PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | May, 2018

EXETER TWP. >> Trinity’s team bus arrived 25 minutes before the opening faceoff Tuesday afternoon at Exeter Twp. High School.

Yet it was Strath Haven that came out of the gates looking jetlagged in the early going of their PIAA Class 2A opening round matchup.

After letting up two goals in the opening four minutes, the Panthers rallied and scored 15 of the next 16 goals over a key 12-minute run on the way to a 19-5 win.

With the result, Strath Haven, District 1’s No. 3 seed, advances to the second round where it will face the district’s runner-up, Springfield-Delco, 17-0 winners over Archbishop Wood, on Saturday at a site and time to be determined. District 3 champ Trinity’s season comes to a finish in the opening round of states for the second straight year.

Trinity sophomore Danny Scott got the Shamrocks (18-3) off to a 2-0 lead within the first four minutes.

From there, though, Strath Haven took over.

The Panthers used a six-goal run over the next five minutes to take a 5-3 lead into the second period before expanding it to a dominant 15-5 lead by the half.

“I think our youth showed in a lot of instances,” said Trinity head coach Dave Heisey. “They beat us in every phase of the game. They took advantage of our guys getting a little spooked. They put a lot of heat on us. We needed to play completely mistake-free just to hang with them.”

Senior attack/midfielder Jeffrey Conner had four goals and four assists while junior attack Liam Carney had four goals and two helpers for Strath Haven.

Click HERE to read the full article.

[!] 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)

NEWTOWN SQUARE >> Sometimes, the classics don’t end happily.

Perkiomen Valley’s lacrosse team enjoyed a history-making campaign in 2018, but it came to an end Tuesday night at the hands of District 1 champion Garnet Valley, 10-6.

It was the second meeting in as many weeks for the two squads, with Garnet Valley also claiming the first encounter, 8-7, in the district quarterfinals.

The Jaguars enjoyed another strong performance from goalie Jason Rose (seven saves), the unofficial MVP of the District 1 tournament, but the highlight was the balanced Jaguars offense, which got seven goals from seven different players in the first half.

“Jason played excellent throughout the playoffs,” said Jake Morin, who scored twice and assisted on two other goals. “So when we were able to get out there tonight and take over offensively, it felt like we established control early and made things easier on our defense.”

That Jags’ defense held PV to only one goal after halftime and held the Vikings scoreless for an 18-minute stretch of the second half as they pulled away late.

“We are never worried on defense,” Morin stressed. “If we give up a goal, we get together, talk it over and get it fixed. Going against them in practice is so hard for that reason — they always fix their mistakes.”

Rich Marshall got PV off to a hot start, beating Rose a minute into the contest, but the Jaguars responded with three straight, including middie Danny Bradley cashing in on an extra-man opportunity just seconds before the penalty expired. Marshall would strike again with about two minutes left in the quarter to bring the Vikings within a goal.

Garnet Valley dominated the second stanza, getting tallies from Bishop Barnes, Nate Ominsky, and Mitch Lachman to give the Jags a 6-2 lead. Marshall completed the hat trick at 5:35 to bring Perk Valley within 6-3, but Jake Morin made it seven different scorers for Garnet Valley when he finished a four-minute possession with a bounce shot.
Connor Donovan beat the buzzer to send Perkiomen Valley to the locker room down only three goals.

Nick Steele started the Vikings on the comeback trail with a quick goal after halftime to make it 7-5, but as the Jaguars began locking off high-scoring Perk Valley attackmen Brian Fehr and Marshall, more and more of the offensive scoring load fell to the midfielders.

That, combined with Rose heating up in the cage, kept PV scoreless for the balance of the quarter.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Garnet Valley’s Danny Bradley celebrates his first quarter goal against Perkiomen Valley in a PIAA first-round game Tuesday at Marple Newtown. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

[!] 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)

NEWTOWN SQUARE >> There’s no question that Luke Zimmerman is one of those baseball players who will be talked about 10, 15 or 20 years from now. He’s too good to forget with time.

His legend seems to grow with each passing day. Those in attendance at a Marple Newtown baseball game can’t help but wonder what the senior left-hander has up his sleeve. Because, at some point, he’s going to swoop in and save the day like a superhero.
He did it again Friday. Zimmerman came through on the mound at the plate to lead No. 3 Marple Newtown past seventh-seeded Wissahickon, 3-1, in a District 1 Class 5A semifinal contest.

That sounds much too familiar.

Two days prior, Zimmerman launched a walk-off solo home run to give the Tigers a come-from-behind victory over Kennett in eight innings. Back on Monday, he pitched a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in a rout of Unionville.

But for the first three innings Friday, Zimmerman stayed behind the scenes. Hitting third and starting at first base, he batted twice and smashed two pitches to the outfield for loud outs.

Everyone gasped, hoping to see a glimpse of that Zimmerman stardust. Patience, though, would be key.
In the fourth inning, the Saint Joseph’s University commit stepped to the mound in relief of righty Sean Standen, who battled for three innings.

Undefeated and boasting an ERA around 0.70 for the season, Zimmerman went to work on the bump, carving up Wissahickon’s lineup like Edward Scissorhands. A snip here, a slice there, Zimmerman threw every pitch with pinpoint accuracy, racking up nine strikeouts in four innings of relief. He allowed only one hit, an infield squibber that rolled to no man’s land on the first-base side.

“I knew I would be pitching. Before the game we were deciding whether I would start or come in and close,” Zimmerman said after the Tigers booked a district final date with No. 8 West Chester Henderson Tuesday (4 p.m.) at Plymouth Township Field. “We figured that we could get through it with Standen pitching a few innings. Standen is just as good and we all have confidence in him. I knew if he could start, I could come in and close it out. I felt good, no matter if I was going to start or close.”

His masterful pitching was briefly overshadowed by the one swing that turned the tide for Marple Newtown. Zimmerman strolled to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the ffith inning against Wissahickon starter Brian Hynes. Zimmerman was a little lucky to be in that big spot.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Marple Newtown’s Luke Cantwell jumps for joy after the Tigers’ 3-1 victory over Wissahickon in the District 1 Class 5A semifinal round Friday

[!] 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)

WEST GOSHEN >> Jason Rose ambled up and down the line of Garnet Valley boys lacrosse players in the twilight Thursday evening, offering water, offering handshakes, absorbing every second like the goalie had so many shots pelted at him. He cracked jokes, relived saves and coordinated cadres of players for photos.

For the last two weeks, the District 1 Class 3A boys lacrosse tournament has proceeded to the beat that Rose set for it. He’s made lacrosse shots bend to his will, exerting what looked at times Thursday like a Matrix-esque mastery of time and space. So why not let Rose orchestrate a trophy presentation, one that he, more than any other soul on the turf at West Chester East High School, willed into being?

Rose was outstanding yet again, stopping 15 shots as the No. 15 seed Garnet Valley completed the most unlikely of District 1 title runs with a 5-4 victory in the final over Central League rival Conestoga.

No. 4 seed Conestoga joined the titans in the wake of the Jaguars (15-8), who also knocked off seeds two, three and 10.

Rose yet again strained description with his brilliance. His Jags were outshot, 39-16, and barraged for long junctures, including 11 shots foisted upon Rose’s cage in the first six minutes of the third quarter. The post and crossbar, best friend of all goalies, intervened on four occasions, and the mere threat of Rose’s blanketing of all corners of the net altered countless shots before they left Conestoga sticks.

For the tournament, he allowed 24 goals on 87 shots, an astronomical save percentage of 72.4 that includes winning three one-goal games in the Jags’ dream run that places him as the tournament’s most outstanding player, beyond the shadow of a doubt.

“It’s been awesome,” defenseman Austin Patton said. “Jason’s been behind me for basically my whole lacrosse career. Always having him there to rely on if we mess up is just fantastic.”

“He gets us all fired up,” attackman Mitch Lachman added. “He makes a crazy save, and we’re all hyped up.”

The Garnet Valley defense warrants recognition, too, as Rose, the United States Air Force Academy commit who also excels in modesty, is quick to point out. Frank Urso’s team tossed all manner of gadget schemes at Conestoga, keeping the No. 4 Pioneers off balance all night. They’d lock two players off with defensive midfielders and go 4-on-4 zone. They’d snap back to man-to-man mid-possession. They’d press or sit back, but always adapt and confound.

They were beaten the first time they attempted it, just 67 seconds into the game. With two Conestoga attackmen shut off, one stepped over midfield for an unmarked long pole in Scott Smith to dash in and whip one home. But Garnet Valley wasn’t discouraged by that concession and kept talking through their progressions.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Garnet Valley goalie Jason Rose, center, holds aloft the District 1 Class 3A championship trophy next to John Ricci, left, and Austin Patton Thursday after the Jaguars beat Conestoga, 5-4, in the final. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

[!] 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)

It’s long been beyond doubt, but in case the point needed reinforcing, this year’s District 1 tournaments have provided it. Eight teams will compete for championships Thursday evening at two sites in West Chester; five hail from Delco.

On the heels of last spring, when three Delco teams were crowned state champions, that level of success should come as no surprise. But the variety of this year’s class sets it apart.

The marquee matchup is in the girls Class 3A tournament, where top-seeded Garnet Valley and No. 2 Springfield meet. Springfield ousted the Jaguars, 12-8, in last year’s 3A semifinal on the way to a runner-up performance in both districts and states. Garnet Valley exacted revenge in the regular season with a 10-8 win, part of its march to the Central League title.

The two teams are immensely similar, with deep attacking contingents which usually resist being slowed by a defense bottling up one primary threat. Garnet Valley started slow in Tuesday’s semifinal but eventually overcame Perkiomen Valley, 10-8. It took a Belle Mastropietro goal in overtime for Springfield to dismiss No. 3 Unionville, 10-9.

“We’re excited,” Garnet midfielder Camryn McNeal said. “We need to play our game, focus on the basics and the little things.”

Then there are the repeat champions in the Class 2A finals, two programs that defy the idea that the smaller class is in any way the lesser one. The Springfield boys aim for their second straight District 1 crown and third consecutive state crown, with top-seeded Bishop Shanahan standing in the way.

The Cougars (16-2) navigated a game effort by Radnor in a 9-5 win Tuesday. For all the past success, Springfield is anything but sated.

“We’re still hungry,” midfielder Jack Spence said Tuesday. “Coach always preaches it. We have to keep on fighting. This group right here, we haven’t won anything yet. This is about our class’s legacy.”

Radnor’s girls team is likewise eager to continue its dynasty against top-seeded Villa Maria in the 2A final. The No. 2 Raiders (16-4) won the last unified district title in 2016, then romped past all comers in the field last year on the way to a 2A state title.

This team is much different than last year’s veteran-laden Raiders, which gives the younger generations a chance to prove themselves anew.

“Last season we had 10 seniors, so at the beginning of this season no one really had any expectations for us,” attackman Cate Cox said. “That’s why I think we’ve worked so hard trying to get this team to the next level. … We just tried to worry about each game as we were playing it, and the younger girls we have on this team have really stepped up to the plate. When districts started, it was all about getting to states. Now it’s about giving a good effort (Thursday) and going on for the next two weeks.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Goalie Phoebe Proctor and Radnor are one win from a third straight District 1 championship, which the Raiders will chase Thursday against Villa Maria. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)

[!] 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)

TOWAMENCIN >> Jacob Marcus’ unerring fastball and slider threw one big twist into the District 1-6A Playoff bracket.

Marcus racked up eight strikeouts, surrendering just one run off of two hits in five innings of work, pitching 16th-seeded Conestoga to a 2-1 upset victory over No. 1 North Penn.

“I wanted this game,” said a determined Marcus on this sunny Wednesday afternoon at NP. “We were saying the whole day, ‘seeds don’t matter, seeds don’t matter. It’s the team.’ We’re just gonna keep winning. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”

The victory advances the Pioneers to a quarterfinal matchup at No. 8 Boyertown on Friday.

“It feels good. We’re moving on,” said Marcus, a senior. “These guys behind me, I couldn’t have done it without them. I couldn’t have thrown my slider the way I did or my fastball the way I did if I didn’t know these guys were behind me the whole way. You gotta have confidence in the guys behind you to do anything.”

Conestoga rode Marcus’ right arm and pushed a run across in the third and fourth innings.

“I’m just so happy for our guys. They are a tremendous group, especially our senior class,” Pioneers coach Matt Diamond said. “They have been leaders throughout the whole season. For them to be able to accomplish something like this, that’s such a special thing for them.

“Jacob was phenomenal. He had actually injured his non-throwing arm earlier this year but that actually game him a little rest because we hadn’t been throwing him for a little bit. His arm looked very alive today and he just did a good job of mixing up pitches, hitting his spots and keeping guys off balance.”

Marcus’ younger brother, Cameron, came on to pitch the final two innings.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Conestoga pitcher Jacob Marcus throws to first on a bunt attempt during the Pioneers’ District 1-6A second round game against North Penn on Wednesday, May 23, 2018. (Gene Walsh/Digital First Media)

“A little change of pace,” Diamond said of the junior, who pitched to contact and got the six outs he needed.

[!] 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)

ROYERSFORD >> Jaguars don’t fly. They don’t bark either.

But Wednesday afternoon, the Garnet Valley softball Jaguars did both — and had the bite to match.

Channeling their inner Eagles — the Philadelphia NFL variety — the underdog No. 15 Jaguars, after ceding an early four-run lead, were soaring in a four-run sixth inning to pull off an upset of No. 2 Spring-Ford, 8-6, in the second round of the District 1 Class 6A playoffs at Spring-Ford’s Ram Park.

In dealing Spring-Ford (17-2) just its second defeat of the season, Garnet Valley gained entrance into the district quarterfinals where it will face No. 7 Downingtown West (a 9-2 winner over Council Rock South) on Friday.

The Jaguars (15-6) may not be favored then either, but that fits with their identity.

“We’re the underdogs,” catcher Lindsey Hunt said. “This entire game we’ve been saying, ‘We’re the Eagles!’ We have a dog mask in (the dugout); we say we’re the Eagles and we felt like if they could do it, why can’t we?”

Indeed, the Jaguars have a replica of the dog mask made famous by the Eagles’ Chris Long and Lane Johnson, which Hunt copped to wearing most. It definitely worked as the junior went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while igniting the pivotal sixth inning with a leadoff double. Leadoff hitter Diane Torregrossa was 3-for-4 with two RBI while Kelly McLaughlin (2-for-3, RBI) and Kayleigh Saboja (1-for-3, two RBI) had run-scoring hits in the sixth inning.

Garnet Valley sophomore pitcher Becca Halford (7 IP, 10 hits, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 1 BB) didn’t mind the expectations either.

“I think it helped us,” she said. “No one expected us to win so I think it worked in our favor.”

The loss made for an abrupt end to Spring-Ford’s promising season that saw the Rams — a PIAA semifinalist a year ago — go undefeated in the Pioneer Athletic Conference (16-0) and settle for a Liberty Division championship after the PAC playoffs were cancelled due to last week’s never-ending inclement weather.

The record and seeding ignores the fact the Rams were trying to replace seven seniors, including two-time Mercury All-Area Player of the Year Megan Kern, from last year’s District 1 and PIAA semifinalist.

“Losing seven seniors from last year, we had a lot of kids that were untested and we did about as good as we could during the season, won a lot of close games,” Spring-Ford coach Tim Hughes said. “We were just young.”

Maddy Walsh went 3-for-4 with three RBI and freshman Bri Peck was 2-for-4 for Spring-Ford.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Garnet Valley pitcher Becca Halford, center, hugs Jaguars assistant coach Allie White, left, after recording the final out of the Jaguars’ 8-6 District 1-6A playoff win over Spring-Ford Wednesday. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

[!] 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)

CALN TWP. >> The Delco pack, as Strath Haven’s Jordan Brown, Haverford High’s Cecilia Katcavage and Springfield’s Symphonie Blalock like to call themselves, are headed to the PIAA Track & Field Championships as a group.

That’s only fitting since the trio of shot putters is about as close as competitors can get. They root for each other and offer one another hints on improvements.

“Our parents even call themselves the Delco pack,” Blalock said.

Jordan took third in the Class 3A shot put at the District 1 Track & Field Championships Friday at Coatesville Area High School with a heave of 38-1 ½. Katcavage was fifth (37-11 ½) and Blalock sixth (36-9 1/2).

“We were all in the second flight,” Brown said.

In any other year, Blalock would not be going to Shippensburg because only the top five finishers from District 1 automatically qualify for the state meet and she was 8 ½ inches shy of the state qualifying standard. However, because an unidentified district chose not to use one of its automatic bids, the PIAA awards that berth on a rotating basis to keep the field intact. This year it’s the District 1 girls’ turn to have the extra automatic bid.

That’s fine with Brown, Katcavage and Blalock. They are, after all, a pack.

“We cheer for each other and help each other out,” Brown said. “We’re best of friends.”

“You can hear us rooting for each other from a mile away,” Katcavage added.

This is the second straight trip to Shippensburg in the shot put for Brown and Katcavage, and the first for Blalock. Brown finished 12th a year ago, and Katcavage was 16th.

“I wanted to get to states and I’m going with friends, which is really nice,” Blalock said.

Katcavage picked up a second medal later in the afternoon with a seventh-place finish in the javelin (115-8). However, she missed qualifying for states.

Click HERE to read the full article.

From left, Haverford’s Cecilia Katcavage, Springfield’s Symphonie Blalock and Strath Haven’s Jordan Brown, claimed three of the top six places in the Class 3A shot put at the District 1 Track & Field Championships Friday at Coatesville

[!] 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)

PHOENIXVILLE >> Finally, the comparisons are welcome.

The Garnet Valley boys lacrosse team has spent the season being compared to last year’s Jaguars, a District 1-3A semifinalist and PIAA 3A quarterfinalist, in ‘not so good of a way,’ as Jaguars goalie Jason Rose tells it.

This year’s Jaguars may not have been able to duplicate the Central League success of the 2017 edition, but that is further and further in the rearview mirror after Saturday’s District 1-3A quarterfinal matchup with upstart Perkiomen Valley at Phoenixville.

Garnet Valley got a hat trick from Mitch Lachman and came up with the goods defensively down the stretch to hold off Perkiomen Valley, 8-7, to advance to the district semifinals and lock up a place in the PIAA tournament.

Danny Bradley had a goal and four assists and Jake Morin had two goals and an assist for the Jaguars (14-8), who are more than happy with being underestimated.

“We keep being compared to last year’s team in not so good of a way. But we’re in the same place they were and our team’s really come together,” Rose said. “We’re really embracing the underdog role. Everyone’s counted us out and we love it.”

The No. 15 seed Jaguars, which upset No. 2 seed Central Bucks East on Thursday, advance to take on No. 3 Upper Dublin in Tuesday’s semifinals.

Saturday’s quarterfinal was a matchup of teams that weren’t supposed to match the accomplishments of the previous year’s team, yet both have or have the chance to surpass their predecessors.

That was also the case for Pioneer Athletic Conference finalist Perk Valley (14-8), which is in the process of its deepest run into the district championships in program history. The Vikings’ season is still alive with a playback for a PIAA berth upcoming on Tuesday at No. 6 Central Bucks West.

Click HERE to read the full article.

[!] 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 >> Diane Torregrossa walked gingerly with a bag of ice strapped around her knee Monday. Torregrossa felt a tweak while going after a grounder at third base. Luckily for Garnet Valley, she was able to shake it off and finish the game.

“When I went to go down for the ball, I kind of strained it,” she said.

Torregrossa hopes some rest will do the trick. She knows she has to stay healthy if the Jags hope to make a run at a District 1 Class 6A championship. Her value to the team was evident Monday. Torregrossa belted a grand slam, one of three dingers on the day for No. 16 Garnet Valley in a 7-2 victory over Central League foe and 18th-seeded Haverford. The Jags will travel to No. 2 Spring-Ford for a second-round game Wednesday.

Winning pitcher Becca Halford, a sophomore, and freshman shortstop Morgan Mesaros also homered for the Jaguars. After their post-game meeting with coach George White, the three of them posed for a picture for the team’s Twitter account @GVHSSB

“We knew coming in today that it was a big day,” Torregrossa said. “We wanted this so badly. It just motivated us to get there and get it done.”
Torregrossa’s blast was the turning point and came after Haverford scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first to grab a 2-0 lead. Morgan Marchesani singled, Amber Moscoe ripped an RBI triple, and Anna Mefford laced a run-scoring single as the Fords had the early momentum.But nobody on the Garnet Valley bench was overly concerned about the early deficit. The players knew that with their lineup, and solid pitching from Halford, they would have a few opportunities to score runs in bunches. So all they did was plate six runs in the second inning, sending nine batters to the plate, against Haverford starter Annabelle Donato, who exited after two innings. Halford singled, Kelly McLaughlin walked and Reece Gabriele was hit by a pitch. Kayleigh Saboja hit a comebacker to Donato, who fired to home to get the first out. Torregrossa, the Jags’ leadoff hitter and table-setter, stepped to the plate determined to knock in a run or two.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Although she failed to reach base in this at-bat, Garnet Valley’s (21) Diane Torregrossa slugged a grand slam in the second inning to power the Jaguars to a 7-2 victory over Haverford in the opening round of the District 1 Class 6A softball playoffs. (PETE BANNAN/DFM)

[!] 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)