Category: Sports

The Orange improved to 7-0 against ranked teams with a win over Villanova Saturday.

With the top ranked teams losing earlier in the day, it meant that if the Orange beat Nova they could be ranked number one for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

Jim Boeheim didn’t want to talk ranking.

The cats came out with an early lead and kept it till the Orange went on a 15 – 7 run to take a 10 point lead to end the first half.

Nova never recovered from the first-half deficit with the Orange taking the easy victory, 77 to 95, in front of the record crowd of 34,616 on their home floor.

The Orange big men were the difference makers in the game with Rick Jackson scoring 19 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, Arinze Ounaku had 17 points and also cleaned the glass with 9 boards.

With the win, the Orange locked up a one seed in the Big East tournament and moved one step closer to solidifying a number one seed come March. The win also guaranteed them as the Big East regular season champions.

Novas star guard Scottie Reynolds still scored 16 points and was relatively quiet.

With two games remaining in the regular season for the Wildcats, they may still be able to get a good seed come March and could meet the Orange again in the Big East or NCAA tourney.

The Orange with two games remaining, and looking very strong, will be tough to beat in March in the upcoming Big East tournament. The Orange’s future could be filled with greatness but the same could be said of the Wildcats.

The poll gets released Monday and with the top three teams picking up losses this week and the Orange picking up a very sweet win, Syracuse should be ranked number one.

By Sam Valentin

By Sam Valentin-

It depends where you live, the United States was hoping for the second upset in U.S. mens hockey. But just miles away, Canadians everywhere got their way when the Canadian National team scored first in the sudden death overtime victory over the U.S. Sunday on Canadian ice.

The U.S. achieved more in just being against the hockey machine, in the gold medal game because most analysts had the US team finishing fifth in this year Olympics and being able to force overtime.

The U.S. even defeated the highly ranked Canadian team a week ago.

Jonathan Toews scored early for Canada going up one-nill against the scrappy, young U.S. team.

Canada scored again in the second period when Corey Perry cleaned up a breakaway chance.

But no shut out because the U.S finally showed up almost 13 minutes into the second period off a shot by forward Patrick Kane that got deflected into the back of the net by Ryan Kesler to make it into a game.

The U.S had so many scoring chances because Canadian goalie Roberto Luongo couldn’t cover up the puck leaving the U.S. with a plethora of great rebound chances in front of the net.

The U.S. finally capitalized when a shot by Kane ricocheted off of Luongo and U.S. forward Zach Parise was in front to tie the game up with 25 ticks remaining in regulation.

The U.S. wasted the clock out after they got the puck and with momentum and all the U.S could taste the gold heading into overtime.

United States filmmakers were already thinking about a sequel to a miracle on ice.

But then Jerome Iginla passed the puck to Sidney Crosby and with a flick of his wrist and only 7 minutes and 40 seconds into the most watched game in Canadian history was ended.

He didn’t even know it went in; he was just trying to get off a quick shot said Crosby to ESPN after the game.

 The Comet’s basketball team lives to play another day.

Down 13 in the fourth quarter, Penn Manor’s basketball team stormed back to stun favored Harrisburg 63-61 in the first round of the district playoffs.

“We knew we could win, we lost to them three years ago and we wanted revenge,” said senior Keith Eshlemen, a small forward for the team.

 For the first three quarters it looked like the Comets would not get their revenge from  Harrisburg (16-8), who they lost to last year in the district quarterfinals, and the 2007 district championship,

Harrisburg dominated the second and third quarters to build up the big lead. But with a 20-2 run in the fourth quarter, the Comets took the lead and never looked back. Eshlemen and fellow senior Jon Brooks hit four key three pointers during the run.

“Parts of the game we really struggled with their pressure but we persevered,” said Penn Manor coach Charles Detz, in an interview with PennLive.com.

 Senior Patrick Welsh led the Comets with 21 points for the game.  

All the seniors didn’t want the Harrisburg game to be their last.

“We didn’t want to go out, because as freshman we didn’t get to play at the Giant Center and we want to get to states,” said Eshleman.

 On Saturday the Comets will try to avenge their two losses earlier this season to undefeated Hempfield.

“Third times a charm,” said Eshleman.

The Comets take on Section One rival Hempfield on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Hershey Giant Center.

By Cody Straub and Taylor Groff

I have never been so nervous or excited to watch a high school basketball game and never had more trouble getting into one.

It was Penn Manor against better-ranked Harrisburg team for another rung up the district competition ladder.

All week coach Charlie Detz had been preaching, “expect to win.” Even as a JV scrub, I understood the magnitude of this game.

Having the game at Cumberland Valley’s gym, put it on a whole different level.

As the game was about to start, an unforeseen problem occurred – we couldn’t get in.

We were faced by a fierce-browed ticket lady who clearly took her job very seriously. She said since we weren’t playing in the game (thanks for pointing that out) we needed a ticket to watch. How demoralizing. The only thing more embarrassing was the fact that we ended up sneaking in as ball boys, but hey, I saved $5.

When the game began, Harrisburg’s crowd was out in full force with comments like, “they’re just happy to be here,” and “this ain’t football.” For the first 24 minutes, they were right.

In fact the only thing humorous about the first two quarters was the lone freshman on the JV team, Alex Quinn, who entertained everyone by wearing his sweatshirt around his waist. This was just one of the hilarious things Quinn did throughout the season, like “accidentally” filming the other team’s cheerleaders. Quinn can’t avoid doing things that are just plain funny.

When the fourth quarter started, I was afraid the momentum was swinging Harrisburg’s way. I looked into the eyes of the five senior starters who knew that this could be their last quarter of basketball, ever. Did I see fear or disappointment? No, I saw fire.

Jon Brooks, who had been quiet all game, pick-pocketed a Cougar guard and took it down for a lay-up which sparked the team’s morale. Suddenly everyone’s intensity picked up and an 11-point deficit vanished with key buckets from Brooks and Keith Eshleman.

During the very last time out, Brooks came off the court and yelled, “expect to win!”

Even when no one else expected us to win, we did.

The game went down to the final seconds and, needless to say, we won by only two points.

But a W is a W, afterall. But to beat Hempfield, we need to “expect to win.”

By David Mohimani

After being the first woman in U.S skiing history to win gold in her event, Lindsey Vonn made it known she planned to take home four more medals before the Winter Olympics were over.

But most Penn Manor students are more interested in Shaun White, not even noticing Vonn, even though some of the most-watched stories coming out of Vancouver have been about the tragic death of the Georgian luger and about Vonn’s bruised shin.

Patrick Simpson, a sophomore at Penn Manor said, “I watch the Olympics with my friends and to see how our country is performing.”

Vonn didn’t even know if she was even going to compete in the Olympics because of the injury she sustained in practice in Austria on Feb. 2.

But with weather postponing events and practices, Vonn gained enough time to rest her bruised shin.

With injury and all she still brought the United States a gold medal in the women’s downhill.

Vonn had a disappointing fall in the super combined, which wasn’t caused by her injury, but by an error Vonn made, according to an interview after she fell.

She gained another medal in Super-G, this time a bronze medal for the US.

She now has two more chances to medal in the Giant slalom and slalom this week.

By Sam Valentin

The Huskies gained their third win over a top ten team this season by beating the seventh ranked West Virginia Mountaineers. Kemba Walker scored 21 points to lead all scorers while leading his team to a victory.

The Huskies are 3-1 since Jim Calhoun came back after a medical leave for 23 days. During his leave of absence UConn was 3-4.

The Mountaineers had to finish the game without coach Bob Huggins, who received two technical fouls and was ejected in the last minute of Monday’s game. Jim Calhoun also picked up a technical foul early in the game.

Jerome Dyson added 17 points and Stanley Robinson had 15 points and 13 boards for the Huskies.

Jim Calhoun called the game a “street fight”. The game included 46 personal fouls. Connecticut shot 30 for 42 from the line while the Mountaineers shot 12 for 23 from the line.

Connecticut out-rebounded West Virginia 35-27. When West Virginia has been out rebounded, their record has been 1-3.

UCONN held the lead from about 2 minutes into the first half. At half, the higher-ranked Mountaineers were down nine. After that, it was all Huskies basketball with some big runs by the Mountaineers cutting into the deficit and even coming within one point of the lead.

Connecticut improved their NCAA tournament resume with another top ten upset. They won over former no. 1 Texas last month and  no.3 Villanova last week.

With three games left for the Huskies and a relatively easy schedule, will they make the NCAA tournament? Maybe the Huskies have just survived to fight another day.The team is still on the bubble and must win all of their final games.

By Sam Valentin

Two years ago, Penn Manor’s emerging bowling star, Coty Johnson, was in a match for his local league bowling team with a perfect game going into his final frame.

With one more strike to get the perfect 300 score, Johnson let loose on a bowl that could earn him this incredible feat.

“It felt good coming out of my hand, but when I saw that one pin left standing, it was definitely tough,” says Johnson.

The junior, who has bowled six perfect games before in practice, had another crack at the perfect game in a varsity match against rival Hempfield Saturday, Feb. 13.

Johnson cruised his way down to the twelfth and final frame with a perfect game in sight.

“Once you get to the eighth or ninth frame and everyone is watching you because they know [a perfect game] is at stake, you start to get pretty shaky,” said Johnson.

It was all quiet, and with one more strike to reach perfection, Johnson stayed with his shot and nailed a strike to give him a flawless score of 300.

“It was a huge thrill,” says Johnson, “It was a great feeling.”

Johnson is one of Penn Manor’s top bowlers and his team is in the hunt for the playoffs as they stand in second place in the league.

They square off against Cedar Crest on Thursday, Feb. 18 needing four out of their seven games to turn out in their favor.

Johnson, due to a recent hand injury, will not be able to participate in Thursday’s match which could end up being crucial to Penn Manor’s chances.

Johnson’s incredible achievement will carry on with him throughout his bowling career at West Chester University as he looks to better his skills in hopes to become a professional bowler.

By Cody Erb

The New Orleans Saints were the underdogs going into Super Bowl 44 in Miami, Florida.

But after the clock hit double zero, the Saints were champions.  Led by Drew Brees, who outplayed the regular season MVP, Peyton Manning, the Saints  secured their first Super Bowl win in their 43-year history.

Brees ended up as the game’s MVP by breaking a Super Bowl record for completions with 32. He went 32/39 passing completions  for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“We played for so much more than ourselves — we played for our city,” said Brees to USA Today.” We played for the entire Gulf Coast region. We played for the entire ‘Who Dat Nation.’ ”

The Saints overcame an early first quarter deficit of ten points to seal the deal late with a Tracy Porter 74-yard pick six with a little more than three minutes left in the game.

Porter told ESPN: “I saw it (the opportunity) over and over on film the past two weeks. On third down, the route they ran there was always big for them to convert third downs on. Through numerous amounts of film study we’ve done all week, when the route came, it felt like I was watching it on film. When I saw the ball coming, I knew I was going to be in the end zone.”

A Matt Stover field goal and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Pierre Garcon put the Colts up early.

That was until the second quarter when Garret Hartley hit a 46-yard field goal and a 44 yard-field goal to end the first half.

The second half started with some trickery from Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints. The kickoff was an onside kick recovered by the Saints. This kick may have been the turning point in this amazing game.

“I wasn’t worried,” said Thomas Morstead. “I was terrified.”

Morstead reflected on the onside kick after the game.  He never thought they were going to use it but practiced it a lot in the past week.

After only six plays the Saints had their first lead of the game off of a 16-yard pass to Pierre Thomas.

But Peyton being Peyton, led the Colts down field with Joseph Addai who capped off the drive with a four-yard run to put the Colts back on top.

Garret Hartley made a 47-yard field goal to bring the Saints within one point and the kick made him the only kicker in Super Bowl history to make three field goals from beyond 40 yards.

Indianapolis moved down the field converting on a fourth and two. But Jonathon Vilma made two terrific plays to make the Colts attempt a 51-yard field goal, which Stover hooked to the left of the goal post.

With great field position, the cool Brees led a masterful drive down field that ended with Jeremy Shockey grabbing a two- yard touchdown pass from Brees.

New Orleans then went for two and after a Sean Payton challenge and the ruling on the field overturned, Lance Moore just extended the ball to break the plane of the end zone resulting in a Saint’s seven-point lead.

With Manning on the reigns, the Colts drove down field but were halted by the play of the game.

Tracy Porter jumped a pass intended for Reggie Wayne. Porter pointed out the block then took it back 74 yards for the game clinching score.

The colts still showing some life went for it on fourth down but a catchable throw from Manning sailed off the hands of Reggie Wayne.

With a couple of kneel downs by the MVP to be, Brees, started the celebrations. Even 700 miles away from Sun Life stadium, Bourbon Street had a Mardi Gras atmosphere. Although Mardi Gras doesn’t start for eight days, the party started early this year as a rehearsal, perhaps, for the most festive Mardi Gras ever for New Orleans.

The Saints will hold their Super Bowl parade at 6pm ET Tuesday in front of the Superdome.

Super Bowl 44 was the most watched TV show ever by  an estimated 106.5 million viewers. Thus beating the finale of MASH.

By Sam Valentin

Eagles quarterback, Donavon McNabb, says he is staying in Philadelphia. What does this mean for Michael Vick’s future?

The Eagles could keep the two quarterbacks because Vick brings the “wildcat” to Philly. The wildcat formation is a direct snap to a running back with an unbalanced offensive line.  That’s a good thing but name a team that has kept two high profile and good quarterbacks on the same team.

Look at David Garrard and Byron Leftwich in Jacksonville in 2007. The Jags ended up keeping Garrard and waiving Leftwich.

Another example is Tom Brady and Matt Cassel who both played for the Patriots in 2008. The Pats ended up trading Cassel to the Chiefs.

Vick could help out any team that needs a starting quarterback, especially since Vick wants to be a starter. Every quarterback in the NFL wants to be a starter, so the chances are good that number 7 won’t be on the field for the Eagles next year.

By Sam Valentin