The Dallas Post Dallas, PA
Thursday, February 7, 2002 9
THE DALLAS POST
Section 2
From the bullpen
Timothy J. Raub
It’s almost time
Jor a game of
catch with Dad
I can still remember the first
time I saw it. It was light
brown, tiny, had “JC Penney”
sewn into the wrist guard and
it was mine, all mine.
I still have it — my first base-
@all glove, that is. I can remem-
“ber breaking it in with my dad
for hours. We'd put the oil in
the glove, work it into the
leather and go outside to try it
out. Ah, those were the days.
My father worked very hard
when I was young so that my
three younger siblings and I
would have everything we
needed. He worked so many
= 2zy hours, though, that the
portunity for quality time
with Dad was pretty rare. I did
not get to spend much quality
time with him, much less than
other children. But when it
came to my first baseball glove
and learning how to catch, Dad
was there every step of the
way. I can’t remember how
any times I got hit with the
11 that first spring, but it did-
n't matter — it was my chance
to be with Dad.
Every spring the ritual would
start about a month from now.
The snow would just start
clearing out, and I would
search the house for my base-
ball glove, and once found, I
would go outside with Dad and
have a catch for hours. My dad
would come home from work,
red and worn out from a hard
day on the job, but without
hesitation after dinner, he
would head for the closet, get
his glove and it would be off to
the baseball field for the two of
us. I did not realize it then, but
I was bonding with my dad,
bonding in the same way thou-
sands of fathers and sons do
®:n year. Every year about
this time, it is not unusual to
see fathers and their young
sons at the sporting goods
store in search for that perfect
first baseball glove.
What starts out as just an-
other purchase, quickly devel-
ops into much more. Fathers
and sons can find a mutual in-
terest when it comes to sports,
and it gives the two a way to be
.@@pgether, talking and learning
without really thinking about
it. This is where a father and
son’s bond develops and grows
— all because of a baseball
glove. Dad and I would throw
for what seemed hours each
day, no matter how tired he
was. He taught me how to get
under a fly ball, field a
@ rounder and throw with accu-
racy.
It is important for a father
and son to do these types of
things. In today’s society when
many children grow up in day
care centers and nursery
schools, it is important for a fa-
ther and his son to spend that
quality time together, if nothing
else. As I grew up, my father
and I were not always the clos-
t of friends, sometimes we
were even bitter enemies. But
like a cease fire on Christmas
day, the two of us put every-
thing aside when it came to
sports. My dad and I don’t get
to have a catch in the backyard
any more, but I hope someday I
can pass on the tradition with
a son of my own. I still have my
rst baseball glove, and I will
never get rid of it. It is more
than just a glove — it's my
memories.
Back Mountain standouts are Killer Bees finalists
BY TIMOTHY J. RAUB
Post Staff
Some student-athletes find it
hard to manage full-time sports
and academic schedules.
Not Lindsay Boris and Kristen
Clay.
Boris and Clay, seniors at
Lake-Lehman and Wyoming
Seminary, respectively, have
each been named finalists for
the Killer Bees Athletic Club
scholastic female division Stu-
dent-Athlete of the Year.
“Sometimes it's kind of tough,
especially during the (sports)
season, because you have so
many commitments both athleti-
cally and academically,” said
Boris, an all-state field hockey
and soccer standout. “It all
comes down to time manage-
ment.”
Both Boris and Clay agreed
that they have had to set their
priorities to stay on top of class
work and athletic responsibili-
ties.
Clay, a three-sport standout in
cross-country, swimming and
soccer for the Blue Knights, said
“It is a huge honor.
Sports and school
are just the two
things I love doing.”
Kristen Clay
Wyoming Seminary senior
she makes study sheets so she
can study any time she gets a
free moment, and uses the
weekends as a way to get a lot of
school work done.
POST PHOTOS/TIMOTHY J. RAUB
Dallas’s Blake Saba takes it strong to the basket against Crestwood in left photo. The Mountaineers
defeated the Comets 42-40 in a key WVC Division II game.
At right, Dallas forward Chuck Suppon puts up a shot, which would be his 1,00th career point against
Crestwood on February 5.
Dallas and Lake-Lehman wrestling teams met last week, with Lehman taking a 54-12 win. At left, Lehman's Aaron Moyer controlled
Morgan Anderson at 140 Ib. In right photo, Willie Weber had the advantage over Perry Coolbaugh, but the Dallas grappler went on
to win the match on an 8-0 major decision.
Black Knights crush Octorara in Duals prelim
By DOUG PAPE
some noise
in Chocolatetown, USA if
Aaron Moyer pinned Ken Miller with a cra-
“Part of it is just natural abili-
ty,” said Clay. “You get to know
how much time you have to get
things done. I find odd moments
to get things done.”
Boris ranks second in her
class at Lake-Lehman. She has
a 99.35 average, taking ad-
vanced placement courses, has
a score of 1,240 on her SAT and
was accepted early by Brown
University.
“It is definitely nice to be hon-
ored academically,” said Boris.
“A lot of people don’t know what
you have going on besides the
athletics, so it's nice to be hon-
ored for both.”
Clay is an honor student and
has a score of 1,380 on her SAT.
She has maintained a near 4.0
academic average during her
four years at Seminary, while
taking advanced placement
courses.
“It was pretty cool (to be hon-
ored as a finalist),” said Clay. “It
is a huge honor. Sports and
school are just the two things I
love doing.”
Mounts edge into 1st-place
tie as Suppon scores 1000th
By MICHAEL LELLO
Special to The Dallas Post
DALLAS TWP. — Dallas’s mis-
sion was simple.
Beat Crestwood Tuesday night
and you're still in the running
for the Wyoming Valley Confer-
ence Division II second-half title.
Lose and your chances of cap-
turing the crown are slim.
Throw in a senior night crowd
at Dallas High School, the
chance for forward Chuck Sup-
pon to score his 1,000th career
point and an opportunity to
avenge an embarrassing first-
half loss to the Comets, and the
game took on greater signifi-
cance.
Suppon and the Mountaineers
showed they were up to the
challenge.
The senior power forward sin-
gle-handedly dominated the in-
side game despite the absence of
injured center John Simonitis,
scored a game-high 21 points —
including his 1,000th — and
pulled down 14 rebounds to lead
Dallas to a 44-42 victory.
The victory propelled Dallas
(4-2 Division II, 14-9 overall)
into a three-way tie with Crest-
POST PHOTOS/JIM PHILLIPS
wood (4-2, 18-5) and Nanticoke
with two games left in the regu-
lar season.
“It feels great to get a thou-
sand, but it feels better to beat
Crestwood,” Suppon said.
The Comets, the Division II
first-half champions, routed
Dallas 51-37 on Jan. 10 at
Crestwood.
Despite the absence of Si-
monitis, his 11.3 points per
game and rebounding presence
(the Pitt football recruit landed
awkwardly on his left foot late in
Monday's practice), Dallas as-
serted itself in the paint from
the opening tip. The Moun-
taineers jumped out to a 9-0
lead and were up 14-10 after the
first quarter thanks in part to
seven points and five rebounds
from Suppon.
Herb Bressler's three-pointer
early in the second quarter gave
Dallas a seven-point lead, but
the Comets stormed back with a
7-0 run to tie the score 17-17.
Crestwood would take its only
lead — 24-23 — on two Jeff
Calaide free throws with 5:58
left in the third. That lead was
See MOUNTS, pg 10
Rich Butcofski
joins Pioneers
WILKES-BARRE —
Barre/Scranton Pioneers continued to
add local flavor to its team on last week
as Dallas High School graduate Rich
Butcofski became the ninth player as-
signed to the arenafootball2 team’s in-
augural training camp roster.
Butcofski played at East Stroudsburg
University in the 1999 and 2000 sea-
sons. He made 99 tackles his senior
year and was a Pennsylvania State Ath-
letic Conference Eastern Division sec-
ond-team selection. Prior to his two
years at East Stroudsburg, Butcofski
played two seasons at middle line-
backer for Nassau Community College
in Long Island.
The Wilkes-
At Dallas, Butcofski was a two-time
all-state linebacker and was named the
Wyoming Valley Conference Most Valu-
able Player as a senior. Butcofski also
played in the Big 33 game. He was a
member of the Mountaineers’
PIAA Class 2A state championship
team.
1993
Special to The Dallas Post
YATESVILLE — Look out Hershey, here
come the Black Knights.
The Lake-Lehman wrestling team dis-
mantled Octorara 59-6 Tuesday at
Pittston Area High School in the prelimi-
nary round of the PIAA Class 2A Duals
Tournament.
Lehman (17-2) advances to the state
quarterfinals of the team event against
District 7's Fort Cherry on Friday at Her-
sheypark Arena at a time to be an-
nounced.
“We came a long way,” 119-pounder
Aaron Kubasik said. “At the beginning it
was a little shaky, but now everybody
kind of jelled. We're all coming together
now.
“This is very important,” he added. “This
is the first time that Lehman has gotten to
the state duals and we want to make a
statement this year.”
The Black Knights appear to be peaking
at the right time and are poised to make
Tuesday's match is any evidence.
Octorara (6-6) never got going and
earned its only points when L.J. Ladley
got a forfeit at 140.
Kelby Morgan got things started at 103
with a 15-4 major decision. Morgan
scored most of his points with a vicious
cradle he hit opponent Josh Parker with
in the first and third periods.
John Houssock followed with a forfeit at
112, while Kubasik registered a pin in 28
seconds at 119.
“It starts at the 103 match,” Kubasik
said. “If he wins, then it just snowballs
and everybody gets psyched and we just
keep it going.”
Matt Dragon followed with a pin in 3:20
at 125, while Ryan Post picked up a 5-3
decision at 130. Post iced the match in
the second with an escape and a cradle
which yielded two back points. He led 5-2
after two periods.
At 135, Jeremy Schutz earned a 17-3
major decision to give the Black Knights a
29-0 lead. After Ladley’s forfeit, Lehman's
dle at the 2:50 mark. :
Willie Weber followed at 152 with a pin
in 3:54, and Matt Stuart proved to be
Lehman's comeback wrestler of the night
at 160. He scored three takedowns in the
first to take a 6-3 lead. Octorara’s Justin
Parker battled back and, with about a
minute left, scored a takedown to lead 7-
6. Stuart escaped in the waning seconds
to force overtime and in the one-minute
extra period scored a takedown and three
back points to seal a 12-7 decision.
Bob Morris (171) followed with a 7-2 de-
cision, while Ed Becker (189) and Matt
Carey (275) closed out the bout with for-
feits.
Lehman coach Phil Lipski expects the
eight teams left in the single-elimination
event to be “stout.”
“We are wrestling well,” he said. “For the
most part the kids are doing a nice job,
and we're on somewhat of a roll and we're
going to need that because Fort Cherry is
going to be real tough.”
BMT baseball, softball
registration Saturday
Back Mountain Baseball will con-
duct its second player registration for
the 2002 season Saturday, Feb. 9,
from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dallas Se-
nior High School. All children age 6
and older who have not already regis-
tered and who wish to participate in
tee-ball, major and minor league
baseball, major and minor league
softball, and all teen programs should
register at that time.
All prospective players should bring
their Social Security numbers to reg-
istration. Any child who has not pre-
viously participated in Back Moun-
tain Baseball or Softball should bring
his or her birth certificate to registra-
tion as proof of age. The cost of regis-
tration is $40 for the first child in a
family, $20 for the second child, and
$10 for each additional child. :