PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | August, 2014

With the 2014 fall season on the horizon, the Lower Merion High School boys’ soccer team took time out of its busy schedule to give back to the community.

On Aug. 20, the Aces took the field with a group from the Delaware County Special Olympics, led by former Lower Merion player and coach Bob Davidson to help those players develop their skills.

“I think the LM players get more out of this evening then we do,” said Davidson, who coached Lower Merion for 23 years. “Our players ask me when we are going back. There is a lot of laughing and having fun and that’s what this is all about.”

Lower Merion senior Evan Wolf said, “This evening is quite humbling. It is a lot of fun and it’s nice to step out of the hard work in practice to give back to the community. Giving back is what we preach to the younger kids. It is fun to step back and have fun.”

“This evening is about being a friend to the players from the Delco League (Delaware County Special Olympics),” said LM senior keeper Will Rosenbaum. “It means a lot to them but it also means a lot to us. We are members of the LM soccer team but first and foremost we are members of the community and we stress to the younger kids the importance of giving back.”

Fellow LM senior Gian Luca-Hail added, “This night is about them. It is their special time and it’s a great opportunity for us to teach a little and have fun.”

Davidson has an LM player pair up with one of his players to teach various fundamentals that include passing, trapping and shooting before concluding the evening with small scrimmages with the players from both teams who have each experienced success playing together.

To read the remainder of the article click here. http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2014/08/29/sports/doc53fe0f77c83f7782312874.txt?viewmode=fullstory

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

Late August has arrived and with it comes the anticipation of the 2014 high school football season on the part of coaches, players, and fans alike.

One of those local folks who has reason to be just a bit more pumped up is first year Marple Newtown head coach Chris Gicking.

After serving as an assistant mentor at Conestoga, Gicking is taking the reins at his alma mater, where he starred as a quarterback in the 90s.

“It is very exciting to be coaching here,” Gicking agreed.

Gicking was speaking following Saturday morning’s scrimmage against visiting Archbishop Carroll – a tussle which his Tigers unofficially “won.”

Gicking is accompanied on his return by a number of former Marple players who are serving as assistant coaches (as is his father Harry, a longtime coach in the area).

The fact that Gicking and his staff will be bleeding “black and orange” is an item which he feels is important to the program.

“Some of the alumni assistants are volunteering to do this,” he said. “It’s good to have those guys here.”

Gicking is replacing Ray Gionta, who moved on to Sun Valley after eleven years as Marple’s head coach.

While the Tigers did not capture any Central League crowns during Gionta’s tenure, Gicking appreciates what his predecessor accomplished during his lengthy stay.

“Ray did a great job here,” said Gicking. “His teams had the most wins in the program’s history. We will try to build on that.”

Gone with Gionta is the traditional wing-T offense. Arriving is the pro style (primarily I-formation) look that Gicking brings with him from ‘Stoga.

“We will be running the same offense and defense (3-4, 5-2) which Conestoga uses,” he noted.

As for the scrimmage itself, Gicking said that “there are a ton of things to work on, but we played with a lot of energy.”

To read the remainder of the article click here. http://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2014/08/29/sports/doc53fe0acd490f1758436123.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Marple Newtown football players (from left) Mark Freeney, Sebastian DiCrecenza and Anthony Goodman congratulate each other after a play during a scrimmage against Archbishop Carroll. Photo by Anne Neborak.

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

The 2014 regular season begins in earnest Friday night with 12 games involving Delco teams. Opening weekend continues into Saturday with six more contests, three of which take place down the New Jersey shore. Here are five games to watch:

Friday

Bonner-Prendergast at Upper Darby, 7

There is a lot of hype surrounding the Friars this season. After a three-win 2013 campaign and a trip to the Philadelphia Catholic League AAA title game for the third consecutive year, the popular belief is that B-P has the potential to be one of the top programs in Delco. The Friars get to show what they’re made of tonight against neighborhood rival Upper Darby, which is coming off a tremendous 8-4 season and an appearance in the District One Class AAAA playoffs.

It all starts with quarterback Collin DiGalbo, who enters 2014 as arguably the best quarterback in Delaware County and among the top at his position in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Christian DiGalbo — Collin’s twin brother — anchors the offensive line as the team’s starting center. Senior tight end Tyler Higgins is a big target in the passing game. Last year, DiGalbo threw 16 touchdowns and passed for a county-leading 1,658 yards.

The Royals hope to build on 2013’s success with, for the most part, a new cast of characters at several key positions. Christoff Minot gets his first crack behind center replacing All-Delco Chris Rossiter, who passed for 1,400 yards and 19 TDs last fall. Lawrence Bowden takes over for All-Delco Cyrus Barlee as the team’s No. 1 running back.

Upper Darby beat Bonner-Prendie in thrilling fashion on opening night last season, 28-27.

Marple Newtown at Academy Park, 7

The Tigers are one of six teams in Delco with a new coach. Chris Gicking returns to his alma mater following a successful 12-year tenure as an assistant for John Vogan at Conestoga.

The running back position looks to be a big strength for the Tigers, who netted only three wins last fall. Junior Abel Hoff and senior Adrian Sapnas are a potentially very dangerous duo.

MN is tasked with opening the year in Sharon Hill to face the defending District One Class AAA champs. The new-look Knights will start several first-year players including quarterback Allon Ingram, who takes over for All-Delco Brian Ingram. Running backs Jermaine Wesley and Jeremy Dembry hope to fill the void left by Daily Times Player of the Year Jerry Lanier.

The Knights pummeled the Tigers in last year’s opener, 38-7.

Interboro at Springfield, 7

Interboro is looking to reclaim its position as one of the most feared programs in Delco. The Bucs are coming off a 6-5 season that ended with a dominating, 12-0 win over Ridley on Thanksgiving morning. This year’s club will be led by senior quarterback Sean Menold, who is a first-year starter behind center. Mark Everton returns as one of the top receivers in the county.

Springfield could be a wild card in the Central League. Adam Krauter and Brian Allen are integral to the Cougars’ success in 2014. Allen is a top athlete and a dual threat under the center, and Krauter is arguably the top returning linebacker in the county.

The Bucs’ and Cougars’ 2013 seasons ended prematurely in the District One Class AAA playoffs. Last season, Springfield earned a hard-fought 13-7 win at South Avenue Complex.

Ridley at Glen Mills, 7

The Green Raiders and Battlin’ Bulls have met in Week 1 in each of the previous two seasons. Ridley is 2-0 in those meetings. Dennis Decker, who begins his sixth year at the helm of Ridley, is the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Glen Mills.

After stumbling to a 6-5 record in 2013, Ridley looks to get back to its winning ways this season. Mike Cropper had a fine 2013 season on the defensive line and has the ability to be a tremendous d-end with pass-rushing prowess. Ryan Dougherty is a second-year starter at linebacker and Pat Najmola is the lone returning starter on the offensive line. Tre Hinchey and Jake Hoffman, both seniors, were battling it out for the coveted starting QB position.

Glen Mills is the defending Del Val League champion and came up short in the District One Class AAA title contest against Academy Park.

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

The annual GameTimePA.com football preview is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever.

And this year, it features a new, interactive design that works on all of your devices, so you can seamlessly browse stories, schedules, results and more on your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer without downloading a thing.

The preview section also expands its coverage area for 2014, spanning high school football teams from Franklin and Fulton counties in the west all the way to Bucks County and the Delaware River in the east.

In all, the preview covers more than 115 teams, including every team in York and Adams counties and the entire L-L League, plus teams in the Mid Penn, Pac-10, Del Val League, Ches-Mont League, Suburban One League and more.

It’s all you need for complete, comprehensive coverage to get psyched for the 2014 high school football season.

Some of the features you can look forward to:

• Photos and preview stories for each team, along with team stats from 2013, coaching info and more.

• Each team’s schedule, and a week-by-week breakdown of each region’s schedule.

• Preseason watch-lists of players predicted to make an impact.

• Written recaps of last season’s results and highlights, as well as game-by-game results from the past five years.

And that’s just the beginning.

The preview will be updated with even more football preview coverage after practices officially get underway, so check back early and often for the latest and greatest in high school football coverage.

Click here to view the preview. http://projects.gametimepa.com/fbpreview/

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)

CONCORD — As May turned to June, Hailey Valerio enjoyed a front-row seat for Garnet Valley’s run to the PIAA girls lacrosse championship.

A sport she had played until last year before focusing her efforts on field hockey, Hailey watched as sisters Taylor and Madison — and numerous other friends and former teammates — played key roles in the Jaguars’ run to a state title. (Madison’s contributions included a goal in the 13-9 win in the final against Springfield.)

Witnessing the excitement that team stirred up only built the anticipation for Hailey Valerio through the summer, counting the days until the open of the field hockey season.

“It definitely helps me for field hockey,” Valerio said Monday, “because we want that for us, too.”

One of Delco’s top teams from last year, the Jaguars opened camp Monday on the first day of practice for PIAA sports with a focused but festive atmosphere. There is work to be done to build on a successful 2013 season, goes the consensus, but the hopes are high that they Jaguars have the players to take that next step.

That starts with a 15-strong senior core, led by the likes of the Valerios (all three of the triplets play field hockey), including Hailey the goalie, a recent Dartmouth commit. They have been champing at the bit to get out there and prove themselves.

Though Monday is the first official practice of the fall, a large portion of that senior group and other returnees have been working out together through the summer, meeting up at the high school many evenings to stay in shape and make sure they hit the ground running once practice opens.

It’s the kind of effort and dedication that is needed for a group that feels it has something to prove as it seeks to improve upon last season’s success. Last fall, the Jaguars came within a goal of a Central League title, falling to Conestoga, and earned a trip to the second round of the District One tournament thanks to a first-round win over Avon Grove.

The start of organized team practices Monday, then, wasn’t so much a beginning as the objective looming in the distance through weeks of hard work under the summer sun.

“I was waiting all summer to start the preseason just to show everyone that we can still be as good a team as we were as last year, since we lost all our seniors,” All-Delco midfielder Jessika Daniels said. “I want to prove to people that we can be just as good as we were last year. … I think everyone’s head is in a good place.”

To read the remainder of the article click here. http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26318440/field-hockey-fall-practices-commence-garnet-valley-among

[!] Flag as Inappropriate

Processing your request, Please wait....

Report as:	Violent or Repulsive Content|Hateful or Abusive Content|Harmful Dangerous Acts|Child Abuse|Spam|Infringes My Rights
Write in Words: (Optional)