news // 6

Cardinals’ outfielder Oscar
Tavares killed in car crash

» Tavares remembered as ‘wonderful young man’ with a lot of talent

Michael Sopow
Sports Reporter

wenty-two-year-old

Oscar Taveras, a prom-
ising outfielder for the St.
Louis Cardinals, lost his
life on October 26 when he
was involved ina deadly
car accident that also
took the life of 18-year-old
girlfriend Edilia Arvelo.

Reports say Taveras
was driving to Sosua, his
hometown situated in the
Puerto Plata province of
the Dominican Republic,
when his car suddenly went
off the highway, leading
to the fatal accident.

“I simply can’t believe it,”
Cardinals general manager
John Mozeliak said ina state-
ment. “I first met Oscar when
he was 16 years old and will
forever remember him asa

wonderful young man who was :
: is heartbreaking on many

: levels,” Tony Clark, the leader
: of the players’ association,

: said ina statement. “It’s never
: easy to lose a member of our

: fraternity, and to lose one so

: young is devastating news.”

a gifted athlete with an infec-
tious love for life who lived
every day to the fullest.”
Taveras was in his early
teens when he was picked up
as a free agent by the St. Louis
Cardinals. He was ranked as
one of the top prospects for
the upcoming 2014 Major
League Baseball (MLB) sea-
son after his performance
in the Dominican Summer
League, the A-level Midwest
league, and with the Double-A
Springfield Cardinals. He
was perceived by many as an
up-and-coming player that
had many years to develop
and in turn hone his skill set.
“Oscar was an amazing

: talent with a bright future who
: was taken from us well before

: his time,” Cardinals chairman,
: Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “Our

: thoughts and prayers are with

: his family and friends tonight.”

There was definitely room

: for doubt and criticism when

: Taveras had a less than satis-

: factory rookie season in the

: MLB, only having three home

: runs with over 230 times at bat.
: However, Taveras looked to be

: pushing his career ina positive
: direction. On October 12,

: Taveras demonstrated he could
: perform when it counted;

: tying game two of the National
: League Championship Series

: against the San Francisco

: Giants with a crucial home run
: in the bottom of the seventh

: inning, giving the Cardinals

: the edge they needed to

: eventually win the game.

“Oscar had a very

: promising future, on and

off the field, and this news

Taveras’ teammates and

: many other players in the MLB
: were emotional and shaken

: by his sudden and unexpected
: death. “My condolences

: tothe Cardinals and the

: family of Oscar Tavares and

: his girlfriend,” Jonathan

: Lucroy, catcher and first

: basemen of the Milwaukee

: Brewers said ina tweet. “So

: terrible and heartbreaking.

: He had incredible talent.”

= ;

theotherpress.ca

 

 

Royals basketball looking scary good

» Douglas women’s basketball team wins first game of the season

Michael Sopow
Sports Reporter

n Halloween night,

looking to start the year
with a bang, the Douglas
College Royals women’s
basketball team faced off
against the Langara Falcons in
their first league game of the
season.

The Royals began the

first quarter with a strong
display, showing early initiative
right off the bat and taking
an impressive lead before

: the Falcons knew what hit

: them. The Royals’ purposeful

: movement of the ball gave

: them an offensive edge over the
: trailing Falcons, but Langara

: was able to keep the game

: within reach as the first quarter
: came to a conclusion.

Going into the second, the

score was 18-12 for Douglas, and
: the Falcons promptly began

: to close the gap. Some crucial

: three-point plays were had by

: Langara, along with stellar free-
throw consistency. The Falcons

: quickly began to creep up on

: the Royals’ now seemingly

: miniscule lead, forcing Douglas
: College to take a time-out and
: recuperate.

The strategic time-out

: proved to be effective, and

: the Royals began pulling away
: in the lead once more as the

: second quarter came toa close,
: ending the first half 29-21 for

: Douglas.

By the third quarter the

Royals’ goals were simple:
? maintain consistency and
continue to outplay the Falcons :
: both offensively and defensively. :
: While the game was certainly
in reach on the scoreboard for

: Langara, Douglas’ effort and

: perseverance seemed to always
: have them one step ahead

: on the court. As the Royals

: progressed through the third

: quarter, they never once lost the :
: lead.

Near the end of the third,

the game began to pick up in

: both ferocity and tension. The
: Falcons once more began to

: close the score gap. It was a

: close game that was without

: a doubt looking to come toa

close conclusion.
In the dying moments

of the third quarter, with the

: Royals only leading by two

: baskets, the Falcons decided to
: initiate their full court press in
: an attempt to pull even before

: the fourth—or take the lead.

Momentarily, the Falcons

: were able to get within one

: point of the Royals as the

: game transitioned into the last
: quarter, but Douglas College

: quickly began to pull away.

: A valiant effort was put forth

: by the Falcons, but at the end

: of the day, the Langara team

: just couldn’t compete with the
Royals’ tenacity. Final score was
: (66-54) in Douglas’ favour.