PAGE 10 THE DALLAS POST Sunday, February 2¢, 2013 | Dallas boys basketball program has bright future Seventh and eighth-grade cage teams enjoy championship seasons. By TOM ROBINSON For the Dallas Post The future of the Dallas boys basketball program is looking bright. The current eighth-graders reached a league championship game for the second straight year and the seventh-grade class just wrapped up an unde- feated West Side League cham- pionship. Both Dallas Middle School teams took part in the Feb. 15 league championship double- header at Wyoming Seminary after winning West Division ti- tles. “Doug Miller, the (high school) head coach, is very in- volved with the teams at the Middle School level,” said eighth-grade head coach Vito DeLuca. “He’s been at a number of our games. His fingerprints are all over what we’ve done at the eighth- and seventh-grade levels. “All the teams work togeth- er.” After falling to Crestwood in the championship game last year on the seventh-grade level, this year’s eighth-grade class went 14-1 to win its division and return for another shot. Dallas rallied from a 15-point deficit in the championship game while trying to avenge a 3-point, regular-season loss to GAR. GAR held on for a 43-41 win. Dallas went 9-for-12 from the line in the fourth quarter while cutting into the 34-23 GAR lead. Michael Farrell hit all four of his foul shots while scoring 10 of his 16 points in the quarter. Lee Eckert finished with 10 points and Dalton Gattuso add- ed five. Jason Anderson and Nico De- Luca were the team’s other starters. Paul Zablotney, who missed the playoff game because of an injury, was one of the key re- serves along with Ethan Szcze- cinski, Collin Pertl, Charles Giacometti and Zach Charlton. Cody Coolbaugh, Christo Huntington, Justin Marshall, Connor Phillips, Ryan Phillips, Jim Powell, Jacob Serafin, Ja- cob Stritziner, Joey Thompson and Andy Zehner complete the roster. "Doug Miller, the (high school) head coach, is very involved with the teams at the Middle School level. He's been at a number of our games. His fingerprints are all over what we've done at the eighth- and seventh-grade levels. Vito DeLuca Dallas eighth-grade coach Mark Farrell coach. “They’re very unselfish,” said coach DeLuca, who has led most of the group that has played together since being part of a travel team in fourth grade. “They probably make one pass too many more often than they don’t pass enough. “They’re all good friends.” The seventh-grade league championship game. Andrew Kovalick, Jay Bittner, Mason Gattuso, Matt Mathers and Brody Strickland scored in the title game. Coach Gattuso credited David Shuster, David Chopyak, Nick Kocher, Alex Charlton and Ben O’Connell for their strong defensive play. Gattuso, Mathers, Kovalick, Shuster and Kocher formed the starting lineup for much of the season. Charlton, Bittner, O’Connell and Chopyak were the top subs on a large roster. “We had 28 kids when we started the first day of practice and we finished with 28 kids,” said coach Gattuso, who was as- sisted by Ted Kocher and Doug Chapman. Gattuso said much of the team’s success came from team- work and working on funda- mental skills, such as dribbling drills, as part of every practice. The remainder of the team roster included Joshua Hold- Murray, Adam Borton, Joshua Lydon, Joseph Parsons, Nate Maran- sky, Zachery Bloom, Evan McClain, Steven Finarelli, Matt Dillon, Bradley Adams, Edward Zochowski, Edward Grabow- ski, Max Dzugan, Joshua Jar- ridge, Christopher Huntington and Wyandt. is assistant team, coached by Jim Gattuso, went 15-0 in league play then topped Solomon/Plains, 29-20, in the Dallas’ Nicholas Kocher, left, looks for an opening around GAR's den, Malik Kaleta, Michael Gerson Peralta in the seventh-grade boys championship game at Joshua Wyoming Seminary. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE IALLAS POST Dallas’ Andrew Kovalick, right, is double-teamed by GAR in the seventh-grade boys championship game at Wyoming Seminary Dallas’ David Schuster drives past two GAR defenders. a Score! dam Dizbon (No. 23) of Lake-Lehman puts up a hot in front of West Scranton defender Leo Ciullo (No. 42) during District 2 basket- ball action. The Black Knights won the game, 44-40. SHIELDS Continued from Page 9 their 30-plus year history and nine PIAA state finals between 1985 and 2012. “If there was a game, he was there,” said Holdredge, whose late father Ernie coached Tunk- hannock to a state title, two oth- er championship match appear- ances and a 249-match confer- ence winning streak. “He was al- ways involved, trying to help and encourage people to play the game. “He loved the sport and he represented the area very well.” Promoting the sport included encouraging enthusiasts to be- come involved as officials. “Right up until the last mo- ment, he was always trying to get new blood into refereeing,” Holdredge said. “This past year, he got a few young men who had graduated high school to call the college lines and try to intro- duce them to officiating. We're going to miss that.” Holdredge regrets that an at- tempt to get Shields inducted in- to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame fizzled two years ago when he had trou- ble getting Shields to supply a thorough listing of his accom- plishments in the sport. Shields graduated from Be- thlehem Catholic and King’s College. He worked for Pennsyl- vania Gas & Water as a payroll officer and was later employed in the banking industry. He is survived by a sister, Gloria Sprankle, of Altoona; and a brother, Edward, of Chattanoo- ga, Tenn. BOOKS Continued from Page 5 memory of Eugenia DeRose and are presented by Virgie Johnson: “The Last Runaway” by Tracy Chevalier (large print) and “This is How You Lose Her” by Junot Diaz (large print) HONOR In honor of Hans and Diana, “The Layered Garden” by David L. Culp, presented by Clarence and Morag Michael In honor of Carl Handman for a speedy recovery and good health, “Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtmakers’ Strike of 1909” by Michelle Markel, presented by Barbara and Dr. John Kolchin ZAPOTICKY HEADED TO SHIPPENSBURG CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE LALLAS POST Dallas Senior High School football star Ryan Zapoticky has committed to playing fostball at Shippensburg University this fall. Shown here during the signing of his letter of intent at the Back Mountain Memorial Library are, from left, first row, Donna Zapoticky, mother; Ryan Zgpoticky, Brady and Stephen Zapoticky, brothers; and Nick Zapoticky, father. Standing, Bob Mahle, John Saba, assistant coaches; Ted Jackson Sr., former head coach; Bob Roper and J.P. Antosh, assist- ant coaches. PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzles Page ad - — King Crossword — —— Go Figure! Super Crosswort - Answers answers Answers . “ . C AIRIAMII A AB AC Si R|0O|O]} Solution time: 21 mins. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers