Posted Saturday, May 10, 2008 by Jim Mcdonald

BLUE COLLAR THINKER: Roney Backstops Title Hopes for Chaparral

Danny Coulombe, as expected, befuddled No. 4 Cactus most of the way in pitching No. 1 Chaparral to a 6-2 victory Friday night in the Class 4A state semifinals, striking out 16 with his dominating curve balls and allowing just six hits.. He also provided key hitting along with Cody Yount, Trey Ford and Jordan Weymouth as the Firebirds advanced to today’s 3:07 p.m. championship game against No. 3 Sandra Day O’Connor at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

But as good as Coulombe was, it is debatable whether Chaparral would have advanced without the intricate and pervasive contributions of David Roney, the senior catcher, a three-year starter and perhaps the soul of this team that, despite a world of talent, has found itself often grinding things out this season in compiling a 24-6 record. For many reasons, the Firebirds have found themselves over the past three weeks. And among the most important of those reasons is Roney, whose uncanny defensive ability enables Coulombe to throw his best pitches with the confidence that Roney will be there to make the stop when the baseball goes every which way but loose.

The result Friday was that in the moments Cactus looked as if it might have the advantage, Coulombe threw pitches that broke sharply and late, challenging any catcher at any level.
Last summer at a USA Baseball showcase, some of the best catcher’s in America could not keep Coulombe’s pitches in front of them. Last night, not a single pitch got by Roney. In the third inning with the bases loaded and one out, Coulombe struck out two consecutive batters with six straight curve balls that Roney handled with perfection to keep the game tied at 1.

“David is a blue collar player who does whatever it takes to get the job done,” says Chaparral Coach Jerry Dawson. “It’s in our game plan with Danny to bury a hitter with the curve, his best pitch. David makes him better because Danny knows all he needs to worry about is the pitch.” The strategy produced 12 strikeouts in Cactus’s final 14 outs.

Says Roney, “We’re comfortable with one another. Danny and I have worked together for four years now. I just tell him to throw what he is most comfortable throwing because that’s when he throws his best. He knows I’ll catch it.”

Roney does not just catch, however. He has become a dependable left-handed bat this season, often leading off while compiling a .426 average. Against Cactus, he delivered a bases loaded, two out single to extend Chaparral’s lead to 4-2 in the fifth. It’s all a product of hard work and an intelligence that enables Roney, a 4.5 GPA student, to understand how to best approach the game. “Catching is sustained effort, analysis and dirty work and I love it,” says Roney. “The more I think, the worse I play. So learning the game to the point where I don’t have to think about it has been very, very important to me.”

That hard work and production has paid off in a Division I opportunity for Roney at Wofford University in South Carolina, which he selected over Harvard. He will play there for Coach Todd Interdonato, a former Chaparral player. “He has the only five-syllable last name I have heard,” says the cerebral Roney, who is one of the few players who could immediately recognize all five syllables. That hard work also has enabled Roney to keep the Chaparral catching job for the most part despite intense competition from the likes of fellow seniors Ryan Scott and Tommy White, both outstanding players and both of whom will also catch at the collegiate level.

“Competition is what baseball is all about. We all want to play and we all do our best to gain the confidence of the coaches. I think we make one another better.’
Today, David’s focus will be entirely on the job at hand - winning an eighth state championship for Chaparral. A loss would be the fifth runner-up finish for the Firebirds. Roney and his fellow seniors believe it is their responsibility to bring home a victory, especially after falling in the semifinals last year in a close decision to Desert Sky Region rival McClintock to end a string of four straight titles for Chaparral.

“It is a big deal for this class at this school,” says Roney. “I can’t even begin to tell you how intensely disappointing it would be to lose. We have lots of motivation.”

Look for that approach to pay off.

Chaparral Notes: Dawson, of course, has been here many, many times before, and he has learned to expect the unexpected. Preparation is important, as always - and Chaparral, as always, is among the very best prepared teams. But what the outcome will come down to is how these players play today. Chaparral’s earlier eight-inning victory over the Eagles means nothing other than the teams are as evenly matched as possible. “If we played 10 games, each team would probably win five,” says Dawson. “Either way, when it is over I’ll shake the hand of each of my players and give them a hug. We will meet on Monday to talk about things. Today, it is time to just go out and play our game.”

Look for either Chase Brewer or Matt Summers to start on the mound. Both will almost undoubtedly see action. It is highly doubtful that Brewer, who has been outstanding all year as Chaparral’s No. 2 pitcher, can go all the way after throwing 90 pitches Tuesday in a quarterfinal victory over Agua Fria. Summers has been mostly a reliever all season. Also available are Yount, Jordan Holle and Oliver Craig. O’Connor is expected to go with Nick Carillo, who will play next year at Gonzaga University, where he will be a teammate with Chaparral’s Ernesto Ortiz and Royce Bollinger.