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--> --> May 25: Commentary: Fairy tale ending turns into Greek tragedy for Grizz By Joe Zavala Talk about the season. Remember the faces. Reminisce until you're white and red in the face. Just don't ask that question. Don't ask,"What if?" A season that had fairy tale ending written all over it instead wrapped up like a Greek tragedy Wednesday, when the Oregon City High baseball team scored two runs with one out in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Ashland High Grizzlies 7-6. The loss, which came in the second-round of the Class 4A state playoffs, was painful for the Grizzlies on so many different levels, they might be wondering if it was worth the effort. It was, of course, and not just for the players, but for the parents, the longtime AHS faithful and the student body as well. Judging by the postgame tears, however, you might have a hard time impressing that thought upon the Grizzlies. The defeat ended the high school playing days of 10 AHS seniors, and as third baseman Titus Weston pointed out afterward, many of those seniors had played together since tee-ball. And it wasn't just the loss that hurt, it was how they lost. The Grizzlies were money all season with late-game leads, big or small. Wednesday they led by three, 6-3, heading into the bottom of the fourth and by one, 6-5, heading into the seventh. Their ace, Mike Allen (one of those seniors), was on the mound and had retired seven straight batters. Nine times out of 10 Ashland wins that game. Just not Wednesday. But please, don't ask that question. Not now. Not after Allen was two good pitches away from getting the carry-off his performance deserved. Those last three batters will probably be going through Allen's head for some time, but there's no way he should take the blame. The big right-hander brought the Grizzlies that far to begin with, and I'm not just talking about the season as a whole. It was Allen, after all, who crushed a two-run homer to center field in the fourth to spark Ashland's tide-turning run. In the most important game of his life, Allen was the best player on the field. Besides, without him Ashland would have struggled just to make the playoffs. With him, they were the best Southern Oregon Conference team over the past two years. No, the Grizzlies lost the game before Allen threw a pitch in the seventh. They left eight runners stranded, four in the last two innings, and muffed three sacrifice bunts. The Grizzlies should have carried a three-run lead into the seventh. Instead, they made it hard on themselves and it cost them a legitimate shot at a state championship. So the best season in Grizzly history is over, cut short by a series of little mistakes and bad breaks. Will we see another team like that soon? An optimist would point out that first-team all-league pitcher Chad Hegdahl is coming back, along with a winning attitude bolstered by the two straight league championships. In reality, talent comes in waves, and that one was a full fledge tsunami. And the 10 seniors weren't just good ball players, they were good teammates. The players seemed to get along, they respected each other and it was easy to see that they enjoyed playing together. As anybody who's followed enough prep sports will tell you, that's pretty rare - especially for a group with this many stars. Allen, Weston, Bill Rowe, Torrance George, Ryan Decker, Nick Danis, Tim Hegdahl, Kyle Puderbaugh, Zachary Brewer and Charles Dotterer - all great on the field, all standup young men off it. I know at least 10 sets of parents in Ashland that have done a pretty good job. So don't ask, "What if?" Instead, appreciate the run that was and the players and coaches that made you ask the question. Besides, we all know the answer, don't we. And what happened Wednesday didn't stop Ashland's drive toward a special season. Special was in the rear view mirror, right next to the memories and the brownies and those horrible, wonderful road trips. They will remain there forevermore. Joe Zavala is the Tidings sports editor Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing