Upper Dublin

Upper Dublin gave up nearly 22 points per game last season, but the Flying Cardinals' defense came up big in its Suburban One American Conference football opener against visiting Pennridge Friday night. Junior tailback Rick Johns rushed for two touchdowns and gained 128 yards while Upper Dublin's defense refused to allow the Rams to break a big play in a 12-6 victory. It was the first win in an opener for Upper Dublin since 1992, when the Cardinals downed Springfield, 14-9.

Upper Dublin, in possession of a 55-51 fourth-quarter lead, was 7 minutes away from upsetting the unbeaten hosts and winning the Bensalem Holiday Tournament for the fifth year in a row when, according to Cardinals' coach Jeff Huddleston, "the roof fell in. " In those fateful 7 minutes, Bensalem outscored Upper Dublin, 31-9, to win the championship game, 82-64, on Thursday night. The sudden turnabout could be traced to a defensive adjustment Bensalem made down the stretch. The Owls (9-0)

In his days with the Horsham Hawks youth football organization, there were times when Josh Mastromatto didn't make weight on game day. Not from tipping the scale but from getting a lower-than-mandated reading. Fortunately for Mastromatto, a 5-foot-6, 160-pound senior running back and cornerback for Upper Dublin, there are no weight guidelines for high school football. "With my size, I've always been underestimated in sports," he said. "But I never wanted that to hold me back.

When you beat Council Rock in the distance medley relay, you've really done something. And that's exactly what Upper Dublin did at the Delaware Valley Girls' Track Coaches Association indoor meet Friday at Kutztown University. The Cardinals beat the Indians by nearly seven seconds in posting a winning time of 12 minutes, 53.9 seconds. Council Rock finished second in 13 minutes flat. Powering Upper Dublin to victory were Maura Callahan, Tonya Dedmond, Linda Mangan and Liz Sweeney.

They are now accountants, university administrators, salespeople and homemakers, but 10 years ago they comprised the two best basketball teams in District 1. Coming together again after a decade - some a few pounds heavier, some with a little gray in their hair, all in suits and dresses instead of their Upper Dublin uniforms - the members of the 1984-1985 District 1 boys' and girls' championship basketball teams were honored Friday. Ten years later, some of those 23 players perhaps are just beginning to realize that they accomplished what no two other basketball teams in District 1 history have ever done - they won both the boys' and girls' Class AAAA title in the same year.

The seventh graders at Sandy Run Middle School in Upper Dublin held a Renaissance Faire recently to mark the end of their study of medieval Europe. The fair, which was held indoors because of rain, included treats typical of the era, such as fruit, nuts and cider.

If it appears that Kelly Cross is idling about on the field, well, look harder. Take a moment. Observe. Things . . . are . . . developing. It is most appropriate to watch Cross, a senior on the Upper Dublin girls' lacrosse team, just as she plays the game - with patience. All of Cross' lacrosse life, people have told her that she looks too relaxed on the field. It's actually a fairly curious notion, considering that vast majority of high school athletes are prodded so readily to think the game, that her main criticism - if you can call it that - has been of her supposedly lackadaisical demeanor.

Trailing North Penn by 30 points after the first day of competition at the PIAA District 1 swimming and diving championships on Feb. 29, Upper Dublin stormed back to end the Knights' 20-year reign as the boys' Class AAA champion. The Cardinals, with a sweep of the three relays, took the crown, 253-242, over North Penn. The sweep of the 200-yard medley, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relays accounted for 120 of their points. They are looking for a similar performance - and will need it - as they open their quest this morning for a PIAA championship at Bucknell University in Lewisburg.

The Upper Dublin girls' swim team had only a week to savor its Suburban One American Conference championship before the Cardinals had to prove themselves as individuals in a league showdown. In the Suburban One League American Conference Swimming Championships on Saturday at Souderton, where there was no team scoring, the Cards won five of 10 events, more than any other entrant. Leading the charge for Upper Dublin in Souderton's new pool were senior Georgiana Magalhaes and sophomore Tiffany Donovan.

If it appears that Kelly Cross is idling about on the field, well, look harder. Take a moment. Observe. Things . . . are . . . developing. It is most appropriate to watch Cross, a senior on the Upper Dublin girls' lacrosse team, just as she plays the game - with patience. All of Cross' lacrosse life, people have told her that she looks too relaxed on the field. It's actually a fairly curious notion, considering that vast majority of high school athletes are prodded so readily to think the game, that her main criticism - if you can call it that - has been of her supposedly lackadaisical demeanor.

Alex Poplawski is usually a shoo-in to win draws for her Springfield (Delco) lacrosse team. At 5-foot-11, the Stanford recruit typically uses her height advantage to overwhelm counterparts. But when the Cougars traveled to Upper Dublin on Friday for their regular-season finale, Poplawski was up against Kelly Cross, also 5-11, the Cardinals' Syracuse-signed midfielder with some faceoff prowess of her own. "Alex is able to usually take the draws, but Kelly Cross is just as tall as her and she's a very good player," Springfield coach Keith Broome said.

Brooke Kiley scored seven goals and became Germantown Academy's all-time career scoring leader in a 15-11 win at Penn Charter in Inter-Ac League lacrosse Friday. With her final goal, Kiley, a senior midfielder, eclipsed Colleen Magarity's mark of 264 set in 2007. Penn Charter took a 5-3 lead in the first half before the Patriots rallied to go into halftime leading, 7-5. Hannah Bogorowski scored three times and Allie Carrigan turned away 12 shots for the win. Avery Shoemaker scored six goals for Penn Charter.

Highlights of Saturday's contests can be found at: www.philly.com/rally Baseball NONLEAGUE Malvern Prep 8, Monsignor Bonner 3 Perkiomen Valley 11, Middle Township 1 La Salle 4, Haverford School 3 Archbishop Wood 9, Bristol 8 Holy Ghost Prep 6, Archbishop Ryan 5 Germantown Academy 13, Council Rock North 2 Neumann-Goretti 4, Penn Charter 3 Perkiomen School 27,...

Haverford High's Shane Ryan added the gold medal from the 100-yard backstroke to the one he won in the 50 freestyle a day earlier, wrapping up the PIAA Class AAA boys' state swimming championships Thursday at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium. Ryan won the backstroke in 47.17 seconds, easily outdistancing runner-up Nic Graesser of Conestoga (48.97). La Salle completed a sweep of the three relay events on its way to the team championship as Eric Schultz, Joseph Maginnis, Sean Regan and Christopher Szekely won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:02.74.

Haverford High's Shane Ryan added the gold medal from the 100-yard backstroke to the one he won in the 50 freestyle a day earlier, wrapping up the PIAA Class AAA boys' state swimming championships Thursday at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium. Ryan won the backstroke in 47.17 seconds, easily outdistancing runner-up Nic Graesser of Conestoga (48.97). La Salle completed a sweep of the three relay events on its way to the team championship as Eric Schultz, Joseph Maginnis, Sean Regan and Christopher Szekely won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:02.74.