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

Bentley University junior Kelly Mee, a Council Rock High School South alum from Ivyland, has been named the Northeast-10 Conference Volleyball Setter of the Week for her outstanding performance in a pair of road matches last week.
Mee, in victories at Saint Rose and Le Moyne that secured the number three seed for Bentley in the upcoming conference playoffs, filled the stat sheet with averages of 10.43 assists, 1.29 blocks, 1.14 kills and 1.0 digs.
The six-footer amassed 30 kills, three blocks, three digs and three kills in a 3-0 sweep of Saint Rose, and accumulated 43 assists, six blocks, five kills, four digs and two aces in a 3-1 win at Le Moyne.
Mee is currently fifth in the Northeast-10 in assists, averaging 9.3, and amongst the conference’s setters, is tied for first in kills and is fourth in blocks. She’s averaged at least 10 assists per set in five of the team’s last seven matches after doing so only seven times in the season’s first 20 matches.
Bentley, 16-11, will take on Le Moyne College this Friday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the Northeast-10 playoffs at UMass-Lowell.

Labels: Council Rock South, CR South

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
To some, Council Rock North sophomores Dara and Erika Pinkus look like sisters. Others might not see it. The fact of the matter is that the former group would be correct in their assessment. The girls are fraternal twins currently playing at No. 2 doubles for the Lady Indians.
Erika is older (by a minute) but Dara is taller with darker hair and complexion.
Sometimes, people say, “Oh, you look identical but sometimes, people think we’re just best friends so we get a lot of different answers,” said Dara after she and her sister disposed of their William Tennent foes, 6-2, 6-2.
The Pinkus twins lost to Wissahickon but are winning most of their matches in the Suburban One League (SOL), says Dara, who has been playing tennis since she was just 5-years-old.
Last year, the twins wanted to try out for Rock varsity tennis but were not around for tryouts as the girls had not returned from their summer vacation in time for preseason practice. The twins made sure they were back in time this season.
The sophomores say they’re enjoying their play together on the varsity tennis courts.
“I like it a lot,” stated Erika, “because we know each other so well and we know each other’s techniques.”
While Dara uses better strokes on the forehand; Erika is superior to her sister on the backhand. Dara has a stronger serve but she, admittedly, tends to double fault.
“I have a more powerful serve but Erika—she is more consistent with it, to be honest.
“It just works,” stated Dara. “We don’t have to fight for which side we want to hit on so it works out really well.”
The twins had a close match with sister school Council Rocvk South they still won 6-4, 6-4 against the Hawks’ No. 2 doubles team of Rachel Ghoens and Marissa Ravn.
“It was under pressure but it felt really good to win that match,” stated Erika.
Here’s one benefit of playing a varsity sport with your sibling you may not have considered.
“I can get mad at her,” said Erika, “and I like that.”
Sibling rivalry aside, Erika says she and her sister are a perfect match on the tennis court.
“I have better skills than she has [in some areas] and she has better skills than I have [in other areas,” said Erika.
“We just really work well together.
“We go together and it’s good.

Labels: Council Rock South, CR South

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Overtime has not been kind to Council Rock South this season.
In four games that were tied at the end of regulation, the Golden Hawks have gone 0-3-1 on the season. After settling for an early season tie with Hatboro-Horsham in their opening tournament, South fell, 1-0, in overtime to CB West Sept. 11 in enemy territory.
On Friday, Oct. 2 the Hawks fell, 2-1, in OT to CR North.
Yesterday (Oct. 7) on their home field against Neshaminy was no different. In a battle in that took place in a 30 mile-an-hour cross wind with higher gusts, South managed to lock the sides at a goal apiece on a ball that was poked into the back of the net by senior co-captain Jack Littleton.
But, after both sides went scoreless in the first extra session, Neshaminy senior Rick D’Amico recorded his second goal of the game 1:01 into the second overtime, sending the Hawks home on the short side of a 2-1 score. With the loss, South fell to 6-6-1, while the Redskins pushed their record to 5-5-1.
Neshaminy entered the contest after going 1-3-1 in its last five league games including losses to CR North, William Tennent.
The Hawks had come off a 3-0 win over Harry S Truman on Oct. 5 but have now lost four of their last five league games. In better times, South was 4-0 in the SOL National Conference after posting consecutive 2-0 wins over Truman, Neshaminy, Bensalem and Abington.

Labels: Council Rock South, Neshaminy

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Pennsbury got a pair of goals from Ashlyn Stevens to stay undefeated in the Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference last Friday at Council Rock South.
The Lady Falcons trailed the Golden Hawks, 1-0, when Stevens recorded her first goal off a feed from senior Danielle Geller. The score was tied at two goals apiece when Stevens tallied the game-winner off a feed from senior MF Mia Reed with just three minutes to go in the Sept. 25 contest.
CR South scored early in this one when Sarah Brotman scored just six minutes into the battle off a feed from Kayla Hempel, giving the Hawks a 1-0 halftime edge.
But Pennsbury scored twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half to go ahead, 2-1, before senior Maria Karidas tied it up for South off a feed from Brotman. Karidas is the area’s leading scorer with 11 goals and 2 assists.
Reed recorded the second goal for the Falcons off a feed from Allie Brady and Pennsbury recorded 7 shots and 9 corner opportunities, scoring all three of its goals on corners.
With the win, the Falcons pushed their record to 6-2, overall, 5-0 in the SOL National Conference. South, meanwhile, dropped to 5-1 overall, 4-1 in the SOL.
Under the guidance of first-year skipper Lisa DeFeo (pictured above, CRHS--Class of ‘97), who took over the program from longtime coach Pat Toner, the Hawks are holding their own in the SOL with wins over league rivals Truman (7-0), Neshaminy (1-0), Bensalem (5-0), and Abington (3-1). South also holds a season-opening triumph over non-league rival CB East whom they defeated 2-0.
***
Toner led the Hawks from the team’s inception in the fall of 2002. She is currently assisting the CR North field hockey team.

Labels: Council Rock South, CR South

There will be two football games broadcast tonight on WBCB 1490 AM.
The Levittown-based station continues its fall broadcast coverage this evening, giving you the play-by-play when Pennsbury hosts league rival Council Rock South. Kickoff is 7 p.m. with the pre-game show slated for 6 p.m.
To hear every play live, just tune in to 1490 on your AM dial.
Neshaminy's road game against league rival Abington will be broadcast live on the Internet. To hear every play live, click here.
The games will then switch, with a replay of the Neshaminy game being broadcast on 1490AM, and a replay of the Pennsbury game can be heard on the web at www.wbcb1490.com.
Sister stations WHWH and WIFI will also broadcast high school football at 7 p.m. (see schedule below)
For a list of local games being broadcast by 'BCB and sister stations 1350AM WHWH and 1460AM WIFI, click here

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

The Saint Joseph’s men’s golf team carded a score of 317 in today’s final round of the Adams Cup of Newport to finish 17th at the two-day event. The Hawks carded a three-round score of 319-320-317/956 at the par-72, 7,244-yard Newport National Golf Club.
Individually for the Hawks, sophomore Kyle Sargis (Lexington, Mass./Portsmouth Abbey School) led the way with a three-round score of 83-74-81/238 to finish tied for 73rd. Junior Josh Webb (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) carded scores of 77-84-78/239 to finish tied for 76th, while senior Zach Smith (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) finished tied for 80th at 81-84-77/242. Sophomores Andrew Jaskel (Bensalem, Pa./Roman Catholic) and Jimmy Bea (Southampton, Pa./Council Rock South) rounded out the five-man squad with scores of 79-78-87/244 and 82-84-81/247 respectively.
SMU won the team title with a score of 876, while Connecticut’s Jeb Buchanan posted a three-round score of 207 to earn medalist honors.
The Hawks return to action October 5-6 at the Liberty Invitational.

Labels: Council Rock South, CR South

The Saint Joseph’s men’s golf team stands in 16th place after posting a score of 319 today in the first round of the Adams Cup of Newport. Final-round action begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow at the par-72, 7,244-yard Newport National Golf Club.
Individually for the Hawks, junior Josh Webb carded a 77, while classmate Andrew Jaskell, a Roman Catholic High School alum from Bensalem, shot 79. Senior Zach Smith, a Central Bucks West alum from Doylestown, and sophomore Jimmy Bea (pictured, right), a Council Rock South alum from Southampton, and Kyle Sargis rounded out the five-man squad with scores of 81, 82 and 83, respectively.
New Mexico leads the 17-team field after the opening round with a score of 287, while the Lobos’ Ryan Gay carded a four-under-par 68 to hold a one-stroke lead.

Labels: Council Rock South, CR South

Bentley junior setter Kelly Mee (pictured, left), a Council Rock South alum from Ivyland, had a strong overall match, with her numbers including 36 assists and six kills, as Bentley University rebounded from a slow start to top Queens College, 3-1, Friday Sept. 18 at the Dana Center as part of the Northeast-10/East Coast Conference Women’s Volleyball Challenge.
After dropping the first game, 22-25, Bentley rebounded with wins of 25-7, 25-15 and 25-12.
Mee recorded her six kills in only seven attacks, and also amassed three aces, six digs and two blocks as the Falcons won their fourth straight match to improve to 5-4 overall.

Labels: Council Rock South, CR South

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Winner Tim Haines, senior Brad Randall and junior Jason Caporale sparked Neshaminy's team triumph in last Saturday's annual Mill Street Run. A senior for the Redskins, Haines finished the 2.9-mile course in 15:14. Randall crossed in 15:50, placing fifth overall and Caporale turned in a time of 16:15 to take eighth place in the annual meet that’s held in Bristol every September.
“Tim was our MVP last year,” stated Neshaminy head coach Russ Horrocks. “This year, he’s just fine-tuned everything. He’s in a lot better shape and he’s gotten a lot more training in.”
“Brad has always been predominantly a track guy; he’s an 800-meter guy. But he works hard with cross [country]. His best race last year was at districts when he turned in a low-17 in the 5K.”
“Jason really came on at the end of last spring season. He’s a great runner with a great stride but he had one speed.”
“Because of the taste of success that he had in the spring, he’s starting to run a lot faster now.”
"Not only is he running well but he knows who he needs to stay on to run faster."
Bristol distance runners Brad Rivera (4th, 15:48), Willie Swinney (6th, 15:55) and Joe Krawczyk (9th, 16:19) all finished in the top 10, helping the Warriors to a third place finish in the small school division.
Third and fourth place respective finishes by Natalie Darr (18:28) and Chelsea Kozior (18:44) helped Council Rock South to the first place trophy in the girls division. Lauren Gregory (19:08), Tess Lawricella (19:19) and Alex Reichenbach (19:19) finished in sixth, seventh and eighth places, respectively.
“Our top five were girls with varsity experience,” stated CR South girls cross country coach Christine Marsden. “We got off to a good start and stayed together for the first mile and were able to have five in the top ten as a result.”
Marsden also said she was not surprised to have so many of her girls finish up top.
“Our team has a lot of depth and they like to run together as a group,” she said. “We were expecting a pack finish so as a group, they finished together.”
CR North's Lindsay Rheiner was the first girl to reach the finish line, hitting the tape in 17:23. Neshaminy's Martina Drew was runner-up after crossing the line at 17:56. Villa Jo Marie was the winner in the small school division among the girls. Morgan Shockley (19:37) and Jen Parodi (19:38) broke the 20-minute mark for the Jems.
***
RESULTS:
Mill Street Run
(2.9-mile course)

Division 1 Boys
Team scores: 1. Neshaminy (N), 41; 2. Bensalem (B), 56; 3. CR North “B” (CRN) 78.
Small school division
Team scores: 1. Jenkintown (J), 69; 2. Lansdale Catholic (LC), 105; 3. Bristol (B), 197; 4. Calvary Christian (CC), 214; 5. George School (GS), 263.
Individual results (combined)
1. Tim Haines (N), 15:14; 2. Kevin Day (LC), 15:32; 3. Stephen Pendergast (J), 15:40; 4. Brad Rivera (B), 15:48; 5. Brad Randall (N), 15:50; 6. Willie Swinney (B), 15:55; 7. Phil Khaisman (J), 15:58; 8. Jason Caporale (N), 16:15; 9. Joe Krawczyk (B), 16:19; 10. Ian Lachow (CRN), 16:23.
***
Division 1 Girls
Team scores: 1. Council Rock South (CRS), 28; 2. Neshaminy (N), 48; 3. Council Rock North (CRN), 73; 4. Bensalem (B), 178.
Small school division
Team scores: 1. Villa Joseph Marie (VJM), 66; 2. Lansdale Catholic (LC), 200; 3. Jenkintown (J), 242.
Individual results (combined)
1. Lindsay Rheiner (CRN), 17:23; 2. Martina Drew (N), 17:56; 3. Natalie Darr (CRS), 18:28; 4. Chelsea Kozior (CRS), 18:44; 5. Laura Histand (N), 18:48; 6. Lauren Gregory (CRS), 19:08; 7. Tess Lawricella (CRS), 19:19; 8. Alex Reichenbach (CRS), 19:19; 9. Morgan Shockley (VJM), 19:37; 10. Jen Parodi (VJM), 19:38.

Labels: Council Rock South, Neshaminy

West Chester University junior Charlie Kelly went 4-for-4 with two runs batted in and three runs scored to earn tournament MVP honors and lead the seventh-ranked Golden Rams to a 14-0 victory in the championship game of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional earlier today at Owls Field at Ted Palka Park.
West Chester (46-10) advances to the Division II College World Series for the first time since 2006. The series will be held May 23-30 in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
A Council Rock South alum from Churchville, Kelly sparked three separate four-run rallies in the championship game.
First, Charlie led off the second inning with a 400-foot triple to dead center that ignited the Rams’ initial four-run rally.
After West Chester batted around that inning, he then led off the third with a single and came around to score the first run of another four-run frame.
In the eighth, Kelly blasted his seventh home run of the season over the 415-foot sign in center field for a two-run shot that set off the third four-run inning of the game.

Labels: Baseball, Council Rock South

The Saint Joseph’s golf team climbed three spots in the final round of the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate recently to finish 13th in its first tournament of the Spring.

The Hawks carded a final-round 309 at the par-72, 6,828-yard course to jump from 16th after Monday’s first two rounds, to finish 13th overall in the 16-team field.

Saint Joseph’s posted a three-round score of 332-331-309/972, while tournament-winner South Carolina-Aiken finished with a score of 897.

Individually, freshman Jimmy Bea, a Council Rock High School South graduate from Southampton, carded a final-round 76 and finished with a three-round score of 81-84-76/241.

Sophomore Josh Webb finished three-strokes behind Bea with a score of 86-86-72/244, while junior Zach Smith a Central Bucks West alum from Doylestown, and sophomore Erik Mitchell each tied at 250 with scores of 81-85-84/250 and 90-83-77/250, respectively.

Senior Steve Hudacek rounded-out the five-man squad with a score of 84-79-90/253.

Labels: Council Rock South, GOLF

There was a pair of Council Rock wrestlers in St. Louis March 19-20 for the NCAA Division I championships. Both were named Rappo.

Rick Rappo, a University of Pennsylvania senior, competed at 141 pounds. Mike Rappo, a University of North Carolina sophomore, was in the 133-pound bracket.

Both brothers won state wrestling titles during their time at Council Rock South. Rick was the first ever state champion at the school - in any sport - when he won the PIAA Class AAA title at 103 pounds in 2004.

The second time Rick has qualified for the NCAA Championships, Rick drew fifth-seeded Marcus Hoehn of Missouri.

Rick entered the tournament with an 18-7 record and a third-place finish at the EIWA Championships. Anyone questioning his standing in the field could look at Rick's win via fall over the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Michigan’s Kellen Russell.

Hoehn entered the match with a 29-8 record and a Big 12 championship belt to his credit. The two grapplers had three common opponents this season. Rick was unbeaten against those wrestlers while Hoehn was 3-1.

But Hoehn got past Rick in the opening round and Rappo's wrestling career at Penn unfortunately came to an end in his next match with a 7-0 loss to Boise State’s Cory Fish.

Rappo had a tough time with Fish, giving up a takedown in the first period and then being turned in the second. Fish added a reversal in the final frame for the final score.

Mike, meanwhile, won two state title belts for the Golden Hawks, first capturing the 119-pound state championship in 2005 and then taking the 130-pound crown in '06.

Making his NCAA debut March 19, Mike dropped a 5-4 decision to Filip Novachkov, who posted a 22-7 record during the season for Cal Poly. Later in the day, Mike lost in a 9-3 decision to Missouri sophomore Todd Schavrien.

During the regular season at UNC, Mike went 24-8, including nine major decisions, two technical falls and one pin. He also finished second at the ACC Championships, fourth at the Reno Tournament of Champions and fifth at the Southern Scuffle.

Carolina sent seven wrestlers to nationals for the first time since 2003. It marked the most NCAA qualifiers for the Tar Heels under sixth-year head coach C.D. Mock, a former Council Rock wrestling coach originally from Newtown.

A 1978 graduate of CRHS, Mock won a state title himself during his senior campaign for the Indians.
***

Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman.

Labels: Council Rock South, Wrestling

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

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

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

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

Council Rock South rebounded from a Jan. 27 loss to Pennsbury, posting a 30-point win over the Falcons last night at South. Ann Silverthorn was high scorer for the Golden Hawks with 10 points. Chelsea Allen, Steph Gillio and Alex Wheatley chipped in with 9 points apiece. South took a 31-18 edge into the half on its way to a 59-29 triumph Jan. 29 at South. With the win, the Hawks pushed their season mark to 12-7 overall on the season. Lacey Balascsak was high scorer for Pennsbury with 11 points.

LINESCORES
...................1....2....3....4.....Final
CR South.......13...18....11...17.......59
Pennsbury......8...10.....4.....7.......29


CR SOUTH
Ann Silverthorn, 10
Chelsea Allen, 9
Steph Gillio, 9
Alex Wheatley, 9
Jackie Weber, 8
Emily Nowicke, 7
Lea Britton, 3
Lindsay Kirlin, 2
Alexa Crosier, 2

PENNSBURY
Lacey Balascsak, 11
Lauren Pisauro, 7
Kersten Formento, 3
Kelly Rebert, 2
Lauren Gerity, 2
Emily Atunrase, 2
Molly Phillips, 2



Morrisville rebounded from a Jan. 27 loss to Lower Moreland with a 13-point triumph over MaST Charter last night at home. Cassandra Gainey led the Lady Bulldogs' scoring effort with 11 points. Tanya Argueta and Jah'Mirra Chambers added 8 points apiece as Morrisville outpaced the Panthers 37-24 Jan. 29 at home. With the win, the Bulldogs pushed their record to 7-11 overall on the season.

LINESCORES
.......................1....2....3....4.....Final
Morrisville..........10....8......8....11.......37
MaST Charter......4.....4......5....11.......24

MORRISVILLE
Cassandra Gainey, 11
Tanya Argueta, 8
Jah'Mirra Chambers, 8
Kievanna Lacey, 5
Shey Porras, 3
Staci Ramagli, 2

MaST CHARTER
Meena Byers, 11
Kaitlyn Rapko, 9
Megan McCarthy, 2
Saralyn Andrick, 2

- Steve Sherman, sports editor

Labels: Council Rock South, Girls Basketball, Girls Hoops, MaST Charter, Morrisville, Pennsbury