FOOTBALL
CLARION – Clarion senior strong safety and team captain Nick Sipes of Curwensville was a repeat first team selection on the 2010 Daktronics NCAA Division II Super Region 1 (East Region) squad selected by the region’s Sports Information Directors and announced last week.
Two of his Golden Eagle teammates, senior running back Alfonso Hoggard of Philadelphia and junior defensive end Barrington Morrison of Penn Hills, received second team honors.
“This is a very deserving honor for all three players,” head coach Jay Foster said. “They have had great seasons and careers and we’re proud that they are here at Clarion University.”
Sipes, a 5-11, 225-pounder who was named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division second team, led the 4-7 Golden Eagles and was third in the PSAC in tackles with 107.
He was credited with 12 tackles for losses of 21 yards, had one sack, caused three fumbles, recovered one fumble and intercepted one pass.
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CINCINNATI, Ohio – With redshirt junior quarterback Andrew Janocko of Clearfield handling the snaps and spotting the ball, Dan Hutchins converted on all four extra point attempts as Pitt (7-5) clinched a winning season and a share of the Big East Conference title by pounding Cincinnati 28-10 in front of 27,496 fans at snow-covered Nippert Stadium Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, the Panthers received an invitation to play Kentucky (6-6) in the BBVA Compass Bowl at Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 8. ESPN will televise the game nationally, with the kickoff set for noon.
Pitt finished 5-2 in the conference to tie West Virginia and Connecticut, which received the Big East’s automatic Bowl Championship Series (BCS) berth by virtue of wins over the other two teams. UConn is paired against Big 12 champion Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.
The Panthers’ hopes for a BCS bid were dimmed the day after Thanksgiving when West Virginia invaded Heinz Field for the 103rd Backyard Brawl and pulled away in the second half to a 35-10 victory.
Hutchins kicked one PAT and matched his longest field goal of the season with a 42-yarder.
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WRESTLING
GRANTHAM – Sophomore 174-pounder Jeff Thomas of Curwensville pinned the No. 1 seed for one of Lycoming’s early round highlights at the Petrofes Invitational hosted by Messiah College Friday.
After decking Tyler Pickard of Wilkes in 3:31, Thomas pinned top seed Zach Bates of Bridgewater (Mass.) at the 5:21 mark to advance to the quarterfinals, where Michael Fish of Springfield (Mass.) took him down in the first overtime period for a 3-1 sudden victory.
Thomas, now 6-5, had to default in his first consolation bout when he ran out of injury time after bumping heads with No. 3 seed Brandon Sundwall of Springfield.
The Warriors tied for fifth place in the 13-team tourney with 84 points.
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MEN’S BASKETBALL
GREENSBURG – Junior reserve guard Todd Hryn of Clearfield snared two defensive rebounds and registered his first two steals, assist and blocked shot in 11 minutes of action as Pitt-Greensburg (2-4) began Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference play with a pair of home floor losses last week.
The Bobcats were handed an 83-75 overtime loss by Penn State Altoona on Wednesday and a 62-52 setback by defending champion Medaille (N.Y.) Saturday at Chambers Hall.
Hryn has nine points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes.
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NEW WILMINGTON – Sophomore guard Matt Shiner of Clearfield has appeared in three games with three points, one rebound and one assist for Westminster (1-5), including a 74-75 defeat at Bethany (W.Va.) in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference opener last Wednesday.
The Titans lost their fourth game in a row, 79-69, to visiting Saint Vincent Saturday in PAC action.
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
DUBOIS – Penn State DuBois senior co-captain Brittany Barrett of Mahaffey suffered a career-ending knee injury during her best overall performance of the season Nov. 23.
The Curwensville Area High School graduate, a 5-9 guard-forward working on her fourth letter, had scored a season-high 11 points to go with four rebounds and two steals when she went down in the 84-78 loss to Westmoreland Community College in the Multi-Purpose Building Gymnasium.
“Brittany always has been a strong competitor and was just beginning to play some of her best basketball,” Lady Lion coach Pat Lewis said. “We will miss her presence on the floor.
“Personally, I am very upset to lose such a quality player and, more importantly, a nice young lady.”
In five games, Barrett recorded 26 points, a 5.5 average, by shooting hitting 40 percent (8×20) from the floor and 80 percent (8×10) at the foul line. She also had 18 rebounds, eight assists and eight steals.
She scored 297 points and grabbed 263 rebounds in 64 games for the Lady Lions. In addition, she had 70 assists, made 71 steals and blocked 18 shots.