By BRETT R. CROSSLEY
For the Web..." />
What an amazing week it was in the West Branch Valley. Normally, each happening would result in a cover story; however, with so many great things going on, that just wasn’t possible. I will provide a quick overview of each and be following up with more specifics in the future. I’ll begin with the top The St. John Neumann Regional Academy’s 2019-20 season suddenly came to a close. We were nipped 59-57 by Southern Foulton at the horn. It was a tremendous game, but unfortunately all good things come an end. 22-5. Mid Penn and District 4 Champs. PIAA Sweet 16. Impressive, but it still hurts. Everyone took it very For a young group of middle school athletes, the opportunity to see a Division One team play is exciting in its own right. Add to that, sitting courtside and looking across the gym to see one of the most prolific scorers and, arguably one of the best ever from Pennsylvania and Penn State University women’s A very special Happy Birthday to my Great Aunt Mildred, who turns 102 years old today. Just imagine what she has seen in her lifetime since being born in 1918. She is truly a remarkably smart and tough lady who has navigated her time here on God’s green Earth with grace, but when needed, the Once upon a time in the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna River region, there existed a somewhat utopian atmosphere among the populous. While the village inhabitants of each individual area were fervently pleased and protective of their own, they shared a competitive bond with an overriding uniqueness that made their athletic encounters something they Congratulations to Summer McNulty on scoring her 1,000th point for the Loyalsock Lady Lancers. Summer’s brother Chase and my son Hunter are good friends and graduated in the same class. They played a lot of baseball together, both for the school and travel teams. Summer was the little sister that had to tag along to It has been more than a week, and I am still buzzing. Actually, the entire hoops community is. What transpired in the Catholic Community Center last Sunday might never be duplicated. It was an amazing atmosphere, both teams played well, and I had the best seat to witness. The Loyalsock Lancers prevailed as they defeated It is hard to fathom that I made it to another decade. This is my sixth sports fans. I don’t know about you, but I personally struggle with bringing in the new year. My resolutions usually get tossed by January 11th. I have every intention of eating healthy or getting buff. I also try to Happy Birthday to my good friend Pedie McDonald. It’s hard to believe he’s going to be 60 years young! It seems like only yesterday I shared his 50th birthday with him. I have had a special relationship with Pedie and his parents, Peyton and Peachy, over the years. It began when I was a young At every Loyalsock High School athletic and even Loyalsock Little League game, there is always one unmistakable and enthusiastic person present at all of them — that is Pedie McDonald. No Loyalsock game would be complete without him being there. Pedie is a very special part of such contests. Pedie is the son of the The sound was unmistakable. If you heard it once, you’ve never forgotten it. Indeed, I had heard it many, many times. The sound of a baseball coming off a bat in the acoustically challenged, antiquated gymnasium of South Williamsport’s Rommelt Building is like no other. As I approached the gym doors, an accompanying sound was Motorists headed south on Route 15 may be unaware of the change as they begin their ascent up the Bald Eagle Mountain. While a new sign adorns the entrance, the familiar building looks the same as it always has, but inside its doors, a whole new vibe is underway. Previously known as the West Branch Alize Johnson continues to amaze. I’m pretty sure you already know his incredible story. You see, last spring Alize became the very first from our area to get drafted in the NBA. The second round pick of the Indiana Pacers had a solid rookie campaign. He spent most of his season recording ridiculous numbers with The sights and sounds of exciting minor league baseball will ring out again as the Williamsport Crosscutters begin a new season of competition in the New York-Penn League with their home opener at 7 p.m. this Friday, June 14 at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. Officials of the Crosscutters are excited at all they A long time ago in a gymnasium nearby- I was introduced to an extraordinary young man. I had already seen him in action, and I was highly impressed with his skill set. We got to talking and hit it off immediately. His name was Alize Johnson, and I vividly remember that very first conversation. He As defined by Webster, it is “1) the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the best favorable terms or 2) a contest between rivals.” Both definitions apply to the world of sports and now with the District Four baseball and softball playoffs underway The Williamsport Crosscutters have released their full promotional schedule in advance of the 2019 season, presented by UPMC, which opens on June 14. Fireworks return in a big way with a record total of nine shows during the 2019 campaign. Friday Night Fireworks will light up the sky on June 14 & 21, July 5, 12, 19 Every Wednesday in April, the Williamsport Crosscutters are revealing a piece of their 2019 promotional calendar in advance of the release of the full slate of events and promotions that is scheduled for May 1st. This week, the Cutters announce the bobblehead giveaways scheduled for the upcoming season, all of which have a local tie Rep. Jeff Wheeland (R-Lycoming) presented a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to Coach Insinger in recognition of his 1000th win as head basketball coach for the Loyalsock Township High School. His family is also pictured in the photo with Coach Insinger: His wife Carol, his daughter Laurie Emery, his son in law Ron Emery, Several years back, I was helping coach a very talented Loyalsock 8th grade basketball team. Datres, Little, Sosa, Baggett, Pastore and my son Jimmy were the mainstays on the roster. I had the pleasure of working with these boys since the time they were in third grade, and they looked forward to playing the best What a great time to get out and about and enjoy all the happenings early Spring has to offer. There is definitely something for everyone that calls the West Branch Valley home. It is so nice to hear the singing of the robins in the morning and enjoy the sunshine upon returning home in the Tip of my Loyalsock Lancer cap to cross-creek rival Mike Mussina. His election into the Baseball Hall of Fame is a celebration of a good man doing great things the right way, and being rewarded with baseball immortality. Mike’s priorities have always been in the right order, although sometimes, big city people and sportswriters didn’t It is amazing what is accomplished in the world of sports from folks that call the West Branch Valley home. It just seems to get better and better with each passing season. I can guarantee you there’s no place in the world there has ever been a head basketball coach record their 1,000th win and What a most memorable week we just experienced last week! Two of our area’s true sports icons both achieved monumental recognition in their respective sports. Montoursville’s Mike Mussina culminated a six-year climb up the Baseball Hall of Fame voting ladder and received the ultimate call that he has been elected to be enshrined in Cooperstown Years ago, Ron “CI” Insinger, a freshly graduated college student looking for a job, was offered two choices. The Sullivan County graduate was offered the head coaching job at Canton, and a coaching position at Loyalsock. The decision might have been a difficult one at the time, but the final choice changed the course of OK y’all. You know how this works. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of space to do it. So pitter-patter, let’s get at ‘er! Here are this year’s Super Bowl Predictions from around the area! I asked my BF Steve first, and since he’s not much of a football By BRETT R. CROSSLEY For the Webb Weekly WILLIAMSPORT—Even the threat of the year’s first major snow storm couldn’t stop Loyalsock from treating its longtime coach Ron “CI” Insinger to a special moment on a Saturday afternoon. The Lancers welcomed in Hughesville for a game that was bumped up to an early start as the By BRETT R. CROSSLEY For the Webb Weekly STATE COLLEGE—Loyalsock’s offense has been outstanding all season. The Lancers have averaged nearly 50 points per game, topped the 100-mark once, and have finished each game with multiple double-digit scorers. The offense has been great, but the defense finally got a chance to shine during the State By BRETT R. CROSSLEY For the Webb Weekly STATE COLLEGE—The one knock on Loyalsock in the early portions of the season has been its lack of depth after the starting five players. Although the numbers might not be exactly where it wants, Loyalsock’s bench proved its worth during the opening day of the State College By BRETT R. CROSSLEY For the Webb Weekly MONTOURSVILLE—For the first time in a long time Loyalsock’s Gerald Ross sat on the bench at the start of a basketball game. Ross could have sat there inattentive and indifferent to the game unfolding in front of him, but he didn’t. He was engaged, helpful on timeouts, When Connor Watkins walked off the field at Bloomsburg fans and players thought it would be the final time they would see him in a Loyalsock uniform. There were tears, jeers, and plenty of fears as he left the field with an injury that looked severe. The only person who wasn’t worried about getting back It was as if time had suddenly stopped as the high-arching three-point shot launched by a Northeast Bradford player almost seemed destined to hit the heating vents suspended high above the Montgomery Community & Athletic Center gym. When gravity intervened the seemingly desperate shot found nothing but white nylon cord tying the Panthers game against The fall leaves and cool temperatures are giving way to empty trees and temperatures that force most people to rethink trips outside. The winter season is officially upon us, which means the long drives, crafty moves on the soccer pitch, and shifty shots on the tennis court will be moved to the back until nextSearch results
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Who Would’ve Ever Thunk It?0
An Interesting Week0
Girls’ Night Out0
And the Winner is…0
Once Upon a Time0
An Evening with Coach Kelly and the Lady Bison0
Rivalry Restored0
An Ode to Curtis0
A Friend and Fan for All Seasons0
Pedie McDonald: Loyalsock Athletics’ Most Beloved and Fervent Fan0
A New Dugout for Waller0
Tennis Anyone?0
Cheers Alize0
Williamsport Crosscutters Officials Excited About Opening the 2019 Season0
Wills and Ways0
Competition0
Cutters Announce 2019 Promotions: Local Legends Bobblehead Series Highlight Schedule0
Cutters Unveil Local Legends Bobble Series0
Wheeland Honors Coach Insinger0
Alize – Paying Hoop Dreams Forward0
The Magical Month of March0
Mike Is Who He Is – All the Way to Cooperstown1
Good Guys Do Finish First0
Coin Flipping0
Insinger Picks Up 1,000 Career Coaching Wins as Players and Family Celebrate the Longtime Lancer Coach0
Pigskin Predictions0
Loyalsock’s Ron “CI” Insinger captures 1,000th career coaching win with 66-33 victory over Hughesville1
Outside shooting and defense help give Loyalsock 61-44 win over State College0
Loyalsock opens Holiday Tournament at State College with 72-37 win over Strath Haven0
Ross scores 22 points in three quarters to lead Loyalsock to a 64-48 win over rival Montoursville0
Watkins Overcomes Injury to Continue Brilliant High School Career at Loyalsock0
From ‘the Cheap Seats’0
The Winter Season is Here!0