POST 23 Game updates

[Bozo]

Very well played game today as Wamsley and Josh Roberts both pitched great. Roberts had a dinger in the eighth inning to tie the game. Post 23 won it in the last inning. Good luck to Coach Branon and Post 23 in the state Legion tournament.

[alabama mike]

falconflyer, you can have him as soon as baseball is over, heck its still summer and as you well know, football is a fall sport.

[Sweet Pea]

Great Job 23!

Way to fight back from the 1st round loss...that's what champions do!! sounds like you guys have a helluva team this yr...good luck at the state - from an old post 23er that only gets to follow you from the internet. I am so glad that Post 23 has a team again...just the tradition says it all (and i'm not that old)....it was the best 2 yrs of sports that i ever had...and i know that you guys probably feel the same....you've earned it, now go win the state for Post 23!

late,
sweetpea

[bucknut 23]

Great to hear!!! Good luck in Athens that first week in August. It's an awesome experience to be a part of.

[Burg_Grad_77]

Great job by the boys in blue!!!!

Good luck to Post 23 in the state tourney.

[volsfan]

No one is more proud than me that Post 23 is going to state especially after only being back as a team for two years. Congrats to the players, Coach Brannon and Coach Davis for a job well done. Hard work always pays off, have fun and enjoy going to state and represting Post 23 again!


http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/ar ... s_post.txt

[bushmaster24]

How will this play out with football players on the team?2adays in the same week of games how many football players play on the team?

[falconflyer]

The season is way too long for high school players.

[SENDEM]

For some of these boy's that are playing its the 1st time that they have WON a district title an have the right to play for a STATE TITLE in any sport. IMO if they ALL play like they did in the district, they have a VERY GOOD shot at a STATE TITLE an then the right to play in the GREAT LAKE REGIONALS held at the VA MEMORIAL FIELD in Chillicothe this year. The season is long but if u got to see ALL the players an coachs faces an seen the emotions after winning this DISTRICT TITLE, then u might stand back an say GO FOR IT, win STATE!!! Keep it Roll'n

[falconflyer]

I am all for them winning. That was not my point. This is a real long time for high school students playing varsity sports other than baseball. Season (high School) starts in March and ends (legion) in August. Thats going on 6 months.

[Air Force I]

Congradulations to the boys in blue. It really is a treat to have a chance to play in the state tournament. I hope the team does very well and brings back a state title!

[baseballfan61]

Baseball should be 12 months a year, our weather just won't allow it. The other sports are just to keep in shape for baseball. Good luck to the Portsmouth team in Athens!

[Bozo]

It is called football starts too early now. Two regular season games in August. Over half the football season is over now before you have real football weather. Good luck to Post 23 in Athens.

If any football coach would not allow a kid to go and play for a state title, he should be fired. You want kids to be winners in your program. All they will miss is some two-a-days. I would think most kids would want to play baseball other than sweating for 5 hours in football practice.

[baseballfan61]

Good point Bozo. Don't forget the part where the football coaches harass the kids behind the baseball coaches backs and try to get them to go in for "voluntary" workouts at 6:00am on baseball game days! (and I am referring to high school baseball season)

[SENDEM]

I just hope that NONE of the boys on our team or anyother team has a problem with this. They have all worked to hard an long, NOT to get the chance to see this thru!!!

The way that I look at it this TEAM is for the WHOLE COUNTY to support an enjoy!!! GO BIG BLUE!!!!!

[alabama mike]

Ok, I'll bite since my son is now out of high school and plays on Post 23. For the past 4 years Daniel has gotten up to go to 7 a.m. weight lifting sessions and open gyms on Mon., Wed. and Fri. during the summer. He also tried to play basketball on nights he did not have a Legion game the past two seasons. He only played football his freshman year but was still expected to be at weights 3 times a week at 6 a.m. These sessions DO NOT include the team camps or 10 day sessions a coach is allowed to have with his team. I DO NOT blame any coach but instead throw the blame 100% on the OHSAA. The bottom line is that the coaches are doing what they are allowed to do within the rules of the OHSAA. Who can blame them when some schools change coaches every time you turn around?

We have had players miss games this year for various reasons ie; football camp, basketaball camp, baseball showcases, vacations, individual camps, church related activites and so forth. We have two players who can no longer be with us (BEFORE MANDATORY FOOTBALL REPORTING) because the football coach told them he would cut or not play them if they did not attend football conditioning. The vast majority of the high school coaches in other sports have been very supportive of their kids playing Legion ball because it is a commitment. I have even seen some of the high school coaches at some of the baseball games. At the very least, a coach knows his student athlete is not out roaming around because you dont have time when you play DH game's 5-6 times per week.

Jack Branon and Lance Davis have brought American Legion baseball back to Scioto county with the HELP and FULL SUPPORT of our area baseball coaches. I would hope a coach in another sport would be supportive of Post 23 in the state tournament even if a student on their school team has to do a little extra conditioning/work when they return from the tournament.

[baseballfan61]

What a terrible shame for those two kids, I am sorry to hear that. Credit to the other coaches who do get it and will wait their turn to allow these kids to take their shot at a state title. I agree that OHSAA needs to revisit some of their policies.

[free safety]

There are four boys that play football
White-Burg
Kemper-Burg
Oesch-Minford
Noel-Notre Dame

[bucknut 23]

falcon flyer

Trust me when I say that I am more than a little familiar with this type of situation.

From my background I can tell you that it was just a tremendous experience of playing and coaching American Legion baseball and having an opportunity to make it to Athens. I know of some players who played in the Legion State Tournament for four years and others who never made it. Regardless, there is a little prestige of being a player on Post 23 and I am very excited for the boys and coaches of Post 23 to be able to get back this year.

Several years ago, Post 23 had about eight or nine years in between District 7 Championships and berths in the Ohio American Legion State Tournament. Then finally, after that long drought Post 23 made it back up. Naturally, many good athletes are going to be good in more than one sport and it was definitely true in that situation. That team had several football players on the roster including some from very strong local high schools.

I know for a fact that some of the boys were given the mandate that was previously mentioned or in the very least of having to run 60 forty yard sprints for each day they were gone from football. Without blinking an eye, they told the coaches they were going to Athens to play baseball. Fortunately for Post 23, the team advanced out pretty far that week and ended up finishing in third place. That meant the boys missed four days of pre-season practices and were going to be facing 240 sprints when they returned. I know that they did not regret their decision of going to Athens and helping their teammates accomplish what they did. Do you think that punishment was correct for finishing up on an athletic team that they were a part of during the summer?

Like alabama mentioned, this came on the heels of lifting, open gyms for basketball, etc.... going on about every day of the week in addition to 60 + games of baseball. Does anyone think that a player will lose any conditioning by playing legion baseball at least at the level of Post 23? If anything, it makes it a lot harder for boys to get into any mischief over the summer with them playing and practicing baseball five days a week. I'm glad to see that area football coaches have been around to the games this year. I know of one head football coach who is a former Post 23 player so I'm sure there is some understanding of the situation.

Good luck to the boys in blue in Athens. One thing to almost guarantee about your trip is that the week you are there it will be the hottest of the summer!!! Too bad that a couple of players will not be able to be a part of things from the way it sounds.

[Bozo]

Again, high school football starts too early. First game August 22, so they can get start the playoffs in October. All about $$$$

A lot of Football and Basketball coaches are control freaks. They think that they are under pressure all the time with $5,000 a year supplemental.

Again, good luck to Coach Branon and the Post 23 kids.