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Amazing upset

Infield08Infield081,000+ posts
Gotta set the stage a bit. In Round 2 of area 4A playoffs, Boerne High School (near San Antonio) took on New Braunfels Canyon.

Boerne won the state 4A championship in 2004, but hasn't progressed very far in the playoffs since then. At this point, Boerne has only two college-bound players:
* Air Force signee Blair Kessler, who has a PG 8 rating
* Joel Warren, who is headed to D2 Abilene Christian.

Conversely, Canyon's team is chock full of talent, including:
* J.P. Ramirez, an outfielder who received a 10 at PG's National Showcase and has signed with Tulane. Ramirez is a two-time all-state and three-time all-district honoree who ranks 74th in Baseball America's Top 100 High School Prospects and No. 2 among outfielders from the state of Texas. Ramirez also ranks 54th in the PGCrossChecker.com prospect listing and stands as the No. 4 recruit in the state of Texas. He was a member of the 2007 U.S. Jr. National Team, the Texas Rangers Area Code squad, and earned Top Prospect honors at both the Area Code Games and Perfect Game National Showcases. He is hitting .516 for the season.
* Tyler Ogle, a catcher who received a 9 at PG's National Showcase and is headed to McLennan CC. His current BA is .468.
* Ryan Flowers, an outfielder who has an 8.5 PG rating and is headed to McLennan CC
* Matt James, a third baseman who has an 8 PG rating and is headed to San Jacinto JC
* Justin Kanas, a pitcher who has signed with D2 Incarnate Word.
Three of Canyon's players made the first and second teams for Louiville Slugger's Pre-Season High School All-American team.

In game 1 of Round 2, Canyon pounded four different Boerne pitchers in a 5 inning run-rule victory. The Greyhounds' prospects looked bleak, but Boerne came back and won Game 2 7-1, setting the stage for a third game showdown. Here is what transpired in Game 3:


Pinch-hit grand slam gives Boerne hard-fought win

By Lorne Chan
Lchan@express-news.net

If not for a bench-clearing brawl earlier in the game, Boerne junior Niko Gonzalez wouldn't have batted against New Braunfels Canyon on Saturday.

He'd never hit a ball over the fence in a game in his entire life, not even in Little League. Now Gonzalez was pinch-hitting for an ejected player with the score tied and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

Gonzalez said he was just trying to make contact. Instead, he emptied the benches again.

Gonzalez's game-winning grand slam gave the Greyhounds a 10-6 victory over the Cougars, eliminating Canyon in the Class 4A second-round series to end a wild day at Smithson Valley High School.

“This is too perfect, too amazing,” Gonzalez said. “This is the best feeling I've ever had.”

A brawl in the fifth inning resulted in five ejections, including the spot in the order where Gonzalez ended up pinch-hitting.

With one out in the seventh and the game tied 6-6, Gonzalez quickly fell behind 0-2. He sent the next pitch over the right-center field wall.

“Magic just happened,” Boerne coach Chuck Foster said. “How do you explain it? Nobody believed in us and so many different things had to happen for us to be here.”

The Greyhounds (25-9) seemed doomed two days ago, when Canyon (29-5) dominated Boerne in Game 1 of the best-of-3 series, a 10-0, five-inning run-rule victory. Gonzalez also starred in Game 2, pitching a complete game in a 7-1 Boerne victory.

Brian Brademan (4-3) pitched a complete game for the Greyhounds on Saturday with 10 strikeouts.

Boerne will play Cedar Park Vista Ridge in the third round.

Gonzalez's grand slam was his second home run of the season, but the first was an inside-the-park blow. He entered the game with seven RBIs this season. His hit also provided the climax for the Greyhounds and Cougars' intense series that was nearly spoiled by a brawl.

In the bottom of the fifth, Boerne second baseman Taylor Davis tripled, scoring Blair Kessler to give the Greyhounds a 6-5 lead.

A throw to third base missed and Davis broke for home. Davis didn't slide, colliding hard with Canyon catcher Tyler Ogle, who brought his arms up and tagged Davis' head.

Davis fell to the ground from the impact and Ogle threw off his catcher's helmet, and it hit Davis on the side of the face. Boerne players rushed the field immediately from the dugout, Canyon's bench also cleared, and multiple fights broke out. Foster even took a punch to the chin.

The game was delayed for 15 minutes while umpires and coaches sorted out the mess. Two players from Boerne and one from Canyon were ejected for the brawl, while Ogle and Davis were ejected for the collision.

Boerne athletic director Stan Leech said he and Foster will discuss any further disciplinary action today. Canyon athletic director Les Davis said he didn't expect more disciplinary action for Cougars players.

“In 40 years of coaching, I've never seen a high school situation like that,” Canyon coach Peter Garza said. “We're embarrassed by it.”

The teams did not shake hands after the game.

Davis went 3 for 3 at the plate, while Ogle hit a solo home run in the second inning before the ejections. Royce Rodriguez and J.P. Ramirez also had solo shots for Canyon.

Garza has coached baseball since 1968 and plans to retire. With Canyon's elimination, Saturday was his last game.

“He's a second father to me,” Ramirez said. “He's one of the greatest men I've ever met and we should have won this for him. He deserved it from us.”
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oldbat-neveroldbat-never1,000+ posts
Thanks for sharing this great story. I haven't posted in awhile but this story really got to me today and put a smile in my heart.

Reading this story a couple of things came to mind, and that was how any player at anytime can contribute to help bring success to a team.

I loved the comment from Ramirez how his coach was like a second father to him and how he wanted to win it for him. How many coaches in the HS arena have lost site of this type of relationship with their players? I know of a few that have and what a shame for their players past/present/future. I truly believe that when players graduate and move on they remember feelings/relationships with their coaches/teammates as much if not more than their season's record.

And the other part of the story that came home to me was that the count was 0-2 before the Grand Slam.

Why did that stick out to me? Because I can think of a coach that would have given up on a player if the count was like that, a coach that would yell/scream/belittle his players in that situation and the end result was usually a strike out/ground out. The player would have been stripped of the confidence they would have needed to face that next pitch as if it was his first pitch of the inning.

I personally don't know the Boerne coach or team but I would imagine, based on this story and the end result that his coach must give these boys the tools to believe in themselves. With that belief and confidence games and stories like this can end in wonderful storybook endings like this.

What a great story, a true David and Goliath moment, thank you for sharing.

KEEP WINNING SA REAGAN AND BOERNE!
Last edited by oldbat-never
Ken GuthrieKen Guthrie1,000+ posts
The intent of the article surely portrays a great story about a particular player.

But is it just me, or are we celebrating an incident that was only given opportunity by a disgraceful event earlier in the game?

Don't know anyone involved, and the celebrated moment deserves recognition.

But in the same breath, the "brawl" deserves attention as well. A brawl in the playoffs?

I guess everything comes with a cherry on top.

"The teams did not shake hands after the game"

Did anyone miss this part.......?

And we are giving a coach credit?

NHL players can bash each other heads in for weeks only to shake hands after the series.

But somehow two coaches can't get young adults to do the same?

I don't know, I guess I'm the only one that read this article differently.
Last edited by Ken Guthrie
oldbat-neveroldbat-never1,000+ posts
KG,

I thought about the brawl and how unsportsmanlike that was and how sports/competition has risen to a level that has over and over created scenes like this. But I took a breath and said to myself:

Something good/wonderful came out of something so bad...............and for that kid, that team and that coach they took something bad and it became something to celebrate. And maybe the next time a bad situation occurs on a field or in life they will know that they can rise above it with confidence.
Last edited by oldbat-never
Ken GuthrieKen Guthrie1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by oldbat-never:
KG,

I thought about the brawl and how unsportsmanlike that was and how sports/competition has risen to a level that has over and over created scenes like this. But I took a breath and said to myself:

Something good/wonderful came out of something so bad...............and for that a kid, a team and a coach had something to celebrate.


Point well taken,

But in the same breath did you inhale the possibility of said incident to happen again without a happy ending?

The chances were greater but in this case the disgrace was saved by and individual moment.

As you know, I concern myself with "team" concepts.

And the fact remains that two teams represented HS baseball in a playoff atmosphere. These teams had 2 coaches that couldn't get the kids they've coached all year long to come together in the end to mask the poor sportsmanship displayed earlier.

Congrats to the kid, yet shame on those coaches.
oldbat-neveroldbat-never1,000+ posts
No storybook ending then:

Ok, so lets say the player ended up striking out, the team lost. No storybook ending. Then,,,,, the lesson learned is:

For Boerne: Guys we screwed up, we let our emotions get the best of us, we let our unsportsmanlike behavior take away our win. Let's never let that happen again, let's control our emotions and control the game with solid focused play.

For Canyon: Guys we got out of that game with the win but that behavior could have cost us the game so get your Sh** together before the next round and don't let that happen again.

Either way I bet both teams will do a lot of running this next week along with other coach like disciplines (closest thing I could find to up and downs) to remind each player about what occured on the field. And don't you think more than one household had a dinner or 2 conversation with their son (player) on what occured?

I guess I just believe that there is always something good we can learn from our mistakes, our bad judgements and our bad behavior. When we stop learning or correcting then we become the bad that is our behavior.

BTW: is this familiar or what,,,,,,,,KG and me... KG, Hope all is well with your little one. Is there anymore on the way to fill up that house on the prairie? About time for tee ball isn't it?
Last edited by oldbat-never
A 3and210+ posts
As a educator, I can teach students the right way to behave and establish expectations for their behavior. I can punish them when they don't follow the standards that I set; however, I have never met any teacher or coach that has the power to control the behavior of a 17 or 18-year-old young man under the influence of a combination of testosterone and adreneline - not even Mike Copeland or Art Briles! Since none of us commenting were there, is it right for us to judge? Maybe they chose not to shake hands to avoid further incident. I don't know all of the details either, but I do know that my own children as well as my students have acted in ways that I do not approve.
Ken GuthrieKen Guthrie1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by 3and2:
As a educator, I can teach students the right way to behave and establish expectations for their behavior. I can punish them when they don't follow the standards that I set; however, I have never met any teacher or coach that has the power to control the behavior of a 17 or 18-year-old young man under the influence of a combination of testosterone and adreneline - not even Mike Copeland or Art Briles! Since none of us commenting were there, is it right for us to judge? Maybe they chose not to shake hands to avoid further incident. I don't know all of the details either, but I do know that my own children as well as my students have acted in ways that I do not approve.


FullCount,

Good post and I concur.
Ken GuthrieKen Guthrie1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by oldbat-never:
No storybook ending then:

Ok, so lets say the player ended up striking out, the team lost. No storybook ending. Then,,,,, the lesson learned is:

For Boerne: Guys we screwed up, we let our emotions get the best of us, we let our unsportsmanlike behavior take away our win. Let's never let that happen again, let's control our emotions and control the game with solid focused play.

For Canyon: Guys we got out of that game with the win but that behavior could have cost us the game so get your Sh** together before the next round and don't let that happen again.

Either way I bet both teams will do a lot of running this next week along with other coach like disciplines (closest thing I could find to up and downs) to remind each player about what occured on the field. And don't you think more than one household had a dinner or 2 conversation with their son (player) on what occured?

I guess I just believe that there is always something good we can learn from our mistakes, our bad judgements and our bad behavior. When we stop learning or correcting then we become the bad that is our behavior.

BTW: is this familiar or what,,,,,,,,KG and me... KG, Hope all is well with your little one. Is there anymore on the way to fill up that house on the prairie? About time for tee ball isn't it?


Oldspat,

Now that we've had this discussion, I like the way you put it.

Although I wonder, when confronted with the same "discussion" at the dinner table, I wonder if a wooden spoon will be used for more than just cooking.
Wink

Now I take a breath and reflect........

Congrats to the HR hero........

ButIstillliketostirthepotnowandthenjusttoshowtheothersideregards,

Big Grin
Last edited by Ken Guthrie
T Texan1,000+ posts
Furthermore, we don't know why the two teams didn't shake hands.

Administrators could have stepped in & told the coaches to keep the teams separate after the game. I have known of such happening before in similar circumstances. Fear of lawsuits overrides the chance for players to make amends. So I would not assume it was a problem with the players or coaches without certain knowledge.

I know some of those kids, though not all, and the ones I know are good kids.

Someone lost their temper. It is wrong, but occasionally it happens. Except among former bullpen catchers who think they are perfect, omniscient and never lose their temper in their entire life. Roll Eyes

The kid who hit the homer was part of the TEAM. He had practiced with the TEAM. He played all season with the TEAM. He had pitched his heart out the day before for the TEAM. I'm sure the TEAM was encouraging him as he was at the plate. And the scoreboard at the end of the game said "Boerne 10 Canyon 6"; it did NOT say "Gonzales 3 Canyone 6." What the heck do you want, KG?

In the kid's own words he went to the plate looking for contact. Trying to help the team as he should. He wasn't going to the plate looking for glory and swinging for the fences.

OBN, good to hear from you again.
Last edited by Texan
Old PitcherOld Pitcher1,000+ posts
McKinney North played Little Elm for the last district game of the season this year. I think LE tried to let out a little frustration and started several altercations having a player or two ejected from the game.

After the game was over our players did not shake hands. I personally think it was the right choice. There's no telling what could have happened if they did.

It was the right choice that day and I have a feeling this situation was similiar in nature. It could have turned into an uglier day than it already was had they let the kids shake hands.

JMHO.
Ken GuthrieKen Guthrie1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Texan:
Furthermore, we don't know why the two teams didn't shake hands.

Administrators could have stepped in & told the coaches to keep the teams separate after the game. I have known of such happening before in similar circumstances. Fear of lawsuits overrides the chance for players to make amends. So I would not assume it was a problem with the players or coaches without certain knowledge.

I know some of those kids, though not all, and the ones I know are good kids.

Someone lost their temper. It is wrong, but occasionally it happens. Except among former bullpen catchers who think they are perfect, omniscient and never lose their temper in their entire life. Roll Eyes

The kid who hit the homer was part of the TEAM. He had practiced with the TEAM. He played all season with the TEAM. He had pitched his heart out the day before for the TEAM. I'm sure the TEAM was encouraging him as he was at the plate. And the scoreboard at the end of the game said "Boerne 10 Canyon 6"; it did NOT say "Gonzales 3 Canyone 6." What the heck do you want, KG?

In the kid's own words he went to the plate looking for contact. Trying to help the team as he should. He wasn't going to the plate looking for glory and swinging for the fences.

OBN, good to hear from you again.


Wait, Wait......

Ok,.....

That was me just setting the hook.

Big Mouth Bass regards,

Throw him back, he's too small.
Last edited by Ken Guthrie

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