Sports Writing

[tystates]

My profession is sports writer, working at The Daily News here in Huntingdon, Pa. On another board I started posting from time to time stories I wrote on games. I cover mostly high school sports but we have one college and I'm there sometimes. Last night was a doubleheader for the ICC championship, boys and girls basketball. Girls game, Tussey Mountain vs. Southern Huntingdon, are both schools we cover. Boys game was Tussey Mountain vs. Glendale.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Southern Huntingdon and Tussey Mountain went at each other for the Intercounty Conference championship at Claysburg-Kimmel High School Saturday night. The Rockets had the upperhand early, but 24 points from Morgan Lemin helped bring the Titans back to win 55-43.
It was a rematch from the 2009 ICC title game where the Rockets (18-4) topped the Titans (20-3) 54-37. This is the third straight 20-win season for Tussey Mountain.
Southern Huntingdon had everything go its way in the opening quarter. However, Tussey Mountain didn't let that stop them from turning the game around and outscore the Rockets 49-30 the last three quarters.
"That's the way we've played for awhile the last few Saturdays," Tussey Mountain head coach Todd Gates said of his team's play in the first quarter. "We weren't making shots early. Once we got the ball in to Morgan, we started making shots and we were o.k."
Lemin scored 10 points in the second quarter and 13 in the second half. Caitlin Foster added nine points and Katie Runk seven for the Titans.
Entering the game, one scouting report for the match could be the three-point shooting of the Rockets against the defense of the Titans. The defense came out on top as Southern Huntingdon had just four three-point field goals, and only one from Haley Bender who finished with five points. Becca Booher and Amanda Beatty each scored 14 points to lead the Rockets.
"Tussey Mountain picked up its intensity and took it to us," Southern Huntingdon head coach Phil Speck said. "We didn't respond. This is this group's first run at a championship and the districts and it's a learning experience."
The first bucket of the night came after four shots by the Rockets before Meredith Flick put the ball in the hoop. A free throw by Lemin made the score 4-1, then the Titans didn't score the next 4:46. A trey by Beatty put Southern Huntingdon up 13-1 with 1:16 left in the period. Runk picked the Titans up with a jumper and a three-pointer with two seconds on the clock to keep the Titans close at 13-6.
"We were up 13-1 and it was almost like it was too easy," Speck remarked. "Right at the end of the quarter we didn't go out and defend and they hit two shots. That gave them confidance and they went on a run."
The run ended up being 14 unanswered points by the Titans that briefly gave them the lead at 15-13. A putback by Flick tied the game at 15-15 for the Rockets, but the ICC North division champs never held the lead the rest of the way.
A pair of baskets by Lemin made it 19-15, but Booher hit for three to pull within one. Both teams were in a little foul trouble, and with a 23-18 edge the Titans went to a zone. Booher sank another three and the Rockets trailed 25-21 at halftime.
Southern Huntingdon opened the second half playing zone defense, and the Titans scored the first six points. Foster went coast to coast for a layup and Lemin scored on another offensive rebound. Another 5-0 burst put Tussey Mountain up 36-23. Beatty scored five straight points for the Rockets to stay close at 36-28. Olivia Claycomb got an easy basket on an inbounds pass with 11 seconds left to give the Titans a 42-30 lead entering the final period.
Booher opened the fourth with a driving layup to make the score 42-32. Southern Huntingdon never got any closer than 10 points the rest of the game. Tussey Mountain pushed out to a 47-32 lead, but after a five-second call Bender sank a three-pointer to make it 47-35.
Tussey Mountain pulled the ball out and ran out most of the fourth quarter clock. The Titans went 13-of-22 from the foul line for the game and seven-of-11 in the fourth quarter to finish out the championship win.
The Titans are the top seed for the upcoming District Five Class AA playoffs and have an opening round bye. They will play either fourth-seeded Northern Beford or No. 5 seed Everett March 1 at a site to be determined. The Black Panthers and Warriors meet Feb. 24 in Loysburg.
Southern Huntingdon is the third seed in the District Six Class AA tournament and are in action at 7:30 p.m. tonight against 14th-seed Cambria Heights (8-14) at the Hollidaysburg Junior High.

[tystates]

Boys game.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Tussey Mountain and Glendale turned in a very physical contest for the Intercounty Conference championship at Claysburg-Kimmel High School Saturday that went down to the closing seconds. Elliot Chamberlain made the driving basket and foul shots to keep the Vikings at bay as the Titans won 54-48.
Chamberlain's 27 points accounted for half of the total by the Titans (21-2). The whistles blew the whole game and Chamberlain sank 15-of-18 foul shots and the Titans' winning streak is now at 17 games.
"We had pretty good control of the game, but Glendale never quit," Tussey Mountain head coach Dave Bailey said. "Their physical style took us out of our offensive game a little bit. This should help get us ready for the playoffs."
Glendale (19-4) put three players in double digits, with Tyler Jenny scoring 15 points to lead the team. Lucas Westover had 12 and Michael Wigifield added 11, as the Vikings were able to score in the paint and from the outside, hitting five three-pointers.
Jenny had seven points in the first quarter and the Vikings led 7-6. It was the last time Glendale had the advantage on the scoreboard. Jordan DeLuca got the Titans going with six of his 10 points in the opening period. Chamberlain had seven points, and a 7-2 run to finish the frame gave Tussey Mountain a 16-11 lead.
Both teams were in foul trouble come the second quarter. Tussey Mountain went through the frame without a field goal, but went 10-for-12 at the foul line. Technical fouls were called on Chamberlain and Ty Stackhouse early in the frame after a loose ball scrum.
Tussey Mountain held a 23-14 lead with 4:46 left in the half. The Vikings cut the deficit to three points, and were down 26-21 at the break.
Zach Bollinger opened the third quarter with a trey for the Titans, but Ethan Cree and Westover did the same for the Vikings to make the score 29-27. Cree fouled out, but Glendale rallied and tied the game 31-31 on another three-pointer by Westover.
Late in the third quarter, Bollinger hit from long range and a bucket by DeLuca made it 40-35. Jenny took the ball to the basket and scored with one second left to keep the Vikings within three 40-37.
Damon Braniff made one of three foul shots to start the fourth quarter for the Vikings. Tussey Mountain scored the next nine points, including a three by Mike Runk and a tip-in by Jordan Seville.
The Titans looked in good shape with a 49-40 lead and 2:26 left to play. Glendale scored on a fast break, then threes by Wigfield and Jenny made it 49-48 with 59 seconds remaining.
Chamberlain went strong to the hoop for a bucket, then the Titans got another turnover from the Vikings. Chamberlain made two more free throws with 19 seconds left to finish off the 53-48 win.
"The points we got off the bench were key points," Bailey remarked. "Ellliot had another big game for us."
Tussey Mountain is the top seed for the District Five Class AA playoffs and have an opening round bye. The Titans will play either No. 4 Chestnut Ridge or fifth-seeded Northern Bedford at home March 2 in the semifinals. The Lions and Black Panthers play Feb. 25. Glendale is the No. 1 seed in the District Six Class A tournament open with a quarterfinal game against either eight-seed Conemaugh Valley or nine-seed Belleville Mennonite.

[Kelly Monro]

Very cool stories, Ty! I did not know you were a sports writer! Please keep sharing stories that you write from time to time. Looks like you have some great teams in your neck of the woods!

[tystates]

Last night's playoff game that I went to in the start of a snow storm and came back home in the middle of it. Our team played a crap game and lost.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Mount Union didn't play anything close to the way that got them into the District Six Class AA playoffs as the No. 9 seed Monday against Central at Hollidaysburg Senior High School. A lack of offense on the part of the Trojans, and an unexpected 21 points by Matt Richey resulted in the eighth-seeded Scarlet Dragons winning by the score of 55-33.
The Trojans (14-9) played some of their best basketball of the year in the final two regular season games, as they beat Glendale and Juniata Valley -- the top two teams in the ICC North. In the opening round game against the Dragons (12-11), Mount Union never ran its half-court offense, or take advantage of what the defense was giving them.
"We came out timid and scared," Mount Union head coach Joe Komir said. We were running the offense from almost halfcourt. We just came out and fired up threes. We were afraid to take the ball inside.
"Give Central all the credit. They had a great gameplan."
Ryan McClain scored five of his 10 points to lead the Trojans in the fourth quarter. Brock Imperioli had eight points before fouling out.
Pat Schon scored 14 points for the Dragons. Brandon Myers added 12 points from the low post. Central now faces top-seeded Penns Valley in the quarterfinals at a date and site to be determined.
Central started the game hot and jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Imperioli hit a three-pointer, but the Trojans went nearly four minutes without scoring. Mount Union wasn't driving against the zone, or making any attempts to get the ball inside. The top of the key and down the middle of the lane was wide open, but the Trojans kept shooting from the outside. The Dragons didn't pull away though and led 12-5 after one.
Schon hit a trey for the Dragons to make the score 17-7 early in the second quarter. Both teams went scoreless until Central made it 19-7 with 3:24 left in the half. Mount Union kept itself in the game with a 6-0 run that included four points by Kahlil Fortson. Central scored twice in the final minute, but Sage Lear hit a driving shot at the buzzer and the Trojans trailed 23-14 at halftime.
The third quarter is where the Dragons completely took over the game. The Trojans were unprepared for Ritchey as he scored 14 points in the frame. A 12-2 run by the Dragons is how the frame started, making the score 35-16. Central ended the third with five quick points and a 47-23 lead.
McClain and Imperioli scored the first five points of the fourth quarter for the Trojans. Central wasn't in any danger of losing its lead though and both teams played the reserves to finish the game.
"This is very disappointing," Komir remarked. "It's not the way we want to end it. We had a good year though. We lose some good seniors but have some good younger kids for next year."

[tystates]

A story on the new boys soccer coach at Huntingdon.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Huntingdon boys soccer will have a changing of the guard for the 2011 season in the fall. The Huntingdon Area school board unanimously elected Michael Armstrong as the new head coach of the Bearcats at last night's regular meeting.
Armstrong takes over for former coach John Miller, who re-signed at the conclusion of last season. Miller's teams made the playoffs all eight of his years on the sideline, and he turned in a 93-56-6 career record.
The junior varsity coach for the last five years, Armstrong didn't expect to become the varsity head coach at Huntingdon. When Miller stepped down saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and had a baby on the way, Armstrong was very surprised.
"I always thought I would use my time as junior varsity coach at Huntingdon as a way to, at some point, move on to be head coach somewhere else," Armstrong remarked. "I never thought John would re-sign. The opportunity at Huntingdon is huge for me. I know the kids and the program and want to continue what John started and continue the progress the team has made."
There won't be any loss of soccer experience when Armstrong takes over for Miller. Both coaches played in college, with Armstrong getting into the sport around sixth grade, playing at Belleville Mennonite High School, and then at Hesston College in Hesston, Ks.
"As soon as I was told I was going to be a candidate, I sat down and started putting names and lineups together," Armstrong revealed. "I started thinking these are my decisions now and not just suggestions. It hit me pretty good then."
Prior to the junior varsity coaching position at Huntingdon, Armstrong had worked at the Community Center with the second and third graders. He also was an assistant on an U-12 AYSO team in Wichita, Ks.
Armstrong built a friendship with Miller through soccer. They found similar ideas about the game and coaching styles, and the two worked very well together.
"Mike has grown with the program over the last five years and I believe he will continue to push the boys in the correct direction," Miller said. "He has a solid tactical knowledge of the game and has a great rapport with the boys."
"There were times we would look at each other and say the exact same thing," Armstrong commented. "We really meshed well and it was nice to coach with somebody who has the same principals and things they want out of a team made it a lot easier."
The varsity finished 9-8-1 last season after losing their first game in the District Six playoffs for the fifth year in a row. Armstrong's junior varsity went 9-1-5, and he should have a good team returning for his first season.
Seven seniors graduated a year ago, but the depth on the team shows with 10 seniors ready to go in the fall. The leading scorer from the past year, Greg Yelnsoki, is back to build the offense around.
"I'm really looking forward to next season and continuing our success. We should have a lineup full of seniors and I think a really good season," Armstrong remarked.

[tystates]

Playoff action and a 46-point performance by one player.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Juniata Valley opened the District Six Class A playoffs with a dominating performance by the team and by one individual. Stewart Borst scored a career-high and school record-tying 46 points in an 83-63 win over the Harmony Owls at Hollidaysburg Senior High School Friday night.
Borst did all his scoring within the context of the offense, hitting from long range, mid-range, and on the low post. His 46 points tied the mark set by Andy “Moose” Simpson on Dec. 16, 1997 in a 96-79 win at West Branch. Simpson made 18 field goals and 10 three-pointers in that game, and had three 40-plus point performances in the 1997-98 season.
Borst scored 12 in the first quarter, seven in the second, 12 in the third and 15 in the fourth. He had 17 field goals, three treys, and went 9-of-11 at the foulline. The 46 points gives Borst 450 in 23 games this season, raising his average from 18.4 to 19.6 per game.
“The whole team was hitting shots and we’re pretty hard to stop when we get into a rhythm,” commented Borst. “They set the screens for me and I hit the shots.
“As a team, we haven’t won anything. We came in here tonight and wanted to win.”
Borst cited his brother Justin as a motivating factor once he was up around 40 points in the game. Justin had a career-best 41 points, so Stewart wanted to beat that just like he reached 1,000 career points as a junior while Justin did it as a senior.
“Our press and being active early really set the tone for the game,” Juniata Valley head coach Ron Anders said. “That got us into our full-court transition, which is how we want to play. Everyone played together and that’s what it’s going to take to make a run in the playoffs.”
The Green Hornets (17-6) will play Bishop Carroll in the semifinals next week at a site and time to be determined. The Huskies defeated Homer Center 67-62 Friday at Richland High School.
Juniata Valley came out fast and took a 7-0 lead against the Owls (14-10). Borst hit a pair of foulline-jumpers and a trey from Seth Carper had the Hornets off and running. Carper hit from three-point land two more times to make the score 15-3. Carper had 11 points in the opening quarter and the Hornets were up 25-9 after one.
Harmony didn’t hit an outside shot until the second quarter. The Owls were living on drives to the basket and offensive rebounds. A 13-5 run brought the Owls within 10 at 34-24. Erik Welteroth scored seven of his 17 points for Harmony to stay in the game, and the Hornets were up 37-26 at halftime.
Juniata Valley had 13 turnovers in the first half, but cut that down to five over the last two quarters. The Owls put together an 8-2 run that had them down 46-37 with 3:59 left in the third quarter. The Hornets put a stop to any comeback hopes by scoring the next 15 points. Borst, Carper and Ben Rojik all sank three-pointers during the run. Harmony ended the period with a three-point play by Cameron Norris, but it was down 61-42 after three.
Norris scored 12 of his 25 points for the Owls in the fourth quarter, including eight straight to open the frame and make the score 63-50. Harmony came as close as 12 points at 67-55 with 3:53 left to play in the game. Borst went six-for-eight from the line in the final period to cap a great game and win for the Hornets.
“We’ve always known Stew had the capability to do something like this,” Anders remarked. “He’s just a good player. I’m most proud that he got his points within the offense.”

[Kelly Monro]

You have to admit, "The Green Hornets" is one cool nickname!

[tystates]

Yesterday spent entirely too much time in Altoona at the District Six Class AA track and field championships. So I was there early at 2 and it started at 3:30. I didn't leave until 9:30.

Girls story.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
District Six track and field athletes took advantage of the weather being kind and not bothering them very much at the championship meet Thursday in Altoona's Mansion Park. The results were good for area competitors with two each from Huntingdon and Southern Huntingdon qualifying for states.
Huntingdon's Bethany Ledford brought back the District Six championship in the pole vault, and also set a new record. She also qualified for the PIAA championships at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium, May 27-28, in the high jump. Fellow Bearcat Natalie Isett qualified in the 100 meter dash.
Southern's Marie Revercomb will return to the state meet in the 100 meter hurdles. Her teammate Brigitta Granlun will make the trip to Shippensburg to compete in the high jump.
Ledford broke the district record of 10-9 set in 2009 with mark of 11-0 to take first place, and also captured her second straight District Six title. Southern Huntingdon's Faith Thomas placed fourth and tied the school record at 9-6.
"I'm very happy with that," Ledford said of her district record. "The highest I got last year was 10-6 and I've been doing 11-0 in practice and just indoors. It's been a hard season but I've done well. I want to try and get at least 11-3 or maybe 11-6 at the state meet."
Ledford and Granlun were part of a four-way tie for second place in the high jump at 4-10. Only the top two places automatically qualify for states instead of three like it was last year, but all four girls will advance to Shippensburg.
I"ve been jumping 5-0, but I'm very excited about states," Granlun remarked. "I'm going to work on my leg strength and get some rest before the meet."
Revercomb took second in the 100 hurdles at 15.91, just 0.08 seconds behind Richland's Paige Lumley and a mere 0.07 seconds ahead of Josie Niovich from Forest Hills. All three will move on to the state meet.
"That was my best time ever," Revercomb explained, and it was the first time she ran under 16.0. I'm happy that I placed in all of my events, but I wanted to reach states and gave it everything I have. I really want to improve my time at the state meet."
"If she can get to Saturday in Shippensburg, that would be a huge accomplishment for her," Southern Huntingdon head coach Steve Keim said.
The 100 hurdles was one of the spots during the meet that organizers had trouble with, as a couple of the heats were run with the hurdles set too high. Luckily for Revercomb, her race was not one of them.
In the 300 hurdles, Revercomb took fourth in 49.23. She finished up with seventh place in the triple jump (33-7). Granlun also took fifth in the 400 meters (1:03.85).
Isett ran a great race to finish second in the 100, as only 0.15 seconds seperated first and third place. She was also third in the 200 meters (27.0).
"The 100, I did not expect that time at all," Isett commented. "I've ran a 15.5 all season."
The team of Shannon McKenzie, Kirstin McKenzie, Isett and Ledford finished fourth in the 400 relay (52.54). Isett, S. McKenzie, K. McKenzie and Alyssa Sellers wrapped up the meet with eight place in the 1600 relay.
Also scoring points for the Bearcats were Jessi Roth and Katie Norris. Roth placed fourth in the discus with a toss of 101-0, and Norris was seventh (93-8).
Forest Hills took the team championship with 107 points, easily outdistancing Penns Valley (66.5) and Central Cambria (56). Huntingdon placed seventh overall with 45.75 points, and the Rockets were 10th (29.75). Mount Union and Juniata Valley girls did not score any points.

Boys story.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Huntingdon Area High School will be the only one in the area sending any boys athletes to the PIAA State Championships at Shippensburg University May 27-28. Jeremy Posey and Tyrell Green qualified at the District Six meet at Altoona's Mansion Park Wednesday and will represent the Bearcats at the state meet.
Posey will continue his season in both the high jump and the triple jump. Green will move on to states in the 100 meters.
"I thought we had a legitimate shot at getting nine to states," Huntingdon head coach Nate Freitag said. "We had a lot of personal bests today which we're happy about."
Rain came down prior to the start of the meet, and it definitely looked like it was going to keep raining most of the day. The weather took a turn for the better and the skies stayed clear the rest of the way.
Water did soak the jumping areas, and Posey took third in the high jump at 6-4 which met the state qualifying standard. Posey made the minimum of 44-11 in the triple jump to place third again and make it to states in a second event. His 21-2.5 in the long jump was fifth but just short of making states in a third event.
"I'm not satisfied with that at all," Posey said of his height in the high jump. "I've made 6-8 in practice before. I couldn't get a good sprinting start to the approach."
Green came in second at 11.35 in a very close 100 meter dash. After that he added seventh in the 200 (23.49).
"It was really important to me to make states," Green remarked. "I wasn't doing too good all season and really needed that to build my confidance back up. Now, I'm just going to go and hope for the best."
"I'm o excited to see him come back after being hurt all last year," Freitag said about Green's result in the 100.
Sean Houck added eighth place in the javelin for the Bearcats. It wasn't his best effort and won't get to make a return trip to Shippensburg after qualifying last year.
Tyler Cornelius led the Rockets with his fourth place in the pole vault at 13-0. Justin Hall was sixth in the 1600 meters with a time of 5:01.05. The team of Jake Dean, Brennan Shields, Hall and Salvatore Scavone set a new school record in the 3200 relay at 8:49.06 and finished sixth.
Mount Union and Juniata Valley each had one individual place for the meet. Zach McKeehan was seventh in the 1600 for the Trojans. Dalton Weicenburg finished in a tie for seventh in the high jump for the Green Hornets.
Bellwood-Antis has been a juggernaut all season and took home the team championship with 108 points. Tyrone was second with 71.5 and United finished third (52). The Bearcats were ninth with 27 points. The Rockets had eight points, the Trojans two and the Hornets 1.5.

[tystates]

The state track championship meet stories. I went on Friday, then talked to coaches and the one medalist Saturday.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Day one of the 2011 PIAA State Track Championships at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University had sunny skies for all the athletes to compete under Friday. Huntingdon's Jeremy Posey was the only area competitor to medal and he will join two others attempting to do the same thing today.
The first of two events for Posey on the weekend was the triple jump. He had some really good competition, and came away with a fifth place medal and a leap of 46-4.25 on his last attempt in the finals.
"It's pretty good for me in my first year of track," Posey said. That's my best effort so I'm pretty happy."
Posey turned in a pretty nice first ever season of track. He was third in the District Six Class AA meet with a jump of 44-11, and was seeded fifth at states.
"I kind of wish I'd joined earlier, maybe in my sophomore year," added Posey. "At the start of the year I didn't think I'd make states."
Posey will be back in action today when he takes part in the high jump. He was third in districts where he cleared 6-4.
The biggest obstacle in Posey's way was Jarred Gambrell of Athens Area High School. Gambrell easily won the state championship in the triple jump with a new record leap of 50-1.75. Bellwood's Brian Leap was second at 46-8.75, followed by Vinny Dougherty of Brookville (46-7.75) and Darrell Crawford from G.A.R. Memorial (46-7). Crawford moved ahead of Posey for fourth place on his last jump in the finals.
Southern Huntingdon's Marie Revercomb accomplished her first goal of advancing out of the preliminaries in the 100 meter hurdles to the finals today at 10 a.m. Up next, she hopes, is coming home with a medal.
Revercomb returned to states after competing last year but being unable to make it past the first day. This time around she was fourth in her heat with a time of 16.10, and was able to reach the finals. The top three places in each heat and the next four best times qualified for the finals.
Revercomb was only six-hundreths behind Forest Hills' Josie Niovich for third in the second of four heats. At the district meet in Altoona, Revercomb edged Niovich for second place by just 0.07 seconds.
"I wanted to get my best time which is 15.91, but this was my previous best," Revercomb remarked. "I should be satisfied with that I guess, it's almost my best time."
Huntingdon's Natalie Isett finished fourth in the fourth 100 meters heat with a time of 12.81. She then just made the cut of the next four best times to qualify for the finals today at 10:30 a.m. Isett was the District Six runner-up when she finished the race in 12.88 seconds.
Bethany Ledford had two chances to secure some hardware, competing in the pole vault and the high jump for the Bearcats. It was a disappointing day for the senior as she failed to collect a medal in either event.
The pole vault was particularly hard to take, given that she easily made it over the bar at a height of 11-0. The only problem was that twice the bar came down after the pole tapped it just enough to cause it to fall.
Ledford gets credit for clearing the bar at 10-6, which is what she did last year at states to place fifth. In the end, she finished tied for ninth place, and she would have earned a medal if she had made it over at 11-0.
"I didn't push my pole so the pole knocked it over. I just needed to push the pole away. That's it," Ledford explained.
The state title in the pole vault went to Monica Pechanec of Notre Dame GP when she jumped 12-0. Vanessa Munley from Riverside was second at 11-6.
From there, Ledford moved on to the high jump. At a height of 5-0, Ledford cleared the bar on her second try. Then at 5-2, she didn't make it over in three attempts and her day was done.
Southern Huntingdon's Brigitta Granlun was also in the high jump. She too made it past 5-0 on her third jump, then was stopped at 5-2. Ledford and Granlun were tied with several others for 13th place at 5-0.
Lauren Lubarski of Hickory won the state title in the high jump at 5-4. Nicole Lockard of Northwestern was second also at 5-4.
Tyrell Green was the final Bearcat in action Friday. He was second in the district meet in the 100 meters, but finished fifth in his heat with a time of 11.44 and did not make it to the finals.
Tussey Mountain's only competitor was Chris Foore. He ran the 800 meters at Shippensburg last year, but this time he made it in the 1600. Foore turned in his best time of 4:32.68, which was good for eighth in his heat, but not fast enough to reach the finals.

Day two of the PIAA Class AA State Track and Field Championships saw three county athletes back in action. Huntingdon's Jeremy Posey returned with his second medal of the weekened, placing third in the high jump.
Fellow Bearcat senior Natalie Isett saw action in the 100 meter dash semifinals. Southern Huntingdon senior Marie Revercomb competed in the 100 meter hurdles. Neither Isett or Revercomb reached the finals.
Posey completed his first season of track, and was happy with the end results at the state meet. Posey finished fifth in the triple jump at 46-4.25. Saturday's high jump saw Posey clear 6-6, which topped his previous best by one inch.
"I knew once I placed in the triple jump that I could do something in the high jump," Posey remarked. "I was looking for the gold, but I'm really happy with my result."
District Six Class AA champion Luke Gallaher of Forest Hills won the state title by reaching 6-7. Jaisen Irwin from Monessen was the runner-up with a height of 6-6.
"We're thrilled with third place," Huntingdon head coach Nate Freitag said. "Jeremy did very well and we're all really pleased. Where's he's at right now is pretty good, but who knows how good he'd be if we'd had him for four years."
Down the end stretch of the season Posey continued to improve. His high jump of 6-6 equalled his personal best. At the moment, Freitag isn't sure which event Posey is better at.
"Last week I would have said the high jump is his best event. He keeps improving every week and if we had another week and another meet who knows how far he'd go."
"I've always thought the high jump was my best event," Posey explained. "It was awesome to be in front of all those people and take home an award."
Revercomb was happy to move onto the semifinals after Friday's 100 meter hurdles' heat. Her time to advance was 16.10. On Saturday she ran 16.34, which was last in her heat. A repeat of her preliminary time would have given her a spot in the finals. Revercomb ended up in 13th place overall.
"Marie dropped 10 positions from the state meet last year," Southern Huntingdon head coach Steve Keim said. "We're just ecstatic for her and for Brigitta Granlun in the high jump. Everyone thought it would be great to get a medal, but we couldn't have asked for a better weekend."
Torrey Hollis of Hughesville won the Class AA state title in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.10. Quieterra Gross from Gar Memorial was second at 15.43.
Isett ran 12.81 in the 100 meter dash preliminaries Friday to finish fourth in her heat and reach the semifinals. Saturday she ran 13.26 and was last in her heat. As was the case with Revercomb, if Isett had turned in the same time in the semis as she did in the prelims it would have moved her into the final race. Isett ended up 16th overall.
Cierra White from Carver E&S took the first place gold medal in the 100 meter dash by finishing in 12.05 seconds. Jada Steward from West Catholic was second at 12.44.

[tystates]

I've been covering the state 15-16 year-old teener league all-star championships this weekend. What a helluva weekend. A lot of rain, delays, long waits. 12+ hr days at the field then the writing that night. This is the story on our team's games from just Saturday and Sunday.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Days two and three of the VFW State Teener League championship tournament were marred by long rain delays that caused all sorts of havoc with the schedule, teams and everyone involved with event. In the end for Huntingdon, they lost the only game it played Saturday, then won two more before finally being taken out by Bald Eagle Area Sunday to finish in third place.
After opening day of the tournament went off without a hitch, rain forced a lot of changes and decisions on what to do Saturday to be made by Huntingdon Teener League President Bob Foster and State Teener League Director Fred Gonzales. Saturday really provided a lot of challenges with the Alexandria Field becoming unplayable, and one game being sent over to Langdon-Goodale Field at Juniata College.
It took a lot of work by a host of people as well as great cooperation among different entities to get the games played Saturday and Sunday, when the weather decided it wasn't going to help at all. Head groundsman Kevin Hallahan and all the volunteers did great work in getting fields at Huntingdon and Alexandria ready to play, along with Mount Union teener league commissioner Brian Benson helping get his field ready to use also.
After a 5-4 win over Hollidaysburg to open the tournament Friday, Huntingdon lost to the team that is unbeaten at the moment, Schuylkill North, 15-2, then ended up playing three games Sunday. They beat Hollidaysburg again 12-2, then Sr. Teener West 12-7 before being blown out 15-1 by Bald Eagle Area.
Today's schedule is back to how it was written up before the tournament ever started with the championship game set for this morning. Bald Eagle Area will go up against Schuylkill North, and will need to win twice to claim the title. Schuylkill beat Bald Eagle 11-6 Sunday in the winner's bracket final.
"The three games today was a killer. We warmed up and got ready so many different times on Saturday and Sunday," Huntingdon manager Ken Norris said. "You could tell the kids were wore out. That's how it works in the loser's bracket and with the rain on top of that."
Huntingdon 12, Hollidaysburg 2
This was the first game Sunday morning, but the teams didn't get to do much before the rain came down. Ryan Norris led off the bottom of the first with a double, then the game was stopped and not resumed for nearly three hours.
Around noon the players went back on the field, and Huntingdon took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Wyatt Belinda and and Josh Foster each drove in runs for the early advantage. Derek Greene singled a run home and a two-run double by Devin Low gave Huntingdon a 6-0 lead in the third.
Tanner Perow gave up a couple runs in the fourth, but Huntingdon went in front 9-2 after five innings. In the sixth, Foster drove in the third run of the frame that finished this one with a 12-2 final.
Huntingdon outhit Hollidaysburg 14 to seven, and had six doubles. Low and Foster each had three RBI.
Huntingdon 12, Sr. Teener West 7
At this point in the tournament, any team that kept winning while in the loser's bracket wasn't going to have much time to rest before the next game. Huntingdon had a short break and then scored three in the top of the first against Sr. Teener West. Huntingdon loaded the bases, but only scored the three runs on two walks and a single by John Johnson.
Huntingdon went in front 7-1 in the second inning. Ryan Norris and Troy Singer drove in runs with singles, while three errors by Sr. Teener helped put them in the hole.
Sr. Teener came back in the bottom of the third to trail 9-4 on a two-run homer by Jared Lydon. In the sixth, Norris came on in relief of Johnson as Sr. Teener scored two more runs and were only down 10-7. Foster added some breathing room in the seventh with a two-run single for a 12-7 lead, and Norris worked a perfect bottom of the frame to end the game.
Once again, Huntingdon collected more hits with 15 to Sr. Teener's six. Foster, Derek Greene and Low all had three hits.
Bald Eagle 15, Huntingdon 1
The final game Sunday brought Huntingdon a familiar opponent. Bald Eagle went 9-0 in the Area Five tournament, beating Huntingdon three times.
A third game in the same day is always tough to get through, and Bald Eagle really didn't give Huntingdon a chance. Tyler Dyke smashed three home runs and drove in five, while his brother Ryan Dyke also homered and had three RBI. The day for T. Dyke looks even more impressive when you see he hit three home runs off three different pitchers. Bald Eagle had 16 hits to Huntingdon's eight.
Bald Eagle jumped all over Belinda in the top of the first inning. Four hits all drove in runs, including a double by Dylan Womer and a two-run homer by T. Dyke.
Huntingdon's only run came in the bottom of the first on a leadoff double by Norris and a single by Foster. In the third, R. Dyke hit a three-run homer off Bryant Weller, then T. Dyke came up next and made it back to back homers. In the fourth T. Dyke capped the four-run frame with home run number three off Sam Singer.
"I tip my hat to Bald Eagle. They hit top to bottom and play good baseball," Norris remarked.
Schuylkill North 15, Huntingdon 2
On Saturday Huntingdon only got one game played and it was as short five-inning pounding by Schuylkill North. Schuylkill had 12 hits to Huntingdon's five. Four players had two hits and Kolton Von Kiel homered and had three RBI.
Huntingdon took a first-inning 1-0 lead on doubles by Norris and Singer. Schuylkill piled up eight runs on three hits, two errors, four walks and two hit batsmen as things fell apart for Huntingdon. Von Kiel launched a three-run homer off Weller. Singer walked two runs in before the inning ended with Huntingdon down 8-1.
Schuylkill finished the game off with seven runs in the top of the fourthfour runs scored and eight RBI.
"I"m proud of the team. They played hards. We had four games in about 26 hours and third place, that's not bad," Norris remarked.

[tystates]

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
An incredibly long and grueling weekend of competition in the VFW State Teener League all-star championship tournament came to an end Monday at Huntingdon's Paul "Bumpy" Bumgardner Memorial Field. There was no other way for the fourth day of games to end then how it did, which was with one more extremely long game to decide the 2011 state championship.
Bald Eagle Area did what it had to do and beat Schuylkill North 2-0 to force one more decisive game for the state title. This one was a wild, high-scoring and controversial dog fight, and Schuylkill North came away the state champions with a 17-16 win in nine innings.
The deciciding game lasted a ridiculous four hours and 39 minutes. It was apropo of the entire tournament given all the long rain delays on Saturday and Sunday.
Schuylkill North fell victim to the "hidden ball" trick in the championship game. They also had three players ejected and scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings.
Bald Eagle 2, Schuylkill 0
The day's first game started at 11 a.m. and Bald Eagle had to win since it was coming out of the loser's bracket. They got the job done thanks to Dylan Womer who pitched a three-hit shutout against the hard-hitting Schuylkill North team, which had scored 13 and 15 runs in its first two games and beaten Bald Eagle 11-6 in the winner's bracket final.
Womer went seven innings, allowing three singles, two walks, and piled up 13 strikeouts. Bryan Greene and Logan Reese each had two hits for Bald Eagle, and the team only managed five hits in the game.
The was scoreless through three innings. Bald Eagle only had one man in scoring position against submarine-thrower Nick Thrash, and Schuylkill left two men at second and third.
In the top of the fourth, Bryan Greene led off with a single and Reese reached on a bunt base hit. A grounder to second resulted in a force out, but the throw for the double play went awry and Bald Eagle took a 1-0 lead.
Reese hit a two-out solo home run in the sixth to give Bald Eagle a 2-0 lead. Schuylkill had two singles in the bottom of the inning but a strikeout ended the frame. Womer sat down three batter in the seventh for the win.
Schuylkill 17, Bald Eagle 16 (9 inn.)
No one could have guessed how this game would unfold. Bald Eagle had everything going its way and held leads of 9-3, 11-6 and 16-10. It wasn't enough though as Schuylkill came back despite being caught on the hidden ball trick, as well as having three players ejected from the game.
The real excitement came in the sixth and seventh innings. Bald Eagle had scored four runs in the top of the sixth to make the score 15-10. In the bottom of the frame, Tanner Kehl singled and stole second with one out for Schuylkill. He then fell victim to the hidden ball trick as shortstop Bryce Greene snuck up behind him as he stood just a couple steps away from second base, and pitcher Tyler Schall was positioned discreetly off the mound and in the grass.
The result of the pickoff also included Thrasher and Elliot Snyder being ejected for yelling at the umpires from the dugout. This was the first event in the game that would cause quite an uproar among the spectators, and more was to come in the seventh.
Bald Eagle led 16-10 as the game reached the bottom of the seventh. Schall started his third inning of relief, but would not come close to finishing it. Two walks and then a double and single brought in three runs. Nate Cleaver came in to pitch but couldn't slow Schuylkill down. He gave up three hits in a row, and Peter Baddick drove in two runs. On that hit, Matt Kimmel headed for home but the throw beat him easily. Kimmel chose to run over Reese. He was called out and then ejected from the game.
Schuylkill had scored six runs to tie the game though. Bald Eagle couldn't muster a hit the next two innings, and Schuylkill won in the bottom of the ninth. A walk, single and another walk loaded the bases. Tom Gallagher singled to rightfield off Cole Long to send home Bob Van Horn with the winning run.
In the end, Schuylkill scored 17 runs on 21 hits, while Bald Eagle netted 16 runs on 18 hits. Reese homered and had five RBI for Bald Eagle. Brett Kosciolek drove in four runs for Schuylkill, and Kehl collected four hits. Bald Eagle used five pitches and Schuylkill ran seven players out to the mound.

[Dr B]

Very cool that we get a "play by play" from the actual sports writer.
We're privilaged.

Dr B

[tystates]

I was at Penn State football media day today. Here is my story, just hitting on some of the things Paterno talked about, and what the players said when I talked to them. I'll be doing a full preseason story later so didn't to get caught up in trying to go over everything in this one.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Everyone is getting ready for the 125th season of Penn State football. The Nittany Lions have a similar feel this preseason as they did last year, that of a team you're not real sure about how well it will do, not to mention who will start at quarterback is still undecided. At media day held at Holuba Hall Thursday, the players said they are working hard at training camp, and this is a group looking forward to the 2011 campaign after gaining a lot of experience a year ago.
Some of the reason for the experience gained in 2010 was due to injuries. Penn State went through an injury bug that forced a lot of backups into key roles, mostly on the defensive side of the football. Those players now have some playing time under their belts, which will serve them well in the coming season.
Among those that spent time on the sideline a year ago were defensive ends Jack Crawford and Eric Latimore, and safety Nick Sukay. Crawford missed three games with a foot injury, while the other two were both lost for the remainder of the season during the Illinois game Oct. 9. All three appear back at 100 percent and can't wait to get this year underway.
"I feel great. Everybody that got hurt last year did what they had to do to get themselves in the best shape for this season," Crawford explained. "I worked hard and got ready for this year."
Head coach Joe Paterno says he still enjoys coaching, and looks to be recovering well from a collision in practice that sent him to the hospital. His 401 wins are the most in NCAA FBS history, and he remarked he'll know it's time to stop when he wakes up and doesn't want to go to practice anymore.
"There's no need to get out of it yet. I'm going to see if I can get the job done. Right now, I'm anxious just to get back and get going."
Paterno wasn't evasive when asked about the quarterback situation between Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin, but he also didn't announce who would be the starter. Both players got their chance under center last season, with Bolden being the first true freshman to start the season opener at quarterback in 100 years at Penn State. Bolden completed 112 of 193 passes for 1,360 yard with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
"I'm here to play football and get this team to where it needs to be," Bolden said. "I know I grew up in my position and I think we all have. I think I've grown in my leadership and being comfortable with all my teammates."
McGloin came in to play against Minnesota and went on to start five of the last six games. He finished the year with 1,548 yards on 118 of 215 passing with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
"Everything is going very well this preseason," McGloin remarked. "We look great as a football team. I'm going at everything one day at a time and staying focused on the task at hand. I'll accept whatever my role is on the team."
One thing that helps out the quarterback is a good running game, which is something Penn State is known for. Gone to the Washington Redskins is all-time leading rusher Evan Royster, but the Lions should still have a solid backfield.
Tailback Silas Redd impressed a lot of people in 2010 as a true freshman, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and gaining 437 yards with two touchdowns. Redd wouldn't concede that he was automatically the starter this year, but odds are he will be the one carrying the ball the most in 2011.
"If I do get the starting job that's something I'm going to take on with pride," Redd said. "We have guys that can get the job done for us. I'm working hard, being a team player. It's going to be an exciting season."
The players running the football for Penn State will benefit from having Michael Zordich and Joe Suhey blocking in front of them. Curtis Dukes is another tailback pushing hard in practice to get some carries come game time. Brandon Beachum is certainly ready show what he can do after missing all of last season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Stephon Green is conspicuous by his absence not only from the team but also the preseason roster.
"He's had some problems with me," Paterno said about Green. "I doubt he'll be back. I think it's best for him and the team if he steps away for a while."
Penn State gets things going for real Sept. 3 with a home game against Indiana State with a noon kickoff.

[tystates]

My story from the Penn State-Iowa football game Saturday. Our paper doesn't run on Sunday so my story isn't in until Monday, so I have to analyze a little more rather than a typical game story since it's basically old news by Monday.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Penn State and its fans expected a tough game against visiting Iowa Saturday, and the two teams delivered. The Hawkeyes had won three straight and eight of the last nine meetings, but this time around it was the Nittany Lions with another big defensive effort and the offense did enough to take a 13-3 win.
The Hawkeyes (3-2, 0-1 BT) came into their Big Ten Conference opener with a high-flying offense, scoring nearly 38 points and 282 passing yards per game. Penn State (5-1, 2-0 BT) blitzed more than it has in a long time, and it paid off, with five sacks of quarterback James Vandenberg, two interceptions and a forced fumble which sparked the fourth-quarter touchdown drive and a 10-point lead.
The Lions have given up less than 10 points in five of the first six games for the first time since 1978. The defense has also allowed less than 300 yards of total offense to five of six opponents to start the season as well. Alabama is the lone exception.
Iowa was averaging 422 yards per game this season. They were held to 253 by the Lions (84 rush, 169 pass).
Defensive tackle Devon Still remained atop the Big Ten in tackles for loss this season with nine, adding 1.5 against the Hawkeyes. Safety Drew Astorino finished with a career-high 11 tackles.
"Coach (Tom) Bradley was blitzing us like crazy today. Every play was a blitz and we were loving it," junior linebacker Gerald Hodges said. "Every time we go to blitz we were smiling because it was another chance for us to make a good play."
Early in the fourth quarter, Hodges sacked Vandenberg and forced a fumble, recovered by Nate Stupar. Penn State then used six minutes off the clock to move 49 yards in 11 plays and take a 13-3 lead on a two-yard touchdown pass from Matt McGloin to Kevin Haplea.
Iowa's next two possessions the Lions stopped with interceptions by Malcolm Willis and Nick Sukay. The last time the Hawkeyes had the ball in the closing minutes, Vandenberg was sacked three times by Sean Stanley, Still, and Khairi Fortt.
On the offensive side of things for the Nittany Lions, the team played pretty well. The running game really churned out the yardage against a tough defense, as the offensive line came through by playing well all four quarters.
"I thought they were consistent and they hustled right up to the end. They stayed with their blocks. I thought the pass protection overall was pretty good," Penn State head coach Joe Paterno said.
Silas Redd ran for a career-best 142 yards on 28 attempts. He was carrying some extra baggage after attending the funeral of his paternal grandmother Mamie Langard on Friday. Redd took the field and did what he does best while thinking of her.
"Not that I play with any less passion, but there was definitely some more motivation to run the ball thinking of her."
Penn State finished with 231 yards on the ground. That translated into a time of possesion of 35:54, with 9:59 in the fourth quarter.
"As the game went on more I think we were able to stay physical with the guys. That was a good defensive line we played and I think our conditioning really helped us out in the end," senior offensive tackle Chima Okoli explained.
The coaches stayed with the two-quarterback system that has garnered all the attention from everyone around the team. McGloin saw more playing time than Rob Bolden. McGloin went 12 of 19 passing for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Bolden ended three for seven for 31 yards.
"We're a 5-1 team now and the two quarterback thing is working for us. "I don't see it changing now," Bolden commented.
At halftime Penn State recognized the 1986 national championship team, with over 60 members returning to Beaver Stadium. A total of 13 players from that squad were drafted by NFL teams in 1987.
During the postgame press conference, Paterno was asked to talk about the passing of Oakland Raiders owner and football Hall of Famer Al Davis. He told a story of how Davis wanted him to be his offensive coordinator in Oakland, but Paterno told him no, jokingly saying "we would have a tough time getting along because I'm smarter than you and you'll never admit it.
"He's a good ole' Brooklyn boy. I'm sorry to see him go, I really am."
Penn State remains at Beaver Stadium for its 92nd Homecoming game Saturday against Purdue with a noon kickoff.

[tystates]

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
There are times that a team's overall win-loss record is not indicative of how good or bad they actually are. Huntingdon once again made a statement to that fact Monday in Mill Hall by beating Central Mountain 2-1 and taking the Mountain League championship with just its fifth win of the season.
The Bearcats are definitely not your normal 5-13 squad. This year was very strange as Huntingdon lost nine games by one goal. The 10th such game was a win over the Wildcats (12-5-1) on their home turf.
"I'm elated,!" Michael Armstrong said at the end of his first season as Huntingdon's head coach.
"This makes up for everything. It takes the whole season and erases it. It means nothing now. I told them if you go out and become league champions, nobody is going to remember your record."
The people from Central Mountain should have expected a good game against the Bearcats after wins by scores of 1-0 and 3-1 during the regular season. Instead, all the talk was about how can a team coming in at 4-13 be playing in the league championship. Huntingdon didn't back down and provided a sweet ending to a rough year with its first league title in five years.
The Wildcats got on the board first less than 10 minutes into the match. Hunter Tressler took the corner kick and Kyler Klein was in the box to knock it past goalkeeper Jacob Finkle.
It was a good play, but after that Finkle was great in front of the net, making big stops to keep the score at 1-0. This was his second consecutive game playing for the injured Keith Moore.
"Jacob Finkle was incredible and stepped up in a huge way," senior Greg Yelnosky said. "After everything we've been through it was great to beat Philipsburg, and we played well all around tonight. We took it to them and came away with a league championship."
The Bearcats beat Philipsburg 4-1 Saturday, then got help from Tyrone who topped Clearfield 1-0 to send Huntingdon to the league championship match.
Huntingdon still trailed 1-0 heading into the second half. After a lot of good action from both squads, Ben Hsiung sent the ball up to Yelnosky and he registered his fifth goal of the year to tie the game with 20:42 still to play.
Finkle made a great save on a shot from right in front of him. Time was winding down, but the 'Cats struck to take a 2-1 lead with 2:40 left on the clock. Peter Rosenberger put the ball into the box and Tyler Reed finished the play for the game-winning goal.
Huntingdon ended its season with the best possible outcome, and made this year one to remember instead of one to forget.