High School Rifle Team

[CINDERS]

[Aussie48]

Well done Coach and Team

[Aragorn243]

We split the two matches this week which did not help our cause as the team that beat us has a better match average and we are now 1-1 head to head. Shot a 493 that night which is very low for us. Second match not much improvement with a 495 but it was at least a win. Other team had their highest score of the year with a 493 so they had me sweating for a bit. They shot a 479 two nights earlier. None of my top three shooters have shot well this week which is what is killing us. Two are seniors and it is a common trend in this sport as focus gets lost as the realization that this is their final few matches. Trying not to bring that up. The third is a junior that simply has not been focused all season. He assumes he's the best, gets frustrated when he's not and just doesn't produce. These three should be shooting 100's each match. This week they shot 99,98,97,100,98,98. The 98's kill us, the 97's aren't even a factor at all. There is now a 3 way tie for 1st at 7-2. We can take out the third, the third can possibly take out the second but I doubt it. One other school has the potential to take all three of us down one so it will be an intersting four matches to the end.

[Bob Womack]

An interesting aside: my father (USN 1944-46) was on his high school's rifle team (Science Hill High School, Johnson City, TN). A memory of his was that he used to take his rifle home and work out in the backyard. When he returned to school he'd just bring the rifle with him and leave it in his locker. He would do the same on days he want to go squirrel hunting. He'd take his rifle to school and stow in in his locker.

When he graduated from high school he enlisted in the Navy and trained at the Great Lakes training center. When it came time to qualify on the Garand everyone snickered because they thought the skinny kid with glasses from Tennessee wouldn't be able to see to shoot. He qualified as a sharpshooter and top of his class. Surprise! He was pretty pleased sixty years later when I qualified sharpshooter as well.

Bob

[Aragorn243]

Season ended tonight on a low note. The teams seniors essentially all collapsed in the last two weeks of the season. I have never had this happen before. Two of them were assured of winning All Star awards and then just started shooting 97's and 98's match after match. It killed us. My younger members did step it up and we were competitive and finished with a higher match average than last year but it was a killer for me just watching them shoot because I knew what we needed in each match. 4 of the 5 loses were by one point. Had we gotten one more point in all 4 of these matches we would have tied, gone to the sixth shooter and won. Never had that happen before either. Finished 9-5 which is respectable but not what we expected or wanted.

My B-pairs won first place in the tournament which was a plus. The A-pairs, 2nd year and up shooters, all finished middle of the pack.

Individuals is Saturday but I don't have high hopes. They traditionally don't perform well on double targets because I don't emphasis them during the season and we only have a few days to practice on them.

[CINDERS]

I know the feeling when I was playing basket ball one season we were undefeated and wining games hand over fist one game we trounced the bottom team 101 - 001 point we all got Tech fouled because we tried to drop kick the ball into our goals that's where they got their solitary point from a free shot. Comes the grand final we lost it by 1 point in the last 15 seconds to the 3rd top team its crushing.....I will always remember that grand final for all the wrong reasons

Better fortunes next year Aragorn as you will lose some seniors but gain new blood that can be educated and moulded hopefully the retiring shooters will carry on in the sport and even progress to C/F rifles who knows they may end up in the services where the possibilities are endless. Go into Saturday with an open mind as the season has finished what they scored as a team is gone you cannot get it back just build on what you have in front of you. Good Luck.

[Ovidio]

Come on, it’s all experience gained, and maturity.
Will be helpful in the next season.

[fjruple]

When shooting they wear adjustable shooting jackets, leather slings and a padded fingerless glove. Shooting glasses are required unless they wear prescription. We only shoot prone. Most sight themselves in with spotting scopes but it is legal for coaches to do that or have them make corrections. I hate shooting that way. It's painful. I give the kids a lot of credit for doing what they do. No one gets to watch them compete so not a lot of glory unless they beat the arch rival schools. The football team hasn't won in four years so since we win matches, they do at least get some attention and respect.

Just as an aside note. All prescription glasses manufactured and sold in the US have to be shatterproof and in fact on the same or better level of safety shooting glasses. The only time I would be concern if the glasses do not completely cover the eye like the old "granny" glasses. I a lot of times, shooting ranges will try and squeeze every last dollar out of you by making you buy their shooting glasses.

[Aragorn243]

Season numbers came out and we had the second highest average in the league. Two also made All Star honors for the year. The third was just out in the 11th spot.

[CINDERS]

Always something good just around the corner see.......