Topher's Tidbits

PV Softball Full of Confidence

2010-03-15T05:24:39Z

ESPN's FAB 50 rankings have not been updated during the regular season, so Piedra Vista's still stuck at No. 23.

The Lady Panthers' season may come down to the Nike Faster to First Invitational. PV lost its only games of the season at the tournament last year and it's set to include 16 of the preseason top 50 this year.

Don't expect the team to fret.

Check out these two quotes from consecutive Saturdays.

"I felt really good and then the team scored early so I just got to get out there and do what I do. As long as the team scores, we're good to go." -- Pitcher Karysta Donisthorpe after her one-hit shutout of last year's 4A runner up Silver

"As soon as I hit it, I was like, 'Oh, yep, that's gone.' I think that helped us a lot. We got really pumped up after that." -- Jourdan Ensign on her home run against top 5A team Cibola

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

State Tournament Finishes

2010-03-14T03:12:40Z

I drove back from Albuquerque this morning and passed Kirtland Central's caravan.

They made sure everyone knew who they were, from the purple-and-gold paper streamers tied to the hitch of a pickup truck to the markings that proclaimed KC's win from every window of every vehicle.

Even the team bus made mention of the school's 18th girls basketball state championship on the back facade.

The team can't have gotten much sleep. I saw a group of Kirtland players and fans walking through the lobby of my hotel at 1:30 a.m., and I left to drive back to Farmington just after 9:30 a.m. this morning.

They deserve to celebrate. I feel like there should be another game for them to play. They never were challenged, even though Española Valley stayed close in the semifinals. It feels as if they should play someone else, maybe 5A champion.

Congratulations to the girls and to coach Charles Kromer.

You may have noticed from my gamers that Amanda Kerr dominated the quotes. Although I like Kerr and think she's a good interview, don't blame me -- the loquacious senior guard had a lot to say and her teammates were shy.

Shiprock appropriately was disappointed. I got the perception that the girls and coach Brady Rivers were just happy to be there after the Lady Chieftains beat Roswell in the semifinals, but if that was the case, they changed their minds by the time the game tipped off.

Expect Shiprock to return to The Pit next year for the 3A state championship game.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

NMAA Charges For Live Broadcast Feed

2010-03-08T06:39:16Z

The New Mexico Activities Association is charging for its live internet feed of the state basketball tournament in Albuquerque.

You can pay $7.95 to access a single game for 24 hours or $14.95 to have access to every game.

The NMAA didn't charge last year.

I view this as a way to bilk fans (and media) out of a few hundred dollars during a time when most people don't have the money to spare. Shame on the NMAA or whoever made this decision.

Too bad gas isn't cheap; it would be less expensive to drive to Albuquerque from the Four Corners than to buy an online pass.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

Car Wreck; Kirtland Central Ousted By St. Pius

2010-03-07T06:02:01Z

I apologize to all my dozens of loyal readers (if you believe the spam bots that post fake comments) for my lack of updates.

I got into a car accident on Wednesday, rendering poor Mable (my '95 Mustang) dead at the old age of 15 years.

That's created a lot of 8 a.m. phone calls with the insurance company the last several days and a maximum sleep time of five hours.

Hopefully you feel placated by Sunday's sports section, which is chock full of local copy despite a 10 p.m. deadline tonight (and four state championship basketball games, including one in Kirtland and one in Shiprock, where sports editor Darren Vaughan and I attended 7 p.m. tipoffs).

Thanks to coach Charles Kromer for providing me with a pen before the game. He seemed in a good mood after Friday's glorified scrimmage against No. 16 Santa Teresa.

The Broncos got crushed by 25 points, losing to the same team that they beat by one a few weeks ago.

KC scored six points in the first quarter and labored from the field. They scored 17 in the second only to give up 19 to St. Pius. Then they chipped the deficit to three multiple times during the third quarter, but the Sartans hit a 3 at the end of the period to stretch the lead back to eight.

That broke the Broncos, who'd used a 3-2 zone to throw St. Pius off balance and gain some traction.

The zone helped counteract the Sartans' quick guards, but coach John Zecca had to change to a man-to-man defense because St. Pius started stalling with a lead.

I thought the Broncos did a great job attacking the rim during the second half, but made just 5-of-17 free throws. DJ Frank is an admirable player and easy to enjoy as a basketball talent, but shot 3-of-9 from the line in the second half.

I saw a Kirtland administrator in the tunnel after the game berating a St. Pius player for celebrating by grabbing and hanging on the rim after the game. I didn't think the celebration was disrespectful or malicious -- I love grabbing the rim after the basketball games that I play -- but it seemed to upset the Kirtland brass.

*****

I'll stop and write more tomorrow so I don't say anything off the wall in my delusional state, but here are the team stats from tonight's game. St. Pius is listed on the left.

Turnovers: SP -- 8, KC -- 15.
2-point FG: 14-28, 15-29.
3-point FG: 5-15, 1-12
R: 23, 31
FT: 22-25, 7-20
A: 11, 6
F: 18, 22

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

PV Coach Mike McGaha Ranks Academy, FHS 1-2

2010-03-01T06:30:31Z

I watched the first game of Piedra Vista's season-opening doubleheader on Saturday.

The Panthers looked the part of 4A's No. 1 team, run-ruling Los Alamos twice without two key players.

New PV coach Mike McGaha doesn't agree, at least publicly. He ranked his Panthers behind Albuquerque Academy and Farmington, according to NMPreps.com.

"I think that there are a lot of people picking us at the top of the heap, but I thnk it is a bit premature," McGaha told the site.

He also had something interesting to say when asked about expectations at Piedra Vista.

"Expectations are very high but investment was not adequate," he said. "We have worked very hard to break down the reasons Piedra Vista has not been able to get over the one-game hump they have faced by way of FHS and AA in the state title games they had chances to play in."

Read the entire interview here.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher Smith

Shiprock-Kirtland District Championship Extras

2010-02-28T05:26:17Z

Shew. It's 10:26 p.m. and the paper has been gone for 26 minutes. Our deadline was 90 minutes early today, which precluded quotes in my game story for the District 1-4A boys basketball championship.

The game in Shiprock ended after 8:30 p.m.

I've seen a handful of packed, emotional games at Broncos Arena and The Chieftain Pit. I'm not a historian of the rivalry by any means, but with my limited experience, tonight was a cut above your run-of-the-mill high level game between those two.

The fans combined to do the wave in the second half, with Shiprock faithful making a low murmur/boo as the Kirtland fans raised their hands in the air.

KC's trio is the best in the district when they play well, which they did for the majority of tonight's game.

Damian Charley's springy tweener frame allows him to get mismatches at the rim. DJ Frank's sound fundamentals and hard work on the boards allow him to be KC's most consistent player. And Quentin Benioh's quickness, creativity and aggression give the Broncos some frenetic power of their own.

Charley scored 14 points in the final five minutes and change of the first half.

Frank grabbed 12 rebounds in the second half and came one short of topping the Chieftains in the final 16 minutes.

Benioh made plays down the stretch, including the charge he drew on Shiprock's Nick Begay at the game's emotional summit.

I don't know that the game changes PV's tournament status -- I expect the Panthers to grab one of the last tournament spots -- but the win should temper Shiprock's seed and bolster KC's slightly.

The Broncos beat ranked teams outside the district in Grants and St. Pius as well as a few regarded 3A teams, earned two wins at Shiprock and one at Piedra Vista.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top half of the field at No. 8, perhaps with Shiprock sliding to No. 5 or 6.

They won't be able to eliminate their butter fingers in time for the state tournament, but they'll have to try. They turned the ball over 15 times in the second half tonight compared with Shiprock's two.

*****

Here are the team stats from tonight's game. Kirtland Central is listed on the left.

Turnovers: KC -- 26, SHS -- 8.
2-point FG: 22-37, 23-47
3-point FG: 2-6, 1-10
Rebounds: 42, 21
FT: 13-20, 7-15
A: 14, 11
F: 15, 24

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

KC-FHS Leftovers: Another Nailbiter

2010-02-27T05:53:19Z

Kirtland Central games are exciting. They may fall behind 40-14 to Shiprock and storm back to within three.

They may blow out Piedra Vista on the road to hand the Panthers their first loss or they may give Farmington its lone District 1-4A win.

Today was no exception as the Broncos won 44-42, their fifth consecutive game decided by three points or less.

"We knew we were in for a tough game," coach John Zecca said of Farmington. "I've said all along, that's a good team. They just had one of those seasons."

He referenced Farmington's two-point loss to Pagosa Springs (Colo.) as evidence the Scorps played well late in the year and called them the best team in southern Colorado.

"It still feels crazy," Quentin Benioh said of the end game situations. "Farmington's a really talented team. They came ready and wanted to prove something to the whole district, (They) played really good and gave us a little scare."

Farmington controlled the game's tempo and kept the score in the low 40s. KC wanted to push the pace and create fast breaks and pressure the Scorps, but they didn't have many opportunities to do so outside the third quarter.

*****

Here are the team stats. Farmington is listed on the left.

Turnovers: FHS -- 13, KC -- 16
2-point FG: 9-27, 18-39
3-point FG: 6-17, 1-7
FT: 6-14, 5-12
R: 24, 33
A: 11, 7
F: 18, 15

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

"They do a good job of slowing things down," Zecca said. "We came in with a game plan of not wanting to. I was trying to force the issue a little bit with some different types of half court presses, but they did a good job of getting through them."

The Broncos are ready for a chance to even the season series with Shiprock.

"It's time for revenge," Benioh said. "I can't wait to play them tomorrow. This is what we wanted, to get another chance at Shiprock."

Piedra Vista-Farmington Girls Extra

2010-02-26T07:05:59Z

The Lady Panthers got back at Farmington on Thursday for their Feb. 16 win at Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse.

I asked PV coach Mike Christie if that gave his team any motivation.

"I think we play too much into that. I think on the boys' side there's a lot more of that in there. I don't think girls really see things that way," Christie said. "I think girls, 'It's time to play. Coach said be here at this time. Let's go.' I don't think there's a whole lot of personal involved. I don't think there's a whole lot of hatred between us. The rivalry's there. We sure don't want to lose to them and they don't want to lose to us. I think there's more played into that then there's actually there."

The Panthers will play Shiprock in the District 1-4A semifinals 7 p.m. Friday.

The Lady Chieftains beat 58-45 on Feb. 4 and 45-41 on Feb. 20. FHS coach Ben Tensay had a few thoughts no their matchup.

"Shiprock is more of a run-and-gun team. PV's got good guards. They rely heavily on their guards. They're gonna be solid. They have good posts but I think the guards are gonna be a little bit more effective," Tensay said. "It's gonna be a battle between those two teams. Shiprock's probably gonna want to do a little press. I think it's gonna come down to guard play. They're gonna be at the foul line or somebody's gonna beat them off the dribble."

Farmington returns four starters from this year's team. The lone graduate, Patience Benally, finished her high school career with 22 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Benally shot 7-of-13.

Tensay said he hopes the senior gets a chance to play college ball. He said a couple schools had looked at her.

He'll continue to work with her on footwork and ballhandling drills until she graduates.

*****

Here are the team stats. Farmington is listed on the left.

Turnovers: FHS -- 17, PV -- 14
2-point FG: 12-36, 13-33
3-point FG: 5-14, 7-15
R: 29, 33
FT: 13-21, 10-20
A: 9, 13
F: 21, 17

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

District Tournament Predictions

2010-02-23T06:31:44Z

The Arby's in Farmington ran out of turkey for the second time this month.

What an outrage. Seriously? It's a Monday and you're out of one of your main ingredients? If you make sandwiches you have no excuse to run out of meat. Plus, if it happened before, shouldn't you compensate to correct it?

And while I'm on the subject of fast food, Dairy Queen has to be the poorest designed chain. If Sonic is utopia, unlimited time to peruse the menu and no waiting in line, DQ is the seventh level of Donte's Inferno.

The menu is stuck against the side wall before the drivethru window like a piece of Big League chew.

You can't order there, though, so you'd better memorize what you want. But don't take too long: If the window's clear, traffic behind you will be anxious so they can start to jot down ordering notes on a napkin.

Food can't get prepared until you're waiting at the window. Instead of having orders lined up, the next person can't even ask for their food until yours is cooked.

*****

Anyway, the District 1-4A tournaments start tomorrow.

Here's my predictions:

Tuesday
BOYS BASKETBALL
Aztec 52, Farmington 47
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Farmington 55, Aztec 41

Wednesday
BOYS BASKETBALL
Shiprock 68, Kirtland Central 63

Thursday
BOYS BASKETBALL
Piedra Vista 66, Aztec 54
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Piedra Vista 59, Farmington 50

Friday
BOYS BASKETBALL
Piedra Vista 70, Kirtland Central 64
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Shiprock 74, Piedra Vista 57

Saturday
BOYS BASKETBALL
Shiprock 74, Piedra Vista 67
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Kirtland Central 71, Shiprock 62

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

Shiprock-Piedra Vista Leftovers

2010-02-20T08:01:44Z

The Chieftains made it six district wins in a row to dig themselves out of an 0-2 hole in 1-4A.

Some extra tidbits from the game:

* The gym reached capacity about three minutes prior to tipoff. The school announced, "If you leave the game, the chances are you won't get back in."

Piedra Vista's crowd got loud, especially early in the game, but Shiprock's fans were louder. Panthers fans seemed to compete with that energy for a while but couldn't do it late.

Chieftains fans thought their team had 51 points instead of 49. They were wrong, but someone in one of the sections must've been persuasive because they spent the period between quarters and the first few minutes of the fourth calling for the referee to add points to the scoreboard.

Nonetheless, they were a good crowd. Here's what assistant Chester Atcitty Jr. had to say:

"I was very pleased with them. I believe they maintained sportsmanship and stayed within the realm of basketball. I thank them very much for doing that and supporting the boys."

PV coach Brian Shock also enjoyed the packed Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse, which prompted one PV volunteer to remark out loud, "Do you ever remember seeing it like this?"

"This is what we live for," he said. "Basketball fans. I came from small-school basketball. They'd shut the town down. It's personal. That's the kind of culture we¹re trying to build here. These guys have brought the fans in the stands this year."

* PV's Dominic Valdez finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Seven of his boards came in the second half, but Shiprock did a nice job containing him and keeping the ball out of his hands.

Atcitty attributed some of PV's performance to their week-long layoff since beating Aztec on the road.

"It was a team defensive effort tonight," he said. "Thank god (Valdez) was out of sync. Thank the basketball gods he was out of sync."

Valdez, a junior, is a lock for First Team All-District and may contend for Player of the Year.

Joey Murphy is the team's best scorer, though, and he finished with 19 points.

* Shiprock didn't get to warm up after halftime. Atcitty said the team barely touched the ball before PV inbounded.

It didn't seem to matter: The Chieftains shot 12-of-19 in the period and made 14 free throws.

* Shock heaped significant praise on his team after the game.

PV dropped to 2-2 at home in district play but has far exceeded expectations after returning one player (Valdez) with varsity experience.

"We may turn the ball over. We may miss some shots, but this team works as hard as any team I've ever coached. I thank them and commend them," he said.

* PV's Corey Blackwater set the tone in the first half with a hard body foul that sent Nick Begay to the floor with a thud and incited boos from Shiprock's fans. Begay missed both free throws, including an air ball on the first, after what would've been a layup.

Jacob Armijo, a freshman that entered the game in the final minutes, picked up an intentional foul for bumping Colby Nahkai. It looked like it could've gone against Blackwater.

Still, Shiprock appeared to be in foul trouble early. Four of its first six players had at least two fouls by halftime. Wesley Ben, Deion Benally and Jaron Shorty finished the game with four.

Shock lamented his team's inability to get to the line during the second half. Shiprock shot three times as many free throws during that span.

He said the Chieftains were physical, too.

"Whenever you go into a game like this, you know it¹s gonna be a hack fest. You shoot the ball, they hip check you. They just play very physical. You've got to be tough and you¹ve got to protect the ball."

* I asked Nahkai if he'd ever had a triple-double, and he didn't think so, though he's been trying.

He finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. His passes are safe and secure despite the fact that he sometimes looks away from his target and his laser touch passes are a product of good to great court awareness.

* Team stats (Shiprock is on the left):

Turnovers: SHS 21, PV 23
2-point FG: 16-28, 14-35
3-point FG: 7-16, 5-23
R: 26, 40
FT: 17-28, 13-19
A: 16, 12
F: 20, 22

See you at Bronco Arena tonight.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

Boys Basketball: Three Bids for District 1-4A?

2010-02-20T07:48:34Z

Much like the SEC Championship game, the PV-KC showdown today will be a de facto semifinal for District 1-4A.

The winner gets to play Shiprock at a neutral site for an automatic entry to the Class 4A state tournament.

The losers? Well, that's where it gets interesting.

District 1-4A has three teams with solid credentials. It earned just one, automatic qualifier Farmington, in last year's tournament. The Scorps got ousted at home in the first round by Alex Kirk and Los Alamos.

Kirtland Central is 14-10, the worst record, but they have wins against ranked teams Grants and St. Pius and road victories at PV and Shiprock.

Shiprock has the worst schedule but 19 wins, making it tough to leave them out after they closed with six victories to end district play.

PV is solid at 16 wins.

Panthers coach Brian Shock seemed confident the district will get three teams into the field this year.

"I think all three of us could be in the quarterfinals in The Pit," Shock said.

He projects his own team as a No. 6-8 if they secure the No. 1 seed by beating KC on the road tonight and getting revenge on Shiprock, a No. 9-11 if they beat KC and lose to Shiprock and a No. 10-12 if they lose tonight.

Said Shiprock assistant coach Chester Atcitty Jr., who is a good interview: "I would think we would get more than one bid, but it's been very tough all season long just to get in the top 10 (of the coaches poll). Sometimes we just don't get the respect. Maybe they'll start turning their heads."

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

Which Kirtland Central Player Is Best?

2010-02-18T04:28:16Z

I asked myself that question today and couldn't answer.

The Broncos rely on a trio, Quentin Benioh, Damian Charley and DJ Frank.

Benioh is the most explosive on offense and can create better than the other two. He shoots 3s and gets to the hoop. But the free wheeler has a tendency to get out of control during fast breaks and can get sloppy with the ball.

Charley is the best all-around player and the district's best candidate to produce a triple-double. When he looks to score, he can do it with a jump shot or post his springy frame inside. The Broncos run most of their set plays through him and he is perhaps the most talented from a physical standpoint but has had issues with discipline off the court at times. Also, he needs to be aggressive early or else goes through passive bouts.

Frank is the most consistent and the team's best rebounder but must rely on his teammates to feed him the ball inside. He held his own against PV's Dominic Valdez on offense but allowed too many second chances for Valdez in the first meeting.

I don't know who to give the nod. Part of me says Charley because of his ability to set up teammates, score in bunches when he's aggressive and his springy frame allows him to gulp up rebounds at times. But it's a close debate for me.

What are your thoughts?

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

Further Thoughts On My Racial Tension Column

2010-02-17T06:38:26Z

Why did I write it?

Racism is a combustible topic best left to those prepared to retreat to a bunker for an extended time period.

Although a good columnist should stir the pot, it's not an intentional thing just to revel in tumult and dissent. It's because good columnists are not afraid to talk about sensitive subjects.

High school sports are unique in that they present more of an ethical quandary than their college and professional counterparts. If Larry Fitzgerald drops a touchdown in the Super Bowl, of course you mention it in print. But what about a high schooler? They're not paid to play and don't expect that kind of negative attention in the media.

Racial tension, however, doesn't shame any individual. Writing about it isn't supposed to, anyway.

I knew I'd get some negative feedback, so I thought about it for a few days, but I believe racial tension exists. It's one man's opinion, but I've overheard it at games, read it on our forums and heard it with some of the phone calls I've received. There's a racial undertone to our sports here in the Four Corners that at times gets out of control with a small minority. Even that minority keeps it to themselves most of the time and offers an occasional but subtle hint.

Still, it bothers me. I grew up working hard labor jobs with a variety of people and socioeconomic backgrounds. My Facebook account lists friends of too many races to count on both hands. I listen to hip hop music, eat all kinds of food, and yes, to clear up something, my girlfriend is a true Mexican, born and raised there. Some of my close friends from playing basketball and running track are black.

We also included a Cajun, a Yank and an Indian (from the country) in our inner circle.

More and more, we're splintered as immigrants continue to pursue happiness within our democracy. Like it or not, we're a nation founded on diversity.

And sports, to me, is one of the great unifiers of our nation. You don't have to be rich or poor, white, brown, black, smart, dumb, tall, short, male, female or otherwise to enjoy them and root for a team or participate.

Not that we have to avoid issues of substance when discussing sports, but to me, there's plenty of negative news. The economy is terrible. The two major political parties can't get along. A university professor just shot six of her co-workers when she was denied tenure.

Why not have something we can enjoy at a competitive level that ends with us shaking hands, even if we're shaking our heads?

When I drove a forklift as a second job during the summer of 2005, the men used to go to the break room maybe 15 minutes a night. Many of them worked 80 hours a week for more than a decade. Not much time remained to relax and recoup. The one thing we all enjoyed, despite our different backgrounds, was discussing the day's sports page.

A year later, logging 12-hour days as a professional mover during the sweltering humidity of the Deep South, we'd catch a peek of the NBA Finals on TV after we'd set up the electronics at the new house or we'd catch a few innings of a baseball game during a 30-minute lunch break.

There are pockets in our community that I feel turn this opportunity to cross cultural boundaries into a way to deepen them, even if it's a covert attitude. That bothers me, and I've never been one to shy away from something or worry about the repercussions. If I think something's right, I'll value that more than what others may think of me.

That's my opinion. I welcome yours. We should talk about it.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

Werth, PV Softball Anxious To Start

2010-02-13T22:05:10Z

I visited with coach Kevin Werth and a few of PV's softball players yesterday at Maurisa Ellis' signing (with Odessa College).

They seemed ready to chase their fifth consecutive 4A state championship.

The first baseball and softball games are two weeks from today.

"These kids are. They're chomping at the bit," Werth said. "Right now we have the whole program together practicing. All these older ones, that's what they ask me every day, 'When are we gonna split up, coach? When are we gonna split up?' so they can get after it a little bit more."

Werth said they're focused on the basics right now and hammering fundamentals, but his players won't mind when they take the field March 5 for the Linda Crabtree Softball Challenge.

"They're looking forward to the season starting, minus the weather," Werth said. "You know, we're so used to that stuff. You live in this area and play softball, or spring sports for that matter, you better be ready for all four seasons in one day, and we try to ignore the weather and just do what we've got to do."

Junior Rachael Ward said the team isn't focused on the expectations.

"I don't think we have any pressure because we're prepared for the situation," she said. "We're all prepared and we all practice really hard to get to where we need to be to win this fifth one."

Sounds similar to what Colts coach Jim Caldwell said before the Super Bowl.

Then again, the Lady Panthers don't have to face Drew Brees and the collective consciousness of the entire city of New Orleans.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher

JV Games Can Be Messes

2010-02-13T04:38:04Z

I'm back in the office earlier than anticipated as the Aztec-Piedra Vista boys basketball game didn't start until 8:30 p.m., too late for me to navigate back to Farmington, write the story and help with design.

I feel a bit defeated but I guess there's not much I can do (except buy a Cherry Limeade chiller from Sonic on the way back).

The JV game entered the second half at 7 p.m. and went into overtime. PV won, 64-61.

Aztec finished the game with three players.

I counted six on the bench as the time wound off the clock. That doesn't include Matthew Martinez, who played but left to join the varsity before the end of the game.

One player got a double technical and was disqualified; the rest, I assume, fouled out.

The Tigers' players picked up three technicals in the second half. They got another technical for starting the half with six players.

The referees blew their whistles like a small-town traffic cop with a quotient to fill.

Granted, there was contact on all of the fouls. But JV games sure can be a mess.

Aztec nearly hit a 3 with :31 left in overtime that would've tied the game despite being outnumbered 5-3.

Is there a solution that would cut some time out? How about eliminating full timeouts, disallowing timeouts during overtime and letting some contact go every now and then?

Maybe next time I'll get to cover the game.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher