There are only a few varsity teams left playing in postseason action this time of year.
The Council Rock North girls volleyball team, this year's District One-AAA runner-up, won handily last night in the first round of states, outpacing Girls High 25-5, 25-6 and 25-9.
Senior setter Jackie Davies led the way with 19 assists, 5 kills and 6 digs. Sarah Kiely pitched in with 7 kills, 10 digs and 2 blocks. Caroline Anderson added 6 kills, 2 blocks and 5 digs. Rachel Friedman also contributed 8 kills to the Rock's state playoff win.
The Lady Indians move on to pool play on Friday Nov. 13 against Mount Lebanon, Allentown Central Catholic and the winner of Cardinal O'Hara and Spring Grove.
The Archbishop Wood girls fell Nov. 10 in their state soccer opener against Villa Jo Marie as the Jems took a 2-1 halftime lead on goals by Emily Market and Becky Pfender. A goal by Vikings midfielder Christine Ferrelle kept Wood in the game at the intermission but a goal after the break by Dominique Ponente sealed VJM's 3-1 victory.
Jems keeper Courtney Shaw made 7 saves for the Villa. Alyson Hop made 3 stops for the Vikings.
Pennsbury suffered a 2-1 loss Nov. 10 in its state field hockey opener against Emmaus. Sophomore Allie Brady scored the lone goal for the Falcons, who finished fifth in the district this year.
District One sub-regional action begins this Friday night in football with Pennsbury, Neshaminy, Council Rock South and Council Rock North facing off against some familiar, some unfamiliar foes.
At 7 p.m., Pennsbury will host Unionville, a team they have yet to play against this season. The SOL National champion Falcons went 9-1 this season, finishing with a 27-20 OT thriller against league runner-up Neshaminy. The Redskins host SOL National rival Abington. The Galloping Ghosts defeated the Redskins, 28-24, in a week four battle in Abington. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CR North will go up against North Penn, a team they shared a league rivalry with last season. The Knights went unbeaten in reclaiming the Continental Conference this year so Friday's game could get ugly fast. North Penn romped in every game it played this season including a season opening win over Bethlehem Liberty, a team that went to the Eastern Conference championship a year ago. CB South was the only team to keep the deficit under three touchdowns, and they lost 27-7 on their home turf.
Seeded 10th, Council Rock South might have a better time with No. 7 Ridley but they'll have to beat the Green Hornets down in Delaware County. That may be a daunting task but the Hawks have had to prove their mettle in previous match-ups this season.
Here's hoping they're able to do it again.

Labels: Council Rock North, Council Rock South, CR North, CR South, Neshaminy, Pennsbury

The Haverford College women's soccer team earned a number of individual honors Tuesday, Nov. 10 as announced by the Centennial Conference office in a postseason press release.
Sophomore Katie Van Aken, a Council Rock North alum from New Hope, and junior Maura Schiefer were tabbed for the First-Team All-Centennial squad, junior Michele Buonora was named Second-Team all-conference while senior Erin Dowling earned Honorable Mention league honors.
Haverford head coach Jamie Gluck, who in just her third season with the program has already led the Fords to three Centennial playoff berths, was voted the 2009 women's soccer Coach of the Year by the league's coaches. The team's third place finish in the 2009 standings was the highest since the 2005 season when the Fords finished in a tie for second place.
This is Schiefer's second all-league honor after finishing the 2008 postseason with a Second-Team all-league honor. Buonora was an Honorable Mention player last season and this is Van Aken's first postseason conference honor.
Van Aken paced the offensive attack for the Fords with nine goals and one assist. She was third in the league in goals scored, goals per game (0.50) and game-winning goals (4). Her 19 points for the year was sixth-most in the Centennial.
Schiefer helped spearhead a defensive back line that allowed just 16 goals over the season, fourth-fewest in the league. The Fords' goals against average of 0.86 per game was also fourth-best and their 10 shutouts was tied for second-most in the conference.
Buonora tallied three goals and added two assists for a total of eight points, third most on the squad. The lone senior of the bunch, Dowling, concluded her final season with identical statistics to Buonora's.
Gluck improved her career mark at Haverford to 29-20-6 with the 2009 season's 12-3-3 record. The team's 12 wins this year was fourth-most in program history.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

The Gettysburg College women’s soccer team had three players voted All-Centennial Conference Honorable Mention by the conference’s head coaches according to a release by the league office on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Senior Tara Gaston picked up her third-straight all-conference accolade, junior Sarah Yeager earned her second, and freshman Casey Attanasio, a Council Rock High School alum from Newtown, landed her first postseason distinction.
After earning first-team All-CC as a defender in each of the previous two seasons, Gaston dropped down to honorable mention following a position change on the field. As an attacking midfielder and team co-captain, she turned in her best offensive performance on the pitch, finishing second on the team with a dozen points on five goals and two assists.
A second-team all-conference selection last fall, Yeager started all 17 contests as the center back for Gettysburg’s defensive unit in 2009. She helped the squad finish top five in the Centennial Conference in nearly every defensive statistic, including fourth in shutouts (9) and fifth in goals against average (0.98). Yeager has appeared in 45 matches and has helped the team record a 0.91 goals against average.
Attanasio was one of four freshmen named all-conference this fall. She appeared in 15 matches as a forward, including 10 as a member of the starting lineup. Attanasio finished tied for the team lead with five goals, adding one assists for 11 points. Casey was third on the squad in both scoring and shots (30) and she tallied a pair of game-winning goals against Bryn Mawr and Lebanon Valley College.
Her best scoring output of the season came in her first conference affair against Bryn Mawr as she lit up the Owls for a pair of goals in the first 10 minutes of play.
Gettysburg finished 9-7-1 overall, including a 4-5-1 mark in conference play this season. The Bullets finished just outside the playoff picture, tying for sixth.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Before this season, Pennsbury was the perennial powerhouse in the Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference.
Council Rock North went out and beat the Falcons 3-1 the first time the sides faced off at the Rock. In a match that took place in early September, it was the very first league match of the season for both teams so maybe the sides were still getting their feet wet in varsity play.
Pennsbury exacted revenge when it outpaced the Indians 3-2 in a late-season matchup but lost to sister school CR South in the last week of the season. That opened the door for the Rock’s way to the league title. The Indians walked right through that opening with a 3-0 triumph over the Hawks that assured North the conference crown.
What’s more, the Indians needed the win in order to garner a more favorable seeding in district play.
Senior Sarah Kiely led the way for North with 9 kills, 8 digs and 4 blocks. Rachel Friedman pitched in with 9 kills and 23 digs. Jackie Davies contributed 28 assists, 2 kills and 14 digs. And Bailey Dowd added 8 kills to the Rock's cause.
Because of that win, North earned a No. 6 seeding and the Falcons were awarded No. 8, placing them in the same bracket as top-seeded Bishop Shanahan.
While North won all of its first three playoff pairings after receiving a first round bye, the Falcons fell 3-1 in a district quarterfinal match with Shanahan.
“It was intense because we knew what was on the line,” stated Kiely, of the win over the Hawks. “If we didn’t win that game, then our rankings for postseason wouldn’t have been as good as it was.”
And of course besting runnerup Pennsbury made the league championship that much sweeter.
“It was awesome to win over Pennsbury,” stated Kiely. “They win [the league] every year and last year they beat us for the league title so...”
After winning the league, North advanced to the D-One quarters with a 3-2 win over Strath Haven Oct. 29, outpacing the Panthers, 25-16, 25-18, and 15-6 in games one, three and five. Haven was a winner in games two and four, outpacing the Rock by identical 25-19 scores.
Caroline Anderson led the way to the playoff win with seven kills and 14 digs. Jackie Davies pitched in with 43 assists, and five kills. Bailey Dowd contributed 13 kills, and five blocks. Rachel Friedman added nine kills and 22 digs. Kiely came through with 16 kills, 15 blocks, four aces and 10 digs.
“Strath Haven put up a fight. The match was intense because their middle was hitting really well and we were blocking really well,” stated Kiely. “But some passes were great and some not so great; some sets were great and others weren’t.
“We were able to overcome the drought in that final game and we just pulled away with the win.”
In districts, the Indians had the advantage of having seen each of its first three opponents before the tournament tipped off. Earlier in the season, North faced off against Haven and Penncrest in midseason tourneys in addition to scrimmaging against St. Basil’s in preseason.
“Our seeding provided us with the perfect rout to the district finals,” stated Kiely. “I wish we could have placed higher but it really worked out for us in the end.”
In the D-One semis, Kiely came through with 13 kills and 5 blocks helping the Indians to a 3-1 win over 10th-seeded St. Basil’s. The win over Basil’s, who upset second-seeded Upper Merion, guaranteed North a berth in the upcoming PIAA tournament.
Though she deserved a lot of the credit too, Kiely was quick to commend her teammates for the fine job they’ve done getting the Rock into states.
She had this to say of Friedman, who contributed 17 kills to the Rock’s state qualifying win over Basil’s.
“We need her to win. She has the ability to see over the front row,” explained Kiely. “When she’s passing back row, she notices things with the other team’s defense so she tells me where to hit.”
A strong hitter, Bailey Dowd is the tallest on the team so she is counted on to block. But Dowd brings so much more to the Indians, said Kiely.
“She does a great job of getting everyone’s energy up and getting everyone pumped up for the games,” stated Kiely. “She has quite the hit when she’s on; she slams the ball on the floor.”
Libero Amanda Carmen is one of the best passers on the team and Davies is perhaps the best setter that North has ever had.
“She gives me different sets and she confuses the heck out of the opposing defense,” explained Kiely. “The blockers don’t know where she’s going and that’s a benefit.”
“I can go on about everyone. Those are just some people that bring different personalities to the team and help us achieve our goals
In their semifinal win over St. Basil’s, the Rock forged ahead with a 25-20 win in game one only to see Basil’s rebound with a 25-19 win of their own.
Tied at 16-all, a late run keyed by a Kiely block and two kills by Davies gave the Indians the win and all the momentum they needed to advance.
“That was the game-changer. We knew we had to win,” stated Davies. “This was the game that tells all. Whoever wins it, they were going to win the match.”
It was team unity helped the Rock pull through in the semis, said Davies.
“We don’t have just one or two stars, we’re a team,” said Davies. “We have amazing right sides, amazing outsides. Our defense will not let a ball drop without a body hitting the floor after it.”
There are seven seniors, three of whom--Kiely, Davies and Carmen--are scattered into the starting lineup. Lauren Malakoff plays back row as does Danielle Stewart, who comes in sometimes for Dowd. But it’s not so much their age but their camaraderie that makes North a cohesive unit that is successful on the hardwood, says Kiely.
“We’re friends--we all want to hang out together. That and the combination with the will to win just makes our team different because our chemistry works so well together,” sge said.
“The team chemistry just flows on this team,” said Davies. “All of us have so much drive and want so much to be the best we can.”
Tomorrow afternoon at Wissahickon, we’ll find out if they’re the best in District One.
Stay tuned.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

LANCASTER - Katie Van Aken capped off a strong week of play by being named the Centennial Conference women's soccer Offensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office Monday, Oct. 26.
During a week in which the Fords went 2-0 in conference play, Van Aken netted game-winning goals in both games and accumulated three goals on just five shots.
Van Aken, a Council Rock High School North alum from New Hope, leads the team with eight goals, which also ranks the sophomore in a tie for second within the league in goals scored. Her 17 points is tied for fifth place among the Centennial's scoring leaders.
Monday's conference honor marks the second time during her career Van Aken has been named the Player of the Week. During her freshman campaign, she earned the weekly award on Oct. 20, 2008.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Pennsbury defeated Council Rock North the second time the sides faced off this season in girls volleyball and the two are sometimes bitter rivals in the Suburban One League National Conference.
But when the wins and losses were tallied up at the end of the season and a division winner was declared, it was the Rock who was left holding the trophy.
The Falcons left the door open for the Lady Indians to lay sole claim to the conference crown when Pennsbury lost to sister school CR South on Thursday, Oct. 15. North walked right through the open door, defeating the Hawks in a battle of their own with South.
The Indians outpaced the Hawks in three straight sets, finishing the regular season at 11-1 and the SOL National Conference trophy in hand.
Council Rock North captured the SOL National Conference crown with a three-set win over CR South on Thursday, Oct. 15--senior night. Pictured above in the front row, from left are the North seniors: Danielle Stewart, Lauren Malakoff and Kristen Sargente. Second row: co-captain Sarah Morrison and liberio Amanda Carmen. Back row: co-captain and middle blocker Sarah Kiely, floor captain and setter Jackie Davies.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

Council Rock North keeps rolling right along in girls volleyball with a pair of wins recently over William Tennent and Neshaminy. The Lady Indians won both matches in three straight sets starting with a 25-15, 25-15, 25-14 win over the Panthers.
Sarah Kiely had a monster game with 6 kills, 3 blocks, and 5 services aces Oct. 8 versus Tennent. Bailey Dowd also came through for the Rock with 11 kills. Rachel Friedman posted up with 10 kills and 14 digs. Jackie Davies added 27 assists and 12 digs.
Against the Redskins Oct. 13 in Langhorne, CR North posted consecutive wins of 25-21, 25-14 and 25-17. Kiely came through again, recording 14 kills, 2 blocks and 13 digs. Davies did her part, contributing 26 assists and 7 kills to the North effort. Kristin Sargente added 11 digs to the Rock's cause.
For Neshaminy, Kelsey Ryan had 10 kills, 8 digs, 2 blocks and 2 aces. Stacy Bartleson added 7 kills.
With the win, the Indians pushed their record to 10-2, overall, 9-1 in the SOL National Conference. The 'Skins fell to 6-7, 4-5 in the SOL.
North completed their regular Monday, Oct. 19 on the road with a big win over sister school CR South. The Indians' straight set win over the Hawks helped them capture the SOL National Conference championship.
And on Friday, Oct. 23, the Indians volleyball team, along with the CR North boys soccer team will battle a far different foe--breast cancer.
At 6 p.m., the boys will go up against the girls on the court in the Ultimate Volleyball Challenge. The doors to the main gym open at 5.
The proceeds benefit Athletes Helping Athletes and the Eileen Stein Jacoby Fund at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Supporters can also make a donation online by clicking here.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

Kristin Sargente had three kills and eight digs in a Council Rock North girls volleyball 3-0 win over Harry S Truman Oct. 6 at the home of the Lady Indians. Sarah Kiely added nine kills and five blocks to North's winning effort. Danielle Stewart came through with 11 assists and six digs for the Rock which pushed its record to 8-2, 7-1 in the suburban One League National Conference. The Indians won all three games using scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 25-10.
North padded those stats on Oct. 8 to 9-2 overall, 8-1 in the SOL with a 3-0 road win over William Tennent.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

Council Rock North keeps rolling right along in girls volleyball with a pair of wins recently over William Tennent and Neshaminy. The Lady Indians won both matches in three straight sets starting with a 25-15, 25-15, 25-14 win over the Panthers.
Sarah Kiely (pictured, right) had a monster game with 6 kills, 3 blocks, and 5 services aces Oct. 8 versus Tennent. Bailey Dowd also came through for the Rock with 11 kills. Rachel Friedman posted up with 10 kills and 14 digs. Jackie Davies added 27 assists and 12 digs.
Against the Redskins Oct. 13 in Langhorne, CR North posted consecutive wins of 25-21, 25-14 and 25-17. Kiely came through again, recording 14 kills, 2 blocks and 13 digs. Davies did her part, contributing 26 assists and 7 kills to the North effort. Kristin Sargente added 11 digs to the Rock's cause.
For Neshaminy, Kelsey Ryan had 10 kills, 8 digs, 2 blocks and 2 aces. Stacy Bartleson added 7 kills.
With the win, the Indians pushed their record to 10-2, overall, 9-1 in the SOL National Conference. The 'Skins fell to 6-7, 4-5 in the SOL.
With the results of an Oct. 15 pairing with Bensalem pending, North completes their regular season schedule at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 on the road against sister school CR South.
And next Friday, Oct. 23, the Indians volleyball team, along with the CR North boys soccer team will battle a far different foe--breast cancer.
At 6 p.m., the boys will battle the girls on the court in the Ultimate Volleyball Challenge. The doors to the main gym open at 5.
The proceeds benefit Athletes Helping Athletes and the Eileen Stein Jacoby Fund at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Supporters can also make a donation online by clicking here.

Labels: Council Rock North

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
His team's Defensive Player of the Week after wins over Rice, Ole Miss and Florida, Ryan Hamilton was elected team co-captain this year at Vanderbilt.
But after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in the first quarter of a game two loss to LSU, Hamilton's collegiate playing days may be over. Sources say Ryan underwent surgery to repair the tissue Sept. 14 and is done for the season.
Last year for the Commodores, Hamilton set season highs in total tackles (104), tackles for loss (4.5), interceptions (4) and fumble recoveries (3).
A Council ROck North alum from Wycombe, Hamilton was second on the team in total tackles and third in solo tackles with 51. He also ranked among the SEC Top 10 in total tackles, posting a career-high effort of 16 stops against Tennessee.
Hamilton put together one of the finest defensive games ever in a Vanderbilt victory at Ole Miss, contributing three interceptions, a fumble recovery and six tackles. His three picks against the Rebels matched a Commodore single-game record.
His first interception, returned 79 yards for a touchdown, came with the Commodores trailing 10-0 and Ole Miss driving deep in Vanderbilt territory. His final pick sealed the road win, adding a huge fourth-down tackle that ended a Rebel threat at the Vanderbilt 1-yard line.
For his efforts, Hamilton earned Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Ryan followed the Ole Miss game with 10-tackle performance in an upset win over Auburn. Two of those tackles were for loss, including a quarterback sack.
Hamilton also aided Vanderbilt's victory over South Carolina with eight tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also posted 13 tackles and fumble recovery against Florida.
Come postseason, Hamilton was outstanding in Commodores victory over Boston College in Music City Bowl, contributing six total tackles and an interception.
Vanderbilt pushed its record to 2-2 after posting a 36-17 win over Rice Sept. 26 in Houston. Next, the Commodores host Ole Miss at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

There will be two football games broadcast this weekend on WBCB 1490 AM.
The Levittown-based station continues its fall broadcast coverage this evening, giving you the play-by-play when Neshaminy hosts league rival Harry S Truman. Kickoff is 7 p.m. with the pre-game show slated for 6:45 p.m. Both teams are coming off league losses with the Redskins falling last week to Abington and the Tigers losing to Bensalem.
To hear every play live, just tune in to 1490 on your AM dial.
Council Rock North's road game against league rival Pennsbury will be broadcast live on Saturday night with the pregame starting at 6 p.m. and kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
Sister stations WHWH and WIFI will broadcast high school football from New Jersey on Saturday when Lawrence hosts Notre Dame and Florence travels to Woodrow Wilson for a noon kickoff.
For a list of local games being broadcast by 'BCB and sister stations 1350AM WHWH and 1460AM WIFI, click here

Labels: Council Rock North, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, Truman

There will be two football games broadcast this weekend on WBCB 1490 AM.
The Levittown-based station continues its fall broadcast coverage this evening, giving you the play-by-play when Neshaminy hosts league rival Harry S Truman. Kickoff is 7 p.m. with the pre-game show slated for 6:45 p.m. Both teams are coming off league losses with the Redskins falling last week to Abington and the Tigers losing to Bensalem.
To hear every play live, just tune in to 1490 on your AM dial.
Council Rock North's road game against league rival Pennsbury will be broadcast live on Saturday night with the pregame starting at 6 p.m. and kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
Sister stations WHWH and WIFI will broadcast high school football from New Jersey on Saturday when Lawrence hosts Notre Dame and Florence travels to Woodrow Wilson for a noon kickoff.
For a list of local games being broadcast by 'BCB and sister stations 1350AM WHWH and 1460AM WIFI, click here

Labels: Council Rock North, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, Truman

Council Rock North went 7-1 and finished first in an extremely tough pool at The Ford Tough Challenge girls volleyball tournament held Sept. 26 at Haverford High School.
Among the highlights for the Lady Indians, a pair of wins--25-23, 25-22--against Penncrest, the 10th-ranked team in the state, and outscoring top-ranked Shanahan in total points over two games.
After falling to Shanahan, 25-19, in game one, the Indians rebounded with a 25-16 triumph over the top-ranked PA team.
The Rock made it as far as the quarterfinals before falling at the hands of an impressive Cardinal O'Hara team in a very close match, 20-25, 25-23, 12-15.
CR North senior Sarah Kiely was named to the all-tournament team after posting 21 kills and 13 blocks at Haverford. Senior Jackie Davies recorded 74 assists while junior Bailey Dowd came through with 25 kills.
Junior Rachel Friedman posted up with 21 kills and 36 digs. Junior Caroline Anderson contributed 10 kills and 26 digs. Junior Dani Borgia added 32 digs to the Indians' effort.
North is 6-0 overall on the season. The Rock plays its biggest rival this week in Council Rock South at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (JV-5:30) before traveling to Pennsbury at 7 p.m. on Thursday (JV at 5:45).

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

Council Rock North pushed its record to 5-0, overall with a 3-0 Sept. 21 triumph over volleyball powerhouse Villa Maria Academy.
The Lady Indians won the first game easily, 25-14, and the next two in OT, taking both using identical 27-25 scores. Sarah Kiely led the way with 16 kills, and 5 digs.
Bailey Dowd and Caroline Anderson posted up with 9 and 8 kills, respectively.
Jackie Davies did her part, lending 35 assists, and 10 digs to the effort.
The Rock is 4-0 in the Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference including a 3-1 victory over division rival Pennsbury. The Indians are ranked No. 8 in the region according to a poll posted by a Philadelphia newspaper.
--Steve Sherman

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

Early this morning, Gettysburg College freshman Casey Attanasio (pictured, right), a Council Rock North alum from Newtown, was named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week.
Attanasio made the most out of her first collegiate start at Bryn Mawr College on Sept. 20, posting a pair of goals in a lopsided 7-0 conference victory. She posted the match’s first goal at 7:14 and turned in a second tally just past the 10-minute mark.
Attanasio's multi-goal scoring output was the first by a Bullet since Katie Myers scored twice against Franklin & Marshall College on Oct. 17, 2006. The honor bestowed upon Attanasio was the women’s soccer team’s second in as many weeks and followed in the footsteps of fellow first-year teammate Suzy Englot, who was tabbed Co-Defensive Player of the Week the previous week.
Gettysburg is 4-1-0, (1-0-0 CC) and is riding a four-game winning streak, but the Bullets embark on their toughest challenge to date in their next affair Wednesday, Sept. 23 at top-ranked Messiah College (6-0-1).

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Having experienced several early season offensive woes, Council Rock North got a visit yesterday (Sept. 17) from Harry S Truman.
It would appear that a skirmish with the Tigers was all the Lady Indians needed to get their offense headed in the right direction.
The Rock scored four goals in the first half then doubled that total after the intermission in an 8-0 triumph over Truman. For North, it was its first league win of the season. In the Indians’ previous matchup, the team failed to score at all Sept. 15 in a 1-0 loss to SOL National conference rival Pennsbury.
Becky Ely tallied the winning strike early in this one. She’d add goal No. 6 on a corner opportunity later on in the second half and an assist on goal No. 3 drilled into the cage by Sarah Rowland in the first half. For her part, Rowland tallied a hat trick, putting goals No. 3, 5 and 8 into the cage.
Sophomore Hannah Plappert posted goals No. 2 and 4. Sister Elly Plappert, a senior at North scored goal No. 7 while adding three assists. Assists were also registered by Alex Kuzma (on the game-winner), Sara Clark, Rebecca Houser and Devin Everett, who had two.
The win over the Tigers evens the Rock’s league record out at 1-1. North is 2-3 overall on the season. The Indians also won a non-league affair against Episcopal Academy, taking that game by a 2-1 score. The team’s losses have come at the hands of Wissahickon and Oley Valley.
Meanwhile, Truman falls to 0-1-1 overall on the season, 0-1 in the SOL National conference. HST senior Sarah Pote stood tall in goal for the Tigers. Amanda Krause played the same position at the other end of the field but may have been the most lonely player on the field in this one.
Next up for North is a trio of league affairs starting with Monday’s night game 7 p.m. at William Tennent. From there the Indians travel to Neshaminy on Wed., Sept. 23 for a 3:30 p.m. matchup followed by a home pairing vs. Bensalem 3:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 25.
Meanwhile, Truman has the weekend to get ready for Neshaminy, whom it hosts at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 21. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the Tigers host cross-town rival Bristol on the turf at Henry Morgan Stadium. The on Friday Truman travel to Bensalem for a 3:30 p.m. pairing.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North, field hockey

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Council Rock North has won a Suburban One League (SOL) trophy every season for the last three years so the Lady Indians are used to dominating their league.
Last season, the Rock went undefeated in the SOL National Conference after winning the SOL Continental title the previous two campaigns.
North senior Greta Skudra—a four year varsity player positioned at third singles—took a moment recently to reflect back on last year’s accomplishments.
“We wanted the best chance at states and that’s what we needed to do for that,” stated Skudra. “It was good winning the league for the third year in a row; I like getting a medal.”
With seven seniors including district qualifier Julie Shursky gone from last year’s team, you’d think the Indians might have to take a step back this year.
Thus far however, that hasn’t been the case. Yesterday (Sept. 16), the Rock disposed of William Tennent 7-0 for its third consecutive win in the SOL. Including wins over CB West and North Penn, North is 5-1 on the season.
Against Tennent, sophomore Chrissy Gall—who plays first singles—outpaced her Panther foe in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.
Freshman Hannah Capponi also won in straight sets at No. 2 singles, 6-0-6-1. Skudra—who won her match in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0—doesn’t see any reason why North can’t repeat as SOL champs in her final campaign for the Indians.
“We have a lot of good freshmen so I think we’re just as good if not better than last year,” she stated. “We—Alexa and I—are hoping to go to states.”
North hasn’t made it out of districts during the time that Skudra and Alexa Gall have been members of the Rock’s tennis team. Last year, North made it past round one in district play then fell short in a second-round pairing with Conestoga.
So far in league play, the Indians have been perfect.
In yesterday’s match against Tennent, North swept Tennent in doubles play with senior Alexa Gall and junior Nina DeLucia winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. Sophomore sisters Erika and Dara Pinkus, a set of twins who play at second doubles, also won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
The No. 4 doubles team of sophomore Alexandra Cozzarin and freshman Megan Sutton won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.

Labels: Council Rock North, CR North

“This is brand new territory for us,” stated Bucks County head coach Jim Kenny. “We’ve never been here before.”

Those were the words uttered by the man who has held the top post for the Bucks County all-stars for the past six years now. He said them after the local boys downed the Sonny Hill Juniors in double overtime in the Albert C. Donofrio Classic April 14 at Fellowship House in Conshohocken.

Earlier in the tourney, the boys from Bucks defeated Filly Sol, Don-Len, The Old School Cavs and the Sonny Hill Juniors before falling to the I-3 All-Stars April 15 in the finale.

The win over the Sonny Hill team took a pair of overtime sessions and took efforts from a couple of Pennsbury seniors to get to overtime.

Pennsbury senior Dalton Pepper led the way with 39 points, including a 3-point play he pulled off with the Bucks boys trailing by 5 points with less than a minute to play.

The West Virginia-bound Pepper finished off an end-to-end drive with a reverse layup then sank the ensuing free throw to draw his team within a pair.

Then, with only seconds left, Falcon junior Jesse Krasna tied the game at 78-all, sending it into its first overtime.

In overtime, Bucks was up by 3 points with 14 seconds to go when the Sonny Hill team hit a 3-pointer that sent the battle into a second extra session.

The locals finally outpaced Sonny Hill, 12-7, in the second OT to emerge with a 101-96 semifinal victory.

The area players included Pennsbury senior Eddie Dirugeris, Andrew Stress and Arron Goodman from Council Rock North and Neshaminy freshman Ryan Arcidiacono. Will Barrett and Greg Johnson represented CB South.
***
--Steve Sherman, Sports Editor

Labels: boys basketball, Council Rock North, Pennsbury

Photos by Sue Donohue

By Phil Nelson V,
Steve Sherman

HERSHEY — It was a great showing for Council Rock North 189-pounder Jamie Callender at this year’s PIAA Class AAA State Wrestling Championships.

It was only the finish that hurt.

Taking on Tony Dallago of Central Dauphin in the finals, Callender was pinned in a time of 1:33. Dallago scored on a takedown 28 seconds into the match and then pinned Callender with a double arm bar when the Rock North wrestler attempted a sit out.

The next best finish for a Lower Bucks wrestler behind Callender’s second place showing came when Rock North’s Haynes took third at 119 pounds.

Haynes dropped a 5-2 decision in the semifinals, but came back and eventually beat Mitchell Port of Bellefonte, 3-2, in the consolation final.

Taking fourth place was CR South 160-pounder Ed Shupe, who was pinned in the semifinals by Hempfield’s Jake Kemerer (40-2) and was then decisioned by Jimmy Sheptock of Northampton in the battle for third place.

In between, Eddie pinned CB East senior Devon Passman.

Council Rock South sophomore Matt Martoccio (130) and senior Jimmy Vollrath (152) both finished with eighth place medals.

Labels: Council Rock North, Council Rock South, Neshaminy, Truman, Truman Wrestling, Wrestling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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