By Ed Farrell
Herald Assistant Sports Editor
WHEN WESTMINSTER COLLEGE treks to Thiel’s Alumni Stadium this afternoon for a Presidents’ Athletic Conference contest, one of the Titans’ offensive leaders will be Jake Buzard.
The former West Middlesex High football and basketball standout has emerged as Westminster’s second-leading receiver this season with 32 catches for 374 yards (11.68 yards/catch). The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior had a season-best 7-catch, 86-yard season-opening performance against Allegheny College.
In his second season as a starter after catching 30 passes for 252 yards last year, Buzard also serves as a punt-returner for head coach Jeff Hand’s Titans. Buzard’s career totals are 82 receptions for 828 yards. A member of the Head Coach Academic Honor Roll for compiling a GPA of 3.0 or greater, Buzard is majoring in accounting.
Westminster (1-3, 2-6) is coming off a 14-6 non-conference loss at Frostburg (Md.) State, while head coach Jack Leipheimer’s Tomcats (3-2, 4-4) had a bye.
Led by Sharon High product Logan Malie, a 5-8, 205-pound senior nose tackle, Thiel paces the PAC in total defense (231 yards/game). However Westminster freshman quarterback Kevin Franz keys the conference in total yards/game (209.2) and yards passing/game (189.1).
The Titans lead the all-time series 39-17-8, but Thiel has taken the last two meetings, 34-0 a year ago and 28-0 in ’04. Prior to the Tomcats’ 2-game skein, however, Westminster had won 18 consecutive contests in the series dating back to 1951, according to Westminster SID Justin Zackal.
Also listed on Westminster’s roster are Mike Snyderwine (Sharon High), a 5-11, 175-pound freshman wide-out, and Andrew Robison (Wilmington High), a 6-3, 215-pound sophomore defensive end.
The game, beginning 1 p.m., will be broadcast on NewsTalk 790 (WPIC AM) with Hugh Ringer and Brad Yoder calling the action, and WWNW (88.9 FM) with Dr. Dave Barner and D.J. Yokley making the call. It also will be streamed on www.titanradio.net, and will be telecast on a delayed basis on Westminster Cable Network (Steve Brink and former Titans’ taskmaster Dr. Joe Fusco).
ä Dr. George Mihalik became Slippery Rock University’s winningest football coach Thursday night by virtue of SRU’s 21-17 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference victory at Indiana University of Pa.’s George P. Miller Stadium. Nineteenth-year mentor Mihalik (127-76-4) surpassed legendary N. Kerr Thompson (126-58-11 in 24 seasons).
Mihalik was a standout signal-caller for Slippery Rock State College head coach Bob DiSpirito, winning three consecutive PSAC crowns (1972-74). The Rock now plays its home games at Bob DiSpirito Field at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
With the win — which snapped Slippery Rock’s 7-game losing skid to Indiana, and ended with IUP at SRU’s 3-yard line with 2 ticks to play before a incomplete pass in the end zone — Slippery Rock improved to 4-2 in the PSAC-West and 7-3 overall. Indiana (7-2) had been ranked 18th in this week’s American Football Coaches’ Association NCAA Division II poll.
Mihalik grew up mere miles from Indiana in Ebensburg, graduating from Bishop Carroll High.
ä Mihalik’s daughter Beth (Slippery Rock High), a Washington & Jefferson College junior volleyball middle-hitter, posted a 12-kill outing in a late-season win over Thiel, while LaToya Locke (Farrell High), a freshman outside-hitter, finished with a flourish for Thiel as she logged 45 kills and 15 digs in the Lady Cats’ final two matches. Diana Conzett (Hubbard High) and Danielle Hogue (Slippery Rock High) have helped Westminster’s spikers (10-2, 23-10) pursuit of the program’s first conference crown since ’02. The PAC Championships are this weekend at Westminster.
ä Bryan Hanrahan (West Middlesex High) competed for W&J; in the recent PAC cross country championships, finishing 42nd in a time of 30:54.
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Westminster, Thiel meet today in Greenville; Mihalik sets win mark
Collegiate Notebook
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WM baseball, Sharpsville and Wilmington softball playing for D-10 titles
Sharpsville and Wilmington softball teams and the West Middlesex baseball squad return to the diamond today to compete for District 10 championships.
SOFTBALL
Class A Championship
Coach Bob Zikovich's Sharpsville Blue Darlings (15-2) battle a tough Saegertown (18-2) squad at 2 p.m. today at Penn State-Behrend in Erie. -
PIAA Track Notebook: KC's Wareham made round trips to "The Ship"
The most impressive race during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships did not take place at Shippensburg University, nor will you read its results in any newspaper on or any web site.
To be sure, it was a race against time, but not in the sense of being defined by a coach’s hand-held device, nor Seth Grove Stadium’s scoreboard clock. -
Hickory girls grab PIAA Class AA Track team title
SHIPPENSBURG — This news bulletin just in: Mercer County athletes dominated during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Nothing new there, you say? Well, perhaps you’re correct, considering how well the area aggregation annually accounts itself on Memorial Day Weekend at Shippensburg University. Therefore it was not surprising how much hardware was hauled home — once again. -
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! - More Sports Headlines
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