Published: November 01, 2009 11:59 pm      

Cory Isenberg| Fans show Heritage pride

United got a welcome home to remember Friday night after the Lions defeated Marion Center to win the Heritage Conference football crown.

The fire departments from the different factions of the school district met the team bus at the intersection of routes 954 and 56 to escort the team back to the school and the celebration in the gym.

“It’s great for everyone in all our communities to win this title,” junior linebacker Shaquille Howard said after the victory over the Stingers.

“From Robinson to Brush Valley to Dilltown to Armagh, it’s a big thing. We wanted this for our seniors.”

“It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had,” said senior lineman Jordan Long. “We were 2-7, 3-6 and now 8-1 and we won the title. I’ve never had a better feeling than this.”

Lions linebacker Matt Jones had a simple explanation for the team’s success this season.

“We are a close-knit team,” Jones said. “It’s huge for the seniors, especially, to win the Heritage Conference.”

United will look to the District 6-A playoffs this week, getting a tough first-round draw against Bishop Guilfoyle, a game the Lions will host at

7 p.m. Friday.

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Digging in: The district playoffs for high school volleyball get under way this evening.

In District 5, defending Class A champion North Star will host a tripleheader starting with a play-in game in order to secure the eighth seed, between Hyndman and Meyersdale, which is set to begin at 5 p.m.

Following that first game, fourth-seeded McConnellsburg will go up against No. 5 Berlin.

The evening will end with the eighth seed taking on the host Cougars.

The second venue in District 5 is a doubleheader at Windber.

The second-seeded Ramblers will play No. 7 Everett at

6 p.m. with No. 3 Shade against sixth-seeded Northern Bedford in the nightcap.

The semifinals will be at neutral sites on Tuesday with the championship set for Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

In District 6, the top four seeds in Class A and AA, receive first-round byes.

In Class A, Northern Cambria is the top seed with West Branch, the second seed, Bishop Guilfoyle at No. 3 and Penns Manor, the fourth seed.

In Class AA, Philipsburg-Osceola holds the top spot, Somerset is second, Bellefonte is No. 3 and Penn Cambria, No. 4.

First-round action gets under way at four sites across the district.

At Chestnut Ridge, eighth-seeded Ferndale will face No. 9 Conemaugh Valley at 6 p.m. in a Class A clash followed by the Class AA battle between the fifth-seeded host Lions and

No. 12 Penns Valley.

In the opener at Huntingdon, Bishop Carroll (7) will play Bellwood-Antis (10) at

6 followed by Westmont, the 11th seed in Class AA, against the host Bearcats (6).

At Moshannon Valley, Richland (9) will play Bald Eagle Area (8), a Class AA contest, at 6 p.m., followed by a Class A matchup, Glendale (12) against the fifth-seeded Damsels.

The other site is at Mount Union with Class AA Marion Center (7) taking on Central (10) at 6 p.m. and the host Trojans (6) facing No. 11 Homer-Center in the second game.

The quarterfinals will be played Tuesday with the semifinals on Thursday and the championships Saturday in Altoona.

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Futbol continues: The high school soccer playoffs continue this week.

In District 5, the Class AA semifinals for the girls feature top-seeded Conemaugh Township against No. 5 Chestnut Ridge at Berlin at 6 p.m. today.

Also in a 4 p.m. game at Conemaugh Township, No. 3 Windber goes against seventh-seeded Bedford.

The championship will be Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.

The boys semifinals in District 5-A will be on Wednesday with the title game on Thursday,

In District 6 Class A, the third-seeded Cambria Heights boys play No. 2 Penns Valley in a 5:30 game today at State College.

The other semifinal features top-seeded Richland against No. 4 Bishop McCort at 7:30 Tuesday on the Rams field.

The District 6-AA boys semifinals are Tuesday in a doubleheader at Hollidaysburg with top-seeded Westmont against No. 4 Somerset at 5 p.m. followed by No. 3 Huntingdon against Lewistown, the second seed.

The District 6 girls Class AA semifinals are also set for Tuesday with top-seeded Richland facing No. 5 Forest Hills at

5:30 p.m. at Herlinger Field.

The other semifinal pits second-seeded Bishop McCort against No. 3 Laurel Valley at

6 p.m. at The Point.

The championships for the Class A and AA boys and the Class AA girls are all on Thursday at sites and times to be determined.