Two Dryden High sophpmores to compete for national soccer Title in Kansas

Ithaca Journal



DRYDEN — Taylor Bennett and Abigail Barr have both been playing soccer for as long as they can remember.
“I’ve been playing since I was 4 years old,” said Bennett. “It’s a way of life now.”
“I’ve been playing since she’s been playing,” added Barr, completing the thought of her teammate and best friend. “We’ve been playing together since then. I can’t remember ever playing without her.”
Bennett and Barr, both 15-year-old sophomores who play varsity soccer at Dryden High, will continue their soccer odyssey on Tuesday at the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Overland Park, Kan. The top finisher from each of the two pools will advance to the national championship game.
The local duo helped the Empire Revolution Syracuse girls under-15 team advance to nationals with a 2-1 win over PWSI Courage 97 Red, from Woodbridge, Va., in the Region I championship in Kingston, R.I., on July 2.
Eight teams, including the four regional winners and four teams from the national league — composed of all the top teams in the country — qualified for the tournament. Region I includes 13 states; the Syracuse-based team advanced to the regional tournament after winning the New York State Cup last month. Bennett, a striker, scored the game-winner in the regional championship win. Barr plays center midfield.
“It’s hard to explain how big this is,” Bennett said. “It’s almost overwhelming. It’s like a dream.”
Bennett was a fourth-team all-state performer last fall; she scored the game-winning goal against Elmira Notre Dame in last year’s Interscholastic Athletic Conference Large School final. She and Barr are the only two Section 4 players on the team made up almost exclusively of players from Syracuse and Cortland.
Along with Bennett’s mother, Janine, an assistant coach for the Syracuse-based team and the varsity coach at Dryden, they travel to Baldwinsville two or three times a week for practices. Janine Bennett marvels at the time commitment and dedication of her daughter and Barr.
“You can’t do it half-way,” said Janine Bennett, whose older daughter, Leighann, is bound for Binghamton University this fall to play soccer. “You are either in it or you’re not. Their dedication is quite high and the parents’ dedication is quite high. It has to be that way in order for this to work. These two have risen to the occasion with everything we’ve asked of them.”
The commitment is made easier by the fact that Bennett and Barr are doing it together.
“You always have someone there,” Taylor Bennett said, as Barr nodded in agreement. “It’s not like you ever going to be left out of something because it’s too far of a drive. You are always with someone.”
After the national tournament, Bennett and Barr will get two weeks off before practices begin for the upcoming high school season.
“We have two weeks to breathe after the national tournament,” Barr said. “I’m going to the beach. I’m excited.”

All-State Baseball (Cortland Standard)

Cortland Standard

Senior pitcher-first baseman Brian Hughes from Section 3 Class A and OHSL Freedom American Division champion Cortland High is a first-teamer on the 2013 New York State Sports Writers Association’s Class A Baseball All-State squad.
Hughes went 5-2 this season pitching against the Purple Tigers’ toughest opponents with a 2.38 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 50 innings.
At the plate, he led CHS in batting average (.400), on-base percentage (.494), slugging percentage (.754), doubles (seven), triples (two), home runs (four), total bases (49), runs scored (24), sacrifice flies (four) and stolen bases (15), and was second in RBIs with 18.
Other Class A honorees include Homer Central junior pitcher-outfielder Jake Casey, third team; Cortland senior pitcher-outfielder Justin Sidebottom, fourth team; Homer senior pitcher-infielder Peyten Boice, fifth team and Cortland junior shortstop Zach Whelan, seventh team.
In Class D, McGraw Central senior shortstop Nick Cowen made the second team for the sectional finalists. Marathon Central had senior pitcher-first baseman Jeff Contri on the third team and senior shortstop-pitcher Kody Barry the fourth team. The fifth team includes McGraw senior center fielder Aaron Hitt and senior catcher Wayne Buerkle and, from Marathon., senior catcher Andrew Gillette and junior center fielder Daniel Lincoln.
Class B honorees from Dryden include junior catcher Brian Colbert, fourth team; junior third baseman-pitcher Bruno Bugliosi, sixth team and junior shortstop Derek Wilson, seventh team.
CLASS A
Junior pitcher-outfielder Jack Piekos from state champion Bayport-Blue Point of Section 11 is the Class A Player of the Year and Bayport-Blue Point’s Jim Moccio is Coach of the Year. Joining Hughes on the first team are Watertown senior catcher Josh Belch and Queensbury senior pitcher Charlie Peltz, both CHS post-season opponents, along with Piekos, Beacon junior pitcher first-baseman Tony Romanelli, John Jay-Cross River senior pitcher-outfielder Sam Mines, Amherst senior catcher Jonah Heim, senior shortstop-pitcher Anthony Martelli from Valley Stream North, senior pitcher-first baseman Nate Tomlinson from Red Hook and Sayville senior catcher Rob McCauley.
Senior outfielder Chris Lenish from Jamesville-DeWitt and Maine-Endwell senior first baseman-pitcher Carter Austin made the Class AA second team. Casey (.421, 11 doubles, 25 RBIs, 17 runs eight stolen bases; 7-2, 1,76 ERA, 72 strikeouts in 51 2-3 innings) made the third team, along with sophomore second baseman-pitcher Jarrod Bellinger from Watertown and junior pitcher-outfielder Nick Wegmann from Vestal.
Included on the third team are Sidebottom (.326, four doubles, one triple, eight RBIs, 13 runs, three stolen bases; 5-0, 0.92 ERA, 41 strikeouts in 38 innings), J-D senior catcher Nick Austin and Vestal senior shortstop-pitcher Troy Wilson. Boice (.388, six doubles, one triple, one homer, one stolen base, 22 RBIs and 20 runs; 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA, 49 strikeouts in 40 innings) made the fifth team, along with Maine-Endwell senior second baseman Zack Kollar.
Among the sixth-teamers are J-D junior shortstop-pitcher Chris McGee, New Hartford senior pitcher Tory King and Vestal senior outfielder Casey Kies. Whelan (.355, six doubles, two homers, nine stolen bases, 22 RBIs and 15 runs) and junior outfielder Mike Trasolini from Syracuse CBA were sixth-team selections.
CLASS D
Cowen was joined on the second team by senior catcher Dan Buehler of Oriskany and Elmira Notre Dame senior shortstop-pitcher Hunter Thomas. First-teamers include junior pitcher Zach Vennaro and senior catcher J.T. Ross from New York Mills and, from Hancock, senior shortstop-pitcher Tyler Phillips, junior pitcher-infielder Ryan Smith and junior catcher Eli Holton.
State champion Fort Ann supplied both the Player (senior pitcher George Lehoisky) and Coach (Dane Clark) of the year.
Contri (.358, seven doubles, one triple, 17 RBIs, 17 runs) was named to the third team, along with Brookfield junior catcher-pitcher Cody Beeching, Hamilton senior infielder Noah Fry and Elmira Notre Dame junior outfielder Aaron Carson. Barry (.313, five doubles, one homer, 15 RBIs, 14 runs; 3-4 with a 4.60 ERA and 51 strikeouts), made the fourth team, along with Hamilton senior third baseman Ben Yacavone, New York Mills senior utility player Shawn Kula and Edmeston junior pitcher Mike Clark.
The fifth team includes Hitt (who batted .508), Buerkle, Gillette (.316, four doubles, one triple, one HR, 18 RBIs and nine runs) and Lincoln (.214, one double, one triple, 24 runs, 25 stolen bases), along with Brookfield junior shortstop-pitcher Jake Cowen.
CLASS B
Colbert (.355, seven doubles, two triples, four homers, 29 RBIs, 22 runs) was named to the fourth team along with Westhill junior infielder Juan Carlos Pena. Bugliosi (.403, seven doubles, one homer, 10 RBIs, 31 runs; 3.87 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 34 1-3 innings) made the sixth team, along with Clinton junior catcher Andy Taft and Waverly senior shortstop Cody Marchese.
Wilson (.443, six doubles, one homer, 20 RBIs, 27 runs) and Waverly senior pitcher-utility player Dylan Perry are among the seventh-teamers.
Senior outfielder Nick Hart and Vince Gullo from state champion Fredonia are the Class B Player and Coach of the year, respectively. Among the first-teamers are Clinton senior pitcher Anthony Rizzo and Oneonta senior outfielder Chris Pindar. Westhill senior pitcher Ben Walsh and Waverly senior pitcher-first baseman Pat Bronson were included on the second team, and making the third team were Vernon-Verona-Sherrill senior shortstop Alex Saville, South Jefferson senior shortstop-pitcher Marcus Shelmidine and Chenango Valley senior outfielder Chris Ruffo.
The fifth team includes senior outfielder Zane Smith from Utica Notre dame, Clinton senior second baseman Austin Bouse and Norwich senior first baseman Colby Griffin.
CLASS AA
Senior pitcher Scott Blewett from state champion Baldwinsville is the Player of the Year, while Coach of the Year honors went to Bees head man Dave Penafeather. Blewett and Horseheads senior pitcher-infielder Dylan Manwaring are among the first-teamers.
The second team includes Baldwinsville junior pitcher Pat Merriweather, Cicero-North Syracuse senior infielder Brian Hamilton and Horseheads junior first baseman Brett Wieland. C-NS junior catcher Justin Tague and Union-Endicott junior shortstop C.J. Krowiak were third-team picks, with Baldwinsville senior catcher Gabe Levanti and Corning junior shortstop Zack Sullivan named to the fourth team.
Among the fifth-teamers are Rome Free Academy senior pitcher Jeff Cooke and Corning junior pitcher Nathan Grant. The sixth team includes Syracuse East senior infielder Frank Vigilotti and Horseheads senior pitcher David Yorio.
CLASS C
Binghamton Seton Catholic-4 won the state championship behind Coach of the year Jim Miller and Player of the year Michael Korchak, a senior pitcher-first baseman. Korchak made the first team along with, among others, teammate Patrick Gosney, a senior pitcher; beaver River senior pitcher-infielder Sam Widrick; South Lewis junior pitcher-shortstop Jason Martin and Lansing senior shortstop-pitcher Eliington Hopkins.
Little Falls senior pitcher Luke Godlewski, Bainbridge-Guilford senior pitcher Austin Bauerle and Sidney first baseman-outfielder Damian Zimmer were named to the second team, while the third team includes Pulaski junior infielder-pitcher Tom Taplin, Lansing junior second baseman-pitcher Sam Currie and Unatego senior infielder-pitcher Quinn Barnhart. Among the fourth-teamers are Fabius-Pompey junior pitcher-infielder Ben Rotondo, Bishop Grimes junior pitcher-shortstop Chris Schad and Sidney junior shortstop Bill Kozar.
South Lewis junior infielder Lucas Kelly made the fifth team, along with Cooperstown senior pitcher Ethan Bliss and Seton catholic senior outfielder-designated hitter Connor Ligeikis. The sixth team includes Little Falls senior first baseman-pitcher Tyler Baumeister, Elmira Heights Edison senior catcher Nate Jurusik and Unatego junior pitcher Kellen Komenda.

Dryden places 4 on All-State Baseball teams

http://www.newyorksportswriters.org/reference/boys_baseball_stars_2013.shtml#.UdLH5NJJMlo

The same three that made the all-state rosters last year repeated this year.
 
Brian Colbert - 4th team - C (4th  in 2012 also)
Bruno Bugliosi  -6th team -  P/3B (7th in 2012 )
Derek Wilson - 7th team - SS  (7th in 2012 also)