It's been one hell of a season for the Bonner and Prendie athletic squads. There were the usual highs and lows of a grueling season, as well as some unexpected twists and turns, some good and some bad. It's been a great year, and here is one final recap of the 2009-2010 athletic year...
The year began way back in August. The fall sports teams began practice in the dog days of summer, twice a day for about two weeks. The football team shocked the Bonner, and Upper Darby community, with a 24-12 to defeat their neighborhood rivals. They followed that up two weeks later with a win over Inter-Ac's Episcopal Academy. The Friars lost a nail-biter to bitter rival O'Hara, but came back to destroy Father Judge. Although they just missed the playoffs, they had wins in their final three games over Ryan, Springfield (Delco) and Carroll to finish at 6-6, the first time the football team finished at .500 in quite a long time. The future looks bright for Bonner though, with the return of QB Sean Quatermar and All Catholic Tyler Ramirez. It's a good time to be a Bonner football fan.
Bonner's soccer team struggled once again. They opened the season filled with promise, but it was not fulfilled. The Friars, led by All Catholics Mike Moran and Conor Canavan, were able to keep games oh so close, falling to North Catholic 1-0 and 3-1 (while holding a lead in that match), 2-0 to LaSalle, 3-1 and 1-0 to Roman, and a 5-3 loss to O'Hara, all of which were extremely hard to swallow. But there was much improvement under first year coach Jim Strandberg. The defense helped myself, the goalie, out all year and kept the goal total down. The squad looks to earn a couple wins next season, and turn around the Bonner soccer program.
On the girls side, the Prendie soccer team rebounded from a tough 2008 to make the playoffs in 2009. Led by Alex Topa and goalie Miranda Schieler, the Pandas had big wins over West Catholic and Kennedy-Kenrick to help them clinch their playoff berth. They would unfortunately lose to Lansdale Catholic, but the team made big strides for the future, and hopefully 2010 will bring another successful season.
The volleyball team also made the playoffs, only falling to St. Hubert's. I'll be honest, I don't have a lot of volleyball info, but if anyone wants to help fill me in I'd be grateful. But a playoff appearance bodes for a pretty great season in my book.
And who could forget the Field Hockey team? They didn't do anything really. They only won the Catholic League championship and District XII titles. What a season they had. The team made the playoffs as the fourth seed. They won their first playoff match before having to face top seeded Carroll. No problem. The Pandas disposed of the Patriots to advance to the finals against....O'Hara. The Lions, the number two seed, and Prendie felt like making it a little nerve racking. So they took the game in overtime. In an intense match, Brooke Stretch was able to put the ball past O'Hara's goalie to earn the Catholic League title 1-0. They clinched the District XII title over Northeast, and appeared in the school's first ever state playoffs.
With the winter came the colder months, but so did the hockey and basketball seasons. The basketball team, led by Jamal Melvin and Keefer Francis, earned their fourth consecutive playoff berth in surprising fashion by knocking off North Catholic. Big wins over O'Hara helped pave the way, where the would ultimately fall to St. Joe's Prep.
The hockey team advanced to the championship game after having a successful year, finishing at 12-8. They fell in an intense game to Roman, and again to Roman a week later in the Flyers Cup to end the season. But after going winless the year before, it was great to see the hockey team get back on track.
Prendie basketball also made the playoffs with a successful season. They would win their first round game, but fell to eventual state runner-up Archbishop Ryan in the next round.
And finally, we arrive with the spring. Both lacrosse teams had a tough year, but for Bonner, Rick Reid was the major bright spot, scoring in just about every game played. JP O'Conor held strong all year in net, and the defense of Kevin Mathis helped the Friars all year.
The softball squad, led by Devon Beese and Emily Moran, made the playoffs. They would win their opener over Neumann-Goretti but fell to Lansdale Catholic by a score of 1-0, a heartbreaking loss.
Bonner's track squad was led by Max Curran, and Marcus Collins made states for the hurdles.
The baseball team, well, we all know about them.....
So this is my final thoughts and writings for this year. I can't believe this is over, but good things have to end. I'm graduating this year and it's hard to believe I won't be at Bonner next year. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who followed me all year long. I enjoy writing, and it was a lot of fun doing so. I'm glad people actually read what I write (smile). Maybe you'll be reading my articles in USA Today or as part of the Associated Press, or hey maybe even see me as a reporter on television. You never know.....
Anyway, thanks again to all. It's been a hell of a ride. Let's Go Bonner!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Bonner's Season Comes to an End
It seemed like nothing could stop the Bonner baseball team. The Friars were coming off an incredible Catholic League playoff run, defeating Judge and the highly regarded Neumann-Goretti Saints in exciting fashion, and then massacring Archbishop Ryan to win the Catholic League title. They then disposed of the Public League champion Central High School 11-4 on Thursday. All the momentum was with Bonner. That momentum would be erased quickly on Monday, as Bonner’s unbelievable run to the state playoffs came to an abrupt halt. District 1’s Great Valley shut down the Friars 4-1 as they move on to the quarterfinals of the state AAAA playoffs.
In the top of the first inning, Great Valley threatened to put the Friars down in an early hole, again. Bonner was down in their last two games by a 3-0 score. GV put runners on first and third on back to back singles, but a pick off at third base by catcher Paul Shepherd helped put a stop to the threat. The second inning produced Bonner’s only run of the game. Steve Markus reached on a walk, and Josh VanHorn singled to left. Matt Ruggieri then hit a bloop single to center field, allowing Markus to score. VanHorn was thrown out at third after making too wide of a turn, but nonetheless, the Friars had the lead. Bonner pitcher Ant DiGalbo cruised through the first three innings, getting out of a couple of tough jams. His luck ran out however in the fourth inning. Two singles in the inning led to a 2 run double by GV’s Jordan Valininno, giving them a 2-1 lead. They put another two across the plate in the fifth inning, when Jack Meeker hit an RBI double on a 3-2 count with 2 outs to right field. He moved up to second on Matt Mullen’s throw home. Kevin Falcone followed suit, hitting a single to left scoring Meeker. Falcone also moved up to second on the throw, this time by Sam Christie. That was all Great Valley’s starting pitcher Chris Duclos would need. He threw a complete game, allowing two hits, fanning eight Friars, and walking only one. He completely shut down the Bonner offense, which coming into the game had averaged 10 runs a game in their last four. On the Bonner side, DiGalbo pitched well, but ran into some trouble in the fourth. Matt Dolan came in to stop the bleeding in the fifth, and kept the score at a reasonable deficit in the sixth and seventh. But it was just not Bonner’s day. Bonner’s season ends shorter than planned, while Great Valley moves on to the quarterfinals.
Although the season ends, The Friars have no reason to hang their heads in shame. In March, they defeated top teams from around the country while in Disney World, beating teams from New York and Washington D.C. The team defeated Haverford School, the Inter-Ac champions, and one of the top ranked teams in the state. Bonner swept their two chief rivals, St. Joe’s Prep and Cardinal O’Hara, which is always a great accomplishment. They clinched the PCL Red Division for the first time since they clinched the old Southern Division in 1998. They won their first Catholic League championship in 21 years. The team won their first District XII title, and earned Bonner’s first ever state playoff berth in not just baseball, but in any sport. They were ranked as high as third in the Inquirer. And although they finished with a loss, the squad won 17 of their final 20 games, finishing at 20-5 overall. These are certainly things to be really proud of.
This team will go down in the Friar history books. This group of guys, mostly seniors, have played together since little league. Although Joe DeBarberie’s squad will be losing 14 seniors, they’ll be senior heavy once again next year. They’ll return juniors Jim Bonner, Paul Shepherd, and Matt Dolan among others, and many of the JV players will move up to the varsity team next year, and will battle to recapture the Catholic League and District XII titles. But for now, we celebrate a special moment in Bonner history. This team had no superstar. They didn’t have the flashy squad who won by talent alone. This team was built with the fundamentals. The “little things” made this team what it was, something you don’t see too much in today’s game. However they did win, and that’s what counts in the end.
With the baseball season ending, the 2009-2010 sports and school year comes to a close as well. It's had to believe that it really is over. This ended way too soon. There will be a recap from the year that was later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
In the top of the first inning, Great Valley threatened to put the Friars down in an early hole, again. Bonner was down in their last two games by a 3-0 score. GV put runners on first and third on back to back singles, but a pick off at third base by catcher Paul Shepherd helped put a stop to the threat. The second inning produced Bonner’s only run of the game. Steve Markus reached on a walk, and Josh VanHorn singled to left. Matt Ruggieri then hit a bloop single to center field, allowing Markus to score. VanHorn was thrown out at third after making too wide of a turn, but nonetheless, the Friars had the lead. Bonner pitcher Ant DiGalbo cruised through the first three innings, getting out of a couple of tough jams. His luck ran out however in the fourth inning. Two singles in the inning led to a 2 run double by GV’s Jordan Valininno, giving them a 2-1 lead. They put another two across the plate in the fifth inning, when Jack Meeker hit an RBI double on a 3-2 count with 2 outs to right field. He moved up to second on Matt Mullen’s throw home. Kevin Falcone followed suit, hitting a single to left scoring Meeker. Falcone also moved up to second on the throw, this time by Sam Christie. That was all Great Valley’s starting pitcher Chris Duclos would need. He threw a complete game, allowing two hits, fanning eight Friars, and walking only one. He completely shut down the Bonner offense, which coming into the game had averaged 10 runs a game in their last four. On the Bonner side, DiGalbo pitched well, but ran into some trouble in the fourth. Matt Dolan came in to stop the bleeding in the fifth, and kept the score at a reasonable deficit in the sixth and seventh. But it was just not Bonner’s day. Bonner’s season ends shorter than planned, while Great Valley moves on to the quarterfinals.
Although the season ends, The Friars have no reason to hang their heads in shame. In March, they defeated top teams from around the country while in Disney World, beating teams from New York and Washington D.C. The team defeated Haverford School, the Inter-Ac champions, and one of the top ranked teams in the state. Bonner swept their two chief rivals, St. Joe’s Prep and Cardinal O’Hara, which is always a great accomplishment. They clinched the PCL Red Division for the first time since they clinched the old Southern Division in 1998. They won their first Catholic League championship in 21 years. The team won their first District XII title, and earned Bonner’s first ever state playoff berth in not just baseball, but in any sport. They were ranked as high as third in the Inquirer. And although they finished with a loss, the squad won 17 of their final 20 games, finishing at 20-5 overall. These are certainly things to be really proud of.
This team will go down in the Friar history books. This group of guys, mostly seniors, have played together since little league. Although Joe DeBarberie’s squad will be losing 14 seniors, they’ll be senior heavy once again next year. They’ll return juniors Jim Bonner, Paul Shepherd, and Matt Dolan among others, and many of the JV players will move up to the varsity team next year, and will battle to recapture the Catholic League and District XII titles. But for now, we celebrate a special moment in Bonner history. This team had no superstar. They didn’t have the flashy squad who won by talent alone. This team was built with the fundamentals. The “little things” made this team what it was, something you don’t see too much in today’s game. However they did win, and that’s what counts in the end.
With the baseball season ending, the 2009-2010 sports and school year comes to a close as well. It's had to believe that it really is over. This ended way too soon. There will be a recap from the year that was later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
CATHOLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!!!
Josh VanHorn called it “the best senior year ever.” Steve Markus exclaimed “it’s the best feeling in the world.” Ask any Bonner baseball player, and they’ll tell you about how amazing June 1st has been. That date will forever go into the Bonner history books, as on Tuesday, the Friars erased a 21 year title drought and earned their first Catholic League championship since 1989 by defeating Archbishop Ryan 13-3 in five innings. This is also the school’s first major athletic triumph (by major I mean football, basketball, and baseball) since the football team won in 1994.
Before the game took place, the baseball game was the talk of the school. Students were asking others if they were going to the game. The players looked anxious to leave school and make the trip to Widener University. Rain threatened this, but luckily it held off, and the game was able to be played under a mixture of sunny and cloudy skies. Senior pitcher Ant DiGalbo took the mound for Bonner, squaring off against Ryan’s lefthander Steve “Ryan Sheckler” Merkle. Merkle tossed a one-hitter in the Raiders win over Bonner early in the season. The Friars wanted to jump out in front early like they did in playoff victories over Father Judge and Neumann-Goretti, but it was the Raiders who struck first. Ryan’s Mark Golic led off with a dribbler down the third baseline that appeared to be going foul, but slowed up and hit third base, earning him an infield single. Sean Kovacs followed with a walk. Kevin Mack singled to score Golic, giving Ryan a 1-0 lead. The next batter Eric Frain sent a ground ball up the middle to shortstop Josh VanHorn, who missed the ball by inches, allowing Kovacs to score. John Rizzo sent a single to rightfield, and Merkle also singled to right two batters later to put Ryan up 3-0. It seemed liked a rough day for DiGalbo, but he was able to get out of a bases loaded jam to keep the damage to a minimum. Bonner’s offense got going in the bottom of the second. First team All-Catholic Alex Liberatore doubled to left center. Steve Markus was then hit by a pitch. VanHorn made amends for his blunder, sending a two run double to deep right center. A couple batters later, Mike Haley sent a blooper down the right field line that fell in to score VanHorn. Leadoff man Rick Reigner doubled, scoring Haley from first, and Bonner took the lead 4-3 into the third. That was all the support DiGalbo would need as he allowed no runs and 6 hits the rest of the way in a tremendous outing. However, the Friars didn’t want to just give him four runs to work with. They put up a 9 spot in the fourth. It seemed like the green and white guys wanted to prove to all in attendance that they were the dominant team in not only the Red Division, but all the Catholic League and beyond, and finally earn some respect. Anyway, Matt Mullen led off the inning with a single up the middle. During Lib’s (Liberatore’s) at bat, a passed ball allowed Mullen to move up to second. But catcher Colin Budny could not locate the ball, so Mullen advanced to third on a heads up play. “The Liberator” would walk in his at bat. Markus then sent a dribbler back to the mound, where Merkle fielded the ball, turned to second, but threw it past the shortstop covering, and even eluded the center fielder. This scored Mullen and Liberatore, and Markus reached first safely. Catcher Paul Shepherd sent a double to center field. Senior Matt Ruggieri then singled to center, scoring Markus, but a nice throw by Ryan’s center fielder gunned down courtesy runner Mike Moran. At this point, it was 7-3 Bonner, and Ryan’s coach Ron Gerhart had seen enough. He called for reliever Eric Rudd. It wouldn’t help. Haley sent a single to left past the diving shortstop. Reigner hit a bloop single to right scoring pinch runner Jamie Juisti. It seemed like this inning would never end. Sam Christie put down a bunt attempting to move Reigner over, but on an errant throw to second by Budny on the play, Haley scored. Mullen returned to the dish to send a ground ball to third. The throw eluded first baseman Rizzo, and Reigner crossed the plate. Lib came up again and singled to right, scoring Christie. Another new pitcher took the mound for the Ragdolls, I mean Raiders. This lucky guy was Sean Kovax. But even he couldn’t help stop the bleeding, as Markus hit a 2 run single to right field. The inning finally ended when VanHorn grounded to third base. But the damage was done, and in a big way. Bonner scored 9 runs on 7 hits, and Ryan committed 5 errors in the inning. DiGalbo shut the Raiders down in the 4th. Bonner was looking for more in their half, but was mowed down by new pitcher Kevin Mack. While Reigner batted in this inning, the Bonner students chanted “MVP!” to the laughter of a couple of North Catholic players in attendance. Student Pat Flynn went on to say “now you can’t strike out! You will make us look really, really dumb.” Well, unfortunately Reigner did just that (smile). With Bonner up 10 runs, the mercy rule came into effect. If Ryan did not score in their half, the game was over. Well, Mack led off the inning with a bunt, but Shepherd came from behind home plate and threw him out at first. Frain popped out in foul territory to Lib for the second out. Then the loud Bonner crowd came alive one more time for the final batter. The ball was hit back to DiGalbo, who picked it up, tossed it to Lib, and bedlam erupted on the field, as well in the stands. The players, reminiscent to the Phillies World Series celebration, ran in and dog-piled on each other (some say it was a planned celebration. Who knows?).
They shook hands, and after some delay, the students poured out onto the field and joined in the celebration. “Let’s Go Bonner” chants erupted, and the fight song was sang….poorly. But it didn’t matter. The Friars celebrated on the field, and off later in to the night.
This group of Friars knows that even though they accomplished an incredible task, there is still work to be done. The District XII championship is at stake on Thursday. They’ll take on Central High School, Public League champions, for that honor at LaSalle College High School on Thursday at 2:30. Bonner wrote their names into the history books Tuesday. They look to continue their run and do something no Bonner team has ever done: bring home a District XII and state title.
Before the game took place, the baseball game was the talk of the school. Students were asking others if they were going to the game. The players looked anxious to leave school and make the trip to Widener University. Rain threatened this, but luckily it held off, and the game was able to be played under a mixture of sunny and cloudy skies. Senior pitcher Ant DiGalbo took the mound for Bonner, squaring off against Ryan’s lefthander Steve “Ryan Sheckler” Merkle. Merkle tossed a one-hitter in the Raiders win over Bonner early in the season. The Friars wanted to jump out in front early like they did in playoff victories over Father Judge and Neumann-Goretti, but it was the Raiders who struck first. Ryan’s Mark Golic led off with a dribbler down the third baseline that appeared to be going foul, but slowed up and hit third base, earning him an infield single. Sean Kovacs followed with a walk. Kevin Mack singled to score Golic, giving Ryan a 1-0 lead. The next batter Eric Frain sent a ground ball up the middle to shortstop Josh VanHorn, who missed the ball by inches, allowing Kovacs to score. John Rizzo sent a single to rightfield, and Merkle also singled to right two batters later to put Ryan up 3-0. It seemed liked a rough day for DiGalbo, but he was able to get out of a bases loaded jam to keep the damage to a minimum. Bonner’s offense got going in the bottom of the second. First team All-Catholic Alex Liberatore doubled to left center. Steve Markus was then hit by a pitch. VanHorn made amends for his blunder, sending a two run double to deep right center. A couple batters later, Mike Haley sent a blooper down the right field line that fell in to score VanHorn. Leadoff man Rick Reigner doubled, scoring Haley from first, and Bonner took the lead 4-3 into the third. That was all the support DiGalbo would need as he allowed no runs and 6 hits the rest of the way in a tremendous outing. However, the Friars didn’t want to just give him four runs to work with. They put up a 9 spot in the fourth. It seemed like the green and white guys wanted to prove to all in attendance that they were the dominant team in not only the Red Division, but all the Catholic League and beyond, and finally earn some respect. Anyway, Matt Mullen led off the inning with a single up the middle. During Lib’s (Liberatore’s) at bat, a passed ball allowed Mullen to move up to second. But catcher Colin Budny could not locate the ball, so Mullen advanced to third on a heads up play. “The Liberator” would walk in his at bat. Markus then sent a dribbler back to the mound, where Merkle fielded the ball, turned to second, but threw it past the shortstop covering, and even eluded the center fielder. This scored Mullen and Liberatore, and Markus reached first safely. Catcher Paul Shepherd sent a double to center field. Senior Matt Ruggieri then singled to center, scoring Markus, but a nice throw by Ryan’s center fielder gunned down courtesy runner Mike Moran. At this point, it was 7-3 Bonner, and Ryan’s coach Ron Gerhart had seen enough. He called for reliever Eric Rudd. It wouldn’t help. Haley sent a single to left past the diving shortstop. Reigner hit a bloop single to right scoring pinch runner Jamie Juisti. It seemed like this inning would never end. Sam Christie put down a bunt attempting to move Reigner over, but on an errant throw to second by Budny on the play, Haley scored. Mullen returned to the dish to send a ground ball to third. The throw eluded first baseman Rizzo, and Reigner crossed the plate. Lib came up again and singled to right, scoring Christie. Another new pitcher took the mound for the Ragdolls, I mean Raiders. This lucky guy was Sean Kovax. But even he couldn’t help stop the bleeding, as Markus hit a 2 run single to right field. The inning finally ended when VanHorn grounded to third base. But the damage was done, and in a big way. Bonner scored 9 runs on 7 hits, and Ryan committed 5 errors in the inning. DiGalbo shut the Raiders down in the 4th. Bonner was looking for more in their half, but was mowed down by new pitcher Kevin Mack. While Reigner batted in this inning, the Bonner students chanted “MVP!” to the laughter of a couple of North Catholic players in attendance. Student Pat Flynn went on to say “now you can’t strike out! You will make us look really, really dumb.” Well, unfortunately Reigner did just that (smile). With Bonner up 10 runs, the mercy rule came into effect. If Ryan did not score in their half, the game was over. Well, Mack led off the inning with a bunt, but Shepherd came from behind home plate and threw him out at first. Frain popped out in foul territory to Lib for the second out. Then the loud Bonner crowd came alive one more time for the final batter. The ball was hit back to DiGalbo, who picked it up, tossed it to Lib, and bedlam erupted on the field, as well in the stands. The players, reminiscent to the Phillies World Series celebration, ran in and dog-piled on each other (some say it was a planned celebration. Who knows?).
They shook hands, and after some delay, the students poured out onto the field and joined in the celebration. “Let’s Go Bonner” chants erupted, and the fight song was sang….poorly. But it didn’t matter. The Friars celebrated on the field, and off later in to the night.
This group of Friars knows that even though they accomplished an incredible task, there is still work to be done. The District XII championship is at stake on Thursday. They’ll take on Central High School, Public League champions, for that honor at LaSalle College High School on Thursday at 2:30. Bonner wrote their names into the history books Tuesday. They look to continue their run and do something no Bonner team has ever done: bring home a District XII and state title.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
On to the Semi's
Hot dogs and burgers were being grilled out in center field. Those crazy enough took a ride on the slip-N-slide on the hill. This meant one thing: playoff baseball. After clinching the Red Division for the first time since 1998, Bonner was set to host Father Judge in the quarterfinals. Judge earned the right to play Bonner after defeating St. Joe's Prep 5-4 in 11 innings Monday.
Early on, it looked like Bonner was going to run away with this one....literally. Lead-off man and first team All Catholic Rick Reigner hit a screaming line drive to deep right field. He used his speed to round all the bases, and score on an inside the park home run. After Sam Christie singled, Matt Mullen hit a routine ground ball to shortstop, which was bobbled, allowing both Mullen and Christie to move safely. Alex Libretore followed with a sac fly to center, allowing Christie to move to third. Steve Markus hit a grounder to second, scoring Christie from third, putting the Friars up 2-0 after one inning. After a scoreless top half of the second, Bonner continued its offensive onslaught. Paul Shepherd beat out a ball hit to the shortstop. Pinch runner Mike Moran stole second, and Matt Ruggieri followed with a single to right field. Two batters later, Reigner struck again, this time with a single to right, scoring 2 runs and increasing the lead to 4-0. A scoreless 3rd inning for Father Judge enabled the Bonner bats to keep swinging in the bottom half. Libretore singled up the middle. Steve Markus doubled to left, and Libretore moved to third on the play. Josh Van Horn hit a sac fly to deep center field, scoring Libretore, and moving Markus to third. Shepherd hit a ground ball to short which scored Markus. After a nice running grab by the Judge right fielder Anthony D'Ambrosio ended the frame. When Bonner took a 6-0 lead in the third inning, many fans were thinking this game was over. Bonner was moving on to the next round, and might even ten-run the Crusaders. But Judge didn't quit. In what seemed like a three hour long inning, Judge scored 7 runs to take a 7-6 lead. After cruising the first three innings, Bonner pitcher Ant DiGalbo ran in to trouble. Judge led off the inning with a man on because of an errant throw to first. A walk and a single loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed Judge to score their first run. After a nice play by Alex Libretore at first base for the first out, Judge singled to center, scoring two. A nother walk, and a single inched the score to 6-4. With the bases loaded again, a three run triple that just beat the diving Matt Mullen in right field put the Crusaders up 7-6. Bonner fought back in their half however. Reigner was hit by a pitch, and stole second. Christie reached on a walk, and Mullen put down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners to second and third. Libretore hit another sac fly to center, allowing Reigner to tag up and score. Christie moved up on a wild pitch. In a shocking play a pitch later, Christie stole home with a lefty at the plate. He scored, and Bonner took an 8-7 lead. This was the turning point of the game. Bonner would tack on another run in the fifth to go up 9-7 heading into the seventh. Junior Jim Bonner, who came in relief of DiGalbo, went out to try and nail the win down for the Friars. Judge was able to score a run in the top half, and threatened to tie the game with a man on second. However a little ground ball back to the mound allowed for an easy play for Bonner, and the Friars earned a hard earned victory. With the win, Bonner moves on to the semifinals, where they'll take on the defending league champion Neumann-Goretti. The Saints defeated Caroll today 11-4 to earn the right to move on. The semifinals will be held at Widener on Friday, May 28th, at 3:30. Bonner looks to dethrone the Saints and get back to the PCL Final for the second time in three years, while N-G tries to continue its road to defend the title. The winner will move on to the finals, also at Widener, where they'll take on the winner of the Wood-Ryan semifinal at LaSalle. This should be a very entertaining game, and one you won't want to miss.
Early on, it looked like Bonner was going to run away with this one....literally. Lead-off man and first team All Catholic Rick Reigner hit a screaming line drive to deep right field. He used his speed to round all the bases, and score on an inside the park home run. After Sam Christie singled, Matt Mullen hit a routine ground ball to shortstop, which was bobbled, allowing both Mullen and Christie to move safely. Alex Libretore followed with a sac fly to center, allowing Christie to move to third. Steve Markus hit a grounder to second, scoring Christie from third, putting the Friars up 2-0 after one inning. After a scoreless top half of the second, Bonner continued its offensive onslaught. Paul Shepherd beat out a ball hit to the shortstop. Pinch runner Mike Moran stole second, and Matt Ruggieri followed with a single to right field. Two batters later, Reigner struck again, this time with a single to right, scoring 2 runs and increasing the lead to 4-0. A scoreless 3rd inning for Father Judge enabled the Bonner bats to keep swinging in the bottom half. Libretore singled up the middle. Steve Markus doubled to left, and Libretore moved to third on the play. Josh Van Horn hit a sac fly to deep center field, scoring Libretore, and moving Markus to third. Shepherd hit a ground ball to short which scored Markus. After a nice running grab by the Judge right fielder Anthony D'Ambrosio ended the frame. When Bonner took a 6-0 lead in the third inning, many fans were thinking this game was over. Bonner was moving on to the next round, and might even ten-run the Crusaders. But Judge didn't quit. In what seemed like a three hour long inning, Judge scored 7 runs to take a 7-6 lead. After cruising the first three innings, Bonner pitcher Ant DiGalbo ran in to trouble. Judge led off the inning with a man on because of an errant throw to first. A walk and a single loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed Judge to score their first run. After a nice play by Alex Libretore at first base for the first out, Judge singled to center, scoring two. A nother walk, and a single inched the score to 6-4. With the bases loaded again, a three run triple that just beat the diving Matt Mullen in right field put the Crusaders up 7-6. Bonner fought back in their half however. Reigner was hit by a pitch, and stole second. Christie reached on a walk, and Mullen put down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners to second and third. Libretore hit another sac fly to center, allowing Reigner to tag up and score. Christie moved up on a wild pitch. In a shocking play a pitch later, Christie stole home with a lefty at the plate. He scored, and Bonner took an 8-7 lead. This was the turning point of the game. Bonner would tack on another run in the fifth to go up 9-7 heading into the seventh. Junior Jim Bonner, who came in relief of DiGalbo, went out to try and nail the win down for the Friars. Judge was able to score a run in the top half, and threatened to tie the game with a man on second. However a little ground ball back to the mound allowed for an easy play for Bonner, and the Friars earned a hard earned victory. With the win, Bonner moves on to the semifinals, where they'll take on the defending league champion Neumann-Goretti. The Saints defeated Caroll today 11-4 to earn the right to move on. The semifinals will be held at Widener on Friday, May 28th, at 3:30. Bonner looks to dethrone the Saints and get back to the PCL Final for the second time in three years, while N-G tries to continue its road to defend the title. The winner will move on to the finals, also at Widener, where they'll take on the winner of the Wood-Ryan semifinal at LaSalle. This should be a very entertaining game, and one you won't want to miss.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Baseball Prepares for Playoffs; Reigner and Libretore Among 7 All Catholics
Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Wood have been getting a lot of respect around Philadelphia for their baseball teams. But they have good reason for it. The PCL Blue Division schools are 9th and 24th in the state respectively. Well, the Bonner baseball is making proving that Philadelphia and the state should start paying attention to the red-hot Friars. The 15-3 (11-3 PCL), before falling to Roman on Thursday, had won 10 league games in a row, which enabled them to win the Red Division's top seed in the playoffs. This is the first outright division championship for Bonner since 1998, when they won the then Southern division. The 2010 squad also had wins off of Haverford School, the Inter-Ac champs who are ranked 5th in the state, and Sidwell Friends, a top team from Washington D.C. They'll officially end the regular season with a trip to Hanover Area High School on Saturday at 1:00pm. After, they'll await for whom they will play in the playoffs. The quarterfinal game will be played on Tuesday, May 25th at 3:45 at Bonner, with the opponent TBD.
The Coaches All Catholic team was released yesterday on the final day of the PCL regular season. Bonner boasts 6 players who were named to the team, including 5 to the first team. Among them were SS Josh Van Horn, 1B Alex Libretore, CF Rick Reigner, and P Joe Nestor. Reigner finished 2nd for MVP voting in the Red division. Pitcher Ant DiGalbo and LF Matt Mullen earned 2nd team honors.
Here is the playoff schedule:
Blue: (6) Kennedy-Kenrick at (3) Conwell-Egan.
(5) Archbishop Caroll at (4) Lansdale Catholic.
(1) Neumann-Goretti and (2) Archbishop Wood: BYE
Red: (6) Cardinal O'Hara at (3) LaSalle
(5) St. Joe's Prep at (4) Father Judge
(1) BONNER and (2) Archbishop Ryan: BYE
The Coaches All Catholic team was released yesterday on the final day of the PCL regular season. Bonner boasts 6 players who were named to the team, including 5 to the first team. Among them were SS Josh Van Horn, 1B Alex Libretore, CF Rick Reigner, and P Joe Nestor. Reigner finished 2nd for MVP voting in the Red division. Pitcher Ant DiGalbo and LF Matt Mullen earned 2nd team honors.
Here is the playoff schedule:
Blue: (6) Kennedy-Kenrick at (3) Conwell-Egan.
(5) Archbishop Caroll at (4) Lansdale Catholic.
(1) Neumann-Goretti and (2) Archbishop Wood: BYE
Red: (6) Cardinal O'Hara at (3) LaSalle
(5) St. Joe's Prep at (4) Father Judge
(1) BONNER and (2) Archbishop Ryan: BYE
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Sac Fly Keeps Bonner in First
It took 8 innings, but Bonner was able to sweep Father Judge in the two game series thanks to a Josh Van Horn sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in the top of the 8th. Sam Christie started off the scoring in the 2nd inning, driving in a run of his own. The Crusaders scored one run in the 2nd and 3rd innings to take a 2-1 lead. An RBI by senior Matt Mullen tied the game back up at 2-2. In the fifth, Van Horn singled to drive in the first of his 2 RBI's. Matt Ruggieri had an RBI single in the sixth and Bonner took a 4-2 lead. But Judge scored two in the bottom of the 7th inning to tie the game up and force the extra inning, where Van Horn would win it. Starting pitcher Ant Digalbo pitched 6 2/3 innings, and allowed 3 ER in the no decision. Junior Jim Bonner earned the win in relief of Digalbo. With the win, the Friars are now 11-3, but more importantly 8-2 in the PCL Red Division. They remain atop of first place, one game above LaSalle, with 4 league games remaining, with a series against North and Roman respectively. They begin these final four games on Monday, when they host the North Catholic Falcons at 3:45.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
It's Been Awhile Since I've Updated This.....
So unfortunately, I have been unable to get to some games. Work has been killing me. Well I finally am able to update this, with three recaps and some rugby news.
We'll start with some rugby news actually. Bonner's rugby team lost their first league game in the programs two year history on Sunday in the championship game to Salesianum. After defeating Cumberland Valley earlier in the day in the semifinals, the team just could not put together a strong game, and unfortunately dropped the game. However, the Friars will compete in the state playoffs, and earned the number 1 seed. They'll host Father Judge this Sunday, May 9th, in the first round of the state playoffs. Time is TBD.
Bonner's baseball team extended their win streak to 7 games on Tuesday, as they defeated Father Judge 4-1. Joe Nestor earned the victory, allowing one run in five innings of work. Marty McKeone came in to pitch the final two innings to seal the Friars win. Bonner accounted for 13 hits, while the Crusaders had just 4. Rick Reigner went 3-4, Steve Markus hit 2-4, and Matt Ruggieri was 1-2 with 2 RBI's. Sam Christie also added a triple in the win. With the victory, Bonner improves their record to 10-3 (7-2 League), and maintains first place with a one game lead over LaSalle (6-3 in league). They'll complete the series with Judge at Judge on Thursday at 3:45.
In other PCL Red Division Baseball action: LaSalle routed third place O'Hara 13-2 in 5 innings. Archbishop Ryan defeated St. Joe's Prep 9-7. Roman Catholic picked up their second league win with a 7-5 win over North Catholic.
In The Blue....Neumann Goretti defeated Kennedy-Kenrick 2-1 in a pitchers duel.
There was also some lacrosse action today. A big game took place between Bonner and O'Hara. Bonner allowed two early goals, rallied back to take a 4-3 lead, but that was about all the positive news the Friars would have. O'Hara scored 7 straight goals to turn a close 6-4 halftime lead into a disastrous day for the Friars. Mike Reagon scored two goals for Bonner. Kyle Mathis, Dan Murphy, and senior standout Rick Reid, who will play his college lacrosse at Alvernia next year, also tallied for the Friars. They look to pick up a win in a league game versus Carroll Wednesday at Bonner.
Prendie softball was also in action today. They defeated Hallahan 9-3. Seven of their 9 runs came in the first inning. Kate Dumont went 2-4 with 2 RBI's, and Emily O'Neil went 2-3 including a double, and also had 2 RBI's of her own. Senior Devon Beese earned the win on the mound for the Pandas. They'll host Archbishop Carroll Wednesday at 3:45.
We'll start with some rugby news actually. Bonner's rugby team lost their first league game in the programs two year history on Sunday in the championship game to Salesianum. After defeating Cumberland Valley earlier in the day in the semifinals, the team just could not put together a strong game, and unfortunately dropped the game. However, the Friars will compete in the state playoffs, and earned the number 1 seed. They'll host Father Judge this Sunday, May 9th, in the first round of the state playoffs. Time is TBD.
Bonner's baseball team extended their win streak to 7 games on Tuesday, as they defeated Father Judge 4-1. Joe Nestor earned the victory, allowing one run in five innings of work. Marty McKeone came in to pitch the final two innings to seal the Friars win. Bonner accounted for 13 hits, while the Crusaders had just 4. Rick Reigner went 3-4, Steve Markus hit 2-4, and Matt Ruggieri was 1-2 with 2 RBI's. Sam Christie also added a triple in the win. With the victory, Bonner improves their record to 10-3 (7-2 League), and maintains first place with a one game lead over LaSalle (6-3 in league). They'll complete the series with Judge at Judge on Thursday at 3:45.
In other PCL Red Division Baseball action: LaSalle routed third place O'Hara 13-2 in 5 innings. Archbishop Ryan defeated St. Joe's Prep 9-7. Roman Catholic picked up their second league win with a 7-5 win over North Catholic.
In The Blue....Neumann Goretti defeated Kennedy-Kenrick 2-1 in a pitchers duel.
There was also some lacrosse action today. A big game took place between Bonner and O'Hara. Bonner allowed two early goals, rallied back to take a 4-3 lead, but that was about all the positive news the Friars would have. O'Hara scored 7 straight goals to turn a close 6-4 halftime lead into a disastrous day for the Friars. Mike Reagon scored two goals for Bonner. Kyle Mathis, Dan Murphy, and senior standout Rick Reid, who will play his college lacrosse at Alvernia next year, also tallied for the Friars. They look to pick up a win in a league game versus Carroll Wednesday at Bonner.
Prendie softball was also in action today. They defeated Hallahan 9-3. Seven of their 9 runs came in the first inning. Kate Dumont went 2-4 with 2 RBI's, and Emily O'Neil went 2-3 including a double, and also had 2 RBI's of her own. Senior Devon Beese earned the win on the mound for the Pandas. They'll host Archbishop Carroll Wednesday at 3:45.
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