Rec League Basketball Roundup

The majority of the Pulaski County rec league basketball teams have now either finished up their seasons or are getting ready to play in their final games this week.  Overall the season was a big success for the County and the players involved.   I would like to take this opportunity to thank the coaches that took the time to send in their teams information.  We hope to be able to provide coverage for the older rec basketball teams that are set to start their seasons next week.  Our goals with this column were to get more folks involved, and make sure that the kids get some recognition for all of their hard work.  The plan is to continue that effort into the spring sports seasons as well.  Congratulations to the younger players and coaches on a job well done.

Dublin Tarheels Finish Strong

The Dublin Tarheels of the 8-10 year old division recently completed a solid season under the leadership of Head Coach Troy Dalton.  The team finished with a very respectable 10-1 record that included five wins by more than ten points.  The Tarheels also proved that they can keep their cool when the pressure is on, winning two games that were decided by three points or less.  Their one loss came in a hard fought contest against the Snowville Longhorns by a final score of 29-26.  Coach Dalton also wanted to thank Jamie Reynolds and Billy Fields for stepping in as assistant coaches.  Congratulations to the Tarheels on a great season.

Dublin Suns Finish 9-2

The Dublin Suns improved their record to 8-2 with a win over the Dublin Rockets on Friday, February 25 at Dublin Middle School.  Scorers for the Suns were Benjamin Poe with 10 points, Ryan Castle added 4 points, and with 2 points each were Ryan Smith, Justin Turpin, and Jason Smith.  Leading the team in rebounds with 4 each were J. Smith, R. Smith, and Castle.  Poe grabbed 10 steals, contributing to the Suns' defense. 

Dublin Middle School was also host to the Dublin Suns and Riverlawn Fire matchup on Saturday, February 26.  The Suns earned the victory, finishing their season with a record of 9-2 in a competitive league.  Players for the Suns include Ryan Castle, Chandler Dishon, Preston Eller, Jason Hall, Benjamin Poe, Luke Russell, Jason Smith, Ryan Smith, and Justin Turpin.  As in any basketball game, rebounds and steals play a vital role.  Rising to the occasion in these categories were R. Smith with 7 rebounds and Castle and Eller with 4 steal each.  Poe scored 12 points, leading the way for the Suns.  Adding to the points total were Eller, Castle, and J. Smith with 2 points each.  Randy Turpin and Chris Castle, coaches for the Suns, wish to thank the players and parents for all of their hard work this season.

Cougar Soccer Ready For 2011

The Pulaski County High School Soccer team had plenty of problems in 2010, starting with the snow that kept them off the practice field for an extended period of time.  The 2011 season, however, is looking much brighter for the Cougars as they bring fresh legs and a great attitude to the field.

"Speed and depth" said Cougar Head Soccer Coach Mike Price.  "The two things you need in most sports to be successful are speed and depth, and soccer is no different.  This is probably the quickest team I have ever coached.  We have speed at every level, so it should add a new twist to our offense.  We also have depth at each position.  In the past, our reserves were either too young or there was a drop off in talent.  This is not the case this year.  We have key people that will be able to step in and perform just as well as our starters.  We're excited about what we can do this season."

The team does face a challenge, however, as there is only one lone senior on the team.  "Chris Blankenship will play as our right midfielder" said Coach Price.   "Chris gives us great speed on the side, has a great leg, and volleys the ball well.  He is key to many of our set pieces."  So the challenge is who will be the team leaders?  "To be honest, I can't answer that until the season starts.  So far, all the guys have done a wonderful job stepping up when the time arises.  There has been no complaining about the conditioning, the weather, and what the coaches expect from them.  We have a young group this year, so it will be interesting to see who takes on the leadership role when the matches begin."

While the Cougars only have one senior, they do have several returning starters and several players who saw significant playing time last season.   "Chris Blankenship played midfield for us last season.  He has quick bursts, a strong leg, and crashes the goal well.  Tyler Trussler plays midfield, and has great field vision, is a phenomenal passer and crosser.  Zack Willard is our goalkeeper, and he has all the tools to be the best keeper in the district.  He can play every position on the field well.  He has great jumping/diving ability, and a strong leg.  Neeko Thompson plays defense for us.  He is quick, a vocal leader, always full speed, and reads the other teams offense well.  Gabe LeBlanc plays defense, and he is a physical bruiser who is not afraid to win every ball.  Cory McDaniel plays in the midfield, and he has good ball control and is a great passer.  Josh Dalton is one of our forwards, and he is always in position to make a play.  Taylor Webster plays defense, he is strong and a big body that can play various positions.   Cody Wright is another midfielder, he is a great feeder, has a solid left leg, and always gives 120%."

Price is also pleased with some of the "surprise" players he has found in his ranks this season.  "Zach Akers is a forward with a big body who improves with each day.  He is very unselfish and does whatever is needed to help the team.  Jordan Taylor plays defense for us, and he is quick, quick, quick!  I expect some good things from him.  Cody Linkous plays defensive midfielder, and he wins many balls out of the air, very physical.  Brandon Brock also plays defense, and he is another quick defender who likes to be physical.  Two freshmen have stood out for us also.  Andrew Powers plays forward, and he has great vision and hard shot.  Freshman Tye Saul plays midfield and dribbles and distributes the ball very well."

Rounding out the team are some new players that have stepped into the rank and are quickly proving to be a valuable asset to the team.  "Austin Talbert, Justin Gravely, Cooper Stephens, Trevor Hedge, Dylan Reichner, and James Cressell are going to be really strong assets for us this season " said Price.   "All of these guys made tremendous strives to make the team this year.  Talbert is a talented forward, Gravely is a quick defender, and Stephens brings a bit of size to us.  Hedge is a an aggressive hustler, Cressell is an intelligent defender, and Reichner can play a variety of position as well.  They not only provide us with some depth, but they are great "team guys" with really good attitudes."

So with all these positives, what does Coach Price feel his team needs to improve on?  "Communication is key.  Last year, leadership was lacking on and off the field.  We have to communicate and work well together.  So far, the guys have done a great job of working on this.  Another thing is being more physical.  Last year, we picked up a lot of cheap fouls I was not happy with.  I am trying to stress being physical....not dirty.  We want to play hard and win, but we want to do things the right way.  I expect to see these guys do well."

The Cougars will again be playing in the River Ridge District.  "This is a tough district, but we honestly feel we can make a lot of noise this year.  I am confident that we can compete with everyone in the district.  The guys have to believe it too.  We have to be at the top of our game for each match.  Each team has their own style, so we have to be able to adapt from one day to the next.  Blacksburg will still be the team to beat, they are the preseason favorites."

The Cougars are trying to get some scrimmage action in before the start of the regular season, but the first official game is set to be on Monday March 14 at Radford High School.  Start time for the contest is set for 5:30 for the junior varsity contest, followed by the varsity matchup at 7 pm.

Lady Cougar Softball Aiming High

A new season is bringing fresh hopes to the Pulaski County High School Lady Cougar softball team, and a solid core of returning starters and senior leaders hope to provide Head Coach Gina Miano the punch this team has been looking for as they prepare to start out the 2011 campaign.

 

"We're very excited about our chances this season" said Coach Miano.  "I feel like we should be very competitive.  Often, when a team consists of lots of returners, there is resistance to learning and trying new things. Sometimes players think, since they are returning, that they know all there is to know about the game, but that's not this group.  These kids.....returners and new players.....are absorbing all the new information and not only executing the skills, but being sure the new players are understanding the concepts also.  It is a team attitude of winning and doing what it takes to acquire that goal.  They want to learn, crave new suggestions and work very hard to execute new ideas.  As coaches, we are very excited about this "We Not Me" attitude and the daily work these young ladies put in to be the best they can be!"

 

The Lady Cougars will be led by three senior captains this season.  Kasey Holcomb is back at her position at shortstop, Tiffany Alley will be holding down third base again, and Bethany Anderson will rotate between outfield and third base.  "All these girls are seniors and have great assetts to add to the Varsity program with leadership, confidence, ability and drive to be the very best young ladies and players they can be while leading a group eager to follow" said Miano.

 

Another thing that will help the Lady Cougars out are the other returning starters from last season.    In all, there are ten Lady Cougars who started at one point or the other last season.  Sarah Wright will be taking charge of first base, while Brooke Hundley will handle second.  Holcomb will be your shortstop, Alley will be at third base, and Anderson in the outfield.  Kelli Duncan will and Carlie Brewer will be Pulaski's other two outfielders, and Jordan Chrisley will be behind the plate as catcher.  The Lady Cougars should be stronger this season on the mound, as Whitney McDaniel....who moved up from JV late in the season last year has shown improvement, and Kaitlin Smith will look to continue what she started last season on the mound.

 

When ask if any of her players had surprised her this spring, Coach Miano said "I don't think I have a "surprise" player, but we are experiencing a "surprise team attitude".  The girls are really excited about playing, and their expectations are high."

 

The Lady Cougars have some work to do if they want to improve on last seasons performance.   "We need to improve on fielding situations such as paying attention to "secondary runners" and knowing what to do in different situations" said Miano.   "This will improve as the weather improves and we can get on the field for some extended defensive work.  

 

Miano also pointed out some of her teams strengths.  "Our strengths this year will be base running. We are emphasizing "stealing bases" and teaching the DETAILS involved with base running. It is a major emphasis and the young ladies are responding well. Another big positive this season is attitude.   These girls are non selfish and eager to work, a definite strength for any team and I will take it!"

 

The Lady Cougars will also have some new faces on the field this season.   "Evony Coffey, a junior infield player, hits the ball hard and absorbs every piece of information we teach her. She is respectful and eager to contribute to this team.  Brooke Seagle, another junior infielder, also and has a very good swing.  She sees the ball very well and works on her hitting with excitement.   Katie Hurst, a freshman, plays both infield and outfield.  She is fast and loves to dive head first.  She has a good glove and is a sponge every day at practice.  Lauren Shumate, another ninth grader, is very athletic and has speed. She will also be both in and outfield as we need her. Her arm is very strong and she has the mentality of an athlete.  She's a great competitor who will develop quickly.   Junior Lauren Foster played junior varsity for us last season, and she has come along very nicely.  She has some great speed and base running ability, and we hope to be able to continue to develop and use that for the team."

 

There has been another new face on the field as well this season for the Lady Cougars.  "Jade Murray, our team manager, is with us everyday and is a wonderful help to us as coaches and to the team members.  She is great, and she does alot of things to help the team every day.  She will be helping to keep different stats and to help the team evolve."

 

Assisting Coach Miano this season are assistant coaches Vernon Crouch, who works with outfielders and pitchers, and Shannon Brewer, who coaches hitting and base-running.

 

So what are the expectations?   "We are going after the district title. Period" said Miano.  "We've got the girls in place, they have the experience, and they have the talent.  They have worked hard enough, and they continue to do that every day.  We want a District Title, and we are going to work hard every game to get it.  We're not going to run our mouths, we're going to let our bats do the talking for us."

 

While there are several scrimmages set to take place, weather permitting, over the next week or so, the Lady Cougars first official game is set for March 15 against Carroll County.  Game time is set for 5 pm at Pulaski County High Schools softball field.