The Voice was silent this week with some computer problems. Hopefully this issue has been resolved.
Always remember the "NY" on the Yankee caps stands for "Next Year."
I'm sure my friends Doyle and Mike will appreciate it.
This Friday promises to be interesting in the fact that it may be dry for the first time since Week 4.
Shamokin will be playing Mifflinburg at home. For the seniors, this will be their last home game. This game probably won't be as historic as last season, but the Wildcats have a shot at making the AAA playoff field.
This Shamokin group of seniors will have played under three different head coaches in four years.
I like Shamokin in a close one tonight.
Shamokin Area picked up their second win of the season with a 39-20 win over Warrior Run played in the mud at Defender Stadium. The Turbotville area was drenched with a driving rainstorm during warm ups from about 5:30 to 6:45 pm.
On a night mistake-free football was at a premium, Shamokin got a kickoff return, an interception return, and held a plus three turnover ratio turning the ball over 3 times to the Defender's 6.
Brent Forbes rushed for over 100 yards in the first half and scored two touchdowns. Shamokin held a 20-0 lead early in the third quarter as Tim Boussan returned the second half kickoff for the score. Warrior Run run ceased momentum almost as fast with a scoring strike to Ian Adams on fourth down and the Defender had the ball deep in Shamokin territory after an Indian turnover.
Shamokin then capitalized on some Defender mistakes increased their lead to 33-7 and cruised for the victory.
It was the fourth straight week the area teams saw significant rain during a game on Friday. It was the third time this season a Shamokin Area football game lasted longer than 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Last week a former department was charged with corruption in Northumberland County. The PA AG office did the investigation after being referred the case by the District Attorney through the Controller's Office.
All this to uncover 12K.
I wonder where 30 million went?
At the end of the 2006 high school season, Shamokin Area decided to severe ties with Carmen DeFrancesco. In 2007, after stops at Cardinal Brennan, Danville, and Shamokin all of sudden Coach Carm wasn't in high demand.
A few applications not many takers and Defrancesco found himself in high school football purgatory......Upper Dauphin. The Trojans would win a few games here and there and churn out a class of good athletes, but nothing of the like you would see playing about an hour north. There are no Southern's, Mount Carmel's, Selinsgrove's on the schedule and over a 1000 in attendance is a good night at the gate.
Starting out with a win over Pequa Valley in Week 1 in 2007, Upper Dauphin would lose the next 10 in a row, score only 18 more points and be shut out in 8 out of those 10 losses. Earlier in that 2007, I ran into DeFrancesco scouting Line Mountain against Juniata. He asked me to take a guess on who was the fastest person on his team? He later replied, "the head coach."
Three seasons later Tyler Koppenhaver, Ty Grosser, and Ty Rubenstine are at or near the top in passing, rushing and receiving in the Twin Valley League. When DeFrancesco commented about team speed he said I have a good sophomore class with a good work ethic. He also said the team isn't bad defensively. That was 2007.
You never know what the rest of the 2009 will bring, but this restoration job could prove to be DeFrancesco's finest.
