The Press Box

Liberty's West headed to Stanford

For the second straight summer a Liberty High wide receiver has committed to a big-time college football program.

Senior Jarrod West, who started at wideout, free safety and punter for the 2008 PIAA Class 4A champs, has committed to Stanford.

West visited Jim Harbaugh's Cardinal last weekend and made a verbal commitment on Sunday. Last summer, Liberty wideout Devin Street also committed early to the University of Pittsburgh.

Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Maryland, Pitt, Missouri, Wisconsin and Cincinnati each also offered West a scholarship.

Maryland has surfaced as his No.1 choice, Then, he visited Stanford and he became quickly sold.

"We went out to Stanford and it was just incredible," West's father, Warren, a former basketball and football star at Liberty, said. "I never saw a place like that before. It was just beautiful."

West only caught 14 passes for 182 yards last season, but the 6-foot-2 standout opened eyes to his full potential in Liberty's 28-21overtime win over Bethel Park in the state final when he improvised on a fourth down play and took off running for a 41-yard gain.

Next season, with Street gone, West will be star quarterback Anthony Gonzalez's top target and the two figure to be a dynamic one-two punch.

The pressure of choosing a college is off West.

"It's the perfect situation for him," Warren West said. "They feel that he can come in and play as a freshman."

There are other immeasurable perks.

"It's not everyday that a young black man from the Lehigh Valley gets a full-scholarship to Stanford," Warren West said. "Jarrod has great grades, so I told him he shouldn't settle for anything but a great education, then football in a great conference."

Young McArdle excited for McDonald's game

What happens when a young football coach meets a veteran coaching staff with men who've won state championships as Liberty's Tim Moncman and Wilson's Bret Comp have?

The answer will be revealed Thursday night for Palmerton's Paul McArdle, 34, who will coach the Lehigh, Carbon and Monroe Counties Red team in the 39th annual McDonald's Lehigh Valley Football Classic at 7 p.m. at Nazareth's Andrew S. Leh Stadium.

Comp is the head coach of the Northampton County, Phillipsburg, Palisades Gold team.

Comp has one PIAA Class 2A title, one state runner-up trophy. Moncman, an assistant under Comp in the game, coached Liberty to the PIAA Class 4A title last December and had state runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006.

McArdle would love to coach in a state final in Hershey one day, too, but for now he'll settle for just trying to beat Comp and Moncman and other top Gold team coaches in the Andretti's hometown Thursday night.

"Those guys have hardware over there," McArdle said. "It gives you a little extra motivation to go against them. That's what we are all shooting for in the regular season, so you can learn from them, too.

"I said about Bret, he's got the most elite program in the [Colonial League] right now and same with Liberty [in the Lehigh Valley Conference], and just the talent level those guys have. I hear the names, [Eddie] Mateo all the time.It's nice to see them up front."

It will be even better to beat them.

"Definitely," McArdle said. "Anytime you play you want to win. It's an all-star game,so you are a little bit more relaxed, but we are playing to win."

And Comp? Hey, it's an all-star game. The glory of winning it isn't the same as a state title.

"Oh, don't put that pressure on us," Comp said. "I know one thing, Wilson opens up with Palmerton in Week 1, so we don't want to give coach McArdle any unnecessary confidence going into Week 1."

On a serious note, what happens Thursday night has nothing to do with what happens in the regular season. The object of an all-star game is to have fun, develop relationships, break sweat and then head off and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Anything else that happens is icing on the cake. Essentially, McArdle has been licking his fingers all week.

"I learned a lot this week," McArdle said. "I never had the opportunity to coach in this game before. It's been neat getting together with guys like coach [Rich] Gierula from Emmaus and coach [Harold] Fairclough from ACC."

Big 33 game yet to heat up

Maybe, it was the anticipation of severe thunderstorms that had players from Pennsylvania and Ohio so bummed out that they did not know what mindset to enter tonight's 52nd annual Big 33 Football Classic with at Hersheypark Stadium.

It's actually sunny right now.

The play, on the other hand, has been sloppy. Both teams have fumbled the ball away.

First quarter stats:

First downs: PA 3, Ohio 2

Rushing yards: PA 39, Ohio -9

Passing yards: Ohio 83, PA 17

Total yards: Ohio 72, PA 56

A disappointing ending to a splendid season

ALTOONA -- Almost any team has some good fortune to go with great play when it goes on an extended playoff run. Parkland had its share of both en route to the PIAA Class 4A final at Blair County Ballpark on Friday, though excellent starting pitching and defense were the prime reasons it played for a championship.

Parkland played pretty well again against District One No. 5 seed North Penn. The Trojans played error-free baseball. They hit some balls hard against North Penn starter Eric Ruth, owner of a 1.16 ERA before Friday.

This time some breaks went against Parkland as the Knights pulled out a 3-1 win to claim their first state title and deny Parkland the same accomplishment.

A ball that popped out of left fielder Joe Abeln's glove on his diving attempt in the fifth inning started a two-run rally that gave North Penn the lead for good. Second baseman Luke Jaindl twice lined out, once into an inning-ending double play.M.J. Miorelli crushed a ball that went several feet wide of being a home run.

Despite suffering a few bad breaks, Parkland came off the field with an upbeat attitude. No team in school history had ever gone where it did.The Trojans gave a valiant effort when down three runs in the seventh inning, getting the potential winning run to the plate.

Each time I talked with coach Tony Galucy and his players over the last few weeks, they talked about how close the team had become during this run. Even in the aftermath of Friday's defeat, the good moments seemed to be the ones at the front of several players' minds, including Abeln and pitcher Casey Cooperman.

Now, onto a few other notes from Friday.

* North Penn had a heck of a run to close its season. The Knights were 5-5 at one point this year. They won 15 of their final 16 games to claim the state title.

Parkland had won 12 of its last 13 games before falling Friday.

* Cooperman came within two outs of throwing six straight complete games to end the season. He wasn't at his best Friday, but he was good again. There's little doubt he'll be one of the best pitchers in the area as a senior next season.

* This was my first trip to Blair County Ballpark, home of the Double-A Altoona Curve. It's a long ride out here from the Lehigh Valley (about 3 1/2 hours), but it's a beautiful facility.

My favorite quirky feature was the roller coaster beyond the right-field wall. I don't think you'll see that at any big-league ballparks.

Great Freedom football class graduates

The schoolyear ended for Bethlehem Area School District students Thurdsday and Freedom coach Jason Roeder wanted to say one final goodbye to one of the best class in school history - I'm saying it, not him.

But the success speaks for itself as the Patriots, led by all-state running back Eddie Mateo and Big 33 Football Classic-bound defensive back Jermel Lee, went 10-3 this season and finished as the District 11 Class 4A runner up.

Freedom went 20-6 over the last two seasons, winning the Eastern Conference title in 2007. Validation that the program has finally arrived under Roeder, who has posted a 26-19 record in four seasons, has come in the form of the Patriot players who'll continue their careers in college in the fall.

Class of 2009 Freedom Football Players continuing their football careers in college:

Eddie Mateo--- Stony Brook University (scholarship)

Jermel Lee--- IUP (scholarship)

Tyre Pompey--- Lock Haven (scholarship)

John Kazcmarek—Muhlenberg

Sean Searfass – McDaniel

Christian O’Connor--- Franklin and Marshall

Ivan Encarnacion--- Deleware Valley

Will Velekei ---Lehigh University ( preferred walk on)

Said Roeder, "All three are hard working guys and all three of the scholarship guys have the chance to be the first in their family to graduate from college. I am equally proud of the other guys.

"There are some prestigious academic institutioins on that list that also compete on a high level on the field. As far as the direction of the program, we are proud of the fact that these guys are continuing their careers. I think they set a great example for younger guys coming up that hard work in the classroom and on the field will pay off."

Becahi wins 2A 400-meter relay title

SHIPPENSBURG - Hansol Song had one thing on his mind before the start of the Class 2A 400-meter relay final in the PIAA Track and Field Championships today at Seth Grove Stadium.

"I was thinking I will break my legs just to do my best," Song said.

His best was awesome.

Tevrin Brandon took the baton second, then J.J. Rene, and O.J. Buie carried the Hawks to victory with a breakaway final leg.

The Hawks finished in 42.67, toppling the 42.81 the 2002 team, led by Eddie Scipio, ran en route to winning the 400 relay title.

This one was also about redeemption for Brandon, the senior who's headed to Connecticut on a football scholarship. Brandon was beaten at the tape in the 100 dash final by Bishop McDevitt's Chris Houston, who posted a time of 10.78 to Brandon's 10.87.

"I had to win the gold in something," Brandon said. "I pushed as hard as I could in my last race as a senior."

The Golden Hawks captured the first boys' gold medal for local athletes.

Wilson senior Anthony Davidson, winded from running a marathon of races in humid weather over two days, finished second in the 3A 400 in 47.76. He coveted the gold, which would have enabled him to pull off the rare feat of winning the 400 in Class 2A and 3A in back-to-back years.

His performance marked back-to-back races under 48 seconds. Davidson, who's headed to Rhode Island on a scholarship, made the National Federation High School honor roll by runnning a 46.97 in the preliminary's, which surpassed the standard of 46.70.

"I didn't feel as comfortable coming in today as I had in the past," Davidson said. "Guess I finally ran out of gas."

Earlier today in Class 3A, Liberty's Stephen Lewis placed fourth in the 110 high hurdles in 14.55 and Hurricane junior Jarrod West tied his career-best, clearing 6 feet, 6 inches in the high jump to finish sixth.

Parkland junior Andre Williams, competing in his first state meet after transferring from Georgia, placed fifth in both the 100 in 11.01 and 110's in 14.61. Whitehall senior Doug Henninger placed fourth in the shot put with a 57-9.

Photo by Rob Kandel of The Morning Call

PIAA Track and Field Championship highlights

There were good memories, bad memories, even ugly.

A case of the good, bad and the ugly. A cliche? Of course, but that's the way Day 1 of the PIAA Track and Field Championships went Friday at Shippensburg University.

The good, of course, was Wilson senior Anthony Davidson, perhaps the best sprinter ever to come out of the Lehigh Valley. He's going to Rhode Island on a scholarship. Come again? Rhode Island? Pleez, how about LSU, Florida, Gerogia or Tennessee? Davidson is that good and he proved it by running a 46.97 in the Class 3A 400-meter dash.

No Lehigh Valley athlete has ever run under 47 seconds.

Davidson did have company.

There was Allen javelin thrower Amber Troxell, who won the 3A gold with a launch of 148-4, which moved her up to fifth-place nationally.

There was Bethlehem Catholic's boys and girls' relays - the boys' 3,200, 400 and 1,600 each advancing to the finals and the girls' 3,200 and 1,600 relays moving on to finals.

Individually, the Golden Hawks' Tevrin Brandon and O.J. Buie burned on the track, Brandon running a preliminary time of 10.92 in the 100 and Buie clocking a 22.25 in the 200.

Both are eyeing top three finishes in the 100 and 200.

Another good was Wilson pole vaulter Allison Vanek, who cleared 11-0 to place second in the 2A event.

The bad was easy. No local athlete won a medal in field events.

The ugly, or rather sad was Palmerton senior Austin Cseh suffering from heat exhaustion after his 2A 400 d ash heat. He was carted off the field and taken to Chambersburg Hospital for observations.

There were falls, stumbles, disappointments.

Today's meet starts at 9 a.m. Expectations are for superb times and distances by local athletes, especially by Davidson, Brandon, Buie, Parkland's Matt Gillette in the 3,200 and Liberty's Devin Street in the 3A long jump.

Photos by Rob Kandel of The Morning Call

Allen's Amber Troxell simply golden

Staff writer Mark Wogenrich provided the following:

SHIPPENSBURG | Amber Troxell began throwing the javelin only to mimic older brother Justin. “I’d never seen anyone throw sticks before,” the Allen High senior said. “Only in movies. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.”

Troxell eventually developed into one of the state’s leading javelin throwers, but the top prize eluded her until Friday. After finishing fourth for three straight years, Troxell won the Class 3A girls javelin title at the PIAA track & field championships.

She did so with another personal record: Troxell’s winning throw of 148 feet, 4 inches bettered her performance at the District 11 championships by nearly three feet. It also is the fifth-best throw in the country this year among high school girls, according to www.trackandfieldnews.com.

It means, after all that hard work, I finally won gold,” Troxell said. “It’s everything I could have wished for.”

Troxell was the lone area state champion on the first day of the girls meet at Shippensburg University. Wilson junior Allison Vanek placed second in the 2A pole vault (clearing 11 feet), and Stroudsburg junior Natasha McLaren won silver in the 3A high jump (clearing 5-7).

Troxell, a two-time District 11 champ, entered states as the dominant top seed with a qualifying throw nearly 12 feet longer than her closest competitors. Following a nervous first throw, Troxell hit her stride with the second, flying her previous personal best by 2 feet, 9 inches.

“I was a little shaky on my first throw, got nervous and messed up my footing,” she said. “After that, my coach told me I had it in me. I just calmed down and did what I had to do. Everything came together [on the winning throw].”

Troxell has improved steadily over the season. She placed second in the high school girls javelin at Penn Relays last month with a throw of 142-2, then won districts with a throw of 145-7.

Now, she hopes a state title and a good academic report help seal a college scholarship offer. Troxell said her father has been speaking with coaches from the University of Pittsburgh, among other schools.

Another field-event top seed had a tougher day. Vanek, seeded No. 1 in the 2A pole vault, placed second after clearing 11 feet.

“I don’t like being the top seed at all,” said Vanek, who won the District 11 title with a vault of 11-5. “People say, ‘You’re the top seed, you’re going to win.’ But no, you don’t always win because you’re the No. 1 seed.”

The event came down to Vanek and Bermudian Springs junior Georgia Williams, who both cleared 11 feet. Each missed four attempts at 11-3, and the bar was lowered back to 11. Williams made her first attempt, and Vanek hit the bar, giving Williams the state title.

“I felt comfortable and confident, because I’ve made 11-3 before,” Vanek said. “But once I missed on my first attempt, I got really nervous.”

Vanek missed parts of the winter and spring season because of mononucleosis and a hamstring injury, which slowed training. But she focused on the pole vault, winning the Colonial League title with a school- and meet-record vault of 11-7, and followed that with her second District 11 title.

“My legs always bother me, but they felt good today,” Vanek said. “I’m really disappointed I didn’t improve on the height.”

Souderton senior Kristin Smith, who is headed to the Naval Academy, jumped a personal-best 5 feet, 9 inches to win the Class 3A girls high jump, edging McLaren in the final round. McLaren cleared 5-7 before slipping on her final attempt at 5-8.

“I’ve done 5-8 twice, but that’s just the mental-block jump for me,” said McLaren, who finished ninth in the triple jump and will compete today in the long jump. “I felt like I was going to make it, but as soon as I planted, whoops, into the pit. I sat there in awe, shock and disbelief.”

In the 2A high jump, Jim Thorpe’s Hilary Reis and Wilson’s Cara Siegfried cleared 5-2 to tie for seventh.

In Friday’s qualifying, three area runners advanced to the 3A 1,600-meter final, led by Emmaus senior Lindsey Graybill (5.00.52). Liberty freshman Amy Darlington (5:04.09) and Northwestern junior Lindsay Kerr (5:05.96) followed. In the 2A 1,600, Notre Dame-Green Pond junior Allison Constant advanced (5:11.65).

Saucon Valley sophomore Alyssa Lombardo won her 2A 400 heat (58.81), Jim Thorpe junior JaAshia Page moved on in the 2A 100 (12.78) and Lehighton junior Vanessa Rimbey advanced in the 2A 100 hurdles (15.88). Quakertown sophomore Alicia Evans earned a spot in the semis in the 3A 100 (12.78) and 200 (25.31). Allen senior Shawnte Grayer (25.64) also advanced in the 3A 200.

Bethlehem Catholic won its qualifying heats in both the 1,600- (4:03.04) and 3,200 (9:41.72) to earn spots in the 2A finals. Saucon Valley (9:44.41) moved on in the 2A 3,200 relay. In the 3A 3,200 relay, Quakertown (9:25.31) and Emmaus (9:29.32) earned bids to the final.

Thoughts on the D-11 baseball quarterfinals

After two opening-round games in Class 4A on Monday, the District 11 baseball playoffs went into full swing today. The quarterfinals produced some interesting results.

Here are some quick-hit thoughts.

* The most stunning game of the day was in Class 2A, where No. 1 seed Salisbury was eliminated with a 4-3 loss to Schuylkill Haven. The consensus, at least among people I had chatted with, was Salisbury had the best chance of any area team to make a deep run into the state tournament because of its two quality pitchers, Brian Ernst and John Wisser. Now the Falcons are gone one game into districts.

* The Lehigh Valley Conference again has asserted its superiority over the Mountain Valley Conference. No. 9 Whitehall's win over top-seeded Stroudsburg and No. 4 Emmaus' dominant victory over No. 5 Pleasant Valley has left four LVC teams in the Class 4A semifinals.

* It was a rough day for the Colonial League. Northwestern, the No. 2 seed in Class 3A, joined Salisbury in making an early exit. Southern Lehigh and Northern Lehigh did advance, but seeing both Colonial League finalists lose on the first day was a surprise.

* Parkland is on the biggest role now that Salisbury has lost. With Casey Cooperman and Andrew Kulp both pitching well, the Trojans will be a tough out next week.

Allen's Troxell heavily favored to win gold

Allen has a state champion in the making in track and field for the first time since 2006 when Rushane Scott (100-meter dash) and Brianna Broyles (100-meter high hurdles) won gold medals in Class 3A in the PIAA Track and Field Championships.

Amber Troxell comes with less flash, but the senior appears on her way to winning the 3A javelin on Friday afternoon at Shippensburg University.

Troxell's top-seeded by a mile or so it seems. Her District 11 winning mark of 145 feet, 7 inches is eight feet further any other competitor.

Troxell was fourth at states last year with a distance of 132-9. The talented Canary has scholarship offers from Miami, Arizona State and Pittsburgh, and according to her father Dave, Troxell may consider going to Shippensburg or antoher Division II school just to stay close to home.

First things first, and that's winning the state title in the javelin.

Photo by Rob Kandel of The Morning Call