www.jeannettejayhawksfootball.blogspot.com

Davonte gets some well deserved recognition, in this article at The Buffalo News, as he prepares for the International Bowl this Saturday at 12:00. Here's a little excerpt from it:

UB didn’t have anyone who was named first team All-Mid-American Conference until Shannon made it last season as a true freshman. He also made it again this season as a sophomore. UB didn’t have anyone during its Football Bowl Subdivision era to record back-to-back 100-tackle seasons until Shannon hit the mark with nine solos in the upset over Ball State.

The Hawks lose to Butler tonight by a final of 41-36, to finish off the tournament at 1-1 and move to 7-3 overall. Jordan was back in the line-up for the Hawks but didn't start the game. JV Hawks also lost by a final of 51-34.

The boys will resume play against Center, at the Coaches vs Cancer Invitational held at Geneva College this Saturday, Jan. 3rd. with a 5:30 tip off.

The Lady Jays lose to Laurel Highlands tonight to finish out the Christmas tournament, by a final of 66-53. No presents under this tree for the girls, but here's the scoring efforts from the Lady Jays:

• Kayla-17
• Shanae-14
• Lauren M.-8
• Lauren B. -7
• Tatiana-4
• Chelsea-2
• Shanice-1

Congratulations go out to junior Kayla Cook (23) on reaching the 1,000 point plateau. Kayla's 17 points tonight gives her a career high of 1,012.

The next plateau for this Lady Jay, you ask? How about the school record?

Kayla can break the school record set by Mrs. Abreu of 1,023, when the Lady Jays travel to Riverview on Monday Jan. 5th. Mrs. Abreu is currently the 8th grade history teacher at McKee Middle School. How ironic is that? I bet I know what the history topic will be when school resumes after the holiday break!

Congratulations Kayla!!!

In tournament play tonight, the boys JV team lost to AAA Knoch by a final of 44-33. But in a complete turn around, the varsity squad, with points leader Jordan Hall sitting this one out, was able to secure a win, final 58-47.

Lady Jays action brings bad and good news. First the bad, the Lady Jays lost to Uniontown by a final of 66-40.

But the good news from the Laurel Highlands Christmas Tournament: Kayla Cook only needs 5 points to reach the 1,000 point milestone in her career. Tomorrow at 4:30 the girls play Laurel Highlands in game two of the tournament, and Kayla should be able to accomplish this great milestone.

Pat White completed 26 of 32 attempts for 332 yards to lead the West Virginia Mountaineers over UNC in the Meineke Car Care Bowl today, by a final score of 31-30.

A big force up front for the Mountaineers,... X-Jayhawk and center, Mike Dent.

Congratulations to Mike and the Mountaineers on an outstanding season, and a great bowl win!

12/28/08:
Sorry guys, I got my info wrong. Mike didn't play in this bowl game. He suffered a neck injury in the Connecticut game and hasn't played since then. Sorry for the mix up!

Why not start the new year off right, with the Jayhawk Nation? Bowl mania is underway, and two bowl games that are of importance to us "Hawknuts", are The Fiesta Bowl featuring (Terrelle) Ohio State .vs Texas. And the second being The International Bowl featuring (Davonte) Buffalo .vs Connecticut.

The Internatinal Bowl kicks off on Saturday - Jan. 3rd, at 12:00pm and can be seen on ESPN2. The Fiesta Bowl starts at 8:00pm on Monday - Jan. 5th, and can be seen on FOX.

More info on these bowl games can be found by clicking on the images above.

Happy Holidays to everyone from the Jayhawk Hacker. Its been another great year for Jayhawk fans and 2009 shows a lot of promise as well. Remember a few of these dates from 2008.....

FEBRUARY 5th
The Lady Jays girl's basketball team earns a spot in the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in forever. Jeannette plays Shady Side Academy in the first round and losses 64-48 but the Lady Jays end an impressive season with a 14-11 record.

FEBRUARY 23rd
Jeannette beats Beaver Falls 82-69 in front of a packed house at the A.J. Palumbo Center to win the school's first WPIAL championship in basketball. Terrelle Pryor leads the way with 39 points, 24 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 6 assists.

MARCH 15th
The Jayhawks top Strawberry Mansion 76-72, in overtime, to win the school's first PIAA Championship in basketball. Senior Shaw Sunder has a huge game with 21 points and a number of big three pointers.

MARCH 19th
Terrelle Pryor makes his college choice in front of a large crowd in the auditorium at Jeannette Senior High School. Terrelle says yes to Ohio State and no to Penn State, Michigan, and Oregon. The announcement is shown live on national television and the story appears in every major newspaper around the country.

APRIL 21st
For the second time in as many months, a Jayhawk football player commits to play college ball at "The Ohio State University." Running Back Jordan Hall picks the Buckeyes before his junior year is over because he doesn't want the circus that surrounded the Pryor announcement.

APRIL 23rd
The Jeannette softball team upsets rival Greensburg Central Catholic 6-4 to show the improvement of the program. The Jeannette girls end the year with a 8-9 record and just miss a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.

MAY 13th
Jeannette Senior Nick Spino wins two titles at the WPIAL Championship Meet. Nick ran a 14.91 in the 110 meter hurdles and a 40.04 in the 300 meter hurdles.

NOVEMBER 14th
Another fantastic football season comes to an end in the semifinals of the WPIAL Football playoffs. Beaver Falls beats Jeannette, 35-28, in a shootout and the Jays end the year with a record of 10-2.

A number of other great things happened around Jeannette in 2008 and a few happened for the Hacker. In fact, I reached a milestone birthday (hint, hint) but much like a woman, I refuse to reveal my age. So now sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday season with your family and friends. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Hacker!!!!

If you were thinking the Hawks might be in trouble without Jordan Hall in the line up, then you thought wrong my friends.

Having the biggest game of his career tonight, Moziah Harris racked up 16 points in the first period alone, on his way to scoring the game high of 33 points to lead his Jayhawks over the visiting Tigers of Wilkinsburg, by a final score of 75-44.

Rounding out the scoring for the Hawks:

• Dane-10
• Greg-10
• Fatman-9
• Brian-6
• Cameron-4
• Lamar-3
  

The Hawks will enjoy the holiday and return to the hardwood on Dec. 29th & 30th, in the Butler Christmas Tournament.

And home for the holidays and catching tonights game are a few ex-Jayhawks, Terrelle (Ohio State), Davonte (Buffalo), and Adam (Colgate), catching up on some missed time with Coach Hall. Welcome home guys and Merry Christmas!


Photos from the game can be seen here.

The Lady Jays remain undefeated in section play at 4-0, with a 59-45 win over Springdale tonight. Junior Kayla Cook continues her dominance on the court, scoring game high 27 points, and leads the Lady Jays with 208 points on the season. Shanae Daye added 12 more tonight to her total on the season and is the second leading scorer on the team with 95 points.

Rounding out the scoring tonight was Kirstie with 6, Samantha-4, Shanice and Chelsea each with 3 a piece and Lauren and Mary at 2 a piece.

The girls will enjoy a full week off and return to action in the Laurel Highlands Christmas Tournament slated for Dec. 29, and 30th.

Photos from the game can be viewed right here.

I came across a new website devoted entirely to Terrelle. And I must say it is pretty darn good, you can even take a quiz to show your knowledge on Terrelle.

One thing I couldn't find and think maybe they should have, is stats on TP, perhaps they'll be added later hopefully. Give it a look-see right here or by clicking on the image above, it's pretty cool!

I've added a permanent link to the site in the link section also.

Tribune Reviews All Conference Interstate Team:

Offense

Quarterback - Trent Hurley, Greensburg C.C.

Running back - David Miller, Greensburg C.C.; Jordan Hall, Jeannette; Monte Ashby, East Allegheny

Wide Receiver - Adam Palcic, Greensburg C.C.; Moziah Harris, Jeannette

Tight end - Chavez Allen, East Allegheny

Tackle - Brandon Bunting, Mt. Pleasant; Zach Hooks, Charleroi

Guard - Zach Kennedy, Charleroi; Zak Sprowls, McGuffey

Center - Chris Hall, Jeannette

Defense

Defensive lineman - Marc Stecak, South Allegheny; Troy Sloan, East Allegheny; Sammy Moore, Jeannette; Ray Campbell, Charleroi

Linebacker - Nick Karabin, Greensburg C.C.; Mark Hornfeck, Greensburg C.C.; Carlos Lomax, Easy Allegheny; Dane Vaughan, Jeannette

Defensive back - Daunte Weaver-Johnson, Greensburg C.C.; Matt Czulewicz, McGuffey; Trenton Bedillion, McGuffey; Mark Wise, Washington

Special teams

Kicker - Dylan Bogdan, South Allegheny

Punter - Scott Croft, East Allegheny

For a complete list of all conferences, click here.

Tribune Reviews Player of The Year for 2008 and one of the Terrific 25 - Jordan Hall. Other Jayhawks to make the Terrific 25 list, Chris Hall and James Derry. For the complete article and all 25 Terrific players, click here.

Hawks manage enough points to keep South Allegheny winless in the conference tonight, final score 63-55.

ESPN.com's 2008 Big Ten All-Freshman team, and at QB...Terrelle. Full team right here.

The Lady Jays dismantled the Lady Glads of South Allegheny tonight by a final of 69-19. The Lady Glads who are having a difficult time finding the W column, fall to 0-3 in section and 0-7 overall.

Kayla Cook scored 29 points against Monessen and 27 against Wilkinsburg, and continued this new trend tonight scoring 28. Other strong performances from Kirstie (17), Shanae (15), Lauren (6), Chelsea (2), and a free throw from Mary, finished off the scoring. Lady Jays remain undefeated in section play at 3-0.

The girls fire this scoring machine back up, when Springdale makes the trip to J-town on Monday the 22nd for a 7:30 start.

The Trib has picked Kayla as their athlete of the week, full article right here.

Jordan makes one of MSA Sports Elite Eleven. Full article here.

The Lady Jays put another "W" in the column tonight, and move to 4-2 overall with a non-sectional win over Monessen, 69-62.

Scoring results:

• Kayla - 29
• Kirstie - 12
• Shanae - 11
• Lauren - 7
• Samantha - 6
• Shavon - 2
• Tatiana - 2

The girls will practice tomorrow and get right back on the road for Thursday the 18th when they travel to South Allegheny (0-6).

Scoring efforts from Kayla (27), Shanae (14), Kirstie (12), Lauren (8), and Samantha (4), was enough to lift the Lady Jays to 2-0 in section play and 3-2 overall tonight, with a convincing win over Wilkinsburg 65-48.

The Lady Jays will travel to Monessen for a 7:30 start tomorrow.

The Sporting News Magazine has named Terrelle as the Big Ten Freshmen of the Year. You can check out all the college awards right here.

The Jayhawks opened sectional play tonight with a win over Shady Side Academy by a final score of 57-52.

Brian Weightman was held scoreless for the first 3 periods, but exploded in the 4th tacking on 11 points. Jordan Hall had game high of 19, Moziah added 12, Cameron 5, Lamar 4. Greg and Fatman each tossed in a 3 pointer to finish off the scoring.

The non-section game scheduled for the 16th against Seneca Valley, has been canceled. So the next scheduled match up will be at South Allegheny on the 19th.

Photos from the game can be seen on the media site.

JV lost tonight 29-27, at the buzzer.

The college football awards were handed out last night at Walt Disney World in Florida but the Jayhawk Hacker has a few awards he would like to hand out to former Jayhawk players who are doing big things in college.

The Hacker Defensive Player of the Year Award goes to Davonte Shannon, Strong Safety, Buffalo. Davonte Shannon was a first-team, all-conference selection for the second year in a row while leading Buffalo to the Mid-American Conference Championship. He was 3rd on his team in tackles with 106 for the season and through just two seasons Heavy already has 229 total tackles. Davonte was a 2007 graduate of Jeannette and he was a captain on the 2006 team which won a WPIAL title.
The Hacker Up-Front Hoss Award goes to Mike Dent, Center, West Virginia. At 6-3, 300 pounds, Mike Dent has certainly grown a bit since his days at Jeannette and so has his play. The two-year starter is entering his final game in a West Virginia uniform when the Mountaineers play North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Mike has missed the last four games with a neck injury but he still earned 2nd team All Big East honors. I hear NFL scouts are looking at Mike as a possible 5th round pick next season and the Denver Broncos are very interested. Mike was a 2004 graduate at Jeannette and he led the Jayhawks to the 2003 WPIAL Championship game. Mike also left Jeannette as the school’s all-time leading scorer in basketball. The Hacker Believe The Hype Award goes to Terrelle Pryor, Quarterback, Ohio State. No player has ever left Jeannette with more pressure to produce and no player has ever lived up to that pressure like Terrelle Pryor. The Buckeye Quarterback was inserted into the starting lineup the 4th week of the season and all he did was throw for 1245 yards and 12 touchdowns and run for another 553 yards and 6 scores. Terrelle was also named the freshman of the year in the Big Ten and he’ll lead the Buckeyes into the Fiesta Bowl on January 5th against Texas. Terrelle is a 2008 graduate of Jeannette and, of course, he led the Jayhawks to two PIAA championships and three WPIAL titles in two sports while at Jeannette. The Not-So-Small, Small College Player of the Year Award goes to Jason Marquis, Defensive Tackle, Juniata College. As a freshman at Division III Juniata, Jason Marquis recorded 56 total tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. He was named to the Honorable Mention All-Conference team and he was one of only two freshman on any of the all-conference teams in the Centennial Conference. Juniata was only 1-9 this past season but Jason was one of few bright spots during an otherwise dark season. He is a 2008 graduate of Jeannette and was a two-way starter on the 2007 state championship football team. I have no trophies to hand out but the Hacker would be happy to take them out to DeNunzio’s Restaurant in Jeannette. It’s my favorite place to eat and a frequent hangout of the Hacker. (Hint, Hint)

In an extraordinary cost-cutting proposal even for hard times, a school chief in East San Jose wants to eliminate football, basketball, soccer and all other athletic programs involving thousands of students at 11 high schools. Full story here

The Lady Jays have only played a total of 4 games so far this season, that's it, and all 4 went down to the wire, and 2 of them including tonight's match up, required an overtime period to determine a winner.

Big performances from all the Lady Jays turned out to be too much for the Lady Indians to handle. Jeannette handed undefeated Shady Side, their first loss of the season to roll into sectional play at 1-0.

Kayla Cook was held to 7 points in the first half, but after a big second half adjustment, was able to manage game high at 18. Shanae landed 11 points, Lauren Maline who sank a Hugh 3 pointer in the overtime period, finished off with 9 on the night. Kirstie scored 8, Shanice got 6 and Mary rounded off the scoring, with 4 points. And not to go unmentioned, Samantha Linsenbigler who didn't sink a bucket tonight, was absolutely fantastic on defense under the rim, and played a major role in tonight's sectional win.

Lady Jays travel to Wilkinsburg on Monday for a 7:30 start

Tonight's game also provided an early look at some future Lady Jays. I'm talking about "The Little Dribblers". These 1st and 2nd graders got a chance to show the fans some of the dribbling fundamentals they've learned from Coach Vertacnik.
You can see more of these future stars and photos from the game here.

Undefeated West Shamokin at 3-0, suffered their first loss of the season to a well balanced Jayhawk squad this evening. The Jayhawks jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished it the entire game, winning by a margin of 63-47. West Shamokin did manage to keep the scoring close at times but never was able to gain the lead.

Jordan got game high of 18 points, and stepping up to assist in this balanced offensive attack, was Moziah with 14 points and Dane with 11. Greg and Cameron added 6 a piece. Brian, Brandon, Lamar and Chris each tossed in 2 a piece to round out the scoring.

Hawks will host Shady Side Academy(1-2), this Friday for a 7:30 tip off. And take note: the non-sectional Seneca Valley game scheduled for Tuesday the 16th, has been canceled.

Photos from the game can be viewed here.

JV squad also pulled out a win tonight by a final of 47-19.

Attention all football nuts! We'll call this the last hoo-rah! Your last chance to catch some Pa. football.

This coming weekend we'll find out exactly who the PIAA State champions will be for 2008, in each classification. And if your a nut, like me, then you'll be glued to your TV screen this weekend for 4 exceptional match ups.

Starting things off on Thursday night at 7:00PM with the PCN PIAA Championship Preview Call In Show which you can catch live on PCN TV (Channel 48 in Jeannette). Scheduled high school football guru's for the show are:

• Mike Zambelli, Service Electric TV-2
• Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Rick O'Brien, Philadelphia Inquirer
• Tom Elling, PA Football News
• Rod Frisco, Harrisburg Patriot-News

Call in with your questions and comments!

Then on Friday the 12th, the real show gets underway:

• Class A - Steelton Highspire Rollers (15-0) vs Clairton Bears (15-0) - 1:00PM kick off
• Class AAA - Archbishop Wood Vikings (12-2) vs Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (14-1) - 7:00PM kick off

And to wrap things up on Saturday the 13th:

• Class AA - Wilmington Greyhounds (14-1) vs Philadelphia West Catholic Burrs (14-1) - 1:00PM kick off
• Class AAAA - Bethel Park Black Hawks (15-0) vs Bethlehem Liberty Hurricanes (14-1) - 7:00PM kick off

All games will be telecast live at their scheduled times on PCN-TV (Channel 48 in Jeannette)

If this was a taste of what the season has in store, then you'd better buckle up and hold on for one exciting ride, Lady Jay fans.

The Lady Jays hosted non-sectional AAAA Penn Trafford tonight in a game that went down to the wire, and into overtime. Jeannette and PT battled back and forth the entire game and with 15 sec. left on the clock in regulation, PT tied it up at 50 a piece.

In the overtime period, PT went 6 for 6 from the foul line, and unfortunately the Lady Jays just couldn't find the break they needed. The Lady Warriors went on to win by a final of 61-52.

Scoring for the Lady Jays:

1. Kayla - 23
2. Shanae - 9
3. Kirstie - 6
4. Shanice - 5
5. Lauren M., Samantha, Tatiana - 3 a piece
   

Watch for photos from the game coming soon.

Does anyone remember back to February 22nd of 2006?? Of course not, you can’t even remember your anniversary right? Well let the Jayhawk Hacker remind you. On that night the Jeannette Boys Basketball team beat Southmoreland 76-47 to advance to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs. Terrelle Pryor led Jeannette with 25 points, including his 1000th career point. For Southmoreland a freshman point guard scored six points in that game and that point guard was Jordan Hall.

Since that time Jordan has transferred to Jeannette, won two state titles, three WPIAL championships, and received a scholarship offer from The Ohio State University to play football. Can you imagine what life would have been like for us all if Jordan had stayed at Southmoreland? Who would Terrelle have thrown the ball to on a key 3rd down play in 2007??? Who would have lobbed the alley-oop passes to Terrelle during basketball seasons??? And who would Coach Reitz and Coach Nesser call the go-to guy coming into this season???

Let’s start with football. Since coming to Jeannette for his sophomore season, Jordan has scored a touchdown in 33 of 44 games while racking up a record of 40-4 in three seasons. That means Jordan scored 75% of the time during his three seasons at Jeannette. He’s also rushed the ball for more than 2000 yards, racked up nearly 2000 yards receiving, passed for more than 100 yards, returned countless kicks and punts for touchdowns, and also scored on interceptions and fumble recoveries. He was an All-State performer last season and should be again this year when the teams are announced at the end of the month.

One game can easily sum up Jordan’s career at Jeannette and it may be the most meaningful game in Jeannette’s history. In the 2007 State High School Championship Game against Dunmore, Jordan had a hand in four different first half touchdowns. He ran in a score from 58 yards out, returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown, caught a 14 yard touchdown pass, and threw a 28 yard scoring strike to Terrelle, all before halftime. Hall played his best game on the biggest stage as Jeannette went on to win the school’s only PIAA football title.

Hall ain’t too bad on the hardwood either. In two seasons at Jeannette, he’s racked up over 1000 points, dished out hundreds of assists, and recorded countless steals. He’s also been the starting point guard on teams that have posted a 49-11 mark, won two section titles, a WPIAL championship, and the school’s first state title. Remember he still has one year to play.

Thinking back to Jordan’s best basketball performance brought me to another milestone in Jeannette sports history. On February 23rd of this year, when Jeannette beat Beaver Falls to claim the school’s first district title, Jordan didn’t have his best game. In fact he scored only two points in the first half and at halftime Jeannette found themselves down 35-32. The second half was a different story as Jordan found his stroke and scored 17 points as Jeannette outscored Beaver Falls 50-33 in the final half.

No Jordan did not do it all alone but imagine if Jordan would have stayed in Scottdale. Would the Scotties have been a team to beat in Triple A this year? Would coaches from around the country be making stops at Russ Grimm Field to see Jordan play football? Who knows? One thing is for sure, however, we are glad to have him!! Not to mention he wears #2 on the gridiron, like one of my favorite players of all-time, Deion Sanders. (Hint, Hint)

Terrelle will march his Buckeyes into the Tostitos Bowl to take on the 11-1 Texas Longhorns on Jan. 5, 2009. Kick off is set for 8:00 on FOX.

And in other buckeye news Terrelle has won yet another award, the First Year Offensive Player Award. Beanie Wells was also named MVP. More on these announcements, here.

You can now closely follow the Lady Jays, on the site. Simply press the F1 key on your keyboard and a panel will slide down from the top of your screen with the roster, schedule with results, and standings for the Lady Jays. And to close the panel just press F1 again and it will slide back up out of your way.

Good news out of Charleroi today, Kayla Cook scored game high 28 points to lead the Lady Jays over California in the Charleroi Tip-Off Tournament by a final of 89-45, and was honored with the All Tournament Award.

She didn't do it alone though, Shanae added 18 points and Lauren landed 16.

The girls will hold the home opener on Monday the 8th, in a non sectional match-up against Penn Trafford, for a 7:30 start.

The Hawks just couldn't get things rolling in their favor today as McKeesport handed them their second loss of the tournament.

7' tall, Zeke Marshall, who is ranked 39th nationally, blocked just about every attempt made by the Hawks under the rim, to help his Tigers win by a margin of 68-49.

Jordan lead the way once again with 25 points (5-3 pointers), Greg added 10 more (2-3 pointers), Brian, Dane and Moziah each added 4 a piece, and Cameron sunk 2 free throws.

The JV's dropped their first game of the season to McKeesport also, by a final score of 56-40.

Hawks will travel to Monessen on the 9th, for a 7:30pm start in a non-sectional match-up. Photos from the McKeesport game can be seen on the media site.

Carmichaels rallied for a 55-49 victory over the Lady Jays in the Charleroi Tip-Off Tournament. Jeannette led by three points entering the fourth quarter but Carmichaels outscored them 15-6 over the final eight minutes.

Carmichaels, which had four players score at least eight points, received 11 from Molly Stuvek.

Kayla Cook scored a game-high 28 points and Kristie Cortazzo had 12 for Jeannette.

The University at Buffalo football team has accepted an invitation to play in the International Bowl in Toronto on January 3 following UB’s 42-24 victory over previously unbeaten Ball State in the MAC Championship Game.

Davonte led the defense with 9 solo tackles. This Bowl bid is the second in the schools history, and the first to be accepted after Buffalo wins MAC title.

Congratulations to the Bulls, and Davonte on an outstanding season!!

More on this announcement here

A second half surge by the Hawks fell short by 8 points in the 4th annual Spartan Tip-off Tournament last night. Greensburg Salem's, Chris Klimchock scored 23 points to help lift his Lions over the Jayhawks, 77-69.

The Hawks battled back in the 2nd half from a 18 point deficit to close the gap to only 6 points, but were unable to pull any closer.

Jordan Hall amassed a game high, 35 points (7, 3-pointers), Lamar and Cameron each added 9, Moziah tossed in 8, Brian and Dane matched for 2 points a piece and Greg Williams finished off the Jayhawks scoring with 4 points.

The Hawks return to the Spartan Field house today at 4:00, to face McKeesport who lost to Hempfield, 67-59. 6'3", Nate Perry scored game high, 28 points for Hempfield.

The other 2 wins of the 4 game tournament went to Norwin, who stormed over GCC, 90-77. And senior Nick Novak from Franklin Regional, single handedly dismantled the Penn Trafford defense, scoring 32 points in a 84-59 victory.

JV Jayhawks also play Mckeesport today at 12:30, this game will be played at Hempfield high schools gym, not the field house.

Photos from the game can be viewed right here. And I captured something I'm told is called "The Roller Coaster", (a little number from Da Bird Cage). You can view the video of it right here.

If your thinking you missed your chance to order the 2008/2009 Jayhawk Basketball apparel, don't worry, your in luck!

A second round of orders are now being taken. Order forms must be turned in by next Thursday at the very latest, interested individuals can download the form from the site,(scroll down to very bottom of this page for order forms), and give them to one of the parent club members at the Hempfield tournament this weekend if you see any at the tournament or if you prefer to wait, they'll have forms at the home game next Wednesday, but you'll have to place your order right there.

Any questions can be directed to Chris Smith at 724-523-0918

I see below that later today you can watch Jeannette's own Davonte Shannon lead Buffalo against undefeated Ball State in the MAC Championship game. Well congratulations are already in order for "Heavy" because earlier this week he was named to the 1st Team All MAC Conference Defense. This is the second time Davonte has received first team honors and remember he is only a sophomore.

Last year Davonte led the country in tackles for a freshman and, while his stats are down a bit this year, it has still been a fantastic season. Heavy, so far, has recorded 97 tackles, which is 3rd on the team, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. Not a bad year for a strong safety. Plus Buffalo has posted a 7-5 record overall, a 5-3 mark in conference play, and the Bulls have a chance to play in the Motor City Bowl with a win tonight.

The Jayhawk Hacker wants to say congratulations to Davonte and his family. He is an outstanding football player but more importantly an outstanding person.

No hints on the Hacker this time but you'll get one next week when I talk about another outstanding Jeannette football player.

Hey guys just a reminder about Davonte's game tonight. If your not going to the basketball games, you can watch the Bulls play Ball State for the MAC Conference Championship on ESPN 2 at 8:00. And if your going to the basketball games then you can TIVO Heavy's game, and watch it when you get home. This is a "BIG" game for the Bulls and our x-Jayhawk! Show him some support!

Post Gazette's Varsity Video 12/2/08 - Football's whining down, but Basketballs getting in gear. Mike and Colin discuss it all, right here!

Here's your 2008/2009 Lady Jays basketball team, the boys roster can be found over on the right, just click on the roster tab.

If a scrimmage game was designed to give coaches an opportunity to address area's of their teams performance that may need some work, then Coach Vertacnik had an easy night of it.

An impressive, aggressive and speedy Lady Jays basketball team made easy work of the Lady Bearcats of Bentworth last night, in a 40-18 scrimmage win, leaving little, if any, doubt to what lies ahead in the season for this Lady Jays squad.

The girls start the season at the Charleroi Tip-Off Tournament this Friday and Saturday and hold the home opener on Monday the 8th, against Penn Trafford. Photos from the scrimmage can be seen here.

Basketball season begins this week and both Jeannette High School teams are hoping for great seasons. The boys once again have high expectations but this year the Lady Jays are also hoping for a playoff spot. This will be the first season in a long time that both the girls and boys are expecting to make the postseason and those expectations are not unfounded.

Jim Nesser's Jayhawks return two starters this season and last year's 6th man from a team that won 25 basketball games, a section title, the school's first WPIAL title, and Jeannette's first ever state championship in basketball.

The girls, meanwhile, have back four starters from a team that won 14 games overall, 7 section contests, and qualified for the postseason.

While you'll hear the names Hall and Harris a lot during boy's games, Cook will be the name announced most often during girls action. Juniors Kayla and Shanice Cook were two of the top shooters for the Lady Jays last year and Kayla was one of the top scorers in AA. Junior Kirstie Cortazzo is also back this season after cashing in some big buckets last year.

Coach Nesser is expecting younger players like Darius Brown and Brian Weightman to step into starting roles, while the Lady Jays are counting on big contributions from sophomores Tatiana Bone and Lauren Bosley.

The big difference between the two teams may be senior leadership. For the boys Moziah Harris, Jordan Hall, and Cameron Baradziej will all serve as captains but the girls only have one senior on the roster. Lauren Maline is a returning starter for the Lady Jays but she will need some help from the Cooks and others in leading the team.

Both the boys and girls will have tough sections to play through this season and for both teams Greensburg Central Catholic could be the toughest test. The Lady Centurions are always one of the top teams around but this year the boys team returns three starters in Point Guard Adam Palcic, Shooting Guard Chris Tamasy, and Forward Trent Hurley.

This year not only will Tuesday and Friday nights be exciting at Jeannette Senior High School, but the gym will also be rocking on Mondays and Thursdays. The boys start the season Friday night with Greensburg Salem at the Hempfield Tip-Off Tournament while the girls will be in Charleroi the same night to play Carmichaels in the Charleroi Tournament. Good luck to both teams this year and look for the Jayhawk Hacker at a number of games. I'll be the one with the dark brown eyes. (Hint, Hint)

Basketball season gets underway this Friday for the Hawks when they face Greensburg Salem in the Hempfield Tipoff Tournament. Game time is set for 9:00PM.

If you're not going to the game, you'll still be able to listen along via SAM-FM 107.1 & MSA Sportsnetwork right here. Pregame starts at 8:45PM.

And something entirely new and inspired by the student section, (better known as "Da Bird Cage") this season, will be the ability to know in advance what the theme of the game will be. You'll be able to simply check the site prior to the game, possibly days in advance, to find out how to "dress to impress", and avoid not looking like you didn't know what to wear. I hate that!! LOL


The theme for the Greensburg Salem match up this Friday is "Black Out", everyone is encouraged to wear black along with a Santa Claus hat. And don't forget to check the site for the next game theme!

"C'mon J-town, support your Jayhawk basketball team!"

If you want to get a look at the 2008/2009 Lady Jays preseason, you can do so today at 4:00 when they scrimmage Bentworth at home.

I know it's basketball season, and I'm well aware of the fact that it is December also, but I got some fantastic softball news yesterday that I wanted to share with you.

Lady Jay, Kirstie Cortazzo, was selected to play in the Queen of Diamonds Showcase on January 3rd and 4th, 2009 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

Kirstie was one of 24 shortstops out of 2000+ entries to be selected for this event. This Showcase began in 1993 to allow collegiate bound High School athletes an opportunity to showcase their talents to college coaches. Athletes attending this Showcase come from all over the United States and Canada.

Some of the other talent on Kirstie team includes intense 60mph+ pitcher, Nicole McCoy from Ontario, 3rd Baseman Emily Beckley from the 2008 PIAA A softball champions, Vincention Academy. Outfielder Caitlin Conrad from Ohio who lead her team in hits, singles, doubles and stolen bases, and 2nd in runs scored.

More on the Queen of Diamonds Showcase can be found here or by clicking on the image.

Congratulations Kirstie, and I know you'll make us proud!!

Davonte and the Buffalo Bulls take on the undefeated Ball State Cardinals for the MAC Conference Championship game this Friday on ESPN 2 at 8:00 PM. Tune in Jeannette, More on this game can be found right here.

Good Luck Heavy!!!

Below is a complete list with times and locations of each semi-final playoff game. The winners will advance to Hershey for the PIAA Championship games. Good Luck to all the teams!

CLASS A
Clairton Bears (14-0) vs Farrell Steelers (12-2) AT North Allegheny High School on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm

Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes (14-0) vs Steelton-Highspire Steamrollers (14-0) AT Blue Mountain High School in Orwigsburg on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm

CLASS AA
Aliquippa Quips (12-2) vs Wilmington Greyhounds (13-1) AT Center High School on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm

West Catholic Burrs (13-1) vs Lancaster Catholic Crusaders (13-1) AT Northeast High School in Philadelphia on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm

CLASS AAA
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (13-1) vs West York Bulldogs (13-1) AT Mansion Park in Altoona on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm

Selinsgrove Seals (13-1) vs Archbishop Wood Vikings (11-2) AT Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm

CLASS AAAA
Bethel Park Black Hawks (14-0) vs West Lawn Wilson Bulldogs (14-0) AT State College High School on Saturday, December 6th at 1:00pm

North Penn Knights (14-0) vs Bethlehem Liberty Hurricanes (13-1) AT William Tennant High School in Warminster on Friday, December 5th at 7:00pm