Woodbridge High School - Valhalla Yearbook (Woodbridge, VA)

Page 28 text:

Great expectations. Junior David Michelow prepares himself for a play on the next hit. David will be a strong returning player for the 1982 Varsity Baseball season. Flaying leapfrog? Catcher Joe Troia is set in a receiv¬ ing position for a pitch. Joe is another junior who is ex¬ pected to return in 1982 in order to build a tough Vik¬ ing team. Set for a sprint. Outfielder Henry Lyons watches the infield play and is ready to provide reinforcements. As a senior, Henry played his second year in the outfield on the varsity team. Looking grim. A patched-up Jim Page observes his teammates’ play from the sidelines. Jim suffered a broken jaw which caused him to miss several of the team’s crucial games. Stretching home. Pitcher John Hefti shows his perfect form in delivering a fast ball. John is expected to attend the U.S. Naval Academy after graduating from Woodbridge. 24 Athletics

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1981 Golf WSHS 372 James Wood 348 WSHS386 Stafford 393 WSHS 409 Gar-Field 326 WSHS Fauquier WSHS 389 Potomac 344 WSHS 199 Quantico 241 WSHS 187 Stonewall 178 (9 holes) District Tournament 7th place Won 2 Lost 5 Swinging Success Golf is a sport that develops around an in¬ dividual and his capabilities. The golf team pulled together these qualities and shaped them into a season marked by improvement and success. Using experience gained from last season, head coach Paul Stafford used practice time to play a round of golf with his team and to point out their weaknesses. “The only way a team can succeed is if an individual suc¬ ceeds,” informed Coach Stafford. “Devotion,” stated junior Shawn Meloy, “is an important aspect of golf that is usually overlooked.” But not this year. Through hard work and devotion, the seven man team produced the best season since 1978. Stafford and Quantico fell victim to the mighty Viking team. With the momentum picked up from these wins, the young Vikes dreamed of a victory over district champs Stonewall Jackson. They fell short of this goal by only nine strokes. “The Stonewall match was tough and we didn’t expect to even come close to winning, but we really surprised ourselves,” reflected Mark Lewis. 1981 Golf Team, Front row: Joe DeGrande, Robert Parker, Shawn Meloy, Mark Lewis, Coach Paul Stafford, Aaron Zellers. Back row: Coach Paul Stafford. Not pictured: Joe Woodward. Slowly, but surely. Mark Lewis closely watches the path of his ball. With the use of concentration, Mark was successful in sinking most of his putts on the first attempt. Golf 23

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True Champions May, the month ending the spring sports season, arrived all too soon for the Viking hurlers. The last out of the final game ter¬ minated a season which was not entirely suc¬ cessful. The team exited the field, not cham¬ pions, but in their own minds far from unsuccessful. The long hours of practice did not go to waste in the players’ minds. Although they did not win as many games as they had wish¬ ed, they learned a great deal about the game of baseball. Second baseman Roger Dankel commented, “Practices were tiring, but it seemed that every time we walked on the field we learned something new about baseball. Not just from the coach, but I learned from all my teammates as well. It was a great experience.” They also learned unity and togetherness. In the players’ opinions these traits were more important than all of the wins in the world. It was this togetherness that made the squad a team in every sense of the word. Senior Jim Page added, “Out of aii of the things that we learned this year, becoming close was the single most important. We may not have won the district this year, but the bonds we made among ourselves can never be broken.” How do you do? Senior Roger Dankel fixes his hat to guard his eyes from the blazing sun. Roger, along with two other varsity players, will be playing college ball in Mississippi. Ready and waiting. Senior Jeff May awaits the com¬ ing of a hot smash ground ball. Jeff’s quick thinking and fast reactions made him a valuable part of the Vikes’ in¬ field play. 1981 Varsity Baseball — Front row: Joe Troia, John Cook, Nick Anderson, Jim Page, Henry Bunky Burton, Todd Pierce, Tony Organt, Scott Lyons, Dave Slafkowski, Jeff May, John Hefti, Joe Rollison, Keith Palm, Roger Dankel; Back row: Lloyd, Rick Murray. A quick team warm-up. The varsity team gets together to warm up before an important game. Pre¬ game warm-ups are necessary for the entire team to prevent injuries. Varsity Baseball 25