Recap of the Joe Hunter Drill

by Dan Laverty

The drill began with Joe Hunter’s lifelong friend Matt Spinelli thanking everyone for coming and welcoming everyone in attendance. A lone bagpiper played at the bottom of the arch before the first team was called to the line.

Thirteen teams lined up for 3-Man Ladder. The first team on the line were the West Sayville Flying Dutchmen. The Dutchmen have won this drill two times in the past and were looking to win it again. In the below picture you will see the Dutchmen’s Mike Marra getting ready to make the first of his four climbs up the arch (3-Man, B-Ladder, C-Ladder & Buckets). With the Tenney Brothers running first and second in front of Mike, the Dutchmen ran a 6.50.

In the below picture you’ll see exactly what the first man is supposed to do. I guess Jake has been reading the blog because he did an excellent job of getting out of the way while not blocking the officials' view. David Miller and Dan Murphy followed Jake up the ladder for a time of 6.24.

With the Drill Team Radio crew: Lenny Gombert, Artie Susskind, Kevin Candido (also Chief Judge for the Drill), John Burke, Fred Bencivenga and myself watching the Yellowbirds ran a textbook shot.

The Roslyn Highlanders were called off by Stan Dybus Jr. Stan watched as Charlie Patino, Greg Brown and Ronnie Presti put up a time of 6.46. The Islip Wolves ended the contest with a time of 6.47. Heavy Kevy was chased up the ladder by Jake Moran and friend of the blog Josh Kasin. Josh has not been given the chance yet this year to defend his SIDE BY SIDE COMPETITION CHAMPIONSHIP but instead boogied up the ladder for a time of 6.47. The Copiague Yellowbirds rounded out the top five in 3-Man Ladder with a run of 6.76

3-MAN LADDER RESULTS

FINISHED	TEAM	TIME
First	Central Islip	6.24
Second	Roslyn	6.46
Third	Islip	6.47
Fourth	West Sayville	6.50
Fifth	Copiague	6.76

Lenny and I discussed the 3-Man Ladder event as "The hardest working man in racing" Anthony "A-Rock" Raccomandato looks down onto the course to make sure the lights are placed on the proper lines for B-Ladder.

Dave Banks seems to be standing at attention as he waits for the 1961 Ford that his team obtained from the Centereach Hose Jockeys many years ago to come to the starting line. If you look in the background of this picture you will see Matt Spinelli, Robert Scott Noonan and Matt’s son Joseph attempting to predict what the Dutchmen might run in B-Ladder.

The ladder team consisting of Richard Quenzer, Dave Banks, Ryan Huguenin and Mike Marra were driven to the patch by first year driver Frank Miller Jr. The Dutchmen were only 22/100ths of a second away from their State Record of 4.82 with a time of 5.14. Where else can 22/100ths of a second mean so much? It always amazes me the minute amount of time that separates a run from being a State Record and from being just another run.

Driver Brian "Mole" Butler shows us his game face.

The Ladder went into the ground a little crooked but Redskin veteran Paul Susskind straightened it out to help "Skippy" Lyman reach the top for a run of 5.54.

Westbury Turtles’ ladder team of Joe Knobbi, Matt Rodden and the Ingram brothers got together to put up a run of 5.49. The Westerners filled filled out the top five with a run of 5.60.

B-LADDER RESULTS

FINISHED	TEAM	TIME
First	West Sayville	5.14
Second	Hempstead	5.40
Third	Westbury	5.49
Fourth	Bay Shore	5.54
Fifth	West Hempstead	5.60

The Dutchmen ran an impressive time of 9.16 and The Piston Knockers followed that up with a 9.16 also. These two teams had to wait for eight other teams to go before they knew if they were going to be tied for first place or not.

Mike Marra grasps & holds as A-Rock stops the clock.

Bay Shore’s ladder went into the ground straight on this C-Ladder run to give them a time of 9.37. Westbury gave their all in an attempt to beat the 9.16 that was up on the Joe Hunter Memorial Scoreboard but came up a little short with a time of 9.24. Here's a shot of the Westerners on their way down the course. They finished with a time of 9.21, giving them third place in the contest.

The St. James Wildcats didn't fare as well as the received a No Time for digging outside the safety zone, Rule 13.03.

C-LADDER RESULTS

FINISHED	TEAM	TIME
First (Tie)	West Sayville	9.16
First (Tie)	North Lindenhurst	9.16
Third	West Hempstead	9.21
Fourth	Westbury	9.24
Fifth	Bay Shore	9.37

Heading into the hose contests the point totals were as follows:

• West Sayville - 11.5
• North Lindenhurst - 4.5
• Central Islip - 5
• Bay Shore – 3
• Hempstead – 4
• Copiague – 1
• Westbury – 5
• Roslyn – 4
• West Hempstead – 4
• Islip – 3

Ten out of thirteen teams had scored so far with St. James, Lindenhurst and North Babylon on the outside looking in.

Two teams who tied for first in C-Ladder contest found points a little harder to come by once the hoses got involved. West Sayville was not able to add to their point total with an uncharacteristic run of 19.18 while North Lindenhurst managed 2 points with a run of 12.69.

Bay Shore’s Paul Susskind coupled the hydrant with the capacity crowd looking and helped his team run a 12.72 for fifth place.

It was great to see the Yellow Hornets C-Truck out on the track and with the combined team of Hornets and Rascals they were able to put together a run of 12.62 for 3 points.

While going past the hydrant, the Wildcats’ hydrant-man was able to reach back and get water to the nozzle-man for a run of 12.60 which gave them the second place trophy for the event.

The Westbury Turtles came screaming down the course to drop of their crew for a first place run of 12.44 and first place in the C-Hose event.

West Hempstead wanted to show the crowd they had what it takes to take some points in C-Hose but the course took first place over the Westerners as evident in the below pic…OUCH!

As night descended on Wier St., West Sayville was first to run and they put up a time of 8.26. North Lindenhurst encountered some problems and their time was not competitive. The Hoboes' came down the track and ran the only 7 of the contest. Their run of 7.69 game them their second first-place trophy of the day.

The Hempstead Yellow Hornets again showed what practice can accomplish with a run of 8.85 and 3 points. The Lindenhurst Snails put up a time of 9.96 which gave them their only point on the night and the Westerners ran a 9.71 for 2 points.

Due to time constraints because of the inability to have motorized vehicles running after a certain time at the Hempstead track Motor Pump was run next.

West Sayville was not going to be outdone in this contest which was evident by their run of 6.55. This time was almost beaten by the next team to run but their time held up for 5 points.

North Lindenhurst took their turn and ran a time of 6.58, this gave them 4 more points.

The Hempstead Yellow Hornets combined team utilizing the South Hempstead Rascals B-Truck ran a time of 6.69 for 3 points.

The Westerners would not know it at the time, but his hand is signaling what place they would take in this event. The Westerners ran a 7.09 for another point and fifth place.

MOTOR PUMP RESULTS

FINISHED	TEAM	TIME
First	West Sayville	6.55
Second	North Lindenhurst	6.58
Third	Hempstead	6.69
Fourth	Central Islip	6.96
Fifth	West Hempstead	7.09

At the conclusion of the Motor Pump contest with Efficiency and Buckets to go the points total was as follows:

• West Sayvile – 20.5
• North Lindenhurst - 10.5
• Central Islip – 12
• Bay Shore – 4
• Hempstead – 13
• St. James – 4
• Copiague – 1
• Westbury – 10
• Roslyn – 5
• West Hempstead – 7
• Islip – 5

The Efficiency contest is totally different when run at night. The sun is not out to dry the course and teams are forced to take a slightly different approach. The one benefit of running Efficiency after Motor Pump is that some teams run the events in this order when they practice. Four teams completed runs under 9 seconds with West Hempstead at the top with an 8.62.

EFFICIENCY RESULTS

FINISHED	TEAM	TIME
First	West Hempstead	8.82
Second	Bay Shore	8.87
Third	Central Islip	8.90
Fourth	Islip	8.93
Fifth	Roslyn	9.54

The radio crew had a great view of the Buckets Contest

North Lindenhurst put up a time of 23.76 for first place. The Hoboes came pretty close with a time of 24.33. The Bay Shore Redskins were looking to place in this drill and almost did with a run of 23.78. The Copiague Yelllowbirds ran a 24.61 for fourth place and the Westerners ran a 25.04 for 1 more point on the night.

BUCKETS RESULTS

FINISHED	TEAM	TIME
First	North Lindenhurst	23.76
Second	Bay Shore	23.78
Third	Central Islip	24.33
Fourth	Copiague	24.61
Fifth	West Hempstead	25.04

Total points at the completion of the Drill:
Fourth Place (Tie) - Hempstead Yellow Hornets/South Hempstead Rascals with 13 points

Third Place - North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers with 15.5 points

Second Place - Central Islip Hoboes with 18 points

AND IN FIRST PLACE…WITH 20.5 POINTS…

THE FLYING DUTCHMEN FROM WEST SAYVILLE!!!!!!

The West Sayville Flying Dutchmen; Chad Leigh-Manuell, Ryan Tenney, Michael Marra, Frank Miller Jr., Richard Quenzer, David Banks, Ryan Hugenin, Robert Scott Noonan, Joe Quenzer, Kristy Banks, Doug Quenzer, Pat Garrett, Gary Schaum, Allen Newhouse, Bob Marra and Scott Schrader were joined in the above pic by Joe Hunter’s Family and Matt Spinelli.

All photos courtesy of Kim Versheck. See more photos from this drill and others over the Late Night Buff Network.

Recap of the Nassau County Drill held on 07/14/12

by Dan Laverty

After an excellently run Old Fashioned drill the night before by the Port Washington F.D., everyone rubbed their eyes at the beginning of the 2012 Motorized Nassau County Drill. Pulling onto Evergreen Avenue I was greeted by a professionally made sign directing me to where Spectator Parking was. As I approached the Spectator Parking area I was greeted by a member of the Port Washington F.D. who welcomed me and directed me on where to park. This drill was well staffed and well run by Port Washington. I would gladly attend a drill hosted by this department anytime. This is a department that could (and should) host a State Championship Drill in the future.

With an overcast sky everyone was welcomed and the drill began with 3-Man Ladder. The Carle Place Frogs were the first to run, first man Ricardo Freitas, second man Mike Geddish and third man Joe Alfaro were called off by Willie Geddish. The Frogs took their only point of the day with that run of 7.27. The New Hyde Park Termites’ Phil Athenias, Mike Sovar and Frankie Sonnenberg were called off by Mike Athenias. The Termites were coming off their win at the William St. George Drill and ran a time of 7.13. The Roslyn Highlanders, consisting of climbers Charlie Patino, Greg Brown and Ronnie Presti, were next to place with a time of 6.72. One of the only sub-7 runs on the day. Ronnie Presti previously ran with The Valley Stream Misfits and recently joined the Roslyn Highlands Fire Department. He has been a welcome addition to the team and was interviewed by this writer on Drill Team Radio after The Highlanders took first place in Efficiency. Ronnie is very excited to be a member of the Highlanders and they are very glad to have him. (Click here if you’d like to give a listen to the drill as well as the interview.) The Westbury Turtles’ climbers Matt Raithe, John Ingram and Dougy Ingram seemed determined and took first place with a run of 6.70. Ken Gass showed his excitement after the run as the Turtles left the course to prepare for B-Ladder. The Lakeview Sparks’ Freddy Senti, Peter Sherkel and Cody Marra took fourth place with a run of 7.20. Their time might have been better if the first man up the ladder got out of the officials way. I wrote about this previously and I hope all the first men up the ladder take heed and stay put once the reach the top of the arch.

The drill transitioned right into B-Ladder with no hiccups. Fans were still filing into the stands. I guess people wanted to have some breakfast before coming to the drill. Maybe running near the back of the pack does give a team an advantage? The Termites were first to place with a 6.23. Frankie Sonnenberg was the climber and was assisted by thrower Mike Sovar. The ladder was dug into the patch by Nick Tursi and Tim Nacewicz. Tim is no stranger to racing. His grandfather, John Nacewicz, was one of the founders of the New Hyde Park Termites back in the 1940’s. The host team Road Runners ran the first sub-6 run, a 5.80. "Doc" Reese and Chris Cuomo stabbed the patch while new to the crew Donald Smallwood layed the ladder into the arch for Kyle Lewis. Donald also did an excellent job on Drill Team Radio the previous night for the Nassau County Old Fashioned Drill. He will be on the air in the future I am sure. The Glenwood Greenhorns have not filled out a team line-up so I can’t tell you who was running for them but I can tell you they took 2 points in B-Ladder with a run of 5.94. North Bellmore’s Corcoran brothers, Joe and Sean, climbed and threw the ladder to give the Rinky Dinks their first points on the day with a time of 5.72. It wasn’t until the run of the second to last team, the Westbury Turtles, that the winner of this contest was known. Daryl Ranaldo dropped off his ladder team and Joe Knobbi, Matt Rodden, Dougy Ingram and John Ingram did the rest. John was given a great ladder to climb and cultivated it into a 5.39 run giving the Turtles another 5 points.

Of the fourteen teams in attendance only ten ran C-Ladder. Starting 475 feet from the arch and crossing the lights at the 450 feet mark (credit to GuardrailGeek for the info), the Road Runners were the first to place with a time of 9.39. Unfortunately for them they lost Donald "Doc" Reese for the rest of the day with a sprained ankle. When I interviewed Donald on Drill Team Radio he informed me that when he attempted to dig the ladder he put too much pressure on the outside of his foot and rolled his ankle. He was taken for X-rays and returned in an air cast to cheer on his team. Two teams later the West Hempstead Westerners were determined to place in this event and possibly top the time of 9.18 they ran in Selden on 6/23 and the 9.21 they ran at the Joe Hunter Drill. As hard as they tried they had to settle with a time of 9.28 and 5 points. North Bellmore ran a 9.55 despite a crooked ladder. The Manhasset Lakeville Minute Men ran a 10.30 bumping Carle Place into fifth place. Carle Place’s fate was altered again when the Turtles took second place with a run of 9.36 bumping the Frogs into sixth place.

The water test was conducted as teams prepared for C-Hose and fans took some time to grab refreshments and shade. As evidenced by my still sunburnt forehead, the sun was out and making freckles. Dan Salerno dropped Donald Smallwood and Chris Cuomo at the hydrant and Richie Cuomo and "Bones" Mahoney at the target. Their run netted them 3 points to add to the 6 points they earned in the ladder events. Roslyn’s Sean Brody drove his group of Highlanders down the course and dropped Vito Lippolis, Jr. and Greg Brown at the hydrant where the excelled in getting water into the hose. As Scott Gildea and Stan Dybus, Jr. jumped off the rig many of us were wondering if the nozzle was going to make it to the coupling in time. Sure enough Stan got the nozzle on and helped give his team 4 more points to add to the 4 points they obtained in 3-Man Ladder. Next to place were the Minute Men with a 15.34. The Levittown Rebels recently had the rear end of their truck redone by MI Performance in West Babylon. Utilizing the same motor and the newly refurbished rear end the Rebels ran a 14.92 for fourth place and their only points of the day. The last team to run their C-Truck had the benefit of knowing what times they had to beat. The Turtles did their call offs, revved their truck and took off from the starting line. Daryl Ranaldo took the duo of Ken Gass and Matt McVie and dropped them off at the hydrant where Ken superbly hit the hydrant and got water in the hose rather quickly. Matt Raithe and Dan Cornell got off at the nozzle and Dan hit the target stopping the clock. From beginning to end this run only took 12.65 seconds and gave them another 5 points bringing their total on the day to 19, 10 points ahead of the nearest competitor, the Road Runners with 9 points.

B-Hose did not see any "7’s" run, the closest was the first place run by West Hempstead with an 8.45. Westbury attempted to put up a faster time and came pretty close with an 8.48. The Lakeview Sparks’ Cody Marra coupled the hydrant (with no dragger) and Breaker Pete Sherkel helped out Freddy Senti and they took third place with a 9.41. Hicksville and Glenwood rounded out the top five with runs of 10.33 and 10.60 respectively.

At the end of the first five contests, the Westbury Turtles had an astounding 23 points. They hadn’t officially won the drill yet, but they were in great position to close this one out on top. The Westerners had 10 points could win the last three events and possibly overtake them. Port Washington had 9 points, Roslyn had 8, North Bellmore 6, and Lakeview had 5.

Efficiency began with the Termites running a 9.31 for 1.5 points. The Road Runners ran a 9.16 for 3 points and Glenwood ran a 9.31 to tie the Termites and receive 1.5 points. The Westerners ran a 9.14 besting the time of the Road Runners for 4 more points. Everyone was thinking that we were not going to see any runs in the 8-second range and the 9.14 by the Westerners was going to be hard to beat. But then Mike McCann hit the hydrant with fervor, Jordan McCann turned on the water, Malcolm Hunter, Tim Hunter, Greg Brown and Jeff Chen all coupled and pulled out the hose. Nozzle-man Ronnie Presti and his backup man Charlie Patino did an excellent job at the target. It looked like a great run and it was not until Donald "Woody" Wood from Spencerport announced the time of 8.73 that the Roslyn Highlanders knew they just did something special. They not only took first place and 5 points but they broke their old team record of 8.76 that was set on back in the early 2000’s at Merrick. When I went to interview someone from Roslyn for Drill Team Radio, Stan graciously offered up Nozzle-man Ronnie Presti. Ronnie said he was very excited to be running motorized and was even more excited about the shot they just ran. (Once again, Click here to give a listen.) Going into the Motor Pump contest the Westbury Turtles still had 23 points. The Westerners had 14, Roslyn was now even closer with 13. Port Washington had 12 and North Bellmore had 6 points.

Interestingly, the five teams that scored in Efficiency were the same five to score in Motor Pump. This time the Termites scored first place with a time of 6.31. Another second place followed for the Westerners with a time of 6.39. Roslyn added to their point count with a third place run with a time of 6.57. Port Washington and Glenwood rounded out the top five with times of 7.00 and 7.30 respectively. This would make it two events in a row that the Turtles did not score any points letting the Westerners get even closer.

Going into Buckets the Turtles still had 23 points. The Westerners were now hot on their heels with 18, followed by Roslyn with 16 and Port Washington with 14. The Termites were also in the top five with 10.5 points.

The Road Runners ran a 24.70 giving them 3 more points and a third place finish in the drill. West Hempstead ran a 23.67 which gave them 5 points tying the Turtles for total points. North Bellmore ran a 25.56 for third place in Buckets. Oyster Bay ran a 26.97 for their only point of the day. Now it was up to Westbury. They had to beat a time of 27.00 if they wanted to win this drill outright. The Turtles rose to the challenge and took fourth place in the contest, giving them 25 points on the day.

The Westbury Turtles had first place at the 2012 Nassau County Drill all to themselves. This is the first major motorized tournament win for them in 36 years. Their last win was on July 7th in 1976 at Hempstead. They also won the 9th Battalion Drill that year beating the Hicksville Hicks by 4 points.

At the end of the drill I interviewed the Cornell brothers from Westbury for Drill Team Radio and their smiles were as big as the 23 points they had coming out of B-Hose.

Congrats to the Westbury Turtles on their win. They did a fantastic job!

Here are your 2012 Nassau County Drill champs: Ken Gass, Matt Rathe, John Ingram, Dougy Ingram, Joe Gnobbi, Matt Rodden, Matt McVie, Dan Cornell, Jasper Skilbia, Rob Darocha, Billy Cornell, Daryl Ranaldo, Munch, Matt Buck, Larry Topel, Vin Abbetielo & Ken Gass, Sr.

Photo courtesy of Brian Olsen and Late Night Buff Network.
See more photos from the drill here.

A Conversation with Will Jakubowski of the Elmont Bangtails

by Dan Laverty

This is a conversation is Will Jakubowski of the Elmont Bangtails. Will is currently still recovering from injuries sustained during a practice run late in the 2011 season. I wanted to conduct this so that people would get the chance to get to know Will and better understand him. I sat with Will, his girlfriend Stephanie, his parents Debbie and Robert, Will's therapist from the Brady Institute at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and family friend Gary Brower at the William St. George Drill. I got to know them a little bit and had a great time sitting with them. We exchanged stories about how we got into Firematic Drilling. Will and I have a lot in common, both of our Fathers raced and we both went on to race ourselves. The Jakubowskis are a great family and were a pleasure to watch some of the drill with. This conversation took place via e-mail between myself, Will and his mother Debbie

DL:  How old are you?

WJ:  28

DL:  Single/Married?

WJ:  Single and currently dating Stephanie

DL:  Pets?

WJ:  None of my own but I have cat-napped my neighbor’s cat that hangs around our house. I feed it and it brings me all the mice it kills. The cat is always at our glass doors looking for me. We have seven acres and there is a lot of wildlife out there. We feed the deer, birds, wild turkeys and pheasants. I enjoy the quiet of the country.

DL:  Favorite TV show?

WJ:  At night after a long day of therapy I like to watch the Wheel of Fortune and Two and a Half Men on TV. I usually head off to bed around 9 but talk on the phone with Stephanie for a while. I'm sleeping less now but still need 9 hours a night. The brain only heals when you are sleeping.

DL:  Favorite activities (besides racing)?

WJ:  My hobbies are mostly firematic related. Cold-water rescue, Haz-Mat, drill team and I love those signal 10s. I've started doing some fresh water fishing with my life-skills therapist. It's fun but nothing big here in the streams. I did catch a crawfish last week. Where our house is it's really rural. I walk the hill and go visit the neighbor’s goat and sheep farm. The farm is about a mile up the road. My sister, Donna lives outside of Syracuse, NY. Donna and her boyfriend Matt raise Black Angus cows. A new calf was born this week. I wish she lived closer so I could help her with her farm.

DL:  Were you a Junior Fireman?

WJ:  I was about six when the Lawrence Cedarhurst Fire Department started up a Junior Fire Dept. They hadn't had one for a years and now there was a whole group of young kids who fathers belonged to LC. I ran on the Junior Drill Team for years. We really only went to Battalion drills, nothing big. I was Lieutenant and then Captain. I learned a lot from the guys at LC. They really showed me around the trucks and the equipment. When I was old enough to join they didn't have a drill team and had sold the B-Truck a while back to Levittown. I joined Elmont to the disappointment of a lot of the guys at LC but Elmont has a good relationship with LC and we help each other out with fast teams and mutual aides so all is good.

DL:  What was your first drill?

WJ:  As a teenager I used to ride my bike to North Woodmere Park to watch the Bangtails practice. I would sit up in the bleachers. I loved the sound of the truck racing down the track. I would go to the races when I could usually with Gary Brower. I was still too young to drive. I started getting friendly with the members of the Bangtails. I was about 14 or so when they invited me to go to the State Drill with the team. I rode up with them in the van to Main-Transit. The next year they invited me to go up to Deerfield. I rode up with Jimmy McCarron, the team driver at the time, in the tractor trailer hauling the rigs and equipment. What a thrill it was! I remember them dropping me off at home on Cedarhurst Ave. in Cedarhurst around midnight or 1am lights and sirens. Guess we woke some neighbors that night.

DL:  Do you have family members who were members of a drill team?

WJ:  My dad and Uncle Mike ran on the Screech Owls back in the 80's. My Uncle Billy ran back in the 60's. No helmets back then. The Screech Owls of Lawrence Cedarhurst only had a B-Truck. I guess racing was in their blood and now it's in mine. I grew up in the fire department. My dad belongs to LC for over 40 years and was Fireman of the Year in 2011. He received the award while I was in the hospital so I didn't get to see him receive it. My Uncle Mike was Chief of LC when I was a little boy. We lived next to each other and he gave me an old Home Alert radio for my bedroom. I was only about 3 at the time. During the night when the radio went off I was outside in the chief's car before he got out of the house waiting to go, still in my pajamas. He even forgot me at a call one day and the truck radioed him to say I was on the curb. I got to ride the truck back that day. Glad my mom wasn't listening to the radio…we would both been in trouble. My Uncle Mike bought me my first set of turn-out gear for my 3rd birthday. I lived in it.

DL:  How old were you when you joined the Elmont Fire Department?

WJ:  I first joined Elmont the month I turned 18 which was in June of 2002. I was assigned to Engine 702. I joined the Bangtails and ran Efficiency, Motor Pump and Buckets. I left Elmont for a couple of years when I moved to Putnum Valley and joined the fire department there. It wasn't long before I moved back to Long Island and rejoined Elmont and ran with the Bangtails again. I begged Brain Schriefer to let me jump off the back of the B-Truck and C-Rig. It wasn't long before I was running 3-Man ladder and B and C Hose.
DL:  What rank have you achieved as a member of the department?
WJ:  At the time of the accident I held the office of Second Lieutenant in the Elmont Fire Department and was the Captain of the Haz-Mat team.


DL:  What is your favorite event?
WJ:  My favorite is C-Hose. It's a long, fast run.
DL:  What is your greatest memory as a member of the Bangtails?
WJ:  The greatest moment for me was the Nassau County Drill in 2011 when the Bangtails took second place in the drill. We won lots of trophies that day. The best were first place in 3-Man, and B and C Hose. I ran in those events. We had 17 points going into the last two events. Motor Pump and Buckets are not our best events. We couldn't catch up to first place but we took second. It was a great. We were hot that day!!

DL:  What event would you like to see run besides the Big 8?
WJ:  I saw Motor Hose Replacement run up in Deerfield in June of this year. I live about an hour from there so my mom drove me up to see the drill. It was different from any event I've ever seen, I thought it was pretty cool.
DL:  Where do you like State Drills to be held? Upstate or Long Island?
WJ:  Wherever the NYS drills are run, if upstate or on L.I., they draw a good crowd. It's a long day but it's worth it.

DL:  What are your thoughts on the recent changes to the C-trucks (smaller tires and hubs)? What are your thoughts on the recent rule regarding helmets having to be DOT certified?

WJ:  The changes made to Drill Team racing this year I guess is a good thing. Everyone needs to be safe but drill team racing in my eyes was always safe. Better helmets, that's good too. I haven't tried one on yet so I really can't say that much about them. I wore a hockey helmet and was wearing it the night of the accident. I'd like to get it back when the investigation is over. I don't remember the accident at all and have lost a period of about 2 months. I don't really know much about the changes to drill team racing. I do know from what I've been told is the accident was due to mechanical failure. Mike, our driver, is excellent and well-skilled and I'm sure he did everything right that night. He gives you a good ride and if he had an indication that something was wrong with the rig before the run we wouldn't have been on it. I blame no one and nor does my family. I'm glad my teammates weren't seriously hurt and have returned to fire fighting. I will too in time.

DL:  Would you like to talk about what happened to you last August?

WJ:  I was a patient at JHMC (Jamaica Hospital Medical Center) in Jamaica, Queens for 3 months. I awoke from my coma 9 days after the accident but remained in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit for another month. I had procedures to drain the blood from my brain and a pressure probe to monitor my brain pressure. I also had procedures for a trache, feeding tube and a mesh strainer placed in the main artery to my heart to prevent any blood clots from entering my heart. I also received 3 pints of blood and had 3 seizures. A broken clavicle and index finger were the least of my problems. As sick as I was, I hated the trache and had to have my hands tied to the bed because I constantly tried to pull out the tubes. I was transferred at the end of September to The Brady Institute for Traumatic Brain Injury at JHMC. It is the number one center in NYS to treat head injuries. I remained there in acute care for 56 days and was never without support from my family and my fellow firefighters from Elmont, Lawrence-Cedarhurst and across L.I. I'm told that my family was very well cared for while I was so critical. They never felt abandoned or that they were in this alone. West Hempstead Fire Dept. held a blood drive in my honor for which I'm very thankful for. During my time in the Brady Institute I had to learn to sit-up, stand, walk, speak and eat again. I have amazed my doctors, nurses and therapists and continue to do so. I never once gave up and am now running again. Speech is still a problem but I'm working hard on improving it. They say I have some cognitive issues yet but I think I'm doing well. I feel a lot better.

On November 20th 2011, 4 days before Thanksgiving, I walked out of JHMC in my Class-A uniform carrying my helmet. The halls were filled with members of the Elmont and Lawrence Cedarhurst Fire Depts., family and friends. They brought trucks and chief cars to the hospital and had a whole procession back to Elmont with lights and sirens. At the fire house we had a big lunch with food and cake.

Late that afternoon the Elmont Fire Dept. transported me to our family home in Sloansville, NY where my mom lives. I will continue out-patient therapy at Sunnyview Rehab in Schenectady, NY. I receive PT, OT, Speech, Aqua, life-skills and running therapies 5 days a week between Sunnyview, Albany Medical Center and Russell Sage College TBI program. This has been my life for the past almost 11 months. I am told that I was given about 12 hours to live and 3 Priests gave me Last Rites.
DL:  Do you regret ever having joined the drill team and racing?

WJ:  I never regret for a minute running on the drill team. I understand Elmont needed a year off to regroup and re-focus. The accident hit everyone hard. We'll be back so don't count us out yet. We were a good team. We practice hard and we do our best on race day.
DL:  What are some of the Bangtails sayings or Mottos?

WJ:  Our team motto is "Give it Hell for the Old Man" It's written on the B-Truck.

DL:  Do you have a Fire Department/Drill team T-Shirt collection?

WJ:  I have received many, many, well-wishes from the drill teams across LI and NYS. Many departments sent T-Shirts with messages written on them. Some shirts came from as far away as North Carolina. I've received about 150 Fire Department and team shirts I am very appreciative of everyone’s thoughts, visits and prayers.

DL:  I know that racing is in your heart and will always be a part of your life. What do you want to do in the future in regards to racing? (Officiate, Coach, Race,)

WJ:  I look forward to getting back everything I lost due to my injuries and running with my team again.

DL:  That’s great to hear. We all wish you the best and thanks for taking the time to talk with me.

WJ:  Thank you, Dan.

Recap of the William St. George Drill

by Dan Laverty

What a great day weather-wise for the 5^th Annual William St. George Drill this past Saturday June 30th. The Joe Hunter Memorial Scoreboard was up and running and the Drill Team Radio Crew was in attendance. The "From On Top of the Arch" radio show was co-anchored by Twan Simone of the Hempstead Yellow Hornets and Pat Jeffares of the Hempstead Flukes and the North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers. I am sure Pat will correct me on this whole blog post just as he corrected Twan and I on the radio all day (we would not have it any other way.) We all love when Pat is up in New York and can spend some time with us on the broadcast. The day started with a 6 piece drum and brass ensemble at the bottom of the arch playing our national anthem. There was also the thank you for coming speech from the Baldwin Fire Department.

The Baldwin Tomcats were first on the line to kick off this drill and ran an 8.11 in 3-Man Ladder. The Termites were next with a time of 6.86 with Phil Athenis running first man. Brentwood ran a 7.41 which the Lakeview Sparks tied at the end of the event. Oyster Bay’s young legs put up a time of 7.13 for their first points of the day. Islip Terrace received a No Time for touching the top rung out of sequence. I noticed that the first man after reaching the top of the arch stood between the ladder and the officials and that made it very hard for them to see the other climbers. First men in 3-Man need to either sit on the arch or stand to the side when they reach the top so the officials have an unobstructed view and can stop the clock for your team. The only other 6 second run that day was ran by the North Bellmore Rinky Dinks who ran a 6.75 and took 1st place in the event.

B-Ladder began with the Tomcats running a 7.39 which took 5th place and gave them their first points of the day. The Termites ran next with a time of 6.25 adding four more points to the four they got in 3-Man Ladder. The Tigers ran a 6.99 and took 4th place. The Greenhorns did not take any points in 3-Man and seemed determined to make up for that in B-Ladder running a 1st place run of 6.12. The Bucks, who recently purchased the Inwood Mud Duck’s B-Truck, put it to good use and ran a 6.30 for 3rd place. The Rinky Dinks received a No Time when the top of their ladder reached the arch outside the safety zone. One of the diggers (Dan Forth) was not able to hold on and that made the ladder go askew. The big news in the racing world was the inaugural run of The Lakeview Sparks who have not participated in a motorized drill in over 60 years and back then they were called The Lakeview Lumberjacks. With a new team name, new team shirts and a B-Truck that was purchased from The Sayville Blue Jays, the Sparks came to the line. Driver and Ex-Chief Matt Gritman, Diggers Lt. Patrick McNeill (cousin of the writer of this article), Cody Marra (Nassau’s Marra), Thrower Lt. Freddy Senti (whose grandfather was a member of the Lakeview Lumberjacks) and Climber L. Pete Sherkel came down the course and ran a 7.43. The crowd of fellow racers, friends and fans in the stands gave them a rousing ovation for their first motorized run.

C-Ladder only saw seven of the twelve teams in attendance come to the line. The Termites were the first to put up a time for points with a 9.92 and that gave them the 1st place trophy and brought their point total for the day to 13. The Tigers ran an 11.46 for 4th place. The Greenhorns ran a 10.37 and brought their point total to 9 for the day so far. The Frogs took their first points of the day with a run of 14.99 and the Rinky Dinks ran an 11.54 for 5th place.

The points heading into the hose events were as follows: Termites – 13, Greenhorns – 9, Rinky Dinks – 6, Tigers 5.5 and the Frogs, Bucks and Teddy’s Boys each with 3 points.

While the Water Test was being conducted, the crowd got a nice chance to enjoy some music courtesy of the Scoreboard Crew of Stephen McCarroll and Tom Scott of the C.I. Hoboes. These two guys are out there week after week sitting in the sun making sure the correct information is put up on the Joe Hunter Memorial Scoreboard for all to see. I myself took a crack at running the scoreboard for B-Hose and it was a little nerve wracking at first because of the crowd in the stands and the fact that my Consulting Editor of The Drill Team Blog (among other things) Chris Murphy of the C.I. Hoboes was watching from on top of the Arch. But I got the hang of it and hope to give Stephen and Thomas a break at future drills so they can enjoy themselves and be with their team. There is an open invitation for anyone willing to run the scoreboard and help out. Just click on this link and respond to the post over on Digger 74.

As mentioned on the radio broadcast The Drill Team Blog will be partnering with Long Island FD Rant News (new sponsor for Drill Team Radio in 2012) for a digital publication that will solely focus on the Firematic Drills and Parades that occur on Long Island every summer.

From their site:

Long Island FD Rant News is a monthly digital publication that will bring you the latest news about working fires, motor vehicle collisions, rescue calls and all other emergencies that the fire departments of Nassau and Suffolk Counties have responded to in the past month.

We will be mailing this publication to everyone on our email list who have “opted-in” to receive emails from either NassauFDRant or SuffolkFDRant websites. If you are not a member of either site then check us out here: NassauFDRant and SuffolkFDRant.

SUBSCRIBE NOW to get latest news emailed to you directly.

This monthly publication will be bringing you much more of the fire, rescue and EMS news that’s happening around Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Our contributing photographers and correspondents are out on the streets capturing the images of Nassau and Suffolk’s Bravest as they protect the lives and properties of the residents of Long Island.

This NEW digital format allows us to bring you more stories and more photos directly to your inbox each month and also allows you to link DIRECTLY to the photo galleries to view even more photos. You will even be able to purchase the photos you like directly from the photographers who took them.

This new model means that you will be getting more of the news and photos of the jobs that fire departments respond to every month instead of just one or two photos printed on paper. "Our correspondents work hard to bring us this action and that’s why we encourage everyone to support them by purchasing their work."

The highly anticipated Drill and Parade first edition of this publication is slated for July 15th. This edition will chronicle the drills and parades that have occurred so far this summer and continue to report on them as the summer goes on. Just go to Long Island FD Rant News and follow the instructions so you can receive the publication to your email account.

The Drill Team Radio crew was putting on the "From On Top of the Arch" show as I said earlier and during the water test they had a "Name that B-Truck" contest going on. Twan Simone played the sound of four B-Trucks over the radio and gave the listeners a chance to name that B-Truck. I do not know the results of this contest but they will be given again at the next drill as I am sure this contest will be talked about as it was a welcome addition to the broadcast.

The C-Hose contest saw only one 12 run and that was a 12.57 run by The Termites giving them five more points. The Raiders took their first points of the day with a run of 13.13 and took 2nd place. 3rd place was won by the Rinky Dinks with a run of 14.03. In 4th place were the Frogs with a time of 14.99. The Greenhorns wanted to add to their point total and did just that by running a 15.55 taking another point and 5th place.

With the C-Truck events concluded it was time for a long line of B-Trucks to take to the track again. Not to be outdone by any other team, the Termites ran an 8.28 for another 5 points and 1st place. The Rebels from Levittown ran an 11.69 for their only points of the day for 2nd place. 3rd place was taken by the Islip Terrace Schlagers for 3 points and this was also their only points for the day. The Raiders took 2 points with their run of 13.60 and the Greenhorns rounded out the top five with a run of 14.82.

Going into the Efficiency contest the points total looked like this: Termites – 23, Greenhorns – 11, Rinky Dinks – 9, Raiders – 6, Tigers – 5.5 and the Frogs – 5.

The Tomcats took their first point of the day with a run of 10.21. The Tigers came down the course and put up a time of 9.57, their time stood up for 1st place until the Greenhorns ran a 9.37 to beat them. The Rinky Dinks ran a 9.45 to give them 4 more points and 2nd place in the event. The Raiders ran a 10.16 for 2 points and 4th place in Efficiency. “On the bubble” were the Termites who place in every event so far with a run of 10.90.

The Motor Pump contest started with the Tomcats running an 8.45 which they would not know till the end of the contest would tie them with the Frogs for 1st place. This gave each team 4.5 points. New Hyde Park unfortunately received an Over Time when their hose uncoupled at the "Wild Mouse" (discharge on the driver’s side of the truck). The Teddy’s Boys ran an 8.78 giving them 3 more points for the day. The Greenhorns and the Raiders rounded out the top five with times of 8.94 and 9.00 respectively. Almost taking points in their first Motor Pump run were The Lakeview Sparks with a time of 9.17, their second 6th place run on the day.

Mathematically, the Termites did not have this drill won just yet. The Termites with 23 points were being trailed by The Greenhorns with 18 points. The best the Greenhorns could do at this point is hope for a tie for 1st place. This made Buckets pretty fun to watch and see what was going to happen. The Termites ran a 27.23 and had to wait for nine other teams to run before they knew their fate. A sigh of relief overcame the Termites when The Teddy’s Boys’ time of 28.61 was announced. The Greenhorns ran a 30.60 which guaranteed the Termites would be champs for the day. The Frogs and Bucks rounded out the top five with runs of 29.85 and 32.27 respectively.

This Drill ended with the top 5 teams driving onto the course the wrong way so to speak and lined up at an angle towards the arch. The rest of the teams who participated came down the course also. When the Lakeview Sparks made their way past the 1st place Termites and 2nd Place Greenhorns they were welcomed with a shower of liquids. Everyone christened the Sparks and clapped for them on a job well done at their first motorized drill in 2012. The hosts of this drill had a bandstand set up on the course past the hydrant where the top 5 trophies and the William St. George trophy; which is in a beautiful case, was presented to the New Hyde Park Termites. Everyone got together after a day of competing against each other to swap stories, give advice to each other and listen to the band play.

Full results of this drill can be found over at the www.NYSDrillTeams.com.

I try to keep my blog entries neutral but I have to touch on something. Watching the Sparks come out and run with the motorized teams made me very proud of a group of guys/gals that worked really hard. It also made me very proud of our sport as everyone welcomed them and even stopped by their camp with congrats and advice. It just goes to show that if you put in the practice, overcome the bumps in the road, you can fulfill your dreams and do what you grew up watching others do.

Up in the Western area of New York State a drill was held on June 30th, 2012 by the North Greece Fire Department. Here are the top five in points for that drill. (With the disadvantage of not attending this drill I cannot give your more than the below. We are always looking for writers so if you want your area represented more in depth please feel free to submit something via email to DrillTeamBlog@gmail.com.

Full results of this drill can also be found at www.NYSDrillTeams.com.

Joe Hunter Memorial Drill Preview

by Dan Laverty

This upcoming Tuesday July 3rd is the Joseph Hunter Memorial Tournament. This will be the 10th year this drill has been held on Weir St. in Hempstead. The generosity of support continues to fund to scholarships in Joe’s name. Hunter as some called him was the epitome of a fireman; he loved what he did and gave 100% every time he stepped in the firehouse. Whether it was for work, volunteering or drilling he could always be counted on by those around him. Matt Spinelli, Joe’s friend since childhood gives up time from his family and life every year to oversee every aspect of this drill. When Matt reads this I am sure he is going to be wondering why we are talking about him instead of Joe. The night of the drill though, Matt takes a step back and enjoys the drill just like Joe would have. Matt, thank you for all your hard work and dedication to this drill.

The lineup of this drill is chock full of quality teams, the cream of the crop so to speak. At the end of every year’s State Drill, teams not only tally their points for the day but they also look to see if they are going to be invited to next year’s Joe Hunter Drill. Let’s take a look at who’ll be participating this year…

Two-time Champs, the West Sayville Flying Dutchmen are coming into this drill with a 1st place finish at Lindenhurst and a 3rd place finish at the Selden drill. The Dutchmen this year are seeing come changes reminiscent to their 1995 and 2000 seasons where their team went through a lot of changes. They appear though to be on track to having an excellent year.

The North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers posted state record times on both B and C-Hose in 2011. They also placed in the top five in six out of the eight drills they ran in last year. They won "The Joe" in 2010 and as usual they won’t just be racing that night but helping out with the drill as well. The Knockers have seen a return of veteran Scott Rice and the addition of Vinny Bogert from Copiague. Vinny is the 2nd Vice President of the SCDTCPA and is a curator of all things racing. The Knockers definitely gained an experienced racing man who helped them with a new team record in Motor Pump in Lindenhurst with a time of 5.74.

The Central Islip Hoboes "racing program" as Joe Hunter once said won this drill last year and wowed the crowd with an Efficency run of 8.37. The Hoboes this year have taken 3rd place in Lindenhurst and placed 1st at the Selden drill. They continue to nurture their youth and will be a major force in racing for a long time to come.

The Bayshore Redskins are a pivotal part of this drill year in and year out. They provide support to the food concessions and help wherever it is needed. The Redskins placed in last years State Drill and were ahead of all the other teams going into Efficiency. Let’s hope their veteran leader Paul Susskind can keep the Redskins on top.

The East Islip Guzzlers placed in seven of the nine drills they entered in 2011. They won the C.I drill and the Deerfield drill. They lost a key component of their team though with Josh Kasin going home to Islip. So far in 2012 The Guzzlers have only been seen at the Selden drill.

The St. James Wildcats have been steadily improving recently with the introduction of new members and with the help of veteran Wildcats like Phil Coward and Lenny Gombert. The Wildcats are poised to place in more drills in 2012.

The Copiague Yellowbirds have not been on the line in 2012. Don’t know what to expect from The Yellowbirds in 2012.

The Westbury Turtles took 5th place at "The Joe" last year as well as taking 3rd place at the Nassau County drill, 1st at the TONH and 3rd at the North Bellmore drill. The Turtles have only raced in this years TONH/TOB where they took 4th overall. If Daryl Ranaldo, The Turtles driver continues to give them good drops they will continue to take points and place in drills.

The Elmont Bangtails are invited to "The Joe" this year after taking 2 points at last years state drill. Unfortunately the "Bangtails" will not be participating in Firematic Drill Team Competitions this year.

The North Babylon Taildraggers also took 2 points at the State in 2011 giving them an invite to this year’s drill. They are a steadily improving team and are real fun to watch.

The Roslyn Highlanders tied for 4th place in Lindy and won the TONH/TOB already this year. The Highlanders and Stan are always a team that should never be counted out in any event. They continue to show they have the goods and are on the course to make a real statement this year.

The Lindenhurst Snails took point in last year’s State Drill and took 2nd place in B-Hose at their own drill this year. They are a great bunch of guys to have around and when they are on the track we all are watching because you never know what they are going to do.

The Main Transit Slo Pokes are the only upstate team to be invited to "The Joe" this year. Their Bucket run secured them the spot. I am not sure if they are making the trip down for this drill but I really hope they do.

The West Hempstead Westerners took 5th place at this year’s Selden drill. The look like they are going to give Roslyn a run for their money when it comes to Nassau County points in 2012.

This drill continues to be a fan favorite as well as a favorite to Drill Team members who are lucky enough to compete. See you all on Tuesday night on Weir Street in Hempstead at 6:00pm when Matt and the Hunter family will be promptly kicking off this drill.

Preview for the William St. George Drill

by Dan Laverty

This Saturday, June 30th, is the William St. George Memorial Drill. Bill St. George was a Vice President with the Nassau County Drill Team Association. The Tomcats started this drill to raise money for his son and for a scholarship. The scholarship is available to any member, or family member of a drill team. The Baldwin Tomcats drill team put a lot of energy and work into a drill that they make zero dollars on. All proceeds go to the scholarship fund.

The lineup in previous years was the bottom ten in Nassau County. This year marks the 5th annual drill and will be the bottom 10 from both Nassau & Suffolk. The following is a preview of sorts for the teams that are in the lineup. Sixteen teams are entered and it is rumored we may have more. Come on down and see some good old Firematic Drill Team Competition at Hempstead’s track on Weir St. It’s a 12:00 start but get their early for a good seat because I have a feeling the stands will be packed.

 The Tomcats took 5th place in this drill last year with 15 points. This was in a field of nine competing teams from Nassau County. So far in 2012, the Tomcats have not competed in the motorized category but did attend the 2,3,4 Battalion Drill held last Sunday.

The New Hyde Park Termites did not participate in this drill last year and so far in 2012 we have seen them at the TONH/TOB held on June 9th. The Termites took 3rd place overall and 3rd place in the TONH. A team that has seen a recent rebuilding seems to be on the rise.

The Brentwood Tigers participated in nine Drills in 2011. This year The Tigers have already participated in two drills and took a half point in B-Hose at the Lindenhurst Drill. I must say that the Tigers are a very resilient team who keep coming out week after week and put their heart and soul into what they do.

The Riverhead Ironmen have participated in three drills so far in 2012. They took 5th place at the Town of Brookhaven Drill. They appear to not have utilized their C-Truck so far this season.

The West Islip Raiders had a short season last year due to lack of manpower and will be coming into this drill with a team that no one has seen. A lot of eyes will be on the Raiders to see what they are going to do in 2012.

The Oyster Bay Teddy’s Boys played in seven drills in 2011 and maybe it was their trip to Point Pleasant at the end of August that brought this team together. So far in 2012 we have seen a resurgence of youth and a team that looks like a bonded group. Let’s all hope they continue to grow and learn and keep this team that is deep in tradition on the course.

CUTCHOGUE PANTHERS

The Cutchogue Panthers only competed in four drills in 2011 and so far in 2012 they have played in the Town of Brookhaven Drill where they took 2nd place overall. C’mon Cutchogue! Keep coming out and keep having fun. We all love to see you on the course.

GLENWOOD GREENHORNS

Last year, the Glenwood Greenhorns took 2nd place at this drill and competed in seven others. At the TONH/TOB drill this year the Greenhorns were 2 points shy of placing in the top five.

The Deer Park Bucks have not seen the tournament course in 2012 but raced in six drills last year. It has been confirmed that the Bucks have purchased the Inwood Mud Ducks B-Truck and maybe this is the item that will help this team put up better times in the B-Truck events. Let’s all hope that the Bucks’ old rig doesn’t get lost in the shuffle and goes to a team that could use it and keep it on the track.

NORTH BELLMORE RINKY DINKS

The North Bellmore Rinky Dinks have not been on the line in 2012 so far. The current Wm. St. George Champs had a 2011 season with only 1 point in a major motorized drill out of the 5 they participated in beside this drill. They have the equipment, they have the bodies but they just can’t seem to be able to put it all together recently. Hopefully this young team has been practicing and will show us all something in 2012. Can they repeat their success of 2011 and win this drill in 2012?

The Carle Place Frogs were in six Drills in 2011 and at the TONH/TOB they were on the cusp of placing in the top five TONH. They did not run C-Ladder but did run C-Hose and you know we all love to hear Bill Rowse announce "THE FRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGS, from Carle Place!” and see them on the course.

The East Farmingdale Hares were out at the Lindenhurst Drill and apparently they have a new C-Truck in their possession. We only saw the Hares at the Suffolk County Drill in 2011 and hopefully there is some new interest and we will see more of them in 2012.

ROCKVILLE CENTRE WOODLANDERS

The Rockville Centre Woodlanders as we all know can run O.F with the best of them. The OF Co-Champs of 2011 did not utilize their B-Truck last year but seemed to be poised to get more use out of it in 2012. I know they were at the 2,3,4 Battalion but I do not recall where they placed in the drill.

The Levittown Rebels raced in a bunch of drills in 2011, with their best finish being the TOB where they took 3rd place. They have not been out on 2012 so we don’t know what to expect out of them this year. We here at The Drill Team Blog have not heard much concerning The Rebels but sometimes no news is good news.

LAKEVIEW SPARKS

The Lakeview Sparks placed a few times at OF Drills in the beginning of 2011 but injuries and loss of members saw a Sparks team struggling to keep it together towards the end of the season. The offseason brought put some new “spark” to the team’s fire with the purchase of a B-Truck that Sayville used last year. With help from Sayville and many people throughout the racing community Lakeview was able to obtain the equipment needed to put a motorized team on the track. With the tutelage of many people with many years of racing under their belts, this team has been shown how to run the motorized events. With their already acquired knowledge of the ground events and their newly acquired motorized knowledge hopefully the Sparks will take some points this Saturday and continue to take points the rest of the year. Good luck, Sparks. We’ll be watching.

The Islip Terrace Schlagers only ran 3-Man and Efficiency at Lindenhurst in 2011 and have not been out so far in 2012. We don’t know what we are going to see from this team so let’s all watch and cheer them on this Saturday.

I don’t know who will come out on top on Saturday, but it will sure be fun to watch and find out. It’s up to the above teams to put the practice in and show us all what they can do.

Good Luck to all teams participating and please stay safe.