It Happens

Geez, there was no report in last Saturday’s newspaper (Sept. 27) about Adna’s 48-8 nonleague loss to Castle Rock and you would have thought we omitted a report on the start of WWIII or something. There were several telephone and e-mail messages wondering why there was no report, one going so far as to suggest we were protecting Adna by not reporting on the beating.

Sorry folks. The simple truth is Adna coach K.C. Johnson didn’t call in. It happens.

We also got no report that night from the Onalaska-Forks game, but didn’t hear a word about that one from anyone.

It was a bit surprising to feel the hostility (toward Adna) from those who left messages — one from Onalaska and two from Napavine that I know of. And the one from Ony never even mentioned anything about his own squad.

We’re fortunate here at The Chronicle. The vast majority of our coaches, in all sports, are very good about reporting scores. But the reality is here, and at all newspapers, sometimes coaches don’t call, and usually for a good reason.

In other words: lighten up.

Apparently, Johnson was getting some heat, too. Here is a response he posted on bsports.org

“For all of you wondering about the game (not) being reported in the paper: Honest mistake!! I wasn't in the best mood Friday night, and was in a big hurry to watch film. I completely forgot to do it. Saturday morning the wife woke me up and said she was going to get the paper. I sat up in bed and felt about an inch high!!!

There's no excuse for not getting in by Monday. Sorry that some people think I did it because we got beat???”

Coach Johnson

Stick to the Pool

It must be something in their genes: Great swimmers are horrible comics.

I was really looking forward to the season premier episode of Saturday Night Live this past Saturday to see how Michael Phelps would do in his first stab at live comedy ... granted, something that would be very difficult for anyone to do.

But Phelps, winner of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, was not just bad; he was way beyond horrible.

The poor guy had no timing, no stage presence and, something entirely beyond his control, he had terrible material provided to him by the SNL writers, who really do run hot and cold in their comedy.

For those old enough to remember, it brought to mind a similarly awful comedy debut by Phelps’s swimming predecessor, Mark Spitz. After Spitz won his seven golds in Munich in 1972, he made an appearance on a Bob Hope special and was an awkward embarrassment. Despite his amazing athletic feats, television was definitely not for him and he basically disappeared.

All I can say to Phelps is cash in now on what you can, baby, because any future you may have is in the water, or maybe in business, but certainly not on the screen.

Actually, the only good part of SNL that night was the opening scene where Tina Fey portrayed John McCain’s VP running mate Sarah Palin. She could pass as a Palin twin and the bit she did with Amy Poehler, playing Hillary Clinton, was hilarious.

You don’t hear an old Cougar say this very often, but I really did feel sorry for the Huskies last Saturday.

Surely, you all know by now what I’m talking about — the unsportsmanlike call on Husky QB Jake Locker after he scored a touchdown late against BYU and then jumped up and tossed the ball straight overhead. After the ensuing 15-yard penalty, the PAT kick was blocked and the beleaguered Huskies lost by a point. Former Dallas Cowboys and University of Miami coach Jimmy Johnson put it best on the FOX NFL pregame show Sunday morning when the topic came up. “There are good officials and there are bad officials, and the guy that made that call is an absolute idiot!” he fumed.

I’ve spoken with about a half-dozen local high school officials since that happened, since the preps have the same rule, and every single one said it was a classic no-call. Locker wasn’t hot-dogging, and the officials in that game (seven in college) didn’t have to stop the game and chase the ball down. And it absolutely wasn’t unsportsmanlike. It may technically be a rule, but like most laws, it’s relative and should be judged in the context it happened.

And the rule in general is ludicrous. One of the things I like best about sports is the emotion. And good, clean emotion is what makes the game, any game, great.

The rule should be changed and that official should remember what the game is all about, or get out of the game.

Well, I guess it was a weekend to feel sorry for the state’s major football teams.
The Cougars looked so bad against Cal, I had to stop watching after it was 49-3 (it wound up a 66-3 Cal win). And the Seahawks were pathetic in a 34-10 loss to Buffalo. Their line play, supposedly a strength, was awful, and Matt Hasselbeck rarely had time to make anything happen. The depleted receiving corps was also dismal, dropping pass after pass, and the running game stunk. Maybe Shaun Alexander wasn’t as bad as we thought. Now, it looks like the line is the culprit. Who knows? It may be a long fall and winter for the state’s football fans.

We’re back

After the lazy, hazy crazy days of summer, it’s time to jump back into things. There are a few changes in The Chronicle Sports Department and I like them.

First, we have the new addition online with Alex Alderson’s “From the Sidelines” show, which will be available on our Web site every Friday morning simply by going to chronline.com/prepsports. Also, Alderson, owner of Northwest Sports Radio, and color man Mark Westley, will broadcast 15 high school games this fall, starting Friday night with the Old Helmet Game between Mossyrock and Onalaska.

Our goal with these broadcasts is to focus on rivalries, games with playoffs on the line, or simply just games that should feature a good matchup. Alderson’s show, since it will air Friday morning, will not just focus on what’s coming up on the weekend, he’ll also chat with area coaches, whose teams are in the hunt, or with certain players who are coming off special performances.

And who knows? It may even feature more than that. It’s our first venture into this medium and we’re making plans on the fly. Keep in mind: Sports are meant to be fun and games, and that’s what our focus will be on.

Also, please welcome Aaron VanTuyl to the sports department. He takes over for Caleb Breakey, who was with us just a short time before returning to the Bellingham area to be closer to family. VanTuyl will not only be covering games and writing features, you can look for his special brand of humor as be begins a local sports blog.

Armstrong is Back

Calvin Armstrong is back in pro football.

After getting released by the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League in March, Armstrong was at a crossroads, not sure what he was going to do, or if his football career may have been over.

But in May he was signed as a free agent by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. And tonight (July 3) Armstrong is scheduled to start at left guard in a game against Calgary.

The CFL is in the second week of its season. The last regular-season game is set for Oct. 31.

Georgia High School Fined After Ump Is Hit By Pitch

Courtesy of Glen and Patty Dickason

In the fourth inning of Saturday's deciding game of the Class AAA championship series, Stephens County catcher Matt Hill ducked and did not attempt to catch a pitch that struck the home plate umpire, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Stephens coach Mark Gosnell said Hill and pitcher Cody Martin denied plotting to hit the umpire, who was not hurt, and said the passed ball during a 13-1 loss to Cartersville was a result of a signaling mix-up.

But GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin believed otherwise after viewing video of the play.

"I made my decision primarily by watching whether the catcher tracked the pitch with his eyes," he told the paper. "In my opinion, he did not. I think that he would have been searching for the ball if it were a matter of being crossed up."

Stephens County principal David Friend said he thought the ruling, which included placing the baseball program on "severe warning status," was fair.

"I told (Swearngin) that I thought we deserved it," Friend said. "We had the opportunity to be on a big stage, in a state championship series, and we had several players who didn't represent school way I think they should have. Not just that pitch, but the overall behavior."

In the half inning prior to the beaning, shortstop Ethan Martin argued with the plate umpire and threw his helmet after becoming the ninth straight Stephens batter to strike out.

Two batters later, Cody Martin, Ethan's younger brother, threw the pitch that hit the umpire. Hill, the catcher, dropped to his knees and ducked as the ball approached.

As part of the penalty, Gosnell and his assistants must complete a sportsmanship education program.

Centralia Defense Outstanding

Ramona Lorton was something else on the mound in Centralia's championship game with W.F. West Thursday. But, boy, let me tell you — that Tiger defense was something else as well.

At third base, Krista Church was a flat-out vacuum. Talk about hot corner. She was stabbing at and coming up with some seriously hot shots down the third base line. She made every play, too. The lone base hit W.F. West had in the game was an infield hit to her, but she still fielded the ball cleanly.

To her left, Tiger shortstop Lauren Liseth backed up Lorton on a couple of strange grounders back to the circle. One of the dribblers slipped right past Lorton, with Liseth coming through with a saving play.

After that particular incident, Lorton shared some laughs because she didn't (or just barely) touched the grounder as it went past her.

Then there was catcher Jordan Scherer. She made a play in front of the plate and threw the runner out trying to reach first base ... from her knees. Centralia coach Ken Olson's eyes widened a bit when he recalled that play. It was a dandy of a throw.

With the District IV 2A Softball Tournament just around the corner — it runs Thursday-Friday — how vital will defense be to the Tigers and W.F. West? They both feature good pitchers, but just how well can the pitchers pitch without a solid 'D' behind them?

It will be interesting to see this coming week.