Thursday, May 31, 2012

D6 Sports Network Twenty Greatest Teams of the 2000's. #18

18. 2010 Forest Hills

The Scoop-The 2010 Forest Hills Rangers was just your typical Don Bailey coached Football team.  They had the strong armed Quarterback. They had a workhorse Running Back. The had the hard nosed offensive line, and the nasty defense.  This team matches up well among the other great teams Coach Bailey has had. The 13-2 season featured an LHAC Championship, District Six Championship, and a state playoff victory. Justin Gdula was a first year starter as a Quarterback, but played like a true veteran. The kid complete 65% of his passes and tossed 27 scores to just 3 interceptions. Nick Dudukovich led a potent rushing game by the Rangers as he put up 2,100 yards and 23 scores. Jeff Meier and Anthony Unger combined for an additional 1,200 yards and 14 scores.  The offense was really something to behold as it could beat you on the ground or in the air, and the defense was often lights out. They D held its opponent to under ten points 10 out of 15 games.  This team was dominant for the first nine games of the season as their closest margin of victory was 28 points. This all changed when week 10 rolled around as Johnstown was able to score at will on the Rangers and took down their undefeated season. Forest Hills rebounded very well as they rolled through the District Six playoffs and pitched a shutout on a very good Tyrone team to claim the title.  Forest Hills was able to knock out Sharon to advance to the Final 4.  The Rangers were no match for WPIAL Champions, South Fayette.  The season ended in a blowout to a quality team, but did not diminish what they did all season.

The Stars-Nick Dudukovich was a workhorse in every sense of the word.  He carried the Ranger offense and earned a spot at IUP to continue his career.  Jeff Meirer eventually walked on at Pitt.  Justin Gdula came back his senior year and put on another impressive performance. He joins a very long list of Forest Hills Quarterbacks to play college football as he will be heading to Saint Francis.  DJ Berkey lead the 2010 team with 6 interceptions and will be playing at Shippensburg in the Fall.

The Argument-Don Bailey has had some very good team to pass through his school, and this is one of those teams that should be remembered.  The 2009 Forest Hills team was very good, but this team followed up with an impressive season on their own.  That just seems to be the Forest Hills way.  They always want to outdo the team before them, and this 2010 team has its fair share in any argument with any other Forest Hills team.  Any season that has 13 wins, a conference championship, and a district championship is worth talking about. The only real weakness you can really pick out on this team was their pass defense.  The only two losses came to high powered athletic passing attacks in Johnstown and South Fayette.  Other then that, you talk about a balanced offense with tons of weapons or a hard nosed defense that at times was really hard to gain yards against.  This may not be the best Forest Hills team, but they are one of the best.  This is a team that the Forest Hills community should be very proud of.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

D6 Sports Network Twenty Greatest Teams of the 2000's. #19

19. 2010 Bishop Carroll  

The Scoop-Bishop Carroll has had some tremendous teams in the 2000's and you will see a few more of them later in the list.  The 2010 installment of Husky Football was a memorable one, and one that restored some pride to BC Football after some rough seasons. The 2010 Huskies were able to bring a championship back to Ebensburg and make an appearance in the state's "Final Four."  The team was led by a senior class determined to leave its mark.  Ryan Woo put on a season rivaled by few as the senior back averaged 7 yards a carry en route to his 2,100 yard 19 touchdown season. Josh Barzdo was a junior quarterback but played a very key role in the team's success.  He was not much of a passing threat, but provided 20 scores on the ground and a 1,000 season with it. Those two along with physical backs Josh Chumrik and David Kephart helped  the Huskies reach 4,000 yards as a team. Josh Chumrik's 21 sacks was just another freakish stat that these Huskies provided.  The 7-2 regular season featured a loss to a very good Forest Hills team and an upset loss to Bishop McCort, which they later avenged in the Championship at Mansion Park in  blowout fashion, 32-13. BC dropped Reading Holy Name to advanced to the Final Four before dropping a hard fought 34-20 loss to Taylor Riverside.

The Stars-Ryan Woo was the headliner for this team and chose a football career at Bucknell that did not last long, but his senior season was a memorable one.  Josh Barzdo had a tough go around his senior campaign, but was the featured player for BC. His 2010 campaign was certainly the highlight of his career.  David Kephart chose a wrestling path at the storied UPJ program.  Josh Chumrik's freakish 21 sacks did not land him a spot in college but leaves an impact as one of the better defensive players of the past few seasons.

The Argument- This may be an underrated BC team, but they were a good one.  It is hard to live up to the past of the early 2000's, but this team restored the same caliber of team the fans were used to seeing.  They won a state playoff game and lost to a very good Riverside High School team. It could be argued that they could be higher on the list, or not even at all. I was always impressed with this team's running game, and its hard to deny it. 4,000 yards in a season is nothing to ignore. They 11-3 season may have been BC and Coach Sponsky's final hurrah, but it won;t be soon forgotten.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

D6 Sports Network Twenty Greatest Teams of the 2000's. #20


20. 2004 Bedford

The Scoop- The 2004 Bedford squad is the only team on the D6 Sports Network Countdown that does not have a postseason championship, in fact, they were upset in the first round. That alone says a lot about this team that they could leave that big of an impact on us. The Bison that season were led by the Harris brothers, who will never be forgotten in Bedford county. Perhaps the best athlete to come out of Bedford in recent memory is Troy Harris. The cool quarterback led the team to an impressive 9-0 regular season earning the squad a first overall seed in the District Six tournament.  The team succumbed to bottom seed Central Cambria 35-24, a team Bedford previously defeated. Along the magical 9-0 run Bedford was able to beat playoff powers Bishop McCort and Forest Hills. Bedford seemed poised for a date with Tyrone at Mansion Park until Central Cambria pulled off the upset of the year, or even the upset of the decade.   

The Stars- Troy Harris is one of the more memorable athletes on the list. He went on to earn second team all state in AA. He was the MVP of Bedford County for two years running and not to mention one of Bedford's better Basketball players of recent memory. His athletic prowess led him to an impressive scholarship at D1-AA Maine.  Derrick Harris was Troy's younger brother and he too impressed Maine enough to secure a scholarship as well. Kyler Ford was a good athlete on the team, but his punting ability landed him at Shippensburg. 

The Argument-Bedford really has no case to be any higher on the list, but we feel they deserve to be on the list. The 9-0 regular season was something that will not be soon forgotten in Bedford. The team ran through an impressive LHAC and were set to take on Tyrone at Mansion Park. Central Cambria obviously had other ideas.   This team had the talent to make a run and proved it along the way. The regular season success matched with the star power of the Harris brothers makes this team a memorable team. This team would easily be higher if they went on to play in the District Six Championship game. This is just one of the teams on the list that could be asking...."What If?"

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Technical difficulties....

I just endured a week without my laptop, craziness and boredom to say the least! But I apologize for lack of content.  I want to work on more of some daily content and features to keep people coming back, so I will try to get that up and running by next week.  In the makings I am currently working on the LHAC High School Football preview, and will likely do a WestPac and Heritage Conference previews for my Bleachercoaches and D6 Sports Network followers.  Also have a big side project in the makings with the D6 Sports Network. I plan to touch base on some Pitt recruiting issues both Basketball and Football, some college football and NFL season outlooks, and of course plenty of Pirates Baseball along with the entire MLB.  I always have ideas and always need some new ones. Just throw a few my way and they will be considered.  I appreciate the following I have received this past year, and I am always trying to branch out. Spread the word on the Blog and on the D6 Sports website. 


Monday, May 14, 2012

The reality of it all.....

       The Pirates are having an OK season, but will it be anything more than that?  I sincerely doubt it. The fact of the matter is, the Pirates have the worst offense in Baseball. They have exactly one position player minor league talent that may be ready this season.  They have a few good bats, and roughly two dozen AAA hitters that are all interchangeable parts. Is a fire sale coming?  Maybe, but not in the sense of what is usually means for the Pirates.  If you take a look down on the farm, its no secret the Pirates have plenty of pitching depth teamed up with a few promising hitters.  Take a look at the current roster, the four best bats happen to be twenty-six years old or younger.  That is where it all begins.
            The reality of it all is this: The Pirates time to turn it around is very close, but it is not this year. Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Jose Tabata look to be the three catalysts in the outfield for years to come. Marte will be here soon, and has the potential to be another McCutchen. That is just a scary thought having two of those guys roaming PNC Park's outfield.  Pedro Alvarez will be the corner stone of this lineup whether people would like to admit it or not. He is 30 Home Run guy waiting to happen, and possibly in the process of it happening this season.  Neil Walker should be an easy sign if they so chose, and he will be a consistent hitter that you can virtually bat him anywhere in the order.  That leaves you without a First Basemen, Shortstop, and a Catcher. How will the Pirates address that problem? The answer obviously isn't signing lower level free agents as they are finding out this season, but rather trade some of their good AAA pitching prospects for some good AAA hitting prospects.  The Pirates are absolutely loaded in the lower ends of organization with pitching. Those guys will not take very long to get here. Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon will be here by 2014, and will make a huge splash. Other guys like Luis Heredia, Clay Holmes, Colton Cain, and Stetson Allie are also progressing nicely. James McDonald and Charlie Morton and some stop gap veterans can hold things together until these guys are ready.  The influx of A talent makes AAA guys like Jeff Locke, Rudy Owens, and Justin Wilson expendable. The Pirates also should throw in Joel Hanranhan to the trade mix, and the Pirates can bring a few solid returns. The past trade deadlines have seen the Pirates having a fire sale of all their good players, but now all the Pirates good players are young and factor into the future. The Pirates have a plan and if you look at it, it is not hard to see. The Nutter and Huntingdon haters can scream all they want, but for once I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope some other people do too.

Monday, May 7, 2012

May 7 Thoughts....

Just a little thing I like to do every so often to catch up on some recent topics.....

1. NBA Playoffs- The NBA Playoffs are moving along, and we are seeing some good basketball. No Derrick Rose? No Dwight Howard?  Yeah tough days for the Bulls and Magic.  The 76ers are all over the Bulls and for good reason.  Rose and now Joakim Noah off the Bulls roster can really close the gap between top seed and eight seed.  The Boston Celtics look poised for a potential date with the Miami Heat in the conference finals. The Pacers are quietly taking down the Magic, although its hard to notice when all of their games are on NBATV. The East is likely looking at a Celtics-76ers and Heat-Pacers semi-finals, so like I said probably the Heat-Celtics. LeBron, the world's most scrutinized athlete may finally get his ring.  Out in the wild, wild West. The Thunder look to be the top dogs. They have swept the defending champs and looked very impressive doing so. Durant vs. LeBron finals is far away, but very likely.  The Spurs are looking good now, but its the Utah Jazz, big whoop. The Clippers and Lakers are reaching for second round berths and keeping the dream of an all Staples Center Western Conference Finals possible. The West is looking more competitive and they have better teams. The Western Champ may not have enough gas to dispel the Heat. King James is getting that first ring this year, but who knows I may be feeling totally different next week.  I guess that is why they actually play the games? Hmm


2. A star is born-The much anticipated debut of Baseball's future has come and went. The 19 year old phenom is here, and will be a player for a very long time.  Do anointed superstars always work out? Well some do, most don't. This guy is for real, and its easy to tell right away.  He is perhaps the smartest 19 year old baseball player in a long time, maybe ever. He is polished,competitive, and really easy to dislike.  Maybe I am in the minority, but I like him. Stealing home? Knocking the ball away from the catcher? 5 Doubles in 8 games?  Are you kidding me?  This guy has such a wealth of talent and arrogance, he is the perfect superstar for years to come. The Nationals would be doing him an injustice if thy kept him in the minors any longer, he had nothing more to gain. He was born to do this and watching his career develop will be must see TV.

3. The "Franchise QB"- The Colts and Redskins have the two players from the 2012 draft that will always be compared and contrasted against each other. The drafting of two quarterbacks 1-2 overall does not usually happen, but when it does....Only one seems to have a worthy career, the other never really has a career.  Right, Tim Couch and Ryan Leaf? The Colts have the guy everyone knew would be the first pick for years. The Redskins have the hotshot Heisman winner that put together a top pick resume the past season alone. Luck is like Peyton Manning, RGIII is a right handed Michael Vick. Whose career will actually follow suit with their comparisons? The Redskins have better current assets, but always under achieve.  Washington always made a curious move drafting another QB in Kirk Cousins. Will that cause tension?  The Colts are awful, but have proven that they can build a Super Bowl around a Quarterback. Moving along, its hard to say who will be better, or Hell maybe they both will be equally as good. Oh yeah, Ryan Tannehill is in Miami with the 8th pick.  He is nowhere near the level of Luck and Griffin.  He has time to grow and could be a good NFL Quarterback down the line. The 2012 draft has three top 10 QB's, they will always be compared. Just ask Roethlisberger,Rivers, and Eli Manning.

4. NHL Playoffs-The two favorites went down in the first round. The bottom seed is in the Final 4. No this isn't March Madness, but it is May Mayhem.  These playoffs are grueling, heated, and really hard to predict.  All 16 participants have an equal chance to win, its unlike any other playoff. The 8th seeded LA Kings are 8-1 in the playoffs against the Western Conference's top two teams. Dustin Brown is on fire and may take his underdog Kings the whole way. They sit and wait for either the Phoenix Coyotes or Nashville Predators.  Hockey hotbeds, eh?  I just know the NHL are loving these ratings.......  The Eastern Conference saw three first round series reach a game 7.  This round the Rangers and Caps are locked in a 2-2 split, and the Flyers are certainly down but not out against the Devils. These playoffs are great TV, and truly under appreciated  These guys are dueling it off for three months and it is an absolute race to 16 wins. Do yourself a favor and tune into the double header tonight on NBC Sports for some heated and intense Hockey.

5. Vote for Pedro-Patience is a very big thing in Baseball. Without patience we would have people running around screaming over nothing. The Pirates should be commended for their patience with Pedro Alvarez. In an era where sport fans suddenly have a better opinion than management (Hey Look I have a Blog!!) things like that get put to rest. Alvarez didn't need to go to AAA. He just needed some confidence, and he wasn't going to find it back in the Minor Leagues, he needed confidence from his team.  He got it.  He stayed with it, and his batting average has jumped 200 points in two weeks. He is second in the National league in Home Runs, and it starting to look like the number 2 draft pick he was. He is starting to look like the long coveted cleanup hitter the Pirates needed. We have seen glimpses of good from Pedro Alvarez and long stretches of bad also.  It is hard to say the guy is completely on board and back, but he might be.  The guy just needs to be that constant threat in the middle of the lineup.  He is not an average or contact guy, but has some of the best power in baseball. It will be real fun to see this guy, be the guy he is supposed to be.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Bishop McCort at Somerst May 3.

        The two best teams in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference squared off at Somerset Thursday afternoon in the "de facto" conference championship. Both teams have multiple games next week, but in the end this Laurel Highlands match up featured two powerhouses with only one conference loss a piece. The game lived to the billing as the host Golden Eagles held off the Crimson Crushers in a well played 6-4 game that featured a playoff atmosphere game. The two offenses had 10 hits a piece, but it was the defensive play, and clutch hits for Somerset that ultimately decided this game.
            The Crushers struck first in the game as Christian Leech roped a double and was later played by a Justin Vardian single. Senior Pitcher Jesse Cooper helped out his own cause by driving in a run in the same inning, but the Crushers rally was stalled when Justin Vardian was gunned out at the plate. Somerset was able to respond in the bottom half of the inning when the Golden Eagles got the bases loaded and a Tanner Stull single brought in a run, but the were bases remained loaded as Somerset could only muster one run. Somerset was able to redeem themselves in the bottom of the third when Brent Barron drilled a two RBI double and later scored himself on Michael Flyte single to set the score at 4-2. The score remained the same as both starters settled down and worked themselves out of jam after jam.  Jesse Cooper for Bishop McCort threw a complete game and surrendered six, whereas Somerset starter Ian Stiffler went the distance himself. The Crushers were able to strike for a run in the fifth when Christian Leech drove in Nathan Neiderhiser on a single. The game got very intense and interesting as the sixth rolled around. The Crushers first two batters went down easily when Jesse Cooper laced a single and stole a base to set himself into scoring position. Nathan Neiderhiser came up and hit a single to shallow Center, the Eagles Centerfielder, Michael Flyte,  rifled a bullet for a play at the plate, and Cooper used some acrobatics to avoid the tag and tie the game up at 4-4. The stage was set for a dramatic finish.  The Eagles were able to load the bases on two hit batsmen by Cooper, and an intentional walk was issued to ever dangerous Drew Hemminger.  Somerset Head Coach, Steve Coastea turned to freshmen Bryce Mosteller to pinch hit, and he responded with a two run single. That hit set the score at 6-4 heading into McCort's last plate appearence.  The 14-2 Crimson Crushers certainly made things interesting. Luke Williams was hit by a pitch, and Jimmy Stenger followed that up with a single. The next play turned out to be disastrous for the Crushers as the runner on second happened to be right where the ball was hit and it allowed for an easy 6-3 Double Play.


       The game had all the makings of a playoff atmosphere. Ian Stiffler and Jesse Cooper both turned in great outings. The offenses each had 10 hits and the game showed some fine defense all around. Somerset looks poised for a good run in the AAA playoffs, as McCort does in the A ranks. Somerset will have to face some stiff competition in Holidaysburg and Forest Hills. Bishop McCort will have to deal with Bishop Guilfoyle and Homer Center. The setting was great for Baseball, as Somerset's recently renovated facility looked great. The fans were intense and active. The LHAC has two very good teams as playoffs start and expect both teams to make a splash in the coming weeks.

Top Performer-Ian Stiffler 7 IP 8 Strikeouts 4 Runs Allowed.
Clutch Perfomer-Bryce Mosteller-Game Winning Pinch Hit, 2 RBI Single.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Offensive Help?

      The Pittsburgh Pirates are dead last in runs scored in Major league Baseball. Is there help on the way?  Can they improve the lineup? At this point in time, I'm not sure if the Pirates have any options to make things better.  The Pirates pitching has been great.  The starters have turned in great efforts and some unsung heroes in the Bullpen have kept this team hovering around .500.  That is great for now, but how long until the pitching falters? The offense needs to give this team some breathing room and have the ability to steal some wins on offense alone.
               Andrew McCutchen has been the three hitter all season long, and has done fairly well. He is batting above .300, but the problem with him is his lack of power numbers.  The three spot in the batting order is designed to drive in runs, and is expected to have some Home Runs. McCutchen only has seven extra base hits. The lack of runs batted in may be attributed to the rest of the lineup.  The reality is that McCutchen's Isolated Power numbers are awful for a middle of the lineup guy, he is essentially a leadoff hitter forced into his current position. The rest of the offense is based off of that.  This team does not have a legit power threat. Neil Walker is heating up since a terrible start, but he too is more of two or six hitter, that finds himself batting four and five. Walker's isolated power is also bad, and he only has two extra base hits.  The Pirates are getting no power offense from power spots in the lineup. Pedro Alvarez is heating up, but he is not ready to be thrust into a major role just yet.  His biggest thing appears to be confidence, and he is gaining it slowly.  Alvarez is going to be that guy in the future, but it is hard to say he will respond to batting clean up right now. Garrett Jones is Garrett Jones. Everyone should know by now what to expect from him.  He will finish with close to 20 Home Runs, and 60 some RBI's.  Thats a nice source of power, but it should not be a primary source. The fact of the matter is the Pirates have three leadoff hitters in McCutchen,Tabata, and Presley. They carry two spots of dead weight with Clint Barmes and Rod Barajas, and two predictable guys like Neil Walker and Garrett Jones.  The wildcard is Pedro Alvarez. He can control a lot of the Pirates success this year and for years to come. He will have to do it in a smaller role, but the Pirates will take all they can get from him now.
              The question really is, How does the offense score runs this season?  The question is much simpler than the answer. The Pirates higher levels of the minors are not littered with much of anything. Starling Marte is in the same mold of the current Pirates outfield. He is an intriguing prospect with a world of talent. So can he help? The Pirates can bring him up, which they almost assuredly will this season.  Tabata and McCutchen are locked up, so its hard to imagine they will be going anywhere. Presley is having a good season, so it is hard to pick where Marte fits. They could always trade him and hope for something big in return. The Starling Marte scenario is a cloudy one, and I do not think anyone knows where the Pirates organization will go with it.  The Pirates are a talented minor league group in lower levels, but not deep at all up top. There is no telling where the offense will come from, but if the Pirates see a repeat of last year they will need to add a few sticks. The Pirates best and only real asset that could bring back anything is Joel Hanrahan. I doubt Pittsburgh wants to trade their best pitcher if they are in contention, but if they are out of it and it can bring in a good return.  They should do it.  It is only May, and there is a lot of baseball left, things always play themselves out.

Forest Hills at Central Cambria May 1.

                 The Forest Hills High School Baseball team can be explosive on offense. The Rangers showed why on Tuesday afternoon as they belted out a nine run inning in the 5th to score an 11-1 shortened victory over host Central Cambria. The game's final score was not indicative of how close it was early on.  The Red Devils were looking to knock off the mighty Rangers and for four innings that seemed like a distinct possibility.  The visiting Rangers used a solid outing by Justin Gdula(4 Innings 7 Strikeouts 1 Run) and the big inning to dispel that notion.
                 Forest Hills held an early 1-0 lead. Central Cambria threatened that lead in the second as Forest Hills pitcher, Justin Gdula, hit two Red Devil batters only for them to be stranded at second and third.  The Red Devils were able to threaten again as they strung together four straight singles in the third, but only Donnie Ochenrider was able to plate a run to cut into the Ranger lead at 2-1.  The final Central Cambria offensive push was put down when Justin Gdula started a 1-6-3 Double play.  That is when the game took a turn for the worse for the home team. Central Cambria's starter, Dann Bowman was effective for four innings, but he was only able to keep the powerful offense in check for so long. Forest Hills was able to send twelve men to the plate and reeled off nine runs to set the mercy rule in effect.  The statement inning featured Junior Shortstop, Jared Shope, going 2-2 with a single,double, and three runs batted in. When Shope was asked about the big inning, "We came in and our leader (Gdula) told us we needed a big inning right now. We just came out and scored runs" The Rangers then turned to Brady Wright to close out the Red Devils, and he set the home team down quietly. Forest Hills improves its record to 10-4, and helps its own stock in the District Six AAA race, while Central Cambria slips to 3-7.


Top Performer- Jared Shope 3-4 2 Singles, Double, 3 RBI's, 2 Runs, and 1 Stolen Base.