Skip to main content

Weekly Rewind (Oct. 8-13): William Penn keeps rolling; Spoden, Wagner win YAIAA tennis titles


What a busy week. Tennis took center stage by hosting its league tournaments and beginning District 3 play. Soccer, for the first time, had both the boys' and girls' YAIAA tournaments start Saturday. Girls' soccer moved to the fall this year after previously being a spring sport. And, we can't forget that football's seventh week came and went Friday. Here we go:

1. Is it just us or is the William Penn football team getting better by the week? The Bearcats picked up another YAIAA Division I win Friday night, this time in spectacular fashion. William Penn went to the locker room at halftime trailing Dallastown, 16-0.

After the break, the Bearcats looked like a different team. QB James Way passed for two scores and Kelvin Nieves rushed for two touchdowns as William Penn stole a well-earned, if not stunning, 29-22 win.

The Bearcats and Spring Grove, both 2-0, are tied atop the division.

2. Delone Catholic got back on track in a big way Friday night. The Squires pounded visiting York Catholic, 42-21, behind the running of Matt Guiffreda (15 carries, 123 yards, 3 total touchdowns) and the passing of Brett Smith (7-of-16 for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns).

Sure, these two teams (and others) are battling it out for the YAIAA Division III title, but they could also meet again. Remember, Delone dropped to Class A, which will put them in the same bracket as the Fighting Irish if both teams make the District 3 field.

3. The YAIAA crowned its singles and doubles tennis champions early last week.

Katie Wagner and Anna Spoden captured the Class AAA and Class AA titles, respectively, Monday. Susquehannock's Wagner beat nemesis Emily Kuhn of Central York, 6-0, 6-4, for her second league title.

Spoden, a York Catholic senior, also faced a familiar foe in Biglerville's Carlee Brumgard. In the end, Spoden had her third YAIAA title, but it wasn't easy as Brumgard put up a fight before falling, 6-4, 6-4.

Wagner and Spoden are the only area tennis players still gunning for a District 3 singles title at the Hershey Racquet Club. Wagner, the top seed in Class AAA, was tested by Manheim Township's Emily Mann in the second round before pulling out a 6-0, 6-4 win. Wagner faces Mechanicsburg's Nicole Coons in today's semifinals.

Spoden, the No. 2 seed in Class AA, rolled through her first two matches and plays No. 3 seed Madelyn Shaak of ELCO in today's semifinals.

4. In District 3 Class AA team action in Hershey, York Catholic rolled over Brandywine Heights, 3-0, and will meet third-seeded Lancaster Catholic on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. back at Hershey.

In Class AAA team action, Susquehannock is still alive at the Racquet Club. The No. 5 Warriors beat fourth-seeded Central Dauphin, 3-2, to earn a shot at No. 1 Hershey on Tuesday at noon. The Trojans swept No. 8 Dallastown, 3-0, Friday.

5. The opening day of the YAIAA boys' soccer tournament sure was one to remember. South Western handed York Suburban its first loss of the season as the Mustangs moved into Tuesday's semifinals where they will meet Susquehannock. The Warriors beat York Catholic, 1-0, in overtime. South Western and Susquehannock play at Spring Grove at 7:30 p.m.

The other boys' semifinal pits Dallastown against Central York on Tuesday at Northeastern at 7:30 p.m.

In girls' action, South Western shut down West York and its star, Shyanne Kimbrough, in a 2-0 win while Dover stopped Fairfield and its standout, Alexis Junker, 7-1.

The Mustangs and Eagles meet in Tuesday's 5:30 p.m. semifinal at Spring Grove while Dallastown and Susquehannock play at the same time at Northeastern.