Month: April 2024

Somewhere in Hollywood you hear 👂the director yelling Cut, let’s take it from the top!

For roughly two hours last night we were entertained by Women’s College Basketball at its best. Game 2 of the night gave us everything one could ask for with Iowa and Connecticut playing the roles of New Money 💰 and Old Money 💰.

For years people pulled against UCONN because Geno was winning too much but since Stewie pulled off her Four Peat roughly a decade ago, the Huskies have not been able to cut down the ultimate nets. Caitlin Clark has reached the Hearts 💕 of so many Americans over the past two seasons because she is not only super talented , she’s very likable to boot.

Caitlin and Paige , Hawkeyes and Huskies delivered the goods from start to almost finish last night. The game was far from perfectly played but it didn’t need to be. The energy in the building had me wondering what it would have sounded like in say, Lucas Oil Stadium 🏟 ?

America was watching a game being played with no villains. UConn was playing in the Final Four despite having lost FIVE players to season ending injuries and Iowa played with a balanced team led by a Generational player in Clark.

Just like the script of a Hollywood movie 🎥, the game was played with twists and turns. Clark was facing the ultimate team defense and Iowa was on the verge of getting blown out early.

In the second half Iowa stormed back and the crowd got into it. For a moment it looked like the Hawkeyes would end the doubt of the outcome but the Huskies wouldn’t go away.

The game was down to one possession and UConn had the basketball 🏀 with 10 seconds remaining and down one point. The trio of former Huskies hosting the AT&T broadcast on ESPN2 all seemed bummed that their former Coach called a time out to set up the final play.

My mind immediately went back to the movie Hoosiers and I pictured Paige telling Geno, “I’ll make it,” just like in the film 🎥. Sadly for all of us watching and waiting for the SHOT, we were all left with an offensive foul call 📞.

One of the most entertaining moments in the recent history of the game of basketball 🏀, possibly the second coming of Duke – Kentucky back in 1992, ended with a whistle for an illegal screen.

Unlike the folks who will take to “Social Media” and state with 1000% certainty that it was or was not a legit call at the time, I just know that if I was directing this show in Hollywood, I would have yelled “CUT”, let’s take it from the top.

Paige was once again a Class Act in the post-game press conference, choosing to take the high road by saying she could have played better during the game to avoid it coming down to one call. Great sound bite available out there.

Now we move to Sunday afternoon when once again we should have a game for the ages. Dawn Staley looks to Coach her team to what would be the 10th undefeated National Champion in Women’s Basketball while Clark will be trying to write ✍ a Hollywood ending to her career at Iowa.

Let’s hope that one comes down to whether one shot 🙏 falling or not falling as well with one difference, having the shot take place.

Marion Harris takes us inside the Week that was for our Battling Ben Tickles and sneaks in some Adrienne Soccer ⚽️ as well !

Recap for this past week for the Lady Cavs Soccer Team and an Emory and Henry Spring game!!!! So far this season going into this week the Lady Cavs are 3-0 and they have outscored their opponents 13-0. This week they would go up against the defending district champs in Glenvar and the James River Knights (also a powerhouse in the three rivers district).

Tuesday away at Glenvar.
The first half really was anyone’s game with both teams having chances. Glenvar has all kinds of travel players and overall just great experience at high levels. Our team is very young but has so much heart!!! Glenvar got frustrated after being turned away so many times but finally broke through for a 1-0 lead after the ball was not cleared out of the box. Give a great team a chance like that and they will make you pay. After a few by the cavaliers, Glenvar would add their 2nd goal of the half. The Cavaliers held their own in the first half but down 2-0 at the half.
2nd half – the Cavaliers ran out of legs but never gave up. The heart showed for the whole half but the experience of Glenvar also showed!!! The cavaliers in the first minute came up with one of their best chances but missed out wide. Final score was 7-0 in favor of Glenvar. Game balls would have to go to Breanna Shumate on her shut down defense and hustle!! Callie Harris also had a game to be proud of. She ran at least 4 miles in this game hustling on offense and defense!!!!

Fast forward to last night, and how would the young Cavalier team respond after their first loss of the season. This game was also on the road and very chilly conditions. My wife and I try to make every game but that night we were 150 miles away at Emory and Henry watching our oldest play in her last home spring game vs Johnson university. More on that later but we received a message at the end of the Emory game that our youngest got hurt at the beginning of the Cavalier game and a couple minutes later got another saying she was back in the game. Wow the roller coaster of emotions knowing we are usually at the games and the one time we are not our player gets hurt. We could tell watching it on NFHS that she was not moving great but we also saw that she was not going to let her team down.

First half our team was struggling to overcome the elements but Ashlyn Newman found some room on the right side and made a great pass across the mouth of the goal for Ahliyah Riffey to score her 2nd goal of the season and to put the Cavaliers up 1-0. At this point in time my wife and I were getting some food and watching and celebrating out in the parking lot at a loves truck stop. Would love to know what people were thinking when they saw us celebrating that goal. The rest of the 1st half was chances by both teams but nothing on the board!!! Start of the 2nd half was again chances for both team to score but it was the Cavaliers that put their 2nd goal of the night on the board when Ashlyn Newman scored. It was a bad touch by a defender 40 yds away from goal but it gave Newman the chance to capitalize on that mistake and put it in the back of the net for a 2-0 lead!! James river answered not long after that with a nice shot from the top of the box to put the game at 2-1. The next 20+ mins was scoreless and the young Cavalier team came home with the victory!!!

This game even though the team as a whole struggled especially on the defensive side of the ball showed everyone the heart of this group of young ladies. It also showed that some step up even more than normal to help their team to a victory!! Two of those I would like to recognize, one gets the game ball for the night and that goes to our keeper Alexis Sheffey. This keeper keeps improving and continues to impress her coaches and teammates.

A few words from our coach about this game and the night that our keeper had:

” Big night for Alexis Sheffey! Our defense struggled at times, but Sheffey came up with some big saves! I don’t have the total number. I was proud of the ladies, we struggled through a few injuries.”

Alexis had over 40 saves for the week and she will be a big part in how this team does this year!!!

The 2nd player I would like to recognize is Karmen Smith. She has been a very strong presence in our defense this year and she continues to anchor a defense that is very young. On a personal note I remember talking to this young lady on the rec soccer field and telling her how impressed I was with her and that she needed to start playing travel. She did that and the sacrifices they have made over the years have really paid off. She not only gets a game ball for last nights win but she gets one for the whole week. Her leadership and hustle on the field will be another factor in how well this team does this year.

Well I cannot close without giving an update on the game we went to watch in person last night. Emory and Johnson was tied at the half but the whole 2nd half belong to the 🐝!!!! The final was 3-0 and our Adrienne had two assists in the final 10 minutes of the game to help lead her team to a victory!!!! So proud of her and her team. What a night after their game we stayed and watched the guys game and the Cavaliers game on NFHS. Fun night!!!!!

As my good friend Nicole Lyons would say it’s always a great day to be a Cavalier!!!!

Photo 📷 of the Day :

Need to find out who took this shot so we can give him or her credit for a great capture !

Varsity Boys 👦 Soccer ⚽️ shutdown the Knights of James River High, 3-0 on The Hill !!

-Jv lost 2-1 but played hard and just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net at the end of the game. Goal was scored by Bradsel Martinez and assisted by Sam McGrady.

(Please check out earlier post 📫 on the JV game)

-Varsity won 3-0, we had so many shots but the james river goalie was making incredible saves left and right. Our defense was lights out again only allowing 2 shots. Our team combined for 16 tackles/steals.

Our midfield and forwards passed the ball beautifully and combined for 20 on target at the goal. Goals were scored by Yahir Ruiz, Giovanni Lopez, and William Burnett. Assists by Landon Puckett, Giovany Hernandez, and Yahir Ruiz.

We dominated and should have won by much more than 3. Either way a win is a win and we are proud of our guys!

Thank You Coach Johnson for sharing this with us !

➕