PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | April, 2021

MIDDLETOWN — You’ll have a tough time finding anyone who cares more about Penncrest High and its sports history than baseball coach Rusty Abrams.

The lifelong resident of Middletown graduated from Penncrest, where he played baseball in 1973, met his wife and has two children who matriculated at the Barren Road school, including Danielle, a standout softball player.

Abrams enjoys sharing what Lions baseball was like in 2015, when the school was a force to be reckoned with, and how this group of players can get there if it is willing to sacrifice.

“That was just an awesome team, a successful team,” Abrams said Monday. “That’s what we want to be.”

Judging by the Lions’ 5-2 start this season, including a 7-3 win over Upper Darby in Central League action Monday, it’s going to get interesting. The Lions are looking forward to a gut check Tuesday against Ridley, and a weekend outing with Cardinal O’Hara. Those games will tell them how far they’ve come.

Pitcher Corey Anderson, who didn’t have his best stuff yet hurled a complete game victory over the gritty Royals, is thankful to be back in action after COVID issues cancelled the 2020 season.

Anderson appreciates the loyalty of Abrams, who lamented the end of the road for the seniors last year, as well as the historical perspective he brings.

“He always mentions things like, ‘Oh, it’s not very Penncrest-like for us to lose that game,’” Anderson said with a smile. “Or ‘we’ve got to win this game to show them what Penncrest is really like.’ When COVID started hitting last year and we all knew we weren’t going to have a season, he said he was really sorry for the seniors, happy for the seniors that were coming and that we were all playing for the seniors from last year.”

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Penncrest coach Rusty Abrams has a chat with Matt Pennoni

during the Lions’ 7-3 Central League win over visiting Upper Darby.

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NETHER PROVIDENCE — Koll Peichel has several pitches in his arsenal and isn’t afraid to use any of them.

His fastball sits in the upper-80s, but he can get strikeouts with a biting curveball or wipe-out slider. The Strath Haven ace was aggressive with his pitch selection Monday against Ridley.

The Panthers also needed their senior right hander to give them length on the mound.

Several Strath Haven players were sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols. The lineup was different, but the Panthers had confidence that Peichel would be his usual dominant self.

Peichel tossed a complete game with seven strikeouts as Strath Haven remained unbeaten with a 12-2 victory in six innings.

“Because I have a lot of pitches, if one pitch isn’t working for me, it’s not a big deal,” said Peichel, who is bound for Dickinson College. “I like to find my slider first and then the curveball will come. I know if I can get my two-seamer working, it will come easier for me. It’s nice to have that dominance right out of the gate because then it just quiets the other team.”

Haven’s bats handed Peichel a big lead in the first inning. The Panthers (9-0) sent 11 hitters to the plate and scored five runs. Ridley starter Evan Sivera got only two outs before Andrew Rowles took over in relief. Mike Valente led off the with a single and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Christian Thack. With the bases juiced, catcher Marc DeCarlo delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to give Haven a 4-0 advantage. Valente coaxed a bases loaded walk to make it 5-0.

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Koll Peichel pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts in

Strath Haven’s 12-2 win over Ridley Monday.

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LOWER GWYNEDD >> As the officials set the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter, Conestoga’s bench really got into it.

The Pioneers were behind by two goals and had trailed all afternoon, but they knew they had 12 minutes to turn things around. An emotional start to the day had clearly lifted host Wissahickon to a quick start and both teams were primed to take it to the final whistle.

Conestoga scored three goals in the final quarter while holding the Trojans scoreless to pick up a 5-4 win Saturday.

“We leaned on what brought us here in the first place, which was celebrating an alumni and a great coach here,” Pioneers senior Aiden Kelly said. “A lot of the guys saw this as an opportunity to show how good we are and how we can play, so a lot of the boys got excited about that and realizing we have a long season ahead and this is just the beginning.”

Saturday’s contest brought the programs together for a reason beyond a good non-league game. Prior to the opening faceoff, the teams came together to remember Jim Simmington, a Conestoga graduate who coached lacrosse and taught in the Wissahickon School District who passed away in December 2019 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Simmington, who played lacrosse at Conestoga and West Chester University, was a sixth-grade teacher and founded Wissahickon Middle School’s lacrosse program in 2005. He was also an assistant on the varsity staff and helped the Trojans win the SOL American title in 2010.

Former Wissahickon coach Anthony Gabriel and Conestoga assistant John Bickel, who played with Simmington in high school, delivered remarks then presented Simmington’s wife Phoebe and children Jack and Kylie with No. 7 Pioneers and Trojans jerseys.

Current Wiss coach Matt Conway felt the significance of the game helped his team off to a fast start.

“The day itself being a tribute to Jim Simmington, we were fired up and ready to play, plus it’s a great program we’re going against so it all played a part in it” Conway said. “They’re one of the better programs in the area, it was a fight and a mistake here or there is what will cost you in the end. I’m proud of our effort; I thought we did a really good job.”

The Trojans couldn’t have asked for a much better start. Goalie Scott Pfeiffer made a save on Conestoga’s first shot and the hosts turned their first possession into a goal when Kyle Lehman ripped one in coming from behind the net.

Lehman was on fire early, scoring three goals in the opening quarter while the Wiss defense posted a shutout for a 3-0 lead. Conestoga defenseman Andy Marquet, a team captain, felt his team was able to adjust well over the next three quarters.

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Conestoga assistant coach John Bickel (Left) and former

Wissahickon coach Anthony Gabriele (right) present jerseys

to Jim Simmington’s wife Phoebe and children Jack and Kylie

prior to their game on Saturday, April 17, 2021. (Andrew Robinson/MediaNews Group)

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SPRINGFIELD — Left-hander Luke D’Ambrosio certainly hasn’t been desperate for run support this season. In two starts, the Springfield junior has been spoiled rotten by his offense.

The Cougars plated nine runs in D’Ambrosio’s shutout of Harriton last week. On Tuesday, the Cougars sent 17 hitters to the plate … in the first inning. Needless to say, D’Ambrosio is grateful the Springfield bats are locked in when he’s on the mound.

“Getting those runs makes it easier,” D’Ambrosio said. “I’m able to just pound the strike zone and not have to worry too much.”

Springfield crossed the plate 11 times in the first inning Tuesday en route to a 15-1 victory over Penncrest in four innings. D’Ambrosio went the distance, striking out four and allowing only one hit, an RBI triple off the bat of Lions cleanup hitter Kellen Davis in the first.

After a couple of rebuilding seasons (not to mention a lost 2020 season due to the pandemic), the Cougars have won three of their first five games. They face their biggest test Wednesday when Central League leader Strath Haven comes to Church Road Park.

“We have a really good team,” D’Ambrosio said. “We have a lot of confidence and we’re playing a lot better this year.”

Senior captain A.J. Grande was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

“We’ve been swinging the bats really well all year,” Grande said. “We’re going to come in tomorrow with the same mentality.”

Springfield’s first seven batters reached base off Penncrest starter Mike Costello. Slugging catcher Joey Little and Ronnie DeLollis each delivered with two-run doubles. Grande had a pair of RBI singles in the opening frame.

“I missed out last year and I couldn’t wait to get out and play with these guys,” said Little, who went 2-for-3 with a double and four ribbies. “I think this lineup is just perfect for the way that we play. We can go up against any pitcher we face and our lineup gives us a chance to win ball games.”

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Springfield’s (13) Luke D’Ambrosio throws for the Cougars against

Penncrest Tuesday afternoon. (PETE BANNAN/MEDIANEWS GROUP)

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TREDYFFRIN >> The Conestoga boys opened its Central League schedule with a 16-6 win over visiting Marple Newtown. And afterwards, ’Stoga head coach Brody Bush made it clear what he believes is the team’s most challenging foe.

“I tell the guys every day before practice that our number one opponent is COVID,” he said.

The Pioneers were without four players due to the coronavirus protocols on Thursday, including senior tri-captain Joey Allen. And Conestoga just ended a 10-day hiatus from playing and practicing for the same reason.

“We were shut down for a while,” Bush said. “And with high school kids, with not a lot of experience due to last season being cancelled, we have a lot to learn and improve on.

“So it’s next man up in our program. We didn’t want cancel. I look at it as if four guys were injured.”

Conestoga (2-1 overall) was supposed to play its league opener on Tuesday against Radnor, but that match had to be rescheduled for early May. The recent inactivity was noticeable, and ’Stoga also had some trouble defending Marple Newtown’s CJ Lane in the early going.

“CJ just proved out there today that he’s stepped up as a leader,” said Marple Newtown head coach Kevin Merchant. “He had a good game today.”

The senior attacker scored three times in a five-minute stretch of second period to erase an early 3-0 deficit and pull the Tigers (0-2, 1-2 overall) within striking distance at 5-3.

“At that point, there was a sense of urgency,” acknowledged Pioneers’ midfielder Graham Blatchford. “We should be up a lot more. But once we got that first goal, it started us on a roll.”

It came from Blatchford himself, off a pass from Patrick Reilly, with 2:30 to go in the half. Reilly then scored in the final minute to make it 7-3. Conestoga then opened the second half with five more goals in a row to take command.

“You could tell we were off for a while, but once we got out there we worked our way through the mistakes and started to come together,” said Blatchford, who finished with two goals.

Third quarter goals by Wylder Adkison, Peter Detwiler, Aiden Kelly and Drew Merschel upped the lead to 11-3, and then Blatchford capped the rally with his second goal. In all, ’Stoga took advantage of a big edge in the faceoff circle, as junior Ian Kim won 19 of 23 draws (.826 percent).

“(Conestoga) has a real good face off guy, and they played a lot of make-it, take-it today. We tried mixing things up against him, but he had a good day,” Merchant said.

“Ian Kim has done a fantastic job for us,” Bush added. “I told him before the game that I wanted him to win 80 percent. He’s been part of our program for three years and he’s come a long well.”

Lane notched his fourth goal to end the streak. Teammates Charlie Box and Jack Welsh also scored in the final five minutes for Marple Newtown, but it was too late.

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Conestoga’s (6) Patrick Reilly gives (11) Peter Detweiler

a first bump after scoring his second goal in the first

quarter at Teamer field against Marple Newtown.

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Josh Peabody knew the surge from Rustin would come. So the earlier he and his Strath Haven teammates got to work offensively, the better.

Peabody recorded a hat trick in the first two periods, then second-seeded Haven held on late in a 3-2 win over No. 10 seed Rustin in the quarterfinals of the Flyers Cup Class A.

“Rustin’s a pretty good team,” Peabody said. “I feel like they’re pretty solid all around so we needed to get the first one and probably the second one. It was very important to get that strong start.”

Peabody broke a scoreless deadlock early in the second period, firing a shot off the faceoff for a power-play goal. With time running out in the second, the Haven forward capitalized on a 2-on-1 breakaway and lit the lamp to make it 2-0, Christian Thack with the primary helper and Max Reiss executing the expert stretch pass form the defensive zone.

Peabody wasn’t done. Early in the third period, he stuffed home a rebound in front of the net to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Kadin Matotek made the goals stand up. He recorded 16 saves, including a pair in the final minute, to keep the lead.

Kevin Hudak opened the scoring with 8:30 to play, and Jason Rhein added a goal to make it interesting. But the Panthers held firm to advance to take on West Chester Henderson, the six seed a 5-1 winner over Wissahickon.

“I told everybody on the bench to stay composed and keep playing our game,” Peabody said. “We had a 16-minute period, we knew we were up 3-0, knew they were going to come at us. I felt like we handled it well, held them to two and got the W, and that’s all that matters.”

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Strath Haven’s Josh Peabody handles the puck during a

Flyers Cup Class A game against Rustin Thursday night.

Peabody tallied a hat trick as the Panthers advanced, 3-2.

(Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

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RIDLEY TWP. — Of the many memories Madison Chapman missed out on last year, sharing one final softball season at Ridley with her older sister topped the list.

Morgan Chapman was one of six seniors on what was expected to be an extremely talented Green Raiders team that didn’t play in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic shut down high school sports everywhere, and robbed the Chapman siblings of an opportunity to win a Central League championship together.

The good news is Madison and Morgan can reunite on the softball field in due time. The younger Chapman will join her sis at East Stroudsburg University in the fall.

In the present, Madison Chapman is focusing on her senior season with the Green Raiders and she is off to a great start.

Chapman pitched a gem Tuesday, striking out seven Haverford High batters in a 2-1 Ridley win. She is grateful to be playing high school ball again after a lost season.

“As a senior, it means everything,” Chapman said. “We have a good team this year. As a pitcher, I know I have a good infield and outfield to back me up. It feels good to be out here playing and to have a good team this year.”

Ridley and Haverford are considered to be the top teams in the Central League. Chapman outdueled Haverford ace Emma Taylor, who was equally as effective from the circle.

But it was Chapman who got the the best of the Fords. She allowed four hits and struck out seven in a complete game performance. Chapman’s only blemish was a seventh-inning home run ball off the bat of cleanup hitter Kerri McCallum, who blasted one over the center-field fence for Haverford’s lone run.

“I didn’t let that bother me, knowing that they’re a good team,” Chapman said. “I just do my best and know I have a good defense behind me. I just did my thing.”

Chapman did just about everything well Tuesday. She knocked in Ridley’s first run with an opposite field, ground-rule double in the fourth inning. Shortstop Haley McMenamin followed with a seeing-eye single, driving in Chapman to give Ridley a 2-0 advantage.

Chapman started a 1-3 double play in the sixth inning, snagging a line drive and turning to first to throw out Brooke McKeown, who had reached base with a single.

“That was pure instinct right there,” Ridley coach Brooke Berger said. “I don’t think she had time to do anything other than just reacting and making the play.”

Ridley catcher Paige McLaughlin added two hits and scored a run. The Green Raiders are off to a 2-0 start.

“We had two good Central League teams that we faced starting off, Garnet Valley and Haverford,” Berger said. “In the past, we’ve had some easier games in the beginning, but this year we knew that we have to battle from the very beginning. We really practiced hard this offseason to make sure we were ready, because we knew we had to start strong. … This was a good win and Madison pitched great.”

Taylor was a tough-luck losing pitcher. The junior scattered four hits and struck out nine. McCallum and Rachel Yocum each doubled for the Fords.

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Ridley’s Madison Chapman was the difference on the mound and at the

plate as Ridley defeated Haverford 2-1 on her pitching and RBI double.

(PETE BANNAN/MEDIANEWS GROUP)

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A junior shortstop and co-captain who was an integral part of Conestoga’s 2019 Central League softball championship team as a freshman first baseman, Winters is off to a great start this spring, going 6-for-6 in her first two games and displaying outstanding defense. As a freshman, she received second team All-Main Line softball honors. Conestoga co-coach Todd Whitlow said, “Libby personifies Conestoga’s softball motto – ‘It’s all about Attitude and Effort.’ Libby’s attitude is mature, focused, positive and passionate about her team and softball. She is the first to arrive at every practice, and the last to leave after raking the field. Libby gives a full effort every practice and game, and she spends considerable time honing her hitting and defensive skills on her own. She is respectful to and respected by all, and a friend to her teammates.” Conestoga co-coach Kevin Conaway added, “Libby is an exceptional young person. As her coach, she is the type of person and player that makes you want to come to practice every day.” Off the field at Conestoga, Winters is a member of National Honor Society, Peer Tutoring, and Girls in STEM. Winters is committed to Cornell University.

Fun facts – Libby Winters

Favorite TV show: Criminal Minds.

Favorite movie: Million Dollar Arm.

Favorite athlete: Sis Bates.

Favorite team: Pittsburgh Steelers.

Favorite place to visit: South Carolina.

Favorite pre-game meal: Protein bar.

Family members: Parents Dan and Martha, sister Kaitlyn.

Person I most admire and why: “The person I most admire is my grandmother because she is very supportive of me and she always helps others.”

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ASTON – Kain Walker doesn’t need any reminders about the difference a year can make.

A year ago, Penncrest hockey went winless in 18 outings. Its opponents outscored them by 71 goals.

But 2020 was firmly in the past Monday night at IceWorks, when Walker and the current crop of Lions showed not just their tremendous collective growth but earned a pretty good reward for all that toil.

“We went from not winning a game to winning in the Flyers Cup,” Walker said, “so I’d say it’s pretty big growth.”

Walker tallied five points in a stellar offensive performance as eight-seeded Penncrest eliminated No. 9 Plymouth Whitemarsh, 5-1, in the Flyers Cup Class A opener.

Penncrest’s reward is a date with top-seeded West Chester East on Thursday.

The difference for each team from last year is monstrous. Plymouth Whitemarsh went 18-1, won the Suburban High School Hockey League title and outscored opponents by a 180-60 margin. A young Penncrest team went 0-16-1-1. But in that pain contained growth that has blossomed this year.

The anchor has been goalie Gannon Walker, who was outstanding in net with 22 saves. He owes a lot to his defense, led by Shane Kokoska and Colin Curran, that forced the Colonialsinto a bevy of shots from the outside with little net-mouth traffic.

For a goalie as solid as Walker, beating him from that range won’t happen often.

Plymouth Whitemarsh nearly snuck back in the game when Conlan Carpenter cleaned up a rebound in front of the net at 12:46 of the second period to halve the lead. But Walker scored 13 seconds into a power play with 42 ticks left in the second, Tyler Conn’s back-hander going off the post and Walker first to the rebound to poke it across the goal line.

Kain Walker’s five points means he has 23 on the year, leapfrogging Conn for the team lead. Their top-line chemistry makes the Lions go.

“We practice together and we play hard together, and it works,” Kain Walker said.

That the Lions are built around the Walker sibling axis is a big reason for the growth. It’s a readymade pairing, the sophomore Kain able to hone his skills shooting on the senior Gannon and vice versa. Gannon said the rivalry in workouts can “get a little heated sometime,” but watching him develop this season has been a pleasure.

“It’s good to see him progress as a player through his high school career,” Gannon Walker said. “I’m excited to see where he goes with the next few years.”

“Our D did a good job,” he said. “I got some shots but they weren’t too hard. My D did a good job keeping it to the outside.”

With that platform, the Lions were able to attack. Van Evans opened the scoring 75 seconds in, Kain Walker doing the hard work circling behind the net to find Evans open on the doorstep. Ryan Anderson made it 2-0 late in the period after he picked off a pass in the zone and fed Walker for a shot that Anderson deposited the rebound of in the back of the net.

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Penncrest goalie Gannon Walker makes a save Monday night as Plymouth Whitemarsh’s

Thomas Corcoran hovers for a rebound in the first period. Walker made 22 saves in a 5-1

Penncrest win in the first round of the Flyers Cup Class A. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

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