Shaler ruins Central York's storybook ending in PIAA semifinal
ALTOONA -- It wasn't the storybook ending that Central York wanted to write.
But those kind of stories, where the team is swept in the first match of the season and then goes on a tear to win a state title, only happen in Disney movies.
In the Panthers' case, they did go on quite a run after opening the season with a 3-0 loss to York Suburban. Coaches moved some players around after the loss, and Central claimed a share of the regular-season title in the last match of the YAIAA schedule, won the league tournament title, finished second in the district and advanced to the state semifinals, where they fell Tuesday night to the top-ranked team in the state.
And they did it all with the initials of their late coach, Todd Goodling, prominently displayed on their uniforms. Goodling's sister was in the stands Tuesday night as the Panthers fell to Shaler 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 27-25) at Altoona Area High School.
"Todd would be proud of this team," said John Feldmann, one of Central's coaches. "They stayed resilient, worked hard and had fun doing it. We know how bad the kids wanted this, they wanted to win for Todd."
Feldmann, Landon Shorts, Brock Anderson and Jeremiah Dadaboe were understandably emotional after meeting with their team. All four played on Central York teams that made state playoff runs with Goodling on the bench as either the head coach or assistant. When he died in January, they banded together to form a tight coaching group that provided continuity and stability to a team of grieving teenagers.
"Losing coach obviously was difficult," Ryan Roberts said after Tuesday's match. "We dedicated our season to him, and it really hurts that we couldn't win."
Roberts faced one of the biggest changes in that early season shift, and it paid dividends for the Panthers. He moved from outside hitter to libero, which means he went from an attack position to defense in a very short period of time.
And Shaler kept him moving Tuesday night. The junior led the team with 11 digs to give him well over 250 for the season.
"[Shaler] was pretty similar to Cumberland Valley, but we didn't cover as well as we wanted," Roberts said. "They blocked well, it's just a really great team."
Backs to the wall
It didn't take Central long to adjust to Shaler's quick offense in the first game. The Titans jumped out to an early lead by attacking with quick sets from all spots at the net. Central York hung tough with steady defense and by mixing it up on offense.
Central called the first timeout of the match after falling behind 18-16. And although they came out strong after the timeout, the Panthers couldn't close the gap.
The Titans were even more dominant in the second game. The Panthers had used both timeouts with Shaler holding a 12-4 lead and couldn't find a spark to fight their way back.
"We told them their backs were against the wall," Feldmann said of the conversation between the second and third games. "They had to trust the work they put in and just play."
"That was a very physical team," Shorts said of Shaler. "They out blocked us and played pretty much error free. But our guys competed hard."
Game 3 was more like the first game, with neither team leading by more than a few points. It looked like the Panthers still had a chance when they led 25-24, but three straight Shaler points, including an ace on match point, ended that chance.
Leaders to the end
It was fitting that Donovan Burris and Mason Boyer led the Panthers' attack against Shaler. They each had eight kills in their last high school match.
They were both named league and District 3 all-stars and finished as one of the top five hitters in the league, with teammate Christian Bucks not far behind.
Anderson, who played on the last Central team to reach the state tournament in 2019, credited Burris' offseason work with his success this season.
"I don't think he missed a practice or workout," Anderson said of the lefty. "I can't really say he was a surprise this season because he put in the work."
Burris also led the Panthers in blocks, finishing with four. Lance Shaffer had three blocks and fed the offense with 27 assists. Devon Marsh, the third senior on Central's team, recorded nine digs.
"We knew they had the talent," Shorts said of the coaches expectations at the beginning of the season. "[The coaches] know what it's like to play at the highest level, to play for state titles, and we knew they could do that. They just needed to take what they were taught and play."
They said it
Brock Anderson: "I know they are going to see this as a failure, because reaching a state final had been the norm for Central. But they put Central York back on the map. They had so much to overcome."
John Feldmann: "In time they are going to recognize that this season was something to be proud of. They worked so hard and they are a fun group to be around."
Shelly Stallsmith covers high school sports for GameTimePA and the York Daily Record. Connect with her by email at mstallsmith@ydr.com or on Twitter @ShelStallsmith.
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This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: PIAA boys' volleyball: Top-seeded Shaler takes out Central York
