January 31

Wednesday morning lunch in Quarryville with Jenny and her mother, Jenny isn't feeling well but hopefully she'll be better for the weekend at the Arena. At 3:45 we departed from McCaskey for the final non-league game of the season, the destination was Carlisle in Cumberland County. It's about an hour's drive northwest to get there, on this day a traffic accident on the bridge crossing the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg slowed us to a crawl. With it all we arrived about a half-hour before the JV game was scheduled to start. The JV lost by twelve points, the varsity game was virtually over as soon as it started. Carlisle is historically one of the state's more successful programs, in the mid-1980s they won four consecutive state championship with future professional Billy Owens leading the way. On this night they entered at 15-3 as the #3 seed in the district, the game itself resembled what we saw on the bridge in Harrisburg. Carlisle led by thirteen at the quarter, and twenty-one at halftime, the mercy rule kicked in early in the third quarter. When the tow trucks finally pulled away at the final buzzer the score was 63-28, the thirty-five-point losing margin the worst of the season. The club finishes its non-league schedule at 3-9, overall the mark is 6-14 with division games remaining at Hempfield on the 2nd and Cedar Crest on the 6th. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 29-30

The new week began with sad news from Reading, in the wake of the weekend performances against Wheeling Royals head coach James Henry was relieved of his duties. It's always upsetting to see a good person let go but it was perhaps only a matter of time. Assistant coach Jason Binkley was named interim head coach, he makes his debut on February 2 when the Royals play in Glens Falls. Monday night was a basketball night at McCaskey, fresh from a Saturday varsity loss in Red Lion the Red Tornado hosted Penn Manor. These games were postponed by the snowfall on the 19th, on this night they became the final home games of the season. The JV squad lost to fall below .500 at 9-10, the varsity followed suit with a 73-55 loss. PM opened up a sixteen-point lead at halftime and from there the outcome was never in doubt. Three players hit double figures for JPM, De'Andre Jones had 18, Nemias Tirado added 12 and Kamryn Pugh scored ten. The division record slips to 3-5, overall the mark is 6-13 with three road games left. Had these games not been snowed out previously the last five on the schedule would have been on the road, at least we were spared that at least for one night. Being the last home date it was Senior Night, before the varsity game we recognized Nemias Tirado, Kamryn Pugh, Cesar Peguero and Aiden Burgess along with six members of the cheerleading team. Not much happening on Tuesday but the rest of the week should be busy, Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 26-28

Friday night at the Arena for an eminently forgettable two-game weekend of hockey, on this night the Royals again hosted Wheeling and trailed 4-0 entering the third period. Goals by Yvan Mongo and Ryan Chyzowski brought the club within striking distance but the visitors had other ideas. Four additional scores by the Nailers were answered only by a single tally from Devon Paliani, when the smoke cleared the final was 8-3. Emotions boiled over at one point in the second period, on the night the teams combined for seventy-five penalty minutes on nineteen total infractions. On Saturday the three-game series ended with Star Wars Night at the Arena, unfortunately for the Royals the result was once again from a Galaxy Far Away. In a virtual rerun of Friday's game the Nailers ran out to a 3-0 lead after one period. Early in the second stanza Tyson Fawcett netted his 100th career goal but the West Virginians scored the next five. Adam Brubacher's goal late in the third period was the last marker before the horn mercifully sounded on an 8-2 Royals loss. New goaltender Ryan Kenny (a short-term Royal from '22-23 recently reacquired from SPHL Fayetteville) allowed five goals in thirty minutes of play and took the decision, Nolan Maier (Friday's goalie of record) finished it in relief. The club's mark stands at 16-19-4, at home 8-10-2. The boys have off until Friday the 2nd when a three-game series with the Adirondack Thunder begins, Friday in Glens Falls and Saturday/Sunday at the Arena. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 24-25

Wednesday night hockey at the Arena in downtown Reading, the Wheeling Nailers visited from West Virginia for the first time since December of 2022. Wheeling is one of the very few franchises still in the league from when the Royals debuted in 2001, its origins date back to the league's beginnings in 1988. The Royals went 2-0-1 on the road over the weekend to finish the season's first half, on this night they suffered a second consecutive overtime loss. The Royals led 2-0 after one period on scores from Tag Bertuzzi and Mason Millman, after Wheeling cut the lead in half Bertuzzi struck again to put the Royals ahead 3-1. The Nailers rallied back to tie and took the lead with seven minutes left in regulation time, in the final minute Ryan Chyzowski found the net to draw the Royals even at 4-4. In overtime it took Wheeling all of fifty-three seconds to score the winner, Nolan Maier was the Royals' goalie of record. The mark at the home schedule's midpoint is 8-8-2, overall 16-17-4. The club stays home for return dates with Wheeling on Friday and Saturday. Thursday night was another game night for basketball, we made the bus ride north to Manheim Township. The JV lost to fall to 9-9, the varsity contest was One Of Those Games. All you need to know is our opponent made more free throws than we attempted and it seemed like Every Single Call went their way. Three of our players fouled out, none of theirs came close. The game isn't easy to begin with, when the floor is tilted it's nigh unto impossible. The final was 73-69 and drops the division record to 3-4, overall to 6-11. The boys travel to York County for a varsity-only game on the 27th in Red Lion (I'm absent for the Royals), the next home game is Senior Night on the 29th. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 22-23

What should be a very busy week began with a Monday afternoon bus ride into the rural regions of the eastern part of the county. Pequea Valley is one of the county's smaller school districts and as such are a rare opponent, on this day the JV squad played the last of its three stand-alone dates. The club played Manheim Central and Lancaster Mennonite at home, they also met Warwick and L-S in December when the varsity was involved in tournaments. I'd been in the gym at PV in the past but not since the 1980s (at least), with the exception of upgraded seating the place was much like I remembered it. JPM won the game 50-32 to improve to 8-8. On Tuesday night at home both teams were in action, the second half of divisional play began with Lebanon visiting. Our opponent entered on a losing streak in the mid-30s, their last victory coming in the '21-22 season. When we visited Lebanon in December the JV club won easily, on this night they made it two straight to climb above the .500 mark. It took an overtime period for the varsity to get out of Lebanon with a win, this time around was another dogfight to the finish but the Good Guys emerged with a 75-64 decision. De'Andre Jones had a monster night with thirty-one points, Cesar Peguero had fifteen, Aiden Burgess and Nemias Tirado added ten each, Eddie Bencosme had five points and Kamryn Pugh finished out the scoring with four. It's no secret that Lebanon is way down right now and the last thing anybody wants is to be the team that loses to them but credit must be given where it's due: they have some nice underclassman talent and it's not hard to see them turning it around sooner rather than later. The win ends a four-game skid for JPM, the division record is even at 3-3 and overall 6-10. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 18-21

Thursday night basketball at McCaskey for a stand-alone JV game, Lancaster Mennonite made the short trip into town from the southeastern suburbs. Varsity teams are limited to twenty-two regular-season games but JV squads generally play fewer because of varsity tournaments and showcase events that don't involve them. The coaches wanted to get the JV scheduled for as many games as possible, they arranged for games during the December tournaments plus three stand-alone dates There was no admission charged and the attendance was light, there were probably about a hundred people in the house. As is our wont the starting lineups were introduced before tipoff, something that rarely happens elsewhere but at McCaskey we've always felt it important to give the JV their due (opposing coaches are always surprised that we do it and it's always well-received). JPM won easily 53-25, the boys play another stand-alone game on Monday the 22nd. There was another storm system approaching the area, it arrived overnight into Friday. Word was out very early that the evening's basketball games were postponed, all that remained was a haircut appointment at 12:30. I got the front walk cleared and the car cleaned off, driving was reasonably good and after a stop for lunch the appointment was kept in good order. That effectively ended the day but in late afternoon we had another hit of the Ugly White Stuff. Saturday was bitterly cold but I managed to get things cleaned up and make my way to Jenny's house for lunch and a grocery run for Helen. Sunday was warmer and with brilliant sunshine, according to the long-range forecast there is no more snowfall in the foreseeable future. The Royals finished a three-game road trip on Sunday and reached the season's midpoint in the process, the club stands at 16-17-3 with the next game at home on Wednesday the 24th. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 15-17

Up and at it early on Monday for the annual MLK Day game at the Arena, the Royals hosted the Maine Mariners in the rubber game of the three-game set. The Royals' offensive struggles continued on this day with a 4-1 loss, Joseph Nardi scored the lone goal early in the third after the Mariners had scored the game's first three. Nolan Meier was goaltender of record as the Royals fall to 14-17-2 overall and 8-8-1 at home. The club plays its next three on the road which will mark the season's midway point, the next home date is on Wednesday the 24th. On the way home I did the errand run I would have otherwise made in the morning, that was by design because winter weather was expected overnight into Tuesday. It was gone for the most part by the time I was up for the day, I got the front walk cleared and the car cleaned off and warmed up. That was the extent of the day's activities, the basketball team had a game in the evening which was postponed and reset for Wednesday night. On Wednesday a newspaper story said we had about four inches of the slop in the city with the northern part of the county getting hit a little harder. Morning temperatures were only in the 20s but driving was no issue, I had lunch with Jenny and her mother as usual. At 3:30 we boarded the bus at McCaskey for the game rescheduled from the night before, the destination was Unionville in southern Chester County about forty miles from Lancaster. We had played Unionville at home in 2023, this night in their gym was a case of deja vu in the worst way. The JV lost by three points, the varsity lost 75-58. When you play an opponent whose entire offensive strategy revolves around shooting three-point goals and that team absolutely DOES NOT MISS there is nothing you can do. Unionville scored eleven "threes" in the JV game and twelve more in the varsity game, when a team shoots the ball like that the greatest coaching in the world isn't going to be able to stop it. On the bright side JPM had three guys in double figures, DeAndre Jones with 15, Kamryn Pugh with 12 and Aiden Burgess with 10 but it all added up to a tenth loss through fifteen games of a season that has gone off the rails in a hurry. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 12-14

Friday night at the Arena on Penn Street for the first time in the new calendar year. The Royals won two of three on their most recent road trip, on this night the division-rival Maine Mariners visited for the first of a three-game series. These clubs met in the opening round of playoffs in each of the last two seasons, the names and faces change but the history never goes away. These three games comprise the Mariners' lone appearances at the Arena (gotta love the ECHL schedule). In the Friday opener the Royals took a 1-0 lead early in the second period thanks to Devon Paliani, Parker Gahagen and the defense corps made that one goal stand up the rest of the way. The shutout is the club's first of the season and the first at home since 2022 (Logan Flodell in the playoffs over Maine, Hayden Hawkey in the regular season vs Adirondack). Game #2 on Saturday night was Affiliation Night, the Royals wore sweaters resembling the NHL Flyers. The evening started well enough, goals by Shane Sellar and new addition Jake Bricknell gave the Royals a 2-0 lead in the first ten minutes. Devon Paliani upped the advantage to three but from there the game turned on a dime, single scores in the first and second periods for the Mariners was followed by a three-spot in the third. Brayden Guy brought the Royals back to within one but a Maine empty-netter in the final minute put away a 6-4 win. Parker Gahagen started for the second straight night and took the decision as the Royals fall to 14-16-2 overall and 8-7-1 at the Arena. The rubber match is on Martin Luther King Day at 1:00. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 10-11

The rain moved out of the area overnight into Wednesday, on Thursday it was another basketball night at McCaskey. Cedar Crest came in undefeated in league play and with only two losses overall, given our current varsity roster situation the result was probably in the minds of many a foregone conclusion. The JV squad lost its game by five, in the varsity game JPM hung tough and trailed by just one at the half. In the third quarter CC went on a 16-0 run and went on to a 60-44 decision. Seven players appeared for JPM and six got into the scoring column, Ja'Loney Porter led with 12 and Kamryn Pugh had 11, Nemias Tirado scored eight, Sincere Diego added six in his varsity debut, Aiden Burgess had five and Cesar Peguero had a field goal. Sometimes the outcome of a game is viewed according to personal perspective, afterwards the coaches felt that the game on Tuesday was winnable yet was allowed to get away while this game was a case of hanging in tough against all odds and not giving up. It goes without saying that any team missing one-third of its roster including three regular starters and its top two scorers is going to be up against it, the general feeling was that the effort on this night was much better than the effort on Tuesday had been. The club finishes the first half of league play at 2-3, overall the record drops to 5-8. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 8-9

A busy week began on Monday at Stevens College on East King Street with a La Academia basketball game, one of only two home games Jerry Johnson's squad has on its schedule (a third was postponed with no immediate makeup date). It was Senior Night for Los Leones with Jesse Bonilla, Saquon McQueeney and Eric Wayman receiving the usual recognitions in the pregame. Executive Education Academy from Allentown was the opponent, they spoiled the Senior Night party with a 51-41 victory. On Tuesday another storm system moved through the area in the form of steady rain, it would have been a great night to stay in and dry but duty summoned me to McCaskey. The Red Tornado hosted Hempfield on a night that gave the word frustration a whole new meaning. The JV squad lost its game, the varsity played without three usual starters including the club's top two scorers. At halftime we were up by eight points but the second half was the polar opposite, we were outscored 42-14 and lost 64-44. Nine players got into the game for JPM but only five scored, Kamryn Pugh led with 12, Nemias Tirado had 11 and Cesar Peguero scored ten points, Aiden Burgess had nine and Ja'Loney Porter made the book with a field goal. The loss evens the league record at 2-2, the overall mark to 5-7 and things don't get any easier with division leader Cedar Crest coming in from Lebanon County on Thursday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 4-7

Back in December Jenny's mother received a gift card to a restaurant in Quarryville, since January 4 was the sixty-seventh anniversary of Something that Happened In 1957 Helen decided to use it on that date. I've long since had no concern for the day myself but the food was good and none of us went home hungry. On Friday night at McCaskey the basketball team resumed divisional play versus Manheim Township, the JV squad won its game to pull even at 5-5 while the varsity followed suit with a 65-55 win. With Jared out of the lineup indefinitely other guys need to step up, on this night four players hit double figures. Nemias Tirado led with 16, Cesar Peguero had 15, De'Andre Jones and Kamryn Pugh added eleven each. Kaiden Russell and Aiden Burgess had six points each, three others appeared but did not score. The win puts the division record at 2-1 and the overall mark at the season's midpoint at 5-6. The schedule in the second half becomes exponentially tougher with eight of the last eleven within the division including two each with co-leaders Hempfield and Cedar Crest (and the remaining non-league opponents are not exactly cupcakes either). It's been said that adversity introduces a man to himself, in the next few weeks we may see how true that adage really is. The rest of the weekend was uneventful which was a good thing because the weather was not, on Saturday morning a snow system moved through the area and left behind about two inches of the Ugly White Stuff. It began to flurry right around the time I left town in the morning, by the time I arrived at Jenny's house it was coming in earnest. After lunch we ran a few errands that needed to be done, from there I returned home more than happy to be there. The saving grace is that it isn't expected to be around long, the precipitation turned into rain on Sunday and with higher temperatures most of it either melted or was washed away. As far I'm concerned it can STAY away. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 1-3

The twenty-fourth year of the twenty-first century began somewhat appropriately on a Monday with the usual spate of college football games plus an outdoor pro hockey game on TV. On Tuesday evening the girls basketball team at McCaskey played at home, one of (incredibly) only six home dates on the schedule. I get to see them play infrequently as it is, when a schedule is as imbalanced as this it makes it all the more difficult. The girls play their five division opponents at home plus this one nonleague game, the remaining sixteen involve bus travel one way or another. On this night York was the opponent, the JPM JV won their game while the varsity lost. On Wednesday it was the boys' turn to get on the bus, the destination was thirty miles southwest across the river to Dallastown in York County. This was only the second time I could recall visiting this gym, we were there for a district playoff game in 2016 that I still remember to this day for all the wrong reasons. Things on this night didn't go much better, a case could be made thar it was even worse. The JV squad lost its game, the varsity lost both the game and possibly a big piece of the puzzle. In the second quarter Jared Kumah went down on the endline behind the play, nobody saw what caused it but he needed assistance getting up and to the trainer's room. The final was 69-58, Nemias Tirado led with 19, Kamrun Pugh had 11 and De'Andre Jones added ten. Jared scored six points before he left, Eddie Bencosme and Cesar Peguero had four each, Kaiden Russell and Aiden Burgess finished up the box score with two points each. The club stands at 4-6 overall and moves back into divisional play on Friday at home when Manheim Township visits. The league schedule is enough of a challenge under the best of circumstances, it will be interesting to see how the club reacts for however long Jared is out. Take care, thanks for reading.