MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / July 3, 1999

LAPLACE – It’s getting to be an annual ritual at NOAH Recreation – preparing the playground’s fields for tournament action.

This year, NOAH, the only sanctioned Little League program in the parish, is preparing to host three tournaments over the next month. The 11-12year-old Area 2 Little League tournament begins Tuesday and runs through the 10.

The Big League boys will play a home and home series against Baker beginning July 9 in Baker and continuing July 10 at NOAH. Both games willbegin at 5 p.m. The winner of that tournament advances to the statetournament in New Iberia on July 16. On that date, the Big League girlswill be playing in the state tournament at NOAH.

John Necaise, the site coordinator at NOAH, said volunteers and supporters are doing a bit of everything to get the fields ready for the tournament.

‘We are planting new grass and hauling in dirt for the mound and basepaths,” Necaise said. “It’s like preparing for Opening Day.”Necaise said the fields are prepared before Opening Day and that gets the program through the regular season. The preparations are done againbefore tournament play for the safety of the players.

“It’s all for the kids,” Necaise said.

Four of the eight fields at the playground will be used for the tournaments. Teams will be allowed to warmup at the other fields.The 11-12 tournament begins Tuesday at 5 p.m. Pilney of Metairie playsBogalusa while NOAH takes on Champ Cooper of Robert. The winners ofeach game meet Wednesday while the losers play in an elimination game.

The winner of that game plays the loser of the winner’s bracket game Thursday for the right to advance to the championship game Friday night. Asecond championship if necessary will be played Saturday night. All gamesbegin at 5 p.m. The ultimate goal for the tournament champion is the LittleLeague World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

Other NOAH teams will be hitting the road for tournament play. The 9-10year-olds will be playing in Baker Tuesday. On that date, the 15-16 year-olds will be playing in Bunkie. And the 13-14 year-olds are heading toFifth Ward. All are welcomed to come out to the ballpark and catch theaction.

The organization would also like to thank its volunteers and sponsors for their help. Sponsoring 11-12 year-old teams this year were GertrudeGardner, Wendy’s (Airline Highway), Ricca Demolishing, Cambridge True Value, Athletic Center and Come Back Inn Restaurant. Sponsors for the 13-14 year-olds were House of Brokers, Wendy’s (Highway 51) and Plaza 51.

Sponsoring the 15-16 year-olds were Mike Williams State Farm, RTL Corporation, Boh Brothers Construction and O & K Testing.

Sponsors for the 5-6 year-olds were Paradise Pet Shop, Prime Equipment, Candid Coates and Bulls Corner Restaurant. The 7-8 year-olds weresponsored by Adventures in Cruising, Sicily’s Pizza, Tony’s Tinting, Ross Louque Exterminating, Donnie’s Chevron and Aegis Construction, Inc.

Sponsors for the 9-10 year-olds were Stockhausen LTD, America’s Mortgage Resource, Essential Transportation, Stell Furniture and Time Warner CableVision. And the 17-18 year-olds were sponsored by BurgerKing.

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