From the Sidelines

Despite the fact that I've been following sports all my life, last night's NBA championship win by the Celtics was something I've never really experienced before.
I'm from this generation of 20-something Boston sports fans, the ones that were born right around the time in the mid-80s when the Celtics and Bruins were last dominant. As a kid, all of the teams around me were bad. The Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins were constantly breaking the hearts of their followers and it was just something everyone grew accustomed to. Winning? That was for the likes of the Bulls and Yankees, never for us.
Then something changed. The Patriots got a new owner and became unbeatable. The Red Sox broke an 86-year-old curse.
And no matter how remarkable those years were, then came 2007-08. The Sox won their second World Series in three years. The Patriots almost made history. And the Celtics shot themselves into relevancy with the signings of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Suddenly, the region that had become accustomed to mediocrity and disappointment has now grown to expect success.
And it's weird. It's weird to watch a championship series or game and think, 'Wow, my team is probably going to win.' Sure, with Spygate and the Super Bowl we still haven't gotten over, the Patriots are in something of a downspell, but they're still thought of as the most recognizable team in the NFL. And when it comes down to crunch time, if the Patriots are down by six points with less than two minutes left, I'm still pretty confident with Tom Brady in the pocket.
The thing is, I'm not the biggest Celtics fan. Really, before this season, I knew two true Celtics fans - both friends of mine from college - and that was about it. I'm more of a college basketball fan and when it comes to pro sports, I'd watch the Bruins over the Celtics most nights. But if any team is going to win the NBA championship, I'm glad its the Celtics. And even though I had never seen the Green Patrol raise a banner to the rafters, as I was a year old the last time that happened, I knew that this was their year. I knew it because, hey, I'm a Red Sox fan and a Patriots fan. Anything is possible....
Now, the Bruins on the other hand. Well, I guess we all need something to keep us grounded.

Okay, so the spring sports season is a little bit more than half over, but with all the early snow delays behind us (hopefully), many area teams are hitting their strides. Here's how each are looking with only a couple of weeks left in the season.

BASEBALL
**Brattleboro -- The Colonels have had their moments of struggle, but in recent games, seem to be coming together. That was evident in Tuesday's walkoff win over Mount Anthony, when Andrew Cavanagh, Kyle Whitworth and Ryan Smith strung together some seventh-inning hits and allowed Brattleboro to come back from a 3-2 deficit to win, 4-3. Wins have been coming more consistently lately, and Brattleboro might be able to ride its key hits and strong pitching by Joel Martell all the way to the playoffs.
**Bellows Falls -- Speaking of winning, that's all the Terriers seem to be doing lately. After starting the season 2-2, Bellows Falls has won seven straight, including Wednesday's 9-8 walkoff win over Windsor. The Terriers have gotten consistent play from Justin Spaulding, Justin Beebe, Quentin Young and Zach Whitcomb, and recently discovered the pitching prowess of sophomore Ben Hewitt, who had never started a game before Tuesday and threw a one-hitter into the sixth. Not only is Bellows Falls a shoe-in for the playoffs, the Terriers should be favored and have at least one home game.
**Leland & Gray -- With a deep rotation and a lot of dangerous bats, the Rebels are a team to be reckoned with this year. Not even the touch-and-go availability of senior Ryan Lawley, originally thought to be the team's ace, because of soreness hasn't stopped Leland & Gray, who, after losing its first game against Fall Mountain, hasn't done it again, winning eight straight. Lawley and Corey Bills have hit multiple home runs this year and Tyler Chapin and Gabe Pozzi have also shined on the mound.
**Twin Valley -- It's been a difficult year for the Wildcats, who have won only one game so far this season. Twin Valley has had some strong moments from its players, but might be running out of time for the playoffs. It could be a year in transition for Twin Valley, with several freshmen and sophomores on the team, and the Wildcats could come back much stronger in 2009.
**Green Mountain -- The Chieftains have shown flashes both positive and negative this season. They've had big losses thanks to some bad errors, but have also had some big wins. After six errors cost Green Mountain a game against Division I Mount Anthony, the Chieftains rebounded with a strong performance (and even stronger fielding) against West Rutland last week. Green Mountain still doesn't have a winning record, but despite losing its last game (10-5 to a surging Leland & Gray squad), coach Dave Farrar said it was the best game his team has played.
**Hinsdale -- With the pitching power of Cody Rogers and Kevin Hudon, not to mention Rogers' ability at the plate, the Hinsdale baseball team has had some shining moments of brilliance in a division (NHIAA's Class S) with a lot of parity. In any given game, anybody can beat anybody, which should make playoffs that much more interesting.

SOFTBALL
**Brattleboro -- While the Colonels' bats haven't quite showed up to every game, Brattleboro's pitching has been a pleasant surprise. The pitching scene was cloudy entering the season, with both probably throwers, juniors Melissa Kent and Briana Smith, having never played at the varsity level. Both have proven themselves to be strong at placement, not overpowering batters, but inducing the groundouts and flyouts when necessary. Their batterymate, senior catcher Stephanie Wright, had never put on the pads before this season and she has proven to be a natural. When the Colonels struggled with passed balls in Monday's game against Bellows Falls, it was the backstop-blocking ability of Wright that gave the Colonels the win. Brattleboro should make the playoffs and possibly find some success there, if the Colonels' hitting starts coming together.
**Bellows Falls -- The Terriers are strong, very strong. With losses only to Division I teams or the strongest teams in Division II (Mill River and Otter Valley), Bellows Falls is something a force this season. Pitchers Sami Hodgkins and Sarah Harmon have been strong, and Hodgkins and Kealy Chipman have been knocking the ball around, as well. Look for a strong playoff showing by the Terriers.
**Leland & Gray -- The Rebels have shown flashes of brilliance in some of their games, including a come-from-behind win over Twin Valley. Pitcher Ashley Russ has gotten stronger as the season has progressed, which is a good sign for Leland & Gray, and with any luck, they should have a .500 or higher record by the end of the month. Sluggers Devon Cooke, Olivia Miller and Aubrey Paraspolo put plenty of heart in the middle of the lineup.
**Twin Valley -- For six innings a game, the Wildcats could be an undefeated team. The Achilles' heel for the squad has been the one inning where it seems its opponent is unstoppable, putting up a large amount of runs that makes the lead all but insurmountable. When the Twin Valley can avoid that, as it did Monday against Windsor, its record will be pretty impressive. Molly Corse and Katelyn Boyd have been solid on the mound and with so many underclassmen on the team, the more games the Wildcats play, the stronger they will be.
**Green Mountain -- After a difficult start to the season, including a 33-1 loss to Black River, coach Howard Paul attempted to find a backup for pitcher Sara Groshens for when she struggled. Out of the woodwork came sophomore Emma Lisle, who had never pitched before but has turned into the Chieftains' version of Jonathan Papelbon. Pair that with the hitting of Meghan Farrell, Britta Kilgus and Groshens and Green Mountain is suddenly a force.
**Hinsdale -- The Pacers seem to have everything it takes to make a great softball team: a dominating pitcher (Kayla Matuszewski), a big slugger (Brittany Young) and a lineup filled with players who can put the ball in play and break out for a big hit at any time. Not to mention the speedy baserunning skills of catcher Courtney Sanville. Hinsdale making the playoffs won't be the question; whether or not they become state champs will be.

Here are the Marble Valley League standings for baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse and boys and girls tennis. They're updated once a week on Sundays, so check back.

Baseball Standings
A Division MVL Overall
MSJ 1-0 3-0
Hartford 0-0 1-0
Burr & Burton 0-0 0-0
Brattleboro 0-0 1-2
Rutland 0-0 1-2
Mt. Anthony 0-1 1-2

B Division MVL Overall
Bellows Falls 2-0 2-2
Fair Haven 1-0 1-1
Mill River 1-0 1-2
Windsor 2-1 3-1
Otter Valley 0-1 0-1
Woodstock 0-1 0-1
Springfield 0-3 0-1

C Division MVL Overall
Arlington 2-0 2-0
Leland & Gray 2-0 2-1
Black River 2-1 2-1
Poultney 1-1 1-1
West Rutland 1-1 1-1
Proctor 0-1 1-1
Green Mountain 0-2 0-2
Twin Valley 0-2 0-2

Softball Standings
A Division MVL Overall
Rutland 0-0 2-2
Brattleboro 0-0 1-1
Hartford 0-0 1-1
Mt. Anthony 0-0 1-2
Burr & Burton 0-0 0-1

B Division MVL Overall
Mill River 1-0 5-0
Otter Valley 1-0 1-0
Bellows Falls 1-0 2-2
Woodstock 0-0 0-0
Fair Haven 0-1 0-2
Springfield 0-2 1-2

C Division MVL Overall
Poultney 1-0 1-1
Windsor 1-0 1-1
Leland & Gray 1-0 1-2
Green Mountain 0-0 1-2
Twin Valley 0-2 1-1
MSJ 0-2 0-2

Boys Lacrosse Standings
Team MVL Overall
Hartford 0-0 1-0
Woodstock 0-0 1-1
Burr & Burton 0-0 0-0
Brattleboro 0-0 1-2
Mt. Anthony 0-0 1-2
MSJ 0-0 0-1
Otter Valley 0-0 0-1
Rutland 0-0 0-4

Girls Lacrosse Standings
Team MVL Overall
Brattleboro 1-0 2-0
Rutland 0-0 4-0
Burr & Burton 0-0 1-0
Mt. Anthony 0-0 1-0
Hartford 0-0 1-1
Otter Valley 0-0 0-0
Woodstock 0-0 0-0
Twin Valley 0-1 0-1

Boys Tennis Standings
Team MVL Overall
Rutland 1-0 1-0
Woodstock 1-0 1-0
Brattleboro 0-0 0-0
Hartford 0-0 0-0
Mt. Anthony 0-0 0-1
Burr & Burton 0-2 0-2

Girls Tennis Standings
A Division MVL Overall
Burr & Burton 1-0 2-0
Hartford 0-0 2-0
Brattleboro 0-0 1-0
Mt. Anthony 0-0 0-0
Rutland 0-1 1-1

B Division MVL Overall
MSJ 0-0 0-0
Bellows Falls 0-0 0-1
Fair Haven 0-0 0-1
Otter Valley 0-0 0-1
Springfield 0-0 0-1
Woodstock 0-0 0-1

What with all of the postponements and rescheduled games brought on by what seemed to be the never-melting snow piles, I'm going to post the week's games each Friday night/Saturday morning, with the most up-to-date info I can find.

MONDAY
Baseball
--Leland & Gray at Arlington, 4:30
Softball
--Springfield at Brattleboro, 4:30
--Twin Valley at Long Trail, 4:30
Girls tennis
--Bellows Falls at Mt. Anthony, 4:30

TUESDAY
Baseball
--Brattleboro at Hartford, 4:30
--Black River at Twin Valley, 4:30
--Fall Mt. at Green Mountain, 4:30
Softball
--Brattleboro at Hartford, 4:30
--Black River at Twin Valley, 4:30
Boys lacrosse
--Brattleboro at MSJ, 4:30
Track & field
--Brattleboro at Mt. Anthony, 4

WEDNESDAY
Baseball
--Wilton-Lyndeborough at Hinsdale
Softball
--Wilton-Lyndeborough at Hinsdale (both of these games are makeup games from earlier this season and couldn't find out the start time, but I'm guessing they'll both start at either 4 or 4:30)
Girls tennis
--Fair Haven at Brattleboro, 4:30
--Hartford at Bellows Falls. 4:30

THURSDAY
Baseball
--Bellows Falls at Woodstock. 4:30
Softball
--Bellows Falls at Woodstock, 4:30
Girls lacrosse
--Woodstock at Brattleboro. 4:30
Girls tennis
--Brattleboro at Otter Valley, 4:30
Track & field
--Bellows Falls, Green Mountain at Springfield, 3

FRIDAY
Boys lacrosse
--Brattleboro at Woodstock. 7

SATURDAY
Baseball
--Brattleboro at MSJ, 11
--Brattleboro at Rutland, 2
--St. Johnsbury at Bellows Falls, 11
--Twin Valley at Proctor, 10
--Twin Valley at West Rutland, 2
Softball
--Drury, Mass. at Brattleboro, 11
--Burr and Burton at Bellows Falls, 11

If there are any more changes, I'll be sure to post them here and in the paper. Enjoy the spring weeked.

~Kerri

With the arrival of the spring sports season, my mind constantly thinking about whether this warm weather will be enough to clear the bucket-loads of snow off Reformerland schools' baseball and softball fields and render them playable, comes the return of the Reformer sports blog.

Although the original creators and contributors are no longer with the paper, it's been resurrected in the form of me, Kerri Fleming, current sports editor, with occasional additions from our staff sports writer, Mike Farrell.

Now, this blog is absolutely going to be focused on high school sports and this weekend, I plan on posting schedules, with all of the postponements and rescheduled games from this past week, for all teams, but as I had a remarkably unique experience (at least for me) this week, I just wanted to share.

As someone that grew up in Massachusetts, I've been to my fair share of Red Sox games. I'm not there every week or anything, but I average a few times a season, and with the cost of ticket prices, that suits me just fine. But this year, thanks to the ticket lottery raffle winning ability of my boyfriend, I was able to attend Opening Day 2008 on Tuesday.

It was insane. While Fenway Park always seems to sell out, there are always countless of no-shows that leave open seats for people like me that buy Standing Room Only tickets. Not Tuesday. Nobody was going to miss this ring ceremony.

We walked in, fighting through the crowd to get to....well, the crowd we were standing with. As we waited for everything to begin, all anyone around us could talk about was who would be throwing out the first pitch. Would it be Johnny Pesky? Another former champion from Boston, like the Patriots have done in years past? Would they unfreeze Ted Williams? Then my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text message from my father that read, "I heard Buckner is throwing the first pitch!"

I laughed, not sure if he was joking or serious. A couple minutes later, my boyfriend got a phone call from a friend that said the same thing. We shared this nugget of information with the people around us, all of whom gushed happily at the idea.

Then the ceremonies started. And while most people would be far more thrilled at the idea of seeing the rings handed out or of seeing the reunion of Bill Buckner and the Red Sox, I got my treat early -- Brian Daubach representing the Red Sox with the 2004 World Series trophy. I have no idea who decided that David Murphy, Curtis Leskanic and Brian Daubach were the proper representatives of that team (where any of them even on the postseason roster?) but as a youngster, I had a minor obsession with our old pal Daubber and thought he might have just fallen off the face of the earth. Apparently not.

The ceremony was touching, seeing everyone get their rings. Well, hearing it. At this point, everyone was standing and applauding, which was nice unless you were standing in the back of the grandstands taking turns with the people around you to stand on the railings. But I made sure it was my turn when they announced the first pitch and Buckner made his triumphant return to Fenway.

As someone who was a toddler in 1986, I probably don't have the authority of older fans to talk about that game. But I know some things, like the fact that, even if Buckner did make The Play, the game still wasn't over. The fact that there still would have been a Game 7 to play. That stuff seems to be forgotten, judging by the guy next to me explaining to his young daughter that Buckner "watched a ball go through his legs and cost the Red Sox the World Series." Not quite. Some seemed to think that Red Sox fans were forgiving Buckner Tuesday. I think it was something of the opposite.

Anyway, after the ceremony, a lot of people who couldn't get the day off of work, left the ballpark and allowed us to squat some seats for the later innings.

On the way back home, we stopped for dinner at a restaurant that has personal TVs at each booth and each set was turned to a replay of the pregame ceremonies. As if the day wasn't good enough, all the stuff we missed by being so far away and blocked by several heads and shoulders was right there, including Jonathan Papelbon trying on his ring like a fiancee that just got proposed to.

Who knows what the 2008 season holds for the Red Sox? After their time-traveling trip around the world, the Sox are struggling a bit, but it's a long season.

And hopefully, so will this spring.

~Kerri