FIELD HOCKEY:CR South suffers first loss under new coach

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

Upper Makefield soccerchristens Brownsburg Park

Gary Roberts (center) and Upper Makefield Park and Recreation Chairman Thomas Cino (left) address the crowd attending the fall kickoff ceremonies Sept. 25 at the brand new Brownsburg Park Pavilion.

By James D’Arcangelo
For BucksLocalSports.com
For as long as there has been an Upper Makefield, there have been rolling open fields and deep, rich woods--and the flowing intermingling of the two. And Upper Makefield’s citizens have long been drawn to, and basked in, the beauty and functionality of the two as they co-exist to create a warm, welcoming, active lifestyle.
The town’s heritage has been captured magnificently in the renewed and evolving Brownsburg Park, the town’s de facto soccer and social center. And more than 500 people from Upper Makefield turned out Friday evening, Sept. 25 to celebrate the kick-off of the fall soccer season, the inaugural campaign watched over by the stunning new Park Pavilion--and the town’s current Indoor and Outdoor State Soccer Champions in the Under-9 Division.
Brownsburg Park’s planning began over 10 years ago, and it’s been open for games since 2005.
“Our initial goal was for Brownsburg to be a community park, because we didn’t have one before,” said Dave Kulig, a member of the Board of Supervisors.
Part of the town’s long-term recreation and open space planning, Brownsburg Park was designated for new soccer fields while baseball and softball would claim a completely redesigned Lookout Park just up River Road.
The opening of the modern-yet-rustic Park Pavilion this spring was the next big step in the park’s evolution.
“Brownsburg Park has been a tremendous success--a true anchor for the town’s recreation and social activity, and community members of all ages,” noted Thomas F. Cino, Chairman of the Upper Makefield Park and Recreation Board.
He added, “With the huge turn out this evening, we think this fall celebration at Brownsburg Park has the potential to become a great town tradition.”
Future plans to further anchor Brownsburg Park as the town’s social center include the potential for adding two basketball courts and two tennis courts.
“We’re still contemplating whether it be basketball or tennis,” Kulig says, “but it will definitely be one of the two.” And lacrosse is now played on the Brownsburg Park field in the spring, adding a sport the town could not, heretofore, call its own.
In total, an estimated 5,000 participants use the Brownsburg Park fields for games throughout the year – and countless tikes and young parents now use the on-site new playground, another recreation addition for Upper Makefield.
With this new home of its own, Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer has plenty to celebrate. Participation has reached new heights, with over 850 registrations, up 10 percent in the past five years. The organization and its competitive players have upgraded their dedication to the sport, beyond facilities, and has become very competitive, as well as just plain great fun for younger kids.
The U-9 team pulled off the most unlikely and difficult to attain dual State Championships, in both indoor and outdoor soccer.
Speaking of how far the program has come, League President, Gary Roberts, noted “It is really rewarding the leaps the program has made in the last few years. Some would say, most importantly, the parents’ and kids’ commitment has turned tangible dividends. There’s literally nothing better than a dual State Championship for these kids.”
Specific to the kick-off, Roberts added, “It’s really a town celebration of the start of fall - soccer kicking into gear while acknowledging the great job the Town Planning and Parks Boards have done on Brownsburg Park. The evening has even become a solid fund-raiser for the soccer program. But for anyone here, especially the hundreds of kids of all ages playing pick-up soccer games with their friends, it’s just a good time.”
As the sun set panoramically over the rolling forested hills in the background, and with a carpet of lush green grass under foot, everyone could agree that Upper Makefield had a new chapter in its evolving history and has become even more attractive, offering even more to its citizens and the town’s state champion soccer players.

VOLLEYBALL: Lady Indians are built Ford tough

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

***
Philly Top 10
1. Bishop Shanahan
2. Merion Mercy
3. Cardinal O'Hara
4. Archbishop Carroll
5. Council Rock North
6. Upper Merion
7. Hatboro Horsham
8. Penncrest
9. Avon Grove
10. Unionville

SOCCER:Pennsbury, Neshaminy on 'BCB

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

SOCCER:Rock gets in Pennsbury's way

Pennsbury keeper Drew Hutchins has helped Pennsbury with five shutouts.

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.”
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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.”
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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.
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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.

Today on WBCB

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

What!: Six games in and no Bristol wins

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Six games into the season and the Lady Warriors are without a win in field hockey.
What!
“This is a bit of a change for us,” said Bristol head coach Melanie Jenigen. “I don’t think we’ve ever been under .500 since I’ve been here.”
Last season, Bristol earned a spot in the District One Class AA tournament after going 11-6-1, 7-5 in the Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL).
After a 3-1 loss to the Truman Tigers Sept. 22 on the turf at Henry Morgan Stadium, the Lady Warriors were sitting at 0-5-1.
“Last night, I thought we outplayed them; we just couldn’t score,” stated Jenigen. “That’s a young thing. They get around the goal and get a little happy feet.”
Making matters worse, Bristol is also winless in the BAL, having been shut out by all three league foes.
The Warriors opened the season with back-to-back shutout losses to New Hope-Solebury (3-0) and Plumstead Christian Academy (5-0).
“[Scoring] hasn’t been a problem in the past; we’ve been pretty strong [offensively] up to now,” stated Jenigen.
But that was before the departure of Kelee Pinto, a player who tallied more than 40 assists her last three years at Bristol.
Last season, Pinto added 7 goals and 15 assists to her scoring resume but now she’s gone as are Jenn Jeager, Nicole Adamson and Bridgette Wise.
In addition to their league losses, the Warriors lost 3-1 to Bensalem and fell 4-2 in their season opener with AACA rival Villa Joseph.
A lone 2-2 tie to Friends Select is the only thing standing between Bristol and an 0-6 record. Despite their season mark, Jenigen insists her team has improved.
“We keep getting better in each game,” said the coach. ‘We lost [to Truman ], 3-1, but [we] actually played a lot better than what the score showed.
“We were in it.”
A few days before the loss to the Tigers, the Warriors took Lower Moreland to overtime before falling on a goal about seven minutes into the extra session. According to Jenigen, goalkeeper Gabby Frake stopped the initial shot but had no chance to get herself in front of the rebound.
Coach says her side knows it can always expect a battle from the Lions.
“Since I’ve coached here, Lower Moreland is our main rival; it’s like Dallas-Eagles,” explained Jenigen. “They want to beat us and we want to beat them
Last year, Bristol split with the Lions. The year before the Warriors won both. This year, according to Jenigen, Bristol hadn’t played well until facing LM but made sure they stepped up for that game.
The worst of the shutout losses came Sept. 18 when the Warriors lost 5-0 to Plumstead.
“I don’t think the score showed what our capability is,” stated Jenigen. “We were really good between the 25s; once we get over the 25 either way, we’re a little weak and that’s experience.”
Like Pinto last year, junior Leighann Morris has jumped from a forward line position to the midfield. That has meant making adjustments, said the coach.
“She's still getting used to that. Last night [vs. Truman], she had a really strong game. Against Lower Moreland, she had a really strong game. So I only see here getting better."
Sophomore Mackenzie Faight is another player the Warriors look to in the attack.
“She has really good stickwork and she’s really explosive, offensively and she has a lot of speed,” stated Jenigen, of Faight. “She’s a sophomore so she’s only going to get better.”
“We try not to rely on sophomores too much but we use her,” added the coach. “She’s been consistent every game and that’s been very good for us.”
Sophomore Daniella Reilly is another player who has been solid for the Warriors this season.
Both Reilly and Faight are splitting time between midfield and the front line.
Sophomore Morgan Cullen is another player earning a lot of minutes in the starting lineup.
“She’s been very strong—a solid player for us this year,” stated Jenigen. “And she’s getting better each game.”
Bristol’s defense is anchored by backfielder Mariah Strobele and their keeper Gabby Frake. The junior cage minder worked on her game a lot in the offseason and it shows. Against Lower Moreland, Frake posted 12 saves and practically stood on her head while shutting the Lions out in regulation.
“This year, she has stepped it up tremendously,” stated Jenigen. “Against Lower Moreland, she was unbelievable; she kept us in that game.”
Last year, Frake was a solid goalie playing behind a strong defensive unit anchored by Adamson and Wise.
“We were solid on defense last year so she didn’t see that much,” explained Jenigen. “We really didn’t know what we had back there.”
‘This year, she’s so confident. She knows what she’s doing back there. She’s playing the ball with no mistakes whatsoever.”
And that’s a good thing--something for the Lady Warriors to build on as they make their way through this most unusual of seasons for Bristol field hockey.
***
NOTES: Senior co-captain Kelly Pond was injured in camp and is struggling to make her way back into the lineup. Bristol beat Truman last year, 1-0, on a goal by Jeanie Shapcott.
***
2009 RESULTS
Sept. 4 @ Villa Joseph Marie 2-4 (L)
Sept. 9 Friends Select 2-2
Sept. 10 Bensalem 1-3 (L)
Sept. 17 New Hope-Solebury 0-3 (L)
Sept. 18 Plumstead Christian 0-5 (L)
Sept. 21 @ Lower Moreland 0-1 (L)
Sept. 22 @ Truman 1-3 (L)

VOLLEYBALL: North remains unbeaten

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

Bristol, Mo’ville honoring 80th football game

This Thanksgiving will mark the 80th time that Bristol and Morrisville will meet on the football field.
With this historic date approaching the athletic departments at the schools are planning to have a special celebration to honor this milestone.
Because of the proud tradition surrounding the Bristol – Morrisville football rivalry, a special halftime ceremony is planned honoring all the former players from both schools
In addition, both teams will be wearing commemorative jerseys to mark the anniversary of this game. The schools are selling these commemorative jerseys to any former player or supporter at a cost of $30.
The Bristol jersey will be red with white numbers with Bristol in the front with the commemorative patch. The Morrisville jersey will be white with blue numbers with Morrisville on the front with the commemorative patch.
All that is needed to order is your number and size. Orders need to placed before Oct. 30 to have them in time for the game. For more information on the Bristol jerseys, call Greg Pinelli at 215-781-1051 or via e-mail at gpinelli55@gmail.com. For more information on the Morrisville jerseys, call John Hubiak at 215-736-2681.

UM-N U-9 Patriots win state cups indoors and out

The star pitcher who hits home runs. The sprinter who can win a marathon. The hockey player who can do a triple axle figure skating. Not one, but two-way domination in any sport is rare and difficult to achieve. Virtually impossible when you’re considered, at best, an under-sized upstart.
Last season, the Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer Club (UMNSC) U-9 Patriots (Red) soccer team was all of that and then some, taking home unprecedented state championships in both indoor and outdoor soccer competition. While some may say it is a double upset, others would appropriately argue does a double upset represent even one upset at all?
A fast developing program in eastern Pennsylvania over the last few years, across several age groups, Upper Makefield-Newtown is, nonetheless, a very small program--but one that is no longer kicked around by its much larger competition. Playing against formidable, well-schooled inner city and regional teams, Upper Makefield has stepped up and into the spotlight through a league-wide commitment to year-round practice, games and conditioning.
The league also has a new soccer-only home now, at the stunning beautiful Brownsburg Park and Pavilion.
Coached by Gary Roberts, John O’Donnell, and Robert Kiszka, the U-9 team perfectly epitomizes the program’s maturation and potential. Last winter, the U-9 team scored the first state championship in Upper Makefield-Newtown Soccer history.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be the first UMNSC team to win a State Cup!” says Upper Makefield’s Connor Fife.
Now indoor soccer is played with fewer players, and is a tight precision-speed game. Power is sacrificed a bit for tempo and accuracy, constant movement and ball control, much like racquetball versus tennis. The nature of the indoor game, and that it is played by fewer teams, might give a smaller town and team a slim chance.
Upper Makefield-Newtown grabbed that chance, shook it hard, and never looked back. The team dominated a rugged six-team championship tournament field to take the EPYSA State Indoor Championships.
“Winning the Indoor State Cup made me want to win the Outdoor Cup even more,” star defenseman Justin Scharf recalls. “It was the best feeling I have ever had.”
Heading outdoors would be a whole different story. Upper Makefield-Newtown had a very strong regular season, but earning a state championship would require enduring a torturous labyrinth of 36-team pool play and, if still alive, a single elimination knockout round.
The end of the road was never far away in the pool play. Facing a shut down defense, the team trailed rival Penn Legacy, 2-0, on Legacy’s home field, with eight minutes left. Forging forward against a 30-mile-an-hour headwind, and desperate for any offense, Sam Roberts broke through to give the team hope, and Dean Rubakh scored the miracle 90 seconds later to grind out a pool-saving tie.
“I was worried when we were behind 2-0 against Penn Legacy,” Rubakh says, “but I knew we had enough time to come back.”
With the tie, and critical pool “goal differential” working against the Patriots, they would need to win by four goals (a very large margin in soccer) to advance to the championship rounds. Not surprisingly for this team, they did what they needed to and won, 4-0.
Four more wins in single elimination would be required to win the state championship. After two easy wins, they played another Philadelphia rival, Philly Soccer. In what was easily the most physical battle of the year, UMNSC edged the city team, 1-0, and won the chance to play for the title.
In the state championship game, the Patriots got off to a fast start as Dean Rubakh buried a diving header into the corner off a beautiful pass from Conner Fife in the first minute, setting the tone for the game. The Patriots added to their lead midway through the second half as Coner O’Donnell fed Matt McAlister who beat the Lower Merion keeper with his left foot for a 2–0 lead.
From that point, the Patriots continued to apply the pressure while their goalie, Andrew Lutschaunig, kept his cool and scored the shut-out for the Patriots.
“The more shots I save the more exciting it gets!” says Lutschaunig, who thrived in a game as exciting as one could imagine.
While they would deny it, the UMNSC (Red) U-9 Patriots should be the team to beat moving forward. In their third year together, even with losing two of their first three games in 2007, they have posted a gaudy 61-3-2 record, and have won eight tournament titles, from Maryland to northern New Jersey. Power and speed or precision and tempo, indoor or outdoor, you name the game and these kids from Upper Makefield will find a way to win.

SOCCER:ECAC Tabs Attanasio Player of the Week

Gettysburg College freshman Casey Attanasio (pictured right), a Council Rock North alum from Newtown, picked up her second collegiate honor in as many days as she was selected Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Region Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Attanasio was named Centennial Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
Attanasio made the most of her first collegiate start at Bryn Mawr College on Sept. 20, posting a pair of goals in a lop-sided 7-0 conference victory. She posted the match’s first goal and her first as a collegian at 7:14 and turned in a second tally just past the 10-minute mark. Her multi-goal scoring output was the first by a Bullet since Katie Myers ’07 scored twice against Franklin & Marshall College on Oct. 17, 2006.
Attanasio is the first offensive player to pick up weekly laurels from the ECAC since Erin Miller ’09 earned the award in October 2008. Former Bullets goalkeeper and current assistant coach Danielle St. Pierre ’09 was named Defensive Player of the Week last October.
Gettysburg (4-1-0, 1-0-0 CC) is riding a four-match winning streak, but the Bullets embark on their toughest challenge to date in their next affair at top-ranked Messiah College (6-0-1) at 7 p.m. tonight (Sept. 23).

GOLF:Hawks finish 17th in tourney

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

Bucks golfers helping the Hawks

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

SOCCER:Attanasio named player of the week

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

***

Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman.

VOLLEYBALL:Mee fills stat sheet in Bentley win

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

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Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Holland shooter takes 13th at nationals

Bucks County's top gun, David Olhasso of Holland (pictured, left), finished 13th in the Production division at the Smith & Wesson U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) National Handgun Championships held Sept. 12 to 15 in Las Vegas.
Olhasso, who is a team Smith & Wesson member, finished 188 points behind first place shooter and defending national champion Bob Vogel of Wapakoneta, Ohio, with a final score of 1267.2407. Olhasso is ranked a Grand Master, the highest skill level in the sport of Practical Shooting, and considered to be among the top shooters in America.
The match, which was held at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club outside Las Vegas, drew 145 top Production division shooters including 26 Master shooters and 16 Grand Masters making it one of the most competitive matches in recent years. More than 44,000 rounds were put downrange in the quest to capture the Production Division National Championship title.
Olhasso moves on to the Revolver championship match which will begin Thursday, Sept. 17 and run through Saturday, Sept. 19.
The sport of Practical Shooting was formally established in 1976 but traces its roots back to the 1950s and the quick draw “leather slap” competitions that grew out of America's love affair with the TV westerns of that era.
Today the sport represents the upper echelon of the shooting sports with many of its top shooters actively training law enforcement and military units on shooting techniques and equipment developed in competition.
For more information, visit www.uspsa-nationals.org.

Can CEC—ever—get past the curse?

Conwell-Egan Catholic senior Rachel Kurtz (L) and junior Julia Schmitz lead the Lady Eagles into action this fall in Fairless Hills./ Photo by Steve Sherman

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Last season--as they always do, Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) earned a fourth place finish before making a first round exit in the Philadelphia Catholic League tournament.
The way this season is going, the Lady Eagles might be fortunate to have that kind of outcome to their current campaign. Thus far, CEC has suffered losses at the hands of Lansdale Catholic, Archbishop Wood and Cardinal O’Hara.
While the Eagles lost by a mere goal in a 2-1 battle against the Lions despite out shooting O’Hara 20-10, the others weren’t nearly as close.
“We started off pretty rough but I think we’re going to pick it up by the end of the year,” stated junior co-captain Julia Schmitz.
“We’re just going through some rough patches right now.”
Currently, CEC is struggling to find its footing with the departures of several graduates including 2008 co-captains Katie Helkowski and Sarah Robertson, Faith Anne Scherbaum, Molly Mitchell and Kat Cantwell.
The good news is that the Eagles have been blessed with a trio of freshmen who have infused the lineup with some much-needed energy. The incoming players include backfielder Alyssa Eltz, midfielder Lindsay Briggs and forward Summer Taylor.
“We have help at all three positions so we’re hoping that they help us out this year,” stated Schmitz.
Last Thursday, Sept. 17, Conwell got help from a pair of sophomores when Jenna Richards and Logan Brenker, a player who had been brought up from junior varsity, teamed together in scoring three goals for the Eagles in a 3-1 victory over Little Flower.
Richards got the Eagles on the board in the first half but by the half, LF had locked the sides in a 1-all duel. Brenker broke the tie for the winning goal after the break and Richards tallied an insurance strike.
Two days earlier at home against George School however, the Eagles had a 4-2 edge only to see the Cougars tie it up by the end of regulation before winning the game, 5-4, in overtime.
“We have one of the best teams we’ve ever had--on paper,” stated CEC head coach Andy Adamiewicz. “But we have yet to live up to our expectations.”
“Things finally started to click for us against Little Flower. That’s the first time that we’ve beaten them for as far back as I can remember.”
“Hopefully, we’ll see more of that type of play and less of what we saw against George School.”
Last year, CEC finished 7-8 overall, taking the fourth and final playoff berth before suffering a blowout loss at the hands of Archbishop Ryan in the first round of the playoffs.
But that happens every year. It’s known as the Conwell-Egan curse to anyone that knows anything about girls soccer at CEC.
While it’s been said before, this group says this is the year the curse gets broken.
“We should be able to get past [the curse], stated co-captain Rachel Kurtz. “We have a lot of new freshmen coming up that are pretty good and the team is pretty solid.
“We also have a lot of players who were juniors last year who have come back this year as seniors and are stepping up.”
In addition to Kurtz, the Eagles’ seniors include Kelly Mott and Theresa Horn, midfielders Jackie Calkins, and Ashley Pope, forward Jess Wallick and backfielder Lauren Murtha.
Six players make up the junior class including Schmitz, midfielder Allison Barker and Rachel Helkowski, backfielder Nicole Benedetti and Vickie Weikel along with keeper Kirsten Trojecki. Midfielder Liz Harbison and forward Jenna Richards—both sophomores—round out the CEC lineup.

Neshaminy boys, CR South girls take Mill Street Run

CR South girls cross country lines up for a photo after capturing the girls team trophy in the annual Mill Street Run Sept. 12 in Bristol borough./ Photo by Chris Gregory

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

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

Tigers’ visit solves Rock’s offensive woes

Truman goalkeeper Sarah Pote had a busy day blocking shots launched by the Lady Indians, who reached the back of the cage eight times.

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

Tonight on WBCB

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 non-league rival Glen Mills. 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 non-league rival Germantown 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
***
Broadcast Schedule for Thurs., Sept. 17
STATION, OPPONENTS, PRE-GAME, GAME-TIME
WBCB 1490AM, Glen Mills @ Pennsbury, 6 p.m., 7 p.m.
Internet, Neshaminy @ Germantown, 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m.
WHWH 1350AM, WWP-South @ Hightstown, 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m.
WIFI 1460AM, Robbinsville @ Florence, 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m.

CONWELL-EGAN:Lady Eagles off to a rough start

Conwell-Egan junior midfielder Chelsea Colazo (L) trails the play in Sept. 16 battle against O'Hara.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) dropped a Sept. 16 home pairing with Cardinal O’Hara, falling to the Lady Lions, 5-1. Still, it was a far cry better than the Eagles’ opener, a 10-0 drubbing suffered at the hands of Archbishop Carroll.
“We’re off to a slow start,” stated CEC head coach Lorraine Lodise “But these two teams are among the best in the Catholic League.”
“I think this team will improve a lot as the season progresses,” added the coach. “I think it’s going to turn out a lot different than how we’ve gotten started.”
Among the captains leading the Conwell field hockey team this season are midfielder Cassie Fario, along with backfielders Jess South and Kaity Malone.
“We have a lot of strong leadership on this team,” stated Lodise. “And I believe they are going to move this team past this.”
Currently, CEC is busy solidifying its defense with junior Kat DiFilipio in goal for the now departed Jamie Macenka, who played between the posts for the past three seasons.
South says the new keeper is holding her own.
“It’s her first year; she never played goalie before but we didn’t have a goalie at all," said Jess.
“She’s doing good for her first couple games."
Yesterday in the pouring rain, the Eagles fell behind, 3-0, at the intermission before senior forward Becca Mutek put a ball into the back of the O’Hara cage midway through the second half with help from senior forward Ashley Soltys.
Malone gave us her thoughts of the rain-soaked affair after the game’s conclusion.
“Today’s game was better than last week’s game. Last week, we started out good but then we lost it,” stated Malone. “This week, we started out a little shaky but then in the second half, we pulled through and scored a goal.”
Other than its two regular season losses, CEC defeated Villa Jo Marie, 3-0, in a preseason scrimmage and outpaced Morrisville, Jenkintown and Plumstead in a Play Day for the Lady Eagles.
Last season, Conwell Egan won just three games including wins over St. Hubert’s and Archbishop Prendergast.
“Last year wasn’t great—I think we had three wins. But it was a tough year because most of the lineup was juniors,” stated Malone. “This year, we’re all seniors so it should be a better year.”
“I think we did pretty good,” stated Fario of the team’s 2008 campaign. “We worked really hard. It’s just that the score didn’t come out the way that we wanted it to.”
Of their three triumphs taken in ‘08, the win over the Bambies was best, say the girls.
“The Hubert’s game was one of our best games. It was a game like this where it was pouring rain,” explained Malone. “They delayed it but when we got out there, we just dominated the whole game.”
With 13 seniors on the squad this year, the girls believe that they’ll emerge with a better record in their current campaign than the one they waged last season.
“We’re going to do pretty good this year,” stated Malone. “We’ve gotten two of the toughest games out of the way so hopefully the rest of the games are wins.”
Fario thinks her team can right itself with a little self-motivation.
“We’re doing alright; we just have to push each other,” she said. “It seems like it takes us a while to get motivated but I’m sure by the next game, we’ll be ready.”

Rock looking to make it four straight in the SOL

CR North sophomore Alexandra Cozzarin in action at No. 4 doubles for the Lady Indians.

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

Warren commits to Manhattan

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.

Red Raiders declaw Lions

Malcolm Perry explodes down the sideline on the first of his two TD runs.

Pennington explodes with 3 TDs in the 3rd qtr.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
High School football games in the rain are a funny thing.
Trailing Lower Moreland, 6-0, at home earlier today with a little over two minutes to go in the third quarter, Pennington exploded for 20 points by the end of the frame.
First, the Red Raiders scored on a 49-yard TD pass from junior QB Keith Dearden to senior WR Harold Spears to lock the score at 6-all. Pennington then got back to back touchdown runs down the left sideline by senior Malcolm Perry that all but put the game away by the end of the third period.
Spears and Perry – two of the team co-captains – say their side was confident despite trailing at the half and despite never having beaten the Lions.
Lower Moreland had gone ahead, 6-0, after a blocked punt and ensuing recovery gave the Lions a short field at the 21 yard line. A Brian Gerhart to Steve Turetsky scoring toss put the visitors on top with 2 minutes to go until intermission.
“[It was] first game jitters--some of the new guys on the field getting used to the high school game,” stated Spears. “Once we settled down and got the passing game going, that just opened up everything else from there.”
“I got the guys together and said ‘this may be the last game played on this field. We don’t want to be the team that lost the last game on Heritage field,’” said Perry.
“I honestly felt we were better than that team; we just had to come out stronger in the second half.”
In between the first and second Raider touchdowns, Pennington recovered a fumble at the Lions 20 when Spears hit Lower Moreland quarterback Gerhart so hard, he coughed up the ball. Spears recovered the ball as well.
“All week, the coach has been on me to hit the quarterback on the option; that’s what I did,” stated Spears. “When I saw the ball pop out, I just flipped over on the ball as fast as I could.”
Perry’s ensuing 20-yard TD jaunt put the Raiders up, 12-0. His 49-yard scamper – after a successful on-sides kick that gave them the ball back at midfield – put Pennington up, 18-0, and Spears’ one-handed grab of a Dearden 2-point attempt into the right side corner of the end zone put the Raiders on top, 20-6, and this game was over.
“It all started with that first touchdown pass to Harold. When they saw the first couple of passes that got it rolling, that backed the linebackers up a little bit. So they would back up and focus on that. We got great blocks on the outside from Sully Cavanaugh and Donte Johnson and that sprung me to the outside.
“All I need is a little bit of space.”
James Anderson’s 5-yard touchdown run up the middle of the Lions defense with two minutes to go in the game was just the icing on the cake on Pennington’s first ever win – a 26-6 triumph – over Lower Moreland.
Adding an ironic twist to a proud moment in Red Raider football history was the fact that it was these very same Lions that began Pennington’s downward spiral last season after the Raiders got off to a 4-1 start.
“We owed them from last year. We just played horribly and they just took our heart,” stated Spears. “We needed to come out and show them what Pennington pride is all about.”
Last year in this same matchup, the Raiders didn’t block and didn’t tackle well, took some dumb penalties and didn’t hold onto the ball in a 21-7 loss to Lower Moreland.
Pennington finished the season 4-5 after taking losses to ANC, Jenkintown and Perkiomen.
With 14 seniors on the current squad, Perry says this group wants to turn last year’s failures into this season’s success.
“As a senior group, we just have a confidence that last year was a season that should have been way better.
“This season, we have a core senior group that wants to win. We want to leave a legacy here at Pennington in our last year.”

New Hope:The Bad News Bears of high school football

By Rick Fortenbaugh
For BucksLocalSports.com
When you think of the tiny town of New Hope in Lower Bucks County, the image of yuppies sitting in wine and cheese shops normally comes to mind.
Tonight, however, will be different because for the first time, New Hope High School will play a varsity football game when it travels to Bristol.
The fact that New Hope’s first game is on the road should come as no surprise. Especially when you consider all of the Lions’ games will be on the road because their home field has no bleachers, not to mention the expensive and gaudy luxury known as goal posts.
As might also be expected, New Hope’s field is not the only thing different about a football program that comes from a town where head shops once seemed to occupy every other building.
For openers, the New Hope players must raise money for their own uniforms. It’s also interesting to note among the players vying for varsity playing time are a foreign exchange student from Germany and a girl at wide receiver.
It all kinds of reminds of the old joke about the historic town across the river from Lambertville.
Question: Why did George Washington cross the Delaware?
Answer: To get away from New Hope.
Obviously, what will transire tonight will not fit the stereotype of big-time Pennsylvania high school football. It should also go without saying Bristol (1-0) is a humongous favorite in New Hope’s debut.
There are two other interesting story lines concerning tonight’s historic game.
One is the fact New Hope is coached by Jim DiTulio, who both played at Bristol and then was a long-time assistant under Warriors coach George Gatto.
The other is Bristol’s standout senior running back Woodrow Vorters needs only 40 or so yards to break his school’s career rushing record of 3,681 yards.
The fact the record could very well fall on the first play from the line of scrimmage is not the point.
New Hope is playing football, and who would have ever thought that?
***
Frankford (0-1) at Pennsbury (1-0), tonight, 7 p.m. Ably coached by genuine good guy John Capriotti, Frankford does not appear as strong as some of its most recent versions. The Philadelphia Public League school team still has some size, but it’s not deep and didn’t show much offense in a 7-0 loss to Hatboro-Horsham last week. Loaded-up Pennsbury, meanwhile, rumbled for nearly 400 rushing yards in an opening game victory over Conwell-Egan. You figure it out.
***
Archbishop Carroll (0-1) at Conwell-Egan (0-1), tonight, 7 p.m.: The Eagles won this game, 24-21, last year and if the Pennsbury game was any indication, Conwell-Egan can do it again. Anthony Singlar threw the ball well against Pennsbury in his first varsity start and it’s obvious the Eagles will match up better defensively against teams that throw the ball as opposed to preferring the run. Still, it won’t be easy. Carroll has returned a lot of starters from a team that suffered more than its share of injuries last season.
***
Morrisville (1-0) at Princeton Day (0-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: This has actually developed into a nice little rivalry following a series of exciting and competitive games. Like Mo’Ville, Princeton Day does not have much depth and is better in the skill positions than the lines. Morrisville is coming off a 35-0 win over Nueva Esperanza, which folded its program after getting drubbed by the Dawgs. Flip a coin.
***
Central Bucks South (0-1) at Council Rock North (-0-1), tonight, 7 p.m.: C.B, South suffered a somewhat stunning blow-out loss to Council Rock South last week. Rock North, meanwhile, had all kinds of trouble stopping the run in a setback at Father Judge. The word on C.B. South is it’s very young and will need time to develop. Rock North has proven seniors handling the ball on offense and really needs this game in order to get things turned around.
***
Hatboro-Horsham (1-0) at Neshaminy (1-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: There won’t be a lot of excitement tonight on Heartbreak Ridge. The Hatters did win their opener when they beat Frankford, 7-0, and have a quick back in Eddie Combs and a Division 1 prospect in 325-pound lineman Mike Fitzgerald. But it’s Neshaminy that is by far the much deeper, talented and better-coached team.
***
Pennridge (0-1) at Bensalem (1-0), tonight, 7 p.m.: This is another game that could go either way. Coached by ex-Pittsburgh Steeler and Central Bucks West player Randy Cuthbert, Pennridge has a strong running game headed up speed back Jessie Knapp and fullback Ian Walbridge. The Rams lost their opener to Pottsgrove, 34-21, last week while Bensalem was cruising past Overbrook. Just a hunch, the Owls are better than some people think.
***
Truman (0-1) at George Washington (0-1) , tomorrow, 1 p.m.: The Tigers certainly looked improved in the debut of first-year coach John Iannucci in a 7-6 loss to Cheltenham. Furthermore, whenever you have a Sub One National team against a Philly public school squad, you almost always pick the former to win. GW, however, is a bit different. Although it lost to the Lehigh Valley’s Parkland, 16-0, last week, GW did beat La Salle last year en route to a berth in the PIAA Class AAAA state quarterfinals.

Garden of Reflection 5k Run this Sunday

The Garden of Reflection 9-11 Memorial was created to remember and honor all 2,973 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with special mention to the 18 Bucks County residents.
It is situated in Memorial Park amid the natural beauty of historic Bucks County farmland in Lower Makefield Township.
The 5k Run/Walk, now in it's 6th year, raises money for the ongoing maintenance of the memorial.
Thanks to our generous sponsors and participants, this race has raised over $55,000 toward this effort.
To register, visit the Garden of Reflection website at:
www.9-11MemorialGarden.org or www.netstride.com/5k
***
Race information:
* Date: Sunday, Sept. 13
* USATF Sanction & Certified
* Distance: 5K run/5K walk
* Where: Garden of Reflection Memorial
* 1950 Woodside Road, Yardley, PA 19067
* Registration: 7:30-8:45 a.m.
* Donation: $30. (pre-registration), $35.00 (race day)
* Start Time: Race and Walk both start at 9 a.m.
* Phone: (215) 630-6655
To register visit www.netstride.com/5k

Pennsbury out for blood this year in the SOL

For Pennsbury field hockey (from left): Tracey Arndt, Brooke Bergmann, Jenna Allen, Jennalise Taylor and Julie Kang.

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Pennsbury’s current campaign is an about face from last season.
The Falcons came into 2008 without 14 players from the previous campaign. This year, Pennsbury returns 13 seniors to the playing field, all with plenty of varsity experience.
“Our coaches have high hopes for us and so do we; we’re just setting high standards for ourselves,” stated co-captain Jennalise Taylor. “We know that we can win and we know that we can dominate in the SOL.”
“We had a disappointing season last year and a lot of the girls came into the season not wanting to repeat that,” stated head coach Brooke Bergman
“The expectations are high. This is a tight group of seniors and they WANT to win. So they’re setting the bar pretty high.”
While the Falcons come into the fall season without midfielder Leigh Deininger (St. Joe’s), forward Casey Tallman, along with defenders Christie Quake (Haverford) and Lauren Bucher, the girls say this is as good a team as they’ve had in a while and they hope to go far.
“We’re really excited. We’re looking to beat Neshaminy because they were SOL champs last year,” stated Taylor. “Also, Council Rock North is pretty stacked this year.
“But, we’re a pretty good team, too. We have a lot of returning starters so we have a very strong core.”
Last season ended abruptly when Pennsbury was ousted in the first round of district play in a 3-2 loss to Mount St. Joseph’s.
While the Falcons opened their season Sept. 4 in a 3-1 loss to Mount St. Joe’s, Pennsbury got its league season off to a rousing start Sept. 9 with a convincing 4-1 victory over SOL Continental Conference rival CB West.
The Falcons dominated in this one, outshooting the Lady Bucks, 13-4, and outcornering West, 6-2. Pennsbury used an early goal--her second of the season--by senior forward Jenna Allen to mount a 1-0 halftime edge then got two quick second-half strikes by sophomore forward Allie Brady and senior MF Mia Reed to go up 3-0.
After a Bucks goal tallied by Jess Ernst, the Falcons regained a 3-goal edge with Allen’s second tally of the day off an assist by Brady. The two teamed up earlier on Brady’s goal. Senior forward Nikki Cuthbert assisted on Allen’s first strike and the goal by Reed, who also had an assist.
Afterward, Bergman commented on the play of Allen, who already has 3 goals and 1 assist.
“She’s improved as a player—in skills and intensity,” stated Bergman.
“She’s coming at this knowing that she’s a leader on this team and her intensity is coming through in the games.”
Last week’s contest was a dramatic difference compared to the outcome of last year’s battle with CB West, which resulted in a 3-0 loss.
“We really dominated the entire game,” stated Taylor. “We were out for blood after last year because they handed it to us last year; we were not ready for them in that one.
“We came for blood today and we got it; we redeemed ourselves.”
Providing the offense at Pennsbury this year are many of the names seen in the CB West boxscore, namely Allen, Cuthbert, Reed, Brady, Taylor along with senior MF Melinda Feyko and defenseman Julie Kang on corners.
“We’re moving the ball up the field quickly and we’re moving teams out that way,” stated Taylor of the falcon offense. “We’re looking for a lot of two-on ones and we’re getting them.”
Brady has stepped in for Tallman and has performed well alongside Allen and Cuthbert, who were starters last year on the forward line.
“Last year as a freshman playing JV, you could see that she had a lot of potential and she’s just an athlete,” stated Bergman. “She’s gotten a ton better from last year both skill-wise and game sense-wise.
“She blew us away in the preseason and has been impressive in these first two games.”
The players shoring up the defense at Pennsbury include Danielle Geller, Jess Bulafka and Alyssa Cox along with midfielders Reed, Feyko, Taylor, and Kang. Senior Katy Ritchie is back in goal for the Falcons.
But a sticking point for the Falcons last year was scoring, especially on corner opportunities. That hasn’t been the case thus far with two of Allen’s goals coming on corners.
“We’re going to score a lot of corners this year,” stated Taylor. “We’re doing really well on those--the free possession hits in.”
Allen is the player Pennsbury counts on in such instances, said the coach.
“She struggled scoring goals off corners last year and that’s all about taking advantage of opportunities,” stated Bergman. “She had the opportunities last year, she just wasn’t capitalizing on it. She’s made that improvement this year.”
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WHAT COACHING CHANGE
While Bergman is coaching in place of Tracey Arndt, who is out on maternity leave but acting as a volunteer assistant at all the games and practices, many of the girls don’t notice the difference from last year.
“It really hasn’t changed anything,” stated Taylor. “They’re both always here; there’s no real distinction between head coach and non-head coach; they both do equal things and they’re both really good players.”
“Tracey is still very involved in volunteering her time so it hasn’t been a major transition for the girls as they’re used to us and both of our inputs,” explained Bergman.
“It’s been fun; it’s a temporary thing but we’re making it work.”
***
NOTES: Pennsbury opens league play 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 at Council Rock North. While the Neshaminy game is surely circled on the calendar, that contest won’t come until Oct. 21 at home in the last game of the season.
Two years ago, the Falcons defeated West in the regular season and then in overtime on a goal by Tallman in a first-round district playoff.

The team takes one for CR North skipper

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
While their head coach was in the hospital having a baby, the Council Rock North girls volleyball team came through for their skipper in a big way. The Lady Indians opened league play by disposing of perennial Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference power Pennsbury in four games Tuesday night at the Rock while Kinsey Lynch (pictured, right) was at St. Mary’s Hospital giving birth.
North needed overtime in the first match but got off to a quick start by posting a 26-24 triumph. The Falcons rebounded with a 25-17 win in game two to even things up, but the Indians responded by winning the next two, 25-20 and 25-14.
“It was a total team effort,” said assistant coach Lisa Stark, afterward.
North senior setter Jackie Davies led the way with 32 assists. Junior middle hitter Bailey Dowd added 10 kills to the Rock’s effort with Caroline Anderson contributing eight kills and Sarah Kiely posting nine. Rachel Friedman and Dani Borgia each added 20 digs.
The Indians warmed up for their league season the previous weekend, placing third at the Creason Classic which was 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.
Earlier in the tourney, North came back from a 12-22 deficit to outpace Cumberland Valley in game one and also defeated CV, 25-22, in another match between the two schools.
Afterward, Davies and Dowd were named to the All Tournament Team. Davies had 105 assists, 7 kills and 30 digs in the tourney. Dowd added 49 kills on the day.
“Jackie Davies, our senior setter, is fantastic,” stated Stark. “Junior right side Bailey Dowd is unstoppable.”
Also for the Rock, Caroline Anderson had 22 kills, 33 digs, 9 riks and 9 blocks. Dani Borgia added 21 kills, 46 digs and 16 riks. Rachel Friedman kicked in with 29 kills, 44 digs and 12 riks with Kristin Sargente adding 16 aces.
Making their performance in the tourney even more impressive was the fact that the Indians were missing senior captains Sarah Morrison and Sarah Kiely, who were out of action with injuries.
According to Stark, that didn’t stop the two Sarahs from contributing to the Indians’ success.
“Our senior captains, Sarah and Sarah, were so supportive and helped their team as if they were on the court with them,” said Stark. “No one was louder than Sarah Kiely from the bench.”
Additionally, Lynch, on the back end of her third trimester, was not permitted by her doctor to attend the tourney.
“She was shocked by that news--almost as shocked as her doctor when he found out that she was still coaching,” stated Stark. “He couldn't believe it.”
The docs wanted the head coach close to home for the big moment, which came around 4:45 a.m. Sept. 9. Mother and child--a 7 pound, 1 ounce bouncing baby girl named Kya Marleigh--are resting comfortably.

Mee lends 42 assists to Bentley opening win

Bentley University junior setter Kelly Mee, a Council Rock High School South alum from Ivyland, amassed 42 assists, four aces, four kills and eight digs as the Falcons rallied for a season-opening 3-2 win over St. Mary’s University (Texas) Friday afternoon, Sept. 4 at the Hilton Garden Inn-vitational at Dowling College.
Making her collegiate debut, Bentley freshman Amy Waitkus added 18 kills, 10 digs and five aces. Senior Alex Kearney hit .412 with 15 kills and senior libero Cassie Kraft led the Falcons in digs with 13. Senior Kristine Mickelson helped out with five blocks.
Bentley took the opening set, 25-23, but dropped the next two (25-22, 26-24) to fall behind the Rattlers. The Falcons stormed back for a 25-18 victory in the fourth set and dominated the fifth and deciding set, 15-6.
Waitkus, an outside hitter, had at least three kills in each set, and finished the match with four in six attempts in the finale. Kearney, with her 15 kills, moved to within 16 of reaching the 1,200 plateau for her career.
Luisa Rodriguez and Kirsten Chapman led St. Mary’s with 12 kills apiece. The Rattlers dropped to 1-5, but have played a tough early schedule, including a pair of nationally-ranked opponents.
Bentley hit .281 in the opening match of the season, and amassed a dozen service aces.
The tournament continued Saturday with Bentley falling 3-1 to both Lock Haven and the host team Dowling. Bentley will host its own Invitational this Saturday and Sunday, with matches against Rollins College, Bloomfield College and Georgian Court College. Due to renovations at the Dana Center, the tourney will take place at UMass-Lowell.
***
Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman.

Hutchinson nets first collegiate goal

Jen Hutchinson, a recent Neshaminy High School graduate from Levittown, and Lara Bodenstab of Unionville, Bucks County, each scored their first career goals as West Chester used a three-goal second half to down visiting Millersville on an overcast Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 8 at South Campus Field.
The Golden Rams (3-1, 2-1 PSAC East) picked up their second straight league win, after dropping the opener at Bloomsburg. Millersville (1-4, 0-3 PSAC East) fell to 0-3 in league play following the setback.
A slow first half gave way to an explosive second frame for West Chester. Hutchinson opened the scoring in the 68th minute, blasting a shot from the top of the penalty circle that rocketed past Marauders’ goalkeeper, Brandi Tipton.
Bodenstab then scored just four minutes later, taking a well-placed corner kick by Jessica Bennett and depositing it into the back of the net to put the Rams up, 2-0.
Ashley Kershaw sealed the West Chester victory with a one-touch goal in the 90th minute off a beautiful goal-line feed from Heather Manorek.
However, the real story for the Rams came on the defensive side of the ball as the Rams' experienced backs held Millersville without a shot on goal for the entire game. Millersville failed to attempt any shot at all until the 89th minute, which bounced wide of the net.
West Chester freshman goalkeeper Lyndsie Bernardini notched her third shutout in four games this season without needing to make a save.
The Rams outshot the Marauders by a count of 17-1.
West Chester returns to action on Saturday afternoon as they square off against Mansfield in another PSAC East showdown at 12 p.m. back at the South Campus Soccer Field.

CR North takes third at Creason Classic

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.

CR NORTH FOOTBALL:Crusader roams free in Rock's opening loss

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Blocking and tackling. In football, it’s the name of the game.
Against Council Rock North last Friday in the season opener at Lincoln High, Father Judge senior RB Curtis Wortham rushed for all but 14 of the Crusaders’ 270 rushing yards including a first quarter 65-yard scamper that put the hosts up 14-0 and a 60-yard scoring strike that put Judge on top 35-14 midway through the fourth quarter.
“I thought the whole team fought really hard,” said Coates. “But defensively, we didn’t tackle worth a damn and we’re not going to win a single game if we don’t straighten that out--right quick.”
For the game, Worthen rushed 33 times for 260 yards including those two TDs. Coates wasn’t the only one standing along the sidelines who was impressed.
“Most people think he’s fast and he can get outside. The kid puts his shoulder down and still gets three or four yards. I think he’s a top level player,” said Coates.
“I know he’s small but the kid’s got as much heart as anybody we’ve seen.”
The Crusaders went ahead early in this one and never looked back. Anthony Tuscano’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone gave Judge an early 7-0 edge and Indians QB Tyler Hamilton turned it over when he threw a pick on the Rock’s next possession. That’s when Wortham peeled off with his 65-yard TD burst off right tackle.
The Indians got on the board late in the first half when Hamilton hit Bostain with a 31-yard strike--the first of his two scores. But the Crusaders took the 14-point lead back when QB Tony Smith hit Kevin Leneghan with a 28-yard touchdown.
North fans were wowed when Brandon Cottom took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards to the house but the tide of the battle seemed to turn when Smith hit WR Matt Geis with a 29-yard touchdown strike late in the third quarter.
North had just drawn within a TD when Geis found a breakdown in the Indians defense.
“Our corner stood there and let him run by. They threw up an easy touchdown pass. We didn’t even contest it,” said Coates.
The Rock had one last gasp when Hamilton hit Bostain with an 18-yard TD moments after special teams wowed the audience with another long kickoff return.
Then, with 8:30 to go, a fumble by Wortham on Judge’s ensuing possession suddenly had North coaches thinking of a way to get the sides even in the next eight and a half minutes.
”We gave up two easy scores in the first half by not tackling so we figured, OK, we have to do it the hard way--hold them down, chip away, even it up and let’s go to overtime,” said Coates.
The Indians went nowhere on the ensuing possession however, and were forced to punt after facing 4th-and-19 from their own 40. The Rock’s final drive into Crusader territory was thwarted when Judge picked off a pass intended for Bostain at the 25.
In game two, North returns to Newtown 7 p.m. Friday night in a battle against SOL Continental Conference rival CB South, a team that outpaced the Indians, 14-7, a year ago.
Hamilton says his team needs to bounce back--quickly.
“There’s no question about it,” said Tyler. “We have to come out and win that game--just for the sake of our season.”
After getting spanked, 31-7, by Council Rock South Friday night at the Rock, the Titans will also be looking to turn their season around. CB South surrendered a whopping 211 yards rushing including 139 yards to Hawks RB Billy Fleming, who also ran for two scores.
“It’s a good team for us to come off this loss with because I want to prove to our kids that they can go out and play with these teams,” stated Coates. “But [CB South head coach] Bart Szarko has a great staff and they coach their team very well; those kids come to play physical football.”
So, like the coach said, the Indians better straighten out that tackling problem--right quick.
***
NOTES: Senior two-way lineman Anthony Verrechia sustained an elbow injury early on in the contest. Brandon Cottam and Cal Parker suffered from cramped muscles during the game.

Today on WBCB

There will be two football games broadcast today on WBCB 1490 AM.
The local station begins its fall broadcast coverage this evening, giving you the play-by-play when the Falcons take on neighboring rival Conwell-Egan Catholic. Kickoff is 7 p.m. with the pre-game show slated for 6 p.m.
Neshaminy's home game against non-league rival Souderton will also be broadcast live on the Internet
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.
To hear every play live, click here.
For a list of local games being broadcast by 'BCB and sister station 1350AM WHWH, click here

Huber named head coach at Pennsbury

Pennsbury High School has named current defensive assistant Jamie Huber as the new head coach of the Pennsbury boys lacrosse team for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. Huber, the former head coach at Truman High School, has filled the Falcon defensive coordinator role of the past two years, with the 2009 defense posting a 6.85 goals against average.
Huber played his high school lacrosse as a defenseman and two-time captain at Archbishop Ryan HS in Philadelphia. He went on to play midfield at Div II West Chester University in 1995-97 and then at Penn State (main campus) on the club lacrosse team that won back to back NCLL National Championships in 1999-2000.
Jamie moved on to the coaching ranks as an assistant / JV at Abington HS in 2000, before starting the Truman varsity lacrosse program in 2000-2001. After a 7 year tenure at Truman, he accepted the defensive coordinator role at Pennsbury when offered by former Pennsbury Coach Dean Curtis. Huber, Curtis and Neshaminy boys varsity lacrosse coach Josh Hanlon are also the founders of the Arrowhead club lacrosse program based in Bucks County.

Pennsbury, Conwell-Eganset to renew their gridiron rivalry

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.’’
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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.
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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.