Fri.-Sun., May 26-28, 2023
A good start to the long Memorial Day weekend began with another trip to Pasadena for the latest round of the Mother/Son Dominoes Tournament.
To play at my best, I absolutely needed to nourish my body at another new dining spot in Highland Park.
Via-Mar Restaurant Express
5111 N. Figueroa Street
Highland Park
The specialty here is fish tacos
Battered and deep fried,
I went with two shrimp and
two asadas
They were all large and delicious.
I was ready for Dominoes!
Or so I thought.
What I found out on Friday was that one can get out of The Zone as easily and mysteriously as one gets into it.
Split Decision Final Score: Mom edged me on games, 21-20, while I beat her on points, 398-359.
I should have had another fish taco.
On to the Wonderful World of American Football . . .
The European League of Football
has taken the next step to legitimacy
There will, for the first time,
be a set of ELF trading cards
for sale issued by the top-notch
Panini Company
It got me to thinking . . .
Could our friend Jan Honza Raus
be in this new set of cards?
I first met Honza when he played for our Europe Warriors team that battled the University of Chihuahua in Chihuahua, Mexico in August, 2018.
In November of 2019, we met again as we co-coached the Offensive Line for the Europe Warriors U-18 team that took on the Austrian National Team in Vienna.
A month later, in December of 2019, we were re-united once again when our Europe Warriors Women's team journeyed to Mexico City to take on the Mexican National Team. I was the Head Coach of the team this time and Honza did a great job as the Warriors Offensive Coordinator.
Honza is a rugged looking Offensive
Lineman for the Czech National Team
Now he is a photogenic OL for one of
the ELF's 2023 expansion teams,
the Prague Lions
Now about that Panini ELF trading card . . .
This Facebook post got me
to thinking about . . .
. . . this old truism
Did you know that there are two
Cuban born players on ELF rosters?
A big MERCI! to our friend in Lyon, France, Julien Urgenti for letting us know who they both are and which German clubs they will be aiding during the ELF campaigns.
Felix Delgado
Defensive End, Leipzig Kings
6'-4" - 235 lbs.
Born in Santa Clara, Cuba
Jahn Perez
Defensive End, Cologne Centurions
6'-0" - 270 lbs.
Born in Cárdenas, Cuba
It should prove fun to follow their progress in the ELF season that starts next weekend.
Final 2023 Regular Season
weekend in the IFL
The Varese Skorpions (3-5) were
hosting the Milano Rhinos (4-3)
This was a key game in settling the final seedings for the six team IFL playoffs which start the weekend of June 10-11.
Italian Football League
Week #12 Results
Skorpions (4-4) 42 - Rhinos (4-4) 7
Stainless Steel Warriors (2-6) 28 - Mastini (0-8) 7
Panthers (7-1) 41 - Ducks (3-5) 21
Byes: Guelfi (7-1), Dolphins (6-2) & Frogs (3-5)
YAHOO!
The Skorpions are in the DI Playoffs!
But what would their seeding be . . .
Final 2023 IFL Standings
Now, as to the playoff seeding tie-breakers based on head-to-head confrontations during the season:
The Parma Panthers (7-1) beat the Fienze Guelfi (7-1) 25-7 on April 22nd.
Thus, Parma earns the #1 Seed while the Guelfi will be the #2 Seed. Both clubs get the next two weekends off as their seedings mean Wild Card Round Byes. They have the straight route to the Playoff Semi-Finals on June 17-18.
The #3 Seed is the Ancona Dolphins (6-2) and has a home Wild Card Round game against the #6 Seed.
The Varese Skorpions (4-4) beat the Milano Rhinos (4-4) 42-7 on Sunday.
The Skorpions will be the #4 Seed and the Rhinos will be the #5 Seed. Both clubs now have a Wild Card weekend game against each other that again will be played in Varese.
The Lazio Ducks (3-5) beat the Legnano Frogs (3-5) 38-14 on May 21st.
By virtue of this victory, Lazio becomes the #6 Seed in the ILF Playoffs. The Ducks will travel to Ancona to play the #3 Seed Dolphins in a Wild Card Game.
The Frogs join the Emilia Stainless Steel Warriors (2-6) and the Verona Mastini (0-8) in their off-season preparations for the 2024 season.
Italian Football League
Wild Card Playoff Games
June 10-11, 2023
#6 Lazio Ducks (3-5) at #3 Ancona Dolphins (3-5)
#5 Milano Rhinos (4-4) at #4 Varese Skorpions (4-4)
Byes:
#1 Parma Panthers (7-1)
#2 Seed Firenze Guelfi (7-1)
We can't leave the Italian Front without checking in on our original EuroBall team (2008 7 2009), the now DIII Catania Elephants.
A HUGE win for the Elephants!
The final regular season game victory raised the Elephants' record to 5-1. While the vanquished United Palermo Eagles record drops to 5-1. The win gave the Catania the #1 ranking out of Girone A going into the CIF9 playoffs that start in two weeks.
The CIF9 had 28 teams this year playing in five girones or leagues. As I write this, there still has been no announcement as to the CIF9 playoff brackets.
The 39th Annual Induction Dinner
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Serra Center, Camarillo, CA
This big, end of the school year event is always a highlight for our county's sports enthusiasts.
The Induction Dinner honors five distinguished inductees to the Hall of Fame and the 55 High School and College Male and Female Athletes of the Year for their respective schools.
It is a long night with over 360 people in attendance but a truly worthwhile one I assure you.
I am honored to be part of this Hall of Fame's Board of Directors.
Our 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees
Derry Eads
High School Sports Reporter and
Records Keeper
Michael Enfield
Ventura H.S., MLS Soccer Player
Samantha Fischer
Simi Valley H.S., All-American Softball Player
Rick Stewart
Fillmore H.S., All-American Baseball Player
Marlene Harmon-Wilcox
Thousand Oaks H.S., Olympic Track Athlete
There have been several Ventura County
athletes representing the USA in the
Olympics over the years.
The outdoor display of all of the
previous Hall of Fame Inductees
drew interest from attendees
Let's take a closer look at
some of these plaques . . .
record at Oxnard H.S. 100 years
after he graduated!
How could they possibly not be in our Hall of Fame?
With this year's Inductees, the Ventura County Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1983, now has 197 members. We should have ten more members but the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled our 2020 and 2021 Induction Dinners.
Most of the inductees, whether as players or coaches, have found their path to the Hall due to success in the more traditional scholastic sports.
Still, almost every sport imaginable including rodeo, karate, kick boxing, competitive pistol & rifle shooting, auto drag racing, boat drag racing, boxing, canoeing, cycling and ultra-marathon is represented among the 197 Hall of Famers found in these plaques.
We also have several journalists, sports referees and contributors in the Hall. It is indeed a place to renew memories of some of the great names in Ventura County sports history.
The absence of any Dominoes players is a bit of an oversight in my opinion, just saying . . .
Pre-Dinner beverages on the
Serra Center patio
The Serra Center was packed!
It was a good night enjoyed by all in attendance.
For more information on the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame, go to: https://venturacountysportshalloffame.org
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