Allentown sports teams enjoy year-round success

VARSITY REPORT

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Correspondent

 Allentown High School’s Alexandra Moore (30) drives to the goal against Pinelands Regional High School defender Ali Herbert during the May 17 NJSIAA South Group II state playoff game in Allentown. The No. 1 seed Redbirds rolled to a 22-4 victory.  FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI Allentown High School’s Alexandra Moore (30) drives to the goal against Pinelands Regional High School defender Ali Herbert during the May 17 NJSIAA South Group II state playoff game in Allentown. The No. 1 seed Redbirds rolled to a 22-4 victory. FRANK WOJCIECHOWSKI Allentown

Allentown High School’s athletic teams have had a school year for the ages, with success from the fall season through the spring. This past week is believed to be the greatest week of the school’s spring sports season ever.

Both lacrosse teams and the girls softball team reached the Mercer County Tournament (MCT) championship game. Two of them were winners.

“I’ve been in Allentown 13 years, and I never saw this kind of season in this school before,” softball coach Bob Dubina said. “All school year, we’ve had this [success]. For us here at Allentown, this senior class is pretty special, especially among the girls. The lacrosse feeder program is getting better.”

“The school has come a long way,” said Brian Nice, who has coached baseball for eight years. “Football has turned it around. And the girls and boys soccer teams were down, and now they’re back up. The lacrosse teams are doing well, and the girls softball team just won back-to-back county titles. The athletic program has made a tremendous leap forward.”

Girls lacrosse

The girls lacrosse team won the MCT championship over West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, 18-10, behind junior Sydney Quinn’s five goals, avenging a loss in last year’s championship game. Alex Moore, who broke the state record on April 27 with her 366th career goal and became only the third player ever nationwide to score 400 career goals last week, scored three goals in the game against West Windsor Plainsboro North.

“It was teamwork. Everybody did their part,” said coach Mary Ellen McCarthy, whose team was leading by as many as 10 goals over West Windsor-Plainsboro North. “We practiced hard and brought a lot of what we had practiced to the game.”

Freshman Kali Hartshorn fired in four goals, while goalie Nicole Gerling made some fine stops with defensive help from Kelsi Chandonnet.

The Redbirds pounded Pinelands Regional High School, 22-4, in its NJSIAA South Group II opener and were scheduled to host Delran High School on May 21.

“Our No. 1 focus [from here] is teamwork,” said McCarthy, who feels her defensive unit of Chandonnet, Cora Firkin, Maura McNutt and Kirsten Littlefield have come together well. “Everybody has to play their position and do their part. They have to play the game plan.”

The team is looking for a return to the state sectional finals, where it lost last year to Red Bank Catholic High School by three goals.

Boys lacrosse

The boys lacrosse team lost to Princeton High School, 10-4, in the MCT finals.

It beat Ocean Township High School, 10-4, in its South Group II tournament opener and was scheduled to host Oakcrest High School on May 21.

Softball

Catcher Erin Drennan, headed to Temple University in the fall, powered a county record 14th home run for the softball team in a 9-4 county title victory over Nottingham High School, which puts her among the state’s all-time leaders. Dubina said she has also been a leader for her team. Pitcher Alex Dominici and outfielder Maddie Brunck, both heading to St. Joseph’s University, and outfielder

Kristina Kinsey, who is going to Syracuse University, are also enjoying big seasons for the Redbirds (23-5).

“I was hitting balls coming inside, but I’ve also been hitting pitches on the outside lately,” Drennan said. “I don’t think about it. I just try to get hits and help my team win.”

The team was scheduled to open in the state tournament in the Central Group III bracket at home against Colts Neck High School on May 21.

The softball and baseball teams are each looking to become Allentown’s first team to win two state titles. The softball team won its only title in 2006, while baseball won in 2008.

In the MCT title game, Erica Nugent lined a bases-clearing double and Chelsea Turner drove in two more runs with a double in support of pitcher Hayley Peterson. Nottingham had jumped to a lead with three runs in the first inning.

Allentown, which came off a gritty victory over Steinert High School the day before in the semifinals, had to win four games in four days. It has won 10 of its last 12 games.

“This is a group that’s pretty focused,” Dubina said. “They wanted to defend their Mercer title and they know they did not get the job done last year in the states when they were the No. 1 seed and lost in the second round to Lawrence.”

“I don’t think that will go away,” Drennan said. “We don’t want to talk about it. We don’t want to feel that again this year. That’s a huge motivation for the players back from last season. I try to help my team because most balls hit off our pitchers are ground balls, so I try to keep everyone mentally in the game. As long as we stay focused, we’re unstoppable.”

Baseball

Allentown’s baseball team opens its Central Group III tournament schedule against Colts Neck on May 20. The baseball team reached the MCT quarterfinals, losing to Notre Dame High School for the second time this season, 7-4.

The Redbirds (13-8) have won 11 of their last 14 games and relied on ace pitcher Steve Adams (3-2) in the state tournament opener against Colts Neck, with Zack Rosenthal waiting in the wings. Both are lefties.

Mark Duffy, a .400 hitter, has been hitting well all year, along with shortstop Brandon Ruetsch and first baseman Silas Rudderow.

“We’ve pitched well all year. We’ve gotten pitching and defense, and have done alright with the bat in moving runners. But we haven’t gotten the big hit,” said Nice. “We need [more] good at bats. Overall, we’ve had a great team effort.”

The Redbirds clinched their first Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division title since 2008.

Track and field

In track and field, seniors Roxanne Redwood reached 16-5 1/2 inches in the long jump, and Anne Lee hit 36-1 1/4 in the triple jump for Allentown’s girls track and field team, as they won their events in the Mercer County championships. The Redbirds’ girls placed third in the team standings behind Robbinsville High School and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.

Although the girls earned the praise of girls and boys head coach Brian Harshman for an “outstanding meet” in the championship, he said the boys also competed well. They also contended for the Colonial Valley Conference division championship all the way to their final regular season meet, a triangular at home on May 17, where they dropped close scores against Nottingham and Lawrence High School.

A victory over Lawrence would have created a three-way tie with both teams and Ewing, but the boys still finished 4-5 in dual meets, breaking a three-year winless streak. The girls were 5-4.

They’ll compete on May 24-25 in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III sectionals at Monmouth Regional High School, with the May 25 segment starting at 10 a.m.

“The section is very competitive, but I think we have some individuals who can do really well,” Harshman said. “Anne Lee and Roxanne Redwood can be very competitive in the jumps, and Carly Dubrosky in the hurdles should do well. And Mimi Crawford and Alex Tendler have been running just under a second shy of [alumna] Caroline Ticse’s record in the 1,600. On the boys side, our two pole vaulters — Mike Fritsky and Bill Herzer — should do well, as well as Daivone Thomas in the shot put and Alden Littlefield in all the throws, especially the javelin.”

For Allentown’s girls, Dubrosky was second in the 400 intermediate hurdles at the county championships. Redwood was also third in the high jump at 5-0 and fifth in the triple jump at 34-10 1/2. Abby Lubeski was seventh in the high jump at 4-10. Justice

Davis was fourth in the shot put with a personal best of 33-9 1/2. Crawford was eighth in the 1,600 in 5:29.94.

For the boys, Fritsky was third in the pole vault at 11-6, while Herzer cleared 11-0 for sixth based on fewest misses. Thomas finished third in the discus at 136-10 and threw a personal best of 44-10 3/4 in the shot put. Littlefield was fourth in the javelin at 146-6. Sophomore Conor Murphy continues to close in on the school record in the 1,600 set by Sadiki White in 2007 and came within five seconds when he ran a personal best 4:39.63. Peter Mummolo hit a personal best triple jump measure of 40-2 1/2

“It was not great for times and marks, but we competed very well overall,” Harshman said.

Golf

The golf team finished third in the Central Group II sectionals, missing one of the two qualifying spots for the Tournament of Champions by four strokes.