Back Yard Bulldogs & A game recap from Mike

Before I get started with our afternoon I would like to direct you to the comments section under the photos from Waynesboro @ Luray. Generals Sign Guy Mike drove home and wrote a great recap of all the action. He was even kind enough not to mention to goof by the guy on PA duties during pre-game. Please take the time to check it out.

Now- back to our afternoon visit over in the Hilldale section of Luray. If my memory serves me right there was a punch line to what I remember to be the Red Sox team during the Wade Boggs era. The story went something like this- the Sox were so dysfunctional as a team that when they landed at the airport the players would take 25 different cabs back to the ball yard. If you fast forward a generation and land in Luray you would discover the Polar opposite of said Red Soxs.
Rebecca and I were treated to an inside view of the Luray Bulldogs baseball family yesterday at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Don Painter. The Painters' son Brad was one of the 17 Bulldogs that took the school and the town on quite a ride this season, a ride that took Head Coach Steve Griffith and his players all the way to Radford. The players and their families were getting together for a post season (and for some post graduation) back yard cook out. Going back to the cab story, I believe these 17 guys might hurt themselves in a contest for riding shot gun. It is a rare site to see a group of athletes seam to simply enjoy each others company so much.
When the games went from Wiffle Ball to the basketball court it was obvious to me that the only player that could truly handle dunking the basketball on the regulation goal was the player of the house (that would be Brad for those scoring at home). Here is a guy after my own heart- the first thing Brad does (after a few dunks) is lower the rim to 9 feet so that his partners in crime can join in on the fun! Don tells me that Brad will be putting on the shoulder pads for the Bridgewater College Eagles next season but I have to think if the hoops coach sees him playing ball that he might try to get him into the gym.
I did have one question after seeing Johnny VanWyck supporting (is that how the kids say it?) a new look, if you take a athlete with track type speed and cut of the golden locks, does this make him faster? Stay tuned for the answer to that one as Johnny and the remainder of the under class men try to fill the shoes of one of the most successful senior classes in LHS history.
6:15 arrived before we knew it and it was time to head over to Wranglerville for the game but not before Rebecca took one more round of pictures and we dropped of the remaining bio pages were missing for our special treat for the team. Steve was nice enough to stop by the press box on his way out and drop his copy off to me. We were able to share a laugh when I noticed he left blank the question- What will you remember most of all the things Coach said to you while you played at LHS?... On his way back down the stairs Steve shouted back up "Jerry, I don't talk to myself" but I think the entire town says THANKS for all the things you told this amazing group of young men.
Stayed tuned- more Bulldog Baseball love to come in the next few days!

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