PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | November, 2017

NETHER PROVIDENCE >> Strath Haven hasn’t had a long winning streak in 2017, but the Panthers can recall the moment they started to believe in themselves.

Oddly, that moment came after a 41-14 defeat to Springfield in late September. Springfield would go on to capture the Central League championship and become the top seed in the District 1 Class 5A tournament.

For more than three quarters, the Panthers proved they could compete with the No. 1 team in Delaware County.

“Personally, I know that we lost that game, but we were in that until the fourth quarter,” senior linebacker Ryan Morris recalled following practice Wednesday night of a game that was 28-13 after three quarters. “That gave us a lot of confidence. Then, a couple of weeks later against (Conestoga), we were able to beat them (44-7). Even though they are a 6A team and we are a 5A team, we showed that we can take it to a bigger school.

“I think that started to show us that we can compete with any team.”

Strath Haven gave several Central League teams a challenge. Then last Friday night, the Panthers (6-5) entered the District 1 Class 5A playoffs as one of several teams in the tourney with a .500 record or worse. As the 11th seed, they pulled the biggest upset of the first round — regardless of classification — with a 24-21 triumph over sixth-seeded Bishop Shanahan. Emmet Young’s field goal as time expired was the difference.

The walk-off victory gave Kevin Clancy, the winningest coach in Delco history, his 300th win.

“At the beginning of the season, we thought, ‘OK, six wins will get him 300.’ We thought it could be very doable,” said junior linebacker Ethan Belville, who scored a touchdown on a fumble return last week. “To be honest, we didn’t think it would come down to a playoff game. I didn’t realize that it was 300 until the game was over.”

If the Springfield game gave the Panthers hope that they could be a good football team, last week’s playoff victory was confirmation. Without question, it was the biggest win for Strath Haven since the 2010 campaign, when the Panthers earned their 11th district championship under Clancy’s tutelage.

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WORCESTER >> Conestoga took the opening center pass of its PIAA Class-3A state playoff opener straight into Easton’s end Tuesday afternoon. After a few passes, the shot went just wide of the cage 15 seconds into the game, but it was a sign of things to come.

The Pioneers put 29 shots on goal in a dominant 5-0 win over Easton on a cold and rainy day at Methacton High School.

“Getting the ball around the goalie and really using our people on the post really worked,” senior Kendall McGee said. “It was really cold, so obviously our hands — it was hard to get it in. Once we just kept our sticks down and were getting the rebounds it was easy to get the ball in.”

Conestoga, the District 1 runner-up, will face District 3 third-place finisher Hershey, a 7-0 winner of Pine-Richland, in the quarterfinals Saturday at a time and location to be determined.

McGee got the scoring started halfway through the first half.

“It really set the tone for our playing and hyped us all up to get us going,” McGee said of getting on the board first. “We knew that their defense wasn’t too strong and that their goalie was really good with her hands. We were really trying to get it down on the ground. That really set the tone for the whole rest of the game.”

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Conestoga’s Kendall McGee advance the ball during game against Easton. (Gene Walsh/Digital first Media)

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2017 Boys Soccer All-Central MVP: Chris Donovan, Sr., Conestoga
Team Sportsmanship: 1. Conestoga. 2. Ridley.3. Penncrest

First Team

Chris Donovan, Sr., Conestoga
Mike McCarthy, Sr., Conestoga
Nick Jennings, Sr., Conestoga
Andrew Weir, Sr., Garnet Valley
Alex Kades, Jr., Harriton
Evan Tracy, Jr., Harriton
Cameron Morse, Jr., Haverford
Harrison Bloch, Jr., Lower Merion
Max Shapiro, Sr., Lower Merion
Ryan Peter, Sr., Radnor
Nate Perrins, Sr., Strath Haven
Sebastian Connelly, Sr., Lower Merion

Second Team

Rodrigo Martinez, Sr., Radnor
Ethan Rodgers, Sr., Harriton
Connor Brown, Sr., Haverford
Ethan Blouin, Jr., Lower Merion
Luke Ciaverdelli , Sr., Marple Newtown
Max Brown, Jr., Penncrest
Ben Verbofsky, Jr., Radnor
Brendan Higgins, Sr., Ridley
Ronnie Miller, Sr., Springfield
Jon Kadoch, Sr., Strath Haven
Josh Mason, Sr., Strath Haven
Sahr Pessima, Sr., Upper Darby
Nate Congleton, Sr., Radnor

Honorable Mention

Conestoga: Jeff Charles, Logan Schwartz, Luke Smith
Garnet Valley: Michael Buchy, Nate Ominski, Jarred Sheffler
Harriton: Emil Andersen, Serhat Sakarcan
Haverford: Matt Billbrough, Wilson Dodds, Alex Reardon
Lower Merion: Isaac Brainsky, Wyatt Joseph, Kirk Robinson
Marple Newtown: Stephen Bradley, Chad Lairdson, Dan Quimby, Michael Smith
Penncrest: Matt Arborgast, Alex Boudazin
Radnor: Philip Gilbert, Peter Miller, Zach Quinn
Ridley: Zach Ritz, Brandon Zepp,
Springfield: Justin Eckard
Upper Darby: Jorge Bayberan, O’Shane Higgins, Michael Peters

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2017 Girls Soccer All-Central MVP: Hannah Morgan, Sr., Conestoga
Team Sportsmanship: 1. Upper Darby. T-2. Harriton and Strath Haven

All-Central Team
First Team

Hannah Morgan, Sr., Conestoga
Caitlin Donovan, So., Conestoga
Corryn Gamber, Sr., Penncrest
Sarah Hughes, Jr., Penncrest
Annalena O’Reilly, Jr., Haverford
Maya Masotti, Fr., Lower Merion
Maggie Forbes, Fr., Strath Haven
Morgan Rees, Sr., Harriton
Kamryn McNeal , Sr., Garnet Valley
Olivia Little, Sr., Springfield
Jenna Spray, Jr., Radnor
Bryn McLaughlin, Jr., Penncrest

Second Team

Becca Ritchie, Jr., Marple Newtown
Jaclyn Castell, Sr., Upper Darby
Emily Cooper, Sr., Ridley
Emily Wertz, Jr., Conestoga
Carly Dunford, Jr., Penncrest
Cece Peden, Sr., Haverford
Lilly Elman, Jr., Lower Merion
Liz Decarlo, Sr., Strath Haven
Reilly Short, Jr., Harriton
Alyssa Saito, Jr., Garnet Valley
Erin Cutcliff, Sr., Springfield
Alison Durfee, Jr., Haverford

Honorable Mention

Conestoga: Callista Courtney, Maeve Regan, Sydney Sloan, Nia Scott
Garnet Valley: Riley Delaney, Elena Murray, Haley Williams
Harriton: Sophie Edelblut, Gabriela Mazzoni,
Haverford: Grace Drames, Sadie Gold, Nora Janzer, Britt Reigler
Lower Merion: Aviva Kosto, Isabelle Kuszyk, Bridget McCann
Marple Newtown: Chloe Canonica, Anna Gries, Sarah Gries, Eralinda Hassani, Shannon McCarthy
Penncrest: Carly Baillis, Julia Mullaney, Katie Sparling
Radnor: Carolyn Eckstein, Missy Massimino, Brooksey Perrin-Hee, Audrey Rosenblum,
Ridley: Rylie Butler, Anna Charitonchick, Andrea Pezick, Micah Schiavo, Sydney Zimmerman
Springfield: Shannon Cutcliff, Isabelle Mastropietro, Julia Schickling
Strath Haven: Elisa Kruse, Carly Perlman
Upper Darby: Gabby Libero, Jessica Libero

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WORCESTER >> It was a little freshman exuberance that broke the façade and set off a round of the giggles.

Penncrest’s midfield Mullaney trio — senior Kat, sophomore Julia and freshman Kara — was describing its division of labor in the middle of the park, when Kara was asked what it was like to learn the ropes of varsity soccer with two older sisters behind her. With a sheepish look toward Kat, she summoned her truth.

“It’s great,” Kara said. “If someone’s like roughing me up a lot, I know (Kat) will have my back and hit them back. … She scares the other players away, kind of.”

The laughs reverberating around the trio reflected yet another instance of all three being on the same page — in perception at least, if not in when to share those revelations.

Jokes aside, the continuity the Mullaneys have brought to the Penncrest midfield is a big reason behind the Lions’ return trip to the District 1 Class 3A final and the PIAA Tournament, which they kick off Tuesday at Hamburg Area High School against District 3 champion Fleetwood (7 p.m.).

Just as their off-field personas flow seamlessly from one to another, so too do their on-field sensibilities. Kara, as the newcomer, has the lightest defensive load, a more attack-minded player usually deployed at the point of a fluid midfield triangle in the Penncrest 4-3-3. She’s scored three goals in her last 10 games, including a marker in the district quarterfinal win over Sun Valley. The quiet freshman has adapted well to playing off the shoulder of high-scoring forward Corryn Gamber, embracing a list of duties that includes distributing the imposing Gamber’s hold-up play to the active winger corps.

Julia is a consummate defensive midfielder most at home as a shield to the back four. When games get stretched, Julia is most likely to hover near the defense to tidily cut out passes and be physical with opposing attackers, letting her sisters float in the resulting midfield space.

“I really enjoy it because I’m naturally defensively minded,” Julia said. “It’s just something that’s comfortable for me. I guess it’s something natural for me. I don’t like to attack as much, so it comes natural.”

And Kat is more of a hybrid whose main function in the center of the park is as the conduit from defense to attack, charged with seeing the field in possession and getting the overlapping wide players involved.

The feistiest of the Mullaneys (and probably the entire roster), she’s also not shy about leaping vigorously into challenges, as Kara hinted.

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Penncrest’s Katharine Mullaney (13) duels with Pope John Paul II’s Kyla Mesaros for a loose ball in the District 1 playoffs. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

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The Pioneers’ goalie, a starter on last year’s PIAA 4A state championship boys’ soccer team, has a 0.67 goals-against average over 16 games this fall (as of Monday Nov. 6), including 10 shutouts. Considered an excellent distributor by Conestoga head coach David Zimmerman, he has dished out three assists this season. He also has received All-Central League honors.

Fun facts – Luke Smith

Favorite Book: Into The Wild.
Favorite TV Show: The Office.
Favorite Movie: Step-Brothers.
Favorite Athlete: Stefan Diggs.
Favorite Team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite Place to Visit: Vermont.
Favorite Pregame Meal: Berwyn Pizza Cheesesteak.
Family Members: brothers Will and Charlie, parents Kristin and Jon.

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CONCORD >> When Amber Goldberg breaks the Garnet Valley volleyball huddle Tuesday night, much will look familiar to the senior libero.

The Jaguars will be back in the PIAA Class 4A tournament that they won last year. They’ll be far from home, traveling a western path through the bracket thanks to a fifth-place finish in District 1, same as last fall.

And the girls around the senior libero will be the ones who filled the Garnet Valley buses on lengthy road trips through Central and Western Pa. last year. Well, sort of.

“I feel like we have everything that we had last year,” Goldberg was saying Friday, after the Jags beat Spring-Ford, 3-0, to clinch their states berth. “It’s not really much of a change but it’s playing with new people that we played with on JV.”

Goldberg, Rachel Cain and outside hitter Erin Patterson were part of the squad that marched to the championship last November, primarily understudies to a troika of All-Delcos. And the rest of the Garnet Valley roster that will line up Tuesday night at Manheim Township High School against District 3 champ Hempfield? They made up a pretty good JV team last year.

That’s the downside for coach Mark Clark of having a special group like his class of 2017, composed of nine contributing seniors. But writ large for a program that put itself on the statewide map with last year’s first state title, the Jaguars’ ability to return to states with essentially a completely different squad underscores that its developmental strength doesn’t just comprise one kismet class.

“It’s obviously a completely different team,” Goldberg said. “But it gives us that pride. All those girls were with us practicing, so they were always with us, they were cheering us on last year. All of us last year were still a team. They were with us through states last year.”

This year’s Jags (17-5) follow the same blueprint as last year. Last year’s team was anchored by its defense, epitomized by a mind-boggling 116 digs collected in the five-set state final win over Parkland. Lizzie Herestofa, the 2016 Daily Times Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, led the defensive brilliance, while All-Delco setter Gabby Davis distributed to a varied attacking corps with no standout star but a passel of imposing options (led by All-Delco Sydney Portale).

The 2017 iteration of the Jaguars is cut from the same cloth, though the balance of power shifts toward the attacking side. Again, there’s no single offensive threat that an opponent can key on, assured that bottling her up will undermine the Jags’ attack. And the squad adheres to the mentality Clark instills down the years – defensive specialists who can pass, attackers who can defend.

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PETE BANNAN -DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Garnet Valley (3) Jordan Gallagher returns a serve in the Jaguars defeated Conestoga 3-0 earlier this year.

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CONCORD >> Garnet Valley’s defense was buzzing Friday night.

Poised to give what coach Mike Ricci labeled a complete performance, the Jaguars made life miserable for the ball-carriers of 14th-seeded Central Bucks West in a District 1 Class 6A first-round playoff matchup at Moe DeFrank Stadium.

GV’s defense posted eight tackles for a loss, including six sacks, en route to a 32-13 shellacking of the visiting Bucks. The third-seeded Jaguars return home next Friday for a date with No. 6 North Penn, which disposed of No. 11 Haverford, 41-26.

“All of the coaches had a great scheme coming into this game,” defensive lineman Josh Ciarrocchi said. “We knew CB West was a very physical football team and we knew we had to give it our best. The coaches drew up a great scheme and it ended up working for us. We were able to execute.”

Garnet Valley (10-1) held CB West (6-5) to three first downs in the first half. With a shutout brewing into the fourth quarter, the Bucks scored a pair of meaningless touchdowns against GV’s second and third teamers.

Ciarrocchi, Cade Brennan and Griffin Salus flourished on the D-line. Salus notched two sacks of CB West quarterback Joshua Crecca in the first half. The linebacker unit, paced by Zach Shankle, Mark Moriarty and Ryan Williams, also had a big night disrupting CB West’s power-running approach. The Bucks were limited to 80 yards on 34 carries as the Jags forced them into several long-distance downs.

“Our defense has been getting better and better every week,” Ricci said. “We’ve had some spurts where we’ve played great defense, but I think this was our most complete game — total — in all parts of the game tonight that we’ve had all year.

“(CB West) has some great skill players. I like their quarterback, I like their tailbacks, their receivers are good and they play great defense. We were very concerned about that coming in and we just wanted to make sure that we were fundamentally sound and stayed home when we needed to. I thought our guys did a great job.”

Jake Reichwein, the Bucks’ 6-4, 225-pound running back, was one player that Garnet Valley focused on containing. Playing with a banged-up elbow, Reichwein totaled 40 yards on 10 carries.

“They’re a very good team. We knew they would be tough,” Reichwein said. “I had an awesome time playing with my team. We had a great season.”

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Top photo: Garnet Valley defenders (51) Zack Shankle, (54)Mark Moriarty and (33) Dan Bradley tackle Central Bucks West running back (33) Jack Reichwein in the third quarter as the Jaguars went on to a 21-13 victory in the first round of District 1 Class 6A playoffs. (PETE BANNAN-DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA)

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East Whiteland >> Minutes after capturing the PIAA 4A District 1 title Saturday evening with a 2-0 win against Council Rock North, the Conestoga boys’ soccer team savored its feeling of redemption.

“My first reaction when the game ended was a great sense of relief,” said Conestoga head coach David Zimmerman, whose Pioneers finished runner-up in the district tournament the past two years, including last year’s PIAA state title team.

Conestoga goalie Luke Smith said, “My first thought when the game ended was, ‘Finally.’ Winning this means everything to me – I feel great not only for me but for the entire team and school. This feels like the state final game last year [a 1-0 win against Elizabethtown].” The Pioneers’ district boys’ soccer title, the first one since 2011, is only the second one in Conestoga boys’ soccer history. Interestingly, the 2011 district title game ended in a Pioneer victory against Council Rock North.
Saturday evening at Great Valley High School, the No. 1 seed Pioneers (21-0-1) got both of their goals from senior Chris Donovan, who has scored all seven of Conestoga’s goals in the past three games.
With 21:52 left in the first half Saturday, Donovan broke the scoring ice with an assist from junior midfielder Julian Niggeman.
“I saw space in front of the center back, I gave the ball to Julian, and he gave it back to me,” said Donovan.
Just 12 minutes later, Donovan dribbled the ball downfield before firing in his second goal of the night. “[Conestoga junior forward] Matt Rossi pressured their defender, and the ball came into my path,” said Donovan, whose goal gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.

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District Class 6A

C.B. West at Garnet Valley >> The third-seeded Jaguars (9-1) begin their march back to the district final behind a ground attack that features Matt Lassik (934 yards, nine touchdowns) and Danny Guy (915 yards, 10 TDs). The 14th-seeded Bucks (6-4) finished two games under .500 in the Suburban One League Continental. They were upset by Souderton last week, 21-14. Jake Reichwein is a top performer at running back.

Haverford at North Penn >> Perennial District 1 championship contender North Penn, which is the sixth seed, went undefeated in the SOL Continental. The Knights (8-2) will lean on multi-dimensional K.J. Cartwright, who scored four touchdowns in last week’s romp over Abington. The 11th-seeded Fords (8-2) will rely heavily on their vaunted passing attack. Junior quarterback Jake Ruane has passed for 1,642 yards and 20 touchdowns. Maryland-bound senior wide receiver Jordan Mosley has 41 catches for 734 yards and eight TDs.

District 1 Class 5A

Penncrest at Springfield >> For the second year in a row, the 16th-seeded Lions are in the playoffs with a 3-7 record and are tasked with facing top-seeded Springfield. Chris Mills has been a dual threat at quarterback and running back Caleb Mahalik has rushed for a team-high 737 yards. The Cougars (10-0) won’t take the Lions lightly. Jack Psenicska has been a gem all season at quarterback, throwing for 1,504 yards and 18 TDs. But it all starts with the defense for Springfield, which has forced a county-high 30 turnovers. The defense is led by linemen Justin Shields and Kevin Deal, and linebackers Pat Clemens and Phil Shovlin.

Radnor at Upper Dublin >> The No. 12 Raiders (5-5) make their second straight trip to the postseason. Junior Sean Mullarkey has enjoyed a solid year behind center, throwing for 1,037 yards and 10 TDs. Lucas Roselli is a threat in the ground game for the fifth-seeded Cardinals (6-3).

Oxford at Marple Newtown >> The seventh-seeded Tigers (6-4) turn the page on a so-so regular season. Quarterback Anthony Paoletti, the county’s record holder for most passing yards in a career, has thrown for 2,036 yards and 18 TDs. Junior running back Marlon Weathers ran for 255 yards and three TDs in last week’s win over Strath Haven. Brandon DeShields eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving plateau for the 10th-seeded Hornets (6-4) in a victory over Octorara last week. Marple senior wide out Dash Dulgerian needs only 10 yards to reach the milestone.

Strath Haven at Bishop Shanahan >> The 11th-seeded Panthers have a 1,000-yard running back in Zack Hussein and a game-changing wide receiver/defensive back in Thomas Foster (four interceptions). The No. 6 Eagles (7-3) backed into the postseason with a 55-13 drubbing at the hands of Coatesville.

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