Sunday, December 2, 2012 Tue DALLAS POST PAGE 9 o ~¥ Dallas High School 1993 grads Steve McCafferty, left, and Jim Fazzi pose for a photo before the annual alumni soccer game. SOCCER and CAMARADERIE Annual Dallas High School Alumni Soccer Game gets bigger and better every year. By TOM ROBINSON For the Dallas Post Johnny Sheehan’s roots as goalkeeper made him comfort- able directing the teammates in front of him. When it came time for a group of players from different eras to quickly form into a team for the Dallas High School Alumni Game in bitter, windy conditions on a Saturday morning two days after Thanksgiving, it was Shee- han who took charge. : Sheehan positioned his team- mates, noting that the presence of three goalies might be useful inst younger opponents. His A-hearted approach — “hey, are you guys any good?” he shout- ed to the high school players as they lined up — helped set the tone for the game’s mood. Sheehan, who settled into the stopper position while brothers Mike and Tim Raub shared goalie duties, was the most vocal player on the field, clearly having fun now that he’s become part of an annual gathering that has lasted about a quarter of a century. While he took a break on the sideline, however, Sheehan fin- ished talking about the game by “He's pretty much the reason these guys in blue have the chance they do every year.” ; John Sheehan About the late John McCafferty pointing out an important seri- ous side to the day. The game be- gan under John McCafferty, a na- tive of Scotland who started the Dallas High School program in 1981 and is one of those most re- sponsible for the Back Mountain being at the center of soccer’s de- velopment in northeastern Penn- sylvania. “He’s pretty much the reason these guys in blue have the chance they do every year,” Shee- han said of McCafferty, who im- mediately turned the Mountain- eers into a championship pro- gram that reached the state final and two other state quarterfinals under his guidance. “The roots in the program started with John and the life lessons he taught ev- ery one of us, even after he fin- ished coaching.” It was McCafferty’s illness and death in November 2010 that sparked a boost in interest in the Alumni Game, including making Dallas soccer alumni moms Kathy Murray, right, and Diane Dom- zalski watch their sons play in the alumni soccer game. Class of 201, defends. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Dallas High School 1987 grad John Sheehan makes a save in practice before the annual Dallas alumni soccer game at Lt. Michael Clea- ry Field. it a mandatory part of Sheehan’s plans. Attendance spiked in the past two years, leading to one of the two adjustments that booster club vice president and alumni game committee chair Kathy Murray had to make in this year’s t-shirt orders. Murray increased the order of light and dark blue t-shirts, used as jerseys for the game, to 60. She also adjusted e the order for XXL, which allowed for necessary use over sweatshirts and/or for ad- justments to the effects of age. Murray said alumni not part of the extensive contact list the club manages can add themselves by passing along information to head coach Chris Scharff or any booster club officer. “The turnouts have been bet- ter the past couple of years,” said Tim Raub, while visiting on the sideline with Steve McCafferty, son of the former coach. “We're getting some of the older guys who are more than just a couple of years removed from school.” The alumni forms one team, with the assistance of younger legs from an occasional son or daughter who joins in the action. See SOCCER, Page 10 Raising funds with LJ JEWELRY he Dallas High School lacrosse team held its annual jewelry fundraiser at Appletree Terrace at Newbery Estates on Nov. 18. Female members of the team modeled the jewelry. Denise De- Luca was coordinator of the event. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST TOP LEFT PHOTO: Senior Cara Pricher, left, of Dallas, senior Fal- lyn Boich, of Mountain Top, senior Madeline Mulhern, of Dallas, and freshman Julia Baloh, of Shavertown, practice modeling rings before the event. TOP RIGHT PHOTO: Dallas Booster Club event coordinator Denise Deluca, right, shows off hors d'oeuvres at Appletree Terrace at Newberry Estates during the jewelry fundraiser. BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO: Sheila Davis, right, of Larksville, holds up an earring with Kathie Davis, of Dallas, at the jewelry fundrais- er for the Dallas High School lacrosse team at Newberry Estates. 0 & 4
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