Mother Nature still calling the shots for high school teams

The season that looked like it would never get started now has reached a point where it looks like it might not come to an end.
After waiting an extra week to begin the season because of a record-setting snowfall this winter, high school teams that have made it into the state semifinal round now have had to deal with Mother Nature raining, literally, on their parades.
The St. Mary?s baseball and Lynnfield girls? tennis teams were scheduled to play their state semifinals on Tuesday afternoon but heavy rains that lasted most of the day rendered Campanelli Stadium in Brockton and Lexington High?s courts unplayable.
Those two games will be played this afternoon — weather permitting. St. Mary?s is scheduled to face East Bridgewater at 4 pm at Campanelli. Lynnfield is scheduled to face Martha?s Vineyard at 2:30 at Lexington High School.
The St. John?s Prep baseball team also was scheduled to play at Campanelli on Tuesday in the Division 1A final against Braintree. That game also was washed out and will follow the St. Mary?s game, at 7 p.m at Campanelli on Wednesday.
The schedule juggling also has hit the Danvers baseball team, which is in the Division 2 state final for the first time in 15 season. The Falcons were slated to play Middleboro today at 5 p.m. in Brockton but because of the schedule juggling, that game is now slated for Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at Campanelli.
But when you ask the coaches of the area teams that are still left competing for titles, a day?s delay isn?t the worst thing in the world.
?With the success we had last year (winning the Division 3 state title) and everyone returning, we hoped to be in this position. But now that we?re back here, we want to get out there and play,” Lynnfield girls? tennis coach Craig Stone said.
The Pioneers have had practices and intrasquad scrimmages since clinching the North title on Friday. But Stone also can tell that his team is ready to face someone in a different colored uniform.
?The girls are chomping at the bit to go at it because it?s so close,” Stone said. “The opportunity (to win a state title) again is very exciting. We just want to get out there.”
St. Mary?s baseball coach Derek Dana has been through the state tournament wars many times. First as a stalwart on the Spartans back-to-back Division 3 state title teams in 1987 and ?88 and now as head coach of his alma mater. One of the things Dana has told his team goes back to a lesson he learned from Jim Tgettis, Dana?s high school coach.
?The game is out on the field,” Dana said. “That?s something that coach (Tgettis) taught us. We played in a lot of special games and we made sure that we were focused on the field. That?s been a huge focal point for us and in the second half of the year, the kids have bought into that.”
The extra 24 hours will help coach Roger Day?s Falcons in perhaps the biggest of ways as it likely will allow Northeastern Conference Most Valuable Player Andrew Olszak to take the ball on five days of rest following his bulldog effort in the Division 2 North final against Beverly on Saturday.
Olszak?s dominance on the mound shows in his 12-0 record but he?s also batting over .500 and has committed just one error defensively in 23 games.
?Andrew?s had one of the best season?s that anyone?s probably ever had in the league,” Day said. “So moving back definitely helps us. But it?s really not that much different because this tournament was more spread out that I can ever remember.”And the teams will finally — weather permitting — get to show what they can do.