A look back at 2011: Top 15 High School Heroes and Top Pro & College Lows

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

It is unfortunate that when I turn on ESPN for all the highlight's from the previous night's action that I usually have to wait until the second half of the show to see it. The first 30 minutes is taken up by Roger Cossick and others reporting outside court rooms and the famous fallen famous that have turned 2011 into an ugly year. It has been scandal after scandal, so therefore it was easier to come out with a Top 15 Lowlights of 2011.

15. Lebron James - It was not the worst year for the new king of South Beach. He averaged 26.7 points per game and the Heat made the NBA Championship. But with so much attention drawn to their inevitable trophy, when James came up short against the Dallas Mavericks, it ended up being a year to forget. Forget South Beach, he needs to take his talents back to the practice floor.

14. Sidney Crosby - Even in my hometown of Philadelphia where there is disdain for the Penguins and Crosby, people were starting to bend and realize they can hate the guy, but they cannot deny his talent. However, concussions have quickly slowed down his skate to the Hall of Fame and if Sid the Kid cannot get healthy soon 2011 could be the first of many forgettable years for the hockey headliner.

13. Philadelphia Eagles - I honestly believe Vince Young was just happy to have a job in the NFL, but a poor choice of words put a target on the Birds back and the Dream Team never lived up to its high expectations. All the high profile free agents did not help an incompetent defensive coordinator Juan Castillo out. They will be home during the playoffs this year.

12. Dan Wheldon - It was an hard year for the Wheldon family and the loss of Dan hurts the NASCAR world. But after flipping over in the flames to his eventual death, the loss hurts and he leads 2011 with Al Davis, Joe Frazier with the faces we were sad to see leave.


11. Miami Hurricanes - Ponzi Schemes
10. USC Trojans - Reggie Bush backlash
9. Ohio State Buckeyes - Jim Tressel turmoil
8. Syracuse Orange - Bernie Fine fallout

7. Chad Ochocinco and Metta World Peace - So they can no longer steal the headlines with their play on the field so they have to resort to bad music, tons of tweets, and odd name changes. Ron Artest and Chad Johnson are holding on to their fame by a string and 2012 they have a better chance to be on a reality TV show than the Patriots or Lakers.

6. Peyton Manning - There is nothing Manning could have done. He needed surgery, but the way his team played without him under center is embarrassing. The constant cutaways to Peyton's face of pain on the sideline summed up how ugly it was in Indy this year.

5. Vancouver Canucks - So what, you lose the Stanley Cup to the Bruins you sulk about and grab a beer with friends. You do not put your city into flames and injure 140 innocent people. Shame on Vancouver.

4. Atlanta Braves
3. Boston Red Sox - Most of the talk is about the Red Sox, but don't forget Atlanta, who was also up 10 games with a month to play on the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Sure, the Red Sox were suppose to win it all but instead John Lackey, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester were getting fat eating fried chicken and playing video games, but the Braves collapse was just as brutal.

2. Tiger Woods - It has not been a good few years for Tiger. The greatest golfer of all time in some eyes has not won a big major tourney since the US Open in 2008 and he barely won any outing in 2011. He broke a career long 107-winless streak in early December, so one can only hope 2012 will be better for Tiger.

1. Jerry Sandusky - It is such a shame to one former defensive coordinator of Penn State football can turn Happy Valley into one of the most hated institutions across the nation. He had a part in ruining the legacy of the great Joe Paterno, he tarnished the impressive education of a million current and former Lion alumni. The year 2012 will be time to move forward from the Sandusky trials and start rebuilding their reputation.


2011 was a solid year for Montgomery Media's coverage area. We had our fair share of state and district titles, a few Division-One athletes, and just an overall fun time to be a sportswriter in the area. I can honestly say I enjoy what I do. And these 15 players helped me enjoy what I do with their stellar play. Here is the Top 15 High School Athletes (Montgomery Media's coverage area only) of the Year.

15. Ciara "C.C." Andrews (Cheltenham girls basketball) - Averaging close to 20 points per game Andrews led the Panthers to a conference championship while earning all-league and all-state honors as a junior. The senior has already committed to St. Joseph University for 2012.

14. Clay Ewell (Springfield football) - The Spartans went 11-1 this year and did not lose until they squared off with defending Class AA state champs West Catholic in the second round of the state playoffs. While many players had career years, the senior defensive end and running back set the school record for rushing yards in a career. In his senior year he had 1400 yards and 16 touchdowns.

13. Joe Getz (Archbishop Wood boys' basketball) - The Vikings did not win anything in 2011, but the senior guard was so good this list would not be complete without him. Now playing at Maryland-Baltimore County, he was named first team All-Catholic League after averaging of 20 points per game and eclipsing 1200 points in his career.

12. Kevin Forster (LaSalle boys' lacrosse) - The Explorers may not have won another state title in 2011, but Forster did everything he could to get him back to the coveted game. In fact, the now Maryland student, was nominated for Reebok's Lacrosse Player of the Year.

11. Elise DiFilippo (Springfield girls' basketball) - The Spartans made it back-to-back Class AA District One titles in 2011 thanks to DiFilippo's play at point guard. She averaged of 20 points per game and clearly was the leader of the team. She was fearless and her team played with that persona. DiFilippo was unstoppable during his four years in Erdenheim.

10. Jaylen Bond (Plymouth-Whitemarsh boys' basketball) - Bond had a lot of pressure on his shoulders in 2011 after losing his running mate C.J. Aiken to college, but the Colonials continued their dominance and made another deep postseason run behind Bond. The 6-7 forward now is coming off the bench for Texas in his freshman year. Look for him in the NCAA tournament in March of 2012.

9. Ashley Alden (William Tennent softball) - The Panthers' all-leaguer slugged her way to player of the year in back-to-back seasons. Now at Rutgers, Alden hit .519 with eight home runs during her senior season. She also was named to the all-league team for basketball.

8. Stevi Parker (Pennridge soccer) - Parker was the leader of the squad that won a District One title and fell just short in the state championship game. She did not have a ton of goals, but if you watched them play you know Parker was the top player on the Rams. She will attend South Carolina in 2012.

7. Ralph Reeves (North Penn football) - The linebacker received all-league and all-state honors after leading his team to a District One title and the state championship game. While quarterback Corey Ernst and play-maker Dan Gevirtz deserve acknowledgement for their great senior seasons, Reeves' was the face of the most dominant defense on the East side of PA this season.

6. Dave McInerney (Upper Moreland baseball) - The Golden Bears know they would not have been able to win the Class AAA District One championship without the current Cincinnati Bearcat's bat in the middle of the lineup. The catcher also did a great job with the pitching staff and really was the staple on both sides of the diamond. He was named player of the year by many media outlets.

5. Tori Gerlach (Pennridge track and field) - This Ram has set the standard for long distance running in 2011. She won a state championship in the spring and a district championship during cross country in the fall. Gerlach finished 39th overall in the National Meet in San Diego. Gerlach has committed to Penn State, but still has indoor track and spring track in 2012 to add another banner to the Pennridge walls.

4. Mary Jo Horgan (Mount Saint Joseph girls basketball) - After hitting double figures in every game but two, Horgan was a clear cut choice for player of the year. Horgan helped her team win a District One championship in their first year back at the Class AAAA level. She now attends Lehigh.

3. Colin Thompson (Archbishop Wood football) - There really could have been six different Vikings on this list and they all had significant impact on the historic season that ended in a Class AAA state championship. I went with Thompson because of his play and being named all-league, all-state, and All-American. The future Florida Gator is considered to be the top tight end in the nation. Shout out to Desmon Peoples, Brandon Peoples and Brandon Arcidiacano who all deserve recognition for their amazing individual seasons.

2. Maggie Shaffer (Hatboro-Horsham softball) - Much like others on this list it is tough to pick one player from a team that wins a state championship. Clearly it was a team effort. So with no disrespect to Julie Wambold and others, Shaffer was the pitcher for the entire season that ended with the gold at Penn State. Shaffer was brilliant all year in the circle and helped the Hatters hold the trophy high.

1 John Staudenmayer (Plymouth-Whitemarsh wrestling) - Staudenmayer gets the top spot over all the team sports. The wrestler went 43-0 in his senior season, winning districts, sectionals and the ultimate state championship at 171-pounds. He was an easy choice for PA wrestler of the year and now is attending North Carolina. Staudenmayer won 15-2, a major decision, in the state title match and finished his career with the Colonials 168-12 in his four years.