Fox Hill Fastpitch Softball Celebrates 50th Anniversary of World Series

As published in Daily Press Sports on September 23, 2015. Here's the link:
With the passing of another September, a landmark event in Hampton Roads sports reached its silver anniversary milestone. During that late summer weekend in 1965, the Fox Hill fast-pitch softball team won its first regional tournament and earned a berth in the World Championships, where they placed fifth of 22 teams.

For the Hampton-based team, who played their home games at Francis Asbury Field, the win culminated 15 years worth of effort. At the time, the Central Atlantic Regional, which consisted of state champions from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, as well as metropolitan qualifiers from Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the host team, was 25 years old and Fox Hill had participated seven times as the Virginia state champion. But, through 1964, a regional tournament victory had proven to be elusive for the Fox Hillers.
However, at Guy Mason Field in Washington, D.C., the team got off to an auspicious start, first beating Baltimore 3-0, and then following with a 1-0 win over D.C. in Game 2. The D.C. game was highlighted by a perfect game from ace pitcher Ron Peterson.
Although the Fox Hill team was formed in 1950 as part of a church league, theirs was not the beer league many recreational softball players are accustomed to joining.
“This was not like some Sunday school league,” said Peterson, who later won first-team All-American honors for his performance in the 1969 National tournament. Indeed, pitches reached speeds upwards of 100 miles per hour, and as Petersen added, “runs were at a premium. We had a lot of 1-0 games.”
In fact, the third game was another 1-0 affair, this time in a victory over Philadelphia. A 2-0 loss to Baltimore followed, pinning the Fox Hill team into a must-win situation in the double-elimination event. Based on their 3-1 record, they earned a berth in the championship, but faced Baltimore for a third time. Fox Hill won the rubber match and region with a 3-1 victory. In that game, Don Brandt’s two-run homer in the championship against Baltimore turned out to provide the margin of victory.
Peterson was named the most valuable pitcher of the tournament, while Brandt won overall MVP honors.
Looking back 50 years, first baseman Ronnie Weber looked back on Brandt’s performance as the key to victory. “Homeruns were a rarity. He (Brandt) had an exceptional tournament.
Manager and team catcher Jack Hull credited Brandt’s defensive skills.
“He caught the last out at the wall. If that ball had gotten by him, it would have been a whole other story.”
Looking ahead to their first World Championship, which was held in Clearwater, FL, the Fox Hill squad took advantage of another asset – their fan backing.
Hull looked back on the celebration that took place immediately after the regional final. “After the regional, the old-timers got together at the firehouse. There were so many people there, that they had to push the fire trucks out (of the building).”
Recalls Peterson, “Fans would follow us everywhere we went to tournaments,” noting that as many as 4,000-5,000 Fox Hill fans made the trip to Clearwater. Spectators were not the only people tracking the team. As Weber remembers, “writers from the Daily Press followed us back then, at home and on the road. In the 60’s, there was a morning and afternoon edition and we’d have Ron Colbert at our games. We outdrew the local Carolina League (minor league baseball) team.”
The team got off to a quick start in the World Tournament, beating both St. Thomas, Ontario (3-0) and Lakewood (CA) 2-0. However, the team hit the wall when it played against seven-time World/National champion Clearwater, losing 1-0. Finally, the team was eliminated by Chattanooga (TN) 3-0 in Game 4.
Despite the two losses, Fox Hill’s 2-2 mark was good enough to tie for fifth place (of 22 teams). After 1965, the final tournament was reinvented as the National Championships. And though Fox Hill went on to win three more regional titles, the ’65 effort remained their greatest collective accomplishment on the diamond.
For the three former players, different memories stand out. Hull, who previously had worked as a minor league catcher in the Cincinnati and Boston organizations, recalled the difficult time he had learning to catch softballs whizzing toward him with the speed of a Sandy Koufax fastball.
“I thought I was a pretty good catcher. But that ball would jump 12-18 inches up, down or sideways, and you never knew where it was going sometimes.”
Asked if he had ever been injured, Hull quickly emitted an “Oh yeah!” and interjected that on one occasion, a pitch caused him to require 16 stitches in his hand.
“It (fast-pitch) is a hard game to play, especially for catchers,” added Hull, who managed for 12 of his 13 years with Fox Hill.
Weber, who was inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame in 1985, looked back on how the team recruited new prospects.
“We picked up a pitcher from Langley (A.F.B.), and another one from Oceana. Not all of our players were military guys, but a lot of our pitchers over the years were in the service.”
Peterson summed the experience up in one word – “camaraderie.” The term makes sense since the ballclub was together for 65-80 games throughout a season that started in early May and ended with either the Regional championships on Labor Day weekend, or the World/Nationals two weeks later.
“We’d play double-headers on Friday night, Saturday night, and usually on Wednesday night.”
In fact, the friendships last until this day. Every Wednesday morning, a group of players, “about 15, but a lot are non-ballplayers,” says Weber, gather at Vancostas’ in Hampton to swap stories about softball, the military, or simply any other topic that an octogenarian might find interesting.
Hull added one more recollection from his playing days – having the opportunity to play against the famed pitcher Eddie Feigner, whose four-man King and His Court softball team toured the country, taking on all challengers with only a pitcher, catcher, shortstop and first baseman..
According to Hull, the reality of the King and Court’s greatness may have become more legendary that it should have been.
“We’d go along with his shenanigans for a few innings. They were like the Globetrotters.” Asked if the King and Court were as good as they were cracked up to be, Hall was silent for a moment before answering.
“You know…,” replied Hull, in a manner suggesting that indeed, the answer might have been no.

Fox Hill - 1965 Central Atlantic Regional Champions
P – Ron Peterson, Bob Atterholt
C – Randy Dale, Bud Porter, Jack Hull (also manager)
1B – Ronnie Weber
2B – Jess Kersey (later an NBA official)
3B – Don Winegrad
SS – Jim Dugan, Joey Lawrence
OF – Don Brandt, Keith Goodson, Charlie Mayer, Herb Weaver, George Weikel
Ass’t coach – Rudy Forrest

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week (9/25/2015) - Woodside 42, Warwick 0

Simply put, it was the Tamir Walker show. The Wolverine running back might have broken the Peninsula record of eight touchdowns in a game, held by Marshawn Williams, if he had run more than once in the second half.

Original draft of article which can be found on HRVarsity.com. Here's the link:


NEWPORT NEWS Tamir Walker scored five touchdowns in the first half, to lead Woodside to a convincing 42-0 victory over Warwick.

With the win, the Wolverines (3-2, 3-1 Peninsula) retained a share of third place in the Peninsula District, trailing undefeated Hampton and Phoebus.

Walker opened the game with a 75-yard kickoff return, then scampered 15 more on the first offensive play for the Wolverines first touchdown. Two possessions later, the junior back took a handoff and scored from four yards out.

Walkers third and fourth touchdowns were spectacular for different reasons. After a missed field goal by the Raiders, he took the ensuing handoff and outsprinted the Warwick defense 80 yards to the end zone. On the fourth, Walker started on a sweep to the right, found no running room, backtracked left and six yards behind the line of scrimmage before refocusing his bearings and heading downfield, catching a block down the left sideline from a Woodside receiver and beating a Raider safety to the goal line for a 34-yard touchdown.

Walker capped his evening with a one-yard plunge through the middle just before halftime, as Woodside took a 35-0 lead into the break.

In the first half alone, he had nine carries for 171 yards and 246 total yards. With the game in hand, and a running clock in place for the second half, Walker carried only one more time for four yards.

Good led the Raiders (1-3, 0-3 Peninsula) with 103 yards rushing.


WARWICK    -- 0, 0, 0, 0 -- 0
WOODISDE -- 21, 14, 7, 0 -- 42


First quarter
Wo Walker 15 run (kick blocked)
Wo Walker 4 run (Walker pass)
Wo Walker 80 run (Mitchel kick)

Second quarter
Wo Walker 34 run (kick blocked)
Wo Walker 1 run (D. Chesson run)

Third quarter
Wo Tyler 2 run (Mitchel kick)


                   War  Wood    
First downs;    6, 11
Rushes-yards;  23-117, 32-274
Passing yards;   60, 16
Comp-att-int; 6-16-1, 1-2-0
Penalties-yards; 6-50, 8-60
Punts-avg;      1-38, 2-33
Fumbles-lost; 2-2, 0-0







The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week - Warwick vs. Woodside - Game Preview

Game preview article from Recruit757.com. I hope that everyone has had a chance to check out Andy Hilton's Recruit757.com High School Top-10 every weekend on Sportswrap, which is seen in the Hampton Roads region on Fox-43 and WAVY-10 TV (NBC). Check out @jfmcgrath for live updates tonight from Todd Stadium. And look for HRVarsity.com tonight, and tomorrow's Daily Press for game summaries. Elizabeth will also be providing her take on the game for Recruit757.
Warwick (1-3) vs. Woodside (2-2), Friday 7 p.m. at Todd Stadium
Warwick RB Demonte Good (Photo: Sam Mizelle/recruit757)
Warwick RB Demonte Good (Photo: Sam Mizelle/recruit757)
After last weekend’s game against Woodside, Hampton coach Mike Smith had a tremendous compliment for Wolverine quarterback Tyhier Tyler.
“He’s like a smaller version of Bubba,” said the legendary Crabber coach of the 5’7”, 150 pound Tyler, making a comparison to his own star quarterback Jovonn Quillen. Against Hampton, Tyler threw for one touchdown while running for another.
Indeed, pound-for-pound, Tyler is one of the most explosive players in the Peninsula District. And his team’s record (2-2) is misleading, considering that the two losses came to 2013 South Carolina state champion Northwestern, and recruit757.com #4 ranked and undefeated Hampton. Woodside, under Coach Danny Dodson, is capable of winning seven or eight games this season.
On the other hand, Warwick (1-3) is experiencing growing pains. Their last game was a 42-6 loss to the other undefeated district team, Phoebus.
However, the Raiders do have some pop in their offense, as evidenced by their three touchdowns against Heritage in a 36-18 loss. In that game, Warwick rushed for 151 yards. Also, against Phoebus, quarterback D.J. Nunn connected on a 53-yard scoring strike to Travis Williams.
On the other hand, Woodside is capable of dropping 40 points on any Peninsula team not named Hampton or Phoebus. Along with Tyler, the Wolverines are supercharged by a trifecta of offensive threats. Running back Tamir Walker can break for long touchdowns, while receiver/backs Demetri Banks and Jordan Lassiter keep opposing secondaries honest. Coach Dodson has been known to call for the run on every offensive play during a game, but his offense does have the ability to throw, as Woodside did 12 times (for nine completions, 281 yards, and three touchdowns) in a 46-7 win against Menchville.
Woodside could surpass the five touchdown threshold against its cross-town rivals on Friday. However, if Warwick’s defense can rise to the challenge, and Nunn can get the Raider offense rolling, with a big game from running back Demonte Good helping greatly, the matchup could be interesting.
At face value, it looks like Woodside has the advantage.   Warwick has the look of a team that’s looking to break out.   Woodside can’t take them lightly.

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week - York 31, Warhill 13

In a change of pace, I'm deferring to my wife Elizabeth for this game summary from Friday night at Bailey Field in Yorktown. We have been tag-teaming on some games, and I hope that the double coverage has been beneficial for the players competing on the field. 

From recruit757.com  ---   http://www.recruit757.com/york-falcons-fly-warhill/

by Elizabeth McGrath, recruit757
York WR Adam Lytle (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
York WR Adam Lytle (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
York Freshman QB Ramsey Hayyat and Company Swooped onto Bailey for Second Win
Contenders in the Bay Rivers district have noticed both a well-devised, well executed run-pass games from second-year coach Thad Wheeler and his Warhill Lions.   Statistically, the averages for completions, passes, and rushing yards have been superb against opponents.   Prominent playmakers on the Lions squad for the current season have been veterans Collin Bright, Ryan Creecy and Trevon Loftin.  Notable newcomer, freshman Noah Holmes, received a fair amount of praise for his performance in the season opener against Churchland.   The linebacker caught an 18-yard pass from Creecy.
The Lions assembled onto Bailey Field against an undefeated 1-0 York Falcons, seeking their first win.   An advice regarding nature came to mind in football matchups, particularly with longtime Falcon coach Doug Pereira’s game plans.  “Falcons are birds of prey and are therefore known for their incredible hunting skills and being a ruthless, dominant predator within their environment.”
First, the Lions pondered how to stop double-threat Devin Campbell.   On defense, the senior spearheaded a strong linebacking corps, and could intercept or return a punt and quickly score six points.   Offensively, he could carry the football on numerous touches for over 100 yards.   Quarterback Ramsey Hayyat in his debut against New Kent demonstrated his throwing abilities all over the field.  As for speed, he rushed 91 yards for a touchdown.  A freshman quarterback, disguised with the precision of Tom Brady, the speed of Nick Foles and the heroics of Peyton Manning at a Virginia High School League sanctioned game?
Methodically, the Falcons waited for their moment to play, as they deferred the ball to the Lions after winning the coin toss.   The first half of the Bay Rivers non-conference game belonged solely to York in triple statistics in total yards and first downs.    Hayyat, in his second start as varsity quarterback, threw a 44-yard pass to open WR Luke Gilbert for a touchdown.   York scored first in the game with a total of six.    After another scoreless series by Warhill, York received possession of the ball.   Again, QB Hayyat lobbed a pass to WR Adam Lytle recovered in the end zone.  Though wobbly in his hands from the 20-yard line, Lytle maintained the football to score another easy six points.
The second quarter marked an important milestone for Falcon’s quarterback Hayyat, as he threw three touchdowns in the first 12:30 of a high school game!   The third touchdown involved quick-thinking and schemes.   Hayyat faked a pass off and threw left to running back Da’Shaun Jones, who scored from ten yards out.   With the extra point missed, the game at 11 minutes on the clock was 18-0.
The young QB continued to score with rather original patterns.    The next was a running play, where Hayyat finessed through a gap and ran for 44 yards, fumbling at the two yard line.  Fortunately, teammate Adam Lytle recovered and secured a touchdown.  With less than eight minutes left of the first half, York was ahead by 24.
The Lions roared with their first score towards the end of the first half.  With 34 seconds left, Trey Drummond recovered a fumbled ball and dashed for 46 yards to the end zone, resulting in a touchdown.   Warhill was unsuccessful with their two-point conversation, ending the first half of the game with the score 24-6.
Devin Campbell made a diving score in the fourth quarter, adding another six to the Falcon’s total to 30.   The extra point from kicker Logan Weis was good, with over six and half minutes left in regulation.    With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Collin Bright rushed 20 yards to score a touchdown for the Warhill Lions.  With the extra point from kicker Fletcher Whalen, the Lions added seven more to their total, completing the game’s scoring.
After a successful night for the young Hayyat, he was injured on the long running play and replaced by junior Isaiah Hawkins.   He left the game with six of eight completed passes, for a total of 110 yards and three touchdowns.  For the evening, Bright, a senior at Warhill High, carried 23 times passes for 154 yards for the Lions.
York’s next game is at Bailey Field, hosting the Poquoson Islanders (3-0) on Friday, September 25. Warhill’s next game is also at home against the Smithfield Packers (1-2) on Friday.




The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week -- Warhill vs. York Preview

Warhill (0-2) at York (1-1), Friday at 7 p.m.
Warhill QB Ryan Creecy (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Warhill QB Ryan Creecy (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)

From recruit757.com

Friday’s showdown between Warhill and York at Bailey Field features two teams in need of a win to gain a foothold in the Bay Rivers District standings.
For Warhill (0-2, 0-1 Bay Rivers), a victory would give them credibility and a .500 record within the district. In spite of their record, the Lions, after several years of struggling during their team’s infancy, have developed into a formidable opponent. Their first loss was a well-played 24-20 effort against Churchland, while the second defeat came to 3A powerhouse Lafayette.
Although the Lions only gained 126 yards in the 40-6 loss to the Rams, there were a couple of bright spots. Running back Collin Bright rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries, including a 67-yard blast down the right sideline for Warhill’s only score. Teammate Bryce Koob added 38 yards on seven carries.
Nevertheless, Warhill failed to establish any passing game, attempting only one pass, which was incomplete.
York (1-1, 1-0 Bay Rivers) could gain a boost with a win on Friday, as the Smithfield-Lafayette game will create one less undefeated district team.
Two-way player Devin Campbell leads the Falcons. In last week’s 37-27 win at New Kent, the senior standout excelled on both sides of the line. At linebacker, Campbell returned a punt for an exciting 75-yard touchdown, but he also tallied 138 yards and two more scores at running back.
One question that remains to be answered for York is who will start at quarterback on Friday. Isaiah Hawkins was anointed as the starting signal caller at the beginning of the season, but got hurt during the opener against James Monroe. Freshman Ramsey Hayyat finished the game, and then started against New Kent, where he threw for 102 yards and a touchdown, while running for 91 yards and another score. York coach Doug Pereira has kept the name of his starter on Friday a secret, but hinted that both Hawkins and Hayyat might see action under center.
If Warhill can activate its aerial attack, they might stand a chance to win on Friday night. However, the Falcons appear to have too much firepower to lose at home. If York can emerge victorious, a 2-0 district record would put them in title contention among the likes of Lafayette, Poquoson and re-emerging Smithfield.

Funeral Expense Fund set up for Bruton's Coach Brooks

This fund is being set up to help the family of the late  Kevin Brooks  with his funeral expenses. Kevin was a man, that never met a person that didn't like him nor he not like them.  Kevin was unexpectedly called home to be with our Lord on September 11, 2015.  

Here is the link:

https://www.gofundme.com/y44c8jgf


The family will appreciate your support at this time of the loss of their loved one.  No contribution is too small to assist the family of the late Kevin "Big" Brooks.  Please help!!!


We leave you with these words:

    Today for me life on earth has passed, but in Heaven it starts anew.  I'm promised no tomorrow for today will always last.
     I am with my Savior and I am at rest.  Do not think we're far apart , for every time you think of me, I am right here in your heart!!!!!

The "Wall's" Peninsula Game of the Week - Smithfield 36, Bruton 13

Despite the score, this was an incredible effort by Bruton, who played less than ten hours after the passing of their offensive line coach, Kevin Brooks. I was in the press box at Smithfield as the moment of silence was held for Coach Brooks (and for 9/11). But for some reason, the seriousness of the moment didn't hit me right away.

I arrived home and started telling my wife about what had happened, and realized that I was sidetracked enough during the moment of silence to have not even written down the coach's name. To add insult, I never even informed Marty O'Brien, the Bay Rivers reporter at the Daily Press, about the event. As Friday evening turned to Saturday morning, and then afternoon, it occurred to me that I should report what happened. However, by then, Marty had learned of the passing and already had an article online.

Even worse, after I saw a picture of Coach Brooks, I realized that I knew him -- not well, but he was certainly a fixture around the shot and discus areas at a lot of track meets. My apologies to the Bruton family for not sharing this news sooner. Rest in Peace -- Coach Brooks.

And here's the game. Bruton, an underdog, showed heart and spirit in keeping the score tied midway through the second quarter. But the emotion of their day probably caught up with the team, although Smithfield started to find the spark in their offense.


Smithfield's Chris Pierce caught six
balls, three for touchdowns, to lead
the Packers to a 36-13 win at home.
SMITHFIELD Christopher Pierce caught three touchdown passes from Nicholas Turner to lead the Packers to a 36-13 home win over Bruton.

The first touchdown connection occurred with two minutes left in the first half. Turner, who had sat out the previous two series at quarterback, threw a screen to Pierce, who ducked and dodged, while eluding a last effort tackle near the goal line to log a 67-yard passing touchdown.

Pierce added two more in the second half, a six-yarder that was setup by a 46-yard punt return from midfield by Willie Drew. On their next possession, Pierce caught the game-clincher, a 16-yarder on fourth-and-goal. For the game, the junior caught six passes for 112 yards.

The hosts struck first. A 30-yard punt return from midfield by Willie Drew gave the Packers great field position at the Panther 20.  On the second play, quarterback Nicholas Turner dropped back to pass, but instead scampered 18 yards for the games first touchdown.

Bruton (1-1) answered back late in the first quarter as the Panthers capped a six-play, 50 yard drive with Gregory Dockery throwing a floater down the right side, which was caught for a 28-yard score by Jalen Carr.

Carr was also responsible for the best defensive play of the first half, scooping up a Turner fumble and rambling 76 yards untouched for a score that tied the game at 13. Prior to Carrs score, Lowell Patron scored on a seven-yard sweep.

Packers coach Reginald Chavis, whose team lost to Kings Fork 24-17 last week, said that his team overcame a lot of adversity this week, but still had a lot of work to do, as they prepare for undefeated Lafayette next week.

Will Robinson led Smithfield (1-1) with 76 yards rushing on 12 carries.


BRUTON        --     7, 6, 0, 0 -- 13
SMITHFIELD   --  7,13, 2, 14 -- 36

First quarter
S Turner 18 run (Tucker kick)
B Carr 28 pass from Dockery (Malik kick)

Second quarter
S Patron 7 run (kick failed)
B Carr 76 fumble return (kick failed)
S Pierce 67 pass from Turner (Tucker kick)

Third quarter
S Safety. Punter knee touches ground in end zone.

Fourth quarter
S Pierce 6 pass from Turner (Tucker kick)
S Pierce 16 pass from Turner (Tucker kick)

                   Brut  Smith     
First downs;    5, 14
Rushes-yards;  39-77, 42-152
Passing yards;   53, 178
Comp-att-int; 4-16-2, 12-25-1
Penalties-yards; 6-41, 5-40
Punts-avg;    5-30, 4-28 
Fumbles-lost; 1-1, 2-1