Yeonas Park - Like The Old Fashioned "Back Fence"

As we have every year since 2002, The Belt Team is proud to sponsor Vienna Little League. Since today is Opening Day and it's Little League season once again, we thought we w'd re-run this post. Enjoy!
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Yesterday was another one of those "I LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA" days! If you live in Vienna, you will eventually make your way to Yeonas Park. You either have children who play baseball or your children have friends who play baseball or you have friends whose children play baseball. It's just one of those inevitable things.

 

So yesterday, we went to see a neighbor's son play in a Vienna Little League game at Yeonas. As we entered the parking lot, it was teeming with activity. There was an air of excitement that wafted by - almost as strongly as the smell of chili dogs on the grill at the snack bar. Last Saturday was Opening Day (more than 1,100 people attended!) and this was the first week of the season. PLAY BALL!



And just like every April for the past 50+ years, the Vienna Little Leaguers took the field.



And just like every April for the past 50+ years, the Vienna parents assumed their perches from which to root.

And just like every April for the past 50+ years, the siblings gathered in the common area to play with one another.



Yeonas Field in Vienna is kind of what the back fence used to be "in the olden days". Back then, neighbors would hang their laundry out to dry in the backyard and catch up on gossip over the back fence. Or they would mow their lawns and tend their gardens, and take breaks to chat with the neighbor next door or behind them.

Well, that's just what happens at Yeonas Park. Last night, two of my girlfriends, who are normally so busy they can't see straight (they are AWESOME Moms!), settled in to the bleachers to watch the game and had themselves a nice two hour chat. The Dads like to hang out along the fences, and they are usually much more "into" the game. But don't be mistaken, there's a lot of chit chat going on there too. In a world where we are always "on the go", it's nice to have this respite.

And you ALWAYS run into people you know. It's just a fabulous gathering place where people of diverse interests and diverse backgrounds "hang out" together. I love seeing the many multi-generational families that come to the ballgames - babes in arms, grandparents in wheelchairs, and even teenagers who might be "too cool" to otherwise hang with their parents.

Just visit once and you'll see what I mean. Vienna Little League gets into your blood. Did you ever notice the "V" stickers on so many car windows in Vienna? They either say "Go Blue" or "Go Black". The stickers represent the two leagues in Vienna (National & American). And once you're a part of a certain league, you are Blue (or Black) FOREVER. Many of those cars you see with stickers have kids who are long past Little League age, but they are part of that family always.

AND we have a long history of winning. When you go to the park, you'll see the list of many State Championship wins and even a Regional Championship that sent our team to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. But it's not only about winning. It's the life lessons that are learned along the way - things like loyalty and hard work and how important it is to spend time with the ones you love.

I just LOVE living in Vienna!

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WARHAWKS TAME WILDKITS TO CAPTURE CROWN

Spring Break is over for Fairfax County Public Schools and Guest Blogger Dave Graham is back in town with the final report for the James Madison High School baseball team's tournament adventure. Congrats to the Warhawks!

The Wildkits from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois, upset the team from California that Madison had beaten in eleven innings to set up a contest with Madison for the Hall of Fame Spring Classic championship.  Pitching on short rest Tim Davis brought a tired but still effective arm to the mound and a big bat to the plate in leading the Warhawks to a 4-2 victory.  Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand later noted, “I thought we were a little edgy and lethargic at the start of the game playing an afternoon game the day after an evening game.  We really played six games this week because of the extra inning game.  I think we grew up some; it was a team week and everyone contributed.”

Evanston, fresh from an 11-5 thumping of the Narbonne Gauchos, handed the starting assignment to Charlie Binford, a crafty little lefty.  He retired the side in order on only nine pitches in the top of the first.

Madison countered with Davis for this Thursday afternoon game.  He had also started the first game of the tournament Monday morning throwing 59 pitches in four shutout innings against the team from McMinn, Tennessee.  He recorded the first two outs on grounders to second then Connor Hackett sliced a single to left field.  Jeremias Delgado bounced another single through the left side but Davis ended the threat on a fly to right.

Nate Favero was hit by a pitch leading off the second.  He advanced to second on Livingston’s grounder through the wickets at shortstop.  Catcher Delgado picked Favero off second with a superb throw to the shortstop covering.  Logan Claybrook got a pitch up and drilled it for a single up the middle to put runners at first and second.  Binford got the second out on strikes with Delgado hanging onto a tipped strike three to set up the pivotal play of the game.

Davis fought off a two strike pitch before stroking a sinking liner to right on a 1-2 offering.  The right fielder came racing in and dove headlong for the ball but instead did a face plant and the ball trickled behind him.  The impact stunned the right fielder so the center fielder had to come over to retrieve the ball.  Livingson scored easily from second and after almost stopping at third Claybrook was waved home too.  Davis had to hold at first because the ball was in shallow right meaning that Claybrook scored from first on a single.  Jake Hall entered as a courtesy runner and stole second but the inning ended on a ground out.  The Warhawks had grabbed an early two run lead.

Davis protected the lead in the bottom of the second with a 1-2-3 inning finishing with a pair of backwards K’s as both batters stood paralyzed by two strike breaking balls.

Andy McGuire led off the third.  He drove a ball deep to right leading off the game and had pummeled numerous balls to the outfield throughout the tourney.  With the outfield back he was able to parachute a single in front of the oncoming right fielder.  Fooled by the lefty’s motion, he took off for second and was out when first baseman Max Siedlecki relayed the pickoff attempt to shortstop Alex Vergara who made the tag.  With two outs Jonny Graham jumped on a pitch and lasered a double into the right field corner.  The inning ended on a pop to short.

With one out in the bottom of the third Davis issued back to back walks to the first two hitters in the Wildkit order.  He recovered to get the third and fourth hitters who had singled back to back in the first to extinguish the threat.

Livingston led off the fourth and drilled a 3-2 pitch to the gap in right but center fielder Evan Binford made a nice play to run it down.  His brother Charlie retired the next two hitters on just four pitches.

Brandon Vamarsi led off the bottom of the fourth by grounding a single just under the shortstop’s diving attempt.  Siedliecki got new life on a dropped foul pop and took advantage by slapping the seventh pitch of the at bat to center.  With runners at first and second, Luke Hackett bunted toward third and Justin Padgett made a good play to get the out at first with the sacrifice putting runners in scoring position.  After a called strike three Evan Binford grounded a 2-2 pitch up the middle to score a run and put runners at the corners as Graham hurriedly returned the ball to the infield.  Vergara walked to load the bases but Davis once again escaped, this time with an infield fly.  He labored through 80 pitches in four innings striking out three.  Despite giving up five hits and three walks he managed to strand seven runners and surrendered only one unearned run.  It was a gutsy effort pitching on short rest under the Florida sun.

Davis and Binford locked up in an epic battle to start the fifth.  After falling behind 0-2, Davis fouled off four two strike pitches.  Finally on a 2-2 pitch he stroked a bouncer up the middle past the shortstop’s dive for a lead off single.  Hall again entered as a courtesy runner.  When Padgett missed a 1-0 bunt attempt Hall moved to second as the catcher threw the ball away trying to pick him off first.  Hall alertly tagged up and hauled to third when Padgett flew out to center on a full count pitch.  With two outs the swift Ben Socher easily beat out a high chopper the second baseman backhanded to bring home an important insurance run.  The inning ended when left fielder Hackett made a splendid diving catch to rob Graham of an extra base tweener.

In the bottom of the fifth the Warhawks brought in southpaw Henry Brandmark to protect a 3-1 lead.  He breezed through the 3-4-5 hitters on only eight pitches setting them down in order ending with a called K.

After 77 pitches, the Wildkits pulled Binford in favor of Josh Isenstein.  Favero jumped on a 3-1 offering and lashed a single over the leaping second baseman.  He stole second and moved to third as Livingston flew out to right on a good piece of two strike hitting.  Claybrook chose to wear a pitch on his sleeve to put runners at the corners.  Beau Overholt pinch hit and on the first pitch executed a perfect bunt to first to drive in Favero and move Claybrook to second.  Tommy Kyllo pinch ran at second and Evanston brought in Jack Anderson who threw one pitch to end the inning.  Playing small ball pushed the Madison lead to 4-1.

In the bottom of the sixth Hall came in to play center with Graham sliding over to left.  After surrendering a one out walk Brandmark buckled down to get a swinging strike out on a full count.  He punctuated a brilliant two inning stint on three pitches for another backwards K to end the inning.

The Wildkits brought in Matt Munro in the top of the seventh to pitch and he quickly retired the side in order.

McGuire came in to close in the bottom of the seventh facing the top of Evanston’s order with Padgett sliding over to short and Dan Powers entering the game to play third.  On a 3-2 count lead off hitter Vergara lined one back at McGuire who narrowly averted disaster by deflecting the ball with his pitching hand.  He fell with his back on the ground as the ball trickled toward third and Vergara sped to first.  Fortunately the ball hit the fleshy part of his palm so after a few warm ups tosses he stayed in the game.  He recovered to record a three pitch strike out but then issued a six pitch walk to Hackett.  Delgado drove a single to right but Socher returned the ball to the infield quickly and down by three runs the runner held at third to load the bases.  Working from the wind up, McGuire uncorked a wild pitch on an 0-2 count to move everyone up 90 feet and score a run.  McGuire got another swinging K on the next pitch for the second out.  The game ended with Padgett ranging far to his left to gobble up a chopper behind second base and fire a bullet to first for the final out.
The victory gave the Warhawks a well deserved tournament championship as they  swept through the week with a perfect 5-0 record.  This win typified the streak as many players contributed and execution of little things made the difference.  Coach Gjormand summed it up by saying, “Tim did a good job pitching on short rest; his hitting was just as important.  Henry did a great job and Andy showed some toughness in coming back from being hit on his pitching hand.  It was great to get a trophy at the end of the week.  Hopefully there are more in front of us.”

WARHAWKS WIN!

Congratulations to the James Madison High School baseball team! We received two updates after our posting on Wednesday. Here's what we heard happened next:

"We beat a team from Coral Springs, FL tonight 3-0. Nate Favero pitched a three hit complete game shutout. We will play for the championship tomorrow."

AND THEN . . . .

"We won 4-1 against a team from Evanston, Illinois!"

WAY TO GO WARHAWKS!

Warhawk Diamond Dreams Soar In 2012

TheresNoPlaceLikeVienna.com would like to welcome Guest Blogger, Dave Graham. Dave provides a preview of what we might expect from Vienna's James Madison High School baseball team this season! GO WARHAWKS!

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The Madison Warhawk baseball program launched the 2012 season in style with its annual pre-season banquet on March 6 at Westwood County Club in Vienna.  Nearly 200 people attended a buffet dinner to kick off the season.  The program introduced the 2012 junior varsity and varsity players, honored members of the 2002 State Championship team and featured comments by three distinguished speakers.

Expectations for the season are high.  The Warhawk varsity returns fifteen players from the 2011 squad plus another eight from last year’s JV team.  The program is coming off consecutive Liberty District championships and subsequent trips to the Northern Region semifinals.  Both years Madison fell a game short of advancing to the State tournament.  In 2010 they lost to eventual State Champion West Springfield.  Last year they lost to South County which won 28 straight games before losing in the State Championship game.
The 2002 Warhawks went 29-0 en route to capturing the State crown and is still the only undefeated champion in Virginia AAA high school history.  Celebrating the ten year anniversary of that team’s accomplishment was an ideal way to remind this year’s players that the road ahead of them has been traveled before but is very challenging.

That message was reinforced by a trio of speakers.  Fred Haden, who founded the Vienna Mustangs summer team when travel baseball was in its infancy, led off by drawing lessons from how the early Mustang teams coalesced into the 2002 State Champions.  He was followed by Josh White, a former Warhawk player who graduated in 2001 and was instrumental in shaping the 2002 team.  The keynote speaker was Erik Bakich, the University of Maryland head baseball coach who in three years has awakened Terp baseball from a 40 year slumber.  The dynamic remarks of all three speakers were pertinent, entertaining and inspiring.      

The Master of Ceremonies was Madison head coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand who returns for his 17^th season as the head Warhawk.  He summed up the sentiment of the evening saying, “This was an awesome night.  I’m looking forward to the 2012 season. The Liberty District is going to be as competitive as any in the Northern Region. It will be deep with front line pitchers and experienced teams. I expect every night to be an absolute battle. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a great group of experienced players and coaches who do things the right way. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m excited to get started and welcome the challenges that lie ahead.”

The eleven seniors on the varsity are:  Jack Anzilotti, Henry Brandmark, Andrew Cooney, Tim Davis, Nate Favero, Jonny Graham, Evan Jacquez, Matt Livingston, Beau Overholt, Justin Padgett and Luke Weller.  Four juniors return:  Daniel Bayer, Andy McGuire, Dan Powers and Ben Socher.  Eight juniors move up from the JV to the varsity:  Nick Brunori, Logan Claybrook, Patrick Eason, Jake Hall, Devin Kunselman, Tommy Kyllo, Keith Mainland and Willie Turner. 

After a stellar 12-2 campaign last year the JV returns ten sophomores:   Nick Brady, Andrew Difrancisco, Daniel Fathalikhani, Ryan Galvin, Chris Kim, Michael Nielsen, Stephen Nugent, John Somers, Billy Welch and Garrett Zoukis.  They are joined by nine freshmen:  Cal Brown, Ben Campbell, John DeFazio, Brian Eckert, David McGuire, Brandon Miskell, Trey Ramsey, Zack Silverman and Owen Socher.

The season starts at Fairfax High on March 20.  Madison will play each Liberty District opponent twice, once home and once away.  Regular season games are on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6:30.  The “Battle for Vienna” against cross town rival Oakton will be played on Saturday, April 28 at 2:00 at Madison.  Easter vacation will include a trip to the Spring Classic tournament in Orlando.  The Warhawks are guaranteed at least one Liberty District playoff game during the week of May 14 with hopefully many more playoff games to follow at the District, Region and State level.  If you can’t make it in person to see a game you can follow the Red and Black on the internet at http://www.madisonwarhawkbaseball.com.

FITNESS FOR FREE & "HAPPY NEW YEAR"!

Back-to-school time always reminds me of the New Year - new routines, new resolutions and a time for renewal. My co-worker reminds me that back-to-school time also means that Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and a time of reflection, is approaching. So "Happy New Year" everyone!

The new school year is a time for getting back into routines ("early to bed, early to rise" for example). Camps end and practice schedules begin. Pools close and schools open. It's also often a time for a fresh start. Children get new teachers, start at new schools, make new friends, try a new sport. Parents make resolutions too - about getting out the door on time in the morning or having family dinners together at night or volunteering more (or volunteering less!).

So in honor of back-to-school resolutions, here are some ideas for "Fitness For Free". Don't have the money to hire a trainer or join a gym? No problem. Whether you are getting in shape, staying in shape or just want to spend more time with your family, Vienna offers lots of opportunities!

W&OD Trail

The W&OD (Washington & Old Dominion) Trail is named after the railroad that used to track from Alexandria to Purcellville. It goes right through the "Heart of Vienna". This is the perfect place for a walk (for you AND your dog!), a jog, a run, a skate or a ride. No matter your pace - the scenery is great. (Check out what you might see along the trail here.) Just make sure you follow the "rules of the road' - slow movers stay to the right, fast movers pass on the left.  (Here's a map of the W&OD Trail.)

Nottoway Park/Moorefield Park

A myriad of opportunities exist at Nottoway Park & the adjacent Moorefield Park - and they are all FREE! You can play basketball or volleyball (and tennis for a small reservation fee). And did you know that NBA player Grant Hill used to play pick-up basketball regularly on these very courts? There's also a fun fitness trail. (More info about Nottoway Park)

Glyndon Park, Meadow Lane Park, Peterson Lane Park & Southside Park

These parks are all Town of Vienna parks. Between them, they offer lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, ballfields, a sand volleyball court, playground equipment & a walking trail. (More info about Town of Vienna parks)

Faith Baptist Church

Faith Baptist Church is getting ready to open their gym to the community on Monday nights from 7-9PM. If you like to play basketball or volleyball, this is the place for you. They are conveniently located at 301 Center St South - right across the street from Waters Field.

Vienna Community Center

The Vienna Community Center has FREE drop-in programs that include basketball, volleyball, roller skating and even pickleball. There's something for all age groups - from Senior Citizens to toddlers. Details are on the Vienna Community Center's web site.

Madison High School

My husband's favorite place to work out is at Madison High School. There's a track for running/walking. The football stadium provides plenty of stairs for a great workout. And - you always run in to someone you know. Perfect when you need a breather between activities!

Do you have a place we should add to our FITNESS FOR FREE list?

Passion, Perspective & Perfection

One of the things I love about living in Vienna is the passion people bring to whatever they are doing. Whether it's gardening, sports, work, raising money for charity - whatever it is that they are involved with, they give it 110%.

If you have followed our blog regularly, then you know one of our passions is baseball. We've written about Yeonas Park, Warhawk baseball, "Small Town Baseball & Big City Dreams" & more. And so this week, we have the final wrap up about Madison High School's baseball season. It's written by one of those Vienna folks I love - someone who is passionate about baseball, but more importantly who is passionate about his family.

Dave Graham (father of Madison baseball player Jonny Graham) retired several years ago and is a fixture at the Madison High School baseball games. At the home games, you'll find him right behind home plate - with scorebook in hand and taking notes for the post-game write ups he does after each game. Being a scorekeeper myself, I enjoy sitting with him and discussing the game as it plays out - hit or error, good call or bad, did you mark that as a double or a single advanced to second on an error?

But really as we sit and watch the games, I find that I am learning about much more than baseball from him. I'm learning about more important things - love, sacrifice, priorities, faith in action. I can't share all of that with you here - but I have definitely been given a gift by watching this man and the devotion he has for God, his wife & 4 children and how he lives out his faith & love through action. When you read his post below, you'll get a glimpse of what I'm talking about. Because for Dave, it's about passion, perspective & perfection.

The Madison season is over, but if you get a chance to come to a game next year, you just might want to pull up a chair behind home plate next to Dave Graham. You never know what gift he may give you.

Here's Dave Graham's season wrap up:

EPILOGUE: ANOTHER SEASON TO SAVOR . . . AND BUILD ON (REALLY)

The title to last year’s epilogue was “A Season to Savor…and Build On.” You will note that this year’s title is similar. Some may not feel like savoring this season, at least not yet, which is why the “(Really)” was added.

So much of life is driven by how we choose to view things. Is the glass half empty or half full? Chuck Swindoll captured it by saying that life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. The season recap is an opportunity to put that philosophy into action. The epilogue is a challenge because unless the team wins a State championship, the season ends on a losing note. Often our impression of something is heavily influenced by our most recent experience. Will we let a season ending loss color our perception of the whole year?

Those that choose to think the glass is half empty would say that we didn’t do any better this year than last year. While we won three more games in 2011 than 2010, those additional victories came in a Spring break tournament that was tough but not as tough as the one we went to last year. Last year we finished second in the Liberty District regular season while this year we tied for the second best record and were the third seed due to the tie breaker. Last year we could blame our loss in the ultimate game on a freak injury that sidelined our best pitcher. It is a much bigger stretch to blame this year’s loss on a freak rainstorm that lasted for twelve pitches. Finally, at least last year our season ended with a loss to the eventual State champion. This year the team that beat us lost in the State championship game.

The glass is half full argument is much more compelling. Nineteen wins was the most since 2007. This team repeated as champion of the Liberty District tournament. How many teams have done that in the last fifteen years? Other than Madison, none. This year we were one of four teams in the Northern Region who were still playing in June. How many Northern Region were not playing in June? Twenty six. How many of the four teams in last year’s Northern Region semifinals made it back to the semifinals this year? Two, Madison and Lake Braddock. Ironically, the teams that lost in the semifinals this year (Madison and Stone Bridge) eliminated the teams that played for the championship last year (West Springfield and Woodson).

So, to dismiss this year’s accomplishments by saying that we didn’t do any better than last year ignores how hard it is to win a Liberty District championship and get to the Northern Region semifinals once, let alone in back to back seasons. The last loss was disappointing but we can’t allow it to cloud that fact that we had a great year.

We have to admit that we lost to a better team. We could have beaten them but we would have had to be perfect, or at least near perfect. Imagine trying to recap the season for South County. After ending our boys’ season they went on to win three more games and stood on the brink of matching Madison for the only perfect season in State history. Then one of their key players got hurt in the semifinals and couldn’t pitch in the next game. Sound familiar? His replacement pitched well but the team lost in the championship game to finish 28-1. One game short of perfection. Such a great season and yet so much disappointment at the end. What would you say to them?

I would ask them how they define perfection. And then I would refer them to the movie “Friday Night Lights” which tells the true story of a team that lost the 1988 Texas high school football championship game. Several times in that movie, the head coach challenges his players to “be perfect.” The first time I watched the movie I thought that was an unrealistic burden to put on a team. At halftime of the championship game, he finally explains to his team what being perfect means:

“Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is that you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentlemen, you're perfect.”

Wow. I can’t speak for the Stallions but I think it is possible that the Warhawks just completed a perfect season.

In the final analysis, it is silly to compare one year to the next when every year you have to replace the seniors that graduated. Thanks to the “program” at Madison, tradition doesn’t graduate but the young men that lead the program do and a new group of leaders must step up. That is no small task but this year’s seniors were up to the challenge. Now we have to say goodbye to these young men.

Once again, as I reflect on those who leave us after this season, I find it is a matter of perspective. My own perspective is heavily influenced by my son’s. His first two years in the program, it was natural for him to view the seniors almost with reverence. He was an underclassman and they were so much older and more experienced. To him, the seniors the last two years were his mentors.

This year’s seniors were not so much mentors to my son as they were something perhaps even more significant. They were brothers. One has been a neighbor almost his entire life and was a teammate in A and AA baseball. He played on a fourth grade VYI basketball team with another. A third was a teammate on a championship AAA team. Four were teammates on Colonial Division All Star teams. One was a teammate and roommate on a memorable trip to Cooperstown. Most important, all of them have been fellow Warhawks for two or three years.

Make no mistake about it, the Class of 2011---Austin Chute, Joe Corrigan, Ryan Corrigan, Eli Facenda, Gavin Gibbons, Jay Kenyon, Justin Nicholls, Ben Powers and Alex Tyroler---were leaders. They may not have been as vocal as the seniors the last couple of years but they knew how to lead by example. They were a blue collar bunch that brought their lunch buckets and hard hats to the ball field every day. This was a group that worked hard, was resilient and knew how to persevere through adversity. One caught bullpens for an entire year before becoming a starter his junior year. Another spent most of his high school career rehabbing from major surgery. Three others endured significant injuries that derailed part if not all of their junior season. For many the bell on significant playing time didn’t ring until their senior year but when it did they answered it in a big way.

Their leadership was instrumental in a season that saw us win a dozen times despite trailing at some point in the game. Six times we trailed when coming to bat in the fifth inning or later yet pulled out a “W.” The season also saw the seniors lead us into extra innings three times. All of those games were decided by one run in the eighth and after losing the first to Stone Bridge, we defeated the host team of the Hanahan Invitational Tournament and we beat McLean in the District semifinals. Then there was the one run victory over Langley in the District finals and the dramatic rallies to overtake Yorktown and put us in the Region semifinals. This team reflected the resiliency of its seniors and as a result knew how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Our seniors led us well and we will miss them.

I started out by saying that so much of life depends on your perspective. Of course, your perspective is influenced by your expectations and as we look to next year, we expect great things. Next year’s team will return more experienced, accomplished players than any team in the last five years. Certainly they have aptitude, achievement and talent. If anybody thinks that alone can guarantee a championship, check out who won the NBA Finals. Can next year’s leaders infuse the attitude, effort and character that this year’s seniors brought to the team? If so, perhaps next year we will advance at least one step further on the long hard road to glory. The first step on the 2012 journey begins the day after the 2011 Varsity Awards Night. Be perfect, boys.

Small Town Baseball & Big City Dreams!

Vienna resident Nick Morabito signed a National Letter of Intent today to play baseball for Lincoln Memorial University. Congrats to Nick & his family on a well-deserved accomplishment!

Nick is a student at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington and played for the Prospect Stars elite travel baseball team this past summer. Nick is also a "graduate" of our very own Vienna Little League!

We've written several articles about Vienna Little League and baseball in Vienna, VA. It's defiinitely one of THE top places to play ball in our area and has a LONG tradition of success . . . all the way to Williamsport.

This year alone, there are at least 5 Vienna Little League "alumni" that we know have signed to play college baseball - and that is no easy feat!

Congrats to the following young men and their families:

• Chad Carroll - signed with James Madison University (VA)
• Nick Morabito - signed with Lincoln Memorial University (TN)
• Eli Facenda - signed with Lehigh University (PA)
• Mark Williams - signed with LaSalle University (PA)
• Ryan McGuire - signed with Odessa College (TX)

Here's some interesting triva about these 5 boys:

• They all played with or against each other in Vienna Little League.
• They all played on the same travel team together when they were 13 years old. And that team placed 8th in the AAU National Championships that year.
• All 5 boys live(d) in Vienna, but are graduating from different high schools (In VA: Oakton, O'Connell & Madison. In DC:  Gonzaga. In CO: Heritage)
• Chad Carroll & Nick Morabito played on the same Little League team in Vienna. AND they were coached by a Vienna Little League "graduate" who also went to college (Georgetown University) on a baseball scholarship.

I have watched these guys grow from little boys into young men. And what an honor it has been. Their accomplishment of "making it to the next level" in baseball is truly something special. And it's not just about baseball.

These boys set a great example for all of us about how to dream big and work hard. For not one of these boys was handed anything. They may have been provided the opportunities, but each one worked hard - day after day after day - very consciously and very conscientiously. And they did it when no one was looking (Nicki - this means you!). They trained and played and worked and watched and learned & kept getting better.

For getting signed to a college sports team - any sport - is not like it used to be "back in the day" when lots of players would "try out" or try to "walk on". It works more along the lines of a quote I remember Norm saying on the TV show "Cheers". He said, "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and some days I feel like I'm wearing milk bone underwear."

We can all learn a lesson about what a lot of passion & hard work can bring you. Now - don't get me wrong. They had a LOT of fun doing what they did. However, many people "want" good things to happen to them, but they aren't willing to work & make sacrifices. These kids did. One of the players I listed above is currently one of the most talented in our area. He's even drawn some scouting interest from the pros. But when he was 12 & 13, he was the smallest kid on the team. And when it's your first year on the "big field" - that sure doesn't make anything easier. But as far as he was concerned, that meant nothing. He wanted to play ball. And play ball he did. He is one of the fierceest competitors I have ever met and no one will ever tell him he can't do something. If you do, he'll just prove you wrong. Would that we all grasped on to our dreams and made them happen like he has.

Every one of these boys told me when they were 12 years old that they wanted to play in the big leagues. They were playing small town baseball, but they had big city baseball dreams. Well, those dreams may still be far away - but that was 6 years ago and they have all just taken a GIANT step in that direction.

Don't be surprised if one day you see their faces on a baseball card!

FACENDA, FAVERO FLY WARHAWKS OVER OAKTON

If you're looking for the blog post that Dave Facinoli referred to in his Sun Gazette article about the Madison-Oakton baseball game last weekend - scroll down below this post.

And now, please welcome back Guest Blogger Dave Graham. Dave's son Jonny plays first base for the Madison Warhawks and Dave can do a game write-up like no one else we know. So if you missed the game (or even if you were there) - sit back & enjoy the show. You'll feel like you had a front row seat!
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MADISON 6 runs 10 hits 1 error

OAKTON 2 runs 6 hits 0 errors


On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Oakton the Madison Warhawks opened their 2011 campaign by defeating the Cougars in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates. Madison starter Eli Facenda spun five innings of three hit shutout ball and the Warhawks scored five runs in the fifth to break open a 1-0 game. The Madison attack was led by Nate Favero who went four for four and Andy McGuire and Jay Kenyon who each collected two hits and drove in a pair of runs. Coach Mark “Pudge” Gjormand later noted that, “Eli did a nice job today with no walks. This was a team win. We had a good approach at the plate with two outs and two strikes and protected the ball well on defense.”

Oakton had opened its season Tuesday by trouncing Yorktown. R.J. Garcia started on the mound for the Cougars, a sidearming right hander who always works from a stretch and relies on control and keeping the ball down. He needed only nine pitches to set the side down in order in the first inning. The Oakton defense featured three Carroll brothers starting in the infield: senior Chad at shortstop, junior Tyler at second and sophomore Mitchell at third. Their dad, Carson, coached almost every Madison player at one time or another on the Vienna Mustangs. Congratulations Carson and (mom) April!

The Warhawks countered by sending their senior staff leader to the mound. Facenda, a crafty lefty, gave up a two out bloop single to right by Luke Willis in the bottom of the first but second baseman Favero ended the inning by ranging far to his left to snag a grounder that appeared headed to right field.

Senior catcher Jay Kenyon got aboard to lead off the second when he was hit by a 1-2 pitch. Austin Chute pinch ran and scooted to third as Favero lined a single to right. With no outs and runners at the corners, Garcia bore down to get a swinging strike out. Third baseman Mitchell Carroll made a nice play on a grounder to hold the runner at third and get the second out at first. Garcia escaped the jam when Tyler Carroll scooped an inning ending grounder to second base.

After a strike out in the bottom of the second, Ty Carroll reached second when his fly ball to center was misplayed. He was promptly doubled off when shortstop McGuire made a splendid diving catch of a half swing line drive then shoveled the ball to Favero covering second to end the inning.

With two outs in the top of the third, McGuire drilled a line drive single to right. Before the next pitch was thrown, Garcia picked him off on a well executed run down involving first baseman Taio Francis twice sandwiched around a pair of Carrolls.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, speedy Chad Carroll short hopped the base of the fence in right center and hustled into third with a triple. Facenda coaxed a grounder to first to end the threat.

With two outs in the Madison fourth, Favero shattered the scoreless tie launching a towering drive to right through a crosswind blowing in from left to collect his first varsity round tripper. By the time the ball landed well beyond the fence it had been blown into foul territory but it was clearly fair and seemed to still be climbing when it left the field.

In the bottom half of the frame, the Cougars Chris Hanson doubled on a sinking liner to left despite a valiant diving attempt by Ben Socher. Facenda helped himself out making a nice play on a one hopper back to the mound to record the out at first after holding the runner at second. The threat expired on a grounder to second.

Garcia started the fifth having given up three hits and thrown 54 pitches. He began the inning recording a strike out on a full count pitch before what may have been the pivotal play of the game. On a 1-1 pitch, Dan Powers scorched a grounder off Garcia’s foot. Garcia recovered quickly enough to get the second out at first and appeared to be OK. However, he hit Alex Tyroler with a 1-2 pitch. Sophomore Socher collected his first varsity hit drilling an opposite field double just fair down the third base line to put runners on second and third. On a 2-2 count, McGuire followed with another opposite field rocket, this one to right, for a two run double to finish Garcia’s afternoon. Fatigue may have affected him as he had thrown 20 pitches in what turned out to be his longest inning of the day.

Oakton brought in Andy Gross to relieve. He may not have had enough time to warm up and Jonny Graham jumped on his first pitch and smacked a hard grounder off the glove of the diving second baseman into right for an RBI single. Three pitches later, Kenyon blasted a two run dinger over the fence in right. Favero poked a pop up down the left field line for a double, Madison’s fifth straight hit, four of them opposite field. Gross ended the inning on a strike out but Madison had sent nine men to the plate and seized a 6-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the savvy Facenda knew the importance of not letting the Cougars respond with a rally of their own. Facing the bottom third of their line up, he got a ground out to third on a 3-2 pitch, then recorded a strike out on a nasty 2-2 curve that Kenyon nicely blocked then tagged the batter for the out. The inning ended on a 3-2 strike out. Having thrown 64 pitches with two tough Liberty District games in the next six days, Facenda’s afternoon was finished.

Francis moved over from first to pitch for Oakton in the top of the sixth. With two outs he hit Tyroler with a pitch then retired pinch hitter Ben Powers on a fly to right to end the inning. The Warhawks opted to send McGuire to the mound in the bottom of the sixth with Tim Davis taking over the duties at shortstop. With two outs, the fleet Willis reached on an infield chopper down the third base line. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and took third on a passed ball as Hanson walked. Joey Bartosic pinch ran with runners at the corners. Dennis Cooney grounded a single past first baseman Graham’s dive to plate one run.

Another run scored when Ty Carroll’s grounder hit first base and took a high bounce. Graham still gloved the ball but the startled McGuire, thinking Graham would tag the bag himself if not for the fluke bounce, was late covering first allowing Bartosic to score. Perhaps the play rattled McGuire a bit as he walked Brian Burns on four pitches to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. After getting ahead in the count 0-2, the count ran full as he narrowly missed on a pair of breaking balls. McGuire ended the seven pitch at bat with a called strike on a fastball on the outside corner.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Kenyon stroked a single to right and Favero followed by rolling a single through the right side. The inning ended with pinch hitter Matt Livingston lining out to center. McGuire responded by retiring Oakton in order in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of fly outs and a grounder to short.

The score may have looked decisive but it was a close, hard fought game. Coach Gjormand summed it up by saying, “We beat a good team today in a big rivalry game. These guys have played with and against each other since Vienna Little League and sometimes it is tough to play against your friends. We can enjoy it now but we need to get back to work to get ready for a tough Fairfax team on Tuesday.”

MARCH MADNESS IN VIENNA

Nope - this isn't another post about basketball! At least not directly . . .

March Madness is going on. All around the country, games are taking place - with the ultimate goal being to make it to the Big Dance - to play one of your arch-rivals  - to become THE CHAMPION!

You see teams playing with passion. With grit. With determination. Because they want to WIN! They want the bragging rights that come with being a champion. They want a payoff for all the hard work they have put in - during the season and before the season. It's a CRAZY, FUN time of year.

And March Madness has hit Vienna too. But our version of March Madness comes on the baseball field.

You see, there are two arch-rivals in this area - one being Madison High School and the other being Oakton High School. They have battled for years and traded off championships. And now, no matter whether they are playing a regular season game, a playoff game, a championship game or just a scrimmage - it's WAR. (Or at least WARHAWKS - lol!)

This Saturday, the Madison Warhawks take on the Oakton Cougars in baseball. It will be Madison's season opener and the game will take place at Oakton's field at 1PM. This year, the game means a lot. It's not a playoff game or a championship game - but this game is about pride. Oakton beat Madison in football just after school started in the Fall (in the Outback Bowl ). And Madison beat Oakton in basketball (on Oakton's home court). So as far as we can see, THIS game on Saturday will be the tie-breaker. The winner takes home the bragging rights until next Fall comes around and another game is on the line.

Some interesting background info:

• When Madison's Eli Facenda, Jay Kenyon, Justin Nicholls, Gavin Gibbons and Joe Corrigan were 13, they played on the same nationally ranked travel team as Oakton's Chad Carroll, Taiyo Francis and Luke Willis.
• Last year's match-up between Oakton & Madison was especially contentious - not just on the field, but off the field too. Just ask Sun Gazette reporter Dave Facinoli. He happened to sit between a brother & sister who were rooting for opposite sides - one had a son who played for the Warhawks - the other had a spouse who coached for the Cougars. And last year's game had no shortage of controversial calls.
• Madison's Head Coach (Mark Gjormand) and Oakton's Assistant Coach (Scott Rowland) have both coached their teams to state championships.
• Last summer, Madison's first baseman (Jonny Graham) was teammates with Oakton's catcher (Austin Lamon) when they played together for the NVTBL Prospect Stars travel team.
• Coaches on both sides (Oakton's Head Coach Justin Janis and Madison Assistant Coaches JJ Hollenbeck & Jimmy Goldsmith & Andrew Baird) are graduates from the schools they coach.
• There is a player named Cooney on each team - but they're not related. There are 3 players on Oakton's team named Carroll. They ARE related.
• And quite a few players from both rosters played together this past summer on American Legion Post 180 - including Madison's Nate Favero, Justin Nicholls, Eli Facenda and Oakton's Chris Hanson & Mason Hauser.

You can't beat the passion of cross-town rivalries. And we say - skip the Saturday afternoon basketball games (you can catch the scores on your I-phone - you know your office pool is all you REALLY care about anyway) - and come out to see Oakton and Madison square off on the baseball diamond. There may only be one winner on the field, but the true winner on Saturday will be the fans!

Here are a few players to watch:

MADISON:

• Eli Facenda - Senior, Lefty Pitcher, signed with Lehigh Univeristy (D-1), crafty & patient
• Jay Kenyon - Senior, Catcher, 3rd year varsity player, strong arm & strong bat
• Nate Favero - Junior, Righty Pitcher & 2B, 3rd year varsity player, soft hands - watch for him to be part of some doubleplays
• Jonny Graham - Junior, 1B & Outfielder, 3rd year varsity player, versatile, sprays the ball to all fields with potential to hit for power
• Andy McGuire - Sophomore, SS & Righty Pitcher, fabulous fielder, already being recruited by multiple D-1 schools including University of South Carolina
• Dan Powers - Sophomore, Righty Pitcher & 3B, varsity starter as a Freshman

The Warhawk baseball team also includes: Austin Chute, Gavin Gibbons, Justin Nicholls, Joe Corrigan, Ryan Corrigan, Alex Tyroler, Ben Powers, Jack Anzilotti, Henry Brandmark, Andrew Cooney, Tim Davis, Evan Jacquez, Beau Overholt, Matt Livingston, Justin Padgett, Luke Weller, Ben Socher & Daniel Bayer.

OAKTON:

• Chad Carroll - Senior, SS, signed with James Madison University (D-1), one of the fastest players in our region - set regional track record this winter, has some pop in his bat
• Luke Willis - Senior, CF, signed with Coastal Carolina (D-1), one of the other fastest players in our region - teammates with Chad Carroll in setting regional track record this winter, also a good hitter
• Taiyo Francis - Senior, Righty Pitcher & 1B, good arsenal of pitches, great target at first
• Chris Hanson - Senior, 3B & Catcher, gotta gun for an arm and not afraid to use it
• RJ Garcia - Junior, righty sidewinder pitcher
• Austin Lamon - Junior, Catcher, commands the field & keeps baserunners on their toes with his arm

The Cougar baseball team also includes: Tyler Carroll, Dennis Cooney , Andy Gross, Walker Webster, John Titus, Mason Hauser, Felix Vandervaart, Zack Fabian, Connor Flanagan, Brian Burns, Mitchell Carroll, Mario Pomponio, Joey Bartosic, Aaron Rochkind, Johnny McCormick, Jesse Peckinpaugh & Brandon Chandler.

Passion & pride - just another reason why we LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA, VA!

Sixth Man Sets The Tone & Brings Home A Win For Madison

Friday night was Madison High School's last regular season basketball game of the season. And Madison's Sixth Man was out in full force! In case you haven't been able to make it to a game and are wondering what all the "buzz" is about - here are a few glimpses into the electric atmosphere the Sixth Man has created. (Read more about Madison's Sixth Man here.)

TIP OFF - SIXTH MAN SETS THE TONE FOR THE GAME

SIXTH MAN KEEPS IT GOING

AND GOING . . .

MADISON BEATS TJ - SIXTH MAN GOES CRAZY!

Congrats to Madison High School's basketball team AND to the Sixth Man. You have truly inspired many people in the community with your spirit, perserverance, creativity & passion. Job well done!

BEST SLEDDING HILLS IN VIENNA

If you're looking for good places to sled before the snow melts, you may want to check out our post from last year about "Best Sledding Hills In Vienna"!

Cheers!

WACKY WARHAWK FANS FLIP!

If you haven't caught a James Madison High School basketball game yet, then you're missing something special.

The basketball team has been struggling. Starting the season off with 4 losses in a row was tough. But the Warhawks, led by Senior Captains Daniel McNerney, P.D. Knipe and Ian Doyle have turned things around and their record now stands at 4-8, with 2 straight wins this past week: a 52-40 win over Marshall High School and a 75-74 win in triple overtime against McLean High School.

Yup - I said a ONE POINT WIN IN TRIPLE OVERTIME!
You can't get more exciting than that! Or can you?

Well, I don't know if YOU can get more exciting than that - but the Warhawk FANS can DEFINITELY get more exciting than that. Having been a fan of Northern Virginia Sports since back in the 70's, I can tell you that the trend at many high schools is that each sport has a SMALL core group of passionate fans. Fans are spread thinly over the many options that exist and each sport sort of exists in its own separate world. Madison High School, for example, has 43 different sports teams. And many of these teams have their own little group of committed fans.

BUT - if you come to a Madison basketball game - you'll see a HUGE group of student fans who support their team like no other I've ever seen. They call themselves the "Sixth Man". (If you look closely in the photo above, you can see where they've painted "SIXTH MAN" above the student section in their home gym.)

The first time I saw the group in action was at the Oakton - Madison basketball game. Keep in mind that at this point in the season, Madison's record was 0-4. They had yet to win a game. And they had suffered some tough losses - including a season opener that they lost to O'Connell by 41 points. Most fans would have quieted down some, maybe even given up. But not this group of kids. These are not "Fair Weather Fans"!

It was an Away Game. At a school that probably has 500 more students than Madison does. And yet, the student section for Madison was PACKED. Madison had more fans than Oakton. And the game was at Oakton! These kids rocked the gym. It was more like a college game than any high school game I've ever seen. And lo & behold, Madison captured their first win. The team played hard, but I've gotta believe that the fans are due a little bit of credit for that win. And it was a BIG win because Oakton is Madison's cross-town rival!

The season continues. And this group of fans shows up to every game. Not only do they show up and cheer loudly. But they have cheers & outfits that are so well choreographed you'd think they had Michael Jackson or Oliver Stone setting things up behind the scenes. They coordinate so all the fans know what colors to wear ahead of time. For example, at last night's game we saw a "white out". Every student wore white from head to toe.

Sometimes they wear red. And that's when they do my favorite stunt - "The Parting of the Red Sea" - led by Madison student Tommy Curley dressed up like Moses.

Last night, one of those wacky Warhawk fans (Andrew Gay) even flipped out. LITERALLY! Thanks to Madison student Jonny Graham who took the photos above & the video below, you can see it too!



If you'd like to experience it all for yourself, come out to see the Madison Warhawks (Kavan Ranasinghe, Daniel McNerney, Jason Mann, P.D. Knipe, Nate Favero, Ian Doyle, Connor Douglas, Christian Prince, Max Ehrsam, Jack Baule, Tim Alexander, Gunnar Baskin & John Adam!) beat Langley on Friday night, January 14th at 7:30PM (at Madison). Or you can check out the rest of the Madison High School Boys Basketball schedule here. (PS - Since it's a home game, we hear there may be a "red out". So maybe Moses will be in the building!)

Our prediction is that this team will peak just in time for playoffs! So good luck to all the players - we're rooting for you!

Fabulous fans - just another reason why WE LOVE LIVING IN VIENNA!
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Late Update: Our hearts & prayers go out to the family & friends of Khristin Kyllo who passed away yesterday. Khristin's time as a Madison student athlete (class of 2010) embodied the spirit of passion & perserverance that led the way for this year's Sixth Man. Note that the Sixth Man may be attending the Madison Girls Basketball game tonight AT Langley instead of the Boys game to support Khristin’s former teammates.

Congrats Warhawks!

We hear "congratulations" are in order for the James Madison High School Warhawk basketball team. They won their first District game in a triple overtime thriller last night over the McLean Highlanders. WAY TO GO BOYS!

Everyone Gets Their 15 Minutes!

Recently, we wrote a blog post about the exciting Outback Bowl that takes place each year between Madison High School (Vienna, VA) and Oakton High School (Oakton, VA). We highlighted the story of 2 players - Luke Willis from Oakton High School & Ryan McGuire from Madison High School.

Well, this week we hear that Ryan's brother, Andy McGuire, is the new local celebrity. You see - even a student here in "small town Vienna" can earn nationwide fame!

Last weekend, Madison High School faced Yorktown High School for their second game of the season. Unfortunately, Madison lost. BUT - Andy McGuire stepped into the national limelight.

Check out this video that we understand made it on to ESPN SportCenter's "Not Top 10" last night:



The video is nearing 300,000 views as we finish this post!

Andy - We think you would have made a great commercial for the old Timex watch company. Their slogan was "Timex - it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin"!