NEW BETHLEHEM - Putting the wraps on two weeks of preseason two-a-day practices, the Redbank Valley Bulldogs went through their final dress rehearsal for the 2010 campaign as they hosted the Allderdice Dragons in their second and final scrimmage on Friday.
With a week of after-school drills remaining before the opening of the season, Redbank will be making the final adjustments in getting ready to open its Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference schedule by hosting the Union Golden Knights on Friday. Although the Bulldogs have defeated Union in the last 12 matchups between the two neighboring schools, the Knights are closing the gap after a string of one-sided losses.
Redbank has posted five shutouts in the 12 consecutive wins over Union and has won by an average score of 39-5 while building a 46-24-4 advantage in the all-time series. In last year's meeting, the Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead at the half and pulled away with three second-half TDs for a 28-0 win. Battling for the final berth in the District 9 Class A playoffs, the two teams went into the final week of the season with the Knights needing a win and a Redbank loss to make the playoffs for the first time. But despite losing to Moniteau in their final regular-season contest, the Bulldogs claimed the final playoff slot as Union was edged, 16-14, by Clarion-Limestone to end its season. The Knights ended the 2009 campaign with a 2-7 record while Redbank wound up 3-7 following a first-round playoff loss to Curwensville.
Getting ready for its Route 861 rival this Friday, the Bulldogs squared off with Allderdice from the Pittsburgh City League in their last chance to fine tune offensive and defensive units for the opener. But with experience already limited at Redbank, the Bulldogs took a hit as two of its most experienced players, Braden Bowser and Caleb Delp, suffered minor injuries early in the workout and were held out of most of the action.
"The early reports are nothing, just nicks," Redbank head coach Frank Fabian said of the injuries. "We just decided to err on the side of caution tonight. I think if it was a game, they would have been back in there. Tonight, we just wanted to keep them out."
But at a numerical disadvantage as well as the lack of experience, the Bulldogs kept the Dragons out of the end zone until late in the scrimmage when Redbank began to wear down and Allderdice took advantage of its strength in numbers. Scoring on back-to-back plays, the Dragons found the end zone on a 9-yard run and then connected on an 80-yard TD pass on the next snap.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Accolades continue to roll in for Valdosta State softball's outstanding 2010 season. One of the senior leaders and the only All-American on the team, Alyssa Shirey, was named the 2010 NCAA Division II Diamond Catcher of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association.
The Diamond Catcher of the Year award is presented annually to the top catcher from an NFCA member institution in each the association's divisions. A committee comprised of head coaches in each of the 10 divisions determines the winner of their respective award.
Shirey put together a stellar season in 2010 and capped it off with an excellent NCAA Division II National Tournament. She hit .432 for the season and finished the year with one of the best slugging percentages in all of Division II at .814. Shirey belted 20 home runs (fourth in Division II) and finished with 61 RBIs, leading the team in both categories. Of Shirey's 79 hits, 30 were for extra bases. She scored 37 runs and led the team in hit by pitches at 13.
From behind the plate, Shirey caught nine base runners stealing and registered 326 putouts and 31 assists in her first full season at catcher for VSU.

ERIE - Reeling in a state championship, Fisher Stewart has hooked another berth in the world championships with a first-place finish in the Pennsylvania Bass 2010 Junior Anglers State Championships at Erie Bay in the two-day tournament on Aug. 20-21.
Stewart, the 16-year-old son of Tom and Wendy Stewart of Fairmount City and a junior at Redbank Valley High School, qualified for the state competition by fishing in a series of tournaments throughout the summer as a member of the Junior Elite Bassers youth angler club. The top three anglers in each age group (11-14 and 15-18) advanced to the state tournament.
Stewart, Dan Grove and Ryan Nolf represented the Junior Elite Bassers in the 15-18 division while Nick Ciccone, Kevin Overly and Luke Schones represented the club in the younger age group.
As a team, the Junior Elite Bassers took first place for total weight with Ciccone and Overly taking second and third respectively. Schones was awarded the lunker trophy for the largest bass caught in the younger age group.

CHICORA - Hitting the links for their first dual match of the season, the Union Golden Knights came out on the short end of a 220-253 score as the Karns City Gremlins mastered their home layout at St. Jude's Golf Course for the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference win on Thursday.
Leading the way for Union, David Graham toured the course in 43 strokes while Shawn Burns carded a 46 and Larissa Roberts shot a 48. Both Derek Shirey and Derek Priester finished with 58s as the Knights fell to 0-1 with the season-opening setback.
Tucker Preston grabbed medalist honors with a 38 to pace Karns City. Josh Jones came home in 41 shots, both Zack Walker and Tanner Kershbaumer logged 45s and Trevor Bahon rounded out Gremlin scorers with a 51.