LEWISTOWN—The Mifflin County baseball team looks to take the next step in its rebuilding phase with the return of six starters.
The Huskies slipped to 3-15 a year ago and missed the District 6 playoffs. Mifflin County coach John McGonigle believes his team is ready to return to winning ways and a district playoff berth.
“We have a good group back with six starters returning and several others with varsity experience,” McGonigle said. “We were young last year, and the guys learned from their experiences. Now, they are taking it to heart. We have a slew of good players who have taken leadership roles. I really like where we are at.”
The turnout for tryouts was a robust 48, with 15 making the varsity squad and 17 on JV. McGonigle brought up two seniors and a healthy 13 juniors.
“The turnout was great. We had 48 try out. We cut that down to 32, and they are ready to go. They are amped up,” McGonigle said. “The attitudes are great. We transformed the culture this year. It’s a family-like atmosphere. They bought in and are ready to go.”
Winning begins with pitching. McGonigle likes what he sees from his rotation, starting with seniors Ryan Hine and Bryson Bubb. Junior Ryan Kanagy is back at catcher.
“The pitchers have been working hard. We’re looking for leadership on the bump with our seniors, Hine and Bubb. We have a bunch of guys like juniors Dougie Weaver, Xavier Smith, and Landon Eich-
horn, who will contribute,” McGonigle said. “We have good, quality arms that throw a ton of strikes. Throwing strikes is half the battle. Everybody is on pitch counts early in the season. We don’t want to overwork them. They’ll all be at a max of 50 pitches, and then we’ll gradually lengthen them out.”
Improving the defense will go a long way to determining the season the Huskies will have.
“You have to limit the free nineties. You must be able to play quality defense. Last year, we played Cumberland Valley hard twice. We lost by a combined total of three runs,” McGonigle said. “We were winning 3-0 in the sixth, and after a few miscues, we were losing, and they were a top-four team last year.
That was the story of last year. We want to write a new story this year.”
The infield is a veteran group with every starter back. Even so, McGonigle won’t name set starters, leaving competition open.
“We return our entire starting infield. They have a cohesiveness out there, and they know what each guy is doing. They know their tendencies, which is huge,” McGonigle said.
“There will be guys filling in some roles when the other guys are pitching, and we’re anxious to see how they do.”
The outfield will feature three new starters, and the competition is intense to see who slides into those slots.
“There’s plenty of competition out there. We have some guys, we feel, who
will fall into those roles. The basic thing is we must make the plays out there,” McGonigle said. “Finding a group that works well together and communicates is huge. We have a solid group of guys who can fit into those roles.”
Rounding out the roster are juniors Farrell Souders, Tucker Gill, GianPaolo Pannizzo, Christopher Moon, Hunter Bailey, Hayden Yoder, Calin McKnight, Hunter Marks, and Jacob Ross.
Being in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth, the schedule is never easy going against teams like State College, Cumberland Valley, Central Dauphin, and Red Land. In addition, the Huskies have Mount Union, Midd-West, and Central Mountain in their non-conference schedule.
Pennsylvania. I tell the guys, respect everybody, but fear nobody.”
The coaching staff’s goals are the same every year—make the playoffs and play for a district championship.
“We have to grow from last year. We want to return to the district tournament and play for the district championship. That’s the goal every year,” McGonigle said. “We weren’t that far off last year. I think we are going to surprise some people. We have a strong group of guys. I feel that, and the coaching staff agrees. We are heading in the right direction, for sure.”
“They’re all tough. We are playing 5A and 6A baseball every day, plus we added some difficult teams to our non-conference schedule,” McGonigle said.
“We added some tough non-conference games with closer teams, which should be fun. The schedule is tough the whole way down.
You’re playing the best of the best every night.
It’s the best conference in
Record: 3-15 (1-13 MidPenn)
Coach: John McGonigle. Assistants: Cody Heane, Kalen Gearhart, Isaac Maclay, Bailey Hetrick, Ray Hoppel, Josh Nichols.
MIFFLINTOWN —
There is an air of positive energy flowing through the Juniata Indians baseball squad this season.
After coming off a season where the team finished as District 6 runner-up, the Indians look to make it back.
There is a new coach taking over in the Indians’ dugout who has a long history with Juniata baseball as a former player. He is Ty Treaster.
Treaster is taking over for longtime coach Nick Beward.
The first year coach has been very enthusiastic about the performances his team has already shown early in practices.
“In one word, I would say excited,” said Treaster when asked how he felt going into his first season at the helm. “I have a good group of boys from ninth grade to 12th grade this year who are solid baseball players.”
Treaster comes in with very strong expectations for his team both on and off the baseball diamond.
“With the team that I have, I have very high expectations. Some of these guys want to move on and play college baseball. It’s hard to come by in high school sports when you know you have kids moving on. It says something about their ability,” said Treaster. “So as far as expectations this year, they are set pretty high.”
The team had a few losses from last year’s squad due to graduation.
The Juniata departures include Dawson Harper, Colton Garver, Logan Kehler, Josh Bomberger, Ben Fry and
Jacob Condo. Back for this season are letterwinners Danny Freed, Jordan Dickinson, Louden Sheaffer, Carson Kepner, Grant Reinhold, Seth Laub and Jerret Condo.
Juniata’s squad finished third in the Tri-Valley League last year with a league record of 11-5 while its overall record finished at 13-8.
Treaster will be looking to his three captains to provide a leadership role for the team this season.
“So for leadership, I have three captains. They’re my biggest leaders in Jordan Dickinson, Danny Freed and Louden Sheaffer,” said Treaster. “All three are seniors and the team chose them. So clearly they are lead-
ers. They act as leaders.”
Early on there have been some underclassmen that have been making some noise, looking for some playing time.
“We do have a couple freshmen that have been pretty impressive. Wyatt Shellenberger has been looking pretty good in the outfield. Ian Yetter has been looking pretty good in the infield,” said Treaster. “I’m sure there is more to say but those two have definitely come a long way. But, the talent from the varsity to JV is exciting. Because, the JV squad is also going to be solid and they look great.”
To see Juniata’s strengths you don’t have to look further than the pitcher’s mound.
“This year the
strengths are that I’m going to have some very solid pitching as well as my top five or six guys hitting. They are going to be very solid,” said Treaster.
Another bonus that Treaster likes is their work ethic.
“They work hard every day. They’re in there early and out late,” said Treaster.
His team is working on some aspects of their game to get primed and ready for opening day.
“Right now, and I think it’s just because of the cold, we had a good first week and we’re able to get outside. But it does seem like the bats are lagging a little right now,” said Treaster. “But it will get there. It’s because our pitchers are so strong.”
on and off the field,” said Treaster. “The second comes winning. I want them to have a winning attitude and know that they can do that with this group. They absolutely can do that.”
Looking around the always tough Tri-Valley League, Treaster isn’t quite sure who will be tough competition in comparison to last year’s teams.
Goals for his team are not only what happens on the field, but off as well.
“My main goal, and it’s my coaching philosophy, is discipline. Discipline and respect. The reason why I start with that first is that as my main goal for them is once they have that, everything else falls into place. Being a good young man
“It’s difficult because seeing some of the teams from last year, there were a couple of studs on some of the other teams. I really don’t know. I know Halifax was supposed to be strong last year but other than them I don’t have a total grasp of where the other teams are going to be,” said Treaster. “It kind of seems like they’ve been kind of young this last season.”
Juniata’s first game is March 24 at home against Penns Valley.
The Mount Union baseball team comes into spring practice and everyone is excited to get the 2023 season underway. The Trojans have 13 letterwinners returning from the 2022 season and they have expectations of improving every day and will work hard to be prepared for the upcoming season.
The Trojans are coming off a positive season with a 21-3 overall record and 13-1 in the Inter County Conference North Division. The Trojans claimed the District 6 2A Championship in 2022. They beat United 9-3 in the first round of districts and then won a 7-1 decision over Marion Center to earn a shot at the crown, beating Portage, 12-3, to claim the District 6 title.
The Trojans then drew Riverside in a trip to Elwood City to fall, 5-3, in the first round of the state tournament. The Trojans two regular season losses were to Huntingdon in a non-league game 8-7 and Williamsburg in an ICC North game on the road, 9-8, before the loss to Riverside.
Tim Hicks will be starting his sixth year out of seven due to COVID and has a record of 92-25 as head coach. A state championship and two district six championships along with four ICC North titles.
“We may have 13 guys
back that lettered last spring, but we must put in the work and improve over last season. We know what our capabilities are, but we still have things that need to be cleaned up. The little things will hurt you in close games if you are not careful,” Hicks said. “We must continue to work as a team and when we do make mistakes we must learn to put it behind us and recover quickly. The challenge is to stay positive no matter what all the time. The team needs to understand that we have the ability to get back in a game when we are down at any time.”
Hicks will be assisted by George Goodling, Ron Blair, Nick Imperioli, Ryan McGonigle and Kyle Atherton. Jeff Brown is the team statistician.
The Trojans’ starting lineup are all letterwinners with flexibility to play different positions as the pitching changes. On the mound, the Trojans will see Ryan Scott and Bryce Danish carry the bulk of the load with Cainen Atherton and Cody McClain seeing action through the season. Scott, a senior letterwinner, went 8-1 last season in 11 appearances pitching with an ERA of 1.24. Scott hit .273 on the season with a home run and 13 RBIs.
Danish, a junior letterwinner, had a record of 6-1 on the season in 12 appearances with an ERA of 1.49, At the plate Danish hit
Second
Back
Not pictured is Je’Saun Robinson.
Continued from Page 5
.329 with two home runs and three triples with 17 RBI. Junior letterwinner Atherton was 1-1 in four appearances pitching and played shortstop. He hit .414 on the season. Sophomore letterwinner Cody McClain was 2-0 in four appearances on the mound last season.
Behind the plate will be senior letterwinner Braylan Knable, is a strongarmed catcher that hit .400 with four home runs and seven doubles and 24 RBI.
In the infield senior letterwinner Cam Donaldson will hold down the shortstop position, leading the Trojans with a .423 batting average. Donaldson is a singles hitter with seven doubles and was third in the area in batting last spring. Junior letterwinner Blain Hunsinger will hold down the hot corner and can go behind the plate as well, also to the mound if needed. Hunsinger hit
.346 last season. Senior letterwinner Ryan Plank will see duty at first base and can move into the outfield. Plank hit .302 last season. George Bilger is also a sophomore letter winner that plays first base hitting .333.
The Trojans have options in the outfield with four guys with the flexibility to move around. Letter winner junior Landon Chrisemer will play left or center field hitting at .294 last season and Junior letter winner Je’Saun Robinson a right fielder or center fielder that hit .375 last season. Wyatt Chrisemer is a junior letterwinner that is listed in right and left field hitting at .571 in 17 at bats last season. Sophomore Julian Weirich is a letterwinner that also can move around when needed in the outfield hitting .500 at 13 at bats.
“The ICC North will be about the same as Juniata Valley, which is always tough,” added Hicks. “Bellwood will bounce back after a down season and
West Branch could be the wild card in the conference. Curwensville played us tough last season and I’m not sure about them. In the district, Richland and Bald Eagle dropped into 2A this season and Portage along with Bishop Guilfoyle went to 1A. District 6 has become a stronger district and it is very competitive.”
“Our goals do not change from year to year,” said Hicks. “The expectations are through the roof, but we still have plenty of room for improvement. We have to do well in the ICC and get through districts with a place in the state tournament. Then, we need to work through that battle the best that we can.”
Second row, Coach Dave Erb, Kelton Bonnell, Kolten Martin, Jayden McKnight, Christian Kline, Briar Jamison, Clark Ritzman, Trent Price, Bradley Snyder, Bob Price.
Third row, Coach Justin Martin, Noah Poorman, Louis Reisinger, Owen Yorks, Owen Dressler, Aaron Kanagy, Hayden Treaster, Tate Jamison, Coach Mike Weges, Coach Justin Austin.
COCOLAMUS – In a season of streaks and squeaks, the East Juniata Tigers came out on the short end of too many ball games. Last year, East Juniata went 1-3 in contests decided by one-run. The Tigers also ended the season on a three-game skid, which included a pair of losses to
rival Juniata.
That’s six losses in seven games. Reverse that and the Tigers would have had a winning season, possibly looking at 10 wins. The spring brings a clear sheet and East Juniata is looking at improving their fortunes on the baseball diamond.
“We look to compete every game in the Tri-Valley League and put our best effort on every pitch,” said head coach Justin Martin, now in his sixth year at the
helm of the Tigers. “A few positions and spots in the batting lineup are up for grabs at this point, and I expect those to sort out in the first few games.”
The tailspin at the end of the year – combined with the tight losses left the Tigers at 6-10 in the TVL and 8-10 overall.
East Juniata lost seven players off that squad: Aaron Beverlin, Kobe
See Tigers / Page 11
Middle row, Derric Rager, Aidan Everly, Cole Keister, Easton Erb, Matthen Weiner , Kaden Walten.
Third row, head coach Scott Wright, assistant coach Justin Yorder, Noah Dorman, Caden Wolfley, Griffen Paige, Cole Shutt, Garrett Leitzel, assistant coaches Jake Sheaffer and Mike Wolfley.
MIDDLEBURG — MiddWest is making it a mission to make a splash in the playoffs in the upcoming 2023 baseball season. Scott Wright remains at the helm of the baseball program and will be joined by Justin Yoder, Mike Wolfley and Jake Sheaffer.
After a long delay, Wright and the Mustangs are ready to get right back to work and get the season underway.
“We are very excited,” Wright said. “The boys are ready to get on the field.”
There is a much different vibe surrounding the team this season and that is a working man’s mentality as Midd-West have a sole purpose of making its presence felt throughout the season and beyond. Coach Wright is pleased to see his team with a whole new mindset.
“Maturity,” Wright said. “After last year’s early exit
in districts. They have been working their tails off.”
The Mustangs will be bringing back a lot of familiar faces in 2023 like Easton Erb, who was one of the top hitters in the lineup a season ago. Also coming back will be Caden Wolfley who led the team in batting average. Wolfley will also be a major part of the pitching rotation as well, along with Griffin Paige who was the top pitcher for the Mustangs a season ago. In some cases the team may be young, but Wright doesn’t believe it will cause problems and his team will be focused throughout the season.
“We are never going to use being a young team as an excuse,” Wright said.
But despite having plenty of bats returning to the plate this season along with some solid arms in the pitching rotation.
Wright believes if his team doesn’t do this one thing right, their hopes for
a deep playoff could be in jeopardy.
“We need to play defense,” Wright noted.
Though the Mustangs are coming into the year with an all business mentality. They will not underestimate any of their opponents and will take one game at a time. Especially, since they’re going against teams like returning district champion Central Columbia and Loyalsock, just to name a few.
“Our schedule is loaded this year,” Wright said. “We will have to take it one game at a time.”
But Wright doesn’t want the tough schedule to keep Midd-West from becoming more than a team. But more like a family that works together and is there for one another.
“We want to grow as a team,” Wright said.
This goal is very important to Wright because he wants his players to learn the valuable lessons of life through baseball and that these kids can apply
lessons they will learn throughout the season to everyday life once their baseball season ends and going out into the world.
“Teamwork and that this is also preparing you for the future in that we have to show up and work hard everyday to get to where we want to be,” Wright said.
The Juniata softball team comes into the 2023 season ready to improve off last year’s 12-7 record of last year. The Lady Indians finished third in the Tri-Valley League last season and made a postseason berth in the process.
With pitching phenom Elizabeth Gaisior, who has been the ace of the Indians’ staff and has posted over 400-plus strikeouts on her time on the mound, looks to add some more strikeouts as well as victories to add to the teams’ win column.
The Juniata hurler is on pace to hit the 500-strike out mark and then some, proving herself as one of the best pitchers in Indians history and possibly in the state. The team will look to her from leadership.
Returning to lead the Lady Indians once again will be Erin Cressman.
Assisting her in the dugout this season will be veteran coaches Jack McCurdy, Craig Bubb and Jordan Shirey.
The Indians lost only
three players from last year’s team.
Lost to graduation this season is Navi Jackson, Presley Goodwin and Lexi Berry.
Returning this season to the squad are seven letter winners. Returning letter winners are Mackenzie Lyter, Cheyenne Kirk, Elizabeth Gai-
Coach: Erin Cressman
Assistants: Jack McCurdy, Craig Bubb, and Jordan Shirey.
2022 record: 12-7
League: Tri-Valley League
sior, Lexi Frontz, Shay Armstrong, Regan Lowry and Savannah Marshall.
Not only is Cressman rich in veteran leadership, she also has some very strong underclassman who will be battling for some crucial playing time. Making statements early on in practice are Alexa Kuhn, Riley Lyter,
and Ava Lauver, as well as others. “We have a full roster this year of 25 players between Varsity and JV,” said Cressman about her team’s full roster sizes.
Some strengths Juniata brings to the table this season will be come from the mound and batters box. Again, Gaisior will
cus on to get ready for the season.
Fielding and baserunning will be the main focuses on improving.
“We need to gain confidence in both of these areas to decrease the number of errors we make and increase our aggressiveness,” said Cressman.
The goals the coaches are setting for this year’s team is one’s that seem reachable.
“We want to Improve on our record, compete for a conference championship (tied for 3rd last year),” said Cressman. “We also want make the District 6 playoffs.
There are numerous team that Cressman sees as ones on this year’s schedule that will be tough to compete against.
lead the pitching staff.
“Pitching and hitting are our strengths. We scored the 2nd most runs in our league last season,” said Cressman. “We have most of our offensive firepower back.”
With fielding some young players there are bound to be a few weaknesses and things to fo-
Teams that Cressman sees as tough outs are Upper Dauphin (league), Susquenita (league) and Penns Valley.
Juniata will take to the field officially starting out the season on March 24 at home versus the Penns Valley Lady Rams in a non-league battle.
Second row, Tessa Booher, Gracey Cramer, Patyn Crisswell, Kendra Gardner, Reagan Yocum, Sydnee Harris.
Back row, Ke’Andra Wible, Chelsea Williams, Abbey Brodbeck, Sophie Smith, Autumn Sunderland, Addison Glover, Maddie Dimoff.
The Mount Union softball team comes into the 2023 campaign in a position that only happens once and awhile. The Trojans have 11 letterwinners returning after losing just one player to graduation last spring from the starting lineup.
Six of the girls are multiyear letterwinners in softball. The other four players on the roster had considerable playing time last year and the two freshmen have shown promise in the early going this preseason.
The Trojans 15-player roster is balanced with five seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and a pair of freshmen.
Renae Suchan is starting her second year at the helm of the Trojans and has a different look at the upcoming season than she had last season.
“Last season being the first year as head coach there were a lot of questions coming into the preseason,” stated Suchan.
“This season it is different coming in with the roster as it is and the year behind as the coach, the feeling of knowing the players and what their capabilities are was much more of a comforting feeling rath-
er than not knowing for sure where everyone was at. Having the same roster and the lineup mostly staying the same allows you to get focused early.” Assisting Suchan again this season is Dennis Drake and Jim Hobbs. At the junior high level Jason Chilcote along with Brooke Boone and Jake Coffman will guide that program.
Last spring the Trojans had a 11-9 regular season record competing in the Inter County Conference North Division and they will compete in that division again this season. They made the District
See Goals / Page 11
BY JOSH YODER Sports reporter jyoder@lewistownsentinel.com
MIDDLEBURG — MiddWest looks to keep improving after nearly reaching .500 with an 9-11 record last season. Pete Voss returns at the helm of the program and is assisted by Alisha Kurtz, Brady Wilt and Tabitha Spriggle.
“We are very excited to get the season started,” Voss said.
After a near .500 season, Midd-West feels confident coming into the season and has high expectations for the team. Voss feels that the Mustangs will be a major player throughout the season.
“I see a team that is poised and ready to take that next step,” Voss explained. “We are changing the culture of Midd-West softball and we have some players who have a number of players who have been a part of that change. When we step out on that field, we expect to win. I think the girls are starting to buy into that.”
Part of the reason why the Mustangs are coming in with high expectations is because of plenty of returning talent from a season ago and many of which filled nearly every position on the field including an all-state player.
“We have a number of returning players,” Voss said. “That includes returning pitchers Miley Beachel and Lorna Oldt and catcher Mckennin Voss. Returning All-State player Sarah Shupp, infielder Storm Wilt and Rachel Keister also return. Outfielders Teagan Schreffler and Kaitlyn Ewing are helping the program, too.”
Voss also feels that the team itself is well bal-
anced in multiple areas of the game and sees it as the Mustangs’ biggest strength.
“Our hitting and defense are a strength,” Voss noted.
Pitching has been a concern for Midd-West. However, Voss isn’t too worried about it due to the fact that he has not one but two different pitchers he can rely on in Beachel and Oldt. They can carry the load and be very effec-
tive in each game.
“I think all coaches worry about pitching,” Voss said. “But I think Miley Beachel and Lorna Oldt did a great job there last year and I am looking for things from them this year in the pitching circle.”
Despite having high expectations for the new year, Voss believes that the PHAC will be no cake walk and warns his team not to underestimate any opponent that Midd-West will face each and every game.
“The PHAC is always a tough league to play in,” Voss said. “Every game we will need to be dialed in and focused.”
For Midd-West the goal is simple. It is postseason
or bust for the Mustangs and they believe that they will be able to get the job done after years of just barely missing out of playoff contention.
“We want to make districts,” Voss said. “We have been so very close the last couple of years.”
Voss also wants to see his team come out every day with confidence against every single opponent and at every single practice.
“We want them to play with confidence and find a way to win even when they may not have their best stuff that day.”
Continued from Page 9
6 playoffs last year and were eliminated in the first round by Southern Huntingdon, ending the season at 11-10.
District 4 2A 6-10, 6-8 Tri-Valley League
Head Coach: Justin Martin, 6th year
Assistant coach Justin Austin and volunteer assistants Bob Price and Mike Weges
Continued from Page 6
Bonnell, Trevor Brubaker, Evan Clouser, Matt Hoover, Blaise Lauver and Dylan Messimer.
The Tigers’ hopes rest with seven seniors in their starting lineup. At first base Hayden Treaster is back, while Aaron Kanagy can catch or play third base or the outfield. Kanagy hit .306 a year ago, with 1 home run, 2 triples and a double. His 14 RBI tied for seventh in the TVL.
Seniors Louis Reisinger and Noah Poorman are also outfielders, while Reisinger should also get innings on the mound. In limited action, Reisinger stole three bases.
Seniors Owen Dressler and Owen Yorks are also pitchers. Dressler is also a shortstop, while Yorks is an infielder. Dressler went 2-2 a year ago with 2 saves and a 2.65 ERA in 34 1/3 innings. His ERA was sixthbest in the league. Dressler fanned 27 and walked 22. His ERA was eighth in the league and his strikeout to-
tal ranked ninth. Yorks was 1-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 32 innings. He struck out 32 and walked 15. At the plate, he also drove in 11 runs.
Tate Jamison rounds out the list of seniors. He can catch or play first base. He hit .360 last year and drove in 10 runs.
The three returning juniors on the roster are Briar Jamison, who is an outfielder; Clark Ritzman, who will man centerfield; and Kolten Martin, a pitcher and middle infielder. Ritzman led the Tigers with 19 hits and a .373 batting average. He tied for the team lead with nine steals.
“As long as everyone on the team puts the team before themselves, they should do very well this year,” Martin said.
The lone sophomore returning is Wyatt Weges, a pitcher-infielder.
Out for the first time are freshmen Kelton Bonnell and Trent Price, who can both pitch or play the infield or outfield.
Pitching carried the Tigers at times as their 3.68 team ERA was third-best in the TVL, behind Halifax
(1.57) and Line Mountain (3.48).
Martin sees a very balanced TVL as reigning league champion Halifax went all the way to the PIAA Class A title game a year ago, falling to DuBois Central Catholic 12-2. The Wildcats claimed the TVL with a dominant 14-2 mark. That was three games ahead of Juniata (11-5). Newport, Greenwood and Line Mountain were all bunched together, followed by EastJuniata and Upper Dauphin.
Greenwood also qualified for states, while Juniata lost in the District 6 Class 4-A final to Bellefonte. Upper Dauphin, Newport and Line Mountain also qualified for districts.
“Hard to say how the TVL stacks up,” Martin said. “Been hearing a lot of teams are struggling to field JV teams – ourselves included – which doesn’t bode well for being able to compete in varsity.
“As in year’s past, I think it will largely be a toss-up and a little bit of luck with scheduling and pitching matchups.”
The Trojans will rely on two pitchers to carry the load with senior letterwinner Abbey Brodbeck working the mound and bringing a 7-8 record from last season. Brodbeck pitched 20 games with 89 innings and had an ERA of 6.64. Brodbeck allowed 161 hits and had 55 strikeouts along with 43 walks. Letterwinner sophomore Reagan Yocum worked 35 innings last spring, posting a 4-2 record with 86 strikeouts and she allowed 67 hits. Yocum walked 22 and had an ERA of 9.20 at the end of the season. The Trojans had an ERA of 7.02 over their 21 games. Behind the plate will be junior letterwinner Patyn Crisswell, a very strongarmed catcher that had 93 putouts and just three errors on the season with a .970 fielding percentage. In the batter’s box Crisswell led the team with a .471 batting average. She had a home run, 27 RBI, 12 double and 32 hits over the 21 games.
Senior letterwinner
Kendra Gardner is back after an injury and will hold down the middle of the diamond. Gardner hit .434 last spring with 23 hits including six doubles and 13 RBI. Gardner played in 15 games.
Senior Chelsea Williams will work the other side of the infield and depending upon the pitching rotation she could see duty between shortstop and third base. Williams hit .431 last season with 31 hits and 18 RBI.
Senior letterwinner Sophie Smith will be back in center field with her speed. Smith hit .434 last season with two home runs and 24 hits along with 10 RBI from the leadoff spot.
Gracey Cramer, a senior letterwinner, will be in the outfield after hitting .356 last season with 11 RBI and scoring 14 runs.
Addison Glover, a junior letterwinner, will move around the infield this season with only 14 at-bats last season.
Maddie Dimoff, a sophomore letterwinner, played first base when Brodbeck was on the mound and hit .333 last spring.
Sophomore letterwinner Callie Trego played the outfield last season and will continue to be in
and out of the lineup. She hit .200 last season with limited plate appearances.
Junior Autumn Sunderland is a returning letterwinner on the injured list with a return date unknown. She hit .235 last season on limited play.
“It is good to have the experience returning and that helped us get going in practice due to everyone knowing expectations,” Suchan explained. “The team came in ready to go working on proper sliding and fundamental drills. We have been outside and that really helped to see how the team progressed in the offseason and where to place players. We saw what the new players could do.”
“Our goals are simple,” Suchan said. “The team wants to improve on last year’s record and be competitive every time we go out, winning the ICC and moving on to the District 6 playoffs. “
LEWISTOWN—With eight returning starters from last year’s District 6 Class 6A championship team, Mifflin County coach Craig Weston feels optimistic as the season begins.
The Huskies won the district and beat McDowell in the play-in game before falling to North Allegheny in the PIAA playoffs.
Hopes run high for a veteran squad with a heavy turnout of 28 for varsity/JV. That gives Weston plenty of options this season.
“The kids are working hard. They are upbeat. The chemistry is great, and the kids are competing. I want that younger kid pushing the older one, but we want to be a team, too,” Weston said. “It’s been great. It’s good to see the young ones come in and compete, and it’s been nice to watch the experienced kids help the younger ones along.”
For a softball team to succeed, you need pitching and defense. A strong pitching staff is the backbone of any successful team. Complementing the power of strong pitching is a well-rounded defense. Both are crucial for any championship-caliber softball team.
The Huskies have both.
Led by Madison Wolfgang, Weston knows he’s in a comfortable spot with his senior pitcher back.
Wolfgang and her battery mate, junior catcher Alaina Sharp, hold the fort in the circle. Freshman pitcher Piper Specht will see playing time as well.
“Madison is back from last year, and we expect
her, and she accepts the leader’s role. It’s not just the pitching aspect; it’s the team. When things go sideways with the team, we need people to step up and correct it,” Weston said. “It starts with pitching and catching, and we have both back. They bring so much to our team. Madison has so much experience not just with us, but with her travel team, too. I have confidence in our pitching. They may have some hiccups along the way, but we should be solid.”
Most of the infield returns to solidify a defense that got stronger as the season rolled along last year. Despite losing Payton McClure at third, Weston knows his defense can be even better this season.
All-Mid-Penn selections
Dakota Hershberger and Riley Hine, along with Jalee Bodtorf return to the infield to lead the Husky defense. Hershberger is a junior. Hine and Bodtorf sophomores.
“We have to fill a big void at third with Peyton McClure gone. She was a leader through her actions and hard work,” Weston said. “We have Dakota Hershberger back and Riley Hine at short.
Jaylee Bodtorf played some at second last year, and we have some youngsters looking for playing time.”
The outfield features an all-Mid-Penn selection in junior Arika Henry. Rounding out the outfield is senior Sophia McCurdy and junior Alexis O’Brien. Senior Reagan Shafranich will play a utility role.
“We have Soph Mc-
Curdy, Arika Henry, and Alexis O’Brien back. Regan Shafranich plays the outfield, but we look for her to play a utility role,” Weston said. “We like what she brings to the table and look forward to her having a good season and contributing in a big way.”
Other members of the varsity/JV rosters include seniors Lorraine Minor, Julianna Hartzler, Morgan Diven, and Mackenna Yoder. Grace Paez-Davoli, Olivia Metz, and Karlee Fake are juniors. The sophomores consist of Jaylyn Carolus, Falynn Reinard, and Savanah Powell.
Freshmen on the team include Ava Baker, Davina Stoner, Kendall Cavanaugh, Carly Dickson, Emily Porch, Bailey Wyland,
Pictured is the Mifflin County softball team, front row, from left, Alexis O’Brien; Julianna Hartzler; Jocelyn Sunderland; Malaina Maxwell; Layla Osman; Jaylyn Carolus; Adelynn Thornburgh; Bailey Wyland.
Second row, Sophie McCurdy; Kendall Cavanaugh; Madison Wolfgang; Reagan Shafranich; Jalee Bodtorf; Karlee Fake; Emily Porch.
Third row, Alaina Sharp; Carly Dickson; Davina Stoner; Arika Henry; Falynn Reinard; Olivia Metz; Morgan Diven; Grace Paez-Davoli.
Back row, Mackenna Yoder; Dakota Hershberger; Savannah Powell; Ava Baker; Lorraine Miner; Riley Hine; Piper Specht.
The Mount Union track and field team hit the practice area for the upcoming 2023 season and went right to work picking up where they left off last spring. The team has gained experience with seven letter winners on the boy’s squad and seven girls return that lettered from 2022.
The boy’s roster has 28 athletes on board and the girls still struggle with numbers with 13, that again this spring scoring will be a challenge. The boys’ rosters consist of six seniors eight juniors, eight sophomores and six freshmen. The girls have just one senior, three juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen working hard to prepare for opening day.
The boys posted a strong 7-4 record last spring losing a couple meets by a slim margin. The girls lack of depth by event cost them finishing the season at 3-8.
Casey Hanlon will be in his second season as head coach of the program after working under head coach Bob Wydock for 20 plus years in the track and field program. Assisting Hanlon will be Luke Strawser working with the pole vaulters and Brooke Emery-Kurtz will lead the runners. Analise Handerhan will head up the throwers. Bob Wydock is still on board as a volunteer coach.
“The team came in with the same work ethic and positive attitude breaking up into their event workouts and just went to work as if yesterday was the end of
last season,” stated Hanlon. “The big difference for me is that I have to spread myself around when up until last season I had one group and focused on that. Now as head coach I must move around. The extra paperwork that goes on in the background is different aspect as well.”
Boys
The Trojans lost outstanding athletes like Alex Kyle a state thrower along with Ashton Spennati a pole vaulter that scored regularly to graduation. They have seven letter winners on this year’s squad with senior Skylar Reck a sprinter/ jumper finishing in the district finals last season. Senior Mason Beatty a distance runner that scored consistently
and junior A. J. Chilcote another runner that put points on the board last season. Sophomore Ethan Fisher scored for the Trojans running in different events. Junior Josh Sechrist is thrower that is expected to continue to score this season. Junior Gaven Rose is a pole vaulter that will improve this season and score. Junior Logan Yakymac lettered last spring and expected to score in the throwing events as well as being a sprinter.
“We want to put together another winning season and move athletes to the district level,” added Hanlon. “The boys have some young distance runners coming up from the freshmen class that are expected to help in scoring this spring.”
The Trojans lost Abby Aurand a scorer in the running events and throwing event and Carmen Loner a runner that scored last spring. The Trojans have seven letter winners returning. Sophomore Cailyn Skopic returning to continue to score in the hurdling events. Skopic place at districts last spring in the high hurdles. Senior Emma Smith a thrower that scored and is the Trojans lone senior on the girl’s roster. Junior Erin Foster an athlete that worked the jumping events. Junior Taira Claycomb a runner that will score again this season. Sophomore Cadince States also a runner and will enter the
continue to improve and score. Sophomore Briley Benson will work the jumping events this season and run some distance events. Junior Kiersten Myers will enter
the pole-vaulting event this spring as well as the throwing events. “The girls few numbers make
See Track / Page 14
it hard for them to put together enough points to win until we meet a school like ours with a matching roster. Then the girls compete
Continued from Page 13 April 4 at
evenly by event. It is hard to pick up place finish points with a lack of depth,” added Hanlon.
“The Inter County Conference will be challenging as always,” said Hanlon. “You will have Bellwood, Northern Bedford and Southern Huntingdon to
compete against and they are always teams that compete well. We want to improve over last season and be competitive in the ICC. The team wants to work hard and send athletes to the district level. Stay healthy and avoid injury when possible.”
The Trojans open the season on April 4 on the road at Northern Bedford along with Bellwood-Antis and return for their home opener April 11 against Tussey Mountain along with West Branch and Southern Fulton.
MIFFLINTOWN --- In her first year, Maisie Aumiller is taking the helm of the Juniata high school’s track and field team. Aumiller, who has been a longtime assistant, steps up and takes the lead role this year.
She replaces long time coach Kim Hart who retired after last season after a long successful career.
“This is my first year as head coach and I have some great staff helping me,” said Aumiller.
Jeff Miller is returning to help with distance and the team has a new throwing coach this year, Steve Mclaughlin. The team also have two volunteers , Chase Lehman helping with pole vault and Erin Harris in the hurdles.
Competing in an always tough Tri-Valley League, last year the Juniata boys finished the season with a record of 1-3 in the league while the girls finished at the .500 mark with a record of 2-2.
The Indians lost some leadership from last years squad due to graduation.
“We lost some great seniors such as Ashlyn Pennebaker and Mackenzie Bennett on the girls side and Ricky Maradiaga on the boys side,” said Aumiller.
The scene has been set for a veteran-laden athletes to display their talents.
“We have a lot of returning athletes that contributed last year and that are really stepping up this season,” said Aumiller. “The senior class this year is solid. On the boys side returning who contributed to points last year were Waylon Ehren-
Second row, Karter Woods, Ethan Espitia, Jorge Valladares, Mason Beward, Jasper Shepps, Wyatt Stroup, Caden Swailes, Teagan Trout, Franco Doydora.
Third row, Charlie Telfer, Joey Bomberger, Lane Peipel, Wyatt Stoner, Connor Boreman, Talan Barndt, Health Hutchinson, Tayden Miller, Andrew Martinez.
Fourth
Kade
Ricky
Christian Lo-
zeller, Brayden Ehrenzeller, Brant Walters, Tyson Aurand and Makih Hunt .
On the girls side returning seniors who were point scorers were Autumn Graybill and Livia Arentz .
The group has a mixed bag of positives and negatives in this year as its numbers are down but the effort by the current athletes has their coach excited for what may be once the season gets underway and the season starts rolling along.
“I would say our weak-
ness this year would be the lack of numbers on the girls side,” said Aumiller. “But, we have a lot of freshmen that came out.
So I am excited to see their talent that they can bring to our team and add to our base we already have on both sides.”
Aumiller doesn’t see just one team but the entire Tri-Valley League as tough battles this season.
“The TVL meets will be tough because there is a lot of good talent in the league,” said Aumiller. The Indians’ first meet is April 5 at Susquenita.
Second row, Haley Mummah, Danielle Espitia, Ava Stoner, Cassi Parson, Emerson Freed, Amelia Smith. Third row, Grace Wagner, Autumn Graybill, Miley Hack, Mariska Beward, Chloe Beckenbaugh, Livia Arentz, Mylee Landis.
Coach: Maisie Aumiller
Assistants: Jeff Miller, Steve McLaughlin
2022 record : TVL boys 1-3, TVL girls 2-2
League: Tri-Valley League
Second
Continued from Page 12
Adelynn Thornburgh, and Jocelyn Sunderland.
“We have a good group of kids and a solid nucleus. When we start a new year, we always tell the kids it doesn’t matter if they played last year. This is a fresh start,” Weston said. “Mackenna Yoder is a senior, and we are hoping she steps up and has a good season. I stress you don’t have to be a starter to contribute to this team. You have to have role players. It’s been a great preseason. We can’t wait to get started.”
The Husky schedule is brutal with Cumberland Valley, Central Dauphin, Chambersburg, and district rival State College
in the Mid-Penn.
“Playing in the MidPenn Commonwealth, it doesn’t matter who your opponent is. You can’t take a pitch or a game off,” Weston said. “It doesn’t matter about the record. You must come ready to play. If you don’t, they’ll put it to you. We stress the mental aspect of the game.”
Weston believes you need to focus on the little things to become a better team, but keep the big goals in sight. For him, there is only one primary goal to have— winning a state championship.
“Every year, I say this to the kids. You have short- and long-term goals. Ultimately, the big goal should be to win a state championship. Before you get there, play a competitive season and
win districts,” Weston said. “I tell the kids to come out and give it all every game, be the best you can be on the field and let the rest take care of itself.”
Record: 8-10 (7-8 MidPenn)
Coach: Craig Weston. Assistants: Terry Henry, Selena Breneman, Hannah Bubb, Eric Specht, Sheila Specht, Matt Maxwell, Alyssa Schnell, Payton McClure, Craig Johnson, J.B. Baker.
March
March
April
April
COCOLAMUS – One look at the East Juniata Tigers’ scorebook from last season, and few could blame head coach Lauren Cheran for feeling like a mad scientist.
A little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, if you will.
Cheran watched her Tigers outscoring their opponents by a 104-81 margin, yet struggle to an 8-12 finish overall, including 5-11 in the Tri-Valley League.
Offensively, East Juniata could burn out the scoreboard lights one night then put up a big goose egg in its next outing.
“Some games we would do very well pitching but our hitting was off,” Cheran said. “We lost a lot of games by one run. We didn’t get the critical hits when we needed them, or we were making critical errors when things were tight.”
The Tigers blew out Line Mountain 16-0 in four innings the first time around then dropped a 7-6 squeaker in the second meeting. They also went 0-5 in one-run ballgames.
Cheran expects the going to be tough in the rough and rugged TVL. Millersburg and Susquenita are the reigning co-champions. Millersburg lost to league rival Halifax in the District 3 Class A title tilt. Susquenita made it all the way to the PIAA Class 3-A quarterfinals before bowing out.
“It’s always been a tough league to be in,” the
Tiger coach said. “I don’t see that changing. Millersburg and Upper Dauphin combined, so that’s now a solid program. Susquenita’s tough, too, but I think we can hang with the best of them.
“Juniata’s got good pitching,” she added. “I foresee a tough year with a lot of good ballplayers and good coaches leading those teams.”
Upper Dauphin and Halifax also qualified for the state playoffs, meaning 40 percent of the league went to states.
Tigers’ 5-11 record placed sixth in the TVL, well behind the playoff contenders.
East Juniata has a bunch of familiar faces returning, including the formidable pitching tandem of Brenna Watts and Marley Wilson. A senior, Watts went 4-8 in TVL games with 107 strikeouts and 19 walks in 81 innings pitched and a 2.77 earned run average. She was named a second team TVL All-Star last year and ranked fourth in the league in Ks, seventh in wins and ninth in ERA.
Wilson, a sophomore, was 1-3 with 20 1/3 innings pitched. She fanned 13 and walked three and turned in a 3.79 ERA.
“With Brenna coming back and Marly seeing a decent amount of time last year, I feel like our pitching should be good,” Cheran explained. “They did a great job with the various pitchers. They throw hard and keep the other team’s batters off balance.”
Overall, the Tiger duo posted a 2.97 ERA, which ranked sixth in the cir-
cuit.
Watts can also catch when she’s not throwing, while Wilson should see time at first base.
Watts is one of four Tiger seniors that should see plenty of varsity playing time. Macy Buskey should be East Juniata’s shortstop, while Grace Hibbs can catch or play right field and Emma Willow could end up in right field. Willow hit. 316 and her 11 RBI led the Tigers.
Watts also hit .340 with 18 hits, including five doubles, and nine RBI.
Juniors Abby Warner and Annika Martin return and should be big contributors. Warner plays first base, while Martin should find a home in the outfield, likely in centerfield. Martin lead East Juniata with a .396 batting average, tied for the team lead with 19 hits and drove in seven runs.
Cheran believes her team has matured on the playing field, which should be on the Tigers’ strengths. “They have been playing together numerous years,” she explained.
Wilson is one of two sophomores. Ryley Dressler is the other and should man third base for the Tigers. Dressler batted .380, had 19 hits and drive in seven runs.
Out for the first time are freshmen Maddie Snyder, a second baseman-catcher, and Kennedy Seigler-Lewis, an outfielder.
East Juniata’s .276 batting average stood seventh in the league. They were the only TVL squad without a home run in
Second
Third
March
April
COCOLAMUS – After watching the East Juniata Tigers win the Tri-Valley League Meet last season, head coach Johnna Towsey was feeling a little philosophical.
“Winning as a team is always nice, but the beauty of track is you can lose as a team and individually have a great day,” Towsey said. “The opposite is true, too, though.
“You can have a soso day individually and have the success of a team win,” she added. “What is important is that we, as a coaching staff, help these student-athletes develop their individual talents to the best of their abilities, help impart a sense of discipline, work ethic, resilience and most of all have fun and build memories that will last a lifetime.”
The Tiger boys put it all together to easily outdistance the rest of the circuit, avenging a regu-
Continued from Page 18
league play.
“We’ve really been working on our hitting since last season,” Cheran said. “We were not consistent last year offensively. We need to be more aggressive in the box.
“We have more experience,” she added. “We’ve been working and focusing on that in the offsea-
lar-season loss to dual meet track and field champion Greenwood.
The Wildcats went 4-0 in the regular season, with East Juniata second at 3-1.
The Tigers might be a preseason favorite, considering all of the main contributors are back. “Plus, we added to our numbers both in freshmen and upperclassmen,” Towsey said. East Juniata did lose Rowan Smith to graduation. Smith turned leaguebest efforts in the 100- and 110-meter hurdles in 15.38 and 41.11.
East Juniata standout Logan Strawser returns after setting TVL dual-meet bests in the 800-, 1600- and 3200-meter runs. The senior ran the 800 in 2:06.24, 1600 in 4:45.09 and 3200 in 10:09.47.
The Tiger 3200-meter relay turned in a league-best 8:56.44.
Senior Jake Brackbill is back in the javelin with a best throw of 143-9. They are two of the nine seniors that the Tigers have out this spring. Seniors Nate Freed, Jack Hoffman, Ash-
son. I think we’re going to see a huge improvement since last year.”
East Juniata softball
District 4-A
8-12, 5-11 Tri-Valley
League
Head Coach: Lauren Cheran, 6th year; assistant coach Wes Diehl; and volunteer assistants Len Maguire, Carrie Peck and Jess King
ton Imes and Walker Stutts are also competing in the throws, while Dontae Martin and Andrew Smith will both be in the sprints and jumps. Also, senior Brady Roe will try the middle distances and javelin.
Junior Josef Book will compete in the hurdles and jumps, while Kory Graham will try the throws. Also, junior Xander Hunt should be trying the sprints and Trent Robinson the throws and jumps.
As far as the sophomores, Evan Hubley and Banks Hoffman are still
trying out events, while Chase Kerstetter and Konnor Graham have settled on the throws, Christian Meter and Davis Hart should both be in the hurdles and sprints and Wesley Ehrisman the distances. Also, sophomore Ayden Dowling should be in the jumps.
Out for the first time are freshmen Jarimee Kipp in the sprints and jumps, Levi Zeiders in the sprints and Bryant Carrasquillo, Jonah Hess, Sam Kopacki,
LEWISTOWN — A solid turnout with depth at every event has Mifflin County girls’ track and field coach Scott Gantz looking forward to the start of the spring season.
The Huskies have 37 girls out, with a veteran group mixed in with talented youngsters. Even better news for Gantz, most of his veterans are juniors.
“We’ve got a lot of girls who have been with the program for quite a while. We don’t have a huge number of seniors, but our juniors have been here for three years now,” Gantz said. “We have some very promising girls in our freshmen and sophomore classes. Right now, it’s our job to find where these girls are going to fit in and help us out the most. They are willing to work hard and try different things.”
Team leadership is a priority, and Gantz has it with the likes of seniors Justice Sheaffer, Sarah Diehl, Sophia Plank, and Sarah Kanagy, juniors Tai Ematat and Lyza Underhill, and sophomore Danielle Warfel.
“We have great attitudes right now. They are looking good. We like what we see. They are working hard and having fun. Things are looking up for a great season,” Gantz said. “They enjoy the entire process. We are excited to get the season started and see what they can do.”
One huge departure from last season is distance runner Kylee Cubbison, who owns numerous track and cross county school records.
“The big loss for us was Kylee Cubbison. You’re talking about an elite high school distance runner tearing it up at Bowling Green. It’s hard to replace those points when you lose a kid like Kylee,” Gantz said.
Losing Cubbison creates a trickle-down effect on the distance runners. Gantz believes jumps and sprints will be his team’s areas of strength.
“With Kylee being there last year, distance was our strong suit. I think that will take a little turn this year, and I can see our jumpers, sprints, and even some of the new girls who are our throwers carrying the load for us,” Gantz said. “Our distance runners are still strong. The other areas are making up some ground, giving us some strength up and down the lineup.”
One pleasant change this season will be more depth in the throws than in previous years, thanks to new blood coming out for the sport.
“We finally convinced some girls to come out, and right now, we have three new girls who will help us tremendously in Allysa Cooper, Hannah King, and Madison Leister,” Gantz said. “Vivian Kratzer and Sarah Kanagy are back. We have numbers this year, which we didn’t have last year. It
will be interesting to see how they progress as the season moves along.”
Gantz expects Sheaffer to be a key cog in the Husky machine, participating in the throws and distance events.
“We have Justice Sheaffer in the javelin. She’s going to be our number one jav thrower. Justice will go where we need her. She still wants to run distance, but at the same time, her strong suit for us this year will be in the throwing events,” Gantz said.
“We’re going to let her run distance. She has run distance for three years. She ran cross county. She’s going to be our Swiss army knife. She’s going to go where we need her.”
The breakdown of the team consists of seniors Sarah Kanagy (throws), Plank (jumps/relays), Diehl (sprints/relays), Ade Leason (distance), Bailey McNitt (jumps/javelin), and Sheaffer (throws/distance).
Juniors on the team include Rosalyn Lans-
berry (distance), Vivian Kratzer (throws), Leister (throws), Cooper (throws), Hannah King (throws), Ematat (jumps), Mina Phillips (hurdles/relays), Macaela Christie (jumps/ sprints/relays), Dallas Ivie (distance), Rachael Saldubehere (distance), and Underhill (sprints-re-
lays).
Sophomores out are Blessing Mertune (sprints), Halle Hertzler (jumps/sprints), Alexis Anderson (distance), Gabryella Powell (pole vault/ relays), Warfel (jumps/ sprint/relays), Leah Alexander (distance), Ava
Sentinel photo courtesy of HEIL PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictured is the Mifflin County boys track and field team, front row, from left, Reese Cubbinson; Jacab Lowenstein; Reece Bell; Conrad Coffey; Hart Oden; Shawn Settle; Carter Smith; Myka Simmons; Maxwell Laudermilch. Second row, Kyler Miller; Logan Bodtorf; Cody Fultz; Caden Bell; Logan Parks; Jacob Kratzer; Styers Oden; Garrett Miller. Third row, Joshua Cruz; Cory French; Jayden King; Anthony Palopoli; Trevor Miles; Dylan Liggett; Nathan Zimmerman. Back row, Travis Renninger; Isaac Parks-Gill; Josiah Sechler; Kaden Reid; Tylor Druckemiller; Nathan Goss; Ty Small.
LEWISTOWN—New
Mifflin County boys’ track and field coach Tamara Sechler looks to continue the legacy of molding young athletes like her late husband and former track coach Scot Sechler did.
With 33 athletes on the roster, Sechler and her coaching staff have plenty
of depth and a nice mix of veterans and newcomers. So far, the attitudes and work ethic displayed have encouraged the coaches.
“Our athletes have a great attitude. Many of the returning track athletes have set their goals and are focused on working towards achieving them,” Sechler said. “The new athletes are finding their events with the guid-
ance of the coaches and older athletes.”
Sechler has plenty of leadership choices for the newcomers.
“On the track, Conrad ‘CJ’ Coffey,
Continued from Page 20
Wagner (distance), Madison Norman (pole vault), Olyvia Fennell (sprints/ relays), Lillie Markley (jumps/hurdles), Pia Patel (hurdles/distance), and Tess King (throws).
Ava Kratzer (distance/ javelin), Callie Simonetti (sprints/hurdles), Caroline Palopoli (distance), Mary Kanagy (sprints/ hurdles), Cameran Shuey (sprints/hurdles), Amilia Coffey (distance), Jaylin Fate (sprints), and Audrey Adams (distance) are the freshmen on the squad.
State College and Cumberland Valley will be the favorites in the Mid-Penn.
DepthThe Commonwealth is one of the toughest conferences in the state topto-bottom. Gantz looks forward to the challenges his schedule provides.
“It’s tough, but it’s a double-edged sword. You know, going into some of these meets, you’ll take your lumps. You realize you are going up against some of the best in the state,” he said. “If you can compete with them, you can compete with anybody. It’s tough, but it prepares you for the postseason and everything that goes on at the end of the year.”
According to Gantz, the goals for the season reflect more on improving each day and gaining momentum in time for districts.
“Wins and losses matter, but we look for growth in our athletes. We want to progress to where we have our athletes ready and peaking at the end of the year,” Gantz said. “Basically, it’s that get better everyday mentality. It’s working your tail off one day at a time and improving daily. If you do that, you’ll be in a good place when the postseason comes around.”
Mifflin County girls track and field
Record: 3-4 (3-4 MidPenn)
Coach: Scott Gantz. Assistants: Al Hepner, Shannon Specht, Brooke Coburn, Sonny Ciccolini, Tamara Sechler.
MIDDLEBURG — Midd-
West will look to improve heading into the 2023 track and field season under head coach Jason Gemberling. Gemberling will be joined by assistant coaches Chelsey Beaver, John Daku, Shayla Heckman and Tom Williams.
“We have had a great winter and it has all of my coaches excited for the start of the season,” Gemberling said. “We have had great numbers at our winter workouts and hope our kids see how their hard work in the offseason pays off.”
One of the contributing factors for the Mustangs this coming season is the confidence level of the athletes coming off of indoor track during this past winter. Confidence has made a massive difference for the team this year as opposed to years past.
“I have seen a huge difference in the approach our kids are taking to the offseason,” Gremberling said. “We finished this season with quite a bit of success and the kids are feeding off of that desire to improve this year.”
Another factor for the confidence boost is that this year’s team is filled with a combination of youth and experience.
Coach Gemberling believes that this will be
beneficial throughout the season.
“We are young on both the girls and boys side, but our upperclassmen is a great group of kids who can lead by example,” Gemberling said.
Because of that combination, the Mustangs believe that they can be highly competitive in multiple areas. Though they also hope to help the younger athletes improve throughout the year.
“I wouldn’t say there is any specific area. I think looking at who will be competing for us this year. We are going to have some areas that we will be very strong and some others where our youth will show,” Gemberling said.
But with that being said. Coach Gemberling isn’t too concerned about the inexperience because of the team’s mindset of working hard and looking to get better each and every day.
“Honestly, I am not overly concerned about anything, except maybe Mother Nature,” Gemberling said. “We have a great group of kids, who always show up ready to work. Which to me is more than half the battle.”
Midd-West will face some tough competition from both the boys and girls side of the league.
For the boys, the Mustangs will be up against teams like the returning
Division II and District champion Lewisburg Dragons. On the girls side, they will be having to deal with Milton who is also coming back as Division II as well as District champions.
However coach Gemberling feels that the PHAC itself could be anybody’s game and it should be fun to be a part of it.
“Our league and district is always extremely strong. Overall, Lewisburg and Danville are always strong. But the other teams in our league will all have strong areas of their teams,” Gemberling said. “For me, dual meets and tri-meets are just a great opportunity for our
Continued from Page 22
kids to get on the track and compete. We know we don’t have the depth to win our league, but we do know that our end goal is to have our kids competing at a high level when we hit districts.”
Gemberling is keeping the team’s goal simple. To keep working hard and better his athletes every single meet and every single practice and push his kids as far into the postseason as possible.
“We always have the same goal each year. We want our student-athletes to learn and work hard,” Gemberling said. “The goal is to see how many of our kids can set new personal bests and qualify for districts and states. This
year is going to be a fun one and I know the kids are ready for it to start!”
But more importantly coach Gemberling wants his team to learn that working hard can lead them to success not only on the track but off of it as well.
“Biggest thing for me is for the team to know that hard work pays off. They have been working hard all winter and the hope is that they are seeing some measure of success as the season progresses,” Gemberling said. “As coaches we are also hopeful that the team learns that we are here to help them succeed and that doing the little things is key to success.”
Last year’s overall records: Boys: 1-8. Girls: 2-8 Last year’s league records: Boys: 0-5. Girls: 0-5
LEWISTOWN—A veteran group is back to lead the Mifflin County boys’ tennis team into the 2023 season.
Husky coach Glenn Kyle returns eight from his roster a year ago, with two newcomers.
“Except for two kids, I have everybody back from last season. That’s a good thing,” Kyle said. “They know what to expect. They know what to do early in the season. We are better than we were last year. We lost some older guys, but we have seasoned younger guys replacing them. I like our team. This is a fun team to be around, and they will get better as the season progresses.”
Kyle likes the turnout of ten players. Every coach wants more, but ten is a good place to start.
“Ideally, you would like to have 10 to 15 kids. We have ten. We have two freshmen on the team,” Kyle said. “I’d like to get more younger kids out. That’s hard to do here because we don’t live in a tennis hotbed and we don’t have a feeder program. The younger they start, the better they’ll be when they’re juniors and seniors.”
The top three singles are set with seniors Jaron Yoder, junior Quinn Miller, and senior Luke Grove as the 1-2-3.
“They are all back from last year, and they were our top three kids. When you play singles in the Mid-Penn, especially
one and two singles, you will always play against kids who have been playing since they were very young,” Kyle said. “So, you’ve got to understand there will be matches you don’t have a chance to win. But you need to learn from that and possibly take it out on a kid who’s not as good. These guys did that for the most part last year, and I don’t see why they won’t do that again this year.”
The three will prove their leadership through their actions.
“Those guys will lead more by how they play because the other guys on the team know they are the better players. They will look at them to see how hard they work,” Kyle said. “There’s not much leadership from a vocal standpoint because once we start practicing, they are never out there together. They spread out over different courts. It’s a matter of looking out and seeing how hard somebody is playing.”
The doubles pairs will be new, with senior Gunnar Wagner and sophomore Landon Mazur in one pair and sophomore Brice Rishel and Kohen Wert in the other.
“There will be two doubles teams who have never played doubles together. Early on, they will struggle until they learn to play together,” Kyle said. “We don’t try to be tricky playing doubles, but there are some things they need to communicate if they are going to play doubles. They will get better at that
as the season goes along. All my teams have.”
Other team members include junior Giovanni Zannino and freshmen Morgan Crader and Luke Foltz.
The challenging schedule features the rugged conference matches in the Mid-Penn, but non-conference foes like Altoona and Central Dauphin are on tap.
“Altoona and State College are tough. Hershey is very good. Cumberland Valley is good,” Kyle said.
“How I look at it is this: We play 18 games, and 14 are Mid-Penn. A third of them we don’t stand a chance. There’s a middle third that when we have a competitive team, they
will surprise themselves at how tough we make those matches. Then, there is a third of the teams like us. We need to win the bottom third and surprise some in the middle third.”
Kyle’s goal is the same for every team he’s coached - be better at the end of the season than when you started. Kyle wants to see his team continue to improve each match and practice with an increased effort from every player.
“The way these guys have approached it, our starting group from one to seven, I like how hard they try to play. That’s going to be fun for me to watch,” Kyle said. “I want the kids
to look back from when the season started to the end and see how much better they are. We want to win matches and all that, but tennis can be a lifetime activity, and we want them to get better as the season progresses. I tell the kids every year the goal is to
get better and see what lies ahead after that.”
Mifflin County Boys Tennis Record: 3-13 (3-9 Mid-Penn)
Coach: Glenn Kyle. Assistants: Jeff Mazurek, Steve Hugendubler
MIFFLINTOWN — It was a historic year for the Juniata tennis team last year as they came out and took both the District 6 singles championship and runner up.
The Juniata doubles tennis team followed in their singles teammates footsteps in the District 6 Class AA tennis championships.
The doubles team of Emmitt Hibbs and Xane Whitesel won their two matches as did the Indians duo of Adam French and Gavin Kint.
This season will bring a lot of new faces to the court for veteran coach Sheri Landis.
Landis will be assisted this season by Tristan Amey.
Lost to graduation will be a who’s who of starters from last year. They were; Max Lauver, Adam French,
Gavin Kint, Emmett Hobbs and Ethan Becker.
The lone returning letter winner will be Xane Whitesel.
Whitesel returns from playing in last year’s D6 doubles championship. He’ll be looked on for leadership as the season opens.
Juniata prides itself with younger, hungry talents who are anxious to display their talents.
“Christopher Martin, Connor Peterson, Darin Kint, Ben Losch, and Owen Hubley have been patiently waiting for those seniors to graduate and are anxious to step into starting roles,” said Landis.
“William Hazard, and Arthur Hazard are also in the running for those starting spots. We actually have 12 new players this year, so I’m excited to see how they progress.”
Despite the losses Landis likes the positive energy her team has given
March 27 vs Danville 4 p.m.
March 28 at Harrisburg Academy 4 p.m.
April 3 at James Buchanan 4 p.m.
April 4 at Tussey Mountain
her early on.
“It’s a rebuilding year. The team is positive and working to improve. Xane Whitesel has worked very hard in the off season,” said Landis. “I know he’s ready for competition. I love that. His enthusiasm for tennis is contagious
throughout the team.”
Age may be one of the weak spots in the Indians game this season with the loss of so many from last year’s squad.
“We are inexperienced as a team,” said Landis. “They are working hard but have very little time
to practice before our first match.”
The goals are simple…
“Our goal is always to win matches. Practice goals are to improve our tennis skills in every area of the game, so we can see our improvement as the season progresses,” said
Landis.
Some teams Landis sees as being tough competition are Hollidaysburg, and Lewisburg.
Juniata tennis
Assistant: Tristan Amey 2022 Record: 15-2
League: Tri-Valley League
April 6 at Tyrone 3:30 p.m.
April 10 vs Mifflinburg
April 11 vs Tussey Mountain 4 p.m.
April 13 vs James Buchanan 4 p.m.
April 17 vs Tyrone 4 p.m.
April 20 at Lewisburg 4 p.m.
May 2 at Danville 4 p.m.
BY JOSH YODER Sports reporter
MIDDLEBURG — MiddWest hopes to be in the mix during the 2023 girls lacrosse season under head coach Kailey Wagner and assistants Katie Kreider and Nicole Horst.
The Mustangs will be bringing plenty of depth to the roster this season which is important to have due needing 11 players on the field at a time. Having extra on the bench will help keep the Mustangs fresh throughout the season.
“We are very excited because we have 23 girls this year,” Wagner said.
Not only does MiddWest have plenty of depth on the roster this coming season. But they also have plenty of experience coming back to the team as well.
“They are more experienced because most played last year,” Wagner said. Wagner is keeping her eye on one particular player coming into the season in the form of goalie Macy Cook, who brings experience and will be looked at to guide the Mustangs throughout the year.
“Macy Cook, our goalie, is super motivated and it’s her third year,” Wagner said.
One of the core factors that the Mustangs will be using to their advantage is ball movement. The ex-
perience of the players having played together for multiple years now has given the team confidence that they can compete with the best of them.
“Our passing and working together is important,” Wagner said. “We have had a couple of open gyms and the girls seem to be doing well with catching and passing.”
However, despite having a much more experienced team this season than in years past. There have been some concerns with several new rule changes that occurred prior to the season. Midd-West will look to do its best to adjust to them.
“The rules are something to look at because there were eight rule changes and we start lacrosse at Midd-West in the ninth grade so almost everyone starts lacrosse when they are in high school,” Wagner said.
The Mustangs will also be keeping their eye on one team in girls lacrosse in Danville. Wagner believes that Danville will again be a force to be reckoned with this season and want to show that they can be competitive with such a strong program like Danville.
“Danville is good because their program is really developed and they start at a young age while we start lacrosse in the ninth grade,” Wagner not-
ed.
But, along with being competitive throughout the season. Midd-West hopes to focus on clean play, keep the ball moving and create multiple scoring chances while improving its record from a season ago.
“We want to get no cards for the season and work as a team and to have fun,” Wagner said.
When it is all said and done. Wagner wants her team to strive to get better and to better themselves off the field as well.
“We want to improve team work and have great sportsmanship,” Wagner stated.
Midd-West girls lacrosse
Head coach: Kailey Wagner
Assistant coach: Katie Kreider, Nicole Horst Last year’s overall record: (1-12)
Midd-West girls lacrosse schedule
March 27 at Mifflin County 4:30 p.m.
March 29 vs Bellefonte 5 p.m.
April 3 vs Lewisburg
p.m.
April 11 at Danville
p.m.
April 12 vs Selinsgrove
p.m.
April 17 at Mifflinburg
p.m.
April 20 vs Danville 5 p.m.
April 24 at Bellefonte 6 p.m.
April 26 at Lewisburg 4:30 p.m.
May 4 vs Mifflin County 5 p.m.
May 6 vs Lake Lehman 11 a.m.
May 6 vs Dallas 2 p.m.
LEWISTOWN—The Mifflin County boys’ lacrosse team, under the guidance of coach Anthony Everly, is gearing up for a new chapter in the program’s history as they prepare to join the Mid-Penn Conference this year.
With a roster of 34 players, including 11 seniors, the Huskies want to make a statement in their new conference after a 3-7 record last year.
The move to the MidPenn Conference brings the team a new level of competition. Facing some of the strongest lacrosse programs in the region, the players will be challenged to step up their game and rise to the occasion.
The coaching staff has emphasized physical conditioning and skill development to address the challenges posed by the stronger competition. They have focused on improving their stick skills, shooting accuracy, and defensive play–all crucial components of a successful lacrosse team.
One of the key strengths of this year’s Mifflin County squad is the depth and versatility of their roster. With 34 players on the team, coach Everly has the luxury of experimenting with different lineups and rotations.
The 11 seniors, who
bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the team, will play a crucial role in mentoring the younger players and setting the tone for the season.
Members of the team include seniors Cameron Barben, Jase Dillon, Reagan Ettinger, Shawn Settle, Gabriel Yoder, Steven Albert, Lucas Sheetz, Quaid Westin, Yanis Patel, Aidan Berich, and Ryan Earnest.
Juniors on the team are Matthew Brytczuk, Tyler Mateer, Alexander Snyder, Dreyson Weaver, Augustus Cook, Gavin Knode, and Evan Krohn.
The sophomores consist of Landen Bowersox, Mason Bubb, Kaden Miller, Vann Rogers, Tyler Sheetz, Kamden Everly, Aubrey Goss, Garrett Miller, and Dimitri Tiekhas.
Connor Lynch, Austin Mannino, Trey Smith, Riley Hostetler, Grant Barger, Elijah Kanagy, and Oake Molek make up the freshmen class.
One of the primary objectives for the team this season is to improve their performance, individually and as a unit. By focusing on incremental improvement and setting realistic goals, the staff encourages the players to push themselves to reach their full potential.
The coaching staff recognizes the importance of building a solid team spirit and fostering a sense of ca-
Pictured is the Mifflin County boys lacrosse team, front row, from left, Vann Rogers; Shawn Settle; Oake Molek; David Snyderp; Dodger Weaver; Aubrey Goss; Grant Barger; Tyler Sheetz; Aidan Berich.
Second row, Cameron Barben; Augustus Cook; Quaid Westlin; Elijah Kanagy; Trey Smith; Connor Lynch; Austin Mannino; Ryan Earnest; Alexander Synder; Lucas Sheetz.
Third row, Yanis Patel; Landen Bowersox; Mason Bubb; Riley Hostetler; Kamden Everly; Garrett Miller; Gavin Knode.
Fourth row, Dreyson Weaver; Steven Albert; Tyler Mateer; Jase Dillon; Reagan Ettinger; Matthew Brytczuk. Fifth row, Kaden Miller; Evan Krohn; Gabriel Yoder; Dmitri Tiehas.
maraderie among the players. By working together and supporting each other, the team aims to create an atmosphere where every member feels valued and motivated to give their best effort in every situation.
The team’s goals of continuous improvement and unwavering commitment to giving their all in every practice and every game are the foundation of their pursuit of success in the Mid-Penn Conference.
With the guidance of the
coaching staff and the support of their teammates, the Huskies are determined to face the challenges ahead and rise to the occasion.
Mifflin
Record: 3-7
Coach: Anthony Everly. Assistants: Brett Rogers and Jim McCarter.
Sentinel photo courtesy of HEIL PHOTOGRAPHY
Pictured is the Mifflin County girls lacrosse team, front row, from left, Mara Gallo; Sage Miller; Addison Knepp; Aubree Dobson; Brynn Rowe; Abbie Fitzgerald; Cassie Himes; Brenna Alexander; Issabella Snyder.
Second row, Lily Breon; Paige Shugarts; Dayna Zeiders; Mikayla Bodley; Alexandra Rupert; Andi Miller; Zeyda Frye; Brenna Dobson.
Third row, Gracelynn Beckenbaugh; Hailee Sheetz; Hannah Sharp; Joshlynn Tate; Ella Kammerer; Zoey Foltz; Lorynn Knepp; Aija Binder; Monica Druckenmiller. Fourth row, head coach Theresa Lamont; assistant coach Hillary Worley; Sadie Fike; Ava Shank; Alcyen Hassinger; assistant coach Tanja Fike; assistant coach Todd Johnson.
Not pictured: Annie Krohn.
LEWISTOWN—You
can’t blame Mifflin County girls’ lacrosse coach Theresa Lamont for having a huge smile on her face.
The Huskies return a veteran group loaded with seniors from last year’s team that finished 8-1.
“Seniors Hailee Sheetz. Aija Binder, Mikayla Bodley, and Aly Hassinger will provide the stronghold on defense. Seniors Monica Druckemiller and Sadie Fike will take charge at midfield. Seniors Brenna Dobson and Ella Kammerer, junior Brenna Alexander, and sophomore Maria Gallo will be the steady sticks on attack,” Lamont said. “As far as leadership within the framework of the team, they are all captains of our ship. We count
on them to do what they can when they can on and off the field. We are super proud of them.”
Lamont lost three seniors from last year who have a special place in her heart for their contributions to lacrosse in the county.
“We lost three seniors that started with us in our 2019 inaugural season. They really had a unique experience with the startup process and the building of the lacrosse culture in their community,” Lamont said. “Every player since then and those to come should always know the names Emma Ritchey, Morgan Kaniecki, and Kashia Smith. Another player that started with us was Sammy McCool. She had a season and career-ending injury in 2021.”
Mifflin County officially joins the Mid-Penn Conference this season, and Lamont is excited to play against some of the state’s best.
“All are very positive and forward-focused with cautious optimism as we move into the Mid-Penn for the first time in our brief
history. We have many newcomers, so there is a lot to take in with skill development, rules, the application of the rules, and applying strategies,” Lamont said. “We don’t know much about the competition from the Mid-Penn except for the area’s deep respect and commitment for lacrosse. They are practically born with a lacrosse stick in hand.”
Lamont recognizes the strength of her team is the senior leadership. Still, she has enough wherewithal to prepare her younger players for next year and beyond.
“We take a tremendous amount of pride in the fact we have been successful in locking down both ends of the field. We are working to continue that strength this season,” Lamont said. “We will lose many vet-
eran players at the end of the season. Our focus is to continue adding challenges for those veterans while exposing the many newcomers to the advanced strategies of the game.”
Other members of the team include senior Kaidyn Curtis, juniors Jillian Dedmon, Aspen Eby, Zeyda Frye, Macey Rheam, Paige Shugarts, and Hannah Snook, sophomores Andi Miller and Hannah Sharp, and freshmen Zoey Foltz, Sage Miller, Alexandria Rupert, and Issabella Snyder.
Personal growth is the main objective for Lamont. Even more so than wins and losses. Mifflin County will be a success if each athlete can improve from the start of the season to the finish.
“Our priority is for each athlete to demonstrate
personal growth. Every day, each player should be able to identify something they are better at, or they should have a better understanding of something than what they did when they came to practice or game that day. Investing in oneself becomes an exponential jackpot among team members,” Lamont said.
Mifflin County girls lacrosse Record: 8-1
Coach: Theresa Lamont. Assistants: Hillary Worley, Tanja Fike, and Todd Johnson.
Continued from Page 21
Maxwell Laudermilch, and Cody Fultz will provide leadership,” Sechler said. “Travis Renninger, Jayden King, Josiah Sechler and Ty Small will be the leaders on the field.”
A newcomer caught Sechler’s eye during the indoor season, and she thinks the freshman will make his presence felt this spring.
“Carter Smith stood out in the middle-distance races this winter season. We look forward to seeing him achieve his goals for the spring season,” Sechler said.
Leading the way for the Huskies will be returning PIAA javelin champion, Josiah Sechler. Josiah is the favorite to repeat his
championship performance from last year. The bullseye, and the pressure that comes with it, will be squarely on the Husky senior’s back.
“Josiah feels the pressure of that title. But he has a great attitude as he works on his training plan with Coach Ciccolini,”
nine girls. This year we have about 20.”
Sechler said. “He has said to me he will need to be focused and train well because the competition is close, and he is not guaranteed a repeat title.”
The team consists of seniors Josiah Sechler, Laudermilch, Coffey, King, Kaiden Reed, Shawn Settle, Corey French, Logan
Parks, Joshua Cruz, and Nahfee Jones.
Juniors include Renninger, Fultz, Small, Caden Bell, Tylor Druckemiller, Jacob Kratzer, Garrett Miller, Isaac Parks-Gill, Logan Bodtorf, Nathan Goss, Trevor Miles, and Myka Simmons.
Styers Oden, Jacob Lowenstein, Nathan Zimmerman, and Cyril Green are sophomores. Freshmen on the squad are Smith, Reece Bell, Reese Cubbison, Dylan Liggett, Kyler Miller, Hart Oden, and Keiran Reed.
“The guys are training hard on the track. We are going to face some tough competition over the season. Our goal is to give our very best and hope it is enough to score points on that day,” Sechler said.
“Like on the track, the throwers, and jumpers are putting the work in to see
big results in our end-ofseason competitions. Every inch counts and their focus on technique will give them that winning edge when it counts the most.”
Competing in the MidPenn Commonwealth is never easy; this year is no exception. Every meet will be a challenge for Mifflin County.
“Our toughest competition will come from right over the mountain in State College. They have talent and depth that makes it a challenge to score points,” Sechler said. “As my former coaches would say, it’s the seconds and thirds that win a meet. We also have great talent, but we need the depth to score well against these larger programs.”
Sechler wants the season to be about having fun, continuous improve-
ment, and each athlete setting personal records.
“I would like to see each athlete feel the success of improving from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. The thing I love about track is that your greatest competition is yourself,” Sechler said. “It is nice to be number one but equally nice to get your PR (personal record) in your favorite events. After that, we are just one big family having a good time encouraging each other to reach their goals.”
Mifflin County boys track and field
Record: 4-3 (4-3 MidPenn)
Coach: Tamara Sechler.
Assistants: Shannon Specht, Greg Loht, Allan Hepner, Sonny Ciccolini, Brooke Coburn.
EJContinued from Page 19
Jaiden May, Cody Nipple and Wrett Smith are still looking at different events.
“Some of our strengths is in the experienced athletes we do have returning,” Towsey said. “They are all great role models and team players, and will help develop our younger members. Especially on the boys side. We have two returning state qualifiers and several district contenders still on our roster.”
On the girls side, East Juniata has 18 girls out this spring, but many of them are new to the sport. Towsey has four returnees in juniors Cadee Becker and Nia Matthews and sophomores Naomi Leitzel and Addy Feltman.
Feltman’s 1:07.00 in the 400 was also a league-best last year.
“The ladies team has increased significantly from last year,” Towsey said. “We ended the season with
Senior Anna Shaffer is out this spring in the sprints, along with seniors Kaylene Mann and Jazlynn Sheaffer, who are trying out different events. Besides Backer and Matthews, juniors Bryleigh Mellott and Leah Davison, events undecided, are on the team.
The remaining sophomores are Rachel Zeiders and Chloe Benazet, events undecided.
“This is going to be a building year for the ladies program,” Towsey added. “We only have four returning athletes, so most of our athletes are very inexperienced. I see a lot of potential though.”
Out for the first time are freshmen Chloe Swartz, event undecided; Kamryn Swartz, jumps; Andrea Strawser, throws; Makaylyn Peters, undecided; Lilly Goodling, sprints; Carolyn Dressler, undecided; and Hayden Cook, throws.
The Tigers went winless in four league meets last
year and overall. At the league meet, they finished a distant fifth in the circuit.
“As far as the TVL goes, I think we will be competitive, especially on the boys side,” Towsey said. “The ladies, I hope will surprise some. Last year, with the low numbers, mathematically speaking, it was almost impossible for us to win as a team.
“This year, I think we will make the other teams work a little harder if they think they are going to win, and who knows?”
District 4-AA
Boys 3-1, 3-1 Tri-Valley League; Girls 0-4, 0-4 TVL
Head Coach: Johnna Towsey, 3rd year; assistant coaches Cory Benner, Simon Cameron and Mark Ritzman; and volunteer assistants Tom Brotzman, Wade Gans and Bobbie Kerstetter
March 27 vs Central Dauphin 4:15 p.m.
March 29 at State College 4:15 p.m.
March 31 at Midd-West 4:30 p.m.
April 4 vs Altoona 4:15 p.m.
April 6 vs Chambersburg 4:15 p.m.
April 11 at Bellefonte 4:30 p.m.
April 12 at Cedar Cliff 4:15 p.m.
April 14 vs Red Land 4:15 p.m.
April 18 vs Cumberland 4:15 p.m.
April 20 at Central Dauphin 4:15 p.m.
April 24 vs State College 4:15 p.m.
April 26 at Altoona 4:15 p.m.
April 28 at Selinsgrove 10 a.m.
May 2 at Chambersburg 4:15 p.m.
May 4 vs Cedar Cliff 4:15 p.m.
May 5 vs Mt. Union 4:15 p.m.
May 8 at Red Land 4:15 p.m.
May 10 at Cumberland 6 p.m.
May 12 at Central Mountain
p.m.
April 6 at Mifflinburg
4:30 p.m.
April 8 vs New Dorp
12 p.m.
April 11 vs Lewisburg
4:30 p.m.
April 14 at Danville
5 p.m.
April 17 vs Mifflinburg 4:30 p.m.
April 22 vs Selinsgrove 11 a.m.
April 28 vs Red Land 4:30 p.m.
May 1 vs Bellefonte 4:30 p.m.
May 5 vs Bishop McDevitt 4:30 p.m.
May 9 at Red Lion 5:45 p.m.
March 24 vs Hollidaysburg
3:30 p.m.
March 27 vs Lower Dauphin 4 p.m.
March 29 at Palmyra 4 p.m.
March 31 at Chambersburg 4 p.m.
April 3 at State College
4 p.m.
April 5 vs Northern 4 p.m.
April 10 vs Mechanicsburg 4 p.m.
April 27 at Central Dauphin East 8:30 a.m.
April 28 at Central Dauphin East 8:30 a.m.
March 24 vs Hollidaysburg
3:30 p.m.
March 25 Tournament at Chambersburg 4 p.m.
March 28 at Altoona 3:45 p.m.
April 1 Event at Altoona Area
H.S. 10:30 a.m.
April 4 vs Steelton-Highspire, Millersburg 4 p.m.
April 13 at Cumberland Valley
4 p.m.
April 18 vs Central Dauphin
4 p.m.
April 25 vs State College 4 p.m.
May 4 vs Chambersburg
4 p.m.
May 5 Event at Altoona Area
H.S. 12:30 p.m.
May 9 at Carlisle 3:45 p.m.
May 13 Event at Chambersburg 4 p.m.
May 16 Event at Altoona Area
H.S. TBA
May 17 Event at Altoona Area
H.S. TBA
May 26 Event at Shippensburg University 4 p.m.
May 27 Event at Shippensburg University 4 p.m.
March 21 at Penns Valley
4 p.m.
March 28 at Upper Dauphin
4:30 p.m.
March 30 vs St. Joe’s
4:30 p.m.
April 3 vs Sugar Valley
4:30 p.m.
April 5 vs Susquenita
4:30 p.m.
April 6 vs Halifax 4:30 p.m.
Apr. 11 at Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
April 12 vs Line Mountain 4:30 p.m.
April 15 vs Mt. Carmel 11 a.m.
April 17 at Juniata 4:30 p.m.
April 19 at Newport 4:30 p.m.
April 21 vs Upper Dauphin
4:30 p.m.
April 25 at St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
April 28 vs Newport 4:30 p.m.
May 1 at Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
May 3 at Halifax 4:30 p.m.
May 5 vs Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
May 6 vs West Perry 10 a.m.
May 9 at Line Mtn. 4:30 p.m.
May 11 vs Juniata 4:30 p.m.
March 25 at Selinsgrove 1 p.m.
March 28 vs Danville
March 30 at Bellefonte 6 p.m.
April 1 vs Central Dauphin 1 p.m.
April 4 at Lewisburg
April 12 at Red Land 4 p.m.
April 14 vs Central Dauphin 4 p.m.
April 17 at Central Dauphin 4 p.m.
April 19 at Cumberland Valley 4 p.m.
April 20 at Central Mtn. H.S. 9 a.m.
April 21 vs Hershey 4 p.m.
March 24 at Upper Dauphin
4:30 p.m.
March 28 vs Upper Dauphin 4:30 p.m.
March 30 vs St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
April 3 vs Sugar Valley 4:30 p.m.
April 5 at Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
April 6 at Halifax 4:30 p.m.
April 8 at Cowanesque Val-
ley-Hughesville Tournament 11 a.m.
Apr. 11 vs Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
April 14 at Line Mountain 4:30 p.m.
April 17 vs Juniata 4:30 p.m.
April 19 vs Newport 4:30 p.m.
April 25 at St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
April 28 at Newport 4:30 p.m.
May 1 vs Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
May 3 vs Halifax 4:30 p.m.
May 5 at Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
May 8 at Fannett-Metal 4:30 p.m.
May 9 vs Line Mtn. 4:30 p.m.
May 11 at Juniata 4:30 p.m.
March 24 vs Mifflin County 4:30 p.m.
March 28 vs Williamsburg 4:30 p.m.
March 30 at Moshannon Valley 4:30 p.m.
March 31 at Southern Huntingdon 4:30 p.m.
April 3 at McConnellsburg 4:30 p.m.
April 6 at Everett 4:30 p.m.
April 11 vs Glendal 4:30 p.m.
April 13 vs Curwensville 4:30 p.m.
April 18 vs Bellwood-Antis 4:30 p.m.
April 20 vs West Branch 4:30 p.m.
April 24 at Juniata Valley 4:30 p.m.
April 25 at Williamsburg 4:30 p.m.
April 27 vs Moshannon Valley 4:30 p.m.
May 2 vs Juniata Valley 4:30 p.m.
May 4 at Glendale 4:30 p.m.
May 5 at Penns Valley 4:30 p.m.
May 9 at Curwensville 4:30 p.m.
May 11 at Bellwood-Antis 4 p.m.
March 24 vs Penns Valley
4:30 p.m.
March 28 at Line Mtn. 4:30 p.m.
April 1 at West Perry 12 p.m.
April 3 at St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
April 5 vs Newport 4:30 p.m.
April 6 at Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
April 10 at Mt. Carmel 10 a.m.
April 11 vs Upper Dauphin 4:30 p.m.
April 13 at Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
Apr. 17 vs East Juniata 4:30 p.m.
April 19 vs Halifax 4:30 p.m.
April 21 vs Line Mtn. 4:30 p.m.
April 27 vs St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
May 1 at Newport 6:30 p.m.
May 3 vs Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
May 4 at Upper Dauphin 4:30 p.m.
May 5 vs Big Spring 4:30 p.m.
May 8 at Halifax 4:30 p.m.
May 9 vs Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
May 11 at East Juniata 4:30 p.m.
March 24 vs Penns Valley 4:30 p.m.
March 28 vs Line Mtn. 4:30 p.m.
March 31 at Upper Dauphin 3:30 p.m.
April 3 vs St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
April 5 at Newport 4:30 p.m.
April 6 vs Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
April 11 at Upper Dauphin 4:30 p.m.
April 12 vs Halifax 4:30 p.m.
April 13 vs Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
April 15 vs Altoona 11 a.m.
Apr. 17 at East Juniata 4:30 p.m.
April 19 at Halifax 4:30 p.m.
April 24 at Line Mtn. 4:30 p.m.
April 27 at St. Joe’s 4:30 p.m.
May 1 vs Newport 4:30 p.m.
May 3 at Susquenita 4:30 p.m.
May 8 at West Perry 4:30 p.m.
May 9 at Greenwood 4:30 p.m.
May 11 vs East Juniata 4:30 p.m.
April 5 at Susquenita 4 p.m.
April 11 at East Juniata 4 p.m.
April 17 vs Greenwood 4 p.m.
April 28 at Huntingdon-Bearcat Invitational 4 p.m.
May 1 at Millersburg 4 p.m.
May 3 vs Bald Eagle Area 4 p.m.
May 5 at Central Columbia-Bluejay Invitational 3:30 p.m.
May 10 at Susquenita-TVAA Meet 4 p.m.
March 27 at Loyalsock
4:30 p.m.
March 31 vs Mifflin County
4:30 p.m.
April 3 at Danville 4:30 p.m.
April 5 at Central Columbia
p.m.
April 10 vs Southern Columbia 4:30 p.m.
April 11 at Williamsport 4:30 p.m.
April 14 vs Greenwood
p.m.
April 17 vs Mifflinburg
p.m.
April 19 vs Montoursville
April 21 at Lewisburg 4:30 p.m.
April 24 vs Danville 4:30 p.m.
April 26 vs Central Columbia 4:30 p.m.
April 28 at Mifflinburg 4:30 p.m.
May 1 at Montoursville 4:30 p.m.
May 3 vs Lewisburg 4:30 p.m.
May 6 at Troy 12 p.m.
May 8 vs South Williamsport
4:30 p.m.
May 15 vs Central Mountain 4:30 p.m.
March 27 at Central Mountain
4:30 p.m.
April 4 at Hughesville
4:30 p.m.
April 6 at Southern Columbia
4:30 p.m.
April 8 vs Mifflinburg 11 a.m.
April 11 vs Warrior Run
4:30 p.m.
April 13 at Bloomsburg
4:30 p.m.
April 18 vs Loyalsock
4:30 p.m.
April 20 vs Hughesville
4:30 p.m.
April 25 vs Southern Columbia
4:30 p.m.
April 27 at Warrior Run
4:30 p.m.
May 1 vs South Williamsport
4:30 p.m.
May 4 at Loyalsock 4:30 p.m.
May 6 at Troy (doubleheader)
12 p.m.
May 8 vs Greenwood 7 p.m.
May 11 vs Milton 7 p.m.
May 15 at Montoursville
4:30 p.m.
May 17 vs Bloomsburg
4:30 p.m.
May 18 at Shamokin 4:30 p.m.
