Arizona defenseless in Palo Alto

 Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The 4th-ranked Wildcats were defenseless in Palo Alto today.

Stanford canned 16 3-pointers and hit the century mark with a 100-82 Pac-12 win over Arizona. The Wildcats looked tired and sluggish as they fell to 1-1 in the conference and 10-3 overall.

It all started two days earlier when Arizona allowed 55 second-half points despite a 100-81 win over California in the Pac-12 opener for both teams at Berkeley.

The carryover was painful to watch for Wildcat fans.

Stanford scored 44 points in the first half today, but the best was yet to come for the Cardinal as they continued to sizzle beyond the arc in the second half en route to a stunning victory over the Wildcats.

Caleb Love, who scored 22 points against the Golden Bears, led the Wildcats at Palo Alto today with 23 points, while Oumar Ballo ended up in double figures with 12. Arizona went to the bench and found some scoring -- 28 points in all -- with nine points from KJ Lewis, seven from Jaden Bradley, and eight from Paulius Murauskas.

Arizona now needs some love from its fans at McKale as the Wildcats return home for a battle with Colorado Thursday (Jan. 4) and Saturday (Jan. 6) against Utah.   

Beady, Livingston, Tolson, Daliege tie for most TOTS' hits in December

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Jon Beady, Randy Livingston, Tim Tolson, and Bob Daliege tied for the most hits in December with 12 as the members of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) banged out 170 hits in 552 official at-bats at Udall Park for a club batting average for the month of .308.

Beady held the best batting average, going 12 for 20 in nine of the 10 games for a .600 batting average. Livingston went 12 for 21 (.571) in seven games, Tolson an even .500 (12 for 24) in eight games, and Daliege played in all ten games and went 12 for 29 and a .414 average.

Only one hit back at 11 were Reed Palmer (11 for 24, a .458 clip) and Dave Byars (11 for 30, a .367 average), while John Mathews went 10 for 18 in six games for a .556 average and tied for the most RBI with Beady at seven. Livingston led the club in runs scored with nine.

Palmer was the top performer on the mound with a 3-1 record, while Beady finished the month with a 2-2 record. Both pitchers tied for the most innings pitched with 27 apiece. Beady led the club in strikeouts with 23, and Palmer was next in line at 17.

The TOTS 56th season is now in the books. The TOTS year-end batting and pitching stats will follow in a later post.

Way to go, TOTS!

A defensive juggernaut: Arizona beats Oklahoma 38-24 at the Alamo Bowl

 Alamo Bowl

#14 Arizona 38  #12 Oklahoma 24

The Wildcats' defense gets it done, forces six turnovers...

Arizona came from behind to beat Oklahoma 38-24 at the Valero Alamo Bowl tonight in San Antonio to finish the 2023 season with seven straight wins and a 10-3 record.

Noah Fifita connected on 24 of 38 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns, with 10 of his passes falling in the hands of Tetairoa McMillan, who finished the night with 160 receiving yards.

But it was the swarming Arizona defense that turned the tide. With the Wildcats trailing 24-13 in the final minute of the third quarter, Gunner Maldonado picked up an Oklahoma fumble and rambled 87 yards for a touchdown. The Wildcats went for two, and Fifita shuffled free in the backfield and hit Montana Lemonious-Craig for a 2-point conversion to bring Arizona within three at 24-21.

Arizona would tie the game with a 37-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter, Jacob Cowing hauled in a 57-yard TD pass from Fifita with 5:28 left, and DJ Williams put the finishing touches on a wild come-from-behind win with a 19-yard run at the 2:56 mark.

All of the above were set up by defensive gems by the Wildcats as they ended the night with six takeaways -- three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Arizona scored 28 points off the six Oklahoma turnovers.

Cowling, who caught a 35-TD pass from Fifita in the first quarter, finished with two touchdowns and 152 receiving yards.

Arizona scored the final 25 points of the game to secure its 10th win and the fourth 10-win season in the school's history.

Way to go, Wildcats! Great season!

The hardware heading home...

#14 FAU edges #4 Arizona in double-overtime, 96-95

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

...in Las Vegas

FIU  96  Arizona  95

The #4 Arizona Wildcats missed 52 shots from the field today at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

That'll help explain why Arizona lost to #14 Florida Atlantic, 96-95, in double overtime and fell to 9-2 on the season. Undoubtedly, Arizona will drop a few more spots in the rankings as the Wildcats' long and somewhat grueling non-conference schedule finally comes to a close.

And now it's on to Pac-12 Conference play.

In Las Vegas today, despite shooting 38.5 percent from the field (33 of 85)  -- including seven of 25 from long-range, Arizona managed a 37-31 lead over Florida Atlantic at the end of the first half and then found themselves deadlocked with the Owls at 73-all at the end of regulation.

The two teams played on. The Owls still had their sharpshooter, Johnell Davis, tossing in buckets, and the Wildcats had their main man, Caleb Love, on the court doing the same. With 10 seconds remaining in the first overtime, Davis banked in a layup to put the Owls up 84-82, but Love was fouled five seconds later and sank two free throws to send the game into a second overtime.

The Owls and the Wildcats traded baskets to begin the second OT, but with 2:47 remaining, Jalen Gaffney put Florida Atlantic up 93-88 with a 3-pointer, and it took a layin by Pelle Larsson to close the gap to 93-90 at the 2:20 mark. Tre Carroll made two free throws for the Owls at 2:05, Arizona's Kylan Boswell hit a long-range three-pointer as the clock ticked down to 1:53, and Love ended up back at the foul line, canning two more free throws to tie the game at 95-all.

With 57 seconds remaining, Larsson fouled Giancarlo Rosado, who made one of two free throws in what proved to be the game's final points. Love missed a layup with 45 seconds left and then a 3-pointer just off the mark at the buzzer.

Love finished the game with 26 points but was 8 for 25 from the field. Oumar Ballo had a career night in rebounds with 21 and scored 13 points. Larsson finished with 15 points, Boswell 12, and KJ Lewis scored 10.

Davis led everyone with 35 points. The Owls shot 50 percent from the field, canning 36 of 72 and 8 of 24 3-pointers.

   

Without a lot of Love: Arizona 87 Alabama 74

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Arizona 87 Alabama 74

With Caleb Love sitting on the bench in foul trouble for most of the game, the 4th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (9-1) withstood a barrage of three-point attempts (8 of 40) from Alabama and came away with an 87-74 win over the Crimson Tide on Wednesday night in Phoenix at the Footprint Center.

Love scored most of his 13 points in the waning minutes of the game as Arizona turned to Pelle Larsson, who finished the night with 16 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while Oumar Ballo picked up a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. All five starters ended up in double figures, with Kylan Boswell netting 15 points and Keshad Johnson chipped in 11.

KJ Lewis came off the bench adding nine points, four rebounds, and two assists, while Jaden Bradley, the former Alabama guard, also got some productive minutes with four points, two rebounds, and two assists. Montiejus Krivas completed the Arizona scoring with three points and three rebounds.

#3 Boilermakers edge top-ranked Wildcats, 92-84, in Indy

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Purdue 92  Arizona  84 

From the desk of Wildcat fan Dan Price

It was as if the Purdue guards knew the results of their three-point attempts before they even shot them.

Nothing but net on 10 made 3s! Yes, the Boilermakers did miss 14 of 24 from long-range...and I mean long-range.

Still, the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats weathered the storm but, in the end, came up short today, 92-84 in Indianapolis.

Despite a 29-point effort from Caleb Love and another gritty performance from Keshad Johnson, who scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and came up with three steals, Purdue managed to hold off Arizona in the second half and went on to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the season. 

Purdue managed six 3-pointers in the first half and held a 49-38 lead at intermission. Arizona clamped down on the Boilermakers in the second half, allowing just four long-range bombs, and closed the deficit to four points at 75-71 with 5:08 left.

The Wildcats could get no closer and fall to 8-1.

Will Arizona drop in the polls?

Probably, but not by much.

Next: Alabama on Wednesday in Phoenix and Florida Atlantic on Saturday (Dec. 23) in Las Vegas.

                                                                       

#23 Badgers no match for top-ranked Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Arizona 98 Wisconsin 73

The Arizona Wildcats showed why they are ranked No. 1 in the country today at McKale Center as they badgered and mauled #23 Wisconsin en route to an easy 98-73 win behind a career-high 21 points from Pelle Larsson and a 20-point effort from Caleb Love.

Once again, all five Wildcat starters scored in double figures, with Oumar Ballo adding 15 points, three blocks, and eight rebounds, while  Keshad Johnson chipped in 11 points. Kylan Boswell finished with 10 points and nine assists as Arizona (8-0) was impressive from the get-go, connecting on 35 of 60 field goals (58.3 percent), including 12 for 26 from beyond the three-point line.

But it wasn't just offensively but defensively as well, as Arizona took it to the Badgers (7-3) early and went on a 25-8 run to end the first half, owing a commanding 48-31 lead, as the two teams headed for the locker rooms. The rout was on in the second half as the Wildcats built leads up to 30 points, and the starters quickly found a spot on the bench as the final minutes ticked away.

Arizona dished out 26 assists in the game, blocked six shots, had four steals, and turned the ball over just seven times. They ruled the boards 48-31 as Johnson led the way with nine rebounds.

With their No. 1 ranking safely tucked away for another week, they now prepare for a trip to Indianapolis next Saturday and a showdown with 4th-ranked Purdue (9-1), who knocked off Alabama today, 92-86. 

Way to go, Wildcats!

Arizona rolls over Colgate, 82-55

 Arizona Basketball

2nd ranked Arizona rolls over Colgate at McKale today

Wildcats expected to be No. 1 in the AP College Basketball Poll on Monday

The second-ranked Arizona Wildcats are expected to be number one in the AP College Basketball Poll on Monday morning after another easy 82-55 win over Colgate today at the McKale Center.

With Purdue (7-1) falling from the top spot Wednesday night with a loss to Northwestern (92-88), it was just a matter of forty minutes of ho-hum action today to bolt Arizona to the top spot as the Wildcats cleared the bench, so to speak, and waltzed to another lopsided victory to improve to 7-0.

Caleb Love led the Wildcats with 14 points, while Oumar Ballo contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Keshad Johnson and Pelle Larsson added 10 points apiece as Arizona shook off a cold-shooting first half to put Colgate away in the second half.

Opocensky, Cuttler, Daliege shine for the TOTS in November

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Opocensky, Gary Cuttler, and Bobby Daliege were the big stars for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers during the month of November.

Opocensky, 73, led the amateur baseball club in hits with 18 and a batting average of .500. He batted 36 times in 11 of the 13 games and was the top man in the RBI department with 10.

Daliege, 75, gave Opocensky a run for his money (of course, there is no money with the TOTS) and finished second in hits, going 16 for 33 and a .485 average.

Cuttler, the young man of the trio at 68, decided to toe the rubber in November. He logged 22 innings and posted a 2-2 record with the most strikeouts on the club at 16.

There was only one home run hit out of the ballpark at Udall Park, and that came off the bat of Jon Beady, 62. Beady, who played in just five games, made the most of his at-bats with eight hits in 13 official trips to the plate for a healthy .615 batting average. He finished second in RBI with nine. 

Also finishing with 10 hits or more for the month were Tim Tolson (12), while David Byars, John Mathews, Ken Nebesny, Mike Dawson, Pete Maldonado, and Sam Dean tied with 10 hits apiece.

As a club, the TOTS scattered 240 hits around the confines of Udall Park (including, of course, Beady's shot over the left field fence) and maintained a .322 team batting average.

Forty-five players saw action during the month, while 10 members took their shot on the mound and logged a total of 173 innings. There were two kiss-your-sister games with no winner or loser.

The TOTS are off and running in December, the club's final month of the 2023 season -- their 56th season as the organization continues to play every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Udall, all 12 months of the year. Game time in the winter is 10 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. in the summer.

Today, December 1, the TOTS were rained out, but they hope to return to action on Monday.

Photos: (top to bottom) Opocensky, Cuttler, and Daliege.

My moment of fame: an hour on KMKR, 99.9 FM

 From the desk of Dan Price

When I heard the question: Is this on?

The lead-in was the last three words moments before Dave Margolis and Phil Gordon, two hilarious Tucson comedians, began their Wednesday show on KFMR Radio 99.9 FM.

I was a guest on the one-hour show late last night. Actually, it was only nine o'clock when the discussion got underway. But for this old-timer, at the age of 78, it was way past my bedtime.

Bottom line: I woke up quickly when I heard 'Is this on?' followed by a little tune from Margolis where he mentioned crickets in the building, among other things, and suddenly those words again: 'Is this on?'

I listened as Phil introduced me as the guest on the show. The two comedians made me feel comfortable in my new surroundings inside the small studio at the Xerocraft Marketspace in downtown Tucson. I took a deep breath, and I was on! 

In the next forty-five minutes, I presented my life in capsule form, muttering quickly through eight decades of my life. Suddenly, the trio left that discussion behind and turned to a similar subject for all of us: baseball.

As it turns out, Margolis and Gordon saw action with my beloved 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers. Gordon played four years with the TOTS, and Margolis played in just seven games. Both players left the ball club with their share of injuries and went on to become the Wednesday "voices" on KFMR.

The two comedians "stay" with the TOTS was everything they wanted and more.

Quickly, Gordon and Margolis recalled their special moments with the amateur baseball organization that has been around since 1968 and is currently in the process of completing its 55th season.

As the clock ticked toward the end of the hour, there was time to mention the TOTS manager, Mike Dawson, and his "playing days'  at his high school, Tucson Santa Rita, in the mid-1970s.

There was time to mention two of our TOTS' hall-of-famers who we recently lost -- 98-year-old Floyd Lance, who passed away in November, and Brad Tolson, 93, who passed away in May of this year.

We also discussed our favorite major leaguers, the famous MLB ballparks around the country, the books I authored over the years, my long-running blog, Bookemdanosports, and my life as a young man growing up in Tucson.

Suddenly, it was over. My moment of fame was gone in the blink of an eye.

I enjoyed my moment in time sitting alongside two of my favorite Tucson comedians.

This was no joke, though. It really happened, along with those crickets and the beautiful sounds of the trains as they rolled east and west along the railroad track on a beautiful night in downtown Tucson.

Thanks, guys! I enjoyed it.

Photo: the author of this piece, who enjoyed his special moment in time last night on the radio with two great guys, both Tucson treasures: Dave Margolis and Phil Gordon.

Territorial Cup stays in the Old Pueblo: Arizona 59 Arizona State 23

Territorial Cup

McMillan, Fifita scorch Sun Devils

It may be time to polish up the Territorial Cup. It could use some tender love and care. After all, the Arizona Wildcats demolished the Arizona State Sun Devils 59-23 today in Tempe.

On second thought, let The Cup be. It has endured a lot over the years. And with the end of the Pac 12 just hours away, so to speak, its resting place should remain in the Old Pueblo.

Arizona scored 38 points in the first half and added a score to start the third quarter in Tempe today, eventually taking a commanding 52-7 lead before letting up on the throttle. The Arizona fans wanted revenge, remembering a 70-7 loss to the Sun Devils in 2021. But it didn't quite work out that way, as the Wildcats scored just seven points in the fourth quarter.

It was a record-breaking day in Tempe for Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan. Fifita threw for 527 yards and five touchdowns, while McMillan set a Territorial Cup record with 266 receiving yards on 11 receptions and a touchdown. Jacob Cowling caught a 1-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, his 11th TD of the season- a school record. 

Arizona, ranked #16 in the AP Poll, finished the regular season with six straight wins, a 9-3 record, and third place in the Pac-12 Conference with a 7-2 record.

  

#3 Wildcats edge #21 Spartans in Palm Springs, 74-68

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

#3 Arizona 74  #21 Michigan State  68

Arizona clamped down on Michigan State in the last four minutes of the game in Palm Springs, California, today and remained unbeaten with a 74-68 win over the Spartans. Caleb Love led the Wildcats with 17 points, including a steal and an assist on the game's final scoring play.

Still, it took the gritty play of Keshad Johnson, who came up with a key block in the final minute and finished with a double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with 13 points. Kylan Boswell finished with 12 points, while Oumar Ballo added 10 points, and Pelle Larsson, despite fouling out with four minutes left, ended up with 10 points.

Arizona led 40-30 at the half and had leads up to 15 points, but the Spartans battled back in the second half and took the lead 66-63 with four minutes remaining. However, they failed to score a field goal the rest of the way. Tyson Walker finished with 18 points for the Spartans.

The Wildcats improved to 6-0, while Michigan State fell to 3-3 with losses this season to Duke and now Arizona.

Way to go, Wildcats!

#3 Arizona improves to 5-0 with win over UT Arlington, 101-56

 Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Arizona, the third-ranked team in the nation, lived up to its lofty ranking with a 101-56 win over UT Arlington at McKale Center tonight. 

The Wildcats clamped down defensively in the second half, allowing the Mavericks only 19 points. Meanwhile, Arizona again had all its starters score double figures, and seven players hit double-digit marks. 

Kaylan Boswell and Oumar Ballo took scoring honors for the Wildcats with 15 points apiece. 

Arizona improves to 5-0 and will take on #21 Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Desert, California, at 2 p.m.

Arizona keeps rolling with win over Utah

Arizona Wildcats Football 

The Wildcats surprised the visiting Utah Utes with 28 unanswered points and went on to a 42-18 win today at Arizona Stadium.

Noah Fifita passed for 253 yards and threw two touchdown passes, Jonah Coleman rushed for 90 yards and a score, and senior Michael Wiley caught two TD passes. The Arizona defense came up with three sacks and two interceptions, and the Wildcats won their fifth game in a row. 

The 19th-ranked Wildcats improved to 8-3, and they have one game left next week in Tempe against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Way to go, Wildcats! One unbelievable season!

Whoever said you can't go back in time, was wrong!

 My 60th Tucson Catalina High School Reunion

The Class of 1963

Last night was Day 1 of a three-day extravaganza celebrating my high school's 60th reunion. Yes, it's easy to calculate most of our ages- we are all the same age!

Last night, there was a four-hour get-together at El Molinito's on Tanque Verde Road to get the ball rolling, and for a brief moment, it was 1963.

Sixty years have passed, but my classmates are as young as ever. With the president of our senior class, George Cunningham, heading up the events, we are indeed in good hands for the next three days.

Below are just a few photos of his helpers who gave their all to get the party started. I plan to grab more photos tonight at the Tucson Country Club during dinner and a picnic at Fort Lowell Park on Sunday.

I, for one, want to go back in time. It turned out to be one of the best times of my life. I began an on-and-off again writing career thanks to my advisor on The Trumpeter, John G. Carlton. He directed many young men and women on our award-winning high school weekly and taught them how to put a balanced story together for the world to see. Boy, how times have changed in the year 2023.

Stay tuned for more...on the characters above.

From the desk of Dan Price, the CHS class of 1963

The above is different from my usual sports stories. But it's my top weekend story- and it's a doozy!

I can't wait to go back in time tonight. It's a doubleheader weekend for me: my Arizona Wildcats take on Utah at Arizona Stadium at High Noon, and then it is off to Day 2 of my 60th reunion!

Another big weekend for our amazing Wildcats

Arizona hit the century mark once again with a 100-68 win at McKale Center last night over Belmont. 

Coach Tommy Floyd substituted freely in this one. Caleb Love and Montiejus Krivas poured in 20 points apiece as the third-ranked Wildcats improved to 4-0. They will now sit back and watch a football game at Arizona Stadium at 12:30 p.m. today.

Utah, ranked 16th in the nation and sporting a 7-3 record, comes to town to play our 19th-ranked Wildcats. Arizona (7-3) hopes to cap off the weekend with its 8th win of the season.

Back at McKale, Arizona spread the wealth last night as five players finished in double figures for the fourth time this season. They are the only college team in the country to accomplish such a feat. Kylan Boswell scored 14 points, Oumar Ballo added 12, and Keshad Johnson chipped in 11 as Arizona put together a 56-point first half and coasted the rest of the way.

Go, Wildcats!

The TOTS of yesteryear

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Forty years ago, the men in the photo ruled the roost, so to speak; they did what the 2023 version of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers do now: they entered the field of play every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. When the fellas in the photo played the game, the TOTS' home field was at Himmel Park, just a few hundred yards south of the intersection of Tucson Blvd. and Speedway Blvd.

If you walk your dog through Himmel Park and come across a slightly elevated area directly south of the library, you might hear an echo or two or voices from the past: "Come on, Willie! Where's your helmet? That's STRIKE ONE!"

The players at Udall Park, the current home of the TOTS, play America's Favorite Pastime three days a week, 12 months a year. The players of old did the same, only their names were different: Joe Tappero, Bert Hough, Walt Richmond, and one of my favorite names, Charlie Catuna. (There must be a nickname in there somewhere.)

If the TOTS above were alive today, they'd all be in or near the triple digits of their lifetime.

Instead, they are in the heavenly stands above, looking down on Udall Park and enjoying the play of the current TOTS while critiquing their game, no less.

They may question themselves as Reed Palmer, 67, steps to the plate and homers, high above the trees, just inside the first base foul pole. "Hey, Charlie Catuna, did we ever hit the ball that far?"

"That's only fitting," said Joe. "It's his birthday today. He's hit over 100 home runs!"

"The pitching is faster, said Walt. "That young man, Ernesto. He must be a Pirate fan. He always dresses in black. He mowed 'em down the other day, a shutout!"

The Man from Wickenburg -- Ted Roberts, 85

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The Man from Wickenburg, 85-year-old Ted Roberts, is one of the newest Tucson Old Timers (TOTS), an amateur baseball organization for players 60 and over. The TOTS has been around since 1968, and close to 300 players have passed through the turnstiles, so to speak, and played for the club at one time or another.

Yes, they come, and they go, and the old saying 'build it, and they will come' resonates throughout the land, at least at Tucson Udall Park, three days a week, as the old-timers converge on the baseball field just south of the Udall Senior Center. The first pitch during the winter is at 10 a.m. and at 9 a.m. in the summer.

Roberts is now considered the oldest club member, and 78-year-old Danny "Pigpen" Price has been forced to relinquish the old man's title on the ball club. Yes, the TOTS has a couple of winter visitors who play four months of the year. They are a couple of 82-year-olds, Dick Ducklow from Wisconsin and Arnie White from Montana, but Price figures out a way to stumble through all 12 months of the year, braving Tucson's beautiful winters and the grueling hot summers.

"In Ted's case, I do not mind relinquishing my spot as the year-around Guiney Pig,'' Price said. "Ted is a keeper!"

Price, who doubles as the club historian, has seen his share of players come and go over the last two decades. "We've had some amazing men join our club, and they come with plenty of baggage, and I mean the good kind. Doctors, lawyers, judges, and people from all walks of life who bring along resumes from their professional working days that border on the unbelievable."

Ted is no exception or better put, he is exceptional!

The Man from Wickenburg grew up two miles south of Wickenburg in a ranch house surrounded by twenty acres, plenty of room to roam and grow into the man he has become. Ted's parents raised eight children, five boys, and three girls, and Ted was number six.

There, of course, is more to this story. Explaining the entire Roberts clan would take too much time in one sitting. And, after all, this is supposed to be a short TOTS baseball story about the new man on the block, so to speak.

Let's summarize Ted's history for now, but don't fret. Ted is an author, and there's a book about his family entitled The Queen of the Range, which hit the presses in March of this year and can be found on Amazon.

According to the author page of his book, Ted's full name is Theodore Henry Roberts, but he prefers 'Ted.'

The TOTS are always looking to add a nickname or two for the newbies, and this blog's author has decided to call him Mr. Ted with a giant T in honor of a well-lived life. 

Ted was born in 1938 and now lives in Tucson, just south of the BoneYard, near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Back in his high school days, Ted was valedictorian of his senior class at Wickenburg, went off to college and amassed three master's degrees in the field of education (at Arizona and Arizona State), spent three years in the army as a paratrooper, two years in Fort Bragg, North Carolina with one year in Vietnam. He played three sports in high school, played baseball and football for the Fort Bragg post team, and doubled as the quarterback on the University of Guam's football team while working there as a counselor in the public school system.

Mr. T ( sorry, the TOTS historian meant to say Ted) raised five children, three stepchildren, and has nineteen grandchildren. Mr. Roberts (another TOTS nickname we can use) spent nearly forty years as a teacher, counselor, and coach.

Ted taught math at Tucson Catalina High School but was most proud of his accomplishments as a track and cross-country coach at Santa Rita High School. 

The author of this blog, or the TOTS historian, needs help condensing the life of TOTS newcomer Ted Roberts into a few paragraphs. Luckily, we will have Ted around for a while to revisit the life and times of the Man from Wickenburg.

Ted's wife, Joan (Lady J), passed away in 2021. She was his loving partner (see photo above) for twenty years. With the help of Lady J and the rest of the family, Ted and his family released a Christmas book in 2017 about Santa Claus, Santa's wife, Anna Claus, and a fictional story about how Santa chose his eight reindeer.

As I said, there's more to the story of Theodore Henry Roberts.

Stay tuned and keep an eye out for the reindeer on Christmas Eve.

Note: By the way, Ted has logged 32 at-bats as a TOT so far and has seven hits and three runs-batted-in. Welcome aboard, Ted!

Special note regarding Coach Roberts

At 85, we must forgive Mr. Roberts if some of the dates are omitted. Ted's resume as a coach in Arizona and elsewhere is well documented in the archive books at the respective high schools where he coached and taught. But the following synopsis gives examples of the years he's spent educating our youth on and off the field of play. Well done, Coach Roberts!

Hayden High School, Winkelman, Arizona 1965-1968

1 year JV baseball coach

1 year varsity football assistant coach

2 years JV football coach

4 years Head Track coach

4 years Cross Country coach

Guam, the southernmost of the islands in Micronesia

1 year JV basketball coach at JFK High School

1 year JV basketball coach at GW High School

Santa Rita High School, Tucson, Arizona

19 years High Jump/Long Jump coach

-- 11 Girls High Jump Conference Champions

--  1 Girls High Jump State Champion

--  1 Boys High Jump State Champion

15 years Distance Running coach

15 years Cross Country coach

5 Girls Cross Country Conference Champions

2 Girls Cross Country State Champions

**Co-founder of the Old Pueblo (OPI) Cross Country Invitational (18 years)

***Inducted into the OPI Hall of Fame

 

 

  

 

A runaway win at McKale: Arizona 97 Southern 59

 Arizona Wildcats Basketball

There was a little jetlag at the start, but a 62-point second half, with most of the points coming from players off the bench, resulted in a 97-59 win for #3 Arizona over Southern University tonight at McKale.

The long flight home from Durham, North Carolina, may have had something to do with the Wildcats' performance in the first half as they broke for the locker room at the half with a lackluster 35-23 lead.

By the midway point of the second half, Arizona had turned the game into a runaway affair, and Coach Tommy Lloyd began to pull his starters. In the end, the starting five were responsible for 57 points, while the reserves cashed in on the rest of the playing time and the remainder of the scoring.

Keshad Johnson, who scored 14 points in the first half, finished with 17 points, while Pelle Larsson chipped in 11,  Oumar Ballo 10, Kaylan Boswell 10, and Caleb Love added nine.

Montiejus Krivas and KJ Lewis led the players off the bench with 12 points apiece. Paulius Murauskas collected a season-high 10 rebounds.

Arizona, now ranked No. 3 in the AP College Basketball Poll, improved to 3-0, while Southern dropped to 1-2.

TOTS' Floyd Lance passes away at the age of 98

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers lost a legend on November 12, 2023, with the passing of Floyd Lance, 98.

Lance was affectionately referred to by members of the amateur baseball organization as Sir Floyd Lance due to his longevity with the club and the fact he was the oldest player to ever take the field as a member of the TOTS.

On his 94th birthday, he batted three times at Udall Park. He faced 6-foot-6 flamethrower Reed Palmer, who at the time was 31 years younger and could throw a fastball with more speed than Floyd's first car, a 1934 Ford.

'Yeah. I entered a church raffle and won the car,' Lance said after the TOTS game that day. 'I was 18 years old.' Lance, a member of the TOTS for over 20 years, was born in Glen Gardner, New Jersey, on September 6, 1925.

Floyd's teammates never got tired of watching the tall, lanky first baseman play his position on the field and take his cuts at the plate. His teammates agreed that watching Floyd step to the plate, adjust his helmet, and take his stance in the batter's box was a real treat.

Whether the next pitch was a ball or a strike, whether the ball dribbled down the third baseline or bounced into the outfield for a sure hit, his teammates would look on in awe. 

Lance played his last official game, both on the field of play and at the plate, during the winter of 2019. He took his familiar position at first base and played the entire game. He batted leadoff in order to get an extra bat or two. His teammates met him at the pitcher's mound following the game and presented him with the game ball, which was autographed by all the players.

During the game, Lance singled to left field in his third at-bat and eventually scored all the way from second base. It was his final run-scored as a TOT and the 976th run of his career with the organization.

Rest in Peace to our TOTS Hall-of-Famer, Sir Floyd Lance.

Note: services pending

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Arizona edges Colorado, 34-31

 Arizona Wildcats Football

Wildcats 34  Colorado  31

Jonah Coleman barrels his way downfield for 179 yards, Tetairoa McMillian keeps the Buffaloes secondary honest with one-handed catches, quarterback Noah Fifita completes 21 of 35 passes for 214 yards and two scores...and, yes, Arizona coach Jedd Fisch handles the game clock and allows Colorado's defense to be thrown for a loop -- as in Tyler Loop, who kicks his 15th field goal of the season, allowing Arizona to escape Boulder with a 34-31 win.

I know that is too much information in one paragraph, but I'm an old Wildcat fan who can get away with it.

I'm also a happy Wildcat fan as Arizona improves to 7-3 on the season and 5-2 in the Pac-12 standings.

By the way, Loop's 24-yard field goal sailed through the uprights in Boulder with no time left on the clock!

What a twenty-four hours for our Arizona Wildcats, who upset Duke at Duke last night inside the Durham, North Carolina basketball arena. 

Go, Wildcats!

Love it! #12 Arizona takes down #2 Duke, 78-73

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Caleb Love banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half and calmly sank four of the final six free throws down the stretch in the second half as Arizona edged Duke 78-73 tonight inside the Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

But it wasn't just Love. All five starters hit double figures for Arizona, which improved to 2-0 on the young season, while the 2nd-ranked Blue Devils dropped to 1-1.

Keshad Johnson scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Oumar Ballo netted 13, while Kaylan Boswell added 12 points, five assists, and eight rebounds to go along with an impressive performance from Pelle Larsson, who scored 12 points in the game- including a couple of pressure-free throws of his own down the stretch to close out the win.

Love, who played last season with North Carolina, returned to familiar territory and fought off the pressure of being back home, so to speak, where he had battled against the Blue Devils at the Cameron arena as a star player on the Tar Heels. He finished with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Way to go, Wildcats!

Arizona warms up for Duke, slams Morgan State, 122-59

Arizona Basketball

Wildcats open season with a 122-59 win over Morgan State

Turn on the lights at McKale, and let's get the party started.

Arizona rolls in its season opener tonight with a 122-59 win over Morgan State.

Eight players scored in double figures, and 14 players saw action, with guard Kylan Boswell leading the way with 18 points and five assists. The Wildcats shot 55.3 percent from the field (42 of 76), dished out 26 assists, and stole the ball 16 times while committing just seven turnovers.

Arizona, currently ranked 12th in the nation by the AP College Basketball Poll, led Morgan State 61-26 at the half and tossed in another 61 points in the second half, despite clearing the bench, as the Wildcat fans got a chance to see everyone in uniform perform on the court.

Pelle Larsson chipped in 15 points, Keshad Johnson added 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Caleb Love, Oumar Ballo, and Montiejus Krivas scored 12 points apiece. Filip Borovicanin came off the bench and chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds, while Paulius Murauskas finished the double-figure scoring with 10 points.

The Wildcats (1-0) now head for Durham, North Carolina, and a matchup on Friday against the 2nd-ranked Duke Blue Devils (1-0), who knocked off Dartmouth today 92-54. 

Fifita fires away with 3 TD passes en route to Arizona's upset over #19 UCLA

Arizona Wildcats Football

Wildcats over Bruins, 27-10

Arizona's defense shuts down  #19 UCLA 

Quarterback Noah Fifita threw three touchdown passes, and the Arizona defense shut down #19 UCLA 27-10 tonight at Arizona Stadium for its third straight win over a ranked opponent.

Fifita completed 25 of 32 passes for 300 yards, and the Wildcats rushed for 130 yards to balance their attack. Arizona improves to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-12 and, in the process, becomes bowl eligible for the first time since 2017. 

Montana Lemonious-Craig caught a 9-yard TD pass from Fifita in the first quarter, Jacob Cowling added another 9-yard TD reception in the second quarter, and Tetairoa McMillan put the icing on the cake with an 11-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Jonah Coleman led the Wildcats' rushing attack with 77 yards on 18 carries.   

The dust has settled and we still lost...

 From the desk of Dan Price

...an Arizona sports fan

It's been 12 hours since Ketel Marte was called out on strikes for the final out of Game 5.

The season ends for our Arizona Diamondbacks. The hardware from the 2023 World Series is now in the hands of Corey Seager and Co. as the Rangers return to Texas with its first-ever Fall Classic title.

Oh, what could have been. Zac Gallen should have remained on the mound, and he should have continued to throw pitches... maybe 120 or more if he had needed to.

There was no tomorrow. Well, at least, only in, say, April of 2024.

On second thought, let the former Wildcat Kevin Ginkel, from the University of Arizona, close it out. 

No matter. Arizona never scored, lost 5-0, and the Diamondbacks saved a trip to the Lone Star State.

Still, hats off to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a great postseason and some beautiful memories that'll last for a while. At least until next spring when baseball returns to the limelight.

So, what does an Arizona sports fan do now. We turn our attention to the Arizona Wildcats 2023-24 basketball team; that's what! Monday, the new season begins. Reve up the motor inside you and cheer on the Wildcats.

Go, Wildcats!

Texas wins World Series!

2023 World Series

Game 5

No words from this Diamondbacks fan tonight!

Other than the final score: Texas 5, Arizona 0 

Congrats, Texas, on your first World Series title!

Opie does it again!

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Joe Opocensky, 73, has played for the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) for nine years, and he has picked up his share of nicknames on the amateur baseball club, an organization that has been around since 1968.

Joe is referred to as the 'Big O' or 'Opie,' but whatever moniker he possesses, he certainly plays the game hard and refuses to let the 'old man' in.

Opocensky (photo below) led the TOTS in hitting during October. He went 16 for 27 and played eight of the 10 games for a .593 batting average. He was the top RBI man for the month with 13, two more than Sam Dean and Tim Tolson.

John Cooke, 67, and Tolson, 71, ended up second in hits with 15 apiece. Cooke went 15 for 35 (.429), and Tolson finished 15 for 34 (.441). Dean, 67, one of the TOTS' catchers, had a good month with 14 hits in 26 at-bats, a .538 clip.

Mark Rupert, 71, also reached double digits in hits, going 10 for 27, a .370 mark, while playing nine of the 10 games.

As for the 'super seniors, those players 75-and-over, it was Bob Daliege, 75, leading the way with nine hits in 23 at-bats, a .391 average, while Dave Byars, who actually turns 76 in December, and Danny "Pigpen" Price, 78, were next in line. Byars went 6 for 18 in six games, a .333 clip, while Price played in nine of the 10 games and went 7 for 26, a .269 average.

Other notables for the month  (playing in five games or more) included Pete Maldonado, 71, who went 8 for 23 (.348), Jon Beady, 62, who went 8 for 17 (.471 average...and the only home run in October), Mike Dawson, who went 7 for 23 (.304), Ken Nebesny, who went 8 for 31 (a .258 clip), along with two more John's -- Mathews (one T), who went 8 for 14 (.571) and Misiaszek 9 for 19 (.474).

Ten pitchers saw action, with Maldonado logging the most innings (25) while compiling a 2-2 record. Dawson was next in line with 21 innings and a 2-1 record.

The TOTS are back in action today, November 1, at Udall Park with the new adjusted starting time of 10 a.m. instead of nine. Field duty is at 8:30, and warm-ups and batting practice to follow.

Rangers one win away from World Series title

2023 World Series

Game 4

It's tough to spot a team with 10 runs and come back and win.

This current group of Diamondbacks are known as the "comeback kids" or referred to at times as an answer-back team, but tonight at Chase Field, it was a little too much to ask for, as Texas led 10-0 early and cruised to an 11-7 win in Game 4 for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

The Rangers are one win away from their first World Series title.

Or, from an Arizona perspective, the Diamondbacks are three straight wins away from their second World Series championship. 

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas are picking Texas.

Come on, D-Backs! Prove them wrong!

NFL Week 9 Update

National Football League

Week 9

The pack leaders are retreating, except the Philadelphia Eagles, who managed to win again in Week 8. The Eagles squeezed by the Washington Commanders, 38-31, and own the best record in the NFL at 7-1.

Of course, some good 6-2 teams are left in the standings, with the Kansas City Chiefs now listed among them after a surprising loss to the Denver Broncos, 24-9, on Sunday. Also at 6-2 are the Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Detroit Lions.

The San Francisco 49ers (5-3) continue their downward spiral, falling to Cincinnati, 31-17. The 49ers will take a break in Week 9 and regroup before their matchup in Week 10 with Jacksonville.

There are some good matchups in Week 9, with the Cowboys at Philadelphia and Buffalo at Cincinnati.

Let's tee it up!

Texas takes a 2-1 lead in the World Series with 3-1 win at Chase

2023 World Series

Game 3

Arizona failed to score any runs for its young starter, Brandon Pfaadt, tonight at Chase Field.

The result: a 3-1 win for Texas over our Diamondbacks, and the Rangers enjoy a 2-1 advantage in the World Series, at least for now.

Geraldo Perdomo singled in the lone run for Arizona in the eighth inning.

The Diamondbacks hope to even the series tomorrow same time... same place.

Game time: 5:03 p.m.

Wildcats upset #11 Oregon State, 27-24

Arizona Wildcats Football

Arizona upsets No. 11 Oregon State 27-24 tonight at the Arizona Stadium.

The Wildcats came to play and made all the key plays when they needed to as they turned back the Beavers.

Quarterback Noah Fifita completed 25 of 32 passes for 275 yards, including two touchdown passes to Michael Wiley and another to Tetairoa McMillan, as the Wildcats improved their overall record to 5-3 and their Pac-12 record to 3-2.

I was there...

Great seats!

Kelly superb in 9-1 trashing of Rangers in Arlington

2023 World Series

Game 2

The Arizona Diamondbacks owned the night in Arlington, Texas.

Arizona wins Game 2 of the World Series with a 9-1 thrashing of the Rangers Saturday night as starting pitcher Merrill Kelly tosses seven innings, allows just three hits, strikes out nine, and doesn't walk a batter.

Gabby Moreno homers, Tommy Pham, goes 4 for 4, and the Diamondbacks collect 16 hits -- 12 of them singles to knock off the Rangers. And yes! Ketel Marte gets a hit to extend his postseason record to 18 straight games.

The World Series continues with Games 3-4-5 in Phoenix on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are three wins away from their second World Series title.

Photo: Merrill Kelly masterful in Game 2 of the World Series.

A walk-off win for Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series

 

The 2023 MLB World Series

Game 1

The Arizona Diamondbacks kept to their game plan in Arlington, Texas, and carried a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning. Starter Zac Gallen left the mound with the lead after five innings of work and turned the ball over to Arizona's lights-out bullpen.

This time, the bullpen falters when Paul Sewald blows his first postseason save as Corey Seager goes deep in the bottom of the ninth and ties the game at 5-5 with a two-run homer.

Fast forward to the bottom of the 11th, and Adolis Garcia ends Game 1 with an opposite-field home run into the right-field seats. The result: the Texas fans left Globe Life Field with a 6-5 walk-off win. 

Miguel Castro is saddled with the loss.  Garcia continues his assault on pitchers this postseason. Tonight, Garcia goes 3 for 4, scores a run, knocks in two runs, and steals a base.

Corbin Carroll tripled in two runs in the third inning. Tommy Pham homered for the Diamondbacks in the fourth.

D-Backs heading back to World Series...the Snakes are alive!

from the desk of Dan Price...a baseball fan

Arizona wins NLCS Game 7 in Philly, 4-2

Diamondbacks head for Arlington, Texas, and Game 1 of the World Series Friday night

Goodness gracious, the Diamondbacks are heading to the Fall Classic.

It is a team effort once again as Arizona takes it to the Phillies behind its young starter, Brandon Pfaadt, who pitched four innings while allowing two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out seven.

Corbin Carroll, just 23 years old, led the way with three hits in four trips to the plate. He scored twice, knocked in two runs, and stole two bases.

Ketel Marte keeps on hitting. He only had one hit tonight, but he has recorded a hit in every postseason game he has ever played.

Gabby Moreno did his thing behind the plate and went 2 for 4 with a run-batted-in.

Christian Walker had a key walk and knocked in a run early on to get the Diamondbacks going.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 2 for 4, Emmanuel Rivera had a hit and scored a run, while Geraldo Perdomo batted last in the lineup but came up big, going 2 for 3, and he scored a run.

And I haven't mentioned the bullpen yet!

Five relievers took the mound tonight. The result: No runs! One hit! Five innings of work in front of 50,000 screaming fans...most of them from Philadelphia. Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel, and the closer Paul Seward. The Arizona bullpen has been on fire for months, and tonight was no exception.

Ginkel, the former Arizona Wildcat, was superb. He faced two batters in the 7th and three more in the eighth. He sent all five back to the dugout. Easy fly ball outs by Trea Turner and Bryce Harper in the seventh. In the eighth, he strikes out the side: Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and J.T Realmuto! No runs, no hits, no errors. Perfection!

Could it get any better than that?

Yes!

Sewald toes the rubber, needing three outs to send the Phillies packing and send the Diamondbacks to their first World Series since 2001. The Phillies Nick Castellanos flew to right to Carroll for the first out, Brandon Marsh followed with a fly ball out to Gurriel in left field, and pinch-hitter Jake Cave hit a lazy fly ball to Carroll for the final out of the game.

And the celebration began! Not by the Philly fans, but by the Diamondbacks, on the infield, at the Citizens Bank Park.

The dream has come true.

Diamondbacks: one win away from the Fall Classic

The Road to the World Series

Game 7 in Houston

ALCS

Rangers 11, Astros 4

NLCS

Game 7 in Philadelphia today

Diamondbacks are one win away from the 2023 World Series

Texas reaches the World Series for the first time in 12 years with an 11-4 win over Houston in Houston on Monday night.

The Rangers have never won a World Series. The Arizona Diamondbacks won it all in 2001 and find themselves one win away from another trip to the Fall Classic.

Could we have a Texas-Arizona matchup for 2023?

First things first! The Philadelphia Phillies are in the way. Today is the day the Diamondbacks will throw everything but the kitchen sink at a team that's a heavy favorite to win Game 7 and advance to the World Series again -- the last time was 365 days ago! They lost to Houston. The Phillies won in 1980, beating the Kansas City Royals, and again in 2008 over Tampa Bay.

First things first for our amazing D-Backs. We need to get to first base today, then second, third, and finally step on home...again and again and again. The sports world roars: What are they doing here? How did they get this far?

So, do the Diamondbacks really belong on center stage? We will find out in just a few hours.

Note: I used the above photo as the cover of one of my kid's books, The Return of Johnny Dugan, no longer in print. The book went nowhere, but I love the cover. I took the photo many years ago at the Men's Senior Baseball League World Series.

Diamondbacks force Game 7 in NLCS

NLCS

Game 6

Merrill Kelly pitched a gem and wanted to stay in the game.

Can you blame him? He pitched five innings, allowed one run, walked three, struck out eight, and had the Phillies right where he wanted them after 90 pitches.

But let's get back to the final score of Game 6: Diamondbacks 5, Phillies 1.

Arizona won and extended the NLCS to seven games thanks to back-to-back home runs from Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the second inning. Evan Longoria got into the act with an RBI single to left-center, and the Philadelphia fans were in shock as their Phillies came to bat in the bottom of the second inning down 3-0.

And to make matters worse, as far as the Philly fans were concerned, Kelly still had four innings left on the mound.

As it turned out, Torey Lovullo kept making the moves, and the bullpen came through once again -- first, it was Ryan Thompson, then Andrew Saalfrank, then Kevin Ginkel, and finally Paul Sewald in the ninth.

Arizona added insurance runs in the fifth and seventh. Not that they needed them, as the Phillies put nothing but gooseggs on the scoreboard for the final seven innings.

And now it's on to tomorrow and Game 7.