HS roundup: 3 State College players, 1 Bellefonte coach make roster on annual East-West Football Game
Here’s what happened in Centre County high school sports from Feb. 16-22:
Football
3 players, 1 coach make East-West All-Star Game
Bellefonte coach Shanon Manning and three State College players made the cut and will take part in the 2020 PSFCA East/West All-Star Game as members of the West Team.
Manning will be one of five assistant coaches, as North Penn’s Tom Dickinson will act as the head coach. And all three of the Little Lions on the team will play defense: DB Isaiah Edwards, DB Lokey Howell and DT Sam Storll.
The 19th edition of the annual game will take place 2 p.m. May 23 at Landis Field in Central Dauphin.
Girls’ basketball
SJCA advances to district championship
St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy watched its impressive postseason run continue by qualifying for the state tournament and advancing to the District 6 Class A championship.
The Lady Wolfpack, the No. 4 seed, slipped past No. 5-seed Saltsburg 42-39 on Tuesday and then cruised past top-seed Blacklick Valley on Saturday, 53-31.
Three teams qualify for the state tournament out of the district, so SJCA (13-9) will qualify for states even with a loss in the title game.
It will take on No. 2-seed Bishop Carroll in the championship at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Mount Aloysius.
Penns Valley season ends at districts
The Lady Rams couldn’t upset top-seed Tyrone, ending their season after the second-round loss in the District 6 Class 3A tournament.
Penns Valley, the No. 8 seed, opened the district tournament Monday by cruising past No. 9-seed Mount Union 67-25. But it couldn’t overcome Tyrone on Thursday, falling 69-42.
Kennedy Welshans and Kailen Winkelblech led the Rams in scoring with 14 points apiece, while Hannah Montiminy added seven.
Had Penns Valley beaten Tyrone in the quarterfinals, it would’ve advanced to states. Instead the Lady Rams will end their season at 11-13.
Bellefonte loses tight game, as season concludes
Bellefonte couldn’t outmuscle an evenly matched DuBois team Monday, as it fell 46-43 in the opening round of the District 6 Class 5A tournament.
The No. 5-seed Lady Red Raiders needed two wins in the district tournament to advance to states. Their season ends at 10-13.
State College remains alive for state tournament
The Lady Little Lions couldn’t avenge last season’s loss to Altoona in the district championship, falling again Friday in the District 6 Class 6A title game 52-33.
The loss does not eliminate State College from the state tournament, however. If State College can win a consolation game against the top seed in District 8/10, which will take place Friday or Saturday, it will still qualify.
Against Altoona, Maya Bokunewicz led the way with 20 of her team’s 33 points. State College and Altoona were tied 23-23 late in the third quarter but Altoona outscored the Lady Little Lions 29-10 the rest of the way.
State College beat Altoona in both regular-season meetings earlier this season, 54-44 on Jan. 3 and 42-40 on Jan. 29.
The Lady Little Lions stand at 17-6 on the year.
Boys’ basketball
Season ends for P-O after loss
Philipsburg-Osceola couldn’t get past Cambria Heights on Tuesday in the first round of the District 6 Class 3A tournament, as it watched its season come to an end.
The No. 9-seed Mounties lost, 60-49, to the No. 8 seed. P-O needed to open with two straight wins in the district playoffs to qualify for states.
P-O finishes the season at 10-13.
Rams punch ticket to states
Penns Valley remained alive in the hunt for the district title and qualified for states with a second-round win Friday in the District 6 Class 3A tournament.
The No. 5-seed Rams slipped past No. 4-seed West Shamokin in a mild upset, 50-47.
Four teams from District 6 qualify for states and, because the Rams advanced to the semifinals, they’ve already clinched a spot in the state tournament. They’ll take on top-seed Ligonier Valley at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Hollidaysburg.
If the Rams win, they’ll take on the winner of Westmont-Richland in the district championship Friday. If they lose, they’ll drop to the third-place consolation game, where they’ll take on the Westmont-Richland loser Friday.
Penns Valley stands at 15-8 this season.
Little Lions fall in district championship
State College isn’t out of the state playoff race yet, but it has a more difficult path after falling Friday to Altoona in the District 6 Class 6A title game.
The Little Lions lost 61-54 after Altoona outscored them in the second half 35-27. Johnny Friberg led State College with 14 points, while Isaiah Edwards added 11.
State College needs two more wins to qualify for states, so it’ll have to win the play-in game to a subregional and then win a subregional game. It will take on Erie at 6 p.m. Monday in Tyrone.
The Little Lions are 6-17 on the season.
Wrestling
SJCA claims 2 regional titles; 5 headed to states
St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy had a whole lot to celebrate after Saturday’s PIAA Class 2A Southwest Regional tournament.
The Wolfpack finished second in the team standings with 105 points, 36 points behind champion Chestnut Ridge. But, more importantly, Caleb Dowling (152 pounds) and Tyler Stoltzfus (170) both won their respective regional titles.
They’ll be joined by three other teammates in Hershey: Amonn Ohl (132), who finished fifth; and runners-up Keegan Rothrock (160) and Zack Witmer (138).
P-O’s Moore earns regional title; 3 advance
Philipsburg-Osceola’s Parker Moore earned gold Saturday at the PIAA Class 2A Southwest Regional tournament, winning his 195-pound weight class with a 7-1 decision over Westmont Hilltop’s Tanner Dluhos.
Moore’s win was all the more surprising considering he finished third at districts last week. Dluhos was the champ.
“Last week, I wasn’t feeling great. It’s not like I was sick,” Moore told the Centre Daily Times. “I just didn’t wrestle to my potential. I really focused on working on my feet this week in practice. I think it paid off.”
He won’t be alone in Hershey. Chase Chapman (138 pounds) and Hunter Weitoish (160) will be joining him; Weitoish finished third and Chapman sixth to qualify.
BEA’s McClenahan earns regional gold, as 4 move on
Bald Eagle Area is sending four wrestlers to states after a memorable run Saturday at the PIAA Class 2A Southwest Regional tournament.
Gage McClenahan (145 pounds) won his respective weight class with a 5-4 decision against Forest Hills’ Erik Gibson, whom he lost to last week in the district finals. McClenahan also notched his 100th win on Friday.
He’ll be joined by three other teammates in regional runner-up Coen Bainey (106); 120-pounder Cooper Gilham, who finished fourth; and fourth-place finisher David Close (220).
Rams send 3 to states
Penns Valley didn’t come away with any regional gold Saturday, but it’s still sending three wrestlers to states after a solid performance at the PIAA Class 2A Southwest Regional tournament.
Clayton Royer (138 pounds) and Malachi DuVall (152) both finished in third place, while Andrew Sharer (182) came in fourth.
“They had tough opponents. There is no shame in the guys they lost to,” Penns Valley coach Joel Brinker told the Centre Daily Times. “To get third out of the Southwest region, which is probably arguably the toughest region in the state in double-A, is pretty impressive. Third and fourth place sets you up pretty good for states. We are very happy with all three of their efforts today.”
4 Red Raiders finish with district gold
Bellefonte boasted four different champions Saturday in the District 6 Class 3A championships and advanced nine wrestlers to regionals.
Among the winners were Jude Swisher (126 pounds), Lane Aikey (120), Ethan Richner (160) and Ethan Rossman (182). Bellefonte finished third in the team race with 176.5 points, behind champ Mifflin County with 214 and runner-up Central Mountain with 182.
Also moving on for the Red Raiders were Aidan O’Shea (second at 113), Max Barrier (third at 220), Alex Coppolo (third at 132), Stephen Ivicic (fourth at 170) and Tyler Benner (fourth at 195).
“Overall, we had a pretty solid tournament,” Bellefonte coach Mike Maney told the Centre Daily Times. “We left some points out there with some tough losses in the semifinals otherwise we may have seen a closer team race.”
State College’s Price earns district title
State College’s Tyler Price won gold at 195 pounds Saturday in the District 6 Class 3A championships, as the Little Lions advanced nine total wrestlers to regionals.
Price defeated Central Mountain’s Nikolas Miller in sudden victory, 3-1.
Five other Little Lions made the finals but came up short with silver: Hayden Cunningham (106), Owen Woolcott (132), Clayton Leidy (138), Lance Urbas (170) and Harrison Schoen (285).
Eric Weaver (120) and Carter Weaverling (126) also placed third, while Kyle Martin (145) took fourth.
“It was a good day. I’m proud of the kids. They did a nice job,” State College coach Ryan Cummins told the Centre Daily Times. “Of course, you want to win, but this isn’t the end of the road. We’ll be back again next weekend.”
Hockey
State College dominates Conemaugh Valley
The Little Lions extended their winning streak to six Thursday with a 12-0 shutout of Conemaugh Valley at 1st Summit Arena.
Robert Zimmerman led State College in scoring with four goals, while Thomas Hay had three and Zander Faust two. Joseph Franklin, Wesley Olsen and David Lee each added a goal.
The Little ions out-shot Conemaugh Valley 45-12, with State College goalkeeper Jon Olsen picking up all 12 saves.
State College improves to 15-4 with the win.
This story was originally published February 23, 2020 at 2:51 PM.