RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Hoover brings success to Sharon

It may take a Hoover to clean up on the basketball court this season. Sharon High School hoop fans are hoping that will be the case.
Brian Hoover, a graduate of Kennedy Christian High and a previous assistant coach under former Tiger coach Jim Hoy, is the new Tiger coach. He was hired by the Sharon School Board by an 8-0 vote recently.
Under Hoy, the Tigers had turned things around. They had definitely found the victory formula to their liking. The past two seasons, Sharon won 35 contests, tied for one Mercer County Athletic Conference crown and won one outright while advancing to the PIAA playoffs one of those seasons.
While Hoover explained he had learned a lot while working on Hoy's staff, he is his own man and has his own plans. He believes defense wins championships so look for the Tigers to emphasize that phase. While at Kennedy, Hoover played under former Golden Eagle mentor Joe Votino, who learned a lot of his basketball knowledge from Farrell's Eddie McCluskey. McCluskey, in his later years, also coached at Kennedy.
Hoover was a member of the Kennedy Christian state championship unit in 1985-86, a team that had the Shenango Valley buzzing with its sterling defensive capabilities. That's the same aspect Hoover wants to instill in his Tiger players.
The Sharon School Board has been busily engaged in hiring new coaches. Gene Sarazen was recently hired to head up the girls' varsity basketball program.
Hoover, 35, has a solid nucleus returning and is anxious to get things underway. He's pressing things a little right now, the same way he played at Kennedy.
Ball drop
I had never witnessed a ball drop (from a helicopter) before so I stopped by the driving range at Buhl Farm recently to take a look. The festivity was one of the major events on the F.H. Buhl Club's 100th Anniversary celebration.
The ball drop itself was fascinating, however, the clinic, conducted by teaching pro (master) Joe Thiel was professionally done. A west-coast resident now, Thiel was at this best showing the gallery just how to play golf. He instructs, teaches, writes and handles his work flawlessly.
Others on the clinic portion of the program included long-ball hitter Tom Roskos, a member of the Long Drivers of America tour, and former Sharon High and Futures golf standout Shelley Sanders. While Shelley and Thiel are both Sharon graduates, Roskos hails from Sharpsvile High. Both Roskos and Sanders hit golf shots, ones requested by Thiel. It was a great afternoon despite intermittent, light rain.
Cheers
Congratulations are in order for a pair of Hickory High track and field sensations and for another young lady from Wilmington Area High.
The three were recently named to the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association all-state squad.
From Wilmington is three-time PIAA champion Cassie Buckwalter, a gold medalist again this year in the discus competition; Hickory's Andrew Rademacher, a junior, and gold medalist in the pole vault event, and Hickory's Dante Marshall, triple jump runner-up, who is headed for the U.S. Naval Academy.
Buckwalter received a scholarship to the University of Connecticut.
Congratulations and best wishes go out to all three stalwarts.