Another diet update for you.

The weight isn’t exactly melting away, but it continues to come off.

I’m in a really good workout rhythm right now. I’m up to about 50 minutes a day on the treadmill, and that’s been a gigantic help.

Once again, we have eaten out a few times, but I continue to get chicken or turkey and skip dessert. And the only time I drink diet soda is when we’re out. It’s been pretty much water for me 99.9999 percent of the time – which also helps.

Had an appointment with my diabetic doctor this week, and she was thrilled to hear about my weight loss. She’s already decreased my insulin, and she said that if my next blood test (in October) comes back with more good numbers, she’ll likely decrease some other meds.

Can’t complain about any of that.

Drum roll please …

STARTING WEIGHT: 319 on May 8.
LAST UPDATE: June 26 – 286.
CURRENT WEIGHT: 284.
TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 35 pounds.
NOTABLE: As much as I’d love a repeat of my 13-pound loss way back in Week 1, I’m content with my current pace of losing 2-3 pounds a week. That’s probably the safe route. And it is coming off, which is the bottom line. It was great when I finally got under 300. And it was great to get under 290. I’m just four pounds from shedding the ‘8′ and getting in the 270s. I hate to set goals, because it’s a bummer if I don’t reach them. But I’d love to see a ‘7′ pop up on the scale next week. Keep your fingers crossed. Oh, and Happy 4th.

MANHEIM TOWNSHIP’S BOB KENNEDY STEPS DOWN AFTER 17 SEASONS ON THE BLUE STREAKS’ BENCH

The second-longest tenured boys’ volleyball coach in the Lancaster-Lebanon League at the start of this past season is hanging up his whistle and handing in his gym key.

Bob Kennedy, who recently completed his 17th season as Manheim Township’s boys’ varsity volleyball coach, has resigned his post.

That’s two major job vacancies in the same week for L-L boys’ volleyball.

Conestoga Valley is also in search of a new coach, after Al Kofroth, the longest-tenured coach in the league heading into this past season, was not asked to come back to the Buckskins’ boys’ or girls’ programs when school opens in late August.

Kofroth coached CV’s boys’ team for 23 years and its girls’ team for 17 years.

Kennedy led Township to a second-place finish in Section 1 this past season, including a league victory over powerhouse Hempfield on April 29.

Hempfield got some revenge, however, in the league playoffs, knocking off Kennedy and his Streaks 3-0 in a semifinal match.

Township then lost to Cedar Cliff in a District 3 Triple-A preliminary match, a match that turned out to be Kennedy’s last – after 17 seasons – on the Streaks’ bench.

Stumbled across this coaching search blip in the Lancaster Sunday News:

Conestoga Valley School District has openings for an athletic trainer, chess coach, head girls’ volleyball coach, head boys’ volleyball coach, assistant swim coach, assistant baseball coach and a head girls’ soccer coach. Interested persons should contact Zac Kraft, Athletic Director, at 397-5231 ext. 2303 or e-mail at zac_kraft@cvsd.k12.pa.us. A recent PA Criminal Background Check, a PA Child Abuse Clearance Check and a Federal FBI Background Check are necessary. A letter and resume can be mailed to: Zac Kraft, Athletic Director, Conestoga Valley High School, 2110 Horseshoe Road, Lancaster, PA 17601.

Yep, Conestoga Valley is looking for a new head varsity boys’ and girls’ volleyball coach, which means longtime coach Al Kofroth is out after spending 24 years on the boys’ bench and 17 years on the girls’ bench.

His girls’ team won the PIAA title in 2003, and Kofroth coached Kim Glass, who is currently battling for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

I chatted briefly with the folks at Conestoga Valley on Monday morning, and the only thing I’d like to pass along from that conversation is that CV decided to go in a different direction with its volleyball program, and that direction does not include Kofroth as the head coach of the boys’ or girls’ teams.

Holy cow … a Lancaster-Lebanon League football post on June 30.

Yeah, it’s true – hey, it’s never too early to talk about L-L football, one of my all-time favorite subjects.

I just got finished typing in the 2008 master schedule, which you can find in all of its glory right here.

I’ll break down the games another time, but for now, I wanted to pass along some of my favorite anomalies, from when I sat down and scoured the complete schedule for the first time, starting with this gem:
 
* There is a Thursday game this season: Cocalico at Annville-Cleona in a non-league clash on September 11. Cocalico coach Dave Gingrich played for A-C, and since A-C is (finally) moving back into its home stadium, and since Gingrich is an alum, they decided to do a little something different. So a Thursday game it is. Kick time is 7 p.m., and it’ll be the only game in town.

By the way, Annville-Cleona’s first home game (after spending the last two full seasons on the road because of on-campus construction) is August 29 against cross-town rival Palmyra. Kick time is 7 p.m. Welcome home, Little Dutchmen. Enjoy your new digs.

* Speaking of 7 p.m. … glad to see pretty much every school is going with a 7 p.m. start time. Just a few 7:30 start times this season … looks like Garden Spot, Pequea Valley and Donegal are still going with 7:30 start times for home games. Didn’t every game used to start at 8 p.m. back in the day? Just between you and me, I like the 7 p.m. starts.

Some other oddities to pass along, in no particular order …

* Trick or treat! The final night of league play is on Halloween, October 31. Cue the scary music. The bleachers across the area could look mighty interesting that night, eh?

* Columbia will play six (6) home games, including a Section 3 date against Lampeter-Strasburg, when the first Columbia Hall of Fame class will be inducted. Should be a big night on the hill on September 19.

* Pequea Valley will have a three-game home stand in Kinzers: September 5 against Springfield Township, September 12 against Fleetwood and September 19 in the Section 3 opener against Annville-Cleona.

* Northern Lebanon will play six (6) home games, including the first three games in a row to open the season: the Vikings will host Pine Grove on August 29, New Oxford on September 5 and Hamburg on September 12. No bus rides for the Vikes until Week 4. Nothing like a big old pot of home cooking.

* Donegal will have a three-game road trip: The Indians are at Eastern York on September 5, at Interboro on September 12, and travel to Lancaster Catholic on September 19 for the Section 3 opener. I’ll have my hands full trying to preview that Interboro game, by the way.

* Lampeter-Strasburg will open defense of its District 3 Triple-A title with back-to-back road games: August 29 at Cocalico (the Eagles knocked off the Pioneers in last year’s opener, remember?) and September 5 at Penn Manor. And L-S should find out where it stacks up in the Section 3 race right away, with a trip to Columbia on September 19, followed by a home date with Lancaster Catholic seven days later on September 26. Is this great or what?

* Penn Manor will play six (6) home games on the turf at MU.

* Manheim Township faces a three-game road trip: September 5 at Red Lion (in a rematch of a District 3 Quad-A playoff game last fall), September 12 at Elizabethtown (think the Blue Streaks will be thinking revenge in that one?) and September 19 at Reading in the Section 1 opener.

* Solanco, fresh off a co-Section 2 title and a trip to Districts, has perhaps the toughest schedule (on paper, at least). The Golden Mules will play (gulp) seven (7) road games, including all three non-league games right out of the chute: August 29 at Penn Manor, September 6 (a Saturday game) at Kennard-Dale and September 12 at Oxford. Just three home games? Wow. Solanco finishes Section 2 play October 24 at Garden Spot and October 31 at Cocalico. That’s an awful lot of bus rides to and from Quarryville. And an awful lot of (expensive) gas, come to think of it. P.S. Solanco AD Dan Baughman told me earlier this spring about the new grass project on the sports fields at Solanco. They’re not getting turf, but fresh sod on the playing surfaces at the school. That very likely has something to do with some games being shifted.

* Just two (2) Saturday games all season, and Solanco is in both of them: September 6 is Solanco at Kennard-Dale (non-league; 1 p.m. start), and September 20 is Elizabethtown at Solanco (Section 2), in a rare home game for the Mules.

Much more L-L football chatter to come … I’m going to scour the schedule again and post my must-see games to watch. For now, I wanted to get the schedule posted, and share some of those notes. Stay tuned.

Former Cedar Crest standout Allison Smith leaves Niagara, will join former Penn Manor star Kelsey Caruthers at St. Francis (Pa.)

Don’t look now, but there is a really nice pipeline taking shape from the Lancaster-Lebanon League to St. Francis University’s women’s basketball program.

First, former Elco star and Penn Manor coach Ashli Schwab left the Comets’ program after just one season to take a job as an assistant coach at St. Francis – under first-year coach Susan Robinson-Fruchtl, a former Penn State player and coach.

Then Schwab helped recruit Penn Manor standout Kelsey Caruthers, who won the L-L League scoring title in her senior season.

And now another former L-L League standout, former Cedar Crest star Allison Smith, is headed to St. Francis.

Smith had a terrific senior season for Cedar Crest two years ago, averaging a team-best 14.0 points a game and helping the Falcons reach the District 3 Quad-A quarterfinals and win a pair of PIAA playoff games.

She finished her high school career with 1,137 points – seventh-most in the history of the program.

Smith earned a scholarship to Division I Niagara, and she played for one season there before deciding to transfer to St. Francis.

Schwab has since resigned her post at St. Francis, but she played a key role in getting Caruthers and Smith there.

St. Francis plays in the Northeastern Conference along with Central Connecticut State, Farleigh-Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY) and Wagner.

St. Francis went 3-15 in the conference and 6-23 overall last season.

Former Manheim Central star invited to training camp with Rams

According to this story in the Lancaster Sunday News, former Manheim Central standout Dan Kreider, late of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been invited to training camp by the St. Louis Rams.

Kreider, who is an unrestricted free agent, has been battling injuries. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament last year – his fifth year as the Steelers’ starting fullback.

But the two parted ways in January, and now it looks like Kreider might try and latch on with the Rams.

Good luck to Dan in his battle to stick in the NFL.

Another week, another trip to the bathroom to step on the digital scale.

Good news: I lost more weight.

Bad news: We ate out a few times over the past week. Yes, I did order chicken dishes in those instances. But we did go out, which means bigger portions and probably some grease and, oh yeah, diet soda, which I’ve all but given up, unless we’re out. I’m drinking about a gallon of water a day – seems like that much, anyway.

I’ve also upped my workout routine – I’m up to 50 minutes a day on the treadmill (haven’t missed a day of walking since I started this on May 8th) and I turned the speed dial up a smidge. No, I’m not up to a jog quite yet. But I’m walking at a nice pace.

To pass the time while I’m walking, I watch two episodes of the best television show of all time: Seinfeld. I have the 9-season box set, and I’m up to the end of season 8 already. P.S. I just went to that site and took the Seinfeld Trivia Quiz and went 20-for-20. Wow.

OK, enough dilly-dallying. Here’s the update …

STARTING WEIGHT: 319.
LAST UPDATE: June 19 – 288.
CURRENT WEIGHT: 286.
NOTABLE: I can’t complain because the weight is coming off, albeit a tad slower than I thought it would, considering how much I’ve been walking and how much water I drink. I knew going into this that I was still going to eat out with my family. And we’ve done that a few times here over the last few weeks. Like I said, I’ve gone for the chicken dishes, and I’ve always skipped dessert. It took me 38 years to put 319 pounds on, so it isn’t going to come off in two months. But it is coming off – slowly but surely — and that’s a good thing.

The Chicago Bulls will pick Derrick Rose.

The Miami Heat will pick Michael Beasley.

Like, duh.

And the Sixers, at No. 16, will take a stiff – like Kosta Koufas (if he drops that far), or the ‘other’ Lopez twin – or some foreign guy nobody has heard of, like Serge Ibaka or Nikola Pekovic.

Watch.

New rule: The draft is just for college guys. All those foreign guys should be free agents.

Have I mentioned that I haven’t watched an NBA game from tip to horn since Jordan hit the shot to beat Utah in the Finals like 17 years ago?

I hope Donaghy was right. I know I believe him — and have for a long, long time. Since around the time Jordan hit that jumper, actually. That’s why I’ve pretty much stopped watching.

A little father-son piece for you, featuring the Denlingers — Dad Deryl, Lancaster Mennonite’s head golf coach, and son David, who plays for his dad on the Blazers’ team. Deryl is a two-time Lanco Amateur champ, and he’s headed back to Bent Creek Country Club this week for the 56th Lanco Amateur. He won it there in 1995. On Friday, he’ll be going up against his son, one of the top juniors in the county. Here’s my story from Wednesday’s New Era:

It was June 24, 1995, and Deryl Denlinger was standing behind the 18th green at Bent Creek County Club, watching Dave Richards stand over a three-foot putt.

“I thought Dave would knock it close, make birdie and beat me,” Denlinger recalled recently.

“When he missed, I was in shock.”

Richards’ miss was Denlinger’s gain, as he won his second Lanco Amateur title in three years, firing a 1-over 72 in the second round and holding off Richards, the tough-luck runner-up, by a shot.

Richards led by three shots standing on the 16th tee that day, but a double-bogey on 17 – which included a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie in a greenside bunker – cost him the title – and sent Denlinger to the winner’s circle.

“Dave doubled 17 and three-putted 18,” Denlinger said. “That was a gift. You’ll take them any way you can get them, I guess. I’m sure Dave is anxious to get back out there at Bent Creek this year.”

This year is Friday, when the 56th Lanco Amateur returns to Bent Creek for the first time since Denlinger edged Richards at the wire 13 years ago.

“For the guys who play in Lanco events,” Denlinger said, “this is our major. This is the one tournament we all look forward to.”

And when the field of 135 tees it up Friday morning, beginning at 7:30 a.m., there will be more than one Denlinger gunning for that major local title.

Deryl’s son, Lancaster Mennonite senior David Denlinger, will be participating in his third Lanco Amateur.

Deryl, who also won the Amateur in 1993, and lost in a playoff to Jeff Wintersteen in the 1994 Amateur, also happens to be Mennonite’s head golf coach, so he not only plays golf regularly with his son – you can find them at the Host Resort, like clockwork, on Sunday afternoons — but he also coaches him.

Friday, Deryl will complete the trifecta, going up against his own flesh and blood — with prizes and trophies on the line – at the place where he won his last Lanco major.

David was four years old when his daddy withstood Richards that day at Bent Creek, by the way. (more…)

Tons of current and former Lancaster-Lebanon League golfers in this week’s Lanco Amateur Championship, set for Friday and Saturday at Bent Creek County Club. I prepared this preview box for the tournament for your reading pleasure …

56th LANCO AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

WHERE: Bent Creek Country Club.

WHEN: First round is Friday at 7:30 a.m., continuing Saturday with the top 40 percent of the field who survive the cut. There are 135 golfers entered in the event.

REIGNING CHAMP: Former Penn Manor and UNLV standout Jarred Texter (left) is the two-time reigning champ – he won last year at Foxchase and at Four Seasons in 2006 with a scorching 13-under par 127 – but he won’t be in the field because he recently turned professional. Texter also won the Amateur in 2003 at Crossgates.

NOTABLE: The Amateur, which is sponsored by Janney Montgomery Scott, returns to Bent Creek for the first time since 1995, when Deryl Denlinger won his second title. He also won in 1993 at Foxchase. … Other past champs in the field include King Knox (1962, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1992), Marlin Detweiler (1974, 1975, 1976), Ken Phillips (1979, 1983, 1999), Dave Richards (1996, 2000), Hank Kline (1980), Brian Groff (1986), Jerry Janeski (1991), Jeff Wintersteen (1994), Andy Tompos (1998) and Mark Leaman (2002). … Richards won the Manada Individual two weeks ago in Harrisburg after shooting a 6-under 66. He carded seven birdies in his round. … Jud Gemmill, who tees off at 8:42 a.m. on Friday, won his second Pennsylvania Public Links championship May 11 at Dauphin Highlands. Gemmill, who also won the Public Links in 2004, won by five shots. … Tompos, who tees off at 8:06 a.m. on Friday, won the senior division of the PA Public Links in May, shooting an 8-over par. … Defending Lanco Open and Lanco Junior champ and reigning Lanco Player of the Year Zak Drescher, a Hempfield grad who recently completed his freshman year at Campbell University, tees off at 10:03 a.m. on Friday, along with Richards and former Warwick standout Brixton Albert (left), who plays for Radford University. Drescher (above, right) won last year’s Open at Bent Creek, so he should be familiar with the layout. … Knox, who tees off at 11:06 a.m. on Friday, won the Lanco Seniors in a playoff on May 29 at Conestoga Country Club. … Up next on the Lanco docket is the men’s better ball championship, set for July 11-13 at Crossgates, Overlook and Foxchase.

ABOUT BENT CREEK: The 6,750-yard, par-71 layout was designed by Jay Morrish, who won the Golf Course Architect of the Year in 1991. … Superintendent Jim Loke received the 2008 Distinguished Service Award, presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, at the GCSAA Education Conference earlier this year in Orlando. … The head pro is former Ephrata standout Terry Hertzog.