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Independence, MO —
Danny Waltman and Jamar Beasley stood side by side in the spotlight Friday night at the Independence Events Center, as the Missouri Comets stunned the Chicago Riot 11-9 in overtime to claim their first-ever home victory.
But the unsung hero of the night was Comets defender Brian Harris, whose slide tackle early in the game led to Beasley’s first goal of the night and his long 3-pointer knotted the score at 7-all in the third period.
While Waltman was nails in the net and Beasley turned in a hat trick – including the game winner in overtime – Harris’ gritty performance proved to the 3,960 fans in attendance that it’s a team game, and everyone on the field played a role in the dramatic victory.
“Brian’s the man,” Waltman said, as he hugged Harris as he came off the field after the game. “He set the tone early with that defensive play and scored a huge goal. He saved us tonight.”
Harris, who enjoyed a victory lap after the game with a young cancer victim he has befriended, downplayed his role in the victory.
“Coach always says to go out and win that first tackle, and that’s what we did,” Harris said, as he was mobbed by his jubilant teammates. “Did you see our fans react after we won?
“That’s what the game is all about – the great fans here in the Events Center. We’re so happy we could finally give them a win. They’ve been there with us for the four losses, and now they can celebrate the win with us.”
One by one the Comets exited the playing field and they were congratulated by the personable Waltman, who is quickly becoming the poster boy for all that is good about professional sports.
Before the game, he gets the fans going by doing a back flip off the glass near the goalkeepers net.
He high fives all the fans near the net before the start of the game and begins to clap to get them fired up. When a teammate makes a great play, he’s the first one to offer a high five.
When a teammate falters, he’s there to offer condolences.
“Danny is just an amazing leader, the best – the very best,” Comets coach Kim Roentved said. “When you need the big stop, he makes it.”
Beasley was quick to direct the spotlight toward his teammates following his three-goal night.
Danny Waltman and Jamar Beasley stood side by side in the spotlight Friday night at the Independence Events Center, as the Missouri Comets stunned the Chicago Riot 11-9 in overtime to claim their first-ever home victory.
But the unsung hero of the night was Comets defender Brian Harris, whose slide tackle early in the game led to Beasley’s first goal of the night and his long 3-pointer knotted the score at 7-all in the third period.
While Waltman was nails in the net and Beasley turned in a hat trick – including the game winner in overtime – Harris’ gritty performance proved to the 3,960 fans in attendance that it’s a team game, and everyone on the field played a role in the dramatic victory.
“Brian’s the man,” Waltman said, as he hugged Harris as he came off the field after the game. “He set the tone early with that defensive play and scored a huge goal. He saved us tonight.”
Harris, who enjoyed a victory lap after the game with a young cancer victim he has befriended, downplayed his role in the victory.
“Coach always says to go out and win that first tackle, and that’s what we did,” Harris said, as he was mobbed by his jubilant teammates. “Did you see our fans react after we won?
“That’s what the game is all about – the great fans here in the Events Center. We’re so happy we could finally give them a win. They’ve been there with us for the four losses, and now they can celebrate the win with us.”
One by one the Comets exited the playing field and they were congratulated by the personable Waltman, who is quickly becoming the poster boy for all that is good about professional sports.
Before the game, he gets the fans going by doing a back flip off the glass near the goalkeepers net.
He high fives all the fans near the net before the start of the game and begins to clap to get them fired up. When a teammate makes a great play, he’s the first one to offer a high five.
When a teammate falters, he’s there to offer condolences.
“Danny is just an amazing leader, the best – the very best,” Comets coach Kim Roentved said. “When you need the big stop, he makes it.”
Beasley was quick to direct the spotlight toward his teammates following his three-goal night.
“We are finally becoming a team, a real team,” Beasley said. “And it’s a great feeling. We trust each other and know what to expect from each other and it’s a great feeling.”
Beasley to appear at Shocking Prices: Fans can meet Beasley from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Shocking Prices in Independence at 23rd Street and 291 Highway as he will be signing his new Comet player card.
“I love to meet the fans,” said Beasley, who had to excuse himself to attend a postgame autograph session on the field. “I can’t wait for the appearance at Shocking Prices.”
Lee’s Summit residents are NCAA champions: Mandy Laddish, a 2010 graduate of Lee’s Summit High School, and Lauren Fowlkes, a Lee’s Summit resident who played soccer at St. Teresa’s Academy, were honored by the Comets for being a part of Notre Dame University’s NCAA championship soccer team.
Laddish was a Freshman All-American for the Fighting Irish, who downed Stanford 1-0 Dec. 6, 2010 in Cary, N.C., for the NCAA title.
“To win an NCAA championship as a freshman is just unbelievable,” Laddish said. “It’s so much fun to be back home, where I can talk to all my friends about it.”
Fowlkes, a 2007 graduate of St. Teresa’s, said, “To be a senior and go out as an NCAA champion is the greatest feeling in the world.”
Tebbenkamp and Rovello will be missed: It’s not going to be the same at Grain Valley High School now that activities director Jeff Tebbenkamp has announced his retirement and colorful football coach Forrest Rovello has announced that he is leaving the football program.
Both men were great pros, even though they went about their jobs in different ways. Tebbenkamp was low key and quietly efficient while Rovello was a great story teller and a coach who deserves to be ranked among the best in the state.
They made my job easy and a lot of fun, and I’m going to miss them.
