Summer - when the school days are as infrequent as blog posts.

My apologies for not blogging as regularly during the spring season. I think the heat got to me. And the rain. And the exceptional (but exhausting) road to State College during the basketball season.

In either case, please bookmark Gettin' Schooled and check back throughout the summer. While there is not nearly as much going on in the high school sports scene, there will be exceptions to those rules. Like the Carpenter Cup Classic.

Pictured above, Nick Mascioli of Delco Christian, made several diving, run-saving grabs in the Phillies-sponsored all-star tournament. He made one of them Wednesday, when his SOL National/Bicentennial team lost the championship game to Burlington County, 2-1. Staff writer John Kopp gave us an item following the title game.

I had a chance to catch up with Mascioli after the SOL/BAL team's 3-2 win Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. His star is certainly on the rise.

So don't be a stranger (even if your estranged blogger has been) at Gettin' Schooled.

I love high school sports. If you ask me, sport is never more genuine. Your desire to play is never greater, neither is the camaraderie. But it's always good to get a breather.

So last night, I was at Citizens Bank Park alongside sports editor Rob Parent, who was writing the gamer and notes. (See, even our full-time Phillies guy Ryan Lawrence needs a day away from the beat.)

I was there to do a column on Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz, who is best known for his stellar high school career at Springfield High.

I've said before to my peers and friends that the most humble pro athlete I've ever interviewed was Orlando's Jameer Nelson. But Buchholz trumps Jameer. He was a great chat and took minutes out of his schedule between pitchers' meetings to talk about life at home.

I hope you enjoy my first try at column writing with the Daily Times. (The last time I wrote one was in my career at The Temple News.)