"Upon Further Review" by Jim Sacco

The Daily Pooch Punt: 3/18/08

With the loss of two of their big arms — James Lucas and Jake Peeling — it’s not a feeling in your gut that somebody has to step up on the mound for the Little Giants baseball team. It’s a fact. (A thread-locking fact, mind you.)

So it just seems right that a familiar last name took to the hump, struck out five of the nine batters he faced — including back-to-back Ks that ended a one-out, bases-loaded threat in the fifth by Charlottesville — and, as an added bonus, whiffed Black Knight David Chamber on three pitches to end the game.

Yeah, so your brother is all graduated and such and down at Clemson which means your table is ready Joseph Lucas.

And another thing: Lucas showed a ton of mettle in the Little Giants’ non-district win. With a defense committing five early-season errors behind him (Giantdom hopes that changes and, knowing skipper Jim Critzer, it’s OK to be confident it will), and the Giants’ inabilty to produce late-inning runs from their bats (the game-winning run came off a bases-loaded walk in the sixth), the lefty had to shut down the Knights. He did, picking Charlottesville’s Charlie Murry off at first in the seventh.

“I was feeling good,” Lucas said, “and just shut them down.”

Really? You think, Joseph? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, baseball fans of all ages, that quote is a spring entry into the “Understatment of the Year Award.”

Is Charlotteville this bad in softball or are the Little Giants finally, after years of feeding off the dregs of the then-Valley District, building its team up? Time, and Kayla Bartley (struck out four and slapped three hits in a 17-3 win over the Black Knights) will tell.

Speaking of pitchers:Have you met Riverheads’ Cody Montgomery? Covington did, and it wishes it never had. (Then again, if someone strikes out 13 of your batters on 82 pitches, would you want to meet him? Yeah, thought so.)

Now how about the pitch: The way the Waynesboro boys JV soccer team was running over opponents last season, don’t be surprised if you’re not the only one wondering how they lost their first match of the season.

And if you watched that JV team play last year, then you shouldn’t be surprised with the team’s 6-0 win over Wilson Memorial Monday night.

The Little Giants controlled the tempo most of the match and got the only goal they would need from Martin Mandujano.

Um, yeah of course an Ostrander was in on the the assist. This is Waynesboro soccer we’re talking about.

So an exchange student Kakistan gets a goal for Waynesboro and doesn’t take any credit at all.

“That was a pretty cheap goal,” said Baur Alibekov, “it was the defender’s fault.”

Man, this kids got a lot to learn about being in America.

Baur, it’s OK to take credit for things over here. (But you gotta love how he said the goal was the “defender’s fault.” That’s fantanstic.)

Of course, if we mention the first name “Bree” and the last name “Simonsen,” you know it’s followed with “had a foot on every goal the Little Giants scored.”

Against Wilson on Monday, the junior did — scoring two goals of her own from 20 and 12 yards out. All of this after assisting sophmore Kasie Miller with the match’s first goal.

“We’re still very young, suffering from injuries, not fully playing as a team yet and haven’t even gotten close to our potential,” coach Robin Hersey said.

And I’m thinking, with this young, veteran team (you can say “veteran” because, yeah, they’re young, but most of these players have been on varsity for while), once they reach that potential, it could be fun over at Waynesboro.

But, of course, only time (and Simonsen and Company) will tell.

One last thing: Still haven’t heard how Secrett Stubblefield wasn’t named the Southern Valley DoesStink’s Coach of the Year. Is anybody going to clue me in? I’m just asking.

Still haven’t heard why Secrett Stubblefield didn’t go to the All District Voting or Regional Voting for that matter. Is anybody going to clue me in?

I still haven’t heard why the VHSL puts such an emphasis on sportsmanship but yet Secrett Stubblefield can demonstrate a poor example of it and be lauded by the media.

still haven’t heard why too many people put so much emphasis on being negative toward secrett stubblefield. I mean what exactly is it that she did wrong? was it the fact that she boosted the moral of the team and the school and the community for that matter. or is it that she did what she was hired to do. Or is it that she didn’t bow down to the critics and allow them to make her mask her own personality and passion for what she does. old fart needs to find something else to do with his time like read about the war on iraq. did you comment on any of the world changing and life or death blogs online? if i were secrett i wouldnt go to a district meeting with a bunch of set in their old ways small town people either who ridiculed her style the entire season but she came out on top anyway, way to go giants

Well, let’s see...considering that maybe only 2 of the coaches in the Southern Valley district are from this area or are familiar with the area then I guess it would be hard for them to be small town, set-in-their-ways people.  Guess that blows that theory out of the water.

I don’t take anything away from what Stubblefield accomplished.  It was a marvelous job.  However, I do think some of the things that she did along the way were unprofessional.  That’s my take.  Oh, and let’s not forget, Coach Lundstrom did a heck of job with these same kids the last few years.  The only difference is that he had to compete with a full district and not this ridiculous split.  Let’s truly give credit where credit is due. 

And is she going to be back next year when the talent level drops considerably at Waynesboro?

old fart i was refering to the community of wayensboro where people have obviously had a problem with stubblefields coaching before any of the meetings were held. her presence wouldn’t have made any difference whatsoever. Who wants to be in a room full of people who are negative and jsut waiting for you to lose a game so they can say “told You so”. And may i remind you that the talent has been there for 3 years prior to stubblefields hiring and when was the last time wayensboro made it pass district. so there’s another theory for you to disect. She had nothing to do with the split district so that is neither here nor there.  sure she’ll be back next year. Maybe then she can show how good she is at working with new talent and fresheing up on others. And for the record, credit is due to anyone win or lose that takes the time to work with other people’s children and putting thenselves out there knowing they will have to deal with ridicule from parents and other adults who don’t agree with the way they do things. Oh, did you take my advice and read up on the troops who are overseas defending your freedom? Might do you some good. be blessed