Holiday tournaments

Greetings everyone. Let me start by wishing you all a very happy holiday season.

There will be a lot of EAHS action happening in the next couple of days with the annual holiday tournaments. Here's a quick rundown of everything going on, in case you were interested in attending anything.

Boys Basketball:
The Bears will be competing in the West Shore Tournament beginning today. E-town will battle Red Land (the hosts) at 6 p.m. tonight.
The other game will be Penn Manor vs. Cedar Cliff, following the Bears game.
The championship and consolation will be tomorrow, with the consolation tipping off at 6 and the championship following that.
The boys have lose five straight now, so it would do a lot for their confidence to get a win (or hopefully 2) in this tournament and come into the second half of the year riding some momentum.

Girls Basketball:
E-town will be playing in the Hershey Holiday Tournament tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Hershey. The other game will be Spring Grove and Greencastle-Antrim at 6 p.m. Consolation and championship will be tomorrow beginning at 6 p.m.
As you probably know by now, the Baby Bears are still in search of their first win. This tournament will give the team a good scope of where it stands so far this year and how many strides they have made.

Wrestling
The Bears will head over to Donegal again this year to participate in the Donegal Holiday Tournament. E-town could very well be the team to beat here, in a field that includes Columbia, Donegal, Garden Spot, Kutztown, Middletown, Red Land and Shippensburg.
Something tells me E-town would like a little redemption against Middletown, the only team to beat the Bears so far.
Things kick off tomorrow at noon, with consolation finals at 3 p.m. on Saturday and championship finals at 5:45 Saturday. I think I'll be taking the action in tomorrow at Donegal and I'll probably be back at 5:45 on Saturday, mainly because I think a lot of the Bears will be wrestling still.

So enjoy the tournaments everyone, and have a great, safe New Year.

The heartbreak kids

Boy, oh boy, the E-town boys basketball team has certainly been on the short of the stick a bunch in the past week or so. (by the way, sorry for the lack of a photo to accompany this lovely entry, my system seems to be in a funk. Either that, or I'm an idiot. Probably the latter).

But back to the Bears, let's look at their past three games:
61-59 loss to Warwick last Friday (I was at this game and I can tell you first-hand, it was a tough, tough loss).
61-58 loss to Manheim Township Monday (seriously, you couldn't make this up...another tough one).
39-38 loss to Cocalico last night. Wow.

That's three losses in less than a week by a COMBINED total of six points. Ouch. But there are two ways to look at a week like that.

1. There's the glass half empty perspective. You know, the "they're 0-4 in the league and 2-5 overall and can't seem to win the close games" viewpoint. But that's not what I choose to think. I'm a glass half full kind of fella. Well, except when the glass is filled with ice cold milk and there's a sleeve of Oreos in front of me, then that glass is going to be empty. In a hurry. In a related note, I had to punch a new hole in my belt with a pair of scissors yesterday.

2. My take is the glass half full take. Yes, the Bears are 0-4 in league play, but guess what? Four other teams in the section are just 1-3, meaning the Bears are still just a game out of second place. And Cocalico (the team that beat E-town by just one point) is in first at 3-1, so at least the Bears know they can hang with the section's first place team.

For some reason or another, the bounces at the end of the games just aren't going E-town's way right now, but that doesn't mean it won't change at any minute. The Bears could be 3-1 in league play as easily as they are 0-4 and that's something that should keep them motivated. If any team in Section Two can make a mid or late season charge at the section crown and the league playoffs, it's this E-town team. But they've got to start soon.

Actually, they've got to start by beating CV tomorrow night and head into the winter break with some momentum.

Catching up...

Greetings everyone, I hope you're all thawed out today and ready for the incoming smack Old Man Winter is supposed to lay on us all this weekend. I know I'm thrilled (can you sense my sarcasm?)

A couple of things that I wanted to touch on before I got into catching up on the wide world of E-town sports.

So the Mitchell Report came out yesterday and named a whole bunch of high profile players as alleged steroid users. Some of the names I wasn't surprised at all by (see Bonds, Barry and Clemens, Roger), but a few, like Brian Roberts, caught me off guard. It seems like there isn't really any proof to this a lot stuff, just a lot of hearsay, but it's definitely an eye-opener. Definitely a sad day for my favorite sport.

Great time of year overall for sports – NFL playoffs coming up, College bowls about to start, MLB hot stove heating up, NBA and college hoops in full gear, and, yes, fantasy football playoffs. Did I mention I'm a geek?

OK, now that that's out of the way, here's the latest on the E-town sports scene:

*EAHS boys basketball:
Pretty good start so far for the Bears. They're 2-2 right now and are coming off a close loss to McCaskey on Tuesday. The Bears showed a lot of scrappiness and resiliency (which I think will be a trademark for them all season long) and hung with the L-L League powerhouse, losing by 6. I'll admit that I wasn't a big fan of some of the quotes I read from the McCaskey players and coaches after the game. Seemed to me like they have a bit of arrogance about them, which is probably understandable since they have been the dominant force in the league for some time now. It just seemed like to me that they were hinting that the reason the game was close was because they played bad, not because E-town played good. I'll be at Daubert gym tonight to watch the Bears take on Warwick.

*EAHS wrestling:
The Bears bounced back from a disappointing loss to Middletown on Saturday with a strong showing against CD East on Wednesday. The squad certainly has a lot of talent and I think the league and district matches will be very interesting this year. I've heard a lot of coaches in the league say that E-town might be the team to beat. It's a bit early for those kinds of predictions from me, but if the Bears come out and wrestle like they can every match and stay focused, I'd say it's certainly not out of the question.

E-TOWN COLLEGE ALERT:
I haven't written much about E-town College athletics on this blog (I know, tsk, tsk), but the men's basketball team is off to an outstanding start. The Jays are 8-0 and play a home game on Saturday at 3 against Rutgers-Camden before being off until Jan. 4. Head out on Saturday (if the snow isn't too bad) and check them out. Congrats to coach Bob Schlosser (and my boy assitant coach Barry Acker. Had to throw some props his way) on a great start.

That's all for now. Enjoy the weekend, drive safely and, as always, stay classy Elizabethtown.

EAHS Football all-stars

The EAHS football team had one of the most memorable seasons in recent history, going 10-2, winning Section Two and making the District Three playoffs, and recently 12 players from the team were named Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two all-stars.

Pictured are, front row from left, Travis Leber (honorable mention, DE), Sean McMullen (first team, C, ILB), Andrew Weller (first team OLB, honorable mention RB), Chris Burger (second team, T) and Preston Faith (honorable mention, QB). Back row, from left, are Conrad Heisey (honorable mention, RB), Anthony Durante (second team, G), Nate Koach (first team WR, second team DB), Jordan Hallman (first team RB and P, second team KR and DB), Alex Kirchner (first team DL, honorable mention G), and Shane Rosenberry (second team, ILB).

Head coach Jeff Polites was also named Section Two coach of the year.

EAHS field hockey all-stars

The EAHS field hockey team had four players named Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two all-stars following the fall season.

They are, from left, Abby Curtin (second team, back), Anna Libby (honorable mention, midfield) and Hannah Olnick (first team, midfield). Becca Bigler is not pictured, but was named to the second team as a goalkeeper.

EAHS Boys Soccer L-L All Stars

The EAHS boys soccer team shared the Section Two crown this year and now five players from that team earned Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two all-star honors.

They are, from left, Peter Davis (first team forward and all-state nominee), Bryan Kob (academic all-star, midfield), Quinn Cozzens (first team goalkeeper) and Kevin Romanauskas (first team, midfield). Not pictured is Josh Reem, who earned second team honors at forward.

In addition, head coach James Sostack was named Section Two coach of the year after leading the Bears to an 11-6-1 record this year.

Cross Country All-Stars

EAHS cross country Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two all-stars have been named.

Two members of the girls team honored are, far left, Caity Fisher, and Shea Mascia, right. Both girls earned honorable mention status.

Dustin Horning, center, was named to the second team from the boys team.

Bears thump Donegal

(Shane Rosenberry, shown here in E-town's win over Hershey last week, earned a tech. fall last night. – photo courtesy of Naomi Herr).

Well, color me impressed. E-town looked very good last night and completely dominated Donegal en route to a 43-15 win. The Bears have had a lot of expectations heaped on them already (I've heard rumblings that several coaches in the L-L League said that they were the team to beat in the league), and they've lived up to them so far.

After picking up the program's 400th win last week in dominating fashion, the Bears put it on Donegal and it really wasn't even close. I was very impressed with the energy E-town wrestled with and it was great seeing how much stronger and better some of the wrestlers have gotten since last year.

Justin Lewis, Blake Rosenberger (who I think is going to have a huge year, even though he's in a stacked weight class at 145) and Calvin Anderton all picked up pins. Oliver Thayer (very impressed by him last night as well) and Sean McMullen both had major decisions and Shane Rosenberry had a tech. fall. Jared Danneker and Travis Leber both won by decision.

Great job by the Bears last night. They travel tomorrow to Middletown, which will be a great early season measuring stick for this team. Middletown is always one of the strongest teams in the district, so it will be interesting to see how the Bears stack up with them.

Garber doing well at West Chester

Janelle Garber, the former EAHS standout girls basketball player and 1,000 point scorer at E-town, is enjoying success in her sophomore season at West Chester University. She's helped the team to a 5-1 start and has started all six games. She is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.3 points per game. She is also the team's leading rebounder (8.7 per game), and leads the team in blocked shots (6) and is tied for the team lead with 14 steals.

She was recently named PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Week for averaging 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Golden Rams last week.

EAHS boys swimming preview

Head Coach: Chris Roberts, first year.

2006-2007 Record: 5-6 overall.

Key Returners: Peter Davis, senior, co-captain; Zach McElheny, senior, co-captain; Jeff Norton, senior; Jake Sherk, senior; Chad Barninger, junior; Sam Hockley, junior; Brendan Demmy, sophomore; Matt Ramsey, sophomore.
The Bears don’t have a very large amount of returning, but the ones they do have are all very good.
The group will be led by seniors Davis and McElheny, probably the two strongest swimmers on the team.
Keep an eye on Barninger and Hockley, who could make the leap this year and have big seasons.
Demmy and Ramsey are just sophomores but competed well at the varsity level as freshmen last year. They return a year stronger and wiser.
Norton and Sherk will add to the Bears’ leadership and should also have solid seasons.

Key Newcomers: Shaun Faulstick, Conor Maghan, Giordano Pugliese, Alex Weber.
Because the Bears don’t have a very large number of swimmers on the roster, it’s very likely that these newcomers will need to be able to contribute at the varsity level immediately.
Unfortunately, they are going to have to learn how to score points at this level as they go, but they are all good swimmers and should get acclimated quickly.

Key Losses: David Gates, Mike Labagh, Ryan Johns, Scott Ramsey, Josh Gunnett.
Last year’s seniors brought a lot to the table for the Bears and it will be up to the four seniors on this year’s team to pick up where they left off. All five, especially Labagh, Ramsey and Gates were extremely strong swimmers and will be missed it the pool.

What they do well: Leadership.
Roberts said that the seniors have been great through the coaching change, which can do lots for team chemistry.
If the team is positive and ready to move forward, the results will be evident in their times.

What they need to work on:
Getting over the hump.
Last season, E-town started in the right direction, in terms of becoming competitive in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. It’s time for the seniors to step up and take the team to the next level.

Outlook:
E-town doesn’t have the biggest roster in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, but there is enough talent on there to be competitive again this season.
If some of the younger swimmers can adjust quickly, E-town could find itself above .500 at the end of the year. Davis and McElheny will lead the team, but watch for Ramsey, Hockley and Barninger to also have very big years for the Bears.

EAHS girls swimming preview

Head Coach: Chris Roberts, first year.

2006-2007 Record: 6-5 overall.

Key Returners: Courtney Bentz, senior, co-captain; Chloe Hockley, senior, co-captain; Erin Kurtz, senior, co-captain; Nicole Faulstick, senior; Caity Fisher, senior; Anna Nielsen, senior; Alison Reed, senior; Kristin Shearer, senior; Kimberly Cisneros, junior; Abby Curtin, junior; Gabriella Pugliese, junior; Kris Roaten, junior; Leah Hayward, junior; Nikelle Albright, sophomore; Layne Bedenbaugh, sophomore; Theta Cleis, sophomore; Leanna Kolonauski, sophomore; Elizabeth Moyer, sophomore; Melissa Norton, sophomore; Vaishali Patel, sophomore; Ellen Schmehl, sophomore; Stephanie Skees, sophomore.
The Bears return a deep class of swimmers, which is very important when enduring a coaching change.
They will be led by their captains, Bentz, Hockley and Kurtz who are all very strong swimmers. Fisher and Faulstick should also have big years for the Bears.
Overall, there’s a lot of talent that Roberts will be able to put in the pool for just about every event.

Key Newcomers: Courtney Distasio, Malorie Finley, Alaina Herkelman, Y. Dorothy Jung, Alyssa Kurtz, Holly Phillippe, Emily Price, Brittany Ricedorf, Angela Vertucci.
The next generation of E-town swimmers will have plenty of upperclassmen to learn from, which will serve them well as they get their feet wet, so to speak.

Key Losses: Lauren Hernley, Darcie Bentz, Christin Hitz, Mallory Newcomer, Alycia Nygard.
Some of the Bears’ strongest swimmers from last year – notably Hernley, Bentz and Hitz – have moved on and will be missed in a lot of events.

What they do well: Leadership.
Roberts said that the seniors have been great through the coaching change, which can do lots for team chemistry.
If the team is positive and ready to move forward, the results will be evident in their times.

What they need to work on: Getting over the hump.
Last season, E-town started in the right direction, in terms of becoming competitive in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. It’s time for the seniors to step up and take the team to the next level.

Outlook:
It could be a big year for the Bears, considering the amount of
returning swimmers they have. Watch for E-town to maybe surprise a few teams this year and equal, or even surpass, last year’s win total.

E-town Ice Hockey preview

Head Coach: Steve Lokey, second year.

2006-2007 Record: 16-4-1 overall. Champions, South Division, Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks Tier II. Lost to Muhlenberg, 7-2 in Tier II semifinals.

Key Returners: Zach Lokey, senior, F (11 goals, 10 assists so far this season); Dillon Filepas, senior, F (5 goals, 4 assists); Derek Hallet, senior, F (4 goals, 4 assists); A.J. English, senior, D (2 goals, 1 assist); Hunter Peirce, senior (1 goal, 1 assist); Brian Milici, junior, F, (8 goals, 7 assists); Josh Carter, junior, F, (7 goals, 5 assists); Thomas Dombrosky, junior, F (4 goals, 10 assists); Tyler Miller, junior, F (1 assist); Alex Reinhold, junior, D (1 assist); Devin Shay, junior, F; Harry Rhodes, junior, G (3-0, .87 save percentage, 3.0 goals allowed average); Luke Fox, junior, F; Michael VanHorn, sophomore, D (1 goal, 4 assists).
The Bears return a plethora of talent all over the ice, from the forwards on back to the goalie. As good as this group was last year, winning 16 games and advancing to the Tier II semifinals, it should be even better this season.
Offensively, the Bears will be paced by Lokey, arguably the best player in the CPIHL. After tallying 40 goals and 23 assists a year ago, Lokey already has 11 goals and 10 assists in just four games. Milici and Dombrosky are also in the top 10 in the CPIHL and scoring and help take some of the burden off of Lokey. But the Bears have offensive firepower up and down the roster. Carter, Dombrosky and Miller are all excellent forwards who will see plenty of ice time and will help fuel E-town’s offensive fire.
On defense, English, Reinhold and VanHorn lead a young defense. E-town’s offensive capabilities (they’ve scored at least seven goals in each of their first five games) takes a lot of pressure off of the defense and allows them to make a few mistakes here and there, which is a good thing while the younger defenders learn. Behind the defense is Rhodes, an agile goalie who can move around and stop just about anything coming his way.

Key Newcomers: Lindsey Shuler, sophomore, D; Derrick Anderson, sophomore, D (1 goal, 3 assists); Brandon Lancaster, sophomore, D (2 goals); Steven Dombrosky, freshman, D/G (2-0, .94 save percentage, 1 goal allowed average).
According to Lokey, Anderson and Lancaster are playing defense for the first time this year and are working hard to learn their new position. They’ll get good leadership from English, Reinhold and VanHorn.
Dombrosky is an up-and-coming goalie who has been sensational so far as a freshman. He is 2-0 with a save percentage of 94 and is allowing just one goal per game.

Key Losses: Zach Zellman, Mitch Reinhold, Ryan Dolan.
The Bears will feel the sting of losing these three players (all of which were CPIHL all-stars last year) on the defensive end of the ice.
“They provided a very tough and gritty style of defense and goaltending, (and) that is still missing from this year’s team,” Steve Lokey said.

How they’ve fared so far this season: 5-0.
The Bears are off to an extremely strong start, winning their first five games in dominating fashion. They’ve outscored their opponents by a total score of 46-11. But the Bears will have their work cut out for them in the games ahead, as they will begin matching up with teams from the Mid Penn and York divisions. But they’ve proved so far to be heads and shoulders above the majority of the teams in the Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks Division.

What they do well: Score goals, stop pucks.
There are very few, if any, teams around that can score with the Bears. E-town is averaging more than nine goals per game so far, which is allowing its relatively inexperienced defense to learn on the go and play relaxed. The Bears boast three of the CPIHL’s top 10 scorers including its top scorer (Lokey).
As long as E-town can continue pressure opposing defenses and putting pucks in the net, they are going to be tough to beat.
Rhodes and Dombrosky have been a good 1-2 punch in goal for the Bears so far this year.
“They have done a tremendous job facing several strong scoring chances from our opponents,” Steve Lokey said.
Until the defense gets its feet wet, it’ll be up to these two to thwart opposing scoring chances.

What they need to work on: Defense, team chemistry.
The defense simply doesn’t have much experience. English, Reinhold and VanHorn are the only defenders with any experience and they only have one season each under their belts. Lancaster and Anderson are forwards learning to be defensemen, but Lokey is confident they will be fine.
“They are working very hard to understand how to play defense, especially in their positioning and physical play,” he said.
With so many forwards, it will take time for team chemistry to get where it needs to be for E-town.
“They are coming together with better puck movement, but they need to work on their defensive responsibilities,” said Lokey.

Outlook:
The Bears had a great season last year and return an equally strong, if not better, team this season. Some teams around the CPIHL have had to combine this season, making the competition stiffer.
But E-town is off to a fantastic start and is likely the favorite to repeat as division champs.
The team still hasn’t gotten over its playoff loss last season and is using that as motivation to get every farther this year.
“Losing in the semifinal round last year really leftj a bad taste in the mouth of the returning players,” Lokey said. “They are working hard to get a chance to redeem themselves.”
Watch for E-town to at least repeat last year’s success and be a major contender for the Tier II cup, especially once the defense comes together by mid to late season. As the old saying goes, offense makes highlight reels, defense wins championships.
“We must be more physical and overall play better team defense to get a chance to repeat last year’s team’s success,” said Lokey.

EAHS wrestling preview

Head Coach: Mike Sernoffsky, 25th season.

2006-2007 Record: 13-3 overall, 6-1 Section Two. Section Two champions.

Key Returners: Calvin Anderton, sophomore, 112 pounds; Oliver Thayer, senior, 135; Blake Rosenberger, senior, 145; Robby Townsley, senior, 140; Zac Distasio, senior, 152; Adam Zellman, junior, 160; Travis Leber, senior, 171; Justin Lewis, sophomore, 130; Jared Danneker, sophomore, 130; Shane Rosenberry, junior, 189; Sean McMullen, senior, 215; Alex Kirchner, junior, 285; Nico Givens, junior, 140.
E-town returns a ton of talent from last year’s section-champion squad. Up and down their lineup, the Bears are filled with experienced wrestlers capable of winning a lot of matches.
They will be led by the big three of Rosenberger, Rosenberry and McMullen. Rosenberry and McMullen were district medalists and state qualifiers a year ago and all three have an excellent shot of getting to the Giant Center for the state tournament this year. Rosenberry and McMullen will mainly wrestle at 189 and 215, but can also go at 171 and 189, respectively. Both are very strong, quick and technically sound and will win plenty of matches this season.
Rosenberger seems primed for a big season as well, and will be a force all season long, including leagues and sectionals and, barring an injury, will likely be a district and state qualifier.
The rest of E-town’s returners are more than capable of making a lot of noise in the season-ending tournaments, as the Bears return five wrestlers with 25 or more wins from last year. You’d be hard pressed to find a weakness in any of the weights that E-town has returning wrestlers at.

Key Newcomers: Matt Hoover, freshman, 103; Antonio Rodriguez, freshman, 119; Kyle Morrow, sophomore, 125; Zach Cramer, sophomore, 125; Zach Myers, sophomore, 152; Sean Heming, sophomore, 285; Hayden Gerhart, senior, 152; David Kennedy, sophomore, 160.
For the first time in several years, the Bears will be able to trot out a full lineup, with Hoover and Rodriguez filling the 103 and 119 weight classes.
The depth at the other weights will help the Bears get better in matches because they will have more competition on the practice mats, something that is very important in wrestling.
All of these newcomers will have the luxury of learning the ropes from the deep class of returning wrestlers, which will help keep E-town strong for the next couple of years.

Key Losses: Cole Hilsher, Joey Ahern, Chris Marsh, Alex Herr.
Hilsher and Ahern were both captains last year and brought a lot of senior leadership (not to mention talent) to E-town’s roster and will be missed.
Marsh gave the Bears a solid heavyweight, which will be taken over now by Kirchner. Herr was also a solid wrestler and always gave supreme effort when he was on the mat.

What they do well: Know how to win, wrestle with heart.
Go watch an E-town wrestling match. What you’ll see is every wrestler, from 103 pounds through heavyweight, wrestle hard each and every match and never quit. Several times last year, E-town wrestlers fell behind in the first and second periods of matches, only to come back strong in the third period and pull out wins. In section matches, and tournaments especially, the wrestlers who don’t give up are often the ones getting their hand raised at the end.
The Bears are also familiar with winning. You won’t find anyone wearing an E-town singlet being easily intimidated by an opponent, which is a testament to their previous success and also to the Bears’ coaching staff. E-town has plenty of wrestlers capable of qualifying for districts, and they know what they have to do to get there. E-town also has a lot of members of the football team on its roster. Sernoffsky said he hopes those players can continue the winning tradition they started in the fall.
“The kids are on a high from successful fall sports seasons and we plan to build on that,” he said.

What they need to work on: Not being complacent.
The Bears have a very good team this year, and they know it. There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance and E-town has to be careful to stay on the side of confidence. Just because they are supposed to win a lot of matches doesn’t mean it will come easy.
E-town has to continue working hard, hitting the weight room and practicing hard each and every day. Sernoffsky said his wrestlers have good heads on their shoulders and doesn’t see complacency as being as issue.
“We must guard against an attitude that we don’t have to work hard because we are supposed to be good,” he said. “I don’t believe the coaching staff will allow that, as the kids can see from the intensity of practice so far.”

How they fared so far this season: 1-0.
E-town dismantled Hershey in its season-opening match on Saturday, Dec. 1, picking up the program’s 400th win in the process. It was an important win for the Bears, as they got the season started the way they wanted to in front of dozens of former EAHS wrestlers.

Outlook:
All signs point to a huge season for the Bears this year, if they can avoid key injuries. E-town has a lot of wrestlers on its roster, but there are still some weight classes that lack a lot of depth.
But it’s hard for E-town’s fans not to be excited about the upcoming season. Their success will hinge on how well the returning wrestlers can harness last season’s success and build on it. In nearly every match, the Bears can rely on getting points from Rosenberry, McMullen and Rosenberger and look for wrestlers like Anderton, Thayer, Townsley, Distasio, Zellman, Leber, Danneker and Kirchner to step up rack up a lot of wins, leading to another double-digit win total for the team.
The Bears lost just one match in section play last year, to Manheim Central. The Barons will be tough again this year (the 215 matchup of McMullen and Jordan Enck will be a highlight there), so E-town will not waltz to a repeat of the section crown.
E-town will have a strong season this year, and should be able to at least match last year’s 13 wins. The Bears could also send between four and five wrestlers to districts, with Rosenberger, Rosenberry and McMullen having the best shot to make the state tournament.
“We have a good blend of seniors and underclassmen with quite a bit of experience,” Sernoffsky said. “We hope to continue with the success of the football and soccer teams and win another section title this year.”

*I'll be at Daubert Gym tonight for the big Donegal-E-town match. More on this tomorrow.

EAHS bowling preview

Head Coach: Frank Telenko Jr., fourth season.

2006-2007 Record: 42-18 overall. Section Two champions.

Key Returners: Derek Boozer, senior; Ryan Lightner, senior; Jon Lee, senior; Megan Lee, senior; Melissa Lee, senior; Chuck Rubis, senior; Elisha Armold, senior; Harry Rehkugler, junior; Beth Garman, sophomore; Katie Boozer, sophomore.
This group has the ability to lead this team back into contention for the section title.
Captains Boozer and Lightner will be the team’s anchors and will put up 600 and 700 serieses consistently. Jon Lee, the team’s third captain, will be in the high 500s and is capable of a 600 series as well.
But the group’s biggest task (other than knocking down lots of pins, of course) will be showing the younger bowlers the ropes.
“I expect this group to lead,” Telenko said. “There are a lot of young kids on this team, and we plan to contend for another section title. This group knows what it takes.”

Key Newcomers: Danny Secord, freshman; Adam Fink, freshman; Tyler Lee, freshman; Shaun Meier, freshman; Beth Moyer, freshman; Steven Ritzman, freshman; Ethan Gruber, freshman; Aaron Maze, freshman; Garrett Amsbaugh, freshman; Katie Funck, sophomore.
The Bears have a ton of young bowlers, many of whom need to be ready to bowl at the varsity level when needed. Secord and Fink have already seen action, as both bowled in the team’s season-opening match.
Secord appears to be the most varsity-ready bowler of all of the newcomers, putting up a 524 series in his first match.
They will get to learn from a talented group of upperclassmen.
“This group is talented and hungry and they are expected to be ready to carry the torch,” said Telenko. “Many will get varsity time (and) they need to be ready to perform right now and be ready to take the leadership reins for next year.”

Key Losses: Andy Moyer, Andy Fink, Kyle Criste, Katielynn Scanlon.
All four of these bowlers were integral parts of last year’s successful team.
Moyer was the anchor of that team, consistently putting up excellent scores. Fink, Criste and Scanlon were also solid, consistent bowlers and helped the Bears win a lot of matches a year ago.
Their leadership and ability will be missed, but they did a good job grooming the current seniors to lead the team.

What they do well: Shoot spares.
Telenko is a big believer in the “spares win matches” philosophy, and he has hammered that into the heads of his bowlers.
“We are a great spare shooting team because we work on it every day at practice,” he said.

What they need to work on: Not playing down to their opponents.
Telenko said that one of the things his team needs to work on is bowling with the same consistency no matter who the Bears are matched up against.
“We tend to get caught up in bowling to our opponents. If we bowl a team that is not perceived as a strong team, we tend to bowl bad,” he said. “We need to learn how to win and worry about our self motivation.”
The cure to that problem lies with the seniors. The younger players take their cue from them, so the older bowlers must show that they will bowl at a high level consistently, regardless of the competition.

How they’ve fared so far: 4-0.
The Bears swept Manheim Central in their season opening match, 4-0, on Monday, Dec. 3 and are off to a good start.
In that match, Boozer led the way with a 712 series, followed by Lightner (618), Lee (562) and Secord (524).

Outlook:
There’s no denying that E-town has a very strong, capable team – especially with Boozer and Lightner in their starting lineup. So the Bears will need to live up to the expectations that will be placed on them as defending section champions. They have the target on their backs now, and they have to be ready to be on their game every match.
The Bears have an exceptionally large team (20 bowlers), and Telenko has big expectations for them, not only to win matches, but to learn the nuances of the game.
“I expect them to learn the game of bowling and act like a sponge during practice and matches. They need blind faith,” he said. “As a varsity program, we expect to win the section title again. We practice to win every day and my seniors want nothing more.”
Next year, the Bears will move back up to Section One, so this will be an important season for the younger bowlers to continue improving before making the leap next season.
But for now, E-town will continue punishing pins – and Section Two opponents.

EAHS girls basketball preview

Head Coach: Mike Pericci, third year.

2006-2007 Record: 8-15 overall, 5-11 league.

Key Returners: Jen Dunkelberger, senior, G; Becca Bigler, junior, F.
Dunkelberger and Bigler are the only two returning varsity letter-winners from last year’s team. While the team didn’t play particularly well last year, they did two years ago – when the Bears made the state tournament. That means that E-town’s two captains know what it’s like to win at the varsity level, and that experience could go a long way when it comes to mentoring E-town’s roster full of underclassmen.
Dunkelberger is a steady guard, who gives E-town a perimeter shooting threat and is capable of scoring in double digits on any given night. Her senior leadership will be invaluable to Pericci’s team this year.
Bigler is probably the team’s most complete player. She can handle running point, as well as score in the low post. She plays extremely physically, which not only will set a great example for the younger players, but will help her get to more loose balls and get to the free throw line a ton.

Key Newcomers: The rest of the roster.
Out of the team’s 16 players, 14 are new this year and 10 of them are freshman – an extraordinary amount for any varsity team to have. Pericci said he didn’t want to single out any particular player as a key newcomer because he is expecting good things out of all of them.
“All of the girls have shown signs of greatness,” he said. The girls are hungry to prove they can play at the varsity level, but it’s going to take time for them to adjust to the speed and tempo of the game.”
That will be no small feat for the younger girls, and it will take them some time to get there. Hopefully for the Bears, they can figure it out before the midway point of the season.

Key Losses: Liz Bard, graduation; Megan Neidig, graduation; Jamie Ahern, injury.
For the second straight year, the Bears will feel the sting of graduation. The biggest loss the team will feel is that of Bard, their starting point guard, leading scorer and overall team leader. She was the heart and soul of the team last year and will be nearly impossible to replace.
“(Bard) was our best player last season and arguably the best player in Section Two,” Pericci said. “We will miss her in so many ways this season. She was a great scorer, but more importantly, she was a great example for the younger girls to follow.”
Neidig was the team’s second leading scorer and their best player inside. Her rebounding and inside scoring ability will be missed.
According to Pericci, Ahern was competing for the starting point guard position, but is lost for the season with a foot injury.

How they’ve fared so far this year: 0-3
The Bears have gotten out to a slow start out of the gate, but have showed signs of improvement. After dropping two games at the Columbia Tip Off Tournament to open the season, E-town had a lead at halftime against Donegal on Tuesday night. The Indians were too much in the second half, though, outlasting the Bears thanks to a 19-point fourth quarter.

What they do well: Work hard, run the court.
The Bears are young, extremely young, but they will work hard and run up and down quickly for all four quarters. Pericci said he will have the team play a little more of an uptempo style this season because of the athleticism on the roster. Most of the players on the team play other sports, so they are naturally gifted athletically.
But what will help the Bears most throughout the season is their willingness to learn and their work ethic. To be able to compete with the teams on their schedule – most of which are filled with experienced varsity players – they need to work harder than anyone and also constantly soak in the knowledge of what it takes to win at this level.
“These girls are like sponges,” Pericci said. “All they want to do is learn and get better. They make my job as a coach a pleasurable one. Knowing how willing they are to learn makes me want to be a better coach and it makes me work that much harder for them.”

What they need to work on: Playing above their heads, adjusting to the varsity game.
Playing above their heads means dealing with the team’s lack of height. The Bears’ tallest player is 5’8” and the rest of them are 5’5” or smaller. Since they lack height, it’s even more important for them to get to as many loose balls as possible.
But inexperience will be the biggest bump in the road for E-town this season. With only one senior and two juniors, the success of the Bears this year will hinge on how quickly the 13 underclassmen adjust to the speed of the varsity game. While most of the section will be looking at E-town as having a rebuilding year, Pericci will have none of that.
“We just might be the youngest team in America,” he said. “We are an extremely young team, but I don’t want the girls to use that as a crutch. I believe in this team, but I need to convince the girls to believe in themselves.”

Outlook:
It’s easy to say that this will be a rebuilding season for the Bears. With just two experienced players returning, writing them off is something that their head coach won’t do. Pericci is an excellent motivator and he will have this team playing with a lot of energy. Teams like E-town, who play as if they have nothing to lose night in and night out are extremely dangerous – regardless of their level of experience.
“The so-called experts have deemed this a rebuilding year, so I want the girls to use that lack of respect as motivation,” said Pericci. “We are going to be the underdogs in virtually every game, but that’s exactly the way I want it. The pressure isn’t going to be on us, so the girls are going to be able to play loose.”
In basketball, perhaps as much or more than most other sports, playing relaxed and not being afraid to make a mistake is a blessing in disguise. Sure, E-town will be handed a few losses this year and likely won’t be playing in the postseason. But this year will be an immensely important building block for the years to come for the program. The Bears aren’t making excuses, though, for their lack of experience and they still expect to be a competitive team.
“I have high expectations for this year’s team. As is the case with every team, I expect these girls to work hard each day, both individually and as a team,” Pericci said. “I firmly believe these girls are going to surprise a lot of people.”

EAHS boys basketball preview

Note: all of these previews can be found in this week's issue of the Chronicle.

Head Coach: Kevin Dolan, first season.

2006-2007 Record: 4-19 overall, 2-14 Lancaster-Lebanon League.

Key Returners: Tilghman Grandstaff, senior, F; Jordan Hallman, senior, G; Nate Koach, senior, F; Nate McCurdy, senior, G; Mike O’Shea, senior, G; Quinn Cozzens, junior, G; Kyle McNeil, junior, F; Chad Styer, junior, F; Jordan Hoover, junior, G.
This group got its feet wet last season as all of these players saw their first varsity action a year ago. All of these players are athletic and can run the court. They also have some decent height up and down (only McCurdy and O’Shea are under six foot, and they are both 5’10”) and that should give them an advantage, especially in rebounding.
Having a year of playing together under their belts should help this group jell and improve on-court chemistry for the Bears. This is a bunch that should get even better as the season goes along as they learn each others’ tendencies and adjust to the playing style implemented by Dolan.
O’Shea will likely handle most of the point guard duties for the Bears this year, and he’ll look to get the ball to Koach and McNeil in the post, where they will form a potent scoring threat. Cozzens and Styer are both excellent all-around ball players and can score from pretty much anywhere on the court. McCurdy and Hoover are quick and excellent from the outside. Hallman’s athleticism is unmatched and gives the Bears a ton of speed, not to mention leaping ability. Grandstaff will be an excellent complement to Koach and McNeil down low and will be able to provide some points and tough rebounds.

Key Newcomers: Scott Billheimer, senior, G; Weston Parrett, senior, G; James Bard, junior, F; Bradley Garber, sophomore, F.
This is a good group that will likely be relied to contribute from the bench, with the starting five likely consisting of the returning players. Getting quality minutes from its reserves will be very important to E-town’s success this season. Keep an eye on Garber, a young, talented player who plays with a lot of hustle and has the
ability to score in bunches.

Key Losses: Brett DeGroat; Cameron Sweigart; Sean Freeman.
E-town lost only three players to graduation from last year’s team, unlike two years ago when the entire team graduated. DeGroat, Sweigart and Freeman were all important players a year ago and contributed but were not among the team’s leading scorers. The Bears will miss their leadership, but have enough talent on the roster to make up for the loss.

How they’ve fared so far this year: 2-1
So far so good for the Bears, as they are off to a 2-1 start. They beat Lancaster Mennonite in their season-opener and crushed Donegal on Tuesday night. E-town didn’t win its second game until the 10th game of the year last season. Against Donegal, Hoover, Cozzens and Styer led the Bears to the win, showing that E-town has a lot of players that can hurt you in a lot of different ways.

What they do well: Play hard, work together.
The Bears are loaded with speed and athleticism and have a roster filled with players with great attitudes. E-town will play their hearts out for their new coach and won’t quit until the final whistle. The players also know that they are in this thing together. They came onto the varsity level for the first time together and they are returning with a year of experience under their belts together. This is a close-knit group and that usually translates into on-court success for basketball teams. And that’s what could be the Bears’ No. 1 strength – their hustle and determination.
Because they are so athletic and they give 100 percent at all times, the Bears should find themselves in just about every game. There won’t be many deficits they won’t be able to at least cut into.

What they need to work on: Learning how to win.
The Bears took their lumps last year, with every player on the roster taking the court at the varsity level for the first time. So this year, when they find themselves in the middle of a close game against a section opponent, E-town must find a way to get more victories this season. Playing in the L-L League isn’t easy, so E-town will be in plenty of close games. The key will be for the returning players to step up and make big plays in the second halves of games.

Outlook:
The Bears should definitely show vast improvement from last year. They’ve got a brand new coaching staff and last year’s tough season should be a distant memory. This team is talented enough that, if it plays with confidence and believes in Dolan’s coaching, can make a lot of noise in the section.
They won’t be the biggest team in the league, but they will be scrappy and they won’t stop coming at you. They aren’t exactly tiny either. Koach is 6’4” and Grandstaff, McNeil, Styer, Cozzens and Garber are each 6’2” or taller, which will give opposing coaches plenty to worry about. What should be the Bears’ biggest strengths are their team cohesion and their balance. They can beat you with Koach and McNeil inside, or with O’Shea and McCurdy outside. And then, Styer and Cozzens can shoot from outside or drive to the basket.
This is a deep team and that will be important, especially in league games. Watch for E-town to be the surprise team in Section Two this year, win at least 12 games and be in the league playoff hunt in late January.

Snow delays

You may already know this by now, but EAHS has cancelled all after school events today due to the weather.

Sorry for the lack of updates this week, it's been crazy. I plan to start posting winter season previews tomorrow as well as L-L All-Stars. So be prepared, I'm coming back big time on the ol' blog manana.