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Sunday, July 22, 2012

SportS

kdminer.com - Kingman Daily Miner

Local shooters feeling good after practice round

By Rodney Haas rhaas@kdminer.com KINGMAN After Thursdays practice session for the national meet, the Mohave Top Gun trap shooters were feeling pretty good about the competition that started Friday. The Top Gun varsity squad consisting of Josh Schanaman, Justin Tarr, Chris Franklin, Savannah Searles and Forrest Keller, along with alternate of Brandon Matschke and rookie shooter Jack Cavender, were shooting 24 and 25 hits out of a possible of 25. That is where they need to be if they are going to compete with some of the top shooters in the country. We would like for them to all have 25 but we strive to have them shoot 24s and 25s knowing that they are going to have a time where they have a 23, Top Gun assistant coach Jody Schanaman said. Each shooter can have a maximum score of 200 for the meet with a total team score of 1,000 possible. Last years national champion won the title with a score of 983. When you only miss 17 birds for the whole meet, youre shooting good, Schanaman said. Top Gun recently won the state Commissioners Cup with a score of 921, besting Lake Havasu by three birds. According to Schanaman, the average best shooters for nationals are consistently hitting 194 or higher, whereas Top Gun shooters are averaging around 190. We tell them that they need to pick it up a notch here at nationals, Schanaman said. What they are shooting at home isnt going to cut it for placing in the top three at nationals. They are low for nationals. We want them to shoot better then some of the squads in the area and thats why they took state. Before Top Gun made the trip to Sparta, Ill. for the national meet, they were averaging around 188. We would love for them to shoot 200 but we know that is next to impossible, Schanaman said. That is your top shooters nationally. Top Guns qualified for nationals last year and took seventh as a junior varsity team. However, with changes to the scoring system this year, it should benefit smaller teams such as Top Guns. The meet was scheduled to run through Saturday with a portion of the team scheduled to return to Kingman by today, with the rest scheduled to return by Wednesday.

Chandler Nationals Jake Clark delivers a pitch during Chandlers semifinal 7-3 win over Arrowhead Friday at the state Minors Little League Tournament at Southside Park. With the win, Chandler advances to Tuesdays championship game.

RODNEY HAAS/Miner

4-run third powers Chandler into L.L. Championship game

By Rodney Haas rhaas@kdminer.com KINGMAN Adam Parras two-run home run for Chandler National in the top of the first inning Friday night set the tone early. Parras hit gave Chandler an early 2-0 lead and they added to it with a run in the second and four in the third en route to a 7-3 win over Arrowhead. With the win, Chandler advances to Tuesdays championship game of the State Minors Little League Tournament at Southside Park. Para ended the night going 2 for 4 while teammate Try Goodrich had three hits, including a double in the first inning. Jake Clark threw 82 pitches while giving up three runs on nine hits and striking out five Arrowhead hitters. Hayden Baker came in for relief and pitched 24 pitches while striking out one. Arrowhead countered Chandlers two runs in the top of the first inning with a pair in the bottom half and added a run in the fifth. Oscar Mattox was 3 for 3 with a double to lead Arrowhead at the plate. Mattox also got the start, hurling 67 pitches while giving up seven runs on nine hits. He struck out two and walked three. Malaki Tuita relieved Mattox and gave up three hits while striking out four and walking one. Tuita had two hits for Arrowhead and Brau Reutter also had two hits including a double. Chandler advanced to Fridays semifinal game after defeating Desert Ridge 9-1 Wednesday. Arrowhead advanced with a 10-0 win over Mount Graham. Chandler will play at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, while Arrowhead falls into the losers bracket and will play at 6:30 p.m. Monday against Saturdays winner of the Paradise Valley North/Rio Rico game. was his third of the tournament, while Bermudezs shot was his second. Paradise Valley North 11,Mount Graham 2 Jeremiah Caro had three hits and Spencer Rattler had two hits to help lead Paradise Valley North to an 11-2 win over Mount Graham.

Fridays other games

Other tourney scores

Rio Rico 6, Desert Ridge 4 Dustin Bermudez and Julian Grijalva kept the defending State Minors champs Rio Ricos title hopes alive with a pair of home runs en route to a 64 win over Desert Ridge. Grijalvas home run

Paradise Valley North eliminated Canyon del Oro late Wednesday night, 9-3. On Thursday they eliminated West Flagstaff 19-8. Rio Rico beat McDowell Mountain 14-2 Thursday to advance to Fridays game.

KAHS takes to gridiron with midnight practice

KINGMAN Kingman Academy will kick off the 2012 season tonight with its Midnight Madness which will coincide with the Tigers first official practice at midnight. Players will arrive at Centennial Park at 11 p.m. and will be able to get their physicals taken care of by Dr. MacRae Glass, if they have not done so already. Then at midnight the players will have a short practice. This will begin a week of two-a-day practices, with the players returning for a 4 p.m. practice later Monday. Practice at will be at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. for the remainder of the week. Last year KAHS finished 11-1 with its only loss coming in the 3A Charter Athletic Association title game. This year, the Tigers will be under new head coach Doug Odum, who takes over from Eugene Kramer who left to become the new football coach at Lee Williams High School. If players or parents have any questions, they may address them directly to Odum at (760)-693-8657, or Athletic Director Shawn Byrne at (928)-715-8878.

Birds back and US women rout Croatia 109-55

ISTANBUL (AP) Sue Bird was happy to be playing basketball again. Bird left the U.S. womens Olympic team last Sunday after learning that her stepfather Dennis had died of a heart attack. After spending last week mourning with her family she joined the team in Turkey on Saturday. Its been emotional. Obviously he wasnt my father, but has been in my life for 16 years. He meant so much to my mom, said Bird, fighting through tears. These things are tough. Its good to be back, everyones been so great. In a way even though Im not with my biological family this is an extension. They make me laugh and I dont have to think about anything else so its really nice. Bird, who missed exhibition games against Brazil and Britain, said there was never any doubt that she would still play in the Olympics. If I had a penny for every time somebody at the wake or funeral said to me Dennis wants you to go win a gold medal, she said. I know I was where I was supposed to be the last week and I feel like Im where Im supposed to be now. Bird fondly remembered the man who had been a huge part of her basketball career from her high school days at Christ the King in New York to her college years at Connecticut. He was always around. He was the kind of guy who was very infectious and always in a good mood, she said. He literally never was in a bad mood. Always wanting to be friends with everyone, supporting everyone. Forget me, he thought these guys were his daughters as well. Thats the way he treated everyone. He was great for my mom. They were very good for each other, good companions, shes going to miss him a lot and we all are.