September 21, 2006

sports

McKinney football mishap leads to coach inquiry

Last week at a McKinney School football practice, an athlete on the team sustained minor injuries during a tackling drill. Larry Fields, the supervising coach, was not welcome back pending further investigation, according to John Gudgel, Yellow Springs High School and McKinney School principal.

The student, Jesse Jewell, recovered from nausea and headaches in time to return to the team and play in the first home game against Landmark Middle School on Thursday, Sept. 14.

During regular practice on Monday, Sept. 11, Jewell, a seventh-grade student playing his first season of football, was “hit” hard several times, he said, by a player who was bigger than he was.

According to Jewell, the tackling drill, which involves a line of teammates who pair up, one trying to get past the other while the other attempts a tackle, was different that day because he was drilling with a group of players as much as six inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, whom he had never hit against before. And, he said, he went against these players four times, until he was nauseous and his head hurt.

When Jewell alerted Coach Fields, whom the players refer to as Coach Fairborn, Fields told him he was fine and should continue with practice. Jewell continued for two more rounds, he said, until the coach finally told him to take a break. After a rest, he returned to practice, he said, but it took three days for his head to stop hurting, and he considered quitting the team.

Jewell’s father, Doug Jewell, became alarmed when his son returned from practice last Monday with what seemed like a head injury, he said. His son was put in danger, he said, and never should have been expected to face players that much bigger.

According to McKinney Coach Craig McCann, players of different sizes are paired against each other in order to teach everyone how to handle situations on the game field.

“Mismatches happen and you have to let them happen so when it happens in a game the kid can go up against a bigger player,” McCann said. “We worry about safety. That’s why we go through the hitting and tackling drills so the kids don’t get hurt during a game.”

McCann also said that because Jewell had never played football before and didn’t know how it felt to get “hit,” perhaps he “overreacted.”

Jewell rejoined the team on Friday. “I really like football, and I’ve really never been hurt before,” he said. “Usually they’re always careful to put you against someone of equal ability.”

But he wasn’t sure if he would have felt comfortable returning with Coach Fields, he said.

According to McCann, Fields helped out in an unofficial capacity last year and was to be considered for approval by the Yellow Springs School Board this month. McCann, who has coached Yellow Springs football for six years, was working with another group of players on the practice field on Monday, and McKinney Coach Jacob Fulton was absent that day from practice.

This is the first time in Gudgel’s memory that the school has received a complaint concerning the safety of a football player, he said. The school is still investigating what happened on the field and working to ensure that the safety of the athletes come first, he said. Fields has not responded to inquiries about Monday’s practice, and he will not be considered to coach again until he does so, Gudgel said.

Doug Jewell said he was pleased with the way the school and the coaches responded to his concerns, and he said he is happy to have his son back on the team.

“The school has been wonderful in how they’ve handled this,” he said. “If anything should come out of this, it’s how Yellow Springs schools stepped up and said, ‘We’re not going to tolerate this. We’re about safety and sportsmanship.’”

Contact: lheaton@ysnews.com

Bulldog sports roundup

Boys soccer wins 2 more
With a 4–2 win over Fairborn and an 8–2 win over Xenia Christian this past week, the Yellow Springs High School boys soccer team improved its season record to 8–1–1, and to 1–0–1 in the Metro Buck-eye Conference.

Last Thursday, Sept. 14, at Fairborn, the Bulldogs wasted little time opening the scoring against the Skyhawks. In the eighth minute, Alexis Onfroy-Curley received a corner kick from Ben Armstrong and dribbled unchallenged right through to the Fairborn goal. James Butler added to the Yellow Springs lead when Onfroy-Curley put the ball on his foot and then Butler sent a shot from the top of the penalty box past the Skyhawks’ goaltender.

Brock GunderKline increased the lead to 3–0 in the second half when he ran onto a cross from Armstrong and finished the ball with a low, hard shot to the far post netting. Butler closed out the Bulldog scoring account with a flourish when, after receiving a well-placed pass from Brandon Carver-Halley, he dribbled around the keeper at the top of the box and shot into the unmanned nets. Fairborn scored two late goals before ceding to the ’Dogs.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Yellow Springs took on MBC rival Xenia Christian and resumed where they left off Thursday night. Carver-Halley finished a loose ball on the goal line when the Ambassadors’ goalie could not secure a shot from Onfroy-Curley in the first 10 minutes of the game. Xenia answered with a goal of its own, but it was all ’Dogs after that.

Kyle Buchwalder headed in a cross from Carver-Halley followed by another Yellow Springs goal from Zeke Hardman, who had pushed up from his defensive position to score on a loose ball.

Onfroy-Curley put the ball on -Armstrong’s head for the ’Dogs’ fourth goal, followed before the half by goals from Ethan Brown and Carver-Halley, assisted by Alex Turner. The Ambassadors picked up a goal early in the second half, but quickly ate two more Bulldog goals, courtesy of Onfroy-Curley, assisted by Armstrong, and Carver-Halley, assisted by Andrew Ferguson.

Volleyball wins one, loses one
The Yellow Springs High School volleyball team was hot and then it was cold last week against MBC league opponents Jefferson and Xenia. The Lady Bulldogs weren’t very hospitable to Jefferson on Thursday, Sept. 14, showing the Broncos the door with a quick 25–6, 26–8, 25–10 cleanup. Every member of the Yellow Springs team scored in the game.

Against Xenia, it was the Ambassadors who ruled, slicing through the Lady Bulldogs’ concentration for a 25–17, 25–11, 25–19 straight set victory. Alisha Walker played strong defense for Yellow Springs.

The Yellow Springs team is 6–4 for the season.

Girls soccer whips Xenia
The Lady Bulldogs won their fourth straight game last Saturday, Sept. 16, when they beat MBC conference foe Xenia Christian 4–1. The game against Troy Christian on Tuesday, Sept. 12, was cancelled due to rain. The Yellow Springs team is now 3–2–2.

Erin Silvert-Noftle got the ’Dogs on the board first, with a rocket that caromed off the bar and into the goal. Soon after, Ryder Comstock scored on a breakaway, but Xenia’s Ambassadors answered with a goal following a lengthy scrum in the penalty area. Claire Triplett then slotted home a beautiful pass by Olivia Chen to give the Bulldogs a 3–1 half-time lead.

Early in the second half, strong pressure from Comstock, Chen, and Meg Kaplon led to a Xenia defender scoring an own-goal off a cross from Silvert-Noftle.

The Lady Bulldog defense made the lead stand up with tough play from India Scarver, Ellen Swisher, Rachel Trumbull, Brenda Jones, Danielle Doubt, Salomé García, Amelia Shaw and Danielle Fulton.

Keeper Sarah Morrison, suffering from a back injury, was rested at the end of the second half, with Comstock filling in.

Golf team downs Ridgeville
The YSHS golf team fell to Troy Christian on Thursday, Sept. 14. Joe Fugate had the low score for Yellow Springs, followed by Alex Visbal, Max Fleishman, Jill Bothwell and Josh Creager.

The Bulldogs then suffered through a cold rain with distracting wind to beat Ridgeville Christian on Monday, Sept. 18, at Holly Hills golf course. Strong performances by Visbal, Kevin Sikes-Gilbert, Fleishman, Ethan Brown, Logan Sage, Lucas Donnell and Zach Reichert all contributed to the win.

The game against Cedarville on Monday, Sept. 11, was cancelled. The Bulldogs will play a trimatch against Greeneview and Cedarville on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Yellow Springs will also play in the MBC tournament on Saturday, Sept. 23, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Jamaica Run golf course in Dayton. The sectional tournament will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 9 a.m., at Moss Creek golf course in Trotwood.

Borchers first at Boardman
The YSHS boys harriers traveled to Youngstown to face over 265 runners from 37 schools at the Boardman Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16. With a large supportive crowd lined up along the course, challenging state championship bound harriers to charge up muddy hills without losing focus, Samuel Borchers pulled out another easy win to finish the course in 16:34. Borchers cruised just behind the leader’s pace until 600 meters were left. From there he used his vaunted kick to open up a huge 17-second margin of victory.

Following Sam across the finish line, Evan Firestone used a similar kick up the final hill into the chute to gain fourth position in a time of 16:58. Andy Peters finished ninth in 17:27.

Jake and Brock Gunderkline paced off Ben Adams for the first mile as the trio steadily moved up through the field for 92nd, 118th and 127th place, respectively. Anthony Pettiford took 221st place with a season-best time, followed by Birch Robinson in 222nd place.

The team finished in sixth place overall, with 206 points, raising the Bulldogs’ record to 61 wins and 26 losses.

Coach Vince Peters thought the day a success. “The back of our pack is getting closer to the front,” he said. “You really appreciate that effort and improvement when a difficult course holds a guy like Sam to a time 34 seconds off his season best.”

FC Springs beats Darke

FC Springs hosted the DC Lightning out of Darke County this past weekend in Miami Valley Youth Soccer Association league play and battled back from a two-goal half-time deficit to earn a 2–2 tie. Jared Scarfpin put the Springs on the scoreboard midway through the second half by converting a penalty kick, and then got the assist on the tying goal when his free kick found teammate Calloway Skwerski in front of the goal. Skwerski one-touched the ball past the Lightning’s defense to finish the scoring.

FC Springs is in action again this Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2:30 p.m., when they host the Fayette Crew at the Morgan Soccer Fields.

Gold Cup (sixth, seventh and eighth grades) begins play, under the lights at Gaunt Park, on Friday, Sept. 15. Coaches will call players with game times. For more information, or to be added to a team, call Jim Hardman at 767-2200.

Girls basketball clinics

Basketball clinics for girls in fourth–sixth grade will be held on Tuesdays in the Bryan Center gym, 6–7 p.m., starting Oct. 3 and running through Nov. 7.

The program is designed to provide instruction and skills building for girls at all experience levels. The clinics also provide an introduction to the traveling team program. Players may register at the Oct. 3 clinic. Call Rich Miller at 767-2049 or e-mail richmiller1@gmail.com with any questions.

Street Fair 5K Fun Run/Walk

The Yellow Springs High School Class of 2007 is proud to present its inaugural Yellow Springs Street Fair 5K fun run/walk. The event will take place in conjunction with the October Street Fair on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 9 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the Yellow Springs Community Children’s Center and the YSHS Class of 2007. The course will start at the Antioch Theater, go north on the bikepath, and end on the bikepath near the theater.

Pre-registration is $17 and includes a tie-dye t-shirt; late or same-day registration is $20 and t-shirt is not guaranteed. Pre-registrations will be accepted until Oct. 2. - Registration forms may be obtained on the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce Web site, www.Yellowspringsohio.org, at the Children’s Center or by contacting Margi Clonch.

Donations of water bottles and/or door prizes are needed for this event. Also, volunteers will be needed to assist with registration, refreshments, parking and course direction. YSHS students may earn community service hours by working at the 5K. Contact Sam Borchers, Evan -Firestone, Maddy Welsh or Margi Clonch at Margiclonch@aol.com or 937-768-5036 to sign up to volunteer or donate.