Homegrown

Area products are dotting the rosters of collegiate football rosters at all levels, and they are making significant contributions as well.
Take the Millersville University at West Chester University Division II football game in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Saturday evening at Farrell Stadium.
Phoenixville High product Bill Shirk, a sophomore, made his first start at quarterback for Millersville and Spring-Ford graduate Bob Swier, a senior, started at tight end for the Marauders.
On the West Chester side of the field, Phoenixville’s Travis Ford-Bey, a sophomore, started at one defensive end spot for the Golden Rams, former Phantom Jay Nelson, a junior, started at a cornerback spot, and former Phantom Ryan Paulson, a junior, started at tight end.
The West Chester roster also includes freshman defensive back Bill Pommerer from Great Valley High School and junior nose guard James Thorpe, also from Great Valley, who is injured and did not suit up for the contest.
Millersville has starting right guard Christian Calderon, a junior from Pottsgrove High School; as well as freshman defensive back Shane Gross, also from Pottsgrove; and sophomore starting left guard Brendan McCullough from Daniel Boone High School in nearby Birdsboro.
The game was the season opener in the PSAC Division for both squads. West Chester won the game, 41-10, and is now 2-2 on the year. Millersville dropped to 0-4.
West Chester is coached by Bill Zwaan, who lives in the Great Valley School District. His son, Bill Zwaan, is a former quarterback for the Golden Rams. Millersville head coach Greg Colby is in his first season at the helm of the Marauders but brings Division I-A experience from other schools to the program. Swier has had three different head coaches at Millersville since he has been part of the program the last four years.
Phoenixville head coach Bill Furlong and his family were on hand for the game along with Great Valley head coach Gary Phillips and his family to watcher their former star players perform at the next level.
It speaks well for the area to have such players perform at the collegiate level and make an impact. And this was just one game between two PSAC schools. There are numerous other local products around the country performing on the gridiron as well.
Swier is also a long snapper for Millersville on kicks and alternates at tight end while bring in signals for plays from the sidelines. Shirk completed 18 of 31 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception while rushing eight times for 16 additional yards. He was sacked three times.
Nelson had four solo tackles and one assist for five total tackles. He had one tackle for a 3-yard loss. Ford-Bey made one solo tackle and had four assists for five total tackles with one hit for a 3-yard loss. Pommerer mde two solo tackles while playing at defensive back and on special teams.
Shirk’s TD pass to fleet wide reciver and former quarter Jamal Smith covered 80 yards with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter. It ended a drought of 112 minutes without a touchdown for Millersville, covering more than seven consecutive quarters. Millersville was thumped by Indiana University of Pa., 63-3, the previous week at Millersville’s field.

Decisions Decisions Decisions

Athletic directors at all area high schools are faced with decisions in terms of home sporting events as to whether to play games or not in inclement weather.
That is what happened Friday when most events were postponed due to the heavy rain all day.
The big Pottsgrove at Phoenixville football game at Washington Field was switched to Saturday at noon, and two more PAC-10 games were moved to Saturday night at 7 p.m. between Spring-Ford and host Perkiomen Valley and Methacton and host Boyertown.
Two other games went on as scheduled with Upper Perkiomen at Owen J. Roberts and St. Pius X at Pottstown in the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10). That is because those fields have turf and there is no damage to the field and what are considered safer weather conditions.
More and more high schools are switching to turf fields because after the big expense at the beginning, the maintenance costs are minimal. That means we will be seeing more and more events played in spite of rain, except in the case of lightning. With turf on the field there is no mud to worry about.
It is still unpleasant for fans to sit out in the rain and watch events that are still being played. However, with rain geat such as umbrellas and raincoats, spectators can still see their games and the teams they cheer for.
For some teams, it is a home-field advantage to play or not play the game in rain since it slows down all runners, including the exceptionally fast ones. It is also difficult for teams that like to pass to throw the football in rainy weather.
Until the start of games, the decision to play rests in the hands of the home school. Once a game is started, it lies in the hands of the officials.
Other sports that had to be postponed Friday included field hockey, golf, boys soccer, girls soccer, and girls tennis.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Field Hockey

Perkiomen Valley graduated five starters from the 2007 Pioneer Athletic Conference field hockey championship team, but the Vikings still figure to contend for the league championship.
Senior Andrea Bieglski scored 17 goals last season and senior Megan Finn had 16 for coach Karen Moliver’s crew. The Vikings boasted a perfect 13-0 PAC-10 record last year and finished at 21-4 overall.
Methacton is the new team in the PAC-10 this year and the Warriors have a strong field hockey tradition. The Warriors have a second-year head coach in Nicole Bauer. They had a 12-3 Suburban One American Conference record last year and closed at 18-7 overall.
Junior midfielder Brit Grzywacz tallied 17 goals last year while senior midfielder Tori Lindsey registered 13 goals.
The Warriors return nine starters froma team that tied for first in the Suburban One American, reached the district semifinals and qualified for states.
At Owen J. Roberts, coach Clarence Jennelle, in his seventh year, graduated some key players from last year’s PAC-10 runner-up. The Wildcats will be led by seniors Jess Tamburro, Leah Salindong, juniors Kim Mooney, Emily Feurtsch, Kelly Bonner, Caitey Mitchell and sophomore Elissa Cook.
The Wildcats posted a 9-4 league record last year and had a 14-10 mark overall.
Phoenixville head coach John Tornetta, in his 11th year at the helm, has some key returnes from an 8-4-1 club that went 13-7-1 overall. Senior forward Miranda Peto scored 28 goals last year, second in the area behind St. Pius X’s Regan Mooney’s 30, and is off to a fast start in 2008 as well.
The Phantoms are also counting on contributions from senior midfielder Jenna DeLeone, senior back Nora Gerstenberger, junior forward Charlsie Moore and junior goalkeeper Rachel Yacovett. The Phantoms graduated eight seniors from last year’s squad, but they still figure to contend for the Division II crown in the circuit.
St. Pius X coach Cathy Daller, in her ninth year, has back senior forward Ali DeGregorio, who scored 21 goals last season. The Winged Lions finished in first place in Division II last fall but graduated nine starters from that unit.
Spring-Ford coach Jane Ehnot is in her third year at the helm of her alma mater after taking over for longtime coach Joann Judge. The Rams finished 8-5 in the PAC-10 lasst year and stood at 11-6 overall in qualifying for the District 1 Class AAA playoffs.
Players to watch this year include senior forwards Ashley Wood and Jill Harple, senior back Lauren Ujobai and junior midfielder Taylor Crabtree. Harple scored a team-high 12 goals last year.
Upper Perkiomen coach Jamie Warren is in her second season as head of the Indians’ program that was already strong under former head coach Kelly Brenninger. The Tribe closed with a 9-4 league record last year and 12-10 overall.
The Indians return six starters from last year’s PAC-10 semifinalist and figure to contend in Division II again. Senior midfielder Tabi Hatch and senior goalie Kate Eschbach are players to lead the way while sophomore forward Leah High scored 10 goals last year and sophomore forward Cassidy Arner tallied seven times.

Posted by
Barry Sankey