
1991 -- I had found 3D archery a few years earlier, but when I heard about this thing called indoor archery, I decided I wanted to give that a try too. After reading an ad in the local paper, I found myself timidly walking into Hudson Falls Fish & Game Club for the first night of league night in 1991.
After opening the door, I was engulfed by cigarette smoke and a dungeon-like view of a small room that had a window in it that looked onto an indoor range of sorts. It was dark, and the first thing I noticed was an older man (I would later find out that Dick Maynard was his name) with a red and white Martin bow that had a long stabilizer and a movable sight attached to it. Men were laughing, smoking and complaining about arrows they had just shot. I stayed in the back of the room and took it all in, totally out of place... and out of my comfort zone.
After that night, I became a regular at Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club and learned about the history of archers who had come before me as well as the ones who were currently shooting. Before long, I was addicted to the game.
As the shooters in our club began getting better, some of us started traveling to Massachusetts every weekend to shoot, and we found ourselves in different ranged throughout New England and New York. Every weekend, we would pile into vehicles to test our skills against others. Dave Russell, Jim Burns, Karl Weber, Jim Packard, Brett and Lisa Dufour, Wade Chandler, Jeff Wagoner, Aron Stevenson, Gary Wood, Dad, and I battled it out in our own range to improve our skills in other places... We were from Hudson Falls, and we were proud about that.
Then, the biggest Vegas tournament in the Northeast, Guan Ho Ha, came up with a team event in which the top five scores from each club were added up to determine a winner. Everyone knew it would be impossible to beat West Albany. After all, they had pros in that club, including Despart, Badgely, Vozzy, and Williams among a handful of others who could pound. Every club except West Albany knew they were playing for second place. When the scores were tallied after the tournament that first year of the team event, West Albany did as expected and crushed everyone.
Nobody expected anything different the following year, but everything changed when Karl Weber came out of the gate and laid down a 449, missing his last arrow of the round. Karl set the pace for the rest of the Hudson Falls archers, and when the dust settled, Hudson Falls had won the unwinnable travel trophy. The little train that couldn't get over the hill spit and sputtered to the top. The trophy would return to Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club... a shocking surprise to everyone in attendance.
After that year, a few individuals started recruiting people to shoot for their team, even though they never shot out of the clubs they joined under. It was to be expected... some people just don't like losing so they do everything they can to win, even if it stretches the unwritten rules.
The years began fading into the rear-view mirror quickly, and before long the original intent of the team event was all but gone. Eventually, things turned around and got back to what was meant to be. Hudson Falls picked up where it left off and continued its success on a regular basis, which led us to this weekend.
Hudson Falls Fish and Game & NYFAB
Under new leadership this year, NYFAB, New York's NFAA organization, changed things and created a virtual league. The league was designed to raise some money, give members more shooting opportunities, and also give NYFAB clubs a chance to go head to head in a World Archery type team format after the first day of shooting at the State Championship. The new leadership has listened to its members in an attempt to remain transparent and give the shooters a more enjoyable overall experience. In doing so, they hit numbers this past weekend that surpassed numbers of the past, including an abundance of kids, youth and young adult shooters while also bringing in new adult shooters.
The virtual league was designed to allow shooters to participate in their leagues at their home clubs, and their top five scores from their leagues would be entered as their official scores. Then, the clubs had the responsibility of organizing their teams and getting the shooters with the top three scores to attend the State Championship, where participating clubs would lay it all on the line to determine a winner.
When the information came out, I tried recruiting members of our club to join the NYFAB virtual league because I know we have shooters who can compete with anyone out there. Being proud of my club's past, I wanted everyone to give it a whirl in hopes of carrying on that tradition that the original Hudson Falls team started 25 years ago.
As the archery co-director of our club, I tallied up the scores and submitted them at the due date. Then, I informed Rick Steves, Jason Clark and Logan Stevenson that they would be representing our club at the state shoot, where each shooter would shoot one arrow per end, and their would be three ends to determine a winner by overall score. I felt confident with these guys on the team. All of them can perform when they need to, and they've all put Hudson Falls on the map at different times during their archery careers.
As the league was progressing, Rick had a bad shoulder injury that brought doubts along with it. We all hoped his shoulder would spring back quickly, which it did. However, he did battle a lot of pain throughout the winter.
Jason started off slow in the early winter this year but found his way when he went to Lancaster, made the elimination matches and came home to find himself back in familiar territory. As we closed in on the state championship, I knew he and Rick were hitting their stride and would represent us to the best of their abilities.
Logan would round out our team. When I look at Logan, I see his father. In some ways, it's a gut-punch dose of reality. I started bringing Aron (Logan's dad) shooting when he was 12 years old. Aron would carve his own bows and arrows out of trees in his backyard. Although he could shoot releases, Aron always preferred shooting barebow, and to this day he's one of the best barebow shooters I've ever seen... a natural... just like his son. He would go on to become the runner-up in the barebow class at the IBO World, and days were different then... there were 5,000 shooters at the event and barebow was a large class. Eventually, he would start shooting a release, as the barebow compound class began to fade away.

Time has wrinkled my skin, weathered my face, brought numerous surgeries to my body, but it has never taken away my love of archery. It has also allowed me to see Aron's love of the game transferred to his son. Although Aron is only about 10 years younger than me, I still see the 12-year-old kid who used to hop in the backseat and talk about archery nonstop from the time we left until the time we got home. At times, I thought my head was going to explode, but I loved the kid like he was my annoying little brother. Aron led many of our Hudson Falls teams over the years, one time showing up at a tournament without a release or any arrows. Of course, I always have spare stuff, so I let him borrow it. He sighted the bow in with the six practice arrows and walked away with a 449... a pure natural.
Well Logan plodded along this winter but never got too far off track. He had a few highs as well as hitting a few bumps in the road, but nothing more than a pothole. He stayed strong and steady throughout, making Jason and Rick wish they could shoot without any of the aches and pains that aging brings with it. His youthfulness reminded all of us this winter that we are aging.
When everyone headed to the State Championship, I felt confident about our chances with these guys representing the club. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to stand in the ring and go toe to toe for us, and I hope these three guys inspire others in our club to get better and want to become part of that team next year.
Show Time
As we stood around waiting for the event to start, we chatted back and forth to come up with any type of plan that might benefit the team. After asking each of them which target they preferred shooting, we figured out a shooting order and decided Rick would shoot first, Jason would shoot second and Logan would shoot last.
The guys got out of the gate well when they scored a 32 out of 33, barely missing the third 11. They set the tone, and all three of them made good shots. Going into the second end, I figured we would be all set. However, that little, tiny X can sometimes be extremely difficult to hit. Once again, all three shooters made great shots, but only one of them caught an X. The other two arrows were solidly in the 10-ring but barely missed the X. It quickly went from cruising along on cruise control to becoming a nail-biter. After the last end of scoring, the team found itself in a three-way tie. The outcome would be determined by a closest-to-center arrow. Each team member would shoot, but the closest arrow to the center would be the winner.
Rick led off with a great shot, but the arrow landed just to the right of the X. Sometimes great shots don't land in the middle of the middle. Although it was good enough for a 10, it wasn't going to put a check in the team's pocket... It would now be left up to Jason.
After the other two teams shot their arrows, Jason stepped to the line, drew his bow, anchored and held. As his hold became a tad longer than normal, I glanced over top of my binoculars to get a look at him. When I did that, the shot fired. After a quick look through the glasses, I saw that Jason's arrow was solidly in the 10, barely missing the X. We were now down to one arrow.
Before Logan stepped to the line, my mind raced back to Aron walking into the arena that day over 20 years ago and asking me, "Hey, do you have a release or any arrows I can borrow? I left mine in Plattsburgh."
I smiled at him, reached in my pocket and pulled out a release. "Here ya go, buddy. Just give it back to me when you're done. There are arrows over there in my quiver."
A few hours later I got to tell Dave Badgely that I got to feel what he got to feel when Despart borrowed Dave's bow, arrows and release and beat him after Dave had already shot. Dave, I know it's not good we can remember these things, but it's all a part of the game, and we both have these awesome memories to look back on. Not many out there can say they got beat by their own equipment in someone else's hands.
Suddenly, I was jarred back to the present when the whistle blew and Logan drew his bow. I knew his first two shots took a few seconds longer than normal, and I knew that was why he didn't shoot Xs. However, when he hit the back well, I saw everything in slow motion. The hold only lasted a second and the shot was effortless. The arrow was on its way. Would Logan save Hudson Falls' day, or would we all shake hands, laugh about it and walk off the floor?
Although the flight of the arrow probably took less than a second, it seemed as if I could see every revolution of the arrow as it made its way toward the yellow. My mind raced, and I tried willing the arrow into the middle. Then, I heard the crowd cheer and Logan erupted, "That's why I love this f***ing game." (Sorry Mom, that's what he really said) Pumping his fist into the air and fist bumping Jason and Rick, we all stood back and saw the arrow sitting inside-out in the X-ring. There might be a tie, but there wasn't going to be another arrow any closer to the center.
We all held our breath while the last shooter, whom I believe was Easton Rupp took aim and tried to top it. After the shot broke, and the arrow struck the target, the team from Hudson Falls celebrated. They had carried on a long-standing tradition that Karl Weber's first 45 arrows of the Guan Ho Ha tournament started all those years ago. Rick, Jason and Logan would now live forever in the history of the many Hudson Falls Archery teams, and they would walk away with a $720 check for the club's archery department.
Thank You to Hudson Falls Fish and Game and NYFAB
I'd like to thank the Hudson Falls Fish and Game and all of its members over the years for driving each other to succeed and compete at higher levels than some may have ever expected. No matter whether you're young or old, if you have participated in the club's activities, you have had a part in it. Our range is dedicated to Linda and Ed Dufour and Dick and Rita Sage. Without these people, none of us would've found our way into competitive archery, and I'm thankful for all of them every day and the relationship I had with each one of them while they were alive. They all gave me inspiration in different ways, and I can only hope that Rick, Jason and Logan give some of our young and old members alike some inspiration to give it everything you have, even when you feel like you're down and out. These guys stuck together and carried out a plan. I'd also like to thank Jason for committing to the virtual league and helping Logan get signed up. Without your help with this, Jason, the team would've had a much tougher time completing the job. Rick, I'd like to thank you for choosing our Vegas league this year instead of the 5-spot league. I know the drive isn't easy after work when you have to go to work the next morning, and I appreciate your dedication and commitment to making this happen. It doesn't go unnoticed. Logan, I'd like to say thanks for saving our ass. We all appreciate you and the incredible shot you made. I appreciate the fact that you're just like your father, and sometimes I want to kill you, but at the same time, I still feel like your father is my little brother and I feel like you're my little kid, so when I yell at you, you can feel free to ignore me like you ignore your mom and dad.Heck, your father never listened to me either. Keep doing what you do and do it your way because we all know the Stevenson way has its own road not many others can follow.
I'd like to thank NYFAB and the new leadership for its efforts in growing the organization and coming up with new ideas to improve the experience and motivate shooters to become better and be a part of a team. It hasn't gone unnoticed, and Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club is thankful for your place in our world, even if we are a bunch of cow-tipping rednecks from the eastern New York who allow all our Vermonters to shoot with us every week.
I'd also like to thank Chuck Weeden, my co-director who does all of the behind-the-scenes work for the tournaments we run in the winter. Between the two of us we are trying to give you a good archery experience at our club. Chuck and I hope that these tournaments helped all of you guys be prepared for your experience at the State Championship. We try to give you things to improve your skills and help you when you find yourselves in a big moment. It sure looked like it helped Rick, Jason and Logan. Congratulations, guys. I'm proud of all three of you. Great job!