As it has done for years, Hershey’s Giant Center ushered in spring’s arrival, rolling out the red carpet and hosting the annual Pennsylvania private & charter school invitational, formally known as the PIAA State High School basketball finals. Twenty-four teams, 12 boys and 12 girls squared off in the six PIAA classifications, aiming to take
READ MOREIn adherence to the well-known saying, ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,’ the fruit lying in the backyard of Denny and Jennifer Harer’s home can be identified as ‘golden delicious!’ The couple’s offspring, sons Conner and Brandt, were the talk of Hershey and the state’s wrestling fans when the Montgomery duo walked away
READ MOREThe welcome mat is out! Officially, spring begins this week. To be sure, it is a welcome sight, but in the transitioning world of sports, the changing of the athletic seasons defines the passing of time a bit more succinctly than do the pages of the calendar on the wall. ‘Athletic spring’ actually began a
READ MOREA 75-yard game-winning overtime drive engineered by Patrick Mahomes gave the Kansas City Chiefs the Super Bowl victory, their third NFL title in five years, and put the finishing touches to the past football season in dramatic fashion. Local sports attention now switches to the upcoming high school basketball and wrestling tournaments underway to crown
READ MOREI joined the many fans who were in the MAGIC DOME a few weeks back. I only was there to pay tribute to several of my friends. Williamsport Area High School honored both their 1984 and 1999 PIAA AAAA State Championship teams. They ALL received some love during halftime of the Millionaire’s game with Loyalsock.
READ MOREI ran into an old friend at the Magic Dome last week — someone I haven’t seen in fifteen years. Rahim Washington was a former teammate back in ’95. I was a senior, and Rahim was a talented freshman. We were part of a Millionaire squad that went to the state final. Washington was legit.
READ MOREMarilouise Mazzante and I have been friends for a long time. We first met my sophomore year at Williamsport High. I was in her classroom for honors History. Maz was outstanding, passionate, and tough. I learned a great deal, and she is easily in my top five. She was a fantastic teacher. A terrific motivator
READ MOREHappy belated Thanksgiving to my family and friends. I hope everything was spectacular. Ours was grand. My rents made it back to California. We had a blast. Jim and I framed and blocked the new garage. It is my understanding that I will have to finish everything by March. I apologize for skipping out last
READ MOREThanksgiving is the time of year when families gather far and near It’s been a tradition since 1620 that includes a feast of plenty, There’re many hugs for those we hold dear and football teams for which to cheer, Pause and reflect those memories great, enjoy the day, and celebrate! If your family’s Thanksgiving is
READ MOREThe calendar has flipped; it’s now dark at 5:00 p.m., and the PIAA state playoffs for fall sports are nearing its conclusion. But for players, coaches, and spectators, the winter sports season gets underway as this Friday marks the first official practice day for local hoopsters and grapplers. While the first games of the high
READ MOREIn a scoreless PSAC soccer match between rivals Lock Haven and Bloomsburg, the Lady Huskies were on the attack. From the wing, a strong kick made its way toward a Bloom teammate streaking toward the goal. As a Lock Haven defender closed in, the kick-pass missed its intended target, striking the LHU player squarely in
READ MOREIn an effort to move to a cashless system, the Williamsport Area School District athletic department is now offering season passes for purchase to individuals and families. While the season passes will be good for all home regular season events during the current school year, PIAA admission fees will remain in place for playoff games.
READ MOREYou won’t find it written in any rule book, but the hard facts of life for any team sport played, unless you are able to win the ultimate game at the conclusion of each season — your season is going to end with a loss. It matters little how hard your team works, how many
READ MOREFour years ago, an enthusiastic group of parents, fans, and supporters gathered in the parking lot of South Williamsport’s AAA office to send off an excited team of pre-teens to the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon. The wide-eyed youngsters were members of the Little Mountaineer Softball All-Star team, which was about to
READ MOREA few might say that I am one of the area’s all-time greats. I was always legit. I dominated the local camp circuit in the early ’90s. Tons of ribbons. Several certificates. A handful of trophies and fancy plaques. Yes. I was the self-proclaimed free throw shooting king. Foul shooting has always been an important
READ MOREAs the high school softball game wouldn’t be starting for another hour, very few fans had gathered at the field. As the teams were beginning their pre-game routine, a woman greeted me with a warm smile while stating, “Isn’t this wonderful!” Thinking she was referring to the beautiful day that had unfolded, I returned the
READ MOREThe game flashing across the TV screen was a bit of an afterthought as our conversation centered on the day’s activities. Suddenly, Jean pointed out, “That’s Dwight refereeing this game.” The game was the PIAA Girl’s 3A state championship game between Dunmore and River Valley from Hershey’s Giant Center. That Dwight was longtime friend and
READ MOREHistorically, North Central PA has been known for great wrestling, and this year was no different. Area wrestlers Cael Nasdeo, Williamsport, and Luke Simcox, Central Mountain, both had great regular seasons only to be capped by winning the ultimate prize, a class AAA title in Hershey. Cael Nasdeo, a senior committed to wrestle at Penn
READ MOREWell, the winter that wasn’t has shown up like a lion for the month of March. Let’s hope the saying holds true and it goes out like a lamb. What a great time of year, late winter snowfall and all. Soon we will be enjoying all the sweet sounds, sights, and activities of Spring. Daylight
READ MOREFor area high school athletes participating in baseball, softball, tennis, and track & field, the dawning of March 6 was anticipated by all. The date marked ‘the official’ beginning of practice permitted by the PIAA for spring sports. South Williamsport softball coach Tom O’Malley spent hours before his squad’s afternoon practice time riding a tractor
READ MOREI love this time of year. Oh, it brings back so many memories. As a player. A broadcaster. A coach. And now as a fan. There are tons of ups and downs. Fantastic atmospheres. Tremendous student sections. The sounds. I still get nervous for my friends. High school basketball is at its best in March.
READ MOREAn admitted ‘basketball junkie,’ a year ago, South Williamsport’s Dean Kriebel’s daily practice plan had one distinct goal; find a way to make it to the next day. The only game he was determined to win was the game of life. In December 2021, Kriebel was diagnosed with cancer, and his total concentration was to
READ MOREAs this is being written, I have no idea which version of the old adage “March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb” may hold true. Regardless of how the weather may treat us during the month ahead, one thing is for certain; of the many basketball teams and wrestling squads that
READ MOREHappy Birthday to the Webb Weekly. And special thanks to those who are fans of this page. I am truly humbled by all of your feedback and positive vibes. I want to give some love and congratulate a few — props to the boss man Jim and my lovely editor Steph for allowing me to
READ MOREI headed to South Williamsport for a league game. Jensen had a late practice, and I don’t have many friends. So, I sat in the front row. I didn’t really say much as I was trying to be incognito. I saw an old chum, and we talked about bugs for the entire JV game. It
READ MOREThose who serve as scholastic athletic coaches are familiar with the drill. Before each season, they are required by the PIAA to take and pass standardized online courses aimed at providing awareness and knowledge pertaining to concussions and sudden cardiac arrest. The material is provided via instructional videos, followed by a ten-question quiz which must
READ MORESimilar to the unwelcomed mid-November snowstorm, the winter scholastic sports season has arrived before we knew it. Coming on the heels of very successful football and soccer campaigns for several area schools, the 2022-23 high school basketball season tips off with a bevy of games this weekend. As they sometimes manage to do with their
READ MOREHats off to Coach Justin Van Fleet and the Loyalsock Lancers. They are off to a great start on the gridiron. The boys knocked off mighty Southern Columbia 27-10 last week. That’s a big-time win as those Tigers don’t often lose, especially at home. It was a total team effort, but one guy led the
READ MOREMost are fully aware, but just for the record, the annual arrival of fall officially occurs this Thursday at 9:04 p.m. While that will not be surprising, the sudden realization that this weekend also marks the halfway point of the 2022 high school football season may catch some fans a bit off guard. As we
READ MOREPaying no mind to the contents of author Thomas Wolfe’s 1940 novel You Can’t Go Home Again, newly appointed St. John Neumann basketball coach Louis Roskowski has done just that and is brimming with enthusiasm and anticipation as he takes over the reins of the Golden Knights boys’ program. Roskowski grew up in Williamsport, playing
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