Lanesborough Tigers coach Jason Pause, middle, poses with the team's captains, from left, Mitch Waynick, Damon Pause, Aiden Macpherseon, Judge Martin and Dominic Carnevale.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The life of a young athlete can get pretty hectic, especially when his or her team is so good that the season never seems to end.
When the Lanesborough Tigers two weeks ago wrapped up a Northeast Regional football championship on Saturday in New Jersey, some of the players had no time to enjoy their triumph.
"Basketball travel team tryouts were that Monday," Tigers coach Jason Pause recalled this week. "Some of the kids have a basketball game on Saturday this week."
And somewhere in between juggling football practice, basketball games and schoolwork, the 20 boys and one girl on Pause's team need to make some time to pack for next week's trip to the World Youth Football Championships in Canton, Ohio.
Last month's 26-6 win over Essex County, N.J., qualified the Berkshire County champions to face some of the top teams in the country in their age group at the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It will be the crowning achievement for a group that has gotten used to wearing crowns over the years.
"This team has been pretty much together since 2015," said Pause, who started as an assistant coach with the youth football program in 2013 and has been a head coach the last five seasons. "They've all pretty much been playing since second grade.
"In 2017, we won the [Berkshire County] Super Bowl, when we went 9-0. As Pee-Wees, we went undefeated, and I don't think anyone scored on us. This team only let up like two touchdowns in the three years we've been together. In New Jersey, it was 26-6, but they scored in the final minute. It definitely wasn't against the first squad."
Pause does not know what to expect in Ohio. He likely will not even know the team's first opponent before he checks in at the site on Wednesday.
But even if he did know who the Tigers are playing, he probably would not have had much time to do any scouting. He is too busy making plans for the trip and fund-raising to make it happen.
"For the duration [of the tournament], I think we budgeted $12,000 to stay with the whole team until Sunday," Pause said. "If we just want to cover the cost of hotel rooms, I think we're about 75 percent of the way there."
Almost immediately the win at the regional championship, the team set up a Gofundme page to collect donations for the trip. Pause and parent Carol Newberry subsequently sent a letter to area businesses to seek support.
The team had considered chartering a bus for the nine-hour drive to Canton, but the cost was prohibitive.
"Now we're trying to make sure everyone has a ride because some of the parents can't make it that night or that day," Pause said. "We're trying to figure out who has extra room in their cars.
"Registration is 9 to 5 on Wednesday, the 11th. We'll probably leave very early Wednesday morning, like 3 a.m."
The team is guaranteed at least two games in Ohio. It will play its opener on Thursday at a time to be announced. If it loses, it will play a consolation game on Friday. If it wins — and keeps winning — it would go all the way to Sunday's title game.
Except for one Pittsfield resident and one Dalton resident, most of the players attend middle school at Mount Greylock, which, ironically, was forced to play in a cooperative with Drury this fall after deciding in the spring that it did not have enough players to sustain a varsity football team.
Pause said his players hope to change that as they move up to the high school over the next two years.
"That's really the hope, that this group will help bring football back to Mount Greylock," he said. "That's one of the hopes for all of us.
"For our kids, I don't think [the lack of a program at the school] impacted them much because they had the option to play on the youth team. Talking to some of the older kids who went up, they were disappointed. But it's just a game of numbers these days."
The high school football question is for the future. Of more immediate concern is gearing up for the world championships and acknowledging those who help the Tigers make the trip.
"I just want to thank everyone who has supported us," Pause said. "I think the Gofundme is over $2,000 now. People keep sharing it and liking it, and it keeps chugging along.
"We've gotten a lot of phone calls from people wishing us luck. It's good for the area."
To donate to the team, contact Carol Newberry at 413-441-7298 or Jason Pause at 413-281-1696 for details.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Lanesborough Elm Tree Named Largest in State
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — King Elmer is living up to his name, now deemed the largest American Elm in the state.
Jim Neureuther, chair of the Tree and Forrest Committee, happily reported this to the Select Board on Monday. The Department of Conservation and Recreation released an updated Champion Trees list on May 4 with the town's over 100-foot tall elm at the top.
"It's official, King Elmer is the largest American Elm tree in Massachusetts," Neureuther said.
Located at the corner of Route 7 and Summer St., the king is believed to be over 250 years old and is 107 feet tall with an average canopy spread of 95.5 feet. It scored 331.88 points with the state based on a 201-inch circumference, which is a 64-inch diameter (5'4 through the middle of the tree.)
King Elmer dethroned the former champion elm in Old Deerfield Village that has been cut down. In 2019, Neureuther traveled to Franklin County to see it only to find a stump, prompting him to submit the Lanesborough tree's official measurements.
He thought, "Wait a minute, we're moving up the ranks now."
The second-place elm scored 320 points, giving King Elmer a lead in the race barring the loss of a limb.
Earlier this year, the town was notified by the Arbor Day Foundation that it had been recognized as Tree City USA for 2023, a long-held designation.
Located at the corner of Route 7 and Summer St., the king is believed to be over 250 years old and is 107 feet tall with an average canopy spread of 95.5 feet. click for more
The game-winning rally started when Pittsfield junior Jack Abel led off by crushing a 1-1 pitch to left-center and racing all the way to third base, sliding in just ahead of the tag to give the Generals a sterling scoring opportunity. click for more
The Pittsfield baseball team Saturday rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie and went on to a 12-5 win over Clinton in the quarter-finals of the Division 4 State Tournament. click for more
Amanda Pou was named the most valuable player of the regional final after striking out four and walking none in a complete-game effort in the circle. She also ripped a two-run double in Pittsfield’s four-run fourth-inning rally to break open a scoreless game. click for more