Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Jules Maigret, Superintendent of Paris Crime Unit


Reading is FUNdamental

Criminals in Paris = Fun

These were three quick reads featuring Belgian crime novelist Georges Simenon's great, hard boiled lead character, Superintendent Jules Maigret of the Paris Crime Unit.

All three stories were set in Paris, what more could I ask for on nice October mornings.

Monday, October 28, 2013

St. Bonaventure Game and a Trip to the Pumpkin Patch


Another week, another strong challenge from a St. Bonaventure JV team whose record belied the very difficult schedule that they had played.

Newbury Park Panthers
4-2-1, 1-1 Marmonte League East
vs.
St. Bonaventure Seraphs
3-4, 1-1 Marmonte League East
at
Ventura H.S.

Shane Sipes Kickoff Return

He got us off to a good start with 48 yard return on the games first play. Unfortunately, we were not able to capitalize on this great field position.

SCRUM!!!

Not crazy about our pad level but we were able to amass 209 yards on the ground for a solid 5.5 yard average.

My sister Linda was in the house!

She is the one in the white hooded sweatshirt.

Sideline View

Racing to the Edge

CB Jack Jensen had a good game

Tracking down a Seraph

At the end of the first period, St. Bonaventure led 7-6.

Broken Up Pass by
Jack Jensen

Make the Receiver Pay for his Catch

At the half, St. Bonaventure had extended their lead to 13-6.

Close but No Cigar

Sack and an Intentional Grounding

DE Brock Barton on one of his two QB Sacks in the game.

Hand-to-Hand Combat
OT Robert "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion

After three quarters, we were close but still trailed St. Bonaventure by a single point, 13-12.

No Place for the Faint of Heart

Jonas Mello rushed for 188 yards

It would not be enough as the Seraphs added a fourth quarter score to pad their lead and win the game.

Final Score: St. Bonaventure 20 - Newbury Park 12

We definitely had our chances but were unable to finish things the way we would have all liked.

St. Bonaventure is now 4-4 and 2-1 in Marmonte League East play.

We dropped to 4-3-1 overall and 1-2 in the Marmonte League East standings.

Post Game Talks after a Loss
are never fun or easy

OG Chris Reusch earned the coveted
Game Hammer

Nice Post Game Sunset
over the Pacific Ocean

Next up for our Panthers is our last home game of the season vs. a Simi Valley Pioneers club that is 5-3 overall and 1-2 the Marmonte League East. The winner of the game will finish in third place in our division.

After licking our wounds Saturday and staying up late that night to watch our beloved Washington Huskies trounce the Cal Bears 41-17 to improve their record to 5-3, we opted to take our grandson Jacob to the local Pumpkin Patch.

A Dad, A son and a Wheelbarrow

Let the fun begin!

Grandpa opting for a cart

Young Jacob would have none of either convenience, he preferred to walk. 

Jacob in the cool kiddie maze

I think that this was his version
of the Frankenstein Monster's Walk

"I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!"

Colorful

Jacob liked the straw . . .

. . . and the pumpkins of course

Lefty launching a mini-gourd

Think of all the possibilities

"I want this one, Daddy!"

Laurie's choice was, shall we say,
unique

"This place is just INCREDIBLE!!!"

The Big Kids' Maze
was of interest as well!

I could get lost in here

Best Day of My Life!!!

Let's celebrate with some food Grandpa!

Pizza at Settebello's in Oxnard afterwards

The most authentic pizza this side of Aci Castello, Sicily!

A GREAT Sunday helped make up for a disappointing Friday game.

BEAT THE PIONEERS!!!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Westlake Game and the 50 Year Reunion of St. Francis H.S.'s 1963 & 1964 C.I.F. "AAA" Championship Teams


Laurie and I had a busy weekend to say the least. It all started on Friday afternoon . . .

Westlake Warriors (6-0)
at
Newbury Park (4-1-1)

Westlake entered the game with a perfect record and a high flying offense that was averaging about 43 points per game. We would have to play well to have a chance to win.

Downing a Jonas Mello Punt
at the 10 yard line!

Panthers' Defense
Swarming to the Ball

Broken Up Pass by the Panthers

After one quarter we were trailing 0-7 but playing tough.

Jonas Mello slugging out some of
his hard earned 87 rushing yards

Fierce Competition

Unfortunately we were not
efficient passing the ball

At the half, we were now trailing 0-13 but were still in the battle.

Interception by Connor Williams

We, unfortunately,
missed two Field Goals

Shane Sipes KO Return

At the end of the third quarter, it was still Westlake 13 - Newbury Park 6.

BIG PLAY
Dawson Schmidt Breaks Up a Pass

Kyle Popok Sparks the Team

Kyle would complete two Fake Punt passes that covered a combined 47 yards and kept two of our drives alive in the second half.

Austin Young making a GREAT Catch
on another pass from Kyle Popok

Touchdown Jonas Mello!!!

After missing the PAT, we trailed 6-13 with about 8 minutes left in the game. We had the chance that we wanted!

Then, for two minutes and 22 seconds the proverbial wheels came off.

One on One Coverage

A 64 yard TD bomb, a weird looking unblocked 4 yard punt that was returned for a TD by a Westlake lineman and a long snap over our punter's head on the next punt for a 27 yard loss quickly let the game escape our grasp.

Final Score:
Westlake (7-0) 34 - Newbury Park (4-2-1) 6

As soon as our game was over, Laurie and I got into the car for the one hour drive to St. Francis H.S. in La Cañada-Flintridge for a special night, the 50 Year Reunion of our 1963 (12-1) and 1964 (13-0) C.I.F. "AAA" Championship American football teams!

Friedman Field

The field at St. Francis is named in honor of our coach back in those days, the legendary Jack Friedman.

The Golden Knights (6-0) were hosting the Cathedral Phantoms (5-1).

Approximately 30 of our teammates showed up either at the game on Friday or at the Dinner on Saturday to celebrate and relive our "Golden Knight Days."

LB Bill Stafford

Back Row: OT Bill Wade and me
Front Row: DT Pete Glynn and
RB Terry Terrazone

Humbling Halftime Tribute

Not sure who the fellow on the far left is,
RB Terry Newlin, QB Dennis Flagg, E Richard Peters, DT Pete Glynn and DE Chris Bavasi

QB/K Joe Curtis, OT Bill Wade, C Ellis Fluet,
OG David Bruneau, me, OG Jim Hogan

St Francis would go on to defeat Cathedral 31-21, thus running their record to a spotless 7-0.

After the game we would go on to Pasadena's Courtyard Marriott to continue reliving the past and catching up with friends.

Saturday night we would convene for a reunion dinner in Arcadia at Matt Denny's Ale House Restaurant to swap more tall tales.

OG David Bruneau, OT John Prchal, OG Jim Hogan, WR/FS Jim Brewer and RB Laurie Kraus 

Not sure who's wife that is on the far left,
DE Chris Bavasi, OG David Bruneau, me, RB  Laurie Kraus, OT John Prchal and OG Bob Eisle

With RB Terry Newlin

Terry was the C.I.F. "AAA-AA" Player of the Year in 1964. He would later be both a teammate and hilarious roommate of mine at the University of Washington.

With OT Bill Wade

Bill would be my roommate soon after graduating from the UW in my case and USC in Bill's. We lived in Santa Monica together while he attended UCLA's Law School and I was working on my Master's degree also at UCLA at night while teaching at L.A.'s Washington H.S.

What a great weekend of reminiscing!!!

Still . . . FIFTY YEARS! . . . REALLY???