Today on WBCB

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

BRISTOL:Magical year on the mat for the Warriors

Bristol senior Pat Sabatini has dominated most of the foes he faced this year.

Bristol got four to the regionals this year

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

This has been a year to remember for the Bristol High School wrestling team.
As if getting their first grappler over the century mark when senior Pat Sabatini captured the 140-pound trophy a few weeks ago in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) championships wasn't enough, the Warriors had a record four mat men qualify for this year’s regional tournament set for this weekend at Wilson West Lawn High School.
While three of the Bristol grapplers including Sabatini came through with third place D-I finishes in the District One AA tournament Feb. 21 at Springfield (MontCo) Township High School, junior Tyler Bliss earned himself to a runnerup trophy.
A 215-pounder for the Warriors, Tyler opened his district performance by pinning St. Pius X sophomore Anthony Pugliese in 1:12. Bliss took even less time in pinning New Hope-Solebury freshman Chris Warden. He did that in 1:07.
Tyler fell to the runnerup position when he lost a major decision to Church Farm School senior Lucas Lyons.
Sabatini opened his district tourney performance with a 17-1 technical fall win in a quarterfinal bout with St. Pius sophomore John Anuszewski. The Bristol senior then lost a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Harriton senior Dan Levin in the semis. Pat then wrestled back, however, winning a close 2-0 decision over Lower Moreland senior Tom Kutner in a consolation bout before pinning Springfield sophomore Mike Honeywell for third place.
This was Pat’s first trip to regionals after coming close a year ago.
Last season in a District One semifinal bout, Pat was leading 11-0 in a 135-pound matchup when he was called for an illegal maneuver.
As a combatant who takes to the mat in several sports, Pat says not being able to separate the sports--and the rules that pertain to each--got him into trouble with officials all season long in his junior campaign. In the postseason, it cost him dearly.
Brazilian Jujitsu fighting is a lot like wrestling--there’s a point system. But instead of winning by pinfall, a combatant wins by forcing his opponent to submit. Pat says that last season he always seemed to instinctually resort to what he’s learned Jujitsu fighting.
“Once I get to the ground in wrestling, I go on pure instinct, which is my Jujitsu,” stated Sabatini. “Sometimes, I do submissions instead of wrestling holds. That cost me lots of penalty points, sometimes disqualifications.
“That time, it cost me a defensive pin.”

***

Also coming through to regionals at 145 pounds was junior Tom Kelly. Tom posted a major decision Lower Moreland freshman Rashan Chanyothi in the quarters before suffering a first period pin at the hands of DelCo Christian senior Westen O'Brien in the semis.
Not to worry, though, Kelly fought his way to a regional berth with a pair of pin wins beginning with Church Farm School freshman William Amoyaw-Anim. Kelly sealed his fate by pinning Harriton freshman Austin Wortley in a battle for third place.
Bristol senior Will Meyerle capped things off for the Warriors with his third place finish at heavyweight. Facing Springfield junior Dylan Evans in thee quarters, Meyerle was awarded the win in the first period on an injury default. Then in a semifinal bout, Meyerle found himself pinned in the third period by Harriton junior Colin Powell.
Meyerle wasted no time in recording triumphs in his next two bouts, first using 10 seconds in winning by fall in a consolation semifinal dual with Octorara sophomore Matt Harper. Will sealed his trip to regionals by pinning Evans in 36 seconds the second time he faced the Springfield junior in the tournament.
Although he didn’t make it on to regionals, Bristol freshman Dave Cramp made a good case for a solid future in next year’s postseason by posting a fourth place finish at districts. In a district quarterfinal bout, Cramp pinned Springfield sophomore Richie Kassabian before getting tech falled by Church Farm School freshman Baffour Atakoiro-Bediako. Dave wrestled back by pinning Cardinal Dougherty freshman Chris Levin before dropping a major decision to DelCo Christian freshman Isaac Moore.
The PIAA Class AA wrestling tournament, also known as states, kicks off March 5 and continues until March 7 at Hershey’s Giant Center.
Hopefully, four kids from Bristol will punch their ticket to Chocolatetown this weekend.
##

Tyler Bliss
Bristol, Junior 215 lbs
Season record: 23-5
Championship Quarterfinals
Tyler Bliss pinned Anthony Pugliese, St. Pius X, 1:12
Championship Semifinals
Tyler Bliss pinned Chris Warden, New Hope-Solebury, 1:07
Championship Finals
Lucas Lyons, Church Farm School maj. dec. Tyler Bliss, 13-5
Tournament Results: (2-1; SECOND PLACE)
***
Pat Sabatini
Bristol, Senior 140 lbs
Season record: 26-2
Championship Quarterfinals
Pat Sabatini won by tech. fall over John Anuszewski, St. Pius X, 3:23, 17-1
Championship Semifinals
Dan Levin, Harriton dec. Pat Sabatini, 1-0
Consolation Semifinals
Pat Sabatini dec. Tom Kutner, Lower Moreland, 2-0
Third Place
Pat Sabatini pinned Michael Honeywell, Springfield Township, 3:26
Tournament Results: (3-1; THIRD PLACE)
***
Tom Kelly
Bristol, Junior 145 lbs
Season record: 13-14

Championship Quarterfinals
Tom Kelly maj. dec. Rashan Chanyothi, Lower Moreland, 11-0
Championship Semifinals
Westen O'Brien, Delaware Co. Christian pinned Tom Kelly, 1:35
Consolation Semifinals
Tom Kelly pinned William Amoyaw-Anim, Church Farm School, 2:55
Third Place
Tom Kelly pinned Austin Wortley, Harriton, 4:46
Tournament Results: (3-1; THIRD PLACE)
***
Will Meyerle
Bristol, Senior 285 lbs
Season record: 13-9
Championship Quarterfinals
Will Meyerle won by inj. default over Dylan Evans, Springfield Township, 1st P
Championship Semifinals
Colin Powell, Harriton pinned Will Meyerle, 4:25
Consolation Semifinals
Will Meyerle pinned Matt Harper, Octorara, 0:10
Third Place
Will Meyerle pinned Dylan Evans, Springfield Township, 0:36
Tournament Results: (3-1; THIRD PLACE)
***
Dave Cramp **
Bristol, Freshman 103 lbs
Season record: 13-12
Pigtails
Dave Cramp bye
Championship Quarterfinals
Dave Cramp pinned Richie Kassabian, Springfield Township, 4:36
Championship Semifinals
Baffour Atakoiro-Bediako, Church Farm School won by tech. fall over Dave Cramp, 3:46, 16-0
Consolation Semifinals
Dave Cramp pinned Chris Levin, Cardinal Dougherty, 2:15
Third Place
Isaac Moore, Delaware Co. Christian maj. dec. Dave Cramp, 10-2
Tournament Results: (2-2; FOURTH PLACE)
** Did not qualify for regionals

WRESTLING:Regional Qualifiers

Photos by Sue Donohue
Counci Rock South senior Ed Shupe battles Upper Moreland's John Bolich in districts.
Shupe and five teammates, along with 14 other varsity wrestlers from the area, are headed to regionals which kick off at 3:30 p.m. today at Oxford Area High School.
Regional champions will be determined tomorrow back at Oxford.

WRESTLING:Regional Qualifiers

Photos by Sue Donohue
CR South sophomore Matt Martoccio battles Upper Moreland's Will Dill in districts.

WRESTLING:Regional Qualifiers

Photo by Sue Donohue
Neshaminy sophomore Nick Russell captured a 4th-place trophy at districts.

WRESTLING:Regional Qualifiers

Photos by Sue Donohue
Truman senior James Bak captured the District One 103-pound championship
after outdueling CR North lightweight Adam Slezak.

WRESTLING:Regional Qualifiers

Photos by Sue Donohue
Council Rock North junior Jamie Callender
was the district runnerup at 189 pounds.

WRESTLING: Regional Qualifiers

CR South 125-pounder Matt Rappo battles Truman senior Matt Marks in districts.

WRESTLING:Twenty mat menheaded to Regionals

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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


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

Regional AAA Qualifiers

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

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

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

PENNSBURY
Josh Mitchell (285)

* District Champion

HOLY GHOST:Barnburner in Ambler

High School hoops fans treated to a hoot'nanny

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Alumni hoops game canceled!

Block brothers still memorialized with scholarship

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

CONWELL-EGAN: Wednesday is Steve Slaton day

By Steve Sherman,
Sports Editor

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

NEW HOPE:Globetrotting at NH-S Upper Elementary

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pennsbury falls in district semifinal

Despite 28 points from Pepper, Falcons ousted by

Norristown in semifinals for second straight year.

By Bill Kenny
Special to BucksLocalSports.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Archbishop Wood falls in the title tilt

Lady Vikes have one
last chance to make states

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

Lavoy leads by example

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

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

District cream rising to the top

Tough Falcon defense stymies CB South

By Bill Kenny
For BucksLocalSports

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

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

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

PIAA DISTRICT 1
Class AAAA
Quarterfinals

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

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

Districts to narrow field

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

- Pennsbury Wrestling head coach Joe Kiefer
(on Saturday's District One
wrestling tourney at CR North)

PENNSBURY:Season of misfortune winding down

Pennsbury’s seven mat men push into districts

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

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

TRUMAN:The Tigers have worked hard - and it shows

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BRISTOL:Warriors string together late-season run

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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

BRISTOL:Sabatini oh so spectacular

Warriors wrestler first ever to reach century mark

By Steve Sherman Sports Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PENNINGTON:Kerr is top player in NJ

By Steve Sherman

Sports Editor

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

Mustang JV girls sweep

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

PENNSBURY:Falcons punch ticket to states

By BILL KENNY
For BucksLocalSports

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

District 1 CLASS AAAA
Playoff Scores

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

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

CR SOUTH, CR NORTH, NESHAMINYWorthen dominatesDVGTCA with 12-foot vault

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

PENNINGTON:Joining Wildcats Carugati's Dream

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

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