Center roundball race goes down to the wire
by Kevin Cassidy
Islander Correspondent
The Anna Maria Island Community Center 2008 basketball season is winding down and division teams are battling to secure prime seeding spots for the upcoming playoffs. Earning the Number 1 seed gives that team the best matchup to start the playoffs. There are some good races for first place still going on in each of the league’s four age divisions.
Two weeks ago, it seemed West Coast Air Conditioning had locked in the top seed in the Premier Division with a perfect 7-0 record, but consecutive losses coupled with improved play from Connect Cycles and Island Real Estate tightened up the race for first place there and three regular season games are left to play.
Division I has the Sun in first place by two games over Island Lumber. With two games of regular play remaining for the Sun, a March 6 matchup against Island Lumber looms large. A win will pretty much wrap up the Sun’s first place standing. However, if Island Lumber runs the table in its three remaining games, it will take over as the top seed in the playoffs, which get started March 14.
Division II has been a two-horse race all season between Dips Ice Cream and Kumon. The winner of this derby earns a first-round by in the playoffs, which start for this division on March 12. Right now, Dips appears to hold an edge, but the two teams will meet Feb. 28 to solidify the seedings.
The Division III pennant race is also a two-horse race between undefeated Duncan Real Estate and thrice-beaten Ross Built. Ross Built and Duncan face each other Feb. 27, which is Ross Built’s last regular season game. Ross Built needs to defeat Duncan in that game and then hope that both Beach Bistro and Coastal Orthopedics earn victories over Duncan to climb over them into the top spot in the standings to start the playoffs.
Horseshoe news
Four teams emerged from pool play with unbeaten records during the Feb. 20 horseshoe games at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. The first semifinal saw Tom Rhodes and Vince Bonofiglio defeat the team of Adin Shank and Rod Bussey by a 21-12 margin. Bob Lee teamed up with R.B. Munro to post a 22-5 victory over John Johnson and Leo Hutton. Munro and Lee stayed hot as they rolled to a 22-12 victory over Rhodes and Bonofiglio for the day’s bragging rights.
Sixteen teams were whittled down to six after Feb. 16 pool-play action. The team of Norm Good and Sam Samuels steamrolled to the winner’s circle with a 21-6 victory over Gene Bobeldyk and Dan Belden in the first playoff round. They followed that victory up with a 25-14 win over Jay Disbrow and Tom Rhodes before rolling over Ron Slagh and John Johnson in the finals by a 23-12 score.
Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
Key Royale golf news
The Key Royale Club men played an 18-hole, two-best-balls-of-foursome game Feb. 20. The team of Earl Ritchie, Ben Spillane, Bill Melvin and Gino DiClemente carded an impressive 17-under-par 111 to earn clubhouse bragging rights for the day. One stroke back in second place was the team of John Atkinson, Dick Grimme, Bob Kelly and Chris Collins. Three teams finished in a tie for third place at 116.
The men were on the course for a nine-hole, individual-low-net contest Feb. 18. Jon Lindwall fired a 5-under-par 27 to win first place by one stroke over Pieter Thomassen. Third place went to the trio of Vince Fanton, Hugh Holmes and Rob Landgren, who each carded 3-under 29s.
The ladies joined the men on Feb. 15 for a low-team net game that saw Jane Winegarden, Terry Westby, Marian Mulroy and Larry Fowler card a 142 to take first place by six strokes. Eunice Warda, Joyce Brown, Nell Bergstrom and Hal Sears finished at 148 to take second place. And Rose Slomba carded a chipin on the seventh hole.
MAYSO offers new soccer league
Manatee Area Youth Soccer Organization is offering a new spring soccer league for futsal players age 7-adult. Street soccer, or futsal, is played with a low-bounce ball and a team of four players and a goalie take the field.
Cost for the eight-game season is $40 for MAYSO registered players, $50 for non-FYSA registered players and $60 for players registered with another FYSA-sanctioned club.
The season runs from April 5 to May 25 with most of the games being played on Saturdays and some Sundays. The age/gender divisions are U8, U10, U12, U14, high school, men, women and coed and registration as a team allows for a maximum of 10 players per roster.
The deadline for registration is March 24. For more information, contact MAYSO assistant director of coaching Erik Barbon at 941-932-0800, or e-mail him at barbonet@verizon.net.
Anna Maria Island Community Center basketball league standings
(as of Feb. 20)
Premier League Won Lost
WCAC 7 2
Cycles 5 4
IRE 5 4
Ralph’s 1 8
Division I
Sun 8 2
Lumber 6 3
Paradise 4 5
A&E 1 9
Division II
Dips 8 2
Kumon 7 3
Jessie’s 0 7
Division III
Duncan 9 0
Ross 8 3
Coastal 4 6
LPAC 3 8
Bistro 2 9
Anna Maria Island Community Center basketball schedule
Premier (ages 14-17)
8 p.m.Feb. 27WCAC vs. Ralph’s
8 p.m.Feb. 29Cycles vs. IRE
8 p.m.March 3Ralph’s vs. IRE
Division I (ages 12-13)
8 p.m.Feb. 28 Paradise vs. Lumber
6 p.m.March 4 A&E vs. Lumber
Division II (ages 10-11)
7 p.m.Feb. 28 Dips vs. Kumon
7 p.m.Feb. 29Jessie’s vs. Kumon
Division III (ages 8-9)
7 p.m. Feb. 27 Ross vs. Duncan
6 p.m. Feb. 28Bistro vs. Duncan
6 p.m. Feb. 29Orthopedic vs. LPAC
7 p.m. March 3Orthopedic vs. Duncan
Instructional League (ages 5-7)
6 p.m.Feb. 27Observer vs. Oyster Bar
6 p.m.Mar. 3Observer vs. BeachHouse |
