Palmyra

Freshman Brielle Morichetti pitched three consecutive shutouts, including a no-hitter, to earn most valuable player honors and lead Burlington City to the Palmyra softball championship on Saturday. Burlington City claimed the crown by slipping past Burlington Township, 1-0. McKenna Booker tripled and scored on an overthrow in the seventh inning for the game's lone run. Morichetti held Trenton Catholic hitless, and the Blue Devils erupted for nine runs in the fourth inning to finish off the Iron Mikes, 14-0, in a quarterfinal.

About 100 Palmyra residents and officials met last night to discuss their opposition to a proposed incinerator in Pennsauken a half-mile from the border with Palmyra. The citizens suggested ways for Pennsauken and other Camden County towns to dispose of trash without building the incinerator, and they heard from Mark Lohbauer, a Pennsauken committeeman and leader of Stop the Incinerator Now, a group chiefly composed of Pennsauken residents. Many Palmyra residents opposed to the incinerator attended a regular meeting of the Pennsauken Solid Waste Management Authority last week.

The Palmyra Borough Council intends to appoint a five-member committee to study environmental concerns, especially the trash incinerators planned in Camden and Pennsauken, the new mayor announced at last night's council meeting. Mayor Robert Leather, presiding over his first Borough Council meeting, noted that the two incinerators would draw their water from the same source as Palmyra. Camden's incinerator has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection, Leather said, while the Pennsauken incinerator, which would serve 12 municipalities, is to be the subject of a state hearing at 1 p.m. Feb. 2 at Garden State Park race track in Cherry Hill.

After the regular-season finale had ended, after Burlington Township High had held off a furious Palmyra comeback and eked out a 73-71 Burlington County League Freedom Division victory last night, winning coach Jay Flanagan tried to sort out the game's ramifications. On one hand, Township had played sensationally in the first half, even though one starter was benched for disciplinary reasons, and finished with four players in double figures. The Falcons also hit 9 of 15 shots from three-point range.

In one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day high school football rivalries in South Jersey, more than holiday bragging rights were at stake yesterday at Burlington City. A share of the Burlco/Olympic League Freedom Division title was there for the taking, and Palmyra seized it. Down by 14 points at intermission, Palmyra tied the game in the third quarter, and quarterback Steven Morris won it, 28-21, with a touchdown pass in the final period. Palmyra, Burlington City, and Florence had been tied with 4-1 records going into yesterday's final division game of the season.

The people who live and work in the center of town say they don't know how or when Palmyra's rat problem started. Tony Ventura, the barber of Tony's Barbershop at 525 Cinnaminson Ave. for 30 years, believes it began at least 10 years ago when a plumber left junked toilets and refrigerators in a back yard in the area. "A few years ago (I) trapped a rat and brought it to borough hall," said Ventura, who rents the apartments above his shop. "That's when they (officials) started moving their tail a little bit. " Trash haulers and exterminators spent most of last weekend cleaning out a house at 515 Cinnaminson Ave. after about a year of negotiations with the owner, Julia Odor, according to Borough Solicitor Bill Wilkins.

Bordentown and Delran, teams that brought home state titles last season, were the preseason favorites in the Burlington County League Freedom Division soccer race this year. Burlington was also highly touted. Palmyra? Well, the Pals, with only five returning starters from a 9-8-2 team, figured to finish in the middle of the pack. Right near Moorestown. Yet, with the season almost two weeks old, the only two Freedom teams that own unbeaten league records are . . . Yep, Palmyra and Moorestown.

Ty Belford will never forget his first game as coach of Palmyra in 2003, although he would like to. Belford, who had a long, successful reign as coach at Willingboro, lost to Delran, 34-0, in his first game guiding the Panthers. Fast-forward to Friday, as Palmyra beat Delran, 22-6, in the first game between the two since Belford's debut. Palmyra is 3-0 for the first time since 1995. "The win over Delran is the biggest since I've been here," Belford said. "I think it shows the turnaround we've had. " Palmyra has four seniors who have seen extensive time since their freshman year: wide receiver/defensive back Quron Pratt, who already has six touchdowns; quarterback/defensive back Lyndon Alfred; center/linebacker Kevin Kelso; and running back/defensive end Deion Parham-Stokes.

Ryan Butler rewrote the Palmyra soccer record book Thursday, becoming the school's all-time leading goal scorer - male or female - with a hat trick that keyed a 7-0 rout of visiting Willingboro in a Burlington County League boys' match. Butler has 79 goals, eclipsing the career mark of 78 set by Chelsea Grace in 2008. Butler also had an assist, while Ricardo Margolles scored twice and Cody Kinkaide contributed a goal and two assists. Panthers goalie Tom Ewing made five saves in posting the shutout.

Looking for the most surprising South Jersey team in the first month of the scholastic basketball season? Try Palmyra High. The Pals, who haven't had a winning season since 1984-85, are off to an 8-1 start. They have a 4-0 record in the Burlington County League Freedom Division. They have won six straight and have their sights set on their first Burlco Freedom crown since the 1979-80 season. "Total team play," Palmyra coach Jack Davies said, explaining his team's rise to the top of the Burlco Freedom standings.

Freshman Brielle Morichetti pitched three consecutive shutouts, including a no-hitter, to earn most-valuable-player honors and lead Burlington City to the Palmyra softball championship on Saturday. Burlington City claimed the crown by slipping past Burlington Township, 1-0. McKenna Booker tripled and scored on an overthrow in the seventh inning for the lone run. Morichetti held Trenton Catholic hitless and the Blue Devils struck for nine runs in the fourth inning to finish off the Iron Mikes, 14-0, in a quarterfinal.

Freshman Brielle Morichetti pitched three consecutive shutouts, including a no-hitter, to earn most valuable player honors and lead Burlington City to the Palmyra softball championship on Saturday. Burlington City claimed the crown by slipping past Burlington Township, 1-0. McKenna Booker tripled and scored on an overthrow in the seventh inning for the game's lone run. Morichetti held Trenton Catholic hitless, and the Blue Devils erupted for nine runs in the fourth inning to finish off the Iron Mikes, 14-0, in a quarterfinal.

Highlights of Saturday's contests can be found at: www.philly.com/rally Baseball BURLINGTON COUNTY LEAGUE TOURNAMENT Northern Burlington 17, Riverside 6 DIAMOND CLASSIC FIRST ROUND Millville 4, Gloucester Catholic 0 Washington Township 7, Eastern 3 Sterling 13, Burlington Township 3 Bishop Eustace 5, Audubon 3 Cherry Hill West 7, Pennsville 2 Cherokee 15,...

Josh Newton came off the bench to pinch-run in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the move paid off when the Florence freshman raced home on T.J. Karwowski's sacrifice fly to secure a 2-1 win over Palmyra on Wednesday in Burlington County League baseball. Karwowski, a junior righthander, struck out nine and scattered five hits in going the distance for the win. Senior third baseman Greg Perri had a single, a double and a triple to account for all three hits by the Flashes - who were held scoreless until the sixth.

Kevin Sotell's fourth-quarter shooting spree from beyond the arc and at the foul line allowed Cinnaminson to break a late tie and pull away, 70-57, at Palmyra on Friday in Burlington County League boys' basketball. Sotell made two of his three three-point baskets in the final two minutes, and converted 6 of 6 free throws down the stretch in finishing with 16 points. Xavier Wilson (19 points), Tim Kemmerle (14), and Dan Haddon (10) rounded out the Pirates' double-figure scoring.

Kevin Sotell's fourth-quarter shooting spree from beyond the arc and at the foul line allowed Cinnaminson to break a late tie and pull away, 70-57, at Palmyra on Friday in Burlington County League boys' basketball. Sotell made two of his three three-point baskets in the final two minutes, and converted 6 of 6 free throws down the stretch in finishing with 16 points. Xavier Wilson (19 points), Tim Kemmerle (14), and Dan Haddon (10) rounded out the Pirates' double-figure scoring.

Sophomore Bryan Dobzanski won a feature showdown with Hammonton's unbeaten Steve Anderscavage and ignited Delsea's 35-26 win in the championship match of the South Jersey Duals wrestling tournament on Saturday at Kingsway. Dobzanski (10-1) scored an 8-3 decision at 195 pounds against Anderscavage (10-1). The Crusaders also got a key, 3-1 decision by John Hennelly at 138 pounds and pins from Tom Carney (113), John Borelli (120), and William Porch (285). Delsea advanced to the final by beating Clearview, 33-30; handing Millville a 51-21 loss; and adding a 51-18 win over Collingswood.