News

Mar 21, 2024

YAIAA fall high school sports: 48 fun facts from media day

A total of 49 teams were represented at Thursday's YAIAA fall sports media day, hosted by the York Daily Record. Athletes and coaches from all the fall sports stopped by to talk about the rapidly

A total of 49 teams were represented at Thursday's YAIAA fall sports media day, hosted by the York Daily Record.

Athletes and coaches from all the fall sports stopped by to talk about the rapidly approaching season, plus dish on some fun facts about their team and players.

Here's what we learned about each team:

York Suburban field hockey coach Denise Kreider drives an orange Mustang.

West York field hockey has a Secret Sister program, where they exchange small gifts. No one knows who their Secret Sister is until the end of the season.

Spring Grove girls’ volleyball won’t wash their kneepads until the end of the season.

Spring Grove field hockey consumes more than 100 cinnamon crunch bagels from Panera during the season.

Kennard-Dale boys’ soccer player Aidan Hardester seemed to have more bling than anyone Thursday. He was sporting a nose ring along with two thick hoop earrings. “I just got my nose pierced. I’m always wearing jewelry.”

Biglerville boys’ soccer takes a big speaker on their bus, and they listen to music (sometimes Mexican, sometimes rap music) and dance before the game on the bus. After wins, the speaker will move outside to a parking lot where the dance party continues.

York County Tech girls’ volleyball player Tiffani King recently took in eight baby bunnies after their mom abandoned them. She would bottle feed them throughout the night.

Kennard-Dale field hockey will get in a dance circle before their "hyped-up" home games. Even coach Anna Colvin will get involved. They “get sturdy,” and do the Griddy and the worm.

South Western girls’ soccer play for the South West Cup. They do different activities, play mini-games and do team bonding, like a bear crawl with a teammate on their back, to win points. At the end of the season, whoever has the most points gets a gift card.

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At the end of the season, South Western golf will split up into two groups and host a Ryder Cup event. Other than the postseason, it’s the highlight of their year, said coach Joey Wildasin.

West York cross country has the “Golden Shorts.” Since the late 90s, the shorts have been passed to a senior boy, who has to wear them on the first day of practice.

One season, Central York field hockey lost every time they ate Chik-Fil-A for dinner. The Panthers won’t eat it anymore before a game.

Red Lion field hockey holds a Powder Puff game to raise money for Mini-Thon.

Biglerville girls’ soccer players Abbie Ponce and Kiera Shaffer said their coaches like to “twin” every game, wearing the same clothes. They always wear a quarter-zip, leggings, or the same “merch.” Coach Brooke Gates is adamant that it’s not planned.

West York girls’ soccer has a trio of players (Paula Laracuente, Ella Schmoyer, Teagan Paragon) that have played on the same team for eight years.

Susquehannock cross country’s roster includes twins (Robert and Ian Rosul), a few sets of siblings and a bunch of musicians, mainly orchestra.

Fairfield girls’ volleyball only has two players who are taller than 5-foot-6: Kylee Partilla and Olivia Sanders are both 5-10. Partilla also runs cross country, while Reese Sweeney plays goalie for the soccer team, too.

West York girls’ volleyball assistant coach Andy Sides always wears “the most flamboyant” outfits, according to his players. Neons. Pinks. No sleeves. Socks pulled up.

New Oxford girls’ soccer finally made it to the title game of the Five Angels tournament, after years of finishing last or second to last in a pool of eight teams.

Dover cross country has had a Hogan on the team for the past 10 years. It started with Noah, then Emily, Hannah, Summer and now Caleb, who is a rising junior.

Spring Grove girls’ soccer player Natalia Dab can speak Polish. Her mom came to the U.S. when she was 14, and Natalia grew up speaking both Polish and English. She recently came back from a month-long visit to Poland.

Littlestown field hockey likes to pregame to The Weeknd. “Heartless” is a team favorite.

Red Lion girls’ volleyball likes to do crafts for team bonding. They decorate their lockers with glitter, paint pumpkins and create Halloween gingerbread houses.

York Suburban girls’ soccer coach Tom Shugars has coached for 25 years. He has coached two sets of mothers-daughters, three sisters and a player who is now a grandmother. “Coaching the daughter of one your players is like the greatest thing ever,” Shugars said.

If the Eastern York girls’ soccer team passes over a railroad track while riding the bus, the team has to lift their feet and touch a nail.

Hanover field hockey coach Gail Anderson makes up drills while she dreams, according to her players. Anderson’s drills are very elaborate.

York Suburban girls’ tennis player Marcella Rolle is related to a former NFL player. Her uncle is Myron Rolle, who played for the Tennessee Titans, and is now becoming a neurosurgeon. Marcella also has a twin brother. They both run track.

Bermudian Springs’ girls’ volleyball team love their apples. How can they not, with Lucy Peters of Peters Orchards on the team?

Susquehannock girls’ soccer will hold karaoke singalongs before every game. “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus is a favorite.

Dover girls’ soccer player Willow Smith raises and shows goats and calls them “her babies.” “She talks about them constantly. They sleep in bed with her. It’s like a dog,” coach Matt Spahr said.

Northeastern girls’ soccer will do a dance circle before each game. Their favorite dance move? The worm.

Red Lion cross country will get together frequently and eat dinners together. “It’s like a family.”

York County Tech field hockey compares itself to “High School Musical.” They sing on the field often, especially PitBull.

Dallastown girls’ volleyball players Libby Bloss, Shea Stevens and Erica Werner have played together on the same team for eight years. The trio started first playing basketball before switching sports.

Before every game, South Western field hockey players will write down a motivational word and put the paper in their shin guards during games. Audra Freil and Zoe Lehker used “destroy” and “determination” as their examples.

Hanover girls’ volleyball player Madison Favorite showed goats and pigs at county and state fairs in Maryland. She won many first places and champion ribbons, even winning a grand champion chair.

Central York girls’ tennis hold their senior night during a practice, instead of a game, and they play barefoot.

Dallastown golf has three brothers on the team: Lane Krosse, Reed Krosse and Mason Tucker.

One Susquehannock boys’ soccer player is related to a well-known TikToker named Badlands Chugs, who has 3.8 million followers.

New Oxford boys’ soccer players have occasionally been known to be late to practice. Why? They like to go to a teammates house after school to play FIFA soccer and have to rush to practice.

Last season, Fairfield field hockey only played five games with a full roster. The Knights only had 11 total players and were down at least one player in the other games. Coach Marina Fogle said the numbers look good this year, and the team shouldn’t be in that situation again.

Kennard-Dale girls’ soccer holds a parent vs. player night where the families take on the varsity/JV players. The V/JV team always wins, even when the parents added extra players on the field.

There are two Spring Grove boys’ soccer players that are ranked No. 1 in their class, plus a few others that are in the top 10 percent. Senior Henry Rumbaugh is one player that is ranked first in his class. He wants to study mechanical engineering in college.

After about 15 years, Spring Grove golf will play again at Hickory Heights. The Rockets were playing at Hanover Country Club.

New Oxford girls’ volleyball has the same coach for consecutive years for the first time in a few years. The Colonials went through five different coaching staffs in four years.

Dallastown field hockey has a moldy lime that they won’t throw away. A few years ago, one of the seniors gave a lime to her little buddy and they traded it back and forth throughout the season. The next year, that player brought back the lime, which was pretty moldy at this point. Currently, the lime is the consistency of a hard rock or walnut.

Red Lion girls’ senior soccer players have meals named after them sold in the school’s concession stand. Fans can order the “Hannah” or “Izzy” or “Ellie” … and get buffalo chicken dip or a walking taco. The players also have “John bucks,” named after coach John Young, that they can use at the concession stand.

Aidan Kenworthy is the third of his brothers to come through Hanover. But he isn’t following directly in their footsteps. Bailey (Class of 2016) played football, basketball and was typically one of the leads in the school musical. Everett (Class of 2018) played soccer, track and kicked for the football team. Now Aidan plays soccer and track but also wrestles in the winter. He’s also the only one to have his father, Eric, as one of his high school head coaches.