April 27-30

The last week of April began chilly and windy, the Stormers were at home on Tuesday but I elected to stay in. Since my surgery I've found that I don't tolerate lower temperatures and cold wind as well as I used to, there were occasions during the winter when I was walking from the Arena to my parking garage (a half-block's walk) and literally couldn't wait to get into my car and jack up the heat. On Wednesday night we were at the Arena for game #3 of the ECHL North Division Semifinal, the Royals' regular season mark of  36-26-10 earned them a date with the division champion Wheeling Nailers. The Royals lost each of the first two games in Wheeling by scores of 4-0 and 5-1, on this night they fell three games behind with a 2-0 shutout loss. The Nailers scored late in the first and early in the second and made them stand up, Yaniv Perets was goalie of record for the Royals. The club faces a win-or-go-home game #4 on Friday the 1st, if game #5 is needed it is Saturday the 2nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

April 25-26

Saturday was every bit the raw and rainy day they were calling for, after lunch with Jenny and her mother I came back to the city and stayed in for the rest of the day. It proved to be the right choice, in late afternoon the Stormers postponed their ballgame and rescheduled it for Sunday as part of a doubleheader. There was no street hockey in Rothsville on Sunday due to a personal absence on my part, that absence was because I was at the ballpark in a working capacity. Friend and colleague John Witwer had contacted me about this date back in October when the league schedule was released so it's been on my calendar for some time. This day reminded me of why I always hated doubleheaders in my days in the business, the first game started at 1:30 and we were finally done about five hours later. In the opener Long Island won 13-0 behind starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (ex-bigleaguer with a Cy Young Award win to his credit), he went the full seven innings allowing just one baserunner on a walk in the sixth inning. There were about four thousand fans in attendance and it seems like half them were rooting for Bauer and the Ducks, when the game ended he received the Ambassador's Reception from his teammates and most of the crowd. In game #2 the downbeat continued for the Stormers as the Ducks completed the weekend sweep with a 6-2 decision. The Stormers took a 2-0 lead in the second, Joseph Carpenter singled and advanced to third on Nick Lucky's bloop double. Tyler Robertson's sac fly scored Carpenter, two batters later Evan Ulrich singled to score Lucky. From there it was all Long Island, three runs in the fourth followed by single scores in the fifth, sixth and seventh put the game away. Noah Bremer started and suffered the loss, Quinton Martinez took the decision for the Stormers in the opener. Take care, thanks for reading.

April 24

April 24: a big day for baseball in My Town, both at the high school and professional levels. In the afternoon we were at McCaskey for a non-divisional game with Reading High, this was a makeup game from back in March. The Red Tornado took a 1-0 lead in the first when Nate Lutz singled and touched home on Andrew Carlisle's sacrifice fly. Single runs in the second, third and fourth gave RHS a 3-1 advantage, in the home fifth JPM took the lead back in one of the strangest innings you might ever see. Jayden Quinones started it with a walk and Danny Santana was hit by the pitch, after the first out Carlisle was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Shanahan Padin and Niko Bergeron were both plunked to force home Quinones and Santana to tie the game, after the second out Chris Ruggiero took one for the team forcing Carlisle home with the lead run 4-3. Three runs without a base hit scoring on a walk and FIVE hit batsmen, it's doubtful anyone had that on their bingo card. The Red Tornado held on for the 4-3 win, Padin worked the final three innings in relief of Bergeron and earned the decision. It's the ballclub's second win on the season (they won one on the road in March), the next home game I'm present for is the last one on May 4. We were done by 6:15 or so, I made my way to the ballpark on North Prince Street. The Stormers were opening their twenty-second season hosting the Long Island Ducks, just as the game was beginning it started to rain lightly. The Stormers had little offense on this night, they trailed 6-0 in the seventh before getting on the board courtesy of a Tyler Miller double and Tyler Robertson's sac fly. Luke Albright started and took the loss with Cole Patten, Phil Diehl, Alex Garbrick and Matt Stil in relief. The series continues through the weekend although Saturday could be doubtful thanks to the weather. Take care, thanks for reading.

April 20-23

At McCaskey on Wednesday for another divisional ballgame, Penn Manor provided the opposition. It is no secret that the program at JPM is struggling, on this day Penn Manor hung up twenty-six runs (that's 26). they scored twelve runs through five innings before sending twenty-one batters to the plate and scoring fourteen in the sixth. The highlight for JPM was that the club scored four runs of their own, twice each in the fourth and fifth. Shanahan Padin and Chris Ruggiero started the fourth with back-to-back singles, Nate Lutz's two-out double scored Padin and Ruggiero came home on a passed ball. In the fifth Elijah Santiago singled and scored on Ruggiero's fielders-choice groundout, Niko Bergeron walked and came home on a wild pitch. On the one hand it's nice to be able to talk about some offensive highlights for a change but a twenty-two run loss cannot be considered palatable under any conditions. Ruggiero started on the mound with Lutz, Santiago and Danny Santana in relief. The club stays home for a non-league game on the 24th. Take care, thanks for reading.

April 13-19

The new week began with a bang and ended with a whimper (although one could argue that the bang was a bit of a whimper in itself). On Monday the baseball club at McCaskey was at home to host Cedar Crest, the game ended 19-0 after five innings due to the mercy rule. CC scored in every inning, a seven-run fifth put the game away. Andrew Carlisle went the first three innings on the hill, Chris Ruggiero worked the final two. This was personally my fourth game on the mic thus far (I missed two because of ice hockey in Reading) and I have yet to see the team score a run, they've lost all four by a composite score of 43-0. The boys are next at home on Wednesday the 22nd. In midweek we had a small taste of summer as temperatures rose markedly, the daytime highs on both Wednesday and Thursday broke the record for high temperature on those respective dates. By Saturday the weather was largely back to normal, after lunch with Jenny and her mother I stopped in at the ballpark on the way home. The Stormers are beginning their twenty-second season in the Atlantic League, this was the day of the annual FanFest. Ross Peeples ("The Mayor") is back for his ninth season as manager, returnees on the preseason roster include pitchers A.J. Alexy, Noah Bremer, Phil Diehl, Alex Garbrick, Luke McCollough and Billy Sullivan, infielders Scott Kelly and Nick Lucky plus outfielders Joseph Carpenter and Kevin Watson. The season starts on the 21st, the home opener is on the 24th vs Long Island. Sunday was supposed to be week #2 of street hockey in Rothsville but Mother Nature did an early-morning #1 and the day was ruined. No games on the 26th (I am absent due to another commitment), we'll be back at Lions Park on May 3. Take care, thanks for reading. 

April 11-12

Back at the Arena on Saturday night for game #2 with Wheeling. It's not uncommon for a team to experience a bit of a letdown after clinching a playoff berth (although it seems to be more prevalent in baseball), on this night we saw the hockey version. The Royals had wrapped up their postseason spot on Friday, on this night they came out flatter than a pancake. The Nailers scored three times in the first five minutes and were never seriously challenged. The final was 6-2, Owen McLaughlin and Kyle Haskins scored for the Royals with Keith Petruzzelli taking the loss in goal. On Sunday morning we were up and at it early for opening day of street hockey at Lions Park in Rothsville. This is the league's eleventh season already which isn't bad for something that was put together on a shoestring budget in the spring of '21. We're using the usual format with four teams playing each other three times each, on this day Ephrata beat Hillside and Warwick won over Township. Forty-three players participated, the next games are on April 19. From there we highballed it north to the Arena for the last home game of the regular year. This game reminded me somewhat of that playoff series with Trois-Rivieres in 2025 when the Royals lost games in some of the cruelest ways possible. Midway though the first period Austin Saint lit the lamp for a 1-0 lead which held all the way to the closing moments, with exactly one minute left in regulation Wheeling scored to force overtime. In the extra period the Nailers took it 2-1 with fifty-eight seconds left, Yaniv Perets took the loss and deserved a better fate. The Royals' final home record is 23-9-4, they end the season with two on the road before starting playoffs. Take care, thanks for reading.

April 6-10

Not much going early in the new week, on Wednesday we were at McCaskey for baseball. Manheim Township visited for a divisional game and won 5-0, the Red Tornado had baserunners in just about every inning but couldn't get the big hit when it counted. The best thing was that the game went the full seven innings, no mercy rule on this day. Niko Bergeron got the start and went all the way on a complete game but it's hard to win when you simply can't score. The boys play at home on the 13th versus Cedar Crest. On Friday we were at the Arena for the last home weekend of the season, the Wheeling Nailers were the opponent. This was Wall-Of-Honor night, 2016-2019 Royal Chris McCarthy was inducted in a pregame ceremony. Fun Fact: Chris came out of a six-year retirement in January to play three games for the Royals when the club was shorthanded by injuries (which has actually been most of the season but that's another story). In the game itself the Royals clinched a postseason berth with a tough 3-2 win over Wheeling. Jacob Frasca, Jake Willetts and Connor McMenamin were the goal-scorers, Yaniv Perets was the winner in net. The club will finish either third or fourth in the division and meet either Wheeling or Maine in the first round, the remaining four games (two home, two away) will tell the story. Take care, thanks for reading. 

March 30-April 5

The final two days of March found us at McCaskey, one day planned and the other not so much. On Monday the ballclub was back home, Garden Spot visited from New Holland for a non-league game. It's no secret that the program is struggling, on this day GS left town with a mercy-rule 10-0 win, A seven-run fifth inning put the game away. Niko Bergeron took the loss with Chris Ruggiero, Nate Lutz and Andrew Carlisle in relief. During the game a Garden Spot fam approached me and complimented my work, whenever it comes unsolicited from a stranger is when it matters the most. The boys play next at home on April 8 vs Manheim Township. When I got home after the game I had a phone message from the athletic office, the girls softball team was playing at home on Tuesday and I was needed. The young man who usually does their games was going to be absent, he has filled in for me at basketball several times in recent seasons and above all Fair Is Fair. The varsity softball field is tucked in behind the school between the gymnasium and the (currently a shell of its former self) football stadium, the PA setup is exactly the same as what we're doing right now at baseball. On this day the girls lost to Warwick 7-1, the lone run scoring for JPM in the sixth inning. I don't know when or if I'll be needed there again but the moral is to always be prepared because you never can tell. The rest of the week was quiet save for Easter Sunday dinner with Jenny and her mother, Helen made ham loaf with carrots and sweet potatoes and there was plenty to go around, Take care, thanks for reading

March 28-29

On the road early on Saturday morning, we were at the Arena by 11:30. The first order of business was at 1:00 for the twentieth annual Battle Of The Badges, first-responders from the city of Reading proper met their counterparts from the rest of Berks County. In 2025 the Reading group won on a goal with forty-five seconds left, on this day a feeling of "deja vu" was in the air as Reading won 2-1 on a score with (can you believe it) forty-five seconds left. The game ended around 2:30 or so, since Jenny and her mother were along for the doubleheader we took the opportunity to slip away and get something substantial to eat at a local restaurant. By 5:00 we were back for the main event at 7:00, game #3 with the Norfolk Admirals. The Royals had won the first two games of this series by identical 3-0 scores, on this night they made it three straight with yet another shutout victory by the score of (you guessed it) 3-0. Newcomer Owen McLaughlin (recent college signee on loan from the Phantoms) scored his first professional goal in the first period, late in the third Connor McMenamin lit the lamp on a power play and Jeremey Michel found the empty net as Yaniv Perets recorded his second shutout of the week. On Sunday afternoon at 3:00 the series ended and so did the shutout streak, on this day the Ads drew first blood halting the zero run at  better than one hundred and eighty-six minutes. The momentum did not last, just thirty-nine seconds later Carson Golder evened the game at 1-1. In the second period Golder struck again to make it 2-1, Yvan Mongo's score midway through the third period was the final marker in a 3-1 win, Keith Petruzzelli was goaltender of record as the Royals finish the weekend at 34-21-9, 22-8-3 at the Arena. The boys play their next three on the road, they return on April 10 for a "threekend" with the Wheeling Nailers. Take care, thanks for reading. 

March 23-27

Another round of Monday rain caused another baseball postponement at McCaskey, on Tuesday we finally made our season debut for season #10 (it should be eleven but that's old news now). When I arrived I discovered that the ballfield had no electrical power of any kind (no PA system, no field lights, no scoreboard, No Nothing). Apparently all of the power comes from the adjacent football stadium and with the ongoing renovations (which should have been completed months ago) all the power was shut down, even the bathrooms are closed because they utilize the same plumbing system. There was a portable PA speaker set up similar to what we do on Senior Nights for soccer and field hockey, it wasn't the optimum solution but we made it work. On this day Hamburg visited from northern Berks County (about sixteen miles north of Reading) for a nonleague game and won easily 9-0, JPM's next home date is on the 30th vs Garden Spot. On Wednesday at the Arena the Royals began "Norfolk Week" as the Admirals were in town for four games in five days. On this night the game was scoreless into the second period, goals by Connor Kurth and Jacob Frasca gave the Royals a 2-0 lead. Carson Golder's third -period score brought the final to 3-0, Yaniv Perets was in goal for his second shutout of the season. On Friday for game #2 it was Kids Takeover Night, a young man named Logan (age 12) was assigned to me as Jr. PA announcer. I had him introduce our starting lineup and do the goal and penalty reads (I did the follow-up reads as required by the league) and he did a great job. After the game his father joked that Logan might come for my job in a few years, I told him that in a few years he may be able to have it. The game itself was scoreless in the third period, goals by newcomer Mikael Robidoux, Hunter Johannes (back from injury) and Connor McMenamin gave the Royals ANOTHER shutout win by the same score as Wednesday, Keith Petruzzelli picked up his fourth whitewash of the season. The series continues over the rest of the weekend and Saturday starts early. Take care, thanks for reading.

March 16-22

Baseball season at McCaskey was supposed to start on the 16th, an all-day light rain forced postponement to Tuesday and more hard rain overnight ruined those plans as well. For good measure the ballclub's road game on Wednesday was also called off due to wet grounds. The next home game is on the 23rd, we'll see if we can get something done by then. On Friday at the Arena the Royals hosted the Adirondack Thunder for the final time in the regular season. Connor McMenamin gave the Royals an early 1-0 lead before the Thunder fought back to lead 2-1 in the second. Late scores by Ben Meehan and Brandon Saigeon put the Royals back up 3-2 but an ADK marker midway through the third squared it once again at 3-3. The game was decided in the OT shootout, Adirondack outscored the Royals 2-1 and won the game 4-3. Keith Petruzzelli was in goal for the Royals as the club's record at home dropped to 18-8-3. The Lost Weekend continued with an OT loss on Saturday in Glens Falls and a Sunday regulation loss in Portland bringing the overall mark to 30-21-9. The club returns home on the 25th for four games in five days, all versus the Norfolk Admirals. Take care, thanks for reading.

March 1-15

The first two weeks of March were much like the majority of February had been, very little going with the Royals away. High school spring sports practices are underway, baseball season at McCaskey opens on the 16th. On the 14th the hockey club returned home from a three-game road trip, the Worcester Railers were in town for the opener of a two-game set. The Railers struck first before Connor McMenamin tied it, in the early going of the third period Worcester led 3-1. Yvan Mongo (back from an extended injury absence) made it 3-2 but the Railers scored twice more and put away a 5-2 win, Yaniv Perets took the loss in net. The Sunday rematch saw the Royals come out on fire, goals from Connor Kurth (newcomer on loan from the Tampa Bay Lightning) and McMenamin made it 2-0 in the first nine minutes, Brandon Saigeon added a third goal before the period ended. In the third Worcester scored early and late to close within one, Ben Meehan's empty-netter with twenty-five seconds left clinched a 4-2 Royals victory for goaltender Keith Petruzzelli. The record stands at 18-8-2 at home, 30-20-7 overall. The Royals host Adirondack on Friday the 20th, Take care, thanks for reading.

February 23-28

The predicted snowfall turned out to be largely a fizzle, getting out and about on Monday was no issue at all. When La Academia played at McCaskey on the 16th I thought I was done with basketball for the season but the district committee had other ideas. Jerry's club fought back through the playback round and hosted the fifth-place game at JPM on the 26th. Conestoga Christian (from Morgantown, about twenty-five miles east of Lancaster) was the opponent, La Academia won to advance to the state tournament as the #5 seed from District Three. On Friday the Royals returned home from a seven-game road trip (3-2-2) for the first home game since February 3, for me it was my first game since January 19. During my infirmity I missed three games (three too many in my opinion but hospitalization doesn't play favorites), one of the members of our production crew subbed for me on the mic and by all accounts did an excellent job which I was glad to hear. When I arrived I was approached by quite a few people who asked what happened and how I was feeling, I told them the weight and vital signs are being monitored and everybody seems to be satisfied with the progress. I was discharged on the 5th and Truth Be Known if we would have been at home that weekend I probably would have worked (or at least I would have tried), the fact that the club was on the road for most of the month allowed me an extra three weeks to be 100% ready. On this night the Greenville Swamp Rabbits visited from the league's Southern Division, they are the lone non-divisional opponent on our home schedule. The game was scoreless into the second period, Ben Meehan scored early and Jeremy Michel scored late making it 2-0 at the second intermission. Greenville got on the board early in the third but Michel potted his second of the game just twenty-five seconds later, Liam Devlin's empty-netter in the closing minutes put away the 4-1 win for goaltender Yaniv Perets. Game #2 on Saturday was the annual Pink In The Rink game for breast cancer awareness, a sellout crowd of better than 6800 was in the house. This was one of those wacky last-shot-wins kind of game, Greenville prevailed in overtime 6-5. Garret Devine scored two goals for the Royals, single tallies came courtesy of Kyle Haskins, Austin Saint and Jacob Frasca with Keith Petruzzelli suffering the tough-luck loss. The boys stand at 27-18-7 (17-7-2 at home), the Worcester Railers visit on March 14. Take care, thanks for reading.

February 16-22

The new week began with one last basketball game, on Monday night at McCaskey we hosted a first-round Class A playoff. Jerry Johnson's La Academia earned the right to a home game as the higher seed, on this night they defeated Shalom Christian Academy (from Chambersburg, about eighty-five miles west of Lancaster) 72-52. The rest of the week was quiet except for lunch with Jenny and her mother on Wednesday and Saturday plus a few assorted medical visits here and there. There was talk of another weather event on Sunday into Monday, they were drawing comparisons to what we got back on January 25. The precipitation didn't arrive until early Sunday evening and as the night progressed it didn't appear to be anything close to what we had previously, I guess we'll just wait and see what the morning brings. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 26-February 15

Early totals from the snowstorm were in Monday's newspaper, here in the city we got eight inches while areas further north received more (in retrospect I'm glad I wasn't in any of those places). I saw the parking lot being plowed, I went over and moved my car so they could finish the job (when I came home on Saturday I parked strategically for that very reason). Saw my dentist on Tuesday morning, on Wednesday I had an appointment with my family doctor. This had been booked back in October and had nothing to do with the swelling in the legs and stomach I've been dealing with, once I arrived it became the topic of conversation. My doctor examined me and called my heart doctor, I was there in the afternoon and they told me to get to the hospital. After supper I was coming down the steps from upstairs, at the very bottom I fell AGAIN but amazingly was somehow uninjured. That made the decision all the easier, I was admitted on Wednesday evening around 8:00 or so and was discharged just after noon on February 5. They connected me to a catheter that essentially "did my business" for me and administered various medication through my chemo port, they said my having the port saved them from having to insert an IV. When I was admitted I weighed in at 272 pounds (I haven't been that heavy in ages), when I was discharged I was at an even 200 and just about all of the loss was excess fluid buildup which is almost impossible to imagine. Since then the weight has been holding steady around 200, I've seen a brace of doctors and they all seem to be pleased with the progress. My infirmity came at a time that forced me to miss work, for the first time since April of 2012 I was absent from the Royals (three games, all victories), I also missed three McCaskey games (one win and two losses). Basketball season at JPM ended on the 3rd, the varsity finished 10-11 overall and the JV checked in at 7-11. DeMere Salisbery led the club with a 24.1 average, the highest in at least the last thirty years (father Dustin is in second place, he averaged 22.2 during his senior year in 2003), Amir Thompson-Hanson was the only other man in doubles at 10.4. The Royals are in the midst of a seven-game road trip, they are back home on the 27th and I should be good to go by then as well. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 23-25

Friday night at McCaskey for a divisional matchup with Manheim Township. The night started with a JPM JV loss, the varsity game was a study in abject frustration. We carried a five-point lead into the final quarter, in the last period MT outscored us by eleven and rallied to win 68-62. The usual suspects all hit double figures, DeMere Salisbery had 20, Amir Thompson-Hanson scored 17 and Jaloney Porter had 13 but there was little support underneath. It's a very costly loss that knocks the league record down to 5-3, overall the club stands at 9-9. The boys have off until Thursday the 29th when we play at home versus Penn Manor. Had lunch in Quarryville on Saturday with Jenny and her mother, when I came back to town I settled in for the rest of the weekend. There was talk of a major weather event for Sunday and the forecast was spot on, it moved in overnight and stayed most of the day. When I awakened in the morning it was WHITE outside, it's a good thing I had nothing on my schedule because there was no way I was getting to the car or even off my front porch. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 19-22

Monday afternoon at the Arena for the rubber match with Greensboro, faceoff was at 1:00 on MLK Day. Jeremy Michel gave the Royals a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, in the second Nolan Burke made it 2-0. The visitors from North Carolina got on the board in the third before Michel struck again, one last marker for the Gargoyles made it 3-2 but they could come no further. Keith Petruzzelli was once again the goalie of record as the club's mark stands at 19-15-4, 13-7-1 at home. The boys are back home for another set with Greensboro on Friday the 30th. On Tuesday we boarded the bus for the short trip to Lancaster Catholic for a non-league game, There was a middle school game going on when we got there and That Is When The Fun Started. At the end of the third quarter we were walking to the locker room when I caught my toe on the bottom step of the stands, I did a faceplant and came up bleeding heavily from the nose. The LCHS training staff was there almost instantly, they did all they knew to stop the bleeding (how I wasn't otherwise injured is something I will never know). They actually delayed the game while they brought out a wheelchair, hoisted me on my own petard and carted me out on my shield. In the main lobby an ambulance crew was waiting, they examined me and took my vital signs. They said I wouldn't need to go to the hospital unless I wanted to, I told them I would trust their professional opinion and stay at the game. The training staff took me to the locker room via a back hallway, when the JV game started I was at my accustomed spot at the table. LCHS athletic director Nate Leonard was there as was JPM AD Teasia Pena, throughout the night they kept tabs on me as did the training staff. Nate jokingly told Teasia they have to find a way to keep me healthy because I'm a national treasure (his words, not mine). In the games themselves the JPM JV dropped a second straight, the varsity won a very competitive game 60-55. DeMere Salisbery led with 23, EJ Abernathy was the only other man in double figures with 13. The boys are back in divisional play on Friday the 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 16-18

Back at the Arena on Friday evening as the brand-new Greensboro Gargoyles made their first-ever appearance in Reading. Greensboro, North Carolina has a long history with hockey dating back to the 1960s, the Greensboro Generals were in the ECHL from 1999 to 2004. This occasion was a homecoming of sorts for former Royals head coach Jason Binkley who signed on as an assistant coach with the Gargoyles over the summer.  On this night the Royals took charge early and never relinquished it, goals by Hunter Johannes and Jacob Frasca made it 2-0 after one, In the second period newcomer Garrett Devine extended the lead to three, later in the period Liam Devlin, Brandon Saigeon and Connor McMenamin scored in quick order making it 6-0. That was all Keith Petruzzelli needed to record his second shutout of the year and the seventh of his pro career. On Saturday we had some morning snow but nothing particularly worrisome, by afternoon the sun was out and most of it had melted. In the evening we were back for game #2 with Greensboro on Military Appreciation Night. The Friday magic was nowhere to be seen on this night, Connor McMenamin scored the lone goal in a 4-1 loss, Keith  Petruzzelli was goaltender of record. The club's mark stands at 18-15-4 overall and 12-7-1 at home, they stay home for the rubber match with Greensboro on Martin Luther King Day. Sunday was a virtual rerun of Saturday with another shot of the Ugly White $hit, it would have been a perfect day to stay home and warm but for us there was no such luck. Jenny's friend has three young daughters, the youngest (Abrielle aka "Abby") turned five recently and this was the day of her birthday party. It was held at a local roller skating rink (something I personally never learned how to do and at my age now I wouldn't dare try), there was plenty to eat and by all accounts everybody went home happy. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 12-15

Monday afternoon on the bus with the boys for the first of two consecutive trips into Lebanon County (whoever scheduled this particular week should be boiled in oil). JPM defeated Hempfield in my absence on Friday, on this night we were in the city of Lebanon proper. A few years back Lebanon won the league title, that was immediately followed by a losing streak that reached almost fifty games before it mercifully ended. The program has improved over the past two years or so but there is still a lot of work to do. This gym has never been easy to play in and this night was no exception, after a 24-point JV win the varsity followed suit with a tough 66-63 victory. Lebanon led by eight at the half but in the second JPM outscored them by eleven and pulled it out. Eight players got into the game and six scored, four in double figures: DeMere Salisbery had twenty-five, Jaloney Porter scored fifteen, Amir Thompson-Hanson added eleven and Kyle Brown had ten. EJ Abernathy had three points and Carsyn Haines rounded out the book with two. After two nights off we were back on Thursday for the trip to Cedar Crest, about two miles south of where we were on Monday. CC is another place that isn't exactly friendly territory, this night was their Senior Night (in a scheduling rarity, this was in fact their last game on their home floor). The JPM JV lost badly, the varsity game was like walking down the pier and there was no ship. The final was 80-72 which ends the club's three-game winning streak, DeMere Salisbery (29) and Jaloney Porter (13) were the only two in double figures. JPM is back in action on Tuesday the 20th with a non-league game at Lancaster Catholic. Take care, thanks for reading.

January 9-11

Friday night at the Arena for the first hockey games of the new year. The Royals welcomed the Maine Mariners for a three-game set, these three games comprising the Mariners' lone visit during the regular season. Over the last little while the Royals have been one banged-up hockey club, with several key members on the injured list head coach Anthony Peters added four new players over this weekend in an effort to field a full lineup. On Friday in the opener the club started strong, Carson Golder lit the lamp in the game's second minute to make it 1-0. Maine tied the game seven minutes in, a minute after that Artem Kulakov gave the Royals the lead, Cam Cook's goal late in the period put the Royals up 3-1 at the intermission. After a scoreless second period the Mariners rallied in the third to tie the game, in overtime it took a minute and thirty-eight seconds for Maine to complete the comeback. Keith Petruzzelli took the loss and deserved a better fate. Saturday was Star Wars Night and the force was not with the Royals in any way, shape or form. Maine scored single goals in the second and third periods and made them stand up for a 2-0 win, Yaniv Perets was goalie of record. On Sunday the "threekend" (as Maine broadcaster Michael Keeley likes to refer to them) ended, on this day the Mariners carried a 1-0 lead in to the second period. Jeremy Michel scored a pair of goals to give the Royals the lead but Maine replied in kind to lead 3-2 in the third. With two minutes left Connor McMenamin found the net to tie it, in overtime Brandon Saigeon nailed down Sweet Victory with the OTGWG for winning goalie Keith Petruzzelli. The club emerges from the weekend at 17-13-4 overall, 11-6-1 at the midpoint of the home schedule. The club plays at home on Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th versus the brand-new Greensboro Gargoyles. Take care, thanks for reading

January 5-8

At McCaskey on Monday evening (loose tooth, scabs and all) for the first games of the calendar year, York Suburban (from-you guessed it-the suburbs of the city of York) was the opponent for a non-league matchup. The JV squad won by three points, in the varsity game JPM lost 60-52. It was a tie game entering the final quarter, in the fourth period we were outscored 19-11 which proved to be the difference. DeMere Salisbery led with eighteen, Kyle Brown had twelve and Amir Thompson Hanson added ten points. EJ Abernathy scored seven, Jaloney Porter had four and JV player Nikola Draguljic (dra-GOOL-yitch) went 1-2 at the line in his varsity debut. On Wednesday morning I was able to see my dentist, he surveyed the damage and formulated a plan which begins with a return visit on the 26th. In the evening we traveled southwest of the city as league play came back into session with games at Penn Manor, The JV made it two in a row with a nine-point win, the varsity finally snapped its four-game skid with a 61-39 victory. JPM was in control practically from the outset, a 22-8 fourth quarter blew the game open. Eleven players got in and eight scored: DeMere led with fifteen, EJ had thirteen, Marrcus Laureano and "Niko" Draguljic added ten points each. Kyle Brown had five, Laron Gray scored four, Carsyn Haines and Amir Thompson-Hanson added two each (an off-night for Amir but he'll bounce back). The record stands at 6-7 overall, 3-1 in the division. One last basketball game for the week on Thursday night, old friend Jerry Johnson's La Academia squad faced Lincoln Leadership Academy (from Allentown) in one of their rare home games. Whenever I can help Jerry out I'm glad to do it especially since this night was their Senior Night, before the game Zach Stoner, Elijah Perez, Kellan Jones and Trevor Orr were recognized. La Academia won the game 36-34 on a last-second shot sending the Senior Night crowd home happy. Take care, thanks for reading. 

January 1-4

The new year began in very inauspicious fashion for me, I had a altercation with an icy sidewalk in front of my house and the sidewalk won. I lost my balance and fell forward unable to brace my fall, I hit my mouth on the steps and loosened a front tooth, scabbed up my nose, chin and both knees. I called my dentist but he's out of the office until the 5th, later on the weekend I noticed some unusual swelling in my legs and the "surrounding area". Sunday was the sixty-ninth anniversary of something that happened in 1957, I spent a portion of it in the ER at the local hospital. I went in around 11:00 on Saturday night (how busy could they be at that hour?), they did an ultrasound on the private area and some other tests. They said the swelling is almost certainly unrelated to the fall I took, it's possibly fluid buildup from not "going often enough" (I always thought I was relatively regular but what do I know). They gave me a prescription and sent me home at 4:30am. I hope this isn't a harbinger of what 2026 is going to be like around here, I may be screaming for '25 to make a comeback (and the latter half of that year wasn't exactly a party, either). Take care, thanks for reading.