Look For Our CHRISTMAS SPECIAL In The DECEMBER 15th ISSUE Of The County Transcript

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HEADLINES:
Local Sports Scene
NASCAR Racing
Five Million Dollars Goes To Kurt Busch
Maplewood Lanes Bowling Results

Winter Sports Seasons To Open This Week
By Tom Robinson

Basketball, wrestling and swimming seasons will get underway beginning Friday, the first day of competition in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association winter sports season.

All of this week's games involve non-league competition.

Lackawanna League play opens for girls' basketball December 9. Boys' basketball league openers are set for the next day.

With changes in classifications this season, Montrose has moved into Division III of Lackawanna League boys' basketball along with the other five county schools - Blue Ridge, Elk Lake, Forest City, Mountain View and Susquehanna.

The six county schools are joined by both Carbondale Sacred Heart and Lackawanna Trail in divisional play in both boys' and girls' basketball.

Crossover games with Division II opponents are first on the league schedule.

Girls' teams play crossover games December 9, then move into Division III action December 11.

Boys' teams have crossovers scheduled December 10, then play their first Division III games December 14.

Wrestling teams do not enter league competition until January 5.

Blue Ridge, Elk Lake, Montrose, Mountain View and Susquehanna will join Bishop O'Hara, Scranton Prep and Valley View in Division 2 of the Lackawanna League.

Montrose moved down from Class AAA to Class AA in boys' basketball, making the change back to the division with county rivals possible.

Blue Ridge, Elk Lake and Mountain View join Montrose in Class AA in boys' and girls' basketball. Forest City and Susquehanna are in Class A.

All five county teams are Class AA in wrestling.

The classifications are different from sport to sport because a different number of PIAA schools sponsor each sport and the state does its best to split the classifications equally.

Elk Lake is the only school in boys' and girls' swimming and competes in Class AA in both.

WEEK IN REVIEW

The rushing yardage totals Susquehanna produced in a memorable state quarterfinal football victory took 10 years and a day to erase from the state playoff record books.

The final numbers are still being sorted out but sophomore fullback Henry Hynoski and the two-time defending state champion Southern Columbia Tigers wiped out those records Friday night in a 76-47 shoot-out with Pius X.

It was Southern Columbia, on its way to the first of its three state titles and nine appearances in the final, that ended Susquehanna's 1994 season with a 40-20 semifinal win. A week earlier, the Sabers set records in their 37-35 win over Schuylkill Haven.

Jason Reed carried 19 times for 334 yards and four touchdowns before kicking the game-winning field goal with eight seconds left. Reed's yardage total and the team total of 554 yards on 51 carries were state playoff records.

The only three players to carry the ball in the game all went over 100 yards for the Sabers. Jeremy Stout carried 12 times for 118 yards and a touchdown while Jason Soden carried 20 times for 102 yards.

Reed's overall game still ranks as one of the best ever produced in the state playoffs. He caught a pass for 20 yards and was in on five tackles, including the third-down tackle for a loss that got the Sabers the ball back in time to make the winning rally, which he capped with a 26-yard field goal.

Friday night, Hynoski, a 6-foot, 225-pound fullback, also had a game that will long be remembered.

Because there is not one official statistician for Pennsylvania high school games prior to the state final, numbers sometimes vary from one statistician to another. Media reports on the game had Southern Columbia's final rushing total ranging from 758 to 781.

Those numbers will eventually have to be pinned down because the Tigers appear to have set a national record in the game. According to NFLHS.com and the National Federation of State High School Association's record book, the best single game total entering this season had been 755 by Indianapolis Warren Central in a win over Richmond (Ind.) August 30, 2002.

Hynoski led the way with rushing totals that ranged from 409 to 419 in various reports. He carried 27 times and ran for six touchdowns, including a 91-yarder that gave the Tigers a 27-14 lead in the second quarter.

By half-time, the score was 41-28.

Kyle Connaghan added four touchdown runs for Southern Columbia and had as many as 184 yards rushing.

The season ended for Lackawanna Football Conference teams and only one District 2 fall sports team - Berwick's football team, which has advanced to the Class AAA semifinals - is still playing.

Lansdale Catholic eliminated previously unbeaten Lakeland, 33-0, in the Class AA quarterfinals. R.C. Lagomarsino ran 74 yards for a touchdown on the first play on the way to a 200-yard rushing effort.

Berwick, which has a record six state titles, is looking for its first since 1997. The Bulldogs rolled over Upper Merion, 47-16, behind three touchdowns each by Brant Quick and quarterback Christian Force.

With all LFC teams eliminated, our football predictions come to an end for the season. We went 0-2 in the final week, 6-2 in the playoffs (75.0) and 96-18 (84.2 percent) for the season.

LOOKING BACK

Montrose's District 2 Class AA champion girls' soccer team celebrated its successful season at a November 21 banquet.

Awards were presented to: Amanda Lass and Cat Caterson, Coach's Awards; Brittany Ely, Outstanding Offensive Player; Caitlin Ely, Outstanding Defensive Player; Kate LaBarbera and Amber Lattner, Most Valuable Players.

Also recognized were Lackawanna League North Division all-stars. LaBarbera, Lattner, Brittany Ely and Caitlin Ely were first team all-stars. Maggie McNamara and Keesha Lunger were second-team choices.

COLLEGE CORNER

Courtney Parvin, a 5-foot-10 junior forward from Montrose, tied her career-high on opening night when she scored 20 points to lead Springfield College to a 66-60 victory over Virginia Wesleyan in the first round of the Tyson Tip-Off Classic in Norfolk.

Parvin scored 10 points in just 20 minutes in the final when Springfield fell to St. Benedict, 84-52.

In the opener, Parvin was 8-for-12 from the floor, hit her only 3-pointer and went 3-for-4 at the line. She also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists in 35 minutes.

Against St. Benedict, she was 4-for-9 from the floor, 0-for-1 on her 3-pointer and 2-for-2 at the line. She also had two rebounds and a steal.

Tom Robinson writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached on-line at RobbyTR@aol.com.

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NASCAR Racing
By Gerald Hodges; The Racing Reporter

It’s Time For The Big NASCAR Checks

Whenever Kurt Busch decides to marry his girlfriend, he should be able to come up with a nice wedding present, since he collected over $5-million for winning this year’s Nextel Cup championship.

In his fourth year, Busch survived many close calls on the way to the top. Like his teammate Matt Kenseth, Busch utilized consistency and determination on his way to NASCAR’s top prize.

Jimmie Johnson, the second-place driver recorded eight wins during the season, the most of any driver. His team was strong all year long. Had Johnson been able to move up just two spots, or win the last race of the season at Homestead, he would be wearing the crown.

Jeff Gordon, Johnson’s teammate and four-time Winston Cup champion would have won the championship by 47 points under the old system, but he came up 16 points short. Gordon had five wins.

Mark Martin’s single win at Dover just wasn’t enough to get him up front in the last few races. He had a good team and lots of good runs, but he was never able to find what he needed to reach championship status.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was probably one of the major disappointments of the season. He won six races and ran like a championship contender for nearly half of the races. The other half was duds. His team needs to find more consistency during the off season.

Tony Stewart just didn’t have it this season. Even though he won two races, he never seemed to have the zip or ‘fire in the belly,’ needed to win again.

Ryan Newman, the seventh-place finisher deserved better. His nine poles led all drivers. Mechanical failures and problems on the track cost him several positions. Newman and his team are a class act. I expect a better performance in 2005.

Matt Kenseth, the defending champion had two wins, but his team was never in the hunt.

Elliott Sadler had two wins and seemed to be on a roll. But late season wrecks plagued him throughout the chase.

Jeremy Mayfield was the last driver to make it into the hunt. It appeared his team had momentum, but the No. 19 Dodge never got going in the last ten races.

Who’s Gone Where – I think one of the saddest moves was the release of Ward Burton. He is a great driver. It is a shame he and the NetZero Team couldn’t get along. Mike Bliss replaced him, but no word if Bliss or Tony Raines will be in the driver’s seat come February, 2005.

It’s unclear if Mike Wallace will remain as driver of Morgan McClure’s No. 4 next year. It’s also unclear if the No. 4 will race, even though Larry McClure has said the team will be in Daytona.

Travis Kvapil will run at least a limited schedule in Penske’s No. 06.

Robby Gordon is gone from Richard Childress Racing. He plans to start a Busch team and graduate it to Cup.

Casey Atwood is out at FitzBradshaw Racing and David Stremme is in.

Jack Roush says he has a full sponsorship for the No. 99 and Carl Edwards will continue as driver.

TOP TEN NASCAR DRIVERS, 2004

Final Top-25 Driver Standings – 1. Busch-6506, 2. Johnson-6498, 3. J. Gordon-6490, 4. Martin-6399, 5. Earnhardt Jr.-6368, 6. Stewart-6326, 7. Newman-6180, 8. Kenseth-6069, 9. Sadler-6024, 10. Mayfield-6000, 11. McMurray-4597, 12. B. Labonte-4277, 13. Kahne-4274, 14. Harvick-4228, 15. Jarrett-4214, 16. R. Wallace-3960, 17. Biffle-3902, 18. J. Burton-3902, 19. Nemechek-3878, 20. Waltrip-3878, 21. Marlin-3857, 22. Mears-3690, 23. R. Gordon-3646, 24. Rudd-3615, 25. Vickers-3521.

Is Roush Racing NASCAR’s New Dynasty – After having won the past two NASCAR championships, it appears the Jack Roush organization has positioned itself to become the new leader in NASCAR teams.

No doubt Roush has plenty to be proud of, but there are fans that believe Roush teams might have stolen the championship.

Kurt Busch was virtually off the radar the first 26 races, but in the end all he did was rack up consistent finishes like Matt Kenseth did last year and sneak in and win the thing. Busch only had three wins, while Jimmie Johnson had eight.

While the new Chase format created tremendous drama for everyone involved, one negative aspect often overlooked will be how the system will be viewed historically. If Busch never wins another title, will fans say, "He couldn't have won it if the points weren't reset?"

You could also argue that Busch's title was due to consistency, but doesn’t this sound familiar to last year after Kenseth took the crown?

To compare owners against each other while using the word 'dominant', consider the fact that Roush has five cars in his stable, and won eight races in 2004 (four of his five cars found Victory Lane this year with only the 99 left out).

Hendrick has four cars, but won 13 times (all by Gordon and Jimmie Johnson).

Dale Earnhardt Inc. has two cars, and won 6 times (all by Dale Jr.). You could argue that Hendrick is most "dominant", but by no means could any team claim a dynasty just yet.

I'd say that Roush’s ability to build consistency in both the garage and on the track has made him the "consistently successful" owner that he is, and he has two championship trophies to prove it.

And what are many fans going to say, “Wait until next year”?

Washington Officials Reject NASCAR Site, Marysville, WA – Local officials in Snohomish County, Washington, site of a proposed new NASCAR track, said no to International Speedway Corp.’s plan to build a new race track near Marysville.

Local leaders advised International Speedway Corp. that the proposal posed too great a financial risk.

"As public officials, our foremost obligation must be to the citizens of Snohomish County, Marysville and Washington State," two county officials wrote to Lee Combs, ISC senior vice president. The letter said the Marysville City Council was in agreement with their action.

"Unfortunately, we do not believe that taxpayer safeguards in the financing package have proceeded to our satisfaction, nor as swiftly as we had hoped," the officials said of negotiations for the track that had been planned near Marysville in north Snohomish County.

Two weeks ago, a report commissioned by Marysville officials found that transportation needs for the track could require $85 million in public financing, in addition to the $200 million ISC has already requested from the state Legislature to pay for the track.

Weekend NASCAR Television Schedule – There’s over $23-million on the line at this year’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Ceremonies. Coverage begins Friday, December 3, at 9 p.m. on TNT and ends at midnight.

Racing Trivia Question: Who would have won this year’s Nextel Cup championship under the old points system?

Last Week’s Question: Who will Kenny Wallace be driving for in 2005? Answer. Wallace will be driving for Michael Waltrip’s team.

Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter is a syndicated NASCAR columnist. You can read additional racing stories by Hodges at www.race500.com.

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Five Million Dollars Goes To Kurt Busch
By Gerald Hodges; The Racing Reporter

Kurt Busch has not always endeared himself to the fans. But Sunday, after winning the Nextel Cup championship at Homestead, Fla., he claimed--$5-million--the largest point payoff check in the series history.

Nextel CEO Tim Donohue, Kurt Busch and Jack Roush hold up the $5-million check.

The top-10 drivers received a little over $23-million, with the lion's share of the purse, $5.2 million going to Busch.

R.J. Reynolds' Winston brand began the points fund in 1971 to award end-of-season bonus money to teams. The 1971 purse totaled $100,000, including a $40,000 bonus for the series champion Richard Petty.

The duel among Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson for 400 miles at NASCAR’s season finale Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway ranks among the best of the season.

The title was settled on the final lap of the final race.

The culmination of the inaugural Chase For the NASCAR Nextel Cup that crowned Kurt Busch as NASCAR’s 2004 Champion was the tightest battle in NASCAR history. The closest points finish previous to this season took place in 1992 when Alan Kulwicki triumphed over Bill Elliott by a margin of 10 points.

But of the top-5 drivers, Busch was probably the least popular.

Love him or hate him, Busch is a NASCAR champion, and he won it by out driving nine other rivals in NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup championship.

It capped a roller-coaster ride for Busch, a 26-year-old Las Vegas native considered an outsider in NASCAR. He doesn't look like the other competitors, he doesn't talk like them, and, because he often comes across as cocky and arrogant, he isn't embraced like them.

When he was viciously booed after winning Bristol Motor Speedway last season -- one week after Jimmy Spencer punched him in the face following a race -- it became clear that Busch was NASCAR's newest villain.

"It took me some time to understand the bigger picture," he said. "Just to be able to understand the bigger ethic and the bigger picture about racing at this level is one thing that I misunderstood the first couple of years."

Recognizing that was the key to Busch rising to the top of NASCAR in just his fourth season.

He won the title by eight points over Jimmie Johnson -- a difference of just two places in the season-ending race -- and 16 over Jeff Gordon.

The dramatic finish was a fitting end to a new 10-man, 10-race Chase For the Nextel Cup Championship.

Final Top-25 Driver Standings: 1. Busch-6506, 2. Johnson-6498, 3. J. Gordon-6490, 4. Martin-6399, 5. Earnhardt Jr.-6368, 6. Stewart-6326, 7. Newman-6180, 8. Kenseth-6069, 9. Sadler-6024, 10. Mayfield-6000, 11. McMurray-4597, 12. B. Labonte-4277, 13. Kahne-4274, 14. Harvick-4228, 15. Jarrett-4214, 16. R. Wallace-3960, 17. Biffle-3902, 18. J. Burton-3902, 19. Nemechek-3878, 20. Waltrip-3878, 21. Marlin-3857, 22. Mears-3690, 23. R. Gordon-3646, 24. Rudd-3615, 25. Vickers-3521.

Is Roush Racing NASCAR’S New Dynasty? – After having won the past two NASCAR championships, it appears the Jack Roush organization has positioned itself to become the new leader in NASCAR teams.

No doubt Roush has plenty to be proud of, but there are fans that believe Roush teams might have stolen the championship.

Kurt Busch was virtually off the radar the first 26 races, but in the end all he did was rack up consistent finishes like Matt Kenseth did last year and sneak in and win the thing. Busch only had three wins, while Jimmie Johnson had eight.

While the new Chase format created tremendous drama for everyone involved, one negative aspect often overlooked will be how the system will be viewed historically. If Busch never wins another title, will fans say, "He couldn't have won it if the points weren't reset."

You could also argue that Busch's title was due to consistency, but doesn’t this sound familiar to last year after Kenseth took the crown?

To compare owners against each other while using the word 'dominant', consider the fact that Roush has five cars in his stable, and won eight races in 2004 (four of his five cars found Victory Lane this year with only the 99 left out).

Hendrick has four cars, but won 13 times (all by Gordon and Jimmie Johnson).

Dale Earnhardt Inc. has two cars, and won 6 times (all by Dale Jr.). You could argue that Hendrick is most "dominant", but by no means could any team claim a dynasty just yet.

I'd say that Roush’s ability to build consistency in both the garage and on the track has made him the "consistently successful" owner that he is, and he has two championship trophies to prove it.

And what are many fans going to say? “Wait until next year”

Racing Trivia Question: Who would have won this year’s Nextel Cup championship under the old points system?

Last Week’s Question: Who will Kenny Wallace be driving for in 2005? Answer. Wallace will be driving for Michael Waltrip’s team.

Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter is a syndicated NASCAR columnist. You can read additional racing stories by Hodges at www.race500.com.

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Maplewood Lanes Bowling Results

Following are results from assorted leagues at Maplewood Lanes, Montrose, PA.

Tuesday Ladies Lunch League (11/9/04)

Leading Points Team: Rollers.

Top Three Team Scratch Games: Rollers - 726; Pin Splitters - 616; Gutter Dusters - 594.

Top Three Team Scratch Series: Rollers - 1920; Pin Splitters - 1719; Rainbow 4 - 1693.

Top Three Scratch Game Highs: Debby Drasher - 204; June Allen - 197; Juliet Loch - 190.

Top Three Scratch Series Highs: Debby Drasher - 548; Judy Spadine - 516; Juliet Loch - 507.

Tuesday Nite Ladies (11/9/04)

Leading Points Team: Town and Country Florist.

Top Three Team Scratch Games: Stankiewicz Farm - 671; P. J. Cafe - 636; Sherman's Farm - 622.

Top Three Team Scratch Series: Stankiewicz Farm - 1880; Sherman's Farm - 1763; P. J. Cafe - 1741.

Top Three Scratch Game Highs: Yvonne C. Nuss - 244; Marcie A. Henderson - 201; Dhanna J. Moon - 201.

Top Three Scratch Series Highs: Yvonne C. Nuss - 610;  Dhanna J. Moon - 542; Linda G. Mitchell - 529.

Maplewood Classic (11/17/04)

Top Three Leading Points Teams: Maplewood Lanes: 123 1/2; C & A Vending - 116; Dandy Mart - 114.

Top three Team Scratch Game Scores were: Maplewood Proshop - 929; Dandy Mart - 897; Barney & Dickenson - 869.

Top three Team Scratch Series were: Maplewood Proshop - 2628; Dandy Mart - 2618; Barney & Dickenson - 2538.

Top three Scratch Game Highs were: Will Talbert - 269; Skip Burnett - 266; Dave Haines - 263.

Top three Scratch Series were: Will Talbert - 720; Bub Traver - 704; Lew Hinkley - 695.

Top Three Individual High Averages: Dale Hayner - 223.03; Will Talbert - 220.05; K. C. Stockholm - 219.59.

Saturday Nite Specials (11/13/04)

Top Three Leading Points Teams: Misfits - 29 1/2; The Gang - 23 1/2; All In The Family - 23.

Top three Team Scratch Game Scores were: Rolling Thunder - 715; Misfits - 710; Sandbagers - 678.

Top three Team Scratch Series were: Rolling Thunder - 2052; Misfits - 1977; Snake Creek Stone - 1976.

Top three Scratch Game Highs were: MEN - Ray Johnson - 235; Wally Stewart Sr. - 226; Paul Henry - 223; WOMEN - Kelly Keller - 201; Anne Hunsinger - 198; Sandy West - 181.

Top three Scratch Series were: MEN - Paul Henry - 636; Wally Stewart Sr. - 631; Craig Keller - 607; WOMEN - Anne Hunsinger - 537; Kelly Keller - 528; Sandy West - 509.

Maplewood Majors (11/13/04)

Top Three Leading Points Teams: Git-R-Done - 25; #1 - 22; Tazmanian Devils - 16.

Top three Team Scratch Game Scores were: Git-R-Done - 970; Scooby Doo Squad - 909; #1 - 845.

Top three Team Scratch Series were: Git-R-Done - 2786; #1 - 2487; Scooby Doo Squad - 2343.

Top three Scratch Game Highs were: BOYS - Justin Hertzler - 276; Dustin Johnson - 244; Aaron Howell - 237; GIRLS - Kecia Wilkins - 215; Amanda Stewart - 205; Kayla Traver - 191.

Top three Scratch Series were: BOYS - Dustin Johnson - 645; Aaron Howell - 634; Justin Hertzler - 620; GIRLS - Kecia Wilkins - 540; Amanda Stewart - 509; Saleta Oakley - 492.

Maplewood Preps (11/13/04)

Top Three Leading Points Teams: Shady Ladies - 21 1/2; Pin Stabbers - 21; 3 on 1 - 21.

Top three Team Scratch Game Scores were: Shady Ladies - 443; Team Seven - 434; Pin Stabbers - 432.

Top three Team Scratch Series were: Pin Stabbers - 1266; Team Seven - 1255; Shady Ladies - 1216.

Top three Scratch Game Highs were: BOYS - Marshall McCarthy - 122; Dereck Swingle - 118; Nathaniel Carter - 118; GIRLS - Michelle MacDonald - 130; Paige Humphrey - 122; Katie Nye - 122.

Top three Scratch Series were: BOYS - Nathaniel Carter - 335; Marshall McCarthy - 324; Joshua Alexander - 284; GIRLS - Michelle MacDonald - 358; Paige Humphrey - 341; Heather Traver - 318.

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