LABC
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
The middle of the school year is fast approaching and the booster
club has a lot to be thankful for. This fall, we were able to purchase a
multiple refrigerated Gatorade dispenser for Dan Gotthardt and the training
room so all of our athletes can replenish after their training each day.
We also organized the W&M Homecoming 5K run with the tireless help of Coach
Craig Wortman, Coach Lindsay Newell, and Chairman Curt Gaul. The parent
support for this event was truly outstanding and we thank each and every one of
you who worked so hard to pull this event off. We were able to raise
several thousand dollars and were happy to send a large portion of these funds
to support a high school in Mississippi which was impacted by Hurricane
Katrina. We also want to thank Patty Banks for her years of help in
running concessions for the booster club at football games and wrestling events
which bring in much needed funding for all the things the boosters support on
an ongoing basis each year. Our booster club website is recording record
hits each and every month and we are grateful to the parents and students who
are using the site to keep up with team schedules, scheduling changes, scores
of recent events, directions to events, and other RAM news.
Looking forward to the rest of this school year, we need the
parents help in two areas. Our annual golf tournament has been moved back
to the spring to accommodate our hosting the W&M Homecoming 5K run.
We hope this will be become an
annual event for us and to keep the golf tournament in the spring. Fords
Colony has graciously allowed us to move the
tournament to a weekend slot for the same projects
cost and we are very excited
that most parents and coaches will be able to participate without the usual
conflicts of sports and work. This is our biggest fundraiser and we rely
heavily on the tournament for much needed funding for your
student athletes. PLEASE mark your calendar for the weekend of April
22, 2007, and
come out and play to support
the Booster Club. We have an excellent dinner after the
event overlooking the beautiful golfing at Fords Colony and have raffles and
prizes. All this for only $75.00 per person. At most nicer golf
courses, you can not even play for this amount of money. We also will
need volunteers to help with gathering door prizes and helping with the
event. Please call Dan Barner at 565-0440 and let him or any booster
officer know you want to help. We can be reached at the numbers listed on
the Lafayetteboosters.com website which is another project brought to you by
your Booster Club to keep you up to date and informed about the RAMS. As
a final note, if you haven't joined the booster club in support of your student
athlete, please take a moment and do that now. We try to do so much and
we really need a lot more support from our families. The registration form
is on the Booster Club website under Booster Club. Thanks for your continued
support.
Dwight Pinkett - President
LAFAYETTEBOOSTERS.COM
It is just over one year old and
it has proven to be very successful in getting the word out on Lafayette
Athletics. During each of the past four
months, this site has registered over 7,000 hits. If you need info such as schedules,
addresses, Booster Club notes and many other happenings, this is where you will
find it. Got a suggestion on how to
make it better? Just e-mail us. Want to see a score or find out if a game has
been postponed? Just type in…
WWW.LAFAYETTEBOOSTERS.COM.
Do it today and let us know
what you think.
AD’s CORNER: by Dan Barner
A FALL 2006 SEASON
OF GUARDED ANTICIPATION TURNED INTO AN OVERACHIEVING AMOUNT OF RAMS SUCCESS: As I stated in last fall’s News & Notes, the autumn season in Williamsburg is truly a wonderful time
of the year for Lafayette students. The air is full
of excitement with the challenge of a new school year, the just so perfect
daily weather conditions, the rekindling of old friendships and of course, the
anticipation of yet another fall of outstanding achievement by our Ram fall
athletes. However, in my mind, things
were just a little different this fall than those of previous years. For the first time in the 10 year period of
participating in “AA”, I would have to add the adjective “guarded” in front of
the word “anticipation” when thinking of the 2006 fall athletic season. Not since our first year of “AA” competition have
we had so many question marks surrounding our fall teams. The fall of 2005 proved to be one of the most
successful in the history of the school.
Our Rams won 79% of all their games, won five of the eight fall Bay
Rivers District championships and had four of our teams finish in the top eight
of the state. All the success also came
with a very big price tag, a much larger than usual exodus of outstanding athletic
seniors. Thus, for the first time, I
looked at the fall 2006 season with guarded anticipation. Well guess what? Just like all the Rams before them, the fall
athletes of 2006 did what has become a tradition at Lafayette High School. They met all their challenges head on and
across the board exhibited the ability to do what has become an expectation of all
Lafayette athletes and their teams. They know how to win. Even
though I think that as a group they were overachievers, they nevertheless always
figured out a way to get the job done. For example, right at 70% of them earned a 3.0
GPA during the first marking period.
They participated in a number of community service projects including
the William and Mary Homecoming 5K Run in which $2,500 of the proceeds was sent
to the athletic department at Pass Christian High School in Pass Christian, Mississippi. They also won 67 % of all their games played
which included two Bay Rivers District Championships. Guarded anticipation. I
guess after 10 years of seeing what our Rams can do, I should have known
better. Leading the way this fall on
the field of play was our undefeated girls cross country team. Speaking of overachievers, this group of
girls certainly fits the mold. After two
straight 9 and 0 seasons in 2004 and 2005, the cupboard was left almost bare
for the 2006 season with the return of only one starter. What did our girl runners do? They finished
the year with another record of 9 and 0 and a third straight Bay Rivers
District Championship. They also placed third in Region 1 and finished as the sixth
best team in the state. Our football
team was another major concern as only three offensive and four defensive
starters returned from the 2005 team. To
make matters worse, this football team was one of the smallest in physical size
of all the “AA” schools in the state. Picked to finish fourth or fifth in the
district, the 2006 edition of Lafayette football players worked as hard as any
we have seen and overcame so many deficiencies to finish with a 9 and 2 record
and a Bay Rivers Championship. This year’s
nine wins keeps the Lafayette football program in second place for the most “AA”
wins in the state over the past ten years.
Making the regional playoffs for the ninth time in the past ten years gives
Lafayette the most regional appearances of any school in the VHSL. Our 2006
Field Hockey team had to not only overcome the loss of a number of four-year
starters who helped the team win back to back Bay Rivers District Championships,
but also the loss of a few probable starters who decided not to play this
year. Our stick girls finished the
season with a 13-7-1 record. They were second in the district but did win
the District Tournament. Their one
district loss was their first in over three years. Our Rams lost to Chancellor, the eventual
state champion, in the Region 1 semi-finals. Our boys cross country team
finished fourth in the district with a record of 6 and 3. In the Region 1 championship meet, they
finished third as they ran past three of the teams that finished ahead of them
in the district. They also had a strong
showing at the VHSL State meet with a 10th
place finish. Our golf and volleyball
teams were very young this year with a number of sophomores in the starting
line-up. Both teams finished fourth
place in the district. Our cheerleading
team also had to overcome the loss of most of the team that placed 8th
in the state in 2005 and fell to sixth place in the district. Now that the fall 2006 sport season is in
the record book, what I know about this group of Lafayette Rams is that they
are fighters, workers and probably overachievers. My guarded anticipation for the fall 2006? It turned out to be one of the most pleasant
surprises of my years at LHS. As a group, they are all the things that we want
our kids to be. As I say “It’s great to
be a Lafayette Ram”.
A GOODBYE AND
A GREAT JOB: After six years as our golf
coach and 15 years as a math teacher at LHS, Clyde Keller will retire this
June. Clyde has been a big asset to the
athletic department. But, the good news is that during his retirement, Clyde is volunteering to help the
golf program by continuing to run the Ram Annual Golf Tournament, of which he
was the founder, and also by taking our golfers to summer camps. We thank Coach Keller for all his efforts at
LHS and we are happy that he will continue to help with the golf program. Also,
a great job was done this fall by the Lafayette Athletic Booster Club. They
were given the opportunity to host the annual William and Mary 5K Homecoming
race which is a very big undertaking. Under the leadership of Curt Gaul, a
parent volunteer, and our Cross Country Coaches Craig Wortman and Lindsay
Newell, the race was a big success. Their leadership and the efforts of a large
number of parents enabled us to send $2,500 to Pass Christian High School in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The money will be used to help their athletic
department which lost just about everything during Katrina. This was a total
team effort by our athletes and parents. Thanks to all.
SPORTSMANSHIP
AWARDS: Each
sports season, one athlete from each team is named the recipient of our
Sportsmanship-Integrity- School Spirit award.
This is the most prestigious award given to our athletes during a sports
season. The winner of this award is
selected by a committee of students. This
fall’s 2006 recipients are:
Field Hockey: Tara
Svadeba, Cheerleading: Cierra
Washington, Girls Cross Country: Casey
Bartlett, Boys Cross Country: Nick
Mitchell, Golf: Christy Newberg, Football: Jake McClain, Volleyball: Kiersten
Marshall. Congratulations to all of these
athletes for being selected by their peers as the winners of this award.
MILESTONES:
Stasia Abid: After
earning All-State honors last year in her first year of running, Stasia again made
All-State as she finished as the 6th best runner in “AA”. For the second straight year, Stasia won the
Bay Rivers District and Region 1 championships.
Going into her final spring, Stasia has also been named twice to the All-State
Girls Soccer team. Stasia, who has been
one of our most heavily recruited athletes ever at LHS, has just accepted a
nomination to the United States Naval Academy where she will play
soccer. Kelly McHenry: For the second year Kelly has been named to the
Field Hockey All-State team. She also
earned All-District honors as a soccer player.
She has accepted a recruited position on the Dartmouth Field Hockey team
for next year. Kelly was the only
student on the entire Peninsula who received early admission to this
prestigious Ivy League School. Erin Lacey, Krissy Walentisch and Hannah
Lyerly: Erin, Krissy and Hannah joined
Kelly on the All-State Field Hockey team this year. They also were all named to the Bay Rivers
District and Region 1 teams. All four of
our All-State girls also have one other thing in common. Last spring they were all part of the first
girl’s soccer team in the history of LHS to make the state playoffs. James
Wallace, Brandon Moyler, Brandon Christian and Matt Mares. All four were named to the All-State Football
team. All four were also All-District and All Region 1 selections. James was selected as the Defensive Player of
the Year in the Bay Rivers District. Brandon Moyler also was the leading scorer in
the Bay Rivers District in basketball last year as well as an All-District and
All Region 1 selection. Brandon Christian was one of only a very few Rams the
past ten years to be named first team all-district on offense and defense. For Matt, this is the second year that he has
been named to the All-State team.
ACADEMIC HELP: Just a reminder. If your
child needs help with their academic work, please do not hesitate to call our
athletic/academic advisor, Mr. Keven Jones.
He is monitoring many of our athletes on a weekly basis, but your input
is needed if your son/daughter is having an academic problem. Coach Jones is a
very caring educator and has done an excellent job the past few years in
helping many of our athletes become better students. Again, don’t wait until it is too late. Coach Jones can help. You can reach Coach
Jones by calling 565-4236 and asking for his voice mailbox. He will return your call as soon as possible.
Also, if your son or daughter is a junior, please make sure that you look at
the important dates for the SAT and ACT that are listed on the back sheet.
STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING ROOM: Coach
Wheeler has the strength and conditioning room going full blast. Monday through
Friday, from 3:00pm to 4:45pm, Coach works out any
athlete that is not in season. Each training session consists of strength
training and speed work. Each day from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, Coach works with athletes
on in-season teams. Since we started our
strength and conditioning program eight years ago, we have always stressed the
importance of having our athletes become stronger, faster and more physically
fit. Off-season strength and conditioning is
essential for all our athletes, not only for better performance, but also for
safety and reducing the risk of injuries. Each year more and more athletes are
taking advantage of this great opportunity. The major benefits (not only
physically but also psychologically) of this program will enhance our athletes'
ability to perform at a much higher level. We ask you to strongly encourage
your son or daughter to get involved with this program. We would also like to
encourage you to come and visit one of the workouts so that you can get a first-hand
look at this outstanding program that Coach Wheeler has put together. For all
upperclassmen, LHS now offers strength and conditioning classes during the
school day. It is an elective PE class
that is worth one credit. If you would
like more information on this class or have questions concerning the strength
and conditioning program, please give me a call at 565-0440. Again, please
encourage your son or daughter to get involved with this program.
Finally, as I have had the
honor of saying after each sports season for the past nine years, this fall we
again had another outstanding athletic season at Lafayette High School. We have had many exciting and priceless
moments and have seen our athletes achieve much success. Although a large
number of athletes mentioned in this newsletter received some type of
post-season honor, it is extremely important for everyone to know and
understand that our success is based on the hard work and achievement of all
our athletes. We have been very
fortunate at LHS to have so many athletes, starters and substitutes alike, who
have daily “stepped up to the plate” and have done what they needed to do to be
successful. We should all be proud of
each and every one of them.
GO
RAMS!
SENIORS
:
HAVE
YOU FILLED OUT THE NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE
FORM? IF YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY AT THE
DIVISION I OR II LEVEL IN COLLEGE YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS FORM NOW! GO TO:
NCAACLEARINGHOUSE.ORG
JUNIORS AND
SENIORS…
HAVE YOU TAKEN THE SAT OR
ACT YET? IF NOT, SIGN UP TODAY!
SAT
TESTING
Testing
Date Registration Date
May 5 April
3
June 2 April
27
MORE INFO AT:
WWW. COLLEGEBOARD.COM
ACT
TESTING
Testing
Date Registration Date
April 14 March
9
June 9 May 4
MORE INFO AT:
WWW. ACTSTUDENT.ORG
NEED HELP FOR THE SAT?
Come
to a workshop on March 5th and March 7th at Lafayette High
School. The
Workshop will be after practice from 6:30 - 8:30 PM and will help prepare for the March SAT on Saturday
the 10th. Coach Sorrell and
Dawn Sullivan will be running the seminar; the cost is $50 and all checks
should be made out to LABC. Contact
Coach Sorrell for more info, sorrellb@wjcc.k12.va.us, or you can check out www.lafayetteboosters.com.
LABC GOLF TOURNAMENT
We need participants to play in the best golf outing
in town. Mark it on your, Sunday, April
22 at Fords Colony. More info will be
posted on the website later this month.
We hope that you and your friends will come play and help Lafayette
Athletics.