Who Am I?

From the fall of 1990 until the winter of 2003, I covered local sports in the Franklin County and North Quabbin regions under the byline of Michael Kelley. My name could be seen under headlines for the Athol Daily News, The Recorder in Greenfield and the Daily Hampshire Gazette of Northampton. Over those 13 years, however, thanks to Recorder Sports Editor Gary Sanderson, many of you came to know me simply as "Ace."

While I covered everything from the Division I men's basketball Final Four to a couple of kids catching a large bass at a local fishing spot, I loved writing about athletics in this area. There is such a rich, solid tradition of sports, especially in high school, to be found here. Even in 1997, when I left the area to cover UMass athletics, I always tried to stay on top of what was going on in my backyard.

Writing was not the only way I was involved in high school sports, however. I frequently appeared as a guest on local radio talk shows, was a half-time football commentator with Chris Collins on WJDF radio in Orange as well as Orange's WCAT and the late John Casella. I was the color basketball commentator along side Jeff Tirrell of Greenfield's WHAI radio and appeared several times with former Recorder sportswriter Cameron Ward on his TV6 public access television show in Greenfield. I also tried my hand at coaching youth basketball, first as a boys coach at the Athol YMCA, then as a girls AAU and summer league coach.

Along the way, as many fans know, I stepped aside from my coverage to deal with health issues. In November of 2003, my health, though not terminal as some thought, finally sent me to the sidelines for good. While I am not out there everyday covering a game or looking for a big scoop as I used to, I still have a passion for the local high school sports scene and decided to create this site.