Boys Basketball playoff scenarios (UPDATED)

OK, in case you weren't completely sure, Den Dwellers, I'm an idiot. Please, ignore my last post about boys basketball playoff scenarios. Let's just pretend it didn't happen. And we'll all feel better. Or at least I will.

First, I just got back from Daubert Gymnasium, where the Bears disposed of Ephrata 63-56. Don't let that score fool you, though, this game wasn't nearly as close at the final score indicates. E-town's starters played most of the first three quarters, and the Bears led 50-25 after the third.

OK, so here are the real playoff scenarios. I got it right this time. Promise.

Section One:
Hempfield and Penn Manor will still be the two teams to go to leagues from this section. Hempfield beat Penn Manor tonight to clinch Section One. Penn Manor will finish in second in the section. So those are your two representatives from Section One.

Now, here's where I got it wrong. Section One plays Section Four in the first round. Apparently, the L-L League flip flops first round matchups every year (last year One played Three and Two played Four). So the winner of Section One (Hempfield) will play the runner up of Four (Lancaster Mennonite or Lancaster Catholic), and the runner-up of Section One ( Penn Manor) will play the champ of Four (again Mennonite or Catholic). Are you still with me? I hope so.

Section Two:
OK, E-town has already clinched Section Two. By the way, the Bears had a really, really cool ceremony tonight to celebrate their section title by cutting down the nets in Daubert Gym. Very cool thing to see. Yes, I'm a big dork.

Anyway, the Bears will play the runner up in Section Three (more on that race in a second).

The second place team in Section Two ( Conestoga Valley) gets the champion of Section Three (Cocalico).

Section Three:
Cocalico wins this section by way of their win over Central tonight.

The race for second is very interesting. Here are the standings after tonight's game for second place:
Elco: 7-7
Donegal: 7-7
Lampeter-Strasburg: 7-7
Donegal beat Elco tonight and L-S clobbered Northern Lebanon to force a three-way tie for second place (Donegal and L-S were both a game back of Elco entering play tonight. So they are all tied with two to go. Here are all of their remaining two games.
Elco: vs. Manheim Central and at Northern Lebanon
Donegal: at Northern Lebanon and vs. Cocalico.
L-S: at Cocalico and at Manheim Central.
Elco probably has the easiest road since they don't have to face Cocalico.

But whoever comes out of this three team race will face E-town on Monday, Feb. 9 in the first round of leagues. Of course, I'll have a full preview of the game when it is determined.

Section Four:

Refer to my last post for the skinny on this section. Mennonite and Catholic are tied for the section lead, and they both have already clinched spots. All's that left to decide is who gets Hempfield and who gets Penn Manor.

So, yeah, it's a little tricky right now. But it'll pan out over the next five days, and our brackets will be set soon. Here's a summary:
Hempfield plays Mennonite or Catholic
Penn Manor plays Mennonite or Catholic
E-town plays Donegal, L-S or Elco
Conestoga Valley plays Cocalico

Whew, my head hurts. I'm going to bed.

Until next time, you stay classy Elizabethtown.

Bears Clinch Section Two

E-town clinched the Section Two title outright for the first time in 32 years last night with a 12-point win over Garden Spot. After beating CV on Friday night to clinch at least a share of the title, the section title was almost a formality for the Bears. They only had to win one of their final four games to take it outright, and they took care of business last night.

"I think the guys were really excited for the CV game and came out and played hard," said head coach Kevin Dolan. "I think they knew we only had to win one out of four, so they just had to come out and take care of business."

And that's what they did. Since their last loss (a 65-51 setback to Hempfield on Jan. 13), the Bears are 5-0 and have an average margin of victory of 20 points, including two straight 32-point wins. Think that loss didn't fire the Bears up?

Also, this warrants mentioning. E-town beat Garden Spot last night without two starters – Chad Styer and Bradley Garber. According to Dolan, Styer tweaked his injured knee in practice on Monday and was forced to miss the game. Dolan said that Styer could see some minutes tonight, but don't expect him to play much. Garber suffered a leg injury on Tuesday that forced him out too. Dolan didn't sound optimistic that Garber would play tonight against Ephrata, but he didn't rule it out completely either. Either way, those two should be fine for the playoffs.

Speaking of playoffs, here's an updated look at where teams stand in terms of the upcoming Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs.

Section One:
Hempfield has a two game lead here with three to play. They've already clinched a league playoff berth, and should finish as Section One champs.

Penn Manor trails Hempfield by two games and plays them tonight. I wouldn't put it past the Comets to win tonight, but even if they do, they need help to win the section. I see them getting in as the runner up.

It's really down to those two teams in Section One, as Penn Manor has a three game lead over McCaskey and Township.

Section Two:
The Bears are the only team to clinch their section outright so far, so they'll play the runner up of Section Four, once that race is decided.

The second spot from this section will likely go to 8-5 Conestoga Valley, which has a three game lead over the two teams in third place with three to play.

Section Three:
At 10-3 Cocalico has clinched a playoff berth and can lock up the section with one more win. They'll probably get Penn Manor in the first round of leagues.

The race for second is a bit more tight. Right now, Elco has second place locked up at 7-6, but lurking behind them at 6-7 are L-S and Donegal. Elco and Donegal play tonight in a huge game for playoff position.

Section Four:
Well, it's either going to be Lancaster Catholic or Lancaster Mennonite. Those two teams are both guaranteed playoff spots, but neither has clinched the section yet. Both are 11-2 in league play. Here is each team's remaining schedule:

Catholic: @ Pequea Valley, @ Columbia, @ Lebanon Catholic.
Mennonite: @ Lebanon Catholic, vs. Pequea Valley, @ Annville-Cleona.

Mennonite gets the advantage for now because they will have at least one home game down the stretch. But whoever comes out on top of this section will probably get CV in the first round. Whoever finishes second gets E-town.

The Bears haven't played Mennonite this year, but they did play Catholic back on Dec. 27 and beat them 72-52.

Definitely some interesting races going down to the wire here. When standings are final, I'll post the first round games for you and also a preview of whoever E-town ends up playing, Catholic or Mennonite.

Postponements

The impending snow this evening has forced the postponements of the EAHS girls and boys basketball games scheduled for tonight.

The girls game originally scheduled for tonight at home has been moved to tomorrow night. Varsity at 8 p.m., JV at 6:30.

The boys game originally slated for tonight at Garden Spot has been moved to Thursday night. Varsity at 8, JV at 6:30.

Tonight's wrestling match at Warwick is still on as scheduled as of 2 p.m.

Wrestling: District 3 Team Tournament

Tonight (barring any sort of postponement due to snow), the Bears will travel to Warwick to face the Warriors in the first round of the District Three Class AAA tournament.

E-town is 11-2 and will be the No. 9 seed. Warwick is 12-2 and the No. 8 seed. The winner of the match will get No. 1 Central Dauphin (10-0) on Thursday at 7 p.m. CD takes on Garden Spot in the first round tonight and, with all due respect to the Spartans, should cruise there. For the full brackets, click here.

Tough draw in this tournament for the Bears, but it is what it is. Remember last season they faced Warwick in the first round of team districts, with Warwick coming out on top. E-town's looking for a bit of revenge from that this year, and they've got a chance. Warwick's a little bit banged up. Adam Chapis, Ross Stockdale, Cody Schoenberger, Jamie Mellinger and Zach Brubaker have missed some mat time recently. I don't know how hurt they are if it will affect the match tonight, but I guess we'll find out. I see this as a very even match that could come down to bonus points. I hear that it is a cool atmosphere in Warwick and I'm going to try and get there tonight, although I have another game I'm supposed to cover.

EAHS wrestling's first district match

The brackets for the upcoming District Three team wrestling tournament haven't been posted quite yet, but I do know who E-town is facing in the first round of the tournament this Tuesday night. The Bears (the No. 9 seed) will be traveling to Warwick to take on an L-L rival, the Warriors, who are the No. 8 seed. More on this once the full brackets are posted. But for now, the Bears will face Warwick in the first round of the District Three team tournament on Tuesday.

E-town/CV preview

Tomorrow night's game between Elizabethtown and Conestoga Valley is filled with story lines. As the regular season winds down, Section Two's top two teams will go head to head in E-town's Daubert Gymnasium at 8 p.m. Among the many things on the line, one is the section title. If the Bears win, they'll clinch at least a share of the Section Two crown, which they haven't won since the 1976-77 season, long before anyone playing tomorrow night was born. CV, the defending section champs, is playing for redemption after losing earlier to E-town and also to take another step toward locking up a berth in the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs in February.

For both teams, the game kicks off the final stretch of games against Section Two opponents. There are only five games left in the regular season and this is a great way to kick off the homestretch. So let's take a look at this game from all angles – we'll check out what happened the last time they played, look at stats from both teams, results against common opponents and make an argument why each team could be the one to walk out of Daubert Gym with a win tomorrow night.

E-town 45 - Conestoga Valley 44 (December 23)
That was the score the last time these two met, back on Dec. 23 at CV. It was their only meeting so far this season. And now they will meet exactly one month later.

In that game, E-town was held to its lowest scoring output of the season (and it still is their lowest point total, by the way). Kyle McNeil led E-town with 12 points and Brad Garber and Chad Styer each added 7 points. Jeremy Skoloda led CV with 17 points.

The game was tied at 44-44 when E-town guard Andrew Placeres was fouled as time expired. Placeres stepped to the line and hit the first of his two free throw attempts to give the Bears the 45-44 win. (Note: I wasn't at this game, so I can't comment on the foul committed because I didn't see it. I've heard some things about it from both sides – it was a foul that should've been called, and that it shouldn't have been called. Either way, it happened. But like I said, I didn't see it.)

CV head coach Brad Herr on the first game: "A good deal was made about the controversy that surrounded our first meeting, but our team has moved passed that and we're just excited to be involved in another big game that will surely garner some attention around the league."

E-town head coach Kevin Dolan on the first game: "We learned that they play hard. They played extremely hard and they hustled a lot. We're excited about the challenge."

Records vs. common opponents
I don't put much stock into this stat since circumstances around every game are different, but take it for what it's worth.
vs. Susquehannock – CV: 69-39 win; E-town: 66-34 win.
vs. Warwick – CV: 53-41 win; E-town: 63-53 win.
vs. Manheim Township – CV: 51-48 loss; E-town: 59-44 win.
vs. Cedar Crest – CV: 82-55 win; E-town: 79-47 win.
vs. Solanco – CV: 50-45 win; E-town: 76-38 win.
vs. Garden Spot – CV: 81-53 win; E-town: 78-52 win.
vs. Lebanon – CV: 73-32 win; E-town: 78-67 win.
vs. Ephrata – CV: 47-42 win; E-town: 57-44 win.
vs. Penn Manor – CV: 60-49 loss; E-town: 69-65 win.
vs. J.P. McCaskey – CV: 73-67 win; E-town: 81-71 win.
vs. Hempfield – CV: 53-52 loss; E-town: 65-51 loss.

The Teams

Record: 10-6 overall, 7-4 league. 3-5 at home, 7-1 on the road.
Standing: 2nd place, Section Two.
Leading Scorers (top 6):
Jeremy Skoloda, 18.7 ppg (4th in L-L League, 1st in Section Two).
Jae Pugh, 10.1 ppg.
Joel Lapp, 7.9 ppg.
Matt Eby, 6.1 ppg.
Josh Cody, 5.8 ppg.
Leonard Williams, 5.7 ppg.

It should be noted that Jae Pugh, a 6-6 transfer student, did not play the last time E-town and CV met. Pugh is, obviously, a very big kid who could give E-town some trouble inside with scoring and grabbing offensive and defensive rebounds. Dolan said that the Bears will have to adjust their game plan accordingly.

"I think they'll be different (than the last time we played them) and we'll have to play them a little different because last time they were relying more on their outside game. We're going to have to make that adjustment," he said.

It will be interesting to see how the Bears deal with Pugh since they haven't seen him yet. Of course, Skoloda is going to be a handful for any defense.

"He is a real nice player who can shoot it and take it to the basket," said Dolan of CV's leading scorer.


Record: 15-2 overall, 10-1 league; 8-1 home, 7-1 road.
Standing: 1st place, Section Two.
Leading Scorers (top 6):
Kyle McNeil, 11.9 ppg.
Quinn Cozzens, 11.8 ppg.
Chad Styer, 11.2 ppg.
Jeremi Jones, 10.9 ppg.
Andrew Placeres, 9.1 ppg.
Brad Garber, 5.9 ppg.

If you've been to any E-town games this season, you already know how they play – full throttle. The Bears are a very athletic bunch and they love to get up and down the floor quickly with regularity.

They also have a bunch of players that you have to worry about on defense. There aren't many teams with five players averaging in double figures at this point in the season, but E-town is one of them. They move the ball around very well and are about as unselfish of a group as you can find.

McNeil is the team's leading scorer and their best inside offensive presence. It will be interesting to see him battle for points in the paint tomorrow night with the 6-6 Pugh lurking.

Cozzens does it all for the Bears. He rebounds, he can run the offense, he plays good defense, he's an excellent passer, he can shoot the 3, he can drive with either hand, he can put the ball on the floor and beat a defender and sink a pullup jumper, etc, etc, etc.

Styer was slowed early on by a knee injury, but he's back now and remains E-town's most dangerous 3-point threat.

Jones is probably the best sixth man in the league. Every time he comes in, he provides a spark at some place on the court. He's another good 3-point shooter.

Placeres is the point guard and it seems like he can fit a pass into just about any window, no matter how small it may appear. He's also a pretty good outside shooter.

Garber teams with McNeil to form the Bears' inside presence. He's not going to lead the team in scoring, but he does little things that make him a very, very valuable player. Watch him for about one quarter and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Herr knows how athletic E-town is up and down its roster and he knows his Buckskins are going to have to be ready to run.

"If we are to challenge E-town, we know that we will need to match our effort with their level of athleticism and skill, and focus on our execution," he said.

The case for CV
Here's why the Bucks can win. (Note: I'm not saying who should win, I'm just saying why each team could win). First off, they are a very good road team. They've gone 7-1 on the road this year and have won their last 7 away games. The Bucks aren't going to be easily intimidated on the road, but they better expect a fired up E-town student section, especially judging from what I saw last Friday against Hempfield.

They also have Pugh back this time. Having him in the lineup pretty much throws out the gameplan the Bears had against CV last time. It's a whole different world when you have to worry about the section's leading scorer AND a 6-6 athletic big man inside.

Also, the Bucks are playing extremely well. They weren't happy after that E-town loss, but haven't hung their heads over it. And they nearly handed Hempfield it's first league loss of the year on Tuesday, falling by just one point behind Skoloda's 30 points. In fact, CV has THREE one-point losses this year. They also have two three-point losses. The only game they were beaten soundly is when Penn Manor beat them by 11. Since that E-town loss, the Bucks are 6-2, with those two losses coming to Hempfield and Penn Manor (the top 2 teams in Section One). A couple bounces here and there for CV this year and we could be talking about a 13-3 team. And Dolan knows how good the Bucks are.

"They're playing as well as anyone in the league right now, adn that's one thing I'm trying to get the players to understand," he said. "They're the defending section champs so I'm sure they're going to be pumped up."

The case for E-town:
Well first and foremost, the Bears get to play this one at home in what is sure to be a packed house that will be loud. Very loud. E-town's very tough to beat at home, with their only loss there coming to Hempfield.

Which brings me to my next point: the Hempfield loss. A loss is never totally a good thing, but in this case, I think it made E-town better. The Bears had been cruising along in league play (save for a Penn Manor overtime game) until they fell to the Black Knights. And, as Chad Styer told me Tuesday, that loss brought them together even more. Call it a wake up call or whatever, but something tells me that the Hempfield loss may have fired them up almost as much as, or maybe more than, a win.

E-town also has so many weapons. They can hurt you outside with Styer, Cozzens, Placeres and Jones. But they can also score inside with McNeil and Garber. And even Styer, Cozzens, Placeres and Jones are capable of getting inside and racking up points.

E-town plays a style that can bury teams quickly. The Bears are going to run and run and run. And then run some more. So if a team gets cold on offense, they have to be able to get back quickly on defense and try and slow E-town down. If the Bears jump out to a lead, they keep running to pad that lead. And often, that forces teams to rush shots and get out of their offensive rhythm.

And finally, E-town has swagger. Remember, this is a team that is 15-2. But they have the mentality as if they are 2-15 and always trying to prove people wrong. They have a chip on their shoulder and that leads to them never taking anyone lightly and never letting up until the final whistle. That's a dangerous team to be facing. The Bears have the edge over CV in that they beat them earlier this year. If things start going wrong for the Bucks, especially with so many close losses, they might start thinking, 'Uh oh, here we go again.' But Herr has his players believing in themselves..

"Our kids are looking forward to the challenge of traveling to E-twon and playing the Bears on their home floor," Herr said. "Our last game was a classic example of what high school basketball should be, and we know that E-town is a solid squad that plays the game the right way."

And playing for your programs first section title in 32 years on a Friday night on your home court is enough motivation for anyone. The Bears currently have a 3 game lead over CV with 5 to play. A win tomorrow gives them a 4 game lead with 4 to play which means, at worst CV could only tie E-town. But if the Bears win, they would be 2-0 against CV, giving them the head to head tiebreaker.

So there you have it. I'm not going to bother predicting a winner, especially since I haven't seen CV play. I only know one thing, it's sure going to be a great atmosphere and a great game.

White Out planned for tomorrow night

The Big E Booster Club is putting together a "White Out" for tomorrow night's EAHS boys basketball showdown with Conestoga Valley. It's a big regular season matchup against the top two teams in Section Two, with the varsity tipping off at 8 p.m.

So if you have something white (and who doesn't), wear it tomorrow night and join the fun.

I'm working on a preview of the CV-E-town game right now and will post it once I can get in touch with both head coaches. It should be up today or early tomorrow.

E-town football coaching search update

I don't know much about what's going on with the search for a new head coach of the EAHS varsity football program, but I did talk to E-town AD Shane Piper a little bit before the boys basketball game on Tuesday night.

I found out that the application process is complete, and that there were numerous applicants from Pennsylvania and from other states as well. As far as I know, the first round of interviews (conducted by a committee) will be held sometime this month. After that, there will be another round of interviews in early February and Piper hopes to have a coach in place by the end of February or the beginning of March.

He couldn't give me any specific names of the applicants, but said that there are no clear cut favorites at this time, which makes sense since they haven't done interviews yet.

So the next step will be the first round of interviews. If I can get any specific information after that, I'll be sure to pass it along.

LIVE BLOG: L-L Wrestling Tournament Jan. 17!

L-L League Tournament first day results

(Photo by Chris Bradley: 10 seed Jared Danneker is heading to the semifinals in the 152 pound bracket).

I just got home from Conestoga Valley where I watched the first night of the annual Lancaster-Lebanon League Wrestling Tournament. By the way, it's ridiculously cold out. Seriously, it's awful. Anyway, here's a breakdown by weight of how E-town fared tonight, what they're looking at tomorrow and a few thoughts on each weight, where applicable.

103
E-town's Matt Hoover was the top seed here, and he was impressive. There were last-minute changes to a lot of brackets when I arrived at CV, and Hoover got a first round bye as a result (more on the rest of the changes later). So he had an automatic bid to the quarterfinals.

In the quarters, he was matched up against Elco's Zach Layser, and Hoover made quick work of the No. 9 seed, pinning him in just 27 seconds. And that was Hoover's night. 27 seconds and a trip to the semis, where he'll face No. 5 seed Tony Yohe, of Annville-Cleona, who won his quarterfinal match over Donegal's Caleb Osisek by a 9-6 decision.

The other semifinal will be 3-seed Corey Aspril, of L-S, against 2-seed Austin Miller, of Hempfield

112
E-town freshman Owen Bradley was the No. 11 seed in this bracket. In the first round, Bradley beat No. 6 seed Anthony Sowa of Northern Lebanon 6-2. In the quarterfinals, he lost to No. 3 seed Mark Lobeck of Lancaster Catholic 6-5 in a very good match. Bradley wrestled well tonight.

But he's now in the consolation bracket, where he'll get L-S' Mike Good, the 16-seed, to start his day tomorrow. He needs to win four matches tomorrow to get third place. Honestly, I don't see anyone beating McCaskey's Lexis Ortiz, but an Ortiz/Richie Reinoehl final would be a good match.

119
Calvin Anderton was originally E-town's 119 wrestler, but was a late scratch. E-town did not put another wrestler in the bracket.

125
Jeremy Rivera, the 3 seed, beat Catholic's Andrew Geraghty in the first round by pinning him in 1:53. In the Quarters, Rivera beat Warwick's Ian Stoeckl, a 6 seed, 11-6 to move to the semifinals. Rivera will match up against No. 2 Jordan Helton, of Cocalico, who beat McCaskey's Josh Rosario 6-5 in the quarters.

The other semi here is top seeded Dan Neff of Solanco against 4-seed Tyler Griffith of Manheim Central.

130
No. 9 Antonio Rodriguez lost his first round match to No. 8 Anatoliy Akulov of Garden Spot 9-1. Those two went into overtime in a dual match last week, but not this time.

Rodriguez had a bye in the first round of consolations, and then beat Donegal's Austin Theis 6-5 in the second round. He'll match up with No. 3 Sean Kincade to start his day tomorrow. Kincade was upset by No. 6 Joe Welk in the quarters. Columbia's Joe Ronca is looking awfully tough here, as is Dylan Killian, of AC, who didn't allow a point tonight.

135
No. 6 Troy Ernest started with a 4-2 first round win over No. 11 Benjy McQuate. But in the second round, Ernest ran into No. 3 Ian Rineer, of Penn Manor, and Rineer beat him 4-2 in the quarters, Ernest's first loss of the year.

Ernest will get No. 9 Bobby Haldeman, of L-S, in the consolation bracket to start tomorrow. Top seed Matt Myers is looking tough here, pinning his first two opponents in :53 and 1:25.

140
Tyler Lakota was in the original brackets for E-town, but did not wrestle tonight. Joe Alleman took his place in this bracket. Alleman lost 8-1 in the preliminaries and then 6-2 in the first round of consolations.

145
No. 6 Justin Lewis looked good in the first round, pinning No. 11 Nate Enck in 1:25. But in the quarters, he lost to No. 3 Luke Sims, of Manheim Township, 14-1.

In consolations, Lewis will start tomorrow with No. 17 Josh Forren of Solanco.

152
Jared Danneker is probably E-town's biggest surprise of the night. In the first round, Danneker, the 10 seed, beat No. 7 Nate Warner 5-0. And in the quarters, Danneker took down No. 2 seed Derek Kreiser-Shifflett, of AC, 12-6 to move to the semifinals.

Danneker will match up with No. 3 Brent Balmer, of Cedar Crest, who had two pins tonight. The other semifinal is No. 1 Josh Zamrin, of Cocalico, against No. 4 Nate Fowler, of L-S.

160
Adam Zellman, the No. 2 seed here, was on his game tonight. He started with a pin of Adam Stoner in :37 in the first round, and followed that with a pin of NO. 10 Josiah Diebler, of Solanco, in 1:31 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Zellman will take on No. 3 Jordan Miller, of Hempfield in what should be a great match.

The other semifinal is No. 1 Eric Resch, of Warwick, vs. No. 13 David Fair, of Manheim Central, who beat the No. 4 and 5 seeds to get to the semis. Tough bracket here with Resch and Miller, but Zellman's good enough to hang with them.

171
David Kennedy was originally scheduled here for E-town, but was another late scratch, leaving the Bears with no wrestler at 171.

189
Shane Rosenberry is the top seed in the bracket, and he looked like it. He pinned No. 16 Jordan Stoltzfus in the first round in :51, and followed that with a pin of No. 8 Delis Kruup in :29 in the quarters. In the semifinals, he'll get No. 12 Nate Nelson, who beat No. 4 Bob Dwonchyk in the quarters.

The other semi here is No. 2 Austin Schultz vs. No. 3 Evan Marin. I think Rosenberry should win this bracket.

215
Sean Heming, the No. 9 seed, was pinned in the first round by No. 8 Nate Kulp. But he rebounded to win his first consolation match, pinning No. 16 Tim Latham in :58. Tomorrow, he'll start off against No. 6 Zach Hickernell of Elco in the consolations.

Sorry to say it, but no one in this bracket is touching Warwick's Antonio Giorgio.

285
Alex Kirchner is the No. 2 seed in this bracket. In the first round, Kirchner pinned No. 15 Mason Dechert in 1:35. He then beat No. 10 John Martin 5-2 in the quarterfinals (in the last match of the night, by the way). In the semifinals, he'll take on No. 3 Nate Bicher, of Elco.

In the other semifinal, it will be N. 1 Ramsey Lopatic vs. No. 4 Cole Dillman.

I'll provide another update tomorrow, and will try again to get wireless access and give you live updates. But I'm not promising anything. I didn't get the team standings as of right now, but I'm guessing with no one at 119 or 171, the Bears have to get a lot of bonus points to beat out Warwick for the team crown.

OK, off to bed. Until tomorrow, stay classy Elizabethtown.

L-L League Tournament brackets and schedule

As promised, here are the brackets for the Lancaster-Lebanon League wrestling tournament, which begins this afternoon at 4 at Conestoga Valley.

Team Key:
Annville-Cleona – AC; Cedar Crest – CC; Cocalico – Coc; Columbia – Col; Conestoga Valley – CV; Donegal – Don; Elco – Elco; E-town – E-town; Ephrata – Eph; Garden Spot – GS; Hempfield – Hemp; Lampeter-Strasburg – L-S; Lancaster Catholic – LC; Lebanon – Leb; Manheim Central – MC; Manheim Township – MT; J.P. McCaskey – JPM; Northern Lebanon – NL; Penn Manor – PM; Pequea Valley – PV; Solanco – Sol; Warwick – War.

Note: E-town wrestlers in bold. Seed in parentheses. I tried to write the brackets from top to bottom so that you can get an idea of second and third round matchups.

103
First Round
(1) Matt Hoover, E-town, vs. (16) Nathan Noves, CV.
(9) Dustin Gonzalez, NL, vs. (8) Timothy Beegle, GS.
(5) Tony Yohe, AC, vs. (12) Andres Gutierrez, JPM.
(13) Cody Diem, War, vs. (4) Caleb Osisek, Don.
(3) Corey Aspril, L-S, vs. (14) Phil Whittaker, Coc.
(11) Adam Law, LC, vs. (6) Sean Hughes, CC.
(7) Dylan Pallas, MC, vs. (10) Zach Layser, Elco.
(15) Cory Swartzentruber, PM, vs. (2) Austin Miller, Hemp.

112
Preliminaries
(17) Dixie Eckert, Coc, vs. (16) Mike Good, L-S.
(15) Terry Tirko, Don, vs. (18) Kyle Kramer.
First Round
(1) Lexis Ortiz, JPM, vs. Eckert-Good winner.
(9) Derek Zercher, Col, vs. (8) Neal O'Malley, GS.
(5) Brooks Kenderdine, MT, vs. (12) TJ Renninger, AC.
(13) Austin Wealand, Eph, vs. (4) Dakota Minnich, Hemp.
(3) Mark Lobeck, LC, vs. (14) Brett Pallas, CC.
(11) Owen Bradley, E-town, vs. (6) Anthony Sowa, NL.
(7) Shaun Howard, Elco, vs. (10) Wink Charles, Sol.
(2) Richie Feinoehl, War, vs. Tirko-Kramer winner.

119
Preliminaries
(17) Chevy Houser, CC, vs. (16) Austin Ballantine, JPM.
(19) Kyle Porter, CV, vs. (14) Joe Buckwalter, MC.
(15) Spencer Haldeman, L-S, vs. (18) Will Farr, Don.
First Round
(1) Alex Fisher, Sol, vs. Houser-Ballantine winner.
(9) John Markley, Col, vs. (8) Bobby Rehm, PM.
(5) Jared Whitcomb, Coc, vs. (12) Jose Castro, MT.
(13) Drew Jackson, PV, vs. (4) Calvin Anderton, E-town.
(3) Jose Martinez, Leb, vs. Porter-Buckwalter winner.
(11) Ian Martin, Elco, vs. (6) Zach Schober, LC.
(7) Cody Shoenberger, War, vs. (10) Jake Eisenhauer, AC.
(2) Kyle Coblentz, GS, vs. Haldeman-Farr winner.

125
Preliminaries
(17 Ian Houck, Leb, vs. (16) Erik Bahn, CV.
(13) Jon Baker, PV, vs. (20) Nate Baker, Elco.
(19) James McElroy, PM, vs. (14) Andrew Geraghty, LC.
(15) Evan Thomas, MT, vs. (18) Eajai Alvarez, L-S.
First Round
(1) Dan Neff, Sol vs. Houck-Bahn winner.
(9) Seth Lehman, AC, vs. (8) Bryan Knouse, Don.
(5) Sean Irvine, Coc, vs. (12) Chad Sensenig, GS.
(4) Tyler Griffith, MC, vs. Baker-Baker winner.
(3) Jeremy Rivera, E-town vs. McElroy-Geraghty winner.
(11) Justin Emerich, CC, vs. (6) Ian Stoeckl, War.
(7) Josh Rosario, JPM, vs. (10) Gary Pabon, Hemp.
(2) Jordan Helton, Col, vs. Thomas-Alvarez winner.

130
Preliminaries
(17) Donovan McDonald, MT, vs. (16) Travis Quinn, War.
(19) Gary McGuire, NL, vs. (14) Gary Lloyd, CC.
(15) Brandon Howard, Elco, vs. (18) Austin Theis, Don.
First Round
(1) Joe Ronca, Col, vs. McDonald-Quinn winner.
(9) Antonio Rodriguez, E-town, vs. (8) Anatoliy Akulov, GS.
(5) Jordan Stepanchick, Hemp, vs. (12) Chris Zell, LC.
(13) Mike Evans, Eph, vs. (4) Devin Anderson, JPM.
(3) Sean Kincade, PM, vs. McGuire-Lloyd winner.
(11) Chris Schmid, PV, vs. (6) Joe Welk, Sol.
(7) Ger Lor, Coc, vs. (10) Matt Martin, MC.
(2) Dylan Killian, AC, vs. Howard-Theis winner.

135
Preliminaries
(17) Zac Kramer, Don, vs. (16) Adam Shober, Eph.
(21) Tai Nguyen, Leb, vs. (12) Jared Manley, Hemp.
(13) Benjy McQuate, CV, vs. (20) Matt Morgante, MT.
(19) Tyler Liddick, CC, vs. (14) Aran Heining, Coc.
(15) Brock Snider, Sol, (18) Justin Aquino, PV.
First Round
(1) Matt Myers, War, vs. Kramer-Shober winner.
(9) Tommy Price, Elco, vs. (8) Clark Nissley, MC.
(5) Micky Ortiz, JPM, vs. Nguyen-Manley winner.
(4) Adam Supplee, GS, vs. McQuiate-Morgante winner.
(3) Ian Rineer, PM, vs. Liddick-Heining winner.
(11) Bobby Haldeman, L-S, vs. (6) Chris Shifflett, AC.
(7) Troy Ernest, E-town, vs. (10) Ryan Daub, NL.
(2) Anthony Wallick, Col, vs. Snider-Aquino winner.

140
Preliminaries
(17) Coleby Martin, GS, vs. (16) Hunter Busansky, L-S.
(19) Dan Imler, NL, vs. (14) Vince Grove, Don.
(15) Mike Lausell, JPM, vs. (18) Mike Lausell, JPM.
First Round
(1) Andy Eshleman, PM, vs. Martin-Busansky winner.
(9) Jason Combs, Col, vs. (8) Connor Moran, Sol.
(5) Ray Ball, PV, vs. (12) Joseph Pacheco, Eph.
(13) Tyler Lakota, E-town, vs. (4) Adam Chapis, War.
(3) Woodie Hermann, Hemp, vs. Imler-Grove winner.
(11) Jeremy Mento, LC, vs. (6) Austin Spangler, Elco.
(7) Anthony Lentini, AC, vs. (10) Aiden Heining, Coc.
(2) Shane Wagner, MT, vs. Lausell-Eshleman winner.

145
Preliminaries
(17) Josh Forren, Sol, vs. (16) Tyler Reichenbach, L-S.
(15) Cody McAllister, Col, vs. (18) Dillon Nguyen, Eph.
First Round
(1) Mitchell Ball, PV, vs. Forren-Reichenbach winner.
(9) Matt Flick, PM, vs. (8) Aaron Hartman, AC.
(5) Noah Gerges, CC, vs. (12) Lucas George, Coc.
(13) Colin Butler, LC, vs. (4) Blake Ziegler, Elco.
(3) Luke Sims, MT, vs. (14) Alex Flattery, Don.
(11) Nate Enck, MC, vs. (6) Justin Lewis, E-town
(7) Lucas Bragg, CV, vs. (10) Dennis Kemmick, Hemp.
(2) Ross Stockdale, War, vs. McAllister-Nguyen winner.

152
Preliminaries
(17) Hans Nelson, JPM, vs. (16) Sam Zegley, PM.
(21) Kirby Kinderwater, MT, vs. (12) Travis Houser, Hemp.
(13) Christopher Nixdorf, Eph, vs. (20) Dillian Enck, MC.
(19) Brad Cweink, Sol, vs. (14) Alex Wood, LC.
(15) Cha Yang, GS, vs. (18) Michael Pelton, Don.
First Round
(1) Josh Zamrin, Coc, vs. Nelson-Zegley winner.
(9) Jordan Clemens, Elco, vs. (8) Nate Yavoich, NL.
(5) James Mellinger, War, vs. Kinderwater-Houser winner.
(4) Nate Fowler, L-S, vs. Nixdorf-Enck winner.
(3) Brent Balmer, CC, vs. Cweink-Wood winner.
(11) Pavlik Teleguz, CV, vs. (6) Tom Thompson, PV.
(7) Nate Warner, Col, vs (10) Jared Danneker, E-town.
(2) Derek Kreiser-Shifflett, AC, vs. Yang-Pelton winner.

160
Preliminaries
(17) Jason Yoder, GS, vs. (16) George Baker, PV.
(21) Cody Williams, Eph, vs. (12) Justin Bollman, JPM.
(13) David Fair, MC, vs. (20) Kyle Kinderwater, MT.
(19) Tony Mojica, Leb, vs. (14) Arias Pappas, Don.
(15) Adam Stoner, Col, vs. (18) Russell Deaven, CC.
First Round
(1) Eric Resch, War, vs. Yoder-Baker winner.
(9) Tyler Gieniec, PM, vs. (8) Zack Kinert, L-S.
(5) Matt Trickett, Coc, vs. Williams-Bollman winner.
(4) Sheldon Barker, AC, vs. Fair-Kinderwater winner.
(3) Jordan Miller, Hemp, vs. Mojica-Pappas winner.
(11) Teddy Bowman, CV, vs. (6) Justin Weatherholtz, Elco.
(7) Justin Mento, LC, vs. (10) Josiah Diebler, Sol.
(2) Adam Zellman, E-town, vs. Stoner-Deaven winner.

171
Preliminaries
(17) Michael Randazzo, CC, vs. (16) Brandon Harvey, PM.
(21) Alex Cintron, L-S, vs. (12) Zach Brubaker, War.
(13) Matt Wagner, AC, vs. (20) Ben Kramer, Hemp.
(19) Cain Warfel, Col, vs. (14) Ben Moyer, Elco.
(15) Cameron Burke, Leb, vs. (18) Troy Sauger, MC.
First Round
(1) Michael Blaszczyk, LC, vs. Randazzo-Harvey winner.
(9) David Kennedy, E-town, vs. (8) Tyler Arkatin, Sol.
(5) Brandon Henne, Coc, vs. Cintron-Brubaker winner.
(4) Mike Dodds, CV, vs. Wagner-Kramer winner.
(3) Nick Dzwonchyk, NL, vs. Warfel-Moyer winner.
(11) David Belousov, Eph, vs. (6) Jay Morant, JPM.
(7) Ben Enck, MT, vs. (10) Anthony Huber, GS.
(2) Neal Sweigart, Don, vs. Burke-Sauger winner.

189
Preliminaries
(17) Jordan Stoltzfus, PV, vs. (16) Andrew Burkholder, Eph.
(21) Pedro Serrano, CV, vs. (12) Bryan McCall, War.
(13) Nate Nelson, JPM, vs. (20) Alex Egner, L-S.
(19) Seth Schmalhofer, PM, vs. (14) Jordan Elvey, Sol.
(11) Anthony Griffin, Elco, vs. (22) Antonio Jimmenez, MC.
(15) Allen Yordy, AC, vs. (18) Blake Bomberger, Coc.
First Round
(1) Shane Rosenberry, E-town, vs. Stoltzfus-Burkholder winner.
(9) Eric Hatter, GS, vs. (8) Delis Krupp, CV.
(5) Marcus Fischer, Col, vs. Serrano-McCall winner.
(4) Bob Dzwonchyk, NL, vs. Nelson-Egner winner.
(30 Evan Marin, Hemp, vs. Schmalhofer-Elvey winner.
(6) Sterling Goshea, Don, vs. Griffin-Jimmenez winner.
(7) Chris Ahnert, Leb, vs. (10) Theron Mitchell, LC.
(2) Austin Schultz, MT, vs. Yordy-Bomberger winner.

215
Preliminaries
(17) Byron Germer, Col, vs. (16) Tim Latham, Sol.
(19) Mike Wajtusic, PM, vs. Bryan Garris, PV.
(15) George Hinerman, GS, vs. (18) Brian Shorts, L-S.
First Round
(1) Antonio Giorgio, War, vs. Germer-Latham winner.
(9) Sean Heming, E-town, vs. (8) Nate Kulp, Hemp.
(5) John Fair, MC, vs. (12) Jeremy Gibson, AC.
(13) Dylan Binkley, Eph, vs. (4) Tony Anater, LC.
(3) Kyle Ueberroth, Coc, vs. Wajtusic-Garris winner.
(11) Kevin Royer, NL, vs. (6) Zach Hickernell, Elco.
(7) Dan Tonzola, CV, vs. (10) Aeryn Snyder, Don.
(2) Cutter Recher, MT, vs. Hinerman-Shorts winner.

285
Preliminaries
(17) John Devenney, War, vs. (16) Mason Dechert, NL.
(13) Nathan Kramer, GS, vs. (20) Carl Minieri, MC.
(19) James McCarney, Eph, vs. (14) Zach Smith, AC.
(15) Nick Gerdes, CC, vs. (18) Jesse Bennett, Don.
First Round
(1) Ramsey Lopatic, MT, vs. Devenney-Dechert winner.
(9) Even Singleton, PM, vs. (8) Jake Sentz, Col.
(5) Teddy Force, L-S, vs. (12) Errol Hammond, LC.
(4) Cole Dollman, CV, vs. Kramer-Minieri winner.
(3) Nate Bicher, Elco, vs. McCarney-Smith winner.
(11) John Martin, Sol, vs. (6) Charles Lee, Leb.
(7) Dominique Smith, JPM, vs. (10) Josh Mellinger, Coc.
(2) Alex Kirchner, E-town, vs. Gerdes-Bennett winner.

And here's the schedule one more time:
Friday
4 to 10 p.m. – Pigtails, first round, first round consolations, quarterfinals, second round consolations.

Saturday
10 to 11:30 a.m. – Third round consolations.
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Semifinals and consolation quarterfinals.
1:30 to 3 p.m. – Consolation semifinals and seventh place bouts.
4:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Fifth place consolations, third place consolations and Championship Finals.

Enjoy the action everyone. I'll be providing updates as often as possible. If I can't get a wireless connection at CV, then I'll do something when I get home tonight and again tomorrow.

Wrestling odds and ends

(Photo by Chris Bradley: E-town's Adam Zellman has a good shot at getting to the finals at 160 pounds in tomorrow's L-L Tournament.)

With the Lancaster-Lebanon League tournament beginning tomorrow, I wanted to post some wrestling info. for you today. The seeding meeting for the tournament is tonight, so brackets aren't done yet. I'll try and get my hands on them tomorrow and post them for you, though.

First, here is the schedule for the L-L Tournament. It's being held at Conestoga Valley this year. Session I will be Friday night and Session II will be Saturday.
Session I
6 mats, scheduled from 4 to 10 p.m.
Here is what's on tap for Session I:
Pigtails
Preliminaries (Round of 16)
Consolation Round 1 (pigtails)
Championship Quarterfinals
Consolation Round 2
Session II
4 mats, beginning at 10 a.m.
Consolation Round 3, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Championship Semifinals, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Consolation Quarterfinals, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Consolation Semifinals, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
7th place bouts, 1:30 to 3 p.m.

They then usually clear the mats and start the finals in the evening. Don't know an exact time for that yet, but I'll post that with the brackets tomorrow.
While we're here, here are the current records for every Elizabethtown varsity wrestler, alphabetically:
Joey Alleman – 0-2.
Calvin Anderton – 13-8 (3 pins, 1 tech fall, 2 majors, 4 decisions)
Owen Bradley – 13-7 (2 pins, 1 tech fall, 3 majors, 6 decisions)
Zach Brandt – 0-1.
Jared Danneker – 13-7 (2 pins, 2 majors, 7 decisions)
Troy Ernest – 4-0 (1 pin, 1 tech fall, 1 major, 1 decision)
Tim Fedor – 1-3.
Sean Heming – 5-10 (2 pins, 1 major)
Matt Hoover – 19-1 (11 pins, 2 tech falls, 3 majors, 1 decision).
David Kennedy – 8-9 (4 pins, 3 decisions).
Alex Kirchner – 14-3 (7 pins, 7 decisions).
Tyler Lakota – 7-10 (4 pins, 2 majors, 1 decision).
Justin Lewis – 9-5 (8 pins, 1 decision).
Kyle Morrow – 1-11 (1 major).
Zach Myers – 3-6 (1 pin, 2 decisions).
Jeremy Rivera – 16-3 (7 pins, 4 majors, 3 decisions).
Antonio Rodriguez – 8-6 (1 pin, 2 majors, 1 decision).
Shane Rosenberry – 17-4 (13 pins, 1 tech fall, 2 decisions).
James Sliker – 0-1.
Andrew Smith – 1-0 (1 major).
Adam Zellman – 20-2 (10 pins, 2 majors, 7 decisions).

Here's even more wrestling stuff:
District Three Tournament Timeline:
Team Tournament:
Jan. 27: preliminaries at higher seeded team.
Jan. 29: quarterfinals at higher seeded team.
Jan. 31: semis, consolations and finals at Milton Hershey Spartan Center.

Sectionals
Saturday, Feb. 14: prelims, quarters, semis, consolations and finals.
Note: This year, E-town is returning to the L-L League sectional, which is Section Three. Remember, recently, the Bears were in the Section Two tournament with a bunch of Mid Penn teams. This year, they're back in Section Three, which is at Hempfield with the following teams: Cedar Crest, CV, Donegal, Hempfield, L-S, Lebanon, McCaskey, Central, Township, Penn Manor, Solanco and Warwick.

Individual Tournament
Friday, Feb. 20, prelims, consolations and quarters, @ Hersheypark Arena
Saturday, Feb. 21, semis, consolations and finals, @ Hersheypark Arena

All culminating with the PIAA State Tournament, March 5-7 @ The Giant Center.

OK, that's all for now. Back tomorrow with the league brackets.

E-town/Hempfield preview

(photo: E-town point guard Andrew Placeres could be an x-factor in tonight's game).

It's rare to find a regular season crossover game as highly anticipated as tonight's matchup between E-town and Hempfield. Both teams are 12-1 overall and a perfect 8-0 in league play. They have the best records in the league, sit atop their respective sections and likely the top two teams in the league (but don't count out Penn Manor just yet to make a lot of noise in the league playoffs). And they'll square off tonight. After tonight, one team will still be unbeaten in league play, one won't, and whoever wins will likely be the favorite to win the L-L League come early February, for now at least.

So let's take a quick look at each team before tonight's game (which is at 8 p.m. in Daubert Gymnasium in case you weren't sure. Get there early.)

HEMPFIELD:
The Black Knights have reeled off 12 wins in a row since dropping their season opener to York (correction: that's Eastern York. Oops). They've had a tough week, though, with three tight games. On Monday, Hempfield squeaked by Penn Manor by two. On Wednesday, they beat Manheim Township by five and ended the week on Friday with a 10 point win over McCaskey.

They play a very similar team-style game as the Bears. You won't see anyone from Hempfield leading the league in scoring, but they have a few guys who will get you for double digits on any given night. They're a methodical bunch of chameleons that can adjust to just about any style of play they need to. But at the heart of their offense is patience, where they will wait for just the right shot before they take it if they need to. I guess I should include a disclaimer that I haven't seen Hempfield, but I'm going off some good scouting reports and other things I've read and heard.

As a team, they average just under 60 points per game. They've hit 50 3-pointers and are shooting around 68 percent from the free throw line as a team.

Individually, they have three players averaging 10 points or more. That group is led by Christian Walck, the 6-1 guard who is scoring 14.8 points per game. He's arguably Hempfield's best all around player and there isn't much he can't do.

Chris Yoder, who is 6-3, is averaging 12.6 per game and Matt Donato, a 6-2 forward, is scoring 10.2 per night. This is a group that won't get flustered easily and has passed every league test it has faced so far. If any team can handle playing on a road in a fierce atmosphere, it's Hempfield.

E-TOWN:
If you blink, you might miss three E-town possessions. The Bears like to get up and down the court quickly on offense and use fantastic ball movement to get open shots quickly. They also have stepped up their defense and can apply some great pressure. Like Hempfield, they're very athletic all over and won't have one guy lead the league in scoring – but plenty that can hurt you on any given night.

As a team, E-town averages 68.4 points per game. They've hit 54 3-pointers and shoot 71 percent from the line as a team.

Let's go over the first six players in the Bears' rotation:
Quinn Cozzens – E-town's leading scorer at 12.5 points per game. Cozzens is like Walck in that he can do anything for E-town – handle the ball, shoot from the perimeter or take the ball inside.

Kyle McNeil – averaging 12.3 per game, 2nd on the team. He's been the Bears' best inside scoring presence and is very strong and athletic. If there's any sort of sliver in the paint, McNeil will go off and score in the 20s. He can jump and is strong enough to get rebounds with just about anyone. Hempfield's not overly big, so McNeil could be a focal point tonight.

Chad Styer – After a preseason knee injury, Styer's outside stroke has come on and he is averaging 12.2 points per game. He went off in E-town's last game for 31 points – the most by an E-town player in a game this season. If he is hot from behind the arc, he can make up a deficit or pad a lead in a hurry.

Andrew Placeres – Placeres is the wild card in my opinion for tonight. E-town's point guard averages 9 per game and makes the offense go. If he can handle Hempfield's press and make smart decisions with the basketball, the Bears will be fine.

Jeremi Jones – Jones comes off the bench most of the time for the Bears and is averaging just under 10 per game. He's another do-it-all guy, someone that can shoot, play good defense and take the ball to the basket with regularity. He is pure hustle out there and will create a lot of chances for the Bears with his tenacity.

Brad Garber – Garber teams with McNeil to make up E-town's inside presence. I'm not sure if there is a scrappier player on the team than Garber. He is everywhere and he's always drawing contact or diving on the floor for a loose ball. He'll bring a ton of energy and, while he's averaging just over 6 per game, can certainly put up 10 or more points.

All in all, expect a very back and forth game that comes down to the fourth quarter. These are the best teams in the league right now, and that's exactly how the game will play out.

Should be interesting....

Rosenberry joins the Century Club

At the Donegal Tournament earlier this year, Shane Rosenberry became the latest E-town wrestler to reach 100 wins. He was honored on Saturday for joining the Century Club

I apologize for not getting this up sooner, but I didn't know Rosenberry had reached this milestone. I knew he was close, but didn't know he was there. Anyway, congratulations to Shane on a great accomplishment – he's certainly earned it.

So far this season, Rosenberry is 5-1 in duals and 11-3 in tournametn for a 16-4 overall record.

Kroesen inducted into E-town Wrestling Hall of Fame

Before Saturday's EAHS wrestling match against Garden Spot, E-town inducted Hob Kroesen into the Elizabethtown Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Kroesen, pictured above with E-town head coach Mike Sernoffsky, was a 1963 graduate of EAHS, where he was a two-year letterwinner. He then went into the Air Force for four years before attending E-town College, where he wrestled and lettered each year.

After college, Kroesen was a PIAA wrestling official for 25 years, where he officiated all levels, including the PIAA state tournament and the NCAA qualifying tournament. He also coach E-town Boys Club wrestling for 15 years and coached the likes of Tom Miller, Mike Miller, Jon Givens and Dennis Rosenberry.

He also helped found the Elizabethtown Optimist Club Junior High Wrestling Tournament.

Kroesen was inducted into the District Three Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998.

Bears roll past Lebanon, stay in first

Boy, the E-town wrestling team did a number on Lebanon last night, beating them 66-15. The Cedars are having a down year and haven't won a league match yet, but I think last night's match probably lasted about 20 minutes.

To start with, E-town had six pins – and all of them came in under a minute. Shane Rosenberry, Justin Lewis, Adam Zellman, David Kennedy, Jeremy Rivera and Troy Ernest all had pins for E-town. And then, the Bears got five wins via forfeit. Lebanon also picked up a forfeit, a pin and a decision. Of the 14 total matches, six weren't even wrestled (forfeits), six ended in first period pins, one ended in an early third period pin and only one was decided by a decision in three full periods. Sheesh, I don't think I've ever heard of such a quick match.

Anyway, the Bears are looking pretty good in dual meets so far. They dropped their first dual meet of the year, a nonleague match against Middletown, but have won their last four. They are currently 4-1 overall and 3-0 in league matches and sit alone in first place of Section Two, which they have won for the last two years. So they're primed for a three-peat if they can keep it up.

Tomorrow, E-town is supposed to do battle with Garden Spot, who is 2-1 and has an excellent team. Of course, they're calling for six inches of snow. So if the meet is canceled, I'll post it here (as long as I can find out). Looking at E-town's schedule so far, their biggest win is probably the 34-27 one they picked up on Dec. 20 against Cocalico, because the Eagles are 3-1 in league meets and just a game back of E-town.

After Garden Spot, E-town will tune up for the League Tournament (which starts Jan. 16) with matches against L-S and Ephrata, which they should win. Basically, if the Bears can beat Garden Spot, I don't see anything left in dual meets that should keep them from their third straight Section Two title. But the match against Spot is HUGE. It's scheduled for 1:30 p.m. tomorrow in Daubert Gymnasium, by the way. If it's postponed, my guess is they'll make it up after leagues. Leagues end on Jan. 17, and E-town doesn't have another match scheduled until Jan. 22, so early in that week would be likely for a makeup. But we'll see about the snow first.

Have a great weekend everyone and, as always, stay classy Elizabethtown.

Kirchner named to PFN All-State Team

Elizabethtown Area High School senior Alex Kirchner has been named to Pennsylvania Football News' All-State team. Kirchner was chosen as an honorable mention guard for his stellar play on E-town's offensive line this season.

Congrats to Alex, a terrific player who is well-deserving.

Tim Tebow, Quinn Cozzens and .... Ron Burgundy?

Hello everyone. I'm not sure how many of you can still access this blog because our paper's main site has been down for a while. That's one of the reasons I've been slow to update it lately – I'm not sure how many people can access it, unless you have it bookmarked. Just a quick note: our company (not me, but the people at our corporate office) is in negotiations with a new buyer. So hang tight, but we're here for the time being until negotiations go final.

Here are a few things to chew on this chilly Thursday afternoon.

• The E-town boys beat Solanco by 38 points last night. Wow. Quinn Cozzens led them with 16 points and is averaging 12.6 ppg in the Bears' first 12 games. E-town's got a ton of mojo right now. This Tuesday, they'll host Hempfield, who is also 11-1 and tied with the Bears for the best record in the L-L League. Of course, I'll have PLENTY on this huge regular season showdown. Check back Monday for a preview of the game.

• Quick predictions for this weekend's NFL playoffs: Baltimore over Tennessee, Pittsburgh over San Diego (setting up a GREAT AFC championship of Ravens/Steelers); Carolina over Arizona and Philly over the G-Men. Eli just isn't the same team without Plaxico, and the Iggles are playing with house money. Please note that I despise both of these teams (NY and Philly) and wish there was a way for both of them to lose. Alas.

•Lastly, I leave you with this. Oklahoma's offense is scary, Florida's is scarier. They can put out 5 or 6 or more guys AT THE SAME TIME that run a sub 4.4 40. Also, one of Oklahoma's defensive backs said Tim Tebow would be the fourth best quarterback in the Big 12. That's laughable. He should know by now, that you don't tug on Superman's cape. Right Timmy?

Gators in a shootout.

That's all for now. As always, stay classy Elizabethtown. (that's the Ron Burgundy part of the title, in case you were curious).