Category: Sports

By David Mohimani-

Penn Manor baseball team starts their playoff run on Friday.

The Comets will take on the Ephrata Mounts at Ephrata at 1:30 P.M. in the first round play-in game of Districts.

The baseball team finished the season 9-11, dropping 3 of their last 4. They ended up with the twentieth seed in districts and the last and final spot in the playoffs.

However, the Comets throttled the Mounts in the regular season in a 13-1 rout. This win gives the Comets confidence going into Friday’s match up.

“We have a good shot because we beat them 13-1,” said senior second basemen Zach Rayha.

To make an extended run into Districts, the team will need “defense and pitching. We’re going to depend on our pitching,” said Rayha.

Taking the mound for the Comets Friday will be sophomore Zac Burke.

“We beat them 13-1 so I have confidence, but I don’t want to underestimate them,”said Burke.

Being only a sophomore puts some added pressure on the the Comets starting pitcher.

“I feel pressure. I don’t want to let the seniors down because if we lose it will be their last game,” said Burke.

Physically Burke is feeling good about his upcoming start.

“My arm is good, I haven’t thrown for a while, it’s not sore,” added Burke.

While it may be an upset on paper, the match-up seems to be a favorable one for the Comets.

If the Comets prevail in their first game, they will take on Chambersburg out of the Mid Penn league, who is the fourth seeded team in the district.

The Comets might be the last team to make playoffs but in sports it’s all about getting hot at the right time and if they can capture that first win, it could lead to a run to the state playoffs.

The Comets’ season lies on the shoulders of a sophomore, a sophomore who seems up to the task.

By Bryan Buckius –

My brothers got my back.

That’s the slogan for this year’s boys lacrosse team who begin district playoffs today against Conrad Weiser High School Tuesday. The Comets are the 7 seed in the district playoffs after not fairing very well in leagues.

After qualifying for the league playoffs, the Comets were handed a tough defeat by Manheim Township. The Comets went up 2-0 to start the game on goals scored by Spencer Barnett and Brady Charles. The visiting Blue Streaks quickly stole Penn Manor’s momentum and scored nine unanswered goals.

After the Streaks went up 8-2, Comets starting goalie Brian Sloss was taken out and replaced by freshmen Damon Cummins. Cummins had three big saves before the half and senior defender Jaq Presbery scored an inspirational coast to coast goal to give the Comets hope going into the half.

After the break things continued to go Township’s way and the Streaks ended up winning 16-5.

Although the loss to Manheim Township wasn’t an easy loss to swallow, the Comets are ready to go for tonight’s game.

“We have home field advantage and although the weather isn’t looking good we should still pull out the win,” said junior defender Alex Cummins.

If the Comets win tonight their next game will be against, guess who, Manheim Township.

“Maybe the third times a charm,” said Cummins in regard to the game against Township.

With their season on the line, the Comets play tonight at 5 p.m. at Comet Field.

By Marc Summy and Cheyenne Weber-

Revenge….

Hempfield has won two of the last games against Penn Manor, both by one goal.

“Third times a charm,” said lock-up defender Dani Warfel.

It was a different story on Saturday, the Penn Manor girls won 3-2 in penalty kicks (overtime) to claim the LL- League title from the Black Knights, winning for the first time since 2004.

Up next for the Comets are the District 3 playoffs. Penn Manor, the No. 4 seed in AAA, awaits the winner of a play-in game between West York and Carlisle, according to Jeffrey Reinhart on the Lancaster-Lebanon League News website.

The game was scoreless at the half. It remained that way after the end of regulation. Still no score after the first 20-minute overtime session.  The second 20-minute overtime period was scoreless also.

“Both offenses had the opportunities to score but just couldn’t connect (speaking of regulation),” said Comet’s goalie Veronica Willig.

The Comets and the Knights went to penalty kicks (PKs) , and on Penn Manor’s fifth and final try, senior midfielder Katie Breneman found the back of the net against goalie Lauren Trower, which gave Penn Manor a 3-2 edge and sealed their victory.

Among the others to score, in order,  for Penn Manor during PKs was Logan Kramer, Dani Warfel and then Katie Breneman.

Penn Manor’s four titles are now the second-most in league history; Hempfield, which was denied back-to-back championships, has the most with seven, according to Reinhart.

Veronica Willig saved the second and third PK kick while the fifth went wide. It was a good outing by both of the goalies, according to their coaches.

“This one feels different – it really does,” said Penn Manor coach Bill Zapata, whose team won via shutout for the 16th time in 21 games this spring.

“It feels different because it’s been a while and because nobody really picked us. (At the start of the season) everyone was picking Hempfield and maybe Conestoga Valley and we were sort of under the radar,” according to the L-L News.

With a look of confidence, Dani Warfel said, “We just find a way to win the important games.”

By Jay Jackson –

The Comet’s boys volleyball team controlled their own destiny Thursday night with a dominating performance over Ephrata. The team won three games to zero.

Penn Manor, 9-3 in the league, is good enough to be ranked second in the league.

The Comets are playing Garden Spot Monday at Manheim Central at 7:30 p.m. for the first round of leagues.

Heading into league playoffs with lots of momentum by winning six of the last seven matches. Penn Manor looks in good shape to face their next victim, Garden Spot.

During the game against Ephrata, setter Cheyenne Weber controlled the court and spread the ball to all Comet hitters so the opposing team’s block were fooled.

On the other side of the set, the other Weber twin, Dylan, finished balls with one of the highest kill rates in the league.

With the Weber brothers and a strong supporting cast, the Comets are going to be a tough out for anyone in the league including the first seed Hempfield.

 

 

By Marc Summy –

After 22 seasons as Maryland University men’s Division 1 basketball coach, Gary Williams throws in the towel.

Williams, who retired Thursday, May 5, noted that, “It’s the right time.”

While under Coach Williams the Terrapins went 461-252.

A state away, the Terrapins coach retirement was noticed here.

Avid sports fan and Penn Manor teacher Gordon Eck says, “He is a really good coach. The reason that the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is so good, every year, is because of coaches like Williams. He has helped to raise the level of the conference.”

Not only has Williams earned an impressive record but has also led his team to the NCAA tournament 14 times, won or shared three ACC titles, reached the Final Four twice and won a National Championship in 2002.

The humble Williams had this to say about his coaching experience, “My entire career has been an unbelievable blessing. I am fiercely proud of the program we have built here, I couldn’t have asked any more from my players, my assistant coaches, the great Maryland fans and this great university. Together, we did something very special here.”

Gary Williams arrived at Maryland in 1989 where he inherited hefty NCAA violations. After taking over the basketball team they suffered two straight losing seasons before making it to the NCAA tournament. The Terps never struggled again having above .500 seasons each year.

Among some of the greats that have now gone to the NBA, Coach Gary breed winners Walt Williams, Juan Dixon, Joe Smith, Greivis Vasquez and Steve Blake.

Mr. Eck believes that some good will come from Williams’ retirement.

“It’s time for them (ACC) to get young coaches. You see how great young coaches can be, referencing to 35 year old Brad Stevens, who made it to back to back National Championships in 2010 and 2011. It gives an opportunity for a young coach to come out and make their mark,” Gordon Eck states.

 

By Cheyenne Weber and Joey Jackson-

“Togetherness” is what the 2011 senior class of Penn Manor girls’ soccer has according to head coach William Zapata.

“The seniors girls, hang out together, they’re all close friends and they play well together. I don’t think I ever had a team that was this close to each other,” said Zapata.

The team unity that Penn Manor shares was not great enough to overcome the Knights for a second straight time.

Last night at 7 p.m. it was Penn Manor vs Hempfield, a showdown which is already a huge rivalry, and added on to that, it was senior night for the girls soccer team.

Senior night is a night of reflection and as the national anthem came to an end, the nerves and realization of the fact that, for some girls, this could be that last time they will ever play under the lights, set in.

Penn Manor started off slow and Hempfield capitalized by getting a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute of the first half. The goal was assisted by Lanser and scored by Mariah Dimm of Hempfield. The girls arguably outplayed Hempfield the second half but just couldn’t find the back of the net.

“First half was not played good by our own fault, second half was the Penn Manor we know,” said coach Jason Hottenstein.

An always physical rivalry continued last night as senior Emily Hutchinson dislocated her shoulder in the first half of the game after colliding with another girl, and Katie Breneman got hit in the face later in the game.

“Hempfield doesn’t play dirty, they play hard,” Hottenstein commented about the physical play.

“I went up for a header and I got hit in the face, but we got a free kick out of it,” said Breneman. Which, unfortunately, was another opportunity missed by the Comet girls.

“I’m getting an x-ray to check for any damage on my shoulder. Hopefully isn’t as bad as we thought and I’ll be back for the first league game,” said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson is a big key to the Penn Manor defense, usually the go-to person to shut down the best player on the opponents side, according to teammate Katie Breneman.

The Comets look to end a league drought, as they haven’t won the League playoffs since 2004.

“I think I have a set of girls that can do it,” Zapata firmly stated.

The girls soccer team has nine seniors total, eight of the eleven starters.  They are looking past this game towards the playoffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Spencer Barnett –

The Hempfield vs. Township game played Thursday afternoon was arguably the most anticipated game in the Lancaster-Lebanon League this season. Right from the start, Township netted three goals and by halftime, the game was all theirs. Township dominated on face-offs, which in-turn was the key factor in preventing Hempfield’s offense from scoring. Jake Weber and Calvin Schum led the Blue Streaks in face-offs, with a combined 24 wins between the two. In the end, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks won 18-12.

“It’s fun to play said,” said Hempfield’s head coach Dave Ondrusek to the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal. “Obviously we don’t like the result but it was a good wake up call. We needed this.”

Now with the regular season out of the way, the district leader is Manheim Township, with Hempfield in the number two spot.  Ephrata, with a record of 14-3, is third, Red Lion (14-1) moved to the number four spot and Penn Manor, with a record setting season going 13-3, is in the fifth spot.

By Spencer Barnett and Brandon McCormick-

The Broad Street Bullies and the Big Bad Bruins are back at it again.

With the Philadelphia Flyers coming off of a seven-game series knocking out the Buffalo Sabres, they’ve now dug themselves a hole, going down 0-3 in the series against the Boston Bruins. Sound familiar?

Last year, the two teams played each other in the Eastern Conference Finals and just as it is now, the Bruins went up three games to none. Although Flyers prevailed in the end going on a four game win streak to take the series. Will this be deja vu for the Flyers, or will the Bruins squeak out one more win to sweep the series?

Most hope the Flyers come back to win, but all agree this is not an easy task.

“Thomas is having a great series for the Bruins,” said senior Mark Curtin. “He has 52 saves in the second game alone. Flyers need to improve their forechecking and take advantage of extra man opportunities.”

Not everybody bandwagons with the Flyers, “I like the Penguins so I’m glad the Flyers are down,” said teacher Erick Dutchess.

With the Penguins out of the series Mr. Dutchess can only hope the beloved Flyers fall at the feet of the Bruins.

But, there are still some students who have faith in the Flyers.

Junior Brandon Schuman thinks things can turn around.

“Tim Thomas right now is unstoppable,” Schuman said. “If they play like they did in game two, they shouldn’t have much trouble with the rest of the series. The Flyers just need to capitalize on their opportunities.”

Austin Rowley, a junior at Penn Manor, is also hoping for a turnaround.

“Right now, they can’t get past Thomas,” Rowley said. “Ryan Miller [Sabres] was different. He was a solid, technical goalie whereas Thomas is all over the place, but I have faith in the Flyers. They seem to play better with adversity and their back against the wall.”