A year ago, Jim Thorpe suffered its first-ever losing season under the guidance of head coach Mark Rosenberger.

Rosenberger said that this year’s squad knows what happened last season and is in the process of taking the right steps in getting back to its usual winning ways.

“It comes down to – first of all – to learn from the mistakes of last year,” said Rosenberger, who holds a career record of 80-46 with the Olympians in 12 seasons. “I think this year our seniors have shown some great leadership.

“The work ethic has been super. I think we’re on the right track with these kids.”

Rosenberger said the leadership has been superb, especially from the individual who will be filling in the biggest void left behind from last season.

After lining up as a receiver for the last two years, senior Terry Moll will step behind center to handle the role left behind by the graduation of three-year starting quarterback Corey Cinicola.

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QB Terry Moll looks to throw.

Click here for more photos from the scrimmage.

Peter Wernett

Peter Wernett is a 1956 graduate of Jim Thorpe Area High School. He lettered in both baseball and football and was a member of the first football team in Jim Thorpe High School history.

On April 28, 1955, Wernett had the distinction of pitching the first no-hitter in school history against White Haven in a 14-0 victory for the Olympians. Ten days earlier, Wernett flirted with a potential no-hitter, but settled for a one-hitter against Ringtown and then in May of that year pitched a two-hitter again over White Haven while striking out 10 batters. During the 1956 season, Wernett was the leading hitter on the team with a .545 batting average.

In 1956, Wernett was named to the Tri-County American Legion Junior Baseball League All-Star team. He was then invited to and attended baseball camps by the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wernett also played tackle on the first football team at Jim Thorpe and was selected to the Panther Valley All-Star team.

During his senior year, Wernett was the receipient of the Babe Ruth Award for sportsmanship. Also, during his senior year, he was selected by the student body and faculty to represent Jim Thorpe High School as a page to the Hon. Francis E. Walters in the United State House of Representatives, Washington, DC for the month of March.

Wernett attended Norwich University and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1960. Wernett went on to attend Moravian Theological Seminary in 1967 and 1968 and received his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1970. Wernett is a retired ordained United Methodist Minister and currently is an owner of Demographic Information Company, MissionInsite, LLC in Irvine, California.

The Jim Thorpe Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be held on Saturday, August 21 at the Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall. Cocktail hour will begin at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., the Induction ceremonies at 7:15 p.m. and the entertainment will follow beginning at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the induction ceremony and the entire evening can be obtained by calling Craig Zurn at 570-325-3855/3631, Ron Sheehan at 570-325-4244, Wilmer Redline at 570-325-3073 or Jack Kmetz at 570-325-4923.

Brian Balliet graduated from Jim Thorpe High School in 1995 and excelled in basketball his entire time at the school. During his career he earned four varsity letters and scored 1,286 points. This achievement earned him third place on the all-time career scoring list, behind only Joe Rader (1,348) and Jeff Hydro (1,342). He averaged 20+ points-per-game during his junior and senior seasons, scoring 484 points in 1994 and 549 in 1995. He was the team’s MVP both of those seasons.

His signature performance happened his senior year when he scored 55 points against Williams Valley. This shattered the previous single-game scoring record held for 36 years by Billy Bechtold, who scored 47 points against Lansford in 1959. In his game, Balliet hit 12 three-pointers and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. For this outstanding performance, he received mention in the nationally circulated USA Today daily newspaper.

Looking back on his career, Balliet finished with 160 three-pointers – which at the time was a TIMES NEWS area record. As a senior, he shot 83 percent from the free throw line and became the tenth player in Jim Thorpe history to be included on the 1,000-point list. He reached that plateau by scoring 22 points against Schuylkill Haven in a 54-40 victory. He was recognized several times as the WNEP 16 Sports Star of the Week, the Morning Call Athlete of the Week and the Eyewatch News 13 Male of the Week. He capped off his star-studded career by being voted to the TIMES NEWS All-First Team in both 1994 and 1995.

Balliet is currently employed as a Union Carpenter and resides in Jim Thorpe with his fiance, Rachelle Reinart, his step-daughter Kaylee and his newborn daughter Brielle.

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The Jim Thorpe Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be held on Saturday, Aug. 21 at Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall. Cocktail hour will begin at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., the induction ceremony at 7:15 p.m. and entertainment will follow around 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the induction ceremonies and the entire evening can be obtained by calling Craig Zurn at 570-325-3631, Ron Sheehan at 570-325-4244, Wilmer Redline at 570-325-3073 or Jack Kmetz at 570-325-4923.

The Jim Thorpe High School Powerlifting Team finished another successful competition season.

The Jim Thorpe powerlifting team recently completed its 2010 season. In addition to the numerous individual awards captured by team members during the course of the season, the Olympians also won the Small School State Championship at the P.S.C.P.A. Meet at Glen Mills.

The team captured one state title and numerous awards in the five meets they competed in.

Their first competition was in January in Dunmore at the USAPL Northeast Regional High School Powerlifting Championships. Sixteen members competed. Twelve earned individual honors with six qualifying for the powerlifting national tournament held in Michigan.

In February, 20 team members competed at the 2010 PA State Teenage Powerlifting Championships at Emmaus High School. The team placed second in the small school division. Two junior varsity and eight varsity lifters captured individual awards. Two team members were champions of their weight classes.

The next competition was in March at the Abington Heights 23rd Annual Weifhtlifting Meet. Twenty seven members competed. The team placed third overall. Ten of the lifters took home individual honors. Christina Gibson was champion of her weight class enabling her to win the Female Outstanding Lifter Award.

In April, 22 team members traveled to Glen Mills to compete at the P.S.C.P.A. Pennsylvania State High School Championships. The team won the state title in the small school division. Four junior varsity and 11 varsity lifters won awards. Three of the lifters were champions.

The team concluded the season by hosting their Seventh Annual Olympian Ironman Lift-A-Thon where it grabbed first place. Twenty five team members competed. Three team members were champions in their weight classes.

Tickets for the induction ceremonies can be obtained by calling Craig Zurn at 570-325-4244, Wil Redline at 570-325-3073 or Jack Kmetz at 570-325-4923.

The goal of the Jim Thorpe girls’ 400 relay team was a three-peat in Class AA. It didn’t seem likely last week. But a retooled Olympians’ squad did it again as Amelia Herman, Ashley Nicola, Hilary Reis and JaAshia Page won the event with in 49.74, beating Tamaqua (50.14) and Lehighton (50.51).

They also set a new district record, besting the 50.34 set by Catasauqua in 1989.

“This year means a whole more than any other year, just because it is our senior year and we wanted it a whole lot more,” Page said. “It’s just the biggest accomplishment I probably ever made.”

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Jim Thorpe’s baseball team ended the season with a win, defeating North Schuylkill in action Monday.

In the only other game, Thorpe’s softball team was no-hit by the Spartans.

Jim Thorpe-No. Schuylkill
Jim Thorpe finished off a dissapointing season on a positive note, gaining a 5-2 victory over North Schuylkill in its finale.

Dan Russo knocked in three runs for the Olympians, who ended the year with a 4-16 overall record and a 2-12 mark in Schuylkill League Division I action.

Sean Green had a hit and scored two runs for Thorpe, while Pat Janecki earned the pitching win and added a double at the plate.

No. Schuylkill 010 100 0 – 2 4 2

Jim Thorpe 100 130 x – 5 3 1

ALLENTOWN – Zach Ligenza played in the No. 2 singles slot for the Jim Thorpe boys’ tennis team this season.

During the last five days, however, Ligenza was on some unfamiliar ground as he was playing in the District 11 Class AA Doubles Tournament.

It was an adjustment Ligenza and his partner Sam Lux, the Olympians’ No. 1 singles player, handled well together. So well in fact that the Jim Thorpe seniors walked away with the bronze medal after knocking off Notre Dame of Green Pond’s Matt Crouse and Mike Antonis, 6-3, 6-4 in Monday’s consolation match.

“Basically, when I found out that Sam and I were going to be doubles’ partners, I was pretty excited,” Ligenza said. “We actually did have to build into it because we’re singles’ players. We’re not very good at doubles.

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