Wishes for the local high school sports scene for 2012

Veteran sports observer Frank Workman shares his thoughts for the local sports scene for the coming year.

By Frank Workman

While Mariner fans can wish for Prince Fielder (wish for him in one hand and spit in the other --- see which hand fills up first), and Husky fans can hope for an improvement in Defensive Coordinators (Baylor just scored again), I choose to keep my sports wishes for the new year of a more local variety.

This ardent observer of the local high school sports scene hopes for the following:

• For Shorewood Football Coach Rob Petschl, continued participation and commitment from even more boys, and the sort of steady and sustainable improvement that will find the T-Birds challenging for the top spot in Wesco year after year.

• For Shorecrest Football Coach Brandon Christensen, the chance to develop another quarterback as gifted as Ted Hammond has been for the Scots. And for both coaches, it is hoped that their families’ fast friendship thrives and survives the fractious festivities that occur one Friday night each fall.

• For venerable Shorewood Boys Basketball Coach Marv Morris, good health that will enable him to stay on the sidelines as long as he wishes, and the kind of receptive and respectful boys that make coaching his own personal Fountain of Youth.

• For Basketball Coach Brian Fischer, a chance to take his Scots to State for the first time, with the elegant and graceful Junior Chibuogwu leading the way.

• For Shorewood Soccer Coach Nathan Davis, a season (soon!) of injury-free play for his boys and girls.

• For Mindy Dalziel, an extra goal here and there for her Shorecrest girls, so they don’t have to suffer through the shoot-outs that have bedeviled her team the last few years.

• For Nina Lowe, T-Birds Girls Basketball Coach, the opportunity, just one time, to coach a player as talented and driven as she was when she was winning State Championships for Shorewood.

• For Shorecrest Girls Coach Dori Monson, as brilliant an ending to the Basketball season as the beginning has been for his talented veteran team.

• For Shorewood Baseball Coach Wyatt Tonkin, another 2-run lead in the bottom of the last inning of the State Championship Game. And a sense of welcome to the T-Birds’ new home at Meridian Park – the new ballpark there, with lights, should prove to be a valuable community asset.

• For Shorewood Track Coach Lance Neubauer, a way to manufacture and bottle his infectious enthusiasm that has attracted more and more kids to participate in the spring for the T-Birds.

In a non-sports-related vein, I have two other wishes.

• That our elected officials, local and national, from Dogcatcher to President, wake up every day and remember who is the Master and who is the Servant.

• And I hope the people in charge of the Shoreline Area News exercise better judgment in 2012 than to again depict the essence of our unique American holiday, Thanksgiving, with a picture of a ‘tofurky’.  (See offending article here)