By Tom Fox
MaxPreps.com
Bill Scott has been a fixture on the sidelines of Selinsgrove football.
In his 36-year career, the head coach has won more than 260 games, and has led the Seals into the elite of Pennsylvania state football.
But after a year where the coach was battling health-related issues, and currently, when three assistants on the football squad resigned, Scott also thought it was time to go.
The 70-year-old coach said those two issues – the resignations and his health – were the two main reasons for his decision to step aside.
"It's time," said Scott to the Sunbury Daily-Item. "All good things must come to an end. It's time to move on. I have the physical strength (to continue), just not the mental resolve."
Scott, who won nine Central Susquehanna Conference-Division I championships and District 4 Class AAA titles, advanced Selinsgrove to the state quarterfinals for the fourth straight season.
The coach was also recognized as the Class AAA Coach of the Year by The Associated Press.
Yet, the biggest factor could have been the resignation of his three assistant coaches.
Scott said it would be nearly impossible to rebuild his staff in a short amount of time.
"You have to look at yourself and your team," Scott told the Daily-Item. "The only way for Selinsgrove to continue at a high level (in football) is if I stepped aside.”
Of course, it will be one of the most highly-regarded positions in the Eastern and Central portion of the state.
As for the three assistants, their resignations don’t go into effect until Monday, so it is possible to pull them off the table.
Scott’s letter, though, won’t get pulled.
“I'll definitely miss it, come August," Scott said. "I've been coaching football for 46 years, so I'm looking forward to doing things I was unable to do when I was coach, like watching my oldest granddaughter play field hockey.”
Softball: Gallagher mowing through competition
If there was such a thing as a pitcher being untouchable, maybe St. Basil’s Erin Gallagher would fit nicely into that column.
She has thrown several no-hitters already this season, has a fastball that reaches close to 70 miles per hour and a drop curve that’s just impossible to hit.
Gallagher has stuck out 54 batters in four games and has allowed less than five runs all season.
As a junior, she finished 16-3 with 174 strikeouts.
"Besides her talent is her personality," St. Basil head coach Steve Sonneborn told The Bulletin in Philadelphia. "The girls love her. She thinks she is the next American Idol, and she can't sing a little bit. Every year, she wants to race the fastest person and she winds up usually cheating to try to win. She just brings something special to the team other than what she does on the mound."
Softball: Milton rolling in District 4
In order to win in the game of softball, you have to score a run.
Against Milton, no one has been able to.
With junior pitcher Nicole Smith in the circle, the reigning District 4 Class AAA champs have been tearing through the competition.
Wednesday, Smith threw a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts in an 11-0 victory over Montoursville in Susquehanna Valley League action.
Milton is 7-0 overall, and appears to be on its way to a championship in the league’s final year. With normal power and rival Jersey Shore going through a total rebuilding season, it appears no obstacle is standing in the Lady Black Panthers’ way.
Next year, almost all of District 4 will combine and form the Pennsylvania Heartland Conference.
Baseball: Runs galore in the CPL
Thursday was definitely a day for those who love offensive fireworks in the CPL.
Bellefonte defeated Hollidaysburg by a touchdown, 21-14.
Bald Eagle Area and Altoona didn’t even have enough sunlight to finish their game, tied at 16 after seven innings.
Lewistown and State College combined for 21 runs in an 11-10 Panther victory.
Punxsutawney tossed a 15-spot on Philipsburg-Osceola which was one-day removed from seeing sophomore Luke Curtis no-hit Central Mountain.
As for CM, they couldn’t match Bellefonte’s 21 runs. They fell five short, decking Clearfield 16-2 on three hits each by Scott Zuback and Colten Stover.
The real winner was Williamsport. The Millionaires, undefeated in the Central Penn League, didn’t play.
Softball: Round 2 begins
The second go-around between Philipsburg, Penns Valley and Bald Eagle Area for Class AA supremacy began Thursday.
And once again, Penns Valley had an answer for the defending Class AA state champ P-O.
Lady Ram catcher Chelsea Reish hit two home runs in a 6-4 victory. It was the second win over P-O this season for Penns Valley. The Lady Rams previously lost to BEA, and P-O was the team to hand BEA one of two losses on the season.
While those two rivals were battling, BEA sustained its second loss of 2008 at the hands of Class AAAA upstart Central Mountain, 4-1.
CM junior pitcher Taylor Lesser held a Lady Eagle team averaging around 12 runs each game to a mere one runs – an unearned one – and four hits.
“I was nervous the entire day in school, but I was so ready for this game,” Lesser said. “We’ve lost to them the last two years, so everyone was ready to play this one. We want to get this win really bad.”
Basketball: Mansfield University lands two
It has been quite a week for men’s and women’s hoops at Mansfield University.
On Tuesday, the men’s team landed Milton’s Anthony Fannick. The senior is the program’s leading scorer and led Milton to two district championships. He was going for a third before he sustained an injury in his senior year.
The standout, which also considered several other Division II schools, will also attempt to play baseball as well.
Wednesday, Central Mountain girls’ standout Mallory Moore announced she will go and play basketball at Mansfield as well. Moore led Central Mountain in points and rebounds, and also led the Lady Wildcats to a 22-3 record, which tied the all-time high for most wins at the school.
She leaves Central Mountain as a record holder in three areas, including free-throw percentage.
Moore, who will enter the school undeclared, chose MU over Gettysburg and Lycoming.
Tom Fox is sports editor of The Lock Haven (Pa.) Express and covers Central and Eastern Pennsylvania for MaxPreps. He can be reached at tfox@lockhaven.com.
