Rainouts make for a long spring season
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
While coming up with an idea this week for my weekly print column, first I thought I'd write about what seems to be the fall of the Boston Celtics, or how I'm amazed at how the Memphis Grizzlies are performing in the NBA Playoffs. (These aren't the "Big Country" Bryant Reeves Vancouver Grizzlies anymore.)
No, I will save my thoughts on the NBA Playoffs for another day, but you have to admit the NBA Playoffs is the best basketball in the world. If you haven't watched any of the playoffs, treat yourself and at least watch the conference semifinals or the upcoming conference finals sometime this month before the finals in June. You won't regret it. By the way … what has happened to the L.A. Lakers? What Marv Albert said at the end of Game 2 between L.A. and Dallas about these playoffs being unpredictable is very true.
I'm telling you … these NBA Playoffs are worth watching if you are a fan of basketball or competition in general.
Now, this week, I want to stay in-house, so to speak, and begin by giving a big congratulations to the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs baseball team for a second consecutive Division I Southern Hills League championship with a Saturday win over North Adams.
This year's Mustang team, when I had the chance to actually cover them, due to many rainouts, was a team that I could see improve each time I watched them.
Congrats to the players who are a part of both championship teams, and congrats to head coach Garyn Waits for winning a league title his first year at the helm of LC and the rest of the team and coaching staff who helped keep the title at LCHS. Job well done by the Mustangs.
Another congrats goes out to the Fairfield Lady Lions and their recent No. 4 ranking in the Div. IV statewide coaches poll. Like I've said before, this team plays hard, and they are a focused team, which makes them very deserving of their ranking.
Another thing that impresses me in local sports is the resurgence of the Hillsboro Indians baseball team. They have scored 61 runs in their past five games. Do they have enough time to fight for the league title? Time will tell, but after what can be called a slow or unlucky start to the season, the Indians are seeing not only luck, but their skill and talents take over on the field. They have a lot of talent at the plate, and for anyone who saw them last Saturday morning against their county rival McClain, you can tell the Indians are ready to play when they step onto the diamond.
What I like from the Indians, like I said earlier about the Mustangs, is their improvement every time I get the opportunity to watch them. At the beginning of the season, slight miscues cost them wins, but lately this team has started scoring runs when needed, and with that, they are building confidence.
Seeing a team fight back after a slow start to win five in a row is one of the things that makes high school sports fun to cover and watch on a daily basis.
All season long, HHS head coach Tim Hunt said his team would keep grinding away and things would turn around for the Indians after they were 3-7 overall and 1-3 in the SCOL.
Hunt said this following the Indians' 8-7 loss to Washington on April 15, which put HHS at 3-7 overall: "They (HHS) have a passion for the game. The guys will get better, and we will turn things around."
Well, after the performance of their last five games … Coach Hunt is right. The Indians can be a dangerous team at the start of the tournament.
Another team I wouldn't want to face is the McClain Lady Tigers' softball team. They, too, are in first place of the SCOL standings in softball. On Saturday (the last time I watched them), they put on a good display of hitting, and like their coach Jarrod Haines said about once they get a couple run lead his team gets comfortable … well, he's right with that statement.
MHS has clutch players when they need them, and thus far they have taken care of business in the SCOL. This team has hitting, pitching and good leadership, so those are simple reasons alone the Lady Tigers are in first place (as of Wednesday) in the SCOL.
But overall, this spring year has been fun to attend. I've been able to watch a top tennis performance, top track & field performances and of course great baseball and softball teams who are currently battling or have already won their respective league titles.
Now, if the rain would actually stay away so the regular season can wrap up ... well, that would be the best performance of all.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com.[[In-content Ad]]
No, I will save my thoughts on the NBA Playoffs for another day, but you have to admit the NBA Playoffs is the best basketball in the world. If you haven't watched any of the playoffs, treat yourself and at least watch the conference semifinals or the upcoming conference finals sometime this month before the finals in June. You won't regret it. By the way … what has happened to the L.A. Lakers? What Marv Albert said at the end of Game 2 between L.A. and Dallas about these playoffs being unpredictable is very true.
I'm telling you … these NBA Playoffs are worth watching if you are a fan of basketball or competition in general.
Now, this week, I want to stay in-house, so to speak, and begin by giving a big congratulations to the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs baseball team for a second consecutive Division I Southern Hills League championship with a Saturday win over North Adams.
This year's Mustang team, when I had the chance to actually cover them, due to many rainouts, was a team that I could see improve each time I watched them.
Congrats to the players who are a part of both championship teams, and congrats to head coach Garyn Waits for winning a league title his first year at the helm of LC and the rest of the team and coaching staff who helped keep the title at LCHS. Job well done by the Mustangs.
Another congrats goes out to the Fairfield Lady Lions and their recent No. 4 ranking in the Div. IV statewide coaches poll. Like I've said before, this team plays hard, and they are a focused team, which makes them very deserving of their ranking.
Another thing that impresses me in local sports is the resurgence of the Hillsboro Indians baseball team. They have scored 61 runs in their past five games. Do they have enough time to fight for the league title? Time will tell, but after what can be called a slow or unlucky start to the season, the Indians are seeing not only luck, but their skill and talents take over on the field. They have a lot of talent at the plate, and for anyone who saw them last Saturday morning against their county rival McClain, you can tell the Indians are ready to play when they step onto the diamond.
What I like from the Indians, like I said earlier about the Mustangs, is their improvement every time I get the opportunity to watch them. At the beginning of the season, slight miscues cost them wins, but lately this team has started scoring runs when needed, and with that, they are building confidence.
Seeing a team fight back after a slow start to win five in a row is one of the things that makes high school sports fun to cover and watch on a daily basis.
All season long, HHS head coach Tim Hunt said his team would keep grinding away and things would turn around for the Indians after they were 3-7 overall and 1-3 in the SCOL.
Hunt said this following the Indians' 8-7 loss to Washington on April 15, which put HHS at 3-7 overall: "They (HHS) have a passion for the game. The guys will get better, and we will turn things around."
Well, after the performance of their last five games … Coach Hunt is right. The Indians can be a dangerous team at the start of the tournament.
Another team I wouldn't want to face is the McClain Lady Tigers' softball team. They, too, are in first place of the SCOL standings in softball. On Saturday (the last time I watched them), they put on a good display of hitting, and like their coach Jarrod Haines said about once they get a couple run lead his team gets comfortable … well, he's right with that statement.
MHS has clutch players when they need them, and thus far they have taken care of business in the SCOL. This team has hitting, pitching and good leadership, so those are simple reasons alone the Lady Tigers are in first place (as of Wednesday) in the SCOL.
But overall, this spring year has been fun to attend. I've been able to watch a top tennis performance, top track & field performances and of course great baseball and softball teams who are currently battling or have already won their respective league titles.
Now, if the rain would actually stay away so the regular season can wrap up ... well, that would be the best performance of all.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com.[[In-content Ad]]