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2003: The Year in Sports

By Jack B. Tany
Review Sports Columnist

Things have been rather interesting both on and off the field of
play this past year in regards to the local, state and national sports
scene.

The headline grabbers in a wide-range of sports include the thrill of
victory (state championship), the agony of defeat (being fired) as well as
a potpourri of items featuring the highs (hall of fame inductees) and lows
(court cases) of athletics. They include, in no particular order:

The Cards Took it to the End

o  Saginaw Valley State University's football team enjoyed its best season
in school history as the Cardinals, coached by Randy Awrey, finished the
regular season unbeaten and captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference championship.

But the Cards ran into an old nemesis, Grand Valley, in the NCAA Division
II national quarterfinals and the Lakers came out on top, 10-3.

Turning in an exceptional year for SVSU was quarterback Mark Radlinski. The
strong-armed signal caller broke just about every single-season passing
record at Saginaw Valley, including 32 touchdown passes (10 more than the
record).

Also turning in fine seasons were running backs Joe Johnson and Damion
Bridges, receivers Glenn Martinez and Ruvell Martin, and kicker Eric Houle.
Leading Cardinal defenders include linebacker John Kava, safety Nick Grange
and cornerbacks William Bowman and Cedric Hardimon.

o Freeland High School captured the Class C state championship in softball
in 2003. The Falcons, who were 30-2 on the season, blanked Niles Brandywine
1-0 in the title game. 	Freeland was led by ace pitcher Stacy Delaney. The
right-handed sophomore turned in a superb season by rolling up a 23-1
record. She had 381 strikeouts during the season, 24 walks, 36 hits, 11
runs and only eight earned runs. She fanned 20 batters in a seven-inning
game against Merrill, and had a dozen no-hitters during the season -
including six consecutive. Freeland is coached by Dan Behmlander.

o  Charles Rogers, a graduate of Saginaw High School, left Michigan State
University one year early and was a first round draft choice by the Detroit
Lions. The lanky speedster started the year quickly and immediately became
the Lions' top offensive threat. He caught 22 passes for 243 yards and
three touchdowns in his first five games before being sidelined for the
season with a broken right clavicle (collarbone). Ironically, Rogers
suffered the injury when he got tangled up with teammate Dre Bly during a
passing drill at practice.

o  Nouvel Catholic Central High School wound up in the Division 6-state
championship game at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Panthers, coached by Mike
Boyd, finished the regular season undefeated. It took its unblemished 9-0
record into the state playoffs where they defeated Montrose (15-13), Harbor
Beach (21-14), Ithaca (28-6) and Negaunee (34-18). Nouvel played Ravenna in
the state championship game and lost, 16-14.

Gene Glick was honored

o  The Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its second class in
front of over 600 people at Saginaw Valley State University's Curtiss Hall.
Individuals making the grade in 2003 were Jim Blenkhorn, Leo 'Smokey' Boyd,
Craig Dill, Jimmy Ellis, Gene Glick, Webster Kirksey, Bill Muehlenbeck, Cal
O'Neal, Jerry Patton, Ed Periard and Ron Stelter. In addition, Carrollton
High School's girl's state championship basketball teams from 1979, 1980
and 1981 were inducted, along with Saginaw High School's state championship
track and field teams from 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949.

o In its inaugural season, the Saginaw Spirit hockey team finished the
2002-03 season with an 11-45-5-7 record - easily the worst record in the
Ontario Hockey League. When the Spirit icers got off to a slow start to
begin the 2003-04 campaign, team President Costa Papista axed Head Coach
Dennis Desrosiers. Seeking a fresh start, Assistant Coach Jamey Hicks also
got the boot. The Spirit hired Moe Mantha as head coach. As of this
writing, their record is currently 7-17-2-3 (19 points), again the OHL's
worst record.

o  In the fall of 2003, Robert D. Buxman received a jail sentence for
beating a Hemlock High School baseball coach with a bat in a case that
received statewide and national coverage. The 53-year-old Buxman was miffed
at Hemlock coach Ed LaJoice when the Huskies' skipper benched his twin sons
- and a number of other senior players - during the second game of a
doubleheader against Merrill back in April of 2002. Buxman grabbed an
aluminum bat and charged LaJoice, who was talking to his squad. In
November, Saginaw County Chief Circuit Judge Leopold P. Borello sentenced
Buxman to three years of probation, with the first two months in jail for
assault with intent to commit great bodily harm. Buxman also faces a civil
lawsuit filed by LaJoice, who is seeking more than $25,000.

o Just when you think the Detroit Tigers couldn't get any worse, the
biteless Bengals slumped to its worst season ever. They even challenged the
modern day record for losses in a season (held by an expansion team, the
1962 New York Mets). Tiger owner Mike Ilitich vowed to 'finally' open the
purse strings and bid on 'certain' free agents.

o Nouvel Catholic Central and Freeland High School's girls' varsity
basketball teams ventured into the state tournament and wound up in the
state finals and semifinals, respectively.

The Panthers were upended by perennial power Detroit Country Day 51-39 in
the Class B finals in front of 4,713 fans at Central Michigan University's
Rose Arena. Nouvel is coached by Kris Hengesbach.

The Falcons, meanwhile, were ousted in the semis by Michigan Center, 52-51.
Freeland fought back from a 19-point deficit to earn a lead with less than
three minutes to go in the game but couldn't hang on. Sarah Glowacki
connected for a school-record 41 points during the tourney run, which
included seven three-pointers, another FHS record. The Falcons are coached
by Wendy Bridges.

o LaMarr Woodley received substantial playing time at defensive end for the
Rose Bowl-bound University of Michigan football team. The Saginaw High
graduate, who was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan after an
outstanding four-year prep career for the Trojans, starts at defensive end

for the Wolverines.

 Another local product, Heritage High grad Stuart Schweigert, turned in
another fine season for Purdue University. The four-year starter for the
Boilermakers is the team's career leader in interceptions. He is pegged as
a high draft choice in the National Football League draft.

o  A dog is a dog is a dog . . . unless you are Ferris State University.
Ferris State University and St. Charles Community Schools are in the midst
of a legal battle over, you guessed it, its 'Bulldog'.  Well, not actually
the name, but the Bulldog logo which FSU officials say is the same drawing
of its Bulldog, except for the 'F' medallion hanging from the Ferris State
canine.

The college, based in Big Rapids, recently contacted Licensing Resource
Group out of Holland, MI to send a 'cease and desist' request to the school
district. It looks as if this battle will be one heck of a dogfight, since
Ferris State wants to take a bite out of crime.

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