In The Dirt 052209

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Friday, May 22, 2009 – C9

SPORTS

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Sawyer Brown Buena P/IF

STANDINGS* CAPE-ATLANTIC LEAGUE American Conference I Div. Conf. Overall Millville 7-0 14-0 17-3 Vineland 3-3 6-7 7-10 Egg Harbor Twp 2-4 10-4 12-5 Atlantic City 2-4 3-10 4-11 Absegami 2-5 7-10 7-13 American Conference II Div. Conf. Overall Hammonton 6-1 8-7 10-8 St. Augustine 5-2 10-5 11-10 Ocean City 3-3 7-7 9-11 Mainland 3-3 6-8 8-10 Oakcrest 1-5 3-11 3-13 National Conference I Div. Conf. Overall Holy Spirit 7-1 14-1 18-2-1 Buena 6-2 10-5 17-10 Middle Twp 4-3 9-6 11-7 Lower Cape May 3-5 4-9 6-11 Bridgeton 0-8 0-14 1-18 National Conference II Div. Conf. Overall Sacred Heart 6-0 14-2 22-6 St. Joseph 2-2 8-6 12-9 Wild. Catholic 1-3 4-8 4-11 Cape May Tech 0-4 1-11 1-12 TRI-COUNTY CONFERENCE Classic Division Div. Overall Pitman 9-0 15-5 Gloucester City 8-1 9-11 Schalick 5-5 5-13 Clayton 3-6 6-14 Salem 3-7 4-13 Wildwood 1-8 9-12 Diamond Division Div. Overall Gloucester Catholic 9-1 17-5 Pennsville 6-3 12-6 Woodstown 4-4 14-6 Penns Grove 3-4 10-7 Glassboro 4-6 11-6 GCIT 1-8 6-14 Royal Division Div. Overall Williamstown 10-1 16-2 Cumberland 8-1 16-2 Clearview 5-5 10-5 Highland 4-4 11-6-1 Deptford 3-8 7-13 Kingsway 3-9 7-14 Delsea 2-8 5-12 OLYMPIC CONFERENCE American Division Div. Overall Cherokee 7-1 15-5 Eastern 4-4 14-7 Cherry Hill East 3-2 10-5 Lenape 3-5 10-10 Washington Twp 2-6 11-10 Patriot Division Div. Overall Shawnee 7-2 15-6 Cherry Hill West 6-1 12-5 Winslow Twp 3-5 11-11 Pennsauken 2-5 7-11 Triton 1-6 4-13 National Division Div. Overall Seneca 6-2 12-4 Camden Catholic 4-3 9-8 Bishop Eustace 3-3 17-7 Timber Creek 2-4 10-11 Paul VI 2-5 4-11 COLONIAL CONFERENCE Conf. Overall Haddon Twp 12-2 19-4 Gateway 11-2 14-4 Sterling 11-4 13-7 Audubon 10-3 13-6 Haddonfield 10-4 11-6 Haddon Heights 9-6 14-10 West Deptford 6-6 7-7 Lindenwold 5-9 9-9 Collingswood 4-12 6-16 Paulsboro 4-12 4-14 Overbrook 3-11 6-15 Woodbury 0-15 0-19 BURLINGTON COUNTY CONFERENCE Liberty Division Div. Overall Rancocas Valley 5-1 9-10 Northern Burlington 4-1 8-7 Moorestown 3-2 9-5 Willingboro 1-3 3-13 Westampton Tech 0-1 5-10 Pemberton 0-5 1-12 Patriot Division Div. Overall Cinnaminson 9-1 16-5 Delran 6-4 17-5 Holy Cross 4-3 18-4 Bordentown 2-4 7-9 Burlington Twp 1-1 5-10 Medford Tech 0-8 5-12 Freedom Division Div. Overall Maple Shade 8-1 9-5 Florence 8-2 10-5 Riverside 8-4 11-9 New Egypt 5-6 7-10 Palmyra 5-7 6-10 Burlington City 1-5 2-9 Trenton Catholic 0-10 0-12

Question: How does this seaa son compare to last season, when n you helped win the Group II d South title? Answer: Little bit more responsibility, I guess. I haven't been DH'ed for. I've moved up in the pitching rotation. I've been expected to throw some innings in some second-level games. Q: Do you think you're better as a pitcher or everyday player? A: I've always loved pitching, ever since I was little. Tim Lincecum, he's my boy. Brown Q: What pitcher did you look up to before Lincecum? A: Roger Clemens. Q: Which of the returners from last year's team has made the biggest jump? A: Dan Caregnato's really stepped up. He's gotten some clutch hits. He's really come through for us. Q: On a scale of one to 10, rate yourself as a player? A: I don't know, like a five. There's a lot of things I need to work on. — Ben Watanabe

Q A

Buena Regional senior catcher Joe Cifaloglio takes a big cut in the Grand Slam Classic at Washington Township High School earlier this season. Cifaloglio and the rest of the Chiefs are anxious to prove themselves in this year’s playoffs.

Buena’s last chance The playoffs are the Chiefs’ opportunity to make a mark this season erennially, one of the toughest nonconference schedules in South Jersey belongs to Buena. This season was no different. In facing some of the highest-ranked competition in the state, the Chiefs have shown they are willing to play anybody. What they haven't done, so far at least, is beat anybody. The Chiefs played Millville twice in the Grand Slam Classic and lost both times. They played Hunterdon Central, currently ranked No. 1 in the state, and lost. They took on Williamstown in the Diamond Classic and Cumberland in the John Rose Classic, losing their cool against the Braves and losing to a red-hot pitcher against the Colts. Apart from a pair of wins over Washington Township - which lost some luster with the Minutemen having lost five of their last seven games the Chiefs have regis-

P

Ben Watanabe tered just one win over a top tier program, a 9-3 beating of Cape-Atlantic National rival Holy Spirit on April 16. The Group II South playoffs, which Buena (17-10) continues today in a quarterfinal game at Haddon Heights (13-7), are a chance to change all that. “We've been in big games, but we haven't come up big," Buena catcher Joe Cifaloglio said. "We've been in pretty much all those games. Playoffs are going to be our last chance. It's all we've got left to play for. The conference is out of reach. Diamond (Classic) is done. We've just got to show up for playoffs." With five games this week, the Chiefs simply ran out of pitching and never really had a shot against Sacred Heart. Scoring a total of four runs in back-to-back losses to Middle Township and the Lions was more troubling. "We can't worry about all that," centerfielder Ken Miles said. "That's in the past. Right now we're just looking forward. We want to go out there and

give Haddon Heights a game and see what we can do." Along with the good moments, like a 7-1 start, there have been tough moments like the 12-2 defeat to Williamstown. The players and coaches have met to address the problems and solutions. "We've talked, we've had meetings," Miles said. "But you can only talk so much. All that mat-ters is what happens out there on the field." The silver lining is that last season the Chiefs never looked like a sure thing for the Group II South title they eventually won. The longest win streak for the Chiefs in 2008 was four games. Their longest win streak in 2009 was five to start the season. So the playoffs can change everything. These are the games that count, and in recent years, those are the kinds of games the Chiefs have made a habit of showing up for. "All we've got to do is get our bats going," Cifaloglio said. "Once we get our bats going, not even the whole lineup, we can compete with anybody." Ben Watanabe covers high school baseball for The Daily Journal. Contact him at (856) 563-5259 or [email protected]

Group I South May 22 — Quarterfinals (8) Riverside at (1) Pitman (5) Penns Grove at (4) Pennsville (6) Glassboro at (3) Maple Shade (7) Gloucester City at (2) Gateway May 26 —Semifinals TBD May 29 — Sectional final TBD Group II South May 18 — First round (9) Audubon 8, (8) Barnegat 4 (6) Woodstown 11, (11) Sterling 9 (7) Buena 12, (10) Pennsauken Tech 2 May 22 — Quarterfinals Audubon at (1) Haddonfield (5) Middle Twp at (4) Cinnaminson Woodstown at (3) Haddon Twp Buena at (2) Haddon Heights May 26 — Semifinals TBD May 29 — Sectional final TBD Group III South May 18 — First round (9) Winslow Twp 7, (8) Moorestown 2 May 22 — Quarterfinals Winslow Twp. at (1) Central Reg (5) Clearview at (4) Seneca (6) Hammonton at (3) Highland (7) Shawnee at (2) Cumberland May 26 — Semifinals TBD May 29 — Sectional final TBD Group IV South May 18 — First round (16) Toms River East 5, (1) Millville 4 (8) Cherokee 2, (9) Washington Twp 1

Staff photo/Charles J. Olson

Sacred Heart coach John Triantos (center), catcher Juan Velazquez (right), and pitcher Chris Bell react after a foul pop up was not caught against Vineland. However, the Lions won the City Series game, 9-0.

PLAYER TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S PLAYER POLL:

Anthony Montefusco Senior

There's a right way and a wrong way to respond to those idiots in the crowd who like to heckle high school athletes during games. Vineland shortstop Anthony Parker displayed the right way Monday. After Parker ducked out of the way of a high inside fastball by Cherry Hill East pitcher Ryan Martin, one fan yelled "He's scared!" Parker stepped out of the box, collected himself, and two pitches later singled to left field. Later, Parker smoked a double off the right field fence on a ball that looked gone off his bat. By the end of the 5-3 Vineland loss, Parker wasn't hearing much from the crowd anymore. … Credit the NJSIAA for setting up the state tournament to allow a team to throw its ace every game through the first three rounds, but why? Baseball is a game of failure, so shouldn't the playoffs be a test of the com-

plete team, rather than one dominant arm? There already exists a sport where one pitcher can carry a team. It's called softball. … Congratulations to Gloucester Catholic coach Dennis Barth, who coached the Rams to the 400th victory of his career with a 13-0 win over Kingsway. … Should Sacred Heart win today and Saturday, a win Tuesday over Mater Dei in the Non-Public B South playoffs would give coach John Triantos 100 career victories. The school's softball coach, Les Olson, achieved the milestone earlier this season. … Several athletic directors mentioned one positive out of all the rain this season: Every baseball field in South Jersey has a rich, lush carpet of grass in its infield and outfield. Hey, take what you can get.

— Ben Watanabe

(5) Cherry Hill East 5, (12) Vineland 3 (4) Eastern 10, (13) Lenape 5 (3) Toms River North 3, (14) Absegami 2 (6) Toms River South 11, (11) EHT 0 (10) C.H. West 9, (7) Rancocas Valley 4 (2) Williamstown 9, (15) Mainland 4 May 22 — Quarterfinals Toms River East at Cherokee Cherry Hill East at Eastern Toms River South at Toms River North Cherry Hill West at Williamstown May 26 — Semifinals TBD May 29 — Sectional final TBD Non-Public A South May 22— First Round (9) Camden Catholic at (8) Mon. Donovan (10) Notre Dame at (7) Red Bank Catholic May 26 — Quarterfinals Camden Catholic/Mon. Donovan at (1) Bishop Ahr (5) Glou. Catholic at (4) St. John Vianney (6) St. Joseph-Metuchen at (3) CBA Notre Dame/Red Bank at (2) Holy Spirit May 29 — Semifinals TBD June 2 — Sectional Final TBD Non-Public B South May 26 — Quarterfinals (8) St. Joseph-Hammonton at (1) St. Rose (5) Holy Cross at (4) Cardinal McCarrick (6) Moorestown Friends at (3) Bishop Eustace (7) Mater Dei at (2) Sacred Heart May 29 — Semifinals TBD June 2 — Sectional Final TBD

Oh, so close

SHAWNEE

SJ Mean 15

Under consideration: Delran (17-5); Cinnaminson (16-5); Lenape (11-10); Glassboro (11-6); Washington Twp (11-10); PItman (14-5). *Rankings are set by Ben Watanabe and based on records reported to area newspapers through Wednesday.

BASEBALL PAIRINGS

Staff photo/Cody Glenn

The Daily Journal’s

1. Glou. Catholic (17-5) 1 2. Bishop Eustace (17-6) 2 3. Cherokee (15-5) 3 4. Holy Spirit (19-2) 6 5. Millville (17-3) 4 6. Cumberland (16-2) 7 7. Williamstown (16-2) 8 8. Cherry Hill East (10-5) 10 9. Haddon Twp (18-4) 14 10. Shawnee (14-6) 11 11. Sacred Heart (22-6) 13 12. Seneca (11-4) 5 13. Eastern (14-7) 15 14. Pennsville (12-6) Unr 15. Gateway (13-4) Unr

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P/ 3B Full arsenal of pitches for this right-hander, who throws hard with a nasty curveball and changeup to keep hitters honest. Montefusco will likely be the best pitcher the Colts have faced all year when he takes the hill today in a Group III South quarterfinal game. Upcoming games: ➤ Today at Cumberland, 3:30 p.m. ➤ Tuesday vs Highland/Hammonton in Group III South semis (if necessary)

As a player, what’s the most satisfying way to win a game? Highlight defensive play

Pitch a save,1 vote

7 votes

Pitch a complete game 10 votes

Gamewinning hit 27 votes

Staff graphic/Joe Moore

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