13 LOUISA SOFTBALL WINS WITH YOUTH
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VOL 6. ISSUE 16 :: MAY 1, 2015
An Arms Race
Miller baseball loads up with pitching, readies for playoffs with head of steam on the mound PAGE 07
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07 LOUISA SOFTBALL WINS WITH YOUTH
scrımmageplay THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA SPORTS AUTHORITY
x’s and o’s
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DOUBLE DIPPING CHS athlete goes big for swan song
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LAYING THE FOUNDATION Miller looks to pitching for big run
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SETTING THEIR SIGHTS Louisa softball goes young all over
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GAME TIME Monticello baseball tops Albemarle
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YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME Rivalries need more in new era
An Arms Race
VOL 6 . ISSUE 16 :: MAY 1, 2015
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VOL 6. ISSUE 16 :: MAY 1, 2015
Miller baseball loads up with pitching, readies for playoffs with head of steam on the mound PAGE 07
S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor O N T H E COV E R Miller’s Jack Morris M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Local sports are the lifeblood of every community in America, and we’re here to reach beyond the basics and give compelling accounts about Central Virginia athletes to our readers. CO N TAC T U S [ e ] info@scrimmageplay.com [ p ] 434-249-2032
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PREGAME
Breaking ground In the last decade Central Virginia has seen a lot of construction when it comes to athletic facilities. Add Blue Ridge to the list as the school began a $2.7 million project this spring to construct a new outdoor athletic complex that includes a turf football field and a six-lane track. “This is the biggest project the Blue Ridge School has undergone in 20 years,” Blue Ridge headmaster Trip Darrin told CBS19. “So we’re very fired up about this project.” ✖ (Photo by Hilde Kildermans)
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Orthopedics
First Quarter
Double dipping
CHS’ Anderson pulls a rare move playing two team sports By Bart Isley
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Charlottesville’s Larry Anderson is playing both lacrosse and baseball this spring. (Ashley Thornton)
{ BALANCE } CHS is reigniting its lacrosse program and they’ve got a lot of young key contributors.
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laying one varsity team sport in a season is a big time investment, requiring some significant time management skills just to be on the squad, much less contribute in a significant way.
Trying two? That just seems crazy. Charlottesville’s Larry Anderson, affectionately known as LA to most anyone who has been around him, is making it work while also making the most of his last year as a high school athlete. Anderson suits up for the lacrosse team as a starting defender and also, when lacrosse doesn’t crossover, plays first base and hits in the middle of the lineup for the Black Knights’ baseball team. In an age where year-round specialization is gaining ground, Anderson is opting out of specializing within a single season. “Baseball didn’t have that many players so I asked both coaches if I could play and work things out,” Anderson said. “As long as lacrosse comes first, for Coach (Drew) Craft that’s all good. That’s how it’s working out right now.” Anderson started his high school career as a baseball player, but he switched to lacrosse and fell in love with the game. Anderson has been a fixture at middle linebacker for the Black Knights’ football team and was a first team All-Scrimmage Play honoree this fall after a senior season where he made 113 tackles. One of football’s defining aspects is what made lacrosse so appealing for Anderson. “I just love contact, so that’s what drew me to the sport,” Anderson said. “Coach LJ (Lawrence Johnson, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2014) he’s the one who got me to love this game. That’s what picked me up more, just him being out here. I still have love for this game (because of him).” Giving baseball another chance though, Anderson found that he still has a lot of pas-
sion for that sport too. “Once I went back out to baseball I fell back in love in an instant,” Anderson said. Making that work with lacrosse at the same time is far from an easy task, and it puts some obvious constraints on what Anderson can give to each team. According to Craft, Anderson has helped make the process much easier by making sure everyone is on the same page. “I don’t think any varsity coach would choose to have one of their starters play another sport, however, he’s done a great job of communicating with me and letting me know when he’s going to be here and when he’s not going to be here,” said Charlottesville coach Drew Craft. “We’ve been able to do the best that we can as far as game preparation.” The Black Knights’ lacrosse team, which is loaded with young players on the varsity, is in a bit of a rebuilding year as Craft re-takes the helm after a one-year hiatus. That makes experienced players like Anderson a high value piece of the puzzle, and sharing him with baseball complicates things. Craft, however, points to an important life skill that Anderson and other athletes he coaches are developing. “We’re all pulled a million different ways as adults, and he’s not alone -- we have kids that are heavily involved in music and theatre and that’s very similar to another sport,” Craft said. “The more they can balance things and communicate with people the better off they’re going to be as adults.” That’ll pay dividends for Anderson long after this two-sport, one-season. ✖
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College Update
We’ve gone digital But you can have it in print too!
Blue Ridge alumni thriving at University of District of Columbia By Bart Isley In 2011, a group of Canadian transplants helped Blue Ridge jumpstart its boys lacrosse program, but it was 2012 when the Barons upended the state lacrosse world with a run all the way to the VISAA Division I state title game that included a 7-5 upset over top-seeded St. Anne’s-Belfield in the state semifinals. Two of those Canadians, Chase Fraser and Quinton Pavan, played a big part in the Barons’ transfomation, and now that tandem is helping put another lacrosse program on the map. Fraser and Pavon headed to the University of the District of Columbia after wrapping up stellar careers for the Barons. Enrolling in the 2013-2014 school year, Fraser and Pavan were actually a part of the first team in UDC history, as the school started boys and girls lacrosse in the spring of 2014. Fraser, who was a first team AllScrimmage Play selection his senior year after scoring 51 goals and dishing out 21 assists, has emerged as the same sort of scoring machine he was at Blue Ridge for the Firebirds. He earned his second straight AllEast Coast Conference honorable mention nod
this year after leading UDC in goals, assists and points while picking up the third most ground balls on the team. He averaged nearly 2.5 goals per game. He had a monster game against Chestnut Hill in April, scoring five goals for the Firebirds in a narrow 15-12 loss. His 2015 production was only a slight tick down from his 2014 output where he scored 31 goals and earned conference rookie of the week honors three times. Pavan, a 2013 All-VIC pick, wasn’t far behind Fraser this year either. Pavan carried a longstick during most of his Blue Ridge career, but he’s switched to a short stick midfield role now. In 2015, he scored 21 goals and notched six assists to finish second on the team in scoring. That followed a freshman year where he was fifth on the team in scoring. While UDC posted just a 2-9 record this year and a 3-8 mark in 2014, the Division II program is just in the early stages of development. With Fraser and Pavan on board for another two years, things should only keep improving. ✖
BELOW » Blue Ridge graduates Chase Fraser (below) and Quinton Pavan are making an impact at the upstart University of the District Columbia lacrosse program. (UDC sports information)
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LAYING THE FOUNDATION
STORY AND PHOTOS BY RYAN YEMEN & BART ISLEY 07 :: @scrimmageplay
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ASEBALL BOILS DOWN TO PITCHING, AND IT ALWAYS WILL. FOR A PROGRAM LIKE MILLER’S — ONE THAT COACH BILLY WAGNER HAS TURNED INTO A VISAA DIVISION 2 POWERHOUSE IN JUST HIS SECOND YEAR AT THE HELM — THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH PITCHING DEPTH. YES, THERE IS ONLY ONE BALL AND ONLY SO MANY INNINGS, BUT HAVING TOO MANY GOOD OPTIONS IS UNHEARD OF, AND NO COACH WILL EVER COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. “This is a coaches dream,” Wagner said. “I may never have a team like this again, and one that’s so coachable.” As it heads into the playoffs in two weeks, pitching depth is what defines this Miller team this year. Between Mike Dailey, Jack Morris and Connor Gillispie there’s no wrong answer as to which of them should start. Throw in Jacob Rich, Brook Henley, Alex Chan and Bryce Whitehurst among others and you’ve got depth coming out of the bullpen. “I’ve got so many guys that can pitch I almost have a problem at times deciding what to do,” Wagner said. “I tell everyone that they’ve got to be patient and we’ve tried to load the schedule up this year because we knew what we had coming in.” When Wagner took the reigns he wasn’t just a retired former Major League Baseball All-Star inheriting a bunch of athletes he’d never met. Much of this core of talent, both young and old, played for him at the youth level on the travel circuit. They played with him while he was the Mavericks’ junior varsity coach. In that regard, this is his first true senior class. And in Dailey, he has the example of what progress is, what his process is, particularly with pitching. “Mike Dailey is who I like to hang my hat on as a coach because he’s the one that’s gone from throwing 75 miles an hour to 90,” Wagner said. “He got himself in shape, he’s strong and fast. The process, it’s him. You can just point at him (when talking to others) and say ‘this is what we can and want to do for you.’” The results speak for themselves. Aside from the fact that Miller is 18-3 and the top-ranked school at the Division 2 level, Dailey is one of four different Maverick pitchers with a sub-2.0 earned run average. “Over the last few years its been about developing my fastball, getting some sink to it,” Dailey said. “But from there I’ve been able to work in an effective
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Above, Connor Gillispie
“A YEAR AGO I TOPPED OUT AT 81. TODAY I CAN GET TO 90. THAT JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH COACH WAGNER’S DONE FOR ME. HE KNEW I HAD THE TALENT, HE JUST HAD TO GET IT TO SHOW UP.” — CONNOR GILLISPIE 09 :: @scrimmageplay
slider and I’ve got a changeup that I keep working on.” Dailey leads the team with 33.1 innings thrown and allowed just eight runs and walked just six batters. He’s struck out 33 hitters. None of this was an accident though. There was a plan early on in the year. “Dailey, when he came out he wanted to throw breaking ball, breaking ball, breaking ball,” Wagner said. “I told him he needed to do the opposite, throw nothing but fastballs until he had his command down. Then he got it down and he could throw a little more of his other stuff. When you do it that way you’re not hurting your elbow. When he goes to college he’s going to have a fresh arm and be able to learn more and if he wants to throw 100 pitches there, physically, he can do it. We’ve kept him at 75 pitches the whole year.” The most pitches anyone has thrown this season is Gillispie and that was just recently against Hargrave where he and Rich combined for a 5-0 no-hit win. In that game Wagner’s dedication to his philosophy was evident. “Connor had a no-hitter (against Hargrave) and on 86 pitches,” Wagner said. “Normally you let him finish that game and let him have the no-no. What I’m trying to get everyone to understand is that the no-no isn’t important. He had five potential schools watching him in the stands. The last thing I want is him getting hurt.” So far on the year Gillispie is sporting a 1.45 ERA. His 34 strikeouts lead the team. He’s added 10 miles an hour to his fastball. He’s following the process as Dailey did and the results are showing. “He’s helped so tremendously,” Gillispie said. “A year ago I topped out at 81. Today I can get to 90. That just shows how much Coach Wagner’s done for me. He knew I had the talent, he just had to get it to show up.” So while Wagner’s day-to-day goal is to have his team playing as well as possible, his long term goal is to see as many of his players get the opportunity to continue playing the sport they love at the next level. But it’s not just that. Wagner wants them to play at the next level and head into it in the best physical condition possible. “Each of them is physically different but mentally we’re all on the same page,” Wagner said. “Everyone watches too much TV though, they see these polished pitchers and they aren’t there yet so they have mechanics that are out of whack. So what you do is work on simplifying things. I’m not asking anyone to throw a 12-6 curveball or a 3-inch slider. They aren’t ready for that.” Right now, both Dailey and Gillispie are fine examples of pitchers who aren’t trying to do too much. But what about an arm coming off a major surgery? Two years ago when he was at William Monroe, Morris was as dominant on the mound as any pitcher in the area. After the 2013 season though, it was revealed he needed elbow surgery, the now ubiquitous Tommy John surgery. It meant he wouldn’t be able to pitch his senior year. That led him to Miller where he was able to re-class and get a chance pitch and try and bolster his collegiate opportunities. It also meant that he had to undergo more than a year’s worth of rehabilitation. Of
ACADEMIC EDGE
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MONTICELLO’S ANDREW GIBSON
Andrew Gibson plays a lot of roles for the Monticello boys lacrosse team. He’s a key attackman, earning second team AllCharlottesville Group honors in 2014. He’s a team captain and he’s also a leader by example. “His willingness to run the extra sprint, do the extra push-up and hold his team accountable for their actions make him stand out as a young man,” said Monticello coach Tucker Tapscott. Gibson, who also plays football for Monticello, has been a key part of the equation as Tapscott tries to mold the program after taking over in 2014. Gibson has proven particularly apt at setting the tone of the Mustangs’ lacrosse squad. “Words can’t describe the respect my coaching staff and I have for Andrew,” Tapscott said. “He brings 100 percent of what he has mentally and physically everyday to practice.” Beyond sports, Gibson is also a top-flight student. He’s in the Math, English and National Honor Societies and carries a 4.28 GPA. This fall he’ll head to Virginia Tech where he’ll pursue a degree through the school’s Pamplin College of Business. Business is probably an excellent path for Gibson. Quite often it’s the person who is willing to put in the extra work that rises to the top in the business world. Clearly Gibson has already proven he’s capable of running that extra sprint.
ABOUT HARGRAVE MILITARY ACADEMY Hargrave believes individual achievement is a gamechanger for all students, both on and off the field. With a college acceptance rate of 100% and a heavy emphasis on academics, your son will have competitive advantages ahead of his peers including leadership and character development.
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Below, Jack Morris
“HE WANTED INSTANT SUCCESS, EVERYONE DOES. WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMIND PLAYERS AFTER A BAD DAY IS THAT IT’S OKAY BECAUSE WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU HAVE A NEW ELBOW” — BILLY WAGNER 11 :: @scrimmageplay
course, as it turns out, Wagner had the exact same surgery when he was playing for the New York Mets in 2008. “A lot of the rehab is mental,” Wagner said. “You’re worried about if you’re going to be as good as you were before. I told him what he was going to have to think about, what it was going to feel like (physically). He had a 13-month rehab and that’s tough. He got to play last year but he didn’t get to pitch and he loves to do that.” This past fall Morris started throwing again but he wasn’t himself. Rather than have him push through it, Wagner encouraged him to wait until the spring. “He had a dead arm in the fall and I told him that’s okay,” Wagner said. “I told him to focus on his hitting, to have fun with that. Then we got to the spring and he started to feel better. After that I said okay, now take 10 days off and don’t even pick up a ball. He started feeling even better the next time. Mentally it’s so tough. He wanted instant success, everyone does. What you have to remind players after a bad day is that it’s okay because what matters is that you have a new elbow, it’ll all come together eventually.” It has. Morris hasn’t been overworked either. He’s thrown 16 innings and has a 1.31 ERA. He’s struck out 23 batters and given up just seven hits over that span. “Last year being an outfielder I enjoyed just being on the field but I missed the pitching so much,” Morris said. “This year I’m just grateful to be back healthy and now 100 percent.” He’s the third option on this team. Fittingly enough, the other options Whitehurst and Henley, are sporting respective 0.00 and 0.81 ERA’s on 8 and 8.2 innings pitched. “I’m seeing that we’re a little more put together, a little more solid of a team,” said Rich. “We’re executing better this year. We’re really pounding the strike zone and doing what the coaches want us to do.” Not too many high schools have closers, but because of this team’s starting depth it’s allowed Rich to take on that role in addition to his catching duties. In that role he’s put together a 2.03 ERA, walked just four and struck out 11 batters in 10.1 innings of work. So while there might be only one ball and but so many innings to distribute amongst so much pitching talent, the message for the Mavericks this year is to only worry about doing the job asked, and sometimes it might be a small job but it’s not unimportant. “We’re going to pound the zone and play defense and they’ve bought into it,” Wagner said. “This group of guys have come such a long way. Henley and Dailey, they’ve been with me the longest. This team knows it’s about winning. A lot of times in baseball you worry about ‘oh, well I went 2 for 3’ and it’s not about that. Yea, you have to battle that sometimes but we press them about the team process — that if you went out there and just moved a guy over that you went out and did your job.” Offensively, it’s that mentality that has paced Miller so far. This isn’t a lineup that looks to try and get on the scoreboard with each swing. The Mavericks have solid team speed and believe in manufacturing the safe and more easily obtainable runs rather than leaning on coming up with the glamorous
ones all the time. “We try and cater to what we know we’re good at,” Wagner said. “There’s a lot of speed and a lot of IQ up there at the plate for us. I don’t need guys to come up and hit home runs.” Jackson Barrett and Will Wagner are at the top of the order for Miller and set the table for Morris who — just like he has last year and back in 2013 — has simply hit the cover off the ball. Morris is hitting .540 with seven home runs 28 RBI. He has been walked 18 times and he has 10 hits for extra bases, giving him an absurd slugging percentage of 1.200 and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of 1.857. Hitting behind him are Dailey, Rich, Henley and Gillispie who get mixed in with others. All of them have given the lineup balance and a potent punch. Eight different hitters have doubledigit RBI totals. And while Morris is the true power hitter in the lineup, Wagner has his players thinking more about small ball than anything else. “When Jackson or Will are up, I need them to move guys over or slap one in the hole,” Wagner said. “There are so many things you want to do with the 1-2 combo we have. Then when you get past that our 3-4-5 have a chance to really hurt you. Those guys can all run too so you have to worry about that. You have to get through that without overcoaching. That’s what works for us... We’ve got some good situational hitting going right now and that’s who we are. We don’t try and bang with teams. We try and move guys over and play classic baseball.” Small ball behind a pitching staff like this seems like a no-brainer. And while Wagner brings the know-how, credibility on how to handle to the on-and-off the field facets of the sport, and of course, the celebrity where every newcomer, every opposing player wants to meet him and pick his brain — the bottom line is that he’s a coach just like any other. That’s his approach. He can’t pitch for his team. All he can do is point them in the right direction. He likes that and his players, because they have been so malleable, they’ve developed a comfortable humility around him that has put this team at ease. Miller doesn’t panic. Miller doesn’t squabble. Miller just plays the game right now the old fashioned, clichéd way. This team believes in one job at a time, and it’s up to all of them to do it. “This isn’t my game, it’s theirs,” Wagner said. “This is their team. When they go out and do their job, go out and compete and win — it’s them. They did that. Not me.” So when this team heads into the playoff as the favorites to win the state title that eluded them last year, it’ll be not only about the process they’ve learned along the way, but the legacy this senior core wants to leave. Morris has won a state title at William Monroe before. He was instrumental in making it happen and knows firsthand just how difficult it is to piece to together. “We were pretty bitter after losing in the state championship last year so we spent the offseason in the weight room and got to work, went after it pretty hard,” Morris said. “Hopefully that will pay off this year.” They’ve done all the little things right so far. With May ahead of them, there’s no reason the Mavericks can’t win it all. It’ll just be a matter of doing the same job they’ve been doing in both March and April. It sounds simple. But with baseball being baseball, doing all the simple things so consistently is always the hard part. It’s what makes the game so great. ✖
“THIS ISN’T MY GAME, IT’S THEIRS. THIS IS THEIR TEAM. WHEN THEY GO OUT AND DO THEIR JOB, GO OUT AND COMPETE AND WIN — IT’S THEM. THEY DID THAT. NOT ME.” — BILLY WAGNER
Below, Jacob Rich
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SETTING THEIR SIGHTS STORY BY RYAN YEMEN PHOTOS BY BOB KENWARD
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ANNAH FLETCHER WAS A BREAKOUT STAR FOR WHAT WAS ALREADY A SEEMINGLY YOUNG LOUISA COUNTY SOFTBALL TEAM AT SECOND BASE. SO TOO WAS TAYLOR ROBISON, AGAIN OUT IN THE FIELD. THROW IN SARAH SHARPE’S SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN AND YOU HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT LOUISA.
The future looked bright for the Lions and then there was the turnover, both on the field and coaching wise. It seemed impossible that Louisa could start more youth than it did last season when three freshmen started, but this year only one senior is a regular starter — leadoff hitter Lindsey Talley. When first-year coach Jen Falin took over the reigns, the Lions went even younger. But this group, led by its underclassmen and its new coach — who played softball at Christopher Newport University and was an All-State and All-Region standout during her time at Bruton High — have found a way to keep tradition alive at Louisa. It’s been a long time since the Lions didn’t field a great product on the field. The way this program has transitioned from its success the last few years into this season looks like it’s setting the table for the winning ways to continue for quite some time. But not without some bumps. “This is a little tough because these girls have such expectations and I’m a new coach,” Falin said. “That’s pressure for me but I’ve really come into such an amazing situation because this team had it together before I came.” To get an idea of how consistent Louisa has been on the softball field you just have to look to Talley. Her freshman year was former Region II player of the year Hali Goad’s senior year (2012). It was in 2011 under then coach Dan Barrett that the Lions made the push to become playoff contenders beyond the Jefferson District.
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“WE WERE SO YOUNG LAST YEAR THAT IT ALMOST MAKES ALL OF US WANT TO COMPETE MORE BECAUSE WE’RE EVEN YOUNGER THIS YEAR.” — TALLEY 15 :: @scrimmageplay
After a few close calls flirting with the VHSL Group 4A playoffs, the Lions finally broke through last year and got out of Region 4A North. Talley’s been there for all of that, and now she’s trying to make sure her senior year is one where the Lions once again contend where they have in the past. “I want to set the example for what a senior is,” Talley said. “It’s a lot of pressure but my job is to just get on base. I just try and get a big catch in a game (on defense). It really is about setting the examples.” That kind of play, that kind of leadership is what kindles the fire for a young team looking to establish its roots and Falin has seen it since she arrived. She didn’t make Talley a captain, she let the team vote and they made it clear who they wanted as the team’s primary motivational piece. “She’s huge, she’s such a great leader on an off the field,” Falin said. “She has so much to offer and once she gets going it’s so tough to stop her.” Adversity has reared its head in two ways for Louisa so far. For starters, there are eight young players that regularly start and only two of them are juniors. Two of them, Kennadie Batchelor and Taylor Dickerson are both freshmen. The rest of the roster is made up of sophomores. After that the issue has been finding pitching and counting on Fletcher and Robinson, both bonafide middle infielders, to step up into roles that they aren’t quite accustomed to at the varsity level. “Neither one identifies as a pitcher and so we’ve really tried to mix them up and let them be what they’re used to being as much as possible,” Falin said. “We keep it as even as possible.” Considering the fact that Louisa sits at 8-4 and is in the mix with Fluvanna County, Orange County and Powhatan at the top of the JD standings — the sacrifice the two have made to pitch instead of play in the infield is awfully impressive. “We always want to get better and this team being so young — we know we’re only going to get better each year,” Fletcher said. “I used to pitch in travel ball growing up but last year I barely pitched, played second base and that’s my spot. But being that we didn’t have a pitcher, I had to pick it back up, help do my part for the team. Same thing for Taylor. We just have to do this for the team and get the job done.” Variety can really help in softball when it comes to a team mixing in different pitchers and in Fletcher and Robinson the Lions have a nice set of complementary tools. “We are complete opposites,” Fletcher said. “Taylor’s got the speed and the up and down movement. I have the side to side stuff, the mixing speeds. I’m not throwing a lot of fastballs.” Speaking of speed, as the saying goes, you can’t teach it. You also can never have enough of it. The Lions are fortunate there as by just pitching strikes, both Fletcher and Robinson are able to get out of jams thanks to the range this team has in the field and the great arms on top of that.
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2015 VISAA DIV. II STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS!
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BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL Blue Ridge School is an all-boys, all-boarding college prep school with grades nine through twelve. At Blue Ridge, individual success takes a team. Our small class sizes provide a structured learning environment and foster strong teacher-student connections. Our co-curricular programs build self-esteem and develop leadership and teamwork. Blue Ridge School has been built upon the values of integrity, civility and a strong work ethic. Blue Ridge School’s campus is located twenty miles from Charlottesville, Virginia, and only about 2 hours from Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.
Boys Thrive at Blue Ridge ALL BOYS • ALL BOARDING • ALL COLLEGE School BOUND
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“WE’VE REALLY BECOME A FAMILY BECAUSE OF IT.WE KNOW OUT STRENGTHS. WE KNOW OUR WEAKNESSES.WE’RE JUST GROWING ON THAT, DEVELOPING THAT.” — SHARPE 17 :: @scrimmageplay
“I’m feeling really good about our defense because not a lot of balls are dropping and it’s happening where you have two girls are just coming around as pitchers,” Falin said. “Their ERAs are pretty good for where we are at when you think about it. So I’m really happy about the defense.” Of course, there’s a flip side to that speed on the other side of the game. This is a team that runs the bases arguably as well or better than any other team from top to bottom in the Jefferson. Talley has 11 steals on the year while Sharpe has 10. With those two, a walk or single easily translates into a double, allowing the Lions to lay down bunts, continue to pressure with their speed and manufacture the runs they need. “My philosophy with this team right now is we want to run until we’re out,” Falin said. “There are some teams that are tough to run on (in the JD) but we have not been thrown out much this year.” While Louisa’s speed both defensively and offensively are its strength, Falin — who hit 14 home runs and 58 RBI as a junior at CNU back in 2011, both of those second best in a season in school history — is waiting for the bats to break out the way she’d like. “Hitting is contagious so I am sort of waiting for one of the girls to break out and have the rest follow,” Falin said. “I know its just a matter of time.” That said, this team is hardly famished for great hitting and run support. Sharpe leads the team with a .474 batting average and 11 RBI. Just behind her with 10 RBI is her freshman counterpart in Batchelor. Fletcher hits .429 with nine RBI to her name and a pair of triples and a home run too. Dickerson, another freshman, leads the team with two home runs and eight RBI. Robinson has a homer this year too and also has driven in eight runs. “This group is definitely more mature than their age,” Talley said. “We were so young last year that it almost makes all of us want to compete more because we are even younger this year. Teams think we’re not as put together as we are.” New coach, young players, and the same old success so far. Transitions like this don’t happen often and especially not in a sport like softball where experience and familiarity matter so much. The Lions probably shouldn’t be as good as they are right now. Thanks to their determination, both from the youngest of players up to the seniors, here they are, right where they belong. “It was scary at first, moving so many people up from JV these last two years,” Sharpe said. “But we’ve really become a family because of it. We know our strengths. We know our weaknesses. We’re just growing on that, developing on that.” This is a good team now and it’s ceiling is only to get higher. The tradition recently established at Louisa isn’t going anywhere soon. If anything, it’s only getting stronger. ✖
TEAM SPOTLIGHT ALBEMARLE & COVENANT GIRLS LAX Collaborations like this are rare, but that makes it all the better. The Albemarle and Covenant girls lacrosse teams ran ran one million yards together in honor of former UVa lacrosse player Yeardley Love who was tragically murdered in 2010. The One Love Foundation raises awaresness for domestic violence. These two teams did a great job in
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SUPPORTING THE FUTURE SPORTS STARS OF TOMORROW Best of luck to our 2013 student athletes as they embark on their college careers. Maiah Bartlett Miles Davis Blissie DuBose Will Eppard Tyler Gimple Will Grossman Allie Nicholson Lloyd Smith Stewart Staunton Aaron Stinnie Catherine Towers
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Game Time Monticello 4, Albemarle 1 By Ryan Yemen
Cieslewicz picked up the win against Albemarle keep Monticello rolling. (Ashley Thornton)
19 :: @scrimmageplay
There’s always another game. That’s the motto in the regular season, especially in baseball and thanks to the weather recently, they’re all packed together week after week for just about everybody. Just a day removed from falling on the road to Western Albemarle, Monticello bounced back nicely in a second straight road game, this time in a 4-1 win over Albemarle to complete a busy week for the Mustangs. “The good part about baseball is that it’s about having a short memory,” said Monticello coach Corey Hunt. “I told my guys that when we get up in the morning it’s a new day and it’s time to go. It was a long week but we grinded it out and we’ll get right back at it after the weekend.” The story for Monticello up until he had to leave the game because of an elbow injury was Luke Cieslewicz who threw four and two thirds innings. “He was really good tonight — all his pitches, all three were working tonight,” said Mustangs catcher Jack Decker. “He threw them all for strikes and he was getting ahead a lot so he could use his stuff later in the counts.” It wasn’t until the fifth inning that Cieslewicz gave up his first hit, but he had to come out shortly there after. “He grinds out every start he has,” Hunt said. “Hopefully all is well but we’ll have to see what comes out of it.” Cieslewicz picked up the win nonetheless and struck out three batters while walking just one. Albemarle got just two hits in the game and both came in the fifth — a solo shot from Jacob Nash and then a single to Andrew Porter.
“We got great pitching tonight which was fantastic because last night we walked nine batters and that doesn’t win any games,” said Patriots coach Jimmy Bibb. “Tonight if we got a few hits here and there maybe it’s different but they did a great job with their opportunities and (Cieslewicz) was really good too on the mound. I really hope he’s okay — that’s always scary when a pitcher grabs their arm.” Monticello on the other hand was able to get rolling offensively fairly early. In the second Jon Heucheurt led the inning off with a single and later scored on an RBI doubleplay. Then in the third, Decker made it 3-0 on a two-run homer. “They started me off with a couple of curve balls and low so I was sitting fastball,” Decker said. “I got one inside and I was able to turn on it.” In the sixth the Mustangs picked up some insurance with John Page leading off with a single. After two wild pitches he was brought home on and RBI sac-fly by Heuchert. ✖
The Mustangs sit just one game behind Western Albemarle in the Jefferson District standings. With both in Conference 29 and another regular season meeting awaiting, a third meeting between the two top JD teams could well come with a Region 3A West berth on the line. With teams like Fluvanna County, Louisa County and Powhatan all playing big roles in the middle of the standings, seeding for either squad could be crucial in the last two weeks of the regular season.
See a photograph you like? Defensive stand Warriors goalie has more than one trick | By Ryan Yemen
At Scrimmage Play we pride ourselves on offering the best possible graphics Two years ago the Western Albemarle boys to Shin, who doubles as a Junior National Judo soccer team get was fueled its underclassmen medalist, we can our byhands on, in both our but has developed into one of the with sophomores and freshman bearing the area’s most versatile goalkeepers. magazine as well as at our website at brunt of the work load. The netminder has shown he’s capable of Now two years later, forwards Aaron Myers making big saves, particularly in the team’s www.scrimmageplay.com and Alex Nolet, as well as senior defender two ties. In the first game of the season, Tom Rogers are all in their senior seasons and looking to earn a Region II bid, something that Orange County snatched away from them in the Jefferson District semifinals last season. After the first month of play, the Warriors seem to have the defensive side of the equation figured out and junior goalkeeper Kai Shin is a big part of that. Before Western went on its spring break, none of its four opponents were able to score more than once, a testament to the team’s play in the middle of the field, but also a nod
Shin endured wave after wave of Albemarle attack, but stood tall and showed no rust in the 1-1- tie. But while Shin’s on the field because he can make stops, his strong leg has also been of great use as he’s able to easily clear the zone but also spark fast breaks all by himself. The Warriors averaged a little over two goals per contest before the break, but if that average starts to increase, don’t be surprised if it’s because of Shin’s ability to contribute to the transition game. ✖
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Western Albemarle’s Kai Shin hauls in a shot during his team’s 1-1 tie with Albemarle that kicked off the soccer season for both squads. (Frank Crocker)
Success stories begin here.
Success Story: Malcolm Cook This spring, Malcolm Cook had a bit of a breakthrough. Previously rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, Cook joined a crowded UVa secondary that included star performer Anthony Harris who led the nation in interceptions in 2013, and last year added five-star defensive back Quin Blanding, an instant starter who became a freshman All-American. This spring, the speedy Fork Union graduate moved to a position group where the Cavaliers need a lot of help — outside linebacker. Cook impressed enough to earn a slot on the two-deep depth chart, as the redshirt sophomore is currently listed as the No. 2 strongside linebacker for the Cavaliers. Cook came to Fork Union from Armstrong High with a burning desire to get his name into the mix for a major Division I scholarship and pre-
pare to succeed at that level both on the field and in the classroom. He exploded at Fork Union, running a 4.40 40-yard dash before the season and then ran roughshod over the Blue Devils’ Prep League slate with 96 tackles and nine interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns. He was named the Scrimmage Play defensive player of the year and was clearly ready to take the next step. He redshirted a year as he acclimated to college life and then appeared in a trio of games for Virginia as a redshirt freshman. While he’s only seen limited action so far at UVa, things seem to be on the cusp of a breakthrough for Cook if this spring is any indication. He’s putting in the work at UVa much like he did at Fork Union, and that’s going to pay off going forward.
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Overtime
You play to win the game Emphasis needed for many rivalry games in new format
W
hat’s the recipe for a great high school rivalry? A big helping of good old fashioned dislike has to be the base. Throw in a cup or two of proximity and a dash of back and forth where each team has beaten the other. That’s the element that allows everyone to say “you can throw out the records when these two teams play.” I heard that once while driving through the Midwest back before we had iPods or satellite radio. The announcer said “When North and South Decatur play you can throw out the records. But North Decatur is 9-0 and South is 0-9.” I’m pretty sure nobody should’ve been throwing those two teams’ records out.So if those are the elements most closely associated with a rivalry game, do you need postseason implications or district seeding or district titles on the line for it to really be a rivalry? A few public school coaches have mentioned that they feel like some of the juice has been taken out of certain rivalry games with the advent of the revamped VHSL realignment. It’s a fair point. Many others have decried the way that realignment and the all-in postseason model made district schedules and the regular season less important. But rivalries are a different matter. I’ve never really thought the postseason implications or rational arguments like school size mattered much in rivalries. The high school I attended in North Carolina was much smaller than our crosstown rival and we wouldn’t play each other even in the postseason, but that week was different than other weeks. I saw the same thing in Texas where schools that would never face each other in anything other than regular season rivalry games took the volume up a notch. And here in Central Virginia, William Monroe and Madison County are just one example of two schools in different classifications that push things to another level whenever they lock horns. Those two schools could have a horseshoes or tiddlywinks tournament and it would be just insanely intense. It also isn’t happening in every sport. Albemarle and Western boys lacrosse won’t play each other any more in the postseason, but the Patriots’ Ian Davis talked about what a big buildup there was for Albemarle going into that game. So what is causing the apparent waning or at least a lull in a few local rivalries? One theory I’ve heard is that in sports like soccer where everyone knows each other are starting to see some of what people have talked about happens now in the NBA a lot more than it did 20 years ago — good friends who compete on travel teams with schedules that have been ramped up in different years are playing each other. I’m not sure that’s it though because I think bragging rights when you’re talking about friends may be even more important. So are some of us just nostalgic for the past? Do we remember blood and guts and glory a little more vividly than it was? Maybe. But here at Scrimmage Play we try to be solution-oriented and it’s clear that some smart people we know think there’s an issue and even if we can’t identify the cause, we can take steps to alleviate the symptoms. So if you feel like your rivalry is missing a little juice, we’re willing to help, you just let us know. Think of us as plumbers, only we unclog the pipes to let (respectful) hate and intensity flow. I’ve got some ideas. For starters, I love traveling trophies. During the winter we’re the
22 :: @scrimmageplay
“Coaches have mentioned that they feel like some of the juice has been taken out of certain rivalry games.” official sponsor of the Jefferson District girls basketball championship belt, which has helped give regular season JD hoops games a little extra charge. We’d be happy to create trophies for specific rivalry games and while these will not be expensive, well-made trophies, they’ll take on significant meaning in a short time. This works all the time in college football. Also, nicknames for games. We’re up for this too. In Texas most every football rivalry game has a name. One is called the Wurst Bowl because there is a festival in that town that was originally settled by German immigrants. There’s also the Taco Truck Bowl and a Chili Bowl out there. Here we have the Battle for the Gordonsville Tastee-Freeze and the Battle for the Blue Ridge, but we could definitely use more. So we’re ready to brainstorm. We’re ready to help, even if your regular season clashes are going strong, we can strengthen them. Let’s not let any of these rivalries struggle. Let’s let the hate flow.✖
Bart Isley,
CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR
back talk »
Who’s your rival, how can we help make it better? Contact Bart at: bart@scrimmageplay.com
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