The “Broken” Play

I didn’t know we had a shot of it.  Lisa must not have uploaded this picture from the camera until recently or I just missed it, but this is the play where Shane broke his arm.  It’s a kickoff return with Philip bringing the ball back (partially hidden by Carson).  Note Shane has his arms somewhat extended before contact at high speed (bad technique), and that Jared who is behind Shane in this picture is dialing in on the same player (74) Shane is…..and that was it, our season is over after this play. 

Mr Football Idea

Shallowater has a Mr Football night every year before the first high school football game.  The exact timing varies some, but it’s always a time for the players from 7th grade thru 12th grade to be introduced along with all the cheerleaders, staff, managers and the high school band.  It’s a good community event with an ice cream social afterwards.  All in all, good stuff.

But I do have one idea.

We introduce each player and let them go out onto the field.  One.  At.  A.  Time.  Some run.  Some jog.  Some walk.  Some goof off….

It’s almost unbearably slow to do this.

How about we run out each grade (7,8,9,10,11,12 – I don’t are if you are varsity, JV, whatever) each as a group, line them up and announce them in order just letting them take a step forward and wave or whatever.

Here’s your 2009 7th grade team.  (Out they run, cheer cheer cheer!)  This year’s 7th grade team is Able (two seconds to wave), Baker (two seconds to wave), Charlie (two seconds to wave)……Zebra (two seconds to wave).  That’s this year’s 7th grade team.  Now here’s this years 8th grade team (Out they run, cheer cheer cheer!). 

You get the idea.  As each grade is finished they can run off to the side, or an idea I like is to just step back five yards to make room for the next grade.  At the end you’ve got them all (7-12) lined up 6 rows deep on the field at once!  It would have the added benefit of highlighting the seniors at the end without taking any extra time.

I don’t mean to moan but is there any reason it should take an hour to introduce these guys?  If they did a practice like this, someone would be doing UP/DOWNS!

Methinks The Cubs Are Toast

Well dang, they’re six games out of the division and five games out of the wild card with 45 games to go.  They play lots of their last games against teams with losing records…like the Padres…against whom they’ve just dropped two in a row.

Nah, I don’t see it happening.  Will be thrilled if it does, but it just doesn’t look good.

Shallowater football opener is less than two weeks out, and Tech the week after that.  I’m not sayin’…I’m just sayin’….

Pearson & Odom Named Academic All-State

Justin Pearson and Westin Odom of the Shallowater Mustangs were named to the 2009 THSBCA 2A Academic All-State baseball team! Kudos JP and Odie! Way to GO guys!

Holliday Advances

Holliday defeated White Oak 6-5 in 8 innings in the state semifinal, so they advance to Friday’s championship game.  They won with a walkoff hit into right field that scored a runner from second with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.

Looks like our Mustangs were knocked out by a pretty darn good baseball team…

It Ends With a Double

Justin played in the GWTBCA all-star game Sunday on a blistering hot afternoon with winds whipping around all day.  It was brutal in those aluminum stands at Moegle Field.

We got to see him be recognized before the game for being the 2A recipient of a scholarship from GWTBCA.  This was nice as there were only four scholarships granted from 5A-1A and Justin was awarded one of them.

Then later he reached base on an error at 2nd, but was promptly picked off first by the left handed pitcher.  When Justin went into the dugout, he sat down and said, “Daaaaannnggg!”  After which a teammate replied, “Yeah, I forgot to tell you he has a SICK pickoff move.”  Justin would not be the last this pitcher would get.  Another north runner was picked off by the same pitcher and a third should have been had not the 1st baseman misplayed the ball.  That must be SOME move.

Justin pitched the 3rd and 4th innings.  Didn’t stretch well before the appearance and didn’t have his best stuff, but still did pretty well.  The north defense let him down a little in the 3rd inning when a misplayed ball at 3rd base would have ended the inning with no runs scored.  For once he got Jace Chancellor to ground a simple hopper instead of drilling it back at the pitcher, and we still didn’t get him out! 

Instead, two runs scored before we got the third out.  He pitched the 4th inning and had another tough outing.  Three runs scored in the inning and it was mixture of leaving pitches up in the zone, a couple of walks, a hit batsman and more less than stellar defense.  Hey, to be honest, some of these boys are asked to play out of position in these games and it ends up showing eventually.  Justin didn’t do bad, but not what he’d hoped for.

He was the first batter up in the top of the 9th (9 inning games in this showcase) with his team down three, and drilled a line drive into left center than rolled to the wall for a standup double.  It’s just what his team needed.  Shallowater teammate Dusty Leach came in to run for him, which was a good move and one Justin supported.  The north eventually got two runs in to close it to 9-8 but lost the game by that one run.

So the kids last at bat in high school was a stand up double ripped to left center.  Not a bad way to end.

Last High School At Bat

What Do You Do When There’s No Baseball?

Heh.

For the first time since Justin was 5 we are not playing any baseball in June (well, past June 2 anyway).  The JR team of Shane’s finished their season June 2, and Justin’s high school games are over with no Crows ball this year.  I seriously don’t know what to do with myself.  If I’m not careful, I’ll end up having to paint and clean and put up window blinds and tend to yards and flowers….good grief!!!  Or maybe I’ll spend time rebuilding the fence the two dogs seem intent on destroying, or repairing the holes in the yard the two dogs have created.  Or I could finally put a cap on the chimney.  Or I could finally get rid of the useless planter in the back yard and lay down pavers in that corner.  Or I could finally put up the steps to the deck I’ve had planned for about a dozen years now.  There’s always the bathroom at Dad’s which I’ve been planning to redo for months.  Come to think of it, I have plenty to do without baseball, and just THINKING of it is making me tired. 

Shane has a few AAU basketball tournaments in the next few weeks, but they better not interfere with vacation plans.  We didn’t take one at all last year, and have not taken one outside of late July/early August in years.  I’m ready to take a JUNE vacation!

A Painful Post

This is more painful than I thought it would be, and I’ll have to fight off some depression.  The Mustang baseball season is over, and Justin’s high school career will end next week in the GWTBCA all-star game.

The Holliday Eagles defeated our Mustangs 11-3 Saturday night to end the playoff run in the regional semifinals.

With Justin being the oldest this is the first time I’ve had to deal with something coming to a sudden end for him like this.  Only one team in the state ends their season, or their senior’s careers, the way they want to so most all of us have to deal with this.  I can tell you that was the quietest drive I’ve ever taken from Abilene back to Shallowater.  It seemed to fly by (thankfully) but only because I spent the entire trip pondering the end of high school baseball for JP and so I wasn’t counting mile by mile pass by.  Physically it’s going to take me days to get over being up past 2:30am two days in a row; emotionally it’s going to take longer for me to get over the end of the 2009 Mustang season. 

It was a wonderful season and I’m so happy for Justin that he could not only be a part of it, but a big part of it.  It was a dream come true.  Thanks to all the coaches who helped get the kids this far, but special props to Jeff Richardson who we just think the world of and who has done such an amazing job with Justin.  I’m convinced Jeff is the reason Justin had the year he did.  Justin finished with ERAs of 3.07 on the year, 1.62 in district and 3.82 in the postseason (unofficial “Dad stats”).

Maybe something good will happen next week in the all-star game and it will lift my melancholy spirits.

Three Mustangs Recognized

Nice news from the baseball team this week. All three of our seniors have been invited to play in the GWTBCA all-star game June 7. Congratulations Dusty Leach, Weston Odom and Justin Pearson!

If they are still in the playoffs, they will be allowed to suit up and be at the game in the dugout, but only watch. Here’s hoping they can only watch!

Yet Another Playoff Change

The proposed lineup for the regional semi-final was not approved by the UIL.  They do not allow two games to be played Thursday night.  Rather than change it to one Thursday and two Saturday, however, it has been changed to a one game playoff Saturday night at Hardin-Simmons in Abilene starting at 7pm.  Shallowater will be the home team.