Parkland Press

If there was any doubt about Parkland being a dynasty before Monday’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference girls lacrosse championship, the Lady Trojans left Northampton High School with little still in question

Camryn Barnett scored a game-high five goals, and Abby Pope and Morgan Herd each scored four in Parkland’s 14-10 victory over Easton in the EPC championship game. The win was the Lady Trojans’ fifth consecutive league title.

Plenty was on the line in Monday’s Emmaus-Parkland girls lacrosse rematch.

For one, the host Trojans had a chance at redemption after Emmaus used a strong second half to top Parkland last month, 13-12. But more importantly, the No. 1 seed for this week’s Eastern Pennsylvania playoffs was up for grabs.

Not only did the Trojans earn that top seed on their home turf Monday night, they left little doubt as to why. Parkland (9-1 in EPC, 14-4 overall) jumped out to an 8-0 lead through the first half and was never tested en route to a 14-2 rout of the Hornets (8-2, 13-5).

Parkland’s last and only conference loss came nearly three weeks ago when Emmaus used a strong second half to down the Trojans by a single goal. Since then, Parkland has won six of its last seven games, including all five EPC matchups.

While that loss to the Hornets was just a week into April, Parkland head coach Dawn Cipolla’s team learned a lot from that meeting. It set a spark in which Parkland has been able to outscore its league foes 71-33 during that stretch.

For just about two-and-a-half seasons, the Parkland boys’ volleyball team had not lost an East Penn Conference match. The Trojans were seldom tested by league foes during that stretch.

The Trojans lost just one set—not match, but set—over the past two seasons combined to EPC opponents. The team was seemingly untouchable.

Momentum is a key factor in most sports. Lacrosse is no different.

After Parkland took a one-goal lead by scoring three of the final four goals in the first half, the momentum suddenly shifted to Emmaus’ bench and never left Saturday afternoon at Memorial Field. The Hornets (5-2 overall, 3-0 in EPC) scored the first five goals of the second half to regain the lead and held on for a 13-12 victory over the Trojans (6-3, 3-1).

It was Parkland’s first East Penn Conference loss after trouncing Northampton a day earlier, 16-5.

Momentum is a key factor in most sports. Lacrosse is no different.

After Parkland took a one-goal lead by scoring three of the final four goals in the first half, the momentum suddenly shifted to Emmaus’ bench and never left Saturday afternoon at Memorial Field. The Hornets (5-2 overall, 3-0 in EPC) scored the first five goals of the second half to regain the lead and held on for a 13-12 victory over the Trojans (6-3, 3-1).

It was Parkland’s first East Penn Conference loss after trouncing Northampton a day earlier, 16-5.

Teddy Reinhard’s gymnastics career began when he was running around jumping on couches at home.

Well, not officially. But those early years of play certainly had an impact on his parents signing him up for gymnastics classes. Now, he’s become one of the area’s top gymnasts.

“At a young age my parents took me to the Parkettes training center to productively use my energy instead of climbing on the furniture,” Reinhard said.

Reinhard, a sophomore at Parkland High School, recently competed in the 2017 Region 7 Championships after a solid showing at states a week earlier.

The first time Briggs Danner raced competitively in a SpeedSTR, both his and his mother’s reaction was the same.

“I think it was his first heat,” said Briggs’ mother, Melissa. “He came off the track and I walked up to him, and we both literally said to each other, ‘I thought I was going to throw up.’”

That feeling didn’t stop Danner from having an impressive inaugural season for the Parkland sophomore in a racing class made up of mainly adults. In his first season racing SpeedSTR, after spending 10 years racing quarter midgets, Danner racked up plenty of accomplishments.

Jada Mangahas and Anna Yeakel’s journeys have been eerily similar.

Both are Parkland residents who participate in gymnasts at Parkettes. Mangahas started with mommy-and-me classes around four years old; Yeakel began at the age of two when her mother signed her up. Since then, both have seen plenty of success in the sport.

Parkland was the overwhelming preseason favorite to win the 2017 Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League. And why wouldn’t it be? The Trojans haven’t lost a game this season, let alone the past 95 straight league contests.

To put the cherry on top, the only team to be crowned champions of the LVSHL since 2010 has been Parkland. The Trojans made it eight straight league championships last week.

After a 6-5 victory over Northampton in game one, the top-seeded Trojans had little trouble in the championship-clinching game two.