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| Tom Rhodes of Cortez and Harry Stoltzfus of Anna Maria show off the trophy they take home for winning the Nov. 26 horseshoe competition at Anna Maria City Hall Park. Islander Photos: Kevin Cassidy |
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| Ron Pepka, owner of an unheard of 18-game unbeaten streak, lost in the finals of the Nov. 26 horseshoe competition. |
Anna Maria: Close enough for horseshoes
by Kevin Cassidy
Islander Correspondent
Tom Rhodes and Harry Stoltzfus teamed up to win the horseshoe competition at the Anna Maria City Hall pits on Nov. 26 by defeating the team of Ron Pepka and Don Capron 21-10 in the final.
Neither team had a cakewalk to the playoff for first.
Rhodes and Stoltzfus trailed "walker" John Johnson 18-2 in their last round-robin match before rallying for a 21-18 victory, keyed by a Rhodes" ringer with the score tied at 18-18.
The team of Pepka and Capron rallied for a 21-20 win over Cathy Stolftzfus and Ron Slagh after trailing for most of the match. The playoff match lacked the drama that was present in their round-robin matches as Rhodes and Stoltzfus pretty much controlled the playoffs.
They jumped out to a 6-3 lead, but a Pepka "six pack" - consecutive ringers - propelled Pepka and Capron to a 9-6 lead. But Rhodes and Stoltzfus fought back. Two ringers from Stoltzfus and a pair of four-point efforts from Rhodes put them back in control of the match.
This writer took the plunge and exchanged hacks with his golf clubs for horseshoe throws. Partner Roy Vickers of Lincolnshire, England, and I didn"t win a game, but we did have the pleasure of playing both teams that played in the finals. My claim to fame for the day was that I managed a "six pack" of my own and made 16-time horseshoe champ Tom Rhodes a little nervous during our match.
If you"ve never checked out the weekly Wednesday and Saturday morning horseshoe matches, I strongly suggest you give it a try. I didn"t let on that I was a roving reporter, yet everybody was friendly and welcomed me from the get-go.
If you"re interested in checking out the action, play gets under way at 9 a.m. both days in the park alongside Anna Maria City Hall. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is "most welcome."
Calling all cheerleaders
The Anna Maria Island Community Center is now accepting registrations for basketball cheerleaders. All youths ages 5-10 years of age are encouraged to sign up. Cost for members is $20, while non-members pay $35, which includes the cost of a cheerleading uniform.
The center will host a free cheerleading clinic at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Regular practices will begin Dec. 5 in preparation for the youth basketball season, which gets under way on Jan. 9.
For more information, contact the Center"s Andy Jonatzke at 778-1908.
Key Royale golf news
Roswitha Fowler, who birdied No. 8, and Sally Keyes each shot a one-over par 33 to capture the ladies golf low-net in the field competition at the Key Royale Club Nov. 22. Second place went to Jane Winegarten with a 34, while Dorothy McKinna shot a 35 to finish in third place.
Keyes, Delores Joregenson and Penny Williams combined to win the team low-net average with an average score of 36.6. |
