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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-05-24, Page 16Page 16 Times -Advocate, May 24,1995 This Week in Sports... • Local Tae Kwon Do blackbelts go to Nationals - page 17 • Grand Bend Motorplex races start - page 18 Junior boys take Huron Perth championship Geoff Maver leads junior soccer team to victory with two goals EXETER - Over 50 students of SHDHS came out to cheer the jun- ior un\for boys soccer team on to their fifth straight Huron Perth Confer- ence Championship Friday after- noon. The 2-0 victory over St. Mi- chael's from Stratford finished the Panther's three game sweep in the playoffs after ending their regular season play with a perfect 6-0 record. Both teams seemed evenly matched in the fast and tight game with both sides creating good scor- ing opportunities at each end. The first goal came late in the half when the Panther's were given a free kick from 25 yards out. The ball was kept in play by Dave Far- quhar who passed it to Geoff Mav- er. Maver's quick kick sent the ball high bouncing off the inside goal post and into the net in what was probably the prettiest goal of the year for the Panthers. The Stratford team pressed hard in the second half creating a few tense moments but the Panthers de- fense, backed by Mark Bell, held on keeping SHDHS up by cne. With two minutes left in the game the St. Michael's goalkeeper fanned on a kick meant to clear the ball out of the zone. The misguided hall went straight to Maver who was at the right place at the right time to chip the hall over the goal- keeper into the net. The tripped goal sealed Strat- ford's doom and earned the Pan- thers another Huron Perth Confer- ence title. The championship win didn't seem to phase head coach, Billy Shore. "Aside from tournaments I don't think we've lost a game in three years," said Shore who has coached the junior boys soccer team through Live successful seasons. Shore credits the Minor Soccer Program in Exeter program for churning out the highly talented players that try -out for the team every year. "We've just been lucky they've come to our school to play for us," he said. Shore. Among the different teams Shore has coached to championship vic- tories, shore said "the confidence to win" and "sportsman-like conduct" are the two main ingredients he tries to foster among his players. "We've always had that," said Shore. David Farquhar jostles for the ball with a St. Micheal's player during the Panther's 2-0 HP Championship victory. The South Huron District High School junior soccer champions are shown above, in no partic- ular order, Chris Dawe, Chris Reaburn, Cam Dougall, Matt Szabo, Trever Skinner, Ryan Freiter, Scott Rasenberg, Dave Farquhar, Mark Bell, Luke Sims, Dave Robilliard, Greg Geoffrey, Jeff MacLean, Ben McCann, Geoff Maver, Trevor Boersma and Scott Gilfillan. Exeter angler nets third prize in Grand Bend fish derby with 19.5 Ib. catch GRAND BEND - An Exeter Fisherman won third place in the Grand Bend Salmon and Trout Fishing Derby. Scott French weighed in a 19.5 lb salmon he caught during the derby which ran from May 13 to 22. The top salmon went to Steve Shute of Cambridge with a 22. 62 Lb fish and Norm Stewart of For- est came in second with a 21.52 Lb salmon. The top three trout weighed in at 13.10, 9.90 and 9.98 Lbs This year's derby was a sound success compared to the last one. A total of 290 fish were caught, an in- crease of 63 fish over the 1994 Der- by. The weather also co-operated. Last year the boats were grounded for three days because of foul weather but this year's derby en- joyed sunshine and calm waters. "There hasn't been a clay we couldn't get out on the water. The weather has been quite good," said Derby Chairman Bob Green. The Grand Bend Derby will he beAlosting its awards night on JuiR 10 when the wining fisher- man will gather to swap tish tales. Sports- Litc The Sport of twirls Chris Skalkos T -A staff When Brianne Webber picked up a baton for the very first time, she couldn't put it down. Four years later the 12 year old from Exeter has twirled her way to a first place finish in a regional baton twirling competition. Webber, a member of the Exeter Elite Baton Club, was the overall winner in her division at the Springtime Twirling Festival in Wal- kerton last Saturday. Webberplaced first in four of the five events she participated in, outperforming a total of 209 baton twirlers com- peting in the Walkerton Festival. Most people associate baton twirling with marching bands and parades; however, baton twirling is an internationally recognized sport with competitions being held all over the globe. Last year "The Worlds", an international baton twirling tournament, was hosted by Canada in New Market Ontario. The competition featured professional twirlers from as far away as Japan and Australia. Although Webber has already won an "overall" baton twirling title in Owen Sound last year, this one caught her by surprise. "I was so happy I was jumping up and down. I didn't see it coming at all," she says about her Walkerton victory. Webber. and fellow twirler Jocelyn Cressman both captured "overall" twirling titles for their age divisions in the Owen Sound competition and they are the only two people in Exeter who have accomplished such a feat. Weber is the first to win two in a row. Baton twirling combines gymnastics, ballet and juggling, but ac- cording to Weber, the most important skill needed to master the sport is a high level of concentration. "When l'tn competing I don't think about the judges anymore, 1 just think about my routine," she says. "You have to think very fast." It's also very physical requiring strong knees, agile limbs and a lot of stamina. "By the time I'm done my routine I'm puffing," she says. Webber has recently added a little heat to her baton twirling. She along with two other twirlers from the club are practicing a fire baton routine. This is when the tips of the baton are dipped in kerosene and set ablaze. She says it looks dangerous but it's actually very safe adding that the the secret for twirling flaming batons is to "keep it moving and you won't get burned." Webber performed a fire baton routine on Mother's day outside the Library on Main street to entertain the shunpikers travelling through town. "Once we lit the batons on fire a pile of people gath- ered around to watch," says Webber who enjoys being in the limelight. She will be using the fire batons again during a twirling performance on June 30 for White Squirrel Day. In another two years Webber feels she will be ready to twirl for the National Baton Twirling Association. Competing at this level would enable her to enter inter- national competitions such as the Olympics if baton twirling becomes an Olympic Game. Webber enjoys showing off the 46 trophys she has won over the years but she's quick to credit her mother Patty for her support and most importantly, for introducing her to the sport of baton twirling. Patty Webber used to twirl when she was younger and thought she would share the experience with her daughter. "I did it as a kid and I thought it would be fun for her," she says add- ing that there are a lot more opportunities available in the sport now since she was twirling. Although batons are not allowed in the house, Brianne can't help sneaking the occasional twirl indoors. An understanding mother, Patty says they've been lucky so far. "We've only had one broken Tamp and a chip out of the coffee table. "I was so happy I was jumping up and down. I didn't see it coming at all." s,Y n:. r..0 .w ET-r=r-err