PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | June, 2021

Recent Lower Merion High School graduate Matthew Lexa, along with juniors Annie Cloud and Caroline Burchette, competed in the USRowing Youth Nationals in Sarasota, Fla. June 12-13.

Lexa, who will be attending the United States Naval Academy this fall, finished eighth in the initial time trial, which placed him in the semifinals. After placing third in the semifinals, Lexa advanced to finals where he finished fifth.

USRowing does not have a lightweight category, so lightweight competitors Cloud and Burchette competed against a much larger field. They finished 14th out of 38th in the initial time trial that determined their bracket for the next round of competitions. Their placement earned them a spot in the C final, where they finished sixth.

All three rowers competed in Scholastic Nationals May 29-20, where Cloud and Burchette were National Champions in the women’s lightweight double sculling competition.

The USRowing Youth Nationals competition includes not just high school competitors, but club rowers as well. Many high schools don’t have rowing programs so their rowers compete with clubs.

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PHILADELPHIA – When the going gets tough, baseball players get going.

You could see it in the inspired play of Cody Grande and Jake Carlin Monday in the Carpenter Cup at FDR Park.

You could feel it in Team Delco’s dugout.

Playing for Delaware County, the contingent coached by the ageless Paul Bogosian, Grande and Carlin fed off of each other just as they did for Brian Francis, their coach at Springfield High this past season.

Grande went 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. Carlin drove him in both times, rapping a single the second time around.

Delaware County lost the game, 8-4, to Delaware North. But collectively they honored their brother, and Cody’s brother A.J. Despite cancer treatments, A.J. insisted on stopping by the dugout, albeit briefly to say hello to Cody and his baseball band of brothers.

Team Delco never will know how much its “1, 2, 3 A.J. Grande” tribute at the end of the game meant to Cody.

“He battles hard every day,” Cody said. “He has good days and bad days. But in the end, they’re all good days. I know he would want to be here playing third base today. When he beats this, he’ll be back out there playing in college.”

A junior, Cody Grande is grateful to be part of a baseball program teaming with brothers. In addition to the Grandes, there are Matt and Reese Beans, Matt and Mike Grapin and John and Sean Williams. Almost every Cougars baller has a big brother or a little brother. Typically, Francis bats the brothers back-to-back. That bond has strengthened through the illness of A.J.

“They’re great kids, A.J. and Cody,” Francis said. “They’re great players but more importantly, great kids. Our school has been great as far as supporting family. A.J. comes and goes to little events, he has that right attitude and spirit and that’s what he needs. He’s getting out of bed and he’s coming to things he loves. And it’s really good for him and Cody.”

Carlin, who plays shortstop, is one of the few Cougars who doesn’t have a sibling on the baseball team. But in Cody Grande, he has a brother like no other. Best friends. Unconditional friendship. Maturity far beyond their teenage years.

“I tell Cody if he needs anything I’m definitely there for him,” Carlin said. “I try to talk to him or listen if I can. Whatever he needs, I’m there. We hang out. We’ll play bounce-pitch at softball fields or St. Matt’s. We have spots to go. We were at the (boys) district championship game. As a team at Springfield, we all came together this year. We all came together and helped (the Grandes) out. The community in Springfield, everyone is doing as much as we can.”

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Teammates since T-ball, Zack Tropiano, Cody Grande and Jake Carlin, from left, all from Springfield High, get together

after Team Delco’s Carpenter Cup game with Delaware North at FDR Park Monday. Delaware North won 8-4.

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ROYERSFORD — Haverford’s Emma Taylor crushed the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the seventh inning.

She knew it was gone the moment it left her bat.

The junior pitcher’s walk-off home run was a no-doubter, and the Fords were officially Penn State bound.

The ball traveled 200-plus feet and over the fence in left-center field. Taylor’s walk-off bomb lifted the Fords to a 2-1 victory over Pennsbury Thursday at Spring-Ford High School in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals.

“I knew it was going over as soon as I hit it,” Taylor said. “It was incredible. I couldn’t even make it to first without watching the ball.”

Haverford will play for the state championship Thursday in Happy Valley, where it will face North Penn, a team the Fords defeated, 5-0, in the District 1 quarterfinals.

Taylor expected something good to hit from Pennsbury pitcher Ainsley McClure.

“She had given me a first-pitch strike my first at bat. It was pretty much right down the middle,” Taylor said. “I knew there was a good chance it was coming.”

When asked if it was the biggest hit of her life (as if there’s even a close second), Haverford coach Bob Newman chimed in: “It was the biggest hit of my life!”

Taylor’s round-tripper will go down as one of the greatest moments in Haverford High sports history. The Fords become only the third softball team from Delco to play for a PIAA title. Springfield lost in the old Class 3A division in 2007, but won it seven years later, becoming the county’s first softball team to win a state title. No Delco softball team had ever advanced this far in PIAA’s highest classification, until now.

There was a pile-up at home plate. The Fords greeted Taylor as several players eventually fell to the dirt, overwhelmed with excitement. Everyone was OK.

Afterward the team celebrated more by dancing and singing along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” Indeed, good times never seemed so good for the Fords.

Before Taylor strolled to the plate to lead off the seventh, she wiggled out of danger in the top half. Riley Mahony smacked a two-out double, then stole third base. On a 3-2 count, catcher Rowan Mulholland hit a line drive to second base Shannon Gavigan, who snagged it easily out of the air for the third out.

Haverford’s defense was stellar all game.

In the sixth inning, Pennsbury was robbed of the go-ahead run thanks to shortstop Tess Smiley, who slid to her right to keep a groundball off the bat of Ali Charlier from going in the outfield. The Falcons would’ve grabbed a 2-1 lead had Smiley not made the stop.

“It was insane. I just know that we have a really strong defense out there,” Smiley said. “And so I knew I needed to get that ball to save this game.”

With two outs and the bases juiced, Emma Hause hit a shallow fly to right fielder Rachel Yocom, who sprinted toward foul territory and made a basket catch.

“Click HERE to read the full article.

Emma Taylor (23) high fives Haverford coach Bob Newman as she rounds third base after hitting a walk-off home run to give the Fords a

2-1 victory over Pennsbury Monday in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

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BOYERTOWN — Trailing by a run heading into the fifth inning, the odds of mounting a comeback against Spring-Ford were not in Haverford’s favor Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs.

The District 1 champion Rams were undefeated for a reason. Spring-Ford had given up just 12 runs overall, two in the District 1 and PIAA tournaments, and allowed three runs in a game once this season.

The Fords, though, have been bucking the odds throughout the post-season and did so once again as they rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth inning to stun the Rams, 5-3, at Boyertown High School.

“We’re just always there for each other,” junior third baseman Kerri McCallum said. “There’s no backing down from anything. We’re always there to pick each other up. It’s a great environment to be around.”

PHOTO GALLERY: Spring-Ford vs Haverford PIAA Class 6A Softball quarterfinals

It’s a winning culture that has the Fords (22-4) in the state semifinals for the first time where they will take on Pennsbury, a 6-2 winner over Quakertown, Monday at a site and time to be determined.

“This team loves each other,” Haverford coach Bob Newman said. “That’s the biggest thing about this team. I have 10 seniors and you think that sometimes with that, they might not get along because of the playing time, but they really love each other. They come and they work hard and they don’t give up.”

Fittingly, for those seniors, the victory came on graduation day, which was held later Thursday evening.

“It’s going to be a happy graduation day for them,” said McCallum, who went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

Haverford had a chance to strike early. The Fords had the bases loaded with two outs in the first inning but could not capitalize.

Spring-Ford (22-1) did not have the same problem. Maddie Walsh put the Fords in a 2-0 hole when she laced a two-run single with one out in the bottom of the Frame.

The Fords got one back on McCallum’s one-out RBI single in the third inning then turned to small ball to pull off the upset.

Claudia Stuck, Brooke McKeown and Jess Smiley started the fifth with three straight bunt singles. McCallum hit a slow roller to third and Stuck was able to beat the throw home to tie the game. Sophomore Shannon Gavigan followed with a single to center field that brought McKeown and Smiley home to put the Fords up, 4-2.

“I didn’t want to get behind in the count because I know that she’s a really good pitcher,” Gavigan said. “I wanted to attack early. I saw a pitch that I liked and went for it.”

Gavigan advanced to second on the throw home and moved to third on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Haley Greenwald. Pitcher Emma Taylor lofted a sacrifice fly ball to left to bring Gavigan home and give the Fords a 5-2 cushion.

“We just put the ball in play,” Newman said. “That was the game plan. We have so much respect for that team, that program and that pitcher. This group is unbelievable.”

“We’re a team that can get on base,” McCallum said. “Today it was with bunts and singles. We have a couple of big hitters, too, so I knew we could get on base. Once we get on base and get the momentum going, we’re going to score runs.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Haverford players celebrates after knocking off previously

undefeated Spring-Ford, 5-3, in the quarterfinal round of

the PIAA Class 6A tournament. (Owen McCue/MediaNews Group)

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NEWTOWN SQUARE — Danielle McNeely apologizes, warning that she might be a little out of breath.

For most of the last 12½ minutes of concentrated essence of lacrosse insanity, the Strath Haven senior midfielder had been in perpetual motion, the only stillness in the instant when the ball balanced between her stick and that of a Cardinal O’Hara player on the draw.

It took a pile of Panthers to get her to finally stop … or merely pause on the run to Saturday’s PIAA final.McNeely capped an outstanding individual performance by setting up the game-winning goal from Kaitlin Nieczpiel with 92 seconds left, finally resolving a 12-11 decision for Strath Haven in a Class 2A state semifinal girls lacrosse classic after a 24-hour suspension and resumption at Marple Newtown.

McNeely scored four goals Tuesday in the first three quarters of the game, suspended due to inclement weather with Strath Haven up 9-7 and 12:28 remaining. She tallied six assists, setting up freshman Grace Kelly to restore Haven to the lead with 6:12 left, then feeding Nieczpiel for the game-winner.

“Before the game, we had a real big talk about the game and about trust,” McNeely said. “We knew what to do and how to win the game. We just went out and did it.”

Most importantly, McNeely, Nieczpiel and Devon Maillet had five draw controls each, including three for McNeely Wednesday. Haven (19-5-1) controlled all seven draws in the resumption, a crucial factor in withstanding O’Hara’s surge. It’s also what turned the tide Tuesday, when O’Hara led 7-3 and Haven rallied. In all, the Panthers held a 16-8 edge in draw controls, including 13 straight to end the game.

“Yesterday, it was starting to win the draw,” Nieczpiel said. “At first, we were starting off slow. But then we were able to kick off with Danielle and Devon being on the draw circle. I trust both of them very much on the draw, and Danielle and Devon have contributed so much to the game.”

The timing of Tuesday’s suspension favored O’Hara, which had surrendered six straight goals. They made good on the chance to regroup, and no one benefited more than Rachel Familetti.

Haven held possession and a two-goal lead at the restart, but a Mackenzie Hand save got the ball back for Mia Scarduzio to pot her fourth goal. Hand’s ninth denial of the game, on a McNeely free-position shot, led to Familetti tying the score with 6:39 left.

For the senior Pitt signee, Tuesday was a struggle. She was held scoreless, a rarity this season, with a yellow card and a ringing of the crossbar. But that was out of mind when she lined up from eight meters.

“My teammates are always there to cheer me up,” Familetti said. “They’re always like, Rachel, just get out of your head, you’ve got it. And today was exactly that day. They told me right before I had that eight-meter shot, ‘Rachel this is you.’ Because yesterday I missed two of them and I thought about it and I had to focus on it and they’re like, ‘Rachel you’ve got it, this is your shot, you can do it.’ And that’s exactly what I did.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Strath Haven’s Laura Conner, right, gets a hug from teammate Danielle McNeely after Conner scored in the second

half of the PIAA Class 2A girls lacrosse semifinal against Cardinal O’Hara Tuesday. Strath Haven completed a

12-11 win in the resumption of the game Wednesday. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group

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WEST GROVE – When the dust settled Thursday, three Springfield High seniors shared the sudden end to the softball season, and their careers.

Pitcher Sam Ciasullo, second baseman Jordan Galloway and centerfielder Jill Condi gave it their all in a 5-0 loss to Lampeter-Strasburg in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class 5A tournament at Avon Grove. Then they gave each other and their teammates a shoulder to lean on.

Lampeter-Strasburg broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth inning, then erupted for four in the sixth to put the game away. The Pioneers will play in their fifth straight state semifinal.

“Throughout the first four innings it was a battle back and forth between pitchers,” Galloway said. “We were getting on base. We just unfortunately couldn’t get those runs in. But I’ll put that inning behind us. It was one bad inning and I’ll stand by it but I had faith in my team. I like going out that way. We went super-far. It was such a fun season. Nothing like our past seasons. Especially last year when we didn’t get a season.”

When the Cougar seniors talk about their quarterfinal loss 10 years from now, they’ll remember right fielder Ava Craddock’s diving catch to rob the Pioneers of an extra base hit in the second inning.

That will be quickly followed by Condi’s fourth inning catch for the ages to rob Daisy Frank of extra bases – at the least. Condi made a running leaping grab at the fence to keep the game scoreless.

“That’s probably one of the best catches I’ve ever made in my entire softball career,” Condi said. “I tracked it down. I did not see the fence whatsoever. I caught the ball and I honestly thought I dropped it at first. I hit the fence and I heard the umpire calling ‘catch, catch.’”

After a delay to confirm Condi was OK, Ciasullo, who recorded 200-plus strikeouts this season, got the Cougars out of the inning with one of her nine punchouts.

In the fifth inning the Pioneers loaded the bases with no outs and got on the board on Julia Gerard’s fielders choice to Galloway.

The sixth inning was brutally long. Framed against 81-degree heat and humidity it showed the grit of Ciasullo, who wasn’t able to get out of a bases-loaded jam until four runs worth of damage.

The Pioneers got RBI-singles from Emily Platt and Ally Raub. Ciasullo walked a run in and hit a batter to bring in another run.

“I didn’t want to leave it over the plate in order to get a strike because they were going to hit it,” Ciasullo said. “The thing about playing seven innings is they’re going to catch on to you by their third at bat. They were good. I think they’re going to make the finals.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Springfield seniors from left, Jill Condi, Jordan Galloway and Sam Ciasullo get

together one more time in their to celebrate a stellar season that ended in the

quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs.

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LANCASTER >> The Conestoga boys’ lacrosse program is widely considered a state and regional powerhouse because the program has been competing and winning at the highest levels for many, many years. On Saturday in a PIAA 3A Quarterfinal, the Pioneers showed, once again, that the reputation is well deserved.

The sixth and final team from District 1 to qualify for states, Conestoga delivered a workmanlike performance in the blazing heat to top North Allegheny 8-3 and move on to the state semifinals. It was an impressive defensive effort by the Pioneers against the District 7 champs and the probably the best 3A program in Western Pennsylvania.

“I always tell our guys that the season is a marathon with three parts – regular, districts and states,” said ’Stoga head coach Brody Bush. “We’re lucky our team is playing its best lacrosse in June.”

Dating back to 2017, the Pioneers (16-6 overall) have now made it to the final four in four straight seasons, which is a testament to the program’s long-term excellence. And up next on Tuesday is Central League rival Radnor, who won the regular season meeting 11-7. A spot in the state final is at stake.

“(Radnor is) one of our biggest rivals,” said Conestoga goaltender Patrick Jameison, who is the team’s MVP and played lights out on Saturday.

“We know each other’s tendencies,” Bush added. “(Radnor is) a great team – they won our league and were undefeated. I’m just excited to get another shot at them.”

In a battle between two solid defenses anchored by a pair of outstanding keepers, the Pioneers used their superior depth to wear down the Tigers (13-5 overall). ’Stoga grabbed an early lead and never trailed, but North Allegheny’s stingy zone defense held the Pioneers scoreless for more than 23 minutes, allowing the Tigers to claw their way to within two, 5-3, heading into the final period.

“It was a great goalie battle. I was impressed with both,” Bush said.

“(North Alegheny) threw a zone at us, and that played to our ability to hold the ball, but at the same time it takes the wind out of things.”

The most important goal of the day came midway through the fourth when a shot by Joey Allen caught Tigers’ keeper Aidan Miller high on the shoulder, it bounced high into the air with backspin, then hit the ground and bounced backwards into the net.

“Hey, they all count the same,” Bush chuckled.

Conestoga proceeded to round it out with two more goals, including Patrick Reilly’s third tally of the day, and another off Reilly’s second assist.

“It was so hot, we were running so many people onto the field. But I think we have the deepest squad in the Central League, and that’s saying something,” said Reilly, a junior attacker.

“We had more guys than (North Allegheny) did and later in the game you could tell how fatigued they were,” Bush added. “That definitely played a role with the heat.”

The Pioneers opened the state tournament with a critical victory over District 1 (and league rival) Springfield (Delco), and they carried over the momentum. ’Stoga may not have had the regular season and district tournament it wanted, but it’s important to note that the team’s six losses have come against Inter-Ac powers Malvern Prep and Haverford School, and District 1 heavyweights Garnet Valley, Radnor, Kennett and Wissahickon – all of whom were still playing this weekend.

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WEST GROVE — With the mercury north of 90 degrees and 40-plus minutes of strenuous lacrosse in its legs, Garnet Valley knew how fine the margins of the possession would be.

With its PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal against St. Joseph’s Prep tied late and the Jaguars having scrapped to regain possession, it would be the quality of moves tossed at the Hawks that would matter, not the quantity.

“Not only were we really patient, we were really tired,” attackman Joey Halloran said. “So we knew we weren’t going to be able to go 120 percent, dodging down the alleys. We knew we had to make smart passes and smart plays.”

The smart play in crunch time for Garnet Valley is to always find Max Busenkell.

Busenkell beat his man and rifled home the game-winner, then set up Halloran for an insurance tally and iced the game himself, Garnet Valley scoring five times in the fourth quarter to claim a 12-9 come-from-behind win at Avon Grove High School.

The win sends the District 1 runner-up (19-5) into the state semifinal for a third meeting with Kennett, which rallied past Wissahickon, 11-8. That game is Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Busenkell was held down in the first half, the Notre Dame commit limited to one assist, as Prep locked him off for large stretches and elected to take its chances 5-v-5. But Busenkell set up Halloran to tie the game at 7 on the man-up in the third quarter. Bishop Barnes, who set up Ryan Nealon to re-tie the game at 8 on the man-advantage 32 seconds into the fourth, put the Jaguars ahead for the first time at 9-8 with 6:33 to play. But Scott O’Connor’s third goal of the game restored parity at 5:08.

Busenkell’s brilliance aside, each team had a key moment late to point to. For Prep, it arrived with four seconds left in the third, when Ryan Gaffney appeared to put the team up two with a leaping goal on the crease. But instead of a 9-7 lead, he was called for an illegal body check for jumping into goalie Drew Keaveney, wiping off the goal and allowing Nealon to knot the game.

“I thought we had that, so I was like, everyone get out and let them make the call and we didn’t get it,” O’Connor, a Broomall native, said. “I was just trying to keep everyone calm and keep playing our game. You can’t do anything about the ref’s decision. After that, we finished the quarter, tried to regroup and kept playing the way we know how.”

Click HERE to read the full article.

Max Busenkell, left, scoring a goal against Kennett in the District 1 playoffs,

had two goals, including the winner, and three assists in Garnet Valley’s 12-9

victory over St. Joseph’s Prep in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals Saturday.

(Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

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For any Penn State alum or family member, any trip to State College requires at stop at the Berkey Creamery.

For Strath Haven girls lacrosse coach Pigeon Graham and her assistant Megan Fizzano, a stop at the creamery was a must after the Panthers dispatched Mars, 21-8, in the second round of the PIAA Class 2A tournament.

“We were like, ‘We have to give the girls a little treat,’” Graham said by phone on the ride back.

The only problem was that a stop at the creamery was not on the official itinerary.

“The athletic director (Patrick Clancy) and bus driver weren’t so sure about that plan, but we made it happen,” Graham said.

Clancy and the driver agreed to the stop provided the bus was back on the road by 5:30 p.m. The team was ready to go by 5:27, Graham said. And the players appreciated the gesture.

“That was great,” senior Devon Maillet said. “I just finished my chocolate ice cream.”

The day was plenty special for Maillet already. The Colgate signee scored six times, including her 100th goal of the season, to lead the Panthers (18-5-1).

“I was surprised,” said Maillet, who will play lacrosse at Colgate in college. “I had no idea.”

The milestone came on her second goal of the game and fittingly off an assist from fellow senior Danielle McNeely. Less than three weeks ago, D&D, as they call themselves, both went over 100 goals for their careers in Strath Haven’s 23-5 victory over Marple Newtown in the second round of the District 1 tournament.

“It’s really amazing because she did it in two and a half seasons,” Graham said. “She was injured halfway through her sophomore year and she didn’t have last season (due to COVID-19). She’s really turned it on this year.”

Maillet found out about the accomplishment during a timeout a short time later.

“I was just so excited,” Maillet said. “I didn’t know it was coming. I was caught up being in states and playing with my team, I didn’t think about it but I was super excited when I found out about it.”

Maillet scored the first two goals to help the Panthers jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first five minutes. The District 7 champion Fighting Planets never recovered.

Strath Haven opened up a 15-5 halftime advantage and cruised into the semifinals for the third time in program history and the first since Strath Haven fell to Garnet Valley in the 2012 championship game, when the PIAA had only one classification.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Strath Haven’s Devon Maillet, left, and Danielle McNeely recently scored the 100th

goals of their careers. Maillet reached the 100-goal mark for the season in the Panthers’

21-8 victory over Mars Saturday in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 2A tournament. (mng stAFF pHOTO)

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