The Lancaster Barnstormers have evened up the best of five series with a 6-1 victory over the York Revolution Sunday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Tommy Everidge, Lancaster's slugging first baseman. Photo courtesy of lancasterbarnstomers.com.
The possibility of a game five seemed unlikely to players in both clubhouses about four days ago when the Revs’ were in control of the series after two quick wins in York.
For some reason the Barnstormers strong offense went dormant when the playoffs started. But even after going down two games to York, the Barnstormers never lost focus or energy.
“I told them they were destined to win it and I still believe that,” Lancaster manager Butch Hobson said of his team after their game two lost.
And then the ‘Stormers came back east of the Susquehanna, found their bats and went back to their winning ways taking two in a row from the Revolution.
Game three was a masterful pitching performance from pitcher John Halama. He led Lancaster to a 5-1 win with help from Tommy Everidge, Travis Metcalf and Terry Tiffee who all sent balls flying over the outfield fence.
“He was outstanding,” Hobson said in an interview about Halama who threw 112 pitches, surrendering a lone run and only giving up two hits over the course of the entire game. “He’s a big-game pitcher.”
In game four, Matt Wright was on the mound and followed in Halama’s footsteps Sunday night with a great pitching performance in his return from a left knee injury. He allowed one run, giving up only three hits to the Revs’ over six innings pitched.
Tonight the ‘Stormers look to win game five which they knew was theirs from the start.
“After we win three at home, you guys can say Butch knows what he’s talking about,” said Hobson “We’re going to go home and win it in front of our fans. That’s what I wanted to do.”
They hope to do just that tonight at Clipper Magazine Stadium at 6:30pm in front of what they hope is a huge crowd that can witness history.
Despite the lack of rain the Comets still seemed to have a slippery ball.
“We missed a lot of opportunities to win the game,” said running back Brandon Stone.
It started out rough for Penn Manor when they just couldn’t seem to get a feel for the ball and Hempfield scored after two fourth down conversations. The quarter ended with the Knights leading 7-0.
But the Comets came raging back in the second quarter when Adam Sahd, quarterback for the Comets, rushed 20 yards for a touchdown to tie the game.
After a loss to Hempfield last year the Comets were hoping that the home turf advantage would help lead them to victory, but it just wasn’t enough.
“We really just started to play better as the game went on and played a hard game,” said linebacker Joziah Rodriguez. “But in the end we just didn’t do good enough.”
It was a constant battle in the second half with the Comets and the Knights. Both teams clashed helmets causing injuries on both sides and after an interception thrown by Penn Manor’s quarterback, Hempfield got a slight advantage in the third quarter leading by seven points.
Sahd had to make up for his mistakes and he did, early in the fourth after a fake handoff to running back Adam Hess, Sahd rushed 30 more yards for another TD. But he wasn’t satisfied with the tie, he wanted more. With four minutes left in the game Sahd rushed for another 30 yard TD, giving the Comets a lead of 21- 14 over the Knights.
The Comets seemed to have it in the bag after safety, Daulton Parmer, intercepted a ball thrown by Hempfield’s quarterback. With only seconds left on the clock, Sahd became confused during the next play which caused him to fumble the ball. Hempfield quickly recovered the ball and ran back for a touch down.
Penn Manor then called on Brian Sloss with 2.3 second left on the clock to try and save the game from overtime with an attempted 47 yard field goal. Unfortunately the ball bent to the left and was no good.
In overtime, the Comets tried to hold off Hempfield but the quarterback rushed for yet another touchdown. Penn Manor hustled until the end while the Knight’s defense stood strong, and wouldn’t allow the Comets to score. The game ended with Penn Manor 21, Hempfield 28.
“In the end this is just a huge learning experience for us, we know what not to do now,” said Adam Hess. “We’re just going to come back next week and try to play a better game.”
Time travel is an object of the imagination but now one of Hollywood’s most notable time travel trilogies has become a reality in footwear.
Now people can now buy a “Back To The Future Part 2” Air Mag Marty Mcfly pair of shoes made by Nike. These iconic shoes have been on eBay and have sold for a very high price.
In 1985 the idea of being able to time travel went to the big screen as the “Back To The Future trilogy.” These movies sold millions and were a huge hit, staring Michael J. Fox.
The new Marty Mcfly shoes stepping into the the new era. Picture from counterkicks.com
And 20 years later a futuristic shoe based on the original movies was developed by Nike and made available to fans for 10 days in September.
In fact British rapper Tinie Tempah, spent a whopping $37,500 for the first pair of “Nike Mags,” a limited edition replica of the shoes Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future Part II, TMZ reports.
Nike auctioned 1500 pairs of the shoes on Ebay to benefit the Parkinson’s Foundation. Michael J. Fox suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
According to the Michael J. Fox.org the shoes features an electroluminescent outsole, space-age materials and a rechargeable internal battery good for 3,000 hours. The downside to these shoes is that they’re not made for sports, these shoes are only for show.
Also, as part of the Brin Wojcicki Challenge, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and his wife Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of personal genetics company 23andMe, are matching up to $50 million in funds raised by the Foundation between now and December 31, 2012. Net proceeds from the 2011 MAG auctions on eBay will be matched.
It is hoped this money will go to research to finally get rid of this disease, so no one in the future has to face it.
“Game’s on!” said Penn Manor athletic director Jeff Roth.
A key rivalry in the L-L league, Penn Manor will take on the Hempfield Black Knights tonight in Millersville despite rain today and a forecast of rain tonight.
Kickoff is 7 p.m.
“We are planning on playing tonight,” said Roth in an email to Penn Manor staff. “(I) just talked to Eric Horst (Millersville meterologist) only chance of some thunder, rain won’t be like last week, could be steady at times or short time frames of some heavy rain, but will be mild all evening.”
The field at Biemsderfer Stadium at Millersville University is made of artificial turf and the deciding factor is usually how well the field has drained of water before the game.
“Players want to play. Coaches want to coach,” commented Roth.
According to Barry Groff, assistant coach, everyone involved wants to play tonight.
Any changes to the schedule tonight would “change everybody’s plans, not just the players,” said Groff.
The only thing that would prevent the game from happening is thunder or lightning, according to Roth, which causes a half-hour delay. If it happens again within that half hour, the clock restarts.
Get out and support your Comets……Bring your rain gear…
*Taylor Goldberg & Amber Brenner contributed to this article*
Penn Manor’s Girl’s Field Hockey team returned this season with renewed determination.
In Thursday’s game against second-place Hempfield, Eryn McCoy scored all three goals, shutting out the Black Knights 3-0.
The team is feeling especially competitive after a heart-breaking loss in states last year. They started this season off strong and currently have a record of six wins and no losses in Section One play and 9-1 overall.
The long time coach of the team, Matt Soto, expects the upcoming season to be a challenging but satisfying one.
Junior Hockey player, Eryn McCoy looks for another successful year with the Comets. Photo by Corey Fry.
“There are a lot of good teams out there,” he said, “But our program is one of the best.”
The team, under Soto, has had much success in the past.
Last year, the team went undefeated in the regular season. They also won their league and section championships, and made it to quarter finals in the state championship but lost to future champions, Emmaus.
Team captain Kayla Bixler believes the team’s strong sense of unity will contribute to their success this year.
“The team is very close” she said “We work well together.”
Students may arrive at school one morning to find vending machines that are a lot like the technology they use everyday.
One of the new high-tech vending machines. Photo Courtesy slumz.boxden.com
Vending machine usage has gone down in teenagers. In this day and age, teenagers would much rather swipe a card than dig through their bags for change.
Touch screens and smart machines that can talk may be the solution to the decreasing revenue seen from vending.
“We now have machines that look and act like giant iPads,” said Dan Mathews, COO at the National Automatic Merchandising Association, during an interview for USA Today. “We’re changing the stereotypes.”
Vending machines designed to snag the dollars of today’s Y generation range from:
Made-to-order Ramen Noodles (fresh and customized)
Made-to-order Cotton candy (fresh and on a stick)
Live crabs that are stored at the correct temperature
Talking machines that allow for you to not touch the germ-covered buttons
Social vending that allows you to leave a message for your friend by entering their mobile phone number
“(Smart Vending machines) would be beneficial for people who don’t really carry around change or small bills,” said Collin Decker, a senior at Penn Manor High School.
“I don’t even use the vending machines,” said senior Emily Eddowes.
Reasons for the decline in vending machine usage seem to revolve around one main factor according to Penn Manor students: money.
“I don’t carry change around,” said senior, Eddie Bley.
“I stopped using vending machines because of the prices,” said Decker.
Interest in vending machines seems to rise when more convenient products are placed inside of them. Some students have an ideal product that they would wish to be sold within our school.
“Energy drinks that are more herbal, to help kids get through the day,” said Decker.
“I want a big mac coming out of my vending machines,” said Bley.
With the lack of use that the vending machines are experiencing, small changes like the appearance, the features, or even what is inside, could change how often students use them.
Brad Kruger is the “loud kid” that rides motocross and the “S” for the Comet Boys.
Many people know that his taste in music are polar extremes. You will hear either hardcore “gangsta” rap bumping out of his white Ford Ranger or Jason Aldean wailing away.
Not many know that he already, at age 17, is a successful businessman.
Kruger lives in the woodsy, Pequea neighborhood Lakewood.
Brad Kruger, already a successful businessman. Photo courtesy of Brad Kruger.
In his own back yard he constructed a moderately sized motocross track that he and other local motocross riders, such as Kevin Holton, James Frese, Cole Martin and others, ride and practice on when they aren’t competing in races.
He is also the owner and designer of his own motocross graphics company, Underground Industries MX.
Based out of his bedroom, Underground Industries MX is a well-known motocross graphics company in Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas…and it’s run by a high school kid.
“I wanted to get a head start on what I want to do after college,” said Kruger. “I took my knowledge of graphic design and skills, got together with Black Heart MX and formed Underground Industries.”
Kruger explained his affiliation with Black Heart MX, “Black Heart MX handles all the printing and shipping since the cost of getting my own print equipment was too high.”
Underground Industries MX specializes in motocross bike decals, rider ID, neck braces and more. It’s not your “Average Joe’s” motocross shop either. The graphics company based out of Lancaster is becoming more recognizable around the region.
Kruger designed all of the graphics on this Kawasaki KX450F. Photo courtesy of Brad Kruger.
“So far I have been just trying to get my main amount of sales and exposure in PA and surrounding states.” said Kruger.
Most business owners are well educated, middle-aged men and women who have resumes and experience to back up their company. So it’s very rare to find one that is still in high school.
“Sometimes it can be hard for people to take you seriously when competitors’ companies are run by old people with college experience,” said Kruger, “but at the same time they see the design and work I put into it and see I take it seriously and therefore give me their business.”
Owning a business means that you will, more times than not, have a direct competitor that might snag some customers away. Kruger acknowledges this but is confident that he has the best quality products out there.
“As a young amateur motocross racer myself, some old racers would rather give me their business as an up and coming then to an already big established company,” said Kruger.
Kruger has realistic goals for his company.
“My main goal is to be able to make it my career after college and have it be my main job.”
Kruger hopes to get enough money to buy his own printing equipment so he doesn’t have to rely on other companies to run his business.
“I hope to be able to to purchase my own printing equipment when I get out of college so I don’t have to get my products outsourced through Black Heart MX anymore. This would increase my profits and allow me to create all product in-house and ship orders directly to customers.”
There’s a Chinese restaurant in York that has a 4 star rating – and for good reason.
Shangrila, which is about 35-40 minutes away from Penn Manor, “warrants the drive out there,” said Andrew Bachman of Washington Boro. “The service is great. The servers, while timid, were very fast at getting drinks and refills and very friendly.”
Right when you walk in there’s a warm welcoming from the host who greets you at the door and seats you right away.
“The service is great,” said Dale Laughman who lives in East Berlin. Zach Perecinsky of Delta agreed and added “the food is even better.”
Shangrila is clean and very well kept. It’s not like most Chinese restaurants, the color pops. There are a lot of reds, oranges and yellows; however, it is not overdone. It looks elegant and makes you very comfortable. It’s certainly better than sitting at little rickety tables you find at other Chinese restaurants that are primarily carryout.
“The restaurant itself is extremely clean and the decor is surprisingly posh for a restaurant. The atmosphere is great,” said Bachman.
The decorations add a nice touch to the restaurant. There are flowers and lamps everywhere. They also have pictures on the walls which add to the color and the surrounding area. The place is very cozy.
The food at Shangrila is amazing according to several local people who have tried it.
York Chinese restaurant, Shangrila, has been enticing customers from Lancaster to dine there. Photo by Kira Hess
“The food is awesome,” said Laughman.
The chicken fried rice, the Dragon and Phoenix, and the orange chicken are phenomenal. All the flavors flow through your mouth. The group favorites were definitely the orange chicken and the chicken fried rice.
While this Chinese restaurant is similar to others in many ways, there are many things about it that make it stand out in a crowd.
“Comparing it to other Chinese places is like comparing a McDonald’s burger to Five Guys. They’re relatively the same but astronomically different,” said Bachman
Overall the place is amazing, it’s a hidden little gem tucked away in a strip mall, very unassuming but once you go you’ll find yourself coming back again and again…
“I recommend it to all of my friends who enjoy Chinese food and often take them out there myself. I’ve yet to hear one person say they didn’t find the food to be the best Chinese food they’ve ever had,” said Bachman.
The walk from the pavilion to the starting line was the only time Tuesday that Comet cross-country runners Harrison Shetler and Greta Lindsley weren’t leading the pack.
Penn Manor’s course, located in the Millersville Borough Park, is anything but easy. With steep hills and sharp turns, it challenged runners from schools all over the county. Despite this, the Comets had great success at their home turf.
“Our running was pristine this afternoon,” said senior co-captain Harry Manning. “Being at home played to be a nice advantage on our side.”
The Comets’ Greta Lindsley, who as a freshman last season won the LL League Championship, came in first place among all the girl runners, with a time of 19:08. She won the race by a large margin of 57 seconds.
Comets superstar runner Harrison Shetler, a junior at Penn Manor, also placed first among all male runners with a time of 16:57. Shetler passed the race leader on the final lap to take the gold.
Shetler recalled his come-from-behind victory.
Harrison Shetler turned on the after-burners Monday during a cross-country meet to grab the top spot among all runners. Photo by Alex Kirk
“Going into the last lap, I was behind by about 10 seconds for the majority of the lap until we got to the base of the hill where I passed him and once we got to the top of the hill, he packed it in. He was done,” said Shetler.
Athletic Director Jeff Roth was cheering on his Comets at the park Tuesday. Roth said he was very proud to have both the guys and girls individual winners.
“It was excellent,” said Roth. “Two individual winners to knock off our first meet in the Borough Park, which is outstanding against two very strong teams, Manheim Township and Cedar Crest. Harrison and Greta ran both extremely well today,” said Roth.
The girls and boys teams share a record of 9-3 so far this season. and plan to continue to win and compete for the remainder of their season and come to the league competition with high hopes for first.
David Burch contributed to this article.
Harrison Manning and Coach Roth. Photo by Alex Kirk
Harrison Shetler turned on the after-burners Monday during a cross-country meet to grab the top spot among all runners. Photo by Alex Kirk
Penn Manor’s McCoy twins look like each other and play like each other on the field.
Eryn and Emily McCoy were handed field hockey sticks in fifth grade, but they disliked the game they eventually would come to love.
It was a struggle at first, but the game slowly grew on them and the sisters haven’t looked back since.
Domination is a word that perfectly describes how the sisters play.
Emily McCoy, along with her sister, Eryn, are superstars on the Penn Manor field hockey team. Photo by Cheyenne Weber
Penn Manor has lost just four games over the last three seasons since the arrival of Emily, a midfielder, and Eryn, a forward.
The duo has helped the Comets earn state and national rankings – and Penn Manor, the four-time reigning Section 1 champ, is off to a 7-0 start in league play this season – and the twins have played for the U.S. National Team, meaning they are among the top prep players in the nation.
Penn Manor coach Matt Soto had only positive things to say about the McCoy’s.
“They work very well together, they’re very good teammates, they work hard during practice, and they have a lot of fun,” the Comets’ coach said. “They make practice very fun, but at the same time, they have great skill.”
Soto, who guided Penn Manor to the state championship in 2008, is an assistant coach for the U.S. Field Hockey National Developmental Team.
Emily and Eryn also play for the U.S. Under-17 squad. In February, they will travel to California to tryout for the U-17 Team. If they make the team, the twins could travel around the world playing field hockey against some of the best national teams.
But to be the best and play with the best, sometimes you have to make sacrifices.
The sisters have had to make some sacrifices to help their career. They transferred from Manheim Township to Penn Manor before their freshman year, leaving their friends and teammates behind.
The McCoy’s had to get over the always difficult hurdle of making new friends, but with the help of the team, their energetic and friendly personalities, and the fact that they always have each other to rely on, it wasn’t that much of a challenge
Lisa McCoy, the twins’ mom, is an assistant coach under Soto, and she does not cut her daughters any slack.
“Lisa McCoy was an assistant coach before they became varsity players,” Soto said. “So she had been acclimated in our program before they were in the picture as players, so the transition has been smooth.”
“(Coach Soto) knows what he’s talking about, and he learns a lot from U.S. Field Hockey and he teaches it to our team,” Emily McCoy said.
The McCoys are making names for themselves at the high school level, but can they do it at the next level? They’re hoping so.
The McCoy twins are being highly recruited by big-name NCAA Division I colleges, but they don’t want to go to separate schools; they want to stick together, and colleges are quite all right with not breaking up the duo. Almost every college that is looking at one of the McCoy’s is looking at the other.
“Only one or two colleges are looking at me separately, and they aren’t Division I schools,” Emily McCoy said.
“We’re being looked at by Boston College, Iowa, Maryland, American and the University of Massachusetts – and some other colleges so far,” Eryn McCoy added.
That’s not all.
Coach Soto said that the McCoy’s are being looked at by up to 15 colleges – most of them being Division I.
Why are the McCoy’s being so heavily recruited? It’s their skill, gifted athletic ability, and their determination to win every game. They are also very competitive.
Whether it’s a game for Penn Manor, the National team, or for their Lanco club team, they don’t like to lose; the twins are very competitive, sometimes even with each other.
When asked who’s better Eryn replied: “Me,” she said, very confidently.
Emily immediately interrupted: “No, that’s not even a fair question,” she said.
Then they discussed it: Eryn has better stick skills, but Emily is faster. And so on. Those kinds of questions might hover over their heads for their entire field hockey careers. But for now, the twins are very happy to be playing field hockey with each other.
The McCoy twins play so much field hockey and practice so much together that they have created a sixth sense between them. Emily can sense where Eryn is and vice versa.
“They definitely have a sixth sense,” Soto said, “and that comes from preparation because they play so much hockey.”
The McCoy’s plan is to continue their marvelous field hockey journey together through high school and through college and however far it takes them.
