October 12, 2006

sports

Bulldog Sports Roundup

YSHS boys soccer leads MBC
With a convincing 9–1 win over Metro Buckeye Conference foe Troy Christian last Saturday, Oct. 7, the YSHS boys soccer team remains tied with Ridgeville Christian for first place in the league. Both teams are 4–0–1 in the MBC and have one more conference game remaining. A Bulldog win against Dayton Christian on Saturday, Oct. 14, will guarantee the team at least a league co-championship.

Yellow Springs is seeded third in the Division III District tournament, which begins on Monday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m., when Yellow Springs hosts Lewisburg Triad. The winner of that match will host the winner of Greeneview/Emmanuel Christian on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m.

Against the Troy Christian Eagles, Yellow Springs gave up an early goal, but James Butler answered for Yellow Springs with a 20-yard blast, assisted by Ben -Armstrong. The Bulldogs had the lion’s share of ball-possession, which paid off when Kevin Sikes-Gilbert moved up to the offensive line from his defensive position with five minutes left in the half to receive a pass from Todd Sheets and scored.

The pair repeated the move to give Yellow Springs a 3–1 lead at the break. Sikes-Gilbert threaded a pass to Armstrong for goal number 4 early in the second half, followed directly by Sheets’ serve to Zeke Hardman, who volleyed it out of the air into the goal. Butler and Alexis Onfroy-Curley paired up for a rocket to the left post just over the Eagle keeper’s hands for a 6–1 lead.

With five minutes left, Butler’s free kick richocheted off the goal post for Brandon Carver-Halley to bury, followed by two goals by Carver-Halley and Hardman, each assisted by crosses from Andrew Ferguson to end the longest night of Troy Christian’s season.

Rachel Trumbull comforted Olivia Chen on a near goal Saturday, Oct. 7, when the Yellow Springs Lady Bulldogs beat Troy Christian 3–2.

Lady Bulldogs defeat Troy
The Yellow Springs High School girls soccer team plowed over the Troy Christian Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 7, to net a 2–3 win over the MBC opponents and improve its season record to 6–4–2. The Lady Bulldogs head into the Dayton 2 Division II sectional tournament at home on Monday, Oct. 16, at 5:30 p.m. against Xenia Christian. The winner of that match hosts the winner of the Tricounty North and first-seeded Greene-view match on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m.

Lady Bulldogs Ryder Comstock, Erin Silvert-Noftle and Olivia Chen worked their way through the Troy Christian defense on Saturday, while Yellow Springs defenders India Scarver and goalie Sarah Morrison kept Troy out of the home nets to win a decisive MBC conference game.

Taking the opening kickoff, Chen slotted home a Silvert-Noftle pass as the Bulldogs got on the board in the first 20 seconds of the match. Later in the first half, freshman Maxine Midtbo scored her first varsity goal by banging home a first-touch, left-footed rocket off a corner kick from Silvert-Noftle. Junior stopper Ellen Swisher aided the defense with a goal line clearance in the first half.

Troy Christian tied the game with two back-to-back goals early in the second half, but the Lady ’Dogs kept up the pressure until Meg Kaplon won it with a goal in the 68th minute.

Harriers win meet at Anna
The Bulldog harriers tore up the competition at the Anna Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 7, with their winning score of 107, ahead of Lima Catholic Central’s 118 points for runner-up and Graham’s 182 points for third place out of 26 schools.

Yellow Springs cross country’s near trifecta of Sam Borchers (16:19), Evan Firestone (16:32), and Andy Peters (16:48) finished in first, second and fourth places, Borchers’ sixth straight win. Borchers assumed the leader’s pace from the start, while Jake GunderKline and Andy Sontag controlled the middle section of 233 runners to set personal records. Brock Gunderkline and Ben Adams both added quality points to the chasing teams, and Birch Robinson, Anthony Robinson and Eric Bean each contributed to the team.

Lone Lady Bulldog Anna Carlson went after the flat course to improve her personal record by 66 seconds. Her final time of 23:34 was good for 67th place out of the 167 girls that finished the race.

Yellow Springs is the two-time defending team champion of the MBC league meet, which takes place Friday, Oct. 13, 5 p.m., at John Bryan State Park. The 21st annual John Bryan Invitational meet is Tuesday, Oct. 17, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Volleyball team beats Jefferson
The Yellow Springs High School volleyball team lost to Dayton Christian on Thursday, Oct. 5, then easily took Jefferson on Saturday, Oct. 7, followed by a heavy loss against Xenia Christian on Monday, Oct. 9. The team, now 7–11, plays one more season game and then heads into the Division IV sectional tournament against Sidney Lehman Catholic (13–6) on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 3:30 p.m. at Newton High School. The winner of that game will play on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m., the winner of the Tri-Village/Mechanicsburg match.

Despite Dayton Christian’s 25–14, 25–14, 25–12 win on Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs enjoyed a strong net force from Jessica Keller and Ashlee Jackson, who were backed by setter Alisha Walker and Kristin Foster’s tough digs.

Yellow Springs suffocated Jefferson early on to take the match 25–5, 25–6, 25–14, with powerful serves from Niquelle Orr, Keller and Alisha Lucas. Ashanta Robinson, Keller and Walker covered the net, with strong defense by Maiya Thornton, Lucas and Foster.

The Lady ’Dogs took a 25–16, 25–9, 25–17 loss against Xenia Christian, with good rallying from both teams. Bailey Linse and Robinson were Yellow Springs’ high scorers. Ashlee Jackson contributed at the net, with strong serving by Megan Kaplon.

Basketball to begin

Basketball practice for the Yellow Springs High School and McKinney School begins Nov. 6. Sign-up sheets are available at the high school. Open gym for basketball will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m. in the high school gym.

Youth soccer on winning streak

FC Springs traveled to Huber Heights last Sunday to challenge the Warriors ’95 Red and came away with a 2–2 tie to remain unbeaten in league play halfway through the season.

The Warriors took an early lead, and Grant Reigelsperger answered for FC Springs to tie the score at 1. The Warriors went up one before the half, but as goalkeepers Zach Kimmet and Jacob Hardman kept a clean sheet for the Springs in the second half, Jared Scarfpin slammed the second ball into the nets for the Springs to bring home the tie.

FC Springs hosts the Springfield Thunder on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 11:30 a.m. on the Morgan soccer fields.

Honeybaked ham athletic fund drive

The Yellow Springs High School and McKinney School football and basketball programs will begin selling holiday hams and desserts from the Honeybaked Ham Company this week to benefit the athletic programs. Prepackaged Honeybaked spiral cooked ham, boneless ham, brownies, cakes and other desserts will be available for pickup at the high school four days before Thanksgiving and five days before Christmas.

Order forms will be available at this Friday’s homecoming football game or by contacting Donna Haller at 623-3233 or Amy Fugate at 609-3919. Athletes will also be soliciting additional contributions through the fundraising effort.