A-K Valley notebook: Burrell baseball, Freeport softball to get reinforcements

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, April 22, 2018 | 6:06 PM

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Inclement weather continues to keep WPIAL baseball and softball teams confined to their gymnasiums or other practice facilities with fields rendered unplayable.

But even as their teams await their returns to the field, a few players are about to make their own comeback.

Burrell senior baseball player Drew Cambal (knee), and a pair of Freeport softball players — senior Claire Crytzer (back) and sophomore Tori Radvan (hamstring) — are nearing returns from injury.

Cambal, an expected key cog in Burrell’s pitching rotation, was scheduled to meet with athletic trainers late in the week for clearance to play. The Bucs (4-1, 3-1) are tied for second place in Section 1-3A.

“I told him, you haven’t even missed much,” said Burrell coach Mark Spohn with a laugh, alluding to the numerous postponements this spring.

Crytzer, who hit .370 with five homers and 22 RBIs as a junior, played in Freeport’s first two games before missing the next three. Radvan played in four of the Yellowjackets’ first five games despite her balky hamstring, hitting .562 with two homers and eight RBIs and pitching three games.

Despite the injuries to two of its top players, Freeport (5-0, 4-0) leads Section 1-4A, with senior Ashleigh Schmidt and junior Ally DeJidas leading the way and freshmen Emily Schmidt and Maya Borghol making key contributions.

“They wanted to hold down the fort, and they’re doing a good job,” Freeport coach Sam Ross said.

Ice escapade

Highlands junior Dalton Swartz was invited to the United States Hockey League’s Development Series Combine, which ran Thursday-Sunday in Orland Park, Ill.

As the only Tier 1 junior hockey league in the U.S., the USHL produces NHL prospects. A record 40 players were taken in the 2017 NHL Draft. USHL players maintain their college eligibility.

Swartz, who plays for Highlands and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, played in front of USHL coaches, general managers and scouting directors at the combine, playing five games and going through on- and off-ice tests.

Right on track

The Butler Invitational is one of the biggest track and field meets in the WPIAL and provides a relevant measuring stick for many athletes as they prepare for the WPIAL championships.

A few Alle-Kiski Valley teams traveled to last week’s meet and had some standout performances.

Kiski Area’s Jean Starr claimed a pair of medals in the discus and javelin, with distance runner Nick Gabrielli and high jumper Jack Colecchi also medaling. Burrell’s Naomi Hanna placed in the shot put, as did Freeport’s Austin Kemp in the shot put and discus and Sidney Shemanski in the 800 run.

A Hart place

Rahmon Hart Jr. continues to rack up scholarship offers.

The Imani Christian rising senior football player, a Plum native, picked up offers from Army, Ball State and Slippery Rock — his father’s alma mater — earlier this month, bringing his total to nine.

Thankful to receive an offer from Ball State University pic.twitter.com/eVZOsu2K8Q

— Rahmon Hart Jr. (@_rjhart) April 20, 2018

Proud to receive an offer from the football team that my dad played for in college—Slippery Rock University. @Rock_Athletics. #RockPride ✳️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/QJULOnhMiq

— Rahmon Hart Jr. (@_rjhart) April 14, 2018

Honored to Receive my 7th offer from Army West Point #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/SYRXNeDQ7X

— Rahmon Hart Jr. (@_rjhart) April 5, 2018

Hart played two seasons at Plum before transferring to Imani. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound wide receiver/defensive end, caught 63 passes for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Saints, helping them reach the WPIAL Class A championship game, and had 53 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles on defense.

A three-star recruit, Hart has offers from Buffalo, Temple, Toledo, Eastern Kentucky, Howard and Robert Morris in addition to his most recent two.

Recruiting roundup

Several Alle-Kiski Valley athletes made their college decisions in recent days.

• Freeport baseball player Brodey Cowan committed to Gettysburg. Cowan, a two-time Valley News Dispatch All-Star who played two seasons at St. Joseph before transferring to Freeport in 2016, is batting .353 with a double, triple and four RBIs this seaso

Blessed and excited to say that I will be continuing my education and playing baseball at Gettysburg College pic.twitter.com/VYb6drnkhd

— Broderick (@bcowan11) April 16, 2018

• The Burrell wrestling pipeline to Pitt-Johnstown continued, as senior Shaun Gates committed to the Mountain Cats. Gates won the WPIAL Class AA championship at 160 pounds, pinning Riverview’s Christian Tamburro in the final. He also placed fourth at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional and eighth at the PIAA championships on his way to a 41-13 record, and he helped Burrell claim its 12th consecutive WPIAL Class AA team title. Pitt-Johnstown’s wrestling roster also includes Burrell graduates Al Beattie, Steve Edwards, Corey Falleroni and Dillan Jeffrey.

Extremely proud and blessed to say I will be continuing my academic and atheltic career at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown! pic.twitter.com/oR363kNJlL

— Shaun ✞ (@Shaun_Gatess) April 11, 2018

• Freeport soccer player Piper Claypool signed with La Roche. An all-section back, Claypool anchored a Freeport defense that posted nine shutouts as the Yellowjackets won their second consecutive Section 2-2A championship and reached the WPIAL semifinals. The Valley News Dispatch First Team All-Star also contributed eight goals and seven assists.

So happy to announce i am officially a redhawk!! I am beyond excited and blessed to be able to continue my athletic and academic careers at La Roche College #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/SXHlhl7BhB

— pipes (@piperclaypool) April 16, 2018

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.

Tags: Burrell, Freeport, Highlands, Imani Christian