8/15/2007 - Football season begins

Louisa County High School football players gather at the end of practice on August 15, 2007. The Lions lost most of their starters from the 2006 team that went to the state final.

The column has sort of faltered for a variety of reasons and I think at this point I might just keep it an online venture. Sign up for RSS updates to stay on top of things here... Thanks for looking!

07/06/2007 - Team Building

Coach J.C. Hall makes it a point to remind his Courtland football players to touch the sign above their weight room during a summer conditioning session on July 2, 2007. By the end of the season, such exercises in teamwork are rote, passed on by veterans to the youngest players. (Mike Morones/The Free Lance-Star)

06/26/2007 P-Nats Pennant

It's been a while but we are back in biz...



Dave Wilson, of Sacramento, CA examines a pennant signed by Potomac Nationals players before a game in Woodbridge on June 21, 2007. Wilson, a Marine attending a class at Quantico, said his goal is to go to every baseball stadium in the country and get a pennant. He asked a player to take the pennant into the clubhouse and was pleasantly surprised that the Nationals, a single-A affiliate, have full size pennants like the major league clubs that can fit more signatures. (Mike Morones/The Free Lance-Star)

Pardon the Interruption!

Amid covering the Virginia Tech tragedy, preparing for my wedding in 10 days, moving and a personnel crunch at work, I haven't been able to turn out a column for a while. Apologies for my slackness but don't worry - I'll get back on top of things soon!

04/03/2007 - Backyard Football

Cousins Ronnie Fortune, 12 (left), and Jaden Preston, 7, throw a football with Fortune's father Ronnie Fortune at their grandmother Linda Parker's Fredericksburg home on Friday, March 30, 2007. "They just play, play and play," said Parker. "They take a break and then play some more. They're out here every single day, it doesn't matter how cold," she said as the cousins dropped their football and started shooting hoops in the backyard.

3/26/2007 - Infield Therapy

Jeff Hederer edges the infield while Todd Scroggin (background) lines the pitchers mound at the North Stafford softball field on March 21, 2007 in anticipation of the Wolverines first home game of the season. Hederer and Scroggin, along with fellow softball parents Steve Crews, Theresa Hederer and Mike Black (not pictured) have been prepping the fields before every home game since the 2005 season. Crews, father of Wolverine catcher Courtney Crews, likened the work to therapy after a long day of commuting back and forth to Washington D.C. "It's just about taking your time, enjoying life," he said, adding, "I've got to figure out what to do when Courtney graduates."

03/19/2007 - It's The Shoes

Brooke Point basketball player Chay Shegog writes an inspirational saying on her shoes before the district tournament, a ritual she has performed every season since eighth grade. Last year was a list of everyone she was thankful for, this year a saying from a Nike commercial featuring Kobe Bryant. Shegog gets new shoes for her spring AAU season and then shelves them for the winter's regular season Brooke Point games until districts. Only then will she break out the shoes, inscribe her motivational saying and wear them for the duration of the tournament.

03/05/2007 - Morale Boosters

We brought them balloons, candy and keychains, " said cheerleader Britany Morrison (right), "We just want to keep their spirits up." Unknown to the team, Riverbend's Morrison (right), Brittany Parker (second from right) and cheerleading coach Lynn Cobb assemble bunches of balloons behind the Riverbend bench for their game against Turner Ashby in Friday night's Group AA state quarterfinal at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg. "We thought it would be a nice surprise," said Coach Cobb.

02/26/2007 - Tan Fan

Lisa McPartland, of Brewster, NY, catches some sun while her family watches batting practice on February 22, 2007 at the Carl Barger Complex, the Washington Nationals home for Spring Training. "There's nothing more relaxing than the crack of the bat," said McPartland. She and her family were visiting family in Florida and are heading to a few different camps. "I grew up a Red Sox fan and married into a Mets family." McPartland added, "In '86 we made it through it and I don't blame Bill Buckner."

02/19/2007 - Nationals Spring Training

Dixie Tucker, 9, (left) and her brother Iverson, 11, asks Nationals players for autographs during spring training workouts at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida on February 17, 2007. The children and their father Michael took their annual vacation from Rockville, MD to visit both spring training and the Daytona 500. When asked who their favorite player is, both say third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. "It was Soriano," says Dixie, "But now it's Zimmerman." Iverson agrees, "Now I'm Zimmerman all the way." When it comes to new manager Manny Acta, Iverson, a Frank Robinson fan, says, "We'll give him a chance - the Nationals are our team."

02/12/2007 Commonwealth District Wrestling

Massaponax senior Josh Wine glances towards Colonial Forge's team before athlete introductions for the championship round of the Commonwealth District Wrestling Tournament at Massaponax High School on Saturday, February 10, 2007. Wine was Massaponax's only wrestler to make the final round while Colonial Forge sent 14 athletes, one for each weight class. Watching the Eagles wait for the last bouts to begin, Wine said Forge's overwhelming presence didn't bother him, he just planned to focus on his match and wrestle to the best of his ability. Wine won his match over Forge's Josh Capriani, stretching his undefeated record to 40-0. (Mike Morones/The Free Lance-Star)

02/05/2007 - UMW Terrapins

University of Mary Washington synchronized swimmer Laura Maxfield (center) has her hair 'knoxed' by teammate Chelsea Moore while George Mason swimmer Sabra Hayes (right) watches her mother Rhonda do the same to GMU swimmer Victoria Mangam. The swimmers use a mixture of hot water and Knox brand gelatin to hold their hair in place during their routines. The Terrapins, the University of Mary Washington's synchronized swim club competed in a show at UMW against George Mason University, the College of William and Mary and Penn State University on January 28, 2007 at Goolrick Hall on the UMW campus in Fredericksburg.