Millcreek Athletics

The atmosphere Friday night was a great one for Coach Mike Hayes and his squad, for the Trojans won against arch-rival Cathedral Prep 10-3.  The Blue and White did a great job scoring off the Rambler errors in the game.  Prep had 5 errors which was the same number of hits that they had.  Not to be overshadowed was the performance of Trojan pitcher Tyler DeCrapio.  DeCrapio pitched a complete game and led his team to the win against Prep.  This was the first game this year the Trojans play against their rivals, and they will meet again in a few weeks.

The McDowell Trojan Volleyball team dropped their fifth consecutive game to start the season tonight against the Meadville Bulldogs.  The Bulldogs won all three games; with the second being the closest of the three.  Recent games against state championship contenders: Sagertown, Cambridge Springs and Maplewood has caused the Trojans to start sub par in the 2008 season.  The boys will be at it again Thursday against Farrell.

McDowell entered Tuesday night hot winning 12 out of 13 games—and they didn’t skip a beat. The Trojans (13-1) put a beating on the Harbor Creek Huskies, winning 62-27. It was a good opportunity for Coach Kraig Hetz to get all of his players in. Everyone who was healthy played and contributed. Zack Spronatti led the Blue and White with 18 points—12 in the second half. The blowout win cannot lead to McDowell losing focus, as they will be playing cross-town rival Cathedral Prep, Saturday at the Hammermill Center. The Ramblers (9-3), defeated Strong Vincent last night to remain perfect in the region (3-0). If you can recall, McDowell lost a heartbreaker to the Colonels last week. So, it sets up the ideal battle for first place matchup Saturday night. Most likely, adding another classic to the McDowell-Prep histroy. The winner will be in first place, and the loser will have a chip on their shoulder until they meet again.

A team always starts the year off playing for a championship. This year’s Trojan team (11-1 going into Monday) is aspiring for their first District Ten championship in almost four years. The boys have been on fire lately—winning their first eleven games. Two tournament titles seem to be the highlight of their season, but some could make a case that their perfect 4-0 record against non District 10 teams (Fox Chapel, Hollidaysburg, Altoona and Milliken Mills) are a more prestigious accomplishment. Regardless, this year’s team, under second year coach Kraig Hetz, is one that should be playing past the District Championship in February. Seniors Bryant Kimball, Zack Spronatti, Dillon Loomis and Ryan Skellie and juniors Jason Keim and Joe Letto all are leading this poised Trojan team. Last Friday, the Trojans battled in the First National Bank Holiday Tournament Championship with North East. North East was able to hang with McDowell for basically the whole game. But when it was needed for the Trojans to pull away—Zack Spronatti answered. He dribbled down the court as time was fading away, and pulled up and double clutched a shot right in front of the 3 point line. As it went in, the McDowell fans ran onto the court. For the Trojan fans, this might not be the last time they celebrate a championship this year.

The annual McDowell First National Bank Holiday Tournament is scheduled for Thursday December 27 and Friday December 28. The four team field is made up of WPIAL teams North Allegheny and Milliken Mills, 2006-07 District 10 AA Champion North East and of course the Trojans—the host team. North Allegheny and North East will start the festivities off at 6:00 on the 27th. The Trojans and Milliken Mills will then play at 7:30. Then on Friday, the consolation game will be at 6:00 and the Championship will be at 7:30. All games will be in the North Gym at McDowell.

The McDowell Lady Trojans won their first game of the year, 57-49, Tuesday against region foe Strong Vincent. McDowell (1-2, 1-0), was led by Allison Braun with 23 points. Lindsey Oberacker added 12 points in the winning effort. Their next game is Thursday against Farrell.

Zack Spronatti scored 24 points in a 50-36 victory over the East Warriors Tuesday night at the Hammermill Center. This is Spronatti’s third straight game in double digits and the Trojans third straight win. Jason Keim added 16 points and 5 rebounds. The boys are back in action Friday at Altoona.

The McDowell Lady Trojans started their 2007-08 campaign with two nail biter losses at the North Allegheny Tournament. Their first opponent was Woodland Hills. McDowell led 45-38 after three quarters, but soon they would fall apart. Woodland Hills outscored the ladies of Troy 26-18 in the final quarter making the final 64-63. The consolation game was played the next day against host team North Allegheny. It was basically a stalemate throughout and North Allegheny squeaked by 49-45. The Trojans will look to build off these two tough losses to Pittsburgh schools as they head to Strong Vincent on Tuesday.

The McDowell Trojans Boy’s Basketball team won their first two games of the season over the weekend. On Friday, they played a fast Farrell team and on Saturday they played old Metro rival Mercyhurst Prep. The Trojans easily took care of both teams 64-48 and 57-37 respectively. McDowell (2-0) was led by 3 players with double digits in the first game (Ryan Skellie-10 Jason Keim-14 and Zack Spronatti-11). Spronatti was the leading scorer in the second game with 16 points. The Trojans are back in action Tuesday against East High School at the Hammermill Center.