Daughters take down moms on b-ball court

CORNWALL — The ladies — young, and, um … not so young — came to play. Moms (mostly) from the group that meets Wednesdays in the Cornwall Consolidated School (CCS) gym went up against the CCS Region One champion girls Sunday afternoon, March 7. They collected items for the Cornwall Food Bank while collecting fouls and bruises on the court.

Yes, we’re going there. As attractive and classy as these girls and their moms are off the court, they brought a slightly lower level of pretty to their game.

The moms wore brightly colored, tie-dyed CCS Walk-a-thon T-shirts, an assortment of padding, a knee brace or two and looks of sheer determination. Whether that was to win or not to collapse of exertion remained to be seen.

Taking the court and cheering their team name, “U80� — in soccer, that would denote players are under the age of 80 — the 15 moms quickly gauged the level of aggressiveness the 10 CCS team members were bringing. They ramped up their game and the action was lively.

The crowd cheered for both sides, and it was not uncommon to hear shouts of “Go, Mommy!�

Down 28 to 12 at the break between the two 16-minute periods, U80 players huddled to discuss strategy. Coach Rick Kearns (dad to a CCS player, who called him a “traitor�) suggested they pick up the pace. Easy for him to say, was the general reaction.

He eventually decided to let them run some plays they have been practicing, even though their goal on Wednesdays is to stay in shape. Knowing endurance was not their strong suit against the girls, they continued their strategy of subbing out all five players at each opportunity.

As for the girls, they were confident, to say the least. They were not running plays, since they had a ringer or two to round out their team. Beyond that, they declined to reveal their strategy, accusing this U80 reporter of being a spy.

In the second period, the U80 ladies scored on some impressive plays, determination and raw talent. The U80 inside defense became so good, the girls went to outside shots, wowing the crowd with a high percentage sunk.

In the end, it was 53-26 in favor of CCS. Those ladies seemed barely out of breath, and had nothing to be embarrassed about. After a quick group photo, both teams cooled down by delivering a big pile of food and other donated items to the food bank.

Latest News

Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less