Central Dauphin

It was only halftime, but Coatesville football coach John Barr could already sense that his players were in payback mode. Exactly one year and three days after Central Dauphin had humbled and embarrassed the Red Raiders, his team had a 28-zip lead at intermission Friday night. They won by a 42-0 count, with the 35-point mercy-rule kicking in with more than six minutes to play in the third quarter. Payback indeed. "Momentum was ours, the kids got a sense of themselves, and we just played a great football game," Barr said.

Dan D'Amato, the Coatesville rubber-armed southpaw who picked up all four wins in the Raiders' drive to the District 1 Class AAA championship, said his team was ready to "move up to the next level. " "Anybody we play, we're going to play them hard," D'Amato said Thursday after he pitched the Raiders past Pennridge, 8-1, in the district championship game. Well, it looks as if the Raiders had better bring a hard-playing attitude to today's first round of the PIAA Class AAA state playoff at 4:30 p.m. at Quakertown.

Despite cold winds and a steady drizzle, senior Pete Micklewright of Central Dauphin carded a 1-under-par 71 yesterday to grab the first-round lead in the 62d annual PIAA boys' golf championship at Penn State's Blue Course. District 1 champion Greg Marshalek of Downingtown finished in a group of five in second place with a 73. Jon Rusk of Council Rock shot a 77, Neshaminy's Chris Bartolacci a 79, and Downingtown's Scott Holland an 80. In the girls' championship, being contested on the White Course, juniors Tiffany Fisher of Easton and Jennifer Patterson of Bethel Park shared the lead with 2-over-par 72s. Oxford's Kim Strong, who won the District 1 girls' crown, was tied for fourth with a 75, and Unionville's Tai Perry was tied for eighth at 79. Micklewright, who finished second in the District 3 championship with a 151, managed three birdies and a double bogey over the 6,525-yard layout.

Early this season, in a tip-off tournament, Downingtown East knocked off host Central Dauphin by 15 points. Last night, led by a torrid-shooting sophomore, Central Dauphin had the upper hand. Hitting 11 of 17 shots from the field, Alyssa Thomas poured in a career-high 30 points as the Rams eliminated the Cougars, 53-46, at Reading High's Geigle Complex in the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA girls' basketball tournament. "She's a Division I player," Downingtown East coach Bob Schnure said.

West Chester Henderson won the PIAA girls' advanced gymnastics championship last night at Shippensburg University by outscoring runner-up North Allegheny, the 1990 champion, 145.40 to 136.50. Central Dauphin was third with 135.70 points. Pennsbury, the other District 1 representative, finished second in the intermediate category with 125.65 points. Red Land successfully defended its intermediate title by scoring 128.95. Henderson's Erika Flamer led all scorers with 37.25 points for the four events: vault, beam, bars and floor exercise.

Central Bucks West was trying for its second consecutive PIAA state girls' soccer championship and seventh overall. Central Dauphin was a first-time finalist. Neither team achieved its goal of claiming an outright title last night at HersheyPark Stadium. After playing for 110 minutes, the Bucks and Rams were locked in a 2-2 draw. The result, per PIAA rules, which does not allow penalty kicks in the state final, was that West and Central Dauphin were declared cochampions of the Class AAA division.

EVAN SCHWAN did not wait long to become the next member of the Penn State recruiting class. Schwan, a 6-6, 235-pound defensive end from Central Dauphin, near Harrisburg, gave the Nittany Lions a verbal commitment Saturday during his campus visit, according to multiple recruiting websites. He becomes Penn State's 19th commitment. That number does not include St. Joseph's Prep quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg. Multiple reports surfaced Friday that Mornhinweg was switching from Penn State to Florida, although he has not publicly commented.

The 29th annual Flyers Cup tournament continued last night. Here is how the teams fared: Washington Township (N.J.) 3, William Tennent 2 Northampton 4, Central Dauphin 3 Central Bucks East 4, Ridley 3 (OT) Boyertown 9, Parkland 3 The tournament is scheduled to run through March 22 at area rinks. All three division championship games - A, AA and AAA - are scheduled for March 22 at the Wachovia Spectrum.

Kareem Shelton did so many things right Friday night in Coatesville's emotional 42-0 win over Central Dauphin that somebody was searching for a negative. "Oh yeah, the punt," Shelton said, referring to a punt he fumbled late in the first half. Central Dauphin recovered on the Red Raiders' 10-yard line but, obviously, did not score. "I saw daylight, and I knew I was going to be able to return it," said the senior. "The blocking and everything was right there. I guess I started running before I caught it. " That's the truly scary thing about Coatesville's victory over the perennial Mid-Penn League power.

The field hockey season ended Wednesday for Unionville, Central Bucks West, and Central Bucks South in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA state tournament. Unionville lost, 2-1, to Hempfield at Central Bucks West. Senior Annabeth Donovan scored her last high school goal with eight minutes left before intermission to tie the score, 1-1. Hempfield then scored with six minutes left. Central Bucks West was bounced, 5-1, by Central Dauphin at Milton Hershey. Junior forward Erick Fiorelli scored on a breakaway in the first half for the Bucks to even the score, 1-1. But four second-half goals by Central Dauphin sent C.B. West to defeat.