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Saturday Morning Musings . . . 4/29/23

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in , , .

Such great weather throughout the season for the most part has morphed into a nightmare the last two weeks. Vero and Hagerty rescheduled to today (hopefully!) because a storm made the field unplayable.

Last night at Boca Raton, we had to wait through a lengthy lightning delay, with the game ending somewhere around 10:30pm. And before we got to finish the game . . .

By the way, can anyone tell me how to turn off auto-correct on an iPhone? Why I have to PROOFREAD a damn piece of technology that brings NO VALUE to the writing process for me is INFURIATING.

Apple . . . and all the rest . . . MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS; there’s plenty of improvement you can do, including not charging so damn much for a device that ticks you off.

Congrats to both teams in the game; St Thomas showed how a tough schedule can prepare, while Boca Raton dug deep and kept it a game halfway through the second half while having a TWO-PLAYER bench available, and then injuries pretty much knocked that down to none.

Boca should feel great about making a regional final.

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Plant Takes Down Steinbrenner in TRIPLE OT!

What a game.

I couldn’t fully tell, so maybe someone can note how many people were in attendance, but it looked like a BIG crowd . . . and they certainly were loud when this happened:

Plant moves on to face Bartram Trail in the Semis (the delayed Vero/Hagerty winner is slotted into #1 since that was the FHSAA final ranking, with Vero #1 and Hagerty #2 going into the playoffs).

For the Steinbrenner Senior Class . . . what heartbreak. A semifinal one-goal loss in 2021, a semifinal one-goal loss in 2022, and now a 3-OT regional final loss last night. This is painful, but I hope as time goes on you understand how special this group is, and how they put their school on the radar.

Plant earned this and this is their first Final Four for the Girls; good luck!

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If there’s one disappointment last night, it was how many of the regional finals did not come down to the wire, or at least late into the game.

One goal wins started and stopped at the 3 OT game.

10-5, 18-2, 19-8, 15-3, 15-8 and 17-6

Yuck.

And forget the public vs private whining. Public schools beat up on public schools and Private schools beat up on private schools for the most part. When it was a private vs public, it was 2-1.

Let this sport grow and stop trying to solve a perceived problem that doesn’t have a public vs private solution. Vero Beach won NINE consecutive titles as a public school in the one-class era.

It’s your feeder program that counts; not how much you pay for school.

Are there advantages that a private school has? Sure. But before we split classes, the champions on the Boys side included Ponte Vedra and Jupiter (2x), in four years. And Bartram Trail won a Girls title over Vero.

What do they all have in common? You decide.

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Could we have a Keiser sweep of the NAIA title? Maybe.

And if the Men win, could Oxbridge alum Christian Tomei be the reason?

Yesterday, in Keiser’s 10-2 win over Webber, Tomei saved 17 of 19 shots.

I have to think back to the 90’s when Duke and Hobart played a first-round game in the NCAA tourney, a game I watched at a sports bar; cringing as the Duke goalie went 21 for 22.

You don’t get games like that.

What a road it’s been for him. Coming out party against Saint Andrew’s in 2015, as Oxbridge stunned them in the first round. Ohio State recruit. A roundabout path to Keiser. And now looking for a ring.

I still can visualize his last seconds save in that 2015 game like it was yesterday, even if it was 8 years ago.

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Flagler’s Mens and Womens teams are looking for automatic bids to the D2 tournaments, with the Men in the Peach Belt Conference and the Women in the Gulf South.

The Women play tomorrow in their final, while the Men play Montevallo on Sunday at home in their semifinal.

Early success bodes well for most programs

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Speaking of changes fortunes, the Tampa Men entered the season as the defending national champs, and on a long winning streak.

Rollins jumped up and took the regular season title, while Florida Southern knocked off the Spartans in the SSC semifinals

Right now, an FSC title would likely knock out the Spartans from any at-large consideration, while a Rollins win would not guarantee Tampa’s bid.

Tampa Men have dominated the SSC, winning every tournament title until this year.

Parity is not just a word in the Sunshine State Conference; it’s a way of life.

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Get out to a game today!

Lake Mary-Ponte Vedra

Can’t wait!

#TAFTAG

#LayOffTheRefs

#LacrosseFanAndProudOfIt

#FreeOur Sport (Bolles camera not working today according to early reports)

#NFHSCantGetTheJobDone

Grow the Game!

Respect the Game!

Honor the Game!

Fellow Islander fans, Wait ‘Til Next Year . . . Bolts, take down Pajama Boy . . . Good Luck Panthers . . . Devils-Rangers has been terrific

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