By Joe Morey
News Editor
The LCO Boys & Girls Club Little League Team won the Southern Sawyer County Little League Championship on Tuesday, July 28, with a convincing win over Ladysmith at the Sevenwinds Casino Ball field by a score of 7 to 1.
The LCO Team, which started out the season with only one win and five losses turned things around as the playoffs approached, running undefeated in their march to the championship. Ladysmith went undefeated through the regular season but lost twice to LCO in the playoffs.
The LCO Team took an early lead in the first inning bringing in three runs and they never looked back. Going into the 5th inning, Ladysmith was down 7 to 1 and needed to score at least one run to stay in the game due to the league’s five-run rule. They wouldn’t be able to overcome a 6-point deficit with only the 6th inning left. LCO held them scoreless and officially won the championship.
The game was broadcast live over the Tribe’s Facebook page and on WOJB 88.9 FM radio, but due to technical difficulties from a poor wifi signal at the field, the WOJB feed was cut midway through the game.
LCO Players named as Southern Sawyer County Little League All-Stars were Bradley Trepania, Owen Boswell, John Peterson, Devin Schmitt and George Taylor. All five players will be moving on to the new LCO Babe Ruth team in the 2021 season as well as Braden Young, McKayl Taylor and Memphis DeMain. Four players will return for next season which are JJ Morey, Mikey Quaderer, Blake Trepania and Brendan Young.
During the game, a 50/50 raffle was held for Braden Young who has been in remission after battling cancer for the past two years, but for the past few weeks he has been ill and in the hospital. A biopsy was done on him the same day of the championship game. Jennifer Taylor won the raffle and donated her winnings back to the raffle. After the game just prior to the drawing, the Ladysmith team donated $86 to Braden as well, bringing the total raised at the game to $582.
The LCO Little League Team was coached by George “Buck” Taylor and the assistants were Lonnie Barber and Steph Barber.
Coach Taylor said it was a great season.
“These kids finished strong. I couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished,” Taylor said. “It was truly awesome to see this community come together with their support for youth of LCO. The parents really stepped up and helped out with field maintenance, concessions, and other fund raising.”
Taylor explained that just two days away from the championship that many people came together to get it broadcasted and to get the field in tip-top shape.
“We needed to fill some holes at the course and Todd’s Redi-Mix stepped up and donated a truck load of dirt. The following day LCO Development came through with another load. Parents Michael Quaderer and Marie Wooten spread the dirt, filled in holes and dragged all the rocks out. Parents Chuxie Barrows and Bruce Miller cleaned up the fences, dugouts and bleachers. It was amazing and we had the perfect end result.”
Taylor also thanked Steve Crone and Jeff Woller as the championship game umpires. The concession stand moms were Chuxie, Carole DeMain and Susie Taylor.
“We’d also like to thank Jake Trepanier and Tim Albert for making cash donations to our team this year,” Taylor said. “It’s folks like this that make and their contributions that make it possible for these kids to become champions. We appreciate them so much.”
Taylor also thanked the LCO Tribal Governing Board for their continued support of LCO youth baseball, Sevenwinds Casino for use of the PA system at the championship game and for keeping the field mowed through the season, more specifically Boone Grover and Dennis Smith. Taylor thanked the Boys and Girls Club for sponsoring the team.
Playoff Recap
The LCO Boys & Girls Club Little League team traveled to Radisson for their first round playoff game to face Ojibwa in what proved to be a very exciting game. The game was tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the 4th inning when Ojibwe scored the go ahead run. Top of the 6th and final inning, the LCO team had one last chance to come away with the win. Mikey Quaderer led off with a base hit and Devin Schmit came up next scoring an in-the-park home run taking the lead 3-2. The LCO youth scored three more runs to go ahead 6-2. Great defense led to three quick outs in the bottom of the sixth.
In the semi-final, the LCO Team defeated Ladysmith 8-0 to move onto the Southern Sawyer County Little League Championship. LCO traveled to Ladysmith and took an early lead with one run in the 2nd inning and cushioned that lead with three more runs in the 3rd. Leading 4-0 at the start of the fourth, Bradley Trepania and John Peterson both got in base and McKayl Taylor followed with a double knocking in both runners to go up 6-0. With two outs, and Taylor still on second, Owen Boswell came up to the plate and knocked out an in-the-park home run increasing the lead to 8-0. Awesome LCO defense led by Trepania and Devin Schmitt on the pitcher’s mound led to Ladysmith failing to score in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings which sealed up the victory. With the league’s five-run rule, Ladysmith would not be able to overcome an 8-point deficit in the final inning.
Through the three playoff games, including the championship, LCO outscored their opponents 21 to 3. Great way to finish off the season!
Pictured top are the 2020 LCO Little Leaguers and their coaches; Front from L-R) Memphis DeMain, JJ Morey, McKayl Taylor, Mikey Quaderer and Brendan Young. Back row L-R) Head Coach George Taylor, Asst. Coach Steph Barber, John Peterson, George Taylor, Bradley Trepania, Owen Boswell, Devin Schmitt, Blake Trepania, Asst. Coach Lonnie Barber and not pictured, Braden Young.
In the bottom photo is the Ladysmith team giving an $86 donation to Braden. Pictured are the Concession Moms Chuxie Barrows, Carole DeMain and Susie Taylor.
