February 27-29

Monday evening at the Lancaster Ice Rink, Devyn Tankesley's high school team from Hempfield played a league playoff game. The opponent was Wilson HS (our old friends from suburban Reading). This was a losers bracket game, Hempfield was eliminated with a 5-3 loss. On Tuesday morning my mother had an eye examination at the health campus. For the obvious reasons she asked me to drive, I had her there by 10:30 and killed time until she was finished shortly before 1:00. Later in the afternoon we convened at McCaskey for the bus ride to Enola. It's roughly a 45 mile trip from Lancaster, the saving grace is that it's almost all highway so we were there in about an hour. This was the first time I was ever in this gym but for the team it was a second consecutive appearance since they had played there on Saturday. Unfortunately the familiar surroundings were of no help as the club lost to Central Dauphin 69-56. CD has a kid who stands six-foot-nine and we had no answer for him, he scored almost half of his team's points. The loss puts the team into the seventh-place game on Thursday and from there the story is simple: win and qualify for the state tournament or lose and go home. Later in the evening we got word that Elizabethtown will be our opponent, after losing to us twice this year (including an OT loss in the league playoffs) you know they would love nothing more than to send us home for the season. It was announced that the game will be at Garden Spot HS in New Holland, about 14 miles east of Lancaster so at least it's not a long trip. Wednesday was Leap Year Day, that extra day on the calendar that last appeared in 2008. It was dark and rainy all day, after the morning errand run I was in for the day and glad to be there. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 25-26

Saturday morning in Quarryville for the start of a busy weekend, after lunch Jenny and Helen came back to the city with me. In the evening we were in Reading as the Royals hosted the Greenville Road Warriors in the opener of a two-game set. For the second consecutive Saturday the Royals won at home via shutout as they defeated Greenville 1-0. Olivier Labelle scored the lone goal of the game in the first period and Jussi Rynnas made it stand up for his first shutout of the season. Saw on the internet where McCaskey lost in the district quarterfinals to York in OT 89-88, that puts the boys into the consolation round on Tuesday. The opponent will be Central Dauphin (from suburban Harrisburg), they were the #1 seed going into the tournament but they got bumped out on Saturday as well. The game on Tuesday is at the same gym we played in against York so it looks like I'll be making a bus trip to Enola after all. A win on Tuesday puts us in the fifth-place game on Thursday, a loss puts us in the seventh-place game that same night. Only seven teams from the district advance to the state tournament so it is imperative to win at least one of the next two or the season is over. On Sunday we were back on 222 early as the annual Battle Of The Badges got underway at 12:30. This was the seventh annual game between the Reading Fire and Police Departments, the firefighters took it 3-2 for their fifth win in the series. Later in the day the Royals lost to Greenville by that identical score, Denny Urban and Kyle Neuber (from AHL Toronto) lit the lamp for the Royals as Jussi Rynnas took the loss. The boys are in Elmira on Friday, they will host the Jackals on Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 23-24

Thursday morning with Jenny, we had our usual lunch at the downtown pizza parlor. Rain moved into the area late in the evening, Friday was for the most part dark and dreary. I had a haircut appointment in the afternoon, after supper I went to the Lancaster Ice Rink for a high-school hockey game. Don Tankesley's son Devyn plays for Hempfield, they were playing in the league playoffs against Cumberland Valley (from the Harrisburg area). CV took an early 2-0 lead before Devyn scored three consecutive goals to give his club a 3-2 advantage. Hempfield held a 5-3 lead before CV rallied to tie setting the stage for overtime. In the OT Cumberland Valley took advantage of a break and netted the tie-breaker to win it 6-5. The playoff format is double-elimination and this was Hempfield's first loss so they're still alive but another loss will eliminate them from the bracket. I wasn't even aware of this game until I saw it in the morning paper, since I had nothing else going on it was a good opportunity to get out of the house. This weekend will be busy as well with the Royals at home both days, on Sunday we'll have our annual "Battle of the Badges" game between the Reading Fire and Police Departments. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 21-22

Typical errand runs on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, on Wednesday evening it was a basketball night at JPM. As a top-eight seed in the district tournament the club earned the right to host its first-round opponent and they made the most of it. For the first time since 2007 the McCaskey Red Tornado advanced to the district quarterfinals with a 60-47 verdict over Hempfield. Even though they were the #12 seed and we were #5 there is no such thing as easy money, history is littered with lower seeds pulling first-round upsets. This was the third time we faced Hempfield this season, even with two wins on the record there was no reason to think it would be easy because JPM-Hempfield never is. We trailed by one after the first quarter but the boys rallied to take a six-point lead at the half. The club upped the advantage to eleven after the third quarter and took it home from there. Devonne Pinkard had the big night with 20 points, Diante Cherry added 12 as eight of the nine players Coach Powell used dented the scoring column. The victory moves the club's record to 21-5 and guarantees us at least three more games. First up is a quarterfinal matchup against York on Saturday afternoon. We defeated York in our holiday tournament but that was back in December which was a long time ago. The game is scheduled for 2:30 at East Pennsboro HS in Enola, that's north of Harrisburg on the other side of the Susquehanna River. I'll be absent since the Royals are at home in the evening, there's no way I could do both with the time element and travel involved. After Saturday we'll play again on Tuesday the 28th and either Thursday or Saturday depending on the results. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 20

Off and running early on Monday morning as Jenny and I headed north on 222 for the Sovereign Center (Helen could not come since she was babysitting the great-grandchildren). This was the second of our two Kids Days, with no school because of the holiday we got started at 1:05. The Royals were looking for a second consecutive home-ice win but the visiting Elmira Jackals had other ideas as they won via shootout 4-3. The Royals led 3-1 with five minutes left before an all-too-familiar script played out, the Jackals got one back to make it 3-2 then tied the score in the final minute. After a scoreless OT period Elmira won the shootout one goal to none to claim the victory. Kenny Ryan, Olivier Labelle and Casey Haines were the Royals goal-scorers, Jussi Rynnas took the tough-luck loss. This game marked the two-thirds pole of the home schedule, the club's mark at the SC is 7-13-4 (24-22-7 overall). There are nineteen games left on the schedule with twelve of them at home, the boys will host the Greenville Road Warriors for a back-to-back set on Saturday and Sunday. District basketball playoffs get underway on Wednesday, as the #5 seed JPM will host #12 Hempfield in a first-round matchup. It's a one-and-done scenario, win and go on or lose and go home. After losing twice to us during the regular year you know Hempfield would love nothing more than to end our season so it should be a battle. If we advance to the next round that game would be on Saturday against either York or Dallastown and I'd most likely be out of it because of hockey. I guess we'll find out on Wednesday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 17-19

Friday and Sunday were quiet and uneventful days that provided the perfect bookends to a busy and memorable Saturday. The day started with the drive south for Jenny and Helen, we came back to the city for a quick lunch and to meet up with the team bus at McCaskey. For there it was on to Manheim Township HS for the L-L League championship game and a 71-57 victory over Lancaster Catholic. It was not an easy win by any stretch, LCHS led by three after one quarter but JPM recovered to take a six-point lead to the locker room at the half. In the third quarter the Red Tornado expanded the lead to thirteen, in the final minutes with the outcome decided Coach Powell was able to get the entire roster into the game. Ten players scored for McCaskey as Aaron Swinton (whose father Aaron played on our 1993 championship club) led the way with 15, Brian Newsome had 12 and former LC player Devonne Pinkard had 12 against his former teammates. In forty years of play in the L-L League McCaskey has won seventeen division titles and been in the playoffs twenty-six times. This day marked the program's twenty-first appearance in the league title game, this was our 12th championship win. The win was Coach Powell's 370th in his twenty years as head coach and his seventh L-L title victory, it was also the club's 20th win of the season. As the celebration wound down and the team boarded the bus for the ride home the ladies and I continued our junket north on route 272 towards Reading. After a 2-1 road trip the Royals hosted the Wheeling Nailers in the annual "Pink In The Rink" game for breast cancer awareness. As is the custom the club wore special jerseys trimmed in pink which were auctioned for the cause after the game. This night at the Sovereign Center could not have gone much better as the Royals won it 4-0 for the club's first shutout win of the season. Unusual circumstances arose at game time when goaltender Jussi Rynnas had skate trouble and was unable to start the game, Karel St. Laurent played the first five minutes before Rynnas was able to get onto the ice. Shared shutouts are rare in hockey but the club will take it. Matt Caruana, Casey Haines, Dale Mitchell and Kenny Ryan scored the Royals goals as the team improves to 24-22-6 on the year, we'll be at home on Monday the 20th for a President's Day game with Elmira. All in all it was a day to remember for all the right reasons, as the late "Classy" Freddie Blassie would have said it was "piggly wiggly day"-two games, two wins. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 15-16

Not much going on Wednesday, it was raining on Thursday morning as Jenny and I had lunch at the pizza parlor in Quarryville. In the evening we were in Landisville at Hempfield HS for the league semifinal game against Elizabethtown. E-town (like LS) won their division title and for most of the game it looked like it plain and simply was not going to be our night. In the first half E-town basically did whatever they wanted, we were down by ten at the break. In the third quarter the club showed signs of life chopping the deficit to two points. In the last quarter we finally took the lead with five minutes to go, down the stretch it was a knock-down drag-out fight to the finish. Regulation time ended tied at 80, in the OT we outscored E-town 15-7 to pull out a 95-87 victory. Nine players got into the game and eight scored, Devonne Pickard led with 23 as Brian Newsome added 19, Luis Fuentes had 18 and Diante Cherry scored 13. Diante's career total stands at 942 as he continues his climb towards 1000. This win puts JPM in the league title game on Saturday at Manheim Township and (surprise, surprise) it will indeed be a neutral-court game after all. We got word that MT lost to Lancaster Catholic in the other semifinal, after losing twice to them in the regular season I wouldn't have minded a shot at redemption but the fact that they lost in the semifinals has a rather delicious slice of irony to it. LCHS will not be an easy opponent, they won their division as well and they earned their opportunity just as JPM did so it should be a great game. This will mark the sixth time the schools have met for league honors, JPM won four of the previous five (the only LCHS win was in 2003 when they went 35-0 and won the state championship). It should be an interesting day for me given my association with Lancaster Catholic football, I'm sure I'll see a lot of familiar faces. Saturday will be a big day all the way around with the basketball game at 1:00 and the Royals at 7:00. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 13-14

The chilly, blustery conditions continued on Monday, on Tuesday Jenny and I met for lunch since she was in town on business. In the evening it was the opening round of league playoffs as the Red Tornado played at Lampeter-Strasburg in a quarterfinal matchup, LS earned the right to host the game by virtue of winning their division title. Nobody expected this game to be easy, LS is a good club and their division title was not a fluke. In the first half LS largely controlled the tempo, at the break we were down by four. The boys found their legs in the third period and took a four point lead into the last quarter, JPM ended up winning it 55-48. Diante Cherry had 15 and Brian Newsome added 13 as Coach Powell used eight players and seven of them scored. The victory is the club's eighteenth (one better than last year's total) and puts us into the semifinals on Thursday against Elizabethtown, the game will be on neutral ground at Hempfield HS. We met E-town in the regular season and won by ten but that means nothing now, in the playoffs every game is a new day. A win on Thursday would put us in the league title game at Manheim Township on Saturday afternoon. The other semifinal features Manheim Township versus Lancaster Catholic, if MT wins they will play for the championship on their floor. I'm not entirely certain how fair that would be but somehow I don't think fairness is a factor. We'll see what happens on Thursday against E-town. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 11-12

It was cold and windy on Saturday morning, I was in Quarryville with Jenny for lunch. In the afternoon it was snowing lightly as we made the return trip to the Sovereign Center for the rematch with Elmira. After the thrilling OT win on Friday the Royals were unable to complete the sweep as the Jackals came from two goals down to win in regulation time 3-2. Kenny Ryan and Yannick Tifu were the goal scorers for the Royals, Jussi Rynnas was the goalie of record for the second consecutive game. The boys play three games on the road this week before returning home on the 18th for the annual Pink In The Rink breast cancer awareness game. The snowfall was very light but the sidewalks outside the arena were very icy after the game, walking to the parking garage was no fun but at least the car was under shelter. The drive home was of little consequence until we got south of Lancaster into the rural areas, the strong winds and temperatures in the 20s had some areas very icy. We managed to get everybody home safely, as long as you take your time and pay attention you're OK. Sunday was more of the same minus the precipitation, with wind chills in the teens it was a good day to stay inside and I was more than happy to do so. League basketball playoffs start on Tuesday, JPM plays at Lampeter-Strasburg in the quarterfinal round. The district playoff bracket was announced, our first game there is on the 22nd against Hempfield (nothing like a first-round district matchup against a familiar opponent). Take care, thanks for reading.

February 9-10

The Wednesday snowfall proved to be little more than a nuisance, brilliant sunshine on Thursday eliminated most of the remnants. Jenny and I had our usual lunch date which was basically the extent of the day's activities. On Friday Jenny and her mother were along as we headed north to Reading for the Royals' first home game since January 25. The club went 4-2 on the recent road trip, on this night the Elmira Jackals visited for the first game of a back-to-back set. It was 1-0 Elmira in the second period before Matt Caruana (back from the Toronto Marlies) evened it up, a few minutes later newcomer Zach McKelvie (on assignment from AHL Providence) gave the Royals a 2-1 lead. The Jackals fought back to tie it at 2-2 as the game moved into overtime, in the OT Yannick Tifu scored the game-winner with one second left on the clock to give the Royals a stunning 3-2 victory. Time expired as the goal was scored but the referee called it good emphatically, as the Royals celebrated the win the Jackals protested vehemently but to no avail. The Royals' record on home ice has suffered this season, if a team ever needed a lift at home this game may well have been it. The win improves the club's record to 21-20-6 (6-12-3 at the Sovereign Center) and sets the stage for the Saturday night rematch. It was sleeting after the game, they are calling for snow showers on Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 7-8

Jenny was in town on Tuesday on business, we had lunch at a local sub shop. There was talk of snow showers on Wednesday, the morning flurries became a steadier snow in the afternoon. The games at Hempfield went on as scheduled, the first order of business was the junior varsity's quest for an unbeaten season. In the locker room Coach Mike Mitchell told the club they would have to earn it because nobody was going to give them anything. Hempfield was aware of the game's significance, to their credit they battled with all they had. In eighteen games this year the average margin of victory was seventeen points, on this night in Landisville it took OT but JPM got it done 71-65 to finish 19-0. High school JV sports are in essence the minor leagues for the varsity, in the long run this achievement probably won't be widely remembered but 19-0 is 19-0 no matter where it is. In the varsity game the Red Tornado emerged victorious 68-58 to finish the regular season at 17-5 (13-3 in the league but that doesn't matter much anymore). Devonne Pinkard had 17, Aaron Swinton added 15 and Shaki Staten had 12. The boys will play in a league quarterfinal playoff on Tuesday the 14th, we'll play Lampeter-Strasburg on their floor (a rematch of the league semifinal game in 2011). A win would advance the club to the semifinals on the 16th. College basketball has March Madness, I guess we can call this "February Free-For-All". Take care, thanks for reading.

February 6

Monday morning at the mall for lunch, in the evening we were at JPM for the final home game of the regular season. The night started as it usually does with the Junior Varsity game as the McCaskey JV won over Cedar Crest to keep an unblemished record intact. They will finish their schedule on Wednesday looking to seal the deal on an undefeated season. Before the Varsity game we had the annual Senior Night activities as we honored the graduating cheerleaders and the five senior members of the team (Deron Johnson, Christian Davidson, Blaise Glover, Brian Newsome and Calvert Gantz). In the game itself the Red Tornado won 82-58 but it was hardly a runaway. We were ahead by just five points in the fourth quarter before a 19-0 run blew the game open. Aaron Swinton led with 20, Devonne Pinkard had 19 and Diante Cherry had 16. I don't know if the guys thought the game would be easy (we beat Cedar Crest by 45 in their gym last month) or if there was some leftover malaise from the Friday loss to MT but a win is a win as the record improves to 16-5. The regular season ends on Wednesday at Hempfield, the game will mean little in the league standings but it's still important because it counts towards seeding for the district tournament starting on the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 4-5

Saturday morning in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny, later in the day Jamie Burkholder joined us as we headed to Hershey for the evening's AHL game (our first game there since January 7). The Connecticut Whale was the opponent, they are based in Hartford (the insurance capital of the world). For many years the Hartford Whalers were an NHL franchise, when they relocated in 1997 the AHL franchise began as the Hartford Wolfpack. A few years ago the club decided to honor the city's old NHL legacy and changed the name accordingly. The Whale won the game 4-1, we'll be back in Hershey again on March 4. Sunday was a typically quiet day for this time of year, in the evening I watched the pro football championship game on TV (as did most of the country). The coming week will be somewhat busier with basketball on Monday and Wednesday, the Royals return home from a long road trip on Friday. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 1-3

Not much going on Wednesday or Thursday save for a lunch visit with Jenny. On Friday it was basketball night at McCaskey as Manheim Township visited for the big first-place showdown. After eight consecutive wins Dame Fortune was not with JPM on this night, it took two overtime periods but MT prevailed 79-75. The Red Tornado trailed by three in the dying seconds of regulation time, Diante Cherry hit a clutch three-pointer to force the extra session. In OT both teams had their chances, Township cashed in at the right time and earned the win fair and square. Four players hit double figures for JPM but it was all for naught. The loss drops us to 11-3 in the league, two games behind MT with two to play. There is still the chance of a tie for the division and a one-game playoff, we would have to win our last two (possible) and MT would have to lose their last two (unlikely). At the very worst we'll still qualify for league playoffs as the second-place finisher in our division, our first-round game would be against either Donegal or Lampeter-Strasburg on their floor (quarterfinal league playoffs are hosted by the four division champions). If it all shakes out the right way we could see MT again for the league title but that's a long way off. Right now the main concern is the upcoming games on Monday at home against Cedar Crest and Wednesday at Hempfield. Take care, thanks for reading.