PAGE 10 Tue DALLAS POST SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2010 SPOrts These soccer players have turned to coaching Dallas juniors coaching youth soccer team as part of senior completion project. By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Josh Shilanki and David Mill- er, both juniors at Dallas High School, have schedules that might rival their parents’ busi- ness planners. They go to school, play varsity soccer, hang out with friends and now they've added one more activity to their packed planners - coaching youth soccer. The duo is co-coaching the U-10 Riot team of the Back Mountain Youth Soccer Associ- ation as part of their senior completion projects. The boys have been playing soccer for nearly 10 years and thought it was a logical transition to coach the kids, meshing community service and a sport they love. Miller said they needed to contact the BMYSA commis- sioner Shane Fegley before be- ginning their project. “He ac- tually thought it was a great idea, since we're so involved in soccer,” said Miller. “They both have the temper- ament and personality for it,” said Chris Scharff, Dallas High School boys’ soccer coach. “The kids relate to them.” And parents of the undefeated Riot team agree. Darryl Emer- shaw, of Kingston Township, “They both have the temperament and per- sonality for it. The kids relate to them.” Chris Scharff Dallas High School soccer coach coached the Riot last season, and he thinks the younger coaches are the best role models for his son, Benjamin, who is on the team. “They’re like heroes for these kids,” said Emershaw. He said that because Miller and Shilanski still play regularly, they bring new tips and tricks for the kids to try on a regular basis. “Most of the time it’s just par- ent (coaches) repeating things,” he said. “The kids really listen to these guys.” The co-coaches’ ages might also be a part of their ability to train winners. Parents say the kids are more likely to listen to the coaches because they relate to them. “The coaches inspire them to want to do better,” he said. Joe Kojadinovich, of Sweet Valley, says his son Zachary likes the coaches because they are able to motivate the kids without using intimidation. “They don’t scream at the kids,” he said. “They’re fantas- tic.” The two 16-year-olds are on a CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Josh Shilanski, left, and Dave Miller, coach a U-10 Back Mountain soccer team as their high school senior completion project. winning streak as players and coaches. While it can be de- manding for them, Shilanski says the double-duty helps them become better on and off the field. “It gives us more time with the ball and we're able to teach new things (to the youth team),” he said. “(Our sched- ules) mostly conflict with (high school) soccer — sometimes we have to postpone practice (for the youth team) because of (high school) games.” The kids on the Riot team havent noticed the scheduling troubles. In fact, Miller says the teams never want to stop prac- ticing. “One time I told them (prac- tice) was over and they wanted to stay and keep playing,” he said. BOBCATS DONATE TO BREAST CANCER COALITION During the month of October, members of the Back Mountain Bobcats youth football orga- nization held bake sales, store drives, sold ribbons, hats and socks to raise funds to increase breast cancer awareness. The coaches wore their hats and the players won their pink socks during all games in October. The Bobcats presented a check in the amount of $1,725.25 to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition on Oct. 24. From left, first row, are Marissa Roberts, Mikalya Krakosky, Dasha Bidding, Bryce Taylor, Dale Deyo and Holly Ondish. Second row, Marissa Roberts, Kara Macintryre, Victoria Gabel, Bobcat Board Members, Ann Robbins, Dan Anderson, Rich Allen, Rose Oakley, Kayla Bidding, Ernie Bidding and Bradley Adams. YOUTH FOOTBALL RESULTS Whitesell scores two touchdowns to lead Bobcats past Indians, 3012 BTEAM Back Mountain 30 Plymouth 12 The Bobcats posted their fourth win of the season by defeating the Plymouth Indians, 30-12. The offensive line, led by Chris Allen, Bradley Adams, Nate Hazel tine, Henry Selingo, Ian Evans, Owen Morgan, Marcus Steele and Zachery Gabel, opened up great holes for the running backs. Nick Whitesell had two touch- downs and a 2-point conversion for the Bobcats. Stone Mannello had a fumble recovery for a touchdown and two 2-point conversions. Nate O'Donnell posted a touchdown and forced a fumble for the Bob- cats. RJ Driscoll had some great runs and sacked the quarterback. Nate Hazeltine and Bradley Adams both had fumble recoveries. The defense, led by Kayla Bid- ding, Jack Symeon, Quinten Huey, Ryan Wolken, Nat LaBar and Zach Hill, held the Indians to just two touchdowns. CTEAM Kingston Township 14 West Pittston 0 The Kingston Township Raiders C team came off their bye week with a tough 14-0 victory over the then 7-1 West Pittston Rams. The Rams fell to 7-2 while the Raiders improved to 8-1 with one game remaining in the regular sea- son. KT got on the board early in the second quarter on a touchdown run by Derek Answini. Both teams traded possessions until late in the third quarter when Answini inter- cepted a pass and took it in for the game’s final score. Running the ball well all day were Kyle McAndrew and Chris- tian Motley behind the solid block- ing of Dylan Schuster, Matt Maran- sky, Troy Turinski and Michael Starbuck. Defensively, the Raiders had players around the ball all day with Michael Doggett, Michael Ander- son and Josh Balara leading the way. Olympic wrestler comes to Sem The Wyoming Seminary wrestling program will feature some of the top wrestling clini- cians in the northeastern United States at a special pre-season wrestling clinic on Saturday, Now. 6. This clinic is open to all area wrestlers of all ages. The clinic will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Carpenter Athletic Center, Maple Avenue, Kingston, on the campus of Wyoming Seminary Upper School. Wrestling instructors and speakers will include 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Jeff Blatnick, 2010 NCAA Champion J.P. O'Connor from Harvard and 2010 Colonial Athletic Associ- ation Coach of the Year Pat Pop- olizio, head coach of the Bing- hamton University Bearcats. The clinic will feature instruc- tion by O’Connor and Popolizio, a motivational speech by Blat- nick and a wrestle-off featuring the 2010-2011 Sem Blue Knights wrestling team. The 2009-2010 Blue Knights were ranked fifth in the nation and this year’s team is ranked ninth in the pre-season. At least 10 Sem athletes are ranked among Wrestling USA Maga- zine’s best wrestlers in the na- tion. Tickets are $30 and will be sold at the door. Athletes taking part in the clinic are encouraged to bring a workout partner. The clinic schedule features O’Connor at 10 a.m. and Popoli- zio at 11:30 a.m. Blatnick will speak at 2 p.m. and the Sem Blue/White wrestle-off will be- gin at 4:30 p.m. Blatnick won his Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Games, two years after being di- agnosed with Hodgkins disease which required the removal of his spleen and appendix and ex- tensive radiation treatments. He and his teammate Steve Fraser were the first Americans to win gold medals in Greco-Ro- man wrestling in Olympic histo- O’Connor, who won the NCAA championship at 157 lbs. in 2010, also is a three-time NCAA All-American and a four- time New York state champio He is the third Harvard 5 J tler ever to win a national chart pionship. Popolizio, head wrestling coach at Binghamton Universi- ty, is one of the most notable young coaches in the nation and has brought the Bearcats to na- tional recognition since joining the team in 2005. For more information, con- tact Scott Green, head varsity wrestling coach at Wyoming Seminary, at 607-624-2665. PSU VOLLEYBALLERS ‘SPIKE DOWN AUTISM’ The Penn State Wilkes-Barre women's volleyball team recently held a benefit game entitled “Spike Down Autism” for Children with autism. The benefit game was organized by returning player, Abigail Collins. The PSU women advanced to the PSUAC championship playoffs this season and ended their season with a10-5 record. Members of the team are, from left, first row, Lindsey Howell, Tunkhannock; Lauren Owazany, Nanticoke; Karlee Kenney, Sayre; Jessica Oz- mina, Warrior Run; and Kianna Spencer, Harveys Lake. Second row,Meghan Murtagh, Dallas; Michele Vowler, Hazleton; Allison Waltemyer, Wyalusing; Head Coach Regan Palfey, Assistant Coach Elizabeth Pohlidal, Abigail Collins, Swoyersville; Autumn Sikora, Shickshinny; and Kellie Yekel, Wilkes-Barre.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers