Tue POST Sunday, October 3, 2004 7 Sports Unexpected volleyball powers to meet Monday Lake-Lehman and Dallas, once doormats of the league, are flying high this season. By CHRIS BELL Post Correspondent Two of the biggest surprise teams in the Wyoming Valley Conference _ girls volleyball league will meet when Lake-Lehman visits Dallas Monday , afternoon. After a 3-14 season a year ago, the » Black Knights were off to an impres- i sive 9-0 start after beating Wyoming ‘1 Valley West last Wednesday. Coming off a 2-15 season, Dallas dstarted 6-2 under first-year head “coach Mike Williams. * Lake-Lehman coach John ‘Baranowski, who built the Lehman boys team into a state power, gives a simple reason for the girls team’s suc- cess in his first season. “The kids just work hard,” he said. “They are work- ing on mastering the basic skills. We use a simple approach and try to min- imize our mistakes. The kids have really responded.” Another factor in the Knights’ suc- cess is team chemistry. “We have a lot of different roles on this team and everyone seems to know what their role is,” Baranowski explained. “Each individual is willing to do what they can to help the team.” The early season success has forced the team to re-evaluate Baranowski’s pre-season goal of topping last year’s record. “We need to focus on improv- ing throughout the rest of the sea- son,” he said. “We have a lot of tough teams left on the schedule and it starts with Dallas. If we keep work- ing, we could have a chance at mak- ing the playoffs.” But, Baranowski and assistant coach Kari Maskalis aren’t letting the team get too confident. “We've had some tough matches with Tunkhannock and Bishop O'Reilly, but we have most of the top teams remaining,” Baranowski said. “We need to create a little more offense and hit a little better if we're going to compete with the best teams.” Junior setter Hannah Sorber and hitters Jessica Turak and Marissa Harrison have led the Knights. Sheree Horvath, Savannah Coombs and Caroline Motyka are all outside hitters who excel at passing while Megan Strunk is one of the team’s top defensive specialists. Megan Devine is among the team’s best servers. Senior hitter Erica Kelleher, one of the top all-around players in the league, has led Dallas. Other standouts have been Caity Green, Theresa Heintz aand the Piontkowski sisters, Vickie and Jill. Kelleher, Green and Heintz are the team’s top hitters while both Piontkowskis provide them with out- standing sets. Dallas girls sweep Invitational The Dallas girls varsity cross country team won the Lackawanna County Commissioners Cross Country Invitational at McDade Park on September 25 with a team score of 53. Second place team Pleasant Valley had 108 points. Dallas Girls Varsity runners placed: First, Lisa Giacometti, 19:51; Second, Jessica Jones, 20:08; third, Hillary Adams, 20:27; 17th, Robin Razawich 21:36; 30th, Katie Gilligan 22:17. Kasia Szulborski (22:58), Samantha Dimmick (24:28) and Debra Ketchner (32:53) also ran. Team members, from left: Katie Gilligan, Debra Ketchner, Hillary ~ Adams, Lisa Giacometti, Jessica Jones, Kasia Szulborski, Samantha Dimmick, Robin Razawich, and Kenslie Kerestes. LEAP OF FAITH FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Dallas quarterback Matt Kelly climbed over teamates Matt Daube and Steve Wengen to gain extra yardage against East Stroudsburg North. 3 Doug Harris pulled down the East Stroudsburg ball carrier before he could get into the end zone. Steve Wengen threw a key block for Nick Samanas. Samanas gained a total of 76 yards in the game. ARIAS, Mounts take their time, but prevail By JOHN ERZAR For The Post DALLAS, Sept. 25 — It took until the fourth quarter for the Mountaineers to break East Stroudsburg North, finishing off the Wolves 44-20 in a non-conference foot- ball game. Dallas used a 9-yard touchdown reception by Matt Brokenshire with 9:19 left in the game and a 67-yard run by fullback Nick Onzik less than a minute later to seal the victory. Onzik’s run came on the first play after an interception by Jim Schwerdtman. Onzik busted through the middle, had several defenders slip off him and continued to the end zone. The score ended North’s final chance for an upset of the state’s seventh- ranked Class 2A team. North fell behind 11-0 after one quarter as Mike Race made a one- handed catch of a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matt Kelly and booted a 32- yard field goal. The Wolves then put together their best drive, which lasted 18 plays and 80 yards, to score their first touchdown. However, North couldnt stop Dallas, which scored on its next two possessions of the second quarter as Doug Harris ran in from 2 yards and Race caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Kelly. Kelly finished 15-0f-20 for 175 yards and three touchdowns. “What hurt them was our spread formations,” Jackson said. “They're not used to seeing the spread forma- tions we used and we got some matchups. And Matt Kelly is Kelly, he makes plays.” As a team, the Mountaineers rolled up 327 rushing yards and 175 more in the air. Nick Samanas led Dallas on the ground with 76 yards on six carries. Onzik finished with 70 yards on four carries and Harris gained 49 yards on 17 carries. Race caught eight passes for 83 yards. Dallas grad in Misericordia Hall Dallas High School graduate Laura (Poynton) Williams was one of five inductees in the sec- Lake-Lehman 6, Meyers O Sept. 29 — Chrisse Kazmierski had a hat trick as Lake-Lehman topped Meyers in a Division I game at Miner Park. U FIELD HOCKEY Lehman 4, Delaware Valley O Sept. 27 — Chrisse Kazmierski had a goal and an assist in Lake-Lehman’s 4-0 victory over Delaware Valley. Aime Sgarlat, Joselyn Mahon and Tina Watkins also scored for the Black Knights. ond class of the College Julia Covert and Allison Boris each had Shannon Prescott made two saves to pre- Misericordia a goal and an assist for the Black Knights, serve the shutout win. Athletics Hall and Traci Ragukas scored the other goal. of Fame, The defense prevented the Mohawks from Dallas 3, Abington Heights 2 September getting a single shot at goal. Sept. 27 — Paige Selenski scored the 25. winning goal in overtime in Dallas’ 3-2 A softball Dallas 1, Nanticoke O win over Abington Heights. Sam O’Brien star, Williams Sept. 29 — Paige Selenski’s goal in the and Alyssa Pyros also scored for the earned all- second half lifted Dallas past Nanticoke in Mountaineers. star status at a Division I game. three differ- The contest was originally scheduled to Dallas 9, Wyoming Area O ent positions be played at Nanticoke, but was moved to Sept. 24 — Paige Selenski scored four times in Dallas’ 9-0 victory over Wyoming Area. Alyssa Pyros added a goal and an assist, and Cassie Snider, Lauren Collini, Mindy Yedesko and Jill Springs all had a goal in the Mountaineers’ win. Lindsay Davenport had three saves in the win. Laura (Poynton) Williams during her career (catch- | er, shortstop and outfield). She Dallas’ field because of wet conditions. Selenski scored off an assist from Alyssa Pyros. Both Selenski and Pyros are fresh- was the MVP of the 1994 PAC men. | Championships and finished 10th | in the nation in batting. She holds ' school single-season records for batting average and on-base per- centage. Seen in photo from left, are: Fr. Tim Delaney, representing his cousin Marie Morris, Laura (Poynton) Williams, Louis (Loughran) Peele, Tricia Hoffman and Eric Sweeney. Bishop O'Reilly 8, Elk Lake 1 Sept. 29 — Meg Mathewson had two goals and three assists as Bishop O'Reilly remained undefeated in Division II play with a victory over Elk Lake. Katie Goode and Erin Tanner added a goal and an assist apiece for O'Reilly, and Sam Solack and Tara Shevock had the other goals. Tunkhannock, 4 Pittston 2 Sept. 24 — April Antoine scored twice in Tunkhannock’s 4-2 win over Pittston Area. Jenny Fleming scored a goal and had an assist and Laurie Sherman also scored for the Tigers, respectively. Sara See ROUNDUP, pg 9 FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Lois Kaschenbach blocks the advance of a: Meyers player in Lake- Lehman's 6-0 win over Meyers last week. The victory kept the Black Knights undefeated in the Wyoming Valley Conference. ) ®
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