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HEADLINES: Montrose Teams Close To Clinching District Basketball Playoff Berths The basketball postseason is still open to every Lackawanna League basketball team this year, but instead of guaranteed entry into District 2 play, Class AA teams are assured of a spot in a Lackawanna League qualifying tournament. Class A, which has less schools involved, still has open tournaments on the District 2 level for all teams. The Class AA tournaments will have five from the Lackawanna League and three from the Wyoming Valley Conference. While the Lackawanna determines those teams with the help of playoffs that give every team a chance, the WVC will stick with qualifying through regular-season play. The top two Class AA teams from Division 2 and one from Division 3 will go right into district play. The remaining eight boys’ and seven girls’ teams will have a playoff for two spots in each district tournament. Montrose has its girls’ team in position to take one of those spots and its boys’ team contending for another. As of the start of this week, first-half champion Dunmore (10-1), Mid Valley (9-2) and second-half leader Riverside (8-3) were fighting for the two Class AA girls’ spots from Division 2. First-half champion Montrose (11-0) has just about locked up the Division 3 spot unless Lakeland (6-5) manages to emerge from third place and win both the second-half and overall titles. If Montrose holds on, the loser of the three-way race among Division 2 contenders would be among the seven teams in a girls’ playoff for two district berths. The others would be: Holy Cross (2-9), Carbondale (0-11), Lakeland (6-5), Mountain View (6-5), Elk Lake (5-6) and Lackawanna Trail (4-7). The Class A tournament will include Forest City (10-1), Old Forge (5-6), Blue Ridge (2-9) and Susquehanna (0-11) from the Lackawanna with Northwest (3-8) and Freeland MMI (0-11). The team that wins the Division 3 title from among second-half leader Montrose (10-1), Blue Ridge (9-2) and first-half champion Lackawanna Trail (9-2) will take the Division 3 automatic berth in the District 2 Class AA boys’ tournament. First-half champion Holy Cross (10-1) and second-half leader Riverside (9-2) are positioned to take the two berths from Division 2. The two teams from among Montrose, Blue Ridge and Lackawanna Trail that fail to win Division 3 will join Dunmore (7-4), Elk Lake (5-5), Lakeland (5-6), Mid Valley (2-9), Mountain View (2-9) and Carbondale (1-10) in the Lackawanna tournament for two district berths. Old Forge (5-5), Susquehanna (3-8) and Forest City (1-9) will join Freeland MMI (2-6) and St. Michael’s (0-8) as the teams that will be in the District 2 Class A boys’ tournament. WEEK IN REVIEW Bobby Butler prepared for the American Hockey League All-Star Classic by scoring the game-winning goal against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL’s top team, in his last outing before the all-star break. Butler carried that momentum with him. The Binghamton Senators rookie forward claimed the AHL All-Star Classic’s Most Valuable Player award with a goal and three assists to lead the Eastern Conference over the Western Conference, 11-8, before a sellout crowd of 10,736 at the Giant Center in Hershey. Andrew Locke, Butler’s Binghamton teammate, added two assists, giving him a league record 11 points in all-star games. Hershey’s Andrew Gordon scored two goals, including one that set a record for the fastest ever by connecting 14 seconds into the game. Bridgeport rookie Rhett Rakhshani matched Butler with a goal and three assists. Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo of the Penguins matched Rakhshani’s two goals. Charlotte’s Jerome Samson provided a goal and two assists. The Western Conference answered Gordon’s early goal with four straight scores for a 4-1 lead. The Eastern Conference then recovered and eventually built a 10-6 lead. John Curry of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made 27 saves and Manchester goalie Martin Jones made 15 for the Eastern Conference. Michal Repik of the Rochester Americans led the Western Conference with a goal and two assists. Alexandre Giroux, a member of Hershey’s 2009 and 2010 Calder Cup champions now playing for Oklahoma City, had a goal and an assist. COLLEGE CORNER Misericordia University senior guard Robbie Johnson has been named as a third-team choice on the Capital One Academic All-District Team for men’s basketball. Johnson was selected in the District 2 College Division. The teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America and are intended to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performance on the floor and in the classroom. The College Division combines NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and junior college players. Johnson, a physical therapy major, has maintained a 3.71 grade point average. The Mountain View graduate is the captain of the basketball team. Johnson is first on the 13-8 Cougars in assists (3.7) and steals (2.0) while ranking second in scoring average (15.9) and field goal percentage (49.2). Johnson led Misericordia to the Freedom Conference championship game in 2009-10 and scored his 1,000th career point earlier this season. THE WEEK AHEAD Blue Ridge is at Lackawanna Trail Friday night in a game between two teams that started the week tied for second in Lackawanna League Division 3 boys’ basketball second-half standings with 3-1 records. In girls’ basketball, Montrose will be at Lakeland Tuesday, February 15 on the final night of the regular season. Montrose and Forest City each took 4-0 into their Monday night meeting while Lakeland was third at 3-1. TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com.
NASCAR Racing It’s Time To Go Racing It’s time to go racing. NASCAR kicks off its first race of the season, Saturday, Feb. 12. The field for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout, at Daytona will feature former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field, a host of former outstanding rookies and a collection of previous Daytona winners. Criteria are based upon the following qualifications, with eligibility based on a driver having competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series within the last two seasons: The 12 drivers that qualified for the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, Past Budweiser Shootout champions, Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola champions, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year drivers from 2001-2010. Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said, “Race fans expect to see NASCAR’s best drivers compete in the Budweiser Shootout to kick off the 2011 racing season, and this star-studded line-up will not disappoint when they take the green flag for the first time on the new asphalt. The Budweiser Shootout has showcased some of the most thrilling racing over the years, and our fans are in for an exciting night on February 12th.” The race distance will continue to be 75 laps (187.5 miles), consisting of two segments - 25 and 50 laps. Both green-flag laps and yellow-flag laps will count. Between segments there will be a 10-minute pit stop, allowing teams to pit and change tires, add fuel and make normal chassis adjustments. The Budweiser Shootout - a “non-points” event for NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors - was first held in 1979, originally known as the Busch Clash. Kevin Harvick has won the last two events. The green flag is set for 8:10 p.m. on Feb. 12, with FOX and MRN broadcasting live. Drivers eligible for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout include the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers: Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton. Other eligible drivers:John Andretti (Coke Zero 400), Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout), Kevin Conway (Series rookie of the year), Derrike Cope (Daytona 500), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout), Bill Elliott (Series champion, Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout), Kasey Kahne (Series rookie of the year), Bobby Labonte (Series champion), Terry Labonte (Series champion, Budweiser Shootout), Joey Logano (Series rookie of the year), Sterling Marlin (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400), Mark Martin (Budweiser Shootout), Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Series rookie of the year), Juan Pablo Montoya (Series rookie of the year), Ryan Newman (Daytona 500, Series rookie of the year), Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout), Regan Smith (Series rookie of the year), Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400). The draw for the starting lineup was held last week and Carl Edwards will start on the pole. “It’s the first race of the season and it will be nice to be up front,” said Edwards, who drives the No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford. “It’s been a while since I’ve been on a pole. I know I didn’t earn this one. It’s all luck, but it still feels good.”
Carl Edwards will start on the Budweiser Shootout pole. Defending Budweiser Shootout champion Kevin Harvick remained at home in North Carolina after suffering flu-like symptoms. Harvick’s crew chief Gil Martin drew for the ailing Harvick and pulled the outside pole. Rounding out the top-five were Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle. TRUCK SERIES NOTES AND UPDATES Jeffrey Earnhardt, the fourth-generation Earnhardt will be running all the Camping World Truck series races this season in hopes of earning rookie of the year honors while driving for Rick Ware Racing. The team has hired former Sprint Cup driver, Jerry Nadeau not only as a driving coach but as a mentor. Nadeau will be mentoring Jeffrey not only on track at the races, but off track as well. Rick Ware Racing has named Joe Lax as crew chief for Earnhardt and the No. 1 Fuel Doctor Chevy during 2011. Lax has worked for such organizations as Billy Hagan Racing, Don Beverly Racing, A.G. Dillard Motorsports, Clement Racing and Joe Bessey Motorsports before finding a home at Bill Davis Racing in 2000. Career highlights include a Southern 500 win as well as a Daytona 500 victory with Ward Burton in 2002. Lax then moved on to Hendrick Motorsports Nationwide program and eventually to Tommy Baldwin Racing before taking over the crew chief duties for Mike Skinner in 2008. Earnhardt’s first race will be at Daytona, Feb. 18. Panhandle Motorsports announced plans to race the entire 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule with Johanna Long. The 18-year-old driver from Pensacola, Florida had a successful learning season in the NCWTS, plus a win at the 43rd Annual Snowball Derby. She will drive the No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Long is returning to the NCWTS with two goals in mind - to continue to gain experience at the 25 different tracks, many of which are a first time for the young driver; and to race for the Rookie of the Year in 2011. She will begin by cutting her teeth at some of the most challenging tracks of the Series - Daytona International Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Darlington Raceway and Martinsville Speedway. Her sponsor will be Girl Scouts of the USA. For the first time in his 24-year racing career, two-time and defending Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine will compete in all three NASCAR division races at Daytona International Speedway. Bodine will race his championship-winning No. 30 in the Feb. 18 Truck race. His Nationwide car is locked into the field for the Feb. 19 season opener thanks to Michael Annett's 14th-place finish in the 2010 owners' points. He will attempt to qualify Larry Gunselman's No. 64 Cup car for the 53rd Daytona 500, which kicks off Sunday, Feb. 20. Racing Trivia Question: Who was the oldest driver to win the Daytona 500? Last Week’s Question: How many Daytona 500’s did Dale Earnhardt Sr. win? His only Daytona 500 win came in 1998. You may contact the Racing Reporter at: hodges@race500.com
Dallas Ely Is January’s Athlete Of The Month
With the 1,000-point mark for her basketball career approaching, Montrose’s Dallas Ely just wanted to forget about it and play. Ely put the milestone out of her mind long enough to score points faster than she ever had before. The junior guard scored all 22 of her points in the first half Jan. 28 in a 58-11 romp over Elk Lake. Ely got the 20 points she needed for the mark while helping the Lady Meteors to a 38-8 halftime lead. She reached 1,000 on a fastbreak late in the half when she rebounded a Sam Abbott shot and scored. “Since the second half of the season had just started, I didn’t want to have that hanging over me,” Ely said of the pursuit of 1,000 points. After all, the Lady Meteors have bigger things to concentrate on. They ended January as the only unbeaten basketball team - boys or girls - in all of District 2. Ely led the way to that mark and a first-half Lackawanna League Division 3 title to earn the Susquehanna County Transcript Athlete of the Month award. “It puts a lot of pressure on us,” Ely said of the unbeaten record. “It’s hard not to think about. “But it feels good.” Ely averaged a team-high 18 points in 16 games through the end of January. During the month, Montrose won 10 games by an average of 54.4-24.9. The only challenge of the month came Jan. 13 in a 39-37 victory at Forest City in which Ely had 15 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. “We worry about all teams because we can’t take anybody for granted,” Ely said. “But the Forest City games, we look at as the hardest.” Ely was a three-sport starter and all-star as a freshman, playing soccer, basketball and softball. She has two seasons of experience as a shortstop in softball and played two seasons of soccer before missing this fall with a broken ankle. This is her third full season starting in basketball, the sport she hopes to continue in college. Dallas is the daughter of Bud and Connie Ely of South Montrose.
Robbie Johnson Receives Honors Misericordia University senior Robbie Johnson of Jackson, PA, a Mountain View graduate, has been named to the 2010-11 Capital One Academic All-District Team. Johnson was a third-team selection in the District 2 College Division. The 2010-11 Capital One Academic All-District Men's and Women’s Basketball Teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, and are intended to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performance on the floor and in the classroom. The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. The University Division team includes NCAA Division I participants, while the College Division team combines NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. Johnson, a physical therapy major, has maintained a 3.71 GPA while captaining the men’s basketball team at Misericordia. Johnson currently ranks second on the team in scoring (16.2 ppg), first in assists (74), first in steals (39) and second in shooting percentage (51.1%). He helped lead the Cougars to a Freedom Conference championship game appearance in 2009-10 and scored his 1,000th career point earlier this season.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule Feb. 12: Non-points, Daytona International Speedway, FOX. Feb 17: Non-points, Daytona International Speedway, SPEED. Feb 20: Daytona International Speedway, FOX. Feb. 27: Phoenix, Arizona, FOX. Mar. 6: Las Vegas, Nevada, FOX. Mar. 20: Bristol, Tennessee, FOX. Mar. 27: Fontana, California, FOX. Apr. 3: Martinsville, Virginia, FOX. Apr. 9: Ft. Worth, Texas, FOX. Apr. 17: Talladega, Alabama, FOX. Apr. 30: Richmond, Virginia, FOX. May 7: Darlington, South Carolina, FOX. May 15: Dover, Delaware, FOX. May 21: Non-points, Charlotte, North Carolina, SPEED. May 29: Charlotte, North Carolina, FOX. June 5: Kansas City, Kansas, TNT. June 12: Pocono, Pennsylvania, TNT. June 19: Brooklyn, Michigan, TNT. June 26: Sonoma, California, TNT. July 2: Daytona International Speedway, TNT. July 9: Sparta, Kentucky, TNT. July 17: Loudon, New Hampshire, ESPN. July 31: Indianapolis, Indiana, ESPN. Aug. 7: Pocono, Pennsylvania, ESPN. Aug. 14: Watkins Glen, New York, ESPN. Aug. 21: Brooklyn, Michigan, ESPN. Aug. 27: Bristol, Tennessee, ABC. Sept. 4: Atlanta, Georgia, ESPN. Sept. 10: Richmond, Virginia, ABC. Sept. 18: Chicago, Illinois, ESPN. Sept. 25: Loudon, New Hampshire, ESPN. Oct 2: Dover, Delaware, ESPN. Oct. 9: Kansas City, Kansas, ESPN. Oct. 15: Charlotte, North Carolina, ABC. Oct. 23: Talladega, Alabama, ESPN. Oct. 30: Martinsville, Virginia, ESPN. Nov. 6: Ft. Worth, Texas, ESPN. Nov. 13: Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN. Nov. 20: Homestead, Florida, ESPN.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedule Feb. 18: Daytona International Speedway, SPEED. Feb. 25: Phoenix, Arizona, SPEED. Mar. 12: Darlington, South Carolina, SPEED. Apr. 2:Martinsville, Virginia, SPEED. Apr. 22: Nashville, Tennessee, SPEED. May 20:Charlotte, North Carolina, SPEED. June 4:Kansas City, Kansas, SPEED. June 10: Ft. Worth, Texas, SPEED. July 7:Sparta, Kentucky, SPEED. July 16: Newton, Iowa, SPEED. July 22: Nashville, Tennessee, SPEED. July 29:Indianapolis, Indiana, SPEED. Aug. 6: Pocono, Pennsylvania, SPEED. Aug. 20: Brooklyn, Michigan, SPEED. Aug. 24: Bristol, Tennessee, SPEED. Sept. 2: Atlanta, Georgia, SPEED. Sept. 16: Chicago, Illinois, SPEED. Sept. 24: Loudon, New Hampshire, SPEED. Oct. 1: Sparta, Kentucky, SPEED. Oct. 15:Las Vegas, Nevada, SPEED. Oct. 22: Talladega, Alabama, SPEED. Oct. 29: Martinsville, Virginia, SPEED. Nov. 4: Ft. Worth, Texas, SPEED. Nov. 18: Homestead, Florida, SPEED.
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