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Spotlight: Suburban's Merkle makes mark in first season


Freshman Thomas Merkle capped off a standout first season at quarterback for the Kenyon College football team by being named the North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year on Nov. 17. He was the first player in Kenyon history to earn that award.

The York Suburban grad set one-season records for attempts (464), completions (276) and yards (2,928). The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder completed 59.48 percent of his passes and averaged 292.80 yards a game. He tossed 15 touchdowns and was intercepted 12 times.

Merkle set a Kenyon one-game record when he hit 44-of-66 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-35 loss to DePauw on Oct. 1. He also threw for more than 300 yards in four other games.

“Thomas is by far one of the favorite young men I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching,” head coach Chris Monfiletto said. “He put in the extra work every week which is what it takes to be successful at his position.”

The coach said that Merkle has been a leader from the time he stepped foot on campus and has exceeded the coaching staff’s expectations when it came to learning the offense and the weekly game plans.

“Thomas is an exceptionally tough football player and he has the ability to take control in pressure situations,” Monfiletto said. “I’m very excited about his future.”

Despite his performance, the Lords finished 3-7 overall and 2-7 in NCAC play.

Jordan Gebhart (Red Lion)

The sophomore was named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference second team after leading the Mount Aloysius women’s soccer team to its best record in program history. The sophomore tri-captain led the Mighty Macs in scoring with 13 goals and four assists for 30 points and had two big back-to-back big games: three goals and two assists in a 7-0 victory over Thiel on Sept. 17 and three goals in an 8-0 triumph against Wilson on Sept. 21. Gebhart was also a standout on defense as the team finished 12-7-1 overall and 5-3-1 in AMCC play and saw the season end with a 4-0 loss to No. 1 seed Penn State Behrend in the league semifinals.

Mitch Crane (West York)

The freshman played in all 22 games and started one for the Lebanon Valley men’s soccer team, which finished 18-4 on the season. He scored his first collegiate goal in the second game of the season, a game-winner in a 2-1 victory against Muhlenberg on Sept. 3. He also had an assist and helped the Dutchmen defense limit foes to 17 goals with nine shutouts. The team fell to Messiah, 4-1, in the MAC Commonwealth title game but rallied to win four games and capture its first ECAC title with a 2-1 victory against Drew last Sunday in Annville.

Brooke Sheibley (Northern)

Sheibley and Rajchel Moore (Bermudian Springs) were starters on the Shippensburg field hockey team which captured the NCAA Division II championship with a 2-1 victory over LIU-Post last Sunday in Easton, Mass. Sheibley, who had an assist on the first goal in the title game, finished with a goal and five assists on the season and was a key defender. Moore, also a talented defender, had a goal and three assists. They both started all 23 games for the 20-3 Raiders who lost the PSAC title game to Millersville on Nov. 6 but turned back the Marauders 1-0 in the NCAA semifinals last Friday.

Darian McCauley (West York)

The freshman started all 20 games in goal for the Millersville men’s soccer team. He gave up 30 goals with 73 saves and seven shutouts. He and the Marauders finished 12-6-2 overall and 6-5-2 in the PSAC.

McCauley got plenty of help on defense from senior Christopher Sosa (York Catholic), who also had five goals, and sophomore Chase Flickinger (Spring Grove), who had a goal and five assists. Both were named to the PSAC first team. Sophomore Andrei Kin (York Suburban) added a goal and an assist. The team’s season ended with a 2-1 loss to Mercyhurst in the PSAC title game on Nov. 6 in Erie.

Melissa Lynch (Susquehannock)

The sophomore earned Colonial States Athletic Conference honorable mention for her play with the Rosemont women’s soccer team. She started all 18 games had two goals and two assists and scored all of her points in the final eight games of the season. The Ravens went 3-5 on those games and ended with a 4-13-1 overall record and a 4-6-1 mark in CSAC play.

Tanner Martin (York Suburban)

The senior was named to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference first team for his play with the Virginia Wesleyan men’s soccer team. Martin led the Marlins in goals (nine) and points (18). He scored two game-winners, one in a 2-1 victory over Hampden-Sydney on Oct. 2 and the other in a 3-0 triumph against Randolph-Macon on Oct. 26. He had another goal against Randolph-Macon on Nov. 2 but it wasn’t enough as the Marlins dropped a 3-1 decision in the ODAC quarterfinals.

Shawn Morrison (Central York)

The senior defender wrapped up his career with the Seton Hall men’s soccer team. He played in 15 games with 13 starts and picked up an assist in his final college game, a 2-1 loss to Villanova on Nov. 3. The 5-foot-10, 154-pounder played in 51 games with 44 starts in his career.  The Pirates were 4-11-2 overall and 2-6-1 in the Big East Conference this season.

Scott Hess (South Western)

The junior midfielder started for the Elizabethtown men’s soccer team, which finished 14-4-2 and saw the season end with a 2-0 loss to Rutgers-Newark in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Nov. 13 in Newark, N.J. Hess had three assists and helped the defense limit foes to 17 goals with five shutouts. Senior Brent Batory (Dallastown) contributed a goal and freshman Noah Patmore (Red Lion) an assist for the Blue Jays during the season.

Mikala Kin (York Suburban)

The senior started all 18 games for the Delaware women’s soccer team. She had a goal and two assists and led the Blue Hens in corners with 72. She scored a goal in a 2-1 victory against Northeastern on Sept. 23 and came back with an assist and a season-high nine corners in a 2-1 triumph over Hofstra on Sept. 25. Delaware finished with a 4-13-1 overall mark and a 3-5-1 record in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Edward Bills (Dallastown)

The 5-foot-8 junior forward tied for the lead in scoring with the Lancaster Bible men’s soccer team. He had 14 points on five goals and four assists with three game-winners. The Chargers finished 10-11 after a 1-0 loss to Keuka in the North Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament and a 7-1 setback to Grace in the first round of the National Christian College Athletic Conference Division I Midwest Regional quarterfinals on Nov. 12 in Winona Lake, Ind.