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Source: Erie Times-News, Pa.迷你倉Jan. 03--2013 REVIEWPIAA wrestling championsA year strewn with PIAA gold and silver medalists from for District 10 students began last March at Hershey, site of the state wrestling tournament.Three meet qualifiers, Saegertown lightweight Devin Brown, Reynolds middleweight Austin Matthews and Lakeview heavyweight Sam Breese, each received gold medals from atop the Giant Center's podium as Class AA titlists in their weight classes.Brown became the Panthers' third state champ when he pinned Bethlehem Catholic's Luke Karam in overtime of their 106-pound Class AA championship match. He could win another PIAA title as a Panther come this March, but only now a Franklin Regional Panther. Brown transferred to the Murrysville school for 2013-14.Matthews finally won a state title in his third straight appearance in a PIAA Class AA final. The senior doubled up Coudersport's Kyle Bova 4-2 at 152.Brown's transfer and Matthews' graduation means that Breese is District 10's only returning state champ.Breese, then a junior, thought he was headed to overtime in his 285 final against Port Allegany's Nicholas Budd. However, he reversed Budd as time expired for a dramatic 3-1 decision."I've been working on that (move) all year with extra practices and time in the weight room," Breese said. "It was persevering and never giving up, and now I finally got what I wanted."Meanwhile, Central Tech heavyweight Andrew Welton finished as the state runner-up, and Cathedral Prep's Jake Gromacki took fourth place at 113 pounds -- his third consecutive state medal.PIAA swimming championsDistrict 10 saw three qualifiers each record first-place finishes at the state meet in Lewisburg.Each not only won in their respective finals at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium, but did so with diverse back stories.A year after Franklin's Phil Emerson became the program's first-ever PIAA individual champion, he became the first to repeat when he claimed the Class AA boys 100-yard freestyle title with a time of 45.63 seconds. It was Emerson's second gold medal of that meet, as he'd won the 50 free final (20.90) the day before.Fairview qualifier Robert Sikatzki, an exchange student from Leipzig, Germany, also struck gold during each day of that meet. Sikatzki, with his hair dyed to resemble his country's flag, won the 100 butterfly (49.98) by .01 over Eric Tatum of Salisbury. He went on to win the 100 backstroke (49.56) in a final that saw Mercyhurst Prep's Griffin Schaetzle place second (50.80) and Corry's Brent Benedict take third (51.14).Lauren Barber of Wilmington was the district's third PIAA gold medalist. She achieved that even though the school she represented a doesn't have a pool or a program.Barber, who qualified for states through the New Castle YMCA's swimming program, finished second in the Class AA girls 200 freestyle final and first in the 100 breaststroke final. Her low time of 1:02.63 in the latter event nearly erased the state record of 1:02.55."There are no words for this, I'm so ecstatic," Barber said. "I wanted to win, but I also wanted to go (mid-1:02), so to do both is just icing on the cake."PIAA track and field championsWest Middlesex will forever be listed as the Class AA boys team champion for the PIAA's 2013 meet.While true, the Big Reds will forever be indebted to Clay Allen for that title. That's because the senior was personally responsible for nearly two-thirds of their 60 first-place points.Allen, in a span of six hours during the meet's second day, became a four-time gold medalist. He ran a leg of the Big Reds' victorious 400-meter relay (43.41 seconds), ran the fastest in the 100 (10.72) and 200 (22.29) finals and in between surprised even himself by winning the long jump competition (23 feet) even though he was seeded seventh at 22.2."I'm speechless," Allen said. "I didn't think I was going to get four golds when I started this season, maybe one or two. And the long jump (victory), that just shocked me."Erie County had its share of Class AA state champs during that same May 24-25 meet at Shippensburg's Seth Grove Stadium.Northwestern's Kyle McKeen was the first.McKeen, despite a bone-chilling wind, won the boys long jump when he landed at 46-9 1/4 on his second attempt. Later that day, Seneca's Samantha Black made school history when she won the girls discus with a heave of 133-9.That made the senior the school's first PIAA track and field gold medalist."This is probably going to go down in the top three moments of my life," Black said.North East running star Ryan Smathers concluded his career the next day with a gold in the boys 1,600 final (4:22.69) and a silver in the 800.Grace Trucilla, Alison Carson, Bernadette Prichard and anchor Claire Brown also comprised the legs of Villa Maria's winning 3,200 relay (9:29.73). Raven Clark, who ran a leg of that relay when Villa qualified for the final, was also awarded a gold medal.Mercyhurst Prep girls tennis teamLate October and early November isn't a time of year normally associated with tennis.However, interest in that sport when the leaves change color is becoming a norm at Mercyhurst Prep, where the school celebrated team and individual success at the end of the Lakers' 2013 season.Mercyhurst repeated as the PIAA's Class AA team champion with a 4-1 win over Scranton Prep in the Oct. 26 tournament final at the Hershey Racquet Club. It was the 38th consecutive dual victory for the Lakers, who haven't lost since the quarterfinal round of the 2011 state tournament."We don't mind doing this every year," Mercyhurst assistant principal Ed Curtin said during a rally that welcomed home coach Kelly Maslar and the players.Mercyhurst had more tennis to celebrate a week later when Katie Elia and Brittany McBride became the program's third titlists in PIAA Class AA doubles.Elia and McBride went back to Hershey, where the seniors concluded their high school tennis careers with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Scranton Prep's Grace Reilly and Emily Jonsson in the Nov. 2 championship match."It was a truly perfect ending to a perfect season," Maslar said.Saegertown boys cross country teamSaegertown had an individual state champion with Brown in wrestling, but its boys cross country team made even bigger school history Nov. 2.That morning, the Panthers were collectively swift enough to win the PIAA Class A title. The team was presented the state trophy, a first for any athletic program in the history of the Crawford County school."That's remarkable," Saegertown coach Bill Hetrick said, "because most of the programs you see win (PIAA cross country titles) have track programs. We don't have track. Most of the kids you see here play volleyball in the spring."Brothers Morgan and Matt Schenberg led the Panthers' trailblazing effort at Hershey's Parkview Cross Country Course. Morgan placed 14th overall (17 minutes, 1 second) and Matt was 37th (17:35).Others who contributed to Saegertown's success were Brendon Barclay, Brad Amy, Wyatt Fleischer, Garrett Johnson and Chris Guy.The Class A boys final also featured top-10 results by three District 10 individuals. Maplewood twins Jeremy Parsons (16:25) and Jake Parsons (16:47) were second and sixth respectively, with Mercyhurst Prep's Sebastian Curtin (16:33) sandwiched between them in third.Fort LeBoeuf softball and girls volleyballIt was a year of the near-miss for those Waterford programs.A handful of players on LeBoeuf's 2012 volleyball team, which won the PIAA Class AA title, also competed on its softball team last spring. Those Bison nearly matched the feat the volleyball team accomplished.LeBoeuf, coached by Brian Kirsch, sought to become District 10's first state softball champion outside of Class AA. The Bison made history by reaching a state title game for the first time when they faced Valley View in the Class AAA final at Penn State University on June 14.However, they never recovered from a disastrous first inning when the Cougars scored four runs without a hit off LeBoeuf pitcher Amanda Krolczyk. Valley View counterpart Gina Chieffallo proceeded to shut out the Bison on five hits en route to 5-0 victory."I'm still so proud of these kids," Kirsch said. "They made you want to come to practice. They earned the right to be here, they deserved to be here and I couldn't be more proud of them."The LeBoeuf girls volleyball team then found itself facing Delone Catholic in the Nov. 16 PIAA Class AA final at Central York High School. The circumstances were exactly the same as the year before, when the Bison beat the Squirettes to become Erie County's first state titlists in that sport.Delone Catholic, though, prevailed in the rematch with an exciting 25-14, 15-25, 26-24, 18-25, 15-9 victory."It was really exciting to get here," LeBoeuf's Jolene Young said, "but I wish we could have finished better. I'm real proud of everyone. We worked really hard for this."Girard-Sharon football gameVeterans Stadium has experienced plenty of dramatic games since it opened in 1924, but nothing quite like the one held there Nov. 11.That's when Girard and Sharon met in a District 10 Class AA quarterfinal.The YellowJackets and the Tigers were supposed to meet there two days earlier. However, the game was called off because of an automobile accident that killed Sharon teammates Corey Swartz and Evan Gill, and injured brothers Greg and Craig Osmon, the night before it.Sharon originally chose not to play, but reconsidered after a meeting between coaches, players and family members of the victims. The quarterfinal was hastily rescheduled for the Vet on a Monday night.A driving snowstorm and some last-minute heroics only added to the already emotional atmosphere.The Tigers scored a touchdown with less than three minutes left that gave them a 19-14 lead. However, Girard march 70 yards on its final possession, which was concluded when Bryan Divido scored on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Joe Dunn with 13 seconds left.The forever image from Girard's 22-19 victory soon followed, when Dunn was spotted consoling Sharon player Trenton Mosley."To see that kid in tears after a game like that," Dunn said, "honestly it brought me to tears, and I don't even know the kid. The fact that something like that would happen to a team, I knew I had to walk over and let him know they had some heart coming out and playing."Save-An-Eye milestone gameVeterans Stadium also was the site for the Erie Lions Club Save-An-Eye Game on July 26. It was the 75th game in one of the nation's oldest all-star high school football series.Save-An-Eye officials went old school for the milestone meeting between City and County players who graduated in 2013.Joe Bufalino, who coached Strong Vincent to the 1991 PIAA Class AAA title, coached the City. The County was coached by Jack Bestwick, whose 163 career victories were all at Fairview.Also honored at halftime that night was Fort LeBoeuf graduate Brian Milne, who was presented a jersey signed by every City and County player. Milne missed his senior season with the Bison because of Hodgkin lymphoma, but dramatically returned to compete in the 1991 Save-An-Eye Game and then went on to play at Penn State and in the NFL.As for the game, the City beat the County 17-13. City quarterback Jarrett Koper of McDowell passed for 172 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning, 40-yard score to Cathedral Prep graduate Brendan Klemensic with less than 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter."It was just so much fun to be back out there," said Koper, who missed most of his senior season with the Trojans because of a broken leg.Andy Schulz retiresThere were strands of Lou Gehrig's famous retirement speech when Andy Schulz talked about stepping down as General McLane's boys basketball coach after the 2012-13 season."It really has been a joy to coach at General McLane throughout my entire career," said Schulz, whose record there was 600-179 over 29 seasons. "I've said it before and I truly mean it: I am the luckiest coach in America to be surrounded by such great people from the players to the families, administrators and assistant coaches."One of Schulz's assistants was Roy Stauffer, whom Schulz actually replaced as coach in 1984. They were court side when McLane won the 2006-07 PIAA Class AAA championship, the highlight self storagef Schulz's tenure.McLane wasted little time in naming Brian Schulz, Andy's son, as successor for the program. Brian Schulz played for his father in the early 2000s and assisted him later that decade."I really feel fortunate to be part of a great program that my dad built," Brian Schulz said.Besides that state title seven years ago, McLane also won 17 league and eight District 10 championships under Andy Schulz's guidance.In memoriamThe year 2013 included the deaths of Jack Yaple, Harry Boback and Pat DiPaolo, three people with strong connections to three distinct District 10 sports.Yaple, who founded the Wattsburg Wrestling Club in 1981 and coached Seneca's varsity wrestling program for 23 seasons, died April 29 at age 62. He resigned from the Bobcats after the 2012-13 season in order to fight the lung cancer he was originally diagnosed with the previous fall."I never dreamed I'd be there 23 years," Yaple said in a March 10 Erie Times-News article. "But, hey, I love the sport and kept sticking with it."Yaple's Seneca teams went 174-155 in dual meets. He was in Mike Wroblewski's corner when Wroblewski won the PIAA Class AA 130-pound title in 1996, and also watched Matt Mongera receive the Class AA 215-pound silver medal at the 2010 state tournament.Boback, 88, and DiPaolo, 44, died five days apart in August.Harry Truman was President when Boback became a PIAA-certified basketball referee in 1950. Barack Obama occupied the Oval Office by the time World War II veteran and Bay City Forge employee finally whistled his last game in 2011.PIAA administrator Cathy Good said Boback was still listed as an active official at the time of his death, which meant he was considered part of the organization for 63 years. He was one of 65 acknowledged officials who worked more than 50 years."I've enjoyed every minute of it," Boback said in a 2010 Times-News article, "and it was truly the best feeling that's ever happened to me. It's kept me thinking clearly, and I feel fresh and young."DiPaolo, a significant figure at three Erie schools, saw his life cut short by a lengthy illness.The 1987 Cathedral Prep graduate played football for the Ramblers and went on to coach his alma mater's junior varsity program in that sport. He left in 1999 to become the football coach at Central Tech, where he led the Falcons for four seasons.DiPaolo then accepted the assistant principal position at East. He was that school's principal at the time of his illness and retirement."There are so few people in the world that, the first time you meet them, you just know you're going to get along," Central Tech athletic director Greg Holland said about DiPaolo. "Usually, there's a warming-up period for me. Not with Pat. He was a wonderful person."-- Mike Copper2014 PREVIEWClass AAAA footballDistrict 10 will hold a Class AAAA championship game for the first time in seven years.That was a bittersweet development for a McDowell football program which sought to return to District 7 membership for the PIAA's next two-year cycle.District 10 officials forced the Trojans to return as one of their teams for 2012 and 2013, but then granted their release upon the conclusion of this past season.McDowell immediately applied for WPIAL membership in football but was rejected during the organization's Dec. 16 board meeting."We were really hopeful after several years of good experiences with WPIAL schools that we would have been reinstated for the next cycle," McDowell principal Tim Rankin said in an Erie Times-News article. "We wanted that consistent level of competition, and it would have been a really good opportunity for our program."Since the PIAA doesnt include independent teams in its postseason football brackets, the Trojans were forced to reapply to District 10. They were welcomed back, and will now automatically take on General McLane in the first Class AAAA final since Cathedral Prep edged McDowell 15-13 in 2007.McLane was classified a Class AAA program for 2014 and 2015 but opted to play up for the next enrollment cycle."We felt that we have a chance to do what's best for the student-athletes of General McLane," athletic director Rob Kennerknecht said, "and give them an opportunity to compete at the highest level."McDowell footballWho coaches the Trojans in that game was unknown when the calendar flipped to 2014.That's because Mark Soboleski announced his resignation Dec. 19, three days after the WPIAL's decision to reject the Trojans for the upcoming cycle.Soboleski's record was 45-26 in six seasons as coach of his alma mater, which included a 4-2 record against Cathedral Prep."Increasing challenges within the program have made it so that I'm unable to continue to coach the way I feel is most conducive to my coaching style and to the success of the program," Soboleski said. "I feel that I impacted the players and I hope they got as much from me as I got from them. I will miss the players and wish them well."District 10's new two-year cycleGeneral McLane's football team wasn't the school's only athletic program that made news when District 10's new classifications were announced.The Lancers also will compete as a Class AAAA team in girls basketball for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. They'll be joined by Fort LeBoeuf and Warren, who also could have opted to compete in Class AAA.The Girard girls basketball team, a longtime Class AA participant, also opted to compete in their designated Class AAA level.Mercyhurst Prep's decade-long reign as District 10's Class AA girls tennis champion could be a reason Fairview and Warren opted to move up to Class AAA for their 2014 and 2015 seasons. McDowell is District 10's only Class AAA team, although Central Tech chose to play up in recent seasons.Other programs that volunteered to play up over the next two-year cycle are Strong Vincent boys cross country (Class AAA) and Meadville softball (Class AAAA).Erie First Christian Academy boys basketballErie First, coached by Phil Gernovich, is 4-5 in its first season as a full-fledged District 10 program.However, the former New Penn Conference team and current non-region entrant showed it could be a viable selection to the Class A playoffs.The Eagles upset Girard, a traditional District 10 power, 49-43 in the Dec. 27 semifinals of the C. Thomas Barringer Classic at Iroquois. They kept up with East in the ensuing final before the Warriors prevailed 62-59.Erie First features local players like Luke Hess and Logan Kallay, but it's most notable presence is Olusola "Valentine" Sangoyami. The 6-foot 11-inch senior center from Nigeria is a force in the post.Erie First resumes play Tuesday against Cambridge Springs. The most intriguing games left on the Eagles' schedule are Jan. 10 at Cochranton and Feb. 6 at Kennedy Catholic. The Cardinals and Golden Eagles are two of the top teams in District 10 Class A and possible playoff opponents for Erie First.Competitive spiritBefore last year, most fans watched school cheerleaders perform their routines during breaks in the action of District 10 athletic events.That all changed last Jan. 26, when those cheerleaders were the actual event itself.More than 300 fans showed up that day at Fairview, which hosted District 10's inaugural girls competitive spirit championships. Five of the eight squads advanced to the inaugural PIAA meet, held at historic Hersheypark Arena.One of the squads which made that trip was Harbor Creek, which won the district's medium-school division."We've won meets before," Huskies co-captain Eva Chase said, "so it's not a different feeling for us. But being taken so seriously like this and having a lot of support from our school here is just overwhelming."Whether the intense interest in that meet was a one-time thing or not will be learned Jan. 11, when this season's District 10 meet takes place at McDowell Intermediate High School.However, it's very likely that competitive spirit is here to stay as a state-sanctioned sport. The PIAA expanded its 2014 meet to two days, Jan. 24-25, and moved it to the Giant Center in Hershey.Junior golf programCathedral Prep coach Jay Willow anticipated 20 to 30 kids for last summer's inaugural Flagship City Junior Golf Tour.That prediction by the Erie District Golf Association's new executive director was wrong when the first event was held June 12. Turnout that day at Corry's North Hills Golf Course exceeded 50 players.Willow helped create the tour as a way to keep junior high and varsity golfers sharp during the summer, as well as closer to home. Their only viable option before then was to compete in the Ohio-heavy North Coast Junior Tour."When the younger players get to be freshmen in high school," Willow said, "the first time they play competitive golf won't be so daunting for them."The 2014 Flagship Tour is scheduled to start June 17 at Downing Golf Course.BaseballMaybe no team is more emblematic of District 10's collective frustration in the PIAA playoffs than the 2013 Saegertown Panthers.Saegertown, a Class AA program, beat Class AAAA McDowell and Class AAA Cathedral Prep last season. They did so with a roster that had three players, highlighted by University of Miami (Ohio) recruit Stephen Sada, who were all-District 10 selections.Still, the Panthers were eliminated in the first round of the Class AA state tournament. So were District 10 Class A titlist Cochranton and Class AAA champ Slippery Rock. McDowell never made it that far, losing to DuBois in a PIAA Class AAAA subregion game.Those losses mean the 2014 season will be District 10's latest chance to claim a PIAA title in that sport since state play began in 1977. Linesville (Class A, 1999), Sharpsville (Class A, 2000) and Villa Maria (Class A, 2006) are the only three teams ever to vie for that honor.LacrosseDistrict 10's growth in the sport will continue this year with the addition of a boys team in Meadville. The Bulldogs were added as a PIAA-sanctioned program after competing the last two springs as a club sport.Meadville, coached by John Heflin, is expected to play District 10's existing programs at Fairview, McDowell and Cathedral Prep.Donald Benedict will coach the Ramblers when their new season starts. The former Mercyhurst University player took over for Jeff Lord, who had led the team since its inaugural season in 2006.The McDowell boys and Fairview girls will be the district's defending champions this spring.Cathedral Prep tennisThe PIAA singles and doubles tournaments were open class events, and its team tournament more than a decade from its debut, the last time the Ramblers played a season without Kent Peightal in charge.Peightal announced his retirement last August after 26 seasons at Prep. The Ramblers won 280 dual matches during his tenure, plus eight District 10 titles in singles, 17 in doubles and eight as a team.Pat Grab was one of the players Peightal coached with the Ramblers. Grab was hired to replace Peightal for the 2014 season after assisting him since 2010."It's an honor to take over a program that Kent has built up to such high standards," Grab was quoted in the Prep news release announcing Peightal's decision. "Tennis has been one of the most successful sports at Prep because of him. The tennis team won't be the same without him."Varsity CupSome of District 10's best players, teams and moments from 2013-14 will be honored when the Varsity Cup awards dinner takes place June 4. The fourth annual event will return to the Marriott Hotel's Ambassador Center.John Liesering will return as the master of ceremonies, with the keynote speaker to be determined. Previous speakers were Meadville native Amy Palmiero-Winters, a Sullivan Award winner as the nation's top amateur athlete; Edinboro University athletic director Bruce Baumgartner, a four-time Olympic medalist in wrestling; and actor Marc Blucas, a two-time PIAA basketball champion at Girard who went on to play for Wake Forest.McDowell was the Varsity Cup winner for 2012-13. Cathedral Prep/Villa Maria (305 points) led the current Cup standings after the fall sports season, with Mercyhurst Prep second (240), Hickory third (250) and McDowell fourth (225).-- Mike CopperCopyright: ___ (c)2014 the Erie Times-News (Erie, Pa.) Visit the Erie Times-News (Erie, Pa.) at .GoErie.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷利倉