Cougars

An already wounded George School football team took some tough knocks from Pennington (N.J.) in a 40-0 loss Saturday. "This has to be one of our least successful afternoons," said Cougars coach John Gleeson. "We've had some rough going, and we can't excuse it all to injuries, though we've had tough times with those. " The visiting Cougars (0-3) lost their fifth starter to injury since the season began. Senior running back Joel Wennik, the team's leading rusher and scorer from last year, took a helmet hit in his side and left the game at halftime.

The Springfield Cougars aren't roaring about any more victories this year, after losing, 43-41, to the Great Valley Patriots Wednesday night in the first round of the District 1 Class AAA semifinals. The Cougars hail from the Central League, the Patriots from the Ches-Mont League. The Cougars (6-12 league, 8-17 overall) and the Patriots (7-5 league, 15-10 overall) each displayed strong defenses throughout the game, but it was the Patriots' better shooting percentage in the fourth quarter that proved to be the clincher.

Akiba Hebrew's basketball team continued its mastery over visiting Woodlynde School on Tuesday afternoon, and Cougars' coach Steve Gittleman cited a solid defensive effort for the victory. The Cougars dumped Woodlynde, 71-38, in a Tri-County League game for their second win over the Warriors this season and ran their overall record to 10-12 and 9-3 in the league. "We played excellent pressure defense," Gittleman said. "Once we started pressing them, they weren't able to stay with us. Good defense has helped us out in all of our wins this year.

Springfield coach Skip Werley saw his Cougars lose Saturday to a team led by someone he likes very much. His kid brother, Ralph. It was the younger Werley's Pottsgrove Falcons that came up on top, 60-52, in a nonleague basketball game. "Besides being my brother, he is also a good friend," said Skip Werley. The teams last met in the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class AAA District 1 playoffs last season. Springfield won, advancing to the semifinals before being knocked out. So the brothers decided to meet on the basketball court again.

Cherry Hill East may possess South Jersey's most deadly outside shooting attack, and coach John Valore is hoping his Cougars will ride that ability to a winning season. East senior guard Glenn Foley is the trigger man in the Cougars' outside game. He led the state in 3-point field goals last season, connecting on 109 in 251 attempts (43 percent). Point guard Dan Karbach and guard Floyd Lewis are also potent shooters in an offensive system that features three guards and two forwards.

Cherry Hill East boys' basketball coach John Valore is counting on his Cougars to make big strides this season. And with three starters and a host of experienced players on the roster, the Cougars have a solid chance at enjoying a winning campaign. "How good we will be will depend on the level of intensity these players put forth," said Valore, who is entering his 12th season as East's coach. "They need to improve their intensity over last season and play better defense in order for us to show some improvement.

The Springfield Cougars entered the basketball season shouldering some high expectations from their Central League co-championship last year and the return of high scorers George Pendergrass and Greg Jefferson. But Springfield's first month was riddled with four nonleague losses in six tries - and question marks began to pop up. A 69-63 win Saturday at Marple Newtown did little to erase those questions, but coach Skip Werley is hoping the victory sparks some momentum for his team.

There have been more successful debuts than the one Upper Darby pitcher John Karolyi endured on Friday afternoon in the rain at Springfield High School. But Karolyi's unspectacular outing did not dampen Royals coach Ray Niemiec's outlook on someone he hopes will be an integral member of his pitching staff before the season ends. Springfield stroked seven hits off Karolyi in five innings on its way to a 10-3 triumph over Upper Darby in a Central League game played before a smattering of people huddling under umbrellas.

Akiba Hebrew's basketball team received a double dose of bad news from host Swarthmore Academy on Tuesday afternoon in a Tri-County League game. First, the Cougars were swamped by Swarthmore, 74-40, and second, they suffered a key loss when junior forward Josh Kern went down with an ankle injury. Akiba, however, claimed an easy 75-40 Tri-County victory over Kimberton Farms on Monday afternoon to salvage a 1-1 week. The struggling Cougars now have a 3-7 overall record. At the outset of the loss to the Knights, Kern was forced to leave with an injured left ankle.

After returning only four starters from last year's team, Springfield football coach Rick Taylor was hoping his young squad would begin to learn to play together as a unit in its season-opener at Unionville on Saturday. The Cougars certainly learned a lot. In fact, they taught Unionville a lesson, jelling as the game went on and whipping the hapless Indians, 32-0. Springfield not only outscored the Indians, it held the advantage in every significant statistical category, including rushing yards (253-81)

Jackie Ingram's first home run was the shot in the arm that her West Chester East softball team needed. Her second brought the Vikings to within a run of visiting Downingtown East. By the time her third long ball of the day cleared the high fence and rolled on the football field, her coach, Chuck Lindsay, was shaking his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable," he said, as Ingram rounded the bases with a similar look of amazement across her face. On practically any other day, the moment would have belonged to Ingram, as the senior had seven RBIs Friday.

Kingsway mounted a valiant second-half rally at home Wednesday, but the Cherry Hill East duo of senior Caitlin Delaney and junior Taylor Patrizzi proved too much in the Cougars' 15-13 victory in nonleague girls' lacrosse. Delaney matched her career high by scoring eight goals, and Patrizzi added six. Taylor Gretz led the Dragons with four goals and three assists.

When you are a high school softball player and your birthday falls in the second week of April, you get accustomed to playing games instead of opening presents after the final school bell rings. For Alexa Naughton, a Springfield (Delco) senior who turned 18 on Wednesday, the game she played turned out to be better than anything gift-wrapped. The first baseman went 2 for 3 at the plate with a triple, a double, a walk, and five RBIs, helping the visiting Cougars defeat Central League opponent Radnor, 9-4. "First, I just look for my pitch," said Naughton, who thinks of herself as an aggressive batter.

HERSHEY, Pa. - In the final three minutes of the first half, Vaux saw a nine-point lead turn into a one-point deficit. But Rysheed Jordan and his teammates, with the burning desire to mark the program's end with a state championship, were not about to let undersized, scrappy Johnsonburg pull off a storybook ending. "We had to win something," Jordan said. "After losing in the Public League final, our main focus was states. " The Cougars, switching to a man-to-man defense and taking away three-point looks, regained command late in the third quarter and stormed past the Rams, 83-63, Friday afternoon to claim the PIAA Class A title at the Giant Center.

Luis Carreras of Burlington Township needed two overtimes but was able to secure first place in the 285-pound weight class with a 2-1 victory over Burlington City's Arthur Diggs at the Burlington County Open on Saturday at Delran. Carreras beat George Wolyn of New Egypt with a 4-2 decision in the semifinals. Diggs beat Kevin Hernando of Palmyra with a 10-6 decision in their semifinal. In the 170-pound final, Northern Burlington's Rahmil Davis earned first place with an 8-4 decision over Robert Rein of Rancocas Valley.

Luis Carreras of Burlington Township needed two overtimes but was able to secure first place in the 285-pound weight class with a 2-1 victory over Burlington City's Arthur Diggs at the Burlington County Open on Saturday at Delran. Carreras beat George Wolyn of New Egypt with a 4-2 decision in the semifinals. Diggs beat Kevin Hernando of Palmyra with a 10-6 decision in their semifinal. In the 170-pound final, Northern Burlington's Rahmil Davis earned first place with an 8-4 decision over Robert Rein of Rancocas Valley.

Imhotep Charter's David Williams and Downingtown East's Jay Harris highlighted the 10 local selections announced Saturday night for the annual Big 33 Football Classic. Williams, a running back bound for South Carolina, will be joined by Imhotep's Najee Goode. Harris, a wideout headed to Michigan State, will be joined by Cougars offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson. La Salle's Ryan Winslow is the team's kicker and Washington's Marquis Edwards will be a defensive back. Archbishop Wood's George Griffin will play offensive line and the Vikings' Nick Arcidiacono will be a tight end. The defense features West Catholic's Jaryd Jones-Smith (line)

Burlington City (6-0) at Doane Academy (6-0), Monday at 5:30 p.m.: Doane Academy, which recently joined the NJSIAA, has a win over Burlington Township. West Deptford (5-1) at No. 2 Paulsboro (7-0), Thursday at 5:30: This is a chance for the surprising Eagles to show how far they've come. No. 5 Shawnee (6-1) at No. 6 Eastern (4-1), Thursday at 6: Don't miss this showdown of serious South Jersey Group 4 contenders. Cherry Hill East (5-2) at Cherokee (5-2), Saturday at 11:30 a.m.: The Cougars won the first game by 44-42.

Karl Moehlmann decided before the 2009 season that this year would be his last coaching the Cherry Hill East boys' soccer team. He saw promise in his freshmen that year and wanted to ride it out through their senior season. He has had more than three years to reflect on his legacy and think about retirement. So when it finally came, Moehlmann said, he wasn't as much nostalgic as he was satisfied. "It's been so nice to see that so many former players have been e-mailing me, congratulating me, and telling me that a lot of what I taught them on the soccer field has helped shape them into the man they are today," Moehlmann said.