Friday, October 15, 2010

Home games close the curtain on Optimist grid season

Successful campaign ends Saturday in Hailey


A successful Wood River Youth Football season of Optimist gridiron action wraps up Saturday, Oct. 16 when the local organization hosts seven games for ages 7-11 at Wood River Middle School in Hailey.

Scheduled is one flag football game for ages 7-8, plus a total six games in tackle football for ages 9 (freshmen), 10 (sophs) and 11 (juniors). The games run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is a chance one game will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at Homer Field (high school field).

League director Ken Ward said, "Wood River Youth Football has had a great year. In each age group we had two teams—and that is a first.

"Each team played seven games this season, four home and three away, with about half our teams coming up with winning records and the other half with losing records. That's not bad for splitting up the talent into two equal teams."

The program brings teams from southwestern Idaho to Hailey and also supports the efforts of young men to officiate and mentor the youngsters.

Ward said, "We bring about 600 people up from Boise four weekends a year and fill our motels and restaurants. We have a great Junior Ref program hiring 20 area youth every Saturday we have home games."

Coach Pete Heaphy has done "an excellent job with our 11-year-old Juniors group," said Ward. The Wood River White Juniors is a one-loss team that is playing another one-loss team, BLC Properties of Nampa, at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at WRMS.

Here are the other games:

At 10 a.m., WR White 10-year-old Sophs vs. Deli George of Boise; at 11:30 a.m., WR White vs. WR Green flag football; WR Green 9-year-old Freshmen vs. Stadium Sports of Boise; and WR White Juniors vs. BLC Properties of Nampa;

1 p.m., WR White 9-year-old Freshmen vs. Mountain Home Auto Ranch; and WR Green 10-year-old Sophs vs. DBI Impact.

Besides league director Ward, the WRYF organization includes treasurer John Brashears plus board members Troy Thayer, Jim King, Andy Portillo and Chris Malmgren.

Flag football head coaches are Andy Portillo and Kevin Meyers.

Freshmen coaches are George Rizzo, Barrett Ott, Shane Manning and Kenny McClure. Sophomore coaches are Matt Douthit, Troy Ballard, Chad VanDellon, Skip Merrick and D.J. McMurdo. Junior coaches are Heaphy, Jon Peavey, Sam Dorazio, John Blackman and Baba Street.

Heading up the referees are Andy Portillo, Keith Joe Dick, Steve Thomas and Collie Mack.




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