Wolves Making Noise

West Shamokin knocks off River Valley, 51-44, for big win in Heritage West

Don’t let West Shamokin’s overall record fool you.

The Wolves are 2-3, with two losses to larger WPIAL programs.

The record that counts is 2-1. That’s where West Shamokin stands in the Heritage Conference after knocking off River Valley, the defending champion, 51-44, in a West Division matchup Wednesday night.

The Wolves, under second-year coach Eric Spencer, split their first two conference games, edging United and losing to Cambria Heights. Marion Center and Penns Manor lead the West at 3-0. River Valley fell to 2-2 in the West.

West Shamokin held the lead through three quarters but had to rally in the final minutes to secure the win.

The Wolves led by as many as 13 points late in the third quarter before the Panthers stormed back with a 16-2 run. Sophomore Maddie Twinchek converted two free throws with 4:08 remaining to put River Valley in front, 44-43.

The Panthers held that edge until sophomore Aubrey Reafer buried a 3-pointer with 1:54 left to push West Shamokin back into the lead.

River Valley never scored again after Twinchek’s free throws, and West Shamokin closed the game on an 8-0 run.

The Wolves placed four players in double figures. Evie Grantz led with 13 points and five rebounds, while Reafer added 12 points and seven boards. Madi Keirn chipped in 12 points, and Mia Scrips finished with 10, including three of West Shamokin’s six 3-pointers.

Twinchek paced River Valley with 13 points, and senior Alessia Lamantia scored eight.

The Panthers were efficient at the line, hitting 15 of 17 free throw attempts, including 8-for-8 in the second half, but they made only one 3-pointer.

Both teams return to action Friday against East Division opponents. West Shamokin travels to Northern Cambria, and River Valley plays host to Conemaugh Township.
River Valley (2-2)
Colinet 2 0-0 4, Torres 0 0-0 0, Dunlap 1 4-4 7, Twinchek 4 5-5 13, Lamantia 2 4-6 8, Kitner 2 2-2 6, Cole 3 0-0 6, Totals 14 15-17 44
West Shamokin (2-3)
Grantz 4 4-8 13, Keirn 5 1-2 12, Reafer 3 5-5 10, Scrips 3 1-2 10, Spencer 2 0-0 4, Orr 0 0-0 0, Totals 17 11-17 51
River Valley 13 7 14 10 — 44
West Shamokin 15 12 14 10 — 51
3-point field goals: River Valley 1 (Dunlap), West Shamokin 6 (Scrips 3, Grantz, Keirn, Reafer).

MARION CENTER 45, PURCHASE LINE 27: Undefeated Marion Center turned what was expected to be a tight Heritage Conference West matchup into a runaway, rolling to a decisive win at Purchase Line.

The Stingers led the rest of the way after Leah Nelson’s early free throws knotted the score at 2-all. From there, Marion Center steadily widened the gap — ahead eight after one quarter, 15 at halftime and 20 by the end of the third. The margin reached 22 late in the third before the Stingers closed out the victory, their third straight to open the season.

Junior point guard Macie Miller steered the offense in the opening half, scoring 18 of her game-high 22 points before the break. She also filled the stat sheet with 10 rebounds and five steals. Freshman Ainsley Houser added 11, giving Marion Center another steady option. On the glass, Alivia Ruddock pulled down 11 rebounds and Gracynn Silvis added nine. The Stingers were sharp at the line, hitting 9 of 11 free throws.

Purchase Line had opportunities but couldn’t convert. The Red Dragons went 11 of 22 at the line and just 7 of 40 from the field (18 percent), including 2 of 17 from beyond the arc. Sophomore Alorra Phillips led with nine points, while Rylee Mahaffey finished with seven points and nine rebounds.

Marion Center travels to United for a cross-sectional game Friday, while Purchase Line looks to regroup the same night at home against Cambria Heights.

In the junior high games, the teams split. Reese Mahaffey poured in 31 points to lead Purchase Line to a 51-16 win in the A game, while Marion Center answered with a 20-12 victory in the B game.
Marion Center (3-0)
Black 1 4-4 6, M.Miller 10 0-0 22, Av.Ruddock 1 0-0 2, Al.Ruddock 1 0-0 2, Houser 3 4-5 11, R.Miller 0 0-0 0, Silvis 1 0-0 2, Treese 0 0-0 0, Totals 17 9-11 45
Purchase Line (2-2)
Phillips 2 4-8 9, Cessna 0 0-0 0, Nelson 1 4-6 6, Mahaffey 2 3-6 7, H.Johns 1 0-0 3, R.Johns 1 0-0 2, McCombs 0 0-2 0, Totals 7 11-22 27
Marion Center 11 16 14 4 — 45
Purchase Line 3 9 9 6 — 27
3-point field goals: Marion Center 2 (Houser, M.Miller), Purchase Line 2 (H.Johns, Phillips).

PENNS MANOR 53, HOMER-CENTER 23: Penns Manor stayed unbeaten at 5-0 with a road win, breaking open a close game with a 17-2 second-quarter surge in a Heritage Conference game.

The Comets led by five points eight minutes into the game, then seized control and carried their defensive edge into the second half, outscoring Homer-Center 26-16.

Freshman Adia Lieb posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Josslyn Bennett scored 11 points, and Clara Henry added 10 points and five steals.

No one reached double figures for Homer-Center.

“It was just an all-around good team win,” Penns Manor coach Jason Miloser said. “We played really good team defense and had a balanced scoring attack.”

Penns Manor plays host to Portage in a challenging cross-section game Friday. Homer-Center, which saw its streak of three straight Heritage wins snapped, plays host to West Shamokin on Dec. 17.
Penns Manor (5-0)
Lieb 4 4-5 12, Bertolino 3 0-0 7, Bennett 4 0-0 11, Henry 4 1-2 10, Matko 1 0-0 3, Luther 4 0-0 8, Kuzemchak 1 0-0 2, Freno 0 0-0 0, Boston 0 0-0 0, King 0 0-0 0, Totals 21 5-7 53
Homer-Center (2-0)
Marshall 3 0-0 6, Bence 1 0-0 2, Fabin 1 0-2 3, Rado 1 0-0 2, Bartlebaugh 2 1-2 5, Rowland 0 0-0 0, Yount 1 3-4 5, Brendlinger 0 0-0 0, Beer 0 0-0 0, Slater 0 0-0 0, Kovac 0 0-0 0, Uher 0 0-0 0, Jakosh 0 0-0 0, Totals 9 4-8 23
Penns Manor 10 17 19 7 — 53
Homer-Center 5 2 12 4 — 23
3-point field goals: Penns Manor 6 (Bennett 3, Bertolino, Henry, Matko), Homer-Center 1 (Fabin).

UNITED 47, CAMBRIA HEIGHTS 45: United snapped a four-game losing streak, winning at Cambria Heights after grabbing the momentum in the third quarter and rallying in the fourth of the Heritage East game.

Cambria Heights controlled the momentum shifted late in the third quarter when United trimmed the deficit to four points at 35-31.

At 5-10, sophomore Kenedi Fiochetta sank a free throw to give United its first lead of the night, 36‑35.

United held on from there, and with a two‑point margin at the buzzer, a potential game‑winner by Lilly Karlheim was waved off for coming just after time expired.

United welcomes Marion Center on Friday. Cambria Heights travels to Purchase Line the same night.
United 3 12 16 16 — 47
Cambria Heights 12 13 10 10 — 45

CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP 48, NORTHERN CAMBRIA 16: Conemaugh Township grabbed control early and never let go, limiting the Colts to no more than four points in any quarter for its first win of the season.

The Indians built a 29-8 halftime lead and stretched it to 45-12 after three quarters before closing out their first win of the season after five straight losses.

Northern Cambria slipped to 0-4.

No other details were available

Both teams play Friday. Conemaugh Township visits River Valley, and Northern Cambria welcomes West Shamokin.
Conemaugh Township 15 14 16 3 — 48
Northern Cambria 4 4 4 4 — 16

PORTAGE 70, CONEMAUGH VALLEY 24: In a Heritage East matchup, Portage broke open a close start with a 16-2 run late in the first quarter and cruised from there against winless Conemaugh Valley.

The Mustangs scored 29 points in the first quarter and led by 17. The margin reached 30, 49-19, by halftime. Portage moved to 1-1 in the conference.

No other details were available.

Both teams play Friday. Portage travels to undefeated Penns Manor, and Conemaugh Valley welcomes Glendale in a non-conference game.
Portage 29 20 9 12 — 70
Conemaugh Valley 12 7 1 4 — 24

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
BOYS
Cambria Heights at United
Conemaugh Township at Northern Cambria
Conemaugh Valley at Portage
Homer-Center at Penns Manor
Marion Center at Purchase Line
West Shamokin at River Valley
GIRLS
Apollo-Ridge at Beth-Center
Freeport at Derry
McKeesport at Indiana
Ligonier Valley at Avonworth

HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING
STINGERS SWEEP WILDCATS: The Homer-Center Wildcats turned in a night of gritty races and big time drops Wednesday at IUP’s Jack A. Pidgeon Natatorium, as they faced the Marion Center Stingrays team in dual meet action.

Marion Center swept Homer-Center in a swim meet over Homer-Center at IUP’s Jack A. Pidgeon Natatorium on Wednesday.

Marion Center topped Homer-Center in the final race of the boys’ meet to secure and 71-68 victory. The girls won 114–47.

Marion Center’s Seth Boring, Jack Cooper, Jacob Weil and Carson Wells team up to win the decisive 400 relay in the boys’ meet.

Marion Center’s other winners were Wells in the 200 individual medley, Boring in the 50 freestyle, Weil in the 100 freestyle and Blake Lucas in the 500 freestyle.

P.J. Shellhammer, Jack Cooper, Boring and Wells won the 200 freestyle relay.

Marion Center’s winners in the girls’ meet were Jorjah Kessler in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, Charleigh Swigart in the 50 freestyle, Rowen Wagner in the 100 freestyle, Lindsey Reaugh in the 500 freestyle and Eva Long in the 100 backstroke.

Long, Kessler, Lilly Schultz and Wagner won the 200 medley relay, and Kessler, Swigart, Reaugh and Wagner won the 400 freestyle relay.

Despite the losses, Homer-Center coach Greg King said his swimming “stacked up strong individual wins and major improvements, highlighted by standout performances from senior Morgan Nagy, juniors Brady Frazer and Trevor Cameron and freshman Blake Lucas.”

Lucas, Frazer, Chase Shoup and Cameron won the 200 medley relay. Cameron won the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. Lucas won the 500 freestyle and Frazer won the 100 breaststroke.

In the girls’ meet, Morgan Nagy swept the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

King also reported several time drops: Joshalyn Patterson and Peyton Strong in the 50 freestyles, Carter Henry in 100 butterfly and Andrea Krevetsky in the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle.