"Upon Further Review" by Jim Sacco

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Phillips wit putback of Thompson miss

7-5 Giants

Quick thoughts

Bruton’s shot selection has been suspect, but the Little Giants haven’t been able to caplitalize thanks to sloppy turnovers.

7-6 Waynesboro.

Bruton’s Jones with the bucket plus foul shot

Ties the game at 5

5=0 Waynesboro

Phillips opens up with a 3.

Lucas with a putback.

5-0 Waynesboro

5=0 Waynesboro

Phillips opens up with a 3.

Lucas with a putback.

5-0 Waynesboro

Introductions

They’re announcing the Bruton squad and they look small. Small, but athletic.

The Little Giants’ reception is much louder. (But Bruton’s crowd is very sparse.)

The Waynesboro crowed in barking behind press row.

Everybody ready? Refs on court, starters greet each other with fist bumps.

Here’s the tip ... Gore wins it.

Here on press row

To my left is staff writer Court Wills, to my right is staff writer Rob Sisk. To Rob’s right is VirginiaPreps.com, and to right of VaPreps is EPSN1240.

Under one minute to go until we see who is going to Richmond on Friday.

I’ll provide scores on the blog. Get a drink, grab a sandwich and stay online. 

Here comes Bruton

And boos from the Waynesboro crowd.

Now here come the Little Giants and this place just exploded.

Sign of the day: “Exit this way Bruton” held up by the Waynesboro student section.

The Wild Ones are chanting let’s go Giants, the Bruton pep band is playing and the fans are excited.

Folks, if this doesn’t get you geeked up for high school ball, then your dead inside (or at least lamenting something, but I digress.)

And they leave the floor

11:15 left until game time and both teams have left the floor.

Remember, no articifial noisemakers, signs or anything else that would look like fun, according the VHSL rules.

Feel free to do whatever you want while sitting at home.

Under 10 minutes until we tip, and the Waynesboro student section started booing the Bruton cheerleaders.

Classic.

Calm before the storm

With 16:20 left until game time, its became eerily quiet in here. The pep band stopped. The crowd is milling around. All you really hear is the squeak of shoes and bouncing of balls.

15:30 until we start rolling here.

They take the court

Waynesboro just took the court to loud applause. Not thunderous, but loud enough. Now Joel Robinson has the team surrounding him and the chanting begins.

They break.

Time to shoot around.

Gametime 23:30 away.

Here come more fans

The Waynesboro student cheering section, or the Waynesboro Wild Ones, is situated behind the left (on your computer screen) basket. The Bruton pep band is situation on the other side—and folks, they are jamming!!!!!

Not many people on the Bruton side (hey, they had a 3-plus hour drive), but the Little Giants side is really filling up.

Waynesboro came out in their home purple and whites. Bruton is wearing green and yellow, they look like Oregon.

Game time 26:05 minutes away.

30 minutes and counting

The Little Giants have just taken the floor.

The purple and gold crowd in starting to flow in and the Bruton pep band is keeping the place hopping.

My name is Jim Sacco.

My job: sports editor at The News Virginian.

Today, I’ll be blogging live from the Group AA quarterfinals at James Madison University.

Check back. 

Friday, March 02, 2007

A day of rest

Give me a day or so of rest after my travels.

The Daily Pooch Punt will be back Monday.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

This is the end, dum, dum, dum

So here I am, sitting in the (extremely) overprice hotel bar at the Coast Hotel in Long Beach.

The sun is setting, and lighting up Catalina Island off in the distant. I’m tired, I’m homesick and miss people I know.

But I will say this, if I was invited to do this again (and I already have been! Lookout Orlando, here comes Jim Sacco in 2008, baby!!!) I would do it in a heartbeat.

Since early Tuesday, names of the Top 10 finalists have been posted on a big board in the hotel lobby and, inbetween longterm juding sessions, it’s hilarious to watch 10 or so middle-aged sports editors (and young bucks such as myself) running to the lobby as word spreads another category has been “put up.”

The past few days were filled with disappointment for me. First they posted Under 40K sections. Nothing for us.
Then Sunday sections: nothing.
Then special sections: Nada.

Then that was it for a day. I walked around the hotel in a stupor, sports editors stopping me during my long, and lonely walk, back to building 1 of the hotel: “What’s wrong Jimbo?” asked one APSE board member. “Let’s go have a drink.”

I informed him of my quandary. Sure, this has been a great experience, I told him, but I want to see my paper’s name somewhere on that board.

“It’s early,” he said. “Let’s go to Hooters.”

Of course, a trip to Hooter could cheer up anybody.

But I digress.

Finally today, I saw it. After glancing through the 40 and under columnists (Damned, my name’s not there) and the game stories (shoot, still no The News Virginian), I started my long walk back once again with only the countless stray harbor cats and terns screeching overhead to keep me company.

Then my roommate walked up to me.

“Congratulations,” he said.

Huh?

One of your guys is on the board. I dropped my notebook (which I really needed since we weren’t done with judging) and sprinted off to the big board. I ran as I never ran before, harking back to the days when I ran like a gazelle whilst playing football on Sunday’s with my friends back home.

Along the way, other sports editors stopped me.

“Congrats,” they said.

“Nice job,” other said.

“Man, who’s more excited? You or the guy who made it to the top 10?” another asked.

I pushed my way through the crowd at the board and there it was, under 40 and under breaking news. There it sat, next to triple-crown winning papers like the Northwest Herald in Illinois and the Dallas Morning News.

“Court Wills: The News (Va.) Virginian.”

I let out a scream, stopped myself when I realized I wasn’t alone, walked outside and thrust my hands into the air.

For the record, I didn’t judge that category. For the record, I’m really stoked a member of my sports staff picked up this NATIONAL honor.

For the record, “my guy” is a gal. Congrats Court.

That’s it from Long Beach. My flight leaves in four hours, I’m tired. I want to sleep in my own bed. Pet my cat and fall asleep on my own couch while watching my own TV. I can’t wait to hug my fiance.

I’m coming home with the best news I’ve ever imagined.

See ya later, LA. It’s been a slice.