While the Falcons fell, 60-53, to Norristown Feb. 24 at the Liacouras Center, Pennsbury will take another step toward its goal of winning a state title when it travels to Norristown today (Feb. 28) to battle Conestoga in the consolation round of the 32-team District One Quad-A tournament.
Pennsbury (22-4), the No. 4 seed, will take on the second-seeded Pioneers in a battle for third place in District One. Conestoga lost their semifinal to third-seeded Penn Wood.
The game will be broadcast live by WBCB 1490 AM starting at 2:30 p.m. with the pre-game beginning at 2 p.m.
To listen live here, click here

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury, WBCB

Labels: Bristol, Wrestling

Labels: CR South, Wrestling

Labels: CR South, Wrestling

Labels: Neshaminy, Wrestling

Labels: CR North, Truman, Wrestling

Labels: CR North, Wrestling

Labels: CR South, Truman, Wrestling

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

At sectionals held March 14 at Abington, Council Rock North eeked out a half-point victory over CR South to take the Section One-AAA team title.
The Golden Hawks turned the tables on North on Saturday Feb. 21 however, winning the District One team title. Additionally, South had six grapplers win district trophies. North had a lone D-I champ in senior Zach Haynes, who took the 119-pound championship.
“The postseason is the entire reason we do what we do - from training to scheduling, it's the only thing that matters,” stated CR South skipper Brad Silimperi.
The Hawks are led by CR South senior Mark Helfrich, who captured the 145-pound district championship.
South’s other D-I champions were Matt Rappo (125), Matt Martoccio (130), Jim Vollrath (152), Ed Shupe (160) and Bobby Lavelle (171).
“This was simply vindication for them because they truly believe that they are the best team in District 1,” commented Silimperi.
The six grapplers for the Hawks will compete in the Class AAA Southeast Regional, Feb. 27-28 at Oxford Area High School, near the Pennsy-Maryland border. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to states, slated for next month in Hershey.
According to Silimperi, Rappo is wrestling in one of the deepest weight classes in the tournament. Still the CR South coach believes his 125-pounder will be ready.
“I think he is wrestling the best he’s ever wrestled at this point and peaking when it counts.
“I’m confident he will continue to wrestle well as he usually rises to the level of his competition.”
With just one loss on the season, senior 152-pounder Jim Vollrath (35-1) has perhaps the best chance to take home the Keystone Gold.
“Jimmy has been simply dominating up to this point. His strength, speed, conditioning has been unmatched so far this year. He can simply go, go, go and he's just so darn physical. His opponents better be ready and better be in good shape, otherwise six minutes can seem like an eternity.”
Senior Ed Shupe should also go far at 160 pounds. The recent transfer from Pennsbury compiled a record of 31-3 and won his first district trophy Feb. 21 at North.
“Eddie is lightning quick and really good on top. His unorthodox style makes him tough to beat.”
After taking a runnerup trophy after dropping a 3-0 decision to Abington 145-pounder Cody Carrigan, senior Mark Helfrich turned the tables and posted a 2-0 decision on the Ghost grappler in the D-I finale.
“Mark is really coming on strong. His performance at districts was a major reason for us winning the team title.”
After wrestling up all season long, junior Bobby Lavellle is back where he belong at 171 pounds.
“Now that he's at his fighting weight, he looks great. He’s very quick on his feet and good on bottom. He's learned to be more greedy when fighting for points and this will become a huge factor as we get deeper into the postseason.”
South sophomore Matt Martoccio (18-2) has recovered in time from a hand injury to make a run at states in the 130-pound division.
“Now that his hand is healed and he's been through the long months of January and February, he's back to where he should be in terms of conditioning and strength.”
CR North, meanwhile is sending seven of its mat men on to regionals including junior Jamie Callender, who lost a close decision to Springfield’s Andre Petroski. An 8-6 winner over Callender in the 189-pound final, Petroski was named the tourney's most Outstanding Wrestler.
The Indians are led by Zach Haynes, the 119-pound champion, after a dominating 15-3 decision over Upper Moreland’s Tim Santry.
North 215-pounder John Kaschak also made his way to the finals, where he was pinned by Springfield DelCo’s Kaje Sponheimer.
Taking third place trophies for North were Shane Longstreth and Greg Lanctot. Longstreth posted a 6-4 decision over Upper Moreland's Jake Ellis. Lanctot posted a 14-3 major decision win over Radnor's Chadd Baribault. Fourth-place finisher Sean Doerr is also headed to regionals, despite dropping a 5-0 decision to Springfield Delco's John McCoach.
Harry S Truman is sending three wrestlers on to regionals, including 103-pound D-I champion James Bak, who pinned all three of his opponents including CR North lightweight Adam Slezak. HST sophomore Sean Edmondson also advanced to regionals after falling in a close decision to Springfield Delco's Dan Dortone in a battle for the 112-pound belt. HST senior Matt Marks, a D-I runnerup after getting tech-falled by CR South's Matt Rappo in the 125 pound finale, will also represent the Tigers.
Neshaminy will send three wrestlers to regionals, led by John Lindquist, the 140-pound district runnerup after getting pinned by Ridley's Sean Renish.
Redskins 119-pounder Nick Russell will also head to regionals after edging Luke Bilyeu, of Haverford High, 5-3, in a D-I quarterfinal and downing Dan Stover, of Sun Valley, 5-4 in a consolation semifinal. Bilyeu got his revenge in the third place bout, however, pinning Russell in the second period.
Neshaminy 103-pounder Colby Lederer also advanced after decisioning Calvin Harrison, of Glen Mills, 5-2, in the D-I quarters and pinning Eric Lee, of Haverford, in the consolation semis. Harrison also exacted revenge, posting a 7-5 decision over Lederer in the third place bout.
Pennsbury’s only regional qualifier is Josh Mitchell, the third-place finisher at 285 pounds. After falling in the quarters to Upper Darby heavyweight Phil Kitain, Mitchell won a 3-0 decision over Paris Covington, of Sun Valley and a 2-1 victory over David Dewan, of Springfield Delco. Finally in a battle for third place, Josh downed William Tennent heavyweight Rick Dracup, 3-1.
Starting today at 3:30, all 20 grapplers will take to the mat trying to punch their ticket to states set to take place March 5-7 at Hershey’s Giant Center.
***


SE Regional
Class AAA Tournament
Feb. 27 and 28 at
Oxford Area High School

Regional AAA Qualifiers

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH
Mark Helfrich (145) *
Matt Rappo (125) *
Matt Martoccio (130) *
Jim Vollrath (152) *
Ed Shupe (160) *
Bobby Lavelle (171) *

COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
Adam Slezak (103)
Zach Haynes (119) *
Jamie Callender (189)
John Kaschak (215)
Shane Longstreth (112)
Greg Lanctot (140)
Sean Doerr (135)
***
NESHAMINY
Colby Lederer (103)
Nick Russell (119)
John Lindquist (140)

TRUMAN
James Bak (103) *
Sean Edmonson (112)
Matt Marks (125)

PENNSBURY
Josh Mitchell (285)

* District Champion

Labels: Wrestling

High School hoops fans treated to a hoot'nanny

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

AMBLER - High School hoops fans, if you weren’t at Wissahickon High School last night around 7:30, you missed a real treat.

Despite trailing Strath Haven by 20 points at halftime in a District One Class AAA semifinal, Holy Ghost Prep roared back to lock the sides at 59 points apiece and send the battle into overtime.

Only 6.2 seconds separated the Firebirds from victory in this one. Trailing throughout most of the extra session, the Ghost took a 1-point edge on Tyler Juchne’s seemingly misdirected 3-pointer that somehow bounced in off the glass, giving the Prep the lead with less than 30 seconds to go.

At the other end of the court, HGP senior John Glenn, who took control of the game with 13 points in the second half and OT, came down with the rebound after a Panthers miss.

Strath Haven wasted no time in sending Glenn to the charity stripe where he made 1-of-2 free throws to put his team up by a pair with mere seconds to go.

In the end, SH senior Calvin Newell, the player the Ghost could not stop all night, became the birds’ undoing, sinking a fade-away 3-pointer as time expired. For the game, Newell drained 40 points including a pair of free throws that sent the battle into overtime.

“There’s only so much you can do to contain a guy like that,” stated HGP senior John Glenn. “Even in the first half, he wasn’t missing any of his shots. And that just carried over to the second half.”

“He was unbelievable; he is faster than anyone on our team. He’s got everything you need to be to a Division I [recruit].”

A disappointing ending for Firebirds fans, sure. But how the Ghost came back in this one, well, you had to see it to believe it.

After outpacing second-seeded HGP, 18-9 in the first quarter, Strath Haven posted a 10-0 run to open the second period and extend the lead to 28-9. Part of the Panthers run included a pair of threes by--you guessed it--Newell.

Holy Ghost pretty much went bucket-for-bucket with No. 6 seed Strath Haven throughout the remainder of the first half but the damage had been done.

“I just told them to try to get the [Panthers] lead down to 10 points--to the point where it was more manageable,” said HGP skipper Tony Chapman. “Don’t try to chew it all up at once.”

The ‘birds did just that, chipping away at a seemingly insurmountable Haven edge by opening the second half with an 8-2 run that knocked six points off the opponent’s lead.

A jumper by Mike Byrne and a 3-pointer by Glenn closed the gap down to Chapman’s magic number 10. And Byrne’s 3-pointer at the buzzer trimmed the Panthers’ edge down to seven by the end of the third period.

The Ghost erased the Panthers’ edge with an 8-0 spurt to open the final frame. Glenn hit the first of two free throws to put HGP up 49-48. The ‘birds soon found themselves down by 3 points after a putback basket by Chazz Fisher and a much-too-easy layup by Newell off an inbounds pass.

Trailing, 57-53, after another 3-pointer by Newell, the Ghost bounced back again, this time on a jumper by Byrne and an inside bucket by Glenn following an HGP steal at mid-court.
When junior Owen Kirby notched a pair of free throws, the ‘birds had themselves a 59-57 edge with 1:20 to go.

In the end, the Ghost just got too far behind in the first half. To see how differently the ‘birds played in the first half, witness the points differential by each player.
HGP’s points leader for the game with 15, Glenn tallied a single field goal in the first period and was held off the board in the second.

After draining a single shot--a 3-pointer in the first period--before the intermission, Byrne poured 9 points into the bucket after the break. Phil Pastor was another player held off the board in the second period. He went on to tally 10 points for the game after netting just a single field goal in the initial period.

After notching just a single foul shot in the first half, senior Duffy Barrett went on to score 8 for the game. Even Kirby doubled his first-half points total of two in the first half.

The only HGP player whose first half total actually came close to mirroring his second half was junior Nate Lorence.

Nursing along a sore knee, Lorence didn’t enter the game until the second period. The big center tallied 7 first-half points including 5-of-6 from the foul line before adding 6 points after the break.

In the end, it was the Firebirds’ inability to contain Newell that narrowed their chances of victory in the district semifinal matchup.

“There’s only so much you can do against a player like him; we tried doubling him but he split off the double teams,” explained Glenn. “He gets to the basket; he has good body control.
“He’s just an incredible player.”

Holy Ghost gets another chance to extend its season at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 back at Wissahickon when the ‘birds take on 12th-seeded Harriton, which lost 52-41 to Phoenixville in the other semifinal. Meanwhile, Strath Haven will battle top-seeded Phoenixville for the District One AAA championship at Villanova University. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at The Pavilion.


LINESCORES
1 2 3 4 5 Final
Strath Haven 18 19 11 11 9 68
Holy Ghost 9 8 24 18 8 67
(Feb. 25 at Wissahickon HS)

Strath Haven
Player Points
Calvin Newell 40
Avatar Jones 8
Chazz Fisher 7
Jack Roberts 6
Patrick Fisher 3
Dan Morris 2
Joseph Raymond 2
***
Holy Ghost Prep
Player Points
John Glenn 15
Nate Lorence 13
Mike Byrne 12
Phil Pastor 10
Duffy Barrett 8
Owen Kirby 6

Labels: boys basketball, Holy Ghost Prep

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

This is big news in the high school basketball community.
The Rick & Chris Block Memorial Alumni Classic basketball game will NOT take place this year. The Block family had hosted the game at Pennsbury High School East for the past 14 years.
Oh, the Block family is still hosting a March 7 fundraiser that helps fund a scholarship named for Pennsbury High hoops standouts Rick and Chris Block.
But the game has been canceled.
The reason is the red hot Pennsbury boys basketball team. When Block family members made a recent decision to cancel the game, the Falcons hadn’t lost a game to a regional opponent. Of course, by now everyone’s heard that 4th-seeded Pennsbury lost their district semifinal match to No. 8 seed Norristown.
Still, the Blocks wanted to support the orange and black.
“Our supporters are people who follow high school basketball, mainly Pennsbury,” said family matriarch Jan Block. “The question was ‘how do you do this when the entire community is hepped up over the team?’”
The annual event will still be held Saturday, March 7, only now it will take the form of a beef-and-beer to be held at DaBar on New Falls Road in Fairless Hills.
And the Block scholarship will still be awarded, though according to Ms. Block, family members aren’t exactly sure when and where that announcement will take place.
“The [scholarship] will not go away,” said Jan Block. “My sons will still be honored with this scholarship, no matter what.”
The Block Memorial Classic and the night of family fun and entertainment that surrounded it was begun initially as a way for the Blocks to remember family member and Pennsbury hoops standout Rick Block (Class of 1980) who died tragically in a plane crash in 1994.
Chris is a 1985 Pennsbury graduate and hoops star who was inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. For more than a decade, Chris was instrumental in organizing the alumni basketball game as a way of honoring his brother Rick, who was also a member of that prestigious club.
But then three-and-a-half years ago, Chris died suddenly from a condition known as Hypertrobic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), also known as an enlarged heart. So the name of the game was changed in 2006 to memorialize both brothers.
Fourth on Pennsbury's FG percentage list for his high school career, Chris was just 38 years-old when he died in his sleep in July 2005, leaving behind wife Lisa and four children. Rick still holds the record at Pennsbury for both season and career field goal percentage.
The Blocks hope that the memory of their loved ones will live on in the form of the scholarship award given to a Falcons varsity basketball player who most closely emulates the play of the Block brothers on the basketball court.
Both Rick and Chris were standout students so scholarship winners have to do more than exhibit expertise on the hardwood. They must also demonstrate the ability to perform in the classroom. To qualify for the award, athletes must have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Last year, the award went to point guard Sarah Thorn, who now plays basketball at St. Francis University.
Past Block Memorial scholars include Bradie Vaughan, Meghan McDavid, Brian Besecker, Lindsey Krasna (Cornell), Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman, Matthew Kettles, Meghan Sweeney, Kurt Bergmann, Jeff Piscadlo, Michael Collins, Mark Hentosh, John Maxey and Jared Birnbaum.
The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. March 7 at DaBar. Door prizes include iPods, flash drives, gift certificates and sports memorabilia. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children.

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury

By Steve Sherman,
Sports Editor

Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) High School alum Steve Slaton has turned heads wherever he's gone. The Class of 2005 CEC product rushed for more than 6,000 yards and 73 touchdowns at Egan, setting five school records carrying the football for the Eagles.
After turning his back on the University of Maryland when they asked him to play on the other side of the ball, Slaton went on to the University of West Virginia where he compiled nearly 4,000 rushing yards toting the pigskin for the Mountaineers.
Slaton is third on West Virginia's all-time list of leading rushers.
This season, pro football prognosticators stood up and took notice of Slaton. Despite not getting his first start until a week 3 visit to Tennessee, Slaton just finished his first professional campaign as the NFL's leading rookie rusher while also setting the Houston Texans’ single-season rushing record with 1,282 yards.
Slaton also helped the Eagles - albeit indirectly - get into the playoffs, rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches for 36 yards in a final regular season Texans’ win over the Chicago Bears. Philadelphia needed losses by both the Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get into the postseason.
To pay tribute to Steve, the Bucks County Commissioners (BCC) are declaring Wednesday, March 4 Steve Slaton Day throughout Bucks County.
The commissioners will make the announcement official at their 10 a.m. meeting to be held that day inside the Conwell-Egan Catholic auditorium.
Numerous electronic media outlets are expected to be there to cover this event, including Comcast SportsNet and NFL Films, says BCC spokesperson Chris Edwards. The Texans are also reportedly sending a video crew in order to cover the story for their fans.

Labels: Conwell-Egan, Football, NFL

Today at New Hope-Solebury Upper Elementary School, World Famous Harlem Globetrotter “Buckets” Blakes will join students there in Jump Rope For Heart week by shooting buckets while jumping rope. Jump Rope For Heart Week is a national educational fund-raising program that is sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

New Hope-Solebury Upper Elementary School is located at 186 West Bridge Street in New Hope.

Jump Rope For Heart engages elementary students in jumping rope while raising funds to support lifesaving heart and stroke research. Students ask friends and family for donations and receive thank-you gifts based on the dollars they raise.

This educational program teaches physical fitness and promotes the value of community service to students and their families. It shows students that they can contribute to their community's welfare.

The Globetrotters will play six games in four area arenas from Tuesday, March 3 through Sunday, March 8. They will take on the Washington Generals at the Sovereign Bank Arena (Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.), the Wachovia Center (Sunday, March 8 at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.), the Liacouras Center (Tuesday, March 3 at 11 a.m. and Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m.), and the Bob Carpenter Center (Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m.).

Tickets are available via ComcastTIX.com, 1-800-298-4200, or each arena box office.

Labels: New Hope

Norristown in semifinals for second straight year.

By Bill Kenny
Special to BucksLocalSports.com

PHILADELPHIA — The dream isn’t over, but it certainly took a hard hit last night.

Pennsbury High School’s boys basketball team saw a quicker and more physical Norristown High dominate early and slam the door late to beat the Falcons, 60-53, in the District One Class AAAA tournament semifinals at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

It was Pennsbury’s second loss in as many years to the Eagles in the district semifinals. The fourth-seeded Falcons (22-4) will next take on second-seeded Conestoga Friday night in the third-place game at a site to be announced. Ninth-seeded Norristown (21-5) will meet third-seeded Penn Wood in the championship game Friday at Villanova University (9 p.m.).

Pennsbury’s Dalton Pepper came out on top in the head-to-head match-up of NCAA Division I recruits, outscoring Norristown swingman Khalif Wyatt, 28-17. But the Temple-bound Wyatt’s supporting cast got the early jump on the Falcons and never looked back.

Pepper’s driving lay-up in the opening seconds provided Pennsbury’s only lead of the night.

Norristown used a barrage of three-pointers to build a double-digit lead in the first quarter. West Virginia-bound Pepper scored 18 points and guard Eddie DiRugeris 10 after intermission as the Falcons narrowed the gap to five points on four occasions.

DiRugeris finished with 12 points. No other Falcons scored more than six.

Norristown burst to a 12-2 advantage and led by as many as 13 in the first half thanks to its scorching outside shooting and a disciplined zone defense designed to minimize Pepper’s scoring opportunities.

The Eagles stroked five 3-pointers in the half, including two by senior forward Lorenzo Christmas and one apiece by point guard Sheldon Mayer, Wyatt and forward James Ramsey.

Wyatt, who scored 31 points in Norristown’s previous tournament game, turned set-up man as his three first-half assists created opening for the other Eagles. Four of the three-pointers came during a 2:41 span late in the first quarter.

Pennsbury tried to respond behind Pepper’s three second-quarter field goals, but the 6-foot-5 all-state selection shot only eight times in the half, connecting on four.

Junior guard Dante Devine hit a pair of 3-pointers in the half to help keep the Norristown lead to single digits.

Wyatt put his personal stamp on the early action with two head-to-head successes against Pepper.

With 6:39 to go in the half, Wyatt found himself isolated on the right wing with Pepper guarding him man-to-man. The Norristown star feinted then rose up over the defender to knock down his team’s fifth 3-pointer of the game.

Then with the Falcons down eight points and working for the last shot of the half, Pepper tried to break down Wyatt off the dribble, but the Norristown player blocked Pepper’s pull-up jumper as time expired.

In last night’s first game, Penn Wood point guard Tyree Johnson scored 23 points to lead the third-seeded Colonials (23-3) to a 62-52 win over second seeded Conestoga (25-3). Six-foot-10 center Jake Cohen paced the Pioneers with 25 points before fouling out in the final minute. Forward Doug Jakiela added 14 points.

PIAA District 1 Class AAAA
Semifinals
Penn Wood 62, Conestoga 52
Norristown 60, Pennsbury 53

Consolation Bracket
Central Bucks West 55, Neshaminy 45
Glen Mills 82, West Chester Rustin 44
Chester 59, Central Bucks South 52
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 52, Lower Merion 46 OT

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury boys basketball

Lady Vikes have one
last chance to make states

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Surprise performances sometimes turn into astonishing campaigns.
Coming off one of its best years (23-3) ever, Archbishop Wood entered this season having lost four of its starting front five including standout Rosie Tarnowski, now playing at Washington State.
The Lady Vikings also had to take the floor this year without the services of Alyssa Parsons (Rider), Langhorne’s Lisa Strack (American), and Holland’s Taylor Peltzer (Philadelphia/lacrosse).
What’s more, Wood lost projected starter Ashley B’Oris when the senior guard tore her ACL before the start of the season. And senior Jen Maxwell suffered a high ankle sprain keeping her out for the first month of the campaign.
AW head coach Jim Ricci gives it to you both the way the prognosticators saw it and the way he and his staff perceived it.
First, the latter.
“We thought we were going to be a very good team,” said Ricci. “We knew we might surprise some people.”
What the pundits were saying was completely different, however, said the coach.
“When everybody left and graduated last year, most people thought we wouldn’t be able to compete.”
In terms of difficulty, Wood’s schedule has not slacked off one bit from its previous seasons. The Vikes are always going against the top talent in the country.
Wood has also gotten trounced in some of those battles. The Vikes got smoked by Mount Notre Dame, ranked No. 11 in USA Today’s Super 25 preseason poll.
They also lost to Fenwick Catholic which was ranked sixth in the nation at the time Wood played the Illinois opponent.
While the Vikings struggled at first this season, dropping four of their first nine games, Wood came on like gangbusters from there, winning 14 of their next 15 games including playoff victories over Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Ryan.
”We took some bumps early but we competed,” stated Ricci. “As the season went on, we started to mesh a lot better and we’re playing pretty good right now.”
The Vikings’ latest win over the Ragdolls puts them in last Monday’s Philadelphia Catholic League championship game at the Palestra.
The opponent?
Wood’s old nemesis Archbishop Carroll, which defeated the Vikes in the PCL title game two years ago and ousted them in the semis last season.
How Wood made its way all the way to the championship, no one is sure. One thing that is known, however, this bunch talent, despite last year’s departures.
Scoring leader and St. Joe’s-bound center Ashley Robinson was helped by a superb crop of sophomores stepping up for the Vikes this season including Christine Verelle, Steph Keyes, Victoria Arnao and Cait McCartney.
“This year, we did have a little more adversity. We had kids hurt, we had kids starting who had never started before,” explained Ricci. “Last year’s group was a seasoned group. This year’s was kind of raw in terms of playing time.”
First-year starters for Wood included Verelle, Sam Greenfield, Jenelle Hudson, Jen Maxwell and Arnao, who stepped up in place of Maxwell when she went down with an injury.
Ricci lists among the highlights of the current campaign Robinson surpassing 1,000 points on the season. Of course, defeating Cardinal O’Hara, ranked tops in the nation at that time, was a pretty big deal. And the way the players blended together, he adds.
“We can compete with anybody; we proved we can play against the best and win.”
Carroll, PCL tournament semifinal winners over fifth-ranked in the nation Cardinal O’Hara, is currently ranked 17th in the nation.
So the question remained could the Vikes get past their old nemesis and claim their first ever PCL crown since 1982?
The short answer was they could not. Despite Robinson’s 10 points and 11 rebounds in the first half, Wood still trailed Carroll at the break. The Vikes shot just 7-for-34 from the floor on their way to a 35-22 defeat.
Carroll will play Prep Charter Feb. 28 for the District 12 Class AAA championship. Wood will face D-12 runnerup Roxborough Feb. 25 in their last chance to make states.

Labels: Archbishop Wood, Girls Basketball

Morrisville native posts his
best game in Owls' fifth straight win

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Yesterday at the Liacouras Center, they gave out Dionte Christmas bobbleheads to the first 3,000 fans who showed up for the Temple Owls’ battle with St. Bonaventure.
A Lavoy Allen figurine might have been more appropriate however, given the game that the Pennsbury High School alum posted in the Owls’ win over the Bonnies.
Allen posted up with, statistically, his best game of the season when he tallied 20 points, 18 rebounds and four assists in Temple’s 70-56 win over St. Bonaventure. He compiled 13 of those points and 14 rebounds before the halftime buzzer to help the Owls to a 38-26 lead at the break.
A sophomore starter for Temple, Allen leads the Owls in terms of rebounding and blocked shots.
“He is just astounding in terms of knowing where he has to be and getting himself in position to either get the rebound or defend the basket,” commented Pennsbury head coach Frank Sciolla before the start of the Feb. 22 battle.
“One of the criticisms on Lavoy is that he isn’t aggressive enough with the ball.
“Coach [Fran] Dunphy feels there’s times when he needs to take the ball to the basket instead of looking to dish it off to a teammate.”
Allen brushed all that aside yesterday, dominating the game in the first half.
His first bucket--a turnaround hook from down low in the post--put the Owls up 11-6 early. His second came on a break, a layup made off a bounce pass from freshman Juan Fernandez that put Temple up 21-10.
The fourth was a putback of a missed jump shot by Fernandez and his fifth field goal was an allyoop made off a feed from Fernandez. Fouled on the putback basket, Lavoy made the and-one, extending the Owls lead even further.
In between, Lavoy came up with a steal deep inside the defensive end, finding Christmas streaking down the court on a break. He also connected with sophomore Craig Williams on an allyoop basket, made three of his five free throws while outpacing the Bonnies 14-13 in rebounds tallied before the half.
The Morrisville native was on his way to becoming the first to have 20 or more boards Owl since Joe Newman grabbed 24 rebounds against Drexel in 1973, but fell off the pace in the second half.
Allen still broke the building record of 17, previously held by Temple's Keith Butler (March 3, 2004 vs. Massachusetts) and Saint Joseph's Harold Rasul (February 17, 1998).
Allen finished his game shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor. It was his 10th double-double of the season and the Owls’ fifth consecutive win, a streak that started Feb. 8 with a 68-62 triumph over Rhode Island and a narrow victory over St. Joe’s.
"He was tremendous," head coach Fran Dunphy said, referring to Allen. "As we get into the latter stage of this season, I hope he is paying attention to how good he can be and how good our team can be. He absolutely needs to be one of the leaders."
Last season, Temple defeated St. Joe’s 69-64 in Atlantic City to capture the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship. With that win, the Owls secured their first NCAA tournament berth and a No. 12 seed in the South Region.
But Temple never got past the fifth-seeded Spartans, falling 72-61 March 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Allen believes the A-10 title--and more--is right there for the Owls’ taking.
Could a Sweet 16 appearance--or better, an Elite 8 showing, perhaps--be in the cards for Temple this season?
“The way we’re playing right now, anything is possible,” said Allen. “Right now, it seems nobody can stop us so I think that maybe there are some teams out there who wouldn’t want to play us.”
The last time the Owls made it into the latter rounds of the NCAA tournament was 2001 when former skipper John Chayney took the cherry and white to an Elite 8 appearance.
Ironically, it was Michigan State who ousted Temple from the tournament that year. The Owls have made five Elite 8 appearances in the program’s history.

Labels: men's basketball, Pennsbury, Temple

Tough Falcon defense stymies CB South

By Bill Kenny
For BucksLocalSports

HOLLAND — Pennsbury High School was an offensive juggernaut through the first two rounds of the District One Class AAAA tournament.
Last night, the Falcons let their defense do the talking.
Pennsbury held Central Bucks South to 12 second-half points, including just three in the fourth quarter, to turn a close game into 56-37 rout and earn a spot in Tuesday’s tournament semifinals at Temple University’s Liacouras Center opposite familiar foe Norristown.
For the first time in the tournament a team went toe-to-toe with the fourth-seeded Falcons for at least a half. Pennsbury (22-3) led by 19 points at intermission in each of its two previous district outings.
Last night, the Falcons held just a five-point edge over the fifth-seeded Titans (21-4), who then rallied for three early third-quarter buckets to cut Pennsbury’s lead to one point.
But Pennsbury answered with runs of 9-0 and 15-3 to take command.
Pennsbury’s all-state forward Dalton Pepper produced less than usual offensively, finishing with 16 points, as compared with his 26-point average in two previous playoff games. But others picked up the difference, including guard Eddie DiRugeris with 13, forward Tom Marcinkowski with eight and swingman Marcus Healey with seven.
Meanwhile, tall and lanky CB South forward Will Barrett entered the game with a 26.5-point playoff average, but got just 14 in the game and five in the second half.
“We were concentrating on Barrett, trying to get out on their shooters and being aggressive,” Healey said. “Some of the teams in their league weren’t aggressive and they intimidated them.”
CB South won the Suburban One League Continental Conference title, while Pennsbury won the SOL National Conference crown.
Though Pepper was relatively quiet for longer-than-usual stretches in the game, his two key plays late in the third quarter gave the Falcons the cushion they would exploit in the fourth.
With Pennsbury up by four, guard Jesse Krasna made a diving save of a loose rebound underneath the Titans’ basket and shoveled the ball to fellow guard Dante Devine. Devine then heaved a home run pass to Pepper, who had slipped into the frontcourt undetected by the defense.
The 6-foot-5 Pepper slammed it home with two hands.
Moments after a quick driving lay-up by DiRugeris, Pepper poked the ball from a CB South player at mid-court, beat him to the stray ball and converted a contested lay-up for a 41-31 Pennsbury lead.
DiRugeris knocked down seven-of-eight foul shots in the fourth quarter and Pennsbury spread the floor to chew up valuable time on the game clock.
Tuesday’s game will be the third all-time district semifinal meeting between the schools and the second in as many years. Norristown won, 50-45, last year at William Tennent. Pennsbury got revenge this regular season with a 61-54 win on Jan. 31.
Khalif Wyatt scored 31 last night for the ninth-seeded Eagles (20-5), who toppled top-seeded and seven-time defending district champion Chester, 61-59.
“We can beat them. We already have,” Healey said. “We have to play our type of game, maybe slow it down and keep Wyatt under control.”
The game will be part of a 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. double-header. Conestoga and Penn Wood will meet in the other game. The district has not announced the order of the games.
***

Central Bucks South 11 14 9 3 — 37
Pennsbury 18 12 13 13 — 56

C.B. SOUTH
Will Barrett 14; Ian Gordon 6; Greg Johnston 5; Mike Doty 4; Ryan Clark 3; Matt Kavalek 3; Mike Pincus 2.
PENNSBURY
Dalton Pepper 16; Eddie DiRugeris 13; Tom Marcinkowski 8; Marcus Healey 7; Jesse Krasna 5; Dante Devine 5; Zak Kumor 2.
***

PIAA DISTRICT 1
Class AAAA
Quarterfinals

Norristown 61, Chester 59
Pennsbury 56, Central Bucks South 37
Conestoga 43, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 34
Penn Wood 38, Lower Meriod 35
***
Consolation bracket

Central Bucks West 58, Bensalem 50
Glen Mills 78, Owen J. Roberts 65
Neshaminy 74, WCHenderson 56
West Chester Rustin 68, Souderton 52

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury boys basketball

“At this point in the season, you’re getting down to some pretty good wrestlers all the way across. These are the top eight of 21 schools - it’s a pretty narrow filter that you have to get past.”

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury Wrestling, Wrestling

Pennsbury’s seven mat men push into districts

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

This grappling campaign has been a season of misfortune for Pennsbury.
If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Falcons wouldn’t have had any at all.
In addition to losing two wrestlers who captured regional championships last year when senior Eddie Shupe and junior Josh Dziewa transferred to Council Rock South, Pennsbury has lost to injury combatants in numerous weight classes.
At 103 pounds, with Joe Russo still out with injuries he sustained in an auto accident over a year ago, Kyle Martinowicz then suffered a concussion in a December bout that kept him out for the remainder of the season.
At 119, Jason Ongradi reinjured his back in the preseason and never even made it onto the mat. Same thing happened at 145 where Dave DeMaria suffered a shoulder injury in a scrimmage that kept him out the rest of the season. At 160, Mike Mills had to have shoulder surgery so that meant he was gone for the year. Finally at 171 pounds, Richie Applegate was lost when doctors decided he needed wrist surgery after the end of the football season.
With so many walking wounded, it’s no wonder the Falcons finished in eighth place--out of nine teams--Feb. 14 at sectionals.
“It’s very unusual for so many young wrestlers to sustain injuries that take them out of one season and carry over and take them out of the next,” stated PHS wrestling coach Joe Kiefer.
Adding insult to all those injuries was a late-season ailment that struck junior 140-pounder Mark Nicholson. After tallying 19 victories in 22 tries during the regular season, Nicholson came down with a cold that kept him out of school the week before sectionals.
The junior tried to recover in time for the postseason but was quickly eliminated at the section tourney.
Even so, Pennsbury had seven wrestlers who qualified for this weekend’s District One Class AAA tournament set to take place this Saturday at Council Rock North. That’s the same number as Council Rock South, which entered the season as defending district champion.
“For us to have as many wrestlers make it to districts as a program like Council Rock South I think it says a lot about the testament of our boys and those who have persevered throughout the season,” Kiefer stated.
Of all the grapplers wearing the orange and black this year, senior Matt Johnson has perhaps the best chance to make it to regionals and beyond.
After spending a year at Valley Forge Military Academy, Johnson posted a record of 28-1 this season, surpassing more than 100 wins wrestling as a 171-pounder for the Falcons.
Johnson bumped up to 189 late in the season and that is where he’ll remain throughout the rest of the postseason. At sectionals, Matt won two of his three matches, falling in the finale to CR North junior Jamie Callender, the only person to outpace the Pennsbury co-captain this year.
Johnson did not qualify for regionals two years ago as a sophomore and was not a member of a PIAA program last year. Still he is expected to make it to regionals and perhaps, beyond.
“Matt is our top wrestler--no doubt about it,” Kiefer commented.
Johnson decided to move up to 189 just before the end of the season.
“He thought that he could do a better job there--he would be less focused on maintaining his weight and more focused on his wrestling if he moved up,” Kiefer explained.
Regardless of weight class, Kiefer expects Johnson to fare well at districts.
“He’s a 189-pounder now and that’s where he’s focusing his energy,” the coach said. “We think he has a good chance to qualify for states.”
Senior Matt Funk is also looking to take his first trip to regionals. This is Funk’s third trip to the district tournament. Matt was looking for a third place showing at sectionals this year and would have had it were it not for a late maneuver by a Bensalem opponent in the consolation semifinals.
“Hopefully, he can turn things around at the districts,” said Kiefer. “We’d like to see him qualify for regionals and move on.”
Funk has his work cut out for him this weekend. His first bout in districts is against Upper Darby 125-pounder Joe Carney.
“He’ll really challenge Matt,” said Kiefer, of Carney. “[Matt] will have to have one of his best matches ever in order to beat [Carney].”
At 22-12, senior Brian Kahil is having a fine season working the mat at 130 pounds. Brian placed fifth at sectionals and will have to get past some tough competition including CR South sophomore Matt Martoccio (15-2), who captured a sectional crown at Abington.
“Toward the end of the season and continuing at sectionals he’s done some of his best wrestling of the season.
“It’ll be tough but he has an opportunity to finish top four and move on to regionals.
Of all the grapplers, sophomore Conlan Cornman (22-12) is having perhaps the most surprising season. Not only did the 10th-grader make the jump from JV to varsity this year, he also surrendered weight in just about every bout, wrestling up at 160 pounds.
Cornman went 2-2 at sectionals and made it as far as the Section One semis and consolation finals before falling to a 6th-place finish.
“Making it that far was a feather in his cap,” stated Kiefer. “He’ll have a tough go at districts but he’s capable of surprising us again.”
Sophomore Jeff Leib has also pleased the Pennsbury faithful.
“Jeff is right up there with Conlan when you start talking about who was a pleasant surprise for the coaches,” Kiefer commented.
“He did a good job as a JV wrestler last year--as Conlan did. This year, he stepped into the varsity lineup and has progressively improved.
“For them to make the jump to varsity and do as well as they have done is quite a feather in their cap.”
In addition to winning three of his four sectional matches, junior Josh Mitchell won the consolation final battling against Truman sophomore Tom Bremme. Mitchell pinned Bremme the first time out but the last two bouts have been close. Tied at 1-all at sectionals, Josh got a takedown at the edge of the mat just before the final buzzer to outpace the Tiger wrestler, 3-1, and capture a fifth-place trophy.
Junior Kevin Bree also won three out of four matches at sectionals, defeating Dan Clemenson of William Tennent 8-2 in the consolation finale.
“He got a lead and was able to finish the match strong,” Keifer explained.
“If he wrestles the way that he did in that final bout at sectionals, he’ll have a good chance to qualify for regionals.”
***
The District One-Class AAA tournament is slated to go tomorrow morning (Feb. 21) at Council Rock North. Regionals are scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 27-28 at Oxford High School.
As the next few weeks pass, mat fans will get a chance to see who is the best of the best in the Keystone State so stay tuned.
“At this point in the season, you’re getting down to some pretty good wrestlers all the way across,” stated Kiefer. “These are the top eight of 21 schools--it’s a pretty narrow filter that you have to get past.”
***
Pennsbury's D-I Qualifiers
WT/GR NAME REC. SECT. PLC

112/So. - Jeff Lieb, (15-10) 6th
125/Sr. - Matt Funk, (24-10) 6th
130/Sr. - Brian Kahil, (22-12) 5th
160/So. - Conlan Cornman, (22-12) 6th
189/Sr. - Matt Johnson, (30-2) 2nd
215/Jr. - Kevin Bree, (18-12) 5th
285/Jr. - Joshua Mitchell, (26-8) 5th

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury Wrestling, Wrestling

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Last year, James Bak, Sean Edmondson and Tom Kaufmann Jr. held the Harry S Truman (HST) wrestling fort down. Edmondson made it as far as the PIAA SE state regional tourney. Bak was both a regional and state qualifier.
The 119-pound champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler last year at sectionals, Edmondson took fourth at districts and was a regional qualifier while Bak placed seventh at states, medaling at 103 pounds in last year’s PIAA tournament.
And Kaufman (145) won 17 matches in just his second varsity season.
This year, the Truman wrestling program was so much more than that.
HST senior Matt Marks (125) won 26 matches during the regular season while adding two more wins at the Section One tourney. At sectionals, held Feb. 14 at Abington, Marks made it all the way to the championship bout before falling to CR South 125-pounder Matt Rappo, a sophomore who has compiled 30 wins on the season.
The Tigers had two sectional champions including Bak, who captured the top prize in the 103-pound division by pinning Council Rock North sophomore Adam Slezak in under two minutes (1:23).
Edmondson latched onto his medal by outdueling CR North sophomore Shane Longstreth in the 112-pound bout. The Indian grappler entered the tourney with a 20-13 mark and seeded third in sectionals.
Wait; there’s more.
Truman had a total of six grapplers who qualified for districts this year including Marks, who claimed a runnerup trophy at 125 pounds.
No surprise there; but, the Tigers also had three wrestlers who captured sixth-place medals including freshman Brandon Ryan at 130 pounds, sophomore Shane Marchesani at 160 and junior Tom Bremme at heavyweight.
Marchesani would have placed higher if not for a 6-5 decision he lost to Neshaminy 160-pounder Stephen Stemme in the consolation finals.
Bremme also would have placed higher had he not lost a close decision to Pennsbury heavyweight Josh Mitchell.
HST freshman Brandon Ryan also made it into that round but lost a major decision to Pennsbury senior Brian Kahil.
“There’s no mystery. We just had a good group of wrestlers who were willing to work hard,” stated Truman assistant coach Tom Kaufmann Sr.
Still, there are others who added to the high level of the competition within the Tigers’ program this year.
An HST junior, Justin Evens is 23-12 wrestling at 135 to 140 pounds. Brother Steve, a sophomore wrestling varsity at 103 pounds, is 20-4. Senior Anthony Monichelli is 19-10, wrestling at 125. Sophomore Shane Marchesani is 19-15 working the mat at 152 pounds. Senior Jordan Carstarphen is 16-13 wrestling at 152 pounds.
Among the highlights this year were a comeback win over William Tennent and a grudge win over Pennsbury that settled the score from an early season loss to the Falcons.
Storming back from a 25-point deficit, Truman posted a thrilling 37-36 win over Tennent Dec. 10 at home. Evening its record at 3-3, Truman swept the last five weights on its home mat.
It all started with a forfeit at 103 pounds to Steve Evans. The Tigers followed with pins from Bak (112), Edmondson (119) and Monichelli (125).
The Panthers were penalized a team point at 140 pounds and Marks won the match with a 9-2 decision at 130 pounds to give Truman the win by the slimmest of margins.
It was the second straight year the Tigers beat Tennent by one point after posting a wild 39-38 victory last season.
***
Revenge So Sweet

Truman avenged a 34-28 early season loss to Pennsbury with a 39-23 win over the Falcons Jan. 30 in enemy territory.
Among the Tiger winners were Bak, Edmondson, Steve Evens and Justin Evens (140). Ryan (135) and Marchesani (160) posted decision wins in a pair of close bouts. Quinton Bryant won by technical fall at 215 pounds. HST junior Larry Abramson was awarded a win at 189 when opponent Kevin Bree was disqualified.
After going 4-1 at the Kennett Duals held Jan. 17 at Kennett High, the Tigers finished up a successful dual-match season at 18-14 with a respectable showing against Council Rock South Feb. 4 at home.
Among the winners for Truman were Bak (31-2), Edmondson (29-3); Bremme (12-18) and Kaufmann Jr. (18-13).
“It was a collective effort by the coaches and the kids,” added Kauffman Sr. “Everybody worked hard and it showed.”
The District One-Class AAA tournament is slated to go tomorrow morning (Feb. 21) at Council Rock North. Regionals are scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 27-28 at Oxford High School.
The Tigers are hoping to take at least four grapplers--maybe more--with them to the 2-day tourney held near the Pennsy-Maryland border.
***

Below are the individual records of each Truman wrestler who earned a spot in districts:
WT/GR NAME RECORD, Sect. Place
103/Sr. James Bak (31-2) 1st
112/So. Sean Edmondson (29-3) 1st
119/Sr. Matt Marks (28-5) 2nd
130/Fr. Brandon Ryan (14-17) 6th
152/So. Shane Marchesani (19-15) 6th
189/Jr. Tom Bremme (12-18) 6th
***

Section One Class AAA Tournament
(Jan. 14 at Abington HS)

Championship finals
103: James Bak, HST, pinned Adam Slezak, CRN, 1:23
112: Sean Edmondson, HST, dec. Shane Longstreth, CRN, 4-3
119: Zac Haynes, CRN, dec. Tim Santry, UM, 8-7 (ultimate tiebreaker)
125: Matt Rappo, CRS, maj. dec. Matthew Marks, HST, 16-6
130: Matt Martoccio, CRS, dec. Will Dill, UM, 10-5
135: Zac Bush, WT, tech. fall Tim Riley, CRS, 4:00
140: John Lindquist, NSH, dec. Greg Lanctot, CRN, 4-2
145: Cody Carrigan, AB, dec. Marc Helfrich, CRS, 3-0
152: Jimmy Vollrath, CRS, dec. Max Barsky, AB, 10-4
160: Ed Shupe, CRS, pinned John Bolich, UM, 4:47
171: Bobby Lavelle, CRS, dec. Andrew Scholer, WT, 6-4
189: Jamie Callender, CRN, maj. dec. Matthew Johnson, PN, 17-5
215: John Kaschak, CRN, dec. Tyler Stabillito, NSH, 6-0
285: David Osei, AB, pinned Ricky Dracup, WT, 1:35
***
Consolation finals
103: Colby Lederer, NSH, pinned Patrick Tully, BN, 1:51
112: Jake Ellis, UM, pinned Jeffrey Lieb, PN, 0:35
119: John Lee, AB, dec. Nick Russell, NSH, 10-5
125: Frank Lippincott, BN, dec. Matthew Funk, PN, 6-4
130: Brian Kahil, PN, maj. dec. Brandon Ryan, HST, 8-0
135: Sean Doerr, CRN, dec. Brandon Brickner, BN, 3-0
140: Max Agasar, UM, dec. Matt Lancaster, AB, 5-2
145: David Giannaula, CRN, dec. Mark Poderis, UM, 9-5
152: Thomas Burke, NSH, pinned Conlan Cornman, PN, 3:32
160: Stephen Stemme, NSH, dec. Shane Marchesani, HST, 6-5
171: Ryan Rozniakowski, AB dec. Tom Clark, CRN, 7-5
189: James Nicholson, UM, maj. dec. Garrett Simpson, NSH, 20-8
215: Kevin Bree, PN, dec. Dan Clemenson, WT, 8-2
285: Joshua Mitchell, PN, dec. Tom Bremme, HST, 3-1
***
Outstanding Wrestler: David Osei, AB
***
Team scores:
1. Council Rock North 155 1/2
2. Council Rock South 150
3. Neshaminy 106
4. Harry S Truman 97 1/2
4. (tie) Abington 97 1/2
6. Upper Moreland 95 1/2
7. William Tennent 81
8. Pennsbury 79
9. Bensalem 30
***

Council Rock South 43
Truman (18-14) 27
(Feb. 4 at HST)

103: Bill Rappo (CRS) d. Steve Evens, 4-2 OT
112: Bak (T) wbf
119: Edmondson (T) p. Eckman, 1:04
125: Matt Rappo (CRS) wbf
130: Martoccio (CRS) d. Marks, 7-3
135: Moore (CRS) d. Ryan, 13-0
140: Riley (CRS) d. Justin Evens, 17-4
145: Kauffman (T) d. Wiltrout, 5-3
152: Gilmore (CRS) p. Levine, 2:44
160; Vollrath (CRS) t-fall Marchesani, 4:00
171: Lavelle (CRS) p. Wolfe, 1:31
189: Dingui (CRS) p. Bonsig, 4:53
215: Carstarphen (T) p. Pellberg, 4:45
Hvy: Bremme (T) p. Kupperstein, 1:22

Labels: Truman, Truman Wrestling, Wrestling

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

It’s been a tough year for the Bristol boys on the basketball court.
For awhile, it looked like the Warriors were holding their own.
A late season skid that saw Bristol drop four in a row however to Christopher Dock, Lower Moreland, Holy Ghost Prep and Devon Prep really hurt the Warriors’ cause.
“We just have to get a couple more W’s,” said Bristol head coach Tom Ryan on Jan. 28, a day after his team lost a heartbreaker to Dock.
To their credit, the Warriors did string together a few W’s, three in the regular season and the last, a playoff-opening win over Jenkintown in the first round of districts.
Two players have contributed significantly to the late-season tear, specifically seniors Shane Davis and Eric Wade.
On Tuesday night, Davis poured 28 points into the bucket in the Warriors’ district tournament win over Jenkintown. Last week, he drained 20 points in Bristol’s double overtime triumph over New Hope-Solebury (NH-S).
“Shane has played really, really well down the stretch and that has really helped us out,” stated Ryan.
The Warriors finished up their regular season Feb. 10 at home in dramatic fashion, posting a double overtime win over NH-S.
Wade helped by penetrating the Lions’ defense and scoring points from down low. Eric also notched 20 points on the night.
“Eric [Wade] had his way; he posted people up. We did a good job getting him the ball,” stated Ryan. “And he did a good job of making his layups.
“He was cooking!”
The battle, according to Ryan, should have never came to the extra periods as the Warriors were leading the Lions by 5 points heading into the final frame.
“We had a lead and we got silly - we turned the ball over,” said Ryan. “We took bad shots we didn’t close them out.”
New Hope sent the game to an extra session, outpacing Bristol, 15-8, in the last period, hitting a 3-pointer as time ran out to lock the sides at 54-all.
“We played pretty well, overall,” stated Ryan. “We just had our moments when we lost people and couldn’t find them
“And they hurt us - they stuck the three.”
Four players reached double figures against New Hope including Davis and Wade, Carl Strand (14) and Derek Torres (10). Mike McGuire and Anthony Pinelli added 4 points apiece to the Warriors cause.
While it took six periods to complete, Bristol played good enough to win, said their coach.
“We didn’t play real intelligent throughout the whole game,” Ryan explained. “But we played with effort and we were able to get to the basket.
“Plus, they didn’t have an answer for Eric [Wade (20 pts.)]
After winning at Springfield (MontCo) - albeit sloppily - in a game that was marred by 64 fouls, the Warriors strung together back-to-back wins over BAL Independence rivals MaST Charter and New Hope-Solebury, a team that Bristol lost to the first time around.
“We’ve had a few sloppy games coming down the stretch,” admitted Ryan. “But we’ve been able to somehow weather the storm and win.”
In a mid-season battle against Dock that took place late Jan. at their place, the Warriors actually held a 7-point lead with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter only to see the Pioneers outscore them, 16-8, on its way to a 48-44 win.
“We played really, really hard. [It was] probably our best defensive effort all year,” stated Ryan.
“But down the stretch we couldn’t put it away. Too many turnovers, defensive lapses--we let them back in and they took it away”
The sloppy play continued last Saturday Feb. 7 at Springfield when the Warriors needed an extra period to get past the Spartans, a team that entered the contest with but one win (1-20).
Bristol actually led 16-2 in the first half while Springfield didn’t record its first field goal until midway through the first quarter.
Poor shooting, turnovers and fouls hurt the Warriors’ effort in this one. Bristol turned the ball over 28 times and sent the Spartans to the charity stripe 38 times. Springfield didn’t help its cause however, making good on just 17 shots from the foul line.
“That set basketball back about 40 years; it was an absolute ugly game--it had no rhythm to it at all,” said Ryan. “It’s a theme we’ve entertained this season--winning ugly games.
“But a win’s a win.”
The Spartans actually held a 4-point lead late in the fourth period while allowing Bristol to knot the score at 42-all by the final buzzer in regulation. Senior Shane Davis, who recorded a team high 26 points, scored all four points for the Warriors in the extra period.
On Feb. 9 at home, nine players reached the scoring column for the red and white as the Warriors cruised to a 68-54 win over MaST.
Senior Shane Davis led the way with 18 points. Swing-man Mike McGuire posted up with 11 as did Carl Strand, back playing Bristol boys hoops in his final campaign.
Eric Wade also reached double figures with 10 points. Andre Simmons added 9 while Tom Bradley (4), Anthony Pinelli (2), Torrey Adams (2), and Wayne Keys (1) also recorded points for the Warriors.
“We were the better team that night,” stated Ryan. “Everyone contributed; it’s good to get as many kids into the flow as you can in a game like that.”
***
Bristol might have had an easier time getting to a late-round district matchup playing against top seed Faith Christian, fifth seeded Calvary Baptist, Church Farm (No. 4) and Friend Select (No. 8).
“Playing a second seed and a third seed-that’s a tough road to go,” said Ryan.
Of course, the Warriors would still have to beat Faith Christian Academy, a formidable task as Faith is the defending champion and most likely the frontrunner to win the Class A tournament.
Ryan is still scratching his head over Church Farm’s designation as a four seed. While the No. 4 seed finished 13-7 (after starting out 3-7), Ryan says the team didn’t meet the requirement of playing 10 PIAA affiliates in order to gain entrance to districts.
Should Bristol get past Dock tomorrow night, the Warriors would then take on Girard College Tuesday Feb. 4 at a location TBA.

Labels: boys basketball, Bristol, Bristol boys basketball

Warriors wrestler first ever to reach century mark

By Steve Sherman Sports Editor

Bristol senior Pat Sabatini became the first wrestler at the school ever to reach 100 career wins last Saturday, Feb. 14 in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) Championships.

The 140-pounder did it in dramatic fashion, pinning New Hope-Solebury’s Beau Schwantes to take first place in the BAL wrestling tournament at Phil-Mont Christian Academy.

Along with winning first place in the tourney, Sabatini was also named the BAL's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

A world-ranked wrestler in Tai Kwon Do and Brazilian Jujitsu, Pat uses his knowledge of the eastern fighter’s game to his advantage on the mat, says Warriors head coach Enrique Velez.

“He knows a lot about body position--where to be--in his sport and that helps him in this sport,” said Velez. “He’s always in shape; he’s a coach’s dream.”

In addition to capping the century mark, Sabatini has even loftier goals set for himself before he completes his final campaign grappling for the red and white.

This year, Sabatini wants to reach regionals on his way to the state competition. Last year in a District One Class AA semifinal bout, Pat was leading 11-0 in a 135-pound matchup when he was called for an illegal maneuver.

As a combatant who takes to the mat in several sports, Pat says not being able to separate the sports - and the rules that pertain to each - got him into trouble with officials all season long in his junior campaign. In the postseason, it cost him dearly.

Brazilian Jujitsu fighting is a lot like wrestling - there’s a point system. But instead of winning by pinfall, a combatant wins by forcing his opponent to submit.

Pat says that last season he always seemed to instinctually resort to what he’s learned Jujitsu fighting.

“Once I get to the ground in wrestling, I go on pure instinct, which is my Jujitsu,” stated Sabatini. “Sometimes, I do submissions instead of wrestling holds. That cost me lots of penalty points, sometimes disqualifications.

“That time, it cost me a defensive pin.”

Whatever the ruling, Sabatini says it won’t happen again this time around.

“I think I’ve matured a lot in the last year,” he says. “With maturity, I’ve learned to separate the sports better.”

Labels: Bristol, Bristol wrestling, Wrestling

By Steve Sherman

Sports Editor

Pennington midfielder Kaitlyn Kerr has been named the 2008-09 Gatorade New Jersey Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
That makes Kerr a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award, which will be announced in May. ESPN RISE named Kerr the top player in the Garden State on Feb. 12.
A Pennington School junior from Bensalem, Kerr was selected for her offensive output and the role it played in helping the Red Raiders to a sixth straight NJISAA Prep A state championship.
When Pennington lost standout forward Amber Brooks to the U17 National Team, Kerr stepped up to deliver a perfect season and a FAB 50 national No. 1 ranking.
Kerr scored 19 goals and chipped in 16 assists, leading the Red Raiders to a 17-0-1 fall 2008 campaign. She is a six-year member of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Olympic Development Program team.
Kerr, who has 37 goals and 31 assists in her career, has verbally committed to play soccer at Duke University in the fall of 2010. She has also been named All-American first team by ESPN and ranked one of the nation’s top 10 players with only four of them females.
Kerr is also a standout on her club team, the FC Bucks Vipers. FC Bucks head coach Eddie Leigh had high praise for Kaitlyn.
“Whatever you need, she’ll give you,” said Leigh. “If I need her to defend, she’ll defend. If I need her in the box to score, she’ll do that. Her strong point is from the 18 yard line to the opposite 18 yard line.
“Whatever needs to be done to win, she does it.”
The Gatorade designation is not strictly an athletic endorsement of a player, however. The honor, rather, recognizes playing accomplishments along with academic achievement and exemplary character exhibited both on and off the field.
In addition to her 3.75 GPA, Kerr is a Pennington School campus guide who has participated in fundraising events benefiting cancer research. She’s also volunteered at area nursing homes and local rehab centers.
Kerr joins recent Gatorade New Jersey Girls Soccer Player of the Year recipients Shannon Mayrose (2007-08, Freehold), Ingrid Wells (2006-07, Montclair) and Marissa Stock (2005-06, Pingry).
The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and boys and girls track & field.
The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE which works with top sport specific experts, and a media advisory board of veteran journalists to determine state winners in each sport.
For more information, visit Gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.

Labels: Bensalem, girls soccer, Pennington

St. Martin Girls JV Wins Doubleheader
The St. Martin girls JV squad swept a rare double header Feb. 6 in Lansdale. Jacqueline Hart started the scoring for the Mustangs, but St. Stan’s took a 6-2 lead in the second quarter.
Hannah Miller added a bucket for the Lady Mustangs to close to within 6-4 at the half.
Isabella Olimpo scored for St. Martin’s in the third quarter and Kelly Hyland tied the score at eight.
The outcome was determined by a Miller foul shot to win the game, 9-8.
In the second game, St. Rose of Lima jumped to a 4-0 lead after one quarter. Miller and Hyland had four points apiece in the second quarter to give the Mustangs a slim 8-6 at the half.
St. Rose’s tied the game at eight points apiece early in the third quarter.
The Lady Mustangs ended the quarter on a 10-point outburst, however, with baskets by Olivia Peluso, Bridget Newman, and Hart, and four points by Hyland.
The scoring binge did not stop there as Lindsey Park, Darby McCann, Miller, and Newman added fourth quarter baskets for the 26-8 win.
***
Fourth Grade Mustangs Roll to 11-0 Start
The Fourth grade Mustangs reached the 10-win mark with a 23-15 victory over Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Mustangs got off to a 15-2 lead behind buckets from Ryan Miller, Chris Green, and Brendan Shadle. Matt Paulus added three baskets to cap the rally.
Miller finished with four points, six boards and two blocks.
Thomas Flavin had a basket to go along with three steals and four rebounds.
Green had a good night with two points, two assists, two steals and three boards.
The team rolled to 11-0 record with a 29-9 win over St. Rose on Saturday.
Flavin made two first quarter steals leading to lay-ups by Miller.
In the second quarter, Sam Czupich came up with five rebounds and a blocked shot, helping ignite a fast break resulting in an easy Green lay-up for a 17-9 halftime lead. Mike O’Donnell had three rebounds and a steal in the third quarter.
Flavin ended with four points, five boards and four steals. Miller had six points.
The Mustangs coasted to a 29-9 win, helped by Paulus with 11 points and six steals and Shadle with six points, four steals, five boards and three assists.
***
Gray Sweeps Weekend Games
St. Martin's JV Gray team jumped out to 12 to 2 lead by the end of the first quarter and cruised to a 26-10 home victory over Our Lady of Mount Carmel White on Friday night.
Dylan Waterman led the Mustangs scoring with 16 points.
Tim Heffernan and Brandon Griffing chipped in four points a piece, and Tim Czupich and Devon Rozycki each added points on free throws.
The Gray team continued their winning streak on Sunday afternoon coming out on top in a 20-18 nail-biter with St. Rose of Lima Gold.
Waterman took care of the bulk of the scoring, pouring in 15 points including two 3-pointers.
Heffernan pitched in with three points and Czupich added two points.

Labels: basketball, St. Martin's

By BILL KENNY
For BucksLocalSports

FAIRLESS HILLS — The deeper that Pennsbury High advances in the District One Class AAAA tournament, the easier things seem to get for the Falcons.
Four nights after routing first-round foe Council Rock South by 31, Pennsbury blitzed visiting Owen J. Roberts High of Pottstown, 70-48, last night as senior Dalton Pepper poured in 29 points in his final appearance on his home floor.
Though the final margin was less than in the CR South game, Pennsbury’s victory was no less emphatic as the Falcons led by 32 before subbing deep throughout the fourth quarter.
The victory clinched a PIAA state tournament berth for fourth-seeded Pennsbury (21-3) and set up a district tourney quarterfinal match-up with fifth-seeded Central Bucks South (21-3) on Friday night at a neutral site.
“I was a little nervous for our first two (playoff) games because if we lost, we wouldn’t qualify for the state playoffs,” Pepper said.
Actually, Owen J. Roberts (20-4) has one more shot at the state tournament. The Wildcats will enter an eight-team consolation bracket with the district’s ninth and final state berth available to the winner.
Nonetheless, if Pepper was nervous, neither he nor the Falcons showed it as he scored the team’s first seven points, as well as its final 11 of the first half. Pennsbury closed the half on a 17-6 run to take a commanding 61-32 edge.
Pepper, a 6-foot-5 wing forward, punctuated the rally with a two-handed dunk on a feed from senior guard Eddie DiRugeris with one second on the second-quarter clock.
In the third quarter, Pepper added 15 more points before sitting virtually all of the fourth. DiRugeris contributed nine points and five assists in the game.
Pennsbury approached the game as if it were facing an elite opponent, according to Pepper, even if the real competition was several notches less than that.
“We want to come out of every single game with as much intensity as anybody out there,” Pepper said. “That really helps us out a lot.”
And in the third quarter: “My teammates got me really involved with a lot of back-cuts and inside stuff. We made the extra passes and that really put them away.”
Pennsbury took the Wildcats out of everything they hoped to do offensively by getting 6-8 center Kevin Henry in foul trouble early and closing down their three-point shooters for the most part.
“We knew that they had a lot of shooters, that they play up and down the court,” Pepper said, “(that) they weren’t going to play much defense and they had a big man inside. We wanted to go to the basket as much as we could early to get him fouls and to get our big men involved early.”
Henry was whistled for two fouls in the first 1:06 of the game and sat until midway through the second quarter. Seconds later, he fouled again and sat until the second half.
He scored 13 points after intermission to lead the Wildcats for the game.
***
LINESCORES
Owen Roberts (20-4) 13 9 10 16 — 48
Pennsbury (21-3) 18 23 20 9 — 70
OWEN J. ROBERTS (48)
Vining 3-1-9, McNaughton 2-0-6, Setzler 2-0-6, Brumfield 1-0-2, K. Henry 4-5-13, Lawler 3-4-10, Costanzo 0-0-0, Ponto 0-0-0, M. Henry 0-0-0, Tammaro 0-2-2. Totals 15-12-48.
PENNSBURY (70)
Krasna 1-2-4, Devine 2-2-6, DiRugeris 4-1-9, D. Pepper 11-6-29, Marcinkowski 1-2-4, Healey 2-0-6, Wolff 0-1-1, Dulac 2-0-4, Kumor 1-0-2, Bolger 1-0-3, Sibel 0-1-1, B. Pepper 0-0-0, Jabat 0-0-0, Ciotti 0-1-1. Totals 25-16-70.
3-pointers: Vining 2, McNaughton 2, Setzler 2 (OJR); D. Pepper, Healey 2, Bolger (P).
***

District 1 CLASS AAAA
Playoff Scores

Central Bucks South 51, Glen Mills 44
Chester 66, Souderton 58
Norristown 62, West Chester Rustin 41
Penn Wood 65, Bensalem 32
Pennsbury 70, Owen J. Roberts 48
Lower Merion 45, Central Bucks West 41 OT
Conestoga 65, West Chester Henderson 36
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 63, Neshaminy 47
**
Friday’s Matchups

(at neutral sites)
Chester vs. Norristown
Pennsbury vs. Central Bucks South
Penn Wood vs. Lower Merion
Plymouth-Whitemarsh vs. Conestoga

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury, Pennsbury boys basketball

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

Council Rock South senior Tory Worthen dominated the field at last Friday’s DVGTCA Meet of Champions at Lehigh University, winning the pole vault with a height of 12-04.00, a top ten mark in the nation.
Silver medal winner Katie McAndrews, a junior from Bensalem, recorded a spot more than two feet lower than Worthen's with her vault of 10 feet. Two others also notched 10-foot vaults.
Abington senior Madlyn Evans finished first in the mile run in 5:13.80, with Council Rock North sophomore Lindsay Rheiner on her heels with a 5:14.95.
Villa Joseph Marie freshman Megan Rother grabbed the silver with her time of 2:23.33 in the 800-meter dash, finishing a whisker ahead of Neshaminy senior Moriah Allen, who captured the bronze at 2:23.71
The Skins also took the bronze in the 4x800-meter relay finishing in 9:45.43 behind Downingtown East (9:36.42) and North Penn (9:34.25).
The 4x200-meter relay was a race to the finish with Abington (1:44.69) taking gold and Central Bucks East (1:45.57) taking silver.
CB East junior Alli Gillen took home a gold medal in the triple jump with a mark of 38-04.50. CB East junior Katie Kinkead captured the bronze with her time of 10:42.40 in the 3000-meter dash.
CR South freshman Nina Brocavich placed twelfth in the long jump for Council Rock South with a distance of 16-02.75.
Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) senior Logan Brenker finished sixth in the triple jump for the Eagles with a distance of 34-09.25.
Atasha Jordan placed sixth in the shot put for Council Rock North with a distance of 35-01.00
Pennsbury senior Zakiyyah Richardson placed 8th in the 60-meter dash, crossing the line in 7.98. Pennsbury freshman Laurel Coleman finished 19th in the triple jump at 30-11.00.
CEC sophomore Theresa Horn tied four other girls for 11th place in the high jump with her leap of 4-10.
***

RESULTS
4x800 Meter Relay
Place, School Finals
1 North Penn 9:34.25
2 Downingtown East 9:36.42
3 Neshaminy 9:45.43
***
800 Meter Run
Place, Name Year School Finals
1 Selheimer, Heather 10 North Penn 2:20.78
2 Rother, Megan 12 Villa Joseph Mar 2:23.33
3 Allen, Moriah 09 Neshaminy 2:23.71
***
1 Mile Run
Place, Name Year School Finals
1 Evans, Madlyn 12 Abington 5:13.80
2 Rheiner, Lindsay 10 Council Rock Nor 5:14.95
***
3000 Meter Run
Place, Name Year School Finals
1 Cohick, Christy 11 North Penn 10:32.50
2 Simpson, Elizabeth 11 Boyertown Area 10:41.47
3 Kinkead, Katie 10 Central Bucks Ea 10:42.40
***
Pole Vault
Place, Name Year School Finals
1 Worthen, Tory 12 Council Rock South 12-04.00
2 McAndrews, Katie 11 Bensalem 10-00.00
3 Sable, Alex 12 Gwynedd Mercy Ac J10-00.00
4 Long, Alyssa 12 Downingtown East J10-00.00
***
Triple Jump
Place, Name Year School Finals
1 Gillen, Ali 11 Central Bucks Ea 38-04.50
2 Becattini, Gabby 10 Methacton 36-04.00
3 Tusar, Lauren 11 Penncrest 36-02.00

Labels: Council Rock North, Council Rock South, Neshaminy

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Pennington School senior Alexa Carugati tore up one of her knees before the start of her third season as a Red Raider so she subsequently went unnoticed her junior year.
When she came back last fall, however, Carugati anchored a defense that helped Pennington capture its sixth consecutive NJISAA Prep A title in an unbeaten season that culminated in a 1-0 win over Peddie.
“Our defense was amazing this year--everyone stepped up big time,” said Carugati.
The only senior on the squad, Carugati held down a unit that helped the Red Raiders win 12 of those 18 games by shutout. Instead of bemoaning her role, the center backfielder reveled in the opportunity.
“It was great to have all the underclassmen around me and having their show of support all season long,” she said.
And when Villanova women’s soccer coach John Byford came calling for Carugati’s services, it was like a dream come true, for Alexa.
“I’ve just been waiting for this day to come,” stated Carugati Feb. 4 inside the confines of Sparks Gym. “Finally signing, it’s an awesome feeling, knowing that you’re going to play in college and it’s going to be a great four years.”
Carugati will join a Wildcats program at went 4-6-1 in the Big East. Byford, in his first year as Villanova head coach, led the Wildcats to an 11-7-1 record, overall, marking the second best season debut among the five Villanova head coaches. She’ll follow another backfielder from Newtown to the main line campus, Kristen Verbit, who’ll be gone by the time the Pennington senior arrives.
While Verbit wasn’t at Villanova her entire college career (she spent her freshman year at VA Tech), her class graduates having posted a 48-20-13 record in their careers and a winning percentage of .673.
***
In addition to defeating Notre Dame in the Mercer County Tournament finale, Pennington got past PDS, Rutgers Prep, and Lawrenceville to get to the state prep finale.
What was really amazing was that Pennington was still able to win without standout senior forward Amber Brooks (who played just one game) and Heidi Sabatura (who missed the last seven games of the season with an ankle injury).
Brooks led the team in scoring her junior year; Sabatura took on that role last fall before going down with her injury.
“Everyone just pulled together and fought through the games,” stated Carugati. “We ended up becoming undefeated and No. 1 in the nation.”
Brooks, a New Hope resident who captained the US National U-17 team to a silver medal late last year in the World Cup, will play for the defending national champion University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Tarheels are coming off a record 20th consecutive national championship.
According to Carugati, the Raiders didn’t panic when Brooks’ departure to the World Cup team became a reality.
“We knew early on that she was going to New Zealand; we all figured we might as well step it up,” she said.
“Without Amber, it was a big loss.
“But at the same time, new people came in and played hard and everyone did great.”
Some of the offensive thrust put forth by Pennington was posted by freshman Morgan Davis and sophomores Andrea Ricketti, Priscilla Bonilla and May Castranova.
Junior Kaitlyn Kerr also came through in a big way offensively for the Red Raiders, compiling 19 goals and 16 assists while netting the game’s only goal in the state title tilt.
Despite the fact that Kerr is one of the few standouts coming back, Carugati believes that Pennington is capable of taking an unprecedented seventh consecutive state championship next year.
“Oh they’ll be back,” she said. “They’re going to do awesome next year.”
With the Red Raiders’ track record, how could anyone doubt such a statement?!

BucksLocalSports.com is a brand new totally interactive Blog site that just went live Friday, Jan. 30.
We're real excited about it here at InterCounty News Group – Bucks County and hope to see it become the prime focus of Internet users seeking information on their area sports teams and athletic events.
We’re currently looking for area high school and college students who would like to contribute Blog postings to BucksLocalSports.com. We need writers to compose pertinent information on community athletics. This would include community sports teams such as AAU basketball and grassroots organizations such as Council Rock-Newtown Little League.
We’re especially interested in obtaining information on area varsity high school and Bucks County Community College (BCCC) sports teams.
Drop us a line at buckslocalsports@gmail.com and let us know if there is any interest by you or any of the students at your area school.
Feel free to post comments, upload photos, even video (see the links to the left).
And send any sports information that you have to buckslocalsports@gmail.com and we can instantly publish to our new website at www.buckslocalsports.com.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: BucksLocalSports

This fall, six exceptional student-athletes from The Hill School including a squash player from New Hope will continue their successful athletic careers in college.
Alexander Hsu, of New Hope, will play squash at Brown University.
A high honors student and captain of Hill’s varsity boys’ squash team, Hsu has been an asset to his team as well as to his coach this year.
This fall, he will join the men’s squash team at Brown University.
“He is having a great season considering the quality of his opponents this season,” says Head Coach Matt Kraynyak ’96. “It would be easy to get frustrated when you are facing opponents ranked in the top 20 in U19 (under 19 years of age) squash, but Alex has fought through and played some excellent squash.
“At nationals last weekend (Feb. 6 to 8), he stepped on the court knowing that his team needed a win to play in the championship match on Sunday. He carried the team on his back and won 3-1, which placed his team in the finals against Brunswick’s C team.
“He has been my greatest asset as a coach: hard working, accountable, and inspiring to his teammates. They will miss his steady demeanor and work ethic next season."

Labels: New Hope, squash

Dreyfus, Keller
named top keglers

By Steve Sherman
BucksLocalSports.com

While the Pennsbury boys finished just outside of the money this year in the Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference, two Falcon bowlers have been tabbed by the SOL as Bowler of the Year.
Senior Mike Dreyfus and junior Jillian Keller were named the boys and girls bowlers of the year, respectively. The announcement came Feb. 12 at Feasterville’s Brunswick Zone--site of the SOL National individual bowling championships.
Dreyfus posted a 208 average this season, anchoring a Pennsbury boys team that finished a half-game behind SOL National champion Neshaminy.
Keller maintained a 200 average and finished fourth in the Girls Scratch Division with a 590 series last week at SOLs.
Joining Dreyfus on the SOL National First Team for the boys was Neshaminy sophomore Chris Walters (208), Truman senior Scott Simon (207), Pennsbury senior Dan Boches (206) and Neshaminy junior John Margicin (203).
Joining Keller on the girls side were Neshaminy senior BreAnna Episcopo (189), Council Rock South sophomore Lilly Haigh (185), CR North junior Laura Johnson (185) and CR South senior Cristen Johnston (179).
A pair of Council Rock South bowlers captured championships in last week’s SOL tourney with Matt Rosenfeld taking the top prize in the scratch division with a 723 series that included 279 and 264 in his first two games. Neshaminy’s Branden Cummings took third with a 666 series, including a 245 in game three.
CR South senior Caitlin Haggart edged Neshaminy junior Chris Udris for the girls title in the scratch division. Haggart came on strong in games two and three, posting scores of 257 and 212. Udris started off strong, bowling 246 and 225 in games one and two, but was hurt by a 183 score in game three.
Eric Mazurkiewicz won the boys handicap division for the Golden Hawks.
Both Dreyfus and Keller have qualified for the Eastern PA Interscholastic Bowling Championships Feb. 27 to March 1 at Jordan Lanes in Whitehall and AMF Parkway Lanes in Allentown.

Labels: boys bowling, girls bowling, Pennsbury

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

Council Rock North seemed like the king of Rock wrestling this year, outdueling South on two occasions. The Indians outpaced the Golden Hawks, 29-26, the first time the sides battled for the Unity Cup Dec. 10 at CR North then came back in District One AAA Duals and downed their sister rival 31-28 Jan. 31 at CR South.
Of the two wins, the latter victory enabled North to punch its ticket to states and capture third place in the district.
If you recall however, last year, South defeated North in the district title tilt. While both sides earned a trip to states just by making it to that bout, the Indians were left smarting a little from the D-1 title match with the Hawks.
Not this year.
“The last few years, they’ve had our number a little bit,” said Head Coach Tom Vivacqua. “It’s a friendly rivalry until we’re lined up and ready to go.
“Then, it’s a war--and that’s the way it should be.”
At states, North posted a win over Hazelton before falling to Connellsville, thus ending their dual meet season.
Last Saturday morning at Abington High School started a whole new season for all of lower Bucks varsity grapplers as they took to the mat trying to capture individual championships.
After earning 100 wins this year as a junior, 189-pounder Jamie Callender--with his 32-5 record, led Rock North into battle. Seeded No. 2 behind Pennsbury’s Matt Johnson, Callender posted a major decision over the Falcon grappler to not only take the section trophy, but also to put his team in position to win the team championship. (Callender pinned Johnson in the Indians last regular season battle.)
When John Kashak outpaced Neshaminy 215-pounder Tyler Stabilito, 6-0, the Indians had outpaced CR South once more, this time, 155 1/2 to 155 in the Section One--South Class AAA championship.
CR North senior Zac Haynes contributed to North’s team win with an 8-7 come-from-behind win over Upper Moreland’s Tim Santry in the 119-pound final. Haynes went in seeded No. 2 with a record of 26-9 on the season.
While the Indians will send nine grapplers to this weekend’s district tournament at North, including three section runnerups, South captured five section titles.
Matt Rappo and Matt Martoccio started collecting championship trophies for South with their title wins at 125 and 130 pounds, respectively.
And Jim Vollrath (152), Ed Shupe (160) and Bobby Lavelle (171) dominated the middleweight division for the Golden Hawks.
“The entire goal of our year is to peak during the postseason when it counts most,” said CR South Head Coach Brad Silimperi. “To send seven into the finals is a tribute to their hard work and the way they responded to some temporary setbacks during the year.”
The other South wrestlers who qualified for districts include Tim Riley, a runnerup at 135, and Marc Helfrich, who also earned a trip to the section finale, taking second place in the 145 pound division.
CR North junior Greg Lanctot went into the tourney as a top seed at 140 pounds. He came away with a runnerup trophy after being outpaced by Neshaminy’s John Lindquist.
The other Indian grapplers headed to districts include Adam Siezak, a runnerup at 103, Shane Longstreth, second place at 112, Sean Doerr (5th at 135), David Giannaula (5th at 145), and Tom Clarke (6th at 171).
Pennsbury will send seven mat men to districts including Johnson, Jeff Lieb at 112, Matt Funk at 125, Brian Kahil at 130, Conlan Cornman at 152, Kevin Bree at 215 and Josh Mitchell at heavyweight.
Neshaminy also had seven qualify for district including Stabilito (215), Lindquist (140), Colby Lederer at 103, Nick Russell at 119, Tom Burke at 152, Stephen Stemme at 160, and Garret Simpson at 189.
Truman’s Tigers had two sectional champions including HST senior James Bak also captured the top prize in the 103-pound division. And Truman sophomore Sean Edmondson outdueled CR North 112-pounder Shane Longstreth, who entered the tourney with a 20-13 mark and seeded third in sectionals.
The Tigers have a total of six grapplers who have qualified for districts including Matt Marks, who claimed a runnerup trophy at 125 pounds. No surprise there; he along with Edmonson and Bak have been anchoring the Truman team all season long.
The Tigers also had three wrestlers who captured sixth place trophies including Brandon Ryan at 130 pounds, Shane Marchesani at 160 and Tom Bremme at heavyweight.
***
SECTION ONE CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Feb. 14 at Abington HS)

Championship Finals
103: James Bak, HST, pinned Adam Slezak, CRN, 1:23
112: Sean Edmondson, HST, dec. Shane Longstreth, CRN, 4-3
119: Zac Haynes, CRN, dec. Tim Santry, UM, 8-7 (ultimate tiebreaker)
125: Matt Rappo, CRS, maj. dec. Matthew Marks, HST, 16-6
130: Matt Martoccio, CRS, dec. Will Dill, UM, 10-5
135: Zac Bush, WT, tech. fall Tim Riley, CRS, 4:00
140: John Lindquist, NSH, dec. Greg Lanctot, CRN, 4-2
145: Cody Carrigan, AB, dec. Marc Helfrich, CRS, 3-0
152: Jimmy Vollrath, CRS, dec. Max Barsky, AB, 10-4
160: Ed Shupe, CRS, pinned John Bolich, UM, 4:47
171: Bobby Lavelle, CRS, dec. Andrew Scholer, WT, 6-4
189: Jamie Callender, CRN, maj. dec. Matthew Johnson, PN, 17-5
215: John Kaschak, CRN, dec. Tyler Stabillito, NSH, 6-0
285: David Osei, AB, pinned Ricky Dracup, WT, 1:35
***
Consolation Finals
103: Colby Lederer, NSH, pinned Patrick Tully, BN, 1:51
112: Jake Ellis, UM, pinned Jeffrey Lieb, PN, 0:35
119: John Lee, AB, dec. Nick Russell, NSH, 10-5
125: Frank Lippincott, BN, dec. Matthew Funk, PN, 6-4
130: Brian Kahil, PN, maj. dec. Brandon Ryan, HST, 8-0
135: Sean Doerr, CRN, dec. Brandon Brickner, BN, 3-0
140: Max Agasar, UM, dec. Matt Lancaster, AB, 5-2
145: David Giannaula, CRN, dec. Mark Poderis, UM, 9-5
152: Thomas Burke, NSH, pinned Conlan Cornman, PN, 3:32
160: Stephen Stemme, NSH, dec. Shane Marchesani, HST, 6-5
171: Ryan Rozniakowski, AB dec. Tom Clark, CRN, 7-5
189: James Nicholson, UM, maj. dec. Garrett Simpson, NSH, 20-8
215: Kevin Bree, PN, dec. Dan Clemenson, WT, 8-2
285: Joshua Mitchell, PN, dec. Tom Bremme, HST, 3-1
***
Outstanding Wrestler: David Osei, AB
***
Team scores:
1. Council Rock North 155 1/2
2. Council Rock South 150
3. Neshaminy 106
4. Harry S Truman 97 1/2
4. (tie) Abington 97 1/2
6. Upper Moreland 95 1/2
7. William Tennent 81
8. Pennsbury 79
9. Bensalem 30

Labels: Council Rock North, Council Rock South, Wrestling

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

Bristol senior Pat Sabatini became the first wrestler ever to reach 100 career wins yesterday (Feb. 14) in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) Championships.

The 140-pounder did it in dramatic fashion, pinning New Hope-Solebury’s Beau Schwantes to take first place in the BAL wrestling tournament at Phil-Mont Christian Academy.

Along with winning first place in the tourney, Sabatini was also named the BAL's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Three other Warriors earned BAL crowns including Dave Cramp, who took a first place trophy at 103 pounds with a 14-9 decision over DelCo's Isaac Moore.

Bristol also ruled the heavyweight classes, taking top prizes at 215 and 285 pounds. First, Tyler Bliss pinned New Hope 215-pounder Chris Warden in 1:05. Then, Will Meyerle pinned Lower Moreland heavyweight Matt Hladchuk.

Winning third place bouts for Bristol were Colin McGovern (171), who won a close decision over Lower Moreland's Manny Collazo and Steven Pepe, who pinned LM 189-pounder Alex Reimold in 25 seconds.
***

Bicentennial Athletic League Tournament
Team scores

1. New Hope-Solebury 207; 2. Lower Moreland 196.5; 3. Delco Christian Academy 147, 4. Bristol 140; 5. Phil-Mont Christian Academy 101, 6. Girard College 22.

***
Championships

103 pounds: David Cramp (Bristol) dec. Isaac Moore (Delco Christian), 14-9
112: Frank Gould (Lower Moreland) dec. Dylan Clark (Bristol), 4-0
119: Tim Yu (Lower Moreland) dec. Ethan Bravo (New Hope), 5-1
125: Andrew Mermelstein (Lower Moreland) pinned Anthony LaRocca (Delco Christian), 2:53
130: Dan Gelman (Lower Moreland) pinned Mike Pohlman (Delco Christian), 2:49
135: Devon Voorhees (New Hope) pinned Dom Scirrotto (Lower Moreland), 1:58
140: Pat Sabatini (Bristol) pinned Beau Schwantes (New Hope), 2:37
145: Wes O’Brien (Delco Christian) pinned Tom Kelley (Bristol), 1:38
152: Logan Cawley (New Hope) dec. Jared Epstein (Lower Moreland), 9-4
160: Tom Villareale (New Hope) pinned John Founds (Lower Moreland), 5:44
171: David DeFelice (Phil-Mont) dec. Eric Barnhart (New Hope), 14-5
189: Tyler Hendricks (New Hope) dec. Alex Avellino (Phil-Mont), 5-2
215: Tyler Bliss (Bristol) pinned Chris Warden (New Hope), 1:05
285: Will Meyerle (Bristol) pinned Matt Hladchuk (Lower Moreland), 0:35

***
Third-place bouts

112: Frank Gould (Lower Moreland) dec. Dylan Clark (Bristol), 4-0
130: Tom Hische (New Hope) pinned George Bernhard (Phil-Mont), 2:17
135: Nick Connelly (Delco Christian) dec. Nahir Francis (Phil-Mont), 13-2
140: Rashan Chanyothi (Lower Moreland) tech. fall Mark McLaughlin (Delco Christian), 12-0
145: Tom Cutner (Lower Moreland) pinned Ryan Moss (New Hope), 3:02
152: John Lozowski (Phil-Mont) pinned Sean Ellsworth (Delco Christian), 2:51
160: Stephen Langford (Delco Christian) pinned Shawn Perez (Girard), 2:48
171: Colin McGovern (Bristol) dec. Manny Collazo (Lower Moreland), 3-2
189: Steven Pepe (Bristol) pinned Alex Reimold (Lower Moreland), 0:25

Labels: Bristol, Bristol wrestling, Wrestling

By Rick Fortenbaugh
For Buckslocalsports

The Pennsbury High School basketball team was missing two starters last night because of injuries.

The Falcons also got limited playing time from top sub Dante Devine because of an illness and were forced to temporarily pull standout Dalton Pepper from the game after he landed awkwardly on his shooting wrist.

So does this mean Pennsbury (20-3) was involved in a competitive game against Council Rock South in a PIAA District 1 Class AAAA opener?

Forget about it.

In a game that was every bit as lopsided as the final score would indicate, top-ranked Pennsbury annihilated Rock South, 76-45.

With the victory, Pennsbury advanced to a home game against Owen J. Roberts on Tuesday night and is now just one more victory away from qualifying for the state tournament.

“We were like a walking M.A.S.H. unit tonight," said Falcons coach Frank Sciolla. “It was nice to see some of other guys really contribute."

At the beginning it was all Pepper as the University of West Virginia-bound senior blitzed Rock South with 15 first-quarter points.

Pepper poured in a 3-pointer on the first shot of the game and later scored on a sensational alley-oop layup on which he was fouled.

With the Pennsbury lead at 22-12 after the first quarter, Pepper more or less shut it down from there and finished with a game-high 23 points. He also slightly injured his wrist in the first half.
“With Pep we just wanted to be careful," said Sciolla.

Enter a whole host of other Falcons, including freshman Kieran Bolger, who impressed by connecting on three treys. You’re going to be reading that name a lot in the future because he’s a player.

“On any other team Kieran would be getting a lot of playing time," said Sciolla. “You hear all about some of the other freshman in our league, but he’s up right there with the rest of them.
“To be honest Kieran is as good a shooter as we’ve had come through here. And he has a tremendous desire to improve."

The Pennsbury lead grew to 38-19 at the half when senior guard Eddie DiRugeris finished the second quarter with a long three-pointer. He had six points in this quarter and finished with 13.

By the end of the third quarter the Falcon lead up to 58-27. Guard Jesse Krasna (10 point) finished off that period with a three-pointer of his own after Pepper had thrown down a dunk.

The fourth quarter was all about Sciolla reaching even further down his bench in an effort to not completely massacre the Hawks.
***

LINESCORES
Council Rock South 12 7 8 18 — 45
Pennsbury (20-3) 22 16 20 18 — 76

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH
Boyd 9; Nowlin 9; Merron 6; Matthews 6; Chickin 4, Clopton 3, Silverthorn 2, Brightcliffe 2; Thomas 2, Dipaolo 2.
PENNSBURY
D. Pepper 23, DiRugeris 13; Krasna 10; Bolger 9, Devine 7; Citto 5; Kumor 3; B. Pepper 2, Ryann-Wolff 2; Sibel 2.

PIAA District 1
Class AAAA Scores

Bensalem 38, Great Valley 36
Central Bucks South 68, Avon Grove 42
Central Bucks West 60, Radnor 31
Conestoga 53, Cheltenham 38
Glen Mills 62, Council Rock North 54
Neshaminy 58, Penncrest 50
Owen J. Roberts 66, Downingtown West 53
Penn Wood 70, Chichester 30
Pennsbury 76, Council Rock South 445
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 69, Methacton 55
W. Chester Henderson 66, Coatesville 59
Chester 40, North Penn 34
W.C. Rustin 62, C. Bucks East 50
Lower Merion 48, Quakertown 28

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury, Pennsbury basketball

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

Council Rock North seemed like the king of Rock wrestling this year, outdueling South on two occasions. The Indians outpaced the Golden Hawks, 29-26, the first time the sides battled for the Unity Cup Dec. 10 at CR North then came back in District One AAA Duals and downed their sister rival 31-28 Jan. 31 at CR South.

Of the two wins, the latter victory enabled North to punch its ticket to states and capture third place in the district.

If you recall however, last year, South defeated North in the district title tilt. While both sides earned a trip to states just by making it to that bout, the Indians were left smarting a little from the D-1 title match with the Hawks.

Not this year.

“The last few years, they’ve had our number a little bit,” said CR North Head Coach Tom Vivacqua. “It’s a friendly rivalry until we’re lined up and ready to go.

“Then, it’s a war--and that’s the way it should be.”

At states, North posted a win over Hazelton before falling to Connellsville, thus ending their dual meet season.

Tomorrow morning at Abington High School starts a whole new season for the grapplers as they take the mat trying to earn individual championships.

After earning 100 wins this year as a junior, 189-pounder Jamie Callender--with his 32-5 record--will lead Rock North into battle. He’s seeded No. 2 behind Pennsbury’s Matt Johnson who he pinned in the Indians last regular season battle.

CR North junior Greg Lanctot goes into the tourney as a top seed at 140 pounds.
At 26-9 on the season so far, 119-pounder Zac Haynes is seeded at No. 2. Sophomore Shane Longstreth, with a 20-13 mark, is seeded third at 112.

Below are the individual records of each wrestler competing at both CR north and sister school South.

Council Rock North
119/Jr. - Allan Slezak (10-20)
125/Sr. - Zac Haynes (26-9)
130/Sr. - Brian Murray (14-22)
135
140/Sr. - Sean Doerr (15-17)
145/Jr. - Greg Lanctot (26-8)
152/Sr. - David Giannaula (10-12)
160/Sr. - Bruce Froshour (9-23)
171/Sr. - Tom Clark (22-14)
189/Jr. - Jamie Callender (32-5)
215/Sr. - John Kaschak (20-12)
285/Fr. - Stephen Kaschak (11-12)
103/So. - Adam Slezak (11-4)
112/So. - Shane Longstreth (20-13)
***

Council Rock South
119/Sr. - Wes Moran (11-16)
125/So. - Matt Rappo (27-8)
130/So. - Connor Moore (19-8)
135/So. - Matt Martoccio (12-2)
140/So. - Dalton Wiltrout (3-3)
145/Sr. - Marc Helfrich (26-6)
152/Sr. - Jim Vollrath (29-1)
160/So. - Shane Gilmor (8-3
171/Sr. - Ed Shupe (25-3)
189/Jr. - Bobby Lavelle (24-10)
215/So. - Tom Dingui (5-15)
285/Jr. - Joshua Kupperstein (2-5)
103/Fr. - Billy Rappo (15-14)
112/Jr. Ian Krouse (1-18)

Labels: Council Rock North, Council Rock South, Wrestling

WBCB to broadcast area playoff games

Pennsbury will take its first step toward its goal of winning a state title when it hosts SOL National rival Council Rock South tonight (Feb 13) in the opening round of the 32-team District One Quad-A tournament.

Pennsbury (19-3), the No. 4 seed, is expected to breeze through the first round, having beaten CR South (11-11), the No. 29 seed, twice in the regular season by an average 18.5 points.
The game will be broadcast by WBCB 1490 AM.

To listen live here, click here

In tonight’s other Lower Bucks playoff encounter, No. 14 Bensalem (17-5) will host No. 19 Great Valley (17-5).

That game will be broadcast live on WBCB1490.com.

To listen live here, click here

Meanwhile, No. 21 CR North (13-9) will visit No. 12 Glen Mills (15-6) and No. 23 Neshaminy (13-8) will play at No. 10 Penncrest (18-5).

Labels: Bensalem, boys basketball, Council Rock South, Pennsbury, WBCB

Led by top seed Matt Johnson, Falcons looking to go far

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

February 4 was a long night for the Pennsbury High School wrestling team as it saw its dual-match season come to a close with a 42-19 loss to Council Rock North.

What’s more, senior Matt Johnson suffered his first loss of the season when he moved up to 189 pounds and was pinned by Rock North’s Jamie Callender in the second period.

Now it’s a whole new ballgame with sectionals beginning 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning at Abington High School.

Johnson (28-1) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed at 189 pounds. If he finishes in the top four, he’ll advance to the District One South Class AAA tourney slated for Feb. 21 at Council Rock North.

Johnson is looking to make it to states set to take place early next month at Hershey’s Giant Center. Matt has a very good chance to see his wish through.

The senior grappler spent last season wrestling and attending classes at Valley Forge Military Academy and finished third working the mat at 215 pounds in the Independent School League Tournament. Johnson finished fifth at sectionals in his sophomore campaign at Pennsbury.
Though he spent last year competing for another school, his teammates thought enough of Johnson to elect him a co-captain.

“He’s well respected by the young men on the team,” stated Head Coach Joe Kiefer. “And he’s obviously had a very successful season with his 28 wins.”

Junior Mark Nicholson (19-3) is another Falcon with a good chance to go far in individual action set to take place over the next four weeks. Last year, Nicholson punched his ticket to regionals after defeating Paul Ebert, of Council Rock South in district consolations.

With a 33-12 record entering regionals at 135 pounds, Nicholson thought he’d go far--at least make it to states.

He did not.

“He’s hoping to make it to regionals and do well this year in that tournament,” stated Kiefer. “He wants to avenge last year in all three levels this year--by doing well in sectionals, districts and regionals.”

Nicholson is seeded second and will go at 140 pounds in individual tourneys.

Senior co-captain Matt Funk--a No. 4 seed at sectionals--is also having a nice campaign in his final season at Pennsbury. After going 28-17 last year, Funk came back with a 22-8 mark this year.

“Winning 22 matches out of 30 opportunities is a good year for any wrestler, “ said Kiefer.
A three-year varsity wrestler and district qualifier the past two seasons, Funk helped the Falcons nip William Tennent in a mid-January matchup in hostile territory. With his team trailing 33-29, Funk came through with a major decision to lock the sides at 33-all. Pennsbury won the match on the first criteria--they’d won more matches than did the Panthers.

“He’s won some matches over the years that were big matches,” stated Kiefer. “We needed a major decision there against Tennent and he came through--helped seal our win that evening.”
Brian Kahil is another senior having a good year, just one win shy of 20 at 19-11. A wrestler who finished second at sectionals last year, Kahil came into the PHS program with no elementary school experience.

Over the last three seasons, Kiefer says the 130-pounder has blossomed into a solid mat performer.

“He really came into his own when he entered grades 10 and above,” stated the coach. “We are real happy with the kind of progress that he’s made.

“He’s turned into a very strong wrestler.”

Of all the grapplers, sophomore Conlan Cornman (20-10) is having perhaps the most surprising season. Not only did the 10th-grader make the jump from JV to varsity this year, he also surrendered weight in just about every bout, wrestling up at 160 pounds.

“Josh has to be the most pleasant surprise on the team,” said Kiefer. “Winning 20 matches is an accomplishment that speaks well for his future.”

Sophomore Jeff Leib (13-8) has had a solid season, too, winning 13 matches his first year on the varsity mat. He is seeded fourth at sectionals.

Junior Josh Mitchell had a fine year, coming out ahead in 23 of the 30 bouts that he wrestled. Josh is seeded at No. 2 in tomorrow’s tournament.

Junior Kevin Bree (15-11) will work the mat at 215 pounds at sectionals.

Last year, Bree wrestled at 160 pounds but grew into a 189-pounder in the offseason. At sectionals, he’ll wrestle at 215 pounds seeded fifth in the tourney.

“He’s a strong young man and getting better,” said Kiefer. “We’re hoping he’ll be able to extend his season for a couple more weeks.”

Among the group still on the team, the district qualifiers at Pennsbury last year included Funk, Kahil (fifth at districts) and Nicholson (third at districts).
***
NOTES: Junior Josh Dziewa (119) and senior Ed Shupe (160) also went to regionals last year along with Joe Erb (215) and Joe Valenzano (189). Shupe and Dziewa have since transferred to Council Rock South; the other two graduated from Pennsbury.


WT./Gr. NAME RECORD
103/So. - Robert Daniels, (6-9)
112/So. - Jeff Lieb, (13-8)
119/Sr. - Pat Hyland, (16-12)
125/So. – Anthony Argenti, (12-17)
130/Sr. - Matt Funk, (22-8)
135/Sr. - Brian Kahil, (19-11)
140/Jr. - Mark Nicholson, (19-3)
145/So. - Stephan Healy, (7-19)
152/Jr. - George Peel, (11-19)
160/So. - Conlan Cornman, (20-10)
171/Sr. - Ray Robinson, (0-2)
189/Sr. - Matt Johnson, (28-1) no. 1 seed
215/Jr. - Kevin Bree, (15-11)
285/Jr. - Joshua Mitchell, (23-7)
***
Postseason Mat Schedule
Sat. Feb. 14 District 1 AAA Section 1
at Abington HS 9:30 am
Sat. Feb. 21 District 1 AAA South
at Council Rock North HS 9:30 am
Fri. Feb 27 South East AAA Regional
at Oxford HS 5:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 28 South East AAA Regional
at Oxford HS

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury Wrestling, Wrestling

By Bill Kenny; For Buckslocalsports.com

The Pennsbury High School boys basketball team may be the most dissatisfied bunch ever to win a conference championship with an undefeated record.

That’s because Suburban One League National Conference perfection has become the norm for the Falcons over the last four years with all-everything senior Dalton Pepper leading a repeatedly underrated supporting cast throughout that time.

So when the Falcons clinched their fourth straight unblemished SOL season with a win over their school’s chief football rival, Neshaminy, last Friday, the celebration was actually quite subdued. Much like any other home game, the Falcons patted one another on the backs, shook hands with their defeated foes and began answering questions from the news media.

The obligatory cutting down of the nets was literally an afterthought.

And even while they set up a ladder underneath one of the backboards and scaled it one-by-one with scissors in hand, there was little reflection on what had just been accomplished. Rather, the most popular topic was what still lay ahead — the current group’s final chance at claiming a coveted PIAA state title.

“To all of us, that’s the one thing we want to do,” Pepper said after the final league game of the season against Neshaminy, one in which he scored 28 points to surpass 2,000 for his career. “If we get anything less, we’ll be disappointed.”

Pennsbury will take its first step toward that lofty goal tonight when it hosts another SOL National team, Council Rock South, in the opening round of the 32-team District One tournament. (Tickets go on sale at 5 p.m.

Pennsbury (19-3), the No. 4 seed, is expected to breeze through the first round, having beaten CR South (11-11), the No. 29 seed, twice in the regular season by an average 18.5 points.

In tonight’s other Lower Bucks playoff encounter, No. 14 Bensalem (17-5) will host No. 19 Great Valley (17-5). Meanwhile, No. 21 CR North (13-9) will visit No. 12 Glen Mills (15-6) and No. 23 Neshaminy (13-8) will play at No. 10 Penncrest (18-5).

Because District One is so dominant at the state level in Class AAAA, Pennsylvania’s large-school bracket, the district gets nine automatic bids in the forthcoming PIAA tournament. So, a team need only win two district games to get to states.

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury

Labels: Archbishop Wood, Archbishop Wood girls soccer, girls soccer

Bucks County's own pro bowler Bill O'Neill, of Southampton, made it to round three of Denny’s Dick Weber Open held Feb. 5-8 at Fountain Bowl located in Fountain Valley, California.

A Conwell-Egan Catholic alum originally from Levittown, O'Neill won 11 of 13 games in match play, while recording 8,661 bonus pins.

O'Neill pocketed $2,700 for his 16th-place finish. In 12 events on the PBA tour thus far, Big Bill has earned $63,950.

Norm Duke, who tops the earnings list on the tour at $130,330 won the Weber Open after holding off a hard-charging Mike Fagan, who won three consecutive matches from his No. 5 qualifying position to get to the championship match.

-Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: Bill O'Neill, Pro Bowling

Plans are underway for the 6th annual Jimmy V CYO Basketball Tournament to be held Feb. 19 through the 22 at St. John the Evangelist's parish center in Yardley.

This event was established six years ago, based on a young girl's - Kaity Moonan's - wish to make a difference and the relationship that she and the St. John’s Parish Community have developed with the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The tournament provides an opportunity for nearly 400 CYO basketball players to play in a fun environment. Players are introduced before the games.

There will be a silent auction, commemorative T-shirts and a Remembrance Wall. A disc jockey will be playing music for your listening pleasure.

Jim Valvano’s famous 'Never give up' speech that he gave at the ESPY awards shortly before he passed away from this dreaded disease will be playing in the lobby.

Last year, over 2000 people came to the event over the four days it was held and over $22,000 was raised for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Each year, the event recognizes an individual or family who has been affected cancer. This year, will be dedicated to the Berry family of Yardley.

Family patriarch Chris Berry lost his battle to Leukemia at age 43 last spring. His daughter Nicole is fighting Osteosarcoma, which she contracted early last year and is responding well to treatment.

Nancy Berry and her children--Nicole, who is a Junior at Villa Joseph Marie, Lauren who is at Temple University and Matt, who is a 5th-grader at St. Ignatius--are wonderful people as well as our neighbors and friends.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the event, donating money or items to be used for a raffle or silent auction, please call Linda Carl at (215) 428-1777.

Labels: boys basketball

Labels: FC Bucks, girls soccer, Hopewell Valley

The Conwell-Egan Catholic troops on their way to Ryan to battle the Vikings.

Eagles end 15-year postseason drought

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor


Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) came up short in its first playoff appearance in 15 years last night (Feb. 11) at Archbishop Ryan.

Fourth-seeded Archbishop Wood (16-6, overall, 11-6 PCL Blue) outpaced the Eagles, 49-37. Fran Dougherty led the way with 13 points and four of the Vikings reached double digits including Brian O'Grady (11), Joe Getz (11) and Tim Fahy (10).

Isaac Robinson led the effort for Egan with 14 points. Jonas Skovdal and Dave Delattre added 7 points apiece. The Eagles finish their season at 11-12 overall, 8-9 in the Catholic League-Blue.
Oh but what a year it was for Egan, which made a name for itself in the annals of Eagles hooplore.

***
CEC senior Jonas Skovdal is to his team as Donovan McNabb is to his Eagles. If Donny is having a bad day (and he's had them), you know the birds are going to struggle.

It's the same way with Egan's Eagles. Skovdal struggled to score points early on in the season. And the CEC Eagles had a hard time winning games in the Catholic League, dropping their first five league contests.

"Jonas has struggled; I don't think he had the season he anticipated early on," stated CEC head coach Rick Sabol. He's really come on strong of late.

"As a team, as Jonas goes, we go."

Conversely, Skovdal has been hitting double-digit scoring of late and Egan won four of its last seven in the Catholic League skirmishes, earning a No. 5 seed in the PCL tournament, which began Feb. 11 against Archbishop Wood.

The Eagles got smoked by the Vikings the first time these two teams faced off with Wood winning, 70-39, Dec. 15 in Warminster. But on Jan. 19 back home in Fairless Hills, the Eagles reversed their fortunes in a 50-47 victory.

The Eagles went on and took wins over Catholic League rivals McDevitt (in OT), Kennedy-Kenrick and Cardinal Dougherty and Egan earned its first berth in the Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) playoffs in 15 years.

Among others, Skovdal and junior Ike Robinson deserve thanks for ending the rather lengthy playoff drought. According to Sabol, Skovdal played tremendous all-around games, totaling 27 points and 22 rebounds in the two pairings against K-K and Cardinal Dougherty.
"Jonas does all the little things--[he's] a great defensive player, brings the ball up the court, takes care of the basketball,” said Sabol.

"But offensively, he just wasn't playing as well as he thought he could be early in the year.
“He's really stepped his level up and that's why we've been so successful."

Robinson led the team in scoring both nights with 17 and 21 points, respectively.

"Ike has been bringing it night in and night out--he's had a tremendous season," stated Sabol.
Against the Wolverines, Robinson led the way with 17 points. Skovdal was next with 12. Ryan Golin pitched in with 9 points. Andrew Schaefer and Dave Delattre contributed with 5 points, apiece.

Matt Petrizzi (4), Kyle Bonner (3) and Shayne Bonner (2) also contributed to the playoff-clinching win.

Entering their Feb. 6 contest with Kennedy-Kenrick (7-15, overall, 2-14, PCL Blue), the Eagles--at 6-8 in the PCL Blue Division--needed to finish strong in order to latch onto a playoff berth. Keep in mind that Egan hadn’t made a trip to the postseason in 15 years.

With two league games left on their schedule, there was no reason to believe the Eagles would get there this year either. Friday night’s contest was at home against the Wolverines, a team Egan barely got past (41-39) in the first battle between the schools that took place Jan. 9 in enemy territory.

The Feb. 8 battle was also at home but against Dougherty (7-14, overall, 6-10, PCL Blue) a squad the Eagles hadn’t beaten in 28 tries.

According to CEC head coach Rick Sabol, Egan needed to split its weekend matchups in order to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Eagles did better than that, defeating Kennedy-Kendrick, 57-39, to secure only their third playoff berth in school history.

"The best part of what's going on is that we're playing our best basketball right now,” said the coach before his team set out for its playoff opener.

"We went through some ups and downs earlier in the season. But right now they have really jelled together and are playing with a great amount of confidence."

On Feb. 8, Egan cemented its No. 5 playoff seeding by soundly defeating Dougherty, 73-55. Up, 36-25, at the half, the Eagles went on a 22-11 third-quarter run to lead the Cardinals, 58-36, heading into the final frame.

Again, Robinson led the scoring effort for Egan, this time pouring 21 points into the bucket. Three CEC seniors pitched in with Skovdal (15), Shayne Bonner (14), and Billy Petraitis (10) each reaching double figures in the scoring column.

Ryan Golin (5), Dave Delattre (4) Kyle Bonner (2) and Matt Petrizzi (2) also contributed to the CEC cause.

Labels: boys basketball, Conwell-Egan

Bristol repeats as BAL Champs yesterday (Feb. 10) at Bristol Pike Lanes

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

There’s winning and then there’s taking the title in convincing fashion.

On Feb. 9 at Bristol Pike Lanes, with the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) Bowling Championship on the line, Bristol schnuckered Glen Mills, four games to none.

The Warriors entered the match three games ahead of second place Holy Ghost Prep (HGP) so the Firebirds still had a chance at catching the red and white.

After taking game one by 42 pins (892-850), the Warriors wasted little time in disposing of the Bulls, outpacing the BAL associate member, 1064-822. Ahead by almost 300 pins, there was little to no chance that Glen Mills would garner so much as a split.

As it turned out, Bristol won game three and total pins to help seal their second consecutive BAL trophy.

(The Ghost captured the BAL title in 2007--it's inaugural year.)

Bristol senior Shayne Burnett led the way to the Warriors’ title win with a 659 series that included scores of 219, 247 and 193. With a season average of 194, Shayne was the No. 1 seed in the BAL tournament set to take place this afternoon (Feb. 11) at Delmorr Lanes in Morrisville.
Senior Matt Kookan came through too, rolling a 641 series including a 278 in game two.

“That was some great bowling by Matt...pocket hits all the way,” said Bristol Head Coach Ron McGinn.

Senior Gino Pirollo posted a 564 series, including single game scores of 198 and 193.

Senior James Volponi rolled a 534 series, including a high-game 205. Senior Jose Zaragosa contributed, bowling 302 in two games. Senior Mike Devane rolled a 165 score in his single game.

The Warriors finished the season at 36-4 in the BAL, using a 2-game split with the Ghost the first time around and a 3-1 victory in the rematch with HGP the second time around at Bristol Pike.

The boys are set to square off later today (Feb. 11) at Delmorr in an individual tournament against the best the BAL has to offer. Burnett and company will go up against defending champion and second-seeded Drew Wallis, of Morrisville.

A 191-average bowler, Wallis went toe-to-toe with Burnett in the tourney last year then claimed the BAL crown for himself after winning the title in an overtime game.

Holy Ghost anchorman Al Gonziewski goes into the tourney as the No. 3 seed.

All three bowlers along with Volponi and Mike Browne, of Holy Ghost, have also qualified for the Eastern Pennsylvania Regionals set for Feb. 27-28 in Allentown.

***

On the girls side, Bristol senior Jess Tees claimed the No. 1 seed heading into today’s BAL tournament. Jess possesses a 164 average and has also qualified for the eastern state regional. She did so by coming through with some of her best bowling ever in a qualifier held a month ago out in Reading.

In addition to rolling a 619 series in the team qualifier held in the morning, Jess came back in the afternoon session and bowled 731 in a four game series in the individual qualifier. That’s a 193 average over the seven games that took place that day.

“That was the best bowling I’ve ever seen her do,” stated McGinn, matter-of-factly.
Morrisville’s Tiffany White has also qualified for eastern states. In the qualifier, Tiffany rolled 674 in her four game series.

Labels: boys bowling, Bristol

Pennington runner looking forward to move to Texas

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Pennington School junior Philip Wood began his high school career at LaSalle College High School. For those of you not familiar with the school, it’s a private Catholic School located on the edge of North Philadelphia.

Wood didn’t like the commute so he transferred to Pennington deciding instead to board at the New Jersey school before the start of his junior year.

But when Wood set down to select a college campus, he didn’t let distance stand in his way. The cross country and track standout for the Red Raiders selected the University of Texas. He’ll also compete in both sports for the Longhorns.

Though Wood will be a couple thousand miles away from his hometown in Yardley, he won’t feel like he’s so far away. That’s because Wood has grandparents and some family friends who live on the outskirts of Austin, home town of the Longhorns.

“This is huge,” stated Wood. “Ever since I was a little kid, it’s always been my dream to run at a D-I school - especially Texas.

“Even though I’m going far away, it’s almost like a second home to me.”

In the past two years since transferring to Raiders Coach Rick Ritter’s squad, Wood has become a seasoned distance runner, excelling in anything distancing a mile or more.

Late last year, Wood finished in fifth place in the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCC) Northeast Regional held Nov. 29 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Wood's time of 15:42 was only 21 seconds behind winner Solomon Haile, of Silver Spring, Md.

Earlier that month, Phil took second place in the N.J. Independent Schools Prep B cross country championship meet run at Blair Academy. Wood’s longtime nemesis Doug Smith of Gill/St. Bernard’s won the race in 15:29.55, two seconds in front of Wood’s 15:31.7.

And on Oct. 31, Wood also placed second in the Mercer County Meet, finishing just behind Joe Rosa of West Windsor North.

Last May as a high school junior, Wood came on in the final 200 meters to win the 3,200 at the Mercer County Track & Field Championships held that time at Steinert.

Wood posted a record time of 9:18.76 in the distance event, erasing a 23-year old meet mark of 9:22.9 that Trenton's Keith Williams ran in 1985.

Wood became Pennington's first Mercer Meet champ since Peter Rulon-Miller won the 1,600 in 2002 at 4:27.7.

A month ago at the Armory, Wood recorded a 4:16.96 in the mile at the annual Hispanic Games.
After his good showing in the Northeast Regionals, however, Wood fell ill after the race and wasn’t able to train the way he would have liked.

At Nationals held in December in San Diego, the Southern California weather turned chilly - about 55 degrees - by race time.

Wood wound up finishing 30th in a field of 40 runners.

Still, in some ways just getting there was enough, he said.

“Nationals was a great experience but I didn’t run as well as I would have liked,” said Phil. “While I wasn’t really happy with the results, I was thrilled that I made it.”

And Wood is more than elated to be a future member of the Texas Longhorns.

“It’s been a great ride,” said Wood. “Right now, I’m just trying to get through the winter season. And, I’m really excited to go to Texas."

Labels: cross country, Pennington, Yardley

Labels: Archbishop Wood, Football

By Bill Kenny
For Buckslocalsports

Pennsbury High School made out like something of a party crasher last Sunday in the PIAA District One boys basketball committee’s version of Selection Sunday.

The event’s hosts were obligated to give the Falcons a place at the table. Yet, they weren’t about to name them the guests of honor.

Rather, defending champ Chester High School — with its first-year head coach in Larry Yarbray and lone returning starter in Temple University-signee Rahlir Jefferson — kept its hold on the captain’s chair for another year. Pennsbury, undefeated against Pennsylvania opponents this season and ranked No. 1 in the most widely recognized state poll, got the No. 4 seed.

The Falcons will host a familiar foe in Suburban One League National Conference rival Council Rock South in the first round on Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale at Pennsbury at 5 p.m. that day.

If Pennsbury beats CR South for a third time this season, it will host either Owen J. Roberts or Downingtown West. Neutral sites will begin in the third round, when the Falcons could face No. 5 Central Bucks South (19-3) or a tough No. 12 in Glen Mills (15-6). Pennsbury could then see Chester in the semifinals in a re-match of last year’s state semis won by Chester in a 75-64 thriller at The Palestra.

Among other SOL National schools, Bensalem (17-5) is seeded 14th in the 32-team bracket. CR North (13-9) is 21st and CR South (11-11) 29th.

Bensalem stumbled late in the regular season with back-to-back SOL losses to Neshaminy and CR North. But the Owls returned the favor at North, 54-53 in overtime, on Feb. 4, then thumped Abington, 71-55, on Feb. 6.

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury

By Bill Kenny;
For BucksLocalSports

It was with mixed emotions that Dalton Pepper and his Pennsbury High School boys basketball team took the court last night for their final regular- season home game.

With Pepper on the verge of eclipsing the magical 2,000-point plateau, the Falcons tantalizingly close to their fourth straight undefeated Suburban One League National Conference championship and a standing-room-only crowd in the house to witness it all, the anticipation couldn’t have been any greater.

Yet, there had to bit more than a touch of sadness, too, as perhaps the best basketball player ever to grace the Lower Bucks County hardwood was about to make one his final farewells.

Pepper wasted little time getting his milestone out of the way as he scored his team’s first five points to reach 2,001 for his career. Then he added another 23 to his total to lead the Falcons past Neshaminy, 67-45, and complete a 14-0 SOL campaign.

“He’s the ultimate competitor,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said when asked to sum up Pepper’s impact on the Falcons’ program. “He constantly talks about winning a state title. He’s been fortunate to have a lot of guys to help him along the way. (There were) guys who came before him as great players and Dalton has been able to take it to the next level.”

“It’s a great feeling. This right here is a great atmosphere,” Pepper said.
Pepper, a 6-foot-5 wing forward, became just the sixth Bucks County player to reach, 2,000, following Tyrone Lewis (Harry S Truman, 1996), Chad Hoppenwasser (New Hope-Solebury, 1995), Martin Salley (Harry S Truman, 1984), Wayne Keys (Bristol, 1986) and Mike Vreeswyk (Morrisville, 1985). Salley began his career at Neshaminy before transferring.

Pepper also became the 11th player in District One history to reach the mark, led by Kobe Bryant’s 2,883 for Lower Merion from 1992 to 1996. District One includes all of Southeastern Pennsylvania, excluding Philadelphia.

Bryant is ninth on the all-time Pennsylvania list. A.J. Natasi of Northern Bedford scored an amazing 3,833 from 1994 to 1998.

Natasi went on to play college ball at West Virginia University. So will Pepper.
“It’s a good accomplishment because only (10) guys in District One got it before,” Pepper said. “Guys like Kobe Bryant and Matt Carroll (a 1999 Hatboro-Horsham graduate). There are a lot of good guys in there.”

Neshaminy had no shot of pulling off an upset last night.

Pepper started off the game with a driving lay-up. Then with two minutes gone in the contest, his pull-up three-pointer from just right of the key got him to 2,001.

Pennsbury never trailed as its suffocating defense forced 17 first-half turnovers from the Redskins. Yet, the Falcons’ lead was a surprisingly narrow 11 points at intermission.

Pepper shot 7-for-15 from the floor in the first half, including 2-for-6 on threes.
After halftime, he took just seven shots, but made five to total 28 points.

Pennsbury’s lead got to 17 midway through the third quarter. Eddie DiRugers’ 3-pointer with one second left in the third put the Falcons up, 53-30.

Because the Falcons honored their seniors before and during the game, team manager Sean Simon got to suit up as a player for the first time ever. The senior got several minutes of playing time to conclude the rout. He did not get off a shot.
The mild-mannered Pepper, meanwhile, typically gave most of the credit for his personal accomplishment to others.

“I’ve met a lot of people who influenced me and made be a better player, a better person and a better student,” he said. “Especially Coach Sciolla. He’s guided me through my whole career.”
***

LINESCORES
Neshaminy (13-8) 14 6 10 15 — 45
Pennsbury (19-2) 16 15 22 14 — 67
***
NESHAMINY (45)
Carrezola 5-1-11, Deeter 3-2-9, Warhola 1-1-3, Emig 1-0-3, Arcidiacono 5-2-13, Williams 2-0-4, Katz 0-0-0, Adams 0-0-0, DeAngelis 0-0-0, Mendola 1-0-2. Totals 18-6-45.
PENNSBURY (67)
Wolff 1-0-2, DiRugeris 5-1-12, Pepper 12-2-28, Healey 1-1-3, Marcinkowski 3-0-6, Krasna 3-0-7, Devine 4-1-9, Kumor 0-0-0, Simon 0-0-0, Jabat 0-0-0. Totals 29-5-67.
3-pointers: Deeter, Emig, Arcidiacono (N); DiRugeris, Pepper 2, Krasna (P).

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury

Eagles end 15-year postseason drought

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

Quick, somebody pinch me.

Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) just earned a berth in the Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) playoffs.

Entering their Friday night contest with Kennedy-Kenrick (7-15, overall, 2-14, PCL Blue), the Eagles - at 6-9 in the PCL Blue Division - needed to finish strong in order to latch onto a playoff berth. Keep in mind that Egan hadn’t made a trip to the postseason in 15 years.

With two league games left on their schedule, there was no reason to believe the Eagles would get there this year either. Friday night’s contest was at home against the Wolverines, a team Egan barely got past (41-39) in the first battle between the schools that took place Jan. 9 in enemy territory.

Sunday night’s game was also at home but against Cardinal Dougherty (7-14, overall, 6-10, PCL Blue) a squad the Eagles hadn’t beaten in 28 tries.

According to CEC head coach Rick Sabol, Egan needed to split its weekend matchups in order to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Eagles did better than that, defeating Kennedy-Kendrick, 57-39, to secure their first playoff appearance in 15 years and only the third in school history.

Among others, junior Ike Robinson and senior Jonas Skovdal deserve thanks for ending the rather lengthy playoff drought. Ike led the team in scoring both nights with 17 and 21 points, respectively. And according to Sabol, Skovdal played tremendous all-around games, totaling 27 points and 22 rebounds in both pairings.

Against the Wolverines, Robinson led the way with 17 points. Skovdal was next with 12. Ryan Golin pitched in with 9 points. Andrew Schaefer and Dave Delattre contributed with 5 points, apiece.

Matt Petrizzi (4), Kyle Bonner (3) and Shayne Bonner (2) also contributed to the playoff-clinching win.

On Sunday night, Feb. 8, Egan cemented its No. 5 playoff seeding by soundly defeating Dougherty, 73-55. Up, 36-25, at the half, the Eagles went on a 22-11 third-quarter run to lead the Cardinals, 58-36, heading into the final frame.

Again, Robinson led the scoring effort for Egan, this time pouring 21 points into the bucket. Three CEC seniors pitched in with Skovdal (15), Shayne Bonner (14), and Billy Petraitis (10) each reaching double figures in the scoring column.

Ryan Golin (5), Dave Delattre (4) Kyle Bonner (2) and Matt Petrizzi (2) also contributed to the CEC cause.

Egan makes its first playoff appearance in 15 years Wednesday, Feb. 11 at Archbishop Ryan. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. against 4th-seeded Archbishop Wood (15-6, overall, 10-6 PCL Blue).

Labels: boys basketball, Conwell-Egan

Philadelphia sports broadcaster Don Tollefson will be the featured speaker at the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce annual luncheon meeting on Thursday, Feb. 12, at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland.

Tollefson made his Philadelphia debut in 1975, joining WPVI-TV (Channel 6), as sportscaster and sports director and has been a part of almost all the biggest sports moments in Philadelphia.

First as a TV sportscaster at ABC and Fox and now as part of the ESPN radio team at 950 AM, Don has brought enthusiasm and sports passion to coverage of the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers.

There, he covered some of the most exciting moments in Philadelphia's sports history and worked with the nation's top athletes and entertainers.

Tollefson left ABC in 1990 because of his determination to create a non-profit motivational program for disadvantaged children, “One Child Saved”, formally known as "Winning Ways" whose philosophy is to get kids involved in many activities, so that they're too busy to get into drugs or into other trouble.

In 1995, Don returned to TV as a general assignment reporter for the FOX Philadelphia (Channel 29) team. He served as co-host of "Good Day Philadelphia", FOX's morning news and entertainment program, from April 1996 to April 1998.

He also hosted a variety of sports-related programs including "The Ray Rhoades Show" and "Eagles Game Day Live."

In 1998, Tollefson was named Sports Director of The Fox 29 Ten O’Clock News. In 1999, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia named him “Person of the Year” and inducted him into their “Hall of Fame.”

Tollefson’s greatest excitement, on and off the air has been reserved for young people in sports. From local colleges to area high schools to youth sports programs, he has always emphasized sports as a vehicle for teamwork, character and racial and ethnic harmony.

Through his work with various youth charities, he has brought positive life lessons to tens of thousands of youngsters.

In addition to his charitable and media work, Don has been a faculty member at both Temple and Villanova as well as at North Philadelphia’s William Penn High School.

Don and his wife, Marilyn Torres, are also very involved in outreach efforts in Philadelphia’s growing Latino community.

The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. and is open to the public. The cost of attendance is $45 a person for members, $55 for non-members.

For more information or to make reservations, please call the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce at 215-348-3913.

Labels: Central Bucks, Ivyland

Junior Ryan Foster is helping the Muhlenberg College men’s basketball team in its push to the playoffs.

A Council Rock High School North alum from Newtown, Ryan leads the Mules with 38 three-pointers and an .830 free-throw percentage.

Foster is also third on the team in scoring (11.5 points-per-game), rebounding (6.0 per-game), assists (36) and blocked shots (9).

Foster recently scored a career-high 25 points in Muhlenberg’s 73-65 win at Swarthmore and recorded a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) in a 62-58 win against regionally ranked Gettysburg, a Division III Sweet 16 team last year.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Mules are alone in fourth place in the Centennial Conference with an 8-6 league mark. They are 12-8 overall, their most wins in three seasons.

-Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: Council Rock North, men's basketball

Neshaminy captured the SOL National boys bowling championship after splitting yesterday's (Feb. 5) match at Levittown Lanes with Pennsbury at two games apiece. Pictured here along with head coach Al Moss (left) are Chris Walters, Rob Raddi, John Margicin, Brian Fantini and Brandon Cummings.

Redskins total pins win nets league championship

Narrow escapes.
Entering last Thursday’s match at Levittown Lanes, Neshaminy clung to a half-game lead over Pennsbury in the Suburban One League (SOL) National conference. The last match of the season for both teams, the league title was on the line.
Pennsbury delivered the first blow with a 70-pin victory in the first game. The ‘Skins rebounded however with 1,072-942 triumph of their own. The win by Neshaminy in game two gave the ‘Skins a 60-pin advantage heading into the deciding duel.
According to Neshaminy head coach Al Moss, the rubber match was a seesaw affair with Pennsbury lurching ahead in the last two frames.
The Falcons wound up winning by just 24 pins in that last game, giving the ‘Skins the win on total pins [3,044-3,018].
That and the 2-2 split earned Neshaminy the SOL National championship.
Rob Raddi led the way to the Redskins title-win with a 715 series, including a high score of 278 in game one. A junior for Neshaminy with a 192 average, Raddi seemed to save his best games for Pennsbury. Rob rolled a 280 when the two teams faced off earlier in the season at Penndel Lanes.
Playing with a bruised thumb, junior John Margicin did his part, rolling a 629 series, rolling better than 200 in each of his three games.
Margicin’s best game this season came earlier in the campaign when he rolled a 289 at Bristol Pike Lanes versus Harry S Truman.
Chris Walters, a sophomore possessing a team-high 209 average, contributed to last week’s championship triumph in a big way, rolling a 575 series.
Also for Neshaminy, Mike Tyler and Mike Malone bowled 399 and 365 respectively in the two games they bowled. Brandon Cummings and Larry Fantini posted game one scores of 177 and 184, respectively.
The Falcons’ effort was led by senior Dan Boches, who rolled a 623 series. Ryan Taylor contributed to the cause with a 606 series.
Also for Pennsbury, Mike Dreyfus, Tyler Nicol, and John Terroni posted two-game scores of 367, 402 and 430, respectively.
Darin Gordon (207), PJ Lewars (202) and Matt Callham (181) came through in single games for the orange and black.

--Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: boys bowling, Neshaminy

Pennsbury came oh so close to repeating as SOL National champions yesterday (Feb. 5) at Levittown Lanes. The Falcons split with Neshaminy, leaving Pennsbury a half game short of the Redskins’ ranking. Pennsbury finished the regular season campaign at 36 1/2-10 1/2.

--Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: boys bowling, Pennsbury

Notre Dame High School senior goalkeeper Courtney Gallagher, of Yardley, has recently committed to play lacrosse at Cornell University. Pictured here in the first row, from left: Courtney’s mother, Lisa Gallagher; Courtney; Courtney’s father, Paul Gallagher; (standing) Notre Dame girls lacrosse coach Laura Trzasko, Courtney’s sisters, Morgan (ND Class of 2012) and Brooke; and ND Principal Mary Liz Ivins.

Labels: lacrosse, Notre Dame, Yardley

By Steve Sherman;
Sports Editor

The Onward Upward Basketball Challenge is back.

The seventh annual charity basketball tournament is slated to tip off 3 p.m. tomorrow (Feb. 7) at Council Rock High School South.

Last year, the Onward Upward hoops challenge raised over $26,000, $8,000 more than the amount that was generated in 2007. The moneys go to the Four Diamonds Fund - a Penn State Dance Marathon trust that benefits families of children being treated for cancer at PSU's Children's Hospital in Hershey.

Point person for the upcoming charitable tourney Adam Mills promises a bigger and better event than ever, or at least, one that will raise more money for children afflicted with cancer.
Just how has this hoops dream turned into such a windfall for kids with cancer and their families? For one thing, contributors can now pitch donations online through a link posted at www.onwardupward.com.

"That's one of the biggest things that we've done that has enabled us to drive up the amount of money that we raise," said Mills.

"The online donation system has allowed us to grow by leaps and bounds. Through the first six years, we've raised more than $74,000 with each year setting a new high on the previous."
The tournament is the brainchild of Tim Chiodo and three of his former fellow Kappa Alpha Order fraternity members - Adam Gentzel, Joe Worley and Randy Whiteside - all of whom had been actively involved in the marathon during their stay at Penn State.

The tournament consists of a full court 5-on-5 format with a minimum of one female on the court at all times. Teams pay a minimum of $1,000 to join in the fun.

On Feb. 7, the hoops squads will take to the hardwood with names like the Bandits, the Swooping Waltons and the KA Alumni Sixers--the squad on which Chiodo played in last year's tourney. DU Dynasty took the trophy last year, winning 44-38 in the title tilt.

Since 1972, the Four Diamonds Fund has helped nearly 2,000 families. Approximately 90 new families receive support each year. The Fund offsets the cost of treatment that insurance does not cover, as well as expenses that may disrupt the welfare of a child afflicted with cancer, such as car repairs, rent or household utilities.
***

Onward Upward Basketball Challenge
Feb. 7 at Council Rock South [Tipoff: 3 p.m.]

1. Bear Stearns
2. DU Dynasty
3. Head Bandits
4. JD Parker Team
5. KA Young Bucks
6. New York Team
7. Pi Kap Alum
8. Rite Aid Raptors
9. Ryan Rentals
10. Sterling Limo
11. Swooping Waltons
12. Synerfac Recruits
***

O-U Hoops Challenge
(Moneys Raised)
2003--$3,400
2004--$4,500
2005--$7,901
2006--14,104
2007--$18,120
2008--$26,180

Labels: basketball, Council Rock South

Rebecca McKevitt, Ella Anderson, Kiera Kenney,

Kristin Aichele, Olivia Labs and Kelsey Capps

Labels: Central Bucks, Gymnastics

Labels: boys soccer, field hockey, Football, Pennsbury

The Neshaminy girl bowlers clinched the SOL National
Championship Feb. 4 with a 4-0 win over Bensalem.
This is the second straight season the 'Skins took the league
crown for themselves. Katie Bevan, Kellie Tantum, Chrissy
Udris, Sam Gibilisco and Bre Episcopo rolled the winning scores for Neshaminy.

Labels: girls bowling, Neshaminy

Council Rock North senior co-captain Clare Roche is headed to George Washington University to play soccer. She signed her National Letter of Intent Feb. 4. Her club team - FC Bucks Vipers - held a celebratory dinner in honor of all of their players who made college commitments that day. Clare hails from the Washington Crossing area.

Labels: Council Rock North, girls soccer

Villa Jo Marie senior Alysha Mallon is headed to Dayton University to play soccer. She signed her National Letter of Intent Feb. 4. Her club team - FC Bucks Vipers - held a celebratory dinner in honor of all of their players who made college commitments that day.

Labels: girls soccer, Villa Jo Marie

Yardley-Makefield Soccer Program Director John Greaves (center) is flanked by YMS Xplosion center-back Eric Schoenle of Yardley (left) and Ryan Tessler of Newtown (right). A Pennsbury High senior, Schoenle made a commitment to play soccer at West Virginia University. Tessler, a Council Rock North senior, is headed to Mount St. Mary's.

Labels: boys soccer, Council Rock North, Pennsbury, YMS

Pennsbury senior and YMS Xplosion center-backfielder Eric Schoenle signed a National Letter of Intent Feb. 4 to play soccer at the University of West Virginia. Eric joins classmate Dalton Pepper who accepted a full scholarship to play basketball for the Mountaineers.

Labels: boys soccer, Pennsbury, Yardley, YMS

Council Rock North senior and YMS Xplosion outside backfielder Ryan Tessler signed a National Letter of Intent Feb. 4 to play soccer at Mount St. Mary's. A Newtown resident, Ryan says he wouldn't have been able to take his game to the collegiate level without the assistance of the coaching staff at YMS.

Labels: boys soccer, Council Rock North

(Jan. 30-Feb. 1 game action)

The JV Maroon team outscored Our Lady of Mount Carmel 17-5 in the second half to win 24-10 Friday night.
Anthony Vlahovic led the Maroon, scoring 10 points on the night with five steals and three rebounds.
Dan Martin led on the boards, pulling down 10 on the night.Spencer Tinkel added four points for the Maroon.
The balanced Mustangs attack also got buckets from Jake Gianatassio, Pat Gimpel, Ryan O’Leary, Jake Powell and Sean Flahive.
***
Girls Come From Behind to Win 10-8 Thriller

The Saint Martin of Tours Girls JV team won a thrilling 10-8 defensive game over a scrappy MMR squad Friday night.
After being down 5-0 at the half, Hannah Miller opened the second half with a bucket for SMT.
Trailing 8-2 in the third quarter, Saint Martin’s managed to tie the score in the fourth with Kelly Hyland getting four points and Bridget Newman dropping in two.
The Lady Mustangs tenacious defense led to the final basket in the 10-8 win.
***
White Bowls Over St. Stan’s on Super Sunday

In a physical contest that saw the JV White team outscore Saint Stanislaus 10-1 from the free throw line, St. Martin’s won 24-21 in a pre-Super Bowl matchup.
Blake Hildebrandt provided consistent scoring throughout the game, ending with 15 points.
Three-for-four foul shooting from Matt Kolen and a clutch free throw from Russell Abernathy at the end proved to be the difference as the Mustangs recorded their 7th win in their last 9 games.
***
Fourth Grade Mustangs Roll to 9-0 Start

The St. Martin’s fourth grade Mustangs topped Our Lady of Mount Carmel Friday night, 29-9, to improve their record to 9-0.
Brendan Shadle had six rebounds, four steals, three assists and 10 points.
Matt Paulus had five steals, two blocks, and 13 points. Sam Czupich and Rhys Vaughn cleaned up the glass with seven rebounds each, and the hustling Thomas Flavin had three clean picks to go along with a blocked shot.
***
Mustangs Varsity Takes Two

As the season winds toward the closing week, the St Martin’s Varsity Mustangs won two games last week.
On Thursday, the team hosted Saint Maria Goretti and was able to use a strong team defense led by Danny Cherkowsky, David Cherkowsky, Cameron Cathcart, and Bryce MacKinnon to hold in check the SMG inside game.
The offense was led by Jack Dougherty, Dylan Waterman and Jake Vesling during the first half for the Mustangs.
The second half brought much of the same, with both sides trading baskets in a see-saw match.
The Mustangs led by Daniel Rubino, Zach Bandurick, and Brian Kerr and the clutch fourth quarter heroics of Noah Hutkin were able to hold off the feisty team from SMG to secure the 36-22 win.
On Friday, the varsity was back in action at St. John the Baptist.The game started with a flurry by the Mustangs, as Dougherty scored the team’s first eight points.
The Mustangs were able to expand their cushion to seven points (19-12) just before halftime due to solid play of Waterman, Bandurick, Cathcart, Vesling and Kerr.
Kerr made several key plays in the quarter scoring four points, securing three key rebounds and playing strong defense to support the Mustangs efforts in the 33-26 win.

Labels: basketball, New Hope

Fourth Grade Mustangs Remain Unbeaten
(Jan. 24-25 game action)

The St. Martin’s Fourth grade Mustangs rolled to their eighth win a row in a 30-8 victory over St. John’s. Rhys Vaughn finished with 14 points on 7 for 9 shooting, with six boards.
Matt Paulus went 4 for 5 from the field and ended with 10 points to go along with four steals.
The Mustangs kept up the heat in the third quarter with Chris Green and Thomas Flavin hitting buckets.
Sam Czupich pulled down five rebounds as the Mustangs’ raised their record to 8-0.
***
JV Gray Fights Tough St. Isidore Squad

After the Saint Martin of Tours JV Gray team fell behind in the first half in Friday night's game against Saint Isidore, Tim Czupich started the second half scoring for the Mustangs.
Dylan Waterman successfully made a three- point basket, making the score 18-10. Tim Heffernan made a foul shot and Brandon Griffing scored a basket to close the gap.
Brian Hauch sank a foul shot with one minute left, making the final score 21-14 in favor of St. Isidore.
***
White Sweeps Weekend Games

The Saint Martin of Tours JV White team swept its weekend games.
With Mike Peters and Luke Accardo providing the height under the basket, Saint Martin’s held the smaller MMR squad to only 13 points in the first game.
The offense was provided by Matt Kolen and Russell Abernathy. Kolen dropped in a game-high 11 points, leading Saint Martin’s to an 18-13 victory.
In the second game, Saint Martin’s gave a tough Saint John’s team their first loss of the year.
Good foul shooting combined with driving layups by Abernathy and Blake Hildebrandt helped the Mustangs to a 7-2 first quarter lead.
A long jump shot from Austin Maloney and perfect 4 for 4 foul shooting from Kolen helped stretch the SMT lead in what became St. John’s first loss, 20-12.
***
St. Martin’s JV Girls Top OLG, Fall to SMG

The SMT girls split their weekend games, beating Our Lady of Guadalupe and falling to Saint Maria Goretti.
In the first game, the Mustangs jumped out to a quick lead with baskets by Lindsey Park and Darby McCann.
A bucket by Bridget Newman, a foul shot by Maria Lelie, and some good old-fashioned defense gave the Lady Mustangs a 7-4 half-time lead.
The lead was increased to 9-4 on a Kelly Hyland lay-up. Newman added her second basket to seal the win for St. Martin’s, 11-6.
Against St. Maria Goretti, the Mustangs fell behind before Newman got SMT on the board with a nice put back.
The Lady Mustangs found their rhythm in the second quarter. Hannah Miller and Kelly Hyland had field goals for SMT and the defense, led by Jacqueline Hart, stiffened and held SMG to four points.
Kelly Hyland added two more baskets in the second half on the way to her team high six points. In the end, SMT fell 26-13.
***
Maroon Falls to SASH

The JV Maroon team fell to SASH 32-26 on Saturday, Jan. 24.
The Mustangs fought back from several large deficits, but could not close the gap.
Spencer Tinkel led the Maroon with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Patrick Gimpel added eight points for the Maroon.
Anthony Vlahovic chipped in five points and Jake Gianatassio blocked three shots.

Labels: basketball, New Hope

Neshaminy senior Jay Colbert is headed to New Hampshire to play football.

Neshaminy senior Jay Colbert, a 6-1, 230-pound fullback who plays the end on the D-line, is headed to the University of New Hampshire. Jay made his college choice based on the winning attitude that always seems to prevail at UNH.

Head coach Sean McDonnell led the Wildcats to their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA FCS Championships and advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time during a five-year span. Last season, New Hampshire posted a 10-3 record, capturing the Colonial Athletic Association North Division title

“Every year, New Hampshire wins games and they’re always in the playoffs every year,” said Colbert.

“They do a great job with their coaching staff.

“They always get the right guys in the program—good guys.”

A winning program coupled together with hard work made the Wildcats an attractive team to join, said Colbert. The similarity to Neshaminy football was uncanny, he noted.

“Their program is just like Neshaminy’s. Guys get in the weight room; they work—they work hard. They have great coaches. The coaches get after you and they WIN games.”

—Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: Football, Neshaminy

"It’s an awesome feeling. All your hard work and all those years that you put in and all the money that you put into it.

"You’re taking the next step into your future; hopefully, it takes you even further—semi-pros, pros.

"It’s an awesome feeling to have all that training take you somewhere.

"I can rest easy knowing that I have a scholarship.

"It’s an amazing feeling; I love it."

...Neshaminy senior Jennifer Anne Hutchinson on her commitment to West Chester University to play soccer.

Labels: Council Rock North, girls soccer, Neshaminy

Pennington School senior Amber Brooks (center) signs a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here she is pictured with her mom Jean (left), dad Allen (right), co-coaches Bill Hawkey (rear, left) and Patrick Murphy, of Newtown (rear, right).

Labels: girls soccer, New Hope, Pennington

Three of Lisa Pennington's charges are taking their game to the next
level including Neshaminy seniors (from left) Alexa Doyle (Kutztown),
Moriah Allen (Villanova) and Marlaine Schneider (Rider).

Labels: field hockey, Neshaminy

Lyndsay Pierson is headed to Pitt to play soccer.
Earlier today, she and a dozen other Neshaminy High School
student-athletes signed commitment letters to play collegiate sports.

Labels: girls soccer, Neshaminy

Pennington senior Philip Wood, of Yardley,
signs a National Letter of Intent to run track
and cross country at the University of Texas.

Labels: cross country, Pennington

Four Neshaminy football players inked deals today including
(from left) John Zavorski (Kutztown), Dan Shirey (Villanova),
Paul Carrezola (Rutgers) and Jay Colbert (New Hampshire).

Labels: Football, Neshaminy

Pennington senior Alexa Carugati of Newtown
inked a deal to play soccer for the Villanova Wildcats.

Neshaminy High School has announced more than a dozen student-athletes who have accepted award scholarships to the following schools.
The 13 students were recognized for their achievements at a signing ceremony held at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon (Feb. 4) in the Neshaminy High School HUB.
Four of the students are members of the football team that went 12-2, captured the SOL National Conference championship and earned a berth in the District One Class AAAA finals.
Six are members of Coach Rich Reice's soccer teams including boys co-captain Kyle Soroka, who led his team to the District One Class AAA finals as well as a berth in the PIAA AAA semifinals.
Reice's girls' team went far too, earning a hard-fought win over Council Rock North after falling in overtime to CB West in the district semis. The win over the Indians meant that Neshaminy would finish third in the D-I AAA tourney.
In states, the Lady Redskins made it all the way to the PIAA AAA quarters, falling in overtime to Lower Dauphin.
Three are field hockey players, members of Lisa Pennington's squad that captured a District One Class AAAA championship, 25 years after Pennington and her crew did it, guided by former skipper and Athletic Director Sheila Murphy.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Jay Colbert, New Hampshire, Football
Dan Shirey, Villanova University, Football
Paul Carrezola, Rutgers University, Football
John Zavorski, Kutztown University, Football
Kyle Soroka, Villanova University, Soccer
Zach Turchi, LaSalle University, Soccer
Marlaine Schneider, Rider University, Field Hockey
Moriah Allen, Villanova University, Field Hockey
Alexa Doyle, Kutztown University, Field Hockey
Kelli Kerr, Millersville University, Soccer
Lyndsay Pierson, University of Pittsburgh, Soccer
Diana Rowan, West Chester, Soccer
Jennifer Anne Hutchinson, West Chester, Soccer

Labels: boys soccer, field hockey, Football, Neshaminy

Pennsbury senior Leigh Deininger has chosen to continue her athletic career at St. Joseph's University as a field hockey player.
A standout midfielder in both hockey and soccer, Deininger was more experienced playing soccer for the YMS Speed Demons for the past seven years.
Deininger started playing soccer competitively when she was 8-years-old, under the tutelage of her dad Roger who was a standout in the sport at Shippensburg.
Last season in hockey, Deininger was an SOL National Conference first team selection, helping Pennsbury to the first round of districts.
Deininger will join three male student athletes at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5 when the four will sign Division I National Letters of Intent at the PHS TV studios on the East campus.
The Pennsbury boys who are signingThursday include soccer players Eric Schoenle (Mount St. Mary's) and Alex Ockford (West Virginia) in addition to linebacker Steve Marck, who is headed to Miami of Ohio to join his brother C.J.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: boys soccer, field hockey, Football, Pennsbury

The FC Bucks Vipers soccer club has numerous players from lower and central Bucks County announcing their college commitments.
This evening at Applebees on Durham Road in Newtown Township, Clare Roche of Washington Crossing and Yvonne Moyer of Levittown will announce their plans.
Both will sign Division I National Letters of Intent at 8:15 p.m.
A Council Rock North senior, Roche is headed to George Washington University this fall.
Moyer, a Pennsbury senior who does not play varsity soccer for the high school, will play her college soccer at Penn.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman.

Labels: CR North, girls soccer, Pennsbury

Yardley Makefield Soccer is hosting an athletic signing today at the Continental Tavern in Yardley Borough.
Two players - Eric Schoenle of Yardley and Ryan Tessler of Newtown - from their U-17 boys team, the YMS Xplosion are announcing their college commitments at 6:45 Wednesday, Feb. 4 (weather permitting).
A Pennsbury High School senior, Schoenle is headed to the University of West Virginia. Teammate Ryan Tessler, now a senior at Council Rock North, will play his soccer at Mount St. Mary's.

Labels: boys soccer, CR North, Pennsbury

Amber Brooks, Alexa Carugati, Phil Wood and Heidi Sabatura

By Steve Sherman; Sports Editor

The Pennington School is going for a trifecta - plus one - Wednesday morning in athletics when the private school in the Garden State signs four - count ‘em - four student athletes to Division I National Letters of Intent.
Three of the athletes are girls soccer players - members of the state championship team that won a record sixth consecutive NJISAA Prep A title last fall.
The other is Philip Wood, of Yardley, who is one of the best distance runners in the country. Headed to the University of Texas, Wood will join Amber Brooks, Heidi Sabatura and Alexa Carugati. All four are set to sign commitment letters in Sparks Gymnasium Wednesday (Feb. 4, weather permitting).
Come this fall, Carugati of Newtown, along with Sabatura of Lawrenceville, will play for the Villanova Wildcats.
Brooks, a New Hope resident who captained the US National U-17 team to a silver medal late last year in the World Cup, will play for the defending national champion University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Tarheels are coming off a record 20th consecutive national championship.
Wood Takes the Fifth
Late last year, Wood finished in fifth place in the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCC) Northeast Regional held Nov. 29 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y.
Wood's time of 15:42 was only 21 seconds behind winner Solomon Haile, of Silver Spring, Md.

Labels: cross country, girls soccer, Pennington

Pennsbury 61, Norristown 54 (overtime)
Jan. 31 at Villanova

Pennsbury used a 9-2 overtime scoring advantage to outlast Norristown in the Primetime Shootout that took place Jan. 31 at Villanova University’s Pavilion.
The Falcons led for the first 31 minutes of the game before the Eagles finally tied the game at 50-all with 90 seconds to play.
Senior Dalton Pepper, battling flu-like symptoms, hit a driving layup to give the Falcons a two-point advantage with 13 seconds to go. Norristown countered with a layup of its own in the waning seconds of regulation to send this heated rivalry to an extra session.
The Eagles scored first in overtime, but the Falcons finished the game on a 9-0 run to seal a 61-54 victory. Pennsbury was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the extra period, and shot a fantastic 18-for-21 from the stripe for the game.
Senior guard Eddie DiRugeris played a terrific game at both ends of the floor, defending and pacing the Falcon offense. Eddie totaled 10 points and was named Game MVP. Pepper scored a game high 22 points and hauled in 9 rebounds.
The game was the first overtime contest for the Falcons since falling to Putnam City (Oklahoma) in the 2007 Bay Ball Classic Final in Lewes, Delaware.
It was also the first overtime win for the Falcons since falling 51-42 in OT to Penn Wood in the second round of district play in 2006.

Labels: boys basketball, Pennsbury

St. John the Evangelist parish remembers Jimmy V

Plans are underway for the 6th annual Jimmy V CYO Basketball Tournament to be held Feb. 19 to 22 at St. John the Evangelist's parish center in Yardley.
This event was established six years ago, based on a young girl's wish to make a difference and the relationship that she and the St. John’s Parish Community have developed with the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
The tournament provides an opportunity for nearly 400 CYO basketball players to play in a fun environment. Players are introduced before the games
There will be a silent auction, commemorative T-shirts and a Remembrance Wall. A disc jockey will be playing music for your listening pleasure.
Jim Valvano’s famous 'Never give up' speech that he gave at the ESPY awards shortly before he passed away from this dreaded disease will be playing in the lobby
Last year, over 2000 people came to the event over the four days it was held and over $22,000 was raised for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Each year, the event recognizes an individual or family who has been affected cancer. This year, will be dedicated to the Berry family of Yardley.
Family patriarch Chris Berry lost his battle to Leukemia at age 43 last spring. His daughter Nicole is fighting Osteosarcoma, which she contracted early last year and is responding well to treatment.
Nancy Berry and her children - Nicole, who is a Junior at Villa Joseph Marie, Lauren who is at Temple University and Matt, who is a 5th-grader at St. Ignatius - are wonderful people as well as our neighbors and friends.
If anyone is interested in learning more about the event, donating money or items to be used for a raffle or silent auction, please call Linda Carl at (215) 428-1777.

The Council Rock North Women’s Soccer Booster Club is now accepting applications for its popular "Go for the Goal" Spring Soccer Clinic open to girls grades K through 8.
The clinic is directed by the Council Rock North High School women’s soccer coaches and players. It is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at the CR North High School field, 62 Swamp Rd., in Newtown.
(Raindate: Sunday, March 29).
Two sessions are available for young athletes to train in small groups. The first session begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m., with check-in starting at 8:45 a.m.
The second session starts at 12:30 p.m. and runs until 3 p.m. with check-in at 12:15 p.m.
Skills covered include shooting and defending, dribbling & passing along with small-sided games and scrimmages.
Early registration is $30 due by March 21. After the deadline date, registration is $35. Advanced registration is highly recommended to guarantee a spot. Team discounts for five players or more if registered by March 21.
For information and registration forms, contact crnorthsoccer14@comcast.net.

Labels: Council Rock North

South slide continues

Pennsbury senior Eddie DiRugeris led the Falcons with 17 points in a Jan. 29 SOL National triumph over Council Rock South. Tom Marcinkowski and Dalton Pepper also reached dowuble figures for Pennsbury with 14 and 10 points respectively as the Falcons went on to a 57-35 win, their second of the season over CR South and 56th consecutive triumph in the SOL National Conference.
Pat Fitzsimmons led the Golden Hawks' scoring effort with 11 points. Cody Knowlin recorded 10 points for South, which dropped its fifth consecutive league game and sixth overall. The Hawks fall to 9-9 overall with the loss.
Pennsbury pushed its record to 15-2, overall, while remaining unbeaten in league play at 11-0.
The Falcons tallied yet another huge win Jan. 31 with a 61-54 triumph over perrenial PIAA boys hoops power Norristown. The battle, which took place at Villanova University and needed an extra session to determine a winner, was broadcast on Levittown based WBCB radio 1490 AM with the play-by-play conducted by none other than Merrill Reese, voice of the Eagles and co-owner of the station.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman


LINESCORES 1 2 3 4 - Final
Pennsbury 14 15 15 13 - 57
CR South 5 12 13 5 - 35
(Jan. 29 at Pennsbury)

Pennsbury
Player Points
Eddie DiRugeris 17
Tom Marcinkowski 14
Dalton Pepper 10
Dante Devine 8
Jesse Krasna 6
John Ryann-Wolff 2

Council Rock South
Player Points
Pat Fitzsimmons 11
Cody Nowlin 10
John Thomas 4
Tom Boyd 4
Justin Thomas 2
Jake Clopton 2
Rus Chichkin 2

Labels: boys basketball, Council Rock South

Dan Costello and Aaron Morgan each scored 13 points for the Indians helping Council Rock North to a 59-48 SOL National triumph over Bensalem Jan. 30 in hostile territory.
Tim Filer also reached double figures with 11 points for the Rock, which pushed its record to 11-8 with the win.
Dyron Edwards poured 25 points into the bucket for the Owls.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman


LINESCORES 1 2 3 4 - Final
CR North 6 13 23 17 - 59
Bensalem 12 7 7 22 - 48
***
CR North
Player Points
Dan Costello 13
Aaron Morgan 13
Tim Filer 11
Arron Goodman 9
Andrew Stress 7
Ty Bostain 6
***
Bensalem
Player Points
Dyron Edwards 25
Nick Christian 11
Ivan Flores 5
Rob Schreiber 5
Alex Agyedu 2

Labels: boys basketball, Council Rock North

Conwell-Egan Catholic pushed its record to 9-10 overall with a 50-15 triumph on the mat over Germantown Friends School Jan. 31 in hostile territory. Anthony Spadafora (119), Eric Smith (152), Jim Weinerman (160) and Cameron Perry (189) recorded falls for the Eagles. Bob Albritain posted a major decision at 171 pounds.
- Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) vs. Germantown Friends

CEC 50, Germantown Friends 15
(Jan. 31 at GFS)

WEIGHT CEC GFS

103 Lost, forfeit Reed
112 Pat Hecker won 9-1 Rabeen
119 Anthony Spadafora won pin Pinover
125 Dylan Hetzer lost 4-0 dec. Furokowa
130 Stratis Moschouris won pin Kurokowa
135 Pat Henry won forfeit
140 Dan Balek won forfeit
145 Raison lost 10-3 dec. Hall
152 Eric Smith won pin Feingold
160 Jim Weinerman won pin Sullivan
171 Bob Albritain won 13-0 maj. dec. Shaffer
189 Cameron Perry won pin Soloman
215 Sean Black lost 3-2 dec. Clark

Labels: Conwell-Egan, Wrestling

CR South 285-pounder Josh Kupperstein pins in the Hawks' quarterfinal win over
CB East in District Dual Class AAA wrestling action Jan. 30-31 at CR South.

Down 28-8 after nine matches, Council Rock North rallied by winning its last five bouts, starting with Jamie Callender's decision win at 189 pounds and ending with Shane Longstreth's pin win at 112. The Indians claimed a 31-28 victory over South and third place for itself in the District One Class AAA wrestling duals Jan. 31 at CR South.

Earlier in the tournament, North claimed wins over Springfield DelCo and Upper Perkiomen before falling to Boyertown. Fourth place South finished with wins over CB East and Springfield Delco before falling at the hands of Quakertown and CR North.

Quakertown captured the top prize in the competition with a convincing 54-16 win over Boyertown.

--Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Council Rock North 37, Upper Perkiomen 30

Jan. 31 at CR South

District 1-AAA Duals (Consolation Semifinals)

112 - Dillon Longenbach pinned Joseph Hinz, 3:55 (6-0)

119 - Marty McStravick dec. Allan Slezak, 5-2 (6-3)

125 - Zac Haynes dec. Garrett Fellman, 6-4 SV (9-3)

130 - Brian Murray dec. Devyn Kerr, 8-1 (12-3)

135 - Sean Doerr pinned Dalton Fleming, 0:31 (18-3)

140 - Mike McStravick pinned Neil Patel, 3:03 (18-9)

145 - Cody Ambrose pinned David Giannaula, 3:57 (18-15)

152 - Greg Lanctot maj. dec. Nate Pompei, 11-3 (22-15)

160 - Britt Kerr dec. Bruce Froshour, 6-2 (22-18)

171 - Nick Edmonson pinned Prudhvi Moparthi, 3:45 (22-24)

189 - Jamie Callender pinned Nick Hale, 0:59 (28-24)

215 - John Kaschak pinned Dan Wolfram, 2:26 (34-24)

285 - Jared Bennett pinned Stephen Kaschak, 3:50 (34-30)

103 - Adam Slezak dec. Daniel Rodenberger, 2-0 (37-30)

Council Rock North wrestlers in bold.

***

Council Rock South 35, Springfield Delco 30

District 1-AAA Duals (Consolation Semifinals)

112 - Dan Dortone won by forfeit (0-6)

119 - Wes Moran won by tech. fall over Joe Methlie, 3:49, 15-0 (5-6)

125 - Brian Heckman pinned Mike Barbieri, 1:14 (11-6)

130 - Matt Rappo dec. Bob Gildea, 10-4 (14-6)

135 - Matt Martoccio pinned Ryan Thomas, 3:00 (20-6)

140 - Dalton Wiltrout dec. John McCoach, 4-2 (23-6)

145 - Brandon Loro dec. Marc Helfrich, 2-1 (23-9)

152 - Jim Vollrath pinned A.J. Kinter, 1:30 (29-9)

160 - Ed Shupe dec. Pat Leahan, 4-2 (32-9)

171 - Bobby Lavelle dec. Austin MacDowell, 7-0 (35-9)

189 - Andre Petroski pinned Marc Pelberg, 1:14 (35-15)

215 - Kaje Sponheimer pinned Tom Dingui, 2:59 (35-21)

285 - David Dewan won by forfeit (35-27)

103 - Vince Barbieri dec. Billy Rappo, 1-0 TB2 (35-30)

Council Rock South wrestlers in bold.

***

District 1-AAA Duals (Third Place)

Council Rock North 31, Council Rock South 28

Jan. 31 at CR South

119 - Allan Slezak dec. Wes Moran, 3-2 (3-0)

125 - Matt Rappo dec. Zac Haynes, 6-4 (3-3)

130 - Connor Moore maj. dec. Brian Murray, 8-0 (3-7)

135 - Matt Martoccio won by forfeit (3-13)

140 - Sean Doerr dec. Dalton Wiltrout, 2-1 (6-13)

145 - Marc Helfrich dec. Greg Lanctot, 1-0 (6-16)

152 - Jim Vollrath pinned David Giannaula, 1:39 (6-22)

160 - Bruce Froshour dec. Shane Gilmore, 2-1 (9-22)

171 - Ed Shupe pinned Tom Clark, 2:40 (9-28)

189 - Jamie Callender dec. Bobby Lavelle, 4-2 (12-28)

215 - John Kaschak pinned Tom Dingui, 4:30 (18-28)

285 - Stephen Kaschak dec. Joshua Kupperstein, 3-0 (21-28)

103 - Adam Slezak maj. dec. Billy Rappo, 9-0 (25-28)

112 - Shane Longstreth pinned Ian Krouse, 4:06 (31-28)

Council Rock North wrestlers in bold.

Labels: CR North, CR South, Wrestling