EAHS Cross Country All-Stars

Adele Roeder and Dustin Horning were each named Lancaster-Lebanon League all-stars for their performances for the Elizabethtown Area High School boys and girls cross country programs.

Horning was named to the first team for the boys. He won every race in the regular season except for the season finale, took 10th place in the District Three meet and finished in the top 50 in the PIAA state meet. He also led the Bears to a 16-6 regular season record.

Roeder was named an honorable mention all-star. She was a force all season long for the Bears, and was often the first E-town runner to cross the finish line. She helped lead the Bears to a 15-0 start to the season and an eventual 19-3 overall record.

Horning qualifies for states

It's been a great season for EAHS senior cross country runner Dustin Horning, and now it will continue at the biggest stage in the state.

Horning finished 10th overall at last Wednesday's District Three Class AAA meet, qualifying him to compete in Saturday's PIAA State Meet. (Note: I apologize to Dustin and the rest of the EAHS boys and girls cross country runners for not covering the district meet. The schedule I have had the meet slated for Saturday, Oct. 25, so you can imagine my surprise when I got the results on Thursday morning, the 23rd. Sorry, back to the post now.) Horning finished in a time of 16:47, and gained familiarity with the course in Hershey, which is where the state meet will take place this Saturday.

Horning has had one of the best individual seasons in E-town cross country history. He won every single meet of the year except for the regular season finale, where he finished second by just one second. You can't do much better than that. In leagues, where he was expected to compete for the L-L title, he came down with some pretty bad cramps and was forced out of the race, which was unfortunate for him. But he made up for that in districts and will now look to earn a medal in states.

The Boys AAA race kicks off at noon at Parkview Cross Country Course in Hershey.

Cross Country Leaderboard

I wanted to start this entry off with a correction. In this week's print edition of the Chronicle, I wrote that E-town's Dustin Horning was one of two undefeated runners in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Well, I was wrong. Horning is the ONLY unbeaten runner in the league so far this year (on the boys side, anyway). I'll print a correction in next week's issue, but wanted to go on record here with the error first. My apologies. The lesson, as always, I'm an idiot.

Here are the cross country leaderboards as of today for the boys and girls:

BOYS
Horning, E-town – 10 meets, 10 points, 1.00 average
Balmer, Cedar Crest – 12 meets, 13 points, 1.08 average
Galli, Cedar Crest – 12 meets, 14 points, 1.17 average
Mancuso, Garden Spot – 11 meets, 13 points, 1.18 average
Hull, Hempfield – 11 meets, 13 points, 1.18 average
Groff, Hempfield 11 meets, 14 points, 1.27 average
Wallace, Cocalico – 10 meets, 13 points, 1.30 average
Branson, Lampeter-Strasburg – 10 meets, 15 points, 1.50 average
Arse, McCaskey – 11 meets, 18 points, 1.64 average
Schloneger, Lancaster Mennonite – 10 meets, 17 points, 1.70 average
Sharkey, Manheim Township – 9 meets, 16 points, 1.78 average
Barninger, E-town – 10 meets, 18 points, 1.80 average
Duke, Solanco – 11 meets, 20 points, 1.82 average
Whiteman, Warwick – 11 meets, 20 points, 1.82 average
Mast, Lancaster Mennonite – 10 meets, 19 points, 1.90 average
Loose, Warwick – 11 meets, 21 points, 1.91 average
Landis, E-town – 10 meets, 20 points, 2.00 average
Wisniewski, Warwick – 11 meets, 23 points, 2.09 average
Haldeman, Lampeter-Strasburg – 10 meets, 21 points, 2.10 average
Risser, Manheim Township – 9 meets, 19 points, 2.11 average
Hinnenkamp, Manheim Township – 7 meets, 15 points, 2.14 average
Jackson, Cedar Crest – 12 meets, 26 points, 2.17 average
Lee, Hempfield – 11 meets, 24 points, 2.18 average
Smith, Hempfield – 11 meets, 24 points, 2.18 average

GIRLS
Loffton, Lancaster Mennonite – 10 meets, 10 points, 1.00 average
Mannon, Warwick – 11 meets, 11 points, 1.00 average
Brandt, Cedar Crest – 12 meets, 13 points, 1.08 average
Perry, Elco – 10 meets, 11 points, 1.10 average
Jones, Garden Spot – 11 meets, 14 points, 1.27 average
Garvey, McCaskey – 11 meets, 14 points, 1.27 average
Ludman, Solanco – 11 meets, 14 points, 1.27 average
Oliver, Warwick – 11 meets, 15 points, 1.36 average
J. Barr, Lampeter-Strasburg – 10 meets, 15 points, 1.50 average
M. Barr, Lampeter-Strasburg – 10 meets, 15 points, 1.50 average
Auster-Gussman, McCaskey – 11 meets, 17 points, 1.55 average
Reynolds, Manheim Township – 9 meets, 14 points, 1.56 average
Roeder, E-town – 10 meets, 16 points, 1.60 average
Henny, Manheim Township – 9 meets, 15 points, 1.67 average
McDonald, Donegal – 10 meets, 17 points, 1.70 average
Haas, Ephrata – 8 meets, 14 points, 1.75 average
Scheetz, Manheim Township – 9 meets, 16 points, 1.78 average
Mascia, E-town – 10 meets, 19 points, 1.90 average
Davis, Lancaster Catholic – 10 meets, 19 points, 1.90 average
Graziano, Manheim Township – 9 meets, 18 points, 2.00 average
Kauffman, E-town – 10 meets, 20 points, 2.00 average
Arndt, Lampeter-Strasburg – 10 meets, 20 points, 2.00 average
Ruhl, Garden Spot – 11 meets, 22 points, 2.00 average
Grube, Warwick – 11 meets, 22 points, 2.00 average

Horning unbeaten through two meets

E-town senior Dustin Horning is off to a great start and is one of five Lancaster-Lebanon League cross country runners to be unbeaten after the first week.

Horning has finished first in both of E-town's meets so far, finishing first against Hershey last Friday and beating Solanco's Adam Duke by one second in a meet against Solanco, Manheim Central and Penn Manor on Tuesday.

EAHS Cross Country Preview

(The senior runners for E-town’s cross country programs are, back row from left, Steve Hoffer, Corey Faus, Dustin Horning, Chad Barninger and Dan Hoover. Bottom row, from left, Luke Fox, Rachael Heckman and Jon Carlin.)

Boys Cross Country

Head Coach: John Spittal, 14th season.

2007 Record: 11-10 overall.

Key Returners: Dustin Horning, senior, captain; Chad Barninger, senior; Corey Landis, junior; Jon Carlin, senior; Elliott Clark, junior.

E-town returns a solid top five, led by Horning and Barninger. With the graduation of Conestoga Valley’s Vince McNally, Horning could contend for the top spot in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. He is experienced and fast and will win just about every meet the Bears enter this year. Watch for him to challenge for the top spot in the L-L Meet on Oct. 14 and advance to districts and, possibly, states.

Barninger is a good No. 2 runner that Spittal said will push Horning for the top spot and has the talent to medal in districts and get to states. His ability to push Horning might make E-town’s No. 1 runner even better. But together, Barninger and Horning form a formidable 1-2 punch for the Bears.

Landis and Carlin will run No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. While both are strong individually (Landis could push for a state berth), they could very well be the keys to the Bears’ team record. If they run well behind Horning and Barninger, there aren’t a lot of teams in the section or league that are going to be able to handle E-town.

Clark did see some time at the varsity level last year and is a runner to keep an eye on. If there is an injury or if someone falters, Clark could be someone who steps in without missing a beat.

Key Losses: Ben Gotwalt, graduation; Chris Klinger, graduation.

Both Gotwalt and Klinger brought leadership and kept things loose on the team last year.

Key Newcomers: Nate Kreider, freshman; Drew Sollenburger, sophomore; Zach McCurdy, sophomore.

These three underclassmen add to the Bears’ depth and will get a feel this year of what it will take to run good times against varsity competition.

It won’t be long before Kreider finds himself near the top of the varsity depth chart. He was the No. 2 runner in the Lancaster-Lebanon League at the junior high level last year.

“He is an excellent runner with huge potential,” said Spittal.

Sollenburger makes the jump to varsity after two years at junior high and will increase E-town’s depth at the No. 4 and 5 slots.

McCurdy could be primed for a breakout season. Spittal said he has run behind Sollenburger for the past two years and is ready to bust onto the varsity scene.

Strengths: Experience, depth.

All of the Bears’ top runners have been at the varsity level for a couple of years now and that will help them get through the grind that is the cross country season. E-town will face its share of injuries, but with the depth it has at its fourth and fifth slots, that’s something it can overcome.

“Many runners put in miles over the summer,” Spittal said. “The number of good runners makes sickness and injuries problems that can be overcome. We are strong, experienced and deep.”

Weaknesses: Handling pressure.

It’s not that the Bears can’t handle any pressure at all. It’s more that they are untested as a team. E-town has never had a target on its back as the team to knock off, but it very well could this year with what it will put on the course every meet. If the Bears are going to achieve what they are capable of, they must remain focused.

“We have never had the pressure of being one of the best teams, therefore the team is going to have to keep their eyes on the prize,” Spittal said.

Outlook: This team has a chance to be as good as or better than the 2006 group that went 14-7 – the best record in program history. Spittal certainly has high hopes for the group and lots of confidence in them.

“The team has a great chance to break the total wins school record,” he said. “I think we have a chance to contend for the Lancaster-Lebanon League team title, be in the top five in districts and be the first E-town cross country team to qualify for states.”

As with any sport, the Bears need to stay healthy to have a shot at those 14 wins. If E-town’s top three can stay healthy, they could have one of the best seasons in program history. And they’ll also make their mark individually. Spittal said he thinks Horning should medal at districts and has a shot at a state medal. He also thinks that Barninger and Landis have what it takes to be state qualifiers. If he’s right and the Bears do get three state qualifiers, then the team wins will come. In bunches.

Girls Cross Country

Head Coach: John Spittal, 14th year.

2007 record: 12-9 overall.

Key Returners: Shea Mascia, junior; Sarah Kauffman, junior; Kristi Frye, junior; Adele Roeder, sophomore; Rachael Heckman, senior.

The Bears will continue their resurgence this year with the return of these five good runners.

Mascia emerged last year as the Bears’ best runner and will be E-town’s top athlete again this season. She was an honorable mention Lancaster-Lebanon League all-star last year, and will be one of the first runners to cross the finish line every time she steps onto the course and will be E-town’s biggest threat this year.

Kauffman is entering her third season as a varsity runner already and has had an outstanding preseason, according to Spittal.

Frye is one of E-town’s most improved runners and could have a standout season for the Bears if she can continue working hard and getting better.

One runner to watch for E-town is Roeder. She is only a sophomore and has the potential to be one of the better runners in the section, if she can avoid injury.

“She could be scary good if she stays healthy,” Spittal said.

Heckman is the team’s leader and the only senior the Bears have. She is another good runner, but brings the senior intangibles that teams need to succeed.

“She has good leadership skills and has been working hard to bring the girls together,” said Spittal.

Key Losses: Caity Fisher, graduation.

Fisher was an L-L all-star last year and one of E-town’s best runner during her tenure.

“We will miss her work ethic and leadership,” said Spittal.

If those two qualities rubbed off on her teammates last year, the Bears will be in great shape.

Key Newcomers: Liz Schlicker, junior; Angela Vertucci, sophomore; Julia Spittal, freshman.

The Bears will add to their depth in the top spots with these three promising runners.

Schlicker is running cross country for the first time, and Spittal said she has been a pleasant surprise. Look for her to work her way to the top and be a consistent runner for the Bears.

Vertucci and Spittal, while they are underclassmen, have the potential to run extremely fast times.

Spittal said Vertucci worked very hard during the summer and that it has shown so far in the preseason. She is used to running two miles, but Spittal said the move to 5K should be no problem for her.

Julia Spittal finished second in the Lancaster-Lebanon League at the junior high level last year. She could have an immediate impact at the varsity level as a freshman.

Strengths: Potential, depth.

The Bears are loaded with runners who could all win a meet on any given day. E-town’s top seven runners are all talented and form the deepest E-town girls team in recent memory. If the Bears find themselves in a close meet, their depth could put them over the top on plenty of occasions.

Weakness: Intersquad competition.

Depth is sometimes a good problem to have for most coaches. The Bears’ top seven runners are all very good and will push each other to the max in practice – which will make them stronger in meets.

However, if one runner is having an off-day and falls behind, they could lose confidence, something that Spittal will keep an eye on.

“The strength of having six or seven girls being very good can be upsetting to someone in they have a bad day in practice or in the race,” he said.

It’s a problem that most coaches would like to have. But that’s where the leadership of Heckman and the upperclassmen will come into play. They must keep spirits up throughout the entire team.

Outlook: It’s amazing how far the E-town program has come in just two short years. In 2005, the Bears didn’t have enough runners on the roster to compete as a team and finished 0-21 since they had to forfeit every meet in the team scores. But interest in cross country began to grow in 2006, as E-town finished a solid 10-11. Last year, the team blossomed, going 12-9 and setting the tone for a bright future for the program.

Now the Bears are looking to take the next step toward contention for a team title. E-town has a solid group of juniors and talent at the underclassman level to have a good team for the next couple of years at least.

2008 is a year that the program has been building toward and this could be E-town’s coming out party.

“The girls could be great. Top five in the league or better if nobody gets hurt,” said Spittal. “Leagues, districts and state medals are a real possibility.”

With the level of improvement the program has seen in two years, they could prove Spittal right. Confidence is high for the Bears, and with good reason.

EAHS Fall Sports Schedules

After a long summer of virtually no posts here at the Bears Den, today we officially kick off the fall sports season.

As I type this, E-town athletes are on the practice fields sweating through two-a-days in hopes of coming away with some hardware this fall. And as they do that, I figured I'd post the schedules of each EAHS varsity. Remember to start visiting here more often, because the posting will be more frequent with sports getting underway. I've included scrimmages on these schedules in case you want to get out and see some preseason action. I'll be at the football scrimmage on Saturday morning and will post something here (not in the print edition of the paper) on that game.

OK, here they are...and welcome back fall. Good to have you.

FOOTBALL

All home games played at Thompson Field
Preseason:
Saturday, Aug. 16, vs. Cedar Crest (scrimmage), 9 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 22, at East Pennsboro Area (scrimmage), 6 p.m.
Regular season (section games in bold):
Friday, Aug. 29, at J.P. McCaskey, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Muhlenberg, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12, vs. Manheim Township (Hall of Fame induction), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20, at Solanco, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 26, at Conestoga Valley, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3, vs. Garden Spot, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 10, vs. Cocalico (Homecoming), 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 17, at Manheim Central, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24, at Ephrata, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 31, vs. Lebanon (Senior/Parent Night), 7 p.m.
The Bears have something special planned for each home game, but I'll save that for another blog entry.

FIELD HOCKEY

All home games played at Jane Hoover Field
Preseason:
Saturday, Aug. 16, Scrimmage Play Day, 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 20, at Donegal (scrimmage), 4 p.m.
Regular season:
Friday, Aug. 29, at Exeter Township, noon.
Saturday, Aug. 30, vs. Central Dauphin, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 4, vs. Cedar Crest, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Tulpehocken, 4 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 8, vs. Warwick, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, vs. Manheim Township, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12, at Penn Manor, 4:15 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 15, vs. Hempfield, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 17, at J.P. McCaskey, 4:15 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 19, vs. Conestoga Valley, 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Cedar Crest, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 25, at Warwick, 4:15 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 29, at Manheim Township, 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, vs. Penn Manor, 4 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3, at Hempfield, 4 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 6, vs. J.P. McCaskey (Senior/Parent Night), 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Conestoga Valley, 4 p.m.
Notable dates:
Saturday, Oct. 11, League playoffs begin.
Thursday, Oct. 16, L-L Championship game.
Friday, Oct. 17, District playoffs begin.
Saturday, Nov. 1, District Championship game.

BOYS SOCCER

Home games played at Field No. 4 (behind East High Elementary) and at Thompson Field.
Preseason:
Monday, Aug. 18, at Hershey (scrimmage), 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Lower Dauphin (scrimmage), 4:15 p.m., field 4.
Regular Season:
Tuesday, Sept. 2, at Garden Spot, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Ephrata, 4 p.m., field 4.
Monday, Sept. 8, vs. Warwick, 7 p.m., Thompson Field.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Cedar Crest, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12, vs. Manheim Township, 4 p.m. field 4.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Solanco, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 18, vs. Lebanon, 7 p.m., Thompson Field.
Saturday, Sept. 20, at Conestoga Valley, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Penn Manor, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 25, vs. Hempfield, 7 p.m., Thompson Field.
Monday, Sept. 29, at J.P. McCaskey, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, vs. Garden Spot, 4 p.m., field 4.
Saturday, Oct. 4, at Ephrata, 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 6, vs. Solanco, 4 p.m., field 4
Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Lebanon, 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 11, vs. Conestoga Valley (Senior/Parent Night), 2:30 p.m., at Elizabethtown College.
Notable Dates:
Tuesday, Oct. 14, League playoffs begin.
Saturday, Oct. 18, L-L Championship game.
Monday, Oct. 20, District playoffs begin.
Saturday, Nov. 1, District Championship game.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
All home matches at Daubert Gymnasium
Preseason:
Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Elco (scrimmage), 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Lower Dauphin (scrimmage), 4 p.m.
Regular Season:
Saturday, Aug. 30, at Lancaster Mennonite Tournament, TBA.
Tuesday, Sept. 2, vs. Garden Spot, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 4, vs. Ephrata, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Lebanon, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 11, at Manheim Central, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13, at Falcon Classic, TBA, Cedar Crest High School.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, vs. Conestoga Valley, 7p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 18, at Solanco, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20, at Cedar Cliff Tournament, TBA.
Monday, Sept. 22, vs. Middletown, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Garden Spot, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Ephrata, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, vs. Lebanon, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 9, at Conestoga Valley, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 14, vs. Solanco, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16, vs. Lampeter-Strasburg (Senior/Parent Night), 7 p.m.
Notable Dates:
Tuesday, Oct. 28, District playoffs begin.
Saturday, Nov. 1, District Championship match.

GOLF

All home matches at Sunset Golf Course
Regular Season:
Tuesday, Aug. 19, L-L Match at Crossgates Country Club, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 21, home L-L Match, 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 27, L-L Match at Host Country Club, 1 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 4, L-L Match at Overlook Golf Course, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, L-L Match at Fairview Golf Course, 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, L-L Match at Conestoga Country Club, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 24, L-L Match at Overlook Golf Course, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 29, L-L Tournament at Host Country Club, 9 a.m.
Notable Dates:
Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11, District Three tournament at Briarwood Golf Club, 9 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 13, Regional Tournament at Golden Oaks Golf Club, 9 a.m.

GIRLS TENNIS

All home matches at EAHS Tennis Courts
Preseason:
Monday, Aug. 18, at Pequea Valley (scrimmage), 4 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 22, at Lampeter-Strasburg (scrimmage), 10 a.m.
Regular Season:
Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Donegal, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 28, vs. Columbia, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 2, vs. Penn Manor, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 4, at Hempfield, 4 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Warwick, 4 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 8, at Manheim Township, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, vs. Conestoga Valley, 4 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12, at Cedar Crest, 4 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 15, at Ephrata, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 18, at Garden Spot, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, vs. Solanco, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 25, vs. J.P. McCaskey (Senior/Parent Night), 4 p.m.
Notable Dates:
Oct. 2-6, L-L Flight Tournament.
Oct. 10, District Team Tournament.
Oct 11 and 13, District Singles Tournament.
Oct. 14 and 18, District Doubles Tournament.

Cross Country

All home meets run at E-town course, starting behind Thompson Field.
Note: Dates, locations and times are for both boys and girls teams.
Preseason:
Friday, Aug. 22, Tri-Meet Scrimmage at Lower Dauphin, 3 p.m.
Regular Season:
Friday, Aug. 29, at Hershey, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 2, L-L Meet at Penn Manor, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6, Cross Country Relay Meet at Manor Middle School, 8:45 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 9, L-L Meet at South Hills Park, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, home L-L Meet, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, L-L Meet at Donegal High, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27, Carlisle Cross Country Invitational, 11:15 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, L-L Meet at Warwick High, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, L-L Meet at Hempfield High, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 14, L-L Run at Ephrata War Memorial Field, 5 p.m.
Notable Date:
Saturday, Oct. 25, District Three Meet.

There you have it. Check back soon for previews on each of these teams in the coming weeks.

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.

Running well

Special congrats go out to the E-town boys and girls cross country teams for qualifying for the District Three meet on Saturday, Oct. 27 in Hershey.

The girls (pictured above with their 2nd place trophy from the Carlisle Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 29) finished the season at 12-9, while the boys went 11-10.

Both teams have some outstanding runners. Dustin Horning is the boys' top runner and is 13th in the L-L League scoring leaders. Shea Mascia had a great season for the girls and, along with senior Caity Fisher, give the Bears a formidable 1-2 punch.

Best of luck to the teams at Districts.

The weekend that was...

On Mondays, I'll take a quick look back at weekend EAHS action, and update you on how the Bears fared in different sports. Here's the first edition of "The weekend that was":

Another week, another win for the Bears football team. This one was ugly by halftime. E-town's defense looked great against the Buckskins, who were without their best running back – Kevin Kelley, suspended for disciplinary actions by the CV coach. But the Bears knocked CV's starting quarterback out early in the first quarter, and the Bucks' offense had no chance against Sean McMullen and that ferocious E-town defense. CV turned the ball over a lot and made a ton of mistakes, setting up the E-town offense in good field position all night long. Credit to the Bears too, they capitalized on good field position every single time. Kyle McNeil looked very good at quarterback in limited action. Starter Preston Faith continued his strong play too, and still has yet to throw an interception this season.

Down in Quarryville, Solanco handed Manheim its first section loss of the season, setting up a big battle this Friday night when the Mules come to E-town with both teams 2-0 in the section. Before Friday, the talk around town was that the Central game on Oct. 26 was the game of the year for the Bears, but I'd argue that this Friday's game is more important for E-town. Not that they have anything to prove, but a win over the Mules will go a long way in keeping the Bears as the team to beat in the Section, and do a lot for their District Three power ranking.

In field hockey, E-town lost a close game to undefeated Ephrata, 1-0 on Friday. You have to give credit to E-town for keeping the section's best offense to just one goal and to goalie Becca Bigler, who made 13 saves against the Mounts. A win against Ephrata would have pulled the Bears into third place in front of Manheim Central, but instead E-town is sitting at 4-3, 1 point behind the Barons for third and three behind L-S for second. I don't see anyone catching Ephrata in the section, but E-town could still make some waves. They play Central at home on Wednesday, and then go to L-S on Friday. Two wins there, and the Bears could find themselves in the league playoffs and in second place in Section Two. They've got to find a way to score more goals though.

In soccer, the E-town boys were pretty much handled by Manheim Township on Thursday, but are still tied for second place with CV at 6-3-1. Ephrata leads the section at 6-1-3, but can still be caught by the Bears or the Buckskins. CV should get a win tonight against Cedar Crest, while E-town has a much more difficult task ahead of them – the 7-1-2 Black Knights of Hempfield. This is a big week for E-town and will pretty much make or break them. After Hempfield tonight, they play at Ephrata on Wednesday (a game they can certainly win), and will host CV on Friday at 4. A 2-1 week puts the Bears in good playoff position, if they go 1-2, they'll need a strong finish and some help to have a hope at the section crown. Peter Davis and this offense can score with anyone, though, so the Bears are never out of a game.

Also, congratulations to the E-town Girls Cross Country team, who finished fifth overall and second out of AAA teams at this weekend's Carlisle Invitational. The turnaround of the girls team has been amazing. Just a couple of years ago, they didn't even have enough runners to compete as a team. Now, they are looking for a winning season. Great job by coach John Spittal and the seniors on the team making the Bears resectable again.