Sports Writing

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Not a bad high school game here for a change. A 15 strikeout performance on the mound but in a losing effort.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
The stage was set for Juniata Valley, a veteran team expecting to have a good season, to pick up a rare victory over visiting Mount Union Thursday, a young squad with some missing pieces due to injuries. Everything was in place -- the lead and the pitching -- but it didn't end up that way for the Green Hornets. Zach Morgan came off the bench on a cold, breezy afternoon and drove home the game-winning run to lift the Trojans to a 2-1 win.
A Juniata Valley (1-1) win would have been its first over Mount Union (2-1) since April 3, 2003. The Trojans have now topped the Hornets 13 straight games.
This one was a great pitcher's dual. Southpaw David Ormsby dominated in his first start of the season, allowing only five hits with four walks and striking out 15 in six innings for the Hornets. On the other side it was Klayton Heffner for the Trojans, giving up only four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in his 5 2/3 innings. Heffner has pitched in all three games this season and has a record of 1-1. Garrett Heidel finished the game for Mount Union with no hits, two walks and three strikeouts to get the save.
"That was really a big win for us," Mount Union head coach Nick Imperioli said. "I thought you couldn't ask for any better pitching from the two starters. Luckily for us we were able to pull it out."
"David did a fantastic job," Juniata Valley manager Bill Peters complemented his pitcher. "I really thought we'd be ok on defense but the errors cost us the ball game. You can't give Mount Union more than three outs an inning. They'll take advantage of any breaks they get and they showed it tonight."
Ormsby struck out the side in the top of the first inning, in-between allowing a hit and a walk to Brandon Rogers and Trevon Walker respectively. He fanned three more in the second and didn't give up another hit until a two-out double by Heffner in the fourth.
The Hornets put two men on base in the second on an error and a base hit by Ryan Norris but Heffner retired the next two batters. Wyatt Belinda walked, Ormsby reached on an infield hit and another error loaded the bases for the Hornets in the third before a strikeout by Heffner got him out of that frame.
Juniata Valley broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth. Mason Varner beat out a slow roller to third base. After a pop-up and a fielder's choice at second, Ormsby belted a double to leftcenter and Belinda came around to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
The Trojans came to life in the top of the sixth. Ryan McClain reached on an infield hit and moved to second on Ormsby's bad pickoff attempt. Walker singled to left to put runners on the corners. Walker took off for second base and catcher Derek Greene's throw was high allowing McClain to come home and tie the game. After a pair of strikeouts, Morgan came up and dropped a single into shallow centerfield to bring home Walker and Mount Union ahead 2-1.
"I think the bBiggest thing for us was the base-running that set us up," Imperioli remarked.
After two out in the bottom of the sixth Heffner walked Jesse Claar and that prompted Imperioli to bring in lefthander Garrett Heidel to pitch. He walked his first batter on four pitches but then got a strikeout to end the inning.
Tanner Perow relieved Ormsby in the seventh and left two Mount Union runners on base. Heidel allowed a one-out walk in the last of the seventh before a pair of strikeouts ended the game and gave him the save.
Mount Union plays at Tyrone today while Juniata Valley hosts McConnellsburg Monday.

[tystates]

Track & Field action! This used to be the Huntingdon County Meet, but Huntingdon dropped out last year so now it's the Juniata Valley Invitational.

Girls story.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Juniata Valley hosted its Invitational Track & Field Meet Saturday and the teams enjoyed the chance to compete and wrap it up before any of the forecasted rainy weather arrived on what ended up being a nice spring day. The Green Hornets asserted themselves as the top team in the field, winning the event with 106 points and claiming the Outstanding Jumper award.
Senior Rachel Kyper earned the nod as the best jumper on the day with a pair of first place ribbons and two more for second place. Mount Union junior Alana Saulen received the Outstanding Runner honor after winning two sprints. Rocket senior Clarrissa Woodward took the Outstanding Thrower award.
West Branch placed second overall with 71 points followed by Southern Huntingdon (53) and Mount Union (44). The Rockets were the champions in 2011 and the Hornets the runner-ups.
Juniata Valley enjoyed a solid day all around, easily outscoring the rest of the competition with 43 points in the field events and 63 on the track. Rachel Kyper came out as the top individual scorer in the meet with 20 points.
Kyper won the long jump by leaping 15-2.5 feet and the triple jump by covering 31-6.5. She showed her versatility by placing second in the 100 and the 200 meter dashes. In both of those races it was Saulen taking first place with a time of 13.32 in the 100 and 28.82 in the 200.
Senior Brittany Kurtz won the 1600 with a time of 6:05 and also the 3200 by finishing in 13:31.96 for the Hornets. Classmate Lydia Jenkins took first in the 100 meter hurdles in 17.59 and placed second in the high jump. Also winning an event for Juniata Valley were Chely Miller with a time of 1:10.35 to take the 400 meters and Faith Leri who won the 300 hurdles in 56.97. Leri was also third in the high jump and Miller added fourth in the 800.
Taylor Cooper was second in the discus as was Scarlet Vogel in the javelin. Kerrigan Ammerman had a pair of third place finishes in the 100 and 200 with Sofia Varner taking third in the pole vault. Brooke Emery was third in the 3200 and fourth in the 1600. Sierra Gardner had two fourth place ribbons.
Juniata Valley won the 400 relay with the team of Ashley Dick, Jenkins, Ammerman and Varner finishing in 56.08. The Hornets placed third in the 1600 and 3200 meter relays.
Woodward helped the Rockets by scoring 10 points. Her toss of 87-7 won the discus and she was third in the shot put and fifth in the javelin.
Hannah Varner also picked up 10 points for Southern Huntingdon. She was second at 8-0 in the pole vault to teammate Elaina Winter. Varner placed third in the 300 meter hurdles, fourth in the high jump and fifth in the 100 hurdles.
Southern's Madison Walker took the javelin with a throw of 107-11 and she added fifth in the shot. Andrea Darby collected third place in the 400 and 800 meter runs. The Rockets also placed second in the 1600 and 3200 relays.
Mount Union's Katrina Hammon had a very good day as she scored 15 points. Her height of 4-6 won the high jump and she was second in the 100 hurdles, third in the long jump and fourth in the high jump.
Tynita White had the only other first place for the Trojans as she won the shot put with a toss of 29-11.25. White was also fourth in the discus. Alicia Baker, Vanessa Fishel, White and Saulen were third in the 400 relay.
Southern Huntingdon and Mount Union are both back at Juniata Valley Tuesday for a tri-meet.

[tystates]

JV Invitational Boys story.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Juniata Valley held its second annual Invitational Track & Field Meet Saturday and Southern Huntingdon won the team trophy once again. The Rockets proved to be the best on this day with 109 points and also garnered the Outstanding Thrower award.
Junior Arron Thomas received the top thrower honor after winning the discus and shot put. Mount Union senior Greg Keiser was tabbed as the Outstanding Jumper and classmate Zach McKeehan shared the Outstanding Runner recognition with West Branch's Ethan Slippey.
The Warriors were second in the final team standings with 60 points followed closely by the Trojans with 58 and the Green Hornets with 48. Southern Huntingdon won the meet last year with the Trojans coming in second.
Southern Huntingdon dominated on the track with 64 points and netted 45 in the field events. The Rockets had five athletes score 10 or more points in individual events.
Thomas took first in the shot put at 39-7.5 with teammate David Pearce in second. Thomas won the discus by almost three feet better than Juniata Valley's Kris Gardner with a toss of 103-11.
Rocket junior Dane Cornelius had a really good day as he scored 22 points. Cornelis won the javelin with a throw of 135-6, the pole vault by clearing 13-0 and the 110 hurdles with a time of 17.57. He was also second in the 300 hurdles with Tyler Rathke third.
Jacob Dean was the only other individual winner for the Rockets, taking the 3200 in 11:18.13 with Dison Myers in second place. In the 1600 it was Brennan Shields in second and Dean in third place. Shields was also second in the 800 and fourth in the triple jump.
Nathan Patterson took second in the triple jump and the high jump for the Rockets and also picked up third in the 110 hurdles. Derek Whitsel gathered second in the 400, third in the 200, fourth in the 100 and fifth in the long jump.
Pearce also added fourth in the discus with Rathke taking third in the pole vault and fifth in the high jump. Dean, Andrew Parana, Patterson and Shields won the 3200 relay in 9:11.71.
Keiser was the triple jump winner for the Trojans by reaching a distance of 37-6. He was also third in the long jump and fourth in the javelin. McKeehan won the 800 in a time of 2:11.85 and also the 1600 in 4:57.43. Casey Cramer had the only other first place for Mount Union by finishing the 300 hurdles in 46.34.
Dylan Smith was second in the 110 hurdles, Kole House the runner-up in the long jump, and Austin Low ranked second in the pole vault for the Trojans. Jimmy Nicastro added third in the triple jump. Mount Union came in second in the 1600 and 3200 relays.
Brett Grissinger had the only first place finishes for the Hornets. His 11.38 in the 100 meters beat Slippey but he placed second behind the West Branch runner in the 200. Grissinger won the long jump (19-6).
Stewart Borst was third in the shot put and high jump for the Hornets, as was Ian Hawn in the shot put. Nathan Feagley had two fourth place finishes, Abe Eisenhart a fourth and fifth, and Gunther Frehn to fifth place ribbons. Caleb Taylor, Borst, Eisenhart and Grissinger were second in the 400 relay.
The Rockets and Trojans are back in Alexandria for a tri-meet Tuesday.

[tystates]

More track, the Bellwood-Antis Invitational.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Mount Union, Southern Huntingdon and Juniata Valley participated in the 50th annual Bellwood-Antis Invitational track and field meet Monday. The Trojan girls were the only squad to take a first place ribbon and the Rocket boys turned in the highest team score among the locals.
Junior Alana Saulen of the Trojans won both of the sprints and was in contention for the Outstanding Runner award. Southern Huntingdon's Madison Walker took second in the javelin as the next highest place out of all the county schools. For the boys it was Southern's Dane Cornelius and Mount Union's Zach McKeehan with the highest places, taking second in the pole vault and 1600 respectively.
The Mount Union girls placed the highest in the team standings at ninth with 22.5 points. Southern Huntingdon's boys were also ninth overall with 18 points.
Richland won the girls team trophy by the slimest of margins with 86 points, just one-half of a point ahead of Penns Valley. Bellwood easily won the boys championship with 132 points, followed by the Rams with 65.
Mount Union heads to Huntingdon for dual-meet competition Tuesday. Juniata Valley and Southern Huntingdon are off to the West Central Coaches meet Friday. All three schools return to Bellwood May 7 for the Intercounty Conference championships.
Girls
The biggest competition in the girls' meet was on the track where three different runners each won two events. Saulen took the 100 meters in 13.37, edging J. Swogger of Tyrone by eight-hundreths of a second. Saulen's time of 27.65 only beat Swogger in the 200 by 0.06 seconds. The Trojan speedster starts the race from a standing position as shin splints prevent her from using starting blocks, yet she still is able to beat everyone to the finish line.
"I was here last year and was injured so it feels good to come back and win," Saulen remarked. "I feel really good right now and enjoy the community support I've been getting."
Richland's Paige Lumley took both the 100 and 300 meter hurdles while Baker of Bedford won the 400 and 800 meter runs. Lumley received the Outstanding Runner award, with Penns Valley's Grace Gover taking Outstanding Jumper and Leah Skedel of United the Outstanding Thrower trophies.
Mount Union's Katrina Hammon finished in a tie for fifth in the high jump at a height of 4-6. Tynita White finished sixth in the shot put as the only other Trojan to score points.
Southern Huntingdon girls placed 12th in the team standings. Walker was second in the javelin with a toss of 110-0. Elaina Winter tied for sixth in the pole vault for the Rockets.
Juniata Valley placed in three events overall. Brittany Kurtz finished fifth in the 3200 while Lydia Jenkins came in sixth in the 110 hurdles. Jenkins, Haley Myers, Ashley Dick and Sophia Varner were sixth in the 400 meter relay.
Boys
Southern Huntingdon's boys had four places on the day. Cornelius was the top seed in the pole vault and placed second at a height of 12-6. Jacob Dean had a nice run in the 3200 and took third with a time of 10:31.16.
Arron Thomas threw the shot put his personal best of 42-1.5 to place fifth and also qualify for the District Six Class A meet. Dean, Andrew Parana, Nathan Patterson and Brennan Shields turned in a school-record time of 8:47.68 to take fifth in the 3200 relay.
Brett Grissinger scored the only points of the meet for Juniata Valley. He was the top seed in the 100 but fell to fourth with a time of 11.57, and he added fourth place in the long jump (19-8).
Richland's Ryan Brown was named the Outstanding Runner. Jeremy Claypoole from Bellwood was the Outstanding Jumper and United's Stefan Moreau took Outstanding Thrower honors.

[tystates]

The Intercounty Conference Track & Fields championships, boys and girls stories.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Area schools did themselves proud at the fifth annual Intercounty Conference Track & Field championships at Bellwood-Antis Monday. All four locals placed in the top 10 of the final team standings and Juniata Valley senior Rachel Kyper was named the Outstanding Jumper.
Overall the locals took first place in six individual events. Tussey Mountain's Allyson Gearhart set a new ICC meet record in the 100 meter hurdles.
The Green Hornets placed sixth as a team with 38 points. The Titans and the Mount Union Trojans were tied for seventh with 33 points and Southern Huntingdon was 10th with 13.5 points.
Northern Bedford won the team championship with 118 points, followed by host Bellwood with 107.5. Everett was third with 69 points.
Theole Feuillet from Everett was named Outstanding Thrower with Northern's Maria Snyder claiming the Outstanding Runner award.
Kyper made a rough day turn into a good one for herself. She made it through the meet despite feeling sick and was able to not only compete in all her events but set a personal best in the triple jump.
Kyper was seeded-fourth at 31-10 but won the triple jump by reaching 32-5. Her distance of 15-0 was second by just two inches in the long jump to Bellwood's Katy Leamer. Kyper also finished sixth in the 100 meter dash.
"I was so exhausted today," Kyper remarked. "It makes me feel good that I won but I wish I'd jumped better because I know I can."
Kyper also gave credit to Mount Union junior Katrina Hammon for helping to keep her competitive spirit up. Now her focus is on the District Six championship meet May 15.
Lydia Jenkins placed third in the 110 hurdles for the Hornets. Brittany Kurtz took fourth in the 3200 and fifth in the 1600. Chely Miller was sixth in the 400 and the combination of Ashley Dick, Jenkins, Haley Myers and Sofia Varner were third in the 400 meter relay for Juniata Valley.
Titan sophomore Gearhart broke the ICC meet record in the 300 hurdles with a time of 48.95. The previous mark of 49.94 was set by Southern Huntingdon's Marie Revercomb last year.
"I think I've conditioned better this year than last year," Gearhart commented.
"I was pretty excited to set the record. I couldn't wait to call my mom because she couldn't be here. The track's wet and I didn't feel loose but after I got out there I was ready."
Gearhart ran a 17.65 in the 100 hurdles and placed fourth. Now her sights are set on the district meet to see what she can do at Altoona's Mansion Park.
Tussey Mountain junior Carlee Bussard won the discus with a throw of 96-2. She added fifth place in the shot put. Freshman Devin Folk took third in the 400 and sixth in the 200.
Mount Union's Alana Saulen repeated her double-win performance from last week at the Bellwood-Antis Invitational. Saulen won the 100 meters in 13.20 and the 200 in 27.37.
Trojan freshman Tynita White was second in the shot put with a throw of 31-1. Hammon added fourth place in the high jump and fifth in the 100 hurdles for Mount Union.
Madison Walker added three feet, seven inches to her throw of the javelin and took first place with a distance of 114-0 for the Rockets. Hannah Varner and Elaina Winter were fifth and sixth respectively in the pole vault. Southern's team of Winter, Varner, Andrea Darby and Ellie Revercomb were sixth in the 1600 relay.
Mount Union has a meet Thursday at Everett and then will join Juniata Valley and Southern Huntindon at the District Six championships May 15. The Titans' District Five meet is May 16 at Northern Bedford.

[tystates]

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Tussey Mountain, Mount Union, Southern Huntingdon and Juniata Valley all saw good things at the Intercounty Conference Track & Field championship meet Monday at Bellwood-Antis. The teams took first place in three events and saw Titan Gabriel Goizueta and Trojan Zach McKeehan each break a record.
Goizueta set his mark in the 3200 meters while McKeehan put his name in the record book in the 1600. Mount Union won a pair of events while Southern Huntingdon had the most places among the locals.
The Titans ended up fifth overall with 32 points followed by the Trojans with 27. The Rockets were eighth with 21 points and the Green Hornets scored 19 points for 12th place.
The host Blue Devils own the team championship with 162 points. Northern Bedford was second (85) and Southern Fulton third (82).
Bellwood also won two of the individual awards with Seth Worthing the Outstanding Runner and Jeremy Claypoole the Outstanding Jumper. McConnellsburg's Ryan Stockle was the Outstanding Thrower.
There were eight records set on the day with six coming in the boys' meet. Goizueta won the 3200 with a time of 10:13.39, over 18 seconds better than the old mark set by Bellwood's Kyle Bartlett last year. Goizueta also placed fourth in the 1600 meters.
Tussey Mountain's Darrin Sipes turned in second place in the 100 and fifth in the 200. Teammate Tyler Runk was runner up in the pole vault at 11-6.
McKeehan didn't run his best time in the 1600 but still won the race and set a new meet record with a mark of 4:40.75. Chris Foore of Tussey Mountain held the previous best set last year.
"It was a good race and I knew there would be a lot of competition," McKeehan said.
"It's pretty exciting. It's been a good season for me. I'm concentrating on the mile to get my time lower for districts."
McKeehan's best friend Hunter Gladfelter took a turn at the 800 and won the race with a time of 2:07.08. Mount Union's Kai House took fourth in the shot put and Greg Keiser was sixth in the triple jump. The team of Gladfelter, Casey Cramer, Kelvin Abrashoff and McKeehan were fifth in the 1600 relay.
Jake Dean placed the highest for the Rockets with third in the 3200. Dane Cornelius was fifth in the 110 hurdles and sixth in the 300 hurdles. Also placing individually were Arron Thomas' fifth in the discus, Brennan Shields' sixth in the 1600 and Nathan Patterson's sixth in the high jump.
The Rockets placed in all three relay events. Patterson, Andrew Parana, Dean and Shields were third in the 3200 relay with a time of 8:49.95. Mason Parks, Dewey Whitsel, David Glunt and Shields were sixth in the 1600 relay while Trenton Collins, Hunter Snyder, David Pearce and Thomas were sixth in the 400 relay.
Juniata Valley's Brett Grissinger was third in the 100 (11.65) and third in the long jump (20-1.25). Kris Gardner was sixth in the javelin while the pairing of Abe Eisenhart, Stewart Borst, Caleb Taylor and Grissinger took third in the 400 relay (47.13).
Mount Union is at Everett Thursday before they along with Juniata Valley and Southern Huntingdon go to the District Six meet in Altoona May 15. The Titans are at the District Five competition May 16.

[tystates]

Huntingdon City Baseball League play. It's an adult men's league.

It's hard for any team in the Huntingdon City Baseball League to match up and slug the ball back and forth with the three-time defending champions from the Moose Lodge. Tim Strait led a barrage of offense with two home runs and nine RBI as Moose demolished Park's 23-8 in three innings.
Strait finished the day four for four along with a double and four runs scored. His four home runs on the year moves him into the league lead.
Corey Wertz also homered and was three for three with three runs and three RBI. Derek Heatah, Brandon Rogers, Jesse Leonard and Corey Stuller each drove in a pair of runs.
Moose (3-1) scored its 23 runs on 16 hits and also utilized three errors and seven walks by Park's (0-6). Wertz hit a towering three-run homer to left in the top of the first, and Strait followed two batters later with a blast to rightfield for a 6-0 lead.
Matt Weller lined a two-run homer off Ryan Morrison in Park's first at-bat to make the score 6-2. Moose batted around in all three frames and scored seven runs on six hits in the second inning. Strait and Stuller each had two-run singles in the inning.
Park's stayed alive by scoring six runs on three hits in the bottom of the second. Troy Singer capped the frame with a two-run double.
Moose scored 10 runs on six hits and three errors in the third inning. In the frame Strait hit a two-run double and smashed a three-run homer.
Ryan Morrison received the win allowing four earned runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts in the three innings.
The Royals take on Hoss's tonight at 6:15 p.m.

[tystates]

All-star football game this Friday, here's my preview.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Practice under a hot sun has been taking place this week for the South squad at Hollidaysburg Area High School. They will take on the North team in the 28th annual Lezzer Lumber Classic Friday night at War Vet's Field in Huntingdon with kickoff at 7 p.m.
The game gives players a final send off in what for some is the last football game they will play. Huntingdon County is represented by 12 players from four schools and two coaches.
Ernie Fetzer from Penn Cambria is the head coach of the South. Fetzer has been at Penn Cambria for the last seven years and has 42 years of coaching experience. He is joined by his defensive coordinator Tony Tomacelli, Mike Smith from Juniata Valley, Ryan Garlock from Southern Huntingdon, Bob Hearn of Williamsburg and George Miskinis of Mifflin County.
"It's an honor to be chosen to do it," Fetzer said of coaching the South team. It's his first time in the Lezzer Lumber Classic and Smith is the only coach on the staff that has been in this game before.
"You look on paper at who you have and try to get kids into some positions, and then put together formations and things we're going to do. They pick that stuff up very quickly."
Fetzer is working with the offensive team along with Garlock who is coaching the running backs and Smith who is overseeing the offensive line. Tomacelli is helping the defense along with Miskinis and Hearn.
"I'm just enjoying the week and helping where I can," Garlock remarked. "I'm taking it all in and enjoying watching the talent that's here."
Among the choices for Fetzer at quarterback are Hollidaysburg's Brandon Gallagher, James Dodson from Claysburg-Kimmel and Ryan Stuby of Bellwood-Antis. Huntingdon's Alec Tressler is slated to play defense in the secondary.
The backfield for the South looks pretty solid with Christian Getz of Tyrone, Andrew DeGol from Bellwood and Kris Stern of Hollidaysburg. Mount Union's Kai House will also be an option at fullback.
"It made me feel great to be selected. I just want to experience playing with a bunch of talented athletes," House explained "It's going to be a pleasure."
Juniata Valley's Ethan Morrison is still dealing with knee injuries, but has been cleared to play. It remains to be seen how much he might get to play. Huntingdon fullback Taylor Garman is going to play linebacker and Juniata Valley halfback Mason Varner will be at safety.
"I am really honored to be here with all these great and talented guys," Varner said. "The team's coming together really quick. We're working hard and trying to beat the North."
The running backs will have among the offensive line Huntingdon's Nathan Shope and Mount Union's Michael Unger.
Rounding out the area players in the game are Juniata Valley's Stewart Borst at wide receiver, Tyler Scott of Mount Union at tight end and Anthony Marino from Southern Huntingdon at cornerback and possibly some time at split end. Nathan Patterson of the Rockets will be taking care of the kicking duties. Juniata Valley lineman Toby Boyd will not play due to injury.
Fetzer said the team is down slightly in numbers for various reasons so there are some who will have to play both ways. Overall he likes how things have been going in practice and come game time what happens on the field will take care of itself.
"My approach is we want the kids to enjoy the week and build some relationships. We'll do the best we can to prepare you, but I look at it as the game is a reward for the kids.
"It's been exciting to talk about ideas with the coaches and to be around the players. They have been awesome and are good kids."
The North has among its quarterbacks Brandon Heeter of Clarion, Josh Weakland from State College and Curtis Frye of Clearfield. The running backs include Philipsburg-Osceola's Michael John, and Beau Swales and Ryan Hertlein from Clearfield.
The South won last 35-14 and snapped a two-game slide in the series and a win Friday would even the overall series at 14-14.
Advance tickets are available at the Huntingdon Area High School for $5. At the gate tickets will cost $6.

[tystates]

Local men's basball league. Oh this was such a bad game tonight.

South Side and the Royals played a game for the ages and proved that no lead is safe. The Siders rallied with eight runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game but the Royals scored the game-winner in the bottom of the frame to win by an extra-point 21-20.
This one shows all kinds of statistics to catch the eye. The two teams combined to commit 18 errors which made just 12 of the 41 total runs scored in the game earned.
Mike Kyper finished five for five with five runs, a homer and six RBI for the Royals (7-8). Matt Kyper went four for five with three RBI. The venerable Craig "Doc" Eisenhart threw a complete game for the win, allowing 23 hits and only seven earned runs.
Josh Bafia drove in four runs for the Siders and ended up with the loss after throwing five innings of relief and giving up two earned runs on eight hits. Nate Mykut and Ed Klester each had four hits for South Side (3-11).
Each team scored three runs in the first, then South Side took a 5-3 lead in the top of the second. The Royals appeared to be in control of the game after scoring 11 runs on eight hits in the bottom of the second. Bob Revercomb and Jake Ayers each drove in a pair of runs ahead of a two-run homer by Mike Kyper that made the score 14-5.
South Side put runs on the board in every inning. They pulled to a 14-9 score before the Royals made it 17-9. In the middle of the sixth the Royals were in front 20-12.
In the top of the seventh South Side scored eight runs -- all unearned -- on six hits and four errors. With the bases loaded and two out Bafia sent a liner to centerfield that Allen Wagner dove for and missed, which resulted in Bafia circling the bases for an inside the park grand slam home run to tie the game 20-20.
The Royals put a man on first on a two-out throwing error in the last of the seventh. Mike Kyper then doubled to deep leftfield to score Jake Ayers with the winning run.
This evening at 6:15 p.m. South Side plays Moose before the postseason begins Wednesday.


SOUTH SIDE (20)
Mykut, cf, ss 6-2-4; Klester, 3b 5-2-4; Bafia, ss, p 5-3-2; Alleman, c 5-3-1; A. Everhart, 1b 6-1-2; Hallahan, p, cf 6-2-3; Ewing, 2b 5-1-1; Marter, lf 5-3-3; M. Everhart, rf 5-3-3. Totals: 48-20-23.
ROYALS (21)
Revercomb, ss 6-3-3; Ayers, c 5-5-2; Mi. Kyper, 3b 5-5-5; Ma. Kyper, 1b 5-1-4; Wagner, cf 4-1-1; J. Eisenhart, 2b 3-1-0; Suit, lf 4-1-0; Fouse, rf 4-0-0; Kocik, rf 0-0-0; C. Eisenhart, p 5-4-2. Totals: 41-21-17.
Errors: Mykut 3, Bafia, Marter, Alleman, Klester; Revercomb 4, J. Eisenhart 2, Mi. Kyper 2, Fouse, Suit.
2B: Mykut, Klester, M. Everhart, Marter; Revercomb 2.
3B: Mykut.
HR: Bafia; Mi. Kyper.
Pitching
IP: Hallahan 1.2, Bafia 5.0; C. Eisenhart 7.0.
SO: Hallahan 1, Bafia 9; C. Eisenhart 2.
BB: Hallahan 2, Bafia 2.
H: Hallahan 9, Bafia 8; C. Eisenhart 23.
WP: C. Eisenhart; LP: Bafia.
Score by Innings
South Side 322 221 8 - 20 23 7
Royals 3 11 0 330 1 - 21 17 11

[tystates]

VFW Teener League 13-14 year-old state tournament.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
Huntingdon's path through the VFW 13-14 year-old teener league state championship tournament in Philipsburg this weekend took a turn for the worse. Following a long delay due to poor field conditions after the thunder storms Saturday, Huntingdon fell into the loser's bracket and after a second game Sunday were eliminated.
The 2-2 record at states gives Huntingdon fourth place and a 9-3 record overall since the Area Five tournament began. The tournament began with a 15-1 win over Punxsutawney Friday. Philipsburg knocked off Huntingdon 7-5 Saturday, then Sunday the locals beat Punxsutawney again 10-5 before losing to Altoona 12-5.
"I'm proud of the season we had," Huntingdon manager Shawn Speck said. "Finishing fourth is something to look back on in the future. A lot of them have potential to be here again as 15 and 16-year olds."
Schuylkill East made it through to the finals undefeated, beating East Shore Stammel, Altoona and Philipsburg, and will play Philipsburg today at 11 a.m. Philipsburg will have to win two games to claim the state title.
East Shore Stammel eliminated Bellefonte before losing to Altoona. Punxsutawney stayed alive by topping East Shore Albright 14-4 before losing to Huntingdon. Philipsburg then beat Altoona 12-5 to reach the finals.
Philipsburg 7, Huntingdon 5
The major thunderstorms around the region Friday and saturday put a hurting on the Philipsburg teener league field. Saturday's games were delayed well into the afternoon and not all scheduled contests were completed.
Huntingdon's game was shifted over to the high school field and Philipsburg jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a pair of errors. A hit batsman and a sacrifice fly factored into the scoring even though Kodiak Heaton didn't give up any hits.
The bottom of the second saw Huntingdon fight back with a pair of runs. Heaton and Logan Fisher singled and a walk to Hudson Speck loaded the bases. Nate Stratton hit a sacrifice fly and Leif Brown brought a run home with a fielder's choice.
A three-run third put Huntingdon in front 5-3. Chris Alleman singled a run home and Speck doubled to score two more.
Brandon Zwick singled two runs across the plate for Philipsburg in the fifth. They scored two more runs in the sixth on three hits and two errors to take a 7-5 lead. Zwick pitched four and two-third innings of relief to get the win for Philipsburg, allowing five hits and three walks. Huntingdon left 11 men on base, including two in the bottom of the seventh.
Huntingdon 10, Punxsutawney 5
Sunday started at 10 a.m. for Huntingdon at the Philipsburg High School field. Hunter Price pitched five nice innings and allowed one run on three hits for the win.
After scoring one run in the second inning, Huntingdon added two more in the third on a hit by Daniel Kyper and a fielder's choice from Speck. Alleman's three-run double in the third ignited a five-run outburst for Huntingdon. Speck capped the frame with a triple to make the score 8-0.
Three errors helped Huntingdon make the score 10-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Fisher couldn't put Punxsy away in the seventh as they scored four runs. Speck got the final two outs on the mound.
Altoona 12, Huntingdon 5
Huntingdon had four errors and managed only three hits in the final game. Despite the lack of offense they still held a 3-2 lead and were only down 8-5 after four innings.
"It was a bad time to have our worst hitting game. We had some defensive miscues but we had to hit to get back into the game and we didn't," Speck remarked.
Altoona took a 2-0 lead against Alleman in the top of the first. Huntingdon came back with one run in each of its first three trips to the plate. Heaton brought a run home in the first, Speck scored on an error and his bases-loaded walk made the score 3-2 in the third.
Altoona scored six runs on six hits in the fourth to take the lead for good. Bubba Johnson doubled a run home and two more scored on a single by Donny McConnell. Speck came on in relief and got the last out.
Huntingdon got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Price and Jon Wagner raced home on a throwing error at first but Kyper was called out at the plate to end the inning.
Altoona didn't let Huntingdon hang around and scored two more runs in the fifth. They added another pair of runs in the sixth for a 12-5 lead. Noah Robertson threw five innings of one-hit relief to get the win for Altoona.

[tystates]

From Penn State media day, today.

By TY R. STATES
Contributing Writer
For better or worse, richer or poorer, Penn State University and its fans are in this thing together. The upcoming 2012 college football season is nearly upon us and on media day Thursday the Nittany Lions let everyone know what they are thinking.
The theme of the day from the coaches and the players was they are moving forward. What's done is done. The penalties against the football program can't be changed, the players that chose to leave and play football elsewhere aren't coming back. All this team wants to do is prepare and then play the game the way they know how and the way it is expected of a Penn State team to play.
"We all have to come together and realize why we are in the positon we are in," head coach Bill O'Brien remarked. "We have to stop arguing about it and move forward and think about today.
"These are fantastic kids. We've got guys that are great students. We've got guys here who love to play football, who have a passion for playing for Penn State. They understand why we're in the position that we're in, and they're going to help guide us through the next couple of years."
O'Brien is the 15th head coach in Penn State history as he takes over for the beloved Joe Paterno, who passed away on Jan. 22 due to complications from lung cancer at the age of 85. Everyone involved in the football program, the students, and the fans have gone through an incredibly hard time with Paterno's passing and the unprecedented sanctions brought against the school by the NCAA. After all that has gone down it still comes back to the games being played on the field and just how good will the Nittany Lions be? That is a hard question to answer.
The hallmark of Penn State football is its defense. Linebacker-U. The school is called that for a reason. Expect the Lions' defense to be the strength of the team, especially early in the season as the offense gets up to speed with the new system.
"With depth on the defensive line and the linebackers, the front seven is the strength of our football team," O'Brien said.
Penn State will still run the familiar 4-3 defense. The front line starts defensive tackles Jordan Hill and DaQuan Jones and defensive ends Sean Stanley and Pete Massaro. The linebackers are always key in sparking the defense, and expect more big plays from Gerald Hodges, Michael Mauti, Glenn Carson and Mike Hull. The secondary has Stephon Morris, Adrian Amos, Jacob Fagnano and Jesse Della Valle.
"We're going to be mixing it up a lot with different fronts and flying around out there," Mauti said. "We're going to be good tacklers and hard-hitting -- the things that made Penn State defense great."
Senior Matt McGloin will be the starting quarterback, but O'Brien stated sophomore Paul Jones will see some playing time. The coach is very high on McGloin's abilities and how much he has improved.
"This is a guy that the more you're around him, the more you enjoy coaching him," O'Brien said. "Matt is competitive; he's smart; he's understanding defenses better. So I've seen a lot of progress with Matt, and it's been a lot of fun watching it."
The offense took a hit when tailback Silas Redd decided to leave Penn State and play at the University of Southern California. Redd rushed for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago.
O'Brien really likes sophomore Bill Belton, who he converted from wide receiver to running back. He has already named Belton as the starting tailback.
"Belton showed he has really good feet, can balance himself and spin, and is much better in the first three days of practice with ball security."
The Nittany Lions have 22 days before the season-opener against Ohio University at Beaver Stadium Sept. 1. To a man, the coaches and the players all reaffirmed they are committed to the team and the school, and they will take the field with the intent to win the game. A winning season despite all the penalties handed down from the NCAA would be a great boost to everyone who loves the blue and white.

[Kelly Monro]

Ty, I am asking for YOUR personal opinion, and not the paper you work for, etc, but what do YOU think about the penalties given to Penn State? Fair? Unfair? Not enough?

[tystates]

The thing I was the most upset at was the NCAA taking away every win from 1998 - present. That was only done because everyone (NCAA, PSU, etc.) just wants Joe Paterno's name completely forgotten, wiped out as if he didn't exist. They don't want his name listed as the all-time winningest coach.

The fines, loss of scholarships, no bowls games, was pretty harsh. Exactly as it happened last year during the season when this stuff started coming out, they all rushed to judgment and had to do something right then, like fire him.

I like the new coach, he's said a lot of good things, the players know the score, where they are at and why and all they want to do is play and restore the Penn State name.

[tystates]

After 10 years at The Daily News as a part-time sports writer I am finally getting hired full-time after a meeting on Monday morning. I moved home from Bedford where I was the sports editor at the Gazette this month in 2002, to help my parents who weren't in good health. I've been here all this time, somehow just getting by financially. It's just me in the house now, dad is gone and mom is in a nursing home. I never left because I wanted to be home and do whatever I still could for my mom. The only reason I just got by for so long is I'm in mom and dad's house which of course has long since been paid for, and I own my car so those are two bills I didn't have. Still, things like property taxes every year would wipe me out but I made it for 10 years and I am so happy to get to work fulltime. I'll have insurance! Been 10 years since I had that.

[tystates]

The PA state horseshoe championships.

By TY R. STATES
Sports Writer
More than 140 pitchers converged on the Stone Creek Valley Lions Club over the holiday weekend for the 2012 Pennsylvania State Singles Horseshoe Tournament. At the end of two days of non-stop competition, state champions were crowned in 18 classes with Huntingdon residents Ronald Jadlocki and Rick Huffnagle each claiming a title.
Denny Hall, President of the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, along with all the volunteers from the Lions Club made the many hours spent at the facility very much worth the time. The concession stand, many different games of chance, a car show and all the people easily ensured a good time for everybody.
Pitchers threw against each of the other competitors in their respective class in a round-robin format. The higher classes, determined by ringer percentage, played to 40 points with no limit on how many throws it took. The lower classes played a game to 40 points or 50 shoes thrown, whichever came first. The winner was determined by their win/loss record and ties broken by ringer percentage.
Jadlocki finished the round robin of games in the Men's J Class at 5-1 and tied for first place with Al DelVecchio. In the case of a first-place tie a playoff game was held to 40 points or 50 throws. Jadlocki had a ringer percentage of 26 in the playoff and won by a score of 31-23.
In addition to Ron, three more members of his family played in the state singles tournament. Dave Jadlocki, Ron's brother, his wife Debra and daughter Lauren were all involved in the games.
Lauren Jadlocki, 15, placed second in the Junior's Championship (18 and under). Her record was 5-2 but her ringer percentage of 43.31 was almost five percent better than the 13 year-old winner Asa Mast.
"I like throwing with people who are better than me because it makes me better," Lauren explained.
"She's (Lauren) the best in the family by far," Debra remarked.
Dave Jadlocki finished tied for second place in the Men's I Class behind state champ Ivan Header. Dave's ringer percentage of 16.67 was lower than the other two players so he finished in fourth place. Area residents Hall and Zach Everetts were sixth and seventh respectively.
"We play at home and every time we get together we're throwing shoes," Dave said.
Also from Huntingdon, Tiffany Carper, 17, finished third in the Junior's Championship. Her father Chris placed sixth in the Men's K Class.
"It really doesn't matter to me where I end up as long as I have fun," Tiffany remarked.
Debra Jadlocki emerged from the Mixed 30' D Class in fifth place. Howard Allen went 5-0 to win the state title.
In the Men's G Class, Huffnagle won the round robin with a 5-1 record. His ringer percentage was 23.43 in winning his first singles title after being a state doubles champion last year.
"I threw against a bunch of tough people. I love this game and the people," Huffnagle said.
Huntingdon's Charlie Feagley, a state singles and doubles champion in 2009, placed third in the Men's K Class with Lawnie Brown Jr. taking first. Also from Huntingdon, Bob Itinger and Leroy Bumgardner were fifth and seventh respectively.
"I came in third and I'm happy," Feagley said. "Whoever has the best day usually wins. It's a lot of fun, even when you lose."
The overall Men's Championship Class began Saturday with 16 pitchers. The top eight advanced to the finals Sunday with the next eight moving to the Men's A Class. Randy Zeiders of Mifflintown went 7-0 with a 69.41 ringer percentage to win the state singles championship.
Cindy Hoffman from Pittsburgh won the Women's Championship by going 6-0 and throwing a ringer 71.97 percent of the time. The Elder's Championship, ages 80 and over, went to Warren Moore.
Larry Jenkins Jr. took the Men's D Class title. Gary Powell from Huntingdon was fifth. Leroy Mast won the Men's F Class. Huey Garrity of Huntingdon was sixth. Steve Swisher took first in the Men's H Class and Huntingdon's Rodney Keller was sixth.
Rounding out the state singles champions are David Young, Men's A Class; Ray Yoder, Men's B Class; Butch Maisel, Men's C Class; Jim Lower, Men's E Class; Sherwood Frankhouser, Mixed 30' A Class; Wayne McCloskey, Mixed 30' B Class; and Terry Halvorsen, Mixed 30' C Class.
The NHPA also held Hall of Fame ceremonies, inducting Dick Dart from Mount Wolf. Dart has spent 41 years in the Pennsylvania NHA. Frank McAllen, from Shippensburg, passed away in 2010 and was inducted last year. McAllen was recognized again this year with his family able to be in attendance.
The horsehoe league at the Lions Club is every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The kitchen is always open and anyone is welcome to come out and play.