The Penn Manor bowling team is rolling in first place.
The comets lost their first match of the year on Monday, January 4th against Manheim Township.
The comets were lead by junior Coty Johnson who bowled 243, 235, and 267 for a 745 series for the day.
Even with such a great day for Coty, the Comets lost a tough match, losing two our of three games. They won one game and the total pin fall, ending up with three points from the match.
It wasn’t a total loss for the Comets. Penn Manor is currently in first place with Manheim Township in second and Warwick in third.
Penn Manor’s next match is on January 12 against the number five team in the league, Cedar Crest.
So much for a December fallout for the Dallas Cowboys.
Now the sudden underdog, Philadelphia Eagles, must fly and fly into “America’s team’s” doghouse on Saturday night while trying to hold back the not-too-distant memories of the 24-0 beat down laid on them by that very same team.
“I think it will be a blowout (by the Cowboys),”said Adam Sahd, one of Penn Manor’s very own football players.
He has good reason to think that since the Eagles have not yet seen the explosive side of the Eagles’ fairly young offense against their upcoming opponent so far this season. The only offense that looks alive is the Cowboys with the help of their star quarterback, Tony Romo, who is playing some of the best football he’s ever played – especially being in the hot seat that he was in while trying to prove that the Cowboys can be a playoff contender.
Should the Eagles be worried?
“Maybe a little bit,” Devin Shenk said, but he said he still thinks that the winner coming out of Saturday night’s game is going to “probably (be) the Eagles.”
A Cowboys’ fan, Randy Fisher, is a very confident about the Cowboys’ chances, saying, “(The Cowboys are going to) own them again.” Then, in a drop of confidence, said that he’s “optimistic they’ll win.”
Last week, Donovan McNabb noted that having inexperienced and young players is one reason why the Eagles got shot out of the sky – maybe that’s not the best pun to use because shooting Eagles is illegal. But Philly’s young players like Desean Jackson, Lesean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin are a significant part of their success.
They need to (keep Brian) Westbrook out and McCoy in,” said Neil Fellenbaum, an Eagles’ fan and Penn Manor teacher, “they just need to play overall better in every aspect.”
That they do and we’ll just have to see this Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
But there is another game this Saturday right before the big NFC match up, and it’s another week 17 repeat: the New York Jets at the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chad Ocho Cinco talked up a storm last Sunday night but got injured in the pre-game so he couldn’t back up his claims that one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Darelle Revis, couldn’t stop him or else he would change his name back to Chad Johnson.
A lot of talk will be revolving around that highly anticipated game just like every other Jets game it seemed during the season with rookie head coach, Rex Ryan, not being afraid to say anything with a little back up from his defensive buddies, Bart Scott and Kerry Rhodes.
For the first time at Penn Manor according to Todd Mealy, the football team received an honorable mention among football teams in the state of Pennsylvania by the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
Their hard work and dedication was rewarded with a record of 10-3 for the L-L League.
“I am proud, the senior class will be talked about for quite some time by the community,” Mealy said.
The Comets practiced over the summer and throughout the school year for long hard hours. They went 8-2 and got to the district semifinal game before being beaten by a powerhouse team from Bishop McDevitt.
Jeff Roth the athletic director at Penn Manor said, “It’s pretty exciting for Penn Manor and the school district, I am very proud of coach Mealy, the football staff, and the players for what they have accomplished in the 3 years since coach Mealy has started.
“I am looking forward to next year,” Roth said. The Comets will have a high standard set to achieve. They will strive to be just as good as this year, if not better from here on out.
Justin Diffenbaugh, a senior football player at Penn Manor said, “I think it’s pretty cool to be part of the honorable mention because it’s the first time in school history. We put in a lot of time over the summer and deserved this.”
Throw in some 60-plus yard plays, a chest bump, and spice it up with a little bit of jiggying. That’s the Eagles’ recipe for a probable playoff appearance.
The Giants and Cowboys, on the other hand, might want to read over Philly’s cookbook.
The Eagles seem to have the ingredients for success; but will they use them to cook up a playoff berth, or will they “get an egg shell in the batter” and give Philadelphia another letdown in another sport?
“The Eagles will choke (no pun intended…and okay, enough with the food analogies),” said student, Corey Delmonto.
The Eagles (9-5) have a reputation of being one of the best in the regular season but then blowing it in the playoffs. Some think there’s going to be a change this season, while some can’t help to have the Eagles’ postseason failures stuck in the back of their mind.
Mark Curtin is one of the Eagles’ fans that are feeling pretty optimistic about the Philadelphia’s playoff chances.
“They’re going to make a run deep into the playoffs.” He thought about it some more, then added, “If Desean Jackson can stay healthy.”
English teacher, Holly Astheimer, on the other hand, is one that doesn’t try to get too excited for the postseason so she doesn’t get down if her team blows it.
“It’s difficult to fully believe they’re going (to go all the way [win the Super Bowl]),” Astheimer, a huge Eagles’ fan, said, “The Eagles tend to do well at the end of the season (and then not do so well in the playoffs).”
Yeah, the Eagles are probably set for a NFC East championship, but the Cowboys (8-5) and Giants (7-6) are right on their tail. The Cowboys, though, are known for the December fallout; and right now, they’re in big trouble because they face the undefeated New Orleans Saints in the upcoming week – not to mention the last week of the season where they play the division-leading Eagles again. The Cowboys must have a concerned look on their faces when thinking about Dallas’ future.
Now, about the third place team in the division, the New York football Giants, it’s not looking as bad as the Cowboys’ chances with the Redskins (4-9) and the Panthers (5-8) in two weeks.
But the only team that most of Penn Manor wants to make the playoffs is Philly.
“Anyone but the Cowboys,” Astheimer said about which team she wants to make it to the postseason.
“I don’t really like the Giants because I think their coach is ugly,” said math teacher, Kim Frey, who’s rooting for the ‘Boys to pull it out.
Most of Penn Manor will be in good spirits as long as the Eagles make it through the season without blowing it and will be extra happy if they make it far into the playoffs. Also, with Philadelphia’s mediocre schedule ahead of them, the Eagles and their fans shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
“The Eagles always have had a lot of success at the end of the season,” said Peter Horning, a Philly fan, “I’m feeling good.”
A lot of words not suitable for a young child’s ears will be flying around Philadelphia and New York on Sunday night.
And what isn’t suitable for a little kid probably isn’t suitable for this website.
“The Giants are going to take a dump on the Eagles,” said Paul Slaugh, a downright cocky Giants’ fan, “and they’re probably not going to lose once next year except for the preseason.”
“It’s huge,” said another of the lonely Giants’ fans in Penn Manor, Cynthia Lonergan, about this Sunday night’s game, where the New York Giants host the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lonergan thinks it’s a big game but has no doubt of her team’s chance of success. “Oh yeah” she said of New York’s ability to pull a win this weekend.
It’s going to be a tough road until the end of the season for the NFC East competitors and most likely two out of three teams will make it through. The two may be playing this Sunday night and it may be the most important game of the Giants’ and Eagles’ seasons.
Britney Clugston (formerly known as Britney Long), an Eagles’ fan, is a little more gracious to her team’s opponent.
“I think they’re a really good team,” she said about the 7-5 Giants. She isn’t making predictions about who is going to win on Sunday but she thinks that the Giants will realistically win the division and that the Eagles will win a ticket to the playoffs by getting a wild card spot.
The Giants and the Eagles aren’t the only teams competing for the NFC East. Do you remember a certain team called the Dallas Cowboys? The team is currently holding on to first place with the Eagles but is known to take a nosedive in December.
After a big loss to the Giants last week, the phrase “bombing the month of December” are ringing again – especially with one of the toughest schedules for the rest of the season.
A Cowboys and Giants fan (don’t ask), Bahir Wahidullah, thinks the Cowboys are going to win the division and the Giants are maybe going to make the playoffs by getting the wild card.
“Ten games should be enough,” said Don Krow.
That is probably the number of wins the Giants, Eagles, and/or Cowboys will have to get to gain entrance into the 2009-10 playoffs.
Penn Manor’s 2009-2010 boys basketball season opens with high hopes for the Comets. With last year’s record 22-6 season, the team hopes to post an even better record this year. Losing key player, Forrest Lovett, to a partially torn ACL, has only been a minor set back in the basketball team’s upcoming season.
Coach Charlie Detz has high expectations for the team, and the players are ready to take over the LL-League.
“You have to be willing to go all out,” says coach Charlie Detz.
Detz believes that it takes intensity to have a successful basketball team, “If you do it hard, it leads to great success.”
Senior point guard, Sam Cornell, believes in the team this year, “We are going to be in contention for section league championships and do some damage in districts and states!”
Along with intensity from the players comes intensity from the crowd. These screaming fans help a great deal for the players on the court.
“It sets a bigger stage [spirit] and gets us more excited when there’s a big crowd. The Hempfield game last year when it was packed, the game was so crazy, it was so much fun,” says senior forward, Patrick Welsh.
With this being Welsh’s last year on the team, he wants to make sure he leaves a legacy for his younger players.
“As a senior I want to teach them how to be leaders so when they are seniors they can teach and prepare the younger players how to lead as well,” says Welsh.
Detz is a ‘play-hard,win-hard’ type of coach, teaching the boys that what they do at practice is what they will do in the game.
“What we’re teaching isn’t a special brand of basketball. You got to work at it,” says Detz.
The game of basketball is not always smooth sailing, but the mistakes made on the court do not stop the boys from achieving success.
“Try to forget about it and move onto the next play, try to do something to counter act that,” says senior shooting guard and small forward, Keith Eshleman.
Having a packed gym for a basketball game can lead to some pressure for the players and the coach as well.
Detz admits to feeling pressure during games when they are in the heat of the moment but doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him, “Have control of your emotions, once emotions take over you’re making rash decisions,” says Detz.
In the gym five nights a week, for three hours a night, the boys are putting in the time they need to become the best.
“We have a winning tradition, we’ve had a lot of success in the last few years,” says Welsh.
Being this good though isn’t just about the skills that the boys have on the court. It’s about who they are as a team.
“Being good friends on and off the court makes it easier to coach,” says Detz. “If you work hard as a group, you worry about what your teammates are doing.”
Most people would expect the school floor hockey tournament to be a friendly get-together. However, this one has become a fierce battle, actually an epic Cinderella story for the average Joes of Penn Manor to overtake the school’s ice hockey team.
On the floorboards of Penn Manor’s west gym, a straggly bunch of intramural floor hockey players will try to defeat the well-organized, well-practiced, well practically professional ice hockey club team.
The clash of the two teams is slated for December 11 and is a fundraiser for the Spring Fling Committee.
“These benders (hockey term for bad players) can’t match up against us pros. This game will be full of danglefests on our part. They have no chance,” said one of Penn Manor’s top ice hockey defensemen, Cree Bleacher.
Everyone is expecting the Penn Manor hockey team to run the table and win the school hockey tournament but the floor hockey players say “not so fast.”
“We are not serious about hockey, but when it comes to this we are serious and we are going to run the table,” said Harrison Manning.
One thing not in doubt, this tournament will come with some intense shots and hard hits.
The tournament will be a six on six format, including goalies.
The tournament costs each player $5 and the winning team will win a prize.
The season is over for Coach Mealy’s Comets, but dreams for the future will still remain.
This year the Penn Manor squad made the deepest run into post-season play, getting to the semi-final competition in districts.
The Comets faced their toughest match up of the season last Saturday against a very strong Bishop McDevitt football squad.
“This team was bigger and better then the Millersville College football team,” die-hard fan, Mark Curtin, said regarding McDevitt.
Penn Manor put up a good fight and played better than expected according to many Comet fans who traveled to Harrisburg to see the game.
For awhile, the score was tied at 21 points apiece. But when a facemask penalty was called on the Comets as time ran out in the first half, McDevitt got one more chance. They scored making the tally 28-21 at halftime.
The second half started out perfectly for the Comets as they recovered an onside kick and were on a mission to tie this game.
Unfortunately for Penn Manor, everything went downhill from there as the drive opened up with an interception thrown from Aaron Fredrick on a trickery play.
The game ended with Mcdevitt over Penn Manor 49-21.
“The comets are proud of what they accomplished this season and proud to be a part of history,” Mealy said.
It’s time for the Comets to move forward and to start focusing on next season and to continue the tradition, Mealy noted.
“We have no choice but to move forward and to continue this program known for consistently winning,” he said.
In 1991, a man by the name of Four Chapman took over a football team (Bishop McDevitt) that once had a championship-caliber team but by 1990 had become a non-factor in statewide competition. Chapman turned his team around in just four years and made them state champions. Two of those champions were brothers – a tandem force on offense and defense.
Penn Manor football coach, Todd Mealy, is preparing his team for Saturday's game against his broher's team, Bishop McDevitt.
Todd and Tommy Mealy, respectively linebacker and running back, accomplished something that will never be forgotten in the history of high school football. They helped Bishop McDevitt win it’s first and only state championship in 1995.
Almost fifteen years later, these brothers will meet again on the same field. This is the field on which their state championship team played its home games. This time they’re trying to lead their own opposing teams to victory as they face off for the first time since they themselves put on a crusaders jersey.
Todd Mealy became Penn Manor’s head football coach in May of 2007 and helped turn a program without a winning tradition into a team with young, talented players who are playoff contenders.
This past Friday, Penn Manor played at South Western and came up with a big victory to make it to the third round of playoffs for the first time in team history.
“The win was big for the program,” Mealy replied “In the past three years, Penn Manor established a program of consistent winning, and making it one step further than the 2008 season is special.”
Never successful in post-season play, Penn Manor has no experience with this kind of football.
“We have taken this program into uncharted waters,” noted Mealy.
According to Mealy, this year’s senior class for Penn Manor might be the biggest one yet but it also will be one that will be remembered for its courage to never give up or throw in the towel when winning didn’t come easily.
“This is not about me and I don’t want it to be about me, its about our 45 players who put in the long hours and put themselves in this situation,” said Mealy. “One of my biggest concerns is that I want our kids to play at their best, play at their maximum.”
Meanwhile with big brother (Touchdown Tommy) back in Bishop McDevitt as an assistant coach, Tommy is trying to add another district title to the seven that his team already has.
This might seem to be a version of the David And Goliath story. With multiple district championships and a state championship to its credit, Bishop McDevitt towers above Penn Manor in its post season experience.
But even with the lack of playoff experience, Todd Mealy isn’t afraid of facing his brother in competition.
“Whether playing basketball in the driveway, football in the back yard or going after the same girl, we have always been competitive,” Todd Mealy said.
“A competitive relationship is important, helps one grow as an adult and professional,” he added.
Thanksgiving dinner this year might be a little out of the ordinary since the two coaches won’t be able to talk about their game-time situations.
The most difficult thing this Thanksgiving weekend will be which side of the football stadium, the Mealy parents will sit on and which son to cheer for. That alone might stir up some competitive spirit between the brothers as they munch on turkey and yams.
But Mealy is focused on the future as well as the upcoming game.
“I’m grateful to be in this situation, to lead young men onto success. I’m happy with the fact that this coaching staff is giving these kids something to remember for the rest of their lives.”
The Penn Manor vs. Bishop McDevitt District III Semi-final football game will be played this Saturday at 1:00 pm at Harrisburg High School’s Severance Field, 2451 Market St., Harrisburg, PA, 17103. Tickets will be on sale at Penn Manor High School Tuesday and Wednesday from 9-11am and 1-3 pm in the High School Main Office and 11 am – 1 pm at lunch. Ticket prices are $5 adult and $3 student. All tickets will be $5 at the gate.
The Penn Manor vs. Bishop McDevitt District III Semi-final football game will be played this Saturday at 1:00 pm at Harrisburg High School’s Severance Field, 2451 Market St., Harrisburg, PA, 17103. Tickets will be on sale at Penn Manor High School Tuesday and Wednesday from 9-11am and 1-3 pm in the High School Main Office and 11 am – 1 pm at lunch. Ticket prices are $5 adult and $3 student. All tickets will be $5 at the gate.
