PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | November, 2022

Hopkins’ overtime goal lifts Conestoga to PIAA-3A quarters win over Manheim Township

EXETER TWP. >> Every once in a while, the stats don’t tell the whole story. Sometimes, the stats just plain lie. Conestoga flat out dominated every statistical category during the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal against Manheim Township. Well, every category but one, and that is the one that matters most — the score.

The Pioneers might not have dominated the score like they did the action, but thanks to a goal from Keating Hopkins late in the second overtime, Conestoga (21-2) had all the margin they needed in that category, gutting out a tight 2-1 win over a Manheim Township (18-6) squad that just wouldn’t quit.

With the win, the Pioneers advance to Tuesday’s semifinal round, where they will face District 3 champ Lower Dauphin, a 2-1 overtime winner over Great Valley Saturday, at Exeter Twp High School. Game time is slated for 6:30 p.m.

“I am just so glad this is finally over,” said Hopkins, through tears of joy. “I honestly had no idea the ball was coming. I thought the goalie had another save. But I knew we’d be able to do it, the way we’d be dominating the whole overtime. We had so many corners, at least one of them had to go in eventually. I’m just thrilled to be back in semifinals, closer to the goal of a state championship.”

But it sure wasn’t easy.

“For whatever reason, we were just having trouble finishing,” said Conestoga coach Regan Marscher. “But the girls didn’t let it get to them and just kept plugging away. No one got frustrated, and just knew we’d eventually find a way to get it done.”

Despite holding a 9-1 advantage in penalty corners over the course of the first half, the Pioneers went to the break at halftime down 1-0, as the Blue Streaks were able to convert on their lone corner try, getting a goal from Maddy Wagner, with an assist.

“Given how much we dominated, it was unfortunate that we gave up that first goal,” said Marscher.

“Dominated” might be underselling it a bit. The vast majority of the game, was spent on the Pioneers offensive half of the field, and Conestoga finished the game with a 27-4 advantage in penalty corners, while outshooting the Blue Streaks 24-7. But thanks in large part to the play of goalie Zoe Caloviros, who had 22 saves on the day for the Blue Streaks, the game stayed even most of the day.

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Keating Hopkins slips a ball past Manheim Twp’s Zoe Caloviros (BILL RUDICK for MEDIANEWS GROUP)

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Weins, Woods help keep Garnet Valley dominant in win over Lower Merion

ROYERSFORD — The first set hung in the balance Saturday morning as Sarah Wood wound up a swing of her mighty right arm.

Garnet Valley hadn’t yet warmed to the task in the second round of the PIAA Class 4A volleyball tournament at Spring-Ford High, stuck in a 14-all first set against Lower Merion. Off a set from big sister Maddie Wood and a cross-court, line-clipping finish, the fabulous freshman turned the tide for good.

That **** was one of a game-high 14 for Sarah Wood, leading District 1 champion Garnet Valley into the state semifinals via a 3-0 win over the District 1 third-place Aces.

“It was just really a momentum shift for the entire game; 14-14, you’re halfway through the game,” Maddie Wood said. “Things are going to be neck and neck until then, and then one team pushes ahead. That’s how it usually goes. That was the momentum shift, and we went full gas after that.”

From Sarah Wood’s putaway, the Jaguars tallied nine of the next 11 points on the way to a 25-19 win in Game 1. They were rarely pushed in the last two, 25-16 and 25-15, to reach the state semis for the first time since 2018.

So much of the Jaguars’ power goes through the Wood sister axis. Maddie, the reigning Daily Times Player of the Year, had 41 assists and four kills. Her intelligence running the offense is matched only by her penchant for creating chances out of chaos, a major tipping point between the Central League foes. Where messy possessions turned into free balls lumped over by the Aces, Wood converted them to dangerous sets.

“Her ability to spread out the ball and spread out the offense despite Sarah being able to put it down as well, she’s able to trick any team into whatever they want to go,” senior middle Sarah Weins said. “She knows where to put the ball and has good timing.”

Then there’s Sarah Wood, a towering presence on the backline. Her serve reception is as strong as defensive specialists like libero Madison Snelgrove and Abby Houpt, and her back-row attacks are a weapon that few at this level possess.

All of it was humming along Saturday. Weins set the tone with two kills early in the first set, then forced Lower Merion into a timeout with a **** and a block to make it 12-6 in the second. The Aces fought back to within 17-14 before another Weins block stemmed the momentum.

“Having confidence in my swing and knowing where to put the ball every time has really helped me,” Weins said. “Having those big kills motivated me to serve better and pass better because after you get a big **** and you go to the back, it helps you focus better and have that confidence to do well.”

It took Lower Merion (21-5) the better part of two sets to settle in. Junior outside hitter Brooke Johnson didn’t get her first **** until early in the second, Garnet Valley’s mobile block unsettling her. She finished with seven kills and a block, and senior Claire Hamilton added seven kills. But it wasn’t enough for an Aces team making just its second states berth and first since 2004. They remained resilient, even against a Garnet Valley side that handled them comfortably, 3-0, in the regular season.

“We were prepared for that, but as it showed, making mistakes in service and where we shouldn’t have mistakes and things like that,” LM coach and Haverford grad Lauren Perri said. “It still just is the mental factor for us of, you’ve got to go through this team for league, you’ve got to go through this team at districts and even now at the state level. It’s tough.”

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Westburg’s dash in overtime keeps Garnet Valley’s dream alive

CONCORD – Jack Westburg provided the heroics in overtime as No. 1 Garnet Valley defeated No. 8 Spring-Ford, 30-27, in a District 1 Class 6A quarterfinal Friday evening.

After their defense held the Rams (9-2) to a 37-yard field goal by Ryan Fields on the first possession of overtime, the Jaguars (11-0) wasted no time when they got the ball.

Westburg took the hand off from quarterback Matt Mesaros and followed the lead blocking of running backs Jason Bernard and Joseph Checchio to the outside. Westburg sprinted 10 yards untouched to the end zone where he was met by the members of the Garnet Valley cheer team, jumping and screaming in celebration.

“To be honest, I had full faith in Bernard and Checchio,” Westburg said. “Every week we practice jet (sweep) and just to go to the goal line untouched, it’s unbelievable. I just can’t thank the offensive line and those two enough. I’m giving all the credit to the line and everyone else. I mean, I just ran the ball. Anyone could have run the ball in with our O-line … and Checchio and Bernard were horses today.”

Garnet Valley is two wins away from a second consecutive District 1 Class 6A title. Next week the Jags will host No. 12 Downingtown East, which upset No. 4 Downingtown West, 34-9, in the semifinal round.

“I am extremely proud of them. True grit and they stuck together,” Garnet Valley coach Eric Van Wyk said. “They didn’t point fingers and they always believed in each other.”

The Jags and Rams were tied 10-10 at the end of the third quarter. Jason Bernard’s short TD run put GV ahead, but Gage Swanger took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to the end zone to even the score at 17. Luke Minigioni sprinted 22 yards to pay dirt to give the Jags a 24-17 advantage. GV attempted an onside kick and Spring-Ford recovered near midfield. Ten plays later Will Fish rumbled across the goal line from four yards out to pull the Rams even at 24. Garnet Valley’s Tim Comers tried a 34-yard field goal as time expired in regulation, but the kick went wide of the uprights.

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Strong-finishing ‘Stoga notches another shutout; moves on to PIAA Semis

CALN >> Is it a strength, or just a perceived strength that comes to be because you believe?

Conestoga boys’ soccer coach Dave Zimmerman thinks about complex concepts like this all the time. And moments after his squad topped Warwick 2-0 in a PIAA Class 4A Quarterfinal match on Saturday afternoon, he spoke at length about the Pioneers’ strengths, and how all three contributed to a win that propels ’Stoga into the state semifinal on Tuesday.

“We talked at halftime that we are defense, set pieces and strong in the second half – that’s who we are,” he recalled. “That’s our identity.”

Well, the defense was there, as expected, with the Pioneers notching the 14th shutout of the season, and their fifth in six postseason outings. As for set pieces, Conestoga (20-3 overall) notched both of its goals off corner kicks. And finally, both goals came after a scoreless first half.

“I have to give this team a lot of credit because part of the reason we are a good second half team is that they can take the coaching,” Zimmerman explained. “We tell them the things we need to change or emphasize, and they execute it.

“Being coachable is critical. We can make adjustments, especially at the half. Soccer is an interesting game because there is no timeouts. So you have to wait before you can make major changes.

“And it’s all a credit to them for being very coachable.”

For the District 1 runner-up, it sets the stage for an interesting rematch in the semis against District 7 runner-up Seneca Valley. These two met in the state final a year ago, with ’Stoga winning 1-0 to register the program’s third state crown since 2016.

“It will be an interesting rematch,” Zimmerman said.

The Pioneers had an advantage statistically against the Warriors (12-8-2), but it was even more pronounced in the final 40 minutes in both shots on goal (5-0) and corners (6-1). But it was still 0-0 after the first 40.

“We know we have the power to score goals, we just need to be patient and keep knocking,” said junior defender Brady Costin.

 

“(Warwick) is a good team,” Zimmerman added. “My analogy is that they are kind of like the (Philadelphia) Phillies – kind of up and down, but they are hitting their stride at the right time. Those teams are always dangerous.”

With just six goals in its previous six matches, Conestoga got its breakout less than six minutes into the second half when sophomore Cole ‘Freddy’ Frederick knocked in the third of a three-shot sequence that came off a corner kick.

“We had many (scoring) opportunities in the first half, so we knew it was coming,” Frederick said.

“This whole season, we’ve been a second half team. And it proved that way today.”

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Conestoga advances with win over Penn Manor

BERWYN>>Conestoga shook off the sting of last weekend’s heart-breaking loss in the District 1, Class 3A championship game, and rebounded with a businesslike win over Penn Manor. The Pioneers (20-2) converted on three penalty corners and played a stifling defense to hand the Comets (16-6) a 3-1 defeat at Teamer Field Tuesday night.With the win, Conestoga advances to Saturday’s quarterfinal round, where they will square off against Manheim Township, the District 3 third-place finisher, a 2-1 winner over Pine-Richland Tuesday.

The Pioneers have been able to count on the defense throughout the post season, and have now outscored the opposition 17-3 in four post-season contests.
“Alex did such a great job covering that right post,” said Marscher. “She was super quick and made some amazing saves. She did a great job for us tonight.”
“Penn Manor has a really strong program,” said Pioneer coach Regan Marscher. “They had a lot of great passing, and some really nice block tackles that stopped us a few times. I’m proud of the resiliency the girls showed, especially when some calls didn’t go our way. They just kept going and kept plugging until we got the win.”
The Comets, who were the fourth-place finisher in District 3, came out firing, and forced the first penalty corner less than a minute into the game, and four in the first five minutes. But ’Stoga goalie Alex Lepore and her defensive teammates were up to the task, and made sure the visitor’s side of the scoreboard stayed at zero until the Pioneer offense got going.
“We were ready,” said Lepore. “They came out strong on offense, but we came out just as strong defensively. As the game wore on, we kind of got used to their style of play and settled in. I’m so excited that we’re moving on and have more field hockey to come. Our passing patterns were amazing today, and we’re playing well defensively. I think we have a lot of season to go.”

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Conestoga’s Ava Wells, Addie DelOrafice and Kate Galica celebrates Galica’s goal (BILL RUDICK for MEDIANEWS GROUP)

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Lock-down defense powers Conestoga into state quarterfinal

TREDYFFRIN >> Every single day of practice these days, the Conestoga boys’ soccer squad sets a chunk of time aside to work on penalty kicks.

And for a program led by a legendary head coach like Dave Zimmerman, who’s to question that strategy? The Pioneers have captured four state titles since 2011 – including a perfect run a year ago – and Zimmerman knows that his ’22 squad is not as explosive as some of the others. But ’Stoga can certainly defend.

A case in point was Tuesday in round one of the PIAA 4A Playoffs at Teamer Field against District 2 power Hempfield. The Pioneers edged the visiting Black Knights 1-0 in a defense-heavy tilt that was competitive for the full 80 minutes.

“We’ve been spoiled in recent years where we’ve been able to score more easily,” Zimmerman said. “We recognize that this season it doesn’t come as easily.

“Defense wins championships, right? We practice PK’s every single practice because it’s just a matter of time, I think, before we will find ourselves there. You know, sometimes you can win even if you don’t score.”

Now 19-3 overall, Conestoga – the District 1 runner-up — advances to the state quarterfinals, where it will face the Pine-Richland/Warwick winner on Saturday at a time and location to be determined. The shutout was the Pioneers’ 13th this season, and fifth in six playoff outings.

“All season, and even last season, we barely allow any shots per game,” said junior goaltender Ryan Carella. “It all starts with our center backs and outside fullbacks. And if something gets through, I am there.”

Zimmerman agreed: “I credit our two center backs Brady Costin – perhaps our best player – and Tommy Barausky. They are as good as it gets. Defense has been the backbone of our program.”

The third place finisher from District 2, Hempfield’s season ends with a 14-5-2 mark.

“Hempfield’s been in the (PIAA) players seven of the last 11 years and have won a state championship,” Zimmerman reported. “This is the type of opponent that scares me more than anything because they know what they are doing.”

Not surprisingly, the scoring chances were few and far between in the opening 40 minutes, but ’Stoga finally broke through at the 30-minute mark. Junior Diego Ramirez eventually collected a throw-in from Barausky, and his low drive found the back of the net.

“I went up for the first header on the throw-in and one of the opposing players hit it back out,” Ramirez explained. “I took the touch in the air and it was all in front of me. I took the shot and it went in.”

Barausky filled in admirably for Peter Miller on throw-ins. The junior suffered a foot injury in a 1-0 loss to Lower Merion in the district final, but Zimmerman said he expects Miller will be able to play on Saturday.

The first half was razor close, but ’Stoga came close to adding another goal a number of times in the second, culminating in a near-goal when a header by Luke Nevins, off a Costin corner kick, was just wide. Moments later, with 17 minutes on the clock, Hempfield notched its first shot on goal following eight straight by the Pioneers.

“Our motto is defense and set pieces. And it’s carried us far,” Zimmerman said.

“Our strategy was to put pressure on (Hempfield) and disrupt their possession game. I do think that pressure got to them a little bit.”

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Garnet Valley holds on to win District 1 Class 4A volleyball title

LOWER MERION — It was almost a case of déjà vu for Garnet Valley High volleyball team Thursday night. The key word being almost.

Back in September, in the third match of the season, the Jaguars won the first two sets against Unionville only to drop the next three for their only loss of the season.

Garnet Valley avoided a repeat of that defeat as it took control of the fifth set early and held on to win the District 1 Class 4A volleyball title with a 3-2 triumph over the Longhorns at Harriton High.

“We just thought if we’re going to do it, we have to do it now,” said setter Maddie Wood, the reigning Daily Times Player of the Year. “There’s no more time to waste. There’s no more messing around. If we want to win this thing we have to win it now.”

Like the first meeting, the third-seeded Jaguars (22-1) took the first two sets, 25-16 and 25-16, and appeared to be in control. The Longhorns, though, showed why they were undefeated and the No. 1 seed  by sweeping the next two sets, 25-21 and 25-22.

Much of that had to do with the play of the Unionville (21-1) back line, led by libero Ava Van Deusen, the setting of junior Olivia Harper, and the play at the net of middle hitter Vivian Geiger, outside hitter Madelyn Lowe and right side Ava Brenner. That trio matched the Jaguars swing for swing and also came up with huge blocks.

Garnet Valley, though, was not going to be denied its first district title since winning the Class A crown in 1984, according to head coach Mark Clark. The Jaguars kept their cool throughout the contest, especially in the decisive fifth set.

“We bounced back nice,” Clark said. “They’re a great team. That’s what they do and we have to be ready for that. They’re not going to fold. They’re going to push, push, push and they made us push back. Finally, in Game 5, we pushed hard.”

No one pushed harder than freshman Sarah Wood, who collected five of her team-high 35 kills in the final set including the winner off a dink from her sister Maddie to set off a wild championship celebration. The final **** was the opposite of her other 34 kills, which came on big swings.

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Garnet Valley volleyball players react to the final point as they defeated Unionville in the District 1 Class 4A Championship Thursday at Harriton High School in five games. (Pete Bannan - MediaNews Group)

Garnet Valley volleyball players react to the final point as they defeated Unionville in the District 1 Class 4A Championship Thursday at Harriton High School in five games. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

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O’Donnell does a lot of everything as Springfield cruises past Phoenixville

SPRINGFIELD – Mike O’Donnell is sort of like a Springfield Swiss Army knife. He can do a little bit of everything.

Officially, he is listed as a senior wide receiver, free safety and strong safety on the team’s roster, but the 6-1, 170-pound O’Donnell is much more than that.

Need him to run the ball? No problem. He’s quite capable of doing that, and doing it well. Want him to block on running plays? He’s willing to do that, too. And he can return punts and kickoffs.

“I try my best,” O’Donnell said. He tried and did show his versatility as the seventh-seeded Cougars rolled over No. 10 Phoenixville, 42-7, Friday night in the opening round of the District 1 Class 5A playoffs.

O’Donnell ran the ball five times for 101 yards and a touchdown, caught two passes for 52 yards and another score, blocked in the running game and played solid defense as the Cougars (8-3) extended their winning streak to six games, picked up their first playoff victory since winning the District 1 Class 5A title in 2017 and set up a rematch with second-seeded Strath Haven next week in the quarterfinals.

“This is my first year playing running back and receiver since CYO ball,” O’Donnell said. “I got thrown into the role this year and it turns out I like it a lot and I’m doing pretty good at it. Last year I was strictly a receiver, running routes and everything. This year I’m a receiver, running back and blocker. I’d say that 65 percent of my plays are blocking, which is good.”

The Cougars wore down the Phantoms (6-4) with a solid running game (256 yards on 34 carries) and an efficient passing attack from senior quarterback Jake Rama (7-for-10, 114 yards, three touchdowns). Springfield scored on four of its first five possessions. The only hiccup was a 70-yard interception return by Phoenixville’s Ahmid Spivey with 49 seconds to go in the second quarter.

While the offense was chewing up yards and eating up clock, the defense made life miserable for the Phantoms, who failed to score an offensive touchdown for the third game in a row. Springfield held Phoenixville to 173 total yards, 134 of which came on the ground. A quarter of that total came on a 36-yard burst by Darius Watson in the third quarter.

“They really game-planned nice for our offense,” Phoenixville running back Sam Moore said. “It seemed like every time we were running the ball they knew it and every time we were passing the ball they knew it. We moved the ball sometimes but we just couldn’t finish drives.”

That was the plan.

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Springfield's Nate Romano, left, avoids a Phoenixville defender in the first quarter as the Cougars went on to a 42-7 victory over the Phantoms in a District 1 Class 5A opener. (Pete Bannan - MediaNews Group)

Springfield’s Nate Romano, left, avoids a Phoenixville defender in the first quarter as the Cougars went on to a 42-7 victory over the Phantoms in a District 1 Class 5A opener. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

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Lower Merion boys soccer team captures District 1 4A championship

The Lower Merion High School boys’ soccer team captured the PIAA District 1 4A title Nov. 5, defeating Conestoga 1-0.

For the Aces (20-1), the top seed in the District 1 4A tourney (the Pioneers were the No. 2 seed), the outcome was a reversal of last year’s District 1 4A championship final, in which Lower Merion lost to Conestoga, 1-0.

“This was a very well-played game, with two very good teams giving it their all for this championship,” said Lower Merion boys’ soccer head coach Nico Severini. “Conestoga is very well coached and prepared and we knew that it was going to be a tough game. I truly also believe that this is a reflection of the strength of our Central League and all of its teams. Our players played phenomenally and stood by our mantra of ‘Team Together’ and I am very proud of the team.”

The lone goal was scored in the first half by senior Sam Nyenka, with an assist from senior Drew Davis. Lower Merion junior goalie Crosby Johnson had a great save in the first half to keep the shutout intact.

“We played a quick rhythm game, with a lot of attacks in various ways,” said Severini. “Senior center backs Mori Rothman and Thanos Danillidis came up with a few huge plays that helped the team as well as some nice plays from junior wide back Jude Vaughan and senior wide back Liam Clifford. Senior midfielders Justin Poles and Joaquin Jenkins provided very solid midfield play and were assisted by senior wide midfielders Elliot Holl and Jack Forman, who made some very nice passes and crosses.

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Lower Merion topples Conestoga to capture district crown

ROYERSFORD >> Often dismissed as having little impact in athletics, revenge can still be a very powerful emotion when channeled properly.

The Lower Merion boys did that on Saturday against archrival Conestoga, and it led to the District 1 4A Championship. The Aces topped the Pioneers 1-0 in the final at Spring-Ford, but the final score wasn’t a true indicator of just how dominate Lower Merion was.

“(Revenge) was a big factor,” said senior captain Mori Rothman. “We talked about having to want it more than they did.”

It was actually a double-revenge situation for the Aces, who fell to ’Stoga on penalty kicks in the 2021 district final. The Pioneers also handed the Aces their lone regular season loss this fall, 3-2, back on Oct. 6.

“(Revenge) was definitely talked about a lot,” said senior standout Sam Nyenka. “When we lost to (Conestoga) with three minutes left, we’ve watched film every single day since that game. We’ve been preparing for this game for weeks.”

Right from the start, top-seeded Lower Merion played with more urgency, and seemed to be quicker to the ball. Now 21-1 overall, the Aces head into the PIAA Tournament with a head of steam.

“This season has been like a video game where you know what the next level is and you want to get to it,” said Aces’ head coach Nico Severini. “Conestoga is a very good team and we have a nice rivalry with them, but it’s always been very positive.”

Unlike Lower Merion, who has nine seniors in the starting lineup, the Pioneers have just two, including defender Peter Miller – who is a very dangerous weapon on throw-ins. But midway through the first half, Miller went down holding his right foot, had to be helped off the field and never returned.

“(Miller) leads our team in assists this season as a (defender), which is pretty rare,” said ’Stoga head coach Dave Zimmerman. “That was a huge weapon we didn’t have. It is swollen but we don’t know yet how serious it is.”

Now 18-3 overall, the second-seeded Pioneers entered the day with a dozen shutouts, including the four previous district outings. Conestoga is still the reigning state champs, and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that these two could meet again for the third time this season.

“We will put this one behind us and we are looking forward to (the PIAA first round) Tuesday,” Zimmerman said.

“We were very fortunate to beat (Lower Merion) in the regular season, so I am sure they were looking for revenge. But ultimately, they were better than us and out-played us. Sometimes you just know that the other team was better.”

That was certainly true of Nyenka, who was ultra-dangerous every time the ball was on his foot. He scored the game’s only goal and helped the Aces to a decided edge in shots on the goal (12-4) and corner kicks (8-1).

“We did whatever we could to try to contain (Nyenka), but he is incredible physically,” Zimmerman said.

“Sam has been tremendous this season,” Severini added. “He’s been something special all the years he’s been with us. He can do a lot of things: shoot, dribble, pass and play defense.”

Lower Merion had the clear edge in the first half with possession and scoring chances. But it wasn’t until the final 8:15 of the half that Nyenka finally broke through, taking a pass from teammate Andrew Davis on the wing, who then maneuvering effectively to get off a shot into the back of the net.

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