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Local Sports

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News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Bozeman’s Road Warriors

SAND HILLS - The Deanne Bozeman School baseball team is still on cloud nine and not planning to come down anytime soon.

The Bucks (19-7) have advanced to the Class 2A Regional Semifinals and doing that without the luxury of a home stadium.

“I know it don’t look like much,” Bozeman infielder Trey Register said.  “But we take pride in it.”

“We were practicing on dirt most of the time,” Bozeman pitcher Dustin Duncan said.

Bozeman’s home field consists of clay and 19 pallets of donated sod.  The field is really just an infield diamond with the football team practicing in right field.

“It’s a little bit than less-than-ideal practice conditions,” Bozeman head coach Jeff Patton said.  “We seem to make the best of it. The kids don’t complain, don’t make excuses.”

The Bucks have yet to play a true “home” game.  The home games they do play are at Rutherford High School, Arnold High School or Gulf Coast Community College.

Last season, Bozeman played only four home games, taking 24 bus trips.

“We go to places where they have nicer stuff,” Patton said.  “It makes our kids go, well we’re going to beat you anyway.”

In less than a month, this team will go from rags to riches.  That’s when they move into their new stadium just in time for summer practice.

“Coach Patton said that we have to earn our field.  Play games, win games.  But we got it done,” Duncan said.

Winning the school’s first District Championship and the Regional Quarterfinals playoff game definitely qualifies as getting it done… And a new stadium is what they get.

“It’s along the lines of Rutherford’s with a few tweaks to make it more our own,” Patton said.  “It has a red scored board, blue back stop.”

As you might expect, Bozeman is on the road again in the Class 2A Regional Semifinals against Port St. Joe (22-5).  First pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

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