Home → Sports ( April 24, 2024 )
Players from the current Blue Ridge softball team pose with members of the 2004 state championship team Saturday. The Lady Raiders defeated Mountain View, 10-2, in a varsity game, then a ceremony was held to honor the team that won a state title 20 years ago.
Susquehanna senior Colton Stone received the Pace Setter of NEPA "For the Love of the Game" Award Thursday. Pictured from left: Pace Setter director Ron Ulias, Stone and Sabers coach Lawrence Tompkins.
Blue Ridge held a 20th reunion, honoring the members of the school's 2004 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class A state softball championship team between games of a varsity/junior varsity doubleheader against Mountain View Saturday at Hallstead Field.
Nine of the team's 13 players, two of its four coaches and the team manager were in attendance for the ceremony.
Each was announced to the crowd in attendance and presented with a gift bag and the jerseys that they wore in their championship season.
Players in attendance were: second baseman Annette Conigliaro Adaire, pitcher Brittany Pavelski Ladd, shortstop Heather Franks Spry, outfielder Emily Sienko Lynn, outfielder Natashia Beach Calendar, catcher Devin Glezen Crebs, outfielder Caryn Zurn Thatcher, outfielder Kelly Drake Stone and first baseman Brooke Hinkley Ferro. Head coach Bob Pavelski, assistant coach Peg Glezen and manager Lindsey Glezen were also recognized.
Assistant coach Jack Margets, who died in 2022, was also mentioned along with those who were unable to attend: outfielders Kate Donovan, Kasandra Ralston Ploutz and Brittany Welch, third baseman Jocelyn Dearborn Hinkley and coach Bob Clinton.
The Lady Raiders reached the state championship game in 2002, then returned two more times in the next four years, winning titles in 2004 and 2006.
The state title in 2004 was the first by a Blue Ridge team in any sport.
Blue Ridge went 26-2, shutting out three of four state tournament opponents and battling through a 10-inning semifinal game to post a 3-2 victory over South Williamsport, the defending state champions who entered the game with a 23-1 record.
Kate Donovan delivered a bases-loaded single to knock out the District 4 champions and send the Lady Raiders back to Shippensburg University.
Brittany Pavelski tossed a three-hitter with seven strikeouts, not allowing a runner past second base in the championship game.
Brittany Welch drove in the first run and scored the other in the top of the sixth inning.
The current Blue Ridge team opened the day with a 10-2 victory over Mountain View in a Lackawanna League Division 3 game.
Colton Stone from Susquehanna was one of four players – two boys and two girls – from around the Lackawanna League to be recognized with the Pace Setter of NEPA "For the Love of the Game" Award.
The award recognizes an athlete who demonstrates above and beyond dedication and commitment to the sport of basketball with an exemplary passion and willingness to overcome adversity.
Stone has dealt with the lifelong challenges of diabetes to become a standout athlete in three sports, including football and baseball.
The future Bloomsburg University football player is a multi-year, all-star in basketball, scoring more than 1,000 career points.
The 6-foot-5 senior forward set a new career-high with 41 points in a game. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 made 3-pointers per game.
Other honorees were Riverside's Gerry Rose, Honesdale's Elyse Montgomery and Valley View's Cora Castellani.
Blue Ridge's Connor Cranage received the award a year ago.
Montrose's Chloe Diaz topped a field of 37, winning the 100-meter hurdles title by nearly a half-second with a time of 15.56 Friday night at the Walter Godek Twilight Invitational at North Pocono.
Diaz helped the Lady Meteors score 26 points and tie for ninth out of 26 girls' teams that scored points. She was also second in the 300 hurdles and Montrose took second in the 400 relay.
Elk Lake tied for 14th with 16 points while Blue Ridge and Mountain View were part of a tie for 22nd with four points.
The Elk Lake boys were 12th of 24 boys' teams that scored, producing 20 points. Susquehanna tied for 21st with two and Montrose was 24th with one.
The Abington Heights girls and Mid Valley boys won team titles.
Abington Heights, coached by Susquehanna graduate Frank Passetti, celebrated its 100th straight dual meet victory just three days earlier.
The top six finishers in each event scored points.
Gianna Tewksbury, in the discus, and Katie McGlynn, in the shot put, were second for Elk Lake.
Blue Ridge's Emily Gorham was fourth in the pole vault while Mountain View's Carissa Flynn was fourth in the 3200.
Kendel Jones and Wyatt Johnson led the Elk Lake boys. Jones finished second in the 3200 and fifth in the 1600 while Johnson was second in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.
Susquehanna's J.T. Burke was fifth in the 800.
Nicolo Christian for Montrose was sixth in the 200.
In boys' volleyball, Blue Ridge is the last unbeaten team overall in District 2.
The Raiders still have not lost a set.
They swept Abington Heights in a battle for first place in the Lackawanna League April 15, then beat Western Wayne in another three-set match Thursday.
Connor Cranage had 12 kills and four service aces in the 25-16, 25-10, 25-11 victory over Abington Heights.
Carson Gallagher had 28 assists.
Nick Laude had eight kills while Morgan Thomas and Gallagher added five each.
Wilkes-Barre Area, which had been the other unbeaten, suffered its first loss against Delaware Valley.
In softball, Elk Lake bounced back from its first loss in a non-league game to remain unbeaten in Lackawanna League Division 3 play with three victories by a total of 40-3.
The Lady Warriors had the toughest of five division games to date in an 8-2 win over Susquehanna April 15, then pounded host Carbondale, 16-0, Wednesday and visiting Forest City, 16-1, Saturday.
In baseball, Mountain View ran its winning streak to five and remained on top of Lackawanna League Division 3.
The Eagles defeated Forest City, 6-5; Lackawanna Trail, 9-3; and Blue Ridge, 15-9.
Blue Ridge graduate Tim Higgins has made three appearances as a freshman pitcher on the King's College baseball team.
In two innings, Higgins has allowed three hits and four walks. He has struck out three and posted a 9.00 earned run average.
King's is 9-21.
First-place Blue Ridge, 6-0 in the league and 8-0 overall to start the week, is at second-place Mountain View (6-1, 10-3) in Lackawanna League boys' volleyball Thursday.
In baseball, the top two Lackawanna League Division 3 teams at the start of the week meet Friday. Mountain View (5-0, 5-1) is at Elk Lake (5-1, 7-3).
In track and field, the Lasagna Invitational is scheduled for Friday night at Wyalusing Valley. It frequently features many of Susquehanna County's top athletes in the sport.
The Lackawanna Track Conference regular season is scheduled to end Monday, April 29.
The teams that entered this week 3-0 to share the two division leads will meet in the finales. Each first has a meet this week.
Elk Lake is at Susquehanna in a boys' meet and Montrose is at Blue Ridge in a girls' meet.
TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com or followed on Twitter at @tomjrobinson.