Different class does not equal weaker team

May 14, 2015

Southern Columbia, until this year, was a Class A football school. You've probably heard of the tiny school from Catawissa, outside Bloomsburg, because it has appeared in the state championship football game 13 times, winning six of those.The relevance?Southern Columbia has beaten any number of teams in larger classifications - solid programs that were state contenders in their own classifications.Still missing the point? How about this: Who says Mifflin County's shift within the Mid-Penn Conference is a demotion?Since the school learned Monday that the league had approved the ...

TVL playoff again unfair to Juniata

May 12, 2015

For the third straight season, a Juniata County school will pay the price for success in the Tri-Valley League.This time, it's the Juniata baseball team, which has coach Nick Beward facing the choice of deciding whether to put an actual pitcher on the mound for a league semifinal game Wednesday, or start whoever he thinks can throw even marginally well and live with the outcome, preserving the team's limited pitching resources for the District 6 Class AA tournament.Which begins Thursday.Since the final round of the relatively unimportant TVL tournament is Friday, and district play ...

Local tracks offer tributes to Mother’s Day

May 9, 2015

Mothers and racing - the two go hand in hand.In my youth, some moms were embarrassed their husbands and sons associated with those motorheads. Funny thing is, they ended up supporting them and came out to watch them compete. Many a family grew up every weekend at a speedway. The fans wore their dress clothes to the track, which I never quite understood.Along the way the tradition honoring mothers began. It continues this weekend as area speedways host Mother's Day and family specials.Port Royal Speedway has camera and autograph night. The racing action features sprint cars, late models, ...

Positive change, not negativity, is needed

April 30, 2015

Well, that didn't take long.Before the Mifflin County school board even voted to hire a new football coach, someone called our Open Line, asking whether Brent Hartman should be the person hired.That's a question that needs to wait until November - of 2017.I mean, give the guy a chance.Equally quick was the judgment passed on the school district for trying to create a more level playing field for some of its teams - OK, let's be honest: for most of the teams.Can the six teams that combine for 16 wins across three seasons compete in the Mid-Penn's Commonwealth Division? There are a few out ...

All Stars invade Port Royal for Weikert Memorial

April 25, 2015

The All Star Circuit Champions invade tonight for the Bob Weikert Memorial race at Port Royal Speedway.Since the race's inception in 2003 there have been seven drivers score Weikert wins. All are regulars in the region. Fred Rahmer won the 2003 and 2004 programs. Todd Shaffer was victorious in 2005 followed by Lance Dewease in 2006. Greg Hodnett won four times - 2007, 2011, 2012 and last year. Jeff Shepard (2008), Stevie Smith (2009) and Doug Esh (2013) also claimed wins.The event was not held in 2010 because of cold temperatures and high winds.The Weikert Memorial has become the highest ...

Getting the runaround on Juniata’s track

April 21, 2015

Last year, Juniata High School had one track and field meet at home, which was actually one more than the school expected due to a planned construction job that impacted Deitrick Field.This year, the Indians seemingly will be lucky if they get to run on their own track, and no one seems to want to say why.If the rumors are true, the track is a victim of the same construction job that delayed, but ultimately improved, the condition of the football field - as in, the actual field, not the stadium.In addition to killing cats, curiosity fuels reporters to ask questions - most of us who are ...