District 5 Soccer Rankings

  The latest boys and girls soccer rankings for District 5. Playoffs begin on Saturday, with quarterfinals being hosted by higher seeded teams. In Class AA, Bedford will host Somerset at 7 p.m. on Saturday night for the district championship.

   Bedford's girls compete in District 6-AA and will play Westmont at Richland on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the 2 vs. 7 matchup.

DISTRICT 5 CLASS A BOYS SOCCER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	WON	LOST	TIE	POINTS	RATING
1	CHESTNUT RIDGE	14	1		70	4.667
2	NORTH STAR	14	2		72	4.500
3	CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP	13	3		68	4.250
4	WINDBER	13	4		66	3.882
5	FANNETT-METAL	12	4		60	3.750
6	NORTHERN BEDFORD	10	7		50	2.941
7	ROCKWOOD	8	8		41	2.563
8	HOPE FOR HYNDMAN	9	9		45	2.500
9	MCCONNELLSBURG	7	9	1	37.5	2.206
10	SOUTHERN FULTON	5	11		25	1.562
11	EVERETT	3	10	1	17.5	1.250
12	SALISBURY	2	11		10	0.769
13	BERLIN	2	14	1	12.5	0.735
14	FORBES ROAD	1	15	1	7.5	0.444
15
AS OF	OCTOBER 20, 2013
	DISTRICT 5 CLASS AA BOYS SOCCER RANKINGS
RANK	TEAM	WON	LOST	TIE	POINTS	RATING
1	BEDFORD	16	0	2	93.5	5.194
2	SOMERSET	15	2	1	89	4.940
AS OF	OCTOBER 20, 2013

DISTRICT FIVE GIRLS SOCCER RATINGS
RANK	SCHOOL	WON	LOST	TIE	POINTS	RATING
1	MCCONNELLSBURG	14	2	1	73	4.294
2	BERLIN	14	3		72	4.235
3	NORTH STAR **	14	3	1	74.5	4.139
4	CONEMAUGH TWP **	12	5	1	65.5	3.639
5	ROCKWOOD	10	5	2	52	3.059
6	EVERETT	8	7	1	43.5	2.719
7	CHESTNUT RIDGE	5	9	1	27.5	1.833
8	TUSSEY MT.	4	12	1	22.5	1.324
9	WINDBER **	4	12		20	1.250
10	NORTHERN BEDFORD	3	13	1	18	1.059
11	JOHNSTOWN CHRISTIAN *	3	10	1	12.5	0.893
12	MEYERSDALE	1	11	2	10	0.714

D5 Wrestling: Preseason Primer

   We're getting closer to the start of the wrestling season, so with that, here's a comprehensive listing of the top returning wrestlers and some newcomers in District 5. Wrestlers are listed in order by weights last year.

Bedford
Jonathan Gabriel, sophomore (106: 32-4, D5 champion, SW Regional qualifier)
Ryan Easter, senior (120: 36-3, 109-14 career, D5 champion, SW Regional 2nd, State 2nd)
Garrett Thomas, senior (126: 32-5, D5 champion, SW Regional 6th)
Toby Brett, senior (138: 27-8, D5 champion, SW Regional qualifier)

Other returnees include: Jake Warren, senior; Kenny Collins, junior; Daryl Stiffler, senior; Chance Williams, senior; Nate Shoemaker, senior.

Berlin
Joe Swank, sophomore (120: 33-8, D5 2nd, SW Regional qualifier)
Braden Fochtman, sophomore (138: 32-13, D5 3rd, SW Regional 4th, State qualifier)
Bryce Fochtman, junior (160: D5 champion, SW Regional 4th, State qualifier)
Stewart Trulick, senior (29-7, D5 4th)

Other returnees include: Tommy DeArmitt, senior; EJ Custer, senior; Anthony Collins, sophomore.
Newcomers (both transfers from Conemaugh Township):
Taylor Cahill, junior (152: 35-9, D5 2nd, SW Regional 4th, State qualifier
Toby Cahill, PJW State 2nd

Chestnut Ridge
Aaron Burkett, sophomore (106: 32-9, D5 2nd, SW Regional 6th)
Blake Dunlap, sophomore (113: 12-5, D5 2nd, SW Regional qualifier)
Derrick Claar, junior (120: 33-12, D5 3rd, SW Regional qualifier)
Trent Crouse, junior (126: 35-8, D5 2nd, SW Regional qualifier)
Kyle Winegardner, senior (145: 23-19, D5 4th)
Austin Buttry, senior (285: 40-8, D5 2nd, SW Regional 4th, State 5th)

Other returnees include: Sam Shank, senior; Colby Hillegass, junior; Conner Buttry, sophomore.
Newcomer: Morgan Deremer.

Conemaugh Township
Kody Ofsanko, senior (120: 24-12, D5 4th)

Other returnees include: Casey Berchick, junior; Robbie Mills, senior.

Everett
Dalton Klotz, sophomore (106: 22-8, D5 4th)

Other returnees include: Cody Sheeder, senior.

HOPE for Hyndman
Robby Snyder, junior (113: 26-13, D5 4th)
Jake Bennett, senior (220: 36-3, D5 champion, SW Regional qualifier)

Other returnees include: Tanner Clites, junior; Steven Miller, senior.

Meyersdale
Tanner Hetrick, senior (132: 30-13, D5 3rd, SW Regional qualifier)
Seth Deist, senior (145: 31-12, D5 3rd, SW Regional qualifier)
Gavin Berkley, senior (182: 44-6, D5 champion, SW Regional 5th, State qualifier)

Other returnees include: Trevor Thomas, sophomore; Brady McKenzie, junior; David Stanton, senior; Ty Smith, junior; Justin Dunmeyer, junior.

Northern Bedford
Trey Childers, junior (106: 16-16, D5 3rd, SW Regional qualifier)
Lucas Kolinchak, sophomore (160: 6-11, PJW State 7th)

Other returnees include: Jared Helsley, junior; Ty Bechtel, junior; Chase Ott, junior.
Newcomer: Mason Guyer, PJW State qualifier.

North Star
Tevin Mostoller, junior (138: 27-10, D5 4th)
Corey Fritch, senior (152: 24-14, D5 3rd, SW Regional qualifier)
Hunter Connor, junior (182: 14-13, D5 4th)
Levi Albright, senior (220: 25-10)

Other returnees include: Luke Lepley, senior; Thomas Miller, senior; Kevin Horner, senior.

Shade
Returnees include: Mike Manges, junior; Trevor Brown, junior.

Somerset
Garret Foster, senior (113: 18-10, D5 3rd)
Sheldon Wagner, junior (126: 17-11, D5 4th)
Jon Fabian, junior (132: 22-11, D5 4th)
Landon Lohr, senior (160: 28-8, D5 3rd, SW Regional 5th, State qualifier)
Logan Eller, junior (182: 19-12, D5 3rd)

Other returnees include: Damian Jano, senior; Mike Laue, senior.
Newcomers: Austin Hemminger, PJW State 5th.

Tussey Mountain
Quinn Barnett, junior (145: 23-8)

Other returnees include: Dylan Park, senior; Wyatt Brumbaugh, senior.

A great move by D11

    It was recently announced that District 11 (Lehigh Valley) is making significant changes to its team wrestling structure. I know a lot of my readers here follow the statewide wrestling scene so this is for you.
   Here is the breakdown for District 11-AA, where the champion and runner-up advance to the PIAA Team Duals in Hershey.

• Field expanded from 10 to 12 teams
• Teams seeded by power rating, not by committee
• Tournament will be double-elimination starting with the quarterfinals
• Championship round loser will meet Consolation bracket winner in "the ultimate qualifier"

   I love this change, and I emphasize the third and fourth points mentioned above in my opinion. Double-elimination means more wrestling between the better teams, and who doesn't want more of that?

   Secondly, and more importantly, this ultimate qualifier as D11 is dubbing it certainly ramps up the excitement. And it also should eliminate a good bit if not all of the arguing over seeding issues. Take Class AA for example, where nobody has wanted to be the fourth or fifth seed in the draw over the past few years. Advance to the semifinals and what's your reward?: Top-seeded Bethlehem Catholic, which has run roughshod over the state's best in recent times. 

   Now, in this format, you could lose the semifinal, or quarterfinal for that matter, but still come back with two or three wins to be the district's second representative. And from a motivational standpoint, say you lose a close match in the semi, but get another crack at them in the consolation if they would lose the title match. 

   Obviously, this kind of setup wouldn't apply for District 5, where only the champion moves on to the Giant Center. But how about District 6-AA, which seems to have its share of contentious seeding scenarios on almost a yearly basis?

   Over the years, I've seen plenty of times where the second best team in a district loses earlier than the final, because of where they are seeded. District 11 is doing its part to make sure it gets its two best squads to Hershey. They hit a home run with this decision. 

Marko hired at Spring Cove

  As I reported in last Friday's Bedford Gazette and on this blog, Claysburg is looking for a new varsity wrestling coach after the resignation of longtime coach Dave Marko.
  While the Bulldogs are now advertising to fill the position, Marko has landed in a new spot, in the Spring Cove School District as its junior high coach. The item was up for vote during Monday's school board committee meeting at Spring Cove, and Marko confirmed to me this afternoon that he was hired to take over.
   Marko compiled remarkable achievements in the varsity ranks at Claysburg, which you can see a synopsis of in my last blog post - Marko will be missed at CK.
   I'm very interested to see who ultimately lands at Claysburg. While there may not be the top-level talent there now that has been in the CK colors during much of Marko's time, it is still regarded as a very good job. And I'm not sure how many in-house candidates may apply. On a side note, Claysburg is also looking for a new athletic director, so that may be the first move to be made before hiring a new wrestling coach.
   Marko's move to Spring Cove, where he lives and his three kids attend school, is also interesting because three prominent names to wrestling in my coverage area are now there. Last year, former Northern Bedford junior high coach Mike Shippy took over as head coach at Martinsburg Central High School, and he brought former NB coach and three-time state champion Jan Clark with him to assist.