September 7, 2006

sports

YSHS soccer player Jake GunderKline tried to strip the ball from a Springfield Catholic opponent at a home game on Thursday, Aug. 31. The Bulldogs took their first loss of the season, 2–1, against the Irish.

Bulldog Sports Roundup

Football splits first two games
The Yellow Springs Bulldogs lost their first game of the season against Cincinnati Christian, 35–14, at home on Friday, Aug. 25. But the team stepped up the following week to put down the Greeneview Rams 21–13 on Friday, Sept. 1.

Against Greeneview in the first quarter, Antonio Woodard scored for the Bulldogs on a 20-yard pass from Adrian Lester, without the extra point. The Rams evened the score in the second period with a 6-yard touchdown, and then went up by seven on a second touchdown with the extra point. Before the half was over, Joey Bailey scored one more time to bring the ’Dogs up to 13–12.

Back on the field, Woodard picked up a Greeneview fumble and ran 71 yards to the end field without a snag. Yellow Springs held the Rams through the rest of the game, while Andrew Ferguson slipped in a 16-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to seal the team’s win.

Bailey was six for 12, passing for 98 yards and 68 yards rushing in 10 carries. He had 13 tackles. Lester was four for 11, passing for 82 yards with one interception. Woodard had three catches for 68 yards, nine tackles and two sacks. Raphael Allen had two catches in 60 yards, 19 tackles and a fumble recovery. Ryan Newsome had one catch for 35 yards. Josh Foster and Jacob Auten each had eight tackles.

Ben Clonch played strong on special teams, Wyatt Flatter led the defensive tackles, and John Haller fronted at defen-sive end.

Boys soccer improves to 4–1
The YSHS boys soccer team split a pair of home games this past week and enjoyed its third shutout of the season to improve the season record to 4–1. Yellow Springs took Greenon 3–1 on Monday, Aug. 28, and then gave up its first season game to Springfield Catholic Central in a tense 2–1 loss on Thursday, Aug. 31. The ’Dogs remained unfazed and came back to shut out the Miami East Vikings 11–0 on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Yellow Springs didn’t wait long to go up 1–0 against the Greenon Knights on a goal by Ben Armstrong, who received the ball from James Butler. Armstrong added to his tally early in the second half on a goal assisted by Andrew Ferguson. Butler scored number 3 for the ’Dogs on an assist from Brock GunderKline with just under five minutes left for the Knights, who made it a one-goal game on a score in the second half.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs fell behind 0–1 in the third minute against the Springfield Irish, who would find the net again early in the second half to go up 0–2. The Bulldogs mounted a furious comeback attempt three minutes to the end of the game when Kevin Sikes-Gilbert headed in a corner kick from Alexis Onfroy-Curley.

It was goal practice against Miami East on Saturday. Ferguson scored twice, followed by one apiece by Brock Gunder-Kline and Alex Turner, on assists from Turner and Jake GunderKline, which gave the Bulldogs a comfortable 4–0 lead in the first half. Still not content, the Bulldogs went to work in the second half, ringing up 7 more goals, 3 from Sikes-Gilbert, and one each from Todd Sheets, Brandon Carver-Halley, Armstrong, and Jake GunderKline.

Girls soccer waits for a win
The Yellow Springs girls soccer team suffered absences and injuries early in the season to hamper its opening games. In the first week, the Lady Bulldogs lost 4–0 to a strong Greeneview team on Aug. 22 and played a scoreless game against Urbana on Aug. 24. Yellow Springs then lost to defending Metro Buckeye Conference champion Miami Valley 4–0 on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and tied Wilmington 1–1 on Saturday, Sept. 2. The girls are 0–2–2.

Against Urbana, standout junior keeper Sarah Morrison had 13 saves in the would-be shutout game.

In a hard-fought match against Division 1 opponent Wilmington, the Lady ’Dogs held their opponents until the 70th minute, when a goal put them under one. The Bulldogs mounted a comeback, capped off by a goal by senior co-captain Erin Silvert-Noftle from the edge of the penalty area with three minutes remaining. The second-half effort was led by Morrison, senior co-captain India Scarver, Ellen Swisher, Olivia Chen, Rachel Trumbull, Ryder Comstock and Brenda Jones.

Borchers wins Hillsboro meet
YSHS harrier Samuel Borchers led his team by coming in first over 367 runners at the Hillsboro Cross Country Extravaganza on Saturday, Sept. 2. Borchers’ winning time over the hilly 5,000 meter course was 16 minutes flat, an average of 5:10 per mile. With the team’s 12th-place finish out of 33 scoring teams, Yellow Springs raised its season record to 26 wins against 13 defeats.

Following relatively closely behind the two-time state mile champ on Saturday, Andy Peters finished fourth in 16:26, and Evan Firestone came in seventh in 16:41, both posting lifetime bests. Ben Adams also enjoyed the uncommonly cool, windless conditions to realize a huge improvement in his time of 19:12. Anthony Pettiford finished in 22:56, ahead of Birch Robinson and Eric Bean.

Greenon had the winning score of 85. Yellow Springs had 323 points.

In the high school girls’ race, freshman runner Anna Carlson made her debut as a harrier, posting an 8:08 first mile en route to finish in 26:45.

“The new runners showed that they have the talent to contribute as they gain experience, and it’s a joy to watch them improve,” coach Vince Peters said. “The team’s stars are ranked amongst the very best in the state. It will be an exciting year.”

Volleyball season begins
The YSHS volleyball team opened its season last week with three wins and two losses.

The Lady Bulldogs split games at a tri-meet on Aug. 26, losing to Greenon 25–15, 25–15, and outlasting Cedarville 12–25, 25–19, 25–21. High scorers against Greenon were Ashlee Jackson and Alisha Lucas. Alisha Walker, Jackson and Ashanta Robinson led the offense against Cedarville.

On Aug. 28, the YS team took on Middletown Christian and lost in four rounds 25–18, 25–17, 24–26, 25–18. Jackson, Niquelle Orr and Jessica Keller were the team’s high scorers.

On Wednesday, Aug. 30, the Lady ’Dogs took Belmont in straight sets, 25–12, 25–10, 25–11. Jackson, Kristin Foster and Lucas led the team to victory.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, Yellow Springs set a hard line against Troy Christian to pull out a five-set win in 14–25, 25–22, 15–25, 25–22, 16–14. The teamwork of Megan Kaplin, Maiya Thornton, Bailey Linse, -Foster, Jackson, Lucas, Keller, Walker, and Orr contributed to the win.

YS Rec Soccer League delays start of season

Due to an unusual number of late registrations, the Yellow Springs Rec Soccer Leagues will begin a week later than announced. Copper, Bronze, Silver and Gold Cup leagues will all begin league-play the weekend of Sept. 15. Those wishing to sign up and be assigned to a team should call the appropriate league director: kindergarteners and first-graders, call Jim -Hardman at 767-2200; second and third-graders, call Bob Curley at 767-7070; fourth- and fifth-graders, call Lynn Hardman at 767-8433; and, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, call Bill Hardman at 767-8433.

Volleyball open gyms

On Thursday, Sept. 7 and 14, the volleyball league will hold an open gym from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Bryan Community Center. Anyone interested is welcome to attend, find a team and play. League play begins on Thursday, Sept. 21. For information contact Jackie Davenport, 767-1123.