Sunday, January 20, 2013 Tue DALLAS POST PAGE 9 Sports i { James toug By TOMROBINSON For the Dallas Post Jared James could not help but think negative thoughts. When his twice-reconstructed left knee gave out while playing basketball in preparation for his senior season at Lake-Lehman, James feared he was done. “Right when it happened, I got down on a knee and it hurt a lot knowing that I might have mess- ed up my knee for a third time,” es said. “I drove home my- If, and I was thinking about it all the way home, how I might have to miss my senior season.” The news he received after a visit to the doctor, however, was not so discouraging. By the standards of his previ- ous history with injuries, the damage was minor and James would only need arthroscopic surgery to fix the latest tear to his medial meniscus. “I was so relieved,” he said. “The doctor said he could prob- ably get me back in a month to a month and a half. It was a feeling like no other.” The surgical work and the re- habilitation training that James has become accustomed to made that into an accurate prediction. When Lake-Lehman’s basket- ball team reported for the official start of practice a month later, James was on the court with his espite knee problems, hs things out “| was so relieved. The doctor said he could prob- ably get me back in a month to a month and a half. It was a feeling like no other.” Jared James Lake-Lehman basketball player teammates. After two more weeks, he was going at full speed. Or, at least at his current full speed. James, who already gave up playing soccer because of the two reconstructive knee surger- ies that cost him his entire fresh- man year and the start of his ju- nior basketball season, has evolved into a different player. He suffered a torn anterior cruci- ate ligament twice, also damag- ing his medial and lateral menis- cus. ; “From the past and how I used to play, I think now I'm more worried about my ACL and other parts of my knee,” he said. “I defi- nitely play a more conservative game.” James thinks his ability to make sharp cuts is diminished ‘and he admits to being a bit less daring when taking the ball to the basket. But, he has still found plenty of ways to contribute to an improv- ing Lake-Lehman program. From his spot on the wing, James is the team’s fourth-lead- ing scorer and a conduit between the team’s perimeter offense and its inside attack. “Pm more worried about get- ting the assists than I am about scoring the points,” James said. “It has made me look for my teammates more. I used to be the person who was always looking to score. “We have a bunch of other kids who can score and I feel like it’s all right looking for other players more.” Lake-Lehman coach Brian Cut- ter was amazed just to have James, whom he calls the team leader, back on the court when practice started. “He’s the hardest worker on the team,” Cutter said. Adam Dizbon leads the team in scoring and runs the offense from the point guard position. Pete Borum is close behind, pro- viding strength on the inside with help from Cody Paraschak. James has a knack for making the entry pass when Borum sets up in the low post. “I have played with Pete since he was a freshman and I was a sophomore,” James said. “We work well together. “He’s my favorite big man I've ever played with because he works so hard to get position.” That combination is part of the BILL TARUTIS FILE PHOTO/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Lake-Lehman's Jared James, right, defends Allen Fell, of Dallas, as Fell goes in for a shot in the inaugural Black and Blue rivalry basketball game. reason Lake-Lehman went 12-10 last season for its winning record in the last 20 years. After losing their first three games this sea- son, the Black Knights improved to 5-6 and gave James reason to believe better times are ahead. “I've been more confident with this team than any team I've had in the past,” James said. “I pic- ture us going way above .500 this year.” Dallas’ Abby Berger swims the freestyle in the girls 200-yard ed medley relay against Lake-Lehman. Mounts win with scrambled lineup By TOM ROBINSON For the Dallas Post Dallas swim coach Romayne Mosier added some internal competition Tuesday when the Mountaineers easily handled ri- val Lake-Lehman in a pair of swimming meets at the Dallas Middle School Natatorium. Mosier juggled the lineup, put- ting swimmers in different vents and mixing up boys relay eams to create combinations de- signed to have close races against each other. When it was over, Marcus Wagner and Sarah Fasulka had led the way to a pair of dominant victories. Wagner won two individual and two relay events to lead the Wyoming Valley Conference Southern Division-leading boys team to a 142-31 rout. Fasulka was the only Dallas girl with two individual wins and added a relay victory in the .. team’s first divisional triumph, 110-69. The boys, the only unbeaten team in the division at 4-0, improved their overall record to 8-1 going into a meet that was scheduled for Thursday at Berwick. “I didn’t put them in their nor- mal events,” Mosier said. “I wanted to just try to see what they could do in some other events and give them an opportu- nity to do that.” Wagner, who is at his best in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, showed his versatility by winning the 200 individual me- dley and 100 backstroke while al- so swimming legs on two of the team’s three winning relays. “Marcus is the type who what- ever you put him in he does with heart and tries to do it well,” Mo- sier said. “That’s just the kind of kid he is.” Fasulka, a sophomore, took three seconds off her best time in the 200 freestyle while winning Dallas’ Brian Stepniak swims the backstroke in the boys 200- yard medley relay against Lake-Lehman. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Dallas’ Marcus Wagner looks at the clock after winning the boys 200-yard individual medley against Lake-Lehman. in 2:20.0. “She’s an up-and-comer,” Mo- sier said. “She’s improving a lot this year, working toward her goals and getting her best times.” Dallas had several swimmers contribute winning efforts. The boys, the only unbeaten team in the division at 4-0, im- proved their overall record to 81 going into a meet that was sched- uled for Thursday at Berwick. Jack Matusiak won the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and was on the opening 200 me- dley relay win. Patrick Gelso won the 100 but- terfly and was on two winning re- lays. Brian Stepniak (500), Grant Luksic (200) and Owen Kiluk (100) each had one individual win in a freestyle event and took part in one relay win. Jared Krawetz was on two win- ning relays while Ezra Moore and Dominic Augustine were on one each. “They’re doing real well,” Mo- See MOUNTS, Page 10 DALLAS MOUNTAINEERS AQUATIC CLUB Club team The Dallas Mountaineer Aq- uatic Club girls and boys swam to a decisive victory against Danville on Saturday, Jan. 12. The following swimmers placed in their events: GIRLS 8 & UNDER 25 Free - Gabriella Spaciano, first; Morgan Sakulich, second 50 Free - Jordan Bond, first 25 Fly - Jordan Bond, first; Victoria Spaciano, third 25 Back - Gabriella Spacia- no, first; Cara Mia Cameron, third 25 Breast - Brook Martin, first 10 & UNDER 100 IM - Emma Thomas, first; Jordan Stefanowicz, sec- ond 50 Free - Sydney Bittner, first; Lauren Hurst, third 50 Fly - Sydney Bittner, first; Kaitlyn VanEtten, second 50 Back - Melissa Leonard, first; Madelyn Stuart, third 50 Breast - Kaitlyn VanEtten, first; Jordan Stefanowicz, sec- ond 100 Free - Melissa Leonard, first; Madelyn Stuart, third 12 & UNDER 100 IM - Ava Baur, first; Pey- ton Ross, second 50 Free - Ava Baur, first; Me- linda Ratchford, second 50 Fly - Annalise Cheshire, first; Jordyn Miller, second 50 Back - Abby Zolner, first; Hunter Kline, second 50 Breast - Holly Holthaus, first; Lindsey Jorda, second 100 Free - Abigail Bartuska, first; Emily Burgit, second 200 Free - Hunter Kline, first; Julia Sabol, second 14 & UNDER 50 Free - Abby Zolner, first; Madison Hurst, second 100 Fly - Madison Hurst, first 100 Free - Jordyn Miller, first; Hannah Thomas, second 100 Back - Annalise Chesh- ire, first; Peyton Ross, second 100 Breast - Madison Feder- wins big ici, first; Jessica Ravert, second 200 IM - Madison Federici, first; Taylor Cercone, second BOYS 8 & UNDER 25 Free - Gary Weaver, sec- ond; Richard DeLuna, third 25 Fly - Jakob Baur, second; Tanner Manzoni, third 50 Free - Thomas Doran, first; Tanner Manzoni, third 25 Back - Gary Weaver, first; Stephen Brdaric, third 25 Breast - Aidan Chapple, second; Ben Ditty, third 10 & UNDER 50 Free - Shane Szczecinski, first; John Andrews, third 50 Fly - Bryce Burgit, sec- ond; Trent Szczecinski, third 100 Free - Shane Szczecinski, second; John Andrews, third 50 Breast - Logan Stam- baugh, second; Bryce Burgit, third 50 Back - Trent Szczecinski, first; Aiden Peterkin, second 100 IM - Thomas Doran, sec- ond; Logan Stambaugh, third 12 & UNDER 100 IM - Donovan McCall, first; Matthew Duffy, third 50 Free - Garrett Pall, first; Matthew Duffy, third 50 Fly - Donovan McCall, first; Samuel Zondlo, third 100 Free - Mikail Krochta, first 50 Back - Garrett Pall, first; Mikail Krochta, second 50 Breast - Evan Sabecky, second; Jack Costello, third 200 Free - Tyler Christian, first; Evan Sabecky, second 14 & UNDER 200 Free - Tony Caravaggio, first 50 Free - Thomas Manzoni, first 200 IM - Tyler Manzoni, first 100 Fly - Andrew Herrick, second 100 Free - Thomas Manzoni, first; Tony Caravaggio, second 100 Back - Andrew Herrick, first 100 Breast - Tyler Manzoni,
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