CAIRNBROOK — The Windber girl’s volleyball squad played the underdog card one more time Thursday night, but could not find a way to upset top seeded North Star, falling 3-0 in the District 5 Class A championship.
Getting to the final was a tall task for the Ramblers.
Seeded sixth, they needed to knock off No. 3 Mc Connellsburg and No. 2 Berlin to have a shot at taking down the undefeated Cougars.
“Coming in we had nothing to lose and they (North Star) came in with the pressure on them,” Windber coach Dom Byer said. “We had a wide open offense and wanted to get off to a fast start.”
The strategy paid off and Windber took the early 2-0 lead in game one. North Star recovered and built a lead at 10-6 before outside hitter Ashley Steinbach re-energized her team with an ace.
North Star’s Karen Schmidt and Emily Lohr took over at 21-20, putting the game in the books for the Cougars 25-20.
North Star came out in Game 2 with more poise and ran off 14 straight points before Windber broke through on the scoreboard. The Ramblers played tough after the streak and refused to quit. Steinbach had three kills and Julie Sloan made a diving pass that sent her into the bleachers before they fell 25-9 in the game.
Windber came in to game three with Byer’s words.
With all the focus on Amanda Schmidt in Game 3, Lohr had seven of her match-high 15 kills in the game and led her team to a 25-10 victory and the district title.
“It feels amazing to win with these group of girls,” Lohr said. “Amanda (Schmidt) is my mentor on the team, and she is like a hero to me.”
Steinbach had nine kills for the Ramblers and Amanda Schmidt finished with 12 for the Cougars.
High School Sports
North Star sweeps Windber en route to title
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South all-stars drawing bead on North quarterbacks
Forget about getting Shorty, the South defense is getting geared up to cover North quarterbacks Danny Ferens of Penns Manor and Nathan Bearer of Cambria Heights on Friday night in the 43rd annual Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game.
Oh, and the Rebs, who won 44-6 last year, will also be working on containing the rest of the Yankees’ offense as well. -
Bishop McCort’s title defense derailed by Johnsonburg
Bishop McCort coach Chris Pfeil credited Johnsonburg for its seemingly unlikely, if not miraculous comeback victory over the defending state champions on Friday afternoon.
But the veteran coach also conceded that the Crushers will probably spend a lot of time pondering what might have been in the aftermath of a 7-6 loss in 11 innings during a PIAA Class A quarterfinal playoff at Punxsutawney’s Rich Kuntz Memorial Field. -
Squandered chances cost the Crushers
The Bishop McCort baseball team tasted the sweetness of winning last year in its pursuit of the PIAA Class A title.
The Crimson Crushers experienced the bitterness of defeat Friday afternoon, ending their 11-game postseason win streak with a 7-6 loss to Johnsonburg in an 11-inning PIAA quarterfinal-round contest at Rich Kuntz Field. -
Somerset’s Ian Stiffler drafted by Atlanta Braves
Somerset boasts a proud baseball tradition. So much so, that a wall at the facility shared by the Somerset Golden Eagles and Somerset’s American Legion team lists those who have been drafted by a major-league club or have moved on to play collegiate baseball.
Time to find more paint. -
Bishop McCort expects close game
During last year’s run to the PIAA Class A championship, Bishop McCort baseball ran into a District 9 team in Elk County Catholic in the semifinals.
The Crushers scored five runs in the fifth inning and eight in the sixth, and left with a 17-0 victory. -
Ligonier Valley facing unbeaten opponent
The Ligonier Valley Rams continue their trek through the state playoffs reaching the state quarterfinal after a 6-5 victory over Chestnut Ridge on Monday.
They next play undefeated WPIAL champion Riverside at 4 p.m. today at Fairhaven Park in McKees Rocks. -
Seven Northern Cambria athletes choose colleges
Alex Atkins was a standout defenseman for the Northern Cambria Colts and the Tribune-Democrat Defensive Player of the Year. Now, he will continue to play football and further his education at Division I Brown University. Atkins and six of his classmates have committed to continue their athletic careers in college.
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Ian Stiffler is Athlete of the Week
Name: Ian Stiffler
School: Somerset
Year: Senior
Sport: Baseball -
Talented group of Shade athletes commits to college
The student-athletes from Shade’s graduating Class of 2013 rank among the more accomplished in recent Panthers’ history.
“It was quite a good year,” said Shade Athletic Director Mike Pribish, who also serves as co-coach of the Panthers’ football team. “We had a lot of success in a lot of different sports.” -
Six Trojans plan to continue athletic careers
Greater Johnstown High School honored six student-athletes who will continue their careers in college, and the district recognized two senior athletes for their contributions.
The ceremony took place Tuesday afternoon at Cochran Auditorium. - More High School Sports Headlines
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