34 • Thursday, July 24, 2014
sports
Members of the Vestavia Middle School Lacrosse Team are, from left; front: Alyssa Newman, Emma Williamson, Haley Souders, Hayden Souders, Elle Myers, Ellington Wesson, Aimie Perino and Lydia Johnson. Middle: Madison Smith, Olivia Nelson, Lily McCormick, Laura Hatten Rell, Katherine Lipford, Ella Crump, Hannah White and Anna Ray. Back: Coach Lipford. Anne Kearney Patton is not pictured. Photo special to the Journal
Rebels Win LAX State Championship
The Vestavia Rebels Middle School Girl’s Lacrosse Team won the Alabama State Championship and finished the season undefeated with a record of 12-0. The Rebels defeated a tough Mountain Brook team 8-5 in the championship game.
Czeschin Plays in 2014 Brine National Lacrosse Classic
Tate Czeschin, right, son of Ty and Nikki Czeschin and a rising freshman at Vestavia Hills High School has been named as a 2014 Brine National High School AllAmerican and was selected to represent the Southeast
Region at the 2014 Brine National Lacrosse Classic held in Boyds, Maryland June 30-July 3. The Brine National Lacrosse Classic brings the top-ranked high school lacrosse players in the country to one venue, where regional teams compete to become the 2014 National Champion.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
Members of the Birmingham Spartans are: Will Baynes, Cody Crain, Asa Dodd, Tanner Earnest, Curt Gann, Clark Griffin, Patrick Neil, Edward Reed, David Stone, Harrison Ware and Davis White. The Spartans are coached by Steven Griffin and assistant coaches Rusty Baynes and Lee Gann. Umpire Richard Pope traveled to Cooperstown with the team as their representative in the weeklong tournament. Photo special to the Journal
Top 10 Finish in Cooperstown Caps Successful Year for Birmingham Spartans
The Birmingham Spartans 12U baseball team recently returned from Cooperstown Dreams Park in New York where they competed in the 2014 American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame Invitational Tournament. The event draws 104 teams of 12-year-old players from around the U. S. and Canada. The Spartans were undefeated in pool play with wins over teams from Miami, Atlanta, Sacramento, Chicago and St. Louis.
The Spartans advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the single elimination bracket with a victory over a team from Utah before falling on the final day to Team Pono from Hawaii. The Spartans finished the tournament 7-1 and in the Top 10 of 104 teams. The Cooperstown trip marked another highlight to an already successful year for the Spartans. For the 2013-14 season the Spartans compiled a 40-23 overall record, including three tournament championships and one runner-up finish.
Hoover’s Kennedy Ward Selected for Prestigious Tennis Camp
Brock’s Gap Intermediate School sixth-grader Kennedy Ward, left, received an invitation to play the 2014 Nick Bollettieri Discovery Tennis Open in June. Kennedy was the only tennis player from Alabama invited to play in this exclusive event for 2014. The Nick Bollettieri Discovery Open, in Bradenton, Fla., is an exciting international event limited to boys and girls looking to take their tennis skill development to the next level. The Nick Bollettieri alumni and touring roster is impressive and includes Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Pete Sampras, among others.
Shades Mountain All-Stars Win Metro Tourney
Shades Mountain 7-year-old American All-Stars topped off an undefeated all-star season with a 14-13 victory over host team Mountain Brook to bring home the Metro Championship. Photo special to the Journal
Shades Mountain 7-year-old American All-Stars team members are, from left, front: Harrison Morgan, Grayden Robinson, Atticus Barton, Baylor Hardy, Brett Cannon and Chase Lawley. Middle: Alec Guice, RJ Bagherinia, John Paul Harbor, Salim London, Gavin Seewald and Jordan Jeter. Coaches: Paul Harbor, Tommy Cannon, Lee Seewald, Brian Hardy, David Lawley and Jason Barton.
Homewood Joy League Crowns Champions
Joy League baseball in Homewood recently wrapped up its 57th consecutive season of daytime baseball. Commissioners Perry Akins and Ted Hagler awarded trophies to the teams that won their division championship. The 2014 champions are: A – The Bucs, coached by John David Owen and Jim McMillan AA – The Bucs, coached by Britt Vibber AAA – The Sox, coached by John Cucinotta. To end the season, each division champ played a game against an All-Star team composed of 12 players from its division. In addition, AllStars from the Bucs and Cards played All-Stars from the Sox and Yanks in a T-Ball Rookie All-Star game.
2014 Rookie Cards continue into a third generation of players who have learned how to play baseball in the Joy League. From left: Nicholas Roitman, Sean Stanton, Kai Sorge, Luke Matteo and Nathan Matteo. Photo courtesy of Ashley Matteo
Following those games, the coaches, players and their families enjoyed a traditional watermelon picnic. Each year, Joy League games are played on Saturday mornings on the two diamonds at Edgewood Elementary
School. A total of nearly 200 boys and girls played in the league this year. Established in 1958 by the late John J. Smith Sr., the Joy League provides its third generation of players a fun place to learn how to play baseball.
Team members are, from left, front: Kathryn Brakefield, Faith Hauberg, Anna Hogewood, Aarthi Namasavayam, Jordan Henderson, Haleigh Moore and Shamayne Cooper. Back: Julia Freeman, Audria Wood, Nicole Bernal, Macy Wallace, Hailey Joseph, Ally Hall, Caroline Monson, Jilian Joyner and Anna Windle, Head coach, Luke Whittle and assistant coach, Amy Disko are not pictured. Photo special to the Journal
VHSC Attack Reaches Quarterfinals at Regional Championships
The VHSC Attack 99 Black girl’s soccer team won both the Premier League Central and 2014 Alabama State Championship to earn their spot at the USYS Southern Regional Championships. The tournament was held in Baton Rouge, June 19-26. The Attack reached the U-15 quarterfinals with a record of 2-1 in group play. The team’s two wins came against very solid opponents: Tampa Bay United 1-0 and Arkansas United 2-0. Attack 99 Black then advanced to the quarterfinals and faced PGSA, the North Carolina state champions. The game was a real battle and ended tied 2-2 in regulation and then 3-3 after two 15-minute overtime periods. The Attack’s run at regionals came to an end after a tough loss of 3-4 in penalty kicks.