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To mitigate the hunger of a fan base starved for more Kronum League action, we’ll be bringing brief weekly updates of current adult rec league action, in addition to a weekly question-and-answer session. For further Kronum information, you can check out the league’s official website at www.kronum.com.
Captain of the Work Horses, Phil Cavalcante finished third in the Kronum League in scoring and tied for second in blocks last season. He took the time to sit down and reminisce about the early days of Kronum, discuss the transition to the role of captain, and the launch of Kronum West.
Before we get to the main topic on people’s minds, I wanted to ask about the early days of Kronum. You’re one of just a few remaining members from the [now defunct] Morningstars club, right? What is your favorite memory or story from that team?
Right now in the Kronum league you have Bud Yaniak, the McGlensey brothers, and that’s all I can think of right now, so if I’m missing someone I’m sorry. But that’s four guys from that Morningstars team that are still in the league and performing really well. I’m impressed with those guys who hung on and Brett [McGlensey] got to win a championship after playing with the Morningstars, and then going winless with the Horses, and finally winning with the Owls, I felt great for him.
The memory that sticks out the most is when we played the Night Owls in this suspended game from a pop-up thunderstorm that came rolling in late afternoon and just whipped one of the camera towers down. We all had to run inside the municipal building so we didn’t get killed. We waited it out but the field just wasn’t playable, there was even a little hail. So we had our first non-weekend Kronum game; we played the remainder of that game Thursday night later that week because that was part of the Captain’s Cup. So the winner of that game [Night Owls] went on to play the Jacks in the final of the Captain’s Cup.
That’s probably what prompted the move to the indoor facility.
Yeah, it’s a little safer, and Gable Park is great and everything, but the gameplay here [indoors at Maple Zone] is so much more on-point, crisp, everything goes where it’s supposed to more so than when you’re outside.
Last season was your first as captain for the Work Horses. What was that transition like going from being just a player out there to having to assume that player/coach role?
I took on a big responsibility. I remember when Bill [Gibson] called me and asked me to be captain and take the reins there, we need to try to turn this thing around [with the Work Horses]. It was a great honor to be able to do that. But as far as seeing the game and trying to understand the best methods of substitution, different styles of play, I felt like I had to take on a lot more there. I tried to delegate as much as possible but leadership is very important, and we improved the Work Horses from the season before, but still didn’t hit the mark we wanted to hit which was making the playoffs. But taking that responsibility is something I welcome every day.
Now to the main thing on everybody’s minds. You have a move to California coming up. Why don’t you fill everybody out there in on plans for that and everything that’s going on?
On paper, in the best way it could possibly happen, is that I head out there beginning of October, late September. The outdoor season here would just be winding down and after those months, we’re pretty much confined to this [indoors] and we don’t have a lot of options to play at different places unless they’re indoors. I think that will match up with a move in the fall and the continued good weather out there heading into the last quarter of the year.
My plan is to head out there in October, start right away. Start Kronum League West, Kronum Clubs Western Region, or Kronum Club LA, San Francisco, wherever I can go out there. I just think that the weather, the open-mindedness of the population out there is just going to serve this game very well.
So what do you envision as a projected timeline for how things will progress? Will you start with quarter Kronum or how will you get started with the game development?
We’re trying to set up partnerships with existing rec sports leagues out there, whether that would be men’s leagues, co-ed leagues, turf, indoor/outdoor, whatever the case may be. We want to set up as many ‘Maple Zones’ as we can out there running consistent rec leagues year round. Ultimately what I want to do is defect to the West Coast and bring back players to beat you guys [on the East Coast].
Realistically, how long do you think that would take? We have a bit of a head start over here.
I think the window for that would be 18-24 months. I know the talent is out there; you see all these premier high school and college players getting recruiting from out there. Just from a population standpoint, you look at Florida, Texas, and then California, some of the highest population states in the country that have a lot of the best athletes and a lot of the schools and other places look there to find the talent. I think there will be plenty of talent to choose from.
So that’s the plan right now. Nothing is set in stone, we’re just trying to factor in a lot of different intangibles, things that could potentially go right or wrong. October seems like a healthy start date.
Finally, not saying a merger couldn’t happen down the road, but if last season was your final one in the professional Kronum League, how would you want people to remember Phil Cavalcante’s game?
I would want people to think of me as an educator first, an educator and a motivator. I know a lot of other things are going to go with that: gunslinger or shooting off whenever I want. People are obviously going to think I take the ball and do what I may with it, but I try to pick and choose those situations. But I want to be somebody who helps somebody else get better at their game. I want to be somebody who either by vocally relaying that message to them or showing them by example, helps someone take one part of their game and step it up so they become a more effective player. That’s it.
This interview was slightly edited for conciseness and clarity.
Adult Rec League Week 4 Action
(2-2) Urban Legends 64, (0-5) Ole Miss Alum 54
Ole Miss improved on its defensive effort considerably from a week ago, and had the backdoor game working on offense to keep the contest within one possession through the final minutes. However, the consistent scoring of Kevin Glover on the outside and some timely 4-pointers down the stretch from fill-in player Ryan Coyne propelled the Legends to victory and kept Ole Miss winless on the year.
(2-2) Bronum 84, (2-2) nWo 72
It was a complete team effort for Bronum as they maintained a steady lead throughout the contest to hold off nWo. Phil Cavalcante, Ryan Coyne, Shaun Stevens, and Shane Dugan paced the offensive attack, while Jack Ross got to seemingly every loose ball on the field. Nick Piccari made an 8-point kronum in the second half to pull nWo back within striking distance, but Bronum had too many weapons for nWo to stop on this night.
(3-2) nWo 74, (2-2) Twerk Horses 73
Unlike any other sport, Kronum allows teams the capability to erase a lead in an instant. With the high-powered offense of the Horses keeping them out in front throughout the game, nWo continually turned to the big shot to get back into things. Ryan Kirby kicked an 8-point kronum in the first half and Matt Charleston sank another 8-pointer after halftime. Still, nWo found itself down 7 in the closing seconds, but fortunately it had one more trick up its sleeve. Kevin Casero nailed the third kronum of the game in the waning moments to shock the Horses and raise nWo back above .500 on the season.
(3-2) Air Pops 85, (3-1) The Prospectors 50
This game got away from the Prospectors from the opening prime rush as poor defensive rotations led to countless open shooters for the Pops and the Prospectors’ offense looked stagnant throughout the game. Ricky Baily, a top wedgeback prospect for the Jet Sets, was a brick wall in goal for the Pops, shutting down nearly everything the Prospectors could throw at him. Good win for the Pops against a previously undefeated squad.
(3-1) Dirty Mike and the Boys 68, (2-3) Farris Wheels 65
Usually it’s his older brother getting much of the publicity, but on this night, it was Dom Petrino’s turn to play the hero. After the Wheels opened up a 13-point halftime lead, Dom hit an 8-pointer off the second half prime rush to gash the deficit and spark some life into his club. The two squads finished tied after regulation, and after four players went in the shootout, it was Dom Petrino once again who stepped up, kicking home the winning points for the Boys.
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