West Adams Panthers baseball team calls for funds
Community Contributor | 7-7-2010 | Comments |
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From Raul Claros, Head Baseball Coach, West Adams Preparatory High School
Dear West Adams Panthers Baseball Supporter:
It is with great enthusiasm that I email you an update and review of our 2010 season.
First, let me congratulate our young men for making it to the City Finals in Division 3. The game was played at USC’s baseball complex, and although we did not come out victorious, it was a tremendous finish for a start up program in just its third year.
The 2010 baseball season got off the rough start for the Panthers. We dropped our first three games by one run in each contest to quality teams from a higher bracket (Division II). The remainder of the year went up and down with our team finishing at .500 with a 9-9 record.
I believe our team was underachieving, and we limped into the playoffs on a losing note, losing to the former 2008 City Champions and the future 2010 City Champions Maywood High School. The great thing about this team, is the young men never thought they weren’t good enough to compete with anyone. And, with that attitude we entered the playoffs.
In game one of the playoffs, we played the #9 cede, Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES). The game did not start the way we would’ve liked, down 3-1 in the third inning, but we came back and won convincingly 11-3. Round two we were even more dominating. We faced the #1 cede, Panorama, but took control of the game in the first inning, and never looked back, winning 12-3. In round 3 we faced the defending Division 3 City Champions, Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (SOCES) and came away with another powerful performance winning that game 11-3.
The Panthers had made history throughout the playoffs, going deeper than any varsity team has yet to go. And, after defeating SOCES, we were in the City Championship to face Maywood High School. The Panthers took an early lead, but Maywood’s team of veteran seniors, some of whom were making their third appearance in the city finals, bested West Adams.
Not only are we proud of our athletic accomplishments, the coaching staff is excited to announce that the team’s grade point average was above 2.8. No Varsity athlete was lost to ineligibility due to grades. Our team also helped during Thanksgiving 2009 with providing 60 turkey dinners to our local community members in need. In partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department, specifically the Olympic Station, from our local neighborhood, to young men also helped to bring in 1200 toys for the 2009 Christmas season. Our athletes also visited Shriners Hospital, the Junior Blind Center of America and MLK Therapeutic Center to read to children with disabilities and deliver food and toys. The Panther baseball team also volunteered to clean the Vermont Corridor/Salvadoran Community Corridor from 11th Street to Adams.
Today, the team needs your support in order to close the books to this season and start working on next season. The Baseball program fundraised a little over $6,000 for their new baseball uniforms (game uniforms both home and away, and practice uniforms and equipment for both the junior varsity and varsity programs) but, there is still $8,106.71 outstanding for the uniforms and equipment. We are asking you to please help these deserving young men. The money you give will not only support West Adams baseball, but help us continue our positive influence in the community.
Feel free to contact West Adams Athletic Director, Rick Mathiesen or new Assistant Principal in charge of athletics, Bobby Canosa-Carr if you have any questions.
Raul Claros, Head Baseball Coach
West Adams High School
(310) 844-5591
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