2009 All Area Softball Team: More to come from this group full of fun-to-watch underclassmen

As beloved broadcaster Dick Vitale would say, “The Diaper Dandies are super scintillating sensational” this year.

In English, what I’m trying to say is the young talent around here is good — really good.

Area softball teams didn’t fully impress in 2009 as far as team achievements go, save a memorable run from the Jonesville girls and another SCAA and district title from Camden-Frontier — but the local pot is boiling over with potential.

For starters, only three All Area players graduated and four of them have reached just the midway point of their careers.

The SCAA is loaded with girls who are only going to get better and the finest example of this is Camden-Frontier’s duo of Morgan Warfield and Megan Schwartzengraber.

As much as people around here have heard Lantis and Gabriele on the baseball side of things for three years, they might hear about these hotshots even more.

Warfield hit .473 with 28 RBIs and her .95  ERA with 175  strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings on the mound is downright nasty.

The only player who really compares in both categories is, you guessed it, the girl with the really long last name that is hard to spell and even harder to forget.

Schwartzengraber had a miniscule 1.09 ERA this year, with 153 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings and she drove in a team-high 35 runs to go with her .429 average.

Being partners in crime can only help their cause as they push each other to the next level in what they hope can be a regional championship team in the near future.

Taking a bit of a back seat to them as a freshman, but bursting onto the scene this year was Waldron sophomore Kelsy White.

She hit an eye-popping .555 with an on-base percentage of .659 and 28 RBIs. She is also an extremely good defensive catcher for being so young and only time will tell what types of ridiculous career numbers she could end up with.

In Hillsdale they have a super sophomore of their own in Tiki Malone.

She’s the kind of athlete you’d want to have in a fox hole with you, as she has no regard for her body and she expects the same pedal-to-the-metal effort from her teammates.

She continues to improve at the plate and is the kind of leader that could help turn the Hornets program around.

Several area juniors will be difference making seniors next year, most of them as ace pitchers.

Jenna Crawford had trouble filling Bree Harmon’s shoes off the bat, but the Hillsdale junior grew exponentially over the course of the year and she went toe-to-toe with Jonesville senior Kelsey Aemisegger in the district semifinals this year.

Similarly, Pittsford’s Nicole Culbert had many a fine outing on the mound and when she was on, it gave her teammates something to feed off of.

With the aforementioned Aemisegger calling it a career, the Comets will count on Kelly White more than ever next season.

As a junior she won five games pitching, with a 4.30 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 83 innings. She also hit .323 and had 20 RBIs.

The final junior pitcher to watch as a senior is Kasie Owens of Reading.

As Owens went so went the Rangers. She was a workhorse who continues to improve her control and Kelly Mulnix will need all she can get from her next year if Reading wants to take the next step.

The final junior on the All Area squad is Quincy’s Brogan Veysey-White, who hit .424, had an on-base percentage of .600 and melded perfectly with Bree Harmon.

Harmon was one of three seniors on the team, all of who made profound differences at their schools.

Going back to the school she started at, Harmon went 25-3 and broke the Orioles’ career strikeout record in 2009.

Another unfailing force in the area was Aemiesegger. The Comets rode her all the way to a regional semifinals appearance and she will be dearly missed.

She drove in 25 runs and struck out 104 batters in 113 innings.

Last but not least is C-F senior leader Kara Bryner. Melissa Warfield said she has no clue how she’ll replace her and rightfully so. She made teammates laugh, made them work harder and was the quintessential first-rate high school athlete. It doesn’t hurt either that she hit .367 with 27 RBIs.

Read more...

Errors doom Camden-Frontier softball team as season comes to an end

By Bill Mullaly / Special to the Hillsdale Daily News

Camden-Frontier hung tough with Ottawa Lake-Whiteford for two innings but things changed in the third and the Bobcats went on to a 10-1 win in the Division 4 regional semifinals on Saturday.

Three runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth sent the Bobcats to the final game where they beat Petersburg-Summerfield 6-3.

Summerfield had beaten Homer 4-0 in the other semifinal.

The Redskins had just one hit in the first three innings as catcher Kara Bryner singled in the third inning.

And the Bobcats used three hits off of Redskins pitcher Morgan Warfield to take a 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning.

Megan Schwartzengraber came in for the final three innings, but things didn’t improve.

Two walks and two more Bobcat hits in the fourth plated four more runs and the game was all but over against a very good Bobcat pitcher. Only a solo home run by Erika Poikey in the fifth kept the Redskins from being shut out.

The only other Redskin hit in the game was a sixth inning single by Kim Bennett.

The Bobcats added a single run in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth to put the game away. The Redskins suffered 10 strikeouts and went down in order in the second, fourth and seventh innings.

Warfield gave up four hits, didn’t walk a batter and did record three strikeouts in taking the loss in the circle. Schwartzengraber allowed six hits, struck out four and walked two.

“We only allowed one earn run the entire game but we didn’t make the plays on defense,” said Redskin head coach Melissa Warfield. “We need to hit the ball well to be successful and Whiteford made the plays on our hits and we didn’t make the plays on their hits."

Camden-Frontier finishes at 22-7 after going 22-9 the year before with both seasons ending in the regional semifinal game.

“The story of this season was pretty much the same thing that being if we didn’t score enough runs and made  one or two errors then things would go downhill. We had a real good year overall but I was hoping we would play better in the regional game,” said Warfield, who returns her two top pitchers who are both sophomores.

Read more...

Redskins roll to district title after close call

[caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Back-to-back district titles for the Lady Redskins."][/caption]

The Camden-Frontier softball team nearly panicked, down a run in the fifth inning of the district semifinals, but ultimately their bats heated up and several unsung heroes came through as the Redskins won their second consecutive district title.

The Redskins eked out a 6-5 eight-inning win over Reading in the semifinals before downing Pittsford 10-2 in the finals to win the program's third district crown since 2000.

What makes this title special for head coach Melissa Warfield and her girls is how they got as much out of the talent they had as they possibly could.

"We've talked about before how Megan (Schwartzengraber) and Morgan (Warfield) are the only two girls who play year round. Most of these girls...the game doesn't come easy to them and it's a sport they take up in March and are done with in June," she said. "I'm so proud of how hard they worked every day in practice and it is rewarding as a coach to see your team progress the way we have."

One of those girls who has been working ever so diligently lately is Kim Bennett and her sweat paid dividends Friday.

After picking up a single in the semifinals, she went 4-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI in the championship game, much to the delight of her coach.

"She's been an up-and-down player who would have a hit one game and then go hitless for maybe the next three games," Melissa Warfield said. "But she's been working so hard in practice, on her stance and swing, and it was special to seeher have a big day."

Helping her out in the championship game was the ever so consistent trio of Kara Bryner, Warfield and Schwartzengraber.

Bryner had two hits and two RBI, while Warfield had three hits and drove in two runs.
Schwartzengraber pitched a complete game three-hitter and struck out seven and walked four, while driving in two runs at the plate.

C-F had just a 2-0 lead after three innings of the finals, but a four-run fourth gave them a comfortable cushion they never relinquished.

Nicole Culbert pitched well in defeat, striking out seven and walking five in seven innings.

"I don't know what it is, but for some reason it takes three or four innings almost every game for us to get our hitting and timing down," Melissa Warfield said.

Luckily for Warfield and her girls their bats came through just in time in the semis.

Behind a pair of RBI from Kasie Owens, Reading jumped out to a 3-1 lead on the host Redskins before C-F took advantage of a pair of walks and several key hits in the fifth.

Read more...

Hillsdale County district diamond preview

District 81-3
Location: Hanover-Horton
Saturday (starting at 10 a.m.)
Teams: Albion, Concord, Jonesville, Hillsdale

BASEBALL
Synopsis: The first-round showdown between Jonesville and Hillsdale is the game local baseball fans have been waiting all year to see. The Hornets are 21-9 overall and co-SMAA champs, while Jonesville is 22-6 and are the outright Big Eight champions. Both teams have strong pitching and the ability to put up a lot of runs, so it should be a contest fans remember for years to come. The winner will play the winner of the Albion-Concord contest. The Hornets beat Albion 17-2 and 13-3 less than a month ago and for being a pretty good sports school, this Wildcat team just doesn't have enough talented baseball players. Concord is an interesting case, as they are 12-14-2 overall, but are 8-2-1 over their last 11 games and scored 60 runs in their final 60 contests. Jonesville beat Concord twice this season, 6-1 and 12-1.
Editor's pick: This is one of two really hard districts to pick because I love what both Hillsdale County teams have brought to the table this season and I would be shocked if either the Comets or Hornets didn't bring home the district trophy. But, when push comes to shove I have to pick one of the two schools and all I keep thinking about is pitching ace Scott Lantis. The Hornet senior is no stranger to big games and more often than not he comes through as expected. He's had a few hiccups this season, but if he has a good first inning and finds his rhythm I don't think Ben Stemen or John Sigler can silence the Hornet bats enough for the Comets to end Hillsdale's season. Ultimately I see Hillsdale beating Concord in a close championship game to finish out a momentous afternoon.

SOFTBALL
Synopsis: The Comets and Hornets also meet on the softball diamond in round one, but the buildup for this contest is not quite as big. Jonesville did win the Addison Tournament recently and finished out the season 12-18, but Hillsdale has struggled to put together an entire consistent week of play all season. Concord and Albion haven't had years to remember either though. Albion has been at the bottom of the SMAA all year and Concord is 4-28 on the season, but surprisingly chalked up one of its wins at the expense of Jonesville.
Editor's pick: The best team on paper in this district was actually Hanover-Horton, but Jonesville upset the 20-13 Komets 3-2 Tuesday and now have a straight path to a trophy if all plays out as I expect. The Hornets have made strides under new coach Lottie LoPresto and Jenna Crawford is a solid top pitcher, but Jonesville has too many bats and senior pitcher Kelsey Aemisegger has thrown well the past few weeks. Unless the Comets shoot themselves in the foot with too many errors, which has happened a few times this season, I see them taking care of business. The Comets should win the championship game over either opposing squad, unless a major upset takes place.

District 118-4
Location: Camden-Frontier
Friday (starting at 1:30 p.m.)
Teams: Camden-Frontier, Reading, Pittsford

BASEBALL
Synopsis: With Will Carleton Academy dropping out Pittsford is a shoe-in for the championship game, but the lone semifinal contest should be a doozie. Under head coach Nate Gust the host Redskins have experienced a resurgence of sorts with an SCAA East title and 16-10 record. Kurtis Tyler is arguably one of the top pitchers in the county and Jake Jividens has some pop, and Brady Nusbaum can be counted on to get on base. The Rangers are one of the area's hottest teams, finishing in a tie for second place in the Big Eight after struggling out of the gate. Senior Ryan "Bulldog" Dillon has the leadership, a solid bat and great glove at the catcher's position and several Ranger pitchers have shown the ability to leave opposing hitters confused whenever they're accuracy is on. Pittsford is a 10-12 team that has beaten the teams they expected to, but seems to lack a dominant pitcher. On the flip side, they've had at least a half-dozen hitters come through in big spots throughout the season.
Editor's pick: This is the other toughy. Rick Bailey is a championship coach who has a red-hot team right now, but Tyler can be a dominant pitcher at times, and he has the home-field advantage. I'm going to say the only thing that holds the Redskins back Friday is the "big-game experience" that almost every Ranger player has. Reading also beat Quincy and Jonesville in the regular season, proof they can beat anyone. The "feel-good" story here would be for Gust's team to win the title, but I think Bailey is going to add another banner to his high school full of them by beating C-F first and then toppling Pittsford, in what could be a closer contest than some people think.

SOFTBALL
Synopsis: As in the baseball bracket, the Wildcats have a free-pass to the title game. That leaves another Reading, Camden-Frontier bout. The Rangers have been a middle-of-the-road Big Eight team that pulled some upsets along the way, and Kasie Owens can be tough to hit when she's on. The Redskins are the SCAA East champs, mainly behind the pitching of Megan Schwartzengraber and Morgan Warfield and leadership of catcher Kara Bryner. They stumbled a bit in the middle of the season, but recovered nicely, albeit against some of the weaker teams in the SCAA. Pittsford is an 8-20 team that struggles with errors at times, but seems to do well in low-scoring pitching duals when their defense is solid.
Editor's pick: I have no doubt in my mind that the Redskins pitching is just too good for the competition it will see. Even though the C-F bats went cold for a few weeks in early May I don't think it will matter. On their home field, with arguably one of the states best 1-2 pitching punches in Division 4 I think it's a no-brainer. Pittsford did actually beat C-F once earlier this year, but I think the Redskins learned from that surprising defeat.

Read more...

Undiscovered Champs

[caption id="attachment_621" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="The Camden-Frontier softball team practices earlier this month — with only 11 girls and a barn in the background."][/caption]

Sorry about absolutely NO posts as of late, but 12-14 hour days at the sports desk and tournaments, championship meets and the conclusion of the regular season is wearing me out, and I don't need to get carpal tunnel from blogging!

Anyways, one quick note, then a full-length feature to indulge yourself in if you've got a little time and consider yourself a Hillsdale County high school sports fan.

First, the note: The last four days is precisely why I've always liked the NBA way more than college basketball. The personalities are bigger, the stakes are higher and as LBJ proved last night, the players are exponentially more talented. Hands in the face are no matter, time is no object and sorry to plug it, in a very non-journalistic fashion, but the NBA IS "Where Amazing Happens...". Wow.

Anyways, onto the local stuff. This feature took several weeks, many phone calls, and me attending a C-F softball practice and I hope it provides a worthwhile glimpse of what it's like trying to build a successful program at a Class D school with a whole lot of variables involved. Enjoy.

Undiscovered Champs

An inside look at the success of the Camden-Frontier girls’ athletic program, what it tries to stand for and what types of challenges stand in its way.

Gale-force winds rip through the country side, where cows and horses outnumber cars and houses.

A hint of manure melds with the smell of fresh grass with the wide blue yonder as the backdrop.

An out-of-place Powerade ad takes up space on an already tiny scoreboard not far from a gaggle of evergreens that ever so slightly blocks the view of your run-of-the-mill red barn.

This is where 11 girls practice in anonymity this May, hoping to stay healthy so their championship hopes don't hit the injured reserve.

This is the softball diamond for a team that holds no tryouts and has no room for errors, yet expects to uphold its lofty definitions of success.

This is the venue Dawn Follis and Melissa Warfield have turned into a beacon for getting the most out of young girls, all skill levels, as long as they possess strong hearts and commendable work ethics.

Sometimes it seems like no one cares, especially college scouts and on occasion even their own fans — but if they cared what everyone else thought, they may never have built programs with such strong winning traditions in the first place.

A winning tradition that includes five straight SCAA volleyball titles from 2003-07, six district championships in girls hoops since the turn of the century and district titles in softball in 2003 and 2008.

Being a bit off the beaten path, and one of 11 high schools in the county, it is relatively easy to remain anonymous though.

If only people understood what takes place at 4971 West Montgomery Rd.

FOLLOW THE LEADER
Players come and go, so sometimes the face of a high school program is its unchanging leader.

Follis is fiery, but gentle, all at once, urging her volleyball teams to conference championships each fall, but once basketball rolls around in November the Redskin girls are all Warfield's, until the end of June.

For the last 16 seasons she has called the shots for C-F basketball, and in 2001 she took over as the varsity softball coach.

Coaching was never part of Warfield's plan, until a school board member gave her the heads up on the JV basketball job opening in 1994. Now Warfield can't imagine life without it.

[caption id="attachment_623" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Head coach Melissa Warfield does it all at C-F, including trying to catch flyballs with a bucket."][/caption]

She pitches to her girls in batting practice, runs around the outfield shagging fly-balls, and tries to interweave solid principles with explanatory demonstrations. In her mind not much has changed over the years, other than her body is starting to feel the wear-and-tear and she likes to think she's learned a trick or two.

Warfield said she gleans philosophical ideas from books written by historically successful coaches like Pat Summit, John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski, but ultimately she feels like she's done her job if she is instilling valuable life principles.

Read more...

2008-09 All County Girl's Basketball Team

Just a tip, the ZOOM function may come in handy if trying to read the top part on this one. Feel free to leave comments on if you agree or disagree with these selections. And just FYI, I did indeed consult most area coaches on who they felt was deserving on the honors.

Read more...

The heart of a champion: Former Ohio State defensive tackle shares a message of faith with area teens

[caption id="attachment_300" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Former Ohio State defensive tackle Joel Penton shared a message on using your shield of faith in God to stand your ground when life throws you a curveball. He spoke to more than 200 youth at Reading High School Tuesday."][/caption]

By RJ Walters / Daily News Sports Editor

As published in the Hillsdale Daily News on March 18, 2009

According to Joel Penton a BCS National Championship ring is big, shiny and exciting, but not something that is a trustworthy object of his faith.

For him, that object is Jesus Christ, and he is not afraid to share that news with anyone who is willing to listen.

The former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle, part of the 2002 national championship team, spoke a message of “standing your ground” via an unshakeable faith in God to more than 200 area middle school and high school students at Reading High School Tuesday night.

Coupled with the tunes of young musician Ryan Holiday, prize giveaways and a Nerf gun battle used as an example of what shields can do in fighting life’s biggest battles, Penton grabbed the young audiences' attention, asking them questions far beyond the realm of academics and athletics.

“We all need to be ready when that day of evil comes. And that day of evil could come tomorrow for you — it’s a day of trial, of temptation, of tragedy, and we have to be ready,” he said in his speech. “And sure, yeah wearing this national championship ring is fun, but it’s not going to provide me with purpose and meaning. Where I found a trustworthy object of my faith is with Jesus.”

The 25-year-old Penton related his journey of faith time and again with his journey as a Division I football player.

He said that when he was a freshman in 2002, it was the faith of seniors, like cornerback Chris Cornwell that made the difference between being a good team and the nation’s best.

Despite beginning the season not even ranked in the Top 10 Cornwell was always talking to the younger players about how they were going to be national champs come January because of the faith they all had in the coaches, game plans and their own abilities.

Penton said initially he laughed at the idea of being so sure of something so big in the world of college sports, but after the Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, all he could do was think of what Cornwell had been saying all along.

“Standing there in confetti, with Coach Tressel accepting the national title trophy all I could think about was how Chris Cornwell talked all year about how I’d have a national championship this year,” Penton said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how he and all the seniors held up their shield of faith all season and never doubted.”

Penton also recalled a huge fourth-and-one conversion from a late-season contest with Purdue when explaining how football taught him many lessons about the idea of faith.

Trailing 6-3 with two minutes to go in a pivotal road game, Tressel decided to go deep and senior quarterback Craig Krenzel found receiver Michael Jenkins wide open for a 37-yard game-winning score. Penton said what he remembers even more than the play itself is what Krenzel said to a reporter after the game.

“I was blown away when he told the reporter, ‘I knew it was a touchdown when I let go of the ball’. His faith was amazing,” he said.
Penton said that while most teenagers try to identify with and fulfill themselves with activities, relationships and substances, through personal experiences he has learned that only a personal savior will suffice.

“I know it makes people uncomfortable, but I truly believe one day we will all face judgment. On that day under our own power none of us will stand our ground,” he said. “However, the only way we will be able to stand our ground is if we’re covered in the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Camden-Frontier sophomore Morgan Warfield said she really liked what Penton had to say at her school assembly and came to Tuesday night’s event with a group of friends to hear even more.

“I think it is really cool that he (is a former college football player) and he shares his message with younger people and it shows a lot about him and what he went through,” she said. “I just got the message (of keeping) faith in yourself and just believe in yourself and keep trying to do what’s right.”

Crossroad Ministries executive director Doug Routledge said he was encouraged by the turnout and excitement.

“What Joel has done is excellent, what Ryan does is excellent and I think anytime you have excellence projected to your high school or junior high kids, especially excellence related to a relationship with Jesus Christ, it has an impact, it’s extremely positive,” he said.

Penton has been a professional speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since early 2007 and Crossroads Ministries welcomed him to the Rangers home gym on the same day he spoke at Camden-Frontier and Reading at school assemblies.

In 2006, Penton received the prestigious Danny Wuerffel Trophy, also known as the “Humanitarian Heisman.”  The trophy recognizes the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Read more...