2006 State Singles Review

by Pat Snelgrove

Hurricane season came a little early in Virginia this year, with the advent of Ernesto on Labor Day weekend. On Wednesday, the VaHPA decided not to take the chance of being washed out, and postponed the event for two weeks. As things turned out, it was a good decision. Downpours in Winchester Wednesday and Thursday put the courts under water, even though the club had taken all precautions to cover the courts and try to keep them dry.

We wholeheartedly thank the Winchester club members and especially Bill Melton, for their efforts on behalf of this event. The courts were in fantastic shape, members were available to help out, and Bill took the extra time and attention to mark out the foul line for the PeeWee pitchers ahead of time. Good job all, thank you.

Everyone arriving was pleasantly surprised by music and a movie made by Kevin Snelgrove. This was a fund raiser for the VaHPA, and it was a DVD to be raffled off, and the subject of the movie was the Virginia State Singles over the years. It captivated pitchers all day long, as they paused to watch the film, exclaiming as they recognized the players, calling other people over to See This! That was rewarding to Kevin, and the raffle tickets were sold all day Saturday. Terry Figgins was the lucky winner when the drawing was held.

There were other activities going on both days. The VaHPA had sent out door-prize tickets with the class assignment mailings, and a variety of items were handed out to the pitchers during both days– measuring devises, NHPA patches, license plate frames, cookbooks from PorkShoeShack, all kinds of goodies – we also had a special drawing of sports bags, one for each flight on Saturday – morning and afternoon. The grand prize was awarded to the player that earned “High Ringer Over Average” –performance in qualifying rounds vs. entering stat for the event.

As has been the practice over the past couple of years, the Singles held qualifying classes that mixed all 40 foot pitchers and separate mixed qualifying classes for the 30 foot pitchers. Once the qualifying rounds were completed, Championship classes were held late Saturday and more on Sunday. The format was set depending on the number of entries, and the age.

In all of the classes, both days, there were numerous close games. All of the 30 foot mixed classes pitched Saturday. In 30E mix, we had Junior boy Tyler Whetzel (entering with 1.56%) pitching against PeeWee pitcher Elizabeth Vannoy (entering with 2.78%). They had a great time pitching. Elizabeth finished the day with a 6.67%, pitching 3.88 over her entering stat. Tyler surprised everyone, including himself, by ending the day with a 21.67% - a full 20.11 over his entering stat. All he could say was “I’ve been practicing with Uncle Jackie, I guess I’m doing better”. BETTER? If he keeps practicing with Uncle Jackie, we can expect to see him in A Class before he’s 19!!

The mixed 30D mixed class was won by Jessicca Matsko, all wins, no losses, and she also pitched well over her entering stat. Entering with 10%, finishing with 24.44%. Way to go Jess!!

In 30C Mix, PeeWee Trey McDowell qualified against 4 adults. The top entering stat in class was 28.19, Trey was bottom with 22.29. Those in the class that felt humble or “funny” about pitching against this little guy soon learned not to be. He gave the entire class a run-for-their-money, finishing in 4th place. Donald Parkes took the class by storm, winning 4-0, his closest game was against Carrie Flowers in the 4th round. At shoe 14, Don was ahead 19-9. By shoe 26, the score was 25-18 Don’s favor. By shoe30, the score was tied 25-25. This was a 40 shoe limit game – and it was wide open! At shoe 36, the lead switched, 30-29 Carrie’s favor, and then the finale !! Carrie fell apart in the last four shoes and Don kept on gettin’ on. The game finished 37-30, Don’s favor.

And the top 30 foot mixed class – 30AB Mix – held surprises all the way around. Newcomer Herman Harper entered this qualifying class with a 65%, and ended the day with 65.71%. Consistant? Yes he was, and showed the rest of us what rough stuff he’s made of. Amy Hall came in 1st in the class, beaming all the way to collect her patch – she pitched a tromping 85.71% overall for the day – She had a 90% game against Kara Vannoy, and a 92.5 against Renee Cowan (“oh darn, I missed a couple” was her comment). Herman’s game against Don Masters in the 6th round was a close one. Tied 12-12 at 22 shoes, then 15-15 at 26 shoes, it was anyone’s game. Don took the lead at 28 shoes, then the lead shifted and Herman was in charge. Don came on again, and at 38 shoes threw a sixpack, bringing the score to 24/23, Herman’s favor. The last throw. They both knew it… was it the tension, or was he tired? Don missed the pin completely while Herman caught one ringer. Final score 27/23 to Herman. Herman’s only loss for the day was against Amy with 10/37 in the last round.

During all this excitement in the 30 foot classes, some of the 40 foot classes were also pitching their qualifiers. In Men’s H, Edward Jordan had a few close calls. Pitching against Terry Sparks in round 2, Ed was way behind. Terry led 18/8 at 26 shoes. By shoe 36, Ed was coming on, the score was 21/18 Terry’s favor. In the last four shoes, Terry couldn’t make a single point. Ed threw another 4, winning the game 23/21. Then in the 7th round, Ed’s game against Jeremi Skillman was a class-place maker. The turnout was a turnaround! At shoe 10, the score was 7/3, Jeremi’s favor. Then Jeremi hit a cold spell. Ed crept up, and by shoe24, the score was 16/9 Ed’s favor. Then Ed hit a cold spot. Jeremi crept up and tied the score 16/16 at shoe 30. It was anyone’s game. Jeremi pointed, Ed pointed. The score inched with the shoes. Then Ed finally threw a ringer! Score 21/17 his favor! But he couldn’t get anymore points. Jeremi threw 5 points in the last two innings, taking the game 22/21. What a turnaround, what a great game!

In Men’s G Class, Bill Maitland won first place, but 2nd place Tony Webb almost took it from him in the fourth round. When that game started, Tony got off to a really cold start. Remember, this was a 40 shoe limit game… by shoe 30, the score was in Bill’s favor 23/8. It looked like a done deal. Then Tony woke up. He pitched six ringers (one for every throw) until the end of the game, holding Bill at 23 points!! Tony’s final score was 20, and he wished the game would go just four more shoes. Bill lucked out as the shoes ran out.

The winner of F Class was George Zahorchak, after a pitchoff with Floyd Hix. George’s only loss of the day was in a close match (24/26) against Floyd in the 2nd round. Floyd’s only loss prior to the playoff match was in the third round against Tom Bunting. Tom placed 3rd in the class, Floyd 2nd, George 1st.

Another playoff took place in E Class between Richmond pitchers Ronney Lee and Cyril Coleman each with 6wins, 1loss. It was an extremely tight match all the way. Score tied at 4 shoes, tied at 12 shoes, tied again at 28 shoes, tied again at 32 shoes. Tied AGAIN at 36 shoes and AGAIN at 40 shoes. This forced a four shoe tie-breaker. Shoe 42, Cyril got a ringer, Ronney missed completely, making the score 28/25 Cyril’s favor. Cyril threw back first, only got a point. He waiting anxiously while Ronney prepared to throw. First shoe, missed the pin! Second shoe got a ringer, but it wasn’t enough – Cyril won the game by that single lonely point on his last shoe. Final score 29/28 to Cyril. Way to go fellas!

Both F & D Classes ran into some confusion when pitchers were advised to throw down-and-back to break a point tie at the end of a game. As a 40 shoe game, the tie should remain as is. The mistake was caught at the scoring table a little while later, but in the meantime, pitchers in D class had already engaged in a playoff, and awards were issued. When the mistake was corrected, it changed the standings, reversing the win positions that had been awarded for 1st and 2nd. Winners in the class were WL Doss, 1st place, Bill Hartless 2nd, GW Dickson 3rd .

C Class winner Jim Hartman took his class by storm, winning all games. His closest match was in the 4th round against Doug Tharp. That was another of those games that looked like a closed door. By shoe 30, the score was 22/6 Hartman’s favor. He had just thrown a very impressive string of ringers – from shoe 18 thru 30, he averaged 72%! Then he lost it completely. In the next 10 shoes, he managed a single point, no ringers. His opponent meanwhile, kept comin’ on, one ringer at a time…until the shoes ran out and the game was finished. Jim was certainly glad for a shoe limit game, because the score ended 23/19 his favor.

Buck Johnson earned 1st place in B Class, but not without a struggle. Opponent Randy Rickard gave him a run for it, both times they played – first round, Buck won 27/26, second round, Buck won again – 28/26. In the first round, Randy was in the lead right up to shoe 30. With the score 23/15, he got stuck on 23 points – we all know how that happens sometimes. Buck took advantage during the next 10 shoes, racking up those ringers, while Randy tried to get moving. Preparing for the very last pitch of the game, the score was 27/23, Buck’s favor. Buck threw first, and scored a ringer. Randy wound up, tossed and landed a perfect sixpack! It was too little to late. The final score was 27/26 to Buck. Their second match was no less exciting. Again, Randy got out early, leading right up until shoe 22, when he hit a cold spell. Again, Buck took advantage, and in the next 8 shoes threw 7 ringers, only two covered by Randy. By shoe 34, the score was 28/19 Buck’s favor, and that’s where Randy held him. The shoes ran out before Randy could finish his comeback, with a final score of 28/26.

The action in A Class was a highlight of the day. What a line up of pitchers! Entry percentages ran from 53.26 (Paul Arnold) to 70.86 (Ronnie Walker). ALL of the pitchers were raring to go!! Defending Champion Hearl Kelly came in 1st, with 7-0, Ronnie Walker came in 2nd, and Paul Arnold – seeded 8th entering the class – came in 3rd. Ronnie and Paul had the same number of win/loss – 5/2, the place was decided by percentage.

The qualifying rounds set the appetites for the Championship rounds. And meanwhile, the VaHPA’s grand prize for “High Ringer over Average” was hanging out there to be awarded at the finish of all the qualifiers. Junior Boy,Tyler Whetzel, came to check every class’s final stat sheet as they were hung on the board. As the day progressed he went from “Do you think I stand a chance at that?” to “ Looking good… I think I might win that….” And at the end of it all, he had an ear-to-ear grin as he was awarded the gift certificate. We really enjoyed having Tyler in the event, hope he comes back year after year, and enjoys his selection from Pork’s Shoe Shack.

The Elder Men’s Championship class was held between Don Masters (Portsmouth) and Don Parkes (Winchester). Don M won the title, winning all 3 of the scheduled games. Both pitchers enjoyed the competition, and Don P ended the rounds pitching 4.9% over his entering stat.

Holding a Senior Men’s Championship class was a welcome addition from the VaHPA perspective – we had six competitors in the class, and hope next year more men opt for this division. Dave Moser won the title with a 5-0 record, WL Doss came in 2nd with 4-1, John Ham 3rd with 3-2. Considering his finish for the qualifying classes, Moser burnt his buddies big time, never finishing a game with less than 40 points, and not allowing them to get above 30. Moser – you showed your stuff in this competition!!

In the Women’s Championship class, Amy Hall came in 1st with a 80.61% overall. Renee Cowan came in 2nd with a 52.14%, but was feeling the effects of two days straight pitching. On her pitching side, her wrist has been bothering her for several months. Half way through the rounds, it swelled and really impacted her pitching. Although she pitched a 55.26% in her match against Amy, the score ended up 2/40 Amy’s favor. Amy pitched 89.47 in that game. I was surprised to even be included in the Championship rounds, and surprised even more by coming in 3rd place with a 37.5% . Not shabby at all. I enjoyed it immensely.

The Junior Girl’s Championship round got a kick start from Jessicca Matsko, finishing the qualifying rounds 14% over her entering percentage… and the Defending Title Champion to boot. As she faced off against top seed Amanda Tolbert , she found herself in a slow start mode. This was a 40 point game, and at shoe 20, the score was 13-6 Amanda’s favor. That’s when Jess turned on both jets. By shoe 36, she had caught up to 20/19 Amanda’s favor. Then she hit a cold spot that she couldn’t recoop from. Amanda held Jess from 19-23 points, winning the game 42/23. Amanda came in 1st, Jess 2nd, Rachel 3rd.

For the PeeWee Division this year, we had a single contestant, and ditto for the Junior Boy and Senior Women. It was decided to pitch them together. Norma Venavage and Tyler Whetzel had some close games, in their first round, the score tied at shoe8, then Norma pitched a double. That put her in a lead that Tyler never caught up with. The game ended 23/10 Norma. Then in round 3, the score was 18/15 Norma’s favor, when Tyler pitched another ringer. Score tied, and knowing the game would finish at 20 points, they both were on edge with that final throw. Tyler pitched a ringer, and Norma missed the pin – Tyler won 21/18. Great games both!!

And in the Men’s 40 foot Championship round, by the 4th round, everyone was getting warmed up and there were some really close tight games. If you caught the game between Jessie (Buck) Johnson and Ricky Hall that round, half way through you would have joined the rest of wondering how it would end up. At 24 shoes, the score was 22-11 Buck’s favor. Then Ricky caught a double, and Buck sort of fell apart. By shoe 38, the score tied at 28 points. You’d think there were a whole lot more shoes to be tossed, and the lead changed back and forth in the next four shoes. Then Ricky just buckled down and kept on banging the pin. Buck couldn’t maintain his steam, and Ricky ended the game, pitching 80% in the last 10 shoes, with a final score of 44-32. Way to go Ricky!

Paul Arnold had a great time pitching in both the qualifiers and the Championship rounds. He was seeded at the bottom of the qualification class, and ended up finishing in 3rd. Then entered the Championship class seeded 5th, and ended the day with a 54.97% - not much higher than his original stat – 53.26, but good enough to make him happy. He seemed pleased with how he was pitching all day for both days, smiling and having fun at it.

Terry Figgins had qualified in C Class, with an entering percentage of 39.66. He made the cut for the Championship class, entering with a 41%, seeded #8 . He actually finished the Championship class in fourth place, with a 50.3% overall, proving again, that it’s your Wins/Losses that make the difference. Great pitching Terry, expect to see you in A Class qualifiers next year !!

And the game between these two contestants was a cliff-hanger. At shoe 18, it looked like the writing was on the wall. The score stood 25-8 Terry’s favor. But Paul wasn’t going to just roll over and let him have it. Paul held Terry at 25 points for the next 10 shoes, until the score was 16-25. Terry had a couple opens, Paul got a couple doubles. By shoe 40, he had caught up to 23-31. By shoe 44, he had caught up to 30-31. At shoe 46, Paul took the lead – 36-31. Then HE hit a cold spot, and Terry took advantage. By shoe 56, the score was 38-37 Terry’s favor, and all it took was that last ringer that Paul didn’t cover. The game ended 41-37 to Terry. Great game both !!

The games got closer and tighter as the rounds ran on. In round 6, Jackie Whetzel, seed 3 played against Ronnie Walker, seed 1. By shoe 20, the score stood 16-17 Jackie’s favor. By shoe30, it was 27-22 Ronnie’s favor. At shoe 38, the lead shifted again, score 31-30, Jackie’s favor. At shoe 52, the lead shifted AGAIN. Ronnie’s favor 39-37 . And that’s where Ronnie stayed. Jackie held him there to win the game 41-39 !!

Also in round 6, Hearl Kelly (defending Champ 2005) was pitching against Ricky Hall (2004 Champion). It was an extremely close match. At shoe 16, the score was 15-13 Hearl. At shoe 30, it was 21-17 Ricky. At shoe 38, 30-26, Ricky’s favor. At shoe 42, the score was 36-26 Ricky’s favor!! And then he stalled. You know those ‘cold spots’ we all hit occasionally? Hearl held Ricky at that 36 point mark, and came up to win 41-36 at shoe 48!! Hearl pitched all ringers - 100% -in the last 6 shoes, and Ricky only covered 1 of those ringers. What an ending to a good close match!

At the end of round 7, there was a 3 way tie for first place – 6 wins, 1 loss each - Hearl Kelly (2005 defending Champ), Jackie Whetzel (2nd place 2005 and 3rd place 2004), and Ronnie Walker (relative newcomer to the State Singles). Entering the playoff, Ronnie sat out while Jackie & Hearl battled it out. What a game it was!! Folks, this was the longest game of the entire competition – 74 shoes!! The fence was lined with spectators, the cameras were focused on the opponents, the bleachers clogged with pitchers excited to see who the new Men’s State Champion would be.

Jackie got off to a cold start, and by shoe 20, the score was 13-3 Hearl’s favor. But Jackie turned on both burners… in the next 6 sets up & back, he held Hearl at 13 points, and not only TIED the score, but pulled ahead while Hearl was stuck on that unlucky number 13. But by shoe 32, Hearl tied the score 19-19. It was going to be a looooong game. By shoe 46, the score was 26-24 Jackie’s favor. By shoe 52, 28-26 Hearl’s favor. By shoe 70, the score stood at 36-35 Jackie’s favor – either pitcher could win. And Jackie held Hearl at 35 points, to win the game 40-35. What a triumphant finish. What a cliff hanger – great pitching guys!!!!

With Hearl out of the way, that set the stage for Ronnie to pitch against Jackie. This was the decision making game.Whoever finished in first place would be the new State Champ!

By shoe 20, the score was 11-10, Ronnie’s favor. Jackie held him there, gaining all the time. By shoe 30, the score was 23-11, Jackie’s favor. Around shoe 34, Jackie went cold, and allowed Ronnie to catch up. By shoe 50, the score was 27-29, still in Jackie’s favor, but he was getting nervous. At shoe 54, the score was 33-29, Ronnie’s favor, then he hit a cold spot, while Jackie kept focused. Jackie TIED the score 33-33, and kept getting those ringers!! He won the game at 68 shoes with a final score of 40-36!! Twice down Ronnie? We feel a rubber match coming up next year.

And CONGRATULATIONS to Jackie for becoming our new STATE CHAMP 2006 !!

The VaHPA thanks the Winchester Horseshoe Club for hosting the event this year, and for all the sponsors that assist to make the event possible. We look forward to meeting all of the pitchers on the courts next year.

Pat

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