Winter notebook

• Columbia will play Warwick in boys’ basketball for the first time in a number of years.
Remember the good old days of the rivalry and there is no truth to the rumor that Dave Althouse is coming out of retirement to sit on the Warwick bench for that one.
• Columbia could play Lancaster Catholic three times this year in boys’ basketball.
• The Day of Basketball between Columbia and Eastern is Saturday, Dec. 13, across the river in Eastern’s new gym, starting at noon.
• One rule change of note this season in boys’ basketball is that players can no longer line up in the first spot under the basket on foul shots. They are pushed back a block.
• With Warwick and Eastern on the basketball schedule, there’s no truth that there will be alumni games between the schools.
• Columbia was going to have it own wrestling tournament, this year, but they couldn’t get enough teams.
Instead, the Tide will travel to  Hanover for the Smackdown Duals after Christmas. If anything, it will get the Tide ready for the post-season.
• The L-L wrestling tournament will be held at Conestoga Valley.
• Mark Saturday, Jan. 10 on your calendars. Columbia will host a big tri-meet in Section 3 with Northern Lebanon and Donegal.
• The Tide boys scrimmaged Garden Spot and Warwick to get ready for the season. The girls worked out with Conestoga Valley, E-town and Penn Manor.
• Columbia scrimmaged Northeastern in wrestling.
• Columbia’s junior high basketball teams open their seasons next Friday with L-S and then travel the next day across the river to meet Eastern.
The boys’ team should be pretty good and the girls will be improved, but still young.
• The Tide bowling team in the last four years has two second place finishes and two section titles.
• There is only one three-night week this season on the basketball schedule and that’s not until after the new year.

Columbia opens with Hempfield

It’s been a while since the Columbia girls’ basketball team has been among the contenders in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
A combination of things have taken the Tide girls from the penthouse of girls’ basketball in the L-L League to the first floor, looking to move on up again.
One, Columbia’s talent level has dropped off. It’s not that the Tide doesn’t have talent, they do. They just don’t have enough of it. Plus, the rest of the L-L League has gotten better.
For example, the Tide’s schedule includes six teams that played in the state playoffs last year, plus three others that qualified for the district playoffs. That represents 14 of the Tide’s 22 games, that will be against playoff teams from a year. It also includes only one game in the Warwick Tournament, which could increase that number to 15.
Coach Lisa Tomsheck’s team opens the season tomorrow night by hosting its own tournament. All four teams, Columbia, Lampeter-Strasburg, Hempfield and Central Dauphin East made the District 3 playoffs a year ago, but Columbia was the only one not to advance to the state tournament.
“Our opening tournament has extremely good competition. We open the tournament with Hempfield, who is the reigning L-L champs. The other teams are L-S, who I think is the strongest team in the L-L League because they did not have a senior on the squad last season and CD East, who made a good run in the state tournament,” Tomsheck said.

Read more in this week's Columbia Ledger.

Boys open at Hanover

Last season was magical for the Columbia boys’ basketball team.
After losing their season opener at the Oxford Tournament, the Tide reeled off 20 straight win, dominated Section 4 and won the section title, took eventual L-L champ McCaskey to the wire in the league playoffs, got to play at the Giant Center and then battle a team that played for a state title tough until the final three minutes before falling in South Philadelphia.
Columbia opens its season tomorrow night against Newport in the Hanover Tournament. The other two teams in the tournament are Fairfield and Hanover, who the Tide crushed in the district playoffs last year. It might be the easiest part of the pre-season for the Tide. They have non-league games with Class AAA power Eastern and Class A power Reading Central Catholic, along with two games in the Warwick Tournament against the host Warriors and either Lancaster Catholic or Wilson the next night.
Last year, the Tide went 26-5 overall and 17-1 in league play. They lost five of the top seven players from that team. The two returning players, who need to step up their games are Yahya McInytre and Derrick Smith.

For more, read this week's Columbia Ledger.

Mike Wolfgang

Last Friday afternoon I was enjoying watching some pretty good college football and thinking about making the trip to Hershey to watch Manheim Central take on West York in the District 3 Class AAA football championship.
I was comfortable on my recliner just before five o’clock, when my phone rang. A name didn’t come up, rather just a number, so I answered it.
It was one of those phone calls you don’t like to receive. It was a phone call telling you someone had died. That person was former Columbia running back of the early 1970s Mike Wolfgang.
Wolfgang’s death was very unexpected and shocking. I had just seen Mike about two weeks earlier when his officiating crew on its way back from a playoff game between York High and Bishop McDevitt stopped at a local watering hole for some food and drinks after the game.
That night Mike was so full of life, talkative and funny. He was holding court with his six other officials, talking about their game, politics, football in general and talking to the “out of towners” about growing up on Fourth Street in Columbia.
We only got to see Mike do one Columbia game this year. He requested being the”white hat” (referee) for the L-S game, which was Hall of Fame Night at Columbia. He wanted to be there because his high school coach Jack Yohe was being inducted, along with some former teammates.
We talked a little bit that night, before the game and during the game.

For more, read this week's Columbia Ledger.

Bowling preview

The Columbia bowling team opened its season earlier this week with a non-league match against Manheim Central.
The Tide bowlers are looking to get back to the back to the top of Section 3 after finishing a game behind Lancaster Catholic last year. The second place finish ended a two-year run by the Tide bowlers as Section 3 champions.
And the Tide has the arsenal to get back to the top of the standings. Among the returning bowlers are senior Anthony Wishard and junior Allison Michener. Last season, Wishard finished sixth in the league tournament, while Michener qualified for states.
Other members of the bowling team are Casey Barninger, Adrienne Zercher, Mandee Knighton, Adam Kilp and Kevin McCarty (seniors); Jimmy Lee, Keifer Kemmerly and Katelyn Misal (juniors); david Wissler, Keith Knighton and Liz Nissley (sophomores) and Zach Jones and Cory Anderson (freshman).

Matmen go to UDA

If there’s one thing about the 2008-09 Columbia High School wrestling program fans need to know if that the numbers are good at both the varsity and junior high levels.
At the varsity level, third-year coach Scott Rupp has a full roster of 25. At the junior high level, new coaches Jimmy Jones and Brian Fry have a full roster of 20.
But, “our weakness is inexperience at both levels,” Rupp said.
Columbia, who went 3-3 in Section 3 of the L-L League and 8-13 overall, and qualified for the District 3 Class A team tournament, returns three district qualifiers from last year -- Joey Ronca  (21-13), Brandon Felus (5-26) and Anthony Wallick (20-19). Other key returning wrestlers with varsity experience are Jason Combs (12-21), Adam Stoner (13-19), Philip Key (2-22), Marcus Fischer (0-5) and Bobby Schoelkopf and Joey Charles. Another wrestler Johnny Vazquez might miss the season because of a leg injury suffered during football season.
Other wrestlers to watch for the Crimson Tide are freshman Derek Zercher and Jordan Helton; sophomores Cain Warfel, Roger Walton, Derrick Brooks, John Markley, Casey Rapp and Byron Germer, juniors Jacob Sentz, Brandon Aukamp and Brian Mentzer and Cody McAllister, senior.
“I feel with the amount of experience coming back we are in the top three of the section, but you never know what happens in our section,” Rupp said.
Teams to watch in Section 3 are Annville-Cleona and Lancaster Catholic. Grapplers to watch are Dylan Killian, Anthony Lentinie and Chris Shifflet, Annville-Cleona; Mike Blaczyzyk and Mark Lobeck, Lancaster Catholic and Neal Sweigart, Donegal.
The Tide will open its season Saturday with the Upper Dauphin Duals and then have its first home meet Wednesday against Central Dauphin East.

For more, see this week's Columbia Ledger

Columbia schedules

Boys’ Basketball
Friday, Dec. 5, vs. Newport at Hanover Tip-Off Tournament (6 p.m.)
Saturday, Dec. 6, at Hanover Tip-Off Tournament (TBA)
Tuesday, Dec. 9, Reading Central Catholic (6 p.m.)
Friday, Dec. 12, at Lampeter-Strasburg
Saturday, Dec. 13, at Eastern (J.V. at 4:30, Varsity at 7:30)
Tuesday, Dec. 16, Donegal
Friday, Dec. 19, at ELCO
Tuesday, Dec.  23, at Lebanon Catholic
Monday, Dec. 29, vs. Warwick at Warwick Tournament (8 p.m)
Tuesday, Dec. 30, at Warwick Tournament (TBA)
Friday, Jan. 2,         Lancaster Mennonite
Monday, Jan. 5, Annville-Cleona
Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Lancaster Catholic
Friday, Jan.  9, Pequea Valley
Tuesday, Jan. 13, Manheim Central
Friday, Jan. 16, at Northern Lebanon
Tuesday, Jan. 20, Cocalico
Friday, Jan. 23 , Lebanon Catholic
Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Lancaster Mennonite
Friday, Jan. 30, at Annville-Cleona
Monday, Feb. 2, Lancaster Catholic
Wednesday, Feb. 4, Pequea Valley
All games at 6:30 p.m., unless noted.
Girls’ Basketball
Friday, Dec. 5, vs. Hempfield at Columbia Tournament (8 p.m.)
Saturday, Dec. 6, Columbia Tournament (TBA)
Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Octorara (5:30 p.m.)
Friday, Dec. 12, Lampeter-Strasburg
Saturday, Dec. 13, at Eastern (J.V. at 3, Varsity at 6)
Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Donegal
Friday, Dec. 19, ELCO
Tuesday, Dec.  23, Lebanon Catholic
Friday, Dec. 26,  at Warwick Tournament (TBA)
Saturday, Dec. 27, at Warwick Tournament (TBA)
Friday, Jan. 2,         at Lancaster Mennonite
Monday, Jan. 5, at Annville-Cleona
Wednesday, Jan. 7, Lancaster Catholic
Friday, Jan.  9, at Pequea Valley
Tuesday, Jan. 13, at Manheim Central
Friday, Jan. 16, Northern Lebanon
Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Cocalico
Friday, Jan. 23 , at Lebanon Catholic
Tuesday, Jan. 27, Lancaster Mennonite
Friday, Jan. 30, Annville-Cleona
Monday, Feb. 2, at Lancaster Catholic
Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Pequea Valley
All games at 6:30 p.m., unless noted.
Boys’ J.H. Basketball
Friday, Dec. 12, at Lampeter-Strasburg
Saturday, Dec. 13, at Eastern (1:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, Dec. 16, Donegal
Friday, Dec. 19, at ELCO
Tuesday, Dec.  23, at Lebanon Catholic
Friday, Dec. 26, at Cumberland Valley Tournament (TBA)
Saturday, Dec. 27, at Cumberland Valley Tournament (TBA)
Friday, Jan. 2,         Lancaster Mennonite
Monday, Jan. 5, Annville-Cleona
Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Lancaster Catholic
Friday, Jan.  9, Pequea Valley
Tuesday, Jan. 13, Manheim Central
Friday, Jan. 16, at Northern Lebanon
Tuesday, Jan. 20, Cocalico
Friday, Jan. 23 , Lebanon Catholic
Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Lancaster Mennonite
Friday, Jan. 30, at Annville-Cleona
Monday, Feb. 2, Lancaster Catholic
Wednesday, Feb. 4, Pequea Valley
All games at 4 p.m.,unless noted
Girls’ J.H. Basketball
Friday, Dec. 12, Lampeter-Strasburg
Saturday, Dec. 13, at Eastern (noon)
Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Donegal
Friday, Dec. 19, ELCO
Friday, Jan. 2,         at Lancaster Mennonite
Monday, Jan. 5, at Annville-Cleona
Wednesday, Jan. 7, Lancaster Catholic
Friday, Jan.  9, at Pequea Valley
Tuesday, Jan. 13, at Manheim Central
Friday, Jan. 16, Northern Lebanon
Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Cocalico
Tuesday, Jan. 27, Lancaster Mennonite
Friday, Jan. 30, Annville-Cleona
Monday, Feb. 2, at Lancaster Catholic
Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Pequea Valley
All games at 4 p.m.,unless noted.
Wrestling
Saturday, Dec. 6, at Upper Dauphin Duals (TBA)
Wednesday, Dec. 8, Central Dauphin East (7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Dec. 13, at York Suburban Tournament (TBA)
Thursday, Dec. 18, at Annville-Cleona (7:30 p.m.)
Monday, Dec. 22, Eastern (7:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, Dec. 30, at Smackdown Duals at Hanover (TBA)
Thursday, Jan. 8, at Pequea Valley (7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 10, Northern Lebanon and Donegal (Noon)
Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Cedar Crest (7:30 p.m.)
Friday, Jan. 16, L-L League Tournament at CV (TBA)
Saturday, Jan. 17, L-L League Tournament at CV (TBA)
Thursday, Jan. 22, Lancaster Catholic (7:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 24, ELCO (1:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, Jan. 29, at York High (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, Feb. 3, Penn Manor (7:30 p.m.)
J.H.Wrestling
Saturday, Dec. 6, at Cocalico Tournament (TBA)
Wednesday, Dec. 8, Central Dauphin East (6 p.m.)
Saturday, Dec. 13, McCaskey (10 a.m.)
Thursday, Dec. 18, at Annville-Cleona (6 p.m.)
Monday, Dec. 22, Eastern (6 p.m.)
Thursday, Jan. 8, at Pequea Valley (6 p.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 10, Northern Lebanon and Donegal (10 a.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 17, at Harrisburg Tournament (TBA)
Thursday, Jan. 22, Lancaster Catholic (6 p.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 24, ELCO (noon.)
Tuesday, Feb. 3, Red Land (4 p.m.)
Friday, Feb. 6, at Optimist Tournament (TBA)
Saturday, Feb. 7, at Optimist Tournament (TBA).
Bowling
Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Manheim Central
Tuesday, Dec. 9, ELCO
Thursday, Dec. 11, at Northern Lebanon
Wednesday, Dec. 17, York Tech
Thursday, Dec. 18, Lancaster Catholic
Saturday, Dec. 20, at Snow Roller Tournament (Noon)
Monday, Dec. 22, at Annville-Cleona
Tuesday, Dec. 30, Conestoga Valley
Friday, Jan. 2, at Garden Spot
Wednesday, Jan. 7, Manheim Central
Thursday, Jan. 8, Lebanon Catholic
Thursday, Jan. 15, Northern Lebanon
Thursday, Jan. 22, at ELCO
Thursday, Jan. 29, Annville-Cleona
Thursday, Feb. 5, at Lebanon Catholic
Friday, Feb. 6, at York Tech
Tuesday, Feb. 10, at Lancaster Catholic
All home matches at 3:30 p.m. at Columbia Bowling Center.