Well, it's that time again. Another semester, another year for that matter, has come and gone, and with it the sports year is just about over, as well. Although Longwood University is still relatively new to the Division I status in now holds, there were a few great moments during the course of the year that stood out to me as a student, fan, editor and radio commentator. It's time to run down the list of just a few of the standout moments from 2009-10, as well as a few thoughts on the future moving towards 2010-11.
The best moment of the year as far as I'm concerned was men's basketball's victory over High Point University. It was the highlight of the year just for the circumstances alone. You had a school like High Point that the Lancers desperately wanted to beat. The game was at home in Willett Hall. I was listening to the call on WMLU 91.3 FM was it was unbelievable. I was in the studio producing the broadcast, but it felt like I was there with the way the crowd sounded over the air and the way Keenan Crump and Nathan Epstein were calling the action. Kevin Swecker hit one of the biggest three-pointers of his life to tie the game with under a minute to play with Longwood ultimately prevailing.
Baseball defeating the VCU Rams at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium was certainly another standout game. One, in that it was a great win for Buddy Bolding and his guys, and two because it was my first baseball game covered for WMLU. I know a few of the Rams players personally. Nobody likes to lose, but these guys hate it probably more than anyone I've seen in a while. It made the Lancers' victory that much more meaningful.
Men's and women's basketball's defeats at the hands of Maryland make the list. OK, maybe it's not a highlight, but still both the men's and women's teams can say that they went toe-to-toe with such a big name opponent. Getting beat 106-55 and 85-40 respectively is not something to write home about, but just the experiences alone were cool for all involved.
It's time for a good outlook for next year. Durann Neil is set to return to men's basketball (this may be a stretch, but he told me a few weeks ago that he believes the basketball team can win 20 games next season). It's that kind of attitude that the new recruits need to have, especially the men's team which has four seniors leaving. They also have to play better on the road. A 3-14 away record is not going to get it done. If they can maintain their good play in Farmville (they were 9-3 in Willet Hall), then it will be a better year. This will be a rebuilding year of sorts for the men. Same can be said of women's basketball, even though they only lose one senior in Becky Fernandes. The women do have something to build on in players like Brittanni Billups and Chelsea Coward. However, they also have to play better on the road as their 2-13 away record this year indicates.
Baseball has to keep up momentum much like they did early this season. They started out hot, but have kind of fallen off the map a little bit as the season has progressed. Of course, as I already mentioned they did have the big win at home against VCU, but just this past week alone they dropped games to two big name in-state schools (George Mason, Radford). The biggest loss will be Phil Cerreto, who provides a chunk of the offense to the Lancers.
Softball will look to repeat their performance from this season. With Briana Wells' stellar pitching and Kami Nuckols' and Brooke Short's offense, the Lancers should be in good shape. All have bright years ahead of them next season.
Then there is the big issue of whether or not Longwood will join a conference. There has been talk and rumors about the possibility of the Lancers joining the Big South with teams like Liberty, Winthrop, and High Point. The other big dilemma is whether the school can compete. We've already seen the win against High Point by the men's basketball team, but how would other sports fare? It might not be this simple, but I think a good way to gage if the conference is the right fit is to compare stats and things like that. We will have to see how Brigadier General Finnegan handles that situation when he assumes the Presidency at Longwood University.
To me, the most important part is getting behind your school teams and showing some love and some spirit. Win, lose or draw, you are a part of the university. Sure, it can be embarrassing sometimes to be a fan, but that's just part of the deal. Granted, not everyone on this campus is interested in sports, but if you are, you just have to stick with it. It helps if the competitors know that the crowd is behind them. Show some fire and hopefully the athletic teams will as well. Hopefully, 2010-2011 will be a Lancer sort of year.
