Radnor High School | Archive | June, 2016

The Radnor High School boys’ and girls’ crew clubs earned some hardware June 11 in their last weekend of competition, in the Nationals’ School Championship Regatta in Philadelphia, and in the US Rowing Nationals Regatta at Mercer Lake, N.J.

In the Nationals’ School Championship Regatta, the Women’s Lightweight 4+ (Jenna Spray, Julia Wi, Ainsley Macrone, Ellisen Ching and coxswain Courtney Zajac) won the gold medal in their category with a time of 6:51.98.   The girls Varsity 4+ (Sam Talucci, Nicole Vitt, Caroline Ressler, Olivia Chase and coxswain Cassidy Lorenz) finished second in their heat to advance to the final, where they rowed to a fourth place finish overall with a time of 6:43.66.

Also at the Nationals’ School Championship Regatta, the Men’s Varsity 4+ (Milo Wilton, Matt Palmer, Mike FItzpatrick, Chetin Attilasoy and coxswain Noah Pepper) placed fourth in time trials with a time of 6:08.10.

The Men’s Lightweight 4+ (Zahi Shalev, Matt Kellett, Tommy Ciatto, Ryan Conklyn and coxswain Bella Hain) earned silver in the final, with a time of 6:19.71.

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Radnor Women’s Lightweight 4+ Nationals’ School Regatta gold medalists were, from left, coxswain Courtney Zajac, Julia Wi, Jenna Spray, Ainsley Macrone and Ellisen Ching.

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West Goshen – Radnor’s 18-7 loss to Conestoga in the PIAA Girls’ Lacrosse Championships Saturday morning gave the Red Raiders’ valiant post-season run a bittersweet ending. After an improbable, stirring come-from-behind victory against defending state champion Garnet Valley in the PIAA state semifinals Tuesday, Radnor was looking to give Conestoga a close battle in the championship game at West Chester East’s Harold Zimmerman Stadium.
The Red Raiders were the only team to beat Conestoga this year, defeating the Pioneers 10-8 in the PIAA District One quarterfinals on the way to capturing the district championship.
As the Radnor players lined up on the Zimmerman Stadium sidelines to receive their PIAA state runner-up medals, some of the Red Raiders were fighting back tears, but holding their heads high.
The loss was particularly tough to take for the Radnor seniors. Minutes after receiving her runner-up medal, Radnor senior midfielder/defender and co-captain Abby Lord said, “We worked so hard to get here. I’m definitely upset, I wish the [final] score had been closer, but you try to focus on the positives for the season. It took so much heart and dedication to get here.”
Radnor, which finished fifth in the Central League during the regular season, and was the No. 9 seed in the PIAA District One tournament, knocked off the Nos. 1, 4 and 6 seeds on the way to capturing its first district title since 2012.

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Radnor’s Emily Games looks for an opening as Conestoga’s Sondra Dickey defends in the first half of the PIAA girls lacrosse State Championship June 11, 2016 at West Chester East high school. (Pete Bannan photo/Digital First Media)

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MIDDLETOWN >> The final horn had just sounded at Penncrest Tuesday afternoon when Radnor defender Kerry Hammill sprinted across the turf and hit goalie Alexa Solomon with an open-field tackle that would’ve been the envy of many an Eagles secondary coach. The celebratory dogpile — much like the sensational comeback that propelled Radnor to a 10-9 shock of Garnet Valley in the PIAA semifinals — started right then and there, with Solomon and her defense. There are two sides to the comeback narrative for Radnor, which trailed the reigning state champs 8-2 with 7:17 left in the first half, but somehow summoned the resolve to produce eight of the game’s next nine goals.

The run reflects the resilience of Radnor’s attack. But it was made possible by Solomon’s steadfast play at the other end of the field. The junior goalie made five saves, four in the second half as she regained her footing after a rampant start by the Jaguars. And the final stat line — that Solomon and the Radnor defense allowed Garnet Valley just one goal in the final 32 minutes of the game — is utterly astounding.

“In the second half, we were really able to step up our defense,” Solomon said. “That’s what really helped me out. It helped me gain my confidence back. I was able to make one save and then build off of that.”

Solomon’s day was a matter of quality over quantity, and the shots she denied after halftime came at critical junctures where Garnet Valley could’ve snatched Radnor’s runaway momentum back with a goal. Solomon started the half with a denial of Emily Mathewson from eight meters. After Michelle Koscinski stopped the bleeding with a goal at 17:34 to bump Garnet’s lead to 9-5, Solomon fought off a Koscinski attempt from eight meters.

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Radnor goalie Alexa Solomon, left, makes a stop on Garnet Valley’s Michelle Kocinski, one of several vital second-half denials. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki)

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SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP. >> As Connor Wilson and Andrew Austen trotted to the outfield for what was likely to be the final time in their high school careers, the conversation as they tossed the ball back and forth remained focused on baseball.

It was an idyllic scene — two close friends in Parkland High School’s sea of grass, far enough from the scoreboard that the five-run edge it showed for North Pocono didn’t spoil the vista. But even that result couldn’t dampen too harshly what the Radnor teammates had accomplished in their final season.

The ride came to an end Thursday, the District One champion Raiders (14-11) knocked off by the District 2-winning Trojans, 5-0, in the PIAA Class AAA quarters. For a program that blazed new postseason trails, the capper was just a day of baseball where the breaks didn’t go their way.

“We were talking about how it wasn’t so much that we played horribly but they just did pretty much everything they needed to do,” said Wilson, who’ll continue his career at the University of Dayton. “They got the hits when they needed them. That one first-and-third play, they got us on that. We were talking about how we didn’t really give the game away, they just outplayed us.”

Nearly three months into a baseball season that began with five consecutive losses and remote odds for Radnor’s campaign to accumulate a fraction of the accolades that they did, Thursday was just a day of baseball that didn’t go its way.

They were outhit, in quantity and quality. They made four costly errors and surrendered four unearned runs while North Pocono’s defense produced a flawless outing behind starting pitcher Charlie Lampeter.

In the second inning, for instance, North Pocono center fielder Pat Noon made a sensational diving catch on a sinking Martin Connor liner that could’ve sparked trouble. In the bottom half of the frame, Radnor shortstop Sean Mullarkey moved his glove at the last second on a liner off the bat of Pat Kravitz, the ball glancing off his mitt and allowing two runs to score. JP Walsh followed with an RBI double, making the mistake really hurt.

“That’s baseball,” Radnor starter Will Hoysgaard said. “We just didn’t have the bats today. It was an offensive game for their team, but we just didn’t bring it today, and we have every other game.”

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Radnor’s Andrew Austen, right, and Sean Mullarkey had much more to celebrate last week in the District One Class AAA final. But even in a season-ending loss to North Pocono, 5-0 in the PIAA quarterfinals Thursday, the Raiders found positives in the season they had. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki)

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MIDDLETOWN >> If you took a poll with 10 minutes, 54 seconds to go in the first half of Radnor’s PIAA girls lacrosse semifinal showdown against Garnet Valley Tuesday night, few if anyone in attendance at Penncrest’s Louis Scott Field would have given the Raiders a chance to win. The situation was that dire.

Radnor trailed by six goals and many felt the game was over at the point. “Me too,” Radnor coach Brooke Fritz said. “I said, ‘Just make it close.’”

The Raiders more than made it respectable. They staged a comeback for the ages to beat the Jaguars, 10-9, to earn a spot in Saturday’s PIAA championship game against Conestoga at West Chester East High school.

Hope Smith’s free position goal with 3:09 left in the game was the difference, but the rally began when Fritz called a timeout with 10:54 left in the first half and Radnor trailing, 8-2. This was no ordinary foe, but one that had won the last two PIAA championships and four out of the last five state titles. Yet Fritz’s message to her team was simple, even though she was skeptical about victory.

“I told them to focus on the little stuff and do what we’ve done all year, and just out-grit them,” Fritz said. “We wanted it so badly. This group isn’t the most skilled group, but they’re such fighters.”

The Raiders showed their mettle by winning the District One crown despite being the ninth seed in the tournament. Radnor (20-6) knocked off top-seeded Conestoga (13-8), fourth-seeded Garnet Valley (7-6) and sixth-seeded Owen J. Roberts (12-8) to claim the district crown. Radnor’s resolve would face the ultimate test when the Jaguars (19-6-1) scored seven straight goals to turn a 2-1 deficit into what most thought was a game-deciding 8-2 lead. Sophomore Kamryn McNeal had two of her three goals in that outburst. Madi O’Brien and Emily Mathewson also scored twice in that stretch.

Yet there was no sense of panic as the Raiders gathered around Fritz during the timeout.

“We knew if we could stop their momentum, we would come back,” senior midfielder Abby Lord said. Senior Emily Games gave Radnor the lift it needed. She scored two of her three goals in the final five minutes to cut the deficit in half, 8-4.

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Radnor goalie Alexa Solomon, left, makes a stop on Garnet Valley’s Michelle Kocinski, one of several vital second-half denials. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki)

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CHESTER >> Radnor made believers out of Bishop McDevitt Monday, the Raiders delivering knockout blows early in their 13-4 victory in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA state baseball tournament. Leadoff batter Connor Wilson was on base in all six plate appearances, winning pitcher Andrew Austen went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and Charlie Connolly, sidelined close to two months with a shoulder issue, hurled two shutout innings to close it out.

The District One champion Raiders (14-10) were disappointed they didn’t end it in the bottom of the fifth inning in steamy 91-degree heat at Widener University. Matt Schaefer was thrown out at the plate although the call, if you asked anyone in the press box, would have been overruled by replay. No matter. It was clear the Raiders weren’t going home without a triumph, 10-run-rule or otherwise, no matter how frustrated the Crusaders (15-9), seeded fourth in District 3, felt about the long ride from Harrisburg through rush hour, Blue Route traffic.

“To get our first-ever state playoff win, we’re excited, we’re happy and we’ll go wherever they send us Thursday afternoon,” said Radnor coach Mark Jordan.

The Raiders oppose District 2 champion, North Pocono, a 3-2 winner over District 4’s Selinsgrove, Thursday at a site and time to be determined. While that could be tough for Austen’s growing fan club to get there, you can be sure Jill Smith, her 7-year-old son Keoni of Springfield and the young woman who plays goalie for the field hockey team at Springfield High are checking their GPS monitors and the weather forecast, just in case. Austen and the youths have congenital limb differences. Said Jil Smith, “We all stick together, right?”

It’s the same thing with the Radnor baseball team. If you want to make Jordan grin, mention something about the play Will Hoysgaard made in the first inning. The junior beat out a throw that cost the Crusaders mightily.

“The throw was a little bit high,” Jordan said. “The first baseman went off the bag by three inches. Instead of a double play to end the inning he’s at first base. Seven batters later there’s seven runs up there on the scoreboard for us. Little plays make baseball games. They came back and scored three runs in that third inning. We came back and scored four in the bottom of the third. It was punch, counterpunch the whole time.”

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Radnor’s Connor Wilson slides into third base ahead of the throw to Bishop McDevitt’s Brett Bitting during the Raiders’ 13-4 win in the PIAA Class AAA tournament first round Monday. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki)

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The junior, who entered the season as one of Radnor’s top three hurlers, joined the laundry list of injuries in the early going of the Raiders season that contributed to an 0-5 start. By the time DeShan and his doctors had zeroed in on a diagnosis for his ailing shoulder and the limitations it imposed, DeShan figured out a way to deal with the pain while still contributing.

His Radnor teammates underwent a similar collective change, transforming a painful start into a streak of 13 wins in 18 games that has landed the Raiders in the PIAA tournament.

The District One Class AAA champ opens states Monday afternoon, entertaining District 3 fourth-place team Bishop McDevitt (15-9) at Widener at 4.

DeShan’s season could’ve been over when it had barely begun. He was on the mound for loss No. 5 against Penncrest April 13 when he “felt a twinge” in his shoulder fielding a bunt and side-arming a throw to first base.

It took a few days for DeShan to seek out a doctor, where he was diagnosed with a laceration to the anterior interval in his shoulder. It was an injury that his physician said couldn’t get worse and would require surgical correction eventually, but there was a misunderstanding about whether DeShan could keep playing by avoiding pitching or had to end his season altogether.

Since DeShan had played between the injury and the first medical consult, he figured why not keep going if it’s not hampering him much.

“So when I got the verdict back the second time and got the verdict that I needed surgery, I was like, ‘I’ve been playing with this and been able to play my spot and play my role correctly,’” he said last week. “I was confused and taken aback almost.”

That kind of toughness has been a necessity throughout the roster. DeShan and Charlie Connolly, who’s been limited with an arm issue, entered as the rotation anchors around Will Hoysgaard. An injury kept Connor Wilson, a University of Dayton commit, out for the first 11 games.

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Jack DeShan celebrates with teammates after their District One Class AAA championship win Wednesday.

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NEWTOWN SQUARE >> Abby Lord heeded the advice of Radnor coach Brooke Fritz prior to Saturday’s PIAA tournament quarterfinal against Bishop Shanahan. Fritz implored Lord, an All-American midfielder/defender, to attack the net.

“I actually said to her, ‘You have one of the highest shooting percentages on the team, I need you to go to goal today,’” Fritz said. “Because we switched the defense and had Nicole (Massimino) as the backer, I didn’t want Nicole running as much … so I sent Abby over a little bit more, especially in the beginning. That gave her a few chances.

“Honestly, any of our core — Fallon (Quinn), Abby, Nicole, Allison (Lanzone) — those middies are all true defenders, but their stick work’s great and they’re all gaining confidence on the offensive end. It’s great because you never know which one is going to be the one to step up.”

Lord was next in line Saturday, netting a pair of goals — one in each half — to help Radnor defeat Bishop Shanahan, 11-9. The Raiders (19-6) will play Garnet Valley in the state semifinal round Tuesday at a time and location to be determined. Radnor downed Garnet Valley in the District One semifinals last month. Lord was happy she could make an impact on the scoreboard.

“It’s awesome and it’s definitely different than what I’m used to doing,” said Lord, a Richmond recruit.  “You don’t get a whole lot of praise when you get a turnover or a knockdown on defense. But you get a lot of hugs and recognition when you score on offense, so it’s a lot of fun to be able to do something else.”

Lord’s first tally put Radnor ahead, 3-2, midway through the first half. She received a pass from Katie Quinn and recorded Radnor’s first tally after halftime to make it 7-2.

“Our team is so close and we are working so hard to play for each other at this point,” Lord said. “It’s late in the season, everyone is struggling to stay healthy, but we’re all sticking through it. It’s our grit and our hustle that is getting us this far right now.”

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Radnor’s Abby Lord celebrates with Katie Quinn, 20, following a goal by Lord in the first half of the Raiders’ PIAA quarterfinal round matchup with Bishop Shanahan (Samuel Stewart/Digital First Media)

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WEST CHESTER >> In a perfect world, Brooke Fritz would prefer to see all of her players get in on the scoring action. However, the Radnor coach isn’t complaining about the production of three awesome performances that fueled her club’s first-round PIAA tournament win Wednesday at West Chester Henderson High School. Emily Games, Katie Quinn and Fallon Quinn combined for all but two of Radnor’s tallies in a 17-11 victory over District Three’s Manheim Township. The District One champions continue their quest for a state title when they meet District One fourth-place finisher Bishop Shanahan in a second-round matchup Saturday.

“I’m so proud of them, really, because they’re all seniors and mean so much to our team,” Fritz said of the three-headed monster of Games, Quinn and Quinn. “Fallon and Katie, especially, haven’t always had the confidence driving and they’ve really worked on it and they’ve been so good. Emily has always been our go-to and able to weave through traffic, but she struggled in the beginning of the season trying to pick her times and her shooting percentage wasn’t that great. That’s all changed.

“It’s definitely good timing, right now, to get their confidence going and get their momentum going.”

Games and Katie Quinn paced the Raiders with six goals apiece, while Fallon Quinn chipped in with three. The key, Fallon Quinn says, is the trio’s long-standing relationship. Most of Radnor’s seniors have been playing together since the fourth or fifth grade, and that chemistry is apparent on the field.

“We’ve been playing together for a while and we know how each other plays the game,” Fallon Quinn said. “We kind of expect it from each other, you know? After playing for so long, I guess we let each other do what we’re good at. Emily is really good at rolling well and Katie is really good with the drive up top. We have trust in each other.”

“It’s not just us three, it’s the entire team,” Katie Quinn said. Kate and Fallon, by the way, are not related. “We have this great bond. Anyone can say anything to anyone, everyone is comfortable (with speaking up) and saying what they have to say. We’re just a really close team.”

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Radnor’s Fallon Quinn, seen here in action last week in the District One playoffs, netted three goals in the Raiders’ PIAA tournament first-round victory over Manheim Township Wednesday. (Robert Gurecki/Daily Times)

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