Mount Carmel Shut Out Again

Although it doesn't happen often, but it is news when Mount Carmel gets shut out in a football season.  It is big news when the Red Tornadoes get shut out twice in the same season.

Checking back over the history book at Mount Carmel, the last time two shut outs occurred was back in 2006 when the Red Tornadoes were blanked 54-0 to Southern and 8-0 to Shikellamy. The '87 team was shut out twice by North Schuylkill and Williamsport.  1985 was the least productive with the Big Red being shut out five times in an 11-game season.  Tamaqua, Pittston, Shamokin, Berwick and Pottsville pitched them.  The Pittston, Shamokin and Berwick games were part of a three game stretch where Mount Carmel were outscored 64-0.  Finally, you have to travel back to the 1971, 1960 and 1951 when two regular season shut outs have occurred.

No one wants to be shut out, only happening six times over 50 years is quite impressive.

The Heartland Fab Five remains unchanged.  Even with losses by Southern and Mount Carmel, they will stay put for now.

Heartland Fab Five

In the 4 years this blog has been on the map, I have never compiled a high school poll of any kind. Just for fun, I decided to start the Heartland Conferance Fab 5.  I compiled the poll based on what I have seen and or heard from other reporters and fans. Southern is ranked number one, followed by Lewisburg, Danville, Bloomsburg, and Mount Carmel.

This isn't the Southern Columbia team that you would see roll up over 400 yards on the ground and throw a few token passes.  This Southern team is pretty diverse.  This past Friday, the Tigers didn't have a back over 60 yards but managed 43 points and the game was never in doubt.  Defensively, the Tigers are improving weekly.  After allowing a 47-yard run to Jared Montgomery, the Indian running back was held to 6 more yards the rest of the half when the game mattered.

Lewisburg is my number two team in the conference.  Why?  When Mount Carmel fans admit they were dominated on both sides of the ball take that as the ultimate form of kudos. The Green Dragons will face Southern in 2 weeks.

Danville comes in a team number 3.  Why aren't the Ironmen any higher?  Right now I will chalk this up on schedule.  Danville opened with Shikellamy.  In speaking to Shik fans, the Braves gave up 21, 26, and 38 points and have a hard time stopping anyone.  Selinsgrove's line was dominated by Mount Carmel in Week 1 and Central may be the bottom at the bottom of the conference looking up.  Should contend with Lewisburg for the AA title in District 4.

Bloomsburg comes in at number 4.  Bloom likes to play physical even if they don't have the horsese to do it.  Quarterback Blake Rankin could be the best in the conference.  The Panthers face a test against Southern in 3 weeks.

Mount Carmel rounds our the Fab Five at number 5.  Mount Carmel has a 3-game stretch again Loyalsock, Montoursville and Central Columbia.  Week 7 begins a finish against North Schuylkill, Shik, Southern, and Shamokin.  Keep the ice on hand.  Handing the Seals their first loss at home since 2004 counts for something.

Mount Carmel's first score of 2008

Mount Carmel's first score in the Heartland Conference.

Former Seal head coach Bill Scott looks on in the opener

Mount Carmel pulled out a 14-0 in a drizzle on Friday. I will have more on this game and Southern vs. Shamokin in my weekend wrap.

Jim Roth interview for opener with Shamokin

Jim Roth talks about his offseason preparation for the upcoming opener with Shamokin and the new Heartland Conference.




Listen to Saturday's game here on BILL95 FM

NCAA Final: Cinderella Sitting This One Out

"The Voice" and 1985 Tournament MVP Villanova's Ed "E-Z Ed" Pinckney

Kansas and Memphis, two number one seeds by the way, will battle it out for NCAA college basketball supremacy. The ingrediants that made this tournament great in years past are missing once again.

Heartland Conference

Three teams in the News-Item coverage area; Shamokin, Mount Caremel and Southern have their schedules posted for the 2008 season. Click here.

Buzzer beater by Danville sends Shamokin home

One video clip is worth a thousand words. Just as when it looked like the Indians were going to survive and advance to the District IV AAA finals, the ghosts of Scott Ativo and Bill Celuk came home to haunt the Indians. Danville senior C.J. Cressman came out of nowhere to bury a trey near halfcourt and will now be forever remembered in Ironmen basketball lore.

It was Scott Ativo's lay up of an air ball in 1998 for Steel-High that sent Shamokin home in the Eastern semifinals and Celuk's tap in at the buzzer for Valley View in the Eastern quarters in 1997. Assistant coach for Shamokin, saw both as a player back then for the Indians. Now add Cressman to that list.

One player that you do have to feel for is Shamokin's Marc Persing. He is the lone senior that will not be returning for the Indians next season in the Heartland Conference. Persing needed 17 points for 1000 points for the career finished with 990.

Heartland Conference Alignments Announced in All Sports

The Heartland Conference announced their alignment for all scholastic sports for the 2008 season. What prompted the creation of the conference is to cut down on travel and make scheduling easier especially for sports like football.

Shamokin and Mount Carmel Area's having major scheuduling problems throughout the last decade, does not solve their scheduling problems in football. On paper the schools were placed in Division II along with Southern Area, Warrior Run, Central Columbia, and Loyalsock. Below is an article by the Press-Enterprise detailing the future scheduling woes of Southern, but I think Shamokin and Mount Carmel will have the same problem once again.

Look at article and judge for yourself.

Southern Columbia's football team will play in a division of larger
schools when the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference begins play
in 2008.
The PHAC recently announced the divisional alignments for the 25 schools
that will compete in the 18 varsity sports the league offers.
Southern, which based on enrollment numbers should play in the smaller
Division III in football, agreed to move up to Division II, which is
reserved for mid-sized schools. Lewisburg, a Division II school by
enrollment, dropped down to Division III.
Southern Columbia, the five-time defending state champion, is classifed
a Class A school by the PIAA. Class A is the smallest of the state's
four classes.
Aligning football teams proved to be the league's toughest challenge,
according to Lewisburg athletics director John Vaji, the PHAC's
spokesperson. The main problem was some small schools felt they couldn't
compete with Southern, Vaji said.
Aside from Southern, Division II consists of Central Columbia,
Loyalsock, Mount Carmel, Shamokin and Warrior Run - all teams that were
on Southern's schedule last season.
Southern must find five other games, which could be challenging. It will
most likely have to schedule the new league's biggest schools in
Division I, which includes Danville, Jersey Shore, Miflinburg, Milton,
Montoursville, Selinsgrove and Shikellamy, Vaji said.
Teams must play every team in their division once in football and
wrestling, and twice in every other sport. Football teams are free to
schedule their five non-division games outside of the league.
The alignments are as follows:

Baseball (24 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton,
Montoursville, Selinsgrove, Shikellamy. Division II: Bloomsburg, Central
Columbia, Hughesville, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Mount Carmel, Shamokin,
Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Millville, Montgomery, Muncy, South
Williamsport, Southern Columbia, St. John Neumann, Sullivan County.

Boys basketball (24 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Mifflinburg, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shamokin, Shikellamy. Division II: Central Columbia,
Hughesville, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Midd-West, Mount Carmel, Southern
Columbia, Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Bloomsburg, Millville,
Montgomery, Muncy, South Williamsport, St. John Neumann, Sullivan
County.

Girls basketball (24 teams)

Division I: Jersey Shore, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shamokin, Shikellamy. Division II: Central Columbia,
Montoursville, Hughesville, Lewisburg, Danville, Mount Carmel, Southern
Columbia, Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Bloomsburg, Millville,
Montgomery, Muncy, South Williamsport, St. John Neumann, Sullivan
County.

Bowling (9 teams)

Single division: Central Columbia, Danville, Lewisburg, Midd-West,
Mifflinburg, Milton, Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Southern Columbia.

Boys cross country (16 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Midd-West, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II: Bloomsburg, Central
Columbia, Lewisburg, Mount Carmel, Shamokin, Southern Columbia, Sullivan
County, Warrior Run.

Girls cross country (24 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Midd-West, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II: Bloomsburg, Central
Columbia, Lewisburg, Mount Carmel, Shamokin, Southern Columbia, Sullivan
County, Warrior Run.

Field hockey (14 teams)

Division I: Danville, Lewisburg, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy. Division II: Benton, Bloomsburg, Central
Columbia, Millville, Muncy, Southern Columbia, Warrior Run.

Football (19 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Mifflinburg, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy. Division II: Central Columbia, Loyalsock, Mount
Carmel, Shamokin, Southern Columbia, Warrior Run. Division III:
Bloomsburg, Hughesville, Lewisburg, Montgomery, Muncy, South
Williamsport.

Golf (23 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II: Central Columbia,
Hughesville, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Montoursville, Mount Carmel,
Shamokin, Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Bloomsburg, Montgomery,
South Williamsport, Southern Columbia, St. John Neumann, Sullivan
County.

Boys soccer (25 teams)

Division I: Danville, Lewisburg, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton,
Montoursville, Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II:
Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Hughesville, Jersey Shore, Loyalsock,
Mount Carmel, Shamokin, Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Bloomsburg,
Millville, Montgomery, Muncy, South Williamsport, St. John Neumann,
Sullivan County.

Girls soccer (25 teams)

Division I: Danville, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shamokin, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II: Central
Columbia, Hughesville, Jersey Shore, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Mount Carmel,
South Williamsport, Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Bloomsburg,
Millville, Montgomery, Muncy, Southern Columbia, St. John Neumann,
Sullivan County.

Softball (24 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Montoursville, Mifflinburg, Milton,
Selinsgrove, Shamokin, Shikellamy. Division II: Central Columbia,
Hughesville, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Midd-West, Mount Carmel, South
Williamsport, Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Bloomsburg, Millville,
Montgomery, Muncy, Southern Columbia, St. John Neumann, Sullivan County.

Swimming (8 teams)

Single division: Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Danville, Jersey Shore,
Montoursville, Mount Carmel, Shamokin, Williamsport.

Boys tennis (16 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Mifflinburg, Loyalsock,
Montoursville, Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II:
Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Hughesville, Lewisburg, Milton, Muncy,
South Williamsport, St. John Neumann.

Girls tennis (16 teams)

Division I: Danville, Hughesville, Jersey Shore, Milton, Montoursville,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II: Bloomsburg, Central
Columbia, Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Montgomery, Muncy, South Williamsport,
St. John Neumann.

Boys track (18 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Lewisburg, Selinsgrove, Shikellamy,
Williamsport. Division II: Central Columbia, Milton, Mifflinburg, Mount
Carmel, Montoursville, Shamokin. Division III: Bloomsburg, Hughesville,
Montgomery, South Williamsport, Southern Columbia, Warrior Run.

Girls track (18 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Lewisburg, Selinsgrove, Shikellamy,
Williamsport. Division II: Central Columbia, Milton, Mifflinburg, Mount
Carmel, Montoursville, Shamokin. Division III: Bloomsburg, Hughesville,
Montgomery, South Williamsport, Southern Columbia, Warrior Run.

Wrestling (23 teams)

Division I: Danville, Jersey Shore, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Milton,
Selinsgrove, Shikellamy, Williamsport. Division II: Bloomsburg, Central
Columbia, Hughesville, Lewisburg, Montoursville, Mount Carmel, Shamokin,
Warrior Run. Division III: Benton, Loyalsock, Montgomery, Muncy, South
Williamsport, Southern Columbia, Sullivan County.