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July 22, 2010

Former foes become friends during run to state tournament

By Lisa Byers Meadville Tribune The Meadville Tribune Thu Jul 22, 2010, 07:00 AM EDT

MEADVILLE — Mid-East, Cochranton and Saegertown have a history. And anyone who has followed Little League or Junior League softball over the years knows that history has been a little hairy.

In 2006, for example, Mid-East and FCVA met in the District 1 Little League softball championship game where the end result ultimately came down to an official ruling from East Region headquarters in Bristol, Conn. after both teams submitted protests following the contest.

It was the first of three straight District 1 championships decided between FCVA and either Mid-East or Mid-East/Cochranton at some level over the next three years. And rarely were any of the teams excited about seeing the other.

“Back in Junior League in Saegertown, I can

remember Mark (Parker) coaching third base and the fans from the other team calling him (every name in the book),” said Mike Dickson, who helped lead Mid-East/Cochranton to District 1 Junior League titles over FCVA in 2007 and 2008 along side Mark Parker. “We didn’t like each other very much. We definitely didn’t look forward to seeing one another.”

Oh, how the times have changed. Today, those very players and coaches, have put all differences aside to team together in a quest to capture a Senior League state title and more. That venture begins today in Berwyn located just outside of Philadelphia.

“I can remember Kellilynn (Dickson) playing against Sadie (Brunot) in junior high basketball,” Mike Dickson said, referring to his daughter. “I remember Sadie got a steal and Kellilynn just went after her. They did not like each other at all. They did not get along.

“It’s fun to see these guys coming together now.”

And according to Mid-East representative Emma Parker, everyone gets along great both on and off the field.

“When we first started this, Sadie (Brunot) said that we were enemies,” Parker said. “She said, ‘I hated you and your dad.’ I said, ‘We hated you too.’

“But we all get along so well now. We all love each other. It’s crazy that we’re all playing on the same team, because we were all enemies.”

Potential likely played a huge rule.

With Mid-East, Cochranton and Saegertown combining their efforts, they have formed a team that could quite possibly rival that of Tri-Boro/Mid-East that went to the Senior League World Series in 2003. And everyone on the team is fully aware.

“We didn’t have the numbers this year, so we were allowed to combine,” said Dickson, who is coaching MECS along with Mark Parker and Tom Brunot. “This is a group of very good athletes. Nobody tries to be a star. They play their roles.

“We’re here to play ball. We are very hungry.”

The MECS consists of eight players from the infamous 2006 District 1 Little League championship game that was protested by Parker, the Mid-East coach, after FCVA failed to follow the Little League’s mandatory play rule. FCVA and coach Tom Brunot then filed its own protest because Mid-East did not properly file its protest.

FCVA wound up winning the protest and the game and went on to beat Mid-East in the “if necessary” game the following day.

Players from those teams are Mid-East’s Emily Ray, Lindsay Hasbrouck, Parker, Emily Merritt, Jill Nicols and Taylor Smith and Saegertown’s Belle Mazurik and Brunot. Those players are joined by fellow Mid-East player Abby Sansom and Cochranton’s Sarah Jacobs, Kellilynn Dickson, Gretchen Herzberger, Shelby Proctor and Kendall Dickson.

Herzberger, a first team all-state selection, and Mazurik were first team All-Region 2 picks this spring. Ray and Jacobs were second team picks.

MECS goes into the state tournament at 6-0. In those six wins, MECS has outscored its opponents 77-7 thanks in large part to outstanding pitching from Jacobs, Smith and Brunot and what Dickson referred to as contagious hitting and defense. Dickson said MECS committed just three errors total in its run to the Section 1 title last week.

“It’s a very good team,” Dickson said. “I was talking to people from Corry afterwards. They won states last year and said they think we will have a very good showing.”

MECS begins play at the state tournament at 5:30 p.m. Friday against the winner of today’s game between Plains Little League and Big Pocono. Play continues through the weekend and the state champion will be crowned on Tuesday.

The winner advances to the East Region Tournament in Worchester, Mass.

Lisa Byers can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at lbyers@meadvilletribune.com.

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Former foes become friends during run to state tournament

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