Story lines abound as the 2010 soccer season gets under way. What better way to preview the new season than with the alphabet?
A is for Allen, as in Jen, who takes over the Warrior Run girls program after Kathy Hillard manned the post for 17 years.
B is for back line, which is a question mark for the Lewisburg boys team this season. The Green Dragons graduated three of their four senior starters from last year, and the fourth — Nick Talabiska — will miss the first part of the season with a knee injury.
C is for Callender, as in Shawn, the new coach for the Lewisburg boys program.
D is for defending, as in the four defending champions in District 4 (Midd-West boys in Class AA, East Juniata boys in Class A, Selinsgrove girls in Class AAA, and Lewisburg girls in Class AA).
E is for eighteen, the number of regular-season games teams are allowed to play.
F is for five, the number of teams remaining in the boys Tri-Valley League (Halifax, Millersburg, Line Mountain, East Juniata and Greenwood).
G is for the Green Dragons from Lewisburg; the girls team moves up to the Heartland Athletic Conference Division I this season after two years in the HAC-II
H is for the ham and bean soup at Midd-West’s Sports Boosters Athletic Park
I is for Ines Antenstiner, a Daily Item First Team defender last season who’s back for Lewisburg this season
J is for junior, which is Lewisburg goalkeeper Christian Gallagher’s class. Gallagher was the only nonsenior on The Daily Item’s preseason all-star team.
K is for Kentucky, where three-time Daily Item Player of the Year Caitlin Landis now plays. The Milton product is a freshman forward who has scored two goals in four games for the 3-1 Wildcats.
L is for the Loyalsock girls, the Class AA state champions in 2009; they’re down in Class A now.
M is for Max Campbell, the former Warrior Run star who’s the new coach for the Milton girls.
N is for ninety, the number of career victories for Midd-West girls soccer coach Gary Keister entering the season.
O is for overtime, which is what some of the players in the area work during the fall season. Players like Selinsgrove’s Spencer Hotaling are also kickers for their school’s football team.
P is for Payne, as in Midd-West senior midfielder Jeremy Payne, who’s the reigning Daily Item Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
Q is for quick, as in the length of the season. The season only began, but the playoffs start next month.
R is for Raymond H. Perritt Stadium in Hughesville, where many of the District 4 playoff games are played.
S is for Scot Goodling, the new co-coach with Don Troutman in the East Juniata boys program; Goodling was formerly the head coach at Juniata.
T is for three, the number of PIAA classifications for girls soccer beginning this season (there had been two since 1996).
U is for undefeated District 4 champion, something that hasn’t happened since the South Williamsport girls pulled it off in 2006 (they went on to win the state title that year).
V is for Villa Joseph Marie, the District 1 powerhouse girls team that has historically feasted on Valley schools. Can any of the local girls beat the Jems this year?
W is for Wesner, as in Doug, who’s entering his 16th year as head coach of the Northumberland Christian School girls program; Wesner had 192 wins entering the season.
X is for the third letter in Craig Taxis’ last name. Taxis is the new head coach for the Line Mountain girls program.
Y is for youth movement, which is what the Mifflinburg boys are experiencing this year after graduating many of the players who led them to the playoffs each of the past two years.
Z is for zebras, the men and women who wear the black and white and officiate the games. Just remember it’s not an easy job, so don’t give them a hard time.
Sports
The ABCs of the 2010 high school soccer season
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Defense helps Crusaders snap skid
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SU rides Harley to win
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HS Roundup: Braves close in on playoff bid
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Danville stays in HAC-I title race
When their 13-point lead had been whittled to seven midway through the fourth quarter Friday, the Danville girls were at a tipping point.
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Harold Raker's column on high school wrestling: Playing the name game
Going into last weekend, with four Valley teams competing in the District 4 Class AA and AAA Duals Tournament, I had already made tentative plans to be in Hershey this week. Had things gone really well, I would have still been in Chocolatetown, covering at least one of them in the state tournament.
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NCAA denies UConn APR waiver request
The NCAA on Friday turned down the University of Connecticut's request for a waiver that would allow its men's basketball team to play in the 2013 national championship tournament.
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College Lacrosse: Bucknell men prepare to improve upon great season
LEWISBURG -- It started a handful of years ago, when the Bucknell men's lacrosse team put a big 'X' on the national map in Central Pennsylvania with an upset of No. 1 Maryland. From that point on Bison coach Frank Fedorjaka has had a difficult time getting big-time opponents on the schedule, even with Bucknell opting to travel under the worst of circumstances.
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High school football: Pratt says Kutztown the right fit
SUNBURY -- When Shikellamy's Tyler Pratt joins the Kutztown University football team as a free safety next fall, he will already have a good feeling for what his position coach will expect from him. Pratt, who signed a national letter of intent this week to accept a scholarship offer to play for the Golden Bears, will be under the tutelage of his father's high school football coach.
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Todd Stanford On high school boys basketball: Increasing the refs' workload
If two heads are better than one, does that mean six eyes are better than four? Not necessarily, according to some Heartland Athletic Conference officials. There is a move afoot in the HAC to cut the number of basketball referees from three to two for part of the season beginning next year.
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High School Roundup: Greenwood boys complete perfect TVL season
Greenwood capped off an unbeaten 2011-12 Tri-Valley League season by crushing Halifax 61-38 on Thursday Night.
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Defense helps Crusaders snap skid
