Sports Writing

[tystates]

Girls soccer playoff action.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Huntingdon opened the District Six Class AA playoffs as the fifth seed at No. 4 Cambria Heights Thursday, under less than hospitable playing conditions. Despite the cold, rain, wind, and light snow flurries, the teams went back and forth until Maggie McManamon's late second-half goal lifted the Bearcats to a 3-2 victory in Patton.
After missing the postseason in 2008 and 2009, the 'Cats (11-6-1) returned to the districts for a second year in a row, and picked up the second playoff win in program history.
"We came ready to play and wanting the win tonight," Huntingdon head coach Betsy Mason said. "They have really come together as the season progressed and to carry this energy into districts will make them tough to stop."
Huntingdon moves into the semifinals, but will have to wait to find out who its opponent will be. The match between Bald Eagle Area and top-seeded Juniata was postponed and will take place Saturday at 10 a.m. The winner will meet the Bearcats Monday.
As if the bad weather wasn't enough, the players had to deal with a muddy football field to play on. This made it hard to find good footing, as well as limiting those that normally have plenty of speed to use.
The teams went back and forth in the first half. The Bearcats were able to keep the ball for longer periods of time and find more scoring chances, but no goals were recorded for almost 20 minutes.
Grace Braxton put Huntingdon up 1-0 with a shot fired past goalkeeper Alyssa Wills from the right wing. The lead lasted less than two minutes, as Olivia Woodley got through the defense on a breakaway to score past Katie Shoemaker and tie the game.
On nearly the identical play, Woodley scored again just a few minutes later to put the Highlanders (11-6) ahead 2-1. Huntingdon tied things once again at 2-2 with 2:37 left in the first half. Rachel Fleming picked up the goal on a rebound when the ball came back off of Woodley.
In the second half, it was Rachel Woods really doing a lot of good work in the midfield to keep the offense moving up the field. Woodley kept the game knotted at 2-2 with some excellent saves for Cambria Heights. Samantha Mansberger and Hannah Cunningham played well defensively the whole game for the Bearcats.
When the clock moved just inside 10 minutes left play, the Bearcats scored the go-ahead goal. McManamon chipped the ball up in the air and it floated just out of Woodley's reach and into the goal.
Huntingdon maintained control down the stretch and held off the Highlanders.

[tystates]

Last football game of the year for Juniata College, at 0-9, they win for the first time since 2009.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Win a football game. Seems like a simple thing to do. That hadn't happened to Juniata College since 2009, but that all changed Saturday at Knox Stadium for Senior Day against Susquehanna University.
The Eagles came back from a 13-0 halftime deficit, but trailed 16-14 with two minutes to play. An 18-yard field goal by junior Scott Andrews with 2.9 seconds left on the clock gave Juniata a 17-16 win over the Crusaders and ended a 21-game losing streak.
The result of just winning a football game was palpable on the faces of the players, coaches, parents, fans and everyone in attendance. Winning can make up for so much and this victory gives the Eagles and their faithful a new start.
"This win isn't about me. It's about a football team that never quit, and never stopped believing," Juniata head coach Tim Launtz said.
"We played hard all season. This win is for all those Juniata alums that have been frustrated and had to look at those papers and not see us on the positive side. This is very important for next season. This was a rivalry game and that means everything."
An added bonus for winning this game is that the Goalpost Trophy returns to College Hill. It is an actual piece of the goalpost that was brought back to Juniata following a 12-6 victory at Susquehanna in 1952. The players retrieved this piece of history from the locker room and brought it back down to the center of the field to continue the post-game celebration.
"Our kids understood this was a rivalry game, and a rivalry game should mean everything to you," Launtz remarked.
Susquehanna closed the first half by converting a fourth and two with 13 seconds left after deciding not to try the field goal. Spencer Hotaling ended up kicking a 29-yarder anyway to give the Crusaders a 13-0 lead.
Juniata opened the second half with a nine-play, 61-yard scoring drive. Penalties on both teams were a factor all day long, and a pass interference call moved the
Eagles to the Susquehanna 16. After Zach McCaulley powered his way to within inches of the goaline, he scored on a one-yard carry the next play to make the score 13-7.
The Crusaders were held to three plays and a punt, and Juniata scored again in just over two minutes to take a 14-13 lead. McCaulley broke off a 15-yard run, and Ward Udinski threw to De'Sean Popley on the sideline for a 33-yard gain. An eight-yard completion for a touchdown to Julian Valdiserri put the Eagles in front with seven minutes left in the third quarter.
Launtz then called an onside kick, and his men executed perfectly to recover the ball at midfield. There was no more scoring in the frame, and senior Andrew Masullo intercepted Rich Palazzi late in the period.
The Crusaders drove into the red zone, but Juniata held and Hotaling came on for a 31-yard field goal. His kick was just wide right, and the two officials under the goalpost had to consult with each other before signalling no good.
Susquehanna got the ball after a punt with 4:03 remaining in the game. Juniata forced another field goal on fourth down at the seven yard line, and Hotaling was good from 24 yards out to put the Crusaders up 16-14 with two minutes left to play.
A first down pass moved the Eagles into Crusader territory. Three straight incompletions left them at fourth down from the 42. Udinski went deep down the right sideline and with close coverage, Popley went up high and brought the ball down for a catch at the three yard line.
"All I was thinking was to make up for the play before," Popley said of an earlier pass he dropped. My teammates were behind me and had confidance and I wanted to make up for it. This being the last game we wanted to go out with a bang like champions and get a win for the seniors."
Two quarterback sneaks had Juniata at third and goal from the one. Susquehanna stopped them one more time setting up an 18-yard field goal attempt. Andrews nailed the kick for a 17-16 lead with 2.9 seconds left.
"I asked Scott if he wanted to take a delay of game to give him a better angle and he said I'll kick it through coach," Launtz commented.
Juniata squibbed the kickoff, and the Crusaders tried to stay alive by lateraling the ball backwards. The long pass went out of bounds and the Eagles were overjoyed by the victory.
In the opening quarter, three 15-yard penalties on the Eagles contributed to Susquehanna's first scoring drive. Alex Patchin caught a four-yard pass from Palazzi for a 7-0 lead with 1:56 left in the period.
The second quarter started with the Crusaders fumbling the ball and the Eagles recovering on the opening play, but then Juniata coughed it up and Susquehanna got it back on the following play. Hotaling kicked a 32-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.
"The seniors have given their all and for them to have the opportunity to get a goalpost and finish on a positive note like this is very important," Launtz said.
GAME NOTES: Thirteen seniors competed in their final game for the Eagles...Udinski threw for 128 yards and one touchdown on 9 of 17 passing. He ends his freshman campaign with 996 yards passing with six touchdowns and 15 interceptions, and also finishes as the team's leading rusher with 264 yards...McCaulley ran for a season-high 70 yards on 15 carries...Popley had three receptions for 77 yards and Valdiserri made four catches for 32 yards and one score...The Eagles were penalized nine times for 112 yards while the Crusaders received 10 flags at a price of 71 yards...Juniata only allowed 37 yards on 23 carries to senior Greg Tellish and permitted just 50 yards on the ground. Tellish fell short of 1,000 yards for the season, ending with 942..Palazzi completed 22 of 40 passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception...Patchin caught nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown...Suquehanna leads the all-time series 37-32-3 since the schools first met on the gridiron in 1923. Since the Eagles brought the piece of goalpost home after the game in 1952, the Crusaders hold a 27-23-1 edge in trophy games.

[Kelly Monro]

Outstanding story, Ty! I could feel the excitement the fans must have felt through your words!

[tystates]

Thanks Kelly!

[tystates]

Girls basketball, a crazy good shooting night for our team.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
When Huntingdon trailed visiting Clearfield 11-0 in the first quarter, what followed was completely unexpected. The Bearcats went on a three-point shooting spree, built a 16-point lead by halftime and shot down the Bisons 89-68.
This is the third game in a row the 'Cats (2-1, 1-1 ML) have scored over 80 points against Clearfield (0-1, 0-1 ML). The team tied the program's record for most points in a game and set a new mark for made three-point field goals with 19.
"We started shooting with confidance and it just carried over. We have the shooters and we want to run all the time," Huntingdon head coach Craig Sellers said.
"That's the way the system is supposed to work. Wear them down and nail the threes."
Huntingdon went 12 of 29 from three-point land in the first half, sinking eight in the second quarter. The team finished the night 19 of 51 from downtown (37 percent).
Tara Smith led the Bearcats with 18 points and was one of five players that made at least three treys. Katie Kurtz scored 13 points and Aaren Sellers netted 12 on four long-range shots. Kathryn Marter added 11 points and was one of eight players that hit three-pointers. A total of 12 players put points on the board for Huntingdon.
Clearfield was scoring easy buckets in the first quarter and led 11-0 with 4:09 remaining. A 13-2 run by Huntingdon tied the game 13-13. A buzzer-beating trey that double banked through the hoop by Brittany Renaud put the Bisons up 18-16.
That last second three-pointer ended up not mattering at all. Clearfield went up 29-22 with a 7-0 run in the second quarter, but Huntingdon came back with an 8-2 burst to make the score 31-30.
That was when the Bearcats exploded from behind the three-point line. Huntingdon scored 17 unanswered points the final 1:58 of the first half. They made five treys down the stretch. Sellers sank three of those and had all 12 of her points in the period as the Bearcats took a 48-32 lead into the locker room.
Huntingdon hit seven more threes in the third quarter. Cheyenne Snyder's trey put the 'Cats up 78-43, and the score was 78-48 entering the fourth.
After the 19 three-pointers, the rest of Huntingdon's scoring came on nine two-point field goals and 14-of-20 shooting from the free throw line. Breanna Peters did her damage for the Bisons on the low post and scored 22 points, with Rachel Thompson netting 14.
Kurtz scored 12 points in the junior varsity game that the 'Cats (1-1) won 54-41.
Huntingdon remains at home to play Juniata Friday.

[tystates]

Boys basketball game tonight. Coach Dave Bailey notched his 700th career win.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Yet another milestone in the head coaching career of Dave Bailey was on tap for this season, and it came to pass Monday night in Saxton. Tussey Mountain took care of business in putting away Bedford 64-42, and the win gives Bailey 700 for his career.
Bailey, in his 39th season on the bench for the Titans (9-4), followed Bob Ramsey as the man in charge for the 1973-74 campaign. Bailey's career mark stands at 700-294, giving him a winning percentage of .704.
Coach Bailey is an icon at Tussey Mountain, and known state-wide in basketball circles. The thing that hasn't changed for him after all this time is it's still about his players, and teaching the game of basketball.
"What 700 wins means to me is that I've been here a long time, and had a lot of good assistants and players," Bailey commented. "I think it will probably strike me more later."
One note on Bailey's career record is that the Titans finished with a losing record in each of his first five years, making that .700 winning percentage even more amazing. Bailey cited being able to start practicing in the summer as a key reason why he has been able to field winning teams that have taken him to such an impressive record to this point.
In addition to running summer practices, Bailey also said having good coaches at the junior high level is a big help. Winning is the standard at Tussey Mountain and the players expect to continue the tradition and perform as well as the team's before them did.
"I'm honored to play for coach Bailey," junior Garrett Wilson said. "He's a legend around here, and a heck of a coach. You hear about him ever since elementary school and it's an honor to finally play for him on the varsity."
Everyone knew what was at stake with this game, including the media that saw three newspapers and two television stations in attendance. Mike Runk sank a pair of three-pointers to help Tussey Mountain take an 8-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bisons struggled against the man to man pressure defense Bailey's team are well-known for, and they had 17 turnovers in the first half.
Tussey Mountain led 19-10 after the opening period, but Brad Swartz scored six straight points to bring Bedford within five at 21-16. The Titans went on a 11-0 to make the score 32-16 with 3:06 left in the first half. Eric Husick scored eight points in the second quarter and Tussey Mountain led 36-19 at the break.
There was little scoring in the third quarter as the pace of the game slowed down. The Titans were still well in front 45-24 heading to the final period. Michael Mitchell buried a trey to make the score 60-36 with 2:22 left to play. The cheerleaders started a chant of "700" as the final seconds ran off the clock.
Husick finished with 27 points with Runk scoring 14 for Tussey. Tyler Black led the Bisons with 24 points.
Bedford took the junior varsity game 37-28. Coty Chadwick scored 11 points for the Titans (5-4).
As of now, there seems to be no end in sight to the time Bailey will be on the bench guiding the Titans toward more winning seasons and district titles.
"As long as my health's good, and as long as I put summer basketball ahead of the golf, I'll probably coach. I love the competition. It's a great feeling competing on a big night. It makes me feel good."
The team starts to work on the next 100 wins Jan. 23 at Southern Fulton.

[Kelly Monro]

Sounds like a wonderful coach. To have Great ones like that in your area is something to treasure!

[tystates]

Had a real good basketball game tonight.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Tied at the half and tied after three quarters, Juniata Valley and Bellwood-Antis battled it out in Alexandria down to the closing minute. A really good high school basketball game went the way of the Blue Devils by the score of 66-63.
The Green Hornets (6-7, 6-4 ICC North) played right with the division-leading Blue Devils (12-1, 10-0 ICC North). Bellwood took a close home decision 57-53 Dec. 15.
Bellwood has won 10 straight since a 57-55 setback at Bishop Guilfoyle Dec. 20. Noah Davis worked hard for all of his 25 points. David Wolfe backed him up with 19 points.
Stewart Borst led the Hornets with 20 points. Mason Varner turned in 16 points with Caleb Taylor adding 12.
"We've been so inconsistent throughout the season, I thought this would be a good game to get back on track," Juniata Valley head coach Ron Anders said. "I'm real proud of how we played, we we're right there."
Bellwood quickly hit the Hornets for seven straight points to open the game. Juniata Valley got out of the triangle and two defense, stayed calm, and went back to man to man. Brett Grissinger hit for three and Varner dished to Taylor on the break to make the score 11-9. The teams went back and forth the rest of the night. Borst scored seven points and Davis had six in the frame. Taylor threw the lob to Borst to trail 19-16 after one.
The Hornets were getting turnovers from the Devils, but didn't capitalize on all its opportunities. Bellwood inched ahead 27-22 with 3:06 left in the half. A 7-0 run, with Grissinger hitting a trey, put the Hornets up 29-27. Borst scored with four seconds left to tie the game 33-33 at the break.
The third quarter was even the whole way, with neither team leading by more than two points. The final period started with the score 44-44, then Varner and Davis traded three-pointers. The Hornets led 51-50 with 5:45 left to play, but that was the last time they were in front on the scoreboard.
Davis got an open look and nailed his third trey of the night, and a bucket by Wolfe put the Devils ahead 61-54. A pair of free throws by Grissinger and basket by Taylor had the Hornets down 61-58 with 1:04 to play. A pair of offensive foul calls against the Valley kept the score at 61-58 with 41 seconds left.
Two free throws made the score 63-58, then the Hornets had chances but Borst missed two more three-point attempts. Bellwood made it 66-60, then Borst made his only three-point shot of the night as the final seconds wound off the clock.
The close game stayed that way partially because of the foul shooting. The Devils were 7 of 13 and the Hornets went 9 for 16.
Bellwood took the junior varsity game 67-28. Shawn Houck, Jack Pilch and Kordell Collins each scored six points for the Hornets (5-6).
Juniata Valley has three games next week, starting at Southern Huntingdon Monday.

[tystates]

Distric Five Class AA boys basketball playoffs, semifinals. Our team lost.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Tussey Mountain had a tough time against the number one seed in District Five Thursday night in Davidsville. Conemaugh Township played fast the whole game, using a speed, quickness, and height advantage to run the floor. They took the Titans out of the game in the third quarter and rolled to a 68-45 win in the Class AA semifinals.
The Indians (21-3) are on a 17-game winning streak as they enter the championship game Saturday at Pitt-Johnstown at 8 p.m. The opponent will be Chestnut Ridge, a 63-54 winner over Northern Bedford Thursday. Both finalists will advance to the PIAA state tournament.
Conemaugh Township hurt the Titans (16-8) on the fast break, from the outside, and under the basket. Grant Speigle hit four three-pointers and scored 24 points. His last bucket gave him the coveted mark of 1,000 points for his career.
"They beat us up the court too much and we gave them too many layups," Tussey Mountain mentor Dave Bailey said. "Speigle really hurt our zone with some nice three pointers."
The Titans fought and scrapped for everything they got in this one. In the first quarter, three times the Indians fouled on a three-point shot attempt. Tussey only converted five of the nine free throws, and still didn't have a field goal down 6-5. Eric Husick hit from long range to tie the game 8-8, and his basket with 13 seconds left knotted the score again 13-13 after one.
Tussey Mountain's 1-3-1 zone fared a little better than the man to man defense, until Speigle started hitting threes. The Titans trailed 20-17, but then struggled against the full-court press of the Indians. Tussey had 10 turnovers in the first half, and this served to fuel the Indians' fast break.
Michael Mitchell banked home his only three-pointer of the game with 2:40 left in the first half to bring the Titans within three at 27-24. Conemaugh Township then finished the half on an 11-2 run to build a 38-26 advantage.
The start of the second half was crucial for Tussey Mountain to stay in the game. Things didn't go its way, as Township scored 11 unanswered points to make the score 49-26.
"We got some good looks, but didn't make shots. We had to score the first couple buckets of the third quarter to be in the game," Bailey remarked. "They took control of the game and we let them get out on the break."
The Titans only scored four points in the third quarter and fell behind 54-30 entering the final stanza. Tussey Mountain never cut its deficit under 20 points the rest of the way.
The Indians put 10 different players into the scoring column. They hit 17 of 20 free throws and held the Titans to 12 total field goals.
Tussey Mountain went 17 of 26 from the line. Husick scored 23 points with Mike Runk next adding seven marks. Husick ends the season with 477 points and an average of 19.9.
"With a young team I thought we hung in there. I'm a little disappointed tonight, as I was surprised we got blown out. That hasn't happened to us all year."

[tystates]

The Daily News now has a website! It will be free for the month of March then you have to subscribe to the online version. The above story is in today's paper and is online too.

www.huntingdondailynews.com

[tystates]

Tussey Mountain softball preseason story.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
In the spring comes renewed optismism and the Tussey Mountain softball team is potentially looking at a good season ahead. The Titans go back to work with four seniors and nine returning letterwinners as they try to make their way back to the postseason.
A year ago the Titans finished just 5-13 after having made the District Five playoffs the two previous seasons. The team struggled at the plate and in the field. The lack of hitting and some defensive letdowns hindered their chances of winning.
This season, head coach Rick Reed likes the mix of players on the roster. The experience is there in the seniors and letterwinners, and the underclassmen as well with seven juniors and three sophomores.
"I hope we can get on the field since the weather has been so nice," Reed remarked, although Tussey's field has not had any work done to it and remains soggy. "We're looking to be competitive and stay that way. I'd like to see us make the playoffs."
Reed starts his fourth season in charge with a 23-36 career mark. He will be assisted by pitching coach Gene Neville and Les Chamberlain. Sandra Kay Rickabaugh takes over the junior high team for Chamberlain, and will be helped by Tony Angelo.
Only two players, Cindy McCormick and Christian Foore, were lost to graduation. McCormick started in the outfield and hit an even .300 in 2010 and was second on the team with 16 runs scored and first with three triples.
The four seniors -- Morgan Lemin, Kelsey McCue, Sam Buhrman and Erica Swope -- are also returning letterwinners. Juniors Maddie Ramsey, Erin Curfman, Joelle Kaminsky and Tess Drenning also lettered last season, as did sophomore Tinesha Curfman.
The remaining roster lists juniors Jerri Carson, Rebecca Brown and Jamie Hoover; sophomores Jess Brumbaugh and Alyssa Zelanko; and freshmen Morgan Brumbaugh, Alix Watkins and Erica Reffner.
Lemin will be back behind the plate for the Titans and brings leadership and a potent bat. She hit .365 last year with 17 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, three home runs and 21 RBI. She was charged with only two errors for the season.
Ramsey batted .346 and McCue turned in a .320 average with 16 RBI for the Titans. Overall the team turned in a .248 average and just didn't hit enough with runners in scoring position.
"We want to put everything together and keep our mind on the fundamentals of hitting, bunting and fielding," Reed remarked. "We're going to have some freshmen playing and we'll have to have people step up and contribute."
McCormick is the only starter gone from last year. Buhrman played shortstop last season but is slated to move to centerfield and Reed likes the speed and arm she can show off out there. Drenning is in leftfield and Kaminsky plays rightfield.
The infield is mostly set with Ramsey at first base, E. Curfman at second and Swope at third. Reed is going to send Reffner out to shortstop and he thinks as a freshman she will open some eyes this season. T. Curfman could also see time on the infield or as a designated hitter. Tussey Mountain's defense committed a whopping 55 errors last season and that is a number that needs to make a significant drop.
On the mound it will be McCue handling the majority of the pitching duties. She threw 106 1/3 innings last season and gave up 140 hits with 57 walks and 90 strikeouts. Reed wants to get Watkins some time on the mound as well and added that she is a hard thrower.
"I think Alix can give us an extra pitcher and take some of the pressure off of Kelsey."
The same tough teams the Titans always play are who Reed thinks are the better teams in the Sideling Hill League. Chestnut Ridge, Southern Fulton, Fannett-Metal and Everett are the teams to keep an eye on.
The season starts March 27 at home against Chestnut Ridge, followed by a doubleheader at Everett March 29.

[tystates]

Juniata Valley baseball preseason story.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Juniata Valley appears set to continue the winning tradition established in recent years. The team lost four starters to graduation but the 24-man roster has seven seniors and 10 returning letterwinners for the 2012 campaign.
Bill Peters returns as manager for his 16th season and own a 136-127 career record. Long-time assistant coach Don Price is also back. The team has a solid group of experienced veterans and are looking to keep the season going as far into the playoffs as possible.
Juniata Valley has made the postseason the last four years in a row and six of the last seven. The Hornets went 13-6 last season, bowing out of the District Six Class A quarterfinals after an 8-6 loss at Ferndale.
Gone from last year's team are catcher Seth Carper, infielders Rick Musser and Cody Patterson, and pitcher Jordan Pearson. Carper only started two games on the mound, going 1-1, and remained behind the plate most of the time. He led the team with a .460 batting average, seven home runs and 38 RBI. Patterson hit .383 and Musser turned in a .348 average. Pearson had a 4-1 record on the mound, striking out 25 battersin 24 innings.
The Hornets finished the 2011 season with a .344 team average, scoring 163 runs while allowing only 67. This year's team should still be able to hit, though probably not with as much power as Juniata Valley belted 19 home runs a year ago.
The senior returning letterwinners are Billy Edmiston, Ethan Morrison, David Ormsby, Mason Varner and Trent Brown. The junior lettermen are Johnny Johnson, Ryan Norris, Wyatt Belinda, Derek Greene and Tanner Perow.
Completing the roster are: seniors Nick Watson and German exchange-student Julius Koch; juniors Troy Singer, Sean Houck, Devin Low and Zach Grove; sophomores Zach Faubert, Sam Gildea, Jesse Claar and Dustin Houck; and freshmen Sam Singer, Kyle Smithmyer, Zach Beam and Connor Barton.
Singer and S. Houck are working at third base to replace Musser. Greene will move behind the plate with Singer as the backup. Johnson and Perow will both play first base and pitch with Belinda manning second base and Morrison at shortstop. The outfield is set with Edmiston, Ormsby and Varner, with Brown and Watson seeing playing time depending on who is pitching that day.
"Our outfield looks good. Ethan is back healthy so that's a big plus for us," Peters said. "I feel very good about our pitching this year and the defense should be just as good or maybe a little bit better."
The offense may not have the home run power it did last year but should still be able to score runs. The team will try to string hits together as well as steal bases and bunt.
Edmiston has the highest returning batting average at .400 with three homers and 17 RBI. Ormsby batted .393 and also drove in 17 runs. Morrison is back healthy and should be able to improve on his .333 mark last season. Brown averaged less than two at-bats per game but made the most of his chances at the plate going 15 for 28 (.536) with 12 runs scored and 17 RBI.
"David Ormsby has worked out hard this winter and built himself up and so has Wyatt Belinda," Peters remarked. "I don't think we'll hit a lot of home runs this year but we'll have singles and doubles."
The pitching staff should shape up to be alright with three good arms ready to go. Edmiston was 5-0 and struck out 44 in 27 innings of work last season. Ormsby, a southpaw, had a 2-3 record and fanned 40 in 34 innings. Perow had 18 strikeouts in 14 innings and will probably see more work this year. Norris would have likely been the team's top starter but this year instead of arm troubles he is coming off knee surgery and right now is limited to just swinging the bat as a designated hitter.
"We want to be competitive for the league title and get into districts," Peters explained. "Bellwood will be tough again and Claysburg should be right there in our division."
Juniata Valley opens at Southern Huntingdon March 27.

[Kelly Monro]

Looks like you have some exciting HS baseball teams there. I would think some colleges are looking closely at some players. They have some great stats.

[tystates]

Juniata Valley track preview.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Juniata Valley is preparing for what should be a pretty good season of track and field. Both teams have plenty of returning experience and the squad contains 13 seniors and 18 letterwinners.
The head coaches remain the same with Diane "Suz" Price on the girls side and Jim Rivello for the boys team. Price enters her 35th season with a 170-131 career record. Rivello begins his sixth year with an 18-30 mark. The coaches work with both teams and are assisted by Bill Musser, Shane Thomas, Evan Lewis and Krista McCrum.
The Hornet girls were 4-7 last season and have 30 names on the roster, the most in eight years. The boys were 1-10 a year ago and have 19 athletes compared to 25 in 2010.
This year's schedule is more condensed as it contains a few tri-meets. There are only two home meets with the Juniata Valley Invitational taking place April 21 and a dual meet against Southern Huntingdon April 24. West Branch will once again join Mount Union and the Rockets in visiting Alexandria for the Invitational. The season starts April 3 with the Hornets and Tussey Mountain at McConnellsburg.
Girls
There are six girls missing from last year due to graduation, but Juniata Valley reloaded with nine seniors and eight returning letterwinners. Price is very happy to have so many on the team and the depth in many events will allow them to compete in every meet.
Seniors that lettered a year ago are Brittany Kurtz, Sara Myers, Rachael Kyper, Lydia Jenkins, Ashley Boss and Dakota Kyper. Junior letterwinners include Ashley Dick and Emily Thatcher.
"We finally have some numbers back and I'm very hopeful the younger kids will come around," Price remarked. "We have some new kids running very well, especially in that middle distance area."
Freshmen Danielle Suomela, Lacey Diehl, Chely Miller, Paige Bousum and Whitney Ashead are all working on the mid-distance, 400 and 800 meter runs. Another freshman, Faith Leri, is showing a lot of versatility and could be seen competing in the hurdles, high jump and long jump. Junior Scarlett Vogel is looking good in the javelin.
The veterans on the team bring a lot of success back with them. Jenkins is a hurdler and R. Kyper a top sprinter and jumper in the area. Kurtz is a long distance runner, S. Myers a jumper and both Boss and D. Kyper throwers. Dick and H. Myers are sprinters.
"This year we're going to be able to put a competitive team back on the track again. We've just been short in numbers in recent years," Price said. "The attitude is great because we have more kids and they can see we're going to be competitive. We have more talent this year and I'm excited for the season."
The remaining roster lists senior exchange students Teresa Penzleafer, Marie Gittner and Emma Lucassen; juniors Emily Thatcher, Macy McConnell and Abby Grubb; sophomores Rachel Johnson, Rebecah Mohnkern, Taylor Young and Sara Jefferis; and freshmen Sierra Gardner, Ashley Sneath, Brooke Emery, Sophia Varner and Taylor Boonie.
Boys
The Hornets are down a bit in numbers this season and lost nine competitors to graduation. Rivello still has 19 on the team with four seniors and 10 returning letterwinners.
Greg Spillman, Josh Ruiz, Morgan Shoemaker and Stewart Borst are the returning senior letterwinners. The remaining lettermen are juniors Abe Eisenhart, Brett Grissinger, Cody Sneath, Dakota Kurtz, Ian Hawn and Kristopher Gardner.
The field events and sprints are what look like the strongest areas for the boys team. Ruiz is looking to finish his high school career with a really good year in the sprints. He will be joined by Grissinger in the 100 and 200 meters. The Hornets have a lot of throwers with Spillman, Borst, Sneath, Kurtz, Hawn and Gardner covering the shot put, discus and javelin events.
"I look for us to be competitive with our sprinters. We have to find some people for middle distance," Rivello commented. "We won't have much depth anywhere other than in the field events. It will be a matter of some guys stepping up and doing new events and the new people finding what their strongest event is."
Completing the roster are: juniors Alex Culp and Zack Miller; sophomores Caleb Taylor and Lucas Grubb; and freshmen Gunther Frehn, Isaac Thatcher, Trent Grissinger, and Colten Isenberg.

[tystates]

Juniata College baseball, our team, gets blasted by Moravian College who thought they were playing football.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Moravian College gave Juniata College one final beating before heading home to complete a three-game sweep Monday at Langdon-Goodale Field. The Greyhounds treated this one like a football game and trampled the Eagles 27-5.
In the series finale, the Greyhounds 13-7, 6-0 LC) battered six pitchers for 31 hits with six doubles, a triple and a home run. For the series Moravian outhit Juniata (7-11, 1-5 LC) 59-29 and outscored them 52-11.
Freshman Matt Hanson went 5 for 6 with five runs scored and three RBI for the Greyhounds. Daniel Seitzinger was 5 for 6 with four RBI and in the three games finished 9 for 13 with seven runs and eight RBI.
Mount Union native Cole Walters was 2 for 2 in Monday's game while Ben Mersky was 2 for 4.
The Eagles actually took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, their first advantage the entire series. Brad Medellin and Walters singled and moved up one base on a balk. Joe Sforza dropped a hit into rightfield that the win took away from Hanson for a two-run double.
Moravian then tied the game 2-2 in the second and scored four runs in the third. Kevin O'Keefe tripled into rightfield. Juniata made six errors in game two Sunday and committed five more on Monday. The Greyhounds added one run in the fourth without any hits then tacked on four more in teh fifth.
Ryan Morrison went the first three innings for the Eagles then Nate Burkey worked the next three. The Greyhounds added four runs in the seventh, highlighted by pinch-hitter Matt Gutkes' two-run homer. Andrew Groninger gave up seven straight hits to start the eighth before being relieved by Josh Green. Moravian sent 15 men to the plate and scored 10 runs on 12 hits to make the score 27-3.
The Eagles picked up a run on wild pitch in the seventh, a sacrifice fly by Jace Rhoads in the eighth and a single from Brett Shippey in the ninth. Freshman Chris Lansberry pitched five innings to earn the win and four relievers went an inning apiece to finish the game for Moravian.
Juniata plays at Division II Lock Haven University Wednesday.