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

By Rick Fortenbaugh
For BucksLocalSports.com
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there’s probably never been a night quite like this in the annals of Lower Bucks County scholastic football.
At the top of the list, of course, is the Neshaminy at Pennsbury game tonight in front of a monster crowd at Falcon Field.
All that’s on the line here is the Suburban One National League championship, bragging rights in Lower Bucks football and probably the No. 2 seed for the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs.
Next up is the Council Rock South at Council Rock North game. This is also a huge rivalry with all kinds of playoff implications. Rock South has already garnered its first playoff spot in the young history of its program, while Rock North will be looking to make sure it gets its second.
The amazing thing is there’s an excellent chance the Suburban One National League could very well end up with five of the 16 Class AAAA playoff berths. For one league to have nearly a third of the field is both impressive and probably unprecedented.
It doesn’t stop there, however. Conwell-Egan will play in the first round of the Philadelphia Catholic League Class AAA playoffs this evening, while Bristol and Morrisville have road games that also have playoff implications.
Neshaminy (8-1) at Pennsbury (8-1), tonight, 7 p.m. — It really is anybody’s guess how this will go. Although Pennsbury wiped out its first eight opponents by wide margins, somehow it often didn’t look all that impressive. Sure enough, the Falcons stumbled on the road at Abington last week. The only losses for both Neshaminy and Pennsbury were to Abington. What makes this is strange is Abington also lost to both Council Rocks. If Abington coach “Tiny’’ Tim Sorber hadn’t messed up his timeouts against Rock South, his Ghosts would also be playing for a league title tonight against Truman. Neshaminy-Pennsbury can go either way. This will be about turnovers, execution and catching a break or two along the way.
Council Rock South (7-2) at Council Rock North (6-3), tonight, 7 p.m. — It will also be jumping in Newtown as the sister schools wage their latest war in a series that has been dominated by the unexpected. Rock South is more of a ball-control team; Rock North is the better passing team. Both defenses have been similar, although Rock North has really turned it on of late by crushing Abington on the road and coming up one point shy against Neshaminy on Heartbreak Ridge. Like Pennsbury-Neshaminy, don’t even bother trying to analyze or handicap this cross-town collision.
Conwell-Egan (5-4) vs. North Catholic (4-4) at Plymouth-Whitemarsh, tonight, 7 p.m. — North Catholic beat the Eagles in the regular season two weeks ago by the score of 19-15 in a contest that could have gone either way. Conwell-Egan is coming off a game in which Kerry McAnany scored four touchdowns. The Eagles are also looking for a semifinal playoff victory for the second year in a row.
Bristol (5-3) at Lower Moreland (6-3), tonight, 7 p.m. — The records are similar, but it’s Bristol that would appear to be a pretty solid favorite. The Warriors, who are currently in the fourth spot for a playoff berth, have been peaking and just crushed Springfield-Montco. Lower Moreland lost to Springfield and had its hands full in an earlier game at Morrisville. The home team is also fighting for a playoff berth, but it’s Bristol with the better talent.
Abington (6-2) at Truman (2-7), tonight, 7:30 p.m. — Despite missing out on some power points when a team backed out of a game earlier in the year, Abington looks to be in good shape for the playoffs as it enters tonight’s game in the ninth spot. Truman has made some progress this year under new coach John Iannunci. It’s also possible Abington may have a bit of a letdown after beating Pennsbury, keeping the score close.
Morrisville (5-4) at Conrad Science (0-7), tomorrow, 11 a.m. — This a repeat of a game from earlier in the season in which Mo’ville won, 47-0. Unless the Delaware team has gotten a sudden influx of last-minute talent, look for more of the same from a Morrisville team that will be able to do anything it wants.
William Tennent (1-8) at Bensalem (2-7), tonight, 7 p.m. — If nothing else, this represents a good chance for the Owls to finish up strong. (Bensalem is scheduled to play Norristown next week, but Norristown is in the playoffs). In fact, it’s a very good chance. The Tennent coaches do what they can, but some of the Panthers look like they belong on a JV field.

Labels: Bristol, Conwell-Egan, CR North, CR South, Morrisville, Neshaminy, Pennsbury

By Rick Fortenbaugh
For BucksLocalSports
Warning: Do not attend tonight’s Pennsbury at Abington football game if you have high blood pressure, are prone to anxiety attacks, or can’t control your temper.
Reason: Abington coach “Tiny’’ Tim Sorber is sure to infuriate you with his endless whining, screaming, ranting, moaning, crying and begging for penalties against the Falcons.
Yes, it’s time for top-ranked Pennsbury (8-0) to take it on the road to a town that has about as much class as its coach.
In other words, none.
In Pennsbury’s last game at Abington, the Falcons lost in overtime when a foaming Sorber went absolutely ballistic on the refs.
Also that evening, an Abington fan was hauled away for assaulting a Pennsbury student and several Abington players were later suspended for repeatedly kicking a Pennsbury player as he lay on their sideline.
Heck, just last year the out-of-control Sorber could be seen verbally going at it with a Pennsbury fan during halftime at Falcon field.
Since the PIAA and District 1 have made no attempt to discipline Sorber, he probably has already started to make sure tonight’s refs are on board with the Galloping Ghosts. And if he hasn’t already, look for Sorber to start working the refs right around the coin flip.
It truly is pathetic, but as Pennsbury found out the last time it went to Abington, sometimes intimidating the refs works. Suffice it to say, the Falcons were the victims of one of the biggest hose jobs in the long and sad history of hometown high school football officiating.
Possibly making tonight even more stressful is the fact that it could be a pretty good game. Although Abington has lost to both Council Rocks, it also owns a 5-2 record and a victory over powerful Neshaminy. The Ghosts also desperately need this game to make the playoffs.
A playoff berth isn’t a problem for Pennsbury, currently the No. 1 seed in District 1 and ranked in the top five of Pennsylvania. A victory tonight would also assure Pennsbury of at least a tie for its first league title since 1993.
Pennsbury has been dominating all year. It has given up only 40 points overall and its first-team defense has allowed just three touchdowns. The last touchdown drive against the Falcon defense traveled exactly two yards.
Another thing to watch is the matchup between Pennsbury’s defense and Abington’s prolific passing game. Other than in the 34-3 loss to Rock North, Abington has posted big offensive numbers all season.
Of course, Abington has also allowed big offensive numbers, which could be trouble against a Pennsbury running game that is among the best in the entire district.
***
Calvary Christian (6-1) at Morrisville (5-3), tonight, 7 p.m.: This does not look good for the Dawgies. Calvary Christian has scored more than 40 points in three straight games and owns a fairly convincing win over Bristol. Coach Mike Reichebach’s son can throw the ball, CC has a good running game and it also plays some defense. Morrisville has come back to earth as the quality of its schedule has improved.
***
Springfield Montco (2-6) at Bristol (4-3), tonight, 7 p.m.: The Warriors have played much better the last two weeks after a stretch of mediocre football. With playoff implications also involved, there’s no reason to see that trend stopping tonight.
***
Bensalem (2-6) at Neshaminy (7-1), tonight, 7 p.m.:The Owls always come to play, but there’s just not enough talent to get it done against good teams. And make no mistake about it, Neshaminy is a good team. Redskins coach Mark Schmidt will also make sure his team isn’t caught looking ahead to next week’s game at Pennsbury. If Neshaminy wins tonight, it can gain at least a share of a league title next week. The Redskins are also right in the hunt for a very high playoff seed.
***
Archbishop Ryan (0-8) at Conwell-Egan (4-4), Saturday, 7 p.m.: Although Ryan plays by far the tougher schedule, the fact remains it hasn’t won a game yet. Ryan probably figures this is a good shot to get in the victory column, but there’s no reason to think Conwell-Egan won’t play relaxed, loose and well as it gets ready for the playoffs.
***
Truman (2-6) at Council Rock North (5-3), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: Once again, this is another game in which one team is playing for a lot more than the other. In this case, Rock North is still very much in the playoff picture despite its tough one-point loss at Neshaminy last week. A Rock North win makes next week’s already huge game against Rock South even bigger.

Labels: CR North, CR South, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, Truman

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Defending Suburban One League (SOL) National conference champion Pennsbury won the league title last year, losing only one league match along the way. So going into the stretch run of this season, there was no reason to doubt they Lady Falcons would do it again.
After all, they’d rebounded from an early season 3-1 loss to Council Rock North, taking the ensuing matchup, 3-2.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the end of the regular season. Pennsbury lost a league match to Council Rock South, a team they defeated handily by a 3-0 score the first time the sides squared off.
While Pennsbury won their home match against the Golden Hawks 25-11, 25-15, and 25-14, when the sides squared off Oct. 15 in enemy territory, South took the upper hand and crushed the Falcons in game one, 25-8. Pennsbury rebounded in time to take game two, 25-20, but the Falcons lost the next game, 25-22.
While the Falcons locked it up at two games apiece with a 25-22 win of their own in game four, the Hawks won the rubber match easily, 15-7.
The heartbreaking loss to South, left the door open for CR North to take the league title. And the Lady Indians walked right through that opening, defeating the Hawks Oct. 19 in a battle of their own with South.
The Indians outpaced the Hawks in three straight sets 25-19, 25-18, 25-17, finishing the regular season at 11-1 and the SOL National Conference trophy in hand.
In a recent interview, Pennsbury senior opposite Drew Jolly gave her thoughts on that fateful loss to CR South.
“We didn’t come out our best,’ stated Jolly. “We came out thinking we were going to win.
“We played down to their level and they came up.
“They just hustled more than us.”
While the girls lost their first duel with CR North in their very first league match in Newtown, to their credit, the Falcons rebounded by taking the final match between the schools, winning three games to two.
Trailing, 2-1, midway through the match, Pennsbury won the last two games, 25-22, 18-16.
In that Oct. 1 matchup at home, Jolly led the Falcons with 21 kills, one ace, two blocks and 10 digs. Sydney Aizen had 14 kills, three aces, two blocks and six digs.
“We played really well that match,” explained senior libero Paige Hensor. “We stuck it out to the end and came out with the win.”
While Pennsbury won its last two matches via shutout wins over league foes Truman and Neshaminy, some of the girls can’t help but wonder about the one that got away.
Here, Hensor gives her thoughts on that late season loss to CR South.
“We didn’t play up to our potential at all,” stated Hensor. “We played down to their level; we didn’t play up to our level.”
“We didn’t play the way that Pennsbury should play.”
Nevertheless, the girls believe the lessons learned can play dividends as the team advance through the postseason. Last year in district play, the Falcons won a pair of districts before falling in a D-I quarterfinal match to Upper Merion, 3-0. Along the way, they blanked St. Basil’s Academy and Villa Marie Academy before reaching the D-I quarters.
But in losing to Upper Merion, Pennsbury was kept from states and that is a place the Falcons want desperately to reach this year.
“Before the season, we set goals. Getting to states is one of our biggest,” stated Hensor. “Being a senior it’s something that I’d like to see happen.
“To get back there would be a big highlight to our season.
Pennsbury got off on the right foot yesterday (Oct. 27) in a first round district pairing with CB East, defeating the Patriots, 25-11, 25-9, 25-20.
From here it gets harder. Tomorrow, the 8th-seeded Falcons face No. 9 seed Kennett. To reach states, Pennsbury must beat Kennett and win an ensuing quarterfinal matchup.
Hensor thinks this team has the potential to reach the PIAA tournament.
“We can do it if we play our hardest and put everything we have into it.
“If we play each game like it’s our last game, then we can make it.”
But that’s as long as the girls don’t come out expecting their opponent to hand them the ‘W’ before the game begins, said Paige.
“We can’t come out playing like we expect to win,” stated Hensor. “We have to come out and play better than the other team.”
NOTES: Jolly leads Pennsbury in kills. Hensor is the digs leader and junior Juliana Slaven leads the Falcons in assists.

Labels: Pennsbury

The Pennsbury Athletic Hall of Fame will introduce its 10 newest members on Friday night Nov. 6 at between halves of the Pennsbury–Neshaminy football game. The new members will be officially introduced on Saturday night Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Yardley Country Club.
--Football, track
--Three-year varsity letter winner in both football and track
--Co--captain as a senior
--As a linebacker and halfback, selected LBCL Honorable Mention
--Runner-up Scholar-Athlete National Football Foundation Hall of Fame
--As a track athlete competed in the high hurdles, mile relay and as a senior placed second in the 440-yard run LBCL Championships
--1966 Boys Falcon Award Winner
--Played football at the collegiate level for Dartmouth as a safety and on special teams
--Earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History and graduated from the Syracuse School of Law in 1973
--Tennis
--Played #1 singles all four years of his Pennsbury Tennis career
--Bucks County Courier Times Player of the Year 1974 and 1975
--Overall match record of 69 wins versus only 6 losses in team competition
--His Pennsbury team captured the LBCL Championship in 1972, 1973, and 1975
--Earned a full tennis scholarship to George Washington University where he was team MVP for three years
--Was inducted into the GWU Athletic Hall of Fame
--Girls Gymnastics Coach 1972-1979
--Girls Assistant Track Coach 1980-1984
--Lower Bucks County League Coach of the Year in 1975, 1976, and 1977
--Coached the Falcon Female Gymnasts to Championships in 1975, 1976, and 1977
--Seven--year record of 82 wins versus only 20 losses for her coaching career
--Has been a Health and Physical Education instructor at PHS since 1972 and has co-directed Sports Night for the past 10 years
--Football, wrestling, track and field
--3-year letter winner as a football defensive lineman and punter
--Co--captain as a senior wrestler as he took second place at 165-pound in the LBCL’s and placed third in District One
--As a sophomore, won the 154-pound LBCL Championship and his junior year was the 165-pound LBCL Champion
--As a track athlete, he put the shot, ran the 220-yd. dash and relays, he held the county and school record of 20’ 4 ½” in the long jump.
-- Football, baseball
-- As a football quarterback, he was a SOL and LBCL First team selection
-- His Falcon football team was SOL co--champions as he passed for 770 yards and rushed for 449 yards.
-- As a baseball outfielder was twice named to the BCCT Golden 15 Team and twice a First team SOL choice. As a junior, the Falcons were District I champions and shared the SOL championship as a senior.
-- Dante was the boys Falcon Award winner in 1990.
-- At Albright College, he was a 4 year starter and 2--time MVP in baseball while he played wide receiver and special teams during the 1994 football season.
-- Basketball, softball, volleyball
-- Four year varsity basketball letter winner; co-captain as a senior. SOL Second team 1988, SOL First team 1989; Bucks County Courier Times Golden Team; Trenton Times All Star 1989
-- Varsity Softball 1987, ‘88, ‘89; District One champions 1987; Suburban One First team; Trenton Times First team; Bucks County Courier Times Golden Team 1989
-- Varsity Volleyball 1988
-- Was the winner of the girls Pennsbury Falcon Award in 1989 and was also the recipient of the tri-athlete award
-- Football, baseball
-- Two-year varsity starter as a football center
-- First team all LBCL (BCCT); First team All-Area (Trentonian); First team All Del-Val (Trenton Times); and First team All Big 8 Conference
-- 1972 National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholar--Athlete award
-- 3 year varsity letter winner as a baseball catcher; selected First team All--Lower Bucks and First team All-Area
-- Recipient of the John E. Bodnarik Sportsmanship Award as a senior
-- Continued his baseball career at Dickinson College where he graduated as president of his class in 1977.
-- Football, swimming
-- A defensive end for a Falcon squad which registered a record 8 shutouts during the Big 8 and LBCL Championship season of 1973.
-- First team All-LBCL
-- First team All-Area
-- First team All Big 8 Conference
-- Four-year letter winner as a varsity swimmer while competing in the breast stroke and medley relay which qualified and competed at the state championships at Penn State in 1974
-- Walked on at Penn State as a defensive lineman where he became a letter winner with some of the great PSU teams from 1974-77
-- Graduated in 1979 with a degree in science.
-- Football
-- Three-year letter winner at defensive tackle during which the Falcon football machine amassed 31 wins against only 1 loss and 1 tie and was the #1 ranked team in Pennsylvania in 1974
-- First team All-Lower Bucks
-- First team All-Area
-- First team All-Big 8 Conference
-- PA Associated Press First team All-State
-- Second team United Press International All-State
-- Maxwell Club Award
-- High School All-American
-- Continued his football career with a full athletic scholarship to Syracuse University
-- Football, wrestling, baseball
-- In football, a three-year varsity letter winner (quarterback, kicker, punter)
-- 2 times First team All-SOL
-- Trentonian All-Decade team
-- As a wrestler, three-year varsity letter winner
-- Two-time First team SOL
-- Two-time sectional champ
-- 1991 district champ
-- 1992 district runner-up
-- 1992 wrestler of the year by Del-Val wrestling officials
-- A baseball two-year varsity letter winner; 1992 First team SOL
-- Continued academic and athletic career at West Virginia University as a four-year letterman as a punter and earned a degree in health and physical education.

Labels: Pennsbury

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

FAIRLESS HILLS—The girls counted down the seconds together.
Three-two-one.
Pennsbury had just posted a 3-0 shutout win over Neshaminy and with it, its first share of a Suburban One National League title since 1992. The Falcons earned a share of the league trophy with Council Rock North, which defeated CR South, 1-0, yesterday at North.
Anchoring the offense for Pennsbury, as they have all season long, were seniors Jenna Allen and Mia Reed. The pair combined on all three Falcon goals, all of which came on corners opportunities.
For the girls on the field—especially the 13 seniors on the team—the feeling was one of total jubilation.
Too often, they had watched the girls on the other side of the field win league titles. The Redskins, winners of six consecutive SONL titles from 2003 to ’08, clinched the league title last year with a win over the Lady Falcons.
Pennsbury co-coaches Brooke Bergmann and Tracey Arndt know what it’s like. The two instructors came within mere seconds of winning a league championship in 1995. Bergmann was a sophomore on the same Falcon team on which Arndt was a senior.
Heading into the last game of the season with Council Rock, all Pennsbury had to do was beat the Indians to claim the league crown. Alas, the Rock tied the game with five seconds to go, giving them the conference championship.
While the Falcons have had talented teams in the past, this group, says Bergmann, is something special.
“It was an attitude adjustment more than anything,” said the coach. “This group was very tight-knit; they just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
But for 43-and-a-half minutes in yesterday’s game, the Falcons toyed with potential disaster to a season that before now, they could only dream of.
After taking a 1-0 lead on Reed’s goal that came off a feed from Allen 5:09 into the duel, Pennsbury just could not find a way to cash in on that all-important insurance goal. For the game, the Falcons outshot the ‘Skins, 14-3, and out-cornered them, 12-4.
With 6:28 to go in the skirmish on a corner, Allen took Reed’s insertion and one-timed it past Neshaminy keeper Alexa Bell. The pair reversed roles on an ensuing corner on Reed’s ninth goal of the season that came with just 3:56 to go.
After the game, Bergmann explained that the Falcons were passing too much on penalty corners. The players needed to start shooting the ball, she said.
“I kept telling them to take the initial shot, instead of passing,” stated Bergmann, of Allen’s goal. “On that play, [Jenna] listened. She took the shot and she scored.”
From the onset of the season, Pennsbury rocketed out of the gate with seven consecutive league wins including 1-goal triumphs over CR North (1-0), William Tennent (2-1) and CR South (3-2).
But a midseason slump starting with a 2-1 loss to the Indians on Oct. 5, continuing with a 2-2 tie with lowly Bensalem and culminating with a 1-0 loss to Tennent last week on their home turf threatened everything.
To their credit, the Falcons finished strong, posting consecutive shutout losses over Truman (4-0) and CR South (2-0) before blanking Neshaminy.
“This group is fantastic,” said Bergmann, who reversed roles with Arndt before the start of the season. “They committed to this from day one and they worked hard.
“I’m so proud and so happy for them.”
Coincidentally, the last time Pennsbury won a league title—1992, was the year most of the seniors on the team were born.
“Before the game, Coach Arndt said, ‘guys you were born to win,” stated Allen. “We really were; it’s been our goal as long as I’ve been on the team.
“We’ve been working for this since offseason practices in June.
“Now, it’s finally paid off.”
***
LINESCORES
Pennsbury 1 2—3
Neshaminy 0 0—0
Goals: Reed (2), Allen
Assists: Allen (2), Reed
Shots: P—14, N—3
Corners: P—12, N—4
Saves: P—2, N—8

Labels: Neshaminy, Pennsbury

Quarterback Joe Wright threw for 252 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a score to lead West Chester to a 34-26 victory over host C.W. Post in a PSAC East contest at Hickox Stadium Saturday Oct. 10 in Brookeville.
Both Steve Miller and Dan DePalma each caught two TD passes from Wright, who finished 16-for-25 and did not throw an interception. Miller is a Pennsbury HIgh School alum from Fairless Hills.
DePalma’s 146 yards on five catches marked the third straight week that the junior wide receiver has gone over 100 yards receiving.
DePalma hauled in a 52-yard pass from Wright with nine minutes remaining in the game that put West Chester (4-3, 3-1 PSAC East) on top for good. C.W. Post (2-5, 2-2) had briefly taken a 26-20 lead in the fourth quarter, before Wright engineered two fourth-quarter scoring drives that put the game away.
Miller’s 17-yard scoring strike with three minutes to go capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive that ate up nearly five minutes of the final quarter and provided the final nail in the Pioneers’ coffin.
West Chester travels to Shippensburg this Saturday at 1 p.m.

Labels: Pennsbury

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
On Oct. 12, 2000, Bucks County soccer mom Toni Pelligrini witnessed a tragedy no parent should ever have to watch—the death of her 15-year-old son Louis T. Savino III.
Savino collapsed on the playing field during practice being held that day at Macclesfield. A William Penn Charter School sophomore, Louis had a congenital heart defect he was not aware of. Despite efforts by his coaches to revive him using CPR, Louis died of a condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), also known as an enlarged heart.
While much has been done to avert the outcome at Macclesfield that day nine years ago including the addition of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) kept on site at most high schools and athletic facilities, ultrasound technology expert Bill Mlkvy says it’s not enough.
Mlkvy wants to see scholastic athletes around the state tested for heart defects. If House Bill 1803 is passed in the current legislative session of the Pennsylvania Assembly, Mlkvy, a 6-4 Temple Owls forward who led the nation in scoring in 1951 before being drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Warriors, just might get his way.
Sponsored by State Rep. John J. Siptroth (D—189), the bill would require school districts to expand their ability to respond to victims of cardiac arrest. The bill is focused on CPR training and the ability of school officials to restart a non-beating heart through the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). The legislation, if passed, wouldn’t require school districts to screen athletes for cardiovascular problems but would rather allow schools to seek donations to fund such testing.
“It would allow fundraising efforts so school districts wouldn’t have to use taxpayer dollars,” said Mlkvy, a former Temple basketball player who in 1951, scored 73 points in a single NCAA game vs. Wilkes College, 54 of which were consecutive points for the Owls.
After witnessing on television the death of a 17-year-old rower from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), Mlkvy and his Newtown-based Ultrasound Services, Inc. company set out to develop a series of tests that would identify athletes who were at risk of suffering any type of cardiac stress on the playing field.
It’s offices on Blacksmith Road, Mlkvy's company was recently selected by the NFL to screen athletes from six pro football teams including the Philadelphia Eagles, the NY Jets and the Baltimore Ravens. Ultrasound Services was selected over Johns Hopkins University and the Mayo Clinic for its mobility, says Mlkvy.
“We can go right into the locker room with our screening protocol,” said Big Bill, also known as the Owl Without a Vowel.
While three teams at Pennsbury were recently screened for cardiovascular risk by Mlkvy’s company, the cost of the test—$125—was paid for by the Savino Foundation, a Yardley-based organization established in Louis’ memory to combat sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
According to the Savino Foundation Web site, more than 450 high school and college athletes have died nationwide since 1982. Most were victims of heart failure, it says. Louis was one of more than 20 high school students who succumbed to SCA in 2000.
Since then, there have been many others, some from lower Bucks.
Chris Block is a 1985 Pennsbury High School graduate and hoops star who was inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Four years ago, Block died suddenly in his sleep. He was 38. An autopsy revealed a heart defect—he had succumbed to the same condition that took Savino’s life.
Still, schools are reluctant to sign up for the testing, says Mlkvy. He says school districts put themselves at risk of lawsuits if and when a scholastic athlete dies from heart failure.
“Schools are vulnerable; the administrators just don’t get it,” says Mlkvy. “We have to get the word out.
“We’re saving lives and that is significant.”
Mlkvy would like to see more research done on the phenomena. He says fact-finding statements taken from athletes including family health histories, can significantly cut down on the number of students who would need to be screened.

Labels: Pennsbury

By Rick Fortenbaugh
For BucksLocalSports.com
While this week’s schedule is not as attractive as the last, there are some games that will still generate a lot of interest on the Lower Bucks County scholastic football slate.
Two of the bigger ones involve the Council Rock schools with Rock South looking to rebound from its first loss when it hosts Bensalem tonight and Rock North hoping to extend its three-game winning streak at Pennsbury’s Homecoming tomorrow night.
Also of interest are a pair of non-league games involving Morrisville and Bristol.
The Owls ended a two-game losing streak when they beat Truman last week, while Rock South suffered its first loss in an away game at Pennsbury. This has the potential to go down to the last minute. Bensalem’s offense is still not where coach Dan McShane would no doubt like it to be, but the Owls had a strong second half against Truman. Rock South, meanwhile, has just two touchdowns in its last two games, including the dramatic escape against Conwell-Egan. If Bensalem can stop the triple option and give its offense enough chances, a minor upset could very well result.
As if this wasn’t a tough enough assignment, John Iannucci’s Tigers will be up against a Neshaminy squad that will be looking to wash away the taste of its first defeat. That came at undefeated Abington, where a furious Redskins rally in the fourth quarter came up just short. Truman can play some defense, but it’s offense is still far from upper-tier Suburban One National League standards. It’s just hard to see much excitement on The Ridge tonight.
George Gatto’s Warriors lost this game last year and you can be sure they’ve been reminded of that all week. Pennington has a nice passing game headed up by junior Keith Dearden (nearly 300 yards last week) and a decent running game featuring ex-Pennsbury back Malcolm Perry. A week ago, Pennington lost to Calvary Christian, 29-28, when it came up short on a gutsy attempt for a two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. Most people consider Bristol to be superior to Calvary Christian, so that’s good for the Warriors. There will be some points tonight, but look for Bristol back Woodrow Vorters to make the difference.
Look for more offensive fireworks at the historic Robert Morris Stadium from Dawgie quarterback Matt Cookson and Co.. Morrisville lost its first game last week, but the setback came in a 33-26 thriller against Lower Moreland in one of the Dawgies’ best efforts in years. New Hope opened some eyes by playing Bristol tough in the first game in the history of its program, but it’s been back to reality for the Lions ever since. In that stretch was a loss to Princeton Day, which Morrisville hammered, 37-7.
It’s Homecoming Night at Pennsbury and there’s sure to be a huge crowd unless the weather really stinks. The numbers tell the story of what the Indians are up against. Pennsbury has avalanched its four opponents by a combined score of 130-22 and its first-team defense has allowed just 10 points. Making matters worse for Rock North is the fact Pennsbury showed a nice run/pass balance last week. Rock has a strong passing game with quarterback Tyler Hamilton, but Pennsbury also has an excellent secondary. Throw in the depth factor and Rock North is a big underdog despite its record.
Although the injury bug has continued to hit Conwell-Egan with standout wide receiver Ryan Bond the latest to get dinged up, the Eagles shouldn’t have many problems with this Saturday night foe at the Hank Morgan Stadium. Among Goretti’s losses was a setback to Cardinal Dougherty, which Egan just handled, 28-7, just last week. As Council Rock South can testify, Conwell-Egan does play some tough defense and it’s hard to throw on the Eagles.

Labels: Bristol, Conwell-Egan, CR North, CR South, Neshaminy, Pennington, 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

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

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
It’s decided.
The first of 13 Pennsbury seniors has made her college commitment.
While there are bound to be several more to go down this road for the orange and black this school year, midfielder Jennalise Taylor is the first field hockey player to make an agreement to jump to the NCAA.
Taylor made a verbal agreement toward the end of the summer that never was. She’ll attend Quinnipiac University, a Division I program located near New Haven, Connecticut.
Jennalise also considered the University of Vermont, Northeastern and Temple. But Quinnipiac was the first school visited by Taylor and also the first to present an incentive.
“They offered a scholarship and also I love the school--it’s my number one choice,” stated Taylor. “Going to a good school was important to me and this school is expensive so...”
While Taylor’s second choice was Temple, she would have had to try to make the Owls as a walk-on recruit. In the end, it never came down to that.
“It just worked out so well,” stated Taylor. “I’m really excited to go there.”
While Jennalise did not reach the scoring column in any of the Falcons’ six league wins, she is a leader on and off the field say her coaches and that’s probably the number one reason she was chosen among this large group of seniors to be one of three Pennsbury co-captains.
“She makes sure she gets the most out of herself and her teammates everyday,” stated Pennsbury volunteer assistant coach Tracey Arndt.
“She does whatever it takes to win.”
The Bobcats are guided by none other than Becca Kohli, a native of Yardley and graduate of Pennsbury High School where she was a three-sport athlete who played basketball and track in addition to field hockey. Kohli was inducted into the Pennsbury Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2006.
After establishing the program at Quinnipiac from scratch 13 years ago, Kohli has built the Bobcats into an annual Northeast Conference (NEC) power and a formidable regional opponent.
In 10 seasons in the league, Quinnipiac has registered a 57-23 mark against NEC opponents in regular-season play and has owned at least a share of seven conference titles.
The Bobcats last went to the NEC tournament finals in 2006. Quinnipiac won the league finale in 2003, defeating Rider, 2-1, in the title tilt and earning its second trip to the NCAA tournament in three seasons.
The Bobcats have punched their ticket to the conference championship in eight of their last nine campaigns.
“She’s a really, really good person and a great coach,” stated Taylor of Kohli. “She’s really easy to get along with and really serious at the same time.”
Both Kohli (nee Main) and Arndt (nee Larson) played collegiate hockey at Penn State and both have played the sport on an international level with Becca helping Team USA to a bronze medal as a member of the U.S. National Elite Team in the 1994 World Cup.
A 1994 graduate of PSU, Kohli preceded Arndt playing field hockey for the Nittany Lions. Still, Arndt said Kohli served as a mentor to her playing the sport at Penn State from 1996 to ’99.
As recently as 2006, both Arndt and Kohli have been named coaches of the US Field Hockey Association. Arndt says she enjoys the relationship Pennsbury has with the collegiate coach.
“It’s been really nice to have someone in the Division I realm that knows what Pennsbury’s like, knows what the girls who come out of here are like and be able to create a relationship between Pennsbury and Quinnipiac,” stated Arndt.
It’s also nice to know that Taylor will be coached by a former Falcon, said Arndt.
“It’s cool,” said Coach Tracey.
***
NOTES: Pennsbury pushed its record to 7-2 overall, 6-0 in the SOL National Conference with a 5-0 win over Truman on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at home. The Falcons also hold wins over Council Rock North (1-0) and CR South (3-2)

Labels: field hockey, Pennsbury

By Red Birch
For BucksLocalSports
Soccer takes a back seat to no sport in this area.
The WBCB Sports Network realizes that and plans to get in on the action.
Beginning Friday (that’s the end of this week already if you can believe it), the station will broadcast the 3:30 p.m. Neshaminy at Pennsbury boys soccer game on 1490 AM. Six days later, WBCB will also air the Abington at Pennsbury night game at Macclesfield Park in Lower Makefield Township, beginning at 7 p.m.
Like your Mercer County soccer better? Have no fear, plans are in the works to broadcast the Notre Dame vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro South game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Mercer County Community College. That game will be carried live on WHWH (1350 AM).
Mike Perone’s Notre Dame boys will also be featured at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 when they visit Steinert in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division crown could be on the line that day, so be sure to tune in to 1350 AM for the best in local sports coverage — which, of course, in this case means soccer.
For a list of local games being broadcast by 'BCB and sister stations 1350AM WHWH and 1460AM WIFI, click here

Labels: Neshaminy, Pennsbury

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
The Pennsbury boys as well as first year head coach Tom Stoddart have gone on record saying that anything less than a state championship will be disappointing as the outcome to their fall 2009 campaign.
“The coaching staff is real confident with us. They know what we can do,” stated senior backfielder Brian Powers. “We just want to live up to our potential this year.
“Anything less than a state championship, we’ll be pretty upset with.”
Thus far, the Falcons have put most of their money where their mouth is, winning six of their first seven battles, five via shutout.
In its SOL National Conference opener Sept. 15 at CR North however, Pennsbury stumbled, falling, 2-0, to the Indians.
Steve Neumann scored off an assist from Eric Mazurkiewicz with 15 minutes left in the half, and Matt Cannon scored an insurance goal with five minutes remaining, giving the Rock first blood.
Pennsbury put 15 shots on the net but couldn’t get one past North keeper Phil Marks.
“It was a frustrating game--one of those games where nothing went right,” stated Falcon backfielder Brian Powers.
Shocked at losing its league opener, Pennsbury needed a moment to get the ship righted, says Powers.
“We were surprised and disappointed. We know we shouldn’t lose a game this year,” stated Brian. “To come out and play as poorly as we did and not have anything go our way.
“It took us a couple days to get back on track--to realize we still had the team.
“That was just one game.”
Since the battle at the Rock, the Falcons have won three straight in the SOL, with their latest victories a pair of 1-0 triumphs over Abington and William Tennent, respectively.
On Sept. 21 in enemy territory, Corte Rumph was the only player to score in a 1-0 victory over Abington. According to Powers, Pennsbury outshot the Galloping Ghosts, 31-7, and didn’t get a ball into the back of the net until the latter stages of the contest.
“It took a lot of work to get that one goal,” stated Powers. “We had a lot of chances; it was just another one of those days where we couldn’t put one in.”
The Falcons eventually did put one in at Abington and two days later in a home pairing with Tennent. Again, it was a hotly contested battle, with the Panthers edging Pennsbury on shots, 11-9. Senior Eddie Adams was the only player to put a ball into the back of the net in that one, scoring unassisted in the 88th minute of play giving the Falcons their second 1-0 victory in three days.
The win pushed Pennsbury to 6-1 overall, 3-1 in the SOL National Conference.
***
Lost in the shuffle of what promises to be an intense league season was Pennsbury’s non-league victory over Strath Haven, a perennial power in District One and statewide. The Falcons faced deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 and came back both times to win, 3-2. Adams, Jimmy Ockford and Kyle McDonald reached the back of the net for Pennsbury.
According to Powers, Mike Mulcahey dominated the midfield and right backfielder Shawn Caven had a strong game on defense, shutting down the Strath Haven striker.
“[Shawn] had some real big shots and he shut them down,” stated Powers. “He’s been strong for us this year. He’s one of those players--he’s been real surprising.”
***
TRIO LOOKING FOR No. 1
Two years ago, Pennsbury got picked off in the district quarterfinals by eventual state champion Downingtown West. Last year, the Falcons had their wings clipped by Neshaminy in a District One AAA second round matchup.
Three 4-year varsity players—Adams, Drew Hutchins and Powers--have but one goal in mind for the current campaign.
“This is a big year for us. We really wanna get to states and honestly, our main goal is to win states,” stated Powers. “We think we have the team this year to go all the way.”
***
POWERS TO LEHIGH
Back in May, Powers made a verbal commitment to Division I Lehigh University. Brian, who plans to major in business/ marketing, says he was looking at the academics first, then soccer.
“Everything just fell into place right away--the money, the situation definitely played a big part, how good of a school it was,” stated Powers.
Of course, the fact that Lehigh hasn’t had a losing season in 11 years didn’t hurt. In 2006, the Mountain Hawks made it to the Sweet 16 after posting a school record 15 wins and a No. 13 national ranking.
Powers isn’t the only player going D-I. Hutchins has committed to Stanford. Ockford—to Mount St. Mary’s where he will join 2009 CR North graduate Ryan Tessler. Adams, meanwhile is looking at Marshall, Duquesne and Rhode Island.
***
INJURY FRONT
The Falcons are battling injuries on the defensive front with MF Kyle McDonald and R-BF Mike Mulcahey both nursing sprained ankles. Mulcahey missed the win over Tennent. McDonald has been playing through his injury, despite some swelling he’s experienced after games.
In the Sept. 23 battle against Tennent, Powers chipped a bone in his arm in a collision with Hutchins. All three have been sitting out practice and central defender Sawyer Waters has missed three games with a strained quad.
“We’ve been decimated defensively by injuries,” stated assistant coach Chris McCormick “But the kids are stepping up so we’ve still been able to win games.”
The Falcon defense has surrendered just four goals on the season.
***
Notes: The rematch with CR North is set for Oct. 5 at Macclesfield. That’s senior night for Pennsbury.

Labels: Pennsbury

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

Pennsbury senior attackman Kenneth Warren has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Manhattan College.
Warren was a second-team All-Suburban One National Conference choice for the Falcons in 2009, when he set school records for goals (42) and points (67). Warren served as one of four co-captains for Pennsbury, which finished 12-8 overall and reached the second round of the District 1 playoffs after placing second in league play.
Warren, who had 32 goals and 12 assists as a sophomore, plays for the Team HEADstrong Elite club team. Team HEADstrong placed fifth this year at Champ Camp and now features 10 players on its roster with Division I commitments.
Warren, the first Pennsbury boy to be recruited for a Division I scholarship, also played for the Philly squad in the Adidas All-American games this summer.
Manhattan made it all the way to the MAAC Championship last season where they lost, 9-5, to top-seeded Siena. The Jaspers finished 10-8, tying the school record for wins and defeated Mount. St. Mary's, 5-3, in the MAAC semifinals.

Labels: Pennsbury

The Council Rock North girls varsity volleyball team placed third at the Creason Classic held Saturday, Sept. 5 in Harrisburg.
After going 4-2 in pool play, the Lady Indians defeated New Oxford, 25-13, in the quarterfinals before falling to Whitehall, 25-23, in the semis.
Whitehall went on to win the tournament, defeating Cumberland Valley, 25-22, in the championship.
Afterward, CR North senior setter Jackie Davies (pictured, right) and junior middle Bailey Dowd (left) were named to the All Tournament Team.
The Indians begin league play at 7 p.m. tonight at home versus SOL National Conference rival Pennsbury. A junior varsity match is scheduled for 5:30.

Labels: CR North, Pennsbury

By Rick Fortenbaugh
For BucksLocalSports.com
When the high school football season gets underway tonight, Pennsbury’s Falcon Field will be the site of something that hasn’t happened since 47 long years ago.
Namely, a game between Pennsbury and Conwell-Egan, which are located only a mile or so from each other, but have not met on a football field since 1962.
For the record, when the two teams last played it was Pennsbury prevailing by a score of 21-7. What will happen tonight remains to be seen, but it’s a welcome addition to the schedule and the start of a multi-year commitment between the schools.
Both teams are coming off successful seasons, but it’s Pennsbury that has returned more key players and is the solid favorite tonight.
On the flip side, Conwell-Egan can take some comfort in the knowledge that for whatever reason, Pennsbury has traditionally not played well offensively on opening night.
Even in the season in which it marched to a district title a few years ago, Pennsbury needed last-second heroics to beat Archbishop Ryan.
Heck, just last year Pennsbury beat Archbishop Ryan on a miracle last-second, Hail Mary pass. From there, Pennsbury went onto win nine games and Ryan stumbled home with a record of 0-10, including a loss to Conwell-Egan.
Although scrimmages are scrimmages and should be taken as just that, the bad news for Conwell-Egan is Pennsbury looked very good against highly-regarded La Salle last week.
In fact, the offense looked dynamite with junior quarterback Brandon Pepper (pictured above) completing pass after pass, including a touchdown bomb to Division I wideout/defensive back recruit Erik Williams.
Also look for a big year from Dante Devine, who has taken over at fullback from Richie Applegate and appears primed to be the big gun in Pennsbury’s potent running game.
Conwell-Egan will counter with an offense led by standout senior receiver Ryan Bond and the motivation that it would like nothing more than to stun its Fairless Hills neighbor.
***
Nueva Esperanza (0-0) at Morrisville (0-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: Getting much information on the Philadelphia Public school located on West Hunting Park Avenue isn’t easy. On the other hand, it can be reported Nueva Esperanza was 0-11 last year and was avalanched by a combined point total of 445-34. Barring a big influx of talent, which is very doubtful, it all adds up to a fun evening for the home team at the historic Robert Morris Stadium. Look for the Dawgs to come out throwing behind junior quarterback Matt Cookson and post some big offensive numbers in what promises to be an impoved season.
***
Bristol (0-0) at Kennedy-Kenrick (0-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: The Norristown area school has had some decent teams over the years, but usually doesn’t have much team speed and is one dimensional. Bristol beat Kennedy-Kenrick, 27-14, a year ago and will be anxious to get a promising season underway. It all adds up to big rushing numbers for senior Woodrow Vorters on an offense that is now in the capable hands of athletic senior quarterback Eric Wade.
***
Souderton (0-0) at Neshaminy (0-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: The worst thing working for the visitors is the fact they beat Neshaminy, 14-13, last year. You can be sure coach Mark Schmidt has reminded his Redskins of that all week long. After beating Neshaminy last year, Souderton then stumbled to a 5-6 record, including a loss to lowly Central Bucks West. Neshaminy, by contrast, advanced all the way to the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA finals. In that light, last year’s game has to be regarded as a bit of a fluke. Souderton is led by returning running back Derek Brown and middle linebacker Gave Stein. It won’t be enough against a rebuilt Neshaminy team that has a bunch of newcomers itching to make their mark.
***
Overbrook (0-0) at Bensalem (0-0), tonight, 6 p.m.: Overbrook was 5-7 last year and has traditionally not been one of the better teams in the Philadelphia Public League. According to pre-season reports, this year won’t be much different. Bensalem, which was a lot more than competitive than last year’s 4-7 record would indicate, is a bit different this year. By that we mean the Owls seemed to be more advanced along the lines than in the skill positions. This should pay off handsomely tonight because the one thing Philadephia public school’s usually struggle against is strong line play and a power running game. It all adds up to a happy night at “Death Valley.’’
***
Truman (0-0) at Cheltenham (0-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: It’s the debut of first-year Tiger coach John Iannucci, who had success in the New Jersey scholastic ranks and has also coached some in college. This game will be a good indicator of whether Truman has made progress during the pre-season. Cheltenham is nothing special and was 5-7 last season, but it does play a decent schedule and pounded Truman, 33-0, a year ago.
***
Council Rock North (0-0) at Father Judge (0-0), today, 3:30 p.m.: This remains a difficult opener for the Indians, who as usual, have some fine skill players, but also a lot of question marks on the lines. Father Judge took some serious graduation hits from last year’s 9-4 team, but it does return scatback Curtis Wortham and quarterback Tony Smith. Wortham piled up over 1,500 rushing yards last fall and scored 19 touchdowns. North is led by returning quarterback Tyler Hamilton, running back Lee Marvel and wideout Tyler Bostain. Scoring points, however, has not been North’s big problem. Stopping the opposition is the big concern and this won’t be easy against a Judge team that’s sure to have a physical line opening holes for Wortham.

Labels: Conwell-Egan, Football, Pennsbury

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

The road ended Monday, June 29 for the SOL National/Bicentennial (BAL) in the fifth annual Carpenter Cup softball tournament.
The opportunity to work together with the opposition is what assistant coach Frank McSherry relishes about the tournament, which combines the Council Rocks, with Neshaminy, Pennsbury of the Suburban One League, with Bristol Morrisville and some other teams from the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL).
“We get the opportunity to coach kids that we coach against all year long and some that we never see as coaches,” stated McSherry.
“When we see the kids the following year, they no longer see you as the enemy, which is really refreshing.”
The local girls would have fared much better in the tourney, said McSherry, if not for an infield-outfield collision in game three of opening day that led to a 6-5 loss to Delaware South.
What hurt the SOL National’s cause most, according to the coach, was losing hurlers Sarah McGowan, of Neshaminy, and Kiersten Cain, from Bristol, when the team took the field against Jersey Shore. Both pitchers headed out to Colorado Monday, June 29 to compete in a national showcase tournament out west.
Earlier in the tournament, McGowan had held the opposition scoreless in four of the seven innings she pitched in wins over Chester and DelCo. Cain didn’t give up any runs in those same matchups and was on her way to a win vs. Del-South when all hell broke loose.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, a gaffe made on a popup over second base scored both the tying and winning runs for Delaware South, which went on to win the championship.
“We could very well have walked away from Wednesday at three-and-oh,” said McSherry. “That would have put us in a better position to win.”
Before the locals were eliminated however, the girls from lower Bucks got another chance to show their stuff to the collegiate scouts who came to South Philadelphia’s FDR Park looking for their next big NCAA prospect.
The SOL National/BAL trailed early in their final game against Jersey Shore. Pennsbury junior hurler Kait Schilling got herself into trouble in the bottom of the first inning, putting a pair of baserunners on with no outs after surrendering a single to pitcher Kasey Bulman and issuing a walk to infielder Alisha Cumberton. Third baseman Leann Ventriglia got the big hit in the frame, slapping a triple that scored a pair of runs for Jersey Shore.
Schilling got the locals on the board in the top of the second inning, scoring Bristol sophomore Brooke Dugger from third base with a sac fly to centerfield. Dugger had gotten on base with a walk, went to second on a passed ball then to third on an error by opposition right fielder Ani Sasala.
Jersey Shore padded their edge in the bottom of the third inning however, getting three more runs off Schilling. Again, Kait put a pair of runners on base with no outs, giving up back to back singles to Danielle Raneri and Bulman.
Center fielder Nicole Saggiomo’s single did the most damage, pushing a pair of runs across the plate that put Jersey Shore up, 4-1. Taylor’s McDonough’s triple then put the team from the Garden State up 5-1.
From there, things got a little wild, though no further damage was done by Jersey Shore. After drawing a walk – still with no outs – Ventriglia stole second and went to third on a sacrifice before getting cut down at the plate on a ground ball tapped by Jill Martin.
Martin then stole second and went to third on an error before getting cut down at the plate going for run number six.
Cantiello came on in relief of Schilling in the fourth and got out of the inning in order even though a runner – Maggie Fermo – reached base with no outs on an error at third base by Truman freshman Tiffany Koenig. That’s because Cantiello got the first out on a sacrifice bunt by Jen Retzer and her teammates got the next when they snuffed Fermo out at third trying to grab two bases on the bunt.
The locals missed a huge opportunity in the fifth inning after putting a pair of runners on base with no outs on back to back singles by Cantiello and Jopko. Retzer got out of the jam however with no damage, striking out the side when she fanned Council Rock North junior Chloe Pinto, Calvary Christian sophomore Kelli Reichenbach (looking) and Neshaminy junior Erin Quense. The runners were left standing at second and third base when Retzer threw a wild pitch on an 0-1 count with Quense up to bat.
With one last chance to stay alive, the SOL National nearly pulled it off in the top of the seventh, scoring a pair of runs and loading the bases with just one out.
Pinto’s double scored the first run of the frame for the locals pushing home Cantiello, who’d gotten on base with a leadoff single. With one out, Reichenbach got on board on Fermo’s fielding error that also sent Pinto to third base. Jersey Shore’s next gaffe loaded the bases with Quense jamming the sacks on an error made by Bulman.
Pinto represented run number two for the locals as she scored on a shallow fly ball over second base by William Tennent sophomore Ashley Alden. But Reichenbach also tried to score on the play from second base and that was a big mistake.
She never made it, instead getting cut down at the plate ending this year’s run by the SOL National/Bicentennial.
Schilling took the loss for the locals. Cantiello pitched three scoreless innings in relief and also had a good day at the plate with a pair of singles and a run scored.
“She was a big offensive threat for us,” said McSherry. “She went 2-for-2 and she pitched three or four scoreless innings.”
Delaware South, which had edged the SOL National/BAL earlier in the tourney, went on to win the championship, downing previously undefeated Berks in a pair of 3-2 wins that both went to extra innings.
Berks had handed Del-South its only loss in a 1-0 win on Monday, June 29. But the girls from Delaware reversed the tide however on Tuesday, defeating Berks first in a 9-inning matchup then in an 8-inning battle that decided the championship.

Labels: CR North, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, softball, Truman

The top junior and sophomore prospects from The Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association will be on display for college recruiters tomorrow Thursday, June 11, at Haverford College in a brand new showcase event.
The Showcase will consist of two games, one for sophomores and one for juniors. Each game will feature a public school team vs. a private school team. The sophomore game will be played first at 5 p.m., and the junior game will follow immediately afterward.
Pennsbury has a pair of sophomores playing - Dan Marr and Ricky Jutkiewicz (pictured, above). Marr was recently named to the All-Suburban One League National Conference First Team. Jutkiewicz was given the nod to join the All-SOL-N Second Team.
Additionally, Holy Ghost has a pair of junior taking part in the contest - Andrijko Andrusko and Andrew Cacchio.
"The event will start a rigorous summer recruiting circuit that many of our players endure. We believe the best players in Eastern PA will be showing their talents on June 11 at Haverford College,” said EPSLA Vice-President and Episcopal Academy Head Coach Andy Hayes.
This event has been created in the spirit of the EPSLA’s mission statement “to promote the growth of lacrosse in Eastern Pennsylvania.”
The EPSLA has historically organized an end-of-year tournament for all high school teams in the region. With the sanctioning of boys’ lacrosse by the PIAA, however, the tournament is now in the hands of the state organization and is therefore limited to PIAA member schools—a new configuration that excludes some of the best programs in the region.
The EPSLA’s Showcase promises to redress that problem by ensuring all the top juniors and sophomores from EPSLA member schools will have the opportunity to showcase their talents for college recruiters. Organizers expect The Showcase to recapture the excitement of previous years’ tournaments.
The four teams for The Showcase were selected through a tryout held on Sunday, June 7 at Episcopal Academy. Each team carries 22 players and will be coached by a staff of EPSLA head coaches selected by their peers. EPSLA member coaches nominated the top players from their teams by the end of the season, and a selection committee comprised of EPSLA coaches determined which players would be invited to try out.
The inaugural EPSLA Sophomore and Junior Showcase promises to be an excellent recruiting opportunity for the area's elite lacrosse underclassmen, and will certainly garner the attention of many college lacrosse coaches from around the country.
"It will be an honor for both players and coaches to participate in this event. We have many elite lacrosse players in this area and The Showcase will be a great way for them to get exposure to college coaches," states Dean Curtis, EPSLA President and former Pennsbury High School Head Coach.
More information about the The Showcase can be found at www.eplsa.org.

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury boys lacrosse

The top junior and sophomore prospects from The Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association will be on display for college recruiters on Thursday, June 11, at Haverford College in a brand new showcase event.
The Showcase will consist of two games, one for sophomores and one for juniors. Each game will feature a public school team vs. a private school team. The sophomore game will be played first at 5 , and the junior game will follow immediately afterwards.
"The event will start a rigorous summer recruiting circuit that many of our players endure. We believe the best players in Eastern PA will be showing their talents on June 11th at Haverford College,” said EPSLA Vice‐President and Episcopal Academy Head Coach Andy Hayes.
This event has been created in the spirit of the EPSLA’s mission statement “to promote the growth of lacrosse in Eastern Pennsylvania.”
The EPSLA has historically organized an end‐of‐year tournament for all high school teams in the region. With the sanctioning of boys’ lacrosse by the PIAA, the tournament is now in the hands of the state organization and is therefore limited to PIAA member schools—a new configuration that excludes some of the best programs in the region.
The EPSLA’s Showcase promises to redress that problem by ensuring all the top juniors and sophomores from EPSLA member schools will have the opportunity to showcase their talents for college recruiters. Organizers expect The Showcase to recapture the excitement of previous years’ tournaments.
The four teams for The Showcase were selected through a tryout at Episcopal Academy on Sunday, June 7. Each team will carry 22 players and will be coached by a staff of EPSLA head coaches selected by their peers. EPSLA member coaches will nominate the top players from their teams by the end of the season, and a selection committee comprised of EPSLA coaches will determine which players will be invited to try out. Interested players should notify their high school coach if they wish to try out.
The inaugural EPSLA Sophomore and Junior Showcase promises to be an excellent recruiting opportunity for the area's elite lacrosse underclassmen, and will certainly garner the attention of many college lacrosse coaches from around the country.
"It will be an honor for both players and coaches to participate in this event. We have many elite lacrosse players in this area and The Showcase will be a great way for them to get exposure to college coaches," added Dean Curtis, EPSLA President and former Pennsbury High School Head Coach.
More information about the The Showcase can be found at www.eplsa.org.

Labels: Pennsbury, Pennsbury boys lacrosse

The Pennsbury Falconettes 13-15 Synchronized Swim Team swam their way to victory at regionals, earning a trip to the National Age Group Championships to be held in Gainesville, Florida from June 26 to July 4.
Competing against champions from three other associations, the Falconettes won the first two places in each event entered except for team, where they entered only one team. Leading the way with three gold medals was Brianna Kimble. Brianna earned gold in the figure, trio with Hannah Schapiro and Michaela Vommoro and added Madison Buckley, Shannah Conroy and Megan Krier for gold in the team event.
Adele Goldberg rounded out the gold medal sweep by winning the solo and duet event with Alison Frank. Brianna and Michaela were second in the duet event, while Adele, Madison and Shannah were second in the trio event.
Tori Stanhope led the Falconettes to two gold medals in the 16-17 events, winning the trio event with Alison Frank and Taylor Zaccaro and adding Chaitra Nataraj to the mix to win the team title. Missing teammate Meredith McGann due to treatments for Hodgkin’s Disease, Taylor stepped up and fulfilled the winning role. Tori was second and Chaitra placed fourth in the solo event.
Rena Li won the 11-12 solo event and was second in the trio title with Abigail Oliver and Barbara Garcia-Stam.
All swimmers placing in the top four earn the right to compete against the same qualifiers from 12 other regions across the USA. The Falconettes will be working hard for the next month in preparation for their 39th annual show on June 13 and 14 and their trip to Florida.

Labels: Falconettes, Pennsbury

Last weekend (May 9-10), Pennsbury took the rubber match pitted against Amherst Regional (Massachusetts), the only team who's beaten the Falcons all year.
As these two teams played for their third tournament championship in as many weekends, this time for the Championship of the Eastern United States & Canada, 15-11, after beating them at their tournament the week before, and losing to them at the Falcons' own tournament the week before that, both by identical 15-9 scores.
Pennsbury's is a completely student run program, including the captain/coach Isaac Saul (the third Saul brother to captain the team in a row), while Amherst is a school-supported ultimate dynasty over 20 years old, fed by one of the only middle school ultimate programs in the U.S.A.
After Isaac won his first Easterns in '07, with his older brother Noah as captain, the Falcons lost 14 seniors and were not expected to contend for much of anything in 2008.
But Isaac and his co-captains Justin Baughn and Elijah Karoly reloaded the team, brought players up from JV to fill strategic spots and kept Pennsbury very competitive, finishing as the second best team in the east last year behind Columbia (from Orange, NJ, another legacy program supported by its school), with whom they have had a very spirited rivalry for the last five to six years. In fact, Pennsbury lost the semifinal game at Easterns to Columbia last year on Universe Point (sudden death) in a howling gale that made the game very difficult to play at all.
This year, both Amherst and Pennsbury cruised through Pool Play on Saturday, with Pennsbury allowing two teams just 3 goals, and the third only 2.
Amherst, winning by similar margins in their 3 games (all to 15), was widely expected to be the other finalist and did not disappoint. After re-seeding and pre-quarters late Saturday and early Sunday, both teams came back for quarters, semis and finals in 10:30, 12:30 and 2:30 games, again to 15.
After beating Needham in Quarterfinals by a familiar 15-4 score (our games with them at Amherst and Born To Dive were also 15-4) the Falcons had the highest point total scored against them all season by anyone other than Amherst, as Paideia School from Atlanta, GA brought a very young and disciplined team back in the 2nd half to get within 2 before falling 15-9 in one semifinal, while Amherst rolled over an undermanned and also very young North Hills (Pittsburgh) team, 15-3 in the other.
The Finals were all they were cracked up to be as the rubber match between these 2 teams, and as they had the week before in MA, it was Pennsbury who got off to the quick start, scoring first after each team turned it over twice, on a Justin Baughn to Denny Bechis pass. Pennsbury got a lucky break to get a 2nd turn and quickly went out 2-0 on a pass from Isaac Saul to Mike Auld, and the Amherst squad knew they were in for another brawl.
Denny Bechis was all over the field, scoring 2 goals and throwing 2 assists in the 1st half as the Falcons took what is, at this level, an almost insurmountable 8-3 halftime lead.
Mike Auld had 3 assists and a goal and Zach Kauffman, John Berger and Matt Bode each had a goal as well, complemented by 2 from Blake Hammer to round out the 1st half scoring.
Mike Auld, at 6'1", and 6'6" sophomore Amos Adams of Amherst had an intense battle all game, with Mike getting a key reception deep in Amherst territory that was quickly converted for a goal, one of his 3 assists in the fist half.
Amos had an equally spectacular grab on Mike in the 2nd half on a flying layout about 4' off the ground.
Pennsbury hasn't lost a game in which they had the early lead in almost 2 years, but Amherst made them work to keep it here, mounting a furious rally after halftime to get to within 1 at 9-8 before Pennsbury woke up in the second half.
Their escape began with a foul call on Amherst's Julian Summa by Matt Wilson, who called a hack on a reception attempt at the Amherst 10 yard line.
Players call all their own infractions in ultimate, and after a quiet discussion Julian accepted the call (he could have contested the foul and sent the disc back to the thrower) and Matt got the disc at the spot of the foul.
He made quick work of the goal, with a soft flick to Denny Bechis for one of his game leading 5 second half goals on a layout grab on the left side of the end zone and a 10-8 lead. After Amherst scored again to make it 10-9, Pennsbury came right back to go up 11-9 and then Mike Auld began closing the door with a huge D of an Amherst huk, (a 'bomb' in football) which he ran through for an upline toss from Zach Kauffman, then tossed the disc back to Zach as he streaked to the end zone for a goal and a 12-9 lead.
Pennsbury didn't look back, despite Amherst scoring on their next possession, as Denny Bechis had goal #6 on a runaway for 13-10, Matt Bode scored the 14th point for the Falcons after an Amherst miscue, and after Julian Summa scored the 11th and final goal for Amherst, Pennsbury closed it out on a throw by John Berger for the win, predictably coming on another great layout catch by Denny Bechis, and his teammates rushed the field to celebrate their 2nd Championship in 3 years over a very game and spirited Amherst team.
All that remains for Pennsbury this season is to win their fourth state title in a row, which they should do with relative ease this weekend in Lehigh, as their only serious competition will come again from North Hills of Pittsburgh, who gamely finished tied for third at Easterns, despite being in a rebuilding year.

Labels: Pennsbury, Ultimate Frisbee

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Harry S Truman head coach Gretchen Cammiso must have had a sense of déjà vu last Thursday at Pennsbury’s softball field when the Falcons won for the second time this season.
Her Lady Tigers had just tied the game at 7 runs apiece with a four-run sixth that featured a 2-run bomb by junior hurler Rachael Alligood.
“When Pennsbury took a 7-3 lead, I think everyone in the park thought the game was over,” explained Cammiso. “I just told the girls ‘there’s nothing you can do but hit,’ and they did.”
Playing in between raindrops that hovered over the skies in lower Bucks, the Falcons broke the tie however in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs in a 10-7 home triumph over their SOL National Conference rivals.
In an unusual pitching performance for her, Alligood surrendered 12 hits to Pennsbury while striking out 7 batters and walking three.
“The final score--10-7--I’m sure was not something that either team expected,” stated Cammiso.
Pennsbury also defeated Truman with 2 late-game runs the first time these two teams squared off. With this win, the Falcons clinched yet another SOL National title, their eighth consecutive Suburban One League (SOL) trophy.
Alyssa Shirley, designated hitter for Pennsbury, pushed home the winning run when she drove infielder D’Anna Devine in with a single. Lauren Rossi then kept the rally going with another single but the big blow was struck by first baseman Kirby Groves, who plated another pair of runs for the Falcons with an RBI single in the gap.
Pennsbury righthander Kait Schilling came on and retired the side for the Falcons and recorded the win. Alligood took the loss for the Lady Tigers, who fell to 9-7 overall, 8-6 in the SOL National Conference.
Groves had another big day for the Falcons with a 3-for-4 batting performance that included a double and four RBIs. D’Anna Devine and Sarah Gosselin also doubled for Pennsbury, which pushed its record to 15-3, overall, 13-1 in the SOL.
The Falcons’ only loss this season was to Abington--a 4-3 setback suffered April 29 at home. That’s a fine feat considering the fact that Pennsbury came into the season with little experience in the circle.
With the win, the Falcons also clinched a bye in the District 1 playoffs, which get underway Monday, May 18. Truman (9-7, 8-6 SOL) earned a No. 16 seed and played hot to 17th-seeded Plymouth-Whitemarsh.
Pennsbury got the No. 4 seed and will open on Wednesday, May 20 at home against the winner of Haverford, which defeated Pennridge, 2-0, in the opening round.
It took extra innings but Plymouth-Whitemarsh scored four runs in the top of the ninth to get past the Tigers May 18 in Truman’s opener.

Labels: Pennsbury, softball, Truman

It was a day of firsts for the Pennsbury boys lacrosse team as the Falcons defeated the visiting Sun Valley Vanguards, 15-10, at Falcon Field in round one of the District One playoffs. It was Pennsbury's first ever playoff game, it was their first ever home playoff game, and it was their first ever playoff win.
But it was also a day of lasts - the last home game for Pennsbury Coach Dean Curtis, as he will be stepping down from the helm of the Falcons at the end of the season. But the win does mean that Coach Curtis and the Falcons get to play another day, as they will meet the Downingtown East Cougars for a round two game on Thursday, May 14 at Downingtown.
The high scoring Vanguards came into the game averaging almost 11 1/2 goals per game but were facing a Pennsbury defense that had allowed an average of 6.25 goals per game. By all accounts, this game was gong to be a case of the immovable object meeting the irresistible force.
Adding injury to insult, the Falcons were also without two of their starting all-league middies, Ricky Jutkiewicz and Shawn Caven, lost to injuries in the last two weeks of the season.
Like a heavyweight fight, both teams spent the first four minutes of the game testing their opponent, until the Vanguards struck first when Sam Maldou grabbed the rebound of a save by Pennsbury's Chris Shubert and put it back for the first goal of the game.
Pennsbury punched back 12 seconds later when Falcon defenseman Ben McDannell grabbed the loose face-off ball out of the air and winged it to Evan Caterson for the fast break. Caterson then found attackman Peter Sweetland in the crease, who double faked for the equalizing goal.
But Sun Valley showed their offense's muscle when they scored two consecutive goals 90 seconds apart – the first on a inside pass from attackman Bobby Clemens to Brett McCauley for the put in, and the next triggered when a Pennsbury clearing pass was intercepted by Sam Maldou, who rifled it back to Bobby Clemens for the goal and a 3-1 Sun Valley lead.
The Falcons answered back with three goals of their own - starting with a two-man up goal when attackman Kenneth Warren fed Calvin Hopkins for the put in on the crease. Pennsbury tied the score at 3's when defenseman Ryan Brim triggered a fast break out of the defensive end, and finishing with bang-bang passes from Sweetland to Hopkins to Warren for the score with 48 seconds left on the clock.
But the Falcons weren't done yet. After a Vanguard player withheld the ball from play during a loose ball scrum, Pennsbury was awarded the ball. Falcon middie Matt Mager outraced his man up the middle, drawing the slides.
Mager found Warren next to the crease on GLE, who found freshman Luke Matthews cutting down the middle for the low and away goal past Sun Valley's Tyler Brun with only 8 seconds remaining in the first period and putting Pennsbury in the lead by a 4-3 margin at the end of the first period.
The second round, or quarter in this case, saw Sun Valley take advantage of a Pennsbury penalty and tie the game at 4-all when Sam Maldou fed Erich Bigas, who bounced a long range shot past Shubert three and a half minutes in.
For the next six minutes, the Falcon defense held the Vanguard offense at bay, with the Vanguards doing the same to the Falcon offense, until Pennsbury attackman Warren worked the ball from behind the net, bringing his defenseman up top, and then getting free with a shake-and-bake move followed by a top shelf, left-handed rip to break the tie with three minutes left in the half.
Sun Valley counter-punched with a fast break goal out of the defensive end when Bobby Clemens found a cutting Nick Morrell to tie the game at 5-apiece with just under two minutes left in the half.
Pennsbury wasn't done yet. With stifling defensive pressure sparking the offense, Pennsbury's Pat “Moose” Bonnot found attackman Dan Caggia on the doorstep with a pinpoint pass for the put-in at the 1-1/2 minute mark.
With Moose winning the next faceoff, Pennsbury put the pressure on the Vanguard defense with time ticking down in the half. Following his own missed shot, Calvin Hopkins jumped into a scrum in front of the goalie and golfed the loose ball into the goal with four ticks left in the half, putting the Falcons into the lead at half-time by a 7-5 margin.
The Falcons came out strong in the second half, led by attackman Kenneth Warren, who scored a man-up goal one minute into the period by beating his defenseman from behind the cage for the low and away rip. This was followed two minutes later by another extra-man goal by freshman Ryan McDonald, who converted the feed from Sweetland into a 9-5 Pennsbury lead.
Warren then added the fourth of his game-high five goals when he and Peter Sweetland ran a series of give-and-goes from behind the net, beat his man, and rifled in a sharp angle shot from the side to give the Falcons a 10-5 lead.
But the high-powered Vanguard offense was not to be denied for long, as they answered with two goals in 90 seconds – the first a fast break goal with Bobby Clemens converting the perfect pass from Matt Remner, and the second off a nice series of quick passes, with Remner again feeding the ball for a score, this time to Don Krausse to bring the score to 10-7 Falcons with three minutes left in the third quarter.
The Falcons bought back some breathing room 20 seconds later when Calvin Hopkins muscled his way toward the goal and launched a worm-burner that found the back of the net with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter and putting the third period tally at 11-7 Pennsbury entering the final quarter.
Down by four entering the final stanza, Sun Valley came out playing with fierce determination, successfully killing a man down penalty and then putting intense offensive pressure on the Falcons. Chris Shubert saved two successive doorstep shot by the Vanguards before Don Krausse took the second rebound in front of the net and put it back in to bring them within three of Pennsbury at the 9 minute mark.
Pennsbury answered back a minute later when Calvin Hopkins grabbed a loose ball behind the Vanguard net and threaded a pass to Peter Sweetland on the other side of the crease for the put-in. But Sun Vally volleyed back when Brett McCauley won a ground ball in front of the Pennsbury net and found Matt Remner open on the left side for the goal, cutting the Pennsbury lead to 12-9.
The Falcons and Vanguards then traded goals, with “Moose” Bonnot rocketing a running shot for an unassisted goal for Pennsbury, and then Sun Valley's Bobby Clemens juking from behind the net and finding a cutting Don Krausse for their goal and a 13-10 Pennsbury lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the game.
At this point, Pennsbury put their stamp on the victory, with Evan Caterson netting a running shot for a goal and Kenneth Warren, who ended up with seven point on five goals and two assists, punctuating the effort with a rifle shot goal into the top corner with a minute and a half in the game.
Sun Valley put frenzied effort into the last few minutes, but the game ended as Bobby Clemens shot wide as time expired.
A key difference in the game was in man-up offense and man-down defense. The Pennsbury defense killed 4 of 5 man-down opportunities by Sun Valley, while the Falcon's offense converted three of their five man-up opportunities.
The win puts Pennsbury at 12-7 for the year, 8-2 in the Suburban One National conference and 1-0 in the PIAA District 1 playoffs. Sun Valley is now 11-7 on the season and remains 6-4 in the Ches-Mont League.
***

Box Score
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Sun Valley 3 2 2 3 - 10
Pennsbury 4 3 4 4 - 15
(May 12 at Pennsbury)
Goals:
Pennsbury - 15; Kenneth Warren 5; Calvin Hopkins 3; Peter Sweetland 2; Pat Bonnot 1; Evan Caterson 1; Dan Caggia 1; Luke Matthews 1; Ryan McDonald 1
Sun Valley – 10; Don Krausse 3; Bobby Clemens 2; Matt Remner 1; Sam Maldou 1; Brett Macaulay 1; Erich Bigas 1; Nick Morrell 1.
Assists:
Pennsbury - 8; Peter Sweetland 3; Kenneth Warren 2; Pat Bonnot 1; Evan Caterson 1; Calvin Hopkins 1.
Sun Valley - 8; Bobby Clemens 3; Sam Maldou 2; Matt Remner 2; Brett Macaulay 1.
Shots:
Pennsbury 43, Sun Valley 26
Saves:
Chris Shubert (Pennsbury) 7; Tyler Brun (Sun Valley) 11
Record:
Pennsbury 12-7 overall; 8-2 in the Suburban One National, and 1-0 in the PIAA District 1 playoffs. Sun Valley 11-7 overall; 6-4 in the ChesMont League, 0-1 in the PIAA District 1 playoffs.

Labels: boys lacrosse, Pennsbury

By Ryan Feldman
For BucksLocalSports.com

BRISTOL — Neshaminy-Pennsbury is like the Duke-North Carolina, Michigan-Ohio State, Red Sox-Yankees of Bucks County high school sports.
Whenever the Redskins and Falcons face each other in any sport, it’s a must-see event. And that was certainly the case May 12, as the Pennsbury and Neshaminy softball teams met as part of Lower Bucks Softball Night at Bristol Memorial Field.
After defeating Neshaminy 4-1 earlier this season, the Falcons duplicated that performance with another 4-1 victory, breaking the divisional tie and putting them in the driver’s seat for the Suburban One League title.
“It’s huge,” Pennsbury pitcher Kait Schilling said about the win. “It’s like a starting point for us going into the playoffs."
The Redskins struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Erin Quense that scored Courtney Clee.
In the top of the third, Pennsbury loaded the bases on a couple of base hits and an error. That’s when Kirby Groves came up and knocked in all three runs with a bases clearing double. Morella Wells made it 4-1 after knocking in Groves with an RBI single.
“We did some good things to get runners on base in front of (Kirby),” said Pennsbury coach Frank McSherry. “And that was huge for her to hit the ball that hard with two strikes.”
Neshaminy had a chance to get a run back in the bottom of the fifth, when but D’Anna Devine threw out a runner at the plate after misplaying a hard-hit ball to second base.
“It’s an understatement to say it was big,” McSherry said about beating Neshaminy. “There was a lot at stake, but we still have games left to play.
“We see them as the best team in the league, so it’s really big. To say before the season that we were going to beat them twice, I would have said you were crazy.”
As is the case with most quality softball matchups, this game was all about pitching and defense. Sarah McGowan pitched well for the Redskins (14-2, 10-2 SOL), but Schilling pitched even better for Pennsbury (13-3, 11-1 SOL). Schilling gave up just three hits and struck out six batters. She was in control for the entire game, despite getting down early.
“The key for me was staying focused on every single pitch,” said Schilling. “Even though we got down in the first inning, I stayed confident because I knew we could come back.”
***
Pennsbury 004 000 0 – 4 11 1
Neshaminy 100 000 0 – 1 3 0
(May 12 at Bristol Mem. Fld.)
***
WP-Schilling, 6 K’s LP-McGowan, 4 K’s
2B: P-Rossi, Groves. RBI: N-Quense, P-Groves 3, Wells
***
Bristol prevails

BRISTOL — In the first game of the May 12 showcase double-header, Bristol (13-2) prevailed, 5-1, when Kierstin Cain struck out 14 batters and Ashley Cantiello doubled and drove in two runs. Losing pitcher Casey Hollopeter tripled for the Bulldogs (11-5).
***
Morrisville 000 001 0--1
Bristol 004 001 x--5
WP-Cain (10-2). LP-Hollopeter. 2B-Rodriguez (B), Cantiello (B). 3B-Hollopeter. RBIs: B-Cantiello 2, Rodriguez, Pond.
***
Bulldogs belt Phil-Mont Christian

MORRISVILLE — In its first game of the day, Morrisville (11-4) got a double and triple from winning pitcher Kaylee White in a 14-4 home triumph over Phil-mont Christian Academy that took just five innings to complete because of the mercy rule.
***
Philmont Christian 200 11--4
Morrisville 212 73--14
WP-White (4-0). LP-Whitbeck. 2B-White, Steele (M). 3B-White.

Labels: Morrisville, Morrisville. softball, Neshaminy, Pennsbury