No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles star LeSean McCoy, a graduate of Bishop McDevitt High, returned to the East Shore Aug. 3 to host his very popular Community Day at Reservoir Park. Amid the scandal stirred up by a racial slur used by his Eagles teammate, Riley Cooper, McCoy came home with a single message: to bring everybody together. "Every race, every gender, every color, we try to come together as a community," McCoy said.
No. 2 The State Games of America came to a close Aug. 3, after nearly a week of competition in various sports at venues throughout the area. Among the most successful of the local sports was field hockey, in which all three Capital teams – scholastic, youth and junior - won gold medals.
No. 3 The scholastic team, led by Morgan Bitting, Madison O’Neill and Devyn Barry of PIAA Class AAA champ Lower Dauphin, was coached by Susquehanna Twp.’s Jess Reitzel and Steve Heckman. Members of the team were: front row, left to right: Brook Zeigler (Susquenita), Maura Jacobs (Cedar Cliff), Bryna Cook (Dallastown), Shey Noll (Cumberland Valley), Stephanie Dressler (East Juniata), Valerie Bailey (Susquehanna Twp.), Mary Nell Smith (Central Dauphin), Devyn Barry (Lower Dauphin).
Top row, left to right: Alyscia Smith (Newport), Coach Jessica Reitzel, Nicole Rupnik (Cedar Cliff), Paige Predmore (Susquehanna Twp.), Madison O'Neill (Lower Dauphin), Lauren Fried (Greenwood), Morgan Bitting (Lower Dauphin), Hattie Kuhns (Greenwood), Keighly Adams (Northern York), Coach Steve Heckman.
No. 4 Members of the champion junior team were: Coach Kaylee Keener, Kelsey Keener (Greenwood), Halle O'Neill (Lower Dauphin), Allison Bitting (Lower Dauphin), Marley Tunnell (Hershey), Josette Cook (Cedar Cliff), Mallory Fortenbaugh (Greenwood), Rachel Yeager (Lower Dauphin), Coach Jen Kastelic, Abby Ebersole (Susquenita), Maggie Perry (Lower Dauphin), Sydney Dreisigmeyer (Lower Dauphin), Anna Mostoller (Lower Dauphin), Alex Cronin (Hershey), Mya Christopher (Hershey), Taylin Lehman (Lower Dauphin) Katelyn Strickler (Central Dauphin), and Sidonie LaPlante (Lower Dauphin).
No. 5 A pair of Lower Dauphin sophomores, Josh Carl and Beck Wiles, combined to win a SGA gold medal in the doubles tennis tournament, held July 31 at Penn State Harrisburg. The Falcon duo captured the gold in the 16's division, and earned a bronze in the 18's division
No. 6 Hershey was also the site of the 36th annual Hershey’s Track and Field Games’ North American final held Aug. 3 at Milton Hershey’s Henry Hershey Field. A total of 450 athletes from throughout North America competed, including Amelia Baldo (11-12 softball throw) and Mason Cooper (13-14 softball throw) from Palmyra. On hand to host the athletes were nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, 1960 Olympic decathlon champ Rafer Johnson and All-American swimmer of Katie Nolan of Hershey, who graduated recently from North Carolina.
No. 7 Harrisburg’s Senior RBI baseball team moved to 2-0-1 in the RBI World Series with a 1-1 tie Aug. 6 against Tampa, wasting a strong six innings from Bishop McDevitt pitcher Noah Spangler. The outcome was good enough to earn Harrisburg the East Division No. 1 seed after three games. Spangler fanned three over six innings, but trailed 1-0, before Josh Newill of Susquehanna Twp. scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
No. 8 Preston Bare, the top running back in the midstate two years ago for Palmyra, went to Longwood University to play baseball. But he now has found a new sport in which to concentrate. After transferring to Bloomsburg, Bare has become a body builder. “I needed a break from baseball,” he said. “I’m having fun with body building.”
No. 9 Pitching dominated the first two games of the East Shore Twilight League final series. Lawnton’s Derrick Lutz, a Lower Dauphin grad who once pitched in the Cincinnati Reds organization, shut out Palmyra in the opener 4-0 on Aug. 5 at Vanetta Park. Palmyra’s Travis Risser, a one-time Tampa Bay pro, followed with a 1-0 win Aug. 6 at In The Net. Palmyra shortstop Phil Dohner (Lebanon Valley College) made some dazzling plays in the field, before knocking in the winning run in the eighth inning.
No. 10 Funeral services were held Aug. 8 for veteran race car driver Kramer Williamson of Palmyra, who died from injuries suffered Aug. 3 at Lincoln Speedway. It was the first race related fatality at Lincoln since 1975. Williamson, 63, won 144 races, dating back to the late ‘60s when he won the track title at Silver Spring in ’69. He was also the Williams Grove champ in ’76, while embarking on a Hall of Fame career.