OPINION —
ONE OF MY favorite movies is “Best of Times,” a 1986 comedy which stars Robin Williams and Kurt Russell.
It’s about a small town football team that had a chance to defeat their archrival from a much bigger school, thanks to the great quarterback Russell. However Williams drops what would have been the winning touchdown and they lose.
So years later, they decide to replay the game, and a bunch of out-of-shape guys work out to prepare. Then they play the game and of course, the underdogs finally win as Williams redeems himself with a TD catch.
It’s an old movie, but I couldn’t help but think of it again since the announcement that the Sharon-Hickory Alumni Football Game is set for July 13 at Sharon’s Tiger Stadium.
The only thing I can say to those players is: “Are you insane?”
This game could be an orthopedic surgeon’s dream.
As Bruce Springsteen sang: “Glory Days will pass you by, in the wink of a young girl’s eye. ...”
Actually, good luck to all the players who are out for one more shot at glory days. Hopefully, there won’t be any serious injuries. And on a plus note, Sharon Regional Health System’s hospital is just a couple of blocks away.
ä I’m not a big NBA fan, but I had to scratch my head when the Cavaliers selected Dion Waiters out of Syracuse with their fourth pick in the draft.
The guy didn’t even start for the Orange, although he was very effective off the bench and was only a sophomore last year. I don’t know that much about the kid, but when you only played limited minutes each game in college are you really ready for the NBA grind? And are you really worth a No. 4 pick?
I guess only time will tell. But I doubt if he’ll be good enough to make LeBron James want to come back and play in Cleveland.
ä I have to admit, I felt a little bit of pride that Kent State’s baseball team finally made it to the College World Series this year. And how great is it that three former Grove City players — Alex Miklos and Jeff and Jason Revesz — were part of the team? They were only freshmen and have more years to play for the Golden Flashes.
When I was at Kent in the late 1960s, I had the opportunity to watch a pair of great players, pitcher Steve Stone and catcher Thurm Munson. Stone went on to win a Cy Young Award with the Orioles, while Munson became captain of the Yankees before his tragic death in a plane accident.
Still, as good as they were, they didn’t make the College World Series.
Only a few teams from the Mid-American Conference have made the series so it’s nice to see locals playing in that conference.
I can still remember when Les Ream of Hermitage was knocking the cover off the ball at Ohio University. Ream broke Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt’s home run record at Ohio U.
Sports
SPORTVIEW: Hickory, Sharon former players to relive 'Glory Days'
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Herald-Tamie junior tourney set Thursday-Friday
THEY SAY THAT “The best things in life are free.” Well, one of those “best things” is the annual Herald-Tam O’Shanter Junior Golf Championships every summer.
The event, which has been free to boys and girls in the Shenango Valley since it’s inception in 1949, will be held Thursday and Friday at Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Hermitage.
It has been the premier youth tournament for decades and some of the top players ever to come out of this area have participated. But you don’t have to be a great young golfer to take part. It’s a wonderful opportunity for every youngster to get a free round of golf on a great course, which is in immaculate shape this season. -
Hickory lists 2013 scholar-athlete award winners
Hickory High Athletic Director Barb Dzuricsko recently announced that a total of 213 students (grades 9-12) earned Don McKay Scholar-Athlete awards.
To be eligible, students must maintain an A (93 percent or higher) grade-point-average through the academic year’s third 9-week grading period and compete in a PIAA-sponsored sport.
A total of 375 students competed in athletics this past year, Dzuricsko noted, meaning almost 57 percent qualified for the McKay Scholar-Athlete Award. Since the award’s inception, this is the highest total number of students to earn the honors, she reported. -
SCHOLASTIC NOTEBOOK: Hearns to continue golf career in college; Petty to be honored
RECENT HICKORY High alumna Rosy Hearns will continue her education and golf careers at the State University of New York-Albany. Hickory links coach Craig Antush said Hearns recently signed a letter-of-intent.
Hearns’ Hickory career concluded as one of the finest on the links — male or female — in Mercer County annals. -
Bowlers compete in Senior Games
The bowling portion of the annual Mercer County Senior Games was held Wednesday at Grove City Bowlodrome. That followed horseshoes and shuffleboard competitions earlier in the week.
Following is the rest of the schedule: -
COLLEGIATE NOTEBOOK: Ex-Hickory great Richards has great spring track season
FORMER HICKORY HIGH standout Morgan Richards enjoyed a successful spring season for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte track & field team. The female 49ters won the Atlantic 10 Conference outdoor track & field team title.
“Morgan kept her stride as she transitioned into the outdoor season, running top times in several events among (Atlantic 10) freshmen and on Charlotte’s all-time top 10 lists,” assistant coch Edwin T. Schlichter wrote in a recent e-mail to The Herald. “Morgan finished just one spot (9th) out of scoring at the 2013 A-10 Championships in the 3000-meter steeplechase, despite this being her first year ever attempting the event, and running 11:02.22 which was 2nd among all freshmen in the A-10 and 5th all-time for UNC-Charlotte.” -
SPORTVIEW: Hickory tri-athletes deserve special recognition
EVERY YEAR we receive a photo from the Hermitage School District of a group of student-athletes that I am thrilled to receive and run in the paper.
The photo is of Hickory High School “tri-athletes,” boys and girls who participate in sports during each of the fall, winter and spring seasons. But there is more to it than that. Each of these athletes also must maintain an 85 percent B average during the first three 9-week grading periods of the year. -
TIDBITS: Scurpas make college choices; Matthews, Norris, Bonner part of great Clarion recruiting class; Lewis earns national medal
SHARPSVILLE HIGH volleyball standouts Kristen and Paige Scurpa, who are cousins, will continue their education and athletic careers at California University of Pa. and Penn State-Behrend, respectively.
The duo, both of whom were named to the All-State team in Class A by the Pa. Volleyball Coaches Association, led the Blue Darlings to the District 10 title game in November. Sharpsville, Region 1 champs the past 4 years, suffered a 3-1 loss to Cochranton in that match and finished the season 16-4. -
Sharpsville falls in D-10 title game
SLIPPERY ROCK — Monday was a pretty good day for Saegertown High School.
Just mere hours after the Lady Panthers won the District 10 Class A softball championship, the Saegertown baseball team (19-2) captured its third straight D-10 Class AA title with a convincing 10-3 victory over Sharpsville (15-6) at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
“We knew going into the game that Saegertown’s a pretty good team and they’ve been a pretty good team for the past few years,” Blue Devils coach Mike Sikorski said. “I think they’ve been in the District 10 Championship the past four years. They’re a solid team, a very good team. They’re very patient at the plate and when they get their pitches, they hit them.” -
STATE TRACK NOTEBOOK: WM seniors leave legacy of greatness
WEST MIDDLESEX High always has had a proud athletic heritage, and this past weekend’s PIAA Class AA Track & Field championship will only add lustre to that legacy.
According to available archives at The Herald, only the 1954 boys’ basketball team and Coach Bob Morris’ boys’ cross country team from earlier this decade previously had won commonwealth crowns. -
Allen wins 4 gold medals to lead WM to PIAA team title
SHIPPENSBURG — Clay Allen said he had to explode out of the starting blocks for his 100-meter dash showdown with Hickory’s DeShawn Coleman. But Allen — all afternoon — was getting the jump on his competitors during the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships.
By approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Shippensburg University, Allen annexed 4 gold medals — 100- and 200-meter dashes, long jump, and as part of the sprint-relay. The workload West Middlesex High’s senior exhibited enabled the Big Reds to record the Class AA commonwealth crown. - More Sports Headlines
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Herald-Tamie junior tourney set Thursday-Friday
