Faster To First Classic: Welcome
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Friday, March 12
FASTER TO 1ST
2012 DATES
APRIL 4-7, 2012
WELCOME TO THE
CANYON H.S. - "CAREW FASTER TO 1ST"
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT SPONSORED BY
DEMARINI & WILSON SPORTS
SITE: PERALTA PARK AND YORBA REGIONAL PARK, ANAHEIM, CA.
COMPLETE BRACKETS AND DAILY SCHEDULE CAN BE FOUND IN THE "HANDOUTS" SECTION
Welcome to the website for the Michelle Carew FasterToFirst Softball Invitational,
hosted by Canyon High School of Anaheim, California, and sponsored by Demarini/Wilson
Sports This year will mark
the fifth FasterToFirst
but additionally the first time it will be combined with California’s most
historical and premier high school tournament*---
The Michelle Carew
Memorial Classic…….
*********************
Now, a little of the four-year
history of the F2F………. it originated as the
“brainchild” of Brent Eads, then of Student
Sports. Com. Brent approached coaches Dan Hay and Lance Eddy
of Canyon to see if they would pool their efforts with him to put forth a
national classic for softball, to compare with those around the nation in other
prep sports. So it began with team recruitment in the spring of 2007, in
preparation for the initial event in 2008. That year’s classic had 26
teams, and was won by Pembroke Pines of Florida over Sacramento Sheldon. Then 2009 attracted 24 squads, with the
eventual champion crown to Sac Sheldon, with a final win over Canyon of Anaheim. 2010 saw 32 teams compete, with Chino Hills Ayala
taking the final by beating repeat bridesmaid Canyon
of Anaheim. 2011 rated to be the best yet, with 30 teams
from seven states across the nation
slated to compete; however the weather delivered a blow to Southern California
and the teams were only able to get in 3 pool play games each, with no team
declared the champion.
*****************
Next, a recap of the Michelle Carew Classic----
First put forward in 1984 as the Canyon
Tournament of Champions, the event has become the most historic and prestigious
high school tournament in California, annually bringing together the very best
teams in Southern California (many of which also were invited to the FasterToFIrst
in the recent years. When former Canyon
player Michelle passed away in 1997 at age 18,
it was renamed for her to continue its long tradition of excellence. The Inland
Empire’s Norco
defeated Anaheim
Esperanza in a great final contest of 2011………. The 2012 edition will mark the 27th year of
quality softball at Anaheim’s beautiful Yorba Regional and Peralta Canyon parks, again with
the superb sponsorship and support of the City of Anaheim, its
mayor and City Council.
**************
Which brings us
forward to 2012, as Coach Hay and (retired) Coach Eddy have decided to merge
their their two quality events into one----continuing to honor former Comanche
Michelle, but now to include the nationally renowned FasterToFirst designation.
******************
This year’s event promises to provide
remarkable competition, with the very best teams in California showing their
stuff. Orange County’s best will welcome
high quality competition from San Diego, Inland Empire, San Fernando Valley, Long
Beach, and Central California, as well as a perennial F2F entrant from Arizona. No less than ELEVEN of the teams ranked in
the final California Top Twenty-five will be here, with FOUR teams ranked in
the final USA FabFifty on ESPNRise We look forward to four days of top-notch
softball at our scenic Peralta and Yorba fields, as well as at Canyon
High. Results will be posted on this
site nightly, and a local internet radio entity---www.sportsNetUSA.net ---will
broadcast several games each day.
GAME SCHEDULE
AND REVISIONS
TOURNAMENT
CO-ORDINATION
WEBSITE
UPDATES
Tournament
Director - Lance Eddy, Retired Canyon Coach
comanchespear@gmail.com
********************
FACILITY
OPERATIONS, FIELD PREP COORDINATION
HOTEL/LODGING
ASSISTANCE
WEBSITE
UPDATES
Canyon Head Coach
- Dan Hay
ddanhay@aol.com