Adrian announces dates for MHS soccer team camps

McPherson High soccer coach Chris Adrian has announced the dates for team camps for the 2013-2014 school year.

This is for all MHS players who will be entering grades 9-12 next year. The dates are July 15-19.

The fee is $40 and all proceeds go directly to camp expenses.

The camp will be at McPherson High. Girls go each day from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with the boys from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Adrian will be joined by his assistant coaches at MHS as well as area college coaches.

The Bullpup Team Camp is an intensive, five-day camp that will cover all aspects of the game and allow players to develop technically and tactically, in a fun, playing-based environment. Players will take part in drills, small-sided games, goalkeeper training and team-based competitions. The camp staff strives to create a fun inclusive environment where individual skills and teamwork are developed. 

Check with the MHS Activities Office, 241-9510, for more information or to pick up a form. The deadline to register is July 7.

Grant Complex now a jewel

Random thoughts while wondering why my creaky back goes out so often (could be it advancing age?)...

LEGION TO PLAY AT GRANT — When I first heard that McPherson’s high school and American Legion baseball teams would be playing this year at Grant Complex, I was somewhat skeptical.

As most of you know I’m nostalgic and a purist. We’d still be driving Edsels and Studebakers if I had anything to say about it.

I am a big fan of Light Capital Diamond. I think the place has charm and I’ve always loved the overhang that protects the fans from the rain.

But it also has its drawbacks. It’s in a neighborhood and the foul balls often end up in residents’ yards. It’s also dangerous when little kids go in the street to chase baseballs as Avenue A is a busy street. The press box also had a good air conditioner, a must when those Legion games start with the mercury hovering near the 100 mark.

But after one season at the renovated Grant Complex, I’ve become a believer.

The changes made have been nothing short of fabulous. Once one of the most dreaded playing surfaces I’ve ever seen, drastic steps were taken. The infield was leveled and replaced, and now the surface is like a pool table. I saw a lot of high school games there this spring and I never saw a bad hop. The bounces are true and the infielders know what to expect. The days of the ball hitting the overhanging lip of the infield are gone.

The dugouts have been redone and are terrific. New trees have been planted behind the outfield fence and before I leave this earth, they are going to be a welcomed addition. They will block the wind and give the field character.

The press box has an air conditioner and the new sound system is out of this world. It makes for an entertaining night at the old ballpark.

The only drawback is a long walk to the diamond, but it’s good exercise. There’s also ample parking and unlike Light Cap, you don’t have to worry about your windshield being broken, which is one reason I parked far away when I covered games there.

Hopefully a lot of people will come out and support the American Legion teams this summer. Tryouts for the team are Monday and hopefully some of the area players will take part to give both teams some depth. There are some good, young players, especially pitchers, coming through the system, now the team just needs some offense.

CONGRATS TO HILL — A big “atta boy” goes out to Kansas State baseball coach Brad Hill, who was named Tuesday as Big 12 Coach of the Year.

During my very first year in McPherson, I covered Brad’s senior season at Canton-Galva. The Eagles were both a football and basketball powerhouse, with Hill leading the way for both teams along with the late Butch Ladd. Both were also mainstays for the McPherson American Legion baseball program under the tutelage of the venerable Vance Carlson, as McPherson hosted the state tournament in 1980, which was a real heyday of baseball in this town.

Hill has worked doggedly to build the Kansas State program. The Wildcats were coming off a losing season and a tie for last in the Big 12, but were able to pull off one of the great turnarounds in conference history. It’s been a banner year at KSU, which also shared Big 12 titles in football and basketball. Wildcat fans are hoping this trend will continue.

KUDOS TO DURANT — In this day and age of selfish professional athletes, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant is a refreshing change of pace.

Durant, the second-best basketball player in the world next to LeBron James, announced Tuesday he would be donating id="mce_marker" million for the relief disaster fund for the Moore, Okla., tragedy.

Let’s face it, there are many pro athletes who’ll never even come close to spending all the money they make. Some of their weekly paychecks are more than many of us make in a lifetime. To see Durant do this hopefully will spur some of the other millionaire athletes to do the same.

I think major league baseball could do its part. If every team would take one game and donate gate proceeds from that night, a tremendous amount of money would be raised. It’s going to take the people of Moore several years to recover from this tragedy, but it can be done. It’s the third time Moore has been hit hard, but nothing like this. It has recovered before, just as the good people of Greensburg did.

Again, congrats to Durant for his generous gesture.

BAD BODY LANGUAGE — Watching the Royals play right now you can see a totally different body language to the team compared to when it was sailing along at 17-10.

I’m a huge believer in body language. You can tell a lot about a person’s character by the way they carry themselves.

Primary culprits are Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas. If I were Kansas City manager Ned Yost, I would be kicking some tail. These hangdog, give-up type looks are easily noticeable to the average fan. Escobar has been by far the worst, as his struggles at the plate have carried to the field, where he’s normally a wizard. Moustakas didn’t run out a ground ball Tuesday and the fact he can’t even hit his weight right now has clouded his judgment. You can bet Yost had a talk with him after Tuesday’s game.

Even Billy Butler, the good-natured Country Breakfast, has shown signs of discontent. Billy normally can crawl out of bed and deliver a double, but he’s been wildly erratic, not the Billy Butler we’ve come to expect. He’s been the one guy the Royals have counted on the last five years to emerge from the rubble and excel.

For now, Alex Gordon has been the man. If all the Royals would watch his hitting philosophy of patience and hitting the ball where it’s pitched, this wouldn’t be a team scuffling with a popgun attack.

Former Swedes thriving in indoor football league

LINDSBORG  — Several former Bethany College football players are in their first seasons with the Champions of Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL).

Earlier this year, DeWayne Autrey, Tyler Vogt and Zach Waggoner signed with the Salina Bombers indoor football team and Ira Autrey and Alex Fambrough signed with the Wichita Wild indoor football team.

Since then, Autrey was released from the Wild and is now playing for the Bombers, giving him an opportunity to play with his brother Ira. As of now they are both starting for the Bombers, DeWayne as a safety and Ira as a cornerback.

The Bombers are currently 6-3 and stand in fourth place in the league. Thet had a rough first game against the experienced roster of the Wichita Wild, getting beat in almost every aspect of the game. They stuck with them until half, but then struggled in the second half where the score got away from them in a finish of 60-34 in favor of the Wild. Since then they have won five of their last six and have several favorable matchups through the rest of the season.

DeWayne currently is tied for second in the league with three other players with four interceptions and DeWayne and Ira both are in the top 25 in the league with 29 total tackles. Ira has snagged three interceptions while also getting some recent kick return action.

The support for the Bombers has been spectacular as they have sold out two of their five home games with over 5,100 at the franchise's first-ever home game.

TheWild are first in the league with a 9-1 record and are very close to clinching the inaugural playoffs for the first season of the CPIFL's existence. As a team, the Wild are one of the top teams in the league in almost every defensive, offensive, and special teams category.

Fambrough, a kicker, had a shaky start in his first couple games during his first pro experience adjusting to the smaller field and goal posts, as well as adjusting to the new rules regarding kickoffs which require him to keep the ball inbounds or take a penalty.

Since then, Fambrough has honed in on his accuracy and now currently owns the top spot in just about every league stat category: most field goals made, best field goal percentage, most PATs made, most legal touchbacks.

He also leads the league in scoring for a kicker as well as average points scored per game. With the Wild offense being so successful, Fambrough's opportunities are plenty. He was named the Special Teams Player of the Week after his successful 10 extra points made, two field goals and five legal touchbacks in the 82-9 win over Mid-Missouri in which the Wild scored 11 touchdowns, seven on offense and four on defense.