Macen Akers spends very little time on the sideline during an Everett football game.
It seems to suit the Warriors' senior just fine.
He plays quarterback. He plays defensive back. He's the team's punter, and he'll return punts and kicks as well.
And he's become one of Everett's leaders, on and off the field, as the Warriors are off to a 2-1 start to the season.
In Friday's 28-26 victory over Glendale, Akers was in the middle of many big situations.
Glendale had the ball up 7-0 late in the second quarter, and Akers intercepted Jacob Jasper's deep pass attempt, and brought the ball back some 40 yards to set the Warriors up in position to either tie or take the lead.
He converted a third down by running for 24 yards, then score a touchdown on the next play, and also ran in a two-point conversion.
In the third quarter, with the Vikings ahead 13-8, Akers engineered a 15-play drive that lasted over six minutes and went nearly 80 yards. He handed the ball off to Logan Propst for the touchdown, before scoring another two-pointer himself. Early in the fourth, Akers scored his second rushing touchdown to give Everett a 22-13 lead.
Glendale inched closer, but Akers again had an answer, on a fourth down from the Viking 6-yard line. He took the snap and didn't hesitate in running for the end zone, beating the defense to the goal line on the near side of the field.
"A lot of times, Coach (Winston Redman) and I might see the same call," Akers said when asked if the play was by design. "It's just what we see out there, and it came off perfectly there to get a big touchdown."
Everett is playing with heavy hearts this year, after former coach Tom Waltman passed away unexpectedly in July. Waltman was a football coach at many levels in the Warrior program, and was very close to many of the current players because he was a physical education teacher in the district, and beloved in the community.
The team held a "Red Out" in the home opener, wearing shirts that had the letters TW and the number 23 with angel wings on either side, and they also run onto the field with the same design on a flag.
"We have someone watching over us this year," said Akers. "That's always going to be behind us and with us all season. If we have nothing else to play for, that's what we play for. We play for Tommy Waltman, our family, and our community."
Monday, September 10, 2018
Monday, August 27, 2018
Spring's Spotlight - Cole Weist
Cole Weist and his Tussey Mountain teammates were more than excited to put the pads and helmets on for real Friday night.
And when they did, their performance was quite exciting as well.
Weist ran for 121 yards with a touchdown and a pair of two-point conversions, in helping the Titans defeat Claysburg-Kimmel, 42-28.
"Every football team talks about how much preparation they put into the season," said Weist, one of six seniors for Tussey Mountain. "I believe that we worked for this. The anxiety and excitement for this was unbelievable."
Weist is one of the upperclassmen that has been through some tough times with the Titan program of late, as only three wins over the past two seasons was on the record prior to Friday.
Tussey decided to go a different way in the offseason, bringing in Anthony Sottasante as the team's new head coach. Sottasante previously coached on the scholastic level at Columbia High School in District 3.
Along with a very uptempo type of offense, Sottasante also introduced the term "WADL" to the Titans. It stands for "Win All Day Long," and goes beyond whatever happens on the football field.
"It means that not only are we respectful on the field win or lose, but we accomplish daily tasks off the field," said Weist. "We're not just athletes, we're student athletes, and students first."
Tussey Mountain will look for a 2-0 start when it hosts Everett, also 1-0, this Friday.
NOTE: This is the first piece of a new series, entitled "Spring's Spotlight," that I expect to continue throughout the school year, and involve not only football but other sports.
And when they did, their performance was quite exciting as well.
Weist ran for 121 yards with a touchdown and a pair of two-point conversions, in helping the Titans defeat Claysburg-Kimmel, 42-28.
"Every football team talks about how much preparation they put into the season," said Weist, one of six seniors for Tussey Mountain. "I believe that we worked for this. The anxiety and excitement for this was unbelievable."
Weist is one of the upperclassmen that has been through some tough times with the Titan program of late, as only three wins over the past two seasons was on the record prior to Friday.
Tussey decided to go a different way in the offseason, bringing in Anthony Sottasante as the team's new head coach. Sottasante previously coached on the scholastic level at Columbia High School in District 3.
Along with a very uptempo type of offense, Sottasante also introduced the term "WADL" to the Titans. It stands for "Win All Day Long," and goes beyond whatever happens on the football field.
"It means that not only are we respectful on the field win or lose, but we accomplish daily tasks off the field," said Weist. "We're not just athletes, we're student athletes, and students first."
Tussey Mountain will look for a 2-0 start when it hosts Everett, also 1-0, this Friday.
NOTE: This is the first piece of a new series, entitled "Spring's Spotlight," that I expect to continue throughout the school year, and involve not only football but other sports.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Countdown to Kickoff
We're now less than 48 hours from the opening whistle of the 2018 high school football season. Despite all the rain over the late spring and summer, Friday night's forecast as of now is for near-perfect weather, which is also a welcome sign.
And there's plenty of intrigue around my coverage area for the Bedford Gazette. By the way, the Gazette's annual preview insert comes out on Friday (I didn't do much for the issue, so forward any comments/concerns to others not named Ryan Spring, LOL).
Here's some of the top storylines in my opinion:
Chestnut Ridge to the Laurel Highlands
The Lions, who have been very good of late, find themselves back in a league this fall as a full member of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference. They will have a lot of new faces in the skill positions, and their development will be key. I've heard some people saying that Ridge will struggle in the LHAC, but to that point, I'll make two counterpoints.
First, I would argue that Chestnut Ridge's independent scheduling over the past decade has been just as rigorous as any league team. The Lions have faced opponents such as Berks Catholic, Fort Hill and Allegany from Maryland, Musselman from West Virginia, plus more regional powers like Berlin, Portage, Tyrone and others.
Second, in the 10 seasons against many of those above, Chestnut Ridge has had only one losing season, and that was 5-6 in 2009.
Sure, like mentioned above, Max Shoemaker will have a lot of new people on his first string offense and defense, but it is one of the stronger football programs from top to bottom around right now. The Lions draw one of the LHAC favorites, Forest Hills, right out of the box on Friday night in Sidman, and while I'm not sure they could pull out an upset in that one, I wouldn't sleep on them over the rest of the fall.
Rest of the LHAC
Bedford, my other team in the league, has had a couple down years of late, but I expect the Bisons to be better. That said, I think they're still a year or two away from contending. They do avoid Bishop Guilfoyle on the schedule this season, which helps.
It appears as if Forest Hills and Bishop Guilfoyle are the preseason favorites, while it could be a battle between several teams for the next slot or two.
New Coaches
There's two new head coaches in my area, and they'll face each other in two days as Claysburg-Kimmel visits Tussey Mountain.
After winning its first playoff game in nearly 30 years, the Bulldogs gave the reigns to Matt Bilchak, who is the head man for the first time anywhere. He was an assistant to Dan Foor previously. Bilchak has a nice nucleus of starters back and expectations are up in CK country.
Meanwhile, the Titans went with Anthony Sottasante, who previously coached at Columbia in District 3.
Tussey Mountain has only three wins in the past two years, but rumors are a scrimmage this past weekend with perennial WestPAC power Portage went better than expected. A scrimmage is a scrimmage, so I don't know what can be taken out of it. But it's at the very least some positive vibes for the Titan faithful.
Inter-County Glory
It's a broken record, but it seems again like the road to an ICC title goes through Bellwood-Antis. Despite the fact that legendary coach John Hayes retired, the Blue Devils should be strong again, as assistant Nick Lovrich moved up to Hayes' spot.
The contenders could include Juniata Valley, Claysburg, and Southern Huntingdon.
Northern Bedford isn't getting a lot of press, but that's probably how Black Panthers' coach Garry Black likes it, coming off a district championship in 2017. Like Chestnut Ridge, Black will have a lot of skill position changes from a year ago. Central and Southern Huntingdon in the first two weeks will be challenges, but could also pave the way for success later on in the season. By the way, the Southern Huntingdon game is on a Thursday if you saw that and thought it was a misprint. The game is at Southern next Thursday, August 30.
And there's plenty of intrigue around my coverage area for the Bedford Gazette. By the way, the Gazette's annual preview insert comes out on Friday (I didn't do much for the issue, so forward any comments/concerns to others not named Ryan Spring, LOL).
Here's some of the top storylines in my opinion:
Chestnut Ridge to the Laurel Highlands
The Lions, who have been very good of late, find themselves back in a league this fall as a full member of the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference. They will have a lot of new faces in the skill positions, and their development will be key. I've heard some people saying that Ridge will struggle in the LHAC, but to that point, I'll make two counterpoints.
First, I would argue that Chestnut Ridge's independent scheduling over the past decade has been just as rigorous as any league team. The Lions have faced opponents such as Berks Catholic, Fort Hill and Allegany from Maryland, Musselman from West Virginia, plus more regional powers like Berlin, Portage, Tyrone and others.
Second, in the 10 seasons against many of those above, Chestnut Ridge has had only one losing season, and that was 5-6 in 2009.
Sure, like mentioned above, Max Shoemaker will have a lot of new people on his first string offense and defense, but it is one of the stronger football programs from top to bottom around right now. The Lions draw one of the LHAC favorites, Forest Hills, right out of the box on Friday night in Sidman, and while I'm not sure they could pull out an upset in that one, I wouldn't sleep on them over the rest of the fall.
Rest of the LHAC
Bedford, my other team in the league, has had a couple down years of late, but I expect the Bisons to be better. That said, I think they're still a year or two away from contending. They do avoid Bishop Guilfoyle on the schedule this season, which helps.
It appears as if Forest Hills and Bishop Guilfoyle are the preseason favorites, while it could be a battle between several teams for the next slot or two.
New Coaches
There's two new head coaches in my area, and they'll face each other in two days as Claysburg-Kimmel visits Tussey Mountain.
After winning its first playoff game in nearly 30 years, the Bulldogs gave the reigns to Matt Bilchak, who is the head man for the first time anywhere. He was an assistant to Dan Foor previously. Bilchak has a nice nucleus of starters back and expectations are up in CK country.
Meanwhile, the Titans went with Anthony Sottasante, who previously coached at Columbia in District 3.
Tussey Mountain has only three wins in the past two years, but rumors are a scrimmage this past weekend with perennial WestPAC power Portage went better than expected. A scrimmage is a scrimmage, so I don't know what can be taken out of it. But it's at the very least some positive vibes for the Titan faithful.
Inter-County Glory
It's a broken record, but it seems again like the road to an ICC title goes through Bellwood-Antis. Despite the fact that legendary coach John Hayes retired, the Blue Devils should be strong again, as assistant Nick Lovrich moved up to Hayes' spot.
The contenders could include Juniata Valley, Claysburg, and Southern Huntingdon.
Northern Bedford isn't getting a lot of press, but that's probably how Black Panthers' coach Garry Black likes it, coming off a district championship in 2017. Like Chestnut Ridge, Black will have a lot of skill position changes from a year ago. Central and Southern Huntingdon in the first two weeks will be challenges, but could also pave the way for success later on in the season. By the way, the Southern Huntingdon game is on a Thursday if you saw that and thought it was a misprint. The game is at Southern next Thursday, August 30.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Cassidy back in Bedford colors
With two promising years left as a varsity wrestler, Kaden Cassidy is returning to his roots as a member of Bedford's team.
A former junior wrestling standout in the Bison program, Cassidy was a PIAA third-place finisher at 106 pounds for Bishop McCort as a freshman. Last season at Chestnut Ridge, Cassidy began on a high note by winning the King of the Mountain Tournament, but missed the rest of the season due to injuries.
Cassidy won a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling (PJW) state title in 2016 for Bedford, and will certainly be a nice building block for new Bisons' coach Joel Easter.
Cassidy and his family moved back into the Bedford Area School District over the summer. The transfer between the two county schools was approved at the recent District 5 meeting, and the new PIAA rules regarding transfers sitting out postseason events do not apply in this case, as Cassidy's move was prior to the state's August 6 deadline.
A former junior wrestling standout in the Bison program, Cassidy was a PIAA third-place finisher at 106 pounds for Bishop McCort as a freshman. Last season at Chestnut Ridge, Cassidy began on a high note by winning the King of the Mountain Tournament, but missed the rest of the season due to injuries.
Cassidy won a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling (PJW) state title in 2016 for Bedford, and will certainly be a nice building block for new Bisons' coach Joel Easter.
Cassidy and his family moved back into the Bedford Area School District over the summer. The transfer between the two county schools was approved at the recent District 5 meeting, and the new PIAA rules regarding transfers sitting out postseason events do not apply in this case, as Cassidy's move was prior to the state's August 6 deadline.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
PIAA's new transfer rules — Are they enough?
It's no secret that the PIAA has been under a lot of scrutiny for some time regarding the issue of competitive balance between public and private, or non-boundary, schools.
Earlier today, the state's athletic association Board of Directors broke its protocol to enact new transfer rules which take effect on August 6, one week before official practices for the fall sports season begin.
Here's a quick breakdown:
1) If any student athlete in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade decides to transfer to another school, he or she is permitted to compete in regular season competition, but will be banned from all postseason play in any sport that they competed at the year before at the previous school.
2) The board also approved a new competitive balance formula, based on postseason success and number of transfers. Schools will receive points for certain advancement in PIAA playoff brackets, and those points along with a given number of transfers over a two-year period will require a move up in classification. The numbers will be used to determine 2020-21 classifications. Keep in mind that this formula is only being used for two sports — football and basketball.
This is the biggest step that the PIAA has made in regards to trying to "level the playing field." And I do think the Board of Directors deserves credit for tightening up the transfer rules, and for suspending its protocol to enact the first measure as early as this year.
That said, it's not near a total fix of the issues regarding public vs. private. While I did not speak with anyone on the record about the PIAA's new rules, I gather that many public districts will see this as a band-aid type of measure that won't produce their desired long-term solutions.
Next Tuesday, superintendents and other administrators from over 100 public school districts are expected to be in attendance at a meeting set up in State College. The public vs. private debate is at the heart of the matter, and who knows where it leads.
It should be noted that many of the schools named on a list of probable attendees (published Tuesday on pennlive.com) are from the central and western parts of the state. A number of administrators from schools in the east, notably Districts 3 and 11, have already been quoted as saying that they would not attend next week's gathering.
In the past 10 years, the non-boundary schools have won 64 percent of team championships in boys basketball and 59 percent in girls basketball, with football basically at a 50-50 split between public and private programs.
While those numbers might not be as high as thought by some on the outside, it's a rallying call by many public districts to at least get together and discuss options, with the list of meeting attendees rising drastically since such a meeting was proposed.
The Centre Daily Times reported that the Bellefonte school board, at its meeting last night, passed a resolution calling on the PIAA to consider separating public and private postseason competition. The resolution says that the state should put public schools in four classes (A, 2A, 3A, 4A) with private schools in two classes (5A, 6A).
At the very least from the public school angle, the time for complaints seems over and a call to action is imminent.
Will it eventually mean separate playoffs? Will it mean schools leaving the PIAA and creating a new governing body for state athletics?
Obviously, I can't answer that. But what I can say is this topic is as hot as hype is for the upcoming sports season itself.
Earlier today, the state's athletic association Board of Directors broke its protocol to enact new transfer rules which take effect on August 6, one week before official practices for the fall sports season begin.
Here's a quick breakdown:
1) If any student athlete in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade decides to transfer to another school, he or she is permitted to compete in regular season competition, but will be banned from all postseason play in any sport that they competed at the year before at the previous school.
2) The board also approved a new competitive balance formula, based on postseason success and number of transfers. Schools will receive points for certain advancement in PIAA playoff brackets, and those points along with a given number of transfers over a two-year period will require a move up in classification. The numbers will be used to determine 2020-21 classifications. Keep in mind that this formula is only being used for two sports — football and basketball.
This is the biggest step that the PIAA has made in regards to trying to "level the playing field." And I do think the Board of Directors deserves credit for tightening up the transfer rules, and for suspending its protocol to enact the first measure as early as this year.
That said, it's not near a total fix of the issues regarding public vs. private. While I did not speak with anyone on the record about the PIAA's new rules, I gather that many public districts will see this as a band-aid type of measure that won't produce their desired long-term solutions.
Next Tuesday, superintendents and other administrators from over 100 public school districts are expected to be in attendance at a meeting set up in State College. The public vs. private debate is at the heart of the matter, and who knows where it leads.
It should be noted that many of the schools named on a list of probable attendees (published Tuesday on pennlive.com) are from the central and western parts of the state. A number of administrators from schools in the east, notably Districts 3 and 11, have already been quoted as saying that they would not attend next week's gathering.
In the past 10 years, the non-boundary schools have won 64 percent of team championships in boys basketball and 59 percent in girls basketball, with football basically at a 50-50 split between public and private programs.
While those numbers might not be as high as thought by some on the outside, it's a rallying call by many public districts to at least get together and discuss options, with the list of meeting attendees rising drastically since such a meeting was proposed.
The Centre Daily Times reported that the Bellefonte school board, at its meeting last night, passed a resolution calling on the PIAA to consider separating public and private postseason competition. The resolution says that the state should put public schools in four classes (A, 2A, 3A, 4A) with private schools in two classes (5A, 6A).
At the very least from the public school angle, the time for complaints seems over and a call to action is imminent.
Will it eventually mean separate playoffs? Will it mean schools leaving the PIAA and creating a new governing body for state athletics?
Obviously, I can't answer that. But what I can say is this topic is as hot as hype is for the upcoming sports season itself.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Cambria County Legion Playoff Preview
The 2018 Cambria County American Legion league playoffs begin on Thursday with a pair of best-of-three semifinal series. Bedford is the top seed and will host fourth seed Somerset in Game 1, while the other matchup features second seed Claysburg hosting third seed St. Michael.
The winners of the semifinal series' will play one nine-inning game at the higher seed to determine the CCAL champion. Both finalists advance to the Region 7 Tournament, which begins on Friday, July 20. Hempfield East is the regional host this year and games will be played at Hempfield Area High School.
Below is a closer look at the Cambria league tournament:
1. Bedford (21-3) vs 4. Somerset (14-9)
Game 1 - Thursday at Bedford, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Friday at Somerset, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3 (x) - Saturday at Bedford, TBA
x - if necessary
Notes: Bedford won all three regular season meetings with Somerset this season. All three of Bedford's losses were by one run. Bedford has advanced to the regional tournament the past two years and three of four heading into 2018. Somerset's last appearance at Region 7 was in 2013, when Post 181 hosted that event.
2. Claysburg (20-4) vs 3. St. Michael (19-5)
Game 1 - Thursday at Claysburg, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Friday at St. Michael, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3 (x) - Saturday at Claysburg, TBA
x - if necessary
Notes: St. Michael, which had a chance to be a higher seed and thus have home field advantage before losses to Bedford and Lilly this past Sunday, won two of three games against Claysburg this summer. Claysburg's four defeats in the league's regular season were by six runs in total. Claysburg is looking for its fifth straight trip to the Region 7 Tournament, while St. Michael most recently made it in 2015.
The winners of the semifinal series' will play one nine-inning game at the higher seed to determine the CCAL champion. Both finalists advance to the Region 7 Tournament, which begins on Friday, July 20. Hempfield East is the regional host this year and games will be played at Hempfield Area High School.
Below is a closer look at the Cambria league tournament:
1. Bedford (21-3) vs 4. Somerset (14-9)
Game 1 - Thursday at Bedford, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Friday at Somerset, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3 (x) - Saturday at Bedford, TBA
x - if necessary
Notes: Bedford won all three regular season meetings with Somerset this season. All three of Bedford's losses were by one run. Bedford has advanced to the regional tournament the past two years and three of four heading into 2018. Somerset's last appearance at Region 7 was in 2013, when Post 181 hosted that event.
2. Claysburg (20-4) vs 3. St. Michael (19-5)
Game 1 - Thursday at Claysburg, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Friday at St. Michael, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3 (x) - Saturday at Claysburg, TBA
x - if necessary
Notes: St. Michael, which had a chance to be a higher seed and thus have home field advantage before losses to Bedford and Lilly this past Sunday, won two of three games against Claysburg this summer. Claysburg's four defeats in the league's regular season were by six runs in total. Claysburg is looking for its fifth straight trip to the Region 7 Tournament, while St. Michael most recently made it in 2015.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Remembering Tom Waltman
Small school districts like the ones I live in and around tend to have someone like Tom Waltman.
Everett certainly did with Waltman himself, who unexpectedly passed away on Friday at the age of 54. A health and physical education teacher at Everett, Tom also coached for many years, most notably in football.
I heard about Tom’s passing on Friday afternoon, and after Jeff Maurer’s death on Monday, it’s another person I consider a friend that I won’t get to see once the high school sports season begins, and my heart goes out to Tom’s family and the Everett Area School District.
I can remember meeting Tom for the first time in Everett’s parking lot in the summer of 2006. I believe it was photo day for the football team as the season was fast approaching. The next time I saw him was probably three weeks or so later at a soccer game, and as I entered the stadium, Tom came up to me and said (12 years ago, so probably not verbatim here) “Hi Ryan, how are you?”
Honestly, I would have expected just a “ Hi” or “Hey, you’re the new guy at the Gazette, right?”
I know that seems so trivial to most, but it meant a lot that it seemed so personal from him, and though I can’t remember most things I did an hour ago or a day ago, I’ll think of that time when I think of Tom.
One other thing about Tom was his interviews. Whether it was a game story, preseason talk, or postseason awards, he was great with information. I’d ask about half a question and he’d start chiming in with his thoughts. And it wasn’t done in a negative way like he was trying to control the interview. I think he was just happy and excited to discuss whatever the topic was. Win or lose, he was always upbeat, had a smile on his face, and had something positive to say.
Even after he wasn’t the varsity coach anymore, Tom stayed very active around Everett sports. I’d reason that nine times out of ten when I was at a Warriors’ basketball game, or a soccer or volleyball match, there was Tom, sitting in the front row supporting the kids he knew and loved.
And every chance I had, I would at least say “hello”, because out of the so many great people I met in my decade-plus around this area’s local sports scene, Tom Waltman ranks in the top of my list.
Like I said with Jeff in my last blog post, I’m saddened that I won’t get to chat with Tom at an event this fall, but I know that my life is better just for knowing him the little bit that I did.
Everett certainly did with Waltman himself, who unexpectedly passed away on Friday at the age of 54. A health and physical education teacher at Everett, Tom also coached for many years, most notably in football.
I heard about Tom’s passing on Friday afternoon, and after Jeff Maurer’s death on Monday, it’s another person I consider a friend that I won’t get to see once the high school sports season begins, and my heart goes out to Tom’s family and the Everett Area School District.
I can remember meeting Tom for the first time in Everett’s parking lot in the summer of 2006. I believe it was photo day for the football team as the season was fast approaching. The next time I saw him was probably three weeks or so later at a soccer game, and as I entered the stadium, Tom came up to me and said (12 years ago, so probably not verbatim here) “Hi Ryan, how are you?”
Honestly, I would have expected just a “ Hi” or “Hey, you’re the new guy at the Gazette, right?”
I know that seems so trivial to most, but it meant a lot that it seemed so personal from him, and though I can’t remember most things I did an hour ago or a day ago, I’ll think of that time when I think of Tom.
One other thing about Tom was his interviews. Whether it was a game story, preseason talk, or postseason awards, he was great with information. I’d ask about half a question and he’d start chiming in with his thoughts. And it wasn’t done in a negative way like he was trying to control the interview. I think he was just happy and excited to discuss whatever the topic was. Win or lose, he was always upbeat, had a smile on his face, and had something positive to say.
Even after he wasn’t the varsity coach anymore, Tom stayed very active around Everett sports. I’d reason that nine times out of ten when I was at a Warriors’ basketball game, or a soccer or volleyball match, there was Tom, sitting in the front row supporting the kids he knew and loved.
And every chance I had, I would at least say “hello”, because out of the so many great people I met in my decade-plus around this area’s local sports scene, Tom Waltman ranks in the top of my list.
Like I said with Jeff in my last blog post, I’m saddened that I won’t get to chat with Tom at an event this fall, but I know that my life is better just for knowing him the little bit that I did.
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