By BILL ALBRIGHT
ESPNWilliamsport.com Senior Writer

When the 2010 New York-Penn League season comes on an end Sunday evening, Mahoning Valley can do nothing but pack its gear away and wait for the 2011 season.

However, between now and then, the Scrappers can have a lot to say about the fate of Williamsport and Jamestown as far as the post-season playoffs are concerned.

Step one of the MV statement came Wednesday night at Bowman Field as the Scrappers defeated the Crosscutters 6-1 before 1,160 fans.

By BILL ALBRIGHT
ESPNWilliamsport.com Senior Writer

With zero wins coming their way in each of the past two years, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the only way for the Lock Haven University football team to go is up.

The last win by a LHU team came in the 2008 season finale when the Bald Eagles defeated Clarion in overtime by the final of 17-14.

Entering the 2010 season, his sixth as head coach of the Lock Haven University football team, a few wins is what John Klacik is hoping for this season to give his troops something to build on.

“That (getting a win) always helps,” said Klacik. “If you get that first win, I think it leads to some confidence and for a young team, it is extremely important to develop some confidence. That is what winning does. It gives you confidence.”

By BILL ALBRIGHT
ESPNWilliamsport.com Senior Writer

When the 2010 scholastic football season officially opened on the morning of August 16, a new chapter in Jersey Shore Bulldog football history wrote its first page.

With the departure of former JSHS head coach Steve Eck and the emergence of Tony Confer on the scene, the new era of Shore football was underway.

Confer and his assistants have been working with a squad numbering 54, and when the regular season opens up, the Bulldogs will be looking for improvement after finishing 1-9 last year.

“Unfortunately, I was hired a little bit later than anybody would have liked it to happen, but the first thing was to get a meeting together with the kids,” said Confer. “The first thing you have to do is get to know the kids and build a relationship with them, and the first question I asked them was what they expected from me as their head coach. There was some dead silence while they were trying to figure out what they wanted to say, but from that point on, we were right at it five days a week.”

By BILL ALBRIGHT
ESPNWilliamsport.com Senior Writer

When a good team is faced with the pressure of crunch time, it usually finds a way to take care of business. Tuesday night at Bowman Field, business was good for the Williamsport Crosscutters as they doubled up on Jamestown for a 6-3 win before 1,467 fans.

Entering the two-game set with the Jammers, the Cutters trailed Jamestown by 1.5 games in the wild card race. Now as a result of the two-game sweep, the Cutters (40-31) have the Jammers (39-31) looking up at them by a half-game.

“We played good there (in Jamestown) and we had a chance to win three of the four games in Batavia so we have been playing good baseball,” said Crosscutter skipper Chris Truby. “Twice we were on the verge of being completely out of it (post-season picture) and these guys have managed to come back and fight their way into a position where we can control what is going to happen to us. Right now these guys are feeling it and it is fun to watch them and fun to be a part of it.”

By BILL ALBRIGHT
ESPNWilliamsport.com Senior Writer

If there is such a thing as a safe lead in the game of baseball, don’t try and sell that bill of goods to the Jamestown Jammers.

Holding what seemed to be a comfortable 9-2 lead over Williamsport in the sixth inning, the Jammers saw the Cutters scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth before they added three more in the eighth to post an almost unbelievable 12-10 win Monday night before 1,176 fans at Bowman Field.