Henrico’s Dickerson Chooses

Warrior Big Man Headed To Essex CC

Henrico center Desmone
Dickerson committed to Essex Community College in New Jersey.

The first-team all-Capital District selection averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds for the 19-7, Central Region quarterfinalist Warriors. �??He�??s much more mature. His skills have come along accordingly. There�??s no doubt that the best is in front of Desmone,�?� Henrico coach Vance Harmon said of the 6-5 Dickerson. �??His body is getting leaner. His hand-eye coordination is getting better. I think he�??s only scratched the surface of what he can do. �??Ever since last summer he started to come into his own a bit. He�??ll get a lot out of the next level.�?� – Stephen M. Lewis

Dickerson played in the 804 All-Star Game in April.

More Basketball Commitments

Expectations Fulfilled

James River caps memorable season

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports

NEWPORT
NEWS – Expect the unexpected.

Pretty
catchy slogan, but it doesn�??t work for James River
baseball.

�??To
be honest,�?� James River coach Pete
Schumacher said in front of cameras and fancy tape recorders, �??our
expectations were to go all the way.�?�

And
all the way means the state Group AAA crown, which the Rapids won with a 5-1
decision over Deep Run, another Central Region stalwart, at Christopher Newport
Saturday afternoon.

James
River�??s Austin Stadler (see the video interview below) hurled a
brilliant complete-game three-hitter, fanning 13 batters. He had little trouble
after Deep Run�??s Deck McGuire
drilled an RBI-double to center in the top of the first inning to give the
Wildcats a 1-0 advantage.

�??I think I had a little bit of nerves at the beginning of the game,�?� Stadler said. �??I left a pitch up to Deck and he definitely punished it. I had to bear down and keep the ball down. I felt good the rest of the way.�?� Stadler returned the favor to McGuire, slapping a double to right center in the bottom of the first. A.J. Prill was the next batter and his sacrifice fly to right scored leadoff hitter Tyler Gruhl to knot the game at 1. Things went easy for Stadler and McGuire in the second, but Chris Briere made sure McGuire and the Wildcats felt the third inning. With the bases chock full of Rapids, the shortstop blasted McGuire�??s two-out offering to left field toward Daniel Green.

Will Kent (12) douses coach Pete Schumacher after the Rapids claimed the state Group AAA crown.

Hawks A Bunt Short

Lauren Brummell is headed to Maryland-Baltimore County after an incredible career with the Hawks. She was the Central Region player of the year.

NEWPORT NEWS – In Hanover�??s softball history, no word better describes the Hawks than fundamental.

But
one of those staples broke yesterday in Hanover�??s 1-0 loss to Kellam in
the state Group AAA final at Stoney Run Athletic Complex. Bunting.

The
Hawks popped up four bunts on the afternoon, including one with a
runner on second and third with no out in the sixth inning, as what is
usually a strength prevented Hanover from claiming back-to-back state
crowns and their 99^th win in four seasons (the Hawks�?? seniors are 98-17).

�??When you try to bunt riseballs, you get popups,�?� Hanover coach Chris Pace
said. �??We failed to execute on that part of the game today. It�??s
impossible to bunt that. If we lay off the riseball, we win today.�?�

The person throwing the riseball was Knights senior pitcher Stephanie Kemp. She registered her 25^th win of the season.

�??I
came out this year having the feeling that we were going to win it
all,�?� Kemp said, tears rolling down her face. �??I had the best team that
I could have asked for. I don�??t know what I�??d do without any one of
them. It�??s the most amazing feeling I�??ve ever had.

�??Pressure is the biggest part of the game. If you can handle the pressure then you can handle anything.�?�

The only run of the game came when Kellam�??s Tamra Griffin handled a Lisa Puryear offering, sending it for a double to left field to score Marian Guidry. Lauren Brummell replaced Puryear after the hit, as Pace went to his successful bridge tactic.

 �??Lisa Puryear
did not lose the game for us,�?� Pace said. �??Her dropball and changeup
had them off-balance early. It would have worked if we would have
gotten some runs. Give their pitcher a lot of credit.

�??We�??ve
built something pretty cool here over the last four years. We�??re not
done. We�??ve got a lot of work to do if we want to get back here.�?�

Central Region
Baseball All-District
Teams

Central Region
Baseball All-Region

Cosby Kids’ Dream Ends

Ben Jessee (right) and Cosby’s magical season came to a close.

Cosby was being ambushed.

Osbourn
Park was hitting the Titans with corner kicks, had several
opportunities in the box and basically controlled play the entire first
half.

But
Cosby�??s defense was up to the task as the game was scoreless with about
nine minutes left in the first half thanks to a few brilliant saves by
Titan goalkeeper Sean Stowe.

So
it is ironic that compared to OP�??s other offerings, what seemed to be a
harmless shot connected on the way to the Yellow Jackets�?? 3-0 victory
in the state Group AAA boys soccer semifinals Friday.

OP�??s Matt Murgia
maneuvered his way through the Titan defense and found a lane, shooting
a shot at Stowe. The sophomore seemed to have it under control, but it
slipped through his arms as he dove to his left for the save.

Repeat In Hanover’s Crosshairs

Julie Smith delivered in Hanover’s 4-2 victory over Robinson.

NEWPORT NEWS
– When Robinson�??s leadoff batter reached base in the top half of the
seventh inning Friday afternoon in the state Group AAA semifinals at
Stoney Run Athletic Complex, Hanover coach Chris Pace said you could have cut the tension in his dugout with a knife.

�??It was scary!�?� Pace said. �??That is one of the best hitting teams I�??ve ever seen.�?�

But much like she had all game, Hawks�?? senior pitcher Lauren Brummell
kept the Rams off-balance with a wicked change-up that is her signature
pitch, and retired the next three batters to secure Hanover�??s 4-2
victory.

Hanover,
the defending state champions, will face Kellam at 2 p.m. Saturday in
defense of their title. Kellam advanced with a 1-0 victory over Osbourn
in Friday�??s second semifinal game.

�??The
pressure on us this season to get back to this point has been brutal,�?�
said Pace, whose team graduated only one starter off last year�??s
title-winning team, Kristen Bruce, now ironically
pitching at Christopher Newport. �??And we�??ve felt it, too. But I�??m
blessed to be surrounded by some great players. I�??m going to cry like a
baby tomorrow no matter what. I love this group of seniors �?� they�??re
irreplaceable.�?�

There was a similar sentiment expressed in the Rams�?? dugout, where coach Barry Gorodnick did his best to comfort his six departing seniors.

�??These
girls set a goal at the beginning of the year to get to this point, and
we got here, but we weren�??t going to be satisfied with just that,�?�
Gorodnick said. �??We really wanted to win it �?� today just wasn�??t our day.

�??It
took us 19 years to get to this point. These girls hit a level that we
haven�??t reached in quite a while. It means everything to be a part of
this. It�??s just so hard, because on a personal level this is by far the
best class I�??ve ever had. I know other kids are going to come-and-go
through here, but I don�??t think I�??ll ever have another group like them.�?�

The difference between these two quality teams Friday was timely hitting.

Hanover only totaled one more hit than Robinson �??six to five �?? but got them with runners in scoring position.

The Hawks scored once each in the first and third innings on an RBI double by senior catcher Julie Smith (committed to James Madison) and RBI fielder�??s choice by senior third baseman Jessie Atkinson (Christopher Newport).

They added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a hard-hit single by sophomore left fielder Allison Worley.

�??Obviously
my top four can hit, too,�?� Pace said. �??We jumped right on them. And I
think what you saw with my No. 5 hitter, Allison, was our depth. It�??s
an indication of just how good our lineup is.�?�

Robinson answered with two runs in the top of the sixth inning on a double to the left field fence by junior third baseman Erin Henning,
but that�??s when Brummell (UMBC) took over. She lured the Rams next two
batters into fly balls that were easily fielded, and buckled down after
walking the leadoff hitter in the seventh to record her 10th strikeout
of the game. The next two Robinson batters grounded out to end the game.

�??I�??ve
always gone to my changeup in tough situations, and I�??ve gotten to the
point where I can throw it pretty much any time that I want for a
strike,�?� Brummell said. �??That gives me an advantage on hitters because
it�??s always in their head.�?�

It
wasn�??t just the timing and frequency of the changeups that proved
troublesome to the Rams, but the fact that Brummell actually threw two
different changeups, one that is considerably slower than the other.

�??It was hard for us to pick up when she was going to throw it,�?� said Robinson All-Met first baseman Dorian Shaw,
who will play next year for Michigan. �??I was trying to zone it so that
would be the pitch that I would hit, but it was hard. She worked it
well. We gave her a good fight, though.�?�

Added Rams senior shortstop Taylor Cunningham:
�??Making it to the state semifinals and winning the region, those were
such big accomplishments. But we were expecting to go all the way. This
is a team with so much confidence and heart and determination. Having
it all lost in a matter of seven innings really hurts.�?�

While Robinson�??s season ends at 21-6, Hanover (26-1) now turns its focus to Kellam.

�??Winning
a second state title would mean everything to us,�?� Brummell said. �??Some
of us seniors are going on to play at college, but you never know if
you�??re going to have a chance to win a conference championship there �?�
and you know you�??re never going to have a chance to win an NCAA
championship. So this may be the biggest championship we ever win. And
to have two of them would be awesome.�?�

Legend Maker

Deep
Run trailed 5-0 just 2½ innings into the contest, before Snyder�??s grand
slam and McGuire�??s flawless two innings of relief put the Wildcats in
the state Group AAA final with a 7-6 victory over South County Friday
afternoon at Christopher Newport.

Deep Run players greet Matt Snyder after his grand slam in the third inning put life into Deep Run.

NEWPORT NEWS – Matt Snyder and Deck McGuire did things that will make them high-school legends.

They may not realize it once they place their heads on their Friday-night pillows, but here are the facts.

Deep
Run trailed 5-0 just 2½ innings into the contest, before Snyder�??s grand
slam and McGuire�??s flawless two innings of relief put the Wildcats in
the state Group AAA final with a 7-6 victory over South County Friday
afternoon at Christopher Newport.

Deep
Run will face James River, a 6-3 winner over Forest Park, Saturday at
noon at Christopher Newport. The Rapids used two three-run homers, one
by Austin Stadler, the other by Chris Briere, to advance.

It is the first time in 37 years that two teams from the same region will square off for the state crown.

Early,
it did not look like the Wildcats wanted to be a part of history. DR
gave up five errors total in the contest helping the Stallions to their
5-0 advantage.

Michael Graham smacked in two runs off DR starter R.C. Orlan in the first. Then SC put in three runs in the top of the third among a few Deep Run miscues.

Starting pitcher Jesse Beal singled in Brent Frazier after Deep Run�??s Brett Entz bobbled a sure out. That made it 3-0.

Then with the bases loaded, Seth Jordan hit a slow roller to second baseman Mike Kaczka, but Kaczka threw to late to second allowing another run.

�??Very uncharacteristic of our team,�?� Snyder said. �??We�??re usually very fundamentally sound.�?�

The Wildcats had a great chance to halt a run, catching pinch-runner Nick Digby in a rundown. But third baseman Chris Baber dropped the ball, literally, allowing Digby to score.

�??We could have folded our tent,�?� Deep Run coach Grant Odell said. �??Then all of a sudden, bing, bang, boom.�?�

The bing was two straight singles from Kolden Buehler and Entz. The bang was two straight walks, one intentional to McGuire, the other to Brooks Martin, and an RBI-single by Daniel Astrop to slice South County�??s advantage to 5-2.

Then
Snyder delievered the boom, a grand slam over the 400-foot fence in
centerfield, sending the pro Deep Run crowd into a frenzy while taking
a 6-5 lead.

�??I
was just trying to follow Daniel up and do the same thing, go right up
the middle,�?� said Snyder, who is set to walk-on to the University of
Virginia�??s football team. �??I�??ve been playing baseball forever. To get
an opportunity to hit a home run in a big game like this, much less a
grand slam, will be something I will remember forever.�?�

Another Deep Run error allowed Austin Anthony to score after Peyton Bartlett singled to tie the contest.

But
the Wildcats answered in the bottom of the fourth as Odell called for a
double steal. South County got preoccupied with Astrop between first
and second, allowing McGuire to score the game winner.

�??There
are plays that you practice for situations like that one,�?� Odell said.
�??We executed well. I was a little surprised that they threw to second
base.�?�

By
the fifth inning, Marshall Halbleib was finishing up his third inning
of very effective relief and Odell brought in McGuire to mop up the
rest.

�??I could tell the morale of the dugout was down by the fifth or sixth inning,�?� senior hurler Austin Lindley
said of his Stallions. Lindley, headed to Christopher Newport, threw 3
1/3 strong in relief. �??[McGuire] came in. We were ready for him but
didn�??t expect it.�?�

It
showed. The Georgia Tech-recruit entered with no out and a man on
third. He struck out Anthony, got Bartlett to pop out, then struck out
Lindley swinging to end the inning.

After Deep Run went out in order, McGuire got Graham to groundout and struck out Jordan and Sean Adams to end the contest.

�??I
think with any athlete, that�??s kind of what they live for,�?� McGuire
said of relishing game-winning moments. �??I was just hoping to do my
part.�?�

His and Snyder�??s parts are what legends are made of.

Five For Five

There
are five Central Region teams left in the state Group AAA playoffs,
giving the region a chance to claim four more spring state crowns to go
with Mills Godwin girls tennis crown.