Dec. 4, 2008
This is Sparta! Special
Well it is December and as usual an Ashburn school is still playing … only this year, it is Broad Run instead of Farm neighbor Stone Bridge headed to the “Big Dance” … So, let’s play You Pick’Em One Final Time …
Broad Run vs. Amherst County (AA Division 4 State Final @ Liberty)
Email to dsousa@digitalsports.com your final score and winner!
Clash of the Titans Last Week as Treon and Koren Both Win
There is a reason that Jason “The Oracle” Treon and John “Crystal Ball” Koren both won to pad their lead as our contest’s all-time winninest pickers: Treon with 13 and Koren with 10 victories.
Treon surely missed that Stone Bridge pick but he nailed Broad Run almost, picking Spartans 28-10 in the 24-12 final. He edged out some good picks by Ryan Rogers (27-17), Walter McCowat (28-7) and Larry Hall (31-7).
Now as for the Bulldogs surprising loss … it was no surprise to Koren! Wow … he picked Phoebus 42-7 and the final was 38-8. Considering everybody else on the contest save a brave soul or two went with Stone Bridge in the game, this was quite a pick. Thus we have named Koren … The Crystal Ball.
So … now … final week: The Oracle vs. The Crystal Ball … and the rest of you should try and prevent them from winning again!
Nov. 28, 2008
Super Special State Semifinal Sweepstakes!
Who needs Black Friday! We’ve got You Pick’Em’s Super Special State Semifinal Sweepstakes! And you don’t need to camp outside of Wal-Mart at 4 a.m. in order to play. Pick the winner of this week’s state semifinal games invovling Ashburn Neighbors (“Pardon me neighbor, mind if I borrow your state title ring? Hmmm … love the fit!”) Broad Run and Stone Bridge …
Chancellor @ Broad Run (We are still trying to figure out how the Spartan coaching staff weren’t wearing coats the other night when it was 18 degrees wind chill … rumor is some sort of highly-classified Pentagon project that involves spray-on body warming armor)
Stone Bridge @ Phoebus (We expect the Phoebus fans to roll out the “Welcome Mat” at Darling Stadium … but I wouldn’t trust anybody asking to “valet park” your car! Let’s face it, they have a score to settle after SB defeated the Phantoms in Ashburn last year!)
Here is how you play (easier than acquiring a Wii Fit for Xmas … email if you have a lead!) … Just email us the winners and final score. That is easy. And what do you win? Acclaim! Fame! A visit from the LPS Monkey on New Year’s Eve for a Special Toast … Not Really!
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Last Week: Dawson is the 2008 Version of 2006’s Koren … But Both Win Last Week!
That is right … John Koren, who took the contest by storm in 2006 is back with all-time win No. 9 to move within three of Jason “The Oracle” Treon. Koren had Broad Run winning 28-7 which was good as it was a 33-6 final. Most of the rest of you … well, you didn’t think the Spartans could hold PFalls to one TD!
Greg Dawson, who has been on fire this season … is a winner again, picking Stone Bridge 38-12 which was close to the 35-6 final. Most of you had SB winning but Edison at least getting double digits. Come, on, as they say in Ashburn, “Mickey Knows Football”.
Fine print: LPS Employees are eligible as are family members to play You Pick’Em, excpet for certain “little sisters” from California who know better than to roughhouse playing tackle football with third grade nephews in the livingroom and thus are now missing two front teeth and after the incredible dental bills are going to get a big fat check from a brother who feels really, really bad but probably won’t have enough money left for Christmas to even buy the LPS Monkey anything for his little monkey xmas stocking … Also the person who finished all the leftover stuffing from Thanksgiving is not allowed to play … Come to think of it, the McDonald’s Drive-Thru employee who gave me a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit instead of bagel … no can play … and that annoying woman at Starbucks today, who insisted we sing along to the bad holiday tune being played too loudly … you are history … and the person that parked too close to me in the Broad Run parking lot and dinged my car last Friday Night … Ha. I took down your plate No. … At halftime on Saturday, oh boy, you can bet I’ll be looking for your car in the parking lot … Otherwise, eveybody else can play and have a great happy holidays!
Nov. 20, 2008
Winners! We Got Winners! Baker is You Pick’Em “Top Chef” Last Week Tying for Three Wins! Larry Hall is First-time Winner! Jason Treon Wins Record No. 12! Ryan Price Moves up All-Time List with Win No. 5! What is with all These Exclamation Points!
Hey kids … It’s Almost Final Exam Time Here at You Pick’Em (we know that football season is almost over when one of two things start to happen … the LPS Monkey is wearing his “I Love John Wooden” t-shirt and the local t-shirt company is starting its next run of Stone Bridge state championship shirts).
What is You Pick’ Em … It is a contest where you pick the winner and final score of football games … what do you win? Nothing. Ha. Just like the Federal Bailout!
This week:
Stone Bridge @ Edison (Episode IV Revenge of the Eagles? No, JarJar Binks will not do the ceremonial coin toss … and no the fourth defensive lineman on Stone Bridge’s team to go with college-bound David Wang, Brian Slay and Zach Thompson is not a Wookie)
Potomac Falls @ Broad Run (Part Deux! The Panthers are hoping that this is more of a case of The Godfather 2 than say Speed 2 … a sequeal that is better than the original … though the Spartans will certainly bring their (Lethal) Weapons like they did in the 38-0 regular-season win.
To play: email your winner and score to the LPS Monkey Whisperer aka Dan Sousa (dsousa@digitalsports.com).
Last week’s winners!
Larry Hall became a first-time winner with his 42-7 pick in SB’s 42-0 win over Mount Vernon. Hall also tied Jane Baker in the Potomac Falls 26-17 win with Hall taking 28-21 and Baker going with 29-20.
Baker, no doubt celebrating the return of Top Chef on Bravo last week (The LPS Monkey is rooting for the Euro cooks to win!), was just warming up as she also tied in the Broad Run game with, her and Ryan Price, both picking 38-17 in the 47-28 final. Baker and Jason “The Oracle” Treon also both had 28-13 Monticello over BW … way close to the 30-13 final.
For Treon (who reportedly before the Stock Market crash, sold all his stocks … and bonds … and invested in “Mickey Knows Football” t-shirts) that is a record 12th win (dare we say Baker’s dozen … but Jane only has four wins now).
Price … has been Right … five times now. Honestly, the Price is Right … we can’t tire of that line.
Fine Print: The LPS Monkey will not be covering Stone Bridge football this Friday as he is grounded … this came after we discovered he had put the entire LPS World Headquarters up for rent on Craig’s List during Inauguration Week … This just in, four more coaches from the Dulles District were awarded Coach of the Year honors! … We think that Broad Run’s T.J. Peeler may be the best “second team” running back in, oh, maybe the history of the Dulles District … When Potomac Falls was picking out school colors in 1997, pink was not an option … though the band would have loved playing a fight song for the “Pink Panthers” … Broad Run’s sound system gets an A+ … now about that pregame music (“Slow Ride”?!? Honestly … anybody listened to those lyrics?) … Shouldn’t the Stone Bridge football team have to do the push-ups since the cheer team has now won four state titles to their one … You may find the officials for Friday’s PF-BR game in the far parking lot, warming up their flag throwing arms … Broad Run turned out the lights during Mike Burnett’s postgame interview last week … not the first time the LPS Monkey was left in the dark.
Nov. 13, 2008
Three of a Kind: Jason “The Oracle” Treon, Phil “Mr. DigitalSports” Murphy and Jamie “The Out-of-towner” Eberly All Win
Wow! Not since the selection of the Dulles District Coach of the Year honors have there been so many winners as we had three victors last week:
Jason “The Oracle” Treon, who as a Stone Bridge High School assistant football coach surely must be calling plays to keep the scores near his picks; Phil “Mr. DigitalSports” Murphy, our colleague from the Northern Region staff who we like to think of as the “Steven Soderberg” of high school football, and Jamie Eberly “The Out-of-towner” who drops in a pick from Turner Ashby where he coaches boys hoops just to keep Loudoun You Pickers on their crystal ball toes …
*Treon (or Neo as we like to call him here at the LPS World Headquarters), picked SB 65-7 over TJ and it was 58-7
*Murphy (“Sacks, Ties and Videotape?”) picked BR 45-20 over Park View and it was 39-26
*Eberly was almost on the money, picking LC 26-21 over Heritage and it was 27-21
Now this week … its playoff pick’em … Just send us the winner and final score for the following games and be the big boss on your block!
Game 1: Mount Vernon at Stone Bridge (Last time a SB starter was around 4 quarters … was at the vending machine near the gym)
Game 2: James Wood at Potomac Falls (not the actor, mind you, but the school from Winchester)
Game 3: Briar Woods at Monticello (did you know that Monticello in Latin means “Heavenly Mountain” and Briar Woods in Latin means … um … Briar Woods)
Game 4: Loudoun County at Broad Run (We dare the BR administration to set up bleachers in the end zone for the “Raider Riot” to sit next to the “Chaos Crew” … think of the photo ops!)
So, email Dan “Dulles District Division 3.5 Reporter of the Year for 2008!” Sousa your picks: dsousa@digitalsports.com
Fine print: Members of the Sousa household may not play You Pick’Em until they take out the trash … Carl Lukat is the King of all Loudoun County Sports Media … Paul Tenorio’s new book (“Deadline? What Deadline? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Deadline”) is available in paperback this weekend and will be sold on Craig’s List only via the LPS Monkey … Did they name it the “Greenway” because it takes so much dang “green” stuff to ride on it … When they hand out grades … what the heck happened to the “E” … Next week’s quickfire challenge involves chopping broccoli.
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Nov. 6, 2008
McCowat Nails (Almost) SB-Woodson Pick and Wins You Pick’em … This Week: Triple Threat!
Well … it’s that time of year … we want You Pick’Em Winners! So this week … you can take your pick of any of three games … It’s our Ode to the American Political Process … Vote Once. Vote Twice. Heck, Vote Three Times!
Here are this week’s You Pick’em Games:
TJ @ Stone Bridge (bonus points if your final score adds up to more than 100!)
Broad Run @ Park View (Spartans shoot for another 10-0 season!)
Loudoun County @ Heritage (Raiders with a playoff shot! Pride to play spoiler?)
Last week was won by Walter (LPS Super Fan) McCowat with his 44-7 pick of SB over Woodson … within 2 points of the 42-14 final!
OK … here is how you play: email (dsousa@digitalsports.com) to us your final score perdiction for any of the three games above or play all three of them … your choice. Freedom of Choice! How can you beat them …
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Oct. 31, 2008
Game of the Week: Woodson at Stone Bridge (Liberty District Title Game!)
Last Week’s Winner: Greg Dawson … Yet another win … He is the “hottest” Dawson since Richard Dawson …
Dawson had Broad Run winning 27-13 and even though that was “24 points” of the 38-0 final … it made him the winner … lets face it, more than half of you went with PF (tsk! tsk!). Chuck Buckman just missed at 42-21 … but that was 25 points off.
This week’s game: Send us the winner and final score from Woodson at Stone Bridge!
Email the info. Dan Sousa at email::dsousa@digitalsports.com.
Note: No animals were harmed in the posting of this story … the story brought to you by “The Campaign to Elect the LPS Monkey President 2008” … Actual size of contest may be smaller than picture indicates … one is indeed the lonliest number … we aren’t sure why this note has been posted but the Monkey made us do it …
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Oct. 24, 2008
Game of the Week: Potomac Falls at Broad Run (Battle of the Unbeateans!)
Send us your final score perdiction with the winner to dsousa@digitalsports.com.
Last Week’s Winner: Ryan Rogers … Wins the Contest … Wins DigitalSports Hat!
Rogers, the Briar Woods High School wrestling coach, not only correctly called the game last week (picking BW 17-7, very close to the 14-6 final!) but he was also the first person to ask You Pick’em a Question … so he also wins a DigitalSports.com Hat!
Rogers has 5 wins now all-time! He is tied for No. 4 on our Hall of Fame Leader Board (see bottom of this story) with Tim Lieb. Jason Treon (10), John Koren (8) and Chris Tully (6) are 1-2-3 … most of them put their 401Ks out of stocks and in Gold (Teeth) back in April … no foolin’
Remember … we can answer any of questions from stock picks to the best plate for a bite to eat in Ashburn …
Q. Your fall sports coverage has been fantastic. Will you keep the same staff and have as much in depth coverage for the winter season (write-ups, videos, interviews)?
— Ryan Rogers
A. Thanks for the question Ryan. Not only will we keep up the same coverage this winter but I think we will get better at it. The LoudounPrepSports.com staff (Dan Sousa and Alysia Deem) are still learning the ropes in our new DigitalSports format and we are fine tuning our coverage each week. The video interviews, especially with the athletes, are very popular and we hope to do more of that in the winter, especially in those sports that normally aren’t covered by the mainstream media (wrestling, swimming, gymnastics, ice hockey) … Of course, we will have plenty of hoops and DigitalSports is sponsoring two tournament in Loudoun for basketball, an early Dec. boys tournament at Freedom and a holiday girls tournament at Briar Woods.
Send in your questions today!
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Oct. 17, 2008
Dog Gone It! Dawson Doubles Downs!
LPS World Headquarters: Greg Dawson (who just may be dressing as Jason Treon this Halloween) has won our contest for the second time on the season. His pick of 28-21 Potomac Falls over Park View was just a botched extra point away from being perfect (28-20 was the final).
The Valley grad may even get to see his Vikes win tonight at Culpeper … we think it is time at You Pick’em for new LV coach Danny McGrath to get win No. 1. Book’em Danny.
OK … kids, here is how you play You Pick’Em: Send in the final score for tonight’s Game of the Week:
Park View at Briar Woods
Email your picks to LPS Monkey handler Dan Sousa (emaill::dsousa@digitalsports.com). Since it is Homecoming tonight at BW, a bonus to anybody that can predict the winning King and Queen at halftime! Also, say hi to You Pick’em’s “Favorite Band” the Briar Woods Falcons …
Questions? Concerns? Need Help Figuring out the Single Wing? Please email any questions to us and we will answer them … Here is a question we got last week:
You Pick’em Question Line:
Q: Hey, when will LPS Editor Dan Sousa ever cover Stone Bridge High School this season in person? M. Thompson, Ashburn
A: Ha! Funny you should ask … Sousa (at one-time the smallest middle linebacker in Foothill High School history … Go Trojans!) is heading to Madison tonight to see the Bulldogs take on the Warhawks … which of course, begs the question … what the heck is a Warhawk … sounds like the logo should include **** Cheney ….
The first person to send an actual question into You pick’em will receive a free DigitalSports hat! Seriously, the good DigitalSports people gave me four hats to wear with the DigitalSports logo … only I really can only wear about one hat at a time and three of the hats are identical … maybe they heard that I was a three-headed monster?
Oct. 10, 2008
The Price is Right! Yes … We Love Using this Headline … As Long as Ryan Price Keeps Winning
We kept the contest so hidden last week that only a few people entered … but Freedom golf coach/Heritage baseball coach Ryan Price was on the money with a 48-10 pick of PF over LC … close to the 47-14 final. Congrats Coach Price! This Price’s 4th Trip to the Big Showcase …
This Week’s You Pick’em: Potomac Falls at Park View
Send in your final score prediction to email:dsousa@digitalsports.com. And then sit back watch for the LPS Monkey to Show Up on Your Doorstep … Just Kidding.
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Oct. 3, 2008 … You Pick’Em: Last Week’s Winners: Congrats to John Koren, one of our biggest winners two years ago, back in the winner’s circle with his 28-7 BR pick over BW (final was 29-0). He edged out Landon Hawes, young son of PF boys hoops coach Jeff Hawes! Koren also tied with SB baseball coach Sam Plank in our other game as both had PF winning 35-21 over Heritage, off by 13 in the surprising 48-21 final.
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Coaches Do Know Best! Three-Way Tie Last Week Between Ryan Price, Ryan Rogers and Jason “The Oracle” Treon
You Pick’Emville, VA (Sept. 25, 2008) – Coaches do know best as we had three coaches tie for the win last week with Ryan Price, Ryan Rogers and Jason “The Oracle” Treon all winning.
For those of you scoring at home … that is victory No. 10 all-time for Treon … competitors can only hope to call an end to the contest until the economy improves in order to stop him. Rogers has now won four times, best for fifth on the Hall of Fame list, and Price is now up to tied for sixth all-time with three wins. Treon coaches football and baseball at Stone Bridge, Rogers coaches wrestling at Briar Woods and Price coaches … heck, where doesn’t he coach! — golf at Freedom, baseball at Heritage and synchronized swimming at Tuscarora High (we made up the last … see kids, Loudoun doesn’t build pools in high schools … or large gyms … or football fields with turf …).
For the record: Treon had SB winning 63-7, as did Rogers and Price had it 65-7 … all within seven total points of the final 64-13. People, people, what was with all those 56-0 picks!
This week … Show us your Football IQ … Your Gridiron Guruness … You Prep Pep Power …
Send us the final score of one or both of the following primo games:
email::dsousa@digitalsports.com
Briar Woods @ Broad Run
“Fired-up in Ashburn”
Heritage @ Potomac Falls
“Showdown in Sterling”
Eligible to anybody … even non-coaches … relatives of the LPS Monkey (including the Monkey’s Uncle) are not eligible as are any CEO’s with Golden Parachutes, Reality Show stars, and any professional athletes that refer to themselves in the third person … void in Alaska excpet for the First Dude … he can play You Pick’Em any day.
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LV Grad Greg Dawson “Creek” Earns Second “You Pick’Em” Win
(Sept. 18) – OK, we tried to in vain to work Dawson’s Creek into the headline since Greg Dawson won our “You Pick’Em” contest last week … the LPS Monkey suggested: Greg Dawson “Up a Creek without a Paddle” but then that made no sense. As Dawson did quite swimmingly last week!
(Question: Dan, speaking of making no sense, what gives with all the funky colors on this page? Answer: We thought we would get as creative as possible and see if our new DigitalSports bosses noticed!)
Back to what counts! Dawson, a Loudoun Valley grad for the record, picked Potomac Falls 29-17 over Jefferson WV and the final was 31-14. Walter McCowat (Super Dominion Dad! and known at LPS World Headquarters as LPS Fan No. 1) just missed with a 31-21 pick. We should note that Jason “The Oracle” Treon didn’t win last week but he did email seven days ago that AIG would be bailed out by the government! Treon’s new license plates by the way read: Oracle1 (we kid … especially since Treon could easily beat us up and step on our little video camera)
Week 4 You Pick’EM
AAA Rivarly Game
Stone Bridge at Loudoun Valley
Simply email your final score perdictions to email::dsousa@digitalsports.com and then sit back and wait for your moment in the sun. No Proof of Purchase needed to Play. Free Tank of Gas with Each 50 Perdictions. Void in Alabama.
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You Pick’Em Has Gone to the ‘Dawgs: Stone Bridge Coaches Sam Plank and Jason “The Oracle” Treon Both are Winners in Week Two
By Dan “Back to School Night” Sousa
(Sept. 11, 2008) – Hey, it was either update You Pick’em or attend Back to School Night (zzzzzzzzzzzzz …) sorry about that but after a decade or so those events all start to sound the same. I fell asleep at my son’s Back to School Night last year and had this strange dream that I was back in high school and dating somebody named Sally Foster.
And speaking of sounding the same … how about Jason “The Oracle” Treon who returns to You Pick’Em to claim his ninth all-time victory. Since Chris Tully achieved his sixth win last week, we expect Treon wanted to get down to business to assure his claim on the all-time leaderboard. Treon had Handley beating LC, 28-21 which was close enough to the 49-21 final. (People, people, you took a beating on this one … thank goodness we are not wagering on these predictions!).
Now Treon is a Stone Bridge assistant football coach and a JV baseball coach for the Bulldogs and his “boss” Sam Plank called the Stone Bridge game to gain his first victory ever in You Pick’Em … Plank had 42-7 ‘Dawgs and it was 49-7.
Treon has also made these predictions: Gas will reach $15 a gallon by Christmas, bow ties will make a comeback and we will have a mild winter (OK … we actually made those up).
(What was it with all the scoring last Friday! It was like the Arena League took over the Prep Football scene. We aren’t positive but we heard that Potomac Falls actually scored a final touchdown while the bus was pulling out of the parking lot in Hedgesville.)
(Somebody explain all of these asides?!?)
Week 3 Game of the Week for You Pick’Em: Jefferson WV @ Potomac Falls.
Send us your winner and final score to email::dsousa@digitalsports.com.
If you win, you get to claim bragging rights … and, yes, to answer your question, more than just local coaches are allowed to play but we warn you, they play to win. Also, if you win this week, the LPS Monkey will buy you a cup of coffee!
Tell your friends … more fun than Back to School Night … Play You Pick’EM
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Six-Shooter Tully Almost Exact with Win! Hawes Breaks Through and Now is Tied with His Son in You Pick’Em
By Dan Sousa
You Pick’Em Professional
(Sept. 4, 2008) – Panther Power! Potmac Falls swept our first week of You Pick’em … now that has to be a throwdown challenge to the other nine Loudoun schools! First, here are our Week Two You Pick’Em Games:
Robinson at Stone Bridge
Skinny: Are the ‘Dawgs Ram-Tough this Season?
Handley at Loudoun County
Skinny: Are the Raiders for real … maybe Handley will be the “Judge”.
Email the winner and final score of one or both games to dsousa@digitalsports.com. It is that simple. Easier than picking a Vice Presidential candidate!
Week One Recap
Jeff Hawes finally notched his first You Pick’Em victory, calling Stone Bridge 34-24 over West Springfield, which was good enough to beat out his Assistant AD Chris Tully who had 49-21 and long-time You Pick’Em player Bob Buckman, who had 35-21. Hawes darn near won the Briar Woods game but Tully was almost exactly on the money, calling 27-14 Briar Woods over Millbrook when the final was 27-13. It won’t make Tully feel any better that the Pioneer missed extra point actually doinked (is that a word?) off the right upright! This make Tully a six-time winner in You Pick’Em, tying him with John Koren for second All-time and putting him within two wins of Stone Bridge assistant football coach Jason “crystal ball” Treon.
As for Hawes, we don’t want him to get too big of a head with his win … after all, he has now simply tied his young son Hayden for bragging rights in You Pick’Em as Hayden won last season.
Now email your pick here: dsousa@digitalsports.com.
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(Aug. 28, 2008) – Well … we tried to **** this contest but we figured the outrage would be too great!
So, back by popular demand (yes, Sam Plank, we are talking about you!) is our You Pick’Em Football Contest.
Time out Dan: I won You Pick’Em last year and the jazzy LPS Prize Van never visited me!
Answer: Ha! You simply weren’t home and the LPS Monkey did toss your prize on your front lawn while cruising by at 45 miles per hour and we can’t be sure but we think your neighbor’s toy poodle took off with the gear.
(Honest, we just never got around to handing out the prizes and our coolest t-shirts were gone after the 2006 campaign and the new stuff was frankly … a bit lame! So, you will have to live with the sole prize of becoming famous in our little sports community … Gthat and if you like, the LPS Monkey will trim your hedges if you ask nicely).
OK, enough with that … here is how you play You Pick’em. Pick the winner of one of the following two games and give us the final score. If you get the winner and come closest to the final scores … well, you are the winner! We are working on forms for this new site so you will have to email all picks to dsousa@digitalsports.com.
Week One You Pick’Em
Game 1: West Springfield at Stone Bridge
Game 2: Millbrook at Briar Woods
Please send picks to Dan at dsousa@digitalsports.com.
Good luck!
Click here for the You Pick’Em Hall of Fame and a recap of the 2006 and 2007 winners
All-Time Leaderboard (updated Dec. 3, 2008 … honest!)
13 – Jason Treon
10 – John Koren
6 – Chris Tully
5 – Greg Dawson, Tim Lieb, Ryan, Price, Ryan Rogers
4- Jane Baker
3 – Jamie Eberly, Chuck McDaniel
2 – Kathy Athey, Walter McCowat, Sam Plank
1 – Steven Balik, Leon Barber, Andrew Berdhal, Zirkle Blakey, Joe Conroy, Larry Hall, Hayden Hawes, Jeff Hawes, Marco Mastrangelo, Patrick McNanley, Phil Murphy, Trevor Scales, Ryder Sousa
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