U18 Kickers split games

MORRISBURG–The South Dundas Major Midget B Lions added another three strokes to their win column in recent action with wins over Smith Falls, 3-0, Char-Lan, 5-0 and North Leeds, 4-3.

Since the Lions got off to their rough start at the beginning of the season with two losses and one tie, they have rebounded with six wins and just one tie.

In 10 games they have six wins, two losses and two ties for 14 points. This gives them a three point lead over second place Cornwall in the UCMHL Major Midget B Rep East Division.

Char-Lan is holding third place with nine points, and Alexandria is fourth with seven.

The Lions were in Smiths Falls on Sunday, November 3, for the 3-0 win, with Josh Martineau in net for the shut out.

The Lions scored a goal a period for the win, beginning with a Cameron Michels goal assisted by Aaron Smith in the first period.

Then in the second, Jordan Smail and Tanner Hummel provided the setup for a Josh Black goal on the Lions power play.

Black nailed his second goal of the game early in the third period with assists going to Drew Minish and Spencer Heldens.

One night later, the Lions were in Williamstown where again they kept their opponents from the scoreboard as they went to work on a 5-0 victory.

This time out Zack Frawley was in net for the shutout.

Josh Black had another strong showing, this time with a two goal performance.

He got it started early in the first period with help from Michels.

In the second Aaron Smith from Smail, and Black unassisted, pushed the Lions advantage to 3-0.

Riley Black, unassisted, counted early in the third period to make it 4-0, and Evan Mullin finished it off with help from Hummel for the 5-0 victory.

Back home on Morrisburg ice on Thursday, November 7, the Lions were challenged by North Leeds who turned it up a notch in the third period.

The two played to a 1-1 first period tie with Jordan St. Louis scoring for the Lions from Josh Black and Tanner Hummel.

Then in the second period, Jordan Smail connected from St. Louis and Hummel for a slim 2-1 Lions edge.

North Leeds evened it early in the third period, but they couldn’t hold on.

At 5:01 of the frame Smail counted his second of the game (from Josh Black and Spencer Heldens) to put the Lions up by one.

Then just over one minute later St. Louis found the North Leeds net for his second tally with help from Cameron Michels and Riley Black to put the Lions in the driver’s seat at 4-2.

North Leeds got one more past Lions goaltender Josh Martineau from Tynan Blair but that was it and the Lions kept their winning streak alive with a 4-3 victory.

Coming up this week the Lions are at home on Saturday evening, November 16, to Perth. Game time is 8 p.m. Then on Sunday, November 17, the Lions are at the Benson Centre in Cornwall, at 8:30 p.m.  

[…]

The club held its first New Year’s Eve bonspiel and party for some years, and our president, Mahlon Locke, tells us it went well and that they hope to have another one next year. There was a full slate of curlers, with the top athletes on the evening being Sam Locke and Rachelle Eaves, with Rick Mackenzie and Janie Connolly right behind them. 

The participants played two-person games first, and in their second games combined high and low scorers for a four-end match, with each one skipping for an end. Finally, the third game involved draws to the button, with final scores reflecting total points earned. With television coverage of the New Year’s Eve entertainment in certain large venues to augment their own, the revelers eventually headed home after a great evening. 

The event was open to non-curlers, as well as former members and friends. It was a great mix of people, and we’ll look forward to the renewal of festivities next year.  

     The senior men’s playoff last Wednesday saw Martin Schneckenburger, Wally McDonald, George Rutley and Ron Brown drawn against Pete Zeran, Jack Dikland, Karl Duncan and Earl Jeacle. It was well-curled game, with Martin’s team triumphing on the last rock of the ten-end match. They would join our other champions in Cornwall for the Parnell competition on Friday. Jack Barkley, Doug Jarvis, Maurice Kolff and Andy Patenaude curled Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, Raymond Benoit and Al Harriman. Each team won four ends, but the Morrell foursome emerged as the winners. Good competition as always in these elimination matches.

     On Thursday a senior mixed team ventured to Alexandria for their one game bonspiel. Steve and Alice Thompson, Keith Robinson and Sharon Van Allen took to the ice against two Mount Royal fellows and two late replacements from the local area. The Morrisburgers could only win three ends against this fine group, who won the overall championship among the eighteen teams in the competition. 

In spite of it all, it was a wonderful day, and our representatives met many fine people, including twelve the teams from the province of Quebec. We’ll be back next year!     

     In the Parnell in Cornwall, our champions acquitted themselves well, splitting their matches. Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, Raymond Benoit and Al Harriman dropped their first game to the Prescott foursome that won the trophy, but defeated Lancaster in their second. Martin Schneckenburger, Wally McDonald, George Rutley and Ron Brown were squeezed out in their first game against Lancaster, but managed a huge win against the top Cornwall team. The highlight of the match was a shot by skip Martin, slipping his shot between two tight guards to knock out the enemy shot stone to lie and win the match. Don and Sally O’Brien were there to support our teams. Good to see them there, even behind the glass. 

     Glen Cougler’s stick bonspiel had 10 teams confirmed at time of writing, two from our club. It should be interesting to watch this fine invitational bonspiel.

     Susan McIntosh’s next two-person bonspiel is also on this month. There’s a sign-up sheet in the lounge.

    With 10 teams signed up for Thursday morning we’ve had to go to 9 and 11:15 a.m.

starting times to get everyone playing each week. Unless there’s a new schedule out, the plan is to have teams formerly on a bye play in the 11:15 a.m. draw each time. It’s good to see the daytime mixed numbers so high. 

Good curling!

[…]

It’s those well-known words, “Let’s Play Ball” that Austin Marcellus hopes he will hear this fall to herald in one more season of U.S. University NCAA level 2 baseball.

The Pigeon Island Road, 22 year old has been south of the border for the last four years, attending school on partial baseball scholarships. 

He first completed the two year college program at Lochawanna Collge and one year of ball (he was injured the first year),  at Scranton, Pennsylvania, and then transferred to Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina. He graduated from Limestone this spring and completed his second year of college ball for the Saints.

Austin, who was team captain at both schools, is back home for the summer but is hoping to return to Limestone for one more season.

“I was injured in my freshman year at Lochawanna, which means I have another year eligibility to play ball.”

Having graduated from Lochawanna this spring with “my Bachelor degree in Sports and my Bachelor degree in Business, if I go back this year, I would get my Bachelor degree in Marketing and a Coaching Minor.” 

Austin began playing ball when he was six or seven years old. “I didn’t play when I was really young, and when I did start it was because my mom forced me.” He is the son of Bert and Sandi Marcellus.

“I started playing here (Morrisburg) and played on some Upper Canada All Star teams. I played with the Bunnies (Brockville) for about five years.”

It wasn’t until he was a young teenager that Austin, who plays the infield moving around between second, third and shortstop, began to lean heavily towards baseball. 

“I was always excited about playing hockey when I was growing up. I actually thought I was better at hockey. Guess I just wanted to be different,” he says of his success on the ball diamond.

It was while he is was in grade 12 at Seaway District High School, that Austin began looking around for a U.S. baseball scholarship. He went to work sending a number of applications out and the result was the partial scholarship at Lochawanna.

“At Lochawanna, we won our conference both years, and we won the North East Region both years.” That put the team in the Jucco Division 2 World Series, both years in Enid Oklahoma.

Although Austin was injured his first year out, he recalls his first experience at intense training. “My  junior college, the only way to describe it is if you’ve ever seen military training, that is what it was like. They are there to win, and you are there to play baseball. At the Junior College level there are no rules, so we would practise 10 hours a day around our studies.  We would start at 6 a.m., go to class until noon and then practice until 8 at night.” The college baseball season runs from early February to the end of May.

In contrast, once he transferred to Limestone, there were some time guidelines that restricted practise to five to six hours per day.

This spring, Marcellus had a solid season with the Saints who play in the 12-school Carolinas Conference. At five foot 10 and 175 pounds, he had a .331 batting average and was named the Limestone College Saints, Best Offensive Player. He also led the team in stolen bases and was second in RBIs. As a team, “we didn’t do that good.”

Marcellus would like nothing more than to return to Limestone for one more year. Down the road he says he would like to be coaching at the college level, but right now, he just wants to play ball.

 “I am kind of hoping baseball takes me somewhere. I am too old to get drafted, but I’d like to play some independent ball, or I might try to go to Australia. There’s lots of ball to play, now it’s finding a spot.”

Marcellus does have a spot with the Saints again this year, but again on a partial scholarship. So it is the remaining tuition money that is his consideration.

He is working the summer in interlocking landscaping, which helps to keep him in shape and is playing ball with the Capital City Reds in Ottawa which offers ball to college eligible “amateur” players. The Reds have games against teams in the Elite U-18 Summer Baseball program, college summer teams and with semi-pro and professional level teams.

Coming off a good college season with the Saints and playing well with the Reds, Marcellus is hoping he has himself positioned for the opportunity to play ball next season.

[…]