nevermind.  They return next week for their 7th week on the Inspirado stage, can they go all the way?  You decide.  11pm.  Sept. 26th.  INSPIRADDOOOOOO!!!!!!

J.V. after the first Inspirado win of all time.

Whoa!  It’s on!  In a pre-show interview with Junior Varsity they threw the gauntlet down- letting it be known that they mean business.  Said Junior Varsity, “Happy Birthday Peter Collins!”.  A day before the contest, they want it to be known that they wish Peter Collins a “happy” birthday.  WHOA!

Will EagleFox be able to defend their title against the hardest and rawest improv group in the country?  Or will EagleFox pull out all stops to continue their winning streak?!  You decide.  THURSDAY at 11pm….INSPIRADO!!!!!!!