PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | September, 2014

SPRINGFIELD — They’re told not to look past anyone on the schedule. They’re told to respect every opponent. They’re told to focus one week at a time.

Then the band strikes up, the stands fill up, emotions swell up … and, well, can you blame them?

“Butterflies in the locker room beforehand,’ said Springfield defensive back Lucas Spence, “and all week, really.’

Springfield’s offense secured an early two-touchdown cushion and its defense made that lead stand, helping the Cougars knock off Conestoga, 21-12, Friday night in a key Central League matchup of unbeaten teams.

The Cougars (5-0, 4-0) got a pair of first-half touchdowns from quarterback Brian Allen, a 3-yard rush and a 6-yard scoring pass to Quideer Wimes, and a third-quarter TD by Collin Braconnier that rounded out their scoring.

But Springfield’s players on the other side of the ball made the difference against Conestoga (4-1, 3-1). Delaware County’s top rushing defense limited the Pioneers to 68 yards on the ground on 24 carries. The Cougars forced four turnovers — two fumbles and two interceptions. And they stopped four of Conestoga’s five first-half drives with well-timed tackles or turnovers.

“We made so many mistakes in the first half,’ said Conestoga coach John Vogan. “That’s when we lost the game. We made more mistakes in one half than in the first four games total. And when you’re playing a big game against a good team in their house, that’s not how you win.’

Defense has been the calling card for first-year Springfield coach Chris Britton, whose club is allowing only eight points per game. Only one of Conestoga’s first-half possessions ended with a punt. The others stalled out on a variety of big-time plays from Britton and defensive coordinator Joey DiTullio’s stingy unit:

Defensive lineman Matt Cella’s quarterback sack of Tim Miller snarled Conestoga’s first drive. Dan Archibond, a defensive end, forced a fumble and tackle Brian Layden recovered on the Pioneers’ third possession. On Conestoga’s next drive, Springfield cornerback Alex Masino nearly had a pick-six, batting down a ball in open field on a fourth-down conversion gone awry. And Cougars linebacker Adam Krauter pounced on a fumble to bring Conestoga’s painful first half to a close.

“Our linebackers and linemen are top-notch. Everybody knows their role and knows their reads,’ said Spence, whose fourth-quarter interception of Miller iced the game. “Nobody does anything for themselves. It’s all for the unit.

“We just knew we had to do our job and show that we’re legit.’

Click here to read the remainder of the article.  http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26615833/football-springfields-defense-helps-keep-conestoga-at-bay

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Maybe you’d have to ask each player to know for sure, but somebody must have been tired following the completion of last Thursday evening’s Central League volleyball match between the visiting Penncrest Lions and the host Ridley Green Raiders.

Come to think of it, the coaches and spectators probably were a little bit wrung out as well.

That is because the Lions and Raiders waged a duel to the hilt – a five set match in which neither side could gain controlling momentum.

But there had to be a winner and a loser, and Penncrest was happy to ultimately depart the premises with the decision in hand (25-22, 18-25, 25-21, 20-24, 15-8).

The triumph enabled Penncrest to stay close on the heels of Garnet Valley and Strath Haven in the upper strata of the Central standings.

Although the visitors had entered the contest with the superior record, past experience had led head coach Jen Shrader and her players to expect that nothing would come easy on this occasion.

“We know that Ridley is a very scrappy team,” Shrader said. “They are especially good on defense.”

“It’s always a great match when we play them,” libero Bridgette Devlin agreed.

That it turned out to be, but in the early going it seemed as though the favored Lions might be ready to seize firm command of the proceedings.

Fueled by the powerful deliveries of outside hitter Dianna Balta, Penncrest roared to a 16-9 lead in the first set.

But that is when Ridley’s girls served notice that they had made plans for a long evening.

Spurred by some fine play on the part of outside hitter Amy Staiber, the home team closed the gap to 23-22 in the waning moments.

But middle hitter Michael Ann Henne scored at the net for the Lions, and the final volley ended with a Ridley hit sailing out of bounds.

Speaking of defense, Penncrest might not have been able to hold on without the numerous, tough digs supplied by Devlin.

“It was a great defensive effort by Bridgette (43 total digs for the match) all night long,” Shrader pointed out.

Undaunted by the loss, Ridley grabbed a 17-7 advantage in the second set, and withstood a Penncrest rally which brought the Lions as close as 19-15.

Slams early in the set by outside hitter Samantha Schreiber set the tone for Ridley’s win.

For a time in the third set, Ridley seemed to be on the way to gaining back to back wins.

Schreiber was still playing in strong fashion at the net, and middle hitter Molly Murtha joined her to give the Raiders a formidable duo up front as the home team went up by a 10-5 count.

But with Balta once again playing a key role, Penncrest responded in the middle portion of the set, going on an eight point run to take the lead at 18-15.

Thanks in part to some fine defensive work by Balta and Emily Hopkins, the Lions were able to maintain that edge to the finish.

The fourth set was arguably the most exciting of the night.

Click here to read the remainder of the article. http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26594026/girls-volleyball-penncrest-earns-narrow-league-victory-over

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CONCORD — Two weeks ago, the Garnet Valley girls soccer team sat at halftime against Penncrest, trailing by a goal and staring down the barrel of a fourth straight loss to start the season.

Just 14 days on from that contest, in which the Jaguars rallied for an impressive come-from-behind win in overtime, the team is riding high, having won seven straight. The latest installment in that run of good form, a 5-0 win over Marple Newtown Tuesday afternoon, showed just how powerful the wave of momentum is.

“I think the big difference is that we’re playing for each other and we’re actually really enjoying playing together,’ said central defender Jackie Sever, a focal point of a Jags defense that kept a fourth straight clean sheet. “We’re working as a team and keeping our high energy up. I think the first three games, we lacked energy and weren’t coming out as strong.’

Tuesday’s performance, one in which Garnet Valley (7-3, 5-1 Central League) kept Marple largely in check, was undoubtedly one from a confident side. The Jaguars scored within a minute of the start of each half. They carried a 3-0 lead into halftime, content to see out the win with their staunch defense. And as the five goalscorers attest, they were able to spread around the offense, getting contributions from up and down the roster.

“It was definitely a team effort, and everyone put in a lot of work for it,’ said forward Britney Dragoni, who was in the middle of several goals and was unlucky not to find the scoresheet herself. “You can’t do anything without everyone putting in effort, and it just definitely was a team thing. There were no individuals. We really took advantage of getting the goal and making good plays.’

On both sides of the ball, the pieces seem to be clicking for the Jaguars. The offensive onslaught started just 33 seconds into the game, with Emily Mathewson getting on the end of a loose ball in the box for her first goal of the season. Also getting her first tally of the season was reserve senior forward Kristen Garrity, who found a spinning, deflected ball played into the box, took a touch to round the goalkeeper and slotted home a shot into the open cage from an acute angle in the 27th minute to make the score 3-0.

The diversity in finishing has been a recent trend for Garnet Valley.

Click here to read the remainder of the article. http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26593009/girls-soccer-garnet-valley-has-found-its-groove

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NETHER PROVIDENCE — Some losses linger longer than others. A season ago, Strath Haven bowed out in the second round of the District One volleyball playoffs to Sun Valley. A Central League title only made the early exit that much worse.

“It still hurts,’ said head coach Kevin Haney, now in his 14th season at the helm of the Panthers. “Our goal is to get back to states. It won’t be easy, especially with Garnet Valley and Penncrest in our league.’

Monday night, Strath Haven continued its strong march back to the playoffs. The Panthers (10-1, 5-0 Central League) dispatched Upper Darby (3-7, 0-4) in three games by scores of 25-10, 25-16, and 25-15.

Lopsided affairs are nothing new to the dominant Panthers. Haney uses the games as an opportunity to rotate through the lineup as well as prepare his team for the challenges down the road.

“We’re continuing to build on team concepts,’ he said. “We need to believe that we can make good plays against any opposition.’

Strath Haven’s depth shined at home Monday. Bree Fisher and Maura Gibbs led the Panthers with a modest six kills. Captain Ellie Steif contributed 14 assists, while Maddie Caspari added 11 helpers. There was no one standout performance — a fact that defines this Strath Haven squad.

“We have a team that has a lot of depth,’ Haney said. “We can play any girl in any situation. It’s a next-man-up philosophy. We take a full advantage of our talent, and we’re fortunate that we can play everybody.’

The Panthers also feature a strong mix of youth and experience. Steif and co-captain Kara Pell lead a group of nine seniors that is bolstered by eight underclassmen. Gibbs and Caspari are both juniors, while Rachel Kent, a sophomore, swayed the second game with back-to-back kills when the score was at 17-13 in Strath Haven’s favor.

“We have a ton of experience and we’re all friends,’ Pell said of the Panthers’ team chemistry. “It’s a good thing for the younger players to learn from.’

To hear Pell tell it, though, that friendship can cause problems as well.

“We’re a goofy group,’ she said. “We’re such good friends on and off the court that some times we have trouble focusing in really important moments. Our experience helps.’

Click here to read the remainder of the article. http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26585513/girls-volleyball-determined-strath-haven-rolls

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The seeded indicators played out largely as expected Saturday at the Central League singles tennis championships at the HealthPlex in Springfield. That was especially true in the championship match, as top-seeded Rachel Benstock of Harriton defeated upstart freshman Marina Zhang of Garnet Valley, 6-1, 6-4.

The young Zhang had gotten to the final with a 6-4, 6-3 over All-Delco returner Rylee Power of Marple Newtown in the semifinal round. In the other semi, Benstock had dispatched Simone Burde of Lower Merion, 6-0, 6-0.

In the third-place match, it was third-seeded Power beating fourth-seeded Burde, 7-5, 6-4, while fifth-seeded Kaylee Lan of Conestoga beat teammate Amy Zhang (no relation to Marina), 6-4, 6-4 in the fifth-place consolation.

Amy Zhang thus placed sixth, while Harriton’s Dani Friedman finished seventh and Radnor’s Jessica Lin placed eighth.

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HAVERFORD — Brian Allen sees how dominant Springfield’s defense is on a weekly basis and can’t help, but think the offense is lagging behind just a bit.

Although the senior quarterback engineered three scoring drives and the Cougars moved the ball with proficiency throughout the second half of a convincing 21-7 triumph over Haverford, Allen believes there’s for room for improvement.

“The defense is phenomenal, man,’ Allen said. “You’ve got (linebackers) Adam Krauter, Ricky Sterling, (lineman) Brian Layden … they’ve been phenomenal. Right now, they’re holding it down and winning games for us. The offense is slacking some and we’ll pick it up, but the defense is the heart of this team right now.’

The Cougars (4-0, 3-0) don’t care how it gets done — so long as it gets done. Friday night they remained unbeaten and kept pace with Conestoga, which downed Penncrest, for first place in the Central League.

Guess who’s next on the Cougars’ schedule?

“We’re playing great football,’ Allen said. “Next week is Conestoga at home and it should be a great game.’

The turning point in Friday’s tilt came on the Cougars’ first drive of the second half. Offensive coordinator Sam Mormando called for a quarterback sneak on third-and-2. Allen had no room between the tackles, but bounced around the edge and darted 23 yards for a key first down. Ten plays later, Ricky Sterling bulldozed his way into the end zone from a yard out to put the Cougars ahead to stay. Springfield wore down Haverford’s offense with a potent ground attack. Of the 36 offensive plays the Cougars called in the second half, 33 were designed runs.

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MIDDLETOWN — Staring at consecutive losses to open the season, Penncrest found itself at a crossroads entering its Media Bowl showdown with Strath Haven.

The Lions’ strong core group of veterans knew a win was vital and several of those seniors took matters into their own hands — albeit with a little help from their underclass brethren — to hang on to a wild 27-21 victory.

“We’re happy we got the win,’ Penncrest coach Rick Stroup said. “The kids did a really good job. Obviously (Paul Somaru) and (Nick Milone) are really good players and we just had to make sure we limited their big plays.’

Led by seniors Dan Fisher, Jonah Jackson, Diego Zubieta (sack), Bobby McCafferty (six catches, 57 yards), and Andrew Benecke (sack), among others, the Lions pounced on the opportunity to turn their season around. After stopping a long Panthers drive, to start the game Penncrest played with confidence early as its opening drive was a 15-play, 97-yard masterpiece. Fisher was in complete control of Lions offense using both his arm and his legs to carve up the Panthers defense. The drive was capped when Fisher hit a wide-open Benton King for an 8-yard touchdown.

The Panthers did not sulk after giving up the touchdown, however. Strath Haven took advantage of prime field position at its 49-yard line due to a penalty and a short kickoff. Milone darted down the sideline for a 40-yard run that eventually set up Rob Magee’s 1-yard scoring run.

The Lions took command of the game when junior Ryan Kinnard scored a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs, but the Panthers once again displayed resilience. Kinnard (34 yards) and fellow junior John Batipps (79 yards) combined to be a formidable rushing attack behind the staunch Penncrest offensive line.

“We needed this win,’ said Fisher, who finished 14 of 19 for 129 yards, while also rushing for 101 yards. “We picked up our tempo at practice, made some slight changes on the offensive line, and we could run the ball tonight. The biggest thing was picking up the tempo at practice. In week one and week two, it just wasn’t there.’

Little by little Strath Haven crept back into the game. Magee added his second touchdown run of the game to cut the Lions advantage to 20-14, but even after sophomore Joe Quintilliano answered with a 14-yard scoring run for Penncrest; the Panthers never gave up.

Trailing 27-14, Panthers quarterback Nick Fender hit Milone with a 59-yard touchdown pass. Milone, who also tallied 59 yards rushing, hauled in the pass and then turned on the jets. The senior speedster dashed to the end zone to make it a 27-21 contest.

Strath Haven had one last bit comeback attempt in them. Following a Denzil Lezenby sack of Fisher, the Panthers forced Penncrest to punt with just over three minutes to go in the game. In a wild occurrence, the ensuing snap sailed high and resulted in a 27-yard loss that gave Strath Haven the ball at the Lions 24-yard line with 2:54 remaining in the contest.

Click here to read the remainder of the article. http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26526114/football-fisher-helps-penncrest-hold-victory

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CONCORD — While the Garnet Valley defense seems to be in midseason form after three games, the offense remains a work in progress. That was abundantly clear during portions of Friday night’s Central League battle with Ridley.

The Jaguars emerged victorious, 21-14, in a contest highlighted by great defensive performances. Ultimately, though, the onus was on the Garnet Valley offense to win the game.

The Jaguars were able to overcome their struggles.

Derrick West broke off a 33-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to put Garnet Valley (2-1, 2-0 Central) ahead by two touchdowns. Earlier, when the Jags were looking for a spark, receiver and kicking specialist Jacob Buttermore took a pitch from quarterback Steve Flanagan and dashed 33 yards to paydirt.

The consistency was missing, but the big-play capability was evident.

“I was really proud of the offense’s resiliency,’ coach Mike Ricci said. “We made some mistakes that are atypical of us. But when we had to make the big play at the end of the game, we did.’

West was the man that ensured the Jaguars’ second straight victory. The running back finished with a game-high 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Tight end Tom Cleary made a fantastic block, and I took it from there,’ he said of the touchdown. “Our offense never quit. We kept working hard and made sure we went out there and kept fighting.’

The defense did the rest. Garnet Valley linebacker Tom Hourican and linemen Joey Granahan and Tim Bradley led a fierce effort by the Jags, who limited the Green Raiders (1-2, 0-2) to 154 yards of offense until Ridley’s final possession of the game.

“Ridley came to play like we knew they were going to. They were focused, they were intense and played awesome defense tonight,’ Ricci said. “I also thought we played awesome defense tonight. It was a great, physical battle and it came right down to the wire. You can’t ask for anything more than that in a high school football game.’

Click here to read the remainder of the article. http://www.gametimepa.com/delaware/ci_26525546/football-garnet-valleys-defense-has-final-say-against

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By Paul Vanderveer

Football fans have become used to the sight of coaches receiving a “Gatorade shower” when a team has captured a championship or some other significant victory.

Still, it is uncommon to see such a treatment being administered on a Friday night in early September.

But for the Marple Newtown Tigers, last week’s 22-14 triumph over Strath Haven represented more than just an important Central League victory. For, as the final seconds ticked off the clock at Haven’s George L. King Field, Marple had earned the first win that Chris Gicking would experience as the new head coach of the Tigers.

Afterwards, a dripping Gicking was more than willing to give the credit to his players, who had persevered to come from behind on the uncomfortably humid night.

“All the hard work these guys have done this summer paid off in the second half,” Gicking said.

His crew had indeed labored mightily down the stretch in this one, but any witness would say that there was one member of the cast who stood out just a bit. That would be running back Adrian Sapnas, who toted the ball 36 times to amass a total of 257 rushing yards. Those numbers are a bit more amazing when it is understood that the Tigers’ team offense for the game was 266 yards.

“Adrian is a special running back,” Gicking remarked.

It’s not that the Haven defense was altogether porous. On some of those carries, the Panther defenders seemed to have Sapnas bottled up – only to see him weave his way through traffic, or emerge from a pile of bodies to sprint to the open field. The first bolt of lightning produced by Sapnas came about on Marple’s first possession of the contest. Following the right side of his line, he seemed to be submerged a wave of Haven tacklers. But he suddenly appeared on the back side of the scrum to dash 51 yards to the end zone to record the first touchdown of the game.

Impressive as that momentary feat was, it was the fourth quarter heroics which stamped Sapnas as a clutch, iron man performer. He and his mates had just watched Haven take the lead at 14-10 thanks to a methodical eight minute drive. Marple needed to respond, or perhaps have to wait another week to claim their first win of the season.

“When they (Haven) went ahead, you could tell a couple guys on our side were down,” Sapnas said.

In trouble, the Tigers turned to Sapnas.

Taking the ball on their 20-yard line, Marple staged a seven minute drive of its own to regain the lead for good. Sapnas carried the ball on twelve of the fifteen snaps, and finished things off with a three-yard touchdown burst. But the truly critical play of the night occurred earlier in the march, when Marple faced a fourth down and four yards to go at midfield. Nine minutes still remained to be played, and conventional strategy would have dictated a punt in that situation.

However, both Gicking and Sapnas agreed that it didn’t take much thought for the Tigers to buck accepted wisdom in this instance.

“Strath Haven had just driven the ball down field against us,” Gicking said. “If we gave the ball back to them there, they might have done so again and run out most of the clock. We knew we would go on fourth down there.”

“I think the coaches thought about it a little bit,” said Sapnas. “But we didn’t want to give the ball right back to them.”

In the moment of peril, the Tigers didn’t pull anything fancy out of the playbook. The ball was handed to Sapnas, who squeezed out the required yardage by a foot or so.

“Our line got a great push on that play,” said tackle Kyle Kelly.

Even after Sapnas tallied, the Panthers were only down by a 16-14 count with five minutes still to play. But Marple’s defense refused to yield a first down, and Sapnas was soon to score on a ten-yard jaunt with just over a minute left to more or less seal the win.

“We were down, but we knew we could win in the end,” Sapnas said.

“I felt dehydrated at halftime,” he added. “But my team needed me to be out there.”

Click here to read the remainder of the article. http://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2014/09/12/sports/doc54109b72c21e1856651699.txt?viewmode=fullstory

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