West Broward Is United & Ignited For 2014

Everything matters.

It’s a simple message, but one that the Bobcats baseball program holds dear. The team takes pride in everything that they do in their lives, and together they all grow into young men of character and confidence.

West Broward embodies their approach and realizes the importance of everything that comprises their lives. Players work hard in the classroom, they focus on family and they participate in many charities in their community. The team recently raised $6,500 dollars for Breast Cancer Awareness in a fund-raising fall jamboree with Everglades and Coral Glades, and they also recently visited the DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for games and treats with the kids. This is their third straight Halloween celebration at the hospital, just as it will be their third Christmas together in December.

“What matters to us is doing everything on and off the field,” said Bobcats manager Sergio Ambros. “Good karma pays you back; if you do good things off the field and in the classroom all that karma is rewarded. This is a good group to be around; they are really tight and spend a lot of time together away from the field. They work hard in the classroom and on the field. They have really bought into it this year.”

The atmosphere with the team is very comforting and positive. Following a tough 2013 campaign in which a talented team fell short of expectations, a much younger group will take the field and make their mark for a school that is still very much in its infancy in its sixth year of existence. The program has seen success in the playoffs, has earned the recognition of their peers, and has shown growth as an organization. They’ve learned that they can compete against most any team in the county, and they’ve established great traditions both on and off the field.

“Coach Ambros is a great guy,” said senior catcher Codey Williams. “He loves doing community things, and it helps the team bond when we’re together doing those things to help the community. On the field coach is competitive and he wants to win. He always has very good energy and he’s always excited. He gets us pumped up when we need to be.”

Coach Ambros is a big part of the team’s first legacy, as a guy who has been there since the very beginning. Three seasons ago he took over as manager, and now he knows that the foundation is set. The team has expectations of winning, but even when pressed regarding their quest for the school’s first district title they do not feel that sole accomplishment defines them. They are hungry and they are listening to their coaches and working to pave the path towards some banners for their program.

Following last season, many of the core players who return this year all got together and discussed their expectations for the season ahead. They all agree that they want to make this year something special, to really put in the effort and chase after a district championship. In their district they all understand that the realistic expectation is they will need to unseat defending district champion Flanagan in order to accomplish this. They will need to focus and always bring their best effort to those district games, not just the Falcons but also against Everglades, Miramar and McArthur.

They understand that this difficult task takes constant determination.

“We want to show we can win a title,” said junior pitcher Michael Shappell. “We are trying to show we can develop as a program. The biggest thing in baseball is team chemistry and knowing what the other guys around you are doing. We are a tight-knit group that hang out a lot, and that carries onto the field. This year we only have a few seniors, so the juniors also have to step up and take on some leadership.”

It will be a lot of new faces for West Broward this season. The team graduated 11 seniors, and then lost three more players to transfer. Ambros realizes that he can only worry about the guys he has in front of him, quoting Teddy Roosevelt in once saying ‘do what you can do with what you have currently’. He is excited about his group of players, including a junior class that was his first freshmen class two years ago. It is a team that has worked under his system for many years and they know what to expect from their coaches.

Although the 2013 season was a difficult run that saw the team lose nine of their final twelve games and fail to advance from the district tournament, the main positive is that many of the returning players saw extended action. Essentially every veteran player returns battle-tested, including many juniors and sophomores who got their first taste of varsity play last year.

“You will see and hear their energy throughout the game in the way they root for each other,” said Ambros. “We’ve brought up some freshmen and they cheer for those guys too, even though they are chasing their jobs. They still want them to succeed because they know ultimately individual success will lead to team success.”

The area where the team looks the strongest is on the mound, where a deep bunch of hurlers will all compete for time on the hill. Shappell is a guy who grew into a lead role in his first season, and he welcomes the chance to step up and take the ball for the club’s biggest opponents. The junior right-hander recorded 26 strikeouts in 28 innings, posting a 2.44 ERA against many of the area’s toughest offenses in 2013.

Overall they are deep as a staff, and the coaches are working vigorously to get them up to speed to overcome their inexperience. From the left side the team is pleased with the rapid development of senior left-hander Cole Williams, as well as former junior varsity standout Christian Deerman. Troy Foreman, Donovan Futrell and Justin Martinez have also emerged to compete for their turns.

Since the team realizes that they are not a unit that will hit the ball out of the park with regularity, the plan on offense will be to use constant motion. They will play small-ball, steal bases and employ hit-and-runs to try and press the other team to make a play. They know sometimes the opposition will throw the ball away and they intend to take advantage of that. Coaches have them drill constantly on situational moments in order to keep them confident and aggressive.

The offense is excited about what they bring to the table. Since most of last year’s producers are gone the group will lead heavily on guys such as junior third baseman Richie Garcia, who is the team’s energizer bunny, as well veterans like Dalton Brockman, Codey Williams and Samyr Santos. Brockman led all hitters that return to the lineup, after hitting .343 last year. The school has also welcomed a very strong freshman class, and guys such as Matthew Torres may earn playing time very quickly this year.

Santos is another veteran player who has taken on a leadership role. As a guy who drove in seven runs in just 30 at bats, Santos looks to help show the younger guys how to approach scoring chances in order to send runners across the plate.

“I try to teach them how to drive in runs in big moments,” said Santos. “If a guy gets on you have to try to move him, or get the ball into the outfield and get him in. Work on getting the job done and trusting the guy behind you to do his part so we pick each other up.”

Santos also provides strong depth at the catcher position, where he and Codey Williams split time to man the most important defensive station. Both guys are entering into their second varsity season, and they relish the moment to play such integral roles in handling a team with very little varsity experience.

“I’m trying to lead by example, to go all out when I can,” said Codey Williams. “We don’t have many seniors, so me and the other guys take it upon ourselves to make sure everybody is doing what they are supposed to be doing. We just try to set the best example so that we get the best out of our teammates that we can get.”

Both catchers agree that their pitchers are an easy bunch to work with, and that they enjoy playing a position that encompasses every moment of the action.

“Catchers usually take charge and they are always in the game on every play,” said Santos. “You are in charge of everybody and you are always in the game.”

The Bobcats players are indeed always focused on the game, and they do not forget their team mantra. From time to time someone may send Coach Ambros a text message that simply reads: everything matters. The coaches talk to them everyday, and occasionally share inspirational quotes with them.

“It’s really a family thing,” said Ambros. “We tell them that some of the players we’ve had that we are the most proud of are FBI men, Secret Service men, or a pediatric neurosurgeon. It’s not just about baseball, but to also someday be a great husband, a great father, a great man. That is what baseball teaches us. That’s what sets us apart from many others, that it’s not just to sell all out for baseball. It is about building that young man for the future.”

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