Eight & 322 - Sports

Coach Doug honored for 30 years coaching young leaders

6/22/2022

"There is no game that teaches life lessons better, at least none that I've found," said Doug Bevier. He is known to give his Little League ball players a little homework after practice.

"After each practice he would give the kids a word like ‘discipline.’ He would tell them the meaning and then quiz them on what it meant the next practice," Bevier's daughter Bria said over the loudspeaker Wednesday night at the Miller-Sibley Complex. Unbeknownst to "Coach Doug," several members of the community and his family arranged to honor him for his 30 years of coaching Little League in the Franklin area.

He stood humbly along the first base infield as an announcement was made that they were delaying the start of the final game for his league-leading Elks team in order to thank him for all his years of service to the kids.

"He enjoyed when a player could make a head-ups play, but he loved when a player received all As on a report card or seeing a player get summer job more. He instilled in them what leadership was and how in everything you do in this life you lead by example, or lead by being vocal and picking your teammates up," his daughter continued.

That homework Bevier would give was the most important thing he could do, he said. He looked at coaching baseball as a means to teach kids to be better people and leaders. "My kids all have given me the time to help all these other kids," Coach Doug said, as he started to get a little emotional. "And they have all come out to help coach too."

Bevier's daughter said her dad has reached over 300 local kids over the years, instilling in them lessons on how to be successful in life. "Some of his lessons included responsibility, accountability, sportsmanship and that hard work pays off."

He has a good reason for leaving his successful coaching career that includes eight league championships, several district titles and state runs in both baseball and softball - he wants to spend more time watching his youngest son Hayden play varsity ball and hopefully help out with practices at Rocky Grove.

He didn't rule out a return in the future. "Who knows, we'll see if Jodi (his wife) needs me out of the house, maybe I'll be back in four years," he said.

"Doug's contributions to this league and community will be felt in the hearts of the kids for a long time," his daughter concluded her speech. "Thank you Coach Doug, thank you Dad."

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Franklin's good run at end of season came to an end Thursday

6/9/2022

It started out pretty well for the Franklin Knights Thursday. Their tall sophomore Zachary Boland was on the mound and despite giving up a lead off walk he struck out two and got a grounder out on a hit and run play.

The Knights were facing the Punxsutawney Chucks in the state quarterfinals at Slippery Rock University.

Boland pitched four solid innings, only giving up one run in the second.

When he left the game Franklin was up 2-1 on a first inning RBI single by Noah Kockler scoring Caleb Doyle and fourth inning bases loaded shot by Doyle that scored Kyle Alexander. Drew Kockler was also sent home on the play by coach Brian Schmidt but was picked off at the plate to end the inning.

Kyle Alexander came into pitch in the fifth and looked solid striking out two and only giving up one single before retiring the side with a routine fly ball to center

Franklin's fifth started with walks to Carson Wible and Noah Kockler. They advanced on a wild pitch. Then Kyle Alexander doubled scoring both and putting the Knights up 4-1.

Alexander’s sixth inning on the mound didn’t quite go as smooth as the fifth. Two hard shots down the third base line resulted in a double and a single that scored a run. A couple batters later the bases were full and Schmidt pulled Alexander for Ethen Nightingale. A grounder to short seemed routine to get a force at second but the ball was babbled and everyone was safe and one more run was scored. Nightingale got out of the inning with the Knights still up a run 4-3.

In the top of the seventh Punxsutawney got a single on a tough play for shortstop Luke Guth to handle and the runner beat out the throw. Then a hard single to left put two on. Nightingale then got the next two batters to fly out, but one runner advanced to third on the second fly ball.

Then a slow infield bouncer was fielded cleanly by Guth but the runner was able to beat the throw to first and the runner on third scored to tie the game. The next batter got a hold of one and sent it over the centerfielder’s head to score two on a double and take the lead for the first time in the game.

Franklin, in the bottom of the seventh started well with a double by Carson Wible but the next three batters weren’t able to get him across the plate.

Franklin’s season comes to an end with a 15-8 record.

To view more photos visit: https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p173763093

MASH Volleyball continues it's dominance, headed back to states

6/8/2022

I was in a rush to get home

Certainly, my 5-year-old would understand if we skipped our traditional stop at McDonald’s for a “blue slushy” after gymnastics. Of course, her sad little face said otherwise.

So we pull up to the drive-thru speaker and I ask for a blue raspberry slush in a voice that probably had the entire staff inside the McDonald’s drawing opinions.

I was in a hurry.

Let me explain, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every experience in my 20 years as a sports reporter at The Meadville Tribune. Those who know me well know my greatest passion was covering spring sports. I considered it an absolute privilege to watch and report on softball and boys volleyball in Crawford County.

Needless to say, with two schools I covered reaching the state semi-finals, I was a bit anxious for what was to transpire at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday

Crawford County has been blessed with so many great boys volleyball players, several of which have gone on to compete internationally. So much of that talent was to be on display in different ways Tuesday at Conneaut Area Senior High School and for me it started with Meadville head coach Nick Bancroft and Cochranton head coach Robert Cierniakoski

Even though it had been years, it seemed like only months prior that I was sitting in the stands, notebook in tow, watching Bancroft and Cierniakoski competing as teammates for Maplewood under the direction of one of the area’s greatest coaches Sheila Bancroft, Nick's mom.

I absolutely couldn’t wait to watch these volleyball masterminds at work with their respective teams now as coaches going head to head.

I knew it would be epic.

I snatched the blue raspberry slush out of the hands of the very nice McDonald’s employee, handed it off to my daughter and made my journey home. It was now 7:02 p.m.

Twenty-eight minutes.

I had 28 minutes to get home.

Please don’t let me get stuck behind a tractor.

I maintained the speed limit (precious cargo in my back seat) and watched as the minutes ticked away. I pulled into my driveway at 7:21, got my daughter out of her carseat and power walked into the house, pulled the volleyball match up on COOL 101.7’s Facebook page from my phone (thank you to COOL) and set it up to air on my TV just in time to hear Logan Walker and Chuck Stopp introduce the national anthem.

Turns out the drive home was just the start of my anxiety (haha). I was literally on the edge of the couch, sweaty palms and all as I watched Cochranton and Meadville battle in front of a boisterous sold-out crowd.

No one in my household was allowed to speak to me. And not once, but twice, I had to ask sternly for my family members to move away from the front of the TV.

I was watching volleyball mastery and did not want to miss a single play.

I really didn’t have a care in the world about which team won. I had built pretty good relationships with both Bancroft and Cierniakoski through their playing and coaching days; likewise with several members of their coaching staffs.

But I will admit I was in awe of just how precise Meadville was through the majority of the match. All I could do was shake my head and say, “Wow,” repeatedly, to which my daughter would ask, “What, Mommy?”

"These kids are so good," I told her.

I also kept thinking about just how cool it would be for Bancroft to make a third trip to the state championships in just his third year of coaching (2020 season was cancelled due to COVID). And in all honesty, he had the team to do it again in 2020. Who else has done something like that?

In fact in three years of coaching Bancroft has only lost one match while winning 59.

It was that precision that wound up leading Bancroft and his Bulldogs to the sweep Tuesday night of the Cards. The ‘Dogs have a plethora of weapons and their passing is impeccable. Lower Dauphin is going to have its hands full when it meets a Meadville squad that is already out for revenge on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Penn State. That one loss on Bancroft's coaching record was to Lower Dauphin a year ago in the state final. Lower Dauphin took that match in four sets.

This column was written by Lisa Renwick, long time sports reporter and editor at The Meadville Tribune and frequent contributor to Eight & 322

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Guth shuts down South Park

6/6/2022

Luke Guth had another stellar performance on the mound to shut down the District 7 number one seed South Park. Franklin will now move on to face the District 9 top seed Punxsutawney on Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
A second inning, bases-loaded hit by a pitch gave Franklin their first run. That score held until the seventh when Franklin scored two additional runs on a two-run double by Carson Wible.

Sixteen of the South Park's 21 outs came via Guth Ks. Dominant.

Monday diamond duels set for FHS teams

6/3/2022

Franklin High School baseball and softball teams will be at it again as they enter the PIAA state tournament action Monday. Both teams finished in second place in their respective divisions during the District 10 playoffs, making them eligible for the next round of competition.

The baseball team (14-7) is slated to meet South Park (18-5), the top seed out of District 7. They will meet for a 1 p.m. game at Seneca Valley High School in Zelienople, Butler County. Check out the entire 3A baseball bracket on the PIAA website.

The softball team (19-3) will travel to DuBois to take on Clearfield High School (18-3) for a 5 p.m. game at Heindl Memorial Field. Clearfield is the number one seed out of District 9. The full 4A softball bracket can be found on the PIAA website.

If you are looking for a way to get hyped up for the games, check out pictures from the teams' games from earlier this season by scrolling through the Sports tab listed at the top of the page.

Good luck Knights. Go make us proud.

Rough on the diamonds

5/30/2022

Both Franklin girls softball and boys baseball had rough outings today. Both will enter the state playoffs as the district runner up. The girls lost to Villa Maria 5-3 while the boys dropped the title game to Fairview 6-4. Both squads gave valiant efforts in comeback bids in the final inning but fell short.

Though the goal is always to hoist the district trophy overhead, both teams will still be practicing all week in preparation of resuming action June 6.

Both teams are still very solid squads capable of lighting it up at any point in time. Both teams got base runners Monday, lots of them in fact they just didn't quite get that one more hit to score them. Both teams showed tenacity in the final inning to be in a position to tie or come back to win but were shutdown by talented teams who also came to win

Sometimes, as fans of the kids we know, we forget that the other team has family and fantail hoping for the same things for their kids. We develop this "us against them" attitude that we sometimes over look the bigger baseball and softball family.

And both squads move on in the state playoffs and will face more 'family' members all vying for a state title.

On paper they have a more difficult path having lost the D10 championship, but these games are not played on paper. All they need to do is string together a couple dozen or so more good innings and they'll be vying for a state title.

I have to admit, I didn't want to see this end

5/27/2022

I confess, I didn't pay attention to the PIAA rules that said a transfer student can play all year long for you, but when the most important games come around they have to sit it out. I get that there are rules, but it seems if a kid plays a certain number of games they should be able to play throughout.

Rocky Grove got where they are because they were a team and that team consisted of one of the top pitchers in all of Northwest Pennsylvania. But in the playoffs Eli Moreland had to be a support teammate in in street clothes.

This may or may not have made a difference. Rocky Grove put Isaac Clayton on the mound who is no slouch on the mound and he pitched well. But Kennedy Catholic got a chance to play a Rocky Grove team that wasn't the same Rocky Grove team that went 14-2 in the region. Rules are rules.

This is an extremely good baseball team that ran up against another good baseball team that just seemed to have the one more punch today.

The rematch of last year's district 10 championship had Kennedy again coming out on top, this time in an extra inning walk off single to win 6-5.

Coach Geoff Sanner's team sure was fun to watch this season. Their bats were usually quite good all the way through the lineup and their pitching staff was solid. Whether it mattered or not on Friday, not having one of the top pitchers, who also played the field and batted well, couldn't have helped.

After the contest coach Sanner posted a team photo with these words. "Thanks to each and everyone of you. You made this season special and a really fun one to be a part of. I'm happy to know I'll always be your coach, Heck of a season boys."

Good season guys.

Franklin softball looks for repeat title

5/26/2022

Franklin softball took another step towards their bid to repeat as district champions Thursday afternoon by quieting the bats of a hard hitting Conneaut Area squad and letting their own bats do the talking. And they showed some tenacity and ability to counter punch.

Conneaut controlled the Knights other than a solo home run-in the bottom of the fourth by pitcher Trinity Edge. CASH then took a two to one lead in the sixth and Franklin began to look a bit tired. Championships are made by teams that face this and overcome it. And girl, did they overcome it.

They erupted in the bottom of the sixth for nine runs turning the tables and shifting that feeling of tired over to their opponent.

The Knights were pretty solid on defense with the infield turning three double plays behind another dominant pitching effort by Edge.

Other than the sixth inning it was a pitcher's duel and solid fielding by both squads.

Franklin now returns to the title game to face Villa Maria who they defeated last year in the District 10 title game. Last year Edge and crew shut out the Vicors.

According to the Erie Times, Franklin softball is the only District 10 champ from 2021 that is playing for the title again in 2022.

They will play Monday at 10 a.m. at Penn State Behrend.

See more photos at https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p203780772

Digging in for the win

5/26/2022

When a pitcher strikes out 15 batters in six innings it is usually a sign the individual would be heralded the player of the game. Or maybe the batter who drove in the game-winning run would get that honor.

But in Thursday afternoon's District 10 semi-final baseball contest, the player of the game was the sophomore who pitched only one inning. He got himself into a bit of a jam walking batters and loading the bases in the top of the seventh. That is when Zach Boland dug his heels in and got out of the inning without giving up a run. This was such a huge moment for the whole team.

Boland's grit to stay focused kept Hickory from running up the score and allowed Franklin a chance to end it in regulation.

In the bottom half of the frame, the Knights dug a little deeper and got a runner into scoring position when Aiden McCracken stepped up to the plate. The lefty connected for a base hit scoring Caleb Doyle from second base.

And just like that, the Knights defeated top seed Hornets 6-5 to advance to the title game.

Boland relieved Luke Guth in the seventh after the junior ace reached his pitch count limit. Despite striking out 15 batters, Guth left the game with the teams tied at five runs a piece. Some sloppy moments in the field allowed Hickory to cross the plate a few times. Not many solid bats on the ball from the Hornets, but they stayed right in the game.

Boland finding the ability to dig deep despite being in a position where most would be rattled is nothing short of impressive. Without this effort, the Knights might not be headed back to Slippery Rock University at 4:30 Monday to play Fairview for the District 10 3A championship.

Big bats, solid pitching, Cochranton is Cochranton

5/25/2022

Cochranton took to Allegheny's softball field like it was their own. Other than a couple sloppy plays in the middle of the game, they dominated West Middlesex with a 13-3 win in seven innings.

Cochranton will advance to the finals on Memorial Day where they will play against Saegertown who took down PENNCREST rival Cambridge Springs.