ADDISON COUNTY INDEPENDENT
B Section
THURSDAY, Â FEBRUARY Â 21, Â 2013
SPORTS
ALSO IN THIS SECTION:
t 4DIPPM /FXT t -FHBM /PUJDFT
t $MBTTJĂŤFET t 3FBM &TUBUF
KARL LINDHOLM
A  mess:  Sports  fan  and  hypocrite 2XU VSRUWVZRUOG LV D PHVV ² DQG Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m  a  hypocrite. , DP ERWK D IDQ DQG D VNHSWLF Much  of  what  happens  in  sports  at  its  highest  levels  I  deplore,  yet  my  days  DQG QLJKWV DUH WDNHQ XS E\ ZDWFK- ing  games  or  by  reading  and  writing  about  sports.  Sports  are  an  essential  part  of  my  life. Every  day,  it  seems,  brings  another  revelation  of  corrupt,  immoral,  un- principled,  decep- tive,  distasteful,  or  unhealthy  practices  in  the  world  of  VSRUWV DUUHVWV JXQ violence,  DUI  with  death  resulting,  il- legal  performance- enhancing  drug  use,  child-Âabuse,  cheating,  lying,  suicide. And  the  money  involved  and  at  VWDNH HQVXUHV WKH UDPSDQW FRPPHU- cialism  of  sports,  greed,  and  over- the-Âtop  conspicuous  consumption. Pro  football  is  a  mess. 2YHU IRUPHU 1)/ SOD\HUV DUH suing  the  league  for  withholding  infor- mation  about  the  dangers  they  faced  in  their  playing  careers  from  concus- sions,  repetitive  blows  to  the  head.  Rodney  Harrison,  41,  last  played  for  the  Patriots  in  2008.  He  admitted  that  he  is  â&#x20AC;&#x153;scared  to  deathâ&#x20AC;?  about  his  future  health.  $OO 6WDU OLQHEDFNHU -XQLRU 6HDX WRRN KLV RZQ OLIH ODVW 0D\ E\ shooting  himself  in  the  chest,  choos- ing  this  method  of  suicide  so  his  EUDLQ PLJKW EH LQWDFW IRU VFLHQWLÂżF study.  Posthumous  analysis  indeed  VKRZHG HYLGHQFH RI &7( &KURQLF Traumatic  Encephalopathy). )RRWEDOOÂśV DSRWKHRVLV WKH 6XSHU Bowl,  recently  attracted  110  million  viewers,  the  third-Âmost-Âwatched  TV  event  in  history  (the  other  two  were  previous  Super  Bowls). How  do  we  balance  safety  con- cerns  in  football  with  the  enormous  popularity  of  the  game? Simply  put,  we  donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.  We  are  inured  to  the  danger  of  the  game.  We  are  absorbed  by  the  spec- tacle.  Did  I  watch  the  game?  2I FRXUVH Amid  misgivings  about  the  orgias- tic  excess  of  the  whole  enterprise,  I  rooted  hard  for  the  Niners  and  was  dismayed  when  their  furious  rally  fell  just  short  of  victory.  Baseball  is  a  mess.  6WHURLGV DUH EDFN LQ WKH QHZV ZLWK A-ÂRod  and  National  League  MVP  Ryan  Braun  implicated  again  in  the  MIDDLEBURY  UNION  HIGH  School  senior  Marrott  Weekes  draws  a  foul  from  Commodore  Stanley  Salley  use  of  performance-Âenhancing  drugs  Tuesday  night.  Vergennes  won  the  game,  52-Â36. (PEDs). Independent  photos/Trent  Campbell 0HON\ &DUHUD VXVSHQGHG ODVW \HDU for  testing  positive  for  testosterone,  watched  his  Giants  team  go  on  to  win  the  World  Series.  He  got  a  $16  (See  Lindholm,  Page  3B) By  ANDY  KIRKALDY VERGENNES  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  Posting  two  of  its  strongest  routines  of  the  winter  By  ANDY  KIRKALDY closer  to  the  top  seed  in  Division  II  at  Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  championship  com- $'',621 &2817< ² ,Q DUHD E\ NQRFNLQJ RII 9HUJHQQHV DQ 2W- petition  at  Vergennes  Union  High  KLJK VFKRRO EDVNHWEDOO SOD\ HDUOLHU ter  Valley  standout  moved  closer  School,  the  Middlebury  Union  High  WKLV ZHHN WKH (DJOH JLUOV PRYHG (See  Hoop,  Page  4B) 6FKRRO GDQFH WHDP ÂżQLVKHG VHFRQG Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Basketball in  each  of  its  disciplines  and  third Â
ScoreBOARD
2/19  VUHS  vs.  MUHS   .......................  52-Â36 2/19  OV  vs.  Arlington   ..........................56-Â53 2/19  Missisquoi  vs.  Mt.  Abe  ................  80-Â43 Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Basketball 2/18  OV  vs.  Windsor   ...........................42-Â34 2/18  Mt.  Abe  vs.  VUHS   ......................  67-Â27 2/18  MUHS  at  Colchester   .......  Ppd.  to  2/26
Schedule
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hockey 2/23  Rutland  at  MUHS   .................  4:45  p.m. 2/27  MUHS  at  Harwood   ....................  5  p.m. 2/28  ....................................  Pairings  Posted Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hockey 2/23  N.  Country  at  MUHS   .................  7  p.m. 2/27  MUHS  at  Essex   ........................  5  p.m. 2/28  ....................................  Pairings  Posted Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Basketball 2/22  Milton  at  Mt.  Abe   .......................  7  p.m. 2/22  Rochester  at  OV   .......................  7  p.m. 2/22  St.  Albans  at  MUHS   ..................  7  p.m. 2/22  VUHS  at  Missisquoi   .............  7:30  p.m. 2/25  .....................................Pairings  Posted Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Basketball 0W 0DQVÂżHOG DW 08+6  .............  7  p.m. 2/21  VUHS  at  Missisquoi   .............  7:30  p.m. 2/21  Mill  River  at  OV   ....................  7:30  p.m. 2/25  Mt.  Abe  at  Colchester   ...............  7  p.m. 2/25  Milton  at  VUHS   .........................  7  p.m. 2/25  MUHS  at  Missisquoi   ............  7:30  p.m. 2/26  OV  at  Hartford   .....................  7:30  p.m. 0W $EH DW 0W 0DQVÂżHOG  ...........  7  p.m. 2/28  VUHS  at  MUHS   ........................  7  p.m. 2/28  Leland  &  Gray  at  OV   ...........  7:30  p.m. 29 DW 6SULQJÂżHOG  ....................7:30  p.m.
(See  Schedule,  Page  4B)
Basketball:  Eagle  girls  top  VUHS,  Otter  teams  prevail
VERGENNES  UNION  HIGH  School  senior  Stanley  Salley  draws  a  foul  from  Middleburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  Perry  DeLorenzo  Tuesday  night.  Vergennes  won  the  game,  52-Â36.
Commodore  boys tip  Tigers,  hit  19-Â0 Both  teams  eyeing  high  playoff  seeds By  ANDY  KIRKALDY VERGENNES  â&#x20AC;&#x201D;  Round  Two  also  ZHQW WR WKH &RPPRGRUHV The  host  Vergennes  Union  High  6FKRRO ER\VÂś EDVNHWEDOO WHDP RQ 7XHVGD\ VFRUHG WKH ÂżQDO SRLQWV of  the  fourth  quarter  as  VUHS  re- mained  undefeated  with  a  52-Â36  vic- tory  that  gave  them  a  season  sweep  of  the  Middlebury  Union  High  School  Tigers.  7KH &RPPRGRUHV KDYH clinched  the  top  seed  for  the  upcom- ing  Division  II  post-Âseason  tourna- ment,  and  they  will  try  to  complete Â
D UHJXODU VHDVRQ RQ )ULGD\ DW Missisquoi  Valley  (12-Â7).  98+6 &RDFK 3HWHU 4XLQQ QRWHG on  Tuesday  the  emotion  will  be  run- ning  high  at  MVU,  where  T-ÂBird  standout  senior  Matt  St.  Amour  will  enter  the  contest  22  points  short  of  2,000  for  his  career. %XW 4XLQQ VDLG WKH &RPPRGRUHV will  be  prepared.  ³:HÂśUH QRW WDNLQJ DQ\WKLQJ IRU JUDQWHG RQ )ULGD\ 7KDWÂśV WKHLU VHQLRU QLJKW WKH JUHDWHVW EDVNHWEDOO SOD\HU theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve  ever  had,  his  last  game,â&#x20AC;?  he  (See  Basketball,  Page  3B)
MUHS  dance  team  third  in  state overall  by  a  margin  of  just  2.75  points. 0RXQW 0DQVÂżHOG HGJHG 6RXWK Burlington  for  the  overall  title,  480.50-Â480.25,  with  the  Tigers  right  behind  at  477.75.  Those  three  teams  were  head  and  shoulders  above  the  rest  of  the Â
¿HOG &ROFKHVWHU WRRN IRXUWK ZLWK 449.0,  and  Burr  &  Burton  (440.0)  and  Lamoille  (423.5)  were  the  only  other  teams  among  the  10  competing  WR EUHDN SRLQWV 2YHUDOO VFRUHV were  determined  by  combining  the  scores  from  the  two  of  the  three  (See  Dance,  Page  2B)
Panther  skiers  third  at  carnival +$1&2&. 5,3721 ² 7KH 3DQWKHU VNL WHDP ÂżQLVKHG LQ WKLUG SODFH WKLV SDVW ZHHNHQG DW WKH WK DQQXDO 0LGGOHEXU\ &ROOHJH ZLQWHU carnival.  Vermont  won  the  event  with  933  points,  followed  by  Dart- mouth  (859),  Middlebury  (766)  and  New  Hampshire  (734).  The  menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  giant  slalom  team  provided  an  alpine  highlight,  plac- LQJ VHFRQG WKDQNV WR WKH WKUHH IRXU ÂżQLVK IURP MXQLRUV 'DYLG 'RQ- aldson  and  junior  Hig  Roberts.  Donaldson  covered  the  course  in  ZKLOH 5REHUWV ZDV FORVH EHKLQG DW 6HQLRU $QGUHZ McNealus  rounded  out  the  scor- HUV LQ WK ZKLOH VHQLRU %U\DQ 6KSDOO ZDV WK The  Panther  women  were  paced  in  the  GS  by  sophomore  Mary  6DFNEDXHU LQ VHFRQG SODFH ZLWK D WLPH RI 1H[W IRU WKH 3DQWKHUV ZDV VRSKRPRUH .DUD 3$17+(5 623+2025( .$5$ 6KDZ DSSURDFKHV D JDWH GXULQJ WKH ÂżUVW UXQ RI WKH JLDQW VODORP UDFH DW 0LGGOHEXU\ &ROOHJHÂśV ZLQWHU FDUQLYDO 6KDZ LQ WK IROORZHG 6DWXUGD\ PRUQLQJ 6KDZ ZDV WK DQG 0LGGOHEXU\ ÂżQLVKHG WKH FDUQLYDO LQ WKLUG SODFH (See  Carnival,  Page  4B) Independent  photo/Trent  Campbell