By DAVID FOLSE II

Sports Editor

RESERVE-When you finish your season a game away from playing for a state championship you are either very lucky or have really good players.

Riverside Head Coach Steve Stropolo hopes the luck stays with him, but the good players were recognized recently as the 10-2A-baseball team was announced.

Highlighted by junior pitcher/infielder Jordan Poirrier, who was named Most Valuable Player in 10-2A, senior third baseman Josh Labiche, second baseman David Mabile, centerfielder Lee Haydel and right-fielder Nick Falgoust all were named to the first team.

“Putting four on the all-district squad and having Jordan be named the Most Valuable Player is a great thing,” Stropolo said. “We would have liked to win the state championship, but we made it to the semifinals and were five outs away from playing for a state crown. Whatever awards come to our kids, I am happy for them.”

Excited about the recognition of Poirrier as the district’s top player, Stropolo said the real test will come next season as Riverside enters a new and very tough district.

“I thought without a doubt that Jordan was the Most Valuable Player in our district,” Stropolo said. “We are heading into a new district next season so things are going to change. We are going to play some stiffer competition than we played in the past year with John Curtis and St. Charles Catholic coming into our district. Put those two together with two more solid teams we will face and this is going to be a tough district. These were all Class 3A teams except for Curtis and they didn’t lose a bunch of kids.

“They just lost a handful of kids. They are a Class 2A team that is popping at the seams. We are not close to that.

With Mabile and Haydel coming back next season along with Poirrier, the Class of 2006 will look to have a special season next year for the Rebels.

“The incoming senior class, which were juniors this past prep season is our big class,” Stropolo said. “I only had 3-4 sophomores this past season. We are going to be a very experienced team next season and we will have a chance for a very successful season.