September 28, 2006

sports

Bulldog sports roundup

Volleyball slips in MBC
The Yellow Springs volleyball team lost to two conference foes last week to bring its season record to 6–6. The Lady Bulldogs lost the game against Ridgeville Christian 3–1 on Thursday, Sept. 21, and fell in a close fifth game match against Middletown Christian on Monday, Sept. 25.

Yellow Springs narrowly won the first game against Ridgeville 25–21, but the Lady Lions held Yellow Springs down in three successive games, 25–15, 25–15, 25–17.

Against Middletown’s Lady Eagles, Yellow Springs again started strong by taking the first game 25–20. The momentum of deep Eagle serves won the visitors the next two games at 25–19 and 25–22. The Lady ’Dogs took control early in the fourth game under the overhead jump serve of Megan Kaplon, who stole six consecutive points to make the score 12–4 before the Eagles tied it at 15. Ashanta Robinson, Jessica Keller and Ashlee Jackson kept the pressure on at the net, while Kristin Foster gave strong support from the back row. Finally Alisha Walker shot the last ball over the net to take the fourth game 25–20.

The last game was close, but the Lady Eagles dominated 15–13.

Boys soccer now 9–1–1
The YSHS boys soccer team improved to 9–1–1 with a 4–1 win over the Jonathan Alder Pioneers from Plain City on Saturday, Sept. 23. Alder came to town ranked eighth in the Columbus area Division II coaches poll, while Yellow Springs was ranked fourth in the DIII Dayton coaches’ poll.

Ben Armstrong drew first blood for Yellow Springs early in the match when he fired a loose ball just inside the near post. Alder replied with a fast break to the goal, passing the Bulldogs’ last defender, who slipped in the mud at midfield.

But the Bulldog offense cracked down after that, outshooting the Pioneers 20–3 in the game. Brandon Carver-Halley added two goals for Yellow Springs before the break, the first a loose-ball put-back, and the second a well-executed Bangu back-pass from Alexis Onfroy-Curley. Onfroy-Curley was on the serving end of the final goal of the game when he crossed the ball to Brock GunderKline, who buried it in the Pioneers’ goal.

Girls soccer loses to Dayton
Ending a four-game winning streak, the Yellow Springs girls soccer team was defeated 6–2 by a strong Dayton Christian team on Tuesday, Sept. 19. The Lady Bulldogs are 4–3–2 overall.

The veteran Dayton Christian Warriors, 10–1 overall and undefeated in the conference, were too much for the Lady Bulldogs. Keeper Sarah Morrison was tested early and often, playing well in spite of the number of goals conceded. The Bulldog defense was under siege most of the night in a physical battle, with standout performances coming from India Scarver, Ellen Swisher, Rachel Trumbull, Brenda Jones, Danielle Doubt and Rosa Dixon.

Ryder Comstock scored both Bulldog goals on assists by senior midfielder Erin Silvert-Noftle.

The game against Middletown Christian this Saturday, Sept. 30, has been moved to noon, instead of 10 a.m. The game against Troy Christian on Saturday, Oct. 7, has been moved to noon instead of 5:30 p.m., and Senior Night has been moved to Tuesday, Oct. 10, when the girls play Xenia Christian at 7:30 p.m. Yellow Springs will also play a makeup game at Troy on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 5:30 p.m.

Harriers take Bellbrook and Ohio Caverns
The Yellow Springs cross country team bumped its season record up to a shiny 91 wins and 24 losses, following its first two invitational wins of the season this past week. While both wins at the Ohio Caverns Invitational on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and the Bellbrook Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 23, were predicated on the performances of all six varsity runners, it is Yellow Springs’ top three runners who are making a name for themselves.

Larry Steiger, coach of the host West Liberty Salem cross country team, described Tuesday’s 1–2–3 performance of Sam Borchers, Evan Firestone and Andy Peters as “the winning trifecta.” Borchers won in 16:46, with Firestone and Peters both finishing in 17:14.

Combined with the heady running of Jake and Brock GunderKline and Ben Adams, the Bulldogs upset the two state-ranked powerhouses among the 24 schools and 146 runners competing. Springfield Shawnee (19th in Division II) and Sidney Lehman Catholic (19th in Division III) finished second and third behind Yellow Springs’ 59-point total.

It is also the first time in the 23 years that coach Vince Peters has led the Bulldog cross country team that Yellow Springs has successfully negotiated the steep hills at Ohio Caverns to win the meet.

The Bulldogs repeated their 1–2–3 “trifecta” finish at Bellbrook, where Yellow Springs topped several Division I schools, including Bellbrook, Fairmont, West Carrollton, and Xenia. The Bulldogs scored 39 points to win over runner-up Centerville with 58 points.

Jake GunderKline, who moved up after the two-mile mark to finish 12th overall, was the key to the low score at Bellbrook, according to Peters. Crossing a muddy course with a flooded creek, Borchers again finished first in 17:10, followed by Firestone in second and Peters in third.

Braving the competition with a smile as the lone girl on the Yellow Springs team, ninth-grader Anna Carlson finished 12th overall and broke the 25-minute barrier for 3.1 miles.

Springs’ first win
A hat trick by Jared Scarfpin, two goals from Calloway Skwerski and a goal by Jacob Hardman earned the U-11 boys FC Springs soccer team its first win of the season with a 6–1 victory over the Fayette Crew. Grant Reigelsperger anchored a tough defense that turned back most of the Crew’s offensive efforts. The Springs team is in action at home this Sunday, Oct. 1, at 2:30 p.m. as they host the first-place team, the Enon Knights, on the Morgan soccer fields.

Pre-registration deadline for 5K
The last day to pre-register for the Yellow Springs Street Fair 5K fun run/walk is Monday, Oct. 2. Participants who pre-register will receive a tie-dye t-shirt; registrations received after this date are not guaranteed a t-shirt.

Registration forms may be obtained on the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce Web site, www.Yellowspringsohio.org, or keysports.net.

Volunteers are still needed to assist with registration, refreshments, parking and course direction. YSHS students may earn community service hours by working at the 5K. Contact Sam Borchers, Evan Firestone, Maddy Welsh or Margi Clonch at Margiclonch@aol.com or 937-768-5036 to sign up to volunteer

Girls basketball clinics
Basketball clinics for girls in fourth–sixth grade will be held on Tuesdays in the Bryan Center gym, 6–7 p.m., starting Oct. 3 and running through Nov. 7.

The program is designed to provide instruction and skills building for girls at all experience levels. The clinics also provide an introduction to the traveling team program. Players may register at the Oct. 3 clinic. Call Rich Miller at 767-2049 or e-mail richmiller1@gmail.com with any questions.

Street Fair 5K Fun Run/Walk
The Yellow Springs High School Class of 2007 is proud to present its inaugural Yellow Springs Street Fair 5K fun run/walk. The event will take place in conjunction with the October Street Fair on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 9 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the Yellow Springs Community Children’s Center and the YSHS Class of 2007. The course will start at the Antioch Theater, go north on the bikepath, and end on the bikepath near the theater.

Pre-registration is $17 and includes a tie-dye t-shirt; late or same-day registration is $20 and t-shirt is not guaranteed. Pre-registrations will be accepted until Oct. 2. - Registration forms may be obtained on the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce Web site, www.Yellowspringsohio.org, at the Children’s Center or by contacting Margi Clonch.

Donations of water bottles and/or door prizes are needed for this event. Also, volunteers will be needed to assist with registration, refreshments, parking and course direction. YSHS students may earn community service hours by working at the 5K. Contact Sam Borchers, Evan -Firestone, Maddy Welsh or Margi Clonch at Margiclonch@aol.com or 937-768-5036 to sign up to volunteer or donate.