Week Four…The Halfway Point…
4/28/24
The Value of Sports seen through the Entertainment Lens…
It was 2022, and I was at a wedding. The event was for friends of ours, one of which was a professor for a school in upstate New York. Now, I love Rochester. It’s one of my favorite places to go. Good volleyball up there as well. Legends in the game of volleyball make their home there and when it’s spring/summer, it’s as beautiful a place as can be. Winters can be tough, but if you like snow…you’ll be fine.
So, I’m at the wedding, and it was around this time that Ted Lasso had either just come out or was getting ramped up for season two. I can’t remember…all I remember is that everyone at the wedding was raving about Ted Lasso. What was even more peculiar was that most of the people attending this shin dig, were professors…high academics…people who often, but not always, sort of look down on athletics in schools.
Side note: No matter what school you go to, there is a natural divide between athletics and academics. Athletics view through the prism of getting the best athletes to compete, while academics tend to feel that, well, the studies are what schools should be for and the athletic stuff is just gimmicky. In my view, neither are wrong per say. It just is what it is…and we celebrate those that buy into the middle of both worlds as, to be frank, both worlds need each other.
Anyway, before parties, after parties, for this wedding…the actual wedding was very nice…I had plenty of introductions to maneuver. I didn’t know anyone at this event. Plus, introductions and discussions can often be tricky. You can only say, “Wonderful weather we got…” so many times. Add, that I was out of work at the time. JWU men’s volleyball had dissolved only nine months ago. So, the situation unraveled each time like this…
“This is Brian and his wife Amy. They are both professors in political science at X University.”
“Pleasure to meet you Brian and Amy.”
“What do you do for a living, Scott?”
“Well, I’m a college men’s volleyball coach looking for my next opportunity.”
“Oh, how nice…like Ted Lasso?”
“Yeah, kind of like Ted Lasso.”
“Oh wonderful, I love Ted Lasso. Who knew how much fun and meaningful team sports could be? It looks like the greatest job ever.”
Ted Lasso was discussed by these people (academics) at every meal, every dance, every opportunity at this event. They loved the show and on more than one occasion, I got the question…Is it really like that? Is coaching, and team sports, really like the show? My answer was consistent throughout the day and into the night. It sure is.
Often people do not realize the value in sports. Or, worse, they see the wrong value in sports. They see what they want to see, as we often do, and imprint their frustrations with themselves or society on it. Film and TV rarely do team sports justice either…I’ll get to that in a minute. Money, Fame, Glory, are all things that could happen with participating in athletics, but it’s not what it’s about. Sport is really about sacrifice, consistency, trust, and belief. It’s teammates trusting one another and working to achieve something bigger than themselves. It’s learning that anything you want in this life has to be worked for. You will have to sacrifice things for it. You will need to prepare. You will need discipline. Lastly, it’s making bonds with other fellow humans navigating this life of suffering…enjoying the humor, sadness, frustrations, and joy that comes with walking the planet. No championship, or all-state selection, tops making friends in this world for the rest of your days.
I will say, that it’s not hard to see why non-athletes were fascinated with Ted Lasso. Popular culture media hasn’t gotten team sports right very often in my opinion. Either it’s not a subject worth creating a film or a TV show around, or they’ll make the athlete character unintelligent, uninformed, violent, etc. However, there are some good ones out there in the zeitgeist that I feel do represent what sport is like, if not for some slight exaggeration for humor or interests’ sake…
Movies:
Hoosiers (PG)
Major League (R)
The Replacements (PG-13)
The Natural (PG)
Miracle (PG)
TV:
Ted Lasso (TV MA)
Shoresy (TV MA)
Haikyu (TV PG)
Sure there are more. However, these are the ones I think get it pretty right…meaning what it means to be on a team, the value of teammates, the absurdity and comedy that always follows, and the work, sacrifice, and dedication required to give a team a chance to succeed while also growing as a person in the process.
Long live sport where skill, merit, and your ability to be a good teammate are all that matters…
The Third Annual ResV Systems Charity All-Star Match is on June 15th at East Greenwich High School! Set Your Calendars Now!!!
If interested in being a sponsor for the event, please contact Coach Reslow at Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com.
Big Stat Games of the Week…
Wayne McNamara - Lincoln - Pin - 14 kills, 4 blocks, 2 aces, and 12 digs at East Providence : 17 kills vs. Pilgrim
Jacques Guerrier - Lincoln - Libero - 22 digs at East Providence
Jackson Colton - Lincoln - Middle - 9 blocks, 4 kills, at East Providence : 5 kills, 5 blocks vs. Pilgrim
Jamilson De Pina Almeida - Central Falls - Pin - 21 kills, 3 aces vs. Davies : 28 kills, 7 aces vs. Portsmouth
Julio Correia - Tolman/Shea - Utility - 15 kills, 4 aces, 10 digs vs. Juanita Sanchez
Hayson Ortiz - Tolman/Shea - Pin - 15 kills, 9 digs vs. Juanita Sanchez
Fernando Baptista - Tolman/Shea - Setter - 38 assists, 6 digs vs. Juanita Sanchez
Ephraim Abhulime - LaSalle - Pin - 17 kills, 4 digs vs. Classical
Ali Abdur-Razzak - LaSalle - Setter - 35 assists, 4 digs, 2 blocks vs. Classical
Ty Cotta - LaSalle - Libero - 18 digs vs. Classical
Ryan Harrington - North Kingstown - Setter / Pin - 17 assists, 4 aces, 4 blocks, and 5 kills vs. Chariho : 14 kills, 3 aces at Classical.
Quinlan Fahy - North Kingstown - Middle - 5 kills, 10 blocks vs. Chariho
Chris Harvey - Cranston West - Pin - 15 kills, 2 blocks at West Warwick
Ashton Mak - Cranston West - Setter - 28 assists, 5 aces at West Warwick
Jack Kenyon - Westerly - Pin - 12 kills, 8 digs, 5 aces, and 2 blocks vs. Central
Caleb Xum - Cranston East - Setter - 30 assists, 4 aces, 2 kills vs. East Greenwich
Larry Yin - Cranston East - Libero - 23 digs, 2 aces vs. East Greenwich
Finn Kearny - North Kingstown - Libero / Setter - 20 assists, 7 digs at Classical
Teddy Wallace - Classical - Middle - 14 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks vs. North Kingstown
James Men - Classical - Setter - 35 assists, 3 digs, 2 blocks vs. North Kingstown
Loden Broe - East Providence - Setter - 38 assists, 3 aces, 7 digs vs. West Warwick
Logan Calouro - East Providence - Libero - 18 digs vs. West Warwick
Austin Noel - Lincoln - Setter - 31 assists, 4 aces vs. Pilgrim
Cole Arsenault - East Greenwich - Pin - 16 kills, 7 digs vs. Coventry
Spencer Warburton - East Greenwich - Setter - 33 assists, 7 aces, 3 blocks vs. Coventry
Big Matches Coming up!!!
4/29 - Cranston East hosting LaSalle
4/29 - North Smithfield at Classical
4/30 - East Provdence hosting Westerly
5/1 - Lincoln at Westerly
5/2 - Cranston West at Barrington
5/3 Juanita Sanchez at Central Falls
ResV Team of the Week…
Pin - Ephraim Abhulime (Sr.) - LaSalle Academy - So, imagine you’re the top guy at your position in the state…perhaps the region (He is, in my opinion, the top middle prospect in New England), and you’re asked to play pin instead of your normal position as it helps your team best? That is the scenario Ephraim has found himself in, and he’s steadily climbing the mountain. Easily the top player in physicality in the league, Ephraim has made the move to pin pretty seamless all things considered. Timing for attack is completely different than middle and the responsibilities are massively different as well. He’s still putting up numbers as he navigates the change, and this week he smacked Classical for 17 in the Ram victory.
Pin - Jamilson De Pina Almeida (Jr.) - Central Falls - I did this whole article last week about Kaiju in RI volleyball and I negated this guy…getting old stinks, ladies and gentlemen. Jamilson is 6’5, with good bounce, and an arm. He’s been putting up crazy numbers and his side is unblemished. This week, he snapped 21 kills on Davies and then thumped 28 kills, 7 aces on Portsmouth. He’s a monster and now all of D3 is trying to figure out how to slow him down.
Middle - Quinlan Fahy (Sr.) - North Kingstown - Often times the people doing stats do not know how to record a block in the game of volleyball. Blocks are the hardest thing to do in the game, and if you get four blocks in a match, you’ve done work. Big Q decided to break the NK record in blocks for a single match and tallied 10 blocks against Chariho. 10 blocks is a lot of blocks. The big fella is 6’8, has long arms, and has a good nose for the ball, so not surprising he’s hard to avoid for Skipper opponents.
Middle - Jackson Colton (Jr.) - Lincoln - Mr. Colton didn’t get 10 blocks, but he got close. Jackson nabbed 9 blocks against East Providence and then followed up with 5 against Pilgrim. Clearly, he also has a good nose for the ball as well, rivaling big Q in the D2 world. Colton, teamed with Wayne McNamara and Austin Noel, have created a tough environment for teams to score and being stout at the net is one third of how championships are one. Colton should know, he’s got one already.
Pin - DJ Lepine (Sr.) - East Providence - DJ has been the top pin at EP for the last three years. He’s a hard nosed player who grinds out points, sometimes through shear will alone. A tireless worker with a big arm, it’s a key need for the Townies to have DJ get going in their matches. Get going he did, with wins over Lincoln, Pilgrim, and West Warwick on the week. Trust, he’ll only get better as the season unfolds as well.
Setter - Fernando Baptista (Jr.) - Tolman/Shea - With good weapons at most positions on the floor, it’s Baptista who orchestrates it all. Fernando put up 38 assists in dispatching rival Juanita Sanchez, also chipping in 6 digs. Plenty of fans love the big pins and middles that do work, but a good setter is key to championships and Tolman/Shea has eyes toward that with Baptista.
Libero - Ty Cotta (Jr.) - LaSalle - Cotta has a heavy weight on his shoulders this year as the Rams lack true outside hitters who generally do all the passing for a team. Thus, Ty has to be crafty and slide into zones in an attempt to pass as many balls as he can to keep his team in system. He’s done a solid job, while also averaging 15+ digs per match. He snatched 18 digs in the match with the Purple this past week in the victory.
ResV Top 15…
North Kingstown (8 - 1) - Skippers take care of Chariho and Classical in straight sets…then they go win the Rhody Invitational. I like the new 6/2 with Evan Shea and Finn Kearny setting. It allows a better role for Kearny who is a solid baller and opens up a spot to use Ryan Rathburn on the right. Rathburn is another arm to pair with Harrington, Tow, and others. That move, may be the final adjustment that leads to a title! Kudos to Coaches Hesford (Last year’s ResV Coach of the Year) and Batzinger (One of the coaches selected to coach the ResV last year and this year) on the move. Move offense combined with a bigger net presence should push the Skippers to the next level.
LaSalle Academy (8 -1) - Rams keep pace with NK with wins over Classical and Coventry. The Oakers were able to wring out a set victory on them however, which gives pause. LaSalle has dropped some odd sets that make me wonder if it is a red flag for the future. Of course, none of it matters in the sense of winning and losing. I remember some great advice about how the focus is always on winning the match…it doesn’t matter how you do it. Win two sets 26-24, set five 19-17, and lose two sets 25-10…you still won the match so never be afraid to sub out your starters if a set gets away. Ephraim continues to improve on the left, and Connor Lewis has become one of the top middles in the state. Ty Cotta is holding down the fort with ball control. Rams also finished in the finals of the Rhody Invitational as well.
(+1) Cranston East (8 - 2) - The Bolts continue forward and had another flawless week. With wins over South Kingstown and East Greenwich, Cranston East has to be prepping for the top two teams in the state. Beating North Smithfield on the road gave huge confidence as this team continues to pick up speed as it rolls. Coach Diggs chose to use the Rhody Invitational to try some news things which may have cost him a change at being in the mix at the end, but I like the idea. Winning the Rhody is nice, but not the goal. I agree with my friend who described CE as follows…they can play, but they miss to many serves. Serving will be key as well as speeding up the offense. Sir Charles is good, but even he will struggle if they get pinned down with high balls to the pin and three blockers line him up.
(—1) North Smithfield (6 - 2) - Not much action from the Northmen in week four. They beat Hendricken at home and then sat the rest of the week out. I still feel that they’re going to be in the mix at the end of the line. Too many good volleyball players on this side. Tom Matchett is doing pretty much whatever he wants and Caden Sullivan is the premier setter in the state. They probably need a little more pop in the right side and their serving could be sharpened, if some critiques are laid out. Connor DeSousa is a serving weapon that can make teams all sorts of uncomfortable…but I’m sensing he’s not causing as much havoc yet. The Cranston East loss was a wakeup call, surely, but what lessons were learned will be fascinating to observe in the coming weeks.
Cranston West (9 - 0) - The Falcons keep their skirts clean with vics over West Warwick and Woonsocket in week four. Both sides are better than advertised, but clean sweeps none the less for the CW. They also competed in the Rhody Invitational winning their pool and making a run in the playoffs. Solid week, to be sure. The Mak brothers continue to play very good ball. Christian secures the right side of the floor, while younger brother Ashton is becoming one of the top orchestraters in the league. Chris Harvey, similarly, to Ephraim moved to the pin from the middle and has adjusted well scoring in large clips each match. Logan Reed is also having a solid year at the Libero position. So, a lot to like, but most importantly they have wins over Barrington, Lincoln and East Providence in the first half of the season.
Barrington (7 - 1) - The Eagles got the three-set win over Woonsocket upping their record to 7—1. Woonsocket could have been a trap game, but Barrington didn’t let it go there. Now, the week they’ve been waiting for has arrived. The CW has to come to them. Last time these two teams met, Cranston West stunned the Eagles with a five-set win, but that match was in Cranston. Barrington’s barn is very different and the Eagles looked pretty good at the Rhody Invitational. It’ll be up to The Bruiser and Bam Bam to set the tone…that’s Cam Kelley and Jimmy Ciummo for those that haven’t followed. I also like the year Van Ness is having at the Lib spot. Luke Andsager may be the X factor in this one, and if the Eagles can get him going, I think they may wrangle back the top seed in D2.
Classical (5 - 4) - Well, the Purple had good looks at the Skippers and Rams…even had the Skippers at home…but couldn’t put either away. This does not bode well for the playoffs…unless you consider that perhaps things can turn around with a little studying. To me, it all starts at the service line. If the Purple can create 10 to 20% more discomfort to opposing teams with their serve, they’ll start winning more sets. Now, what causes discomfort? Jump top spin (JTS), sure, but it has to be a certain speed or above. If your JTS doesn’t hit 20 mph, or is close but it doesn’t make the passer move, then you are basically serving a free ball and you’ll have a tough time stopping the offense. Classical isn’t big at the net, so they need to win the serving game and ground defense game. So, why not serve short? See if you can take an attacking variable off the table. Men, Jeraldy, and Agramonte are all capable ground defense guys (Jeraldy is borderline elite), so play to that. Serve short, make the opposition uncomfortable and see if you can get off-speed sludge to pick up and run counter. Beats trying to play a power game, missing too many serves, and losing 25 - 22 too many times.
(+3) East Providence (7 - 3) - I knew it was in there. It is amazing how one win can propel a team in the right direction. The Townie’s win over the Lions at home was gigantic for the psyche of their squad. They needed it badly, and Broe, Lepine, Rodriguez, and company did the job. That led to two more wins on the week and a big jump in the rankings. All good stuff. Now, the question becomes where do they go from here? You have the split with Lincoln, but it’s four sets a piece. Splits with Cranston West and Barrington will be the main goal, as perhaps Lincoln may not. You get the Eagles at home, have to go on the road to the Falcons. Nab one, or both, of those matches and it gives you a leg up on the Lions plus puts you in a good position come playoffs. There are plenty of pitfalls from now till then, but for the moment, the Townies are back to being a force in D2 with talent to make a run for the cup.
Bishop Hendricken (4 - 5) - The Hawks are in an interesting spot. They have moments where it looks like they’ll break out, and then there are moments where…well, they are what they are. Now, to be fair, they’ve not had their full team healthy and on the floor since week one. Injuries and absences have plagued this Hendricken side. It is hoped that they’ll be healthy starting next week. Ramos and Yin have reinvigorated the offense that is run effectively by Warr. However, if they sputter, as young players can, the Hawks struggle to find the floor…which is why they need Charles Kretzer out there on the left. Kretzer missed all last week with an injury and his absence was noticeable. I also wonder if the Hawks might benefit from running a variation of the 6/2. Ben Warr is their “does everything but take tickets” guy, and their top setter. Landen McCarty has also proved to run the offense competently. Certainly, something to think about as playoffs slowly come into view, and a second round of seeing everyone has arrived.
(—2) Lincoln (5 - 3) - Have to think that the Lions would love to have that match at East Providence back. It was an opportunity to really put the Townies away for good, which is why, perhaps, the Townies fought extra hard to get that one. If the Lions win that match, EP probably doesn’t turn the corner and Lincoln would have them plus one in the loss column on the season, assuming everything played out roughly the same way it did during the first half. Instead, it’s a split, and now a race to see who can get a win, or even take a set, against Barrington and Cranston West for playoff positioning. Each year, I’m unsure about how they do the playoffs…to me they seem to make it up as they go along. However, even if not for actually seeding, taking sets off the top two teams (better yet beating them) is for mental prep for the end and, of course, bragging rights. Lions also got some work in at the Rhody Invitational where they got to test their play against some of the D1 teams. A good pivot as they look to continue their playoff build around McNamara and Noel.
(—1) Chariho (3 - 5) - Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes, turn and face the strange, Ch Ch Changes… I used to think this David Bowie song line ended with “Turn and face the strain”, not strange. I mean, Bowie was weird, so I guess strange is the right word, but strain makes some sense here. And, before I get really going here, who knew this would be the year of teams taking their middle and putting them on the left? LaSalle, Cranston West, Hendricken, and now Chariho are also using their middles on the left in some form or fashion. The Hawks just move Ramos all over the place, so it’s not quite what LaSalle, Cranston West, and Chariho are doing, but it’s still a thing for them. Meanwhile, the Chargers, at least from what I saw at the Rhody Invitational have moved Travis Plante to the pin. I guess if your biggest arm is in the middle and you can’t run it due to whatever, then the next thing to do is put him on the left and get him the ball. Makes sense in theory, but hitting high balls is way different then hitting quicks in the middle. Plante should be able to make some hay here however, joining Sposota and Marland on the pin. Is it enough to break through against some teams the second round through? Well, we’ll find out soon.
Westerly (4 - 3) - The Brother’s Grim are back together, giving the Bulldogs a one two punch that now worries all the teams in D2. Jack Kenyon is arguably the top Opposite in the state and can fill up a stat sheet like no other…except maybe Jet at Central or Jamilson at Central Falls. However, as mentioned before, you really can’t win many games without some other firepower around your horse. So, with injuries aplenty to this Bulldog team to this point, Kenyon was probably more than happy to see his brother Henry return to the squad. Henry Kenyon is a sturdy middle, who can score points. He also sures up the net meaning less opportunities for opposing teams to cash in at the center of play and teams can’t just sit on Jack. So, expect Westerly to make a move in the second half of the season with teams falling or having to work extra hard to put Westerly away…Plus, teams working exceptionally hard to not see them in the playoffs as well.
Central (3 - 6) - Jet Nascimento and the Central Knights cannot seem to catch a break. They’ve certainly broken through and got some wins on the board. Feeling good, they traveled to Westerly, and it was the exact time that Henry Kenyon returned to the Bulldog lineup. Oh boy. Good feelings gone. It’s just another example of Central seeing teams at the wrong moment for whatever reason this year. Nascimento is still doing work and is arguably the top left side attacker in the state, running neck in neck with Ryan Harrington, Cody Tow, Charles Pincince, and Wayne McNamara…I view Big Jack Kenyon as the top Oppo and Ephraim will always be the top middle in the state for me. The Knights are improving as well, just not fast enough to start putting opponents in the loss column. Still, if they can sneak in the playoffs, Jet could put on a show and shock somebody…but they have to get in first.
(New) Central Falls (7 - 0) - So, I get a note from a coach asking if I’ve seen Central Falls play yet. I answered in the negative. “Well, you should. Something going on over there.” Ok, fair enough, re-upped my subscription to NFHS and watched a match…”Who is that?” Well, that is Jamilson De Pina Almeida, from here on out known just as Jamilson. Big J is 6’5 and has an arm and some bounce. He does everything for Central Falls and he’s notching kills in D3 like he was playing Call of Duty against amateurs (Truth be told, I’m too old to know that reference…just heard it somewhere and I hope I’m using it correctly. Did I mention it stinks to get old? In my day it would have been GoldenEye). Jamilson has his side in flawless land too. No losses to speak of, yet. Juanita Sanchez is lurking as is Mt. Hope and Scituate as well. They get by those three in the regular season…the boys from Pawtucket may be the only side to stop their run…and probably in the finals.
(New) Tolman/Shea (6 - 1) - Speaking of the boys from Pawtucket… Juanita Sanchez was on the board, then Tolman beat them. Immediately got notice that JS needs to be off the board. Fair enough. In D3, we do have ourselves an interesting race unfolding. Central Falls is undefeated…but after that Tolman, Mt. Hope, JS, and Portsmouth are all at one loss. Scituate has two losses. Lots of team vying for playoff seeding and seat at the RIC table. Second half of the season is going to be fire in D3! Did I do that right? So old!!!! Anyway, Pawtucket downed JS with strong play from Fernando Baptista, Hayson Ortiz, and Julio Correia…with the later having a heck of a season and will be battling Jamilson for D3 player of the year honors. We have a long way to go, and Mt. Hope is next on the docket but remember that this Tolman/Shea team is on a revenge tour of their own. They won’t stop until they get back to the finals, I’m betting.
Recieving Votes… Scituate, Portsmouth, Mt. Hope, Toll Gate, Juanita Sanchez, East Greenwich
ResV Player of the Week…
Week 1 - Spencer Warburton (East Greenwich)
Week 2 - Jack Kenyon (Westerly)
Week 3 - Charlie Pincince (Cranston East)
Week 4 - Ryan Harrington (North Kingstown) - I like to use the phrase…”He did everything for his team but take tickets at the door”…it’s usually reserved for players who have a great match. In this instance, Harri, this week, took it to a new level. Against Chariho, he set and amassed 17 assists, 5 kills, 4 blocks, and 4 aces. Next match he went back to pin and tapped 14 kills and 3 aces. Then he led his Skipper side to the Rhody Invitational championship. That’s a good week of doing just about everything.
Playoff Races Through Week Four…
Division 1:
North Kingstown - Skippers hold the pole position with a standard week…but also won the Rhody Invitational, besting LaSalle in the finals…
LaSalle Academy - Hiccup late in the week, but still right there. Made the finals in the Rhody Invitational and fell to NK by only two points.
Cranston East - A two-win week and a feeling like they’re close to doing something against the top two.
North Smithfield - Only played once on the week…still smarting from the CE loss the week prior.
Classical - Oh boy…tough week with shots to upend NK and LaSalle and did neither.
Division 2:
Cranston West - Still undefeated and still the team to beat.
Barrington - Played once and did the job and ready for some revenge.
East Providence - Made the biggest leap in week four. Looking like things are smoothed out. CW and Barrington are on the mind from here on.
Lincoln - The loss to EP hurts. Handled them at home but couldn’t get them at their barn. Missed opportunity.
Westerly - Healthy now? Might be a real pain to see them in the future.
Division 3:
Central Falls - The Kaiju of D3 lives here and he loves to eat.
Tolman/Shea - Knocking out JS at home proved a point. Can they keep the train rolling from here?
Jaunita Sanchez - Tolman/Shea lost hurt, but perhaps a nice learning opportunity for the future?
Mt. Hope - On a three-match winning streak since losing to Portsmouth that includes vics over Scituate and Toll Gate.
Portsmouth - Recent loss to Central Falls means there is work to do to deal with the monster…like everyone else.
To send season updates, stories, and players to consider…or inquire about coffee beans that Coach roasts himself, to Coach Reslow - Scott.Reslow@protonmail.com
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