December 31

The final day of 2019 began with cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40s, in early afternoon we made our way north on 222 for the first time in seventeen days. The Royals went 2-2 on their most recent road swing, on this day the Maine Mariners were the opponent for the third of their six regular season visits. This was the first time the Royals played a home game on New Years Eve since 2014 (a 4-0 loss to the late Elmira Jackals), on this day the puck dropped at 4:00 with the club wearing special "tuxedo-style" sweaters that had to be seen to be believed. Maine took an early 1-0 lead but the Royals struck back in the latter part of the first period, goals by Garret Cockerill and Steven Swavely made it 2-1 at the intermission. Brayden Low upped the lead to two early in the second, midway through the frame the Mariners replied to make it 3-2. Goals by Swavely (his second of the night) and first-year Flyers property Matthew Strome (recently assigned from the AHL Phantoms) gave the Royals a 5-2 lead entering the third period. Maine got one back in the final frame but it wasn't enough as the Royals took it 5-3, Kirill Ustemenko got the start in net and recorded the win. The Royals close out the 2019 portion of the schedule at 18-10-4 overall and 12-2-1 at the Arena, the new year starts with back-to-back home dates on January 3 and 4. In December the club played eight of its eleven games on the road, in January nine of eleven are at home (and the two road games are in the same city nineteen days apart). I had Jenny and Helen home safe and sound and myself as well by 8:30, there was a New Years Eve celebration in downtown Lancaster but I couldn't have cared less because my partying days are long since in the rear-view mirror. Thanks for reading, my friends. Take care, see you in 2020.

December 28-30

Saturday lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the afternoon we were back at McCaskey for night #2 of the "Holiday Showcase". No middle school game on this day, just the usual JV/varsity doubleheader. Liberty HS (from Bethlehem PA, about seventy-five miles northeast of Lancaster) was the opponent for a battle of weather phenomenons: the "Red Tornado" versus the "Hurricanes". The JV game was a sixth consecutive victory for JPM, in the varsity game the Good Guys prevailed 83-66. On this night the club came out strong, scored the first points of the game and never lost the lead. Freddy used seven players, six of them scored and five hit double figures: Elijah Terry and Makai Ortiz-Gray tied for high with 21 each, Samir Gordon had 16, Isaiah Thomas had 13 and Carter Gingerich had ten with Irving Gonzalez rounding out the box score with two points. The club's mark sits at 4-4 (the same record after eight games as '18-19), divisional play within the league starts on January 3. Sunday was a miserably rainy day, perfect for staying indoors which was exactly what I did. The rain was still around on Monday morning when I was at the mall,  in the afternoon it cleared off as the JV team convened at McCaskey for a short bus ride just outside the city limits to Lancaster Catholic HS. This was a JV-only date that came about largely through personal connections since Freddy was the JV coach at LCHS before coming to McCaskey (I have my own personal history there as well although my association had nothing to do with basketball). From an enrollment and power ratings standpoint the schools' varsity teams would not meet in a non-league game but at the JV level there are no such concerns, the more games you can play against good competition the better it is. LCHS has traditionally had a competitive program and the game was an excellent test, at halftime the score was tied but in the second half JPM turned it up a notch and pulled away for a 61-45 win. The squad finishes the 2019 portion of its schedule at 7-1 overall (4-0  in the league), they are back on the floor along with the varsity on January 3. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 26-27

Out and about on Thursday morning as the world began to return to normal, on Friday afternoon I was at McCaskey for a rare basketball triple-header. The annual holiday tournament which has been beset by a variety of problems in recent seasons was canceled (at least for this year), in its place we have back-to-back non-league dates at home involving both JV and varsity. The proceeds from the tournament always benefited the booster club, in lieu of the tournament these two home dates are serving as the fundraiser. Friday's events began at 3:00 with a game involving two of the city's middle school teams, John F. Reynolds defeated Abraham Lincoln (my middle school alma mater, class of 1971). I wasn't obligated to work the game but I did because the kids at that level rarely get the big-league treatment, for many of them it's the only time they'll get to play in The Big Gym in The Big School. The JV/varsity games featured Strath Haven (from suburban Philadelphia) as the opponent, the JPM JV continued on their winning ways with a seventeen-point decision. The varsity game was eerily reminiscent of the game against Elizabethtown, we came out flat and never led in a frustrating 65-64 loss. We trailed by five at the quarter and by twelve at the half, in the second half the guys battled back but could not get over the hump. On the one hand it's good to see the club fight back without surrender but on the other hand we fell way behind early for a second straight game and that trend needs to come to a screeching halt. Elijah Terry (24 points) and Makai Ortiz-Gray (22) were the only two in double figures for JPM as the record drops to 3-4 overall, the boys are back on the floor on Saturday the 28th (night #2 of the tournament that isn't a tournament). Take care, thanks for reading.

December 20-25

Friday night at McCaskey as the Red Tornado hosted Elizabethtown in a divisional crossover. The JV squad started the night with another one-sided win, since losing their non-league opener the club has won four straight within the league by an average of twenty-nine points. The varsity game on this night was another matter entirely, it was an exercise in aching frustration. E-Town is (along with Warwick) expected to be a major force in Section II, given this result it makes the victory over Warwick all the more valuable. On this night it was our turn to be behind the eight-ball, E-Town scored the game's first twelve points and we never recovered. The final score was 76-67, Elijah Terry and Makai Ortiz-Gray had big nights with 25 and 24 respectively but it means little when you don't win the game. The record drops to 3-3 overall and 3-1 within league play, the boys have one more crossover game but that comes up in late January. Had lunch with Jenny and her mother on Saturday, the rest of the weekend and the early part of the new week had little to recommend it. We're in "that time of year" which has been historically depressing and in light of what happened during the summer it hasn't changed one iota. Over the past five months I honestly believe I've been handling things as well as I can (because in my opinion I HAVE) but that doesn't mean the loss isn't felt. On Wednesday (the "big day" itself) I went to Jenny's place and spent most of the day there, I merely thought it the better alternative to sitting around the house all day by myself (plus it goes without saying that anytime Jenny and I are together is a good thing). In the afternoon Jenny's sister Carol, her niece Amber (Carol's daughter) and Amber's two children dropped in for supper, Helen made sure there was plenty of food to go around. When I returned home after dark I showered and settled in for the night in a relatively good frame of mind. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 18-19

Wednesday afternoon: convened at McCaskey for the bus ride to Lititz and that wonderful place known as Warwick HS. The LL League began in 1972, that first year JPM went unbeaten in league play and won the championship. The following season our first regular season loss was to Warwick in their gym and they acted like it was the World Series, the Stanley Cup and pro football's championship all rolled into one. Over the years Warwick has been a PITA program to play against, no matter how good or bad they are a game against them is never an easy time. Warwick played in the league title game in '18-19 and entered the new season as one of the favorites in their division, on this night in Lititz the JV squad continued its winning streak with a 59-46 verdict. The varsity came away with a W as well but it was (typically) a battle all the way. JPM broke out to a 10-0 lead, at the quarter the advantage was down to five. From that point forward the the game was exactly even, each team scored thirteen points in the second quarter, fourteen in the third and twenty-two in the fourth. In the final frame we were up by as much as thirteen and by as little as two, when the smoke cleared at the buzzer the Red Tornado prevailed 65-60. Elijah Terry rebounded from an off-night on Monday with twenty-two points, Isaiah Thomas had sixteen, Makai Ortiz-Gray added eleven and Carter Gingerich checked in with ten. Johnathan Byrd, Irving Gonzalez and Samir Gordon rounded out the scoring with two points each. The club's mark stand at 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the league, crossover play continues at home versus Elizabethtown on Friday the 20th. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 16-17

It was overcast on Monday morning with rain in the forecast, I had my car at the service center for some diagnostic work. As it turned out everything was covered under warranty, I had close to two hundred dollars worth of work done and it didn't cost me a cent (no complaints from this corner at all). In late afternoon I was at McCaskey for the first home game of basketball season, the boys hosted Conestoga Valley in an divisional crossover game. We play our four division mates twice each and each club from "Section Two" once each, it's the second year for this particular format (rumor has the league realigning in 2020-21 but that's another story). Both JV and varsity began league play with wins in Lebanon the previous Friday, on this night at JPM the JV squad improved to 2-1 with a thirty-nine point victory. The varsity game was similarly almost never in doubt as the Red Tornado rolled to an 82-58 win. It should be noted that CV was missing three of their better players and they were 1-3 coming in so quite frankly it was a game we should have won and the guys took care of business. We were up 44-11 at halftime, the second half was just about all "garbage-time" although you have to give CV credit in that the game never entered into the mercy rule (which kicks in when the margin reaches forty points). Nine players got into the scoring column for JPM: Isaiah Thomas led with 17, Makai Ortiz-Gray had 15, Irving Gonzalez added 13 and Samir Gordon scored 11. Elijah Terry and Carter Gingerich had seven each, Kevin Polite (from the 18-19 JV club) added six and newcomers Misael Gonzalez and Jonathan Byrd had three apiece. Misael played JV in '17-18 and is back from a year's absence, Byrd is a freshman and the brother of former JPM player Bryant Byrd (class of 2008). The team stands at 2-0 league-wise and 2-2 overall, they are back on the floor at Warwick (always a fun place to visit) on Wednesday the 19th. Had lunch with Jenny on a miserably rainy Tuesday, spent the rest of the day at home and was glad to be there. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 13-15

Friday morning lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening we were downtown at the Arena for the first time since November 30. The Royals went 0-3-1 on a very difficult road trip and entered this weekend in the throes of an overall 0-4-1 skid. The Brampton Beast were the opposition for the opener of a back-to-back, on this night the Royals took a 1-0 first-period lead thanks to team captain Garrett Mitchell. The visitors from Ontario scored twice early in the second to go up 2-1, later in the period the Royals struck twice within thirty seconds. Goals by Max Willman and newcomer Marly Quince (first-year man from Clarkson University) put the Good Guys ahead for good, in the third Trevor Gooch added an insurance marker and Willman's second of the night salted away the 5-2 win for Kirill Ustemenko. On Saturday it was the annual Teddy Bear Toss Night, Jenny and Helen were absent for their apartment complex holiday party. Jenny had a thirty-gallon plastic bag full of donations for the cause, I made sure they were deposited properly when I arrived at the Arena. It was also Mascot Mania Night, Royals mascot Slapshot was joined by the Flyers' Gritty along with many others. Those in attendance on this night saw a game that started poorly but ended as a classic. Brampton had a 2-0 lead before much of the crowd was in its seats, moments later Corey Mackin scored the "teddy bear" goal to make it 2-1. Late in the period the Royals' lightning struck again, goals by Mackin and Garret Cockerill separated by forty-one seconds gave the club a 3-2 lead at intermission. The Beast tied the game in the second period and went ahead 4-3 early in the third. midway through the period Steven Swavely lit the lamp to pull the Royals even. With six minutes left Garrett Mitchell took a shot that appeared to hit the top inside corner of the net, as the crowd reacted and the Royals celebrated the play continued for a few seconds before the referee blew the whistle. Video replay review determined that the puck had indeed entered and exited the net in split-second fashion, the score by Mitchell gave the Royals a 5-4 lead. Down the stretch Felix Sandstrom shut the door to earn the victory and a sweep of the two-game series. The club stands at 15-8-4 overall and 11-2-1 at home, another four-game road swing is in the offing before the next home game on New Years Eve. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 9-12

Monday morning at the mall for the usual constitutional which was about all that happened, on Tuesday Jenny was in town for a medical appointment. Helen rode with her on the access van, I took them home and we had lunch along the way. In the evening I was at McCaskey, the girls basketball team hosted Reading High. This was probably the one time all season I'll get to see the girls play, most of their games coincide with when the boys are playing. The program was in the district playoffs as recently as 2017 but times have been tough since then. The varsity squad started its season in a tournament over the weekend, a victory in the consolation game ended an unsightly thirty-game losing streak that dated back to January of '18. The good times did not continue on this night, both varsity and JV suffered one-sided losses. On Wednesday evening the RHS/JPM rivalry continued on the boys side, we traveled north on 222 for the second road game of the season. Reading High (much like Chester) is traditionally one of the best programs around, the rivalry between the city's high schools dates back better than one hundred years (which actually predates the institution of McCaskey in the 1930s). The JPM JV made its season debut in disappointing fashion with a twenty-point loss, the varsity game was of similar design as the Red Tornado lost 80-60. Elijah Terry had a huge night with thirty-two points, Samir Gordon was the only other man in double figures with fourteen. We were outscored by ten points from the floor and ten more from the line, as is per usual our opponent always seems to make more free throws than we even attempt (one does not expect equitable officiating on the road in non-league games, the problem is that we deal with it on a regular basis within our league as well). The team only has three returnees and there is a lot of inexperience at the varsity level as a result but one thing can be said with certainty: this is a scrappy group that has played hard in both games and hasn't quit at all, one can see goods things on the horizon as they come together. The boys play in Lebanon on Friday, the next game after that is at home (finally) on Monday the 16th. On Thursday afternoon I took the scorebooks over to practice, I'm out of the Lebanon trip since the Royals are at home on both Friday and Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 7-8

Saturday morning lunch with Jenny in Quarryville, in the afternoon we boarded the bus at McCaskey. When the late Steve "Bird" Powell became head coach in 1993 we began an annual tradition of playing his alma mater as part of our non-league schedule, he was a 1968 graduate of Chester High School and is enshrined in the CHS Athletic Hall-Of-Fame. Chester is traditionally one of the top programs in the state, over the years we have beaten them only a handful of times but the experience gained from playing a tough non-league opponent is always beneficial. In a scheduling quirk we did not play Chester in '18-19, on this night we traveled into the shadow of Philadelphia for the first time since December of 2016. This game was part of a six-game showcase event in Chester, the first game started at 1:00 and we were the main-event at 8:30. Many people probably viewed us as the sacrificial lamb since we were opposing the host school but the game was very competitive. JPM started strong and led by nine at the quarter, at the half the lead was ten. In the third quarter Chester made their move and cut the deficit to four, in the final period they outscored us by twelve and won the game 54-46. The officiating unsurprisingly played a role, we were called for thirty fouls and had three men disqualified while Chester was whistled for nineteen and never had anyone in trouble. On the floor we outscored them 38-34, at the line they outscored us 20-8 and that made the difference. All things considered it's not entirely disappointing, we have only three returnees on the roster but the guys acquitted themselves well. In past years we've gone into that gym and lost by thirty, many probably expected a similar result this time around but our kids showed a lot of heart and they never gave up. Freddy used ten players and six got into the scoring column: newcomer Elijah Terry led with 18, returnees Isaiah Thomas and Makai Ortiz-Gray were next with 11 and eight respectively. Samir Gordon (from the '18-19 JV squad) added six, newcomers Irving Gonzalez (two points) and Jayon Burnside (one-for-two at the line) rounded out the scoring. With it all we weren't back home until almost 12:45 on Sunday morning, I spent all of that day indoors with pro football and college hockey on TV. The boys play at Reading HS on Wednesday the 11th with the JV squad in action as well. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 1-6

The final month of 2019 began on a Sunday, there was rain in the area but it meant little to me since I spent the day in the quiet of home. The first few days of the week were uneventful, typical of that time between seasons since dek hockey is over and basketball at McCaskey is not yet in full swing. High school winter sports began practice on November 18, the JPM boys had a scrimmage on the road on the 23rd. On Tuesday the club traveled to Wilson HS in suburban Reading for its second scrimmage, I rode along on the bus just for the hell of it. Freddy Ramos is starting his second year as head coach with virtually an all-new support staff. Tim Glackin and Ray Lewis are both taking the year off due to work/family concerns, the only coaching holdover is Cedric Horne who did a lot of the advance scouting in '18-19 but he'll be present at our games more frequently going forward. Jason Yurchak has joined up as a varsity assistant, he and and Freddy have worked together previously. The new junior varsity head coach is Reggie Watson (a former JPM football player in the early 90s) and former 1000-point scorer Devonne Pinkard (JPM class of '13 who played at the University Of Delaware) has returned as JV assistant. The organizational roster lists twenty-four players, twelve each for varsity and JV. The varsity features three returnees, four additions from the '18-19 JV squad, one player from the '17-18 JV club returning from a season's absence and four others entirely new to the program. One of the new players is Lancaster Mennonite transfer Elijah Terry who scored 804 points over three seasons at LM, he comes to McCaskey for his senior year and has an excellent chance to become the twelfth 1000-point scorer in program history. The road begins for real with a varsity-only date in Chester on the 7th, the JV squad makes its season debut on the 11th. Take care, thanks for reading.