December 17-31

Overnight into Thursday the snow came to an end and the storm system moved out, when I unlocked for the day the front walks had already been cleared. New neighbors moved in next door in May, one of the family is a young man who played JV basketball at McCaskey a few years back. His mother once asked me who shovels my walk when it snows, when I said it was me she said her sons would take care of it. She knows I'm almost 64 and although I'm in reasonably good shape for my age I'll gladly accept any assistance I can get. I had enough of a job getting my car cleared out of my space in the lot where I park, I took a drive out onto the highway to warm it up. The highways were in good shape, the worst part were the streets in the city itself. According to reports there was 7.5 inches of snowfall in the city, nearby Millersville hit the county's top total with ten inches. This far exceeds all of the 2019-20 season where our area had 4.5 inches total. Areas further north and west were hit much harder, Williamsport set a record for their area with 27 inches. Over the next few days temperatures hit the high 40s which helped melt down most of the leftover. As most know this is a time of year that does little for me, many years ago I lost the feeling and it's never come back. Since Jenny and I came together in 2001 I've tried for her sake because it means something to her. On the "big day" itself I was with her and her mother at their place for a second consecutive year, it beats sitting at home doing nothing. Helen prepared a very enjoyable meal, joining us for it were Jenny's older sister Carol, Carol's daughter Amber and her daughter Mariah. We all sat reasonably apart and everything worked out just fine. I can't predict what the future might hold (nobody can), all I can say is I hope 2021 is better than 2020. I can't imagine it being much worse. Take care, everyone. See you next year.

December 1-16

The final month of 2020 started on a Tuesday as uneventful as most days over the last several months have been. Jenny and I have our lunch visits twice a week but most every other day for me consists of lunch at the plaza, whatever errands I have to take care of and then I'm back home for the day. Where do you go when there's nowhere to go, what do you do when there's nothing to do, what do you write about when there is so little happening? The one noteworthy event was weather-related, on Wednesday the 16th we had our first major snowfall of the season. I was keenly aware of the impending forecast, I spent Monday and Tuesday getting things done in anticipation of bad travel on Wednesday. As it happened the snow didn't arrive until early afternoon, I was able to get out for lunch. Jenny was in town at a friend's house, her friend had doctor appointments scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday and Jenny was there to babysit her daughters. I took a sub to her for lunch, as I was on my way there the snow started and by the time I was home it was coming in earnest. I told Jenny it's just as well she was in town, had I gone to her place for lunch I may have had a hell of a time getting home. The snowfall was still coming into the evening hours and under the circumstances this was one night I didn't mind being home. Take care, thanks for reading. 

November 16-30

The second half of the month started with news both good and bad. The good news was that the city school district voted to allow the start of winter sports practice at McCaskey. In all likelihood there won't be any basketball games until the New Year but at least for now the door is still open, practice officially started on the 23rd. The bad (or maybe devastating is a better word) news came from Reading where the Royals in conjunction with the other clubs in the ECHL's North Division announced a one-year suspension due to the ongoing circumstances. Between the restrictions on fan attendance and the financial losses that would certainly result the entire division as one entity elected to sit out in hopes of returning to play in the fall of 2021. To say it sucks is an understatement but it's the same for our friends in Glens Falls, Brampton, Worcester, Portland and St. John's as well. The eighteenth day of the month had some small significance, it marked ten years since this blog started here at blogger.com. I started keeping an online journal in January of 2010 at another hosting site and moved it here in November. The original blog no longer exists online but I saved the entries in print before it disappeared (for exactly what reason could be debated). I've always been aware I have a small following here, I don't know who reads the tripe and drivel I post but I appreciate my readers just the same. On the Wednesday before "Turkey Day" I was with Jenny and her mother for lunch, in the afternoon I drove them to a relative's house in Parkesburg (in Chester County, about fifteen miles east of Quarryville). They had been invited to stay overnight for the holiday, I made sure they arrived safely and the relatives brought them home on Thursday night. On the 30th I had my annual appointment with my heart doctor, it's been six years since my episode in September of 2014. The doctor said everything looks and sounds great, as long as there is no recurrence (and there has never been any) he won't need to see me for another year. Take care, thanks for reading. 

November 1-15

The eleventh month of this shipwreck of a calendar year began on a Sunday, on the following Thursday evening I was back at the stadium for one last autumn event. The Class of 2021 voted to hold a Homecoming King And Queen ceremony, although it couldn't happen at a game as usual the students elected to hold it independently because they felt it an important part of their high school experience. On a personal note I singularly couldn't have cared less about Homecoming when I was in school, I was never a part of anything like that because I was never among the "popular" crowd. When the school's coordinator of student activities called me and asked if I was available to emcee I was more than willing to be there, had it happened under normal conditions I would have been present anyway. The show started at 6:00 with the cheerleaders doing a few of their routines and a performance by the marching band, that was followed by my introduction of the twelve candidates each for King and Queen (in my days there was no such thing as a Homecoming King, each of the Queen candidates had a male escort but they themselves were not in the running for any particular honor). The entire program was livestreamed as the football games had been, we were done about forty-five minutes after we started. Football season itself ended on the 13th, after four straight home games to start the year JPM finished with five straight on the road. The results were no better than they had been at home, the club concluded the season at 0-9 and were outscored 364-55 (that's a game average of 40-6). In 2010 the program went 7-3 and made district playoffs, since then the overall mark is 22-77. Under the circumstances I'm just glad we had a season of any kind, with any luck we'll be able to have a basketball season in the winter. Let Them Play. Take care, thanks for reading. 

October 23-31

Friday the 23rd: back at JPM for another day behind the mic, the boys soccer team was holding its Senior Day activities in the stadium. Head coach Adam Wood had personally called me about a week earlier, the very next day Jon Mitchell e-mailed me about it and the girls' team Senior Day as well. The soccer programs usually play at a field close by the stadium but the Senior Day games are always in the stadium to allow for use of the PA. On Friday the boys hosted Manheim Central, the senior recognitions preceded the varsity game at 4:00 with the JV game following. The varsity clinched their division championship with a 2-1 victory, the JV squad lost by the identical score. On Saturday morning it was the girls team's turn, this was a varsity-only date kicking off at 10:00. The pregame festivities were the highlight of the day for JPM, the club finished a one-win season with a 6-1 loss to visiting Northern Lebanon. I'm obviously not involved with the school soccer teams beyond presiding over the annual Senior Days but I'm always glad to do it if I'm able to. High school sports is all about the kids and the soccer teams rarely get to play in the "big-league" atmosphere, if I can help to make their Senior Day memorable that's so much the better for everyone. Both dates were open for fan attendance under certain guidelines, both were reasonably well-attended and by all accounts everybody went home happy. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 16-22

Friday the 16th: made a special-guest-starring appearance on the mic at a football game between two schools considered rivals of my own school and each other. Hempfield athletic director Steve Polonus is an old acquaintance, he was an assistant basketball coach at McCaskey in the early 1990s and was also AD at JPM for several years. He had contacted me about a week earlier, his regular guy couldn't work on this night and he asked if I might be available. Since McCaskey wasn't playing at home and I was not otherwise occupied I wasn't about to turn him down. Manheim Township was the opponent, when I was on the field in the pregame MT head coach Mark Evans was pleasantly surprised to see me there. Coach Evans and I have a unique connection: we already knew each other from football when he took over doing the scorebooks for MT's boys basketball team a few years back, the first time we worked basketball together was at a game at McCaskey. When we visited Township later that season he was doing the PA as well as the book, he told me he had not done both until we worked together that night at JPM. He said working that game with me inspired him to want to do the PA at his home games. I realized he was paying me one hell of a compliment and I greatly appreciated it especially since it was coming from a man who has enjoyed a great deal of success in the coaching profession and mentoring the young men who have played under him. In the game itself Township took control almost the word GO and won easily 49-7. There were actual real live people in attendance, Steve told me they were capped at about 400 with most of the tickets reserved for parents and family members. There were some fans who recognized me, I got a few "Frenchy, what are you doing here?" reactions but nobody seemed to mind the fact that I was there. It's always unusual to work a game not involving your own team but I managed to muddle through and make it sound like I knew what the hell I was doing. Take care, thanks for reading. 

October 8-15

Had an e-mail from Jon Mitchell earlier in the week, Senior Night for the football team and cheerleaders was scheduled for Thursday the 8th at the stadium and he asked if I'd be able to preside over it. This would normally be held as part of a game night but with the attendance restrictions the school board has established it was rescheduled as a stand-alone event so the parents could be physically present. We got started shortly after 7:00 and it was all over in about twenty-five minutes, we recognized six cheerleaders and fourteen football players. As I was on my way out one of the parents approached me and thanked me for being there, he said it meant a great deal to a lot of people. I can completely understand his viewpoint since the parents have been shut out from seeing their kids perform in person (yes, the games have been livestreamed but it's not the same as actually being there). I thanked him for appreciating what I do, under normal circumstances I would have been there anyway so being present for this was no issue at all. Friday night was game night, JPM hosted Wilson for the last of four straight home dates. The Senior Night activities were recorded and broadcast on the livestream as a lead-in to the game itself. Wilson is traditionally one of the strongest programs in the state, on this night the competitive aspect was never in doubt. The visitors from suburban Reading scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and led 34-0 at the half. It was 41-0 with the mercy rule in effect in the fourth quarter, with six minutes left the Red Tornado scored defensively when Jose Garcia picked up a Wilson fumble and returned it 45 yards for the touchdown (Garcia ironically wears uniform #45). Sam Hershey's PAT was the last point of the night as Wilson took it 41-7. As it stands right now JPM has three games left and they are all on the road, Jon said he's working on getting some games added in November so we'll see what happens. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 1-7

As a well-known sportcaster from my younger years would have said: "time continues on its inexorable march". October is usually the time of year when we're gearing up for ice hockey season in Reading but at last look the Royals won't be starting until January at the earliest and there's no guarantee of that. We haven't played dek hockey at Reservoir Park since November of 2019, the city never officially opened the parks in the spring and since the rink is within a city park we're subject to that restriction. On the 2nd it was another Friday night at McCaskey as the Red Tornado hosted Hempfield for the season's second divisional game. Former JPM head coach Eric Spencer was in the house, he's on the Hempfield staff as an assistant coach. McCaskey's last victory was under his watch in week #3 of the 2018 season, on this night the program's losing streak reached an even twenty with a 45-7 setback. The lone score for McCaskey came in the second quarter on a 93-yard kickoff return by Issac Burks, JPM trailed at the half 22-7 and was outscored 23-0 after the break. The club's four-game homestand continues on the 9th when perennial powerhouse Wilson visits, from there (as it stands right now) the rest of the season is on the road. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 21-30

Back at McCaskey on the 25th for the second week of football season, Cedar Crest visited from Lebanon County for a divisional matchup. The setup remained the same in terms of procedure, no tickets sold or fans permitted but the game was livestreamed which will undoubtedly continue since by all accounts the first week went well. At halftime I was in the "comfort station" under the grandstand when one of Cedar Crest's bus drivers entered and said to me "sir, may I ask you a question? Are you 'Frenchy'?". This gentleman played in the old Lancaster Recreation Softball League at Conlin Field in the mid-1970s when I was cutting my teeth on the PA there as a teenager, he said he heard That Voice on this occasion and figured it had to be me. He told me he had been at a hockey game in Reading a few years back and recognized my voice there as well. It's always good to be noticed especially when it comes from someone who goes back forty-five years. In the game itself JPM led 3-0 at the half on a Sam Hershey 42-yard field goal, after the break Cedar Crest came alive and ran out to a 27-3 advantage. In the fourth quarter Issac Burks found the end zone on a 51-yard catch-and-run from Matthew Remash, the same combination hooked up for the two-point conversion to bring the final score to 27-11. The record drops to 0-2 and the road gets no easier, Hempfield visits on October 2 followed by Wilson on the 9th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 1-20

The ninth month of 2020 began on a Tuesday, the following Monday was Labor Day aka The Last Day Of Summer (although a case can be made that we had very little summer and almost no spring at all). On the 8th the school board met and voted to green-light the fall sports season at McCaskey. It wasn't a landslide decision but many of the student-athletes were there and made their feelings known which certainly must have influenced the decision. On the 14th a federal judge in Pittsburgh ruled on a lawsuit brought against the governor by several businesses and other concerned parties. The verdict was that most of the governor's edicts and mandates were unconstitutional and in violation of the first and fourteenth amendments, as a result the stay-home orders, limits on public gatherings and "non-essential" business closures are null and void. The governor responded by announcing he will appeal the verdict and seek a stay of judgement. We all knew this was going to eventually get messier (it's been messy for months) but it's good to see somebody finally standing up to what has been in my opinion (and millions of others as well) a terrible example of government overreach. The football team at McCaskey was scheduled to play at Lebanon on the 11th, with the first three weeks of the season canceled that game instead became the team's only pre-season scrimmage. The schedule began for real at home on the 18th as Elizabethtown visited for the season's lone non-divisional game. Despite the federal ruling the school district barred fans from attending on this night, the only live spectators were the McCaskey band, the cheerleading squad and various members of each team's support staff. The school set up a live internet stream of the game which slightly affected the way I do my job, since the score and time remaining was not always on-screen I made a point to update the viewers periodically and especially on changes of possession. This was the start of my 33rd year on the PA at McCaskey and the second year for Sam London as head coach. The program was 0-10 in his first year, on this night the losing streak was extended as E-town won easily 42-6. The game was scoreless through one quarter, in the second the visitors struck for three touchdowns and led 21-0 at the half. The Red Tornado got on the board in the third quarter on a 12-yard scamper by Josiah Gray but E-town responded in kind on the next drive and the outcome was never really in doubt. Not the beginning anybody wanted but for me personally it felt damned good to be back in the Air Chair (for the first time since the Royals season ended early on March 8) even though it was strange with no fans in attendance. The most important thing is THE KIDS GOT TO PLAY. The club hosts Cedar Crest on the 25th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 17-31

As the second half of August began there was major news breaking regarding high school athletics. The PIAA (the governing body of HS sports in Pennsylvania) announced a delay of the fall season, for football in particular the delay forces the first three weeks of the season to be canceled. The revised schedule called for practices to begin on the 31st with the first games on the weekend of September 18-19. For the Lancaster-Lebanon League that means each school plays just one non-league game followed by its six-game league schedule, at McCaskey that means four consecutive home games followed by the final three on the road. The city school board subsequently announced a vote scheduled for September 8 at which time the decision whether or not to proceed with all the fall sports programs will be made. I guess they want to monitor the first week of practices and if all goes well the green light will be given. There were several school districts across the state announcing they would not participate in the fall season, I certainly hope the rug doesn't get pulled out from under the kids at JPM. The spring sports teams lost their seasons and the various summer athletic programs (the county youth baseball league included) reported no massive outbreaks so maybe the worst of it is indeed behind us. There are those who believe it was never as dangerous as it was portrayed (and to a degree I'm one of them) and after five-and-a-half months of "two weeks to flatten the curve" the public-at-large has just about HAD IT. I never doubted from the start that the situation was real and caution was warranted but sooner or later the political games must end and the public MUST be allowed to make their own decisions without constant interference from the state government (which has been inconsistent and confusing at best). Take care, thanks for reading.

August 1-16

The county youth baseball league schedule leaked over into early August, there was one final game at Community Park on Wednesday the 5th. The 12u team in Section Three lost to Donegal Black finishing their season at 2-7. The Section Two team finished 6-4 and the Salsa club in the 10u league was 6-3. The entire league featured eighty-four teams among the three age groups (14u, 12u and 10u) and obviously there were many communities represented by multiple teams. For example Mountville fielded eleven different teams (Giants, Cubs, Indians, Nationals, Pirates, Tigers, Phillies, Yankees, Orioles, Red Sox and Angels), by contrast Lancaster did not field a team in the 14u division. Before the game on the 5th one of the coaches approached me and asked which of the players was "mine". I explained that I had no personal connections to anyone, I was just there to watch a ballgame. These are city kids, I'm a city guy, many of them may one day play at McCaskey and with my association there it's only right to come out and support them. He seemed to genuinely appreciate all that since most of the spectators at these games are related in some way to one or more of the players. The midpoint of the month marked a special occasion, the 16th was Jenny's birthday. There was a time when she looked forward to it but in recent years her enthusiasm has waned somewhat, I guess she thinks there's some sort of a stigma involved. None of that matters to me, we've been together for close to nineteen years and I love her as much as I ever have. Her birthday fell on a Sunday, I asked her if she wanted to do lunch on that day or on Saturday as usual, she elected the latter. She didn't ask for anything specific in terms of a gift but I think she'll like what she got. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 17-31

The latter part of July featured five nights of youth baseball, on the 20th and and 30th the 10u Salsa team played at Davey Arnold Field. On the 20th they lost to the Cocalico Eagles, on the 30th they won over Hempfield Red. The 12u team in Section Two played at Community Park on the 23rd and lost to the Mountville Yankees. The 12u Section Three club played on consecutive Fridays, winning over Hempfield on the 24th and losing to the Mountville Tigers on the 31st. On the 26th Jenny's friend had a birthday party for her older daughter at the same park south of town where she had her younger daughter's party in June. This gathering was somewhat better-attended than the previous get-together, I imagine a Sunday was just better for more people than that Saturday had been. Jenny and I have been doing our usual twice-weekly lunch dates although our usual spot has not yet reopened for eat-in service, I merely order our subs to go and we eat at her house. It has been better than four months since this "two weeks to flatten the curve" nonsense started in March and if our illustrious governor and secretary of health have their way there's no telling how much longer it will continue. As they used to say on TV: stay tuned. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 1-16

The second half of 2020 started the same way the first half ended with everyday life existing in a continual state of uncertainty. I contacted Jon Mitchell at McCaskey to let him know I'm still around, he said the fall sports season and any involved protocols are still being discussed. The start of the county youth baseball league has restored a small degree of normalcy, through the first half of the month I enjoyed five nights of warm sunshine and fresh air outdoors (which any doctor would tell you is much more beneficial than being locked up inside all day long). On back-to-back Thursdays I was at Community Park for games with the 12u club in Section Two, on the 2nd they won over the Mountville Phillies and on the 9th they defeated the Cocalico White Eagles. On the 13th I was at Davy Arnold Field (an old familiar haunt from my days as a teenager) for a game in the 10u league. The team at this level is officially known as Lancaster Salsa, on this night they lost to the Mountville Nationals. In the summer of 1972 I was involved with a Midget League team that played a number of games at Davy Arnold Field, the place hasn't changed much from those days (except for the lights for games after dark, they've been gone for decades). On the 15th at Community Park the 12u Section Three team lost to Solanco Gray, the next night the Section Two club lost to the Manheim Township Thunder. As it stands there are six more games I can get to before the season ends providing the weather cooperates. Jenny and I are having our regular twice-weekly lunch dates, we missed out for better than two months because of what can only be called government overreach so we're making up for lost time (as will most of our society once this ongoing BS is finally ended). Take care, thanks for reading.

June 16-30

Time marches on in what some are calling a "new normal" but to me it's nothing but temporary BS. Jenny has a friend with two young daughters, on Saturday the 20th she held a birthday party for her three-year-old at a county park just south of the city. The get-together lasted for about two hours, just long enough for the little one to understand it was all for her. Jenny, her mother and I were among the ten or twelve people there, others were invited but apparently either had plans or were perhaps hesitant over being out and about. For my part I'm long since past any so-called fear because it's been largely disproved, when I'm in public I can give other people their space and not crowd anyone unnecessarily. I'm not around anybody in particular for long enough to be overly concerned, the only people I see with any regularity are Jenny and her mother and that's usually just two days a week for lunch. When I'm there we sit apart in an attempt for security and so far we've all been fine. The last time they were at my place was in February before the hockey season ended early, they haven't been in since because baseball season never started at all. On Monday the 29th I was out of the house after the supper hour for the first time in SIXTEEN WEEKS, the county's youth baseball league belatedly started its season. The high school age division was canceled completely because most of its teams use school-property facilities which remain unavailable but the 14-and-under, 12-and-under and 10-and-under divisions are playing on fields in public parks. The city's recreation commission sponsers two teams in the 12u league and one in the 10u league, on this night the 12u team in Section Three played a home game in Lancaster Community Park (on the west side of town about three miles from my place). The boys lost to Donegal Green (from Mount Joy) but for me it just felt good to be out in the fresh air and sunshine at a game again. Yes, it wasn't a pro game or even a college or high school game but it was a BALLGAME and that's all that mattered. The 12u team in Section Two also plays at Community Park, the 10u team plays its games at Davy Arnold Field which is only about a mile from my house. The season runs through the month of July. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 1-15

The sixth month of 2020 began on a Monday with our county in the sixty-seventh day of "lockdown" and the nation-at-large in virtual chaos. Jenny and I spoke on the phone in the evening, she and her mother were cleaning up the apartment and wanted to move some furniture around. I told her I would come to visit for lunch on Tuesday and help them. At this point I don't much care about the so-called regulations anymore, what legitimate purpose they may have ever served has long since expired and the public-at-large has realized it. I hadn't been to their apartment since the stupidity started on March 27 and it felt damn good to be there, as far as I'm concerned we're getting back on schedule no matter what anyone says. There has been a lot of criticism of the way the governor and the secretary of health have handled this matter (and in my opinion most of it is warranted), on June 3 the simmering pot finally boiled over. A rally was held on that day in the state capital which on the surface was commendable because the cause was worthy, it's one I can easily support myself. The problems arose when the governor elected to actively participate and by doing so violated most every edict he has forced on the public since March. The gathering numbered more than 25 people (which is supposed to be outlawed), there was very little "social distancing" (which is what the public is supposed to be doing) and many in the group were not wearing facemasks (perhaps the biggest no-no of the bunch). His actions came under fire almost immediately and it only worsened when a photo of him at the rally featured a citizen in the background holding a sign bearing a very strong anti-police sentiment. His involvement was explained away as being "necessary" during troubled times but it still flies in the face of what the public has been advised (or "told") to do. Public health advocates added fuel to the fire by claiming that protesting is a civil right (even during an alleged pandemic) and a gathering of that type is not to be confused with other types of similar gatherings especially those for protest of stay-home orders. The level of hypocrisy in that statement is absolutely embarrassing, it's as if the virus can tell WHY your group has assembled, how many people are in it and will attack accordingly. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so ridiculous. On June 9 the state legislature finally acted with the bipartisan passing of a resolution immediately ending the governor's emergency proclamation (originally issued in March and renewed when it expired on June 6), he responded by refusing to acknowledge the legislature's right to do so and reaffirming his proclamation. A nasty court battle is in the offing regarding who has power over who (one state senator called it a "constitutional crisis") and it's not hyperbole to say the future of this entire state could be in the balance. Take care, friends. Thanks for reading.

May 17-31

Since the middle of March a powderkeg has been building within the boundaries of our state if not the whole damn country, sooner or later someone or something was going to light the fuse. The people of this commonwealth have been on interminable lockdown for reasons that are no longer supported by any data scientific or otherwise, entire families are starving, struggling to survive and in danger of losing everything they own. All the while the governor and the state secretary of health steadfastly refuse to loosen the death grip they hold over the very population they were elected to serve. In recent weeks more and more small businesses have opened in spite of the governor's guidelines (which are not LAWS and are therefore unconstitutional) and have been harassed by various law enforcement agencies. One of the most egregious examples is a business in York County owned by an 80-year-old veteran of three wars this country has been involved with. In many areas the local prosecutors have said they will not enforce the governor's edicts or prefer legal charges against those who are merely trying to make what living they can to survive. I have always felt that this entire situation will end when The People decide that it's over, as the month of May drew to a close the long-overdue eruption was beginning. On Monday the 25th (as we were supposed to be celebrating Memorial Day) there was an incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota involving an African-American citizen and a Caucasian police officer that resulted in the civilian's death. On the following weekend peaceful protests in many cities turned violent and I truly believe that the Minneapolis incident was only part of the reason. What started as a protest of the treatment that gentleman received escalated into ugliness because it gave the general populace an excuse to work off their simmering pent-up frustrations. The People are fed up with the hypocrisy and double-dealing at the political level, they are tired of being chained up at home with no way to support their families and no outside entertainment diversions available. The governor issued a statement that actually praised and encouraged the protesting provided it didn't become violent (what exactly does that even mean?), needless to say that idea didn't work out at all. As it stands my county is scheduled to "go yellow" on June 5 under his alleged "plan" to reopen the state, from what I can see his plan is in the trash because "social distancing" was vandalized and burned to the ground over the weekend. Stay tuned, friends. It may get uglier before it gets better. Thanks for reading.

May 1-16

The month of May began the same way it's been since this situation started in March. One noteworthy event happened on the 8th when I saw Jenny (albeit briefly) for the first time in six weeks. She was in town for an overnight visit with her friend's two young daughters and I had some goods I'd been keeping for her and her mother. Her friend was taking her home over the lunch hour so we arranged to meet at my usual lunch spot at the plaza. We were only together for about fifteen minutes while we got our subs and loaded the merchandise into her friend's car but every minute counted. The sub shop is managed by a very nice young lady named Erica, when the governor and the state's health secretary ruled in April on mandatory use of facemasks in public places she was kind enough to get one for me since she knows people who make them. I offered to give her a few dollars for the materials, the time involved and her kindness but she wouldn't hear of it. When the state government instituted this stay-home/lockdown/quarantine in March most people were largely willing to be reasonable for a REASONABLE amount of time. What was originally in good faith two weeks has become two MONTHS, under the governor's plan it is to last until June 4 and I'd lay odds it will last even longer. On May 10 our county's political leaders sent a letter to the governor informing him that the county would "reopen" on the 15th regardless of his plan, among the reasons being that (a) the predicted infection/fatality numbers from this virus were poorly projected and simply don't warrant continued closure and (b) many small business owners are on the verge of bankruptcy if they're not already there. Many other counties around the state are expressing similar concerns because the governor's plan (at least to the naked eye) appears to be haphazard with no scientific basis. On the 11th the governor addressed the various counties' representatives by saying that their actions were cowardly and they were deserting the fight. Up to that point I never had an opinion of the man either way but when he said that he lost me completely. For two months the people of this state have done everything asked of them and MORE, we're now at the point of enough is ENOUGH. You cannot keep people locked up indefinitely over something that MIGHT happen. I could be killed in an automobile accident but I'm not going to stop driving. I could break my neck falling down the stairs but I'm not staying on the second floor forever. I could die from the pollution in our atmosphere but I'm not going to stop breathing. The original idea behind "stay-at-home" was to "flatten the curve" and that has happened. It's no longer about the virus, it's become a matter of political agendas, power and control. Stay tuned, friends. Take care, thanks for reading.

April 16-30

The fourth month of 2020 ended four weeks and two days after it began with very little difference from start to finish. The governor's stay-home order is still in effect until at least May 8, the last time I was out of the house after sunset was the last hockey game in Reading on March 8. Since just about all of my outside activities are sports-oriented there is simply nothing going on. I haven't been to a movie theater in ages and I'm not a bars/clubs guy anymore but it doesn't matter because none of that is even open right now. I've taken to staying up later at night because there's no big hurry to get up in the morning, I've been sleeping later into the morning because there's no big hurry to go out for anything. My usual stop for lunch has remained open (albeit for take-out only) and I continue to patronize it because I don't want to see it out of business. There's been a lot of controversy over what constitutes essential business versus non-essential and my view is as follows: all business is essential if to nobody else but the people who own it, operate it and are employed there. The choice to be open or closed should belong to them with all risks and responsibilities assumed and understood. The choice to patronize or not patronize a business should belong to the customers under the same circumstances. Since this mess started in March I've been out-and-about each day doing what I need to as best I can with proper precautions taken and I've had no health issues at all. I recently spoke on the phone with a longtime friend who is ten years older than me, he said he hasn't been ill, he doesn't know anyone who has been ill and he doesn't know anyone who knows anyone who has been ill. I talk to Jenny every day, both she and her mother are OK save for being as bored to tears as I am. Maybe we're just fortunate or maybe this whole thing is overblown, there are a lot of people who believe the latter is true. You have health experts in the media giving conflicting viewpoints and nobody knows what to believe, you have politicians working their agendas because it's an election year and they care more about that than anything else. I don't claim to have all the answers but sooner or later the breaking point is going to arrive. If the elections were happening tomorrow I can't think of any incumbent in any office anywhere I would vote for to retain. As a guy I once knew would have said, "you can stick a fork in all them cats, they all suck". Take care, friends. Thanks for reading.

April 1-15

The fourth month of 2020 began on a Wednesday and it's hard to imagine any sophomoric April Fools Day joke less humorous than the current state of our society. The coronavirus pandemic continues and shows little sign of abating any time soon. The governor recently announced that schools would remain closed for the rest of the academic calendar year, that news put the spring high school sports season into the toilet as well. The baseball team at McCaskey had two weeks of practice and one scrimmage in the books before the plug was pulled, now it's literally "wait 'til next year". It's a shame especially for the outgoing seniors who will never get the opportunity to play at the high school level again. The state's "stay home" order has remained in place, my only outdoor activities have been for take-out lunch and groceries. On any given day I'm probably at home for twenty-two of the twenty-four hours, the worst part is that I'm getting used to it and I hate it because it SUCKS. I'd be more than happy to get out and go somewhere if there were anywhere to get out and go to. Jenny and I talk every day on the phone but I haven't seen her since March 27 and there's no telling when I might. Until things begin to stabilize and the "all clear" is issued there's no point in taking unnecessary chances with her health or her mother's (Helen is 82 and they say the elderly are the most susceptible). Right now the whole damn world is in a holding pattern and nobody can predict anything (although the so-called experts don't stop trying). Take care and stay safe, everyone. Thanks for reading.

March 16-31

It's often been said how the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, the third month of 2020 will be historically remembered in a whole different way entirely. On March 12 the coronavirus pandemic put the sports world into a cocoon, the hockey game in Reading the previous Sunday was the last athletic event on my calendar for the month that took place. On the 20th the governor announced that all non-essential businesses must close and the public was encouraged to limit outside activities as much as possible. It was all for the purpose of "flattening the curve", if you needed to be out and about it was advised to practice "social distancing" to lessen the spread of germs. Here of late my days have consisted of nothing but quick morning runs for what I consider "essential reasons" and then returning home, the only exception being the days Jenny and I had lunch together. We decided we weren't going to give that up until we had to, I merely got our subs to go and we ate at her house while sitting a respectable distance apart for safety. We had lunch as usual on the 27th, later that very day the governor added our county to the list of those under "stay home" orders which meant that all non-essential travel was discouraged. I told Jenny that I probably wouldn't see her again until this is lifted because I don't wish to put her or her mother in trouble with their complex or the law itself. If someone saw me getting out of my car and going into their apartment and they know I don't live there it could be a big problem. It's not going to be any fun at all but if it keeps me, her and her mother healthy we'll just live with it because we really have no other choice. Jenny and I talk at least twice daily on the phone so we won't ever be far apart. There is no way of predicting how long this will go on, it is a unique situation unlike anything I can remember in my sixty-three years on this planet. Over the next little while I won't be here on the blog much if at all, until the world returns to a sense of "normal" there simply will be little to talk about. In the meantime, my friends: take care, STAY SAFE and I'll see you when I see you. Thanks for reading.

March 9-15

When the new week began there were a lot of jokes floating around the internet about how weird it could be, the most popular being that it started with the clock change, included a full moon and ended with a Friday the 13th. As that old expression says: "little did they know". In recent weeks there has been extensive media coverage of something called Covid-19 otherwise known as the coronavirus. It apparently developed overseas and has been working its way into North America, by all accounts it is supposed to be very serious. In the middle of the week the circumstances hit the world of sports head-on and in unforgiving fashion. A professional basketball player in Utah tested positive for the virus, upon receiving the news the entire league suspended operations nationwide until further notice. On Thursday most every other pro sport currently in season followed suit with no guarantees when (or IF) play may resume. In the ECHL the other shoe dropped on Saturday, it was announced that the remainder of the season plus playoffs would be canceled. The league began in 1988, this is the first time in its history there will be no champion. The records will forever show that the Royals' last game was a 5-1 victory in Wheeling on March 10. The final mark was 37-17-6 overall and 22-7-2 at the Arena. The Royals finished second in their division, fourth within their conference and sixth overall within the entire 26-team league. During the latter part of the week more information came to light regarding the virus, it was suggested that people remain home as much as possible and refrain from large gatherings (all of which undoubtedly played a large part in the ECHL's decision). For the record I was out and about as usual on Friday and there was no shortage of traffic, everywhere I went had plenty of activity. On Saturday I saw Jenny for lunch and nowhere we went was deserted. For my part I plan to go about my business as best I can but I will take precautions because it's the sensible thing to do (and maintaining normal accepted human hygiene is a big help as well). On Friday the governor of the state ordered schools closed until March 27 which throws the spring sports season into limbo, baseball season at McCaskey was supposed to start on the 20th. Over the next little while there won't be much happening anywhere within a sports arena, we have no choice but to ride this thing out and see where it takes us. Take care (now more than ever), thanks for reading.

March 2-8

The first full week of March had little to recommend it, this is a time of year that traditionally is very slow. The high school winter sports season has been completed, the spring season hasn't started yet and the Royals were away on a five-game road trip. The club went 4-0-1 on the trip, the last of those four wins clinched a playoff spot. It's the tenth time in the last eleven seasons the franchise has made the postseason ('18-19 the lone miss) and the fourteenth time in the club's nineteen years in downtown Reading. On Sunday the Royals returned home for a busy day at the Arena, the first order of business was the fifteenth annual Battle Of The Badges. The first eleven editions of this game featured the Reading Fire and Police as opponents, in 2017 they joined together to oppose their brethren from the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area. On this day the A-Town contingent won 8-3 to take a 3-1 lead under the current format. The afternoon's main event saw the Royals hosting the Brampton Beast for the last of their four visits to the Arena and for the home team it was an exercise in frustration. There was no scoring until the third period when the visitors from North Of The 49th struck for two goals, in the closing moments the Royals went with the extra attacker. Matthew Strome lit the lamp to make it a 2-1 game but a Brampton empty-net score in the final seconds clinched the 3-1 decision. Tom McCollum took the loss but deserved a better fate. The record stands at 36-17-6 overall at 22-7-2 at home, the boys host Norfolk for a pair of games beginning on Friday the 13th. The BOB game had started at 12:30, the Royals game ended exactly six hours later. This was also the weekend for the semiannual clock change, we lost an hour's sleep overnight into Sunday which didn't help matters at all. Evey once in a while there is talk of doing away with it and I'm not entirely certain I would object. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 26-March 1

Wednesday night hockey in downtown Reading, the Royals hosted the Maine Mariners for the fifth of their six regular-season visits. This was the first of just two Wednesday home dates for the Royals, the other comes up on March 25. On this night at the Arena the teams skated through a scoreless first period but in the middle session the Royals kicked it into another gear. Hayden Hodgson made it 1-0 just over one minute into the period, three minutes later Max Willman (back from a stint with the Phantoms) hit the twine to double the lead. Garret Cockerill's score seven minutes in gave the Royals a 3-0 lead, thirty seconds after that Thomas Ebbing struck for goal number four. Less than two minutes later Corey Mackin made it 5-0, Matthew Strome finished the barrage at the twelve-minute mark with the sixth goal of the period. The six-pack came within a 10:55 span of clock time and effectively ended the game's competitive aspect, in the third period an early goal by Pascal Laberge (also just back from the Phantoms) and a late score from newcomer Lewis Zerter-Gossage brought the final score to 8-0. The irony of it all is that both Zerter-Gossage (first-year pro from Harvard University) and winning goaltender Tom McCollum began the season with Maine, they were assigned to the Royals together when the Phantoms acquired their AHL contracts on February 20. For McCollum the shutout is his second of the season in the ECHL and first with the Royals, it is the Royals' fifth as a team. The club's mark stands at 32-16-5 overall and 22-6-2 at the Arena, the next home date is the annual Battle Of The Badges on March 8. The remainder of the week was quiet except for Saturday lunch with Jenny. Leap Year Day was chilly and very windy as was Sunday the 1st, it showed the part of that old axiom about March coming in like a lion was true. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 24-25

Tuesday afternoon at McCaskey for the bus ride northwest to central Dauphin County and the end of the line for the 2020 basketball season. The boys lost 57-55, the result ends the season with a final mark of 16-10. It was a well-played game that wasn't decided until the final seconds but the big story for JPM was the second-quarter exit of Elijah Terry. He left the game with a lower-body injury and was unable to play from that point forward. It goes without saying that any team missing their leading scorer will be adversely affected, had Elijah not been injured the game result may well have been very different. The end of any season is disappointing but these guys sucked it up and fought to the death, there are teams who would crumble under similar adversity but our squad was not among that number. Needless to say the loss hurts right now but in time the guys will realize how much they have to take pride in. The sixteen wins were by an average of 17.5 points, the ten losses by 8.5. Elijah led the team with 475 points (18.3 average), he graduates with 1279 total points. Makai Ortiz-Gray averaged 14.7 points per game and Isaiah Thomas finished with an even 10.0 PPG. The club averaged 67.2 points per game and surrendered 59.7, they were 10-2 at home and 6-8 on the road. We lose six seniors (including the three named above) but there were eleven underclassmen who appeared in a varsity game including five members of the JV squad that finished 17-5. In two years as head coach Freddy Ramos' record is 27-21 and there is no doubt that program has become healthier under his watch. We'll see what happens when the new season comes around in November. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 22-23

Had lunch with Jenny and her mother on Saturday, in the evening we were back at the Arena for game #2 of the Royals' all-Canadian home weekend. The Brampton Beast was in town for the third of their four visits. The Royals entered on an eight-game winning streak which was ended on this night in rather emphatic fashion. The visitors from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) scored three goals in the first period, in the middle stanza Corey Mackin got the Royals on the board. Brampton replied quickly to go up 4-1, an empty-netter in the final moments put the wrap on a 5-1 decision. Veteran goaltender Tom McCollum made his Royals debut and suffered the loss. Earlier in the week the Flyers reassigned Kirill Ustemenko to the AHL Phantoms, McCollum (an eleven-year pro with a ton of AHL experience) was acquired by the organization and assigned to the Royals. The club's mark sits at 31-15-5 overall and 21-6-2 at home, the next home date is on Wednesday the 26th when the Maine Mariners visit. On Sunday the long-standing APBA baseball league my friends founded in 1978 held its annual free agent draft, I was there to moderate the proceedings. There were nine players in the inaugural season, the membership now is up to fourteen. I played in the league the first six years, three of the original group have been active for the entire run. They always contact me when the draft comes around, if I'm able to be there I take care of the bookkeeping and it makes the entire day run a lot smoother for everyone else. The meeting started at 10:30, the draft itself began before 11:00 and was finished by 2:30. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 21

We'll get the bad news out first: JPM lost on Friday night, the final score was 47-39. By all accounts it was an excellent game, the boys were in tough against the district's #1 seed on their floor and battled all the way. Wilson's coach said on social media that McCaskey was a dangerous team and gave his guys all they could handle. JPM drops into the playback round and plays on Tuesday the 25th at Central Dauphin HS in suburban Harrisburg, the winner qualifies for the state tournament as either the fifth or sixth seed from the district and the loser goes home for the season. CD entered districts as the #5 seed after winning their league championship, they beat Manheim Township in the first round and lost to Cedar Crest in the quarterfinals. It won't be easy but at this point there is no such thing as easy. While the boys were playing in suburban Reading I was only a few miles away, downtown at the Arena the Royals hosted the Newfoundland Growlers for the last of their seven visits. The Royals entered on a seven-game winning streak, on this night they made it eight straight with a one-goal decision. Matthew Strome gave the Royals the lead five minutes in, midway through the first period the Growlers tied it 1-1. Fifteen seconds later Frank DiChiara put the Royals on top for good, late in the period Brayden Low lit the lamp from in close to make it 3-1 at the intermission. In the second period Hayden Hodgson found the twine on a breakaway putting the Royals up by three, in the final period the Growlers scored an early goal and another with ten seconds left but Felix Sandstrom closed it from there to pick up the 4-3 win. The Royals improve to 21-5-2 at home and 31-14-5 overall, the Brampton Beast visit on Saturday the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 17-20

The big highlight of the new week was Tuesday night basketball at McCaskey, the Red Tornado returned to district tournament play for the first time since 2016. JPM earned the #8 seed in the twelve-team field and with it came the right to host an opening-round game, #9 seed Chambersburg traveled eighty miles east for the 7:00 tip-off. Chambersburg was 16-6 coming in and any 8-9 matchup is basically a coin flip, it was a matter of who could establish tempo and maintain it. We fell behind 6-0 early but rallied to lead by one at the quarter, by halftime JPM was up by eleven. Chambersburg fought back to within four entering the final period, down the stretch foul-shooting helped the Red Tornado hold on for a tough 70-64 win. Makai Ortiz-Gray had the big night with 27 points (including 10-12 at the foul line), Samir Gordon added 15 and Elijah Terry had 12. Carter Gingerich scored nine points, Isaiah Thomas had five and Da-Vion Scarborough rounded out the book with a field goal. It is the program's first postseason win of any kind since the 2016 season (when the current seniors were in the eighth grade) and puts the team into the quarterfinal round. The top four seeds received byes to this round, JPM faces #1 seed Wilson (24-1) in their building on Friday the 21st. Wilson has been a regular preseason scrimmage partner in recent years, we met them in their gym in December but obviously a district playoff game is an entirely different environment. There is no question that JPM is the underdog but stranger things have happened (in 1996 when the field was bigger we were the #1 seed, we played #16 in the first round and lost). The winner advances to the semifinal round on Tuesday the 25th, the loser goes into the playback round on the same date. I am unfortunately absent on Friday but I'm only about six miles away (the Royals are at home downtown at the Arena), I'm good for the 25th and whatever happens from there. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 15-16

Saturday consisted of a morning errand run and nothing more since Jenny and I had done lunch on Friday, on Sunday we were all together for afternoon hockey at the Arena. The Royals had won on the road on Friday, on this day the Worcester Railers came to town for the fifth of their six visits. The Royals erected "The Picket Fence" (1-1-1) by scoring one goal in each period while at the other end of the ice Kirill Ustemenko built a brick wall in front his net, it all added up to a convincing 3-0 win. Brayden Low gave the Royals the only score they would need midway through the first period, early in the second Steven Swavely scored from in close to make it 2-0. In the closing moments the Railers pulled the goalie for the extra attacker, Thomas Ebbing's empty-net strike in the last minute of play sealed up the shutout victory. For "Usti" it is his second whitewash of the season and the fourth for the team overall. The victory runs the club's win streak to six straight and improves the club to 29-14-5 overall, 20-5-2 at home. This marks the second time in Kirk MacDonald's three seasons as head coach the team has won twenty games at home, it's the twelfth time this has been achieved in the franchise's nineteen-year history in Reading. If the postseason began today the Royals would be the division's #2 seed but there is still a lot of hockey to be played. The boys host Newfoundland (the current #1 division seed) on Friday the 21st with with Brampton (current #3) visiting on the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 10-14

Monday night at Lancaster Catholic for the opening night of league playoffs, for JPM it marks the first time since 2016 the program has advanced to any kind of postseason play. I was contacted recently by the local print media's beat reporter, he wondered if I might know the last time McCaskey played in LCHS's gym. When I returned to JPM in 1988 the schools were actually in the same division, that ended the next year when LC moved down due to declining enrollment figures. In the 1996-97 school year McCaskey proper was closed for renovations, at the same time the brand-new McCaskey East building opened and we played our home games in the gym there which could only sit about 500 people at the most. The exception was our annual holiday tournament, the good folks at Lancaster Catholic made their gym available because its seating capacity was more in line with what we would have had at JPM proper. Those two tournament games in December of 1996 were the last time the McCaskey varsity played at LCHS (although JPM played a JV-only date there this season on December 30). On this night at Rossmere the gym was packed, the crowd (unsurprisingly) was about 50-50. The Red Tornado fought to the bitter end but fell 63-57. LC was 19-2 coming in, there are those who might say they don't play the kind of schedule JPM does but a 19-2 record needs to be respected no matter where it is. The officiating was not a huge factor, both teams had calls go for and against them and to try to blame the referees for the result would be unfair. No other excuses can be made, it was simply a case of two good teams going head-to-head and LC came out on top. JPM's season record drops to 15-8, the boys host Chambersburg in the opening round of district playoffs on Tuesday the 18th. The rest of the week was quiet since there was no further evening activity, I had lunch with Jenny on Tuesday and Friday since she had medical appointments both days. The league playoffs continued on Wednesday with the championship game on Friday, as it played out we lost to the team that lost to the team that lost in the title game (LCHS, Warwick and Cedar Crest in that order). Take care, thanks for reading.

February 7-9

Friday began a busy weekend of hockey in downtown Reading and the Royals' annual Pink In The Rink activities for breast cancer awareness. The ice surface was tinted pink and the Royals wore special sweaters for the weekend, on Friday the Atlanta Gladiators made their lone scheduled appearance on Penn Street. As a non-divisional opponent the Glads are an infrequent visitor, this was their first time in Reading since November 2016. On this night the Royals scored early and often, markers by Corey Mackin and Eric Knodel gave the Home Team a 2-0 lead after one period. In the second frame defenseman Garrett Cecere (two-year pro from Northeastern University recently returned from the injured list) found the net to make it 3-0. The game was broken open in the third, goals by Brayden Low, Frank Dichiara, Eric Knodel and ex-Gladiator Luke Stork (all within the first eight minutes) put the Royals up by a converted touchdown. The visitors from Georgia averted the shutout by putting two on the board in the late going, the final score was 7-2 Royals. On Saturday we were back at it early, as part of the PITR activities there was a 2:00 college game at the Arena. Local institution Alvernia University is hosting its inaugural season of womens' hockey, they play their home games at an area rec facility. On this day they played in The Big Arena but struggled in a 5-0 loss to Manhattenville College (from Purchase, New York). In the evening the Wheeling Nailers visited for the fourth and final time in 2019-20 and took a quick 2-0 lead. Late in the first period rookie defenseman Rob Michel (University Of Maine) lit the lamp, in the second period goals by Hayden Hodgson and Frank DiChiara just over a minute apart put the Royals up 3-2. Midway through the period Brayden Low hustled home a shorthanded goal to make it 4-2, that lead held until the final minutes when Wheeling struck back to within one. Frank Dichiara's empty-netter in the final seconds clinched a 5-3 win, Felix Sandstrom started in goal both on Friday and Saturday and won both outings. The two-game sweep improves the club's mark to 19-5-2 at home and 27-14-5 overall, the next home date is on Sunday the 16th against Worcester. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 5-6

Wednesday night at McCaskey for the last games of the regular season and what proved to be an unusual and memorable evening. This was the makeup date for the January 18 showcase event postponement at Reading High, Central Dauphin East visited from suburban Harrisburg. This was the second consecutive year the event in Reading was canceled, in 2019 we played the game as a makeup at CD East. This time around we hosted the game because (a) fair is fair and (b) nobody at JPM wanted any part of going back to CDE after the hosing we took there in 2019. On this night in Lancaster the JPM JV completed its season with a 49-40 win to finish at 17-5 (a rare case of a JV squad playing a full 22-game schedule), it was when the varsity teams took the floor that strange things began to happen. The fire alarms in the gym began to beep and flash, the fans were evacuated while the city fire department was summoned to investigate. The teams went into a side hallway adjacent to the gym to wait it out, Freddy asked me if I had ever seen an instance like this before and was surprised when I said yes (it happened at halftime of a JV game back around 2005 or '06). Once we got the all-clear the fans reentered and we picked up where we left off, the game was played without further incident (although the fire alarms continued to flicker for most of the first three quarters). The game itself turned into an instant classic, it required two overtime periods for the Red Tornado to prevail by the eye-catching score of 100-99. Through three quarters we played from behind more than with a lead, when the fire alarms finally stopped flashing it seemed like the lights went on for us. JPM rallied from a nine-point deficit with three minutes left to force OT, in the second OT JPM squeezed out a one-point advantage and picked up the win. Elijah Terry had a monster night with 41 points (including twelve in the combined OTs), Makai Ortiz-Gray added 20, Isaiah Thomas scored 17 and Samir Gordon had 14. Jonathan Byrd had seven key points and Da-vion Scarborough was 1-2 at the line. The team finishes at 15-7 (a four-game improvement from 2019), the next order of business is the program's first postseason game since 2016. League playoffs begin on Monday the 10th with a trip to Rossmere and a date with Lancaster Catholic (sure to be a deja vu moment for several of our coaches who have LCHS heritage). Take care, thanks for reading.

February 3-4

The new week began as most new weeks usually do, on Tuesday morning Jenny was in town for a medical appointment. She was getting some physical therapy on the knee that has been bothering her for some time, the access van brought her in from Quarryville and I took her home. In the evening we were at McCaskey for the regular season's league finale, Hempfield was the opponent. We did Senior Night activities before the varsity game (although we still have one home game left) as Irving Gonzalez, Carter Gingerich, Isaiah Thomas, Makai Ortiz-Gray and Elijah Terry were recognized as the Class of 2020. The JV squad lost by one point to finish its league slate at 11-2 (both losses to the same opponent), by comparison the varsity game seemed almost anticlimactic. Hempfield is historically one of the league's best programs, more often than not they are a force but this time around they have struggled. They lost a lot to graduation from their 2019 team, on this night they entered at 6-15 and were playing their last game. High school sports runs in cycles and it's a situation we can relate to given what our program has been through since 2016. We were ahead by eleven at the quarter and sixteen at the half, the lead was thirty-one entering the last quarter. Hempfield battled to the end (being the quality operation they are) and prevented the game from entering the mercy rule, the final score was 77-40. Freddy got twelve players into the game, eleven of them scored: Elijah Terry led with 22, Kevin Polite added eleven and Makai Ortiz-Gray hit double figures with ten. Irving Gonzalez scored eight points, Isaiah Thomas and Samir Gordon had six each and Da-vion Scarborough had five. Sam Hershey and Hasan Williams added three apiece, Carter Gingerich had a field goal and Jonathan Byrd was 1-2 at the line. JV player Jyzel Rice made his varsity debut in the fourth quarter but did not score. The final league mark is 10-3, overall the club is at 14-7 with an important non-league game coming up on Wednesday. Take care, thanks for reading

February 1-2

Up and out early on Saturday morning, at 10:30 (about twelve hours after we got home on Friday) we were back on the bus at McCaskey. Exeter Township is a southeastern suburb of Reading, the school district includes the adjacent borough of St. Lawrence. Although I've spent a good bit of my adult sporting life in and around Reading the Exeter area is one I've rarely traveled through, this was my first time in their gym. The JV game started straight up at 12 noon, JPM lost by three points. In the varsity game we came out flat as hell and never seemed to be in sync all day, the result was a 73-55 loss. The officiating was borderline at best, the home team seemed to get the benefit of the doubt on every crucial call. At one point a touch foul was called on our player, Freddy responded by saying (in a normal tone of voice) "that's ridiculous" and was immediately hit with a technical foul. It was the sort of officiating you sometimes get when you play outside your league (and sometimes when you play WITHIN it), the entire day served as a seminar in frustration. The club's record drops to 13-7 overall, the road portion of the regular season schedule ends at 6-5. The boys finish the season hosting Hempfield on Tuesday the 5th and Central Dauphin East the following night. On the way back we stopped at a pizza restaurant outside of Shillington for postgame supper, we were there for the better part of ninety minutes and it helped to relieve the afternoon disappointment. By the time we were back in Lancaster it was almost 6:00 and I was more than glad to call it a day (between Friday and Saturday we were on the bus for almost 120 miles worth of travel). Take care, thanks for reading.

January 31

Friday afternoon at McCaskey for the start of a two-day endurance test, on this night we made the unpleasant trip north into Lebanon County for a big game at Cedar Crest. On a personal level I really wasn't looking forward to this because the trip itself is miserable and I was fully expecting the varsity game to be a bona fide 100% Class A screwjob because (sorry to say) history has shown that to usually be the case whenever we are involved in an important game and especially when we're on the road. The JV game was a victory for JPM, in the varsity game Cedar Crest prevailed by one point 53-52. The officiating was a factor but it wasn't the reason we lost, both teams had calls go for and against. We simply played uphill from behind all night against a good opponent in their gym in front of their crowd and the final break went their way. The result clinches the division title for Cedar Crest and locks us into second place, we meet the champion of Section IV (either Lancaster Catholic or Elco) in the league playoff quarterfinals on Monday the 10th. We were back in town a little after 10:30 which afforded me time to call Jenny, grab a bite to eat and write this blog post before calling it a night. The boys are back at it early on Saturday, we head into Berks County for an early afternoon date in suburban Reading. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 27-30

Monday morning at the mall started the week in the usual manner, after supper I was at basketball practice at McCaskey. I had texted Freddy to bring the books so I could get them prepared for Tuesday but that request was in reality as much superstition-based as anything else. When I was absent on December 13 my next game was a home game, I got the books from Freddy that night and we won. When I was absent again on January 3 and 4 I returned at a home game and the same scenario occurred. I was absent on the 17th and returned for a road game, I got the books from Freddy when we got on the bus and on that night we LOST. Since I was just absent again on Friday and our next game is on the road I decided to break the pattern, maybe it's silly but it made me feel better. I was explaining all of this to assistant coach Jason Yurchak before practice started and he said he understood exactly where I was coming from. On Tuesday we boarded the bus for the first of a three-game week (all on the road), the destination was Ephrata for the last league crossover game of the season. This is the second (and by many reports the last) year for the current schedule format where we played the other four teams from Section II in December and had this matchup near the end. This was in many ways a trap game given what lies ahead, Ephrata entered winless at 0-18 with an average margin of defeat at twenty points. The JV squad improved to 15-3 with a thirty-two point win, the varsity took care of its business by an identical margin. We were up by ten after one and fourteen at the half, by the end of the third the lead was up to twenty-eight, the final was 65-33. Freddy got fourteen players into the game and ten of them scored, several of our higher scorers had lesser totals but on this night against this opponent it didn't hurt. Samir Gordon (11) and Makai Ortiz-Gray (10) hit double figures, Elijah Terry had nine, Sam Hershey scored eight, Kevin Polite and Irving Gonzalez had seven each. Isaiah Thomas added five points, Jonathan Byrd had four and Carter Gingerich and Hasan Williams rounded out the book with two points each. In all honesty there would have been no excuse to lose this game but anytime we play within our league you take nothing for granted (especially on the road), had Ephrata pulled an upset it would be talked about for years. The boys stand at 13-5 overall and 9-2 in the league, the club has clinched a top-two finish in our division and the league playoff berth that goes with it. It's the first time the program has had any postseason since 2016. Wednesday lunch with Jenny and a Thursday morning errand run was all that happened on either day as we gear up for a busy weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 23-26

Stopped by basketball practice on Thursday to give Freddy the books since I would be absent from the team's next game, it was played at home on Friday evening. The boys defeated Penn Manor 72-52 to improve to 8-2 in league play and 12-5 overall, JPM plays next on the 28th in Ephrata. I was absent because the Royals were at home for the opener of a two-game set with the Newfoundland Growlers. The province of Newfoundland was recently hit with the worst blizzard in its history, Growlers radio broadcaster Chris Ballard (a St.John's native) said the weather in Reading was like summertime compared to back home. On Friday evening Garrett Mitchell's goal gave the Royals an early 1-0 lead but the Growlers replied in kind, in the second period Hayden Hodgson put the Good Guys back on top 2-1. The defensive battle continued deep into the final period, with the Growler net empty for the extra attacker Corey Mackin hit the bullseye, a second empty-netter from Frank DiChiara locked up the 4-1 victory for Kirill Ustemenko. In the Saturday rematch the Growlers turned the tables by scoring twice in the opening period, in the second frame Corey Mackin struck on a power play to get the Royals on the board. Much like Friday the score remained 2-1 until the closing minute when Newfoundland hit an empty-netter to clinch the victory 3-1. Felix Sandstrom (back from the AHL Phantoms) saw game action for the first time in two weeks and took the hard-luck loss. The Royals finish the home portion of the January home schedule at 23-14-5 overall and 17-5-2 at the Arena. In February the club plays twelve games (equally divided, six at home and six on the road), the next home date is Friday the 7th versus the Atlanta Gladiators. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 21-22

Jenny and her mother were in town on Tuesday morning for separate medical appointments, Jenny was at the plaza about two blocks from my place. Both appointments were set for 10:00, when Jenny was done we drove into the city to get Helen and had lunch on the way home to Quarryville. In the evening we were on the bus to Neffsville, the boys played at Manheim Township. JPM was 4-0 within the division during the first half of play, this night started the second round. The JV squad rebounded from a Friday loss to Hempfield with a five-point win, the varsity game required overtime before MT prevailed 85-74. Much like our win over Cedar Crest the final score is deceiving, down the stretch MT put it away at the line making fifteen-of-eighteen in the OT alone. This game was a typical LL League frustration where the same play is called differently at opposite ends of the floor depending upon who did it, on the night we were 20-27 at the line while MT was 34-42 with one player shooting twenty-four of them all by himself. We were up seven at halftime and eleven after three quarters, in the fourth MT suddenly caught fire and simply could not miss. You have to figure that every opponent we play wants to beat us to begin with, having lost to us the first time around merely adds fuel to the fire. We had four players in double figures (Isaiah Thomas 23, Elijah Terry 18, Carter Gingerich 13, Makai Ortiz-Gray 12) but it doesn't mean much without the W. The club drops to 7-2 in league play and 11-5 overall, the boys host Penn Manor (in my absence) on Friday the 24th. A morning errand run was the extent of Wednesday activities, with temperatures in the low 30s and a stiff breeze going it was better to be indoors. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 19-20

The storm system was long gone on Sunday morning, the first order of business was to clear the front sidewalk. There was a thin layer of ice in top of an even thinner layer of snow, once I broke a corner of it the job was done in about two minutes. I threw some salt down and the sun came out shortly thereafter, the residue melted down in good order. By the time I left for the Arena at 1:00 the sunshine was brilliant, the walk to the car and the drive itself were of no concern at all. On Penn Street at 4:00 the Royals hosted the Worcester Railers in the first of a two-game set. Although Worcester trails the Royals by fourteen points in the league standings the Railers have been a difficult opponent, they entered having won four of the clubs' five meetings thus far in '19-20. On this day the Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on a score by Hayden Hodgson (three-year pro from Windsor, Ontario who recently returned from a lengthy injury absence), goals by Garrett Mitchell and Corey Mackin made it 3-0 after two periods. Worcester broke up Kirill Ustemenko's shutout bid early in the third but markers from Steven Swavely and Brayden Low (into the empty net) clinched a 5-1 Royals victory. On Monday afternoon the clubs met again at 1:00 as we hosted a Martin Luther King Day game for the first time since 2017. On this occasion the Railers scored first but in the second period the Royals forged ahead on goals by Mackin and Garret Cockerill to carry a 2-1 lead in to the final period. Midway through the period Worcester cashed in on a power play chance to tie the game setting the stage for sudden-death overtime. In the extra frame the Royals weathered a penalty kill successfully but moments later the Railers scored a disputed goal which was confirmed by replay for the game-winner, "Usti" took the tough 3-2 loss but deserved better. The Royals earned five of six points on the weekend and stand at 22-13-5 overall, 16-4-2 on home ice. The Newfoundland Growlers visit for a doubleheader starting on Friday the 24th. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 16-18

A quiet Thursday gave way to a busy Friday, in the afternoon we were on the road north to the Arena. The Royals hosted the Adirondack Thunder for the second of their three scheduled appearances in downtown Reading. The club's roster was fortified during the week with some new additions including "folk hero" Nick Niedert as emergency back-up goaltender (Felix Sandstrom is on recall to the AHL Phantoms). Trevor Gooch gave the Royals a 1-0 lead late in the first period, Corey Mackin extended the lead to two early in the second. The visitors from the North Country got one back later in the second, in the third Garrett Cockerill found the net to restore the Royals two-goal edge. The Thunder cashed in on a two-man advantage to make it 3-2 with fifteen minutes left, in the closing minutes with ADK skating with the extra attacker Mackin hit the empty net for the clincher as the Royals hung on for the 4-2 win. Kirill Ustemenko picked up the victory as the club improves to 15-4-1 at home and 21-13-4 overall, the boys host Worcester back-to-back on the 19th and 20th. Saw online where JPM won on Friday night, the boys beat Hempfield 72-55. Talked to Freddy via text message, he said it wasn't the prettiest win but he'll take it. The win is the club's eighth straight after a 3-4 start, the league mark is 7-1. JPM was scheduled to play in a showcase event at Reading HS on Saturday but Mother Nature changed the plans. There was a storm system in the forecast for Saturday, the game was actually postponed better than twenty-fours early on Friday afternoon. I was awake on Saturday morning before 7:00, at that point nothing had happened. By 9:30 there were flurries blowing around and the streets were wet, at 11:00 I went out for lunch and a few errands. I was back before 1:00, later in the day the precipitation turned into freezing rain. This is the second straight season (and the third in five years) the RHS showcase event was postponed, there was no immediate word on a possible makeup date. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 13-15

Monday afternoon at McCaskey for the start of a busy basketball week, this was the makeup game in Millersville versus Penn Manor. The trip is one of the shorter we have within our division, the schools are only about six miles apart and after that little jaunt we had on Saturday this was a piece of cake by comparison. The JV squad won their game by sixteen points, the varsity followed suit with a 66-44 win. We were up nine at the quarter and eight at halftime, in the second half the boys opened it up and brought it home somewhat easily. Isaiah Thomas was top man on this night with 14 points, Elijah Terry added 13 and Makai Ortiz-Gray had 12. It was quite frankly a game we should have won and under the circumstances it could have been a trap game but the guys took care of business as a true contender should. The club was right back at it on Tuesday night at home, Cedar Crest visited from Lebanon County for arguably the biggest game of the season (at least thus far). CC is considered by many as the prohibitive favorite to win the division, they entered the night unbeaten in league play at 7-0 and 14-1 overall. The JV squad won its game by thirteen, in the varsity game the Red Tornado struggled early on. At the quarter we trailed by one but by halftime the boys were up by six, the advantage was at eleven entering the final period. CC (being the good team they are) never folded, they fought back to within five in the final moments. The obvious tactic at that point was to foul us to regain possession but the strategy boomeranged, JPM went 15-17 at the line in the last quarter to ice a closer-than-it-looks 62-48 victory. Elijah was top scorer with 20, he was supported by ten points each from Isaiah, Makai and Carter Gingerich. Samir Gordon scored six points with Jonathan Byrd, Da-vion Scarborough ('18-19 JV player) and Irving Gonzalez netting two points each. The two-game sweep improves JPM to 10-4 overall and 6-1 within league play, the boys have another back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday. Jenny and I did our midweek lunch date on Wednesday, after supper I took the scorebooks over to practise since I'm absent on Friday (but back in on Saturday weather permitting). Take care, thanks for reading.

January 10-12

Friday lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the afternoon we made our way into downtown Reading, The Royals hosted the Wheeling Nailers for the third of their four regular-season visits. It was Country Music Night at the Arena, singer-songwriter Kendal Conrad (from neighboring Montgomery County) performed on the concourse during the pregame. On the ice the Royals took a 2-0 lead in the first on scores from Matthew Strome and Thomas Ebbing, Brayden Low lit the lame early in the second to extend the lead to three. The Nailers scored two of their own later in the second, the game remained 3-2 into the closing minutes. Wheeling pulled the goalie in favor of the extra attacker, empty-net scores by Steven Swavely and Ebbing (his second of the night) salted away the 5-2 victory for goaltender Karill Ustemenko. The Royals hit the overall midway point at 20-12-4, the record at home improves to 14-4-1. The club hosts Adirondack on Friday the 17th. On Saturday afternoon we convened early at McCaskey for the 130-mile bus trip north to Williamsport, we departed shortly after 1:00 and arrived around 3:40 or so. The JV game tipped at 4:30 and required two overtime periods for JPM to prevail 92-88, in the varsity game we were in control almost from the get-go but Williamsport hung tough and never really went away. We were up by four at the quarter and fourteen at the half, the second half was dead even as we won 81-67. Elijah Terry had the big night with 22, Makai Ortiz-Gray added 13, Samir Gordon 11 and Isaiah Thomas hit double figures with ten. The club has won five straight and stands at 8-4 overall with an NBA-style week looming, the boys play at Penn Manor on Monday (the makeup game from the 7th) and host Cedar Crest on Tuesday with another back-to-back on the docket for Friday and Saturday. Thanks to the earlier start we were back in Lancaster by 11:15, a rainy Sunday was spent in the comfort of home. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 8-9

Wednesday morning lunch with Jenny as usual, in the evening I was at McCaskey for my special-guest starring appearance on the PA. I rarely get to see the girls teams play and doing the PA happens even less frequently simply because the young lady who usually works their games is almost never absent. The JV squad won but the varsity took a loss as the program's rebuild continues. On Thursday night at JPM it was the boys' turn on the floor as Coatesville visited from Chester County for a non-league game. Coatesville is traditionally a very tough opponent, they entered the night as the #5 ranked team in the state with a roster featuring one player with over 1000 career points and another with over 2000. The JV game in itself was worth the price of admission, JPM's nine-game winning streak ended with a three point loss that had all the intensity of a varsity game. By the time it ended the building was virtually sold out and it was loud, the atmosphere definitely took me back to days of yore. The varsity game had a tough act to follow but it delivered in a big way as the Red Tornado battled to the end and prevailed 72-66. We were down by six at the quarter and three at the half, entering the final quarter we were up by one. Down the stretch the teams stood toe-to-toe and slugged it out to the finish, when the buzzer sounded several fans stormed the court to celebrate with the team. It is easily the biggest win thus far in Freddy's tenure as head coach and in my opinion it's the biggest since 2016 (the last time we qualified for any postseason play). Seven players appeared for JPM and six got into the scoring column, Elijah Terry had a huge night with 28 points with Makai Ortiz-Gray adding 15 and Isaiah Thomas posting 11. Samir Gordon scored nine points, Carter Gingerich had five including a key rebound/putback late in the game and Jonathan Byrd rounded out the book with four. The club reaches the midpoint of its overall schedule at 7-4. The varsity has not played on the road since December 18, the five-game homestand that followed became six when the game at Penn Manor was postponed. Over the last half of the season the team plays eight of eleven away from home, the first of those is on Saturday the 11th in Williamsport. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 6-7

Noticed that this blog reached 22,000 views recently, I don't know who reads the tripe I post here but I thank you for being my audience. The new week began in the usual manner with a Monday morning visit to the mall, the rest of the day was quiet including an earlier-than-usual bedtime. On Tuesday morning I was awake before 7:00, by 7:30 ("by the dawn's early light") I was northbound on 222. It was a strange feeling watching the sun rising in the east while I was making the trip, usually it's the other way around but this day was very different. At the Arena the Royals hosted its first-ever Education Day game, the puck dropped at 10:30. The Maine Mariners were the opponent for the fourth of their six regular-season visits. The early start time reminded me of similar games in days past when I was working elsewhere in Berks County (long ago and far away in a place where I spent thirty-five summers of my life and almost never talk about anymore). The attendance was close to 6000 and 5000 of them were school kids who kept the noise and energy going from start to finish, six minutes into the first period Matthew Gaudreau gave them a reason to scream when he gave the Royals a 1-0 lead. Midway through the second period Corey Mackin lit the lamp to make it 2-0, late in the third the Mariners broke up the shutout bid but Kirill Ustemenko and company closed the door from there for the tough 2-1 victory. The Royals reach the midpoint of the home schedule at 13-4-1, overall the club is 19-12-4. The game wound down at 12:45, I stopped on the way home for a quick lunch. There was talk of wintry weather in the forecast, flurries began to blow around on the drive south and by the time I was home it was coming straight down and steady. The basketball team was scheduled to play at Penn Manor, the game was called and reset for Monday the 13th. Later in the afternoon I got a phone call from the athletic office, the girls' home game with PM was being played on Wednesday and the young lady who usually does their PA was unavailable. I rarely get to see our girls play so I probably would have been there anyway so filling in on the mic is no problem at all. When I was absent from the boys games over the weekend she covered it for me so as they say "fair is fair". Take care, thanks for reading.

January 4-5

Saturday morning with Jenny for our weekend lunch date, in the afternoon we were back on the road north for game #2 with Worcester. This game was almost a carbon copy of Friday's game which for the Royals was unfortunate. The visitors scored twice in the first and added another early in the second for a 3-0 lead (sound familiar?). Goals late in the period by Matthew Strome and Steven Swavely got the Royals back in it but in the third Worcester scored twice (the last into an empty net) to win it 5-2. Kirill Ustemenko was the Royals' goalie of record as the club falls to 12-4-1 at home and 18-12-4 overall. This was the second consecutive year we played at home on January 4 and only the fourth time in the nineteen years the club has been in Reading, as they did in 2019 the organization Got Me. I was walking off the ice after the first period ended when Mike Keller (our excellent in-arena host) told the crowd it was my birthday, he then led the fans in singing that song you usually associate with such occasions. I knew something was going to happen but I didn't know how or when, it's nice that they acknowledged it but it was somewhat embarrassing. In 2021 it falls on a Monday which is a rare night for hockey so the streak of home games on that date should end (unless they schedule one just to Get Me again). JPM played at home on Saturday night in my absence and defeated Oxford in resounding fashion 69-26. I don't know if we're that good or if our opponent is that bad, maybe it's a little bit of both. The boys stand at 6-4 (as we were after ten games in 2019), they get back into league play on Tuesday the 7th which figures to be a busy day all the way around. The Royals are hosting a first-ever Education Day game starting at 10:30am (that's in the morning), by the time it's over and I'm back in town it will time to get on the bus at JPM for the ride to Millersville for the basketball game. I did junkets like that quite often in my younger years but these days they are less frequent, all I know is I'll be to bed a little earlier than usual on Monday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 1-3

According to the Chinese Zodiac the new calendar year is the Year Of The Rat, I prefer to make a bad pun and call it the Year Of Perfect Vision (20-20). January started quietly on Wednesday with the traditional college football games on TV, on Thursday Jenny and I had our midweek lunch a day later than usual. After supper I went over to McCaskey, the boys had the late practice time starting at 5:30. I gave the scorebooks to Freddy since I was going to be away for the weekend, the club had back-to-back home dates coinciding with Royals games at the Arena. On Friday the Worcester Railers came to town for their first appearance of the season and the opener of a two-game set. The Royals began the night eighteen points ahead of Worcester in the standings but you would have never known it, on this night the visitors from central Massachusetts scored twice in the first four minutes and held that lead through two periods. Another marker in the third put the Royals back by three and effectively ended the game, midway through the period Trevor Gooch got the Royals on the board but a Worcester empty-netter in the final seconds put the cap on a 4-1 decision. Felix Sandstrom started in goal and suffered the loss, the Royals drop to 18-11-4 and 12-3-1 at the Arena. There was one bit of good news for the evening, when I got home I saw on the 'net that JPM had won over Manheim Township 79-60, along the way Elijah Terry scored his 1000th career point. Elijah played his first three years at Lancaster Mennonite and scored 804 points before coming to JPM, there are those who might want to put an asterisk next to his name because of that but 1000 is 1000 no matter where it happened. He becomes the twelfth player in school history to reach the magic mark and the fourth to achieve this between another school and JPM: Dustin Salisbury (2003) started at Lampeter-Strasburg, Devonne Pinkard (2013) and Randolph Speller (2016) both began at Lancaster Catholic. The boys host Oxford (from Chester County) in a non-league game on Saturday while I'm back with the Royals for game #2 with Worcester. Take care, thanks for reading.