Phoenixville Sports Beat

Freshman opt to try their hand at high school wresting

2011-01-13T11:39:00.000-05:00

Phoenixville’s wrestling team, under third-year head coach Dave Saville, has a young squad for the 2010-11 season.
The Phantoms have three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and nine freshmen on the 18-man roster. The ninth graders have opted to try their hand at the rigors of senior high school wrestling as opposed to middle school wrestling.
The Phantoms have dropped their first two Pioneer Athletic Conference matches to powerful Spring-Ford, 62-9, and then Boyertown, 57-9, Wednesday night in a pair of home meets. However, Phoenixville has had some bright spots in the matches and at some tournaments in which they have competed.
Phoenixville’s top senior is Ken Cenci (285), a returning Southeast Regional qualifier at 215 pounds who is also the top-rated heavyweight in the Pottstown/Phoenixville area and one of the top-ranked in his weight class in District 1 Class AAA. Cenci now has 86 career victories and hopes to have a solid remainder of the dual meet season and then go far during the postseason tournaments to reach the coveted 100-victory plateau for his career. Cenci is off to a 17-1 start this season and his only loss was a narrow 3-2 decision to highly regarded Mark Muscari of West Chester Henderson in the season-opening Rustin Rumble Tournament at West Chester Bayard Rustin High School.
Only three Phoenixville wrestlers have achieved that mark. They are Jason Meister (126), Class of 1999: Bret Wade (114), Class of 201; and Dominic Viola (112), Class of 2001. Meister wrestled in college at Baptist Bible and Wade at Kutztown University.
The Phantoms’ other seniors are Matt Cermanski, a returning district qualifier at 145/152 pounds; and Joe Giampietro (171).
Juniors are Brendon Bonner (135), who has been one of the Phantoms’ most improved wrestlers; and Sam LaPorte (160/171).
Sophomores are Ed McCarthy (103/112), Henry Hancock (145), Jordan Valenteen (135-145), Ben Turner (119) and Chris Schelberg (140).
Freshmen include Tristen Alvaredo (119), D.J. Brock (125), Colin Mea (171), Will Miller (119), Chris Modica (145), Paul Hossler (140), Tim Labik (145), Justin McDougal (160), Patrick McGinnis (119).

Phoenixville, Upper Perk have identical record going into Friday's game

2010-10-22T09:25:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville and Upper Perkiomen will carry identical records into Friday night’s Pioneer Athletic Conference football showdown in Red Hill. Both ballclubs have 2-3 records in the PAC-10 and are 3-4 overall.
Also, both sides are currently tied for seventh place in the District 1 Class AAA football standings. The Phantoms and Indians each have 390 points for a 55.7 average. Eight teams qualify for the district playoffs in Class AAA so both sides are still in the chase.
Upper Moreland (6-1) leads the way with 850 markers, followed by Strath Haven (6-1, 840), Academy Park (6-1, 740), Pottsgrove (5-2, 680), Springfield Delco (5-2, 610) and Bishop Shanahan (4-3, 550).
Also in the running for the final playoff spots are Octorara (3-3, 300), Interboro (3-4, 330) and Radnor (3-4, 320).
Phoenixville is coming off a 21-8 loss to Perkiomen Valley at Washington Field on Senior Night while Upper Perkiomen beat Methacton, 42-35, in Red Hill last Thursday evening. The previous week the Indians dropped a 55-20 decision to Owen J. Roberts on the Tribe’s field.
Upper Perkiomen will be celebrating its Homecoming weekend with the game against the Phantoms. Upper Perkiomen coach Keith Leamer is in his seventh season in charge of the Tribe while Phoenixville’s Bill Furlong has spent eight years on the sidelines with the Phantoms.
Upper Perkiomen is led by junior wide receiver Ronnie Gillespie (5-10, 165), who has scored 10 touchdowns for 60 points. Gillespie ranks second in the area in receiving with 32 catches for 712 yards (22.3-yard average).
“Gillespie is the best receiver we have faced,” said Furlong.
The quarterback is senior Casey Perlstein (6-1, 195), who has scored 50 points on eight TDs and two point afters. Perlstein has also rushed for 498 yards on 97 attemptys (5.1 avg.). Perlstein has completed 70 of 144 aerials (48.6 percent) for 1,137 yards with 12 TDs and six interceptions. Perlstein and Phoenixville’s Tom Romano were both named to the second team all-league as quarterbacks one year ago.
Both players will be a challenge to Phoenixville’s defensive line of Ernie Knight, Dennis Kelly, Marcus Stokes and Torin Killeen plus Sam Labik, Kajhnel Norwood and Brendon Stone as well as the secondary with Alec McQuiston, Joe Hill, Marcus Howell and Jerome Nicholson. The linebackers are Ryan Pannella, Travis Andrews, Ryan Yenchick and Nick Rutkowski.
The Phantoms must also contend with junior fullback John Olson (6-1, 195), who is the team’s leading rusher with 541 yards on 115 plays (4.7 avg.).
Phoenixville has scored 136 points (19.4) while allowing 161 counters (23.0). Upper Perkiomen has scored 208 points (29.7) while yielding 226 points (32.3). Andrews is Phoenixville’s top rusher with 439 yards on 94 carries (4.7) with two touchdowns.
“I hope we play at an even keel because they are emotional and it is their Homecoming,” said Furlong.
The Indians are led in their offensive line by senior tackle Mike Paul (6-4, 220), also a second-team all-league choice last season. Paul doubles as a defensive lineman. Senior Jake Nyce (5-11, 215) is a three-year starter at the center position.
Junior linebacker Dalton Fleming (6-1, 195) is following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Chase and Cody, who starred for the Indians before moving on to Shippensburg University.

Phantoms travel to Fairview Village

2010-10-08T21:45:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville’s football team (1-2 PAC-10, 2-3 overall) travels to Fairview Village for a 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon game against the Methacton Warriors (2-1, 3-2).
Phoenixville is coming off a 44-19 loss to undefeated Boyertown last Saturday afternoon at Washington Field while Methacton dropped a 42-7 encounter to Owen J. Roberts last Friday night in Bucktown.
The Phantoms have scored 80 points in five games for a 16.0 average per game. Phoenixville has allowed 134 markers for a 26.8 clip.
Methacton has scored 69 points (13.8) while allowing 92 (18.4).
Phoenixville did rush for 245 yards against the Bears and passed for 80 more yards for a total of 325 yards of total offense, which pleased head coach Bill Furlong and his staff. Defensively, Phoenixville permitted Boyertown 184 yards rushing and 197 yards passing for a total of 381 yards. Several big plays proved costly for the Phantoms.
Junior Travis Andrews has been the Phantoms’ top rusher with 277 yards on 57 carries for a 4.9 average. Against the Bears, Andrews ran for 91 yards on 15 carries. He also doubles at linebacker on defense.
Junior Alec McQuiston has taken over at quarterback and has been effective running and passing the football. Last week he tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Marcus Howell. The TD passes covered 28 and 43 yards. McQuiston completed 3 of 8 passes for 80 yards and the two scores against Boyertown. He also rushed for 73 yards on 12 attempts.
Ten different ballcarriers figured in the statistical column for rushing for the Phantoms. Joe Hill had six runs for 38 yards and Kajhnel Norwood ran five times for 29 yards and a 5-yard TD for the final Phoenixville tally.
Phoenixville’s sophomores have had to make big contributions already. Tom White at center and Brian Hyland at left guard have been starters along the offensive line. Ryan Pannella, at linebacker, is leading the Phantoms in tackles per game. Howell, a cornerbck, and Norwood, a defensive end, are also sophomores and so is running back/linebacker Ryan Yenchick.
Seniors Marcus Stokes and Torin Killeen and junior Ernie Knight have been two-way linemen for the Phantoms.
Dennis Kelly-Ukatu, a 5-foot-11, 171-pound junior defensive end, ranks among the area leaders with three quarterback sacks.
“We were pleased with the way we moved the ball on the ground,” said Furlong. “We were also pleased with what we did against their running game. It was their big plays. That is a credit to (quarterback Dylan) Pasik and all their guys. We wanted to stop their run and we met some of our goals. We spread the ball around the way we wanted to and there is a lot to build on.”
Boyertown, Furlong said, is a solid ballclub all the way around with its linemen, group of backs and a talented threat at quarterback in Pasik, a 6-3, 200-pound senior, who is off to the best start of any quarterback in the league and may be the best the circuit has to offer this season. Pasik hit on 5 of 7 passes for 197 yards and four TDs against the Phantoms.
This week, the Phantoms must turn their attention to the Methacton option running game under first-year head coach Paul Lepre. The Warriors are led by sophomore quarterback Brandon Bossard, who is a threat to run and throw the football at 6-3 and 190 pounds. Senior Eliot Reisz and and junior Nate Forzato are the main running backs out of a double-slot formation and have some speed. The Warriors like to also use junior Brian Miller as a running back and receiver. Senior Sung Ho Park is a solid fullback and linebacker.
Two-way linemen to look for are senior Chris Guardino (5-9, 260), senior Ben Meck (6-1, 235), senior Joe Markley (5-11, 220) and senior Ryan Kiely (5-9, 224) as well as star senior wrestler Brandan Clark (6-0, 230), a state medalist, and junior Tom Culligan (6-2, 250). Anthony DeSana (6-2, 215) is a senior tight end/defensive end. Junior David Low (6-2, 190) is an active defensive end, and sophomore Jeremy Reid (5-9, 200) has already made an impact at linebacker.
The placekicker is junior Nick Leperche.
“They (Warriors) have some good athletes at the skill spots,” said Furlong. “We are similar on the line. They don’t have a lot of size, but they are ready to do what they do and are well-coached. They are very opportunistic, the way we have been and like to be. They recover a fumble and score. They have no superstars, but they are very scrappy.”

Phoenixivlle football vs. OJR

2010-09-23T17:22:00.001-04:00

With the Pioneer Athletic Conference football race up for grabs following last week’s upsets, Phoenixville visits Owen J. Roberts Friday night at Wildcat Stadium at 7 p.m.
Phoenixville (1-0, 2-1) is coming off a 23-0 shutout of Pope John Paul II last Friday evening at Washington Field while Owen J. Roberts (0-1, 1-2) was knocked off by Spring-Ford, 20-7, at Coach McNelly Stadium the same night.
The Phantoms are expected to be without senior quarterback/cornerback Tom Romano, an all-league selection at both positions, for the remainder of the season after he tore a ligament in his left ankle during last week’s contest against the Golden Panthers. Romano was helped off the field with 4:40 left in the opening frame. He is expected to need surgery and screws but should be ready for baseball season in the spring.
Junior Alec McQuiston stepped in to the quarterback spot and performed well as he did last year when Romano missed three games due to injury. McQuiston completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards and one touchdown, a 4-yard pass to Ryan Yenchick. McQuiston also rushed nine times for 29 yards while directing the Phoenixville offense. McQuiston is also starting at safety on defense. He also started last week’s encounter at fullback in place of the injured Vinny Nattle.
“Our defense made the plays they needed to and we controlled the running game,” said Phoenixville coach Bill Furlong. “They played real well.
“We went from one position to another and they didn’t miss a beat. The big thing is the team didn’t miss a beat. It would have been easy to feel a sense of despair. But we kept rolling with the leadership of our seniors and upperclassmen, and some of our young guys stepped up and did the job.”
Sophomore Marcus Howell filled in for Romano at one corner position while also playing wide receiver on offense. Howell made a key interception at a key time in the game, caught one pass for 11 yards and ran twice for 10 more yards. Howell intercepted a Dave Cotellese pass at the home team’s 19-yard line with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter. Phoenixville limited PJP to 18 net yards rushing. Junior Jerome Nicholson also had an active night in the Phantom secondary.
Travis Andrews rushed 20 times for 103 yards. Yenchick carried nine times for 38 yards and one TD, a 1-yard plunge for the final Phoenixville score.
Dennis Kelly-Ukatu made 2.5 sacks while Ryan Pannella, Torin Killeen and Sam Labik each had .5 sack. Labik also caught three passes for 49 yards.
Nick Rutkowski opened the scoring with a 2-yard run in the first quarter as Phoenixville had different players run the football on the night. John McInally kicked a 27-yard field goal in the second period.
“Our seniors have cultivated an attitude to keep playing one play at a time,” said Furlong.
Despite last week’s Owen J. Roberts setback, Furlong expects the Wildcats to be raring to go this week and the Phantoms will have their hands full containing running back Ryan Brumfield and company.
“They will play tough anyway,” said Furlong. “In a lot of ways the league is wide open with Pottsgrove losing (34-28 to Boyertown) so Owen J. is not out of anything. They will play hard. We can’t control that. We have to do our best to continue to improve. We have progressed each week. Our young guys have to continue to mature. If that continues, we’ll be happy.”
Brumfield rushed 31 times for 186 yards and a 24-yard TD for the final OJR score against the Rams. A big, physical offensive line opens the holes for the Wildcat backs, and OJR also has a sound defense. Spring-Ford’s defense kept Brumfield under 100 yards until his final two carries went for 88 yards and a TD with 2:58 left in the game.
Brumfield is leading the area in rushing with 73 carries for 645 yards this fall (8.8 average) with six TDs for 36 points.
The Owen J. Roberts passing game has been lackluster with senior Ryan Megay and and junior Blake Bradshaw, who suffered a fractured wrist late in the game against Spring-Ford and is out for the season.

Phantoms kick out PAC 10 football season Friday against Pope John Paul II

2010-09-16T22:04:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville kicks off the 25th season of Pioneer Athletic Conference football action tonight with a 7 p.m. home game against new league entry Pope John Paul II at Washington Field.
The Phantoms are coming off a 42-0 non-league loss at Unionville last Friday night while the Golden Panthers dropped their PAC-10 opener to two-time defending league champion Pottsgrove, 57-6.
“Unionville is a good team across the board,” said Phoenixville coach Bill Furlong.
Pope John Paul II is the merger of the former St. Pius X and Kennedy-Kenrick schools. The Golden Panthers are coached by Mike Santillo, the former coach at Kennedy-Kenrick.
The Phantoms fell to St. Pius X, 21-14, last fall but defeated Kennedy-Kenrick, 35-6. Now they will be facing a combination of the two schools.
“We expect a real good game,” said Furlong. “Their scores have been lopsided and so have ours with who we played. So we are similar. It has been a tough opening two weeks.”
Furlong hopes his ballclub comes out with a fire after absorbing the sound beating last week following a season-opening victory over Great Valley.
“I think they practiced well,” said Furlong. “I think emotionally they are ready to play. We have some things we want to accomplish.”
Phoenixville hopes to move its passing game into gear with senior quarterback Tom Romano at the controls. He, the receivers and the offensive line’s blocking have to do a better job of meshing in order for the Phantoms to be successful through the air.
Phoenixville running back Vinny Nattle , who suffered a head injury against Unionville after enjoying a huge game against Great Valley, is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Joe Hill, a transfer from St. Pius X, is one of the Phoenixville players in the hunt for the starting job.
The Phantoms hope to improve their work against the passing game. Thus far they have been vulnerable to some big plays.
“We have to be more consistent on defense,” said Furlong.

Phoenixville/Great Valley Football Season Opener

2010-09-03T10:17:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville High School kicks off the 2010 football season with a non-league game against Great Valley at Washington Field Friday night, Sept. 3.

The Phantoms have head coach Bill Furlong starting his eighth year at the helm. Phoenixville finished 3-6 in the PAC-10 (4-8 overall) last year.

Great Valley has a new head coach in Mike Choi, a former assistant coach with the Patriots under ex-head coach Gary Phillips. The Patriots closed at 2-3 in the Ches-Mont League (3-8 overall) last year.

Great Valley won last year’s encounter, 27-21, in overtime.

“It should be a good barometer,” said Furlong. “In the past, whoever won this game went on to have a good year in the playoffs. Last year we went to overtime, which was an omen. Neither of us had the season we wanted.”

Phoenixville has senior Tom Romano (6-0, 180) back for his third season at quarterback. Joining him in the backfield will be junior Travis Andrews (5-9, 181), junior Alec McQuiston (5-8, 166) and junior Vinny Nattle (5-11, 175).

The wide receivers are senior Dan Kain (5-9, 155) and senior Brendon Stone (5-7, 168) with sophomore Ryan Pannella (5-11, 156) at tight end.

Seniors Ken Cenci (5-10, 255) and Marcus Stokes (6-3, 291) are veteran two-way tackles. The guards are junior Jesse Gervasi (5-9, 181) and senior Torin Killeen (5-6, 165) with sophomore Tom White (5-10, 162) or junior Tim Hunt (5-11, 270) at center.

On defense, the Phantoms have moved junior Dennis Kelly (5-11, 171) from nose guard to end, where he will be joined by sophomore Kajhnel Norwood (5-7, 168). The interior linemen will be Cenci, Stokes, and junior Ernie Knight (6-1, 205), who missed much of last season with a concussion.

The linebackers are Andrews, Gervasi, Pannella and sophomore Ryan Yenchick (5-9, 162).

In the secondary are Kain, McQuiston, Nattle and Romano.

The placekicker is returning senior soccer player John McInally (5-11, 170). The punter will be either McInally or Romano.

Great Valley has a returning quarterback in senior Dave Hausladen, who will be directing a West Coast offense. Senior Chuckie Showers is a speedy running back and defensive back. The wide receivers are seniors Kevin Cox and Jesse Horn with senior Greg Havrilla at tight end.

Senior Dan Buchholz will anchor the offensive and defensive lines with senior Zach Anderson heading up the linebacker crew. Other linebackers being counted upon are seniors Chris Shaver, Ben Shipley and Pete Pappas.

“They have the quarterback and two wideouts so it looks like they are ready to throw the ball more than the past,” said Furlong. “They have a new coach and a new system. That could work for or against us.

“We have a lot of guys going both ways (offense, defense). We will have people hustling. We will be taking guys in and out.”

In other season openers tonight, Spring-Ford visits West Chester East, Owen J. Roberts travels to Conestoga, new PAC-10 entry Pope John Paul II is at Holy Name in Reading, Boyertown hosts Allentown Allen, Methacton is at Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Pottsgrove hosts Mastbaum, Upper Perkiomen hosts Muhlenberg and Daniel Boone is at Donegal.

In Saturday contests, Perkiomen Valley is at Lansdale Catholic at 11 a.m. and Pottstown visits St. Pius X Rosetto in Bangor at 1 p.m.

Spring City Legion Baseball 2010

2010-08-11T14:25:00.001-04:00

Spring City’s Senior American Legion baseball team gave the area a lot of excitement and thrills during the summer of 2010.
The Red Sox captured their first Chester County League title since 2004, went on to capture the Region Three crown and then their first-ever Pennsylvania State Tournament at Bear Stadium in Boyertown.
From there, Spring City traveled west on Route 422 past Reading to West Lawn for the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament. The Red Sox went 1-2 there to end their season at 37-9 overall.
In both the Pa. regional and state tournaments, Spring City dropped its opening game, only to fight back and win five straight games in the losers’ bracket to earn the championship. Their final game of the season was a 9-8 setback to Newark, Del., last Saturday afternoon at Owls Field at Ted Palka Park.
In the contest, Spring City rallied from a 7-3 deficit to score five runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a short-lived 8-7 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Diamondbacks scored two runs on a two-out throwing error to post the victory.
The Spring City coaching staff of manager Jamie Scheck and assistant coaches Mike Walton, Mike Heffernan and Jason Sampat are to be congratulated for their efforts in working with the boys throughout the summer months.
All the players deserve credit, too, for filling their roles on the team. It was a young team, to boot, since just one player (centerfielder Dan Larkin) is the lone 19-year-old on the ballclub who is not eligible to return next summer.

On Phoenixville hiring Randy Reber

2010-06-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville High School’s hiring of longtime St. Pius X basketball coach Randy Reber seems like a really positive move from all angles.
Reber is familiar with the area since he grew up here and played sports in the area. He has coached his whole life at Pius X and still enjoys coaching despite his many years facing the rigors of the time-consuming job.
I feel this is somewhat of a steal for Phoenixville to get someone of Reber’s ilk in terms of experience and success. Hopefully, he will bring the much-needed stability to the job that has faced transition and turmoil in the past few years.
Reber brings with him 35 years of experience, including 27 as a head coach. He has coached both boys basketball and girls basketball at St. Pius X, which closed in 2010 to merge with Kennedy-Kenrick to form Pope John Paul II in Upper Providence for the start of the 2010-11 campaign.
While at Pius X, Reber was fortunate to have a number of talented players from the Phoenixville area on his ballclubs. He said now the situation has changed. Instead of trying to lure players away from Phoenixville, he wants them to stay at home to play at the public school for him and his staff of Cal Benfield, Lew Hoffman and Dave Staten.

Janet L. Fritsch to retire

2010-06-11T11:52:00.001-04:00

Spring-Ford Area High School administrative assistant, better known as athletic secretary, Janet L. Fritsch is retiring at the end of the 2010 school year. She will be leaving her job as of July 1.
Fritsch has been a valuable asset to current Spring-Ford athletic director Mickey McDaniel and his predecessors as well as other members of the Spring-Ford staff for 30 years. Prior to that time, she spent 10 years serving the Boyertown School District.
Fritsch has assumed a variety of duties, including keeping track of the schedule of the many scholastic events that are held throughout the school year and her voice was heard on the Spring-Ford Hotline.
Fritsch was recognized during Tuesday night’s Spring-Ford Senior Athletic Banquet held at The Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia.
Her work in a variety of areas, including with local members of the media covering sports at Spring-Ford and the rest of the Pioneer Athletic Conference, will be missed.

Craig Clerk to pitch against the Reading Phils

2010-04-21T15:24:00.000-04:00

Left-handed pitcher Craig Clark, an Oaks resident, will be pitching against the Reading Phillies for the Richmond Flying Squirrels in Class AA Eastern League baseball this weekend at FirstEngergy Stadium in Reading, Pa.
Clark is a graduate of Spring-Ford High School and the Spring City American Legion baseball programs as well as a Penn State University graduate who competed in the Big 10 Conference. Clark is slated to pitch the first game of a three-game set Friday night at 7:05 p.m.
Richmond is a new team playing in a renovated ballpark this year that was the former home of the Class AAA Richmond Braves. The Flying Squirrels are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants franchise in Major League Baseball.
Clark, a 6-2, 200-pounder, spent time in the Giants’ major league training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, before being assigned to Richmond.
Clark spent his first three seasons in the minor leagues with Salem, Oregon; Augusta, Georgia; and San Jose, California.
Clark was recently married three months ago. His wife, Colleen, is a teacher in the Plymouth-Whitemarsh School District. She will be joining him in Richmond when school lets out in June.
Clark and the Flying Squirrels will also be in Reading from May 21-23 as well as June 11-14.

Spring Fever!

2010-03-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

Spring is a busy time of the year in scholastic athletics.
The final segment of the school term includes baseball, softball, boys tennis, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse, and boys and girls track & field.
At Phoenixville Area High School, all except the boys lacrosse team have their practices and games at the school site. The Phantoms’ boys lacrosse team works out at the Annex on the campus of Valley Forge Christian College (VFCC), located off of Charlestown Road.
The teams have been practicing since Monday, March 8. There have been practice sessions and some scrimmages since that time.
The Phoenixville boys tennis team opens on Wednesday, March 24, with a non-league match at West Chester Bayard Rustin, the third and newest of the public schools in West Chester.
The first big day of sports activity is Friday, March 26. The softball team visits West Chester Henderson. The boys tennis squad travels to Downingtown West. The girls lacrosse team is at home against Great Valley. The boys lacrosse team is on the road against Marple Newtown.
The track teams open with the Phoenixville Relays at Washington Field on Saturday, March 27, at 9 a.m.
The baseball team leaves Saturday for a week-long trip to Orlando, Fla, where the Phantoms have scheduled three games plus practice sessions.
Phoenixville will play Massapequa (New York) on Monday, March 29, at 3 p.m. The Phantoms take on Dublin Jerome (Ohio) on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:30 a.m. The trip concludes with a game against Landon (Maryland), a private school, on Wednesday, March 31, at 1 p.m.

Phoenixville Boys Basketball

2009-12-28T14:52:00.001-05:00

Phoenixville Area High School’s boys basketball team has started the 2009-10 campaign under new head coach Charles Thompson and his assistant, Brett Bauer.
Thompson starred at Phoenixville under the late coach George Rocco and played Division I college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh in the early 1980s. He formerly served as an assistant coach with the Phantom freshman team as well as the summer travel team.
Bauer played at St. Pius X High School and is now attending Drexel University. Brett’s brother, Evan Bauer, is a member of the Pottstown High School boys basketball squad.
The Phantoms are off to a 1-1 start in the Pioneer Athletic Conference with a victory over Upper Perkiomen and a loss to Pottstown. In the season-opening George Rocco Tip-Off Tournament at Phoenixville, the Phantoms defeated Haverford and bowed to Wissahickon. Their game at home against Academy Park Monday night was postponed due to the weekend snowstorm. New athletic director Tony Palladino said the game is expected to be rescheduled.
Phoenixville’s boys will be participating in the Marple Newtown Holiday Tournament Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 29-30.
Phoenixville has a veteran squad with senior guard Corey Gordon, 6-5 senior forward/center Harrison Deyo, senior forward Jamie Hennessy and senior forward/guard Mike Matson leading the contingent. Junior guard Nick Jones is the other member of the starting lineup.
The top reserves include 6-5 junior forward Mike Jones, junior forward Jake Lynch and freshman guard Marcus Howell.

Phoenixville, Spring-Ford collide on Turkey Day

2009-11-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

Phoenixville and Spring-Ford collide in their annual Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) Thanksgiving Day morning football game Thursday at 10 a.m. at Washington Field.
Both the Phantoms and Rams have had up-and-down seasons and would like to cap the 2009 campaign on a high note.
The Phantoms and Rams both enter the contest with 3-8 records, although they both played competitive ball in most of their games, especially on defense.
In its last outing, Phoenixville defeated Kennedy-Kenrick, 35-6, on a Saturday afternoon at Norristown’s muddy Roosevelt Field. Spring-Ford was beaten by Upper Darby, 7-0, on a Friday night at Spring-Ford’s Coach McNelly Stadium.
“It is like this every year, no matter what the circumstances,” said Phoenixville coach Bill Furlong. “We need that game for something. Right now we are tied in records.”
Both the Phantoms and Rams have had their bright moments in a few victories and other quality showings against top opponents.
“We’ve been two different teams throughout the year,” said Furlong. “It will come down to which team shows up on Thanksgiving. If it’s the team from the last two games (10-6 loss to District 1 Class AAA finalist Pottsgrove, Kennedy-Kenrick), it should be a good game and we will play well. They (Rams) are a good team.. We have to make sure it’s that team that shows up. Against Pottsgrove, the kids played well all the game. Kennedy-Kenrick, the kids played well. Our offensive line, skill positions and defense played well, but not on special teams. That’s it.”
Junior Dan Kain made an impression by kicking five extra points for the Phantoms with no previous kicking experience.
The Rams are coached by Gary Rhodenbaugh.
“We have to keep working the next week and a half to get ready for Thanksgiving,” Rhodenbaugh said following the Upper Darby contest.
“Our defenses have played well,” Furlong said. “We are similar in that we held teams, but at times we haven’t scored enough points. We have similar woes.”
The Phoenixville and Spring-Ford teams will be honored by their community Rotary Clubs atthe annual joint luncheon Wednesday at 12 noon at Robert Ryan’s at Columbia Station in Phoenixville.

Phoenixville/Pottsgrove football preview

2009-11-05T17:12:00.000-05:00

Phoenixville’s football team has its work cut out tonight as it faces PAC-10 leader and unbeaten Pottsgrove at Washington Field at 7 p.m The Phantoms (2-5, 2-7) are coming off a 15-7 loss to Pottstown last week while the Falcons (7-0, 9-0) hammered Upper Perkiomen, 62-20, in their last outing last Friday night.
Pottsgrove needs a victory to clinch at least a tie for its second straight PAC-10 championship as well as the home-field advantage as the No. 1 seed throughout the District 1 Class AAA playoffs.
Pottsgrove, which is coached for the 21st year by Spring-Ford High School graduate Rick Pennypacker, has already scored 347 points (38.6 avg.) while allowing just 81 markers (9.0). Both marks are best in the area.
Phoenixville has scored 114 points (12.7) while surrendering 168 counters (18.7).
Falcon junior quarterback Terrell Chestnut (5-11, 175) has scored 15 touchdowns and two extra points for 92 total points. Pottsgrove junior running back Maika Polamalu (6-0, 205) has scored 14 TDs with four extra points for 88 points. Junior fullback Kayvon Greene (6-2, 210) has scored nine TDs with four extra points for 58 points.
Polamalu has rushed for 930 yards on 99 carries (9.4) while Greene has 57 carries for 703 yards (12.3) and Chestnut 87 rushes for 646 yards (7.4). Phoenixville’s Sam McQuiston, who scored the team’s TD last week, has 112 rushes for 531 yards (4.7).
Phantom junior quarterback Tom Romano has completed 37 of 77 aerials (48.1 pct.) for 464 yards with three TDs and three interceptions.
Pottsgrove has been without senior first team all-state linebacker Preston Hamlette, who doubled at fullback, with an injury, but Greene has filled in very well, especially in recent weeks. The Falcons’ defense is led by senior end Justin Oliveri (6-1, 205), tackle Greene and senior Scott Madl (6-0, 195) at outside linebacker, who each had more than 100 tackles last year.
Chestnut and Polamalu, both Division I prospects, use their speed and big-play quickness to headline the secondary.
“We just have to play more consistent,” said Phoenixville coach Bill Furlong. “We have nothing to lose. We have to play consistent. We are not worrying about who we are playing or the last game. All the staff and kids will be proud if we play our best game.”
He spoke about the Pottstown game in which the Trojans earned their first victory of the season at Grigg Memorial Stadium.
“We didn’t play well early,” said Furlong. “By the time we were getting things better, it was too late. We played a good second half. We got some things going, but we have to do it the whole game. They (Trojans) played well early. They did a great job of controlling the ball. Their quarterback (Jeff Endy) threw the ball well. We were outplayed.”

Phoenixville travels to Pottstown

2009-10-29T16:41:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville travels to Pottstown’s Grigg Memorial Stadium Friday night to face the winless Trojans in PAC-10 football action.
Phoenixville (2-4, 2-6) is coming off a 21-12 loss to Upper Perkiomen while Pottstown (0-6, 0-8) fell victim to Perkiomen Valley in the second half, 28-21.
The Trojans led the Vikings 14-7 after the first quarter and 21-14 at halftime before being outscored 14-0 in the second half.
“They (Trojans) have scored on everyone,” said Phoenixville coach Bill Furlong. “Their offense is as good as any in the league. Our offense hasn’t been good. Their defense hasn’t held up, but they have scored points. They have plenty of offensive weapons. They have some size on the line. They have a couple real big guys. We have to play better and more consistent. We have to eliminate the mistakes.”
Pottstown’s quarterback is junior Jeff Endy (5-9, 155). The running backs are Marc Smith and sophomore Malik Brinkley (5-8, 165).
The Trojans are in their third year under head coach Brett Myers. Endy completed 3 of 7 aerials for 61 yards against PV. Junior wide receiver Dawon Matthews (6-1, 175) caught two of those throws for 46 yards.
Smith rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries with three touchdowns covering, 4, 2 and 34 yards. and Brinkley totaled 125 yards on 16 tries. The tight end is sophomore Cory Hueber (6-0, 165), who blocked and recovered a punt last week. Junior Kyle Dentler booted three extra points.
Up front the Trojans field the likes of senior tackles William Carter (6-3, 285) and Jacob Slick (6-3, 340) as well as senior guards Evan Bauer (6-3, 225) and David Mackiewicz (6-0, 20)) with junior Dustin Rhoads (5-10, 235) at center.
Furlong liked the way his offense showed positive signs against the Indians with quarterback Tom Romano throwing the ball effectively to tight end Vince Ciaverelli. He thought the offensive line gave ample time to throw.
“We have to run the ball better,” said Furlong. “We haven’t run the ball well since the Methacton game. All year our offense hasn’t done a great job. We haven’t been able to open things up consistently. Until we do, teams are going to load up against us and bring everybody up. The passes we’ve had have been on play-action because they are coming up on the run so much.”
The Phantoms don’t have the big-play ability with speed and quickness that they have had in the past so opposing defenses are jamming the line of scrimmage and blitzing when needed.
Senior defensive end Brandon Johnston recovered a pair of fumbles against the Indians, and Ducky Ryan continued his excellent play in the secondary with an interception.
Romano completed 5 of 11 passes for 119 yards against the Tribe with Ciaverelli making four receptions for 116 yards. Romano doubles at cornerback and Ciaverelli doubles at linebacker on defense. Physical senior Sam McQuiston is the Phantoms’ top rusher and scored on a 16-yard run last week while doubling at linebacker. Travis Andrews and Vinny Nattle have shown signs of promise as sophomore backs. Junior Dan Kain has improved as a wide receiver and defensive back.
Furlong feels the Phantoms’ defense has kept the ballclub in every ballgame thus far this season.

Winning streak snapped up by Upper Perkiomen

2009-10-28T16:16:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville saw its two-game shutout winning streak snapped by Upper Perkiomen, 21-12, in Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) football action last Friday night in the rain at Washington Field.
The Indians took an early 14-0 lead and then held on to the ball and held off the Phantoms, who scored with the aid of a couple big plays against the Tribe.
Upper Perkiomen seniors Esomchim Akpunonu and Chase Fleming anchored the running game for the Indians. Akpunonu gained 111 yards on 28 carries with a 2-yard scoring run while Fleming picked up 55 yards on 15 attempts. Senior quarterback Casey Perlstein ran for a 1-yard TD and completed 7 of 12 passes for 100 yards, including a 24-yard TD strike to Fleming.
Upper Perkiomen, which is still in the hunt for a District 1 Class AAA playoff berth, upped its record to 4-2 in the PAC-10 (6-2 overall). Phoenixville slipped to 2-4 (2-6).
The Phantoms celebrated Senior Night in pre-game ceremonies, honoring senior members of the football team, cheerleaders and band.
Phoenixville senior running back Sam McQuiston scored on a 16-yard run. Junior Dan Kain passed 17 yards to sophomore Travis Andrews for the other Phoenixville TD on a halfback pass off a reverse called by Phantom head coach Bill Furlong.
The Tribe rushed 52 times for 214 yards with a strong effort from its offensive line and finished with 314 yards of total offense on 64 plays.
Phoenixville rushed 32 times for 90 yards and totaled 233 yards on 45 plays for the evening.
The Phantoms visit winless Pottstown (0-6, 0-8) this coming Friday night at Grigg Memorial Field while Upper Perkiomen travels to play first-place Pottsgrove (6-0, 8-0). Coach Rick Pennypacker’s Falcons are the defending league champions.

Phoenixville/Upper Perk Football preview

2009-10-23T13:34:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville’s football team, coming off two straight victories by shutouts, faces a tough Upper Perkiomen squad Friday night at Washington Field at 7 p.m. This will be Senior Night for nine Phantom 12th graders.
The Phantoms (2-3 PAC-10, 2-5 overall) have beaten Methacton (18-0) and then Perkiomen Valley (6-0) last Friday night in rain at Graterford the last two weekends. Upper Perkiomen (3-2, 5-2), which is battling for a District 1 Class AAA playoff berth, hammered Methacton, 55-14, last week to celebrate Homecoming.
The Indians are coached by Keith Leamer, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the Tribe.
Upper Perkiomen is led by senior running back/linebacker Chase Fleming (6-0, 210), who has scored nine touchdowns for 54 points. Fleming rolled up 167 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns against Methacton. For the season, Fleming has chalked up 649 yards on 78 tries (8.3 avg.).
The Indians have another tough runner in senior Esomchim Akpunonu, who has scored seven TDs for 42 points. Akpunonu gained 127 yards and scored four TDs on 16 attempts against the Warriors.
The Upper Perkiomen quarterback is junior Casey Perlstein (6-1, 180), who has completed 42 of 78 aerials for 639 yards with five TDs and five interceptions. Perlstein went 3-for-3 through the air for 34 yards last week.
The Indians ran for 341 yards and gained 375 total yards against the Warriors. Upper Perkiomen limited Methacton to 71 yards rushing and 30 passing for 101 total yards.
Ronnie Gillespie, a 5-9, 155-pound sophomore, bolted 78 yards for a score on a kickoff return.
The Tribe’s leading receivers are senior Andrew Orlick (5-10, 165), who has 13 catches for 159 yards (12.2 avg.); and Fleming, who has 10 grabs for 143 yards (14.3).
Kicker Matt Kirkpatrick has one field goal and 27 placements for 30 total markers.
Other Tribe players to watch include senior tight end/defensive end Nick Hale (5-10, 210) and two-way senior Steven Grover (5-10, 200). Hale had two sacks and one tackle for loss last week while Grover had one sack and one tackle for loss. The offensive tackles are Mike Paul (6-4, 220) and Dwayne Gillespie (5-11, 260).
Phoenixville senior Sam McQuiston has now rushed for 478 yards on 98 attempts (4.9 avg.). McQuiston, who doubles at linebacker, is one of nine seniors on the roster. The others are Ducky Ryan, Ricky Yenchick, Greg Porter, Brandon Johnston, Matt Viscuso, Steve Carter, Kevin Bohl and Vince Ciaverelli.
Phantom head coach Bill Furlong said the team’s defensive line has played exceptionally well in the two shutouts. That includes tackles Ken Cenci and Marcus Stokes, nose guard Dennis Kelly and ends Porter and Johnston. Carter, the club’s center on offense, has also seen time along the defensive line, which is coached by defensive coordinator Don Jackson and defensive line specialist coach Nick Rotondo.
The secondary has come along with Ryan at safety and Tom Romano and Dan Kain on the corners. Kain and Romano each intercepted a pass last week.
“We have the same kids playing every play both ways on offense and defense,” said Furlong. “Credit Don Jackson and Nick Rotondo for what they are doing scheme-wise.”
Furlong is wary of Upper Perkiomen.
“They (Indians) are pretty balanced with Chase Fleming and the quarterback Perlstein so they are pretty balanced,” said Furlong. “Their line is solid.”
The Phantoms visit Pottstown at Grigg Memorial Field next Friday evening.

Phoenixville wins second straight game

2009-10-20T15:26:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville won its second straight football game last Friday night, edging favored Perkiomen Valley 6-0 in steady rain at Thomas J. Keenan Stadium in Graterford.
The Phantoms’ victory also dampened the spirits of the Perkiomen Valley Homecoming evening.
The lone touchdown of the game came on a 34-yard pass from junior quarterback to junior wideout Dan Kain with 9:35 remaining in the first period.
The score came on the fifth play of the game and was set up by another 34-yard pass from Romano to Vinny Nattle.
Phoenixville’s defense stepped to the plate with its second straight shutout following an 18-0 whitewash at Washington Field the previous weekend.
The Phantoms recovered two Perkomen Valley fumbles and intercepted two passes in the pivotal turnover department. For the 2009 season, coach Don Jackson’s defense has recovered 14 fumbles while the Phantoms have lost six fumbles. Phoenixville has also intercepted six passes while giving up six interceptions. So overall, the Phantoms are plus-eight in turnovers heading into Friday night’s Senior Night game against Upper Perkiomen at Washington Field.
Defensive tackle Marcus Stokes stepped up his play in the second half of the game against the Vikings to help spark the defense along with Ducky Ryan, Vince Ciaverelli, Sam McQuiston and Travis Andrews.
Head coach Bill Furlong’s Phantoms have now won two straight games following five consecutive setbacks to start the year.

Phoenixville/Perk valley preview

2009-10-16T12:30:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville faces Perkiomen Valley tonight in Graterford at 7 p.m. in PAC-10 football action.
The Phantoms are 1-3 in the PAC-10 (1-5 overall) following last week’s 18-0 shutout of Methacton. Perkiomen Valley is 3-1 (4-2) after a 29-7 victory over Boyertown.
The Phantoms are coming off a shutout by their steady defense, which was led by Ducky Ryan and Vince Ciaverelli, with 11 tackles apiece. Vinny Nattle returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown and also recovered a key fumble.
Quarterback Tom Romano returned to the lineup after a three-game absence due to an arm injury and passed for 81 yards and one TD.
The Vikings have scored 120 points (20.0 avg.) while allowing 95 markers (15.8 avg.). The Phantoms have scored 89 counters (14.8) and allowed 132 (22.0).
PV senior running back Steve Morrow (5-10, 170) has scored five TDs for 30 points and has rushed for 558 yards on 80 carries (7.0 avg.) for one of the top marks in the area. Senior quarterback Pat Catagnus (5-8, 170) has completed 55 of 99 aerials for 580 yards with three TDs and six interceptions.
Senior running back Matt Kline (5-10, 175) has caught 17 throws for 222 yards (13.1 avg.). Senior fullback Jon Schmidt (6-0, 180) has 12 catches for 98 yards (8.2 avg.).
Coach Scott Reed’s Vikings have a solid offensive line with center Kevin Krasley, guards Ryan Krasley and Joe Scenna, tackles Lou Fioravanti and Chris Stewart and tight end Brendan Murray plus Schmidt at fullback.
The Vikings’ defense is anchored by Stewart in the line and Scenna and junior Bobby Strickland at fullback. The placekicker is veteran Justin Morgan.
Phoenixville’s Sam McQuiston has rushed for 438 yards on 86 tries (5.1 avg.). The Phantom line has Steve Carter at center, Ken Cenci and Brandon Johnston or Torin Killeen at the guards and Kevin Bohl and Marcus Stokes at tackle. Ciaverelli and Greg Porter are the tight ends.

Phoenixville/Methacton Football

2009-10-15T17:01:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville Area High School’s football team earned its first victory of the season with an 18-0 shutout of Methacton at Washington Field to celebrate Homecoming last Saturday afternoon.
Senior running back Sam McQuiston rushed for 124 yards and a 1-yard scoring plunge on 19 carries to help lead the Phantoms to their first win after five setbacks. McQuiston, who also plays inside linebacker on defense, had three tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss to boot.
Junior quarterback/cornerback Tom Romano returned from a three-week absence due to an arm injury and completed 4 of 9 passes for 81 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown to senior tight end Vince Ciaverelli. Romano also rushed for 43 yards on seven carries. Ciaverelli made two receptions for 66 yards and also had 11 tackles and one tackle for loss from his linebacker spot on defense.
The Phantoms’ third touchdown came from sophomore defensive back Vinny Nattle on an 87-yard interception return. Nattle also made a fumble recovery against the Warriors.
Phoenixville’s defense registered its first shutout of the season and held Methacton to 0 net yards rushing on 31 attempts. Methacton freshman quarterback Brandon Bossard did throw for 215 yards while completing 17 of 29 aerials, much of the yardage coming on the short shovel pass and run. Mike Fontanella had six receptions for 114 yards.
Phoenixville senior safety Ducky Ryan made 11 tackles with one for loss and had one forced fumble to also help ignite the defense.
The Phantoms rushed for 220 yards on 40 carries and amassed 301 yards of total offense.
Phoenixville visits Perkiomen Valley this coming Friday night, Oct. 16, in Graterford. The Vikings defeated Boyertown, 29-7, last Friday night.

Phoenixville football vs. Boyertown preview

2009-10-01T16:17:00.002-04:00

Phoenixville travels to Boyertown for a Friday night PAC-10 football game this week.
Boyertown’s Bears are 1-1 in league play and 2-2 overall while the Phantoms are still seeking their first victory. They are 0-2 in the league and 0-4 overall.
Last week, Boyertown defeated St. Pius X, 23-13, while Phoenixville fell to Owen J. Roberts, 40-21, at Washington Field.
In four games, the Bears have scored 71 points (17.8 avg.) while yielding 65 markers (16.3). The Phantoms have scored 65 points (16.3) while surrendering 111 (27.8).
Boyertown’s leading rusher is Ryan Schwager, who has 40 carries for 287 yards (7.2). Phoenixville’s Sam McQuiston has rushed for 270 yards on 52 tries (5.2). Schwager has also caught six passes for 54 yards (9.0).
Boyertown quarterback Dylan Pasik, a junior transfer from St. Pius X, has completed 19 of 37 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Bears’ junior kicker, Aaron Sassaman, booted three field goals last week, covering 30, 30 and 26 yards. Pasik had a 14-yard scoring run to put the Bears on the board first, and Schwager added a 3-yard TD run.
The Bears rushed for 325 yards and totaled 353 yards of total offense while limiting the Winged Lions to 85 yards rushing and no yards passing.
The Bears feature some huge, talented linemen, led by senior Wilmer Barndt (6-2, 295), junior Tyler Bogert (5-9, 225), junior Jake Sample (6-3, 300), senior Aaron Lepre (6-5, 260) and sophomore Chris Muller (6-6, 300).
Head coach Mark Scisly is in his second season with the Bears.
Pasik is joined in the backfield by Schwager, a 6-0, 190-pound senior; senior Logan Herb (5-11, 200), junior Tom Froehlich (5-11, 190) and junior Chase Stewart (5-7, 145). Froehlich lugged the pigskin 26 times for 184 yards against Pius X. Schwager finished with 81 yards on 15 plays and Pasik 33 yards on six snaps.
“They (Bears) are as big as ever,” said Phoenixville head coach Bill Furlong. “And their backs are as good as any in the league (outside of Owen J. Roberts’ Ryan Brumfield and Pottsgrove’s Terrell Chestnut, Maika Polamalu).”
Phoenixville will again go with sophomore Alec McQuiston at quarterback, and he is expected to double on defense in the secondary as well. Junior Tom Romano is still sidelined with an arm injury. McQuiston scored on a 24-yard touchdown run against the Wildcats.
“Alec had one touchdown pass called back (to Ricky Yenchick) when he was slightly over the line (of scrimmage),” said Furlong. “He was inches away from making a real big play.”
The Phantoms will have senior Kevin Bohl (6-4, 255) back at offensive right tackle after he suffered an injured left ankle in the second half against Owen J. Roberts. Senior Steve Carter (5-10, 260) anchors the offensive line at the center position.
Phoenixville needs some big plays offensively and defensively to snap out of this losing skid. Defensively, that would mean turnovers like the Phantoms had in the early going, particularly against Great Valley in the season opener.
“We need people to step up and stand out,” said Furlong. “Some of our seniors are playing OK, but we need them to play better to make up for some of the adversity.”

Phoenixville football vs. Owen J. Roberts on Sept. 25

2009-09-25T10:56:00.002-04:00

Owen J. Roberts brings a 3-0 record in to face Phoenixville (0-3) at Washington Field in PAC-10 football Friday night.
The Wildcats are coming off a 13-7 victory over Spring-Ford in their league opener in Bucktown last Friday night while the Phantoms fell to St. Pius X, 21-14, at Coach Mich Stadium Saturday afternoon, ending the Winged Lions’ 23-game losing skid in the circuit.
The Phantoms’ Ducky Ryan, a senior, scored on a 3-yard run and sophomore Travis Andrews scored on a 4-yard return of a fumble recovery. Junior soccer player John McInally (14 points to date) kicked both placements for Phoenixville, which scored all 14 of its points in the fourth quarter. Pius X led by a 7-0 count at halftime and 14-0 at the end of three periods.
Ryan also led the defense with eight tackles and a fumble recovery while defensive end Brandon Johnson made one quarterback sack. The Phantoms rushed for 150 yards with Ricky Yenchick gaining 48 yards on nine tries and Sam McQuiston 41 yards on 15 attempts. Ryan chalked up 27 yards with seven rushes.
Sophomore Alec McQuiston (5-8, 160) filled in for starting quarterback Tom Romano, who suffered an arm injury in practice last Thursday. Sophomore Dominic Hooks (5-8, 140) took over Romano’s spot in the defensive secondary. With the injuries the Phantoms have suffered in the early going, some players are gaining valuable experience that could contribute to better depth when everybody is healthy later on this fall and in future years for the younger players.
“Alec was thrown into the fire and really came through it,” said Phoenixville head coach Bill Furlong, who is in his seventh year at the controls. “The one interception was tipped and the defensive back made an excellent play. He didn’t make a bad throw. It wasn’t a bad play. Now he is no longer a rookie. He has a game under his belt.”
Senior tight end/linebacker Vince Ciaverelli (6-0, 185) may return to action from a knee injury this week.
“They (Winged Lions) dominated the game,” Furlong said of last week’s contest. “We did come back, but it wasn’t close. They controlled the game from the outset and we fought back. They played a real good game.”
Owen J. Roberts, of course, is led by junior running back/defensive back Ryan Brumfield (5-10, 175), who gained 198 yards on 32 carries last week. Brumfield is the area’s leading rusher with 538 yards already on 75 attempts for a 7.2 average. He has scored seven touchdowns for 42 points.
His blocking back is senior fullback Rich Zazo (5-11, 235), who doubles at linebacker on defense. Sam Funk (6-1, 200) is a junior wingback/linebacker. The quarterback is senior Nate Walters (5-10, 175) with senior Francis Polignano (6-2, 195) at tight end and defensive back. Junior Kohl Batdorf (5-11, 175) was penciled in at quarterback and cornerback, but he has been slowed by an injury.
Tom Barr is in his 13th season as head coach of the Wildcats with Hank Coyne as his line coach and Dave Clarke as defensive coordinator and Charles Nesley serving as another assistant coach.
“We should be in the mix with any team in the league,” said Furlong. “But with Owen J., you have to stop Brumfield to be in the game. They (Wildcats) are sound and are well-coached.”

Phoenixville football

2009-09-18T14:32:00.002-04:00

Phoenixville’s defense had its moments against Unionville despite a 23-9 non-league setback at Washington Field last Friday evening.
The Phantoms have started the season at 0-2 with defeats against Great Valley in overtime and Unionville. It is the first time in head coach Bill Furlong’s seven years at the controls that the Phantoms have started the year at 0-2, but there is still a long way to go in the campaign.
Ducky Ryan recorded a team-high 10 tackles against the Indians with one sack. Greg Porter had seven tackles, one for loss and one fumble recovery. Sam McQuiston had five tackles. Matt Viscuso had four tackles. Travis Andrews made two tackles and forced one fumble. Marcus Stokes had two tackles and one fumble recovery. Dennis Kelly finished with five tackles, two for losses.
Don Jackson is the Phantoms’ defensive coordinator.
Phoenixville opens its 24th season of Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) football Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against St. Pius X at Coach Mich Stadium in Lower Pottsgrove Township.

Phoenixville/Unionville football game

2009-09-16T17:08:00.002-04:00

Phoenixville’s football team dropped a second straight close game to start the 2009 season with a 23-9 loss to Unionville last Friday night in steady rain at Washington Field.
Phoenixville held a 9-7 lead early in the fourth quarter on three field goals by junior kicker John McInally, but the Indians rallied with 16 points later in the fourth period.
The Phantoms rushed for 143 yards on 46 plays and quarterback Tom Romano completed 4 of 9 passes for 32 more yards, giving Phoenixville 175 total yards on 55 snaps. Unionville rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on 33 attempts and had no passing attempts all evening.
The Phantoms’ Sam McQuiston rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries. Phoenixville recovered two fumbles and lost one fumble itself.
McInally, who doubles as a soccer team defender for the Phantoms, booted field goals of 32, 30 and 29 yards in the contest. He has also been contributing long kickoffs and is in his first year of punting for the gridders as well.
Unionville marched 67 yards in 12 plays after taking the opening kickoff and scored on a 1-yard plunge with 5:26 on the clock for a quick 7-0 lead. However, from that point forward, the clash turned into an even game.
Coach Bill Furlong’s Phantoms start their Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) schedule Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against St. Pius X at Coach Mich Stadium.
This will be Phoenixville’s final meeting against St. Pius X before the Winged Lions merge with Kennedy-Kenrick to form John Paul II High School in Upper Providence Township starting with the 2010 campaign.
Brandon Johnston played a good game at defensive end for the Phantoms in his first start, and Greg Porter doubled at tight end and defensive end for a full game for the first time and responded well. One of Porter's hard hits resulted in a Unionville fumble that the Phantoms recovered.

Phoenixville Football Game Preview

2009-09-10T15:55:00.001-04:00

With both teams coming off difficult losses, Phoenixville hosts Unionville in non-league football action Friday night at Washington Field. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Unionville fell to Garnet Valley, 15-14, on a late, 96-yard scoring drive last week while Phoenixville surrendered a 21-7 third-quarter lead in bowing to Great Valley, 27-21, in overtime.
“They (Indians) are good, tough and they are big,” said Phoenixville head coach Bill Furlong Thursday afternoon. “They are going to be angry. They run play-action and they like to play smash-mouth football. They are very well-coached with their execution. They know what they are doing.”
Furlong hopes Phoenixville can create turnovers and capitalize on them in order to keep the game tight. Against Great Valley, the Phantoms recovered three fumbles and intercepted three passes. Ducky Ryan returned one interception 35 yards for the first Phoenixville touchdown in the first quarter.
“There are going to be a lot of opportunities for our young kids to step up and create some plays,” said Furlong.
Running back/linebacker Sam McQuiston had a big two-way performance against the Patriots and will be counted upon again. McQuiston was the team’s leading rusher with 60 yards on 10 carries, caught a 9-yard scoring pass from quarterback Tom Romano and made 10 tackles on defense.
Phoenixville will open its Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) season Saturday afternoon, Sept. 19, against St. Pius X at Coach Mich Stadium at 1 p.m.
The Phantoms’ first home league game is against Owen J. Roberts Friday night, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. at Washington Field.

Phoenixville football vs Great Valley

2009-09-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville and Great Valley played another interesting non-league football season opener Friday night at Valley Stadium in East Whiteland Township. Phoenixville held a 21-7 lead at the end of three quarters, but Great Valley rallied to tie the game at 21 by the end of regulation time and then won, 27-21, in overtime.
Last year, Great Valley won, 7-6, at Washington Field and both teams went on to advance to the District 1 Class AAA playoffs. The same could hold true this season.
Phoenixville head coach Bill Furlong and Great Valley head coach Gary Phillips were both missing some injured players, but some other younger players stepped in to fill those spots.
The Phantoms recovered three Great Valley fumbles and intercepted three passes, but they did not capitalize on those six turnovers for enough points in the final outcome. Great Valley was also penalized nine times for 65 yards in the contest to Phoenixville’s four penalties for 25 yards.
Phoenixvllle led 14-7 at the end of the first period and 14-7 at intermission.
Great Valley outgained Phoenixville in rushing yardage 186-90 while Phoenixville held a 79-57 advantage in passing. The total yardage was 243 on 68 plays for the Patriots and 169 stripes on 49 snaps for the Phantoms.
Great Valley’s Casey Haines rushed 26 times for 97 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner on a 1-yard plunge in overtime. Chucky Showers (11-68, 1 TD) and Colin Johnson (13-24) helped give the Patriots more of an inside-outside attack in the second half. Junior Dave Hausladen also made his first start as the GV quarterback and was more accurate in the passing game during the second half.
Phoenixville’s Sam McQuiston rushed for 60 yards on 10 carries, including one gain for 42 yards. McQuiston was also a team leader on defense for the Phantoms with 10 tackles from his linebacker position. Safety Ducky Ryan totaled 11 tackles, an interception return for a 35-yard touchdown for the first Phoenixville touchdown and two fumble recoveries. Sophomore nose guard Dennis Kelly had eight tackles for losses, four for losses, and 1 1/2 sacks. Linebacker Vince Ciaverelli had seven tackles, one for loss and forced one fumble. Quarterback Tom Romano doubled on defense in the secondary and came up with six tackles, one interception and one tackle for loss.
Linebacker Matt Viscuso had five tackles, one for loss and one-half sack. Tackle Ken Cenci had two sacks and four tackles with one for loss. End Greg Porter had four tackles with one-half sack and Sophomore defensive end Ernie Knight had two tackles for losses and one quarterback hurry.
Running back/linebacker Ricky Yenchick had two tackles, one for loss, before leaving the game in the first half with a rib injury. Sophomore Vinny Nattle had one tackle and defended one pass. Defensive tackle Marcus Stokes registered one sack.
Great Valley defensive tackle Anthony McFalls was in on three sacks with one tackle for loss. Haines doubled at linebacker and had one tackle for loss. Defensive lineman Zach Anderson notched two sacks. Jesse Horn had a sack. Steve Lochry intercepted a pass in the end zone in overtime and also made two receptions for 44 yards as a wide receiver. Mike Moules had two tackles for losses and one sack.
One of Great Valley’s assistant coaches is Joe Bogus, a retired Phoenixville Area High School teacher who still serves as the Phantoms’ head softball coach.
Junior John McInally is starting his third year as the Phoenixville placekicker and is also doing the punting chores. Romano also had a punt in the opening game. McInally booted three placements against the Patriots.
Phoenixville’s offensive line has Steve Carter at center with Viscuso and Cenci at guard and Kevin Bohl and Stokes at tackle. Ciaverelli and Porter are the tight ends.
Romano had a 9-yard scoring pass to McQuiston on a throw in the left flat and a 46-yard TD pass to sophomore running back Travis Andrews down the left sideline. Dan Kain caught one pass for 24 yards.
Great Valley, which plays out of the Ches-Mont League’s American Division, fell to Owen J. Roberts in double overtime in the first round of the district playoffs a year ago. The Patriots will host West Chester Henderson Friday night in their second scrum at 7 p.m.
Phoenixville, which has finished 8-4 overall the past two years, fell to Upper Moreland in the first round of the district playoffs last year. The previous season the Phantoms dropped a first-round game to Unionville, which pays a visit to Washington Field to start the 2009 home schedule this coming Friday evening at 7 p.m.

Baseball tournament workers

2009-08-10T16:05:00.001-04:00

I covered much of the recent week-long 13-Prep Babe Ruth State Tournament at deSanno Field in Phoenixville.
While the tournament was hit hard by rainy weather that forced postponements and rescheduling, it was still well-run by state tournament director Dave White and the many other fine volunteer workers who have functioned well in Phoenixville, many of them for much of the 50 years of existence of the league.
The rain forced extra work on the field. Under the direction of Bill Moore and Tom Graham, the fine crew kept baseball continuing. Bob Stancavage, Bob Ulisny, Charlie Card and others made sure the diamond was in its customary tip-top shape.
Michelle (Supinski) Card handled her duties as league treasuer. Rich Gyuris Sr. and Bill Krieger headed up the ticket crew in charge of the gate for admission.
Many workers helped out in the popular refreshment stand. Several young boys assisted with the 50-50 raffle fundraiser.
The Dallas French Fries vehicle was on hand for its famous potatoes and other good food for refreshments, too.
Umpires were paid for their services. Bob Hogga assigned them and two men worked each game throughout the tournament. They handled their share of close calls.
The 10-team tournament involved 10 teams in two divisions of pool play. The top three finishers in each division qualified for the Final Six to determine the state champion. West End won the tournament and is also hosting the state tournament in Williamsport this week. Chichester placed second and Mifflin County took third to become the other regional qualifiers.
Four games were played each day in the pool play to start the tournament, resulting in 20 contests just to get the competition started. Each participant is guaranteed four games in the setup as opposed to the previous double-elimination plan.

Babe Ruth State Tournament

2009-08-10T16:04:00.002-04:00

Pa Legion Hall of Famers

2009-07-28T19:44:00.001-04:00

It is fitting that John “Doc” Kennedy and Rod Johnson entered the Pennsylvania American Legion Sports Hall of Fame together Monday night.
Kennedy and Johnson have become good friends despite their many confrontations as managers of opposing ballclubs in Chester County League circles. Kennedy coached Phoenixville at the senior high school and American Legion levels while Johnson, a former Spring-Ford High School, Spring City and Temple University star infielder who played in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system, coached during the summer months at Spring City and later Paoli.
The two men were honored during the banquet that precedes the State Tournament each year. This year’s tournament is being staged at Boyertown’s Bear Stadium and the banquet was held at Gilbertsville Fire Company’s banquet hall.
I have come to know both men quite well during my many years covering sports in this area. They are both well-deserving of the honors they received for what they accomplished during their respective coaching careers over a long period of time.
Their teams did well in the Chester County League regular season as well as the postseason playoffs.
Both men went on to coach at the collegiate level at Villanova University under Phoenixville’s Joe Godri. Kennedy has moved on to become an associate scout for the Boston Red Sox while Johnson remains on Godri’s staff with the Wildcats.

Summer tournaments

2009-07-17T19:27:00.001-04:00

Baseball and softball tournaments for all age groups are prevalent at this time during the summer months.
It is a good experience for kids to participate in these tourneys. However, it also puts a lot of pressure on them as far as succeeding. The more young the kids are, the more they just should have fun and enjoy themselves while trying to win at the same time. There is plenty of time for high-level playoffs and championship runs as they grow older later on in life.
Basketball playoffs are around the corner in the Valley Forge Christian College (VFCC) men’s league as well as the PAPA/PARD league for youngsters outdoors at the Reservoir Park and C’Jon Saunders Park courts.
Phoenixville boys tennis coach Leo Scoda will also hold his annual Orange Crush Tennis Tournament for boys and girls at all age levels the week of July 20-25.
While baseball, softball, tennis and golf are considered the main outdoor sports during the summer, players like to hone their skills in basketall and other sports, too, in order to prepare for the next scholastic season and/or play at the collegiate level.

Senior American Legion Baseball makes playoffs

2009-07-08T16:28:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville’s Senior American Legion baseball team has qualified for the Chester County League playoffs that start Wednesday.
The Athletics clobbered Paoli, 25-0, in 4 1/2 innings Monday night at “Doc” Kennedy Field in their regular season finale to close with a 9-9 record in the North Conference. The A’s are the seventh seed in the eight-team field and will meet No. 2 NorChester at Owen J. Roberts High School Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the double-elimination playoffs.
In other first-round action, No. 1 Kennett hosts No.l 8 Westtown at Unionville High School; No. 3 Downingtown hosts No. 6 Exton at Downingtown West High School and No. 4 Spring City entertains No. 5 Caln at Spring-Ford High School’s Ram Stadium.
Against Paoli, Phoenixville banged out 18 hits, including a grand slam home run by Jesse Daywalt, a two-run triple by Thomas Romano and an RBI double by John Wieland.
Cal Milano finished 5-for-5 with five singles, four RBI and three runs scored. Robby Werner finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored and one hit by pitch. Matt Cohen scored four runs with three walks and two RBI out of the leadoff spot in the batting order.
Dillon Fina picked up the pitching victory with three innings of work while Gary Moses and Matt Pilewski each hurled an inning of relief. The trio combined on a two-hit shutout.
Despite not having three of their top pitchers and players from the Phoenixville Area High School team, the A’s fought their way into the playoffs. Moses, Fina, Pilewski, Mike Jones and Wieland stepped up with some solid pitching during the summer schedule to help the club qualify for the playoffs.
Manager Jack Sturgeon guided the team along with assistant coaches Geoff Thomas, the pitching coach, and Craig Jeffers.

The Phoenixville Athletics Senior American Legion

2009-06-11T16:13:00.001-04:00

The Phoenixville Athletics Senior American Legion baseball team has a mixture of young, inexperienced high school players and several who are returning from college.
The A’s opened the season with Chester County League victories over Oxford and Pottsgrove on the road. Last weekend Phoenixville suffered a pair of losses. One was a 7-6 nail-biter loss to Spring City at Spring-Ford High School’s Ram Stadium Saturday evening. On Sunday, the A’s fell to Caln, 13-2, in a five-inning game ended by the 10-run rule at “Doc” Kennedy Field.
Phoenixville’s roster includes third baseman Jesse Daywalt, who started at second base for Chestnut Hill College as a freshman; as well as other players who are in college in Allan Moreland and Ryan Rogala. Daywalt batted second against the Caln Seabees while Moreland was the designated hitter and batted seventh. Rogala started in right field and batted fifth.
The rest of the starting lineup had Anthony Nattle in center field, Thomas Romano at shortstop, Cal Milano at second base, Derek Ryan catching, Mike Jones pitching, Gary Moses at first base and Matt Cohen in left field.
The remainder of the roster includes Dillon Fina, Will Daggett, John Wieland, Matt Pilewski, Tony Sierzega, Jon Wheel, Robby Werner and Corey Smith.
The manager is Jack Sturgeon and his assistant coaches are Craig Jeffers and Geoff Thomas.
The A’s have a capable offense and play suitable defense. However, they are limited in the most important category, pitching. Moses pitched some strong games at the end of the senior high school season and has looked sharp to start the Legion season too, The right-hander pitched well against Spring City in a 5 1/3-inning starting stint.
The rest of the pitchers are youngsters with limited varsity and Legion experience who are going through a baptism under fire. Sturgeon and his staff hope the pitchers improve as the summer season progresses with hopes of qualifying for the loop playoffs.
Ryan, Milano and Romano have also been selected to participate in the annual Carpenter Cup Tournament for senior high school players. The three players will be members of the Chester County ballclub for the Philadelphia tournament, targeted mostly for underclassmen, that is witnessed by numerous scouts and college coaches. Sturgeon will also serve as an assistant coach for head coach Bob Gottschall.
The first two rounds of the tourney will be played at the University of Pennsylvania and the last two rounds will be played at Citizens Bank Park.

spring sports teams

2009-06-07T23:41:00.001-04:00

The 2008-09 school year is drawing to a close. The spring sports teams are in the final stages of state playoffs in baseball and softball. That is all that is remaining from another long season of sports activities.
The Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts softball teams in Class AAAA and St. Pius X in Class AA softball were the last teams still competing in the state playoffs before the school year ends with graduation.
St. Pius X saw its season end with an 8-0 loss to Brandywine Heights, the District 3 champion, Thursday afternoon in drizzling rain at Spring-Ford Area High School’s field in Royersford. Owen J. Roberts was ousted in the first round of states.
It is also that time of year when schools schedule end-of-the-year senior banquets to honor the student-athletes and coaches. I attended Phoenixville’s Tuesday night and Spring-Ford’s Wednesday evening. Both dinners were held at the Radisson Hotel in Valley Forge.
They were nice affairs. It is nice to see the players honored for all of their hard work and success throughout the year. Most of the students are also successful in the classroom and will be furthering their education in college. Some of them will continue to play sports. Others will not, but they have used sports as a tool to be accepted at the college of their choice.
Yusuf Brown and Miranda Peto were honored as Phoenixville’s outstanding senior boy and girl athlete. Andrew Cooper and Ashley Wood were honored as Spring-Ford’s top athletes.
The top athletes are voted upon by the head coaches at the respective schools. The selections are difficult because there are so many deserving candidates. Most often, the recipients are ahletes who have played more than one sport and been successful at all their undertakings.

Valor Bowl

2009-05-27T13:57:00.002-04:00

Seventeen area senior football players, representing four area schools, will be playing in the annual Valor Bowl football game to benefit Special Olympics Thursday night, May 28, at Coatesville Area High School’s Memorial Stadium at 7:15 p.m.
The local players will be lining up for the North against the South with the winner taking home the Ben Crisi Trophy. The trophy is named in memory of the former longtime Great Valley football coach who was also a Phoenixville resident for some time.
Running back/defensive back Anthony Nattle, fullback/defensive lineman Abdul Kelly, two-way lineman Mike Cress and wide reciver/defensive back Khalil Ervin were picked to represent Phoenixville.
Spring-Ford players are quarterback Trevor Sasek and fullback/linebacker Rich Iannelli.
Great Valley choices were quarterback/defensive back Seth Houston, fullback/linebacker John Nurthen, linebacker Justin Schellenger, defensive lineman Myles Tornetta, offensive/defensive lineman Cody Dougherty, offensive/defensive lineman Jeremy Mateyk and offensive/defensive lineman Miles Lang.
Owen J. Robers will be represented by quarterback/defensive back Dan Miller, fullback/defensive end Cory Bissland, offensive/defensive lineman Nelson Munoz, offensive/defensive lineman Sam Morgan and offensive/defensive lineman Sam Odle.
The North’s head coach is Paul Meyers from Bishop Shanahan High School.
These all-star games give players a chance to be with their teammates and friends one final time before graduating from high school. They also get the chance to play on the same team against other players and friends who were members of opposing schools during the fall.

Owen J. Roberts Sports Team

2009-05-15T14:15:00.003-04:00

The Owen J. Roberts High School sports teams have enjoyed an exceptional spring season to go along with the rest of their year for 20008-09.
Owen J. Roberts captured Pioneer Athletic Conference championships in baseball, softball, boys track and boys lacrosse to highlight the spring season.
The Wildcats snapped Boyertown's streak in baseball under head coach Greg Gilbert and Phoenixville's streak in boys track with head coach Eric Wentzel.
The softball and boys lacrosse teams repeated their championships. Jeff Neese is the boys lacrosse coach and Kevin Kirby is the softball coach.

Myles Tornetta Wrestling

2009-05-11T08:31:00.000-04:00

Great Valley senior wrestling standout Myles Tornetta has decided to continue his education and wrestling at nearby Ursinus College in Collegeville.
Tornetta picked Ursinus over King’s and Millersville. He will wrestle in the 184-pound weight class after a 30-plus win season with the Patriots, where he wrestled for his father, Joe Tornetta, a former standout at Phoenixville Area High School who announced his retirement from wrestling coaching at the end of the campaign. Tornetta advanced to the Southeastern Regional level in Class AAA. The Tornetta family resides in Kimberton.
Ursinus has one of the top Division III wrestling programs in the country under head coach Bill Racich, a teacher at Spring-Ford Area High School. Tornetta will join Owen J. Roberts product Connor McCormick on the Bears’ roster.
Myles Tornetta also starred in football as a nose guard on defense for Great Valley, which qualified for the District 1 Class AAA playoffs under coach Gary Phillips.
Racich is among the college coaches who try to attract top local talent to their athletic programs. They seek out the best student-athletes and they have found one in Myles Tornetta.

Phoenixville Softball

2009-05-08T16:08:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville Area High School celebrated its Senior Night for softball following a 1-0 loss to Upper Perkiomen Wednesday afternoon.
The three Phoenixville seniors are Miranda Peto, Ruth Jasienski and Kacie Nemeth. Peto is a leadoff batter and second baseman who has lots of speed. Jasienski is a third baseman and catcher who has been batting second during the second half of the season. Nemeth is a left-handed catcher and pitcher who bats cleanup in the order. She is bound for Clarion University on a softball scholarship and is projected to play first base in college.
The Phantoms are now 8-8 in the PAC-10 (9-8 overall) with two league games remaining against Spring-Ford (home) and Methacton (away). Phoenixville is hoping to land a berth in the District 1 Class AAA playoffs, but the Phantoms have not scored a run in the last 22 innings of action.
Phoenixville is coached by Joe Bogus and Dave Devlin.

Spring-Ford defeated Phoenixville, 8-3

2009-05-04T08:24:00.003-04:00

Spring-Ford defeated Phoenixville, 8-3, in a physical Pioneer Athletic Conference boys lacrosse game Thursday night at Coach McNelly Stadium in Royersford. The Rams finished the regular season at 9-3 to earn the second seed for the PAC-10 playoffs. Phoenixville wound up at 2-10 in the circuit (2-12 overall) despite an inspired effort against the rival Rams.

Phoenixville junior goalkeeper Josh Frey played a spectacular game with 26 saves while Spring-Ford senior keeper Jesse Ercole was also solid with 13 saves.

Spring-Ford coach Kevin Donnelly said the Phantoms always seem to play well against his Rams. Carl Santoro, Drew Thomas and Tyler Novotny each scored two goals for S-F while Mark Consolo and Colton Szostek each netted one goal.

Phoenixville got goals from Shawn Wassel (two) and Matt Talarico while AJ Ryan posted two assists. Freshman Joe McErlean was also active offensively for coach Jim O'Brien, who was quite pleased with the Phantoms' effort.

The Phoenixville Area Police Athletic League (PAL)

2009-04-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

The Phoenixville Area Police Athletic League (PAL) celebrated its 10-year anniversary of sponsoring activities for young people during a banquet Sunday afternoon at the Phoenixville Country Club.
More than 100 people attended the celebration with numerous awards in the form of plaques were being handed out. People were recognized for their hard work and volunteer efforts to assist the program.
Boxing and wrestling are two particular sports that have received a lot of publicity in The Phoenix during the last 10 years.
James Deoria Jr. , a Schuylkill Township police officer as well as a former professional boxer, is PAL’s executive director. Jim Lombardi is the organization’s president. Local boxer Max Stine was the first recipent of the James L. Deoria Sr. Spirit Award, in memory of Jimmy’s late father, who was a strong proponent of the boxing game. Mr. Deoria’s wife, Donna, was on hand to present Stine with his award.
Mr. Deoria started training young Jimmy in boxing at age 12 and brought him up through the ranks, including the Golden Gloves program. Mr. Deoria drove his son to Philadelphia to train at the Front Street Gym under John Mulvenna for a number of years to nurture his son’s boxing career.
PAL also provides a Babysitting Club and Golf Clinics. Toni Stuetz was honored for babysitting, Steve LaPort and Brian Martz for wrestling and Bobby Boher and Joy Thompson for golf.
Financial and service support have come from Devlin-Rosmos-Kepp, Michael Weinstein, John Lazarich Foundation, Phoenixville Civic Center and Phoenixville Community Health Foundation. The Civic Center is the home base for the Phoenixville Area Recreation Department (PARD) and the boxers, both amateur and professional, train in the basement of the building.
Willis “Skeebe” Foreman is another longtime trainer of the boxers, and Carlos Mendez, Mike Niemeyer and Dave Molina have joined the group to help with increasing numbers and a heavier work load. Mendez’s daughter, Sharlene, is a a standout PAL boxer. She received the Dedication Award since she travels from Reading each day to participate in the Phoenixville program.
The PAL program continues to do excellent work in keeping kids off the streets and out of trouble. Instead, they are involved in sports and other positive activities that can help them become better people.

Liz Jones, Phoenixville Girls Lacrosse

2009-04-23T10:44:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville Area High School has had numerous outstanding girls lacrosse players throughout the years in the old Ches-Mont League and current Pioneer Athletic Conference.
This year’s Phantom big star is senior attack/midfielder Liz Jones, who scored her 200th career goal in a 17-14 setback to Methacton April 17 on the Phoenixville field.
Jones has been a four-year varsity player for Phoenixville and head coach Jen Foresta. She tallied six goals in the game against the Warriors after starting the day needing just two to reach the coveted milestone.
The game was stopped and Jones received congratulations from her teammates as well as the game ball for a keepsake of the special feat.
Jones credited her teammates with making good passes to her throughout her career that allowed her to become such a prolific scorer. She also acknowledged the coaching of Phoenixville graduates Foresta and assistant coach Aamina Thornton for advice on how to best utilize her skills on the field.
Jones’ most productive season came during her sophomore year when she tallied 87 goals.

Tennis Stars Continue Winning Ways

2009-04-17T13:09:00.000-04:00

Two former Phoenixville Area High School boys tennis stars are continuing their winning ways at the collegiate level.
Kyle MacLelland and Tom McAvoy, who teamed up to capture the PIAA Class AA state doubles championship in 2007, are now sophomores in college. MacLelland is playing at Lafayette College while McAvoy is playing at Philadelphia University.
MacLelland played first singles and McAvoy second singles for the Pioneer Athletic Conference champion Phantoms, who are coached by Leo Scoda. MacLelland also won the PAC-10 singles title as a senior.
MacLelland is playing No. 6 singles for the Leopards and has a 6-9 singles record as well as a 5-8 doubles mark at the No. 2 position on the ladder.
McAvoy has an 13-7 record at No. 4 singles and a 10-4 log at No. 2 doubles for the Rams.
MacLelland was also a starting forward on the Phoenixville boys basketball team that captured the PAC-10 title in 2006-07. That team also finished third in District 1 Class AAA competition and advanced to the second round of the state tournament under head coach Bill Detweiler.

High School Spring Sports Schedule

2009-04-07T09:02:00.002-04:00

The scholastic spring sports season is a busy one with a host of sports which play multiple times each week.
It is a compact schedule that is required to be finished by a certain early time so youngsters can compete in league, district and state playoffs in most sports before it is time for seniors to graduate and other kids to end the scholastic year.
The rainy weather of the past week is an indication of how even more compact the schedule becomes with bad weather. That forces postsponements and some cancellations except in the cases of some turf fields and all-weather tracks that can still have events go on as scheduled.
There are not many open dates in the spring. So athletic directors have to fit in rescheduled games wherever possible, including Saturdays. There is not much room to rest or to even practice, for that matter.
The scheduling is just one of the obstacles spring sports personnel must deal with, like it or not.

boys tennis team saw its incredible

2009-04-03T13:06:00.001-04:00

The Phoenixville Area High School boys tennis team saw its incredible 196-match Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) winning streak end Thursday in a 6-1 loss to league newcomer Methacton during a showdown match for first place at the Fairview Village courts.
Methacton also defeated Phoenixville, 6-1, in a non-league match last year for the first time ever, also at the Warriors’ courts. Both teams have most of the same players returning to the lineup.
The Phantoms are coached by Leo Scoda, who is in his 46th year at the helm and is also the mayor of the borough of Phoenixville. Methacton is coached by Cara DeCicco, who is in her ninth season.
Methacton is led by senior Kyle Colliluori, senior David Goldenberg, junior Evan Lord, sophomore Nish Ravichandran and sophomore Keenan McAuliffe. Colliluori placed second in the Suburban One League singles tournament last year, and he and Lord combined to capture the loop doubles crown.
Phoenixville’s regular lineup includes junior Steve Tassone at first singles, senior John Reading at second singles and junior Mike Potts at third singles. The Phantoms blanked Boyertown, 7-0, in their last match at the Leo J. Scoda Tennis Courts Tuesday afternoon. Tassone was sidelined with a sprained ankle in that one so the players moved up and sophomore John McInally played third singles instead of his normal fourth doubles spot.
The Phantoms doubles teams include seniors Steve Ng and Yusuf Brown at first doubles, seniors Mike Reeves and Adam Leggieri at second doubles, seniors Kyle Taylor and James Churgai at third doubles and McInally andsenior Kyle Eldridge at fourth doubles. Another doubles player who has seen time in the lineup is freshman Doug Reeves.
In the Methacton-Phoenixville match, Methacton won the three singles matches in straight sets. Phoenixville won at first doubles and the Warriors took the other three matches. Methacton won three-set matches at third and fourth doubles.

Boxing

2009-03-30T16:41:00.002-04:00

Former Phoenixville Area Police Athletic League (PAL) professional junior middleweight boxer Harry Joe Yorgey of Bridgeport won the biggest fight of his career Saturday night at a casino in Miami, Oklahoma.
Yorgey stayed undefeated with a ninth-round knockout of Ronald Hearns, who was also undefeated and is the son of former pro star Thomas Hearns. Yorgey knocked Hearns to the canvas three times during the fight, that was televised live on Showbox.
Yorgey won a belt for the fight and looks to move up higher on the worldwide boxing rankings.
Yorgey formerly trained with Jim Deoria and John Mulvenna at the Phoenixville Civic Center on Main Street. He is now trained by Henry Racich.
Yorgey, now 31, is married and he and his wife have four children.

Phoenixville’s baseball team has started the 2009 season with a 1-1 record.

2009-03-27T13:28:00.002-04:00

After starting the year with a 15-4 non-league loss to West Chester Henderson Friday afternoon at “Doc” Kennedy Field, the Phantoms won their Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) opener Monday afternoon, 5-4, over Pottstown at Bobby Shantz Field in Pottstown.
Coach Jack Sturgeon is assisted by Rob Huston and Craig Jeffers with the Phantoms, who visit Pottsgrove Wednesday and host five-time defending league champion Boyertown Friday in the first of their busy, regular three-game weeks of games.
The three-game weeks are going to make pitching an even greater commodity this year than it already is anyway. Phoenixville will rely heavily on juniors Devon Landis and Jeremy Burgess with their experience on the mound. Left-handed veteran Jake Waller is sidelined until Senior American Legion season with a broken ankle. The legion season starts at the end of May around Memorial Day.
The younger pitchers will be looked upon to improve as they receive more game experience to contribute more depth to the staff..
PAC-10 baseball will also have its first-ever Final Four playoff this year, like some of the other sports do. It is particularly big for boys and girls basketball during the winter months.
The Phantoms look solid defensively in the infield with Burgess and Jon Wheel at third base, Thomas Romano at shortstop, Cal Milano at second base and John Wieland at first base. Derek “Duck” Ryan is a solid catcher.
In the outfield are Andrew Ewing in center, Sam McQuiston in right and Matt Cohen in left. That is also a solid defensive group.
Wieland and Ewing are the only two seniors on an essentially young squad.
Besides league play, Phoenixville also has its eye on the District 1 Class AAA playoffs.

The Phoenixville girls softball team is off to a 2-0 start for the 2009 season.

2009-03-24T18:12:00.002-04:00

The Phantoms, coached by Joe Bogus and Dave Devlin, defeated West Chester Henderson, 11-9, in a non-league season opener Friday afternoon. Then came a 10-0 victory to open the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) season Monday at home against Pottstown.
The Phantoms have a mixture of experience and youth and should do well throughout the season.
Senior second baseman Miranda Peto, senior third baseman Ruth Jasienski and senior catcher Kacie Nemeth are veteran leaders for the Phantoms along with junior pitcher/outfielder Molly Ferguson. Nemeth will also be doing some pitching this year, and both she and Ferguson are left-handers.
The speedy Peto has homered to lead off the first inning in both Phoenixville contests. She went 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and four RBI against the Trojans.
The Phantoms started junior Kate Kelly at first base and freshman Chandler DiFebbo at shortstop.
The outfield has two juniors and one sophomore with Lauren Granese in center, Jen Rutherford in right and Laura Gronski in left.
The Phantom players are able to play several positions, which enhances the depth and strength of the ballclub.
Junior starter Kelly Foedinger is recovering from an injured back. Other reserve players include Lindsay Waller, Hillary Viola and Courtney Wieland.
Phoenixville hosts Pottsgrove Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.

Spring Means Tennis

2009-03-17T15:45:00.002-04:00

Spring sports officially begins this week with tennis matches starting off first and then most all sports in action on Friday, March 20 and thereafter throughout the spring months.
Spring is a busy time in sports with boys tennis, boys and girls track & field, baseball, softball and boys and girls lacrosse.
They play several times per week and also have practice sessions to keep them busy. Practice started Monday, March 2, although that was the day of the 8-inch snowstorm that hit the area. However, by the end of the week the snow was gone and teams have been practicing regularly to prepare for their seasons ever since that early delay.
Rainy weather and wet grounds often hampers spring sports, but athletic directors and coaches do their best to keep youngsters active. Postponements especially hurt teams with younger players who do not have as much experience and need the time on the fields, courts and tracks in order to improve their skills.

Phoenixville’s boys basketball team

2009-03-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

Phoenixville’s boys basketball team captured the 2008-09 PIAA District 1 Class AAA championship Saturday night with a 56-55 overtime victory over Strath Haven at The Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University.
The Phantoms (21-5) captured the school’s second-ever district title and first since 1998.
Head coach Bill Detweiler is assisted by coaches Lou Brignola, G.T. Pufko, Bruce MacLelland Jr. and freshman coaches Ken Winston and Charles Thompson.
Phoenixville, which was the top seed in the tournament, received its championship trophy as well as individual gold medals for its efforts. The Phantoms will now start the PIAA playoffs Friday night at Norristown High School at 7:30 p.m. against Archbishop Carroll, the third-place team from District 12 (Philadelphia’s Catholic League).
The Phantoms have been led in scoring by 6-foot-6 senior center Greg Peters, who has both an inside and outside game. He scored 21 points against Strath Haven and is averaging 12 points per game for the season. Peters is also the team’s top rebounder at eight per game and is also an adept shot blocker.
Senior point guard Yusuf Brown is averaging 11 points per game and is counted upon for top defense and ballhandling as well as his scoring output. So is junior guard Corey Gordon.
Junior forward Harrison Deyo suffered a broken tibia in the second quarter and is lost for the season. But he has been a valuable asset all season long. So have junior forwards Jamie Hennessy and Mike Matson, who are scrappy role players.
The Phantoms have relied on balanced scoring as well as tight defense, combining man-to-man and zone alignments, in order to be successful.

District 1 Class AAA Southeastern Regional Wrestling Tournament

2009-02-25T09:21:00.001-05:00

Two Phoenixville Area High School wrestlers have advanced to this weekend’s District 1 Class AAA Southeastern Regional Wrestling Tournament at Oxford High School.
Junior Chris Onder (112 pounds) and sophomore Ken Cenci (215) are still alive in the tournament for coach Dave Saville’s Phantoms. Both Onder and Cenci finished in third place at the District 1-AAA North Tournament at Quakertown High School last Saturday. The top four finishers advance to the next round.
A third Phoenixville wrestler, sophomore Matt Cermanski (125) took fifth place and is a first alternate for this weekend’s tourney.
Onder won his third-place consolation bout by a 14-2 major decision over Central Bucks East’s Doug Silveria. Cenci won a 3-1 decision over Quakertown’s Greg Walker. Cermanski won his fifth-place final by forfeit.
The top four finishers at Oxford will advance to the PIAA Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7.

Franklin K. Manley Final Four

2009-02-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

The Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) Franklin K. Manley Final Four will crown its boys and girls basketball championship teams this week.
On Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Spring-Ford High School’s Ram Gymnasium, Liberty Division winner Owen J. Roberts will take on Liberty runner-up Methacton, a newcomer to the league this year, for the boys title.
Owen J. Roberts ousted St. Pius X and Methacton upended Phoenixville in the semifinal round.
On the girls’ side, the championship game will be played Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at Spring-Ford High School’s Ram Gymnasium.
In that encounter, Frontier Division winner St. Pius X will take on Frontier runner-up Pottsgrove for the top prize.
In Saturday’s Final Four semifinal round, St. Pius X defeated Methacton and Pottsgrove stopped Perkiomen Valley.
Both champions will be new. Pottstown’s boys won the crown a year ago and so did Spring-Ford’s girls in a three-year run at the top that came to a conclusion this winter.

The Phoenixville Area High School boys and girls swimmers

2009-02-02T08:02:00.001-05:00

The Phoenixville Area High School boys and girls swimmers have not won a Pioneer Athletic Conference meet yet this season.
However, the Phantoms have had a lot of individual success stories in qualifying for the upcoming District 1 Class AA Championships for smaller schools.
Phoenixville senior boy Matt Heverly has had an excellent season. He has already qualified for districts in all 11 events, which includes individual events as well as relays.
Heverly was featured in The Phoenix Athlete of the Week section on Thursday, Jan. 29. Against Spring-Ford, Heverly won the 200-yard individual medley (2:07.13) and 100 freestyle (.51.60).
So was sophomore Brittany Rohall on the girls’ side. Against Spring-Ford at Ursinus College, Rohall won the 200-yard freestyle (2:13.26) and 100 backstroke (1:09.08).
Head coach Ty Bailey and assistant coach Dan Weinstein have focused on individual improvement in terms of personal bests and district qualifiers as opposed to meet victories against larger schools. The Phantoms are limited in numbers and are also limited in practice time at the Phoenixville Area YMCA.

New Head Coach at Neighboring Perkiomen Valley High School in Graterford

2009-01-27T14:32:00.001-05:00

Dan McLaughlin, who served as an assistant coach in the Phoenixville Area High School girls softball program for 10 years, has been selected as the new head coach at neighboring Perkiomen Valley High School in Graterford.
McLaughlin has already met with the Perkiomen Valley players who will be members of the team this spring. He will continue his fulltime job as a social studies teacher in the Phoenixville Area School District.
At Perkiomen Valley, McLaughlin replaces Kim Paulus, who spent four years at the helm of the Vikings but is also heavily involved with soccer and other activities in the Perkiomen Valley community. At Phoenixville, McLaughlin worked under head coach Joe Bogus with the Phantoms.
Both Phoenixville and Perkiomen Valley are members of the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10). There are no divisions separating larger schools from smaller schools in softball, but Perkiomen Valley is in with the big schools in other sports in the Liberty Division while Phoenixville is in the Frontier Division with the smaller enrollments.
McLaughlin said he is anxious for the opportunity to be head coach of his own program. At the same time, he said he will miss the close working relationship he had with a nice group of girls he coached at Phoenixville for six years. He spent six seasons with this year’s PAHS seniors from the time they first started competing in softball at the middle school level.

Phoenixville Area High School Wrestling

2009-01-21T12:11:00.002-05:00

Phoenixville’s wrestling team dropped a 55-15 verdict to Methacton in a Pioneer Athletic Conference meet in Fairview Village Saturday morning.
The Phantoms’ first-year head coach, Dave Saville, is a 1989 graduate of the Methacton wrestling program so it was a return to his roots of a storied wrestling school and program.
The Phantoms won just three out of 14 bouts. Sopohomores Matt Cermanski (130 pounds) and Dan Giannone (140) won by fall and junior Chris Onder (112) won an 8-3 decision against the Warriors.
The Phantoms have a young and inexperienced squad that has difficulty matching up against some of the other top PAC-10 teams.
Phoenixville will celebrate Senior Night Wednesday, Jan. 21, against Pottstown. The lone senior in the Phantoms’ lineup is Joe Mandrusiak, who wrestles at 160 or 171 pounds usually.

The Pioneer Athletic Conference Football Coaches Association

2009-01-12T16:19:00.002-05:00

The Pioneer Athletic Conference Football Coaches Association held its 23rd annual all-league banquet Sunday afternoon at the Pottstown Elks Club on High Street in Pottstown.
Some 230 players, coaches, family members and friends attended the event.
The Pottsgrove Falcons and head coach Rick Pennypacker, a 1972 graduate of Spring-Ford Area High School and a Spring City resident, were honored for their league championship season. Pennypacker gave remarks and noted how tough a league the PAC-10 is with so many quality coaches and players competing.
Six special awards were presented. They included the David L. Freed Award, Trevor Sasek, Spring-Ford; Joe Edwards Scholarship, Rhashad Santiago, Perkiomen Valley; Offensive Player of the Year, Ryan Brumfield, Owen J. Roberts; Defensive Player of the Year, Sam Morgan, Owen J. Roberts; Two-Way Player of the Year, Tim Smith, Methacton; and Most Valuable Player, Terrell Chestnut, Pottsgrove.
Perkiomen Valley head coach Scott Reed told the emotional story of Santiago, a troubled youngster who has turned his life around with the help of other people. After his mother had to relinquish her four children, Santiago lost two parents while growing up and spent some time trying to fend for himself on the streets of Pottstown after being adopted and then not wanted. He spent some time at Glen Mills School before coming to Perkiomen Valley. Santiago now carries an impressive 3.3 grade point average, scored 1,180 on his college boards and is a model citizen among his peers. He received a deserved standing ovation from the crowd.
Also honored were Bill Rogers, a coach for more than 50 years at several schools in the area; and longtime PAC-10 assigner of officials Nick Pergine Sr., who is now battling cancer.
I enjoyed covering the banquet once again. Phoenix photographer Barry Taglieber was also on hand and some of his photos can be seen on a slide show on line.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Phoenixville Wrestling

2009-01-08T17:42:00.000-05:00

Phoenixville dropped a 58-9 wrestling meet to visiting Perkiomen Valley in Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) action Wednesday night.
It was the Phantoms’ first home action of the season after seven road dates. The Phantoms now have a 1-2 PAC-10 record (8-6 overall). Perkiomen Valley is 2-1 (9-5 overall).
The Phantoms have a first-year head coach in Dave Saville. The Vikings have a second-year head coach in Tim Walsh.
Perkiomen Valley won 12 of the 14 bouts. Phoenixville’s lone victories came from senior Joe Mandrusiak (189 pounds) and sophomore Ken Cenci (215). Mandrusiak nudged Brett Petriello, 5-4, after the Vikings bolted to a 43-0 advantage. Mandrusiak is a normal 160- and 171-pounder who stepped up in weight class to wrestle Petriello. Mandrusiak now has a 12-2 record with eight falls to start the season.
Cenci won by default at 18 seconds of his match against Bobby Strickland. Cenci now owns a 17-2 mark with eight pins.
The Vikings posted five pins, two technical falls and were awarded one forfeit in the first match of the night at 119 pounds.
Perkiomen Valley registered 14 takedowns to Phoenixville’s four takedowns.
Former Perkiomen Valley coach Charlie Kramer used to call the Phoenixville-Perkiomen Valley wrestling match the “Battle of Route 29” because of the location of the two schools. The two sides used to have nip-and-tuck matches in recent years, but Wednesday night represented a different story.
Phoenixville’s other top wrestlers are sophomore Matt Cermanski (125),w ho is 13-7 with five falls; sophomore Brandon O’Hara (285), who is 12-3 with 10 falls; sophomore Dan Moore (103), who is 10-10 with three pins; junior Chris Onder (112), who is 9-5 with four pins; and sophomore Dan Giannone (130), who is 10-8 with five falls.
Phoenixville wrestles at Pottsgrove High School Friday night in another PAC-10 dual meet.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

23rd annual Pioneer Athletic Conference

2009-01-06T12:43:00.001-05:00

The 23rd annual Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) Football Coaches Association banquet will be held Sunday afternoon, Jan. 11, at the Elks Lodge on High Street in Pottstown.
All-league players on offense and defense will be recognized and receive honors from their respective head coaches.
There will also be special awards given for the Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Two-Way Player of the Year and the special David Freed Award, which is given in memory of the late Spring-Ford lineman who died in a practice incident in the 1970s. That recipient is based on a special impact story.
The special awards are kept a surprise to the recipients until the day of the banquet. The league coaches have a committee who votes on the all-league teams and the special awards winners.
I have covered these football awards dinners and many other sports banquets during my many years involved in sports journalism, and I will be in attendance on Sunday afternoon once again.
I will report on the banquet in the Monday, Jan. 12, edition of The Phoenix.

ATHLETES OF YEAR 2008

2008-12-29T07:55:00.002-05:00

MALE - Anthony Nattle, Phoenixville, football, track & field.

Nattle completed a four-year varsity career for the Phantoms as a first team all-league defensive back and second team running running back during 2008 fall season as the Phantoms finished in third place in the PAC-10 (8-4 overall) and landed their third trip to the District 1 Class AAA playoffs in the last four years. Top-seeded Upper Moreland edged Phoenixville, 26-20, in the first round at Willow Grove.
Nattle rushed for 769 yards and seven touchdowns on 141 carries for a 5.5-yard average. He also helped lead the blocking for leading rusher Abdul Kelly, who totaled 815 yards and seven TDs on 148 attempts (5.5-yard avg.). Nattle also caught 19 aerials from sophomore quarterback Tom Romano for 355 yards and three scores (18.7-yard average). Overall, Nattle scored 12 touchdowns to top the team with 72 points.
Nattle played in the secondary as a cornerback on defense this year, but he previously played defensive end and linebacker as well. He also returned kickoffs and punts and was part of an opportunistic defense that finished plus-11 in takeaways while intercepting 18 passes and recovering 12 fumbles. The Phantoms had the second-ranked defense in the area behind undefeated league champion Pottsgrove.
Bill Furlong is head coach of the Phantom gridders and Don Jackson serves as defensive coordinator.
In track & field, the versatile Nattle competed in the sprints and jumping events for head coach Jack Kraynak’s PAC-10 champions. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound speedster formerly competed in baseball as an outfielder.

FEMALE - Chelsea DiFebbo, Phoenixville, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse. The 2008 Phoenixville Area High School graduate is now enrolled at Kutztown University as a freshman.

DiFebbo competed in field hockey as a defensive back, a forward in basketball and a goalkeeper in lacrosse as a versatile three-sport athlete. In field hockey, she played for coach John Tornetta, in basketball for Erik Rutchauskas and in lacrosse for Jen Foresta.
She comes from an athletic family of three boys and two girls, who are the children of Ralph and Linda DiFebbo. Younger sister Chandler is now playing basketball as a freshman for the Phantoms. DiFebbo and Janay Winston were the two seniors on last year’s basketball squad that qualified for the District 1 Class AAA playoffs for a number of years to help turn the program around.
Older brothers Chad and Chase are starting in football, as a quarterback and wide receiver, respectively, for Shippensburg University. Younger brother Chance has been a standout at the Phoenixville Marian Youth Club (PMYC) level in football and basketball and is expected to continue the strong tradition in future years at the scholastic level.
In lacrosse, DiFebbo singlehandedly won or kept the Phantoms in several games with a prolific number of crucial saves.

Phoenixville’s boys basketball

2008-12-26T16:29:00.002-05:00

Phoenixville’s boys basketball team came through with an important 62-57 victory over St. Pius X Saturday afternoon at the Phantoms’ gym.
Both teams compete in the Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division.
Mike Matson came off the bench to lead the way for the Phantoms with 17 points, including nine in the opening quarter. Matson’s nickname is “Mad Dog” and he certainly played with that aggressiveness against the Winged Lions.
Matson sank six field goals, including one 3-pointer, and shot 4-for-7 at the free throw line. Corey Gordon added 13 points for thde Phantoms on three field goals with two treys and 5-for-6 foul shooting.
Mike Dinnella led St. Pius X with 12 points, including a pair of triples.
Coach Bill Detweiler’s Phoenixville ballclub is now 3-1 in the PAC-10 and 5-2 overall with non-league games against top Class AAAA schools Academy Park and Souderton scheduled for Monday and Tuesday prior to the Christmas Holiday break.
Coach Randy Reber’s St. Pius X crew is 1-2 in the league (5-2 overall).

Phoenixville’s boys basketball team

2008-12-09T15:03:00.001-05:00

Phoenixville’s boys basketball team opened the 2008-09 season by posting two victories to capture the George Rocco Tip-Off Tournament at Phoenixville Area High School.
On Friday night the Phantoms disposed of Kennett, 57-33, and in the title game, Phoenixville beat Wissahickon, 47-36, Saturday evening.
On Friday, George Harper had 18 points, 10 rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in his Phoenixville debut after transferring from American Christian in Philadelphia. Greg Peters finished with 15 points, including two 3-point field goals, 12 rebounds and one block for coach Bill Detweiler’s crew.
The Phantoms had a tougher time Saturday against Wissahickon and Phoenixville trailed, 33-28, in the third period. The Phantoms outscored the Trojans, 17-3, in the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Yusuf Brown finished with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists to be named tournament Most Valuable Player for the Phantoms while junior forward Harrison Deyo netted 14 points with four boards. Brown had to handle the basketball against heavy Wissy pressure and made six field goals with one trey and shot 6-for-9 at the free throw line down the stretch.
Harper had another big game with 14 rebounds, seven points, two blocks, two steals and two assists. Forward Jamie Hennessey played well off the bench in both contests for the Phantoms.
Phoenixville opens its Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) schedule against Upper Perkiomen in Red Hill Tuesday night and travels to face defending league and District 1 Class AAA champion Pottstown Thursday night.

Phoenixville Area High School Boys Basketball Team

2008-12-04T16:27:00.001-05:00

Phoenixville Area High School will have a tall and deep boys basketball team for the 2008-09 season under head coach Bill Detweiler.
The Phantoms have 6-foot-6 senior forward/center and 6-6 junior transfer George Harper to lead the way up front. Harper transferred to Phoenixville from American Christian in Philadelphia and is a real athletic player.
Also up front will be 6-4 junior Harrison Deyo while senior Yusuf Brown and junior Corey Gordon will man the backcourt.
The depth on the bench comes from junior forward Jamie Hennessy, junior forward Mike Matson, junior guard Scott Crabtree, sophomore swingman Nick Jones, sophomore forward Jake Lynch and junior swingman Ryan Hoover.
Phoenixville is expected to contend for the Frontier Division and Pioneer Athletic Conference titles with defending champion Pottstown. The Phantoms did a lot of work to improve themselves during the ever-important offseason months.
Detweiler is assisted by Lou Brignola, G.T. Pufko and Bruce MacLelland Jr., a former Phantom player who went on to play at Cabrini College as well.
The Phantoms have a difficult early season schedule in December and start the PAC-10 with back-to-back rough road games against Upper Perkiomen and Pottstown next week.

Gwynedd-Mercy College Men’s Basketball Team

2008-11-28T16:53:00.002-05:00

The Gwynedd-Mercy College men’s basketball team has a distinct local touch for the 2008-09 season. The head coach is John Baron, a Limerick resident who is a former coach at Owen J. Roberts High School and Ursinus College. Two of his primary players are two Phoenixville Area High School products in guard Jon Crabtree and forward Jon Hogga. Crabtree is in his second year at the Division III school but has upgraded his play and is one of the main players off the bench now. Hogga is a transfer from Division I Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, N.J.,, who played his freshman year there before switching to closer to home. Hogga is being used as a valuable sixth man to spark the club with energy and offense off the bench for the Griffins, who won their first two games at the season-opening Alvernia College Tournament. Hogga and Crabtree were both named first team All-Pioneer Athletic Conference players two years ago when the Phantoms captured the league championship and advanced into the PIAA Class AAA state tournament.

Traditional Rivalry

2008-11-25T18:25:00.001-05:00

The Thanksgiving Day holiday also signals some traditional rivalry scholastic football games that day as well as the turkey and stuffing.
Phoenixville will visit Spring-Ford at 10 a.m. at Coach McNelly Stadium in Royersford to conclue the Pioneer Athletic Conference season for both squads.
Elsewhere, Pottstown travels to Owen J. Roberts for its 50th renewal of that backyard brawl at 10 a.m. St. Pius X is on the road against Pottsgrove at 10 a.m. Boyertown visits Upper Perkiomen at 10 a.m.
In another game of local interest, Great Valley, of the Ches-Mont League American Division, visits Central League entry Conestoga at 10:30 a.m.
Big crowds usually turn out for these Turkey Day clashes, and there have been many upsets over the years, regardless of the two teams’ records going into the day.
This year Phoenixville (6-2 PAC-10, 7-4 overall) meets Spring-Ford (2-6, 2-8); Pottstown (2-6, 3-8) is at Owen J. Roberts (7-1, 9-3); St. Pius X (0-8, 1-8) tangles with Pottsgrove (8-0, 10-2); and Boyertown (4-4, 4-7) goes up against Upper Perkiomen (4-4, 5-6).
Pottsgrove, Owen J. Roberts, Phoenixville and Great Valley appeared in the District 1 Class AAA playoffs with that crown going to West Chester Bayard Rustin over Upper Moreland.
Phoenixville and Spring-Ford players and coaches also get together for a luncheon, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs from each town, the Wednesday before the holiday game. This year the luncheon is slated for the Spring-Ford Country Club at 12 p.m. Wednesday. When the game is played in Phoenixville, the site is Robert Ryan’s Catering.

NCAA Division III Final Four Field Hockey Tournament

2008-11-21T15:25:00.001-05:00

Ursinus College in Collegeville will host the NCAA Division III Final Four Field Hockey Tournament this Saturday and Sunday at Eleanor Frost Snell Alumnae Field.
The top four teams are Messiah, Ursinus, Bowdoin and Tufts. Messiah (16-1) will play Tufts (18-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by Ursinus (19-2) against Bowdoin (18-2) at 2 p.m. in the semifinal games.
Messiah is ranked first in the coaches' poll with 10 first-place votes and 396 points. Ursinus is second with six first-place votes and 395 points. Bowdoin had three votes for first and 384 points and Tufts two for first and 359 points.
Messiah edged Ursinus, 3-2 in overtime, way back on Sept. 6 in Collegeville.
The Bears are coached by Laura Moliken. Some of their top players are former Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) stars like Centennial Conference Player of the Year Jennie Moore (Phoenixville), a senior forward; senior midfielder Kait Sutherland (Perkiomen Valley); and defender Nikki Thren (Upper Perkiomen). Her sister, Alyssa Thren (Upper Perkiomen), is another Ursinus player.

Practice for winter sports

2008-11-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

Practice for winter sports officially started Monday, Nov. 17, at area high schools under PIAA rules.
That means workouts in boys basketball, girls basketball, wrestling, indoor track, swimming and gymnastics for schools that feature all the sports.
However, fall sports are not officially completed since playoffs continue in football for district and state championships to be decided.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

The Ursinus College women’s field hockey team

2008-11-10T18:07:00.001-05:00

The Ursinus College women’s field hockey team captured its fifth straight Centennial Conference title Sunday afternoon with a 5-1 victory over Johns Hopkins at Eleanor Frost Snell Alumnae Field in Collegeville.
The Bears (16-2) are ranked third in the NCAA Division III polls while the Blue Jays came into the game as the No. 12 team. Ursinus ripped Washington College, 14-0, in the semifinals Saturday while Johns Hopkins edged Gettysburg, 2-1..
Ursinus will now host the NCAA Division III semifinals and finals Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23.
The Ursinus team is led by Phoenixville graduate Jennie Moore, who was selected as the Centennial Conference Player of the Year. Moore tallied one goal Sunday and assisted on two more goals. Moore now has 30 goals for the season and a conference record 71 goals for her stellar four-year career with the Bears.
Ursinus has four seniors on the team in Moore, Nikki Thren (Upper Perkiomen), Kait Sutherland (Perkiomen Valley) and Katie Mastoris. The Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) is well-represented on the squad, which also includes freshman Alyssa Thren (Upper Perkiomen).
In the Saturday game, Ursinus set a Centennial Conference record for most goals in a game, breaking the old mark held by Ursinus and Washington (13) and set the CC record for most goals in a playoff game (nine, by Ursinus in 2007).
Moore scored a goal with just three seconds left until halftime, which the set the all-time mark for CC career gaols at 69. Moore scored two goals on the day to give her 70 tallies heading into Sunday’s conference finale.

PHOENIXVILLE FOOTBALL SENIORS 2008

2008-10-30T19:18:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville will honor its eight senior football players with a ceremony Friday night during the Pioneer Athletic Conference game against league newcomer Methacton at Washington Field at 7 p.m.
It is a small group of senior players but still a valuable bunch in terms of what these Phantoms have provided for the Phoenixville football program.
The seniors are running back/defensive back Anthony Nattle (6-2, 187), running back/nose guard Abdul Kelly (5-8, 168), two-way tackle Mike Cress (6-2, 184), wide receiver/defensive back/punter Will Killeen (6-0, 171), wide receiver/defensive back Khalil Ervin (6-0, 175), defensive end Dave Eggeling (5-11, 164), running back/special teams player A.J. Ryan (5-5, 143) and transfer wide receiver/defensive back Zack Gorczynski (5-8, 170).
Gorczynski, who attended Phoenixville in ninth grade, has moved back to the area. He caught a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Tom Romano in last week’s 21-0 victory over Upper Perkiomen in Red Hill.

Phoenixville’s field hockey

2008-10-27T23:38:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville’s field hockey team completed its season with a 3-0 loss to Villa Maria Academy in the quarterfinal round of the District 1 Class AA playoffs in Malvern Thursday afternoon.
The Phantoms were the ninth seed against the top-seeded Hurricanes, but Phoenixville put up a stiff fight in a game that stood 1-0 with 12 minutes left in regulation time.
Phoenixville head coach John Tornetta was proud of his team’s valiant effort with a young unit that includes eight players who were junior varsity performers a year ago. Phoenixville concluded the season with a 10-8 overall mark under Tornetta and assistant coach Ashley Dvorak.
Villa Maria has an 18-1-1 record, heading into today’s semifinals against Merion Mercy Academy, a Catholic Academies League rival. The Hurricanes’ lone loss came against Wyoming Seminary.
The Villa Maria roster also includes five Phoenixville area residents who are among the Hurricanes’ most prominent players in junior midfielder Molly Murphy, junior forward Marie Elena Bolles, senior forwards Katie Briglia and Sera Berlacher and junior goalkeeper Anna Zarkoski.
The Hurricanes are coached by Maurene Polley. Her assistants are Janet Coady, Jen McBride Sminkey and Jim Henderson.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

2008-10-21T19:45:00.001-04:00

The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays will start the best-of-seven 2008 World Series Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. The first two games will be played there before shifting to Philadelphia for the middle three games and then back to Florida for the final two games, if needed.
There have been several local ties to the Phillies throughout the years.
Former Phoenixville star Andre Thornton signed with the Phillies as a free agent and proceeded to have a successful major league career with several teams, mainly the Cleveland Indians in the American League, in the 1970s and 1980s. He played first base and was used as a designated hitter.
Bullpen coach Ramon Hernandez formerly lived in Phoenixville and is married to a Phoenixville girl. They now reside in the Birdsboro area.
Longtime advance scout Hank King lives in Limerick Township and formerly lived in Audubon. King, who started his career as a left-handed batting practice pitcher with the Phillies, is also a PIAA basketball official.
On a side note, King used to author a column about spring training in Florida for Phoenixville Newspapers back in the 1980s.

The Final Four Playoffs

2008-10-15T14:33:00.001-04:00

The Final Four playoffs are an exciting time of the year in the Pioneer Athletic Conference for those sports that feature them.
They pit the first- and second-place teams from the Liberty Division (big schools) agains the first- and second-place finishers from the Frontier Division (small schools).
Phoenixville finished in second place in the Frontier Division in three sports for the fall season — boys soccer, field hockey and girls soccer.
The Phantoms’ boys soccer team, coached by Ryan Bombick, played Saturday morning at Owen J. Roberts High School’s Wildcat Stadium against the host Wildcats. Owen J. Roberts won the contest, 1-0, and will now meet Boyertown, which beat Pottsgrove in the second semifinal, 2-1. That game will be played Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Bucktown. Owen J. Roberts, which is coached by Dave Rhen, is gunning for its third straight league title.
In field hockey, Phoenixville finished behind Upper Perkiomen in the Frontier Division. The Phantoms face Liberty Division winner Methacton today (Tuesday) at 4 p.m. at Owen J. Roberts High School. The Phantoms are coached by John Tornetta and they will be up against Methacton, which is competing in the PAC-10 for the first time this year.
In the other semifinal, Upper Perkiomen will take on defending champion Perkiomen Valley, the runner-up in the Liberty Division. The championship game will be played Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at Owen J. Roberts High School.
In girls soccer, Phoenixville finished second to Upper Perkiomen in the Frontier Division as well. So first-year coach Jason Short will send his team up against Liberty Division winner Boyertown tonight (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. on Spring-Ford High School’s new synthetic turf field in the second game of a doubleheader. In the first game, Owen J. Roberts, coached by Joe Margusity, faces Upper Perkiomen. The title game will be played back in Royersford Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Three Straight Wins

2008-10-08T10:28:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville’s football team has won three straight games to continue its improvement for the 2008 season with a young squad. The Phantoms are still in the picture for the District 1 Class AAA playoffs since the top 10 teams qualify, based on points in power rankings. The Phantoms are currently 4-2 overall with 420 points for 10th place with several key games remaining on the schedule.
Phoenixville defeated Perkiomen Valley, 41-34, to help celebrate Homecoming Saturday afternoon at Washington Field. In the two prior weeks to that victory, the Phantoms blanked St. Pius X, 28-0, and defeated Pottstown, 35-14, in a pair of road contests. The victory over PV represented the Phantoms’ first home victory this season.
The emergence of sophomore quarterback Tom Romano as a passing threat has enabled the Phantoms to become more of a balanced offensive team. Romano passed for 225 points against Perkiomen Valley and 170 yards against Pottstown and now has 553 yards passing for the 2008 campaign.
Romano has completed 28 of 58 aerials for 553 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He completed 10 of 15 throws against Pottstown and was 8-for-13 against Perkiomen Valley. Romano has also rushed for 85 yards on 35 attempts.
The Phantoms capitalized on six turnovers committed by Perkiomen Valley, including three lost fumbles and three interceptions. Phoenixville continues to be the No. 1-ranked defense in the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10). In six games, the Phantoms have scored 145 points while allowing just 76 markers, including shutouts against Chichester and St. Pius X.
For the season, the Phantom defense is plus-9 in the turnover category. Phoenixville has lost four fumbles of its own while recovering eight opponents’ bobbles ofr a plus-4 ratio. The Phantoms have been intercepted twice while pilfering seven passes themselves for a plus-5 ratio to total plus-9.
Anthony Nattle has scored seven touchdowns for 42 points, followed by Abdul Kelly with five TDs for 30 points and Ricky Yenchick four TDs for 24 points. Placekicker John McInally has 17 extra points.
Vince Ciaverelli and Will Killeen each have two TDs and Charles Mitchell one TD. Romano has scored on one conversion for two points.
Phoenixville has rushed for 1,379 yards and passed for 553 yards to give them 1,932 yards of total offense. Defensively, the Phantoms haye yielded 956 yards rushing and 639 yards passing for 1,595 yards of total offense with 567 of those yards coming in one game against explosive Perkiomen Valley. PV quarterback Zach Zulli, the league MVP last year, set a school record with 379 yards passing against the Phantoms.

The Phoenixville Marian Youth Club

2008-10-01T18:09:00.002-04:00

The Phoenixville Marian Youth Club (PMYC) has been in operation since 1956 and is in
its 53rd season of operation. The club provides midget football, field hockey, lacrosse, flag football, basketball and cheerleading for area youngsters.
This year’s program was dedicated to the late Robert “Bob” Dawson. He was involved with the group since his parents, Harry and Gert Dawson, were involved from the inception. Harry held the positions of purchasing agent, board member, president and treasurer for more than 35 years. Gert, a current board member and treasurer, has managed the refreshment stand for more than 50 years.
Bob Dawson passed away unexpectedly last summer. He attended Northern Chester County Vo-Tech School, currently known as CAT-Pickering. He graduated from the Philadelphia Technical Institute with a degree in heating and air conditioning.
He participated in PMYC Little Borhters football as a member of the Giants and in Big Brothers as amember of the Steelers. PMYC soccer and basketball. After graduation, Bob spent a number of years as an assistant football coach. In 1991, Mr. Dawson was elected tot he board of directors,a post he held until his death.
Bob is survivied by his widow, Debbie Dawson, daughter Katie Lynn and son David.
PMYC officers for 2008 are Chuck McQuiston, president; Rob Spitz, vice president; Gert Dawson, treasuer; and Dave Gyuris, secretary. Gyuris is also in charge of publicity for the league’s football games in Little Brothers and Big Brothers divisions.

Homegrown

2008-09-22T17:03:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-15T15:45:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-08T09:12:00.004-04:00

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

SUCCESS

2008-08-29T16:40:00.002-04:00

As the scholastic fall sports team starts in earnest, it is interesting to take note that some of the same schools and coaches are successful in certain sports year after year.
In order to be successful, coaches and teams must be disciplined and work together as a team for the purpose of benefiting the team and school as a whole. Offseason work, especially for those who are not competing in another sports, has also become a necessity in most sports.
This includes regular weightlifting in most sports to build strength and running to enhance endurance.
Schools that have strong feeder programs from early youth ages up through high school also seem to be strong each year.
It takes commitment and dedication to become successful at any sporting endeavor.
Most coaches do not hang around as long as they used to because of various reasons, including families, parental interference and lack of overall backing. But the better coaches seem to know how to handle those variables the best and are willing to sacrifice a lot for the sake of the student-athletes, the teams and their respective schools.
Posted by
Barry Sankey

BADMINTON

2008-05-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

Badminton is a sporting activity that is mostly played at picnics. But it is also a sport that is practiced in a competitive atmosphere at some high schools, colleges and some clubs.
Phoenixville’s team took first place in the Pennsylvania State High School Badminton Championships Doubles in the event held at Quakertown High School on May 10. The Phantom team also took second place in the singles event.
Phoenixville Area Middle School sent players Zak Miller and Henry Hancock to the competition. They train at the Phoenixville Area YMCA and Phoenixville Civic Center and play at the Kimberton Badminton Club.
In an exciting doubles finals match against Arun Singh and Julian Bouckenooghe of Moravian Academy, Miller and Hancock won the first game, 15-12, lost the second one, 15-13, and then copped the decisive third game with a convincing 15-9 score.
All four players received trophies for their efforts.
It is a sport that is more difficult than it first appears but can be played by boys and girls and men and women of all ages and abilities.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

MIKE PIAZZA RETIREMENT FROM MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

2008-05-22T14:51:00.000-04:00

Mike Piazza officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball Tuesday after 16 years in the big leagues.
Piazza, a 1986 Phoenixville Area High School graduate, was named National League Rookie of the Year back in 1993. He was a 62nd-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1988 amateur draft.
But he worked his way into becoming arguably the greatest hitting catcher in Major League Basehall history. He is considered a sure-bet first ballot Hall of Famer in Cooperstown, N.Y., when his time comes up.
Piazza, 39, batted .275 with eight home runs and 44 runs batted in as a designated hitter for Oakland Athletics last season. He became a free agent and did not re-sign for the 2008 season.
He became a 12-time All-Star and made the National League team 10 consecutive times starting in 1993.
Piazza finished with a .308 career average, 427 home runs and 1,335 runs batted in for the Dodgers (1992-98), Florida Marlins (one week in 1998), Mets (1998-2005), San Diego Padres (2006) and Oakland (2007). Piazza’s 396 homers are the most by a catcher by far in the history of the majors. His 201 hits in 1997 were the most by a MLB catcher in a single season.
Piazza helped lead the Mets to back-to-back playoff appearances with the 2000 team winning the NL pennant before falling to the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Piazza, the son of Vince and Veronica Piazza, made the announcement in Beverly Hills, Calif.
He married to the former Alicia Rickter on Jan. 29, 2005 and on Feb. 5, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter who is named Nicoletta Veronica Piazza.
While playing in the Phoeniville youth baseball system, Piazza lived with his family in Valley Forge. Mike starred at the Phoenixville Youth Babe Ruth League (PYBRL) at Vic Marosek Park as well as the Phoenixville Babe Ruth League (PBRL) at deSanno Field and Phoenixville American Legion baseball teams besides the high school squad. He played mostly first base at the scholastic level. Piazza established power-hitting records in the old Ches-Mont League before he graduated.
His coach at the high school and American Legion levels was John “Doc” Kennedy, who guided the Phantoms for 20 years before retiring and becoming an assistant coach at Villanova University.
I have covered Mike Piazza’s illustrious baseball career all the way through to the top. I have found him cooperative most of the time so it was a welcome experience to write about him. He remembered his early days in Phoenixville, the people who helped him and his friends on his way to stardom.
Piazza was born in a Norristown hospital, and his father was a friend of Norristown native Tommy Lasorda, a longtime official and manager with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because of that, there was often references to Mike being from Norristown. But to be correct, Mike attended Phoenixville schools, made his home here and played his youth baseball all the way through the Phoenixville system.
He simply had ties to both the Phoenixville and Norristown areas so both areas claim Piazza as a favorite son.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PARK IN PHOENIXVILLE

2008-05-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

For years, there has been talk of a new baseball only field/stadium in the Phoenixville area.
It made sense since baseball was such a hot item in the community for many years and helped produce the likes of Major League Baseball players Mike Piazza, Andre Thornton and Creighton Gubanich as well as many other high-quality players like minor leaguers Brett Illig, Steve Shoemaker and Rob Mitchell.
Now there is talk of a minor league park coming to Phoenixville. It would be a nice commodity to have, and Phoenixville is a central location to many other nearby communities to draw spectators from.
It might also heighten the interest of baseball in the town. Numbers and crowds are not what they used to be.
Phoenixville Area High School won a PIAA Class AA state championship in 2001, but since then the Phantoms have struggled for victories at the scholastic and American Legion levels. Down below at younger ages, the youth leagues and Babe Ruth Leagues have not had the success they formerly achieved.
Phoenixville has always been a big sports town. There are so many choices for kids to play these days, but having a minor league ballpark would simply be another feather in Phoenixville’s hat.
It is a very busy place for a small-town community.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE BOYS TRACK 2008

2008-05-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville Area High School captured its fifth straight Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship Saturday at Boyertown High School.
The Phantoms, who finished a perfect 9-0 in dual meets, amassed 181 championship meet points to win the title going away over Owen J. Roberts and Boyertown.
The five straight championships is an unprecedented, amazing feat the Phoenixville boys have accomplished under 31-year coach Jack Kraynak and his capable staff of assistant coaches, almost all of whom have performed for Kraynak at Phoenixville during his long tenure on the staff.
It is also amazing because Phoenixville remains one of the smallest schools in the PAC-10 and there are so many events to perform in in order to succeed at track & field.
The Phantoms always manage to find a way to pile up points in the running events, sprints, middle distances and long distances, as well as the jumping events and the throws. Even when they do not finish in first place, the Phantoms figure in the placing to earn medals and still score big in the overall picture.
Kraynak says part of the success is the tradition of Phoenixville track. Many of the current student-athletes have had older brothers, uncles or fathers who competed at Phoenixville as well as mothers, aunts, cousins and other relatives.
Previous Phantoms from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s have helped perpetuate the success and enhance the work ethic of the current athletes in the first decade of the 21st century.
Phoenixville set two league and school records at the championships as Tony Shirk won the pole vault at 15 feet, 4 inches to win his second straight individual title in the event, and the 4x800-meter relay captured first place in 7:58.30 with juniors Joel Flott, Emeka Nwosu, Travis Stokley and Duane Stanton handling the splits on the relay.
The Phantoms previously set the mark at the Great Valley Relays. Phoenixville has the fourth-best time in the state currently and is aiming to place in the District One meet at Coatesville this coming weekend and in the PIAA State Championships at Shippensburg University the following weekend.
Phoeniville has snapped the 4x800 record that stood from 1988 of 8:01.4, which was established by Jeff Gowman, Chris Fulmer, Matt Paster and Andy Tiefenthaler.
The Phoenixville girls also did well this season. They finished 7-1-1 in dual meets with a loss to Spring-Ford and a 75-75 tie against Boyertown. The Phantom girls had won the past two league championships but came in second to Spring-Ford this spring after what transpired Saturday.
Phantom sophomore Courtney Kedra still captured four gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as a leg on the winning 4x100 relay. Kedra also came through with a first-place gold medal in the long jump after winning three gold medals as a freshman last year.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE GIRLS LACROSSE 2008

2008-05-09T09:30:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville’s girls lacrosse team held its annual Senior Night Wednesday with a non-league game against Upper Darby at Washington Field.
Six Phantom seniors were honored prior to the 18-4 victory over the Royals that pushed Phoenixville’s record to 9-5 overall. They are 7-4 in the Pioneer Athletic Conference and are fighting for the Division II title as well as a spot in the Final Four playoffs. Phoenixville also appears headed for the District 1 Class AA playoffs for the first time in several years.
The six Phoenixville seniors are Ginny Smith, Brooke Koniow, Ali Allen, Chelsea DiFebbo, Jackie Labarge and Lauren Fedick.
The head coach is Jen Foresta and she is assisted by Aamina Thornton.
Phoenixville has one final league home game Friday night at 7 p.m. against Upper Perkiomen at the stadium. The Final Four playoffs are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday of next week at a neutral site.
The Phantom are in a battle with Pottstown in Division II of the PAC-10 standings. The Phantoms and Trojans split their two games during the regular season schedule.
Undefeated Boyertown is the Division I leader and the four-time defending PAC-10 champion.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Allie Allen signing with Drexel Lacrosse

2008-04-25T13:46:00.001-04:00

NEW PMYC FIELD AT VALLEY FORGE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

2008-04-23T13:59:00.000-04:00

Phoenixville Marian Youth Club (PMYC) dedicated a new multi-purpose field for use by youngsters at Valley Forge Christian College (VFCC) in Charlestown Township on Sunday, April 20.
The field will be used for boys and girls lacrosse in the spring as well as football, flag football and field hockey for girls during the fall months.
PMYC, which allows youngsters to play sports at no charge, has increasing numbers in all sports and felt the need to add a field for additional space to help accommodate all the boys and girls from Phoenixville and surrounding communities.
PMYC is in its 53rd year of existence since being instituted way back in 1956 at various sites in the area. Youngsters who range in ages from 8 through 13 are eligible to participate in the program.
This move by PMYC is a positive step by officials to help enhance their program to benefit all children in the area. As numbers grown, needs and facilities need to expand at the same time.
Volunteers direct such programs and need as much as support as possible from members of the community to assist people who donate so much time and effort in coaching and directing sports to help keep our youth occupied in a learning experience.
Boys and girls lacrosse have benefitted the most of all. The boys are part of the fastest-growing sport in the United States and need a better place to perform. The better youth program will only serve to aid as a feeder program for the Phoenixville Area High School boys program with head coach Jim O’Brien that competes in the competitive Pioneer Athletic Conference.
The girls lacrosse program at PMYC is also relatively new and is an important feeder system for the scholastic team coached by Jen Foresta at the senior high school level. The best teams in the PAC-10 have had youth girls lacrosse teams for many years and Phoenixville is only now catching up to them with a feeder system to help girls succeed at the next level of play.
Improved venues should enhance the chances of young people honing their skills in various sports.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

LABOR CLASSIC BASKETBALL

2008-04-17T13:27:00.001-04:00

Zach Wise, Phoenixville, Senior, Forward
Megan Bedard, Spring-Ford, Senior, Guard

Wise helped the Suburban boys win against Philadelphia and Bedard did the same for the girls Sunday at St. Joseph’s University on Hawk Hill in Philadelphia.
Wise and Bedard were both four-year varsity players at their respective schools.
Wise helped lead Phoenixville to two Pioneer Athletic Conference boys basketball championships in 2005 and 2007 during his career. Wise stepped to the forefront as the area’s leading scorer this season after playing in the shadows of Ryan Thomas, Jon Hogga and Jon Crabtree during the previous years of his career.
Wise will take his talents to Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, where he will join Thomas next season. Del Val has a new head coach in Casey Stitzel, who left Perkiomen Valley after a successful first year on the bench at guiding the Vikings. Stitzel is now the youngest coach at any level in men’s college basketball after starring at Lansdale Catholic High School.
After Stitzel was named to the post for the Aggies, he actively recruited Wise to attend the college. Wise hopes to help the Aggies struggling Division III program around.
Wise had a successful high school career and he should do likewise at the collegiate level as well. He has an effective inside and outside game around the basket on offense and has gradually improved his defensive skills, too.
Wise helped lead the Phantoms into the PAC-10 Final Four playoffs this year as Phoenixville recovered from early struggles in the season to qualify for the playoffs while defending their PAC-10 title from 2007..
Bedard helped anchor the Rams to their fourth straight PAC-10 championship. They also finished third in the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs this year after taking second place last winter.
Bedard handled the ball mostly as a point guard but also became the school’s career scoring leader among females with more than 1,000 points. She will be attending De Sales University, a Division III college in Center Valley near Allentown. There she will join former Spring-Ford teammate Kaila Wiand.
Bedard should also have a successful collegiate career because of her strong work ethic. She should make a smooth transition to the next level. She is adept at driving to the basket and getting fouled and can also shoot from the outside. Bedard is also a quick defensive player who can help shut down foes and grabbing steals.
Bedard and backcourt mate Allie Kakareka were both four-year starters at Spring-Ford, and both of them scored more than 1,000 career points, which is an unusual feat for one team. Kakareka has decided to play lacrosse at Division II Bloomsburg University for her college sport in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Wise and Bedard both had the chance to play with and against other scholastic basketball stars at the Labor Classic. That gave them a good indication of the type of play they will be involved in at the next level.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Phoenixville-Spring-Ford Baseball

2008-04-10T09:34:00.001-04:00

Spring-Ford defeated neighborhood rival Phoenixville, 4-1, in Pioneer Athletic Conference baseball action Monday at Ram Stadium in Royersford.
Phoenixville scored one run in the first inning, but Spring-Ford came back with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to win the ballgame.
The Phantoms managed just two hits off Spring-Ford left-handed pitcher Rich Guthridge, who struck out 10 batters and walked none in seven innings of work.
The Rams finished with five hits off Phoenixville left-hander Jake Waller, who worked 4 2/3 innings with three earned runs allowed, five walks and four strikeouts. Devon Landis and Zak Kissel relieved for the Phantoms.
Spring-Ford catcher Anthony Quintangeli went 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.
The Phantoms have now struggled with three straight losses to Pottstown, Owen J. Roberts and Spring-Ford following a win over Upper Perkiomen in their PAC-10 opener in Red Hill. Phoenixville hostsed Perkiomen Valley Wednesday afternoon and is home again on Friday against Lansdale Catholic.
Phoenixville’s offense has struggled during the stretch against some tough pitchers and will have to come around. The pitching has been satisfactory overall, but some defensive lapses have hurt the Phantoms. Phoenixville still has some younger players who are gaining experience so the Phantoms should keep improving as the year progresses.
Spring-Ford has been one of the better baseball teams in the PAC-10 in recent years along with Boyertown and Owen J. Roberts.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE OLD TIMERS

2008-04-04T13:50:00.001-04:00

The Phoenixville Area Athletic Association (formerly Old Timers) is having its annual banquet Saturday night, April 5, at the No. 1 Fire House on Church Street in Phoenixville.
Longtime community sports activist Abdul Ford-Bey will be honored during the program portion of the event.
The Old Timers used to hold dinners twice a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, to renew acquaintances from the past and to honor former sports stars from the Phoenixville area, a living Hall of Famer in the fall and a deceased member during the spring.
Huge crowds used to jam the Polish Club on High Street and other sites to attend the dinners. However, since the membership consisted of older citizens, numbers gradually diminished. There has been little influx of younger members to maintain the numbers in the organization.
There is now just one banquet per year, if that, instead of two since membership and attendance dropped off so drastically.
The group decided to try to revive it this year in order to honor Ford-Bey for his work with the Phoenixville Marian Youth Club (PMYC) in football, basketball and field hockey as well as the Phoenixville Youth Babe Ruth League (PYBRL) for work with baseball and softball.
These dinners have always been fun, entertaining nights with notable guest speakers. I have covered many of these banquets.
It is nice to try to see the tradition maintained since Phoenixville has such a great history in athletics of all sorts, both boys and girls.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

SPRINT FOOTBALL

2008-04-02T12:49:00.001-04:00

Sprint football gives college-aged players who weigh under 172 pounds a chance to still compete in football. It is played by the same rules as regular NCAA college football.
Phoenixville Area High School graduate Andrew Licwinko is a freshman at Mansfield University, which recently became the only public United States university to adopt a sprint football program.
The Mountaineers dropped their 115-year-old Division II collegiate program at the end of the 2006 season due to budgetary reasons. But there are still players on campus who desire to continue playing football.
Mansfield will start its sprint football schedule in the fall of 2008. Dan Davis was introduced as the school’s coach at a March press conference.
Sprint football may not be well-known to many people, but it has been in existence for more than 70 years. Mansfield has been accepted into the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL), where it will compete with five other league members: Cornell, Penn, Princeton, Army and Navy.
Since there is a size limit, players can play multiple positions. Running backs, wide receivers, quarterbacks, tight ends, linemen, linebackers and defensive backs are almost interchangeable.
Licwinko weighs 160 pounds so he can easily make weight for sprint football. He had the same task during high school wrestling at Phoenixville, where grapplers are divided by weight classes.
This sprint football program gives Mansfield a chance to have a form of football without massive costs. The other colleges in the league have regular Division I-AA programs in the Ivy Leagued as well as the military academies besides the sprint program.
However, they are also bigger schools than Mansfield, which has just 3,000 students on campus but still wants to open its doors to prospective student-athletes who still have a goal of playing football.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE SOFTBALL

2008-03-28T14:43:00.001-04:00

The Phoenixville softball team opened its 2008 season with a 3-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference victory over St. Pius X Wednesday afternoon at Manderach Park in Limerick Township, which is St. Pius X’s home venue.
The game was a battle between two strong teams who split their two games a year ago. Both clubs are expected to be strong again this spring.
The Phantoms used two pitchers, sophomore Kelly Foedinger and sophomore Molly Ferguson, both of whom saw action last year. Foedinger pitched five innings and Ferguson the final two frames.
Phoenixville also has two more pitchers, senior Courtney Heming, who is being counted upon for starting shortstop duty, and junior Shannon Kryder, who is up from the junior varsity team.
Coach Joe Bogus plans to use all four hurlers as needed. He said he will not be afraid to substitute one for another one.
The Phantoms played strong defense and also made the most of their four hits as Heming swatted an inside-the-park, two-run home run to left field for the margin of difference in the final outcome.
This is the type of all-around play the Phantoms will need in order to compete in the balanced PAC-10 race.
The ballclub also has strong leadership since Heming is a four-year starter and two-year captain. Plus some of the other players have added to the important leadership role.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Phuture Phantoms Basketball Championship

2008-03-27T17:03:00.000-04:00

Sports Poll

2008-03-25T08:48:00.000-04:00

PHOENIXVILLE BOYS TENNIS 2008

2008-03-20T10:22:00.001-04:00

The vaunted Phoenixville Area High School boys tennis team opened its spring season with a 7-0 shutout over St. Pius X in a Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) meet at the Leo J. Scoda Courts Tuesday afternoon.
The Phantoms, coached by Leo Scoda, needed just 45 minutes to dispose of the Winged Lions with all matches decided in straight sets. Phoenixville dropped just seven games on the day in the seven matches, three singles and four doubles encounters, and four of those Pius X games came in the first set of the first doubles match.
Phoenixville has a young squad this year, according to Scoda, with a varsity lineup in the opener that consisted of five seniors, four juniors and two sophomores. However, Scoda said that lineup could change due to upcoming challenge matches for spots on the ladder.
Phoenixville had sophomore Steve Tassone at first singles, senior Ranney Moran at second singles and junior John Reading at third singles against Pius X. Reading played third singles last year and Tassone played fourth singles behind graduated stars in Kyle MacLelland and Tom McAvoy.
The Phantoms received a better test during the annual two-day Kiwanis/Boosters Tournament at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center in the East Falls section of Philadelphia Wednesday and Thursday. The other three teams in the competitive field include North Penn, West Chester East and Christopher Dock.
After that, Phoenixville faces a strong Methacton team in Fairview Village Tuesday afternoon, March 25. Methacton is in its last season in the Suburban One League and will be switching to the PAC-10 next year. The Warriors blanked youthful Spring-Ford, one of the better PAC-10 schools, 7-0, in their non-league season opener Monday.
Since Phoenixville and Methacton both have a number of underclassman players, this match will be a good indication of what to look forward to in the league match in 2009.
Phoenixville has a team that appears it will improve as the season progresses. The Phantoms still loom as the team to beat in the PAC-10 for 2008.
The very strong youth program in Phoenixville and offseason work should provide the necessary dividends for the Phantoms.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Sports Poll

2008-03-20T09:56:00.000-04:00

Signing Day For Phoenixville High School

2008-03-18T11:06:00.001-04:00

JULES BLACKWELL

2008-03-17T15:39:00.001-04:00

Phoenixville professional featherweight boxer Jules “The Ghost” Blackwell fought to his second straight draw Saturday night at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Blackwell’s opponent was Korean super bantamweight champion Jae Sung Lee, and he and Blackwell fought to a draw in a six-round battle with a three-way split decision of 59-56, 56-59, 57-57 by the judges at ringside who scored the bout.
Two weeks ago to the day, Blackwell fought to a draw against Lucian Gonzalez, a Puerto Rican from Reading, at the newly opened Cisco Arena in the Route 422 Business Center in Oaks. That was also a six-round encounter.
Blackwell, a tall left-hander who is the product of the Phoenixville Area Police Athletic League (PAL) program at the Civic Center on Main Street, is now 7-0-2 with the two draws the first two blemishes on his otherwise perfect record.
The exposure in New York City was good for Blackwell’s rising career, but perhaps two tough, six-round fights in a two-week period was too much to ask of the 27-year-old boxer. These two draws were only the second and third six-round tussles of Blackwell’s promising career.
Blackwell must adjust to difficult, better foes as he climbs up the ladder to a higher ranking in front of bigger crowds. He needs to keep up the pace as much as possible from the beginning to the end of each fight.
Any letdown can spur the opponent to counter and score with punches of his own, regardless of whether he is a better overall fighter than Blackwell or not.
Blackwell needs to heed the advice of his manager, Jim Deoria, and head trainer, John Mulvenna. Perhaps these two draws will prove to be good, solid learning experiences for Blackwell as he takes on future fights.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

Shirk signs with Duke Track and Field

2008-03-14T16:05:00.001-04:00

SPRING SPORTS

2008-03-11T08:03:00.001-04:00

Spring sports teams at area high schools began practice on Monday, March 3, under fine weather conditions.
However, since that time there has been a lot of cold, wind and rainy days.
That is what makes spring sports so difficult. The weather is so unpredictable for all sports that are played outdoors: boys tennis, boys and girls track & field, girls softball, baseball and boys and girls lacrosse.
There is only so much work that can be accomplished indoors. Teams must prepare themselves for outdoor game conditions. Offseason work helps in this situation, but there are also many student-athletes who play multiple sports and must adjust to the different skills that are necessary in different sports.
Even when it is not raining, playing field conditions must be considered as well as court surfaces for tennis. Track surfaces can also be a problem although most schools now have all-weather tracks to help deal with the elements.
There is limited practice time to get ready for scrimmages and non-league games, if they are able to be fit in with the weather, before the start of league games in the third week of drills and workouts.
Spring sports must also deal with other intangibles, like upcoming graduation for seniors who are also winding up their college plans and other plans for next year; the annual prom, class trips and other school trips, spring plays and musicals.
With all of this going on as obstacles, the achievements of these spring coaches and student-athletes are that much more significant, especially for the squads and individuals who are able to achieve success.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

VALLEY FORGE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2007-08

2008-02-29T08:48:00.000-05:00

Valley Forge Christian College (VFCC) is the only college which is located in the immediate Phoenixville area. The campus is located on Charlestown Road and the gymnasium is known as The Pit.
The grounds are at the old United States Army Hospital before the college was founded in 1931.
The Patriots compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II East Region. The president of the small college is Dr. Don Meyer. The athletic director is Jon Mack and the assistant athletic director is Ronshea Vargas.
Following victories on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, both the VFCC men and women have advanced to the regional championship games.
The Valley Forge CC women, coached by Emily Jerzak and Amanda Jerzak, defeated Lancaster Bible College Tuesday to advance to Thursday night’s title game at Philadelphia Biblical University, the top seed. The Patriot women have shown considerable improvement this year since they only won four games a year ago.
The Patriot women have a force inside in 6-foot-1 sophomore forward Brooke Burr from Spring Grove, Pa. It is also a young VFCC crew with just one senior on the eight-player roster.
The other starting players are 5-6 senior guard Laura Kaiser from Point Pleasant, N.J.; Amanda Parr, a 5-8 forward from Penn Hills, Pa; point guard April Applegarth, a 5-4 sophomore from Monroeville, Pa; and Hannah Johnson, a 5-6 freshman forward from Union, Ct. Charla Benton, a 5-9 freshman guard/forward from Milford, De., has been a big factor with her outside shooting sparking the offense off the bench.
The best years of the program probably are ahead for the Patriots if they keep the women they have in the program and attract some more strong recruits.
The Valley Forge CC men cagers are coached by Mack and assistants Vargas and Tim Pomerhn. The Patriots have 13 players on their roster, including two seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.
The Patriots are the top-seeded team in the regional and will host Davis College in the title game tonight at 8 p.m. at The Pit. They are favored to win the game and to keep going far in the postseason playoffs because of their athleticism and experience gained against some strong opposition.
The seniors are Steve Pierantozzi, a 6-5 forward from Lansdale, Pa., who has amassed more than 1,000 points and 750 rebounds in his career; and James Fulton, a 5-11 guard from Philadelphia, who has scored more than 1,600 points and grabbed more than 200 steals during his illustrious career. Zachary Housand, a 6-6 forward from Columbus, Ga., is actually a junior but only has one semester of collegiate classes remaining to graduate so he will not be playing basketball at VFCC next winter.
The other starters are Keith Watkins, a 5-11 sophomore guard from Philadelphia; Justyn Mitchell, a 6-3 junior guard from Kansas City, Mo.; and Nate Stoner, a 6-4 junior forward from Waynesburg, Pa.
Bench support comes from Kevin Wilson, a 6-0 sophomore guard from Farmington, Ct.; Mike Stayne, a 5-11 freshman guard from Farmingville, N.Y.; Sean Squire, a 6-3 junior guard from Philadelphia; Rafael Twiggs, a 6-4 sophomore forward from East Norriton, Pa.; Craig Lahr, a 6-0 junior guard from Bellefonte, Pa.; Andrew Godwin, a 5-10 freshman guard from Fairfax, Va.; and Mike Fiore, a 6-0 freshman guiard from Holtsville, N.Y.
Valley Forge CC’s basketball programs are on the upswing. The college seems to be able to draw students from across the country despite being small with limited facilities. Continued success in the postseason will only serve to enhance the prospects of drawing better student-athletes to Charlestown.
These students are committed to religion besides their concentration in other academic studies as well as their particular focus in athletics.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL

2008-02-26T10:05:00.000-05:00

Spring Sports Outlook 2008

The first official day of scholastic spring sports practice is Monday, March 3. In case of bad weather or wet grounds, the teams will start workouts indoors or in the parking lot until they are able to venture outdoors to use the regular facilities.
The top spring sports team at Phoenixville is boys tennis with head coach Leo Scoda, who is also mayor of the borough. This will be Scoda’s 45th season of guiding the boys Phantoms and they carry an undefeated streak in the Pioneer Athletic Conference of never losing a match since the inception of the league in 1987. So the Phantoms have captured 21 consecutive league titles.
Phoenixville did graduate some top senior players in Kyle MacLelland and Tom McAvoy at first and second singles. MacLelland, who is now playing Division I tennis at Lafayette College, won the PAC-10 Singles title and then teamed with McAvoy, who is at Philadelphia University, to win the PAC-10, District 1-AA and PIAA Class AA state championship in doubles competition.
The other top teams in the spring recently have been the boys and girls track teams under the direction of head coach Jack Kraynak and his many capable assistant coaches. Phoenixville has won four straight PAC-10 title in boys track and two straight in girls track. The Phantoms should be solid again in both divisions with strong sprinters, distance runners, jumpers and pole vaulters.
The girls softball team, coached by Joe Bogus, reached the District 1-AAA playoffs last year, and practically the entire team is returning, including three top pitchers in left-hander Molly Ferguson, Courtney Heming and Kelly Foedinger.
The baseball team, coached by Jack Sturgeon, should be improved with a large number of returnees of players who saw varsity playing time as a young group last spring. The Phantoms should benefit from a strong crop of Junior American Legion players who reached the Twin County Junior League finals last summer before bowing to NorChester in the finals.
The girls lacrosse team, coached by Jen Foresta, and the boys lacrosse team, coached by Jim O’Brien, should also be improved from last year’s game experience.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE BOYS BASKETBALL

2008-02-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

*sorry there is no audio, still working the bugs out of the system

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

2008-02-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

The scholastic postseason wrestling tournaments are under way.
Locally, the PIAA District 1-AAA Section IV tournament was held at Great Valley High School in East Whiteland Township. Host Great Valley, Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts were area schools in the tough 10-team field.
Spring-Ford placed third in the tournament with 126.5 points, while Owen J. Roberts finished fourth with 124.5 and Great Valley came in fifth at 116.5 points. Downingtown West captured the team title with 149 points while Boyertown came in second with 131.5 counters.
A combined total of 19 wrestlers from the three local schools, including six sectional champions, advanced to this coming Saturday’s District 1-AAA South Tournament at Spring-Ford Area High School in Royersford.
The tourney’s Outstanding Wrestler was Spring-Ford junior 135-pounder Ryan Kemmerer. Kemmerer, who finished fifth at states a year ago while at Upper Perkiomen High School and who already has more than 100 career victories, now boasts a 30-1 overall recored. Kemmerer swept through his weight class with three falls, clamping Jake Miller of Downingtown West at 5:25 of their final bout.
The top four finishers in each weight class advanced. Great Valley moved seven grapplers through while Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts each had six advance to the next step. The top four place-winners at districts in Class AAA will advance to the Southeast Regional Tournament at Council Rock South High School on Friday, Feb. 29, and Saturday, March 1. The state championships will be held at the Giant Center in Hershey from Thursday, March 6, through Saturday, March 8.
The District 1-AA Tournament will take place at Springfield Montco High School this Saturday. There is no sectional qualifying in Class AA so wrestlers compete at districts in order to qualify for the Southeast Regionals at Wilson West Lawn High School the following week.
Spring-Ford is coached by Tim Seislove, a former Spring-Ford grappler; Great Valley by Joe Tornetta, a former Phoenixville wrestler; and Owen J. Roberts by Steve DeRafelo, a former Great Valley wrestler.
Phoenixville, St. Pius X and Pottstown will vie for honors among the field in Class AA. The top prospects for Phoenixville are sophomore Chris Onder and seniors Steve Lord and Rob Newcomb. Phoenixville is coached by John Tornetta, a former Phoenixville wrestler.
The top prospects for St. Pius X are Bobby Burns, Ryan Miller, Andrew Bone and Grant Sturgeon. The Winged Lions are coached by John Martucci.

Posted by
Barry Sankey

PHOENIXVILLE GIRLS BASKETBALL

2008-02-19T09:16:00.001-05:00

Phoenixville’s girls basketball players enjoyed an improved season under second-year head coach Erik Rutchauskas and his assistant coaches, Ashley Dvorak and Brian Tell.
The Phantoms closed with a 4-9 PAC-10 record and 9-13 overall following a 56-38 setback to Pottstown in the first round of the District 1 Class AAA playoffs Thursday night at Pottstown’s Strom Gymnasium.
Phoenixville was the 12th seed in the tournament while Pottstown was the fifth seed. It marked the third time the Trojans defeated the Phantoms in competition this winter.
The Phantoms have a young team and program with just two senior starters in forward Chelsea DiFebbo and guard Janay Winston. DiFebbo will be playing lacrosse and possibly field hockey at Kutztown University while Winston will continue playing basketball at nearby Ursinus College in Collegeville.
It marked the first time in five years that Phoenixville has participated in the district playoffs in girls basketball. The Phantoms gained valuable experience this year with hopes of being even better in the future, including the time spent in the playoffs.
The Phantoms will return three starters next year in guard Liz Jones, the team’s leading scorer; center Arial Keys and point guard Johanna Martens. Also back will be guard Kate Casaday, forward Ellen Dvorak, guard Lexi Lear, guard/forward Heather Parris and forward/center Amber Keys.
The Phantoms must continue to work on their game in the offseason. Plus, the school needs continued growth and depth from play at the elementary and middle school to feed into the senior high school program in order to return to the highly successful level of years gone by.

Posted by
Barry Sankey