Winter preseason practices begin at Brookville, C-L

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

It hasn't felt like winter much, but the preseason for the high school winter sports season has gotten under way as official practices got started last Friday.
The opening weekend of the season is Dec. 9-10 with all but one of the six Brookville or Clarion-Limestone teams in action.
Here's a quick look at each of the area squads:
BROOKVILLE
Boys Basketball
Third-year head coach Bud Baughman's team is the two-time defending District 9 Class AA champions and District 9 League co-champion, coming off a sparkling 22-3 season.
To win a third, the Raiders will have to have some players step up. They lost two-thirds of their scoring to graduation and two starters are back in seniors Zane Hackett and Seth Connor.
Hackett was a D9Sports.Com/All American Awards & Engraving All-District selection as a second-teamer after averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Seniors Sebastian Kerr and Tighe Truman saw limited action in the Raiders' playing rotation.
The Raiders, with 22 players on the preseason roster including four freshmen, play their first scrimmage at home against Marion Center next Tuesday followed by a trip to Clarion on Dec. 6. The season opens with their annual tip-off tournament Dec. 9-10. They open with Clarion-Limestone with the other first-round matchup being Union and Brockway.
Girls Basketball
Head coach Mark Powell enters his 10th season with his team coming off a 17-8 season that wound up taking second in the District 9 League and Class AA playoffs.
Powell has two of his top three scorers back, including top scorer in junior Lanae Newsome (11.6 ppg.) and senior Emily Ferraro (10.2 ppg., 10.2 rpg.). Junior Karly Reinsel is also a returning starter.
The Lady Raiders play their first scrimmage at home against Curwensville next Wednesday followed by a trip to Clarion on Dec. 6. The season opens Dec. 9-10 with their annual tip-off tournament. They open with Keystone in the first round to be played in front of a school assembly at 12:45 p.m. The other first-round matchup is Clarion-Limestone and Philipsburg-Osceola.
Wrestling
The Raiders, 14-2 in dual meets and the District 9 Class AA Tournament champions last year, have 20 wrestlers on the preseason roster under seventh-year head coach Dave Klepfer.
Five of the Raiders' six district champions are back - seniors Logan Stout, Dylan Zimmerman, Tyler Dombrowski and Trey Constable, and sophomore Zach Vroman - along with regional qualifier and former district champion in senior Brett Smith.
The Raiders open the year at the Greenville Tournament Dec. 9 before opening at home with Clarion on Dec. 14. The only other home dates on the schedule this year are Punxsutawney (Jan. 10), the Ultimate Duals (Jan. 21) and Curwensville (Jan. 26).
Swimming
Head coach Deb Fenstermaker and assistant Theresa Bullers take over the program this year. They have 20 swimmers - 13 girls and 7 boys - on the roster so far, but no pool to practice in as of yet at Hickory Grove Elementary School because of the renovation project.
In the meantime, the team will practice at the Brookville YMCA. The pool at Hickory Grove could be ready to go as early as next week.
Junior Justin Ransel is the top returning swimmer. A state qualifier a year ago, Ransel set school records in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyles. He and other returners in senior Tucker Beatty and junior Jaren Ananea helped the Raiders to a fifth-place finish at regionals, their best finishing since 2002.
For the Lady Raiders, Sarah Hetrick is the top returner. She was fourth in diving at regionals.
Both teams open the schedule Dec. 17 at Mifflin County. They don't open at home until Jan. 12 against St. Marys.
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CLARION-LIMESTONE
Boys Basketball
Sixth-year head coach Joe Ferguson has two starters back from last year's 16-7 season, his third- and fourth-leading scorers in seniors Adam Mellott (13.2 ppg., 8.1 rpg.) and Billy Kelley (9.2 ppg.).
So far, the Lions have 21 players in preseason practices. They open the season at the Brookville Tip-Off Tournament with the host Raiders.
Girls Basketball
The Lady Lions, 8-13 last year, begin a new era with first-year head coach Doug Rodgers, who replaces longtime coach Gus Simpson.
Rodgers has 12 players in preseason practices, including leading returning scorer in junior guard Kiana Laugand.
They open the season Dec. 9-10 at the Brookville Tip-Off Tournament. Their first-round opponent is Philipsburg-Osceola.