Four players repeat on All-Area first team

Mike Mathews
Cumberland Times-News

December 16, 2007 12:12 pm

— CUMBERLAND — Bishop Walsh senior Sam Hawkins, who repeated as the defensive player of the year, heads this year’s All-Area team, having been voted to the first team for the third year in a row.
Hawkins is one of four first-team repeaters. The others are co-players of the year Elijah Lais of Northern and Jared Lopez of Mountain Ridge, and Bishop Walsh’s Neal Eshleman.
Joining the four repeaters on the first team are Aaron Stroup and Will Ruark of Allegany; Garrett Appel and Patrick Serpone of Fort Hill; Shawn Bistline of Hyndman; Jake Hay and Josh Bittner of Mountain Ridge; Zack Lipscomb, Jeremy Beitzel and Daniel Warnick of Northern, Neil Garton of Petersburg, Jared Green of Salisbury and Alan Gnegy of Southern.
Players of the year Lais and Lopez, offensive player of the year Lipscomb, and defensive player of the year Hawkins are the captains of this year’s team (see separate stories).
Stroup and Ruark led Allegany to the Cumberland City League championship. The Campers were 10-7 overall and 3-1 in the league. They were both All-Area, All-City, and All-Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference first-teamers.
• Stroup, a senior tri-captain, was a three-year starter for Allegany. As the sweeper, he was the heart of a defense that posted nine shutouts for the season and allowed only three goals in a seven-game span late in the year that carried the Campers to the City title and region semifinals.
A well-skilled and aggressive defender, Stroup also was a valuable team leader in games and at practice for the Campers.
• Ruark, a senior, played two years on the varsity team at Allegany. A solid all-around player, he came back strong after missing his junior season to injury, excelling at both striker and midfield positions.
This year the Campers counted on him to help control the flow of the game and find weaknesses in the opposing defenses. He led the Campers in scoring and was 10th in the area in scoring (9 goals, 4 assists) and fifth in the AMAC in scoring (8 goals, 2 assists).
• Eshleman, a senior and two-year starting goalkeeper at Bishop Walsh, led the area in save percentage (216 saves, .927) for the second year in a row, and was third in shutouts (7).
Eshleman’s instinctive play led the BW defense again, as the Spartans gave up only 23 goals in 19 games. This year, seeking an offensive boost, Eshleman became a field player, too, and had three goals, including one against area co-champion Mountain Ridge.
Eshleman was co-defensive player of the year in 2007. In the last two years, Eshleman posted 20 shutouts. including a school-record 13 in 2006, and had 380 saves and a .922 save percentage.
• Appel, a senior and two-year starter, led Fort Hill’s offense and was the area’s third-leading scorer with 16 goals, six assists and a 2.53 scoring average. He was one of only four area scorers who averaged more than two points per game.
Appel used his speed and ball skills to set up numerous scoring opportunities. Despite being a tightly-marked man by opposing defenses, he was one of the area’s top offensive players, winning the City scoring title with 5 goals, and finishing fourth in the AMAC in scoring with 8 goals and 4 assists.
Appel was also first-team All-City and All-AMAC.
Fort Hill was 9-6 overall, 5-2 in the AMAC and 2-2 in the City.
• Serpone, a senior, was a central defender who helped lead a Fort Hill defense that allowed just 20 goals in 15 games, including one or less in 12 of the 15.
Serpone played weith an aggressive and relentless approach, helping thwart attacks in the middle of the field as well as being able to disrupt play on either side through determination. His value to the team was most evident when he was not on the field, as the team gave up 11 goals in a 2 1/2-game stretch when he was out because of an injury.
Serpone was also first-team All-AMAC.
• Bistline, a senior center forward at Hyndman, was one of only three area players with double-figure totals in goals and assists.
Bistline, with good ball skills and the ability to get good position against defenders, scored 17 goals and had 10 assists in leading the Hornets. A valuable team leader, Bistline was also a good defensive player and was on the Bi-State, Sidling Hill and Bedford Gazette all-star teams.
• Hay and Bittner led Mountain Ridge to a 12-3 overall record, the AMAC championship at 7-0, and a share of the area championship with Northern. Both players were also first-team All-AMAC.
• Hay, a senior defender and three-year varsity player, keyed the Miners defense from his sweeper position. His speed and ability to tackle the ball helped lead one of the top defenses in the area.
Hay’s consistent play was crucial to the Miners defense which allowed only 16 goals in 15 games, and only two in league play. Mountain Ridge allowed one goal or less in 11 of its 15 games.
• Bittner, a senior tri-captain and three-year player, was a force on offense and defense as the Miners center midfielder.
A dedicated player and team leader with an exceptional work ethic, Bittner’s physical presence and hustle were crucial to Mountain Ridge’s championship season.
Bittner was among the area leaders in scoring with two goals and a team-high 10 assists. He was 13th in the AMAC in scoring with a goal and six assists.
• Warnick and Beitzel were keys in Northern’s record-setting season that included a school record 15 wins and area championship. The Huskies were 15-2 overall and 6-1 in the AMAC.
• Warnick, a junior and two-year starting striker at Northern, was the team’s third-leading scorer and fourth in the area with 19 goals, 5 assists and a 2.52 per-game average. His speed and heading ability, quick, hard shot, and exceptional skills with both feet made him a dangerous and effective striker for the Huskies.
A hard worker and team player, Warnick led the AMAC in goals scored with 10. He also had two asssts and was third in the league in scoring with a 3.14 average.
• Beitzel, a junior and two-year starter at defensive midfielder, led one of the area’s top defenses as the Huskies gave up just 12 goals and posted eight shutouts. Northern allowed one goal or less in 14 of its 17 games.
Beitzel’s versatility and physical size and play were major factors in his play and the team’s success. He excelled at winning balls, and once gaining control, supporting the offense with good passing ability. The defensive midfielder had solid offensive stats, too, with one goal and four assists.
• Gnegy, a senior, was a four-year player and a three-year starter at Southern.
A team leader and intense competitor, Gnegy’s desire and commitment rose with the competition. He flourished as a midfield marking defender, with a strong combination of power, strength and agility.
• Green led Salisbury to a 10-win season and a spot in the Pennsylvania Class A district playoffs. He had five goals and eight assists for the Elks, and was among the area’s leading scorers with a 1.00 average.
A versatile four-year player, Green filled in at several positions as freshman, was goalie as a sophomore, was an outside midfielder as a junior, and center midfielder this year. An exceptional team leader, Green led the Elks to the district championship as a junior and to the second round of the playoffs this season.
• Garton, a senior defender, was a four-year player and three-year starter at Petersburg. He was a center back and the leader of the defense in his first years on the team. This year he moved to center midfield.
Although he was a dangerous outside scoring threat and effective in set plays, Garton’s most significant contribution was his ability to control pace and direction of the game, according to Petersburg coach Cullen Hencke.
An intense competitor, Garton scored 11 goals in leading the Vikings.
Mike Mathews is a Cumberland Times-News sports writer. Contact Mike Mathews at mmathews@times-news.com.