High Schools - Marple Newtown baseball team wants taste of PIAA Class AAA state title

Philadelphia Daily News, April, 2008 by JOSEPH SANTOLIQUITO For the Daily News

They were the area's baseball version of "Hoosiers" last spring. They were a team no one expected to go anywhere, and suddenly they reached the PIAA Class AAA state championship.

They were a special group that got hot at the right time and created long-lasting memories of improbable comebacks and zany bus rides across the state. Now comes the hard part for the Marple Newtown High baseball team: getting back.

The Tigers know they're a marked team this season.

Last year's success is expected to bring new pressure, but to hear the Tigers talk, they're ready for what's ahead. They want to relive their crazy bus rides and play into June.

With a strong returning nucleus that includes a pair of senior righthanders, Steve DeCecco and Ken Clark, and a solid, everyday corps that includes John Rutecki, Chris Orlando, Rob Gow and ...