Paying another visit to the variety store...



Dynamite DVD

While I pride myself on being a bit of a historian for area high school athletics, when it comes to Geneva High School football — to use a sports analogy — I can’t carry Norm Potter’s jock.

As you probably read in our Friday edition, Potter, a 1982 Geneva graduate, has put together a video depicting the history of the football program at Ashtabula County’s western-most school, titled “Home Field.”

And, Loyal Readers, let me be the first to tell you, it is in one word, spectacular.

Want to watch Mark Debevc carry the football?

Care to see the late great Bob Herpy drag tacklers as he runs up the gut?

How about Don Craine speed around end?

Then, there’s legends such as Jim Merrell and Dale Arkenburg. Merrell looks like Dick Butkus storming from sideline to sideline.

Not to mention a tremendous run by Ed Pizzuto.

Or how about Rick Spangler take four steps into the football to kick a 52-yard field goal that bounces off the crossbar, straight up then finally over on the final play to win a game?

All of that — and plenty more — are on the DVD.

Having been fortunate enough to receive an advance copy from Potter, a former Eagles kicker himself for Herpy, I had no idea what to expect when I popped it in.

As the drama unfolded, I found myself enthralled and when it ended, I watched it again.

Yes, Loyal Readers, it’s that good. You need not be a Geneva fan to enjoy the footage, either. Watching some of the vintage film from decades ago should be required viewing for football fans young and old.

The segment that shows a slideshow of some of the Eagles who went on to serve their country is heart tugging.

Just how good is “Home Field?”

So good that this is my one and only complaint — at 30 minutes, I was left wanting for more, much more.

Fortunately, Potter quenches that thirst, too, as he has a second DVD of simply highlights.

At 25 bucks, it’s a steal. It’s available at Winner’s Circle Trophy Shop, located at 549 E. Main St. in Geneva. For more information, call the shop at 466-9466.

And Potter’s amazing effort is a true labor or love. He’s not lining his pockets with this. All proceeds from sales of “Home Field” will benefit Geneva athletics.

Trust me on this one, Loyal Readers — “Home Field” gets five stars.

You can thank me later.



Name dropping

Columbus Clippers manager Torey Lovullo was not pleased with his squad in a 12-5 loss to the Durham Bulls on Saturday night at Huntington Park.

So much so, in fact, he invoked the name Ashtabula during the nontest.

Two miscues by first baseman Jordan Brown and one by shortstop Niuman Romero led to a visit to the mound by Lovullo and an animated discussion with the infielders. The message was direct.

“Wake up!” Lovullo said. “It looked like we were still on that bus trip somewhere in Ashtabula. It’s not satisfactory. Jack Cassel is out there grinding out his first inning of work and making pitches, and we didn’t do anything behind him.”

Starter Cassel surrendered a majestic home run to Henry Mateo to lead off the game — the ball landed atop the roof on the third section of the mini-green monster in right — but errors hurt him more.

Two miscues by first baseman Jordan Brown and one by shortstop Niuman Romero led to a visit to the mound by Lovullo and an animated discussion with the infielders. The message was direct.

Bus lag would provide a convenient excuse for what happened to the Clippers if history hadn’t suggested that they were already mired in a slump.

So even though the two buses carrying the team arrived at Huntington Park at 5 a.m. Saturday following a 61⁄2-hour ride from Rochester, N.Y., Lovullo refused to lay the 12-5 loss to the Durham Bulls at the floor mats of minor-league modes of transportation.

“They didn’t have it,” Lovullo said of Durham. “They played 15 innings (Friday in Toledo) and they didn’t get in until 4:15 (a.m.). So we were both probably a little out of focus, but for some reason they locked it in a little bit before we did. That’s baseball. We’ve got to make adjustments to that.”

Suffice to say, the Bulls traveled and played better. Durham used three errors by the Clippers in the first inning to score four runs and take the crowd of 10,100 out of the game.



McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.