The North Penn boys basketball team got back in the postseason win column for the first time in nine years Friday night, the No. 8 seed Knights rallying from a 10 point second quarter deficit to best No. 25 Upper Dublin in the District One Class AAAA first round.
It was the first playoff win for North Penn since it beat Avon Grove in the 2002 district first round. The Knights also gave Ron Hassler his first district win at the school since in his third season on the sidelines. Below is Hassler's postgame comments.
The victory Friday was North Penn's seventh straight and sets up an interesting rematch with No. 9 Bensalem Tuesday at home in the second round. The Knights struggled to get anything to go through the bucket when the faced the Owls in the SOL Challenge Jan. 22 in Abington, finishing with a season-low in points as they fell 43-26. Stakes are a little higher this time, with the winner qualifying for states, while the loser has to reach the PIAA Tournament through ninth-place consolation.
Sean Brooks, who finished with a game-high 17 points, talks in the video below about the win over the Cardinals.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Why Pujols should take less money
By Christiaan DeFranco
Should the best position player in baseball — who likely will go down as one of the best hitters of all time — be the highest paid player in the game?
Well, I'm not going to say he shouldn't. Albert Pujols deserves to get paid.
Reports say his asking price to re-sign with the Cardinals is 10 years, $300 million. St. Louis reportedly has offered him something in the range of eight years at $18-23 million per.
When you consider his value, in on-field production as well as revenue for the Cardinals and Major League Baseball, Pujols warrants a lucrative contract, perhaps a record-setting one. But when you consider other factors — and his manager's recent comments that Pujols is being pressured by the players union to set the bar — maybe a decade-long, $300-million mega-deal isn't the right course of action.
Even if La Russa, by ripping the union, is just trying to ease his star player's mind and show him he has his back, the point remains the same: There is more to life, and to a career, than money.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not sneezing at a big payday. But what do you want to be known for? Alex Rodriguez is one of the best ever, but he'll be remembered for his outrageous contracts (as well as his prima-donna image, of course) rather than his talent.
And it's clear that A-Rod — throughout his career, with every strikeout, every errant throw, every pop-up with runners on, every O-fer in the postseason — has felt the weight of that money as he has tried to live up to it.
Perhaps Pujols should take a cue from Cliff Lee, who turned down more cash elsewhere to return to the Phillies. He wanted to win and he felt that being with the Phillies gave him the best shot, plus he loves it here and his wife and family do too. This organization and this intensely competitive city felt like home.
"Once you hit a certain amount, enough is enough," Lee said, after he was asked why he took less money to sign in Philadelphia.
And isn't that the point? Cliff Lee isn't starving, and his grandchildren won't either. Once you reach a certain stratosphere, isn't it less about money and more about championships and legacy and greatness?
Isn't it about immortality?
Follow assistant sports editor Christiaan DeFranco on Twitter here @cdefranco.
Should the best position player in baseball — who likely will go down as one of the best hitters of all time — be the highest paid player in the game?
Well, I'm not going to say he shouldn't. Albert Pujols deserves to get paid.
Reports say his asking price to re-sign with the Cardinals is 10 years, $300 million. St. Louis reportedly has offered him something in the range of eight years at $18-23 million per.
When you consider his value, in on-field production as well as revenue for the Cardinals and Major League Baseball, Pujols warrants a lucrative contract, perhaps a record-setting one. But when you consider other factors — and his manager's recent comments that Pujols is being pressured by the players union to set the bar — maybe a decade-long, $300-million mega-deal isn't the right course of action.
Even if La Russa, by ripping the union, is just trying to ease his star player's mind and show him he has his back, the point remains the same: There is more to life, and to a career, than money.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not sneezing at a big payday. But what do you want to be known for? Alex Rodriguez is one of the best ever, but he'll be remembered for his outrageous contracts (as well as his prima-donna image, of course) rather than his talent.
And it's clear that A-Rod — throughout his career, with every strikeout, every errant throw, every pop-up with runners on, every O-fer in the postseason — has felt the weight of that money as he has tried to live up to it.
Perhaps Pujols should take a cue from Cliff Lee, who turned down more cash elsewhere to return to the Phillies. He wanted to win and he felt that being with the Phillies gave him the best shot, plus he loves it here and his wife and family do too. This organization and this intensely competitive city felt like home.
"Once you hit a certain amount, enough is enough," Lee said, after he was asked why he took less money to sign in Philadelphia.
And isn't that the point? Cliff Lee isn't starving, and his grandchildren won't either. Once you reach a certain stratosphere, isn't it less about money and more about championships and legacy and greatness?
Isn't it about immortality?
Follow assistant sports editor Christiaan DeFranco on Twitter here @cdefranco.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
SOL Continental Boys Basketball Standings Feb. 19
Current standings as of Saturday, Feb. 19
This Week in the SOL Continental
Friday, Feb. 18
District One Class AAAA First Round
(10) Coatesville 71, (23) Souderton 59
(12) Glen Mills 29, (21) Central Bucks West 28 (OT)
(5) Neshaminy 55, (28) Central Bucks East 43
(8) North Penn 49, (25) Upper Dublin 38
(14) Pennridge 74, (19) West Chester Henderson 54
| Overall | Conference | PPG | OPP PPG | Streak | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Penn | 19-4 | 11-3 | 51.2 | 41.2 | W8 |
| Pennridge | 18-5 | 11-3 | 60.6 | 51.5 | W3 |
| Central Bucks West | 14-9 | 9-5 | 47.0 | 44.0 | L1 |
| Souderton | 14-9 | 9-5 | 53.8 | 51.5 | L1 |
| Central Bucks East | 11-12 | 7-7 | 51.9 | 52.0 | L2 |
| Hatboro-Horsham | 9-13 | 5-9 | 50.9 | 51.2 | L2 |
| Central Bucks South | 5-17 | 4-10 | 48.6 | 54.8 | L2 |
| Quakertown | 1-21 | 0-14 | 37.8 | 57.7 | L20 |
This Week in the SOL Continental
Friday, Feb. 18
District One Class AAAA First Round
(10) Coatesville 71, (23) Souderton 59
(12) Glen Mills 29, (21) Central Bucks West 28 (OT)
(5) Neshaminy 55, (28) Central Bucks East 43
(8) North Penn 49, (25) Upper Dublin 38
(14) Pennridge 74, (19) West Chester Henderson 54
Friday, February 11, 2011
SOL Continental Girls Basketball Standings Feb. 20
Current standings as of Sunday, Feb. 20
This week in the SOL Continental
Tuesday, Feb. 15
Central Bucks East 47, Council Rock South 39
Friday, Feb. 18
District One Class AAAA First Round
(1) Council Rock North 41, (32) Central Bucks West 13
(4) Cheltenham 62, (29) Souderton 25
Saturday, Feb. 19
District One Class AAAA First Round
(8) Central Bucks East 69, (25) Chester 54
(16) North Penn 49, (17) Abington 42
| Overall | Conference | PPG | OPP PPG | Streak | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bucks East | 20-3 | 14-0 | 48.8 | 32.7 | W16 |
| North Penn | 16-6 | 11-3 | 46.9 | 35.1 | W3 |
| Central Bucks South | 13-9 | 9-5 | 46.9 | 39.9 | L1 |
| Central Bucks West | 12-11 | 8-6 | 43.0 | 38.3 | L1 |
| Souderton | 12-10 | 8-6 | 41.8 | 40.5 | L2 |
| Hatboro-Horsham | 6-16 | 3-11 | 44.7 | 58.3 | L2 |
| Quakertown | 6-16 | 2-12 | 34.1 | 49.0 | L2 |
| Pennridge | 3-19 | 1-13 | 35.5 | 52.3 | W2 |
This week in the SOL Continental
Tuesday, Feb. 15
Central Bucks East 47, Council Rock South 39
Friday, Feb. 18
District One Class AAAA First Round
(1) Council Rock North 41, (32) Central Bucks West 13
(4) Cheltenham 62, (29) Souderton 25
Saturday, Feb. 19
District One Class AAAA First Round
(8) Central Bucks East 69, (25) Chester 54
(16) North Penn 49, (17) Abington 42
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
BOYS BASKETBALL: Pennridge fans rush the court
Pennridge beats CB West in double OT and Rams fans rush the court.
North Penn 65, Souderton 55: Stats, Videos
The North Penn boys basketball team was able to end its Senior Night in winning fashion against Souderton Tuesday, grabbing the lead in the second quarter and never trailing afterwards to claim a 65-55 victory. The win keeps the Knights tied for first place in the Suburban One League Continental Conference with Pennridge, with each team having one game remaining.
Here's a couple stats pertaining to the contest, followed by video interviews from after the game.
North Penn coach Ron Hassler
North Penn senior Dexter Shy
North Penn junior Wes Brooks
Souderton coach Dennis Stanton
Here's a couple stats pertaining to the contest, followed by video interviews from after the game.
- The 65 points North Penn scored were the most for the season. besting the 63 the Knights compiled on Jan. 11 in their win at home against Quakertown. It was only the third time in 2010-2011 North Penn has score at least 60. Meanwhile, it was the sixth time Souderton has given up at least 60, the Indians going 1-5 in those games (The one win was beating Pennsbury 73-63 on Jan. 22 at Souderton).
- Tuesday's victory by North Penn evened the series between the Knights and Souderton at 3-3 since the two teams both began playing in the SOL Continental. Souderton took both games in 2008-2009, the teams split in '09-'10 (each team winning at home), with NP sweeping the two games this year.
North Penn coach Ron Hassler
North Penn senior Dexter Shy
North Penn junior Wes Brooks
Souderton coach Dennis Stanton
Sunday, January 23, 2011
NFL conference title game predictions
Four historic NFL giants — the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets — remain standing. A pair of fascinating matchups will determine who will play in the Super Bowl.
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS
Classic rivals. Legendary NFL teams. Soldier Field.
And ironic, when you think about it, that the Bears hope to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy when all is said and done.
Plus, you have a tail of two quarterbacks. One guy is a total jerk who throws lots of interceptions, and the other guy has zero personality but makes some good decisions on the field. Which do you prefer to watch?
The NFC title game will come down to Green Bay's defense. If the Packers can limit Jay Cutler and the Bears' attack, and maybe force a couple turnovers, they have the offensive firepower with Aaron Rodgers to pull out a road win against their rival — in spite of the Bears' stiff 'D.'
Prediction: Packers 28, Bears 17.
NEW YORK JETS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The team that put the AFL on the map and forced the creation of the modern NFL vs. one of the NFL's dynasties.
Ben Roethlisberger has established himself as a postseason playmaker. He finds ways to win, and also ways to escape court charges. For the Jets to take the AFC crown, they need to disrupt Roethlisberger all night and come up with a late pick or fumble. It would also help Mark Sanchez and the Jets to get an early lead.
Prediction: Jets 24, Steelers 21.
Just my humble opinions. What do you think?
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on Twitter @cdefranco.
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS
Classic rivals. Legendary NFL teams. Soldier Field.
And ironic, when you think about it, that the Bears hope to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy when all is said and done.
Plus, you have a tail of two quarterbacks. One guy is a total jerk who throws lots of interceptions, and the other guy has zero personality but makes some good decisions on the field. Which do you prefer to watch?
The NFC title game will come down to Green Bay's defense. If the Packers can limit Jay Cutler and the Bears' attack, and maybe force a couple turnovers, they have the offensive firepower with Aaron Rodgers to pull out a road win against their rival — in spite of the Bears' stiff 'D.'
Prediction: Packers 28, Bears 17.
NEW YORK JETS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The team that put the AFL on the map and forced the creation of the modern NFL vs. one of the NFL's dynasties.
Ben Roethlisberger has established himself as a postseason playmaker. He finds ways to win, and also ways to escape court charges. For the Jets to take the AFC crown, they need to disrupt Roethlisberger all night and come up with a late pick or fumble. It would also help Mark Sanchez and the Jets to get an early lead.
Prediction: Jets 24, Steelers 21.
Just my humble opinions. What do you think?
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on Twitter @cdefranco.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
BASKETBALL: SOL CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
If you like high school basketball, the Suburban One League is supplying plenty of it Saturday with the SOL Challenge, as 42 teams (22 girls, 20 boys) play 21 games at six sites in the Bux-Mont area.
Below is the schedule, with local teams bolded. First team listed in the matchup is the home team.
At Abington
2 p.m. GIRLS-North Penn vs. Bensalem
3:30 p.m. BOYS-North Penn vs. Bensalem
5 p.m. GIRLS-Abington vs. Cheltenham
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Abington vs. Cheltenham
At Souderton
2 p.m. BOYS-Quakertown vs. Truman
3:30 p.m. GIRLS-Norristown vs. William Tennent
5 p.m. GIRLS-Souderton vs. Pennsbury
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Souderton vs. Pennsbury
At Upper Dublin
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Upper Dublin vs. Pennridge
8 p.m. GIRLS-Upper Dublin vs. Central Bucks South
At Hatboro-Horsham
2 p.m. GIRLS-Pennridge vs. Wissahickon
3:30 p.m. BOYS-Hatboro-Horsham vs. Wissahickon
5 p.m. GIRLS-Hatboro-Horsham vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh
At Council Rock South
2 p.m. GIRLS-Upper Moreland vs. Truman
3:30 p.m. BOYS-Upper Moreland vs. William Tennent
5 p.m.-GIRLS-Council Rock South vs. Central Bucks West
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Council Rock South vs. Central Bucks East
At Council Rock North
2 p.m. GIRLS-Neshaminy vs. Central Bucks East
3:30 p.m. BOYS-Central Bucks South vs. Norristown
5 p.m. GIRLS-Council Rock North vs. Lansdale Catholic
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Council Rock North vs. Central Bucks West
Below is the schedule, with local teams bolded. First team listed in the matchup is the home team.
At Abington
2 p.m. GIRLS-North Penn vs. Bensalem
3:30 p.m. BOYS-North Penn vs. Bensalem
5 p.m. GIRLS-Abington vs. Cheltenham
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Abington vs. Cheltenham
At Souderton
2 p.m. BOYS-Quakertown vs. Truman
3:30 p.m. GIRLS-Norristown vs. William Tennent
5 p.m. GIRLS-Souderton vs. Pennsbury
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Souderton vs. Pennsbury
At Upper Dublin
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Upper Dublin vs. Pennridge
8 p.m. GIRLS-Upper Dublin vs. Central Bucks South
At Hatboro-Horsham
2 p.m. GIRLS-Pennridge vs. Wissahickon
3:30 p.m. BOYS-Hatboro-Horsham vs. Wissahickon
5 p.m. GIRLS-Hatboro-Horsham vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh
At Council Rock South
2 p.m. GIRLS-Upper Moreland vs. Truman
3:30 p.m. BOYS-Upper Moreland vs. William Tennent
5 p.m.-GIRLS-Council Rock South vs. Central Bucks West
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Council Rock South vs. Central Bucks East
At Council Rock North
2 p.m. GIRLS-Neshaminy vs. Central Bucks East
3:30 p.m. BOYS-Central Bucks South vs. Norristown
5 p.m. GIRLS-Council Rock North vs. Lansdale Catholic
6:30 p.m. BOYS-Council Rock North vs. Central Bucks West
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Big night for Lansdale Catholic
Lansdale Catholic had some fun in South Philly on Monday night.
Not only did the Crusaders beat Neumann-Goretti for their first league win, not only was it the first league victory under coach Heather Glemser, and not only did Shea Wassel move to within six-points of the 1,000 career-points plateau, but sophomore Mary Kate Brokans broke loose.
Brokans was, in a word, unstoppable. She went off for 25 points as Goretti simply had no answer for her.
But it wasn't just that she had a big game that was significant; it was that she opened up LC's offense. Other teams now have no choice but to account for her as a scorer as well as a distributor.
In other words, LC's offense is expanding. It is becoming more versatile as more weapons emerge.
Plus, the Crusaders played solid defense and didn't make many mistakes in a major road win.
"We wanted this," Wassel said afterward.
As the Crusaders get into the heart of their league schedule, they seem to be growing in all phases. Thursday will be another big night, when Wassel shoots for 1,000 at home against Hallahan.
Gotta be happy for her, Brokans and this group of Crusaders.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on Twitter here.
Not only did the Crusaders beat Neumann-Goretti for their first league win, not only was it the first league victory under coach Heather Glemser, and not only did Shea Wassel move to within six-points of the 1,000 career-points plateau, but sophomore Mary Kate Brokans broke loose.
Brokans was, in a word, unstoppable. She went off for 25 points as Goretti simply had no answer for her.
But it wasn't just that she had a big game that was significant; it was that she opened up LC's offense. Other teams now have no choice but to account for her as a scorer as well as a distributor.
In other words, LC's offense is expanding. It is becoming more versatile as more weapons emerge.
Plus, the Crusaders played solid defense and didn't make many mistakes in a major road win.
"We wanted this," Wassel said afterward.
As the Crusaders get into the heart of their league schedule, they seem to be growing in all phases. Thursday will be another big night, when Wassel shoots for 1,000 at home against Hallahan.
Gotta be happy for her, Brokans and this group of Crusaders.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on Twitter here.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Vick named SN Comeback Player of the Year
The Sporting News named Eagles quarterback Michael Vick the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. Find it here.
The voters included 617 NFL players, coaches and executives.
The Associated Press will release its end-of-season awards later this month.
The voters included 617 NFL players, coaches and executives.
The Associated Press will release its end-of-season awards later this month.
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