Sunday, October 30, 2005 Ture POST PAGE 9 Sports Week THE POST FILE PHOTOS/FRED ADAMS Dallas seniors who will be playing in their final Old Shoe Game against Lake-Lehman, from left, first row are Chris Parrish, Mike Race, Nick Onzik and Nick Samanas. Second row: Dan Consodine, Rob Santillana, Jake Devlin and Robert Appleby. Third row: Rob Tomko, Joe Lambert, Andrew Hiller and Sam Perry. Bragging rights, trophy on the line By DAVE KONOPKI Post Editor Lake-Lehman head coach Greg Myers got a taste of the Old Shoe rivalry last year. Dallas head coach Ted Jack- son has been to the table for two decades. . But both coaches will tell you the 58th annual Old Shoe Game — which will be played at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 at Edward H. Ed- wards Stadium in Lehman Township — isn’t about them. It's about the players. Their families. Members of the com- ~ munity. Pride. Bragging rights. And a size-11 bronzed football cleat that both schools want sit- ting in their trophy case. “It’s a great rivalry,” said Jack- son, a GAR graduate who was also an assistant coach at Coughlin before taking over the Dallas program in 1985. “It took about four or five years to realize what they rivalry is like between the players, the parents and the people in the community. It’s been great to be part of it.” In addition to deciding back- yard bragging rights, Friday night's game will most likely go a long way in deciding the final berth in the four-team District 2 Class 2A playoffs. Lake-Lehman (5-3 at press time) has the inside track against the Mountain- eers (44). Although the majority of the games have been decid- ed by 10 points or less, it’s been a one-sided rivalry in the win column since Jack- son became a part of it. The Mountaineer coach has a 16-31 record against the Black Knights in the Old Shoe Game. “We've been fortunate,” said Jackson, whose team hasn’t lost against Lake- Lehman since a 12-7 set- back in 2000. “We've bea- ten some very good Lake- Lehman football teams. We'll be facing another one (Friday). (Myers) has Dallas football head coach Ted Jackson has compiled a 16- 3-1record in the Old Shoe Game. done a fantastic job with his team. I'm very impressed with them in all phases of the game.” Myers might not be quite as familiar with the Old Shoe Game as Jackson, but he cer- tainly knows about rivalries. While playing for Virginia Tech, the former Crestwood standout played in some intense games against rivals Virginia and West Virginia. : He hopes his team’s suc- cess this season spices up the rivalry against Dallas. “I think it’s only going to get bigger and bet- |, ter,” hesaid. “The Dal- § las game is huge. Itsa game you want to win every year, no matter what your record is. It’s a very spe- cial game. The kids grew up with each other. They know each other from the community.” Jackson says the possibility of his team sitting home for the playoffs won't diminish its en- thusiasm against the Black Knights. “It’s been disappointing sea- son,” he said. “A 44 re- cord might Lake-Lehman seniors who will be playing in their final Old Shoe Game against Dallas, from left, first row are Ronnie Ritts, Nick Maciejczak, Brandon Higgins, Mark Walsh and Kevin Konicki. Second row: Tim Doty, John Stuffick, Josh Arnold, Kyle Poluske, Justin Saraka and Stephen Yankowski. Third row: Matt Kosloski, Matt Kapitula, Joe Klemunes, Eric Gronski, Justin Neare; Adam Harris and Stan Brudnicki. be ‘acceptable for some teams, but not for us. If we don’t make the playoffs, it’s our own fault. We didn’t get the job done when we needed to. But I expect our kids to play very hard against Lake-Lehman. If we don’t, then shame on us.” ) Myers is also expected an all- out effort from his players. “I think it’s going to be a very physical, defensive football game,” he said. “It’s going to be a very exciting game for the players and the fans.” Members of the Lake- Lehman varsity football coaching staff, from left, are assistant coach Pat Keating, head coach Greg Myers, and assistant coach Matt Wincek. Dallas and Lake-Lehman girls cross country teams making sweet trip to state finals in Hershey For Dallas cross country run- ner Lisa Giacometti, the third time was definitely a charm. The Mountaineer senior won her third consecutive title earli- er this week at the District 2 lass 2A Cross Country Cham- ionships at the Scranton Mu- nicipal Golf Course. Team- mates Kenslie Kerestes and Hillary Adams finished second and fifth, respectively, as Dallas won the team title and also qual- ified for next week’s state cham- pionships in Hershey for the fourth consecutive year. Giacometti overcame fierce competition from the Wyoming Valley Conference and Lacka- wanna League — as ‘well as rain and hail at the start of the race. “The conditions were the worst they've ever been,” she told The Times Leader after the race. “It was just so muddy and wet. It was really hard to go out fast because you just got so heavy and so sluggish so soon. It was really tough. (The hail) only lasted for the first 10 min- utes of the race and then it just stopped. I just kind of used it to my advantage. (I tried) not to think about it and let other peo- ple worry about it.” The Lake-L.ehman girls made some history of their own, qual- ifying as a team for the state championships for the first time. Sophomore Sarah Austin finished sixth overall and fresh- man Marina Orrson crossed the line in eighth for the Black Knights, who finished second in the team standings. “Our top two girls got out real well and wound up sixth and eight — obviously a real low number there,” head coach John Sobocinski told a Time Leader reporter. “But our num- ber five kid, Loren Roderick (34th overall), really came on and knocked off five or six girls on the second lap, which made the difference.” “I believe this is the first time the girls have gone as a team. It’s awesome.” In the boys race, Lake-Leh- man’s Justin Amy finished ninth overall and was the only Dallas or Black Knight runner to qual- ify for states. Dallas finished seventh in the team standings, while Lake-Lehman was 10th.
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