Basketball champions crowned

Youth Basketball Results

8-10-year-olds Playoffs

Walter & Associates  8
Beach Bistro  10
Franklin Valdez had 6 points and 14 rebounds. Jack Groves had 4 points and 3 rebounds, and Ava Zink chipped in with 4 rebounds for the Beach Bistro win. For the Walter & Associates team, Katie Krokroskia had 2 points and 9 rebounds, Tori Walter had 2 points and 8 rebounds, Callen Achor had 2 points and 5 rebounds, and Joey Theil had 2 points and 3 rebounds.

Island Real Estate  6
Gettel Toyota  7
Hannah McCracken came up big for her team with 4 points and 14 rebounds. David Daigle had 2 points and 8 rebounds in the very close win for Gettel Toyota. For the Island Real Estate team, Griffin Heckler had 4 points and 4 rebounds and Alex Rodriguez had 2 points and 2 rebounds.

8-10 year olds Tournament Champions Gettel Toyota

Beach Bistro  20
Gettel Toyota  26
The youngest age group championship game wowed the fans with a high scoring contest. David Daigle led all players in scoring with 12 points and 5 rebounds. League Sportsmanship award winner Andrew Austin had 6 points and 2 rebounds. League female MVP Hannah McCracken had 6 points and 6 rebounds, and brother Tuna McCracken chipped in with 2 points 2 rebounds for the Gettel Toyota championship win. For the Beach Bistro team, league male MVP Franklin Valdez had 11 points and 9 rebounds. League defensive MVP Jack Groves had 5 points and 1 rebound, and Luke Marvin chipped in with 4 points and 2 rebounds.

Individual League Special Awards

Division III Female MVP
Hannah McCracken

Division III Male MVP
Franklin Valdez

Division III Defensive MVP
Jack Groves

Division III Sportsmanship
Andrew Austin

11-13-year-olds Playoffs

Southern Greens  35
Ross Built Construction  46
Levi Lengle had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Andrew Ross had 13 points 9 rebounds and an assist, and brother Jake Ross had 10 points and 2 rebounds for the Ross Built Construction victory. For Southern Greens, Andrew Zink had 15 points and 6 rebounds. Leo Rose had 13 points and an assist.

Eat Here  39
Walter & Associates  47
Jack Walter had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mark Miller also had a double-double with 13 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists. Seth Walter had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the Walter & Associates win. For the Eat Here team, Adam Clark had a double-double with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists. Michael Latimer had 13 points 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Ross Built Construction  31
Holy Cow Ice Cream  48
Moriah Goode had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Trent Boring also had a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Holy Cow Ice Cream win. For Ross Built Construction, Jake Ross had 15 points and 5 rebounds, and Andrew Ross had 4 points and 8 rebounds.

11-13-year-olds Tournament Champions Walter & Associates

Holy Cow Ice Cream  26
Walter & Associates  35
Jack Walter led all scoring and had a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and an assist. Mark Miller also had a double-double with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists. Seth Walter had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in the Walter & Associates championship win. To conclude Holy Cow Ice Creams great season, Trent Boring had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. League female Co-MVP Moriah Goode had 6 points and 7 rebounds and Joey Stewart had 6 points and 2 rebounds.

Individual League Special Awards

Division II Female Co-MVP
Brooke Capparelli

Division II Female Co-MVP
Moriah Goode

Division II Male MVP
J.P Russo

Division II Defensive MVP
Dayton Modderman

Division II Sportsmanship
Aidan Grumley

14-17-year-olds Tournament Champions Dips Ice Cream

Anna Maria Oyster Bar  55
Dips Ice Cream  66
League male MVP Tegan Purtill had the first triple-double of any adult or youth player this season. He led all scoring with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. A performance that's hard to accomplish and worthy of MVP status. Jerry Myer had 18 points and 9 rebounds. Justin Garget added 17 points and 2 rebounds concluding the perfect undefeated season for the Dips Ice Cream championship. For the Anna Maria Oyster Bar team, Ryan Gilman had 18 points and 3 rebounds. Nehemiah Goode added 14 points, all in the 4th quarter and 4 rebounds. League defensive player of the year Max Miller added a double-double performance with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Individual League Special Awards

Division I Female MVP
Madison Driscoll

Division I Male MVP
Tegan Purtill

Division I Defensive MVP
Max Miller

Division I Sportsmanship
Keiran Grumley

Adult Co-Ed Soccer
semi-final Playoffs

Slim’s Place – 3
Florida Discount Signs – 3*
*Winner in shootout
Danny Anderson had two goals, and Matt Kretzmann had one goal in regulation play. Josh Peurifoy had 4 saves in goal before Florida Discount Signs won in the thrilling shootout. For the Slim’s Place team, Aaron Parkin had two goals, and Aaron Duduks added one goal. Adam Mott had 7 saves in regulation play before the number one seeded team’s great season was ended in the overtime shootout.

Pink & Navy Boutique  3
Don Meilner & Son Construction  6
Matt Plummer had two goals and an assist. Tim Tedesco and Lindsey Weaver each added two more goals, and Nate Talucci had 6 saves in the Don Meilner & Son win. To conclude Pink & Navy Boutique’s season, Larry Waterman scored two goals and had an assist. Scott Eason had the other goal, and Scott Rudacille had 8 saves in goal.

Adult Soccer Championship Game

June 14, Thursday, 7 p.m.
All-Star Game

June 14, Thursday, 8 p.m.
Don Meilner & Son Construction vs. Florida Discount Signs for the Community Center Cup Championship

Adult Co-Ed Basketball

Playoff Schedule

June 12, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Bowes Imaging Center vs. BeachHouse restaurant

June 12, Tuesday, 8 p.m.
The Feast restaurant vs. Gator Man Pools

June 15, Friday, 8 p.m.
Winner of June 12, 7 p.m. vs. Winner of June 12, 8 p.m.

 

Steaming at graduation

I was lucky enough to be invited to Manatee High School graduation by one of the girls I’ve helped coach in cross country since she was a freshman. You may recall that I wrote about Riley Paige Dunn. In addition to running on the team, she organized a running club at the high school. For many reasons, I felt she was so deserving of any running organization’s measley $200 scholarship, if there even were any.

I personally wished that I could have organized a scholarship fundraising drive for Riley. As it turns out, she got a full-ride merit scholarship all on her own to Furman University in South Carolina. It was an honor to be invited to her graduation.

As I was listening, I became aware that the valedictorian, who was a star on the cross country and track team, didn’t speak. Her name wasn’t even mentioned in the printed program. Just as part of the top 4 percent of the class.

Since I have attended many graduations as recently as last year, I thought it really strange not to have the valedictorian speak or be even mentioned anywhere. The Manatee football team was extolled several times, of course. The speaker asked everyone in the class who was going into the military to stand up. Then anyone who had taken medical classes. Then anyone the Key Club and so on, and so on until everyone was standing up. I assume the point was to make everyone feel included and like a winner.

But it struck me terribly sad that the girl who accomplished so much by using her brain wasn’t honored in any way. I don’t care that the team was first in state. The valedictorian should have been mentioned.

How ironic this is after a plethora of stories on the news lately about the National Football League players having early dementia as a result of untreated and ignored head injuries. Then just this past week, more than 2,100 NFL football players, at last count, have filed a lawsuit against the NFL, charging that the league concealed information linking football related head injuries to permanent neurological problems. Seems to me that the kids (and their parents) who choose not to play football are the smart ones, recognizing what this brutal sport does to brains of kids and adults.

Right after the ceremony, I found Riley smoldering, “Can you believe they didn’t mention Sarah?”

Yeah, her name is Sarah Ecker. So at least she’s getting some recognition here. Riley and I both agreed that this whole positive self-esteem thing has gone way too far. The idea of not offending anyone by making those who didn’t get to be #1 feel badly just seems unnatural. Some competition is OK.

The fact that Sarah achieved becoming a valedictorian, the #1-ranked student in her class, while winning races during cross country and track is even more amazing. The kids put 20 hours or more into training for cross country, and very few school administrators give recognition to the kids for their hard work, commitment and energy.

I get it. Football brings in a lot of money, so that is where the recognition goes. When I told the Sunday morning cross-country girls that I was doing this column, I got an earful from adults who also run with us who went to Manatee about how the football kids get passes in classes on tests. But the kids whose parents are poor, the kids who have to work two jobs and still run cross country don’t get those kinds of passes, they ranted

I’ve heard way more over the years I’ve been a volunteer assistant coach about the preferential status of high school football, but since the only kind of investigative reporting I do these days is about food, exercise and fitness, I always encourage my audience to contact the Tampa Bay Times or other few, but remaining investigative reporting outlets.

You rock, Sarah Ecker and all the trail sizzling cross-country/track guys and gals at Manatee High! Gotta run.

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.