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Author Archives: Evan Green

Published:

5/12
2010

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May Male Athlete of Month-Orion Wilkinson

By Evan Green

Senior tennis number one Orion Wilkinson is out to finally win the big one this year.  The last three years, Wilkinson has taken fourth, third, and second in the state doubles competition.

This season, the senior is paired with fellow classman Nick Kirchoff as the team’s top doubles seed.  Thus far, the team pairing is 10-2.

“I’ve liked all my partners over the years because each of them had a different skill set that we were able to integrate into our games to win,” Wilkinson said.  “But Kirchoff gives the best high fives.”

Freshman year, Wilkinson was paired with class of 2007 graduate Bohan Li and his sophomore year with another senior in Dakin Sloss.  The last two years though, he has built a strong relationship with Kirchoff.

“It’s kind of like I’m the brains of the operation and Kirchoff is the brawn,” Wilkinson said.

The senior duo have lead the tennis Hounds to a team record of 9-3 thus far on the season and will look to win a state title this season.

The tennis district playoffs start next week at John Burroughs where Wilkinson and Kirchoff will be the one seed.

“Fans are always welcome to come watch me and Kirchoff put on a show,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson’s best watch actually came against the John Burroughs number one.

“I ended up losing 6-4, 4-6, 10-6 in a super tie breaker but I hit a tweener on set point to win the first set which was nice,” Wilkinson said.

Indeed Wilkinson will be looking to avenge that loss come district time.  If he can bring his A game, he and Kirchoff should be able to do that with ease.

“I mean if my volleys and backhand are really going well during matches, it’s going to be tough to stop me,” Wilkinson said.

At the same time, he still knows that he has plenty to improve in his game.

“The day that my game is perfect is the day I will quit,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson will look to better his already well-polished game at Cornell College in Iowa next season where he will be the team’s number three as a freshman.

What the college coaches saw in Wilkinson is something most of Missouri high school tennis has been amazed by the last four years of his impressive high school career in which he has tallied around 90 wins.

“Orion has been a very good high school player and I’m sure he will do continue to beast at the college level,” junior tennis player Simon Warchol said.  ”I really think that he will have an extremely good chance to win a state title this season.”

If Wilkinson is able to finally break through at state this season, there is no doubt that he will go down as one of the best tennis players in Clayton High history.

Published:

5/9
2010

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Hounds ride El Caballo to victory

By Evan Green

The Clayton baseball team finally had a game in which they got some breaks from the other team rather than handing them out as the team has done lately.  The team also finally had some timely and consistent production from the bottom part of their lineup to squeak out the win.

No player came up bigger than junior third baseman Cory Cannon in the nine hole.  Cannon went three-for-three in the game with three key RBI’s in the team’s 7-6 win over the district rival Westminster Wildcats.

“I owe it all to my Phiten necklace,” Cannon said.

Cannon’s  nickname on the team is El Caballo-Gato.  Indeed the team rode their big horse to a win.

Also coming up big for the team were junior pitchers Chase Linehan and Trevor Mills.  Linehan started the game and pitched for the first time in a month as he was finally healthy enough to take the mound.  Linehan went five innings, and gave up five runs but only one was earned.

Mills finished the last inning and a third for the Hounds as he worked out of a jam in the sixth and seventh for the save.  Mills also contributed two hits at the plate for the Hounds.

The team ran their record to 12-9 as they prepare to start the district playoffs on May 15 at noon at John Burroughs.  Before that though, the team plays at Windsor on May 11 before returning home for Senior Night on May 12 at 4 at Shaw Park against Berkeley.  The team will close out their regular season schedule on Thursday May 13 at Shaw Park against the St. Mary’s Dragons.

Published:

4/14
2010

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Gold leads Hounds in box, on mound and behind plate

By Evan Green

Senior catcher and pitcher Graham Gold has gotten off to a torrid start to the baseball season.
Gold has helped the team to a 7-5 start while catching, pitching, and batting in the cleanup spot in the order.
“Coming in to this season, we had a clean-up hitter in Matt Militello who we really wanted to be our number three hitter so the other team had to pitch to him in the first inning,” varsity head coach Craig Sucher said.  “We tried some different things, and knew we had to find somebody hit behind Matt [Militello] that people would take seriously.  In a sense, Graham has become our Matt Holliday but we pay him much less.  As Graham has emerged as a legitimate threat, our team got much better, not just from his production but because people are more compelled to pitch to Matt and help his production as well.”
At the plate, Gold is hitting a team-high .500 with two home runs and 15 RBI’s.  One of Gold’s two home runs was a grand slam against Affton on March 31.  In that game, Gold finished four for four with six RBI’s to lead the Hounds to a 14-7 win.  Gold’s .778 slugging percentage also leads the team.  Gold’s numbers are a drastic improvement over last season, when he batted in the seventh hole for the most part.
“I really like hitting fourth, right behind Matt, because by the time I come up, someone is on-base almost every time,” Gold said.
Even though Gold has a hit in every game but one, there are still things that he needs to work on at the plate.
“At the plate, Graham needs to be more consistent,” Sucher said.  “He was white-hot one week and while its not realistic to expect that he can keep up that pace–he gave up too many at-bats the next week with two strikes.  Baseball is a game of adjustments and our opponents are mindful of our statistics and are pitching Graham more carefully.  He needs to recognize this and be prepared to hit more off-speed pitches early in the count.”
While dominant at the plate, Gold’s contributions to the team have come in almost every aspect of the game.  When catching, Gold must be able to shut down the running game, adjust to hitters in split-second scenarios, and still be able to nurture the predominantly upper class pitching staff.
“Even though I like pitching the most, because you control the game in a sense, I also like to catch because the catcher is really the guy who is calling the game behind the scenes,” Gold said.
Not to mention that the Hounds have a pitching staff that is much stronger than in recent years.
“My favorite pitcher to catch is probably Chase [Haslett] because I have been catching him for a while and he will do whatever I tell him to do,” Gold said.
Haslett is a Division I prospect according to several recruiting websites, and Gold has done a great job of guiding Haslett to his 2.93 ERA (second on the team).
“Graham is a great guy to have catching because when I’m really struggling he always knows what to say or do to calm me down,” Haslett said.
On most teams, the catcher is a leader of sorts, and on the Hounds, Gold is a perfect example.
“Graham is a natural leader,” Sucher said.  We have talked throughout the season about our players having a quiet confidence in their ability so that they never get too high with their successes and too low with their failures.  Staying in the middle is critical because in baseball as much or more than any other sport, the successes and failures come so quickly.  A player has to constantly be mentally strong.  Graham had a historic week two weeks ago, where it seems like he would never make an out or a mistake on the mound or defensively.  This past week has been different, it was a rough start on the mound, sore arm, and less productive at the plate.  Graham is a leader though because you can’t tell by his demeanor whether is was his great week or something less than that.  Graham keeps it in the middle and leads by example.  It is a lesson that many of our other players can benefit by learning.”
Haslett’s 2.93 ERA is second only to the ace of the staff himself, Gold, who has a 2.47 ERA.  Gold has relied on a filthy two-seam fastball to keep hitters at bay and produce a meager .150 BAA (Batting Average Against).  Although for the most of the season, Gold’s pitching has been downright nasty, he still thinks he has room for improvement.
“I still need to be able to consistently throw strikes in order to get ahead in counts and keep my pitch count down,” Gold said.
Sucher echoed Gold’s opinion.
“On the mound, I think Graham is still not at his best,” Sucher said.  “When he is, and at times he has been, he has guys swinging early in the count.  Graham exemplifies the approach of pitching to contact which keeps pitch counts down and makes it possible to go deep in games.  Again, at times, Graham has done this by using two-seamer to get in on right-handed batters and cutter to go away.  He still needs to develop better command and more consistently pitch ahead in the count.”
Gold will be looking to stay hot as the season rolls on and the Hounds continue to rely on his production.
“I expect Graham to continue to be a great leader, productive in the middle of our order, a competitor on the mound, and a hard-nosed catcher,” Sucher said.
That will be key in the Hounds’ tough upcoming stretch of games.  The Hounds play four games in four days from April 13 to April 16.  On April 16, district rival MICDS will be coming to Clayton for a 6:30 Friday night game.
“I can’t wait for the MICDS game because we are going to bang for sure,” Gold said.
Indeed the team looks prepared to do just that, as they are currently averaging close to ten runs per game.  Much of this can be attributed to Gold’s newfound power.
“In the offseason I did a lot of cord work and lifted a lot of weights to build up for the season,” Gold said.  “Because of that, I am definitely hitting much better this year, and my warning track power like Charles’ [Goodman] has become home run power to all fields like Matt’s [Militello].”
Sucher also agreed that Gold’s newly toned physique was quite noticeable from the start of the season.
“Physically, Graham added noticeable strength,” Sucher said.  “And offensively, Graham is doing a much better job of staying behind the ball and hitting to the opposite field, something that he can do better now that he is stronger.”
If Gold can keep us his hot start to the season, the Hounds have a much greater chance of success.
At the same time, Gold’s off the field contributions have also been essential to the winning record the team carries so far.
“Graham is just a great guy to have in the clubhouse because he keeps the mood light,” senior outfielder Charles Goodman said.
Gold truly has been a leader in the batter’s box, on the mound, behind the plate, and in the clubhouse.

Published:

4/14
2010

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Clayton Lacrosse starts 4-0

By Evan Green

The Clayton boys’ lacrosse team has started the season 4-0, with big wins over Webster Groves, Fox, Wentzville, and Republic.  In starting off the season with a 9-6 win over a much more populous school in Webster Groves, the Hounds showed that they are here to play with the big boys this year.

In the Webster game, the Hounds pounced on the Statesmen early, and led 6-0 after the first quarter.  The Hounds were able to hold on for the 9-6 win thanks to big contributions from senior attack and captain Max Goldfarb who led all scorers with four goals.

On the season Goldfarb has nine goals and three assists, which leaves him fourth on the team in points.

“That Webster game was probably my personal best so far this season,” Goldfarb said.

Following the Webster game, the Hounds had a rematch of the 2008 state title game with the Fox Warriors.  In that game, Fox scored with six seconds left in the first overtime to take home the state title on Washington University’s field.  That game has stuck with many of the Hounds, and the team came out fired on April 6 against the Warriors.

“I was really ready for that game, especially because of what happened against them two years ago,” Goldfarb said.  “It might not have been the state title, but I was still ready to beat them.”

And the Hounds did just that.  The team rolled to a 13-7 win, as junior Josh Goldstein and senior attack Jordan Stern led the way with five goals apiece.  Junior Sam Muslin tacked on two goals and a game-high five assists in the winning cause.

“That was definitely our best team game so far this season because our offense was able to gel against a very strong defensive Fox team,” Stern said.

It couldn’t have come at a better time in many Hounds’ eyes.

The team followed up their victory over Fox with a another win over Wentzville to run their record to 3-0.  In that game, Goldstein had seven goals and Stern added four of his own to lead the Hounds.

The team followed up their third road win with their first home win on April 10 at Gay Field, beating visiting Republic 14-5.  The team led 9-3 at halftime and never looked back.  Goldstein and Stern led the team in goals yet again, tallying five and four respectively.

On the season, Goldstein leads the team in points with 26, but Stern is hot on his heels with 22 points. The team is averaging 13 goals a game, one of the highest marks in the state.

“Our offensive chemistry is really good,” Stern said.

That much is clear with the team returning all of its offensive starters with the exception of star all-everything Terry “Lethal” Ellis, who will be playing Division I lacrosse in the near future.

Five Hounds are already in the double digits for points including Goldstein, Stern, Muslin, Goldfarb, and junior attack Gabe Nicolazzi.  The team has scored 52 goals on the season while allowing just 26 goals against on the season.  At the same time, the team still feels that they have several things left to improve.

“We still need our defense to get a little stronger to help us in the long run,” Goldfarb said.

The long run likely includes a deep playoff run for the Division II Laxers.  Before they can start to think about the playoffs though, they have a tough schedule the rest of the way.

“We’ve got tough games against Ladue and Pembroke Hill that will really tell us a lot about ourselves,” Goldfarb said.

The team takes on the Kansas City based Pembroke Hill on April 14 in Kansas City.  The Ladue game will be a matchup of the top two teams in Missouri Division II high school lacrosse and will be the last game of the season.  The rivalry matchup will be played on Friday, May 14 at 7:30 at Gay Field.

“Everyone should come watch our home games because we will be scoring a lot of goals this season and should be fun to watch,” Stern said.

If the team’s offensive production remains consistent along with newfound decent goaltending by junior Seth Thornton, then the Hounds certainly have a chance to reach their ultimate goal for the season.

“We want to win a state championship, it’s as simple as that and anything less will be a disappointment,” Goldfarb said.

Published:

3/17
2010

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Boys’ basketball suffers heartbreaking end to season, looks ahead to future

By Evan Green

The boys’ basketball team’s season came to a disappointing end on Feb. 28 as they lost 62-58 to MICDS in the district final.

Senior guard Devonte Bell hits a three-pointer in the fourth quarter of the district finals to give the Hounds the lead, but they lost 62-58. (Caroline Stamp)

Senior guard Devonte Bell hits a three-pointer in the fourth quarter of the district finals to give the Hounds the lead, but they lost 62-58. (Caroline Stamp)

The Hounds beat Westminster in the semifinal game on a baseline jump shot by senior guard Devonte Bell with three seconds left in the game.  The Hounds clinched their 50-48 win once they stole the impending inbounds pass near half court.
In that semifinal game, the Hounds fell behind early and struggled to deal with Westminster’s slow offense that aimed at having two-minute possessions and just keeping the ball out of Clayton’s hands.  By slowing down the tempo of the game and working the ball down low to their senior center Daniel Alexander (finished with 23 points), Westminster was able to limit Clayton’s usual up-tempo, high energy game plan.
But Bell and junior guard Ahmad Smith helped carry the team back into the game, as both finished with 13 points to lead the team.
“ They played a weak man and they were a little slow so I was able to take advantage of that and get behind their defense for a lot of back-door cuts,” Smith said.
The district finals were played on a Friday night at 8 in Clayton’s own Stuber Gym.  The place was packed for the second straight game, but the district final held an atmosphere that seemed three times as intense as the one for the semifinals just two days before.
The two teams seemed on a collision course for the district finals and the fans got just what you would expect from a game involving the top two seeds in the district.
MICDS came into the game having been 18-3 in their last 21 games while Clayton three of their last four going into the game.
Clayton had actually beat the Rams at MICDS earlier in the season, but the MICDS team that showed up for district play was a revamped and much better team than the one the Hounds easily defeated 71-58 on Dec. 10.
The visiting Rams started the game off just as hot as they had been going in, at one point, leading by 15 points in the first quarter.  But the Hounds slowly got back into the game, lead by Bell and junior guard Christian Thomas.
“I would love to replay that game, we got behind early and had to play catch up the rest of the way, which hurt us,” Thomas said.
Thomas was the key contributor in a solid second quarter that saw the Hounds trim MICDS’ lead to just four at the break.
In the second half, the Hounds gave the Rams a large dose of Bell.  The senior captain willed the Hounds through the third quarter and well into the fourth as it seemed only a matter of time before the team would take the lead.  And they did just that on a Bell three-pointer that sent the crowd into a frenzy with about three minutes left in the game.
From then on, the teams traded baskets, before MICDS took a one-point lead with a minute to play.  After the Hounds called time out, they ran the clock down to about ten seconds before Bell went into his crossover move on MICDS senior guard Michael Scott (who also had a game-high 24 points and six steals).  Scott came through for the Rams with by far his most clutch steal of the season.
After an intentional foul was called on the Hounds during Scott’s breakaway and he hit one of two free throws, the Hounds still had to foul MICDS again.  MICDS’ senior McPherson Moore (17 points in the game) went to the line and clinched the game, sinking both attempts.
Bell and Thomas both finished with team-highs of 22 points in the game, but poor free throw shooting (62 percent from the line), a hot handed MICDS team (shot nearly 70 percent from the field), and too many turnovers lead to the Hounds’ demise.
“That game was similar to most games, we just dug too big of a hole for ourselves and even though we battled back we just couldn’t make that one big play late in the game,” head coach Ryan Luhning said.
The Hounds finished the season 17-9, and will look to improve on their playoff run last year.
“My favorite part of the season was even after we lost, just seeing the stands full, the crowd supportive, and to see the class our guys showed, and just how disappointed they were meant a lot,” Luhning said.  “It’s good that the attitude at Clayton is now that rather than be content with making the district title game, we expect to go much further.  That’s an attitude that will be key in being successful in the near future.”
That task will be a lot tougher because of the loss of eight key seniors including four-year starting point guard Bell, the only point guard the senior class has seen play for the Hounds in their time here.  Bell, a three year varsity captain, finished his career with 1,386 points and averaged nearly 15 points per game this season, which was second on the team behind Thomas.
The team also loses seven other players that contributed to the team, including senior sharpshooter Sumner Ahearn, center Max Goldfarb, three-year guard Alex Kasnetz, and defensive specialist Josh Pickens.  The team will lose just over 50 percent of their points from this season.
“We are going to have to replace eight guys who gave their heart and soul to our program,” Luhning said.  “We need guys to commit to the program as much as these seniors did for four years.”
As some seniors’ career’s come to an end, many look back on what was a great season.
“I had a lot of fun, and I’m going to miss everything,” Ahearn said.  “I’m going to miss how close all the players are and how we can join together to be a team.  Hopefully, I’ll be remembered as one of the best shooters to ever walk the halls at CHS.”
Ahearn is planning on playing basketball at the Division III level in college.
Now, the team must look ahead to next year.  Although the Hounds lose eight seniors, three starters return in Thomas, Smith, and sophomore guard Charlie Harned.
“We are losing eight contributing seniors, but Christian [Thomas], Ahmad [Smith], Charlie [Harned], and [sophomore guard] Clayton Buchanan will all have to be counted on all the time next season,” Luhning said.  “It is time for them to step up, they will have to be our leaders.”
In terms of next year, there are a lot of unknown factors for the team, as there should be with as many roster spots open as there are.
“[At the freshmen and junior varsity level] There is some talent, but it is going to be a matter of who puts the time in,” Luhning said.  “It is very raw talent that just needs to be refined.”
The returners are also aware of what needs to happen in the offseason.
“Everyone needs to get stronger, become better ball handlers, and become more consistent shooters,” Thomas said.
Thomas lead the team in scoring and rebounds, averaging 20.8 points per game to go with 9.6 rebounds per game.  Those two averages were among the leaders in the Metro area.
“My strengths are scoring, rebounding, and passing, but I still need to improve every aspect of my game to take it to the next level,” Thomas said.
Thomas starting bringing his game up this season, and colleges took note.  Iowa, Kansas State, UNLV, SLU, UMKC, SIUC, SIUE, Denver, Evansville, and LSU have contacted Thomas to play basketball at the collegiate level.
While the last two years, the team has had great success because of a wealth of talent, next season will be interesting to see how the team handles a new bevy of key players.
“Clearly our strengths next year will be Christian Thomas and we need to build around him and become a more well-rounded team,” Harned said.
Just because the team lost eight seniors though, their goals for next season have not changed.
“Our first goal will be to win the conference title outright, we aren’t looking to share that,” Thomas said.  “From there, we want to win districts and just get greedy the rest of the way.”
If the team wants to do that, they know that the new faces of the program will have to really step up next year, and that starts in the offseason.
It will be interesting to see how the Hounds can rebound from this heartbreaking end to the season, but clearly, the attitude and will to go further next season is present in an up and coming program that features one of the areas prominent players returning next season.

Published:

3/17
2010

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Senior guard Bell hits game-winner

By Evan Green

On Feb. 26, Devonte Bell’s four-year career came to an abrupt end.  The Hounds had lost to MICDS 62-58 in a fast, non-stop action game.  It was the type of game that Bell has always excelled in.

Senior guard Devonte Bell dribbles around a screen in the district final game against MICDS. (Caroline Stamp)

Senior guard Devonte Bell dribbles around a screen in the district final game against MICDS. (Caroline Stamp)

In the game, Bell finished with 22 points, tied for a team-high in the loss.  In the semifinals, Bell defeated Westminster with a baseline jumper with just under three seconds to go.  That was the shot that the Hounds always counted on Bell to hit in his time as the starting point guard for the Hounds.
“All four years, he [Bell] was our go-to guy,” head coach Ryan Luhning said.  “It was almost as if we counted on him too much, but he was always up for the challenge.”
Bell’s time as starting point guard was four years long, meaning Bell is the only point guard that Clayton High’s class of 2010 has seen on the court in their four years here.
Bell was a team captain three of those years.
“Devonte had a lot of talent coming in his freshman year, but what really developed over time was his leadership skills,” Luhning said.  “He really started to see the value in working hard all the time.”
Bell finished his career with 1,386 points, and finished this season averaging 15 points per game, second on the team.  As the end started to near, Bell was able to reflect on everything he is going to miss about Clayton basketball.
“I’m really going to miss the bond that this year’s team had and Coach [Mike] Nelke,” Bell said.
Bell’s freshman year was also head coach Ryan Luhning’s first year as a head coach.
“I was here with him his first year, so we have built this connection as a player and it was fun helping him build the Clayton basketball program for four years,” Bell said.
Indeed, Bell gave not only his coaches, but a lot of Clayton students many memories while he was on the court.
“My favorite games that I played in were always the Ladue games, they were a lot of fun and the atmosphere was so intense,” Bell said.
Surely, the team to the west will be quite happy to see Bell graduate.  Especially after his performance at Ladue last year in which he sent the game to overtime with a last second three following a half court heave that he drained at the end of the third quarter.
“The game my junior year against them was probably the best I played all four years,” Bell said.
Bell’s play on the court was noticed by several coaches at the collegiate level and the question now is just where he will be playing college basketball.
For now, he just wants to remember the time he had at Clayton, and surely, Clayton will always remember Devonte Bell and the many contributions he made to the basketball program.  He leaves Clayton with an era that made him one of the best to ever run the court and made Clayton basketball relevant again.

Published:

3/17
2010

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In Focus-Basketball

By Evan Green

The boys’ varsity basketball team beat the Westminster Wildcats in the district semifinal game on Feb. 24 in Stuber Gym.  Senior guard Devonte Bell hit a game winning jumper with two seconds left in the game to break a 48-48 tie and give the Hounds the eventual win.  In that game, the team battled back from an early deficit before pulling out the close win.  Bell and junior guard Ahmad Smith both finished with a team-high 13 points.  In the district finals, the Hounds were not quite as fortunate.  After quickly falling behind by as much as 15 points against MICDS, the Hounds fought back and took the lead with three minutes to go in the game.  Eventually though, the team was not able to pull out the win before what was surely the largest crowd at Stuber Gym all season.  MICDS hit their free throws late and won 62-58, advancing to the sectional round.  Bell and junior guard Christian Thomas each had 22 points in a losing cause.  Bell seemed to will the team back into the game with three big three-pointers, but the Hounds were not able to make the key play late in the game.  Both games brought packed crowds to the Clayton gym, crowds that were hoping to see the Hounds make a state playoff run. That will just have to wait till next year.

“It’s good that the attitude at Clayton is now that rather than be content with making the district title game, we expect to go much further.  That’s an attitude that will be key in being successful in the near future,” head coach Ryan Luhning said.

Published:

2/24
2010

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Basketball Hounds beat Ladue at Fontbonne, look to playoffs

By Evan Green

The real question for the boys’ basketball team is just which squad will show up on a daily basis.

Junior guard Christian Thomas goes up for a three-point attempt in the first half of the Hounds’ 48-42 win over the rival Ladue Rams on Feb. 11. The team improved to 15-7 and Thomas finished with 19 points in the game, which was played in Fontbonne’s gym for the first time in the series. (photo by Izzy Fratt)
Junior guard Christian Thomas goes up for a three-point attempt in the first half of the Hounds’ 48-42 win over the rival Ladue Rams on Feb. 11. The team improved to 15-7 and Thomas finished with 19 points in the game, which was played in Fontbonne’s gym for the first time in the series. (photo by Izzy Fratt)

Will it be the team that handily defeated a good Normandy team on the road on Jan. 29, or the team that lost by 13 at home to a considerably less talented Westminster squad at home three days before?
Having not won or lost two straight games in their last six match-ups, there has really been no consistency to judge the Hounds by.
With districts right around the corner, the team needs to return to their winning form of earlier in the season.
“We need to work on sharing the ball, finding the open man and getting easy baskets,” head coach Ryan Luhning said.
At the same time, the team has had to fight through injuries to junior guard Ahmad Smith and sophomore guards Charlie Harned and Clayton Buchanan.  While Luhning is not one to make excuses, clearly part of the team’s struggles have come from these injuries.
However, with the setbacks, new people have stepped up for the Hounds.
“[Senior] Preston Burnsed has really stepped up lately, and [senior Max] Goldfarb has played tough for us,” junior guard Christian Thomas said.
Thomas has stepped up his game for the Hounds lately as well.  Now just 12 points away from 1,000 for his career, Thomas is averaging a team-high 21 points per game to go with 10 rebounds per game as well.
“I’ve done a good job of scoring, rebounding and ball-handling lately,” Thomas said.
On Feb. 17, the Hounds took on Maplewood, and in a losing effort, Thomas netted 29 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks and five steals.
However, Thomas wasn’t the only talent on display for the Hounds on their Senior Night.  Senior guard Devonte Bell (who is averaging 15 points per game) was honored before the game as a possible recipient for an McDonalds All-American award.  Only 1,000 high school players in the country received the recognition.
Hopefully, these two talented players can make Bell and seven other seniors’ final playoff run a memorable one.  The team certainly has the talent to do so.
The Hounds first district game will be at home on Feb. 24 at 8:30 against the winner of the Westminster-University City game.

Published:

2/24
2010

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Should McGwire be held responsible for an entire era’s possible mistake? Turf Tales

By Evan Green

Lately, former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire has been in the news following his recent admission to steroid use and the thought provoking discussion as to whether he should be allowed into the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is now up for debate.
The reasons that Big Mac should be allowed into the Hall of Fame greatly outweigh the detractions against him.  McGwire’s situation is only part of the problem that eventually equates to why players from the steroid era should universally be considered for the Hall of Fame, whether steroid use was proven or not.
The detractors against McGwire say that he cheated the game.  The Hall of Fame voters say his numbers were so bloated due to his use of steroids that he shouldn’t be allowed into the Hall of Fame.
Clearly the majority of Hall of Fame voters are against Big Mac right now, with the last vote only raking in about 25 percent of support for him.  Hall of Fame voting is conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), and any player that gets 75 percent or more of the vote in that year is inducted to the baseball Hall of Fame.
With that in mind, McGwire is currently very far away from being inducted.  That was before his admission to using steroids on and off during his career, and now it will be interesting to see what the voters say next year.  In a sense, the voters’ decision on McGwire could possibly be how they will vote on the entire era’s players.
But should the voters be the judge and the jury for the whole scenario?  In my mind, they shouldn’t.  The other Hall of Fame players need to be incorporated into the situation because they are the ones that the Hall of Fame means most to, and they know the situation better than the writers.
Some Hall of Fame players point out that if former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Pete Rose and former White Sox outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson can’t be considered for the Hall of Fame, then neither should players from the steroid era.   However, the problem with that logic is that while yes, those players aren’t eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame, it is because they have been banned from the game of baseball for life.  McGwire was never banned.  He didn’t even break any MLB rules in taking steroids (MLB banned anabolic steroid use in 2002, and McGwire retired after the 2001 season).
Rose and Jackson, however, did break MLB rules by gambling on the game of baseball.  Jackson went as far to throw the World Series, which is, in my mind, the most sacred part of baseball in America and maybe even the world.  He threw away what most kids dream about achieving, yet never get a chance.
Before 1998, the season that McGwire smacked 70 home runs and became the all time single season home run leader, baseball was dead.  Following the 1995 players strike, fans did not want to come to the games and attendance was at an all time low.
But then two guys came along that made people care again.  The Cardinals first baseman combined with Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa to bring the fans back to the stadiums in droves, now excited to watch these two swing for the fences.  TV ratings not only for Cubs and Cardinals games, but all of baseball, climbed through the roof as fans were amazed by the surge of power across the league.
It is now known that some of these all star sluggers were using steroids during the height of their careers, but at the same time, it is now known that the pitchers they faced were “on the juice” as well.  From Roger Clemens to Andy Pettitte to Kevin Brown to Eric Gagne, pitchers have also admitted to their use of banned substances.
What the voters should realize about McGwire is that he put up his numbers while other players of the era were also juicing.  And at the same time that this was occurring, McGwire put up Hall of Fame numbers while many of his peers using steroids did not.
So should the man responsible for bringing baseball back have to take the fall for an entire era’s mistake?
Every era in baseball has had its controversies.  From the Black Sox and gambling scandal in the 1920’s to players’ use of cocaine and other drugs in the 70’s to the abuse of amphetamines by players in the 1980’s, and then the strike in 1995 and the following steroid use.  The other eras that were considered to be “tainted” have never had to endure such discussion as to whether their stars should be allowed into the Hall of Fame.
This in part has to do with a recent change in the sports media to report anything they see by players.  The sports media of the past was close to the players, often going out to eat after games.  The media then had a personal, yet professional relationship with the athletes.  The sports media of previous eras knew that their job was to report what happened on the field and that anything outside of the game was off limits in terms of reporting.
Now, the sports media feels it is their duty to treat athletes as if they are Hollywood actors or actresses by reporting every aspect of their lives, not just their performance on the field.  The sad part is that this reflects today’s culture.  A culture that would rather hear the off the field gossip about a big name player than read about the same player’s two home run night that they capped off with a diving catch to save the game.
The sports media is possibly the biggest culprit of what has become a travesty in terms determining who deserves to go into the Hall of Fame.
Even though many reporters knew or suspected Big Mac of some sort of steroid use in 1998, they looked away; they, in a sense, encouraged steroid usage by not speaking out against it then.  Now, those same writers are the ones that are not voting for McGwire to get into the Hall of Fame.  This is quite a show of hypocrisy in terms of their morals.  Their condoning of McGwire’s steroid use during his playing days should be exactly how they treat him now.
In conclusion, has there ever been discussion or really even much thought as to whether players of other tainted eras should be allowed into the Hall of Fame?  No, so why should there be now?

Published:

1/31
2010

Posted In:

Sports

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October Female Athlete of the Month: Maggie Lanter

By Evan Green

The Clayton varsity girls’ volleyball team is off to a decent start.  Even though the team has not performed unbelievably well, the team has a record to be proud of thanks in large part to the play of senior right side hitter and right side defender Maggie Lanter.

A three-year varsity member, Lanter knows her way around the court.

“I have started varsity since sophomore year, so I have become really accustomed to how the game will play out and the different aspects to the game,” Lanter said.

As a captain, Lanter has taken the younger members of the team under her wing this season on and off the court.

“Maggie is a dedicated player and great captain that always brings the team up when we are down,” junior defensive specialist Kaily Sciaratta.

In terms of her play on the court, Lanter has truly led the team, and her statistics back it up.  Lanter’s best game came against Lutheran North when she had seven blocks.

“I was hitting really well that night,” Lanter said.

On the season, Lanter is an 86 percent server, 25 percent hitter (which means that 25 percent of the time she hits the ball, the Hounds score), and a 69 percent serve receiver.

“I would say the best part of my game is my hitting,” Lanter said.

Even though she has played extremely well, Lanter still feels there is several aspects to her play that need to improve.

“I want to improve my blocking to be much more consistent,” Lanter said.

At the same time, the team too needs to make improvements.

“We need to improve on finishing the play, scoring the point by being more aggressive offensively,” Lanter said.

As the team has its places for improvement, they are also effective at other facets of the game.

“We are pretty effective servers,” Lanter said.

However, serving does not cover all aspects of the game, and even though Lanter has played well, the team’s record does not exactly show it.  However, at the same time, the team’s record does not truly reflect their play.

“Most of the games we lose are very close, so our record could easily be much different,” Lanter said.

The team has a chance to wipe the slate clean come districts, which are the week of Oct. 26.

“Districts will be tough because we are in one of the best districts in the state along with Villa Duchesne and Visitation Academy,” Lanter said.

In terms of the rest of the regular season, there are still some things left worth working for.

“I am really looking forward to the game against Bayless,” Lanter said.  “It’s our senior night and we played them a lot in the summer and they are pretty equally matched with us.  At the same time, their coach is really obnoxious so it would be nice to beat them.”

Even though there are only a couple weeks left before districts, volleyball fans still have several chances left to catch the team in action.  The team plays at Ladue on Oct. 19 and Oct. 21 at 4 as part of the Suburban East tournament.  The following week is the start of districts.

“I have had such a great time this season and I hope that people can make it out to a game in the next couple of weeks and come support the team,” Lanter said.