Category: Sports

By Brady Charles and Daulton Parmer –

The 2012 NFL Draft will be hosted April 26, in New York City at the Radio City Music Hall. This draft is like no other. Many experts say this draft’s potential is the best. Ever.

“I think this year’s draft is going to be insane, I can’t wait to see how everything pans out,” said junior Adam Sahd.

One question all the experts are asking, will the Colts take Andrew Luck, or Robert Griffin III?

“I don’t think you can pass up a quarterback like Andrew Luck, he has all the attributes you need in a quarterback,” said Sahd.

Also in the draft is Penn Manor alum, Chas Alecxih. Alecxih graduated from Penn Manor in 2006, and earned his stripes at Pittsburgh University where he was named First team All-Big East his senior season.

Here’s what we project in this years first ten picks.

Top 10 Projections

1. Indianapolis Colts- With the loss of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning the Colts need a franchise quarterback. The Colts are most likely to select Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck.

2. Washington Redskins- With a disappointing year, nowhere near qualifying for the playoffs, the skins need a turn around player and there is no better person for the job than Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin III.

3. Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings need some more protection in the trenches, they’re looking to get Offensive Tackle from USC Matt Kalil. But, don’t be surprised if a team in need of a Quarterback trades up to snag Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M.

4. Cleveland Browns- The Browns lost their star running back this past offseason, with Peyton Hillis battling injuries all of last year, the Browns traded Hillis to Kansas City. The Browns need to fill the empty spot in the running back position, the Browns can;t pass up Alabama star Running Back Trent Richardson, who is arguably the most talented player in the draft.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- If Cleveland decides differently and decides not to go with Richardson, Richardson could fall to the Buccaneers, but if not the go to pick for the Bucs is standout Cornerback from LSU Morris Claiborne.

6. St. Louis Rams- The Rams are lacking a playmaker, down field threat. Wide Receiver Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State is exactly the guy for the job. His size and speed will make him one of the best receivers in the NFL and a perfect player to cause match up problems with.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Draft experts say South Carolina Defensive End Melvin Ingram‘s ‘short arms’ could effect his play in the NFL, but he can help a team in so many facets of the game, he’s hard to pass up.

8. Miami Dolphins- With multiple players failing to succeed in the Quarterback position, Dolphins are in need of a commander. Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M is a good pick for it, he will need some experience first before he is a big name Quarterback.

9. Carolina Panthers- The Panthers are in need of a defensive stopper, the pick is a toss up between Memphis DT Dontari Poe , or Fletcher Cox DT from Mississippi State. 

10. Buffalo Bills- The Bills number one priority is to protect Ryan Fitzpatrick, they are looking at an Offensive Tackle if they can’t re-sign Demetress Bell. So, it looks like the Bills will be selecting Riley Reiff, from Iowa.

Now taking a look at the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers, both teams coming off disappointing seasons in which they had multiple key players sidelined due to injuries. During this offseason, the Steelers lost veteran wide receiver Hines Ward to retirement, and still have yet to sign their star receiver Mike Wallace. While the Eagles resigned receiver DeSean Jackson, and left tackle Jason Peters is out for the year with a torn right achilles. Both teams now are in desperate need of talent in the 2012 draft.

15. Philadelphia Eagles- Coming into the offseason, the Eagles number one need was the linebacker position, but with the signing of Texans Linebacker DeMeco Ryans that position is filled. The second need is the defensive tackle spot. Depending on what the Panthers go with, the Eagles could scoop up the leftovers. The Eagles will either get Dontari Poe, or Fletcher Cox.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers- Coming into the draft, the Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert has been characterized as never being able to turn down pure talent even if it’s in a position they aren’t in need. Relying on Colbert’s characteristic look for the Steelers to take the top talent left in the draft which could be tight end from Stanford Coby Fleener, or Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

 

By Ian Noll –

If you missed LeSean McCoy at the mall this past year, here’s your second chance to meet him.

Eagles running back LeSean McCoy will be traveling down to Penn Manor for a football camp that will run June 25-27. It will be open to kids from ages 8-16 for $250 per person.

LeSean “Shady” McCoy, has been with the Eagles for three years and is originally from Harrisburg, Pa. McCoy went to college at the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. He has quickly become a fan favorite and become a key factor in the Eagles offense.

“McCoy will be working all three days of the camp and will be bringing with him other NFL players, I can’t give you the names but people he played with in Philly and at Pittsburgh,” Mealy said.

According to the Mealy, the goal of the camp is to teach fundamentals but more importantly it is for the campers to learn how to select role models and how to become responsible members in their communities. Each day, McCoy and fellow coaches will take a portion of the camp to talk to the campers about life lessons and making the right decisions. This has been a focal point when it comes to playing for Penn Manor for football.

McCoy had been looking to start doing camps out in the community and picked 3 schools, Bishop McDevitt (where he graduated), Penn Manor and one located in Philadelphia.

The coaches hope that this camp with McCoy will be a reoccurring event, which could potentially bring more attention to the football program and help the up and coming players receive an experience that will stick with them.

So, if you are interested in attending the camp, and are between the ages of 8-16 please email starcitysports1@gmail.com or Coach Mealy, todd.mealy@pennmanor.net.

By Simon Zimmerman-

The streak continues.

The Penn Manor boys volleyball team came out with another emphatic win Thursday night and this time they worked their charms against their archrivals Hempfield.

The Comets are unbeaten this season with a record of 6-0 so far.

“The game was very intense going back and forth between each team,” said senior spectator Kara Overmeyer, “I could barely handle it.”

The Comets have not beaten the Black Knights in league play since 2005. This win brought out a lot of emotion from both teams, but more from the group of seniors on the Comet squad.

“We knew going into the game that it was going to be a battle, but I had no idea how intense it was going to be and after we gave it our all it really meant something,” said senior outside hitter Joey Jackson.

The Comets won the match in five games. This was a struggle for them considering they lost two of the first three games of the match.

After the first three games they [the Comets] found new energy deep inside and won games four and five of the match sealing their hard fought victory.

This victory brought back sweet memories of the 2005 Penn Manor Boys Volleyball team that was assembled and made it all the way to the state semi-final game where they came up short against New Oxford.

“As long as we stay mentally strong and keep our confidence high we have a shot at states,” predicted senior setter Cheyenne Weber.

Penn Manor seniors Dayonte Dixon and Dylan Weber both had very strong offensive play during the match.

Dixon had 17 kills and Weber had one less with 16 kills.

This burst of offensive power was too much for Hempfield to handle even though their kill leader, Garrett Dimm, had 21.

On the defensive side of Penn Manor’s team, Junior Mark Dano played very well as the team’s libero, recording 19 digs to help secure the Comet’s victory.

This win was not only a big win because it was against Hempfield, but it was also huge because Hempfield is one of PVCA’s top ten team in the state.

This records the Comet’s fourth win this season against a team of this caliber.

These teams include Lower Dauphin, Pennridge, Dallastown, and Hempfield.

All were top ten teams in the state when the came across Penn Manor’s path and failed to overcome the Comet’s.

With a long season still at stake, this momentous victory will surely help the Comet’s chain together many more wins.

The next Penn Manor – Hempfield showdown will be at Hempfield on May 8.

Hempfield will most likely come out seeking revenge.

“This win goes a long way but this is just one match. We’ll see this team again and they will be just as good if not better: We’re going to have to have just as big a fight,” said Penn Manor Head Coach Chris Telesco in an article published by Lancaster Newspapers.

It will for sure be another barnburner.

 

 

 

 

By Austin Rowley and Braden Kruger –

“We don’t like each other,” Pittsburgh Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby said. “You can dissect it all you want, but the fact is we don’t like each other.”

Over the next two weeks, the home-state teams will play up to seven times.

When it comes to rivalries in sports, people are quick to name the ones that get the most media coverage: North Carolina-Duke, Yankees-Red Sox, Michigan-Ohio State. The sport of hockey is often overlooked in terms of searching for a fierce rivalry.

Even casual fans of the National Hockey League can come to a consensus that the rivalry between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins is about as nasty as rivalries get in sports. The rivalry is better known as The Battle of Pennsylvania.

“It’s a good rivalry and is going to make for an intense series,” said Penn Manor High School senior, Matt Kersic.

The two teams meet six times in the regular season, because they have the luck of playing in the same division in the Eastern Conference. This particular season, the Flyers won four of the six meetings.

The same two clubs have the opportunity to meet up to seven more times when they square off in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Science teacher at Penn Manor, Matt Fox, a hockey fan, agreed with Kersic. “It’s a good rivalry that has evolved over the years.”

Since their inductions into the league, the Flyers and Penguins have had bad blood every time they’ve been in competition. In more recent memory, there was a scrum involving Scott Hartnell and Nicklas Grossmann of the Flyers, and Chris Kunitz and Paul Martin of the Penguins during the meeting on March 18. Hartnell would later add insult to injury and score the game winning goal with 0.9 seconds remaining on the clock in the overtime period.

Just two weeks later, the fisticuffs picked up where they left off. With the game out of hand, the Flyers were up on the Penguins 6-3. Sidney Crosby whacked Flyer rookie winger Brayden Schenn. In an act of retaliation, Schenn cross-checked him in the back. Crosby looked for a call, but the officials considered the play to be even at that point.

Dan Bylsma then sent his checking-line out to respond to Schenn’s cross-check. Penguins center Joe Vitale lined up a devastating hit on a Flyers key-forward, Danny Briere, and as a result, a brawl ensued.

All 10 players on the ice engaged in the brawl, and coaches even standing on the boards exchanged words with one another.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was displeased that their checking-line was sent on in the closing moments of a game that was well out of hand.

“It’s gutless of their coach to send them out there. That line until that point didn’t play for twelve minutes. It’s just a gutless move.”

The hockey world will be watching the series closely, knowing the animosity that resides between the two teams.

In Penn Manor, there seems to be a split among students and staff and  all of a sudden, it becomes a matter of taking sides.

Penn Manor Senior James Frese, a Penguins fan, believes Pittsburgh has too much firepower for the Flyers to handle. “The powerhouse of Kunitz, Neal, and Malkin will be hard for the Flyers to stop,” he said.

Another Penn Manor Senior, Chris Flemming, is a Flyers fan. “I think Bryzgalov will have to be on his A-game for the Flyers to do well,” said Flemming. “The Flyers will win the series though, no doubt.”

“I think the Flyers will win the series in five games,” said Penn Manor junior, Matt Gue.

Professional predictions go against both Gue and Flemming, however. Out of 16 predictions on the NHL.com, 12 writers are picking the Penguins to win the first-round against the Flyers, but 10 of those same 12 writers picked the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup.

For as evenly matched as the two teams are on paper and in the six previous meetings, 75 percent of the predictions going to one side seems a little out of balance.

That’s why they play the game though.

In six regular season meetings, the Flyers won four out of the six contests. In two of the cases, the Flyers have erased two 2-0 deficits to win, 3-2 on March 18, and 6-4 on April 1 respectively.

The regular season means nothing come playoff time though. Most people refer to the playoffs as, “The Second Season,” because everything that happened in the “first” season, is out the window. Anything can happen.

This series has the most hype going into the playoffs, and it will certainly draw the attentions of many in Pennsylvania, let alone, the entire hockey world.

 

 

By Cody Straub-

April is here and spring is in the air which means one thing: Major League Baseball is back. The new season kicked off in Miami on Wednesday night (games played in another country do not count as the kick-off to the season) as the defending champs St. Louis Cardinals beat the new look Miami Marlins. That game began the marathon that is the MLB season.

What to expect this baseball season in both the National and American League?

In the American League the defending pennant winners the Texas Rangers look strong and could be the team to beat with their always dangerous lineup, and the addition of Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz to their rotation. The L.A. Angels of Anaheim won’t make it easy for the Rangers to repeat in the West with their off-season acquisitions of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson.

In the Central Division the Detroit Tigers are the team to beat. They added another powerful bat in Prince Fielder to pair up with Miguel Cabrera in the middle of their lineup to help support returning American League MVP Justin Verlander on the mound. The American League East looks to be much more muddled than the other two divisions. Realistically there are three teams that could end up on top in that division when the season is over: the Red Sox, Yankees or Rays. All have their issues, but all of them have enough strengths that could propel them to the top of their division.

In the National League the defending World Series champs will try to repeat without the game’s best hitter, Albert Pujols who went to the Angels, and without their long time manager Tony La Russa, who decided to call it quits while he was at the top. The Cardinals have to play in the well balanced Central Division where no team is far and above better but no team, excluding the Astros, is far from contending. In the East the hometown Phillies have plenty of issues all surrounded around the fact that they can’t hit. The rotation with three aces though will keep them around all summer and in contention for the division to the end. They will have to fight off the up and coming Washington Nationals, the new look Miami Marlins, and the perennial playoff team Atlanta Braves if they want to repeat as National League East Champions. The National League West looks to wilder than ever as the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks burst on the scene last year and will surely be competing for the division title again this year. The San Francisco Giants can always be counted on to have a competitive team with the rotation that the boast, and the return of young star Buster Posey. The Diamondbacks though were able to make a few off-season additions to go along with their strong young nucleus centered around Ian Kennedy and Justin Upton that will keep them on top in the West.

The Major League Baseball marathon has begun, and is sure to be an exciting summer filled with lots of baseball. The only thing that we can expect for sure is that something unexpected will happen, whether that be a team falling from the top, or a surprise team rocketing to the top. Get ready for a season full of twist and turns just like any other baseball season.

 

By Aaron Brown –

This year’s Masters champion has never taken a lesson, has no swing coach, and hits a pink driver off the tee.

“All I can say is this is awesome,” said new father Bubba Watson in an interview with ESPN. “Winning the green jacket is great — I can pay for all the diapers I’m going to have to get.”

Penn Manor golfers were impressed with Watson’s win.

“Fellow lefty, been a fan since I watched him play in 2007. Awesome to see him finally win a major after coming close before,” said Mark Dano, junior golfer at Penn Manor.

“He is a mismatched golfer, but a perfect fit for winning,” said Will Welsh, senior golfer at Penn Manor.

To most, Watson looks nothing like a typical golfer. He stands at a whopping 6′ 3″ and has long wavy hair, but now there’s no mistaking the fact that Watson can rule the course.

The 2012 Masters win is Watson’s first major of his career.

Every Masters champion has their “shot heard round the world.” Watson’s shot was his second shot on the second playoff hole. His drive ended up in the pines on the right, which created a very hard, almost impossible shot.

Watson saw a gap that many other players would not have seen. He stepped up to the ball and put a 40-yard hook on the ball that ended up on the green.

“My caddie has always called it Bubba golf,” Watson said, according to Bloomberg, of his untraditional style of play after receiving the ceremonial winner’s green jacket yesterday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. “That’s why we play the game of golf, to pull off the amazing shot.”

“Where I stood from when the ball came out, it looked like a curve ball going to the right,” Louis Oosthuizen, Watson’s playing partner on Sunday, marveled in the same ESPN article. “An unbelievable shot. That shot definitely won him the tournament. To see the shots that he takes on, shots I don’t really see or I would ever hit, it’s very entertaining to play with him.”

Anyone who watched any of Watson’s tee shots, might have noticed his pink driver.

The driver is part of a year-long campaign sponsored by Ping. Every time Bubba drives the ball over 300 yards, Ping will donate $300 dollars to his charity. At $300 per drive for his first 300 drives over 300 yards — that’s a lot of 300s — Watson stands to rack up $90,000 for his foundation, just for doing what he always does.

When most pros pull out a fairway wood or long iron, Watson pulls out his lovely pink driver. When most pros play by the philosophy of “play it safe,” Watson plays by the philosophy of “grip it and rip it.”

“He has unbelievably long distance and has a great swing for never taking a lesson,” says Welsh.

Watson’s family life has had its ups and downs as well.

Watson’s wife, Angie, told him on their first date that she would not be able to have children.

His father died just after the Ryder Cup in 2010, from throat cancer.

He admitted fighting himself throughout the day on Sunday, battling his mind as it wandered elsewhere. He thought about his father, his wife and son. He wasn’t fighting back bad swing thoughts or anything about his game, he said. Instead, his mind wandered to his family, far away from Augusta.

Watson and his wife are now parents after adopting a 0ne-month-old boy, named Caleb, two weeks ago.

Watson was very emotional, for many reasons, on the 10th hole green after sinking his putt to win. His mother was the first onto the green and Watson wrapped his arms tightly around her and cried some more.

“After he won, he didn’t go crazy celebrating,” said Dano. “He embraced his mom and cried. Those are the types of things that are inspiring.”

Watson is the perfect man to win this year’s Masters because he loves the game of golf almost as much as he loves his wife and son.

“I don’t play the sport for fame. I don’t try to win tournaments for fame,” Watson said. “I don’t do any of that. It’s just me. I’m just Bubba. I goof around. I joke around.”

“Golf isn’t about having the most skill or the best swing,” said Dano. “It’s being able to keep your head in it and just score well enough so that at the end of the tournament you have a chance to win. You’re going to hit poor shots, but Bubba had the ability to never play himself out of the tournament early on. On Sunday, he was in contention, made something happen, and walked away a winner.”

 

 

 

 

 

By Ryan Flexman and Taylor Skelly –

There is no family duo in Penn Manor faster than junior Cooper and sophomore Greta Lindsley.

The 2011/12 season for girls cross country was led by sophomore sensation Greta Lindsley, while the boys swim team was led by her big brother, Cooper Lindsley. It’s rare enough to have an athlete as dominant as them individually, but it’s even more rare for them to be siblings.

Cooper finished off the season by placing fourteenth in the state in the 100 freestyle and having the best 100 free time in the Lancaster Lebanon League. In the “off-season,” Cooper’s success only continues as he as already qualified for nationals for the second straight year while swimming for the Diplomat/Lancaster Family Y Swim Team.  As well, Cooper has led both his school and club swim teams in points in the previous seasons.

Greta placed eighth in the state level run, which was the only race that she hasn’t won since her high school career began.

“When I’m bored, unlike most kids, I run for fun” said Greta.

She also said that lately she has been working harder than usual, because she believes she can still get better. Greta wants to be the first girl in Penn Manor history to break a five minute mile, even though she already has the mile record under her belt. She needs to drop ten seconds off her own record to break the five minute mark.

“I haven’t really spent much time on the college stuff yet, but Syracuse or UNC have always been at the top of my list” said Greta,
who will be participating in a running camp in Colorado, and plans on running in multiple marathons when she’s older.

Clearly, both Greta and Cooper are incredibly gifted athletically, but it is their work ethic and positive attitude that allow them to rise above their competition, according to their coaches.

“He [Cooper] is focused, and he definitely does work hard, I think he has some pretty specific goals in mind,” said Penn Manor swim team Coach Cece O’Day,  “And he knows what it is going to take to reach those goals and is willing to pay that price.”

On top of that, they have a support system at home in parents Todd and Heather Lindsley that pushes them to always be their best. Both parents attended the College of William and Mary and were successful athletes. Todd, who received a full ride, was a runner and their mother, Heather, played field hockey.

“I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if he wasn’t there pushing me,” said Greta.”

By Sam Valentin and Patrick Simpson –

Penn Manor is running, jumping, throwing, and hoping for another successful season.

It is the the start of another track season here at Penn Manor. It will feature a handful of new faces for the Penn Manor track team, however, they well still have their veteran athletes which they will heavily rely on to have a successful 2012 season.

They will rely on the key contributions of Seniors Jess Huber, Darin Spirk, and Laura Wissler the trio competes in throwing events. Sprinters Levonta Jones, Adrian Vireut and senior, David Burch. In distance Emily Novak and Meghan Maisano who run the 800 meters and the 4×800 relay team that won both leagues and districts last year. In distance they will look for sophomore Greta Linsdley to have another stellar year. She won the 3200 and 1600 at the league meet last year and was a part of 4×800 relay team that won leagues and districts. Other keys components to a successful 2012 season are  hurdlers, Emily Novak and Eli Marcelino, jumpers, David Burch and Adrien Vireut, and pole vaulter, Selena Hasircoglu.

But they will have to endure this season without Demetrius Dixon, Morgan and Natasha Fletcher, Katie Maisel,Peter Ashworth, Austin Groff, Andy Olsen, Quinn Nadu, Helen Doolittle, Sarah Connor, and Matt Funk who all graduated. While girls jumper, Jessie Greenslade did not come out this year.

But sprinter, Levonta Jones does not seem to concerned.

“We lost a lot of key athletes but I still think we can compete at a varsity level” said Jones.

And he seems to be right. Penn Manor unofficially won there scrimmage against Garden Spot earlier this year. Even though score was not kept.

Next the Comets faced defending State Champion, Hempfield in their first home meet of the season.

The entire team, coaches included, knew this was going to be a test.

“Its a freaking battle,” said Joe Herman, a throwing coach for the Comets.

“Hempfield, the defending state champion in track and field, were a challenging first meet for us,” said head coach, Arthur Morris.

And a battle it was with the Comets coming up just short giving them their first loss of the year.

Last year the boys overall record was 4-2 while the girls overall record was 5-2, meanwhile every member of the team is hoping for a better season.

“We are hoping better then last year,” said Herman.” The kids are looking good two weeks in.”

A couple years into the Morris regime and he has switched things up for the Comets which he ultimately hopes leads to success.

“[Coach Morris] is conducting things differently this year,” said Jess Huber. She thinks the more one on one coaching is going to make a difference this year. But we will only know at the end of the season.

They did rebound from their loss with a win against Warwick.

Their next meet is April 10th at home against Cedar Crest.

The team has not really gotten to much attention for accomplishments on the track. However, with the talent that this team has this year it might be a team that you may want to pay close attention to this year.

 

By Alex Cummins and Brad Kruger –

The boys’ tennis team is looking to have a learning and rebuilding season. Since last year, the tennis team lost their top five players. With an already tough league for AAA tennis.

“We lost our entire starting line up and our top seven players due to graduation,” said coach Jon Boxleitner

This year the format for the entire league has been changed. The Lancaster – Lebanon League is switching to the college format with four singles and three doubles. Last year the format was five singles and two doubles.  The team has actually had two matches already. They played at Red Lion and had a home match against Pequea Valley. Unfortunately they lost both.

“Its going to be difficult for us but the kids are working hard and we’re going to pick up some wins here and there if we can,” said Boxleitner.

There are going to be a lot of tough competitors for the Comets this year. Their section is one of the toughest with some of the best teams around.

“There’s always what I call the big 4, and they are always good… and those schools are Manheim Township, Hempfield, Cedar Crest, and Conestoga Valley, so those schools are always at the top, and usually Township is our toughest team to play,” said Boxleitner

Ian Tahmasbi, a junior tennis player for Penn Manor said that everyone on the team has to work hard every single day at practice. Everyone on the team wants to win every match but the boys  just need to have some more training. The team agreed, saying they have the best coach that they possibly could with Boxleitner leading them everyday.

“We have to work hard every single day if we want to get a win,” stated Tahmasbi.

“Jake Shiner and Troy Diffenderfer along with some others are looking really solid at practice and in matches,” said senior and first year player, Tyler Smith.

“They’ve done some really nice things in the off-season and now they are our one and two players,” said Boxleitner

By Ian Noll –

Time to wash your hands, this year’s Final Four is chalky.

The four remaining teams of the 2012 March Madness Tournament consist of the heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Kansas Jayhawks. All of the remaining teams are 1,2, or 4 seeds.

After this weekend’s games, another favorite, UNC, who played without star guard Kendall Marshall, was knocked out by Kansas. Syracuse also fell to the hands of the Buckeyes, which was expected by most since ‘Cuse had been playing without key center Fab Melo.

“There’s no “madness” this March,” junior Matt Hatch said referring to this year’s Final Four.

(1) Kentucky vs. (4) Louisville

According to ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, the big men will reign in New Orleans and with Kentucky’s Anthony Davis matching up against Louisville’s Gorgui Dieng, it’s not a case of David Vs. Goliath, it’s a case of Goliath Vs. Goliath’s twin brother. Both are the country’s best shot-blockers, each with an average of over three blocks per game, and are key post players on offense.

As for the outcome of the Kentucky-Louisville game, expect the Wildcats to control the game. Louisville might come be coming in on train full of momentum, but Kentucky is just too powerful of a team, scoring 102 on Indiana, and defeating every single team in the tournament so far by double digit points.

It’s time John Calipari gets his National Championship, and he has the team to do it. Especially with Center Anthony Davis leading the charge.

“It’s obvious Kentucky is the favorite, they will end up winning it all,”  science teacher Erick Dutchess said.

Putting all uni-brow jokes aside, Anthony Davis is not a force Louisville wants to

reckon with.

(2) Ohio State vs. (2) Kansas

As for the other game, Ohio State will be matching up against Kansas in a “battle of the 2 seeds.”

Ohio State will be lead by returning forward Jared Sullinger, who had returned as a sophomore to win a national championship. Sullinger is surrounded by a  team that has the potential to do it, especially with their top 10 ranked perimeter defense.

But Kansas can match that defense, and also has a team full of talent. Lead by Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, Kansas could potentially have a rematch with Kentucky in the national championship. Kansas just doesn’t rely on one player, it’s the whole team that shows up and plays, which means Ohio State has to worry about every player to step on the court.

“I like how Ohio State is playing, I think that they will be able to top Kansas,” junior Mark Dano said.

The games will be played in New Orleans on March 31st, with the national championship game that following Monday.

Make sure you tune in Saturday, these games are something not to miss.