Garnet Valley

After taking off from football as a sophomore to focus on baseball, Garnet Valley's Dalton Mayberry returned to the gridiron, as a hard-charging defensive end, the last two seasons. "I wanted to be part of the team," he said. "And I missed it. I'm glad I went back. I'll have good memories of the things we accomplished. " Now zeroed in on what will be his only college pursuit, Mayberry shined on the mound as the visiting Jaguars quieted Central League rival Penncrest, 7-2, Saturday in Media.

Bishop Shanahan coach Vic Bruno felt his team played its "best game of the year" Thursday in defeating visiting Garnet Valley, 5-4, in a Southern Chester County League game. "They felt like playing today," he said, "and were all fired up. " That hasn't been the case all year. In fact, his team played very poorly in losing, 15-3, to visiting Phoenixville on Wednesday in a nonleague contest. Against Garnet Valley, Shanahan scored a run in the first on a Laura Sullivan single, a groundout and an error on a ground ball to second baseman Angela Billups off the bat of Monica Corum.

Being a freshman, Christy Yarnell did not not know what to expect at Garnet Valley. "I was nervous at first," said Yarnell, a wing on the Jaguars' field hockey team. "I didn't even think I'd start. " Now Yarnell is used to playing with the varsity. The problem for the rest of the Southern Chester County League is that it will have to get used to playing against Yarnell. Yarnell was one of three Jaguars to score two goals in Garnet Valley's 7-0 league victory over Avon Grove Monday.

Garnet Valley baseball coach Scott Armstrong said he didn't think his club was a Southern Chester County League favorite this spring. Yes, the defending champions had some experienced players back, and had some pitching depth. But the Jaguars also had lost six starters from the team that had won the league and District 1 Class AA titles. Armstrong was forced to shake up his infield, the big move being the switch of Matt Miller from third base to shortstop. Miller's adjustment has been nothing short of fabulous.

When Garnet Valley's Wellington Zaza received the punt with less than a minute left in the first half, it looked as if he was going to be hit immediately, with his Jaguars headed to halftime trailing Central League rival Conestoga. Instead, Zaza broke a few tackles, made his way to the outside, and let his blazing speed do the rest. His 79-yard touchdown return gave Garnet Valley its first lead, and seemed to suck the air out of the Conestoga home crowd. The air would never quite return to Teamer Field, as Garnet Valley defeated the Pioneers, 28-16, Friday night.

The Garnet Valley High football team could very well get a good look at what it's like to face itself tonight, when it meets District 3 champion Lampeter-Strasburg, in the PIAA Class AAA Eastern Finals at Hersheypark Stadium (7 p.m). The Jaguars (12-1), two-time defending District 1 champions, have come back in successive weeks to reach this point. They've done it with defense, especially in the red zone, and a four-back, multifaceted offense that attacks in many directions. The Pioneers (12-2)

Although her Garnet Valley tennis team fell to Upper Perkiomen, 5-2, in the opening round of the District 1 Class AA team championships on Tuesday, coach Karen Randel can savor a fine season while planning to seek some changes that can help the Jaguars in future district tournaments. Garnet Valley won the Southern Chester County League title this season and finished 13-1 - not bad for a team whose program is only in its second year. But the district's format of four singles matches and three doubles matches for tournament competition put the Jaguars at a disadvantage.

The Rowan University women's track and field team won the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship in Springfield, Mass., on Friday. Among the highlights, Shailah Williams (Pemberton) won the 400 meters in 56.32 seconds. Vanessa Wright (Haddonfield) came in second in the 1,500 and the 4x800 squad of Vanessa Valdes, Jessalynn Wright (Cherokee), Melirah Search and Vanessa Wright finished second. In the men's competition, Rowan's Demetrius Rooks (Absegami) won the 400 hurdles.

Baseball FRIENDS SCHOOLS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Friends' Central 6, Germantown Friends 0 Softball FRIENDS SCHOOLS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Friends' Central 7, Germantown Friends 6 Boys' Lacrosse DISTRICT 1 QUARTERFINALS Avon Grove 11, Downingtown East 5 Conestoga 10, Springfield (D) 8 Radnor 10, Great Valley 8 Garnet Valley 8, Upper Dublin 7 Girls' Lacrosse DISTRICT 1 QUARTERFINALS Springfield (D) 12, Conestoga 10 Radnor 11, Garnet Valley 10 Harriton 12, Strath Haven 7 Boyertown 10, Great Valley 8 Boys' Tennis PIAA STATE CLASS AAA FINAL Conestoga 4, Shady Side Academy 1 PIAA STATE CLASS AAA SEMIFINALS Conestoga 3, La Salle 1 Shady Side Academy 3, Council Rock North 0 Friends Schools League Championship Germantown Frds.

The Friends' Central baseball team won its second Friends Schools League championship in three years Saturday, behind a no-hitter by senior righthander Aaron Ross. Ross struck out seven as the host Phoenix defeated Germantown Friends, 6-0. It was the second time this season that Ross no-hit the Tigers. "That's huge on a championship stage," Friends' Central coach Ross Trachtenberg said. "He worked off his fastball, and his slider was excellent today. He challenged hitters and got ahead of hitters.

Central Bucks East, Neshaminy, Strath Haven, and Unionville were among the top seeds in the 24-team PIAA District 1 Class AAAA baseball tournament. Neshaminy, which won the Suburban One National, is the top seed in the District 1 Class AAAA softball tournament. The district seedings for both sports were announced Thursday. The top four baseball seeds in the North (No. 1 C.B. East, No. 2 Neshaminy, No. 3 Methacton, No. 4 Perkiomen Valley) and South (No. 1 Strath Haven, No. 2 Unionville, No. 3 West Chester Henderson, and No. 4 Coatesville)

Wellington Zaza and Amanda Benninghoff have been two of the area's preeminent track and field athletes all season. Nothing changed Friday when they repeated as champions on Day 1 of the PIAA District 1 meet at Coatesville. Zaza, a senior at Garnet Valley, sailed 48 feet, 6 inches in the Class AAA boys' triple jump to top the second-place effort of 47-03/4 by North Penn's Jared Alston. Benninghoff, a Council Rock South senior bound for North Carolina, cleared 12-31/2 in the Class AAA girls' pole vault.