It has been an epic year for Essex athletics … and the latest chapter was written by American Legion Post 91.
The Essex club lost their second game in the State Legion Tournament on Saturday evening/Sunday morning, but then came back to win four straight, finishing it off by demolishing Brattleboro and Bennington by a combined score of 21-2 in the two deciding games yesterday.
How good a year has it been for Essex? Well for shortstop David Valley, named the Legion tournament MVP, it was his fourth state championship in nine months!

Air Marqus is going to get a chance to fly with the big boys! Marqus Blakely impressed the LA Clippers enough in his stint with their summer league to earn a two year partially guaranteed contract with the club. Now nothing is set in stone … he still has to make the club. But he goes to training camp in late September with a legitimate chance, and who could ask for more than that?

The Red Sox? Well, there is still a pulse there at least.
Two very encouraging wins for them the last two nights in Anaheim. After dropping two out of three in Oakland they have fought back and guaranteed themselves at worst a .500 road trip heading into today’s finale with the Angels. They are in survival mode … and so far so good.