Thanks from Mariner boys</MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 2:24 p.m. Thursday, June 19, 2003

Thanks from Mariner boys
The Homer High Varsity Boys Baseball Team would like to publicly thank all those people involved with our successful program this year. The club won the Region 3 Championship for the third year in a row and finished 3rd in the state tournament. Without the financial help from the Sons of the American Legion (SAL), Wells Fargo Bank, the Crum family and others, travel, food, lodging and other club expenses would have made our participation in varsity baseball extremely difficult. The SALs and Wells Fargo have a long and distinguished reputation of providing financial support to many of the Homer area youth activities.

We'd also like to say thanks to AM 620 KGTL radio and the play-by-play announcers, Dave (the Eagle) Webb and Tim White. We look forward to a long relationship and thank the more than 30 area sponsors that provided the financial backing to make all the ball games available over the radio waves to baseball fans across the peninsula.

We'd also like to say a huge thanks to the Crum Family for providing the transportation to our away games. Bus driver Ritchie Crum provided the proper Commercial Driver's License and did a fantastic job behind the wheel and Ritchie's father Joe provided the bus for us to ride. Again, the Crums have come to the aid of a high school activity that was in need and as always, they came through.

Also, the players' parents, in particular the player's mothers, need to be publicly recognized for arranging fund-raisers, collecting uniforms, feeding the team and for raising the caliber of young adult that enabled us to win the state high grade point average (GPA) award for the second year in a row (3.39) and the state Sportsmanship Award.

We'd also like to thank the Kenai Peninsula School District, Homer High Principal Dr. Ronald Keffer and Athletic Director Chris Perk. Without their approval, assistance and understanding, the team would not exist as an outsourced activity.

Lastly, I personally would like to thank my family and wife, Bridget, for her understanding of the importance that the team means to all of us and Assistant Coach John Taylor and his wife Lynelle for all the sacrifice they made to help with the successful baseball program.

I look forward to future successes and hope I didn't leave anyone out.

Lary Kuhns, head coach, Homer Mariners Varsity Baseball

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