Seniors' Night!

One of my favorite nights of the school year is Senior Night.  After a hard fought soccer, wrestling, softball, etc. match, with the sun setting on another season, the players, coaches, parents and friends gather to recognize the work of the senior members of the team.

The night is less a celebration of individual contributions, than it is a recognition and tribute to the power and passage of time and the journey that the individuals and the team make through it.  With teammates and family around them, it’s a recognition of the many things that they have accomplished over the time that they have had together; a recognition that the separate moments of time are fleeting and deserving of a ‘look around’ before they become memories; and that the time ahead of them, though not fully defined, has promise.

Coach McQ and his bouquets

It’s also a (sometimes too implicit) recognition of all the hard work, patience, friendship, urging and caring from all the great coaches that they have had over the years.  A special nod goes to this year’s Girls Varsity Soccer team coaches, Meggan Eckert, Molly Eckert and Lynne Zummo, who not only taught the girls about how to play the game, but about how to be a team.  And thanks to Coach McQ for helping bring together and supporting such a great team of coaches across all of the Burke sports squads.

Here’s to the Seniors and the wonderful time we’ve had watching them grow:

Valerie!

Kate!

Faith!

Grace! (blurry)

Grace & Kate (less blurry!)

Ellie (of course, she makes everyone smile too much to stay in focus!!)

Dana - so much heart - no photo is big enough to capture it!

Congrats to the Girls Varsity Soccer current and future Seniors!

As always – more photos at BurkePix.

Homecoming!

Let the trumpets sound:

Let the food be prepared:

Let the people assemble:

And let the Games begin:

For last Friday was the Homecoming Doubleheader for the Varsity Boys & Girls Soccer squads – as well as all of their loyal fans.  There were two great matches with a beautiful Fall sky colored by a setting sun on one side of the field – and a raucous crowd of Burke fans on the other.

Everyone came out, including – soccer hooligans:

Women of great stature

Men of great stature:

The runners:

The up & comers:

The movers & shakers:

The coaches:

The coach’s puppy:

And the players:

In fact, just about the entire Burke community:

Also, special bravos go to all the many people who pitched in, including Elena Hernandez, Nancy Golding, Diz Hormel, Monica Miracky, Vanessa White, Hal and Dawn Hiemstra, Thorne Rankin, Lisa Carr, Tina Chen, Beth Allaben, Wanda Cosmo, Mike Carr, and especially the Varsity Boys Soccer Team for hazmat cleanup duty under the bleachers – which got a good housekeeping stamp of approval from Coach McQ!

Lots more photos at BurkePix.

Allergic Yawn or Pre-Game Cheer!

‘Tis the season.  No, not that season.  The gift-giving season I’m talking about is the Fall Sports Season.  The halls are decked with Boys & Girls Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Cross-Country.  As pictured above, the athletes have donned their play apparel, as we await what this new season might herald.

The Girls MS Soccer team, pictured above in a pre-game carol led by their coaches, John Howard, Monica Miracky and Sonija Parson, racked up its first win of the season last week with a 3-0 shutout over Hebrew Academy.  Below are some soccer stocking-stuffer pix from their hard-fought game against Grace Bretheren earlier in the week.  And don’t forget to check out tons more photos at BurkePix by clicking here, which were a seasonal gift from our own action photographer, Steve O’Keefe!

Claire on the fly

Lilly skies!

Catherine takes flight

Claire goes Toe to Toe

Don't Mess w/ A Bengal!

Today’s Sports Center Headline Story:  Don’t mess with a Bengal.

Why, you ask.  Well, let’s do a little Wrap Up of  one of the best Falls for Burke Sports since the Giants last won a World Series (before this one, of course):

Mens Varsity Soccer:  Made the Quarter finals; had 3 players selected for the Conference All-Stars, Ezra K-R (’11), Sam H. (’11), Laurens L. (’12) and Matt S. (’13)… and Ezra was named League MVP!

Women’s Varsity Volleyball:  Made the Semi-Finals in the playoffs; and had 2 players selected for the PVAC All-Stars, Shelby H. (’11) and Nora S. (’11).

Womens Varsity Soccer: Made the Final Four; had 6 players (count ‘em 6 players) selected for the Conference All-Stars, Dana B-K (’12), Emma G. (’11), Ellie R. (’12), Valerie P. (’13), Nora Howard. (’14), and Julia O. (’14).  [Note to self: This team is gonna be "sick" next year] [note to self: "sick" = crazy good].

X-Country:  The Men won the PVAC Banner; the Women came in Second; Molly M. (’12) won the Women’s race and Colin H. (’11) took gold in the Men’s.  Ladies and gentlemen take off your caps, this is the first time in the history of the world that Burke captured both the Mens and Womens individual PVAC titles!

And this doesn’t even count Middle School and JV sports… Heck, as they say on ESPN… Let’s go to the tape!

Congrats to all the athletes and to their coaches!

H/T to Chris Bulbulia for the professional grade video!!

Homecoming '10 - The Movie

You’ve seen it live, you’ve read the book – and now you can see the movie – Burke Homecoming 2010.

Part 1 lays out the Homecoming medley soundtrack.  Recorded at the Pep Rally Assembly, various Burke bands bring home the funk, pop, spice & sincere falsetto.

All of that pump-up music sets up the film’s finale:  a last second game-winning goal in the Mens Varsity game at RFK.  The script reads: as the clock winds down in the heroic match tied 1 to 1 – there’s a last second perfect pass from Ezra-to Laurens-to Carlos-to Laurens, who brings it all home with the score, which then brings the entire crowd “home!”

And as the film ends the team and its fans together walk from the field in the setting sun, and the credits roll to the sound of Charlie H. rapping the close to a somewhat edited Theme to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air,

They pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
And yelled to the cabby “Yo homes smell ya later”
They looked at their kingdom they were finally there
To sit on the throne Princes of Bengal Lair

H/T to Chris B for filming and producing both films!

Last night the MS Boys played valiantly in a hard-fought 3-1 loss to WIS.  The lads played great before a packed crowd of parents and friends, all of whom are too hoarse today to talk – but are smiling big time.  Thanks and congrats Coaches Jay Shaw and Daniel Barringer!  You can read more about it on the Burke Facebook Page.  You can also find a slew of great Boys MS Soccer photos at BurkePix!

After a tough loss a week ago at Field, the MS Girls returned yesterday to deliver “a dish best served cold.” This time the girls made the most of their many chances, earning a sweet 4-1 victory.  Here’s the play-by-play:  After an unlucky corner kick gave Field the lead in the 6th minute, Alexis quickly evened the playing field with a beautiful breakaway and strong finish in the 7th minute. With Samantha, Greta, Victoria, Lily, Bosede, and Krista locking down the back, Field would not score again. Catherine put us ahead to stay with a nice finish in the 21st minute. Alexis had another breakaway goal in the 41st minute and Victoria rounded out the scoring in the 46th minute off a throw in assist from Julia. Hannah, Janai, Sasha, Emma, Kate, and Ella all came very close to scoring as well. Ginger was a physical, aggressive force at mid, and Alexa and Nati contributed valuable play at mid as well. Claire K was sick and Claire R absent. It was a beautiful fall display of blue sky, leaves, ecstatic fans and great soccer.  Congrats to John, Leo, Jen and Phillip!  More pics and maybe even some video to come!

MS Girls Find the Goal!

[PS - Kudos too go to Burke Women Soccer who beat a short-sided Barrie team.  Go Bengals!]

V et Nil

Right now the only undefeated teams out there are the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL (3-0) – and the Girls Varsity Soccer, which is rolling down the track at Five and Ohhhhhhhh!!

The Bengals won their last game over Montrose, 4-0, with goals spread evenly among Faith S., Julia O., Grace M. and Emma G.

Corner

The scores in the prior 4 games were: 6-1, 7-2, 4-0 and 5-0.  The team has had goals from 10 – count ‘em  10! – different players so far.  That is a mind-blowing amount of goal-scoring distribution, given that you only have 11 players on the field at a time (and goalies don’t usually get to score, because they get to wear those cool jerseys).

In addition, the team has had stellar play from a number of other players, up and down the roster, including Enti M., Deirdre L, both Noras (goalie Nora and the other Nora), Holly – and, of course, co-captains, Dana B-K and Ellie Robb.

Congrats to the whole team – and to Coaches, Chris and Becky!  Good luck  in Thursday’s game against Field.

Check out all the great photos here – courtesy of Cub Reporter, Steve O’.

Don't be fooled....they're mean on the field!

Long, long ago – as far back as this past Labor Day (hard to believe that it was only 5 days ago!), the Girls Varsity Soccer (or Futbol) team issued a challenge to the rest of the Burke World to take them on in a warm-up scrimmage.

Various brave souls, young and old, firm and infirm, schooled and unschooled, from the broader

Burke community answered the call.  Taking the field were teachers (Chris, Michelle, Sam and Aaron – aka El Ceviche),

alums (Jared & Eric), soccer friends (Isaac, Soni, Bernardo, etc), ringers from the boys squad (John H. & Ryan), and even a lowly parent.

The Young & Old assembled to do battle

These scrimmages are sometimes called “Friendly’s.”  Not this time!  In the final warm-up before the season, for over two hours, friend battled friend on the hot, dry pitch.

And, despite the bruises and scrapes, it must have worked, because the team notched a victory in their first match of the season with a strong – 5 goal – win over Hebrew Academy.  Go Bengals!!

More (in)action pics over at BurkePix!

Eric models retro Burke Jersey

Halftime talk