All you ever wanted to know about Jr. High Field Hockey, but didn't have the room to print!

By ED DEVARNEY| Milton Independent Sports Writer

When you run a community newspaper like the INDY, it’s always a struggle to cover everything that you think your readers will want to read, and attract all the advertisers that want to sell goods and services to the people mentioned above… Since there is never a budget that is “endless,” a balance needs to be achieved on what is important to include each week.

When it comes to school sports, the Kings and Queens of the news will always be the Varsity teams. Here’s the deal: Those are the folks that played (most likely) the same sports from at least seventh grade to Senior year. They paid their dues… They deserve respect. Writers like me try to include the younger players in their piece and sometimes get told there is simply a line that must be drawn each week. That doesn’t mean that I throw away the stuff, though. (Wink) If it gets cut, I save it for a time like this, when you are out there thinking we forgot about you !!! Now don’t forget, if you are a Jr. High player, and end up playing your sport when you are a Senior, you are gonna wish the whole paper was about you!! So, I know you get the point. Now, here are exerpts from previous FH articles, seen here for the first time.

This is what I wrote for the October 11 and 18 issues:

Why can’t we catch you up on the Junior High program? Well, read on…… JUNIOR HIGH had an away game against MVU on September 26th. I “heard tell” the refs were a little harsh on Milton, right off the get-go. They seemed to focus their glare on Crystal Boyson, then turned around and told her what a great game she played… What’s a girl to do? Like Christopher Robbin’s pal Eyeore once said: “Thanks for noticing me!” JH battled MVU to a tie, both teams scoring in the 2/2. In the Wednesday game, newcomer Michaela Halnon took a decent shot on goal that went just a bit wide. Not to worry. Five years from now, they’ll all go in, sis!! I heard Michaela has a notebook full of her grandpa’s jokes! Gosh, I’d like to see that…..Throw the switch: What happens when Emma Pixler walks out onto the hockey field? Well, the normally-placid-Pixler transforms into full-time corner-rushing defensewoman, part-timing as team spirit coordinator. You go, girl…

A funny thing happened…. Coach Heather Crowley said Milton’s goal at MVU came just seconds after Emily Blaisdell handed her a four leaf clover (!) In all, Milton retrieved 15 of the lucky leafs from the MVU field. That’s it, settle down and watch the game!!! Coach stated Milton had “about 25 shots on goal” and saved about the same from going in. According to Coach H, Karliegh Manfredi deserves credit for being the “powerhouse” of the game.

Junior High played at Mount Abe on October 1 in what has been described as an “incredible game.” Mount Abe opened the game with a score, answered ten minutes later by Heather Custeau..no wait, Keely Agan… no wait, Heather… I think they both had a stick on the thing, actually. Custeau scored later in the first half, as did Mount Abe. It wasn’t until JUST BEFORE the end of the game that Mount Abe broke the tie. In Field Hockey, excitement equals the square of the number of goals, so you can see how much fun this game was!! (You do the math). Meg Gidney plays D for Milton and stays right with it until she’s done…She played all the Mount Abe game and along with Mary Rowley, is described this way by Coach Heather: “Goalies without pads.” Cool…

Karyn Burns plays the midfield for Milton and is just about a clone to Coach Crowley when she was that age. (The poor girl) Actually, Burns can’t go wrong emulating Coach Heather… Its Emily Smith’s first year playing field hockey for Milton: How do you like us so far?? Tracy Logan goes to JV next year after completing the JH season as one of our tri-captains! Sam Ryea also leaves for the ‘Big House” (JV) after becoming more and more confident with her approach on the ball this season… A few words here about having what it takes to “step out” of a comfy situation and into the unknown… Kelsey Lemeiux played defense for JH, in a heavily-manned D. When it was time for someone to step out to a forward position, along comes Lemeiux, carrying something she didn’t know she had: An intuitive ability to be “the Dodger.” So, hats off to you, Kelsey, for the smooth moves onfield!!!

JUNIOR HIGH @ Stowe (Oct. 03) There must be a better way to end a field hockey season than to endure shouting and talking down by so-called “professionals” who are pressed into umpiring these games, because there is no one else available. At this level of play, what players need is a thoughtful, caring umpire who will provide as much tutorial value as they do umpiring. All I want for Christmas is a professionally-trained ump at EACH and EVERY Junior High field hockey game next season!!! The Stowe game was a draw until the end, when the Stowe girls scored a goal. Maybe if the game was played for the full 30 minutes of the final half, MHS would have had a chance to repay the Stowe favor. In this writer’s opinion, the 2/2 was a shortie….Not a cloud in the sky!

It's times like the Stowe game that remind us that the “good games” were AWESOME and the so-so games were GREAT… Let’s focus on that, and look forward to next year. Junior High, you rock this writer’s world… … Don’t ever forget it!!

There you have it. Have a great winter, and I’ll see you on that back forty next year. e.d.