Sharon, Hickory enjoy good seasons

Congratulations are in line for a pair of Mercer County baseball coaches, Sharon’s Bill Dorfi, and Hickory High’s Gary Hinkson. The two coached their respective teams to magnificent seasons but came up short in the final stages.

Dorfi, fifth-year coach at Sharon, said his team just didn’t play Sharon baseball as they were cut back by Burrell, in the Class AA western regional final at North Allegheny High 8-1.

It was the first loss for Sharon after a remarkable run of 20 consecutive victories. Sharon bowed out of the title chase with a 21-1 mark. It was a remarkable title run for the Sharon boys who didn’t falter once this season until that June 9th day.

Hinkson and his Hickory High charges didn’t last quite as long as Sharon. The AAA Hornets were ousted in the state Class AAA quarterfinal at Slippery Rock University, by the Trinity Hillers, 15.6.

It should be pointed out that both Sharon and Hickory were District 10 champions last season. That’s a very special tribute to the players of both teams and their great coaches, Dorfi and Hinkson.

It could also prove that the feeder groups, in Sharon and Hickory, have been doing their job and that’s nice to see, especially at playoff time.

Soccer teams to unite

It may have seemed like a very long time for Sharpsville High School soccer hopefuls. However, Hermitage School Board members recently approved a cooperative agreement to have Sharpsville girls play soccer with those girls on the Hermitage teams. Welcome aboard!

Hermitage superintendent Karen A. Ionta, said she likes the proposed agreement because it could make Hermitage more competitive. Hickory plays soccer in AAA and is the third smallest school among the 16 AAA teams. Six of those teams have cooperative agreements. Sharpsville officials approached Hermitage officials since they were having problems attracting enough students to stock full varsity and junior varsity soccer teams.

Amos resigns

After 30-plus years of coaching, Mercer High School girls basketball coach Art Amos decided it was time to “hang ’em up.”

For the past six years he was coach of the Mustangs. Amos said when he took the position it was a short-term project. “I took the job until someone able and capable of running the job took over.”

If Amos does return to coaching it will be as assistant coach, not as a head coach.