Sunday, March 3, 2024
Some days are full of joy, some days are full of sadness.
Today we had large measures of both.
In the morning Michael and I
attended a memorial service
Ben was a splendid young man who had played JV football for us at Newbury Park H.S. back in 2014.
He had become a helicopter pilot and died along with four others when his chopper crashed near Baker, California on the way to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl.
It was just so sad to bid him farewell but at the same time inspiring to see and hear how much he had positively impacted the lives of so many people in just 25 years of life.
The Italian Football League continued
to play their full weekend of games
Our Varese Skorpions were hosting
the traditional powerhouse
Guelfi Firenze
The game would be played on a natural grass surface turned into mud thanks to the heavy rains before and during the game.
With these conditions, it was a question if either team could score.
One team did and it was the Skorpions!
It was a good team win thanks to the Skorpions superior Kicking Game and the Varese club's taking advantage of several bad Guelfi QB-Center exchanges.
Cool advertising for the day's
other IFL game in Rome
The Milano Rhinos edged out the
home team Lazio Marines
Italian Football League Standings
1. Torino Giaguari 2-0
2T. Ancona Dolphins 1-0
Varese Skorpions 1-0
4. Parma Panthers 0-0
5. Milano Rhinos 1-1
6T. Bologna Warriors 0-1
Firenze Guelfi 0-1
Lazio Marines 0-1
Legnano Frogs 0-1
IFL Week #2 Games
Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10, 2024
Varese Skorpions (1-0) at Lazio Marines (0-1)
Bologna Warriors (0-1) at Firenze Guelfi (0-1)
Parma Panthers (0-0) at Milano Rhinos (1-1)
Legnano Frogs (0-1) at Torino Giaguari (2-0)
BYE: Ancona Dolphins (1-0)
Meanwhile, in Italian DII play . . .
Our good friend Bart Iaccarino's Cecina Trappers got off to a good start with their convincing win over the Roma Grizzlies.
The 1-0 Trappers have a bye next week before traveling to Ravenna to play the 0-0 Chiefs.
In Italian Nine League DIII play . . .
Our beloved Catania Elephants opened their season with a resounding victory in the Sicilian Derby over their heated rivals, the Palermo Eagles United.
The 1-0 Elephants won't play again until March 24th when they host the 0-1 Salerno Eagles.
In Spain all of Serie A had a week off
Serie B though was in full swing
We have ties to two teams in this division, the Murcia Cobras and the Guadalajara Stings.
The Cobras (1-3) lost to the Valencia Giants (3-1), 34-21.
The Stings (3-1) fared much better in defeating the Telde Canes (2-2), 15-6.
Current Spanish Serie B Standings
The 3-1 Stings are in second place in the Grupo Centro with their only loss coming in the season opener via forfeit against the 4-0 Pinto Goldbats. The forfeit came due to the host Stings not having an ambulance at the game as league rules demand.
The Stings next host the 1-2 Fuenlabrada Wolverines on March 17th.
The 1-3 Cobras are mired in fifth place of the six team Grupo Este.
The Cobras travel to Valencia on March 17th to the measure of the 2-2 Firebats.
Lots of crazy bats in Spain as it turns out.
Randomly this ad for the famed
Elixir al Borducan popped up on Facebook
Al Borducan, sitting high atop the Sacro Monte overlooking all of Varese, is now known as a great restaurant where we once had an amazing meal with the Skorpions' management staff back in 2018.
The Foundation's Coastal Valley Chapter
was hoisting their annual Scholar-Athlete
Banquet at the Canyon Club in Agoura
This banquet highlighted the top Scholar-Athletes from the colleges and high schools in the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County areas.
With the advent of Girls Flag Football for the first time in 2023, they were honoring female athletes too this year.
The Foundation was also handing out a Life Time Achievement Award named after the chapter's co-founder, Al "Ox" Wistert.
Al was an All-American Tackle at
the University of Michigan in the
early 1940s
"Ox" two brothers, Francis "Whitey" and Alvin "Moose", were also All-American Tackles at Michigan and all three wore #11 for the Wolverines, a Michigan number that is now retired in their honor.
I just love those old school nicknames, don't you?
"Ox" was also an All-Pro lineman
for the Philadelphia Eagles
He was a star on the Eagles 1948 and 1949 NFL Championship teams.
I got to know this humble man of great character about 40 years ago when asked if our Westlake H.S. football players could help teach tennis skills to a group of special needs young adults one or two days a week after school during the Spring semester.
We did volunteer for the job and it was a rewarding experience for our football players and hopefully of help to the people they coached.
Michael, Jacob and Laurie joined
in on the festivities
Posing with legendary Los Angeles Times
high school sports journalist
Eric Sondheimer
This blog's #1 fan Paul Sabolić and
his delightful wife Joanne were seated
at our table too
Simi Valley H.S. Head Coach and
the Foundation Chapter's President
Jim Benkert was our MC
Our guest speaker was New York Giants
Defensive End Kayvon Thibodeaux
A graduate from local Oaks Christian H.S., he did a great job in setting a positive tone for the high achievers in attendance.
Accepting the great honor of being
this year's Al "Ox" Wistert Award winner
Being given an award with Al's name on it is indeed a humbling experience that brought me great joy.
I am so thankful to have shared this moment with my family.
I must also thank Paul and Joanne Sabolić for supporting me tonight. They are both dear, cherished friends.
The Chapter's honored
2024 Scholar-Athletes
With Buena H.S. coach Ryan Bolland
and Pacifica H.S. coach Marcus Alford
I coached Ryan when he played at Buena H.S. Later he coached with me with both the Hässleholm Huricanes in Sweden and at Rio Mesa H.S.
Marcus was an outstanding DB for us at Rio Mesa H.S. who had a stellar career at both Northern Arizona University and in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts.
This was a wonderful evening that I will long remember, thank you all.
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