"Upon Further Review" by Jim Sacco

The Daily Pooch Punt: 3/21/08

You don’t step on Superman’s cape.

You don’t spit in the wind.

You don’t wear an authentic Yankee jersey into the heart of Boston.

And, when you have Turner Ashby baseball on the ropes you totally, unequivocally and with authority, have to slam the door on the perennial state power. These are all things you need to know in life.

Really? You don’t believe me? Then ask the R.E. Lee baseball team that held a 2-1 lead over the Knights heading into the sixth inning Thursday at Moxie Stadium.

“We didn’t get beat today,” said first-year Lee coach Bobby Humphrey. “We lost this game. We just gave it to [TA].”

That’s seems to be the problem for Augusta County teams in recent years, namely last season when the Little Giants did the same thing at the KC in their first meeting with the Knights. Sure, that game in 2007 had a lot more meaning since, back then, Waynesboro and Turner Ashby were in the same district. (Cue reminiscing music as you slowly turn your head toward the sky, let out a deep sigh and whisper, “Ah, the old Valley District.” ) But, and this is the truth, yo.  It doesn’t matter what you call it, the Southern Valley (bleh), the Massanutten (a little better), the Shenandoah (tops, baby. Tops.) or whatever, if you want to establish yourself as a legitimate state-title contender then, when the Knights and that minor league baseball program they call a varsity team, come to your house you do not give the game away.  The Leemen learned that Thursday.

And another thing: “We missed our opportunities today,” Humphrey said. Um, yeah. You think?

Hey look: Waynesboro baseball commits only two errors (down from five and four in the last two games) and manages to hammer Rockbridge 13-1 for its first Southern Valley win. Connect the dots, people.

OK, after striking out seven batters in five innings whilst giving up only four hits in the win, can we stop calling Joseph Lucas James’ little brother?

“You can’t ask anything better from a kid,” coach Jim Critzer said of his No. 1 gun. “That kid doesn’t brag, he doesn’t tell you what he’s going to do, he does it.”

Hey, I just said we can stop calling him James’ little brother. I never said he wouldn’t act like his older brother.

Sure, it’s forgone conclusion that Fort Defiance will run away with the Southern Valley softball title (barring nuclear war, injuries and a SARS outbreak), but I thought football season didn’t start until August? What, you ask? The score people. Indians 24, Blue Streaks 7. Wow.

If Waynesboro softball is looking for some legitimacy to its 1-0 district and 2-1 overall record, guess who the Little Giants have to beat? Yep, you guessed it.

At least we now know Waynesboro can win a softball game and a Whiffle Ball contest.

jim, just a little different from last year. TA was leading in our game and we came back. if bowman had not shoelaced jermony hahn’ laser shot we would have won. by the way do you remenber the two interference call by tom powell which were wrong. one on thompson at second (game won) and armstrong at home (game still tied). do not compare last year’ gaints with lee, light years away, another planet if you will.

Waynesboro and TA are two absolutely different teams this year. Waynesboro lost a huge chunk of everything with graduating Peeling,Lucas,Clark, and Lundstrom. Now TA also graduated 11 Seniors to play college ball as well. Does this sound familiar this year between the two teams, doesn’t seem this way at all! The battle last year between the “boro” and TA at Waynesboro was the best high school baseball game i have ever seen, and it will be a while before you see two talented teams of the caliber play like the again.

Oh and Lee, not so much....