ROLLINSFORD -- At times it was difficult, if not just plain frustrating to watch the fledging Beacons lose nearly all of their games before limping out of the Dover Co-Ed Softball League playoff tournament with two tough losses to Post 47 and Merrill's Radiator.
But Beacons Coach Bob Cook wants the fans to know this: "We'll be back next year."
A season which began with so much promise and potential quickly fizzled into an 0-10 start before the Beacons won their only legitimate game versus Pink Cadillac, 18-14, in July. If not for the exit of Access and an automatic forfeit granted to each team, the Beacons wouldn't even have two wins. The Beacons final record including post-season was 2-20.
"We know we didn't play as well as we would have liked this season," Cook said. "But anyone who took the time to watch our team play would agree with me that we had some really talented people out there and if we can bring back the core of those people and add a few new players, we could be a force to be reckoned with in 2009."
Some of the talented players Cook referred to included standout rookie centerfielder Jason Claffey, who used his blazing speed to make one fantastic catch after another; Jeremy Knowles, one of the team true power hitters who had a penchant for going deep; Justin Palmer, who slick glove work and hitting also provided a spark; and Beacons players Jessica Singer, Molly Palmer, Leslie Bisognani, and Diana Kitteridge.
The Beacons also received some strong contributions from Tiffany Ecker, Josh Rosenson, and Corey Dupes along with late-comer Larry Fizzel who played wherever they were asked and did everything they could to help their team win.
"One of the most difficult challenges we faced all season long was consistency. If I had my entire team together on the field for more than just a few games, we would have won a lot more games. Sometimes it is just hard for some people to make as many games as they would like because of work schedules, family commitments and other things," Cook said. "But I want everyone who put on a Beacons' jersey this season to know that I am very proud of them. It would have been too easy to just quit and stop playing, but these guys never stopped trying and they never stopped believing in themselves. It's called character."
Cook said veteran softball players like Darryl "Xtreme" Cauchon, Rick Loughlin and Sonny Ecker set a great example for the younger Beacons to follow. Above all else, Cook said he was very pleased with how well everyone accepted and practiced his mantra of treat others the way you would like to be treated. Cook said the Beacons were also a very unselfish team.
"The fact that we supported each other through some of those difficult games and treated each other with mutual respect makes us all winners as far as I am concerned," Cook said.
It is still too early to know how many of the 2008 Beacons will return and play for the 2009 squad, but Cook hopes he will be able to count most of his players in that group when spring training begins in mid-April.
