Sussex County Sports Blog

By Dan Cleary

4/11/2009 - Everyone's Favorite Uncle Mo'

Every team wants it. And when it gets it, it never wants to give it up. But this valuable commodity seems to switch sides in the blink of an eye with no rhyme or reason and it is this unpredictability that gives coaches gray hair.

So what I am I talking about? Good ole momentum. Uncle Mo’ as Dick Vitale likes to call it. Ask any coach or player what momentum is and you will get several different answers, but the common denominator is each will tell you they know when they have it and they know when they don’t.

The way I describe momentum is when the physical and the mental part of the game are at its highest levels at the same time for one team or player. Some may say it can be defined like luck in that luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

I started to think about momentum and its sudden shifts when I was calling the very exciting Vernon-Sparta boys lacrosse game the other day at a very wet and windy Viking Stadium at Vernon Township High School.

Coaches and the sports media scream about it all the time but it is an intangible that you can never prepare for because you never know what side of the field Uncle Mo’ will visit during the course of a game.

As I was watching Vernon race to an impressive 7-0 lead over the Spartans in the first quarter, everything was going Vernon’s way as the Vikings were toying with a very good Sparta team that the Vikings had only beaten once before in team history.

Vernon coach Harry Shortway knew darn well that his team wasn’t going to run away against the Spartans, and as he put it after the game, “We knew the freight train was going to come.”

And did it ever. Vernon had built an 8-2 lead at the half, and as I said on air, Shortway probably didn’t want the half to end while Sparta coach Pat Brennan couldn’t wait for the first 24 minutes to get over.

During the intermission I was talking with Vernon AD Bill Edelman about how one of the biggest momentum breakers in all sports can never be avoided and that is halftime or the end of a quarter.

We discussed that no matter how well the Vikings played in the first half, there was absolutely no guarantee that it would carry over to the second half. That is exactly what Brennan told his club as it slowly started to play much better in the second quarter before coming out like a house on fire to start the third.

Edelman and I agreed that for as well as Vernon played, there was no reason why the Spartans couldn’t do the same in the second half.

The late great Jim Valvano always said that the first five minutes of the second half are always key. You will find out quickly if the team holding the lead will extend it and cruise to a win or will the losing team make a quick run and make a game of it. Or if the game is tied, which team will establish itself.

The Spartans opted to make a game of it and scratched and clawed its way back into the game behind a stingy and fired up defense and the outstanding play of Zach LoSapio on the attack.

You could feel the momentum sliding over to the Spartans sideline. They were energized and followed the lead of Brennan, an intense and fiery leader. After cutting the deficit to 9-5 early in the fourth quarter, LoSapio took over.

It was then that Uncle Mo’ was squarely on the Spartans’ side as LoSapio, who fed off the energy of his teammates, scored three straight goals to make it 9-8 with 3:19 left. Brennan called a terrific timeout during the run to save a possession and Shortway tried his best to stem the tide with a TO himself, but to no avail.

The Spartans aggressive play frustrated the Vikings as Vernon started to commit silly fouls giving the Spartans more and more chances to score. You could see each team’s body language visibly change. If you didn’t know the score, you would have thought that Sparta was winning.

And finally, Sparta capped the incredible comeback when Tim Knauss scored with 2:41 left in regulation. Vernon looked done. How could the Vikings hold off the Spartans? They very nearly didn’t as Sparta had a couple of good scoring chances before the horn sounded to end regulation.

Ah, yes, the horn. The official sound of a momentum-breaker. Like Edelman and I discussed, the stoppage in play before the sudden victory four-minute period seemed to allow the Vikings to regroup. And Kyle Hearn, who just earlier in the game was a victim of the Spartan momentum when he was penalized for having an illegal stick, showed how fickle Uncle Mo’ can be when he scored with 2:31 left in OT to help the Vikings escape with a 10-9 win.

For the Vikings it was absolute joy, while the Spartans were heartsick and rightfully so. Both teams played their hearts put and gave everyone brave enough to battle the weather something to cheer about.

But all I kept thinking about was how big of a role momentum plays in sports, especially on the high school level when you are dealing with kids. More times than not talent will win it out, but if a team catches momentum, it is very tough to stop on the high school level that is why I was so impressed with both teams’ character Saturday.

So the next time you are at a high school game and it seems like everything is going against your team, have a little faith because you never know when Uncle Mo’ will pay you a visit.

SAD NEWS…Everyone here at Mugs Media sends its most sincere condolences to the Barbulescu family on the loss of their mother and wife, Mona, on Friday. Ryan Barbulescu is the very successful girls soccer coach at Pope John and his daughter Stephanie is one of the top players in the area.

Ryan has always been a class act with us and Stephanie has always been a joy to talk to and just a great player to watch. So if you have a moment after reading this blog say a little prayer for the Barbulescu family during their time of need.

That’s it for now see you on the sidelines.

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Sussex County Sports Blog

By Dan Cleary

4/11/2009 - Everyone's Favorite Uncle Mo'