Elliot

Here are some photos and video of Elliot in the Youth Honors Singers concert from December 18.

I missed the games last Saturday because Lisa and I were in NC for my 20th high school reunion.  It seems like it was a bad day to miss. 

Unlike weeks 1 and 3 when Finn only carried the ball once each, he apparently had 4 or 5 nice carries.  They tied a tough team 3 scores a piece.  This week they won one TD to zero.  Finn played center and defensive line.

In weeks 1 and 3 Elliot carried the ball a hand full of times each, picking up positive yardage but not breaking anything big.  In week 2 I missed seeing him make a very long run that almost went for a TD.  They lost 13 to 6.  Like they did the first week, they shot themselves in the foot with several fumbles.  This week they got killed 35 (or 42?) to 0.  Fumbles were a big problem again.  We had to focus on small victories today...like the 3 first downs that they managed to pick up...more than the total number that their opponents had given up during the first two games.

Rumor has it that Elliot is going to play QB during the second half of the season...

The football seasons for both boys started on Saturday: the second year of tackle football for Elliot and the first year of flag football for Finn.

Elliot had an 8:30 game.  He’s playing running back this year and is #22.  His team (The Hurricanes) played well.  There was only one play that the defense consistently had trouble stopping (an end-around by a big, fast kid), and that’s how they gave up their only score.  The offense moved the ball well but had a bad case of fumble-itis.  That led to 3 turnovers and a bunch of wasted plays.  Elliot’s first run was stuffed in the backfield.  His second run was a poor pitch that he fumbled.  After that he had 4 or 5 decent runs for positive yardage.  Towards the end of the game someone’s helmet hit his thumb after he was tackled and sprained it.  He sat out the rest of the game and was sore for several days afterward.  The final was a 6 to 0 loss.

Finn’s game was at noon.  He had several nice tackles on defense.  He was quarterback and running back for one play each.  He made a nice cut on his run and nearly broke it for a TD.  It ended up being just a nice gain because he stopped and let the other defenders catch up when it felt like someone had pulled his flag (but it actually didn’t get pulled until he stopped).  I told him that in the future he should keep running toward the goal line until he hears the whistle (and not worry about the flag).

Here are some photos and videos from both games.

Back in early June, Elliot and I drove down to Troy, spent the night at Lisa’s parents’ house, and then got up early the next morning to go to the Cranbrook LAX Jam tournament.  It was a fun day.  It was obvious that the coaches’ expectations weren’t too high because they had been crushed over and over again at the same tournament the previous year.  However, it was a different story this time.  I think the fact that we (the parents, at least) weren’t expecting much made it even sweeter when the boys played so well and went undefeated for the tournament. 

I was especially proud of Elliot.  His skills seemed to have improved quite a bit over his first season of LAX.  He was playing “middie,” and he would catch a pass from a teammate (at this level, just being able to catch a pass in the air is a big advantage…as opposed missing it and having to pick it up off the ground before making your next move) and then take off sprinting down the field toward the goal.  He had his first two assists of the year, and they were important in their close wins.  He was also hustling.  In the fourth game, after a long day, it was clear that he was still giving it all that he had.  On a couple of occasions he chased down a player who had the ball from behind by not giving up when he first got passed him.  His coach noticed his hustle too and praised him afterwards.  It was a great feeling…the first time that I’ve been, I guess I’d say, inspired by my kid and his teammates for their performance on the field of play.

The following “Peak Performers” article appeared in the June 20, 2010, Midland Daily News:

The Midland Lacrosse Club's third-fourth-grade team completed its season recently by winning all four games at the Cranbrook LAX Jam tournament, the largest such tournament in the state with teams from across Michigan.

Midland began the tourney with a 5-4 win over perennial power Birmingham, then beat Gross Pointe 7-3, Forest Hills Central out of Grand Rapids, 5-4, and Rockford 9-3 to finish the season at 8-1-2.

Only five members of the Midland team had played lacrosse prior to this season, which is only the second year in which the MLC has fielded a third-fourth-grade squad.

Eleven different Midland players scored in the Cranbrook tourney, and the team used seven different players as goalies throughout the season.

Members of the team are (front, from left) Garrett Brillhart, Ryan Flint, Noah Treangen, Davis Purtell, Elliot Moore, Pierce Morley, Adam Nunn, Adam Wolok; (second row, from left) Carter Bean, Jack Treangen, Michael Hogan, Jared Zahn, Andrew Carras, Creighton Annelin, Brandon Kovacevich (third row, from left) Jacob Pokreifka, Joey Kilbride Parker Laffey, Jeremy Brookens, Chris Bellefeuille, Carson Winter, Nick Rappuhn; and (back, from left) head coach Kurt Brillhart, assistant coach Tom Grey, and assistant coach Jamie Zahn.

Not pictured are Graham Bailey, Jonathon Baillargeon, and Willem Short.

Here is a photo and a few videos.

Here is the performance by the Youth Honors Singers:

Here are a couple songs with the YHS and several other groups performing together: