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Look For Our Up Coming
2006
BRIDAL SPECIAL Featured In Our Mar. 15th Issue Of The Susquehanna County Transcript

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Issue Home March 7, 2006 Site Home

HEADLINES:
Local Sports Scene
NASCAR Racing

Preseason 2006 Trout Stocking
Panasevich Again Named Athlete Of The Month



Lady Meteors, Eagles Settle For Second

Scranton - The Montrose girls and Mountain View boys each wound up in matchups between regular-season division champions in the District 2 Class AA basketball finals.

Both teams were in tight battles deep into the fourth quarter only to fall short and settle for second place in the district.

The Lady Meteors and Eagles had already earned their state tournament berths when they won district semifinals earlier in the week.

Lackawanna League Division II champion Dunmore ended Montrose's title bid with a 37-34 victory Saturday night at Scranton High School.

Chelsey Parvin, who grabbed 13 rebounds, and Brittany Ely led the Lady Meteors with nine points each. Amanda Lass added eight points and three blocked shots.

Defense carried Montrose through the semifinals with a 37-23 victory over Carbondale.

The Lady Meteors held the Chargerettes without a field goal for the first 6:52 of the game and all but the final 35 seconds of the second quarter.

Brittany Ely, who finished with 10 points, hit a 3-pointer on the game's first shot before the game turned into a defensive struggle.

Montrose led, 6-1, after forcing Carbondale to commit six turnovers while it took only two shots from the floor.

The score was still, 6-5, with 5:48 left in the half when Caitlin Ely checked into the lineup. She hit a 3-pointer 15 seconds later and Brittany Ely scored on a drive for an 11-5 lead midway through the second quarter.

Caitlin Ely also took a steal the length of the court for a lay-up and 13-7 lead with three minutes left in the half.

The lead grew to 17-7 before Carbondale, which had been 0-for-5 with six turnovers in the second quarter, scored in the final minute of the half.

The Chargerettes used that basket to start a streak of six straight points that closed the gap to four points early in the second half.

Parvin then took over to restore Montrose's control. Parvin, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, scored on a strong post move then converted an offensive rebound for a 21-13 lead. She added another basket on a jump hook later in the quarter.

Lass had 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. She converted offensive rebounds into all four of her points to start the fourth quarter while helping the Lady Meteors push the lead from 26-19 to 30-19.

In boys' basketball, Mountain View led briefly in the fourth quarter before falling to Wyoming Valley Conference Division II champion Bishop Hoban, 66-57, Friday night at King's College in Wilkes-Barre.

Robbie Johnson, Nick Stoud and Tim Bennett all scored in double figures for the Lackawanna League Division III champion Eagles in the district final.

Kyle Flemings led Bishop Hoban with 24 points.

The Eagles reached the final by turning back an upset bid by Wilkes-Barre GAR, 65-51. The 14th-seeded Grenadiers had already knocked off two higher-seeded teams when they scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to take a 50-46 lead.

Mountain View went on a 19-1 run to finish out the game. Chris White scored five points and L.B. Feduchak hit all four free throws during the closing run.

White had 12 of his 18 points and Bennett had all 11 of his in the second half.

The Eagles trailed by as much as nine points.

Johnson added 12 points for the Eagles.

Len Martin led GAR with 16 points while Tyseane Whitt added 14.

Forest City reached the District 2 Class A semifinals before falling to Bishop Hannan, 63-46.

The Foresters were tied with the Lancers, 17-17, late in the first half when a technical foul on coach Jack Pisarcik led to a game-breaking 18-2 run by Bishop Hannan that carried deep into the third quarter.

Forest City closed its season with a 14-12 record.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Mountain View's Matt Panasevich advanced to the Class AA Northeast Regional final before falling in the closing seconds, 7-5, to Loyalsock's Justin Hepburn in a battle of unbeaten wrestlers.

Hepburn took Panasevich down to his back in the first period for a 4-0 lead in the 189-pound final at Williamsport. The lead was 4-1 after one and went to 5-1 when Hepburn escaped early in the third.

Panasevich applied constant pressure in the final minute, forcing a stalling warning then three straight stalling penalties against Hepburn for four points and the tie. Under the risk of a potential disqualification for another stall, Hepburn went back to work and scored the winning takedown.

Panasevich reached the final with a 6-2 decision over Derek Zeisloft of Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech Friday night and a 3-2 decision over Towanda's Darrin Rockwell in the semifinals early Saturday.

The other three county wrestlers, Elk Lake's John Brooks (119) and Derek Noldy (152) and Montrose's Anthony Sellitto (145), lost their first two matches and were eliminated.

In boys' swimming, Elk Lake finished ninth out of 12 teams in the District 2 Championships at the Wilkes-Barre CYC Friday and Saturday.

The Warriors finished with 46 points. Bishop Hoban ran away with the team title over Tunkhannock, 346-199.

Most of the points came in relays and diving.

Tom DeMichele, Ben Phillips, Jehiel Boner and Chris Wilmarth formed the 200-yard freestyle relay team that finished sixth and the 400 freestyle relay team that finished seventh.

DeMichele (500 freestyle) and Phillips (100 backstroke) added 11th-place finishes. Boner was 12th in the 100 freestyle.

Dakota Berg finished eighth in diving and Jeremy Vaskas was ninth. The diving competition was held a week earlier, but was part of the scoring in the swimming championships.

In girls' swimming, Elk Lake finished 12th out of 15 teams at the District 2 meet.

Lacey Wells was part of all of the scoring as Elk Lake picked up 19 points. Scranton Prep outscored Dallas, 323-270, for the team championship.

Wells was eighth in the 50 freestyle, ninth in the 100 freestyle, swam the first leg of the ninth-place 200 medley relay team and anchored the 400 freestyle relay team to a 12th-place finish.

Maureen Manning and Ashley Wilson were on both relay teams. Sarah Jayne was part of the medley relay team while Kayla Karpich was on the freestyle relay team.

COLLEGE CORNER

Kristy Shadduck, a 6-foot-1 senior center from Elk Lake, saved her best for last.

Shadduck wrapped up her college career at Division II Lock Haven University by posting double-doubles with at least a dozen points and rebounds in each of her last four games.

After earning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division Player of the Week and LHU Bookstore Athlete of the Week honors in the next-to-last week of her college career, Shadduck had two more strong games left. She had 15 points and 13 rebounds in an 80-66 victory over Columbia Union to help Lock Haven (17-9) tie for the fifth-most wins in school history. Needing an upset over unbeaten division champion California University of Pennsylvania to reach the playoffs, Shadduck had 16 points and 12 rebounds on senior night in a hard-fought 69-64 loss.

Shadduck had 16 points and 14 rebounds in each game during her award-winning week. She also had a career-high six blocked shots while playing all 45 minutes in one of those games, an overtime win over Shippensburg.

For the season, Shadduck appeared in 22 games, including seven starts. She was second on the team with a 45.8 field goal percentage and third with a 71.1 free throw percentage. She also ranked third in rebounds (7.6) and blocked shots (1.0) while averaging 9.2 points.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Panasevich will pursue a state title beginning Thursday morning at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Although he suffered his first loss Saturday night at the Northeast Regionals, Panasevich still enters the tournament with the third-best record of any Class AA 189-pounder in the state.

"You can't let it bother you," Panasevich said of the loss.

Panasevich opens against Charters-Houston senior Phil Henderson, the third-place wrestler from the Southwest Regional with a 36-3.

Southwest Regional champion David Pisarcik of Mars is 45-0, but is in the opposite half of the bracket from Panasevich.

In girls' basketball, Montrose (22-4) faces Hughesville (22-8) in a state tournament opener Friday at 6 at Carbondale. Scranton and Central Bucks East meet at 7:30 in the second game of the doubleheader.

In boys' basketball, Mountain View (25-3) plays Southern Columbia (21-7) at Carbondale Saturday at 2:30. The doubleheader starts at 1 p.m. with Scranton Prep facing York Suburban in Class AAA girls.

The Hughesville girls and Southern Columbia boys each finished third in District 4.

TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com.

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NASCAR Racing

HAMLIN Wins Mexican Road Race – Denny Hamlin won Sunday’s Telcel-Motorola 200 NASCAR Busch Series race, in Mexico City, for his first Busch Series victory in 39 starts.

Denny Hamlin

Busch Pole winner Boris Said led the first 26 laps of the 80 lap race, before yielding the lead to Hamlin on a pit stop under caution with 54 laps remaining. When the race restarted, Hamlin battled at the front of the pack with Kevin Harvick, the eventual third-place finisher.

Another caution period slowed the field just before the halfway point of the race and Kyle Busch temporarily took the lead when the race was restarted on lap 39. Busch gave up the lead four laps later, as he and the rest of the race leaders soon began to peel off the course to make their final scheduled pit stops for tires and fuel.

Another brief caution period began just as the leaders completed their pit stops. When racing resumed with 27 laps remaining, Busch and Hamlin restarted in the fourth and fifth positions behind Mexico’s Michel Jourdain, Todd Kluever and Danny O’Quinn Jr.

Jourdain and Busch spun out as they negotiated through the eighth turn on the restart, bringing out another caution period and placing Hamlin, Kluever, Harvick and Said in a close race at the front of the field.

Said soon worked his way around Kluever and Harvick to take over the second position, and continued to challenge Hamlin for the lead in between three more caution periods over the final 20 laps. After the final restart with two laps remaining, Hamlin kept his distance over Said and built a lead of nearly 1.5 seconds before crossing the finish line for the victory.

Top-10 Busch Series leaders after 3 of 35: 1. Harvick-467, 2. JJ Yeley-453, 3. Hamlin-445, 4. McMurray-409, 5. Bowyer-400, 6. Lamar-379, 7. Leffler-359, 8. Edwards-358, 9. Wood-351, 10. Keller-350.

This Ain’t Heaven And NASCAR Really Ain’t God – “You can’t have the best all the time, ‘cause this ain’t heaven,’” my uncle Bob once told me.

I’ve seen a few of my relatives from Georgia, put down their beer can, spit out the Skoal and comment on the world as they see it.

That’s what I’m going to do in this article.

Most of the time, I bash NASCAR for what I consider to be stupid decisions, but I think they have taken some unjust flack from a lot of fans, drivers, teams, and wannabe racers regarding the first three races of the season.

The first event, the Daytona 500 was packed full of excitement, both on and off the track. Between Tony Stewart, Chad Knaus, Matt Kenseth, and a couple other drivers that attempted to mix it up, it was a whale of a race.

Going into the second race of the year at California, fans were on an adrenaline rush, and they were letdown, big time.

Most folks disliked the California race because it was boring. The wide track did not make for close, exciting racing. Even the fans that attended must have been bored, because they chose to go down to the midway, instead of remaining in their seats.

I'm not a big fan of big wrecks and drivers getting hurt, but the racing itself wasn't there like many thought it should be. The fast cars broke away and the car separation was so big that it was hard to see a pass all day.

And then the Cup drivers were given the weekend off, after only two races. The only thing on the tube this past weekend was the Busch race from Mexico. This event might be exciting for the sponsors, but most teams didn’t look forward to it.

But that’s the way life is sometimes. You have to take the mediocre with the good.

NASCAR has always tried to make racing more memorable for all fans that watch or attend.

“Making the schedule is easy,” said NASCAR V-P Jim Hunter. “Keeping everybody happy, now that’s a job. NASCAR is about so much.”

You’re right Jim, it’s about love, favorite drivers, wrecks, pickup trucks, high-priced tickets, and fans waiting out a rain shower.

Most of us know how things should be in life. Coffee should be hot, while ice cream is served cold. We tend to want our steaks just right, and served with a pleasing smile.

But wait. Now after having seen a lackluster performance or two, we know it will get better.

We can all be successful if we set our goals low enough, but NASCAR has constantly tried to provide first-rate entertainment for everyone.

We must excuse them if they fail every now and then. Somehow, in retrospect, they aren’t all bad.

On a more serious note, not everyone from Georgia drinks, dips, or chews. But wherever we’re from, or wherever we live, life’s little problems are going to find us.

For all of us who believe that we can’t live without good, exciting NASCAR racing, there probably isn’t a solution. But try to wait until next weekend.

NASCAR Hall Going To Charlotte – According to the Charlotte Observer, NASCAR is expected to declare Charlotte the winner to build NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.

According to the Observer, an announcement will be made Monday at 4 p.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Mecklenburg County commissioners will be presented a motion this week regarding the use of hotel tax money. They'll be asked to approve it March 21.

NASCAR and city officials refused to confirm that Charlotte has a lock on the bid, but several sources with knowledge of the decision have told the Observer the hall is coming to Charlotte.

The public would own and operate the hall and pay the bulk of the $137.5 million construction costs. NASCAR would receive guaranteed payments for the use of its name and merchandise.

WEEKEND RACING

The NASCAR Busch and Nextel Cup teams are in Las Vegas. The Craftsman Truck series has the weekend off.

Saturday, March 11, Busch Series Sam’s Town 300, race 4 of 35, 200 laps/300 miles, 6 p.m. TV: FX Channel.

Sunday, March 12, UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 400, race 3 of 36, 267 laps/400 miles, 4 p.m. TV: Fox.

Racing Trivia Question: Who has the most career starts among Busch drivers?

Last Week’s Question: Name the two Petty Racing Cup drivers. Answer. They are Kyle Petty and Bobby Labonte.

You may read additional stories at the Racing Reporter’s website, www.race500.com.

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Preseason 2006 Trout Stocking

Date / Time         Water Area         Meeting Place         Species Trout

3/15 - 12:45         Tuscarora Creek         Int Rt 6 & 367         Brook Rainbow TG

3/17 - 2:00         Starrucca Creek         Lanesboro Post office         Brook Rainbow TG

         Canawacta Creek                  Brown Rainbow

3/20 - 1:30         Salt Lick Creek         Trail Diner / New Milford         Brook Brown TG

3/23 - 1:30         Gaylord Creek         Basil Leaf Rest / Montrose         Brook Brown

         N. Br. Wyalusing Creek                  Brook Brown TG

3/28 - 2:00         Quaker Lake         PFBC access         Rainbow

3/30 - 1:30         Snake Creek         Basil Leaf Rest. /Montrose         Brook Brown TG

4/12 - 1:30         Fall Brook         Basil Leaf Rest/ Montrose         Brook Brown Rainbow

         Silver Creek                  Brook Brown

4/13 - 1:30         East Br. Wyalusing Creek         Basil Leaf Rest / Montrose         Brook Brown TG

4/14 - 12:00         Wysox Creek         Int Rt 6 & 187         Brook Brown TG

Trout Season Opens April 15, 2006 at 8:00 a.m. daily creel limit of 5.

Inseason 2006 District 3073 Trout Stocking

Date / Time         Water Area         Meeting Place         Species Trout

4/19 - 2:00         Quaker Lake         PFBC access         Rainbow

4/20 - 1:30         East Br. Wyalusing Creek         Basil Leaf Rest/ Montrose         Brown Rainbow

         N. Br. Wyalusing Creek                  Brown Rainbow

4/25 - 12:00         Wysox Creek         Int. Rt. 6 & 187         Brown Rainbow

         Tuscarora Creek                  Brown

5/2 - 1:30         Salt Lick Creek         Trail Diner/ New Milford         Brown Rainbow

         Fall Brook                  Brown Rainbow

         Silver Creek                  Brown Rainbow

5/9 - 1:30         Fall Brook         Basil Leaf Rest/ Montrose         Rainbow

         Silver Creek                  Rainbow

5/10 - 1:30         Gaylord Creek         Basil Leaf Rest/ Montrose         Brook Brown

         Snake Creek                  Brook Brown

5/15 - 2:00         Starrucca Creek         Lanesboro Post Office         Brook Brown

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Panasevich Again Named Athlete Of The Month

Matt Panasevich has made a routine of winning tournaments, including the District 2 title.

The Mountain View senior added a little extra accomplishment along with his third district championship when he was also named Outstanding Wrestler at this season's Class AA tournament at Scranton Prep High School.

After completing an unbeaten regular season and taking the Outstanding Wrestler award, Panasevich has received another of his routine accomplishments, his fourth selection as the Susquehanna County Transcript Athlete of the Month.

"Going into the tournament, I was just kind of looking at a championship," Panasevich said. "The award is just a bonus. After I was done wrestling, my father (coach Mike Panasevich) said to stick around because I might have a chance at it."

Matt Panasevich has won a series of tournaments throughout his career in high school and other tournaments. His only previous Outstanding Wrestler award came during his junior season at the Towanda Duals.

Panasevich improved to 34-0 when he won four straight bouts in the district tournament. He rolled into the final with two pins and a technical fall.

After opening a 4-1 lead in the first period of the final against Hanover Area's Mike Pointek, Panasevich went on to a 5-1 win. Panasevich remained active and picked up his final point when his opponent was called for stalling.

Panasevich, who was also a key part of two district championship soccer teams at Mountain View, plans to continue his wrestling career on the Division I level at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

After originally deciding on a scholarship spot at Penn State, Panasevich changed his mind after learning he had been accepted at Cornell, which recruited him but, as an Ivy League school, could not offer an athletic scholarship.

Panasevich plans to major in veterinary medicine with the possibility of ultimately moving into the family business, testing pet foods.

Matt is the son of Mike and Sharon Panasevich of South Gibson.

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