REYNOLDS —
It would be a stretch to imply this summer’s all-star tournament trail has been a day at the beach for Reynolds’ 15- and 16-year-old Senior Division squad.
But that would be only a slight exaggeration.
Several Reynolds players returned from vacationing in Ocean City, Md. recently, just in time to whack West Point 15-0 in 5 innings on a combined no-hitter. The next night Reynolds got past Greensburg-area district champion West Point again, 7-4, in the Sectional tournament’s title tilt.
Reynolds now advances to the state tourney this week in Emporium, with games scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m. Thursday, and noon Saturday.
Without official documentation, in the league’s annals, it is believed to be the best any Reynolds-area all-star team, regardless of age group, has performed in the postseason.
Manager Matt Williams and coaches Steve Ammann and Dean Yake have parlayed pitching and powerful sticks into a squad perhaps better suited to Muscle Beach than a baseball diamond.
Prior to one of the meetings with West Point, reportedly the Greensburg group was garbed in its district championship banner as it made its way onto the field. Not to be outdone, following its win Reynolds’ players crafted an empty pizza box and wire coat hanger into its own “District 2 Champs” banner.
Sponsored by G&J Fencing, Williams managed a team that posted a 12-3-1 regular-season ledger. Subsequently, the all-stars swept Grove City, 7-4 and 17-1, to win the District 2 tourney title and advance to Sections.
In the 7-4 win over West Point, Joe Yarzab and Collin Yake yanked a pair of hits apiece and Jacob Leipheimer lent another, as did Kellen Gursky, Neal Engstrom and Tony Herrmann. Winning moundsman Jack Mahlon — maestro of the makeshift banner — worked 5ì innings, fanning 5, walking 4 and scattering a handful of singles.
In addition to the aforementioned, team members include Paul Torok, Garrett Ammann, Jordan Weaver, Nick Fuchs and Jacob Reimold.
“We love our good, ’ole boys,” one proud parent admitted.
Last week Williams, his step-son Gursky, as well as Torok, Mahlon and Engstrom, raced back from Ocean City, Md. in time for Reynolds’ 15-0 rout of West Point in Grove City.
“This group of kids has pretty much played together since they have been nine-years-old,” Williams noted prior to a Sunday afternoon practice. “(We’re) hoping one day to make their dream come true to get to the (PIAA) state tournament.
“This group of kids has always put forth the extra effort to make themselves better,” Williams continued. “There have been many Sundays when I have called a practice and I have all the kids there. And there have been many other occasions where the kids have asked, ‘When are we practicing again?’ They have also taken the time when I was not able to hold a practice to get together by themselves and practice on their own.
“As I told the kids: All the extra work they have put it has paid off.”
Williams expressed gratitude to “ ... parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends (and) fans for all the support we have for the Reynolds team. It’s been wonderful!”
Concluding, Williams admitted, “As you know, baseball takes a lot of time, expecially this year (because) there were not enough local teams, so we have to travel quite a bit. But this group of kids makes it fun coming to the field, and they have fun playing the game, which makes this an enjoyable experience.
“I have a great bunch of kids, and could not be more proud of each one of them. And thanks, also, to my coaching staff. I could not have done this without them,” Williams emphasized.
Sports
Reynolds Sr. All-Stars in state tourney
- Sports
-
-
Herald-Tamie junior tourney set Thursday-Friday
THEY SAY THAT “The best things in life are free.” Well, one of those “best things” is the annual Herald-Tam O’Shanter Junior Golf Championships every summer.
The event, which has been free to boys and girls in the Shenango Valley since it’s inception in 1949, will be held Thursday and Friday at Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Hermitage.
It has been the premier youth tournament for decades and some of the top players ever to come out of this area have participated. But you don’t have to be a great young golfer to take part. It’s a wonderful opportunity for every youngster to get a free round of golf on a great course, which is in immaculate shape this season. -
Hickory lists 2013 scholar-athlete award winners
Hickory High Athletic Director Barb Dzuricsko recently announced that a total of 213 students (grades 9-12) earned Don McKay Scholar-Athlete awards.
To be eligible, students must maintain an A (93 percent or higher) grade-point-average through the academic year’s third 9-week grading period and compete in a PIAA-sponsored sport.
A total of 375 students competed in athletics this past year, Dzuricsko noted, meaning almost 57 percent qualified for the McKay Scholar-Athlete Award. Since the award’s inception, this is the highest total number of students to earn the honors, she reported. -
SCHOLASTIC NOTEBOOK: Hearns to continue golf career in college; Petty to be honored
RECENT HICKORY High alumna Rosy Hearns will continue her education and golf careers at the State University of New York-Albany. Hickory links coach Craig Antush said Hearns recently signed a letter-of-intent.
Hearns’ Hickory career concluded as one of the finest on the links — male or female — in Mercer County annals. -
Bowlers compete in Senior Games
The bowling portion of the annual Mercer County Senior Games was held Wednesday at Grove City Bowlodrome. That followed horseshoes and shuffleboard competitions earlier in the week.
Following is the rest of the schedule: -
COLLEGIATE NOTEBOOK: Ex-Hickory great Richards has great spring track season
FORMER HICKORY HIGH standout Morgan Richards enjoyed a successful spring season for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte track & field team. The female 49ters won the Atlantic 10 Conference outdoor track & field team title.
“Morgan kept her stride as she transitioned into the outdoor season, running top times in several events among (Atlantic 10) freshmen and on Charlotte’s all-time top 10 lists,” assistant coch Edwin T. Schlichter wrote in a recent e-mail to The Herald. “Morgan finished just one spot (9th) out of scoring at the 2013 A-10 Championships in the 3000-meter steeplechase, despite this being her first year ever attempting the event, and running 11:02.22 which was 2nd among all freshmen in the A-10 and 5th all-time for UNC-Charlotte.” -
SPORTVIEW: Hickory tri-athletes deserve special recognition
EVERY YEAR we receive a photo from the Hermitage School District of a group of student-athletes that I am thrilled to receive and run in the paper.
The photo is of Hickory High School “tri-athletes,” boys and girls who participate in sports during each of the fall, winter and spring seasons. But there is more to it than that. Each of these athletes also must maintain an 85 percent B average during the first three 9-week grading periods of the year. -
TIDBITS: Scurpas make college choices; Matthews, Norris, Bonner part of great Clarion recruiting class; Lewis earns national medal
SHARPSVILLE HIGH volleyball standouts Kristen and Paige Scurpa, who are cousins, will continue their education and athletic careers at California University of Pa. and Penn State-Behrend, respectively.
The duo, both of whom were named to the All-State team in Class A by the Pa. Volleyball Coaches Association, led the Blue Darlings to the District 10 title game in November. Sharpsville, Region 1 champs the past 4 years, suffered a 3-1 loss to Cochranton in that match and finished the season 16-4. -
Sharpsville falls in D-10 title game
SLIPPERY ROCK — Monday was a pretty good day for Saegertown High School.
Just mere hours after the Lady Panthers won the District 10 Class A softball championship, the Saegertown baseball team (19-2) captured its third straight D-10 Class AA title with a convincing 10-3 victory over Sharpsville (15-6) at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
“We knew going into the game that Saegertown’s a pretty good team and they’ve been a pretty good team for the past few years,” Blue Devils coach Mike Sikorski said. “I think they’ve been in the District 10 Championship the past four years. They’re a solid team, a very good team. They’re very patient at the plate and when they get their pitches, they hit them.” -
STATE TRACK NOTEBOOK: WM seniors leave legacy of greatness
WEST MIDDLESEX High always has had a proud athletic heritage, and this past weekend’s PIAA Class AA Track & Field championship will only add lustre to that legacy.
According to available archives at The Herald, only the 1954 boys’ basketball team and Coach Bob Morris’ boys’ cross country team from earlier this decade previously had won commonwealth crowns. -
Allen wins 4 gold medals to lead WM to PIAA team title
SHIPPENSBURG — Clay Allen said he had to explode out of the starting blocks for his 100-meter dash showdown with Hickory’s DeShawn Coleman. But Allen — all afternoon — was getting the jump on his competitors during the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships.
By approximately 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Shippensburg University, Allen annexed 4 gold medals — 100- and 200-meter dashes, long jump, and as part of the sprint-relay. The workload West Middlesex High’s senior exhibited enabled the Big Reds to record the Class AA commonwealth crown. - More Sports Headlines
-
Herald-Tamie junior tourney set Thursday-Friday
