Archbishop Wood

It would be very difficult to find an area softball coach who likes rain. But after Archbishop Wood had fallen behind powerful rival Bishop Conwell by three runs early in Wednesday night's Catholic League home game, the rains came and washed away a potential loss - at least for now. "It was 2-0 before it started, so in that regard, I was glad to see the rains," said Wood coach Tom Leva. "I had never seen my team so nervous. Even a senior like (all-league shortstop) Kim Fitzgerald was nervous, and that kid thrives on pressure.

Archbishop Wood's team title in Sunday's Catholic League cross-country championship meet was the Vikings' second in a row and seventh in nine years. It also capped a season in which their only loss in any meet was by one point to a team from California. "No doubt this is the best team we've ever had," coach John Sharp said of his 19th Wood varsity, "and Sunday was exceptional. " In the Catholic League meet victory, Wood's 32 points were one off the meet record (31 by Cardinal Dougherty in 1964)

In its last meeting with North Catholic, Archbishop Wood jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead - only to have the Falcons storm back for four goals and a 4-3 win. In a Catholic League Northern Division semifinal soccer game yesterday, the host Falcons did not allow the Vikings the same luxury. Bill Gardner scored a pair of goals as North jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead and defeated Wood, 3-1. The Falcons (12-4-4 overall, 10-2-4 league), who finished second in the league during the regular season, will take on the winner of today's Archbishop Ryan/Cardinal Dougherty game in the division championship next Saturday.

There is quite a logjam at the top of the Catholic League wrestling standings, with Archbishop Wood, Northeast Catholic, Bishop Egan and St. Joseph's Prep enjoying 2-0 league records. Wood coach Mike Fitzgerald and his Vikings had a great week with three big wins. On Wednesday, they overpowered Archbishop Carroll, 64-9, with Dan Wagner leading the list of impressive wrestlers. And then on Friday, the Vikings won over Cardinal O'Hara (48-19) and The Hill School (57-3).

Top to bottom, there may not be another basketball league as competitive as the Catholic League North this year. Going into yesterday's games, five of the nine teams were at or above the .500 mark, and two others were not far below it. Friday night, Archbishop Wood was host to Bishop Kenrick with fourth place on the line. The Vikings, who have played many of their best games on the road, allowed Kenrick to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but won, 77-72, in overtime. Entering yesterday's game with Bishop Egan, Wood was 5-3 in the league, and Kenrick fell to 3-4. "Going into the fourth, we were up by 8," Wood coach Joe Blair said.

Another meet and a few more first-place medals for Archbishop Wood. That has been the Vikings' story all year, since cross-country in the fall. And the three names that have been on every list of Wood winners have been Brian McCafferty, Keith Clements and Jason Switzer. The senior trio did it again at Saturday's Greater Philadelphia Track and Field Coaches Association Relays at Wissahickon High School. They all ran on two winning teams - the record-setting four-mile and distance-medley relays.

Archbishop Wood coach John Sharp did not have much to say to his runners last week as they prepared for Saturday's Briarwood Classic at Fairmount Park's Belmont Plateau. "I felt the pressure all week," he said. "I was nervous. I stayed away from the kids for three days because I didn't want them to sense it. " Sharp's team has won six Philadelphia Catholic League cross-country titles in the last six years, but what set Saturday's meet apart for him was a chance to match his runners against the best suburban and South Jersey teams.

The big question in scholastic ice hockey this season is whether Archbishop Wood and Cheltenham can repeat as league champions and carry their winning ways to the prestigious Flyers' Cup tournament. The Vikings won the Northern League title last year, and Cheltenham won the Suburban League championship. However, Cheltenham's early losses to Pennsbury and Wood in the Flyers' Cup knocked the Panthers out in the first round. Wood survived to the semifinals, only to lose to Malvern Prep.

Rich Carroll and Bryan Kutler, Archbishop Wood senior boys' lacrosse captains, know they have two big Catholic League games coming up, today against Father Judge and Sunday against Conwell-Egan. But the Vikings are itching to play LaSalle. That game is scheduled for April 28. "LaSalle has dominated the league for the last six or seven years," Wood coach Don Mangin said. Wood (5-2) is looking at the meeting with LaSalle as a barometer of how far its program, which is in its fifth season, has come.