Jake Buzard is set for his senior season for the Westminster College football team.
The former West Middlesex High standout, who quarterbacked the Big Reds to the 2002 Mercer County Athletic Conference and District 10 Class A crowns, returns as the TItans’ leading receiver.
A year ago Buzard bucketed 30 receptions for 252 yards (8.4 yards/catch), highlighted by an 8-catch, 75-yard outing against Waynesburg.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder wide receiver will be a third-year letterman. He has hauled in 50 career collegiate catches for 454 yards (9.1), and has acquitted himself equally as well academically. An accounting major, he was named to the 2005 Head Coach’s Academic Honor Roll (minimum 3.0 grade-point-average). The diminutive, yet durable Buzard also was one of 16 Titans who did not miss a single practice last year.
Also listed on Westminster’s ’06 preseason roster are a pair of Sharon natives in freshmen George Kovac (Kennedy Catholic High) and Mike Snyderwine (Sharon High). Kovac is a 5-9, 220-pound fullback, while Snyderwine is a 5-11, 175-pound wide-out/defensive back. Another pair of area products include 6-1, 230-pound freshman defensive end Mike Regal (Slippery Rock High) and Andrew Robison (Wilmington High), a 6-3, 215-pound sophomore defensive lineman.
Westminster was 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference last year.
The Titans of second-year head coach Jeff Hand commence the campaign Sept. 2, welcoming Allegheny College to Harold Burry Stadium for a 1:30 p.m. non-conference encounter.
ä Grove City High graduate Ryan King has decided to stay home and play basketball at Grove City College.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound King, a first-team District 10 All-Region 5 selection in ’05-06, bucketed 405 points last season in leading the Eagles of veteran mentor Don Fee to the playoffs where they were ousted by Strong Vincent 69-48 in the D-10 Class AAA consy contest. He logged 24 double-digit scoring games for Grove City (23-4), highlighted by a 27-point performance in a regular season-ending win at Hickory.
King concluded his scholastic career as Grove City High’s all-time leading scorer (1,351), surpassing former teammate Mike Johnson.
He is a pleasantly surprising addition to the recruiting class of cage coach Steve Lamie (111-95, 8 years). According to GCC sports information director Ryan Briggs, King initially was not intending to play college basketball. Potentially, he could become the home-grown product with the most impact on Grove City College’s cage program since Bob Crow (’83), its second-leading all-time scorer (1,450).
Grove City College commences the campaign Nov. 17-18 in the West Penn Classic against Allegheny College and Carnegie Mellon University. The Wolverines ended 9-17 overall, 5-7 in the PAC last season.
Ed Farrell is assistant sports editor for The Herald
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Local Titans ready for season; King heading to GCC
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PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! -
Petty an all-around great athlete in track and gymnastics
When Mercer County’s contingent convenes at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships this weekend, it will be well represented
Clay Allen, Matt Bell, John Yohman, Johnathan Jacoway, Jeremy Jansco, Nico Zahniser, DeShawn Coleman, Dan Jaskowak, et all, should haul home some hardware. But with all due respect, the aforementioned young men may or may not be best athletes in the area’s aggregation that will assemble this weekend at Shippensburg University. -
Lubarski, Richards, Petty, Allen shine at D-10 Track Championships; Hickory girls, WM boys team champs
Hickory High’s high-jump state champion Lauren Lubarski suffered a severe blow to open her competion at the annual District 10 Class AA Track & Field Championships Saturday at Hickory HIgh Stadium.
She failed to qualify for state in the event she had won the previous year. -
Baseball, softball D-10 playoff pairings
The District 10 pairings for the baseball and softball playoffs have been released. Five area baseball teams and four (possibly 5) softball squads have qualified.
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