Bowling team prepares for upcoming season

By Lily Gibson

Penn Manor High School’s bowling team is holding open gyms at Leisure Lanes in Lancaster every Tuesday and Thursday until Nov. 20 when the winter sport season officially starts.

Students who come to the open gyms pay $5 each session to play three games, during which their skills will be assessed. Students are not required to have any previous experience or training to participate in the open gyms. Once the season officially starts, team members will no longer have to pay for practice.

Coach Chris Vital, who has been the bowling team’s coach for 13 years, said that one of his favorite parts of this sport is that students don’t need previous experience and all who want to join can. No student gets turned away.

Students will be divided into the varsity and the junior varsity team when the November practices begin. However, according to Coach Vital, at any point in the year a student can be moved up to the varsity team.

Coach Vital has had to make serious on-the-spot decisions in order to allow his team to win. Coach Vital spoke of one instance where  a freshman had bowled a total of one and a half games the whole season, but when he got a new ball, he started playing better. Later in the season at play-offs, one of the stronger bowlers had not been bowling very well, so Coach Vital switched the freshman with the senior, and the ninth grader bowled all strikes, winning the play-offs.

The boys bowling team won the state championship for the 2015-16 season. Senior Nick Fisher and freshman Katelyn Welsh, both members of the team, expect that this year they will again make it to compete in the Championships and hopefully bring home another victory.

Coach Vital expects that this year’s main rival will be the Warwick bowling team.

Students on the team said that they expect the year will be “competitive but fun.”

According to Fisher, playing on the team has been very fun for him and a very low-pressure atmosphere.

According to junior Michala Harvey, the team is, “really close; we’re like a family.”

For this season, training began early. Coach Vital said he began practice about a month before he has in the past.

Comets baseball starts season strong

By Brian Markley

Jeff Taylor delivers a pitch home. (Photo by Brian Markley)
Jeff Taylor delivers a pitch home during March 24’s opener. (Photo by Brian Markley)

The weather at Comet Field couldn’t have been more perfect for the Comets home opener against the Spring Grove Rockets on Thursday, March 24. The Comets opening day starting pitcher was junior Jeff Taylor, and rivaling him on the mound was Spring Grove pitcher Matt Brooks. After allowing a leadoff single, which was one of the two hits the Rockets had all day, Taylor settled in. The first out of the inning came from a sacrifice bunt that moved the runner to second. Remaining calm, Taylor kept his composure and went on to strike out the next two batters to end the first inning.

Penn Manor scored the first run of the game in the second inning. Senior catcher Eric Snyder reached first base safely due to a dropped third strike. Junior Connor Bitts replaced Snyder as a courtesy runner, and used his speed to make it all the way home due to a few pitches that got past the Spring Grove catcher. The second inning continued with senior Dan Wolf drawing a walk to first, and then scored by a single from senior Nate Brown, making it 2-0 for the home team. Taylor, helping his own cause, added another run, but was then caught in a run down that ended the second inning. The Comets took a 3-0 at the end of the second inning.

Collin Whiteside takes a solid cut on March 24. (Photo by Brian Markley)
Collin Whiteside takes a solid cut on March 24. (Photo by Brian Markley)

Spring Grove wasn’t able to get much done with the bats all throughout the day. Taylor struck out the first two batters of the third inning, and then got the third to ground out to the shortstop. The Comets then made the score 4-0, with senior Collin Whiteside scoring on a ground ball hit by senior shortstop Nate McFarland. The Rockets were able to manage their second hit of the game in the fourth inning, but were unable to do anything with it. The Comets tacked on their fifth run of the night thanks to a hard-hit single up the middle off Whiteside’s bat.

Taylor pitched six innings. Senior Jeremy Miller came in for the seventh inning to close the door and secure the first win of the season for the Comets.

When asked how it felt to finally get back out on the mound, Taylor said, “It felt so refreshing. To be back on the field with the boys again is a feeling like no other.”

Taylor had a strong outing, recording 10 strikeouts and only allowing one walk. He was also backed by a solid defensive effort. At the plate, both Brown and Whiteside had solid nights. Brown went three for four with a batting average of .750 and scored a run. Whiteside also went three for four with a batting average of .750 and also drove in a key RBI in the fourth inning.

(Photo by Brian Markley)
Jacob Herr fires a pitch through the wind on Monday, March 28. (Photo by Brian Markley)

The Comets’ second game of the season was on a cold, windy day on Monday, March 28 at Comet Field against the Lebanon Cedars. On the mound for the Comets was senior Jacob Herr, and he was consistent all day for the Comets, starting off the game by striking out the first three batters. However, Herr did face a bit of adversity in the second inning. He was able to get the first batter of the second inning to ground out to second and got the following batter to strikeout. He then hit both of the next two batters, giving the Cedars an early scoring opportunity. But Herr battled back  and struck out the last batter of the inning.  

Offense was hard to come by as the weather really played into the struggles for both teams’ bats. The Comets were able to score the only run of the game in the third inning.

Whiteside started the inning off by drawing a walk, followed up by junior Grant Gale who drew a walk of his own. McFarland dropped down a key sacrifice bunt that moved the runners into scoring position. Following McFarland, junior Jeremy Burkholder was able to hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield that scored the runner and put the Comets up by a score of 1-0.
One run was all the Herr and the Comets were going to need. Herr threw a complete game shutout and recorded 12 strikeouts. The Comets’ pitching staff maintains a 0.00 ERA over their first two games of the season. Brown once again had a strong day at the plate, going two for three and stealing a base. The Comets’ next game will be away at Wilson on Wednesday, March 30, and they will return to Comet Field on Friday, April 1 to play host to Dallastown.  

Comets Baseball Preview

baseballBy Brian Markley

Players on the Penn Manor baseball team have spent all winter working hard, whether it was lifting weights at 6 a.m. or fine tuning their skills in a gym. But, now that spring has finally come, the Penn Manor baseball team is able to start their normal practices. With strong pitching and exceptional defense all around the diamond, the Comets have the right parts in order to achieve their goal of a deep play-off run.  

This year’s team is a seasoned varsity squad, with all of the players being juniors and seniors who played together last year. This gives the Comets a big advantage that not all teams in the Lancaster-Lebanon league have. Having made the playoffs last year, the Comets are able to take what they learned from last year and implement that into what they need to do this year to be even more successful. The mindset around the team before the first official pitch of the season is that this team is capable to make a serious play-off run, and both the players and the coaches have bought into this mindset.  

Pitching is an essential part of the game, and good pitching can keep you in a lot of games; pitching is also an asset for the Comets.

“I think our biggest strength is our pitching staff,” said Coach Jim Zander. “We return all our pitchers from last year and have added a few more from last year’s JV team.”

The Comets have one of the strongest pitching rotations in the LL league. Junior Jeff Taylor, who has committed to Penn State University to play baseball, leads the Comets, followed by seniors Jacob Herr and Collin Whiteside. Beyond these three, the Comets are supplied with a calvary of relief pitchers. Seniors Jeremy Miller and Justin Henson and juniors Grant Gale, Matt Tulli and Garrett Fry all make up the relief staff.

When asked about what the biggest strength of this years team is, senior pitcher Herr, who has committed to play baseball at the University of California Pennsylvania,  also shares his coach’s enthusiasm with the pitching staff. “Our whole pitching staff has returned from last year, which is a huge advantage for us.” Herr said.

Defensive play is also an essential part of baseball, and the Comets are strong in this aspect as well. Seniors Nate Brown and Nate McFarland make up the middle of the infield, playing second base and shortstop, respectively. These two have played next to each other since freshmen year, so they know how the other operates. The outfield is full of speed, which makes running down fly balls an almost non-issue. Speed also comes into play on the basepaths. If the Comets are able to get on base, look for them to use their speed and steal bases. The Comets ability to steal bases, along with their solid defense and their exceptional pitching makes for a well rounded team that will be tough to beat.

Coach Jim Zander’s ultimate goal for this season is to have a “team that continues to improve everyday.”

I believe we all agree that if we continue to get better everyday that we have an opportunity to play late into May,” Zander said.

When asked what his fellow pitchers and teammates mean to him, Jacob Herr said, “The bond we have with our staff resembles a family. I’m there for my brothers and they are there for me. Our bond is just another tool that we have to bring to the field to help us succeed. Mentally, we are all comfortable and confident with each other in any situation.

The Comets season kicks off at Comet Field this Thursday, March 24, at 4:15 p.m.. against Spring Grove.

Schriver’s 40 Point Game Leads Comets to Overtime Win Over Buckskins

By Jake Herr

The initial blast of energy walking into Penn Manor’s game on Jan 15 was exhilarating. With everyone standing on both sides of the court cheering, the JV game was tied in overtime. Penn Manor’s JV team would go on to lose the game by a thrilling two points. Little did everyone know that the varsity game would result in a white knuckle over-time finish as well.

The Comets played differently in this game compared to games in the past. You could see in Penn Manor’s starter’s faces that they were hungry for a well-deserved win. The starters for PM were senior Ellie Barley, senior Ally Rowe, sophomore Alyssa Schriver, sophomore Sheyla Greggs and sophomore Danielle Heisey. Taking the court, the Comets came to do one thing — win.

Starting the game off, Penn Manor scored early and rapidly, leading over the Buckskins. Turning the page, Conestoga Valley freshman Amber High shut down the Comet’s scoring drive with back-to-back three point shots. High racked up a season high total of 22 points. Those 22 points were not enough to stop the Comets though.

As time dwindled, the Comets were cutting the deficit. 10, 7, 5, etc. Schriver’s shot stayed hot the whole night but especially at the end of the game and in halftime when PM needed it. Before long, the Lady Comets brought back the score to 53-53. Nobody scored, forcing the game to go into overtime.

With the prior JV game going into overtime, ticket buyers were getting a “bang for their buck” for these white-knuckle games. (Interesting fact, the Penn Manor varsity boys basketball team’s game went into overtime on the same night.)

With her total points already in the 30s, Schriver turned on the back burners to lead the Comets through the extra time. As the Buckskins kept fouling Schriver, she kept sinking her foul shots, which put PM slightly over CV little by little. CV also missed several crucial foul shots in the end of overtime, which helped the Comets sneak ahead.

Schriver racked up four three-pointers in the game. Eight of the points were from foul shots. She was the first PA Mid-State player with a 40-point game so far this season. Schriver is the leading scorer of the Lady Comets and is averaging 24.3 points a game with a total of eight three pointers in her last four games.

“While I was shooting the three pointers, I was mainly focused on my shot and form,” said Schriver about the mental side of making her shots. “With my free throws, I was trying not to think too much and just shoot because we needed them to seal the game.”

As the time ticked down and Penn Manor families got louder and louder, the Comets pulled further ahead. With a final score of 64-59, the Comets won arguably the most adrenaline-filled game they have played so far this season.

The Penn Manor Comets host the Warwick Warriors at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Penn Manor High School. The Comets beat the Warriors the last time the two teams faced off.

Boys Basketball Wins Home Opener Against Ephrata: Analysis

 

By Jake Herr

The sea of white slowly fills into the bleachers as Penn Manor’s boys basketball team prepares for their first home game of the 2015 season on Dec. 10 against the Ephrata Mounts. “White Out” was the theme of the game for Penn Manor’s student section.

It was also Penn Manor’s annual “Box Out Cancer” game to show respect for the victims who had lost their lives to the disease or who are fighting it. After a moment of silence, the starters took the floor.

As word got out that Ephrata’s  star guard, Matthew McGillen had been placed on the disabled list, Penn Manor’s chances of coming away with a win only grew higher. Penn Manor dominated the first half, racking up 31 points and only allowed Ephrata to score 16.

Charlie Fisher, Ephrata’s first year head coach, must have given the Mounts a great pep-talk during halftime. The Mounts came out strong in the second quarter, silencing Penn Manor.

Ephrata went on a 15-0 run, controlling the whole court and put the Mounts within grasp of the Comets.

Seniors Eric Snyder and Sean Borden knew they could stop the bleeding Ephrata was causing. Snyder assisted Borden for a three point basket. After this shot, the Comets went on a 7-0 run answering to the Mounts.

Senior guard Nate Brown made a large contribution to the Comets win. Brown was the team’s leading scorer with a solid 12 points.

“We were sloppy at times but we found a way to win,” said Brown. “That’s what we came to do.”

Junior Cameron Lovett was right behind Brown’s stats with 11 points.

The Comets flew ahead of Ephrata to wrap up the game with a showing of solid offense and defense. The final score was 46-41, Penn Manor.

Ephrata fell to having a 0-3 overall record so far this season.  Penn Manor capped its second win and advanced to a 2-1 record. Their current record, after another win on December 16, is 3-2 overall, 2-1 league.

Penn Manor’s JV team won large with a final score of 29-49. Sophomore Roman Ali led the team with baskets, racking up 12 points.

Seven Reasons Why Fantasy Football is the Worst Thing Ever

By Matt Tulli

Every fall, a large percentage of the American population enjoys playing football. It may be high school, college, professional, flag, whatever. Then there are those dummies who play fantasy football. Fantasy football isn’t even a sport. Also, it’s probably the worst thing ever. It takes no skill whatsoever, and you can play it sitting on your couch. It kinda sounds like poker that you play on those online-poker websites. Speaking of poker, why is it on ESPN all the time? People who call poker a sport probably also call tomatoes vegetables. They’re fruits. Culture yourself, people.

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, fantasy football. It stinks. Here’s why, presented in list format:

  1. The draft. All fantasy football leagues require drafts before the season starts. You can choose to do either an auction draft, or the more popular draft that is like the regular NFL draft. Both are stupid. Basically, what happens is you either spend hours upon hours researching the best strategies and players to draft for the upcoming season, while your weird aunt (who nobody talks to, but you needed an extra player) will log on five minutes late but still end up picking Tom Brady (GOOD STRATEGY: Just put that thing on auto-draft. You might end up with 3 kickers and 4 tight ends, but hey, depth is the key to success.) At the end of the draft, you feel like you have the best team and you’re gonna win the whole thing Guess what? Don’t do that! Because… 
  2. Bad luck. … your quarterback will break his leg, your running back will tear his ACL, and your defense will be single-handedly beaten by rookie Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace. It’s inevitable.
  3. The player that nobody knows about.  The absolute worst. The aforementioned weird aunt’s 7th round pick, Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace from Northern Alabama Tech A&M, will put up 50 points in the first week, conveniently handing you a 15 point loss.

  4. The bench. Alternatively, you’re going to pick Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace, but since they’re playing the Seahawks week 1, you decide to bench him. Nice move! He puts up a 50-burger in the first week, but you didn’t play him. Turns out, this dude actually stinks in real life with the exception of his first game and you drop him after week 8.

  5. The bench, cont. Maybe you’re actually in a good position (i.e. you’re the weird aunt) and you have the luxury of starting one of two competent football players. Chances are, 11 out of 10 times you’re going to pick the wrong one. So, what I like to do is just not start either of them. Just have an open spot on your roster. You may not gain a physical victory, but you’re going to gain a moral victory since you saved yourself from the hurt of making the wrong decision.

  6. When another player gets points yours should have had. Imagine this: you need 7 points to beat your opponent. This is your last chance. Your running back takes the ball, and promptly gets tackled at the one yard line, leaving you literally a yard away from a victory. Okay, that’s fine, he’ll get the touchdown on- wait. What is this. He’s being taken out of the game? What do you mean he “broke his leg in 4 different places”? No excuses. Rub some dirt on that thing and get me my win.

  7. The fact that you’re going to play again next year. You may not want to, but you WILL be sucked into playing again by your cousin, i.e., the guy who goes all-out for the draft. This especially counts if you happen to be a Philadelphia fan, in which you’re just desperate to enjoy some sort of sport, even if the sport isn’t a sport altogether. Trust me, no matter how miserable you were watching your team fall apart this season, just wait until your weird aunt takes home the crown again next year.

Penn Manor’s late game burst not enough to stop Cedar Cliff

Comet Nation, Penn Manor’s student section, fills the stands before kickoff against Cedar Cliff on September 4.
Comet Nation, Penn Manor’s student section, fills the stands before kickoff against Cedar Cliff on September 4.

By Jake Herr

Photos by Matt Tulli

The smell of cheeseburgers and hot dogs filled the late summer air at Penn Manor High School as students filed into the parking deck for tailgating, food and activities.Comet Nation, (Penn Manor’s student section) was rated the #1 fan base by PennLive.com in the Lancaster-Lebanon League last year and plan to be nothing but better, crazier and louder. As the Comet Boys (seniors Jesse Kann, Nate Flexman, Andrew Figlio, Sam Lombardo, Ryan Gaukler, Will Forrey and Reed Blazer) took their places in the stands, the crowd grew louder.

The Penn Manor Comets hosted their first home football game on Friday, September 4 against the Cedar Cliff Colts. Penn Manor’s new head coach gave a pep talk to Comet Nation telling them to be loud and stay in the game.

This is John Brubaker’s first year as Penn Manor’s head coach; Brubaker was previously the defensive coordinator at Manheim Central. Penn Manor brought in a whole new coaching staff this year except for assistant varsity coach, Jared Shearer.

Lancaster Red Rose Colorguard brought the American flag on the field because of the USA-themed night. After the opening coin flip in the center of Chryst Field, Cedar Cliff kicked off to Penn Manor. With seniors Blaine Richardson and Jamal McCaskell back to return the kick, Richardson snagged the ball, then wrapped up after 10 yards of running in the middle of the field.

Penn Manor had a tough first drive trying to figure out Cedar Cliff’s defense. Cedar Cliff on the other hand was ready for what Penn Manor had to offer, delivering a 10-play, 62-yard scoring drive to score early in the game. Richardson and McCaskell set back to return the kick again. This time though, Richardson weaved through CC’s special team unit with ease, turning on the burners taking the return to CC’s 47 yard line. Richardson left the game later in the second half due to a knee injury.

Marcos Nina took his spot as a kick returner. The drive was then ended with a halt when junior, Grant Gale tossed an interception (one of three). The Colts then turned that drive into a touchdown, but missed the field goal, making the score 13-0 with 10:55 left in the second quarter.

During the entire game, Comet Nation stayed roaring.

“The student section is getting very loud, the freshman need to get rowdy and into the game,” said Comet Boy, Jesse Kann.

Jamal McCaskell kept trying to break through the defense. Eventually he did, leaving a Colts defender and others in the turf after breaking their ankles and gaining big yardage on his first major carry late in the first half. The drive was ended again by the Colt’s secondary, and their offense converted a turnover into another touchdown to make it 26-0 at halftime.

Eventually, PM got on the scoreboard with an 8-play, 80-yard scoring drive that was topped off by running back Carter Kinser (six carries, 43 rushing yards, three TDs) going untouched into the endzone. PM missed the extra point following the touchdown.

Seeking redemption after another CC touchdown, Gale, Kinser and McCaskell took the field. Gale threw a textbook screen pass to Kinser where Kinser did the rest of the work, shredding between defenders making it a 46 yard completion.

Cedar Cliff’s offense continued to be powerful late into the game, but the Comet’s defense slowed down the bleeding, making big time stops. As Penn Manor’s offense began to heat up, the Colt’s defense began the die down. Kinser and Gale began to click, as Kinser picked up his third touchdown of the day in the early fourth quarter, punching through the Colt’s defensive line. The Comets fell to the Colts 54-20 as a final result.

Jamal McCaskell had a big game as well, racking up 104 rushing yards on 16 carries. Cedar Cliff finished the game with 518 total offensive yards on 54 plays. The Comets, on the other hand,  finish with 313 total offensive yards on 47 plays. The Colts key players were junior quarterback Grant Breneman (12-of-15, 254 passing yards, two TDs) and senior receiver Miki Viti, (six receptions, 142 yards, one TD).

Penn Manor will take on Lampeter Strasburg next Friday night for their first away game this fall.

Brubaker’s hire begins transition for Penn Manor football

By Matt Tulli

Penn Manor Athletic Director Jeff Roth announced John Brubaker as Penn Manor’s 10th head football coach on March 17, about eight weeks after former coach Todd Mealy announced his resignation to focus on family and his upcoming doctorate degree.

While coach Mealy’s resignation was disappointing for the Penn Manor football community, new coach John Brubaker has a very strong résumé. A 1983 graduate of Manheim Central and a three-year starting running back for the Barons, Brubaker holds school records for career rushing yards (2,919), and rushes in a game (37) and season (258). He was also selected to play in the 1982 Big 33 All-Star Football game.

Brubaker comes from a successful culture as a coach, too, as the Barons made it to the state title game three different times when he was a defensive coordinator, winning one of them. The team won 16 District Three Class AAA titles during his tenure as an assistant. Brubaker brings experience, both as a coach and player.

Sophomore Grant Gale says about Brubaker, “On the field, he’s done an excellent job with their defense, and by scrimmaging them the past two years, I can tell he’s a very intense coach. Off the field, he’s a completely different person: fun to be around and easy to talk to.”

There are many similarities between Coach Mealy and Coach Brubaker. First, they both had very successful careers on the field; Mealy won a state championship in 1995 as a linebacker for Bishop McDevitt. Brubaker saw personal success, with the aforementioned records that he holds at Central and Big 33 selection.

About coach Brubaker, Dan Mahoney says, “He has stepped right into our workouts and is beginning to take charge.”

Football at Penn Manor has an interesting history. Not only was Penn Manor one of the last schools in the county to establish varsity football (1971), the Comets also had a 33-game losing streak that was featured on ESPN in the ‘90s and have won just two section championships in the 43 years of varsity football (‘74 and ‘84).

But just because the East Gym won’t show the winning tradition in the past several years doesn’t mean Penn Manor hasn’t had one. Wilson High School’s dominance over Mealy’s tenure hindered the Comets’ chances at a Section 1 title. Penn Manor lost three games within seven points to perennial Section 1 powerhouse Wilson.

When Todd Mealy took over the program in 2007, Penn Manor football was in a rough spot. Before he came, the Comets were frequently at the bottom of the LL-League rankings. While they did see a District playoff appearance in 2006, the 2007 squad managed only one win and nine losses.

Penn Manor would go on to compile a 55-24 record over Mealy’s next seven years. They also ranked fourth in District 3 AAAA in wins over those years. To put it into perspective, Penn Manor had a record of 142-229-2 over 38 years before Mealy became head coach, good for a mediocre 38 percent winning percentage. After Mealy’s first season, the Comets compiled a 70 percent winning percentage. Quite a few accomplishments, but his impact wasn’t just off the field, as the football team maintained a 3.4 grade-point average over his tenure.

Patriots Edge ‘Hawks in Super Bowl For the Ages

By Matt Tulli

Before February 1, it had been an entire decade since the New England Patriots last won a Super Bowl. It seems amazing, considering the Patriots are perennial championship contenders when January rolls around. They had lost both of their two previous Super Bowl trips to the New York Giants, one in Super Bowl XLII (2008) and the other loss coming in Super Bowl XLVI (2012).

Patriots undrafted rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler picked off Russell Wilson from the one-yard line with 20 ticks left in the game on a controversial play call for his first career interception. Amazing, also considering that Brown is listed as the fifth cornerback on New England’s depth chart.

“I thought the Seahawks would win, especially at halftime after that touchdown drive, said sophomore Jeff Taylor.  “And I thought [Seahawks all-pro running back] Lynch would just score on a run at the end.”

But, that’s about the exact opposite of what happened. While many people were criticizing the choice to pass the ball on the one-yard line instead of run, senior Tanner Erisman had a different thought.

“I understand why they passed it, if the pass would be incomplete, then the clock would stop and they would have time to reorganize,” said Erisman. “But I still would have run it. There’s no chance the Patriots were gonna stop him three times.”

When asked for one word to describe the Super Bowl, junior Eric Snyder said, “amazing.” Junior Nate Brown, who was rooting for the Seahawks said, “crazy.” Jeff Taylor said, “unreal.”

It seemed like, according to Twitter and talking with a lot of friends, a lot of people were rooting for the Seahawks. I heard a lot of reasons why, from “I like the way the Seahawks play” to “The Patriots win too much”. But the obvious number one reason would be “DeflateGate”, or the allegation that the Patriots deflated their footballs in the AFC Championship game to make them easier to play with.

But lets be honest, the score of the AFC Championship was 45-7. The Patriots would have won the game with a bowling ball. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.

Three interesting statistics from the Super Bowl:

League-wide this season, quarterbacks have thrown 109 passes from the one-yard line. Malcolm Brown’s interception was the first time one of those passes was intercepted, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Per sbnation.com, none of the Super Bowl XLIX starters were 5-star recruits coming out of high school. Only seven of them were 4-star recruits, and the other 37 were 3-star or less, or not ranked at all. So for all you athletes out there: Never give up on your dream.

Lastly, Super Bowl XLIX was the most-watched American TV program ever, with and estimated 114.5 million people watching.


PMHS Cross Country Team’s Results at the District 3 meet

By Bobbi Unger

The Penn Manor varsity cross country team had a very successful season. The team competed in the District 3 meet on Wednesday October 23, 2014. Josh Bye and Craig Jahnke are seniors who ran their last cross country meet at the district meet on Wednesday. The meet resulted in the girls coming in 27th place, and as a team the boys got 19th place. Both the boys and girls teams had a winning or close to winning season and finished with good results at districts on Wednesday.

Lindsey Lord came in 22nd place with a time of  20:16 and a pace time of 6:32. Joel Burkholder came in 38th place with a time of 17:18 and a pace time of 5:35.  Senior Joshua Bye came in 101th place with a time of 18:13 and a pace time of 5:52 and senior  Craig Jahnke came in 204th place with a time of 19:15 and a pace time of   6:12. Freshman  Zach Schucker came in 155th place with a time of 18:45 and a pace time of 6:03 and Aidan Toomey came in 159 with a time of 18:46 and a pace time of 6:03. Senior  Hannah Willig came in 146th place with a time of 22:54 and a pace time of 7:23 and senior Meghan McMurtrie came in 160th place with a time of 23:14 and a pace time of 7:29.

Freshman Lindsey Lord and Junior Joel Burkholder have been on the Penn Manor cross country team since seventh grade. Lindsey won 15 of her meets and lost 7 of her meets. Joel won 18 of his meets and lost 4 of his meets.

Zach Schucker, Aidan Toomey, and Nicholas Fafel are three very talented freshman boys on the varsity team. They were running with some of the top boys of the varsity team. Brianna Ulacky, Savanna Yarnell, and Maddie Groff are also young talents on the girls varsity team. The boys had 17 wins and only 4 losses and the girls had 10 wins and 11 losses. At the L-L League meet at Ephrata the Boys varsity team came in fifth place and the Girls varsity team came in 12th place.