Tonight I write to my Panther Family and the Greater Newbury Park Community. Through this last spring serving as the NPHS Baseball announcer it has shown me how a true family comes together. When the Panthers lost the game for league vs. Agoura, the team put their caps down but the fans were there to lift them up to the first round of playoffs vs. Long Beach Wilson. After the Long beach Victory the team had a grin of hope going into El Torro and eventually surpassing them. Then came the underdog Saugus, regardless of the disappointing coin toss the coaches still coached and the players listened. After the big win at Saugus and the memorable night at Lampost Pizza and long bus ride home the team had a smile on their face while playing master slave and the number two pitcher on the team got killed by the announcer of the team. (aka me) Then the big game to determine if this team could come together to get to Dodger Stadium but only one roadblock was in the way Mater Dei #1 in the nation at the time according to ESPN. As I traveled down on the team bus for a huge game, I noticed that the team’s focus was not on stats or newspaper articles but just getting on bases regardless of who is throwing the pitch. The team sure proved that they believed in themselves and not just an idea of believing but a feeling of believing as they embarked on Dodger Stadium. After that game the Community came together as one by organizing Fan buses which was sponsored by NPHS ASG, and Cronies Sports Grill. The big day came and it all started with a game of master slave in the bus while we sat in LA traffic. As I was losing, I thought to myself that this team had it in them because they Believed as I stated the night before the game at their annual year end banquet. As we all walked in together all you can do is go WOW and try to take it all at once but we took it all in as a team not as individuals which in the end gave us the CIF Championship. Not a win just for the Baseball Team but a win for One community that came together to support this group of young gentlemen. This team never stopped believing through the playoffs regardless of the opponent or the stadium or the stats, they believed together that with ONE team, ONE School, One Community, and eventually One BIG FAMILY that anything can be accomplished if you believe in yourself and in each other. I want to thank the amazing Panther Family for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime.
Thanks
Daniel Lacey
Daniel Lacey 