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We're getting near crunch time in the spring sports season and the races in all sports are tightening up with the post-season tournaments right around the corner.  A weekly podcast that's all about spring sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Track  Archbishop Wood senior track and field standout Gary Martin did everything he could at the Penn Relays except break the magical four minutes in the mile. Martin won the mile run by a whopping six seconds and broke the Penn Relays record by over three seconds in running a stellar 4:01.4.  Softball  The battle between powerhouses Pennsbury and North Penn lived up to the hype as the Falcons knocked off the previously unbeaten Knights 5-4 in extra innings in a matchup of state title contenders.  Baseball  Council Rock North, Pennsbury, Hatboro-Horsham and Souderton continue to dominate the competition as they all rev up for the upcoming PIAA District One tournament.  Boys' and girls' lacrosse  While the Central Bucks East boys' team is rolling right along, there's a great race for the top spot in the girls' Suburban One League National Conference as North Penn and Pennridge are battling it out.  Boys' volleyball  Pennridge gets another shot at Upper Dublin in a key Suburban One League American Conference match on Thursday. 

Which teams and individuals are leading the way in area spring sports? We take a look at everything from track and field to lacrosse. A weekly podcast that's all about spring sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Track We jump right in with track and field as Archbishop Wood senior standout Gary Martin will try and become just the 14th high school runner ever to break the four-minute barrier in the mile this Friday at the Penn Relays.  Softball The softball regular season has about three weeks left and defending PIAA champion North Penn and Pennsbury, ranked first and second in our Intell/Courier Times poll, face each other in Lansdale on Friday. Baseball Undefeated Hatboro-Horsham sits atop the PIAA District One Class 6A power rankings as the Hatters continue to impress. Boys' and girls' lacrosse The lacrosse season is wrapping up quickly as the PIAA District One playoffs begin on May 17, just three weeks away. Boys' volleyball Neshaminy, thanks to a big win over powerful Upper Dublin, has put itself right in the conversation as a PIAA District One Class 3A contender. Pennridge and Upper Dublin looked like the teams to beat, but Neshaminy is now right in the mix. Athletes of the Week Also, don't forget to vote for the boys' and girls' Athletes of the Week on our websites - www.buckscountycouriertimes.com and www.theintell.com.

Which teams are leading the way in area spring sports? We take a look at everything from boys' tennis to girls' lacrosse. A weekly podcast that's all about spring sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Softball Pennsbury in the Suburban One League Patriot Division and North Penn in the SOL Colonial are both really getting it done and look like two of the top teams in the district if not the state. Baseball Pennsbury and Council Rock North in the SOL Patriot are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the Division as is Hatboro-Horsham in the SOL Liberty. And keep an eye on Souderton in the SOL Colonial and Archbishop Wood in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Boys' lacrosse Central Bucks East sits atop the SOL National, but Central Bucks West and Council Rock North are right behind the Patriots. Girls' lacrosse North Penn and Council Rock South look tough to beat in the SOL National while Upper Moreland, Abington and Plymouth Whitemarsh are all right in the mix in the SOL American. Boys' tennis The four SOL division tournaments will be held Thursday with most of the attention on the Patriot at Council Rock North where the Council Rock South pair of juniors Alex Sterin and Mikkel Zinder, two of the top players in the state, will likely battle in the championship match. Athletes of the Week Also, don't forget to vote for the boys' and girls' Athletes of the Week on our websites - www.buckscountycouriertimes.com and www.theintell.com.

Our first spring high school sports talk provides an overview of the spring sports season as we discuss the numerous teams in action from baseball to volleyball and everything in between. A weekly podcast that's all about spring sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Baseball Archbishop Wood and La Salle look like the teams to beat in the Philadelphia Catholic League while Council Rock North and Pennsbury seem to be the powerhouses in the Suburban One League Patriot Division. Softball Defending PIAA champion North Penn continues to roll along having won 12 straight. Standout junior Julia Shearer, now pitching for the Knights, has been superb on the mound and at the plate where she's hitting close to .800. Boys' lacrosse Council Rock North, along with stalwarts Central Bucks East and Central Bucks West, are making noise already in the Suburban One League National Conference. Girls' lacrosse In the Suburban One League National Conference, it's been Central Bucks South, Council Rock North and Council Rock South that have jumped to the head of the pack. Boys' volleyball Defending PIAA District One champ Pennridge, along with Upper Dublin and Neshaminy, seem to be the teams to beat in the early going of the season.

Our winter high school sports talk is highlighted this week by the PIAA championship basketball games for both boys and girls as Archbishop Wood's girls defeated Lansdale Catholic to win the Class 4A title and the Wood boys fell to Roman Catholic in the Class 6A title game. A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Girls' basketball In a matchup of two area teams, and Philadelphia Catholic League foes, it was Archbishop Wood defeating determined Lansdale Catholic to win its second-straight PIAA title. The Crusaders played the Vikings tough all the way before Wood pulled away to secure the championship. Boys' basketball Roman Catholic turned out to be too much for Archbishop Wood in the Class 6A game as the Vikings finished as the PIAA runner-up for the second-straight season. We also talked about the Philadelphia Catholic League's dominance statewide as PCL teams won titles in  five of the 12 PIAA classifications.

Our winter high school sports talk is highlighted this week by taking a look at Archbishop Wood playing in both the girls' and boys' PIAA title games later this week. The girls are playing another local team, Lansdale Catholic, in the final while the boys are facing a familiar Philadelphia Catholic League foe in Roman Catholic.  A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Girls' basketball Wood looks to defend its Class 4A PIAA title when it faces Lansdale Catholic at the Giant Center in Hershey on Thursday. The two teams met earlier in the season with the Vikings winning by 24 points. Ryanne Allen leads Wood and Gabby Casey is a standout for the Crusaders. Boys' basketball  After losing in the PIAA title game a year ago, Archbishop Wood gets another shot at the title when it faces Roman Catholic on Saturday. The two sides met during the regular season and the Vikings pulled out a 64-61 win. Expect another close one with the state title on the line.

Our winter high school sports talk is highlighted this week by taking a look at how our area wrestlers fared at the PIAA championships and the boys' and girls' basketball teams that have reached the quarterfinals in the PIAA tournament.  A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Wrestling Two area wrestlers, Faith Christian senior Eric Alderfer and Central Bucks East senior Quinn Collins, both reached the PIAA finals on the way to earning silver medals. Collins was the first CB East wrestler to make a PIAA final in 40 years while Alderfer was the first Faith Christian wrestler to do so. Also, fast-rising Faith Christian finished third in the Class 2A team standings after an impressive performance. Girls' basketball Six area teams - three of them in Class 4A - are still going in the PIAA tournament with hopes still alive of winning a gold medal. In Class 4A, there is a quarterfinal matchup between unbeaten Gwynedd-Mercy and defending PIAA champion Archbishop Wood that is sure to be a thriller.  Boys' basketball Just one area team, Archbishop Wood, remains alive in the tournament as the Vikings, the PIAA runner-up a year ago, have reached the quarterfinals. 

Our winter high school sports talk is highlighted this week by the start of the PIAA championships in basketball and the PIAA tournament for wrestling. Several girls' and boys' basketball teams, in various classifications, begin their road to state gold with first-round games this week. And, in wrestling, the PIAA championships begin Thursday in Hershey and run through Saturday. A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Boys' basketball There are seven area teams, including Bensalem, Abington and Archbishop Wood in Class 6A, vying for state gold. It's a long trek, and each round gets harder and harder, but will we see a local team emerge and win it all? Time will tell. Girls' basketball A whopping 10 area teams - with four in Class 6A and four in Class 4A - begin play this week with the ultimate goal of a PIAA title on the line. Defending PIAA champ Archbishop Wood looks like the odds-on favorite again in Class 4A, but undefeated Gwynedd-Mercy might have something to say about that. Pennsbury, in Class 6A, placed third in the District One tournament and will also look to make a run. Wrestling Faith Christian will be well represented in Class 2A as seven Lions, an astounding number, will be competing for gold at the Giant Center in the PIAA championships. In Class 3A, three seniors, Council Rock South's Matt Colajezzi at 160 pounds, Central Bucks East's Quinn Collins at 189 and Central Bucks West's Carl DiGiorgio at 215 lead the way for our area.

Our winter high school sports talk is highlighted this week as we discuss which area girls' and boys' basketball teams are still going in the PIAA District One and District 12 tournaments. The girls are having more success at the highest classification as Souderton and Pennsbury both have reached the Class 6A semifinals. On the wrestling side, the area's top individual performers are prepping for this weekend's Southeast Regional Tournaments. Our Class 3A wrestlers will be competing at Oxford while the Class 2A individuals will be at Bethlehem Freedom. A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Girls' basketball We could see an all-area final in the PIAA District One Class 6A tournament as both second-seeded Souderton and fourth-seeded Pennsbury are in the semifinals on opposite sides of the bracket. Both teams play in the semifinals Wednesday night. Also, congratulations to unbeaten Gwynedd-Mercy for winning the Class 4A district crown and to the Archbishop Wood girls who will be playing in the District 12 4A title game on Wednesday. Boys' basketball In District One, there are no area teams left in the winners' bracket as Bensalem dropped into the consolation bracket after a loss in the quarterfinals. Another meeting with Abington could be on tap for the Owls. Faith Christian did win the Class A district title while Archbishop Wood is still going in the District 12 tournament. Wrestling Quakertown and Council Rock South, as expected, dominated the PIAA District One-East Class 3A tournament as the host Panthers crowned five individual champions to snare the team title while the Golden Hawks were next with three individual winners and a second-place team finish. In Class 2A, Faith Christian dominated the District One/12 Tournament by crowning a whopping eight individual champions.

Winter high school sports talk highlighted this week by the start of the wrestling postseason as area wrestlers try and make their way to the PIAA tournament in Hershey. While most of our area teams will be competing at Quakertown on Saturday in the PIAA District One-North Class 3A event, others will be at different sites all with the same goal - advance to next weekend's regional tournaments. In boys' and girls' basketball, the district tournaments continue as local teams in all classifications try and earn spots in the upcoming PIAA tournament. A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Wrestling Quakertown senior Todd McGann, a two-time Southeast Regional qualifier, is on the show this week and he talked about his time wrestling for the Panthers and his goals for the postseason. We also talk about where to find all of the area teams as the district tournaments in Class 2A and 3A begin this weekend. Plus, it's been 10 years since we've had sectional wrestling tournaments and they haven't been missed. Boys' basketball Only three area Class 6A teams are still alive in the PIAA District One Tournament - Bensalem, Council Rock North and Abington - but the lower classifications are still filled with local entries as the district tournaments are in full swing. Girls' basketball Second-seeded Souderton and fourth-seeded Pennsbury lead the way as the PIAA District One Class 6A tournament rolls along. Abington, Central Bucks West, Central Bucks South and Neshaminy are also still going strong.

Winter high school sports talk highlighted this week by the upcoming start of the district boys' and girls' basketball tournament. In District One, Class 6A and 5A programs begin Friday. On the boys' side, there will be a first-round rematch from the regular season between Council Rock North and Neshaminy while the first round of the girls' tournament features a rematch between Central Bucks West and Council Rock South. A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Girls' basketball Six area Class 6A teams will be in action Friday in the District One tournament as Central Bucks West, Council Rock South, Central Bucks South, Neshaminy, Hatboro-Horsham and Central Bucks East will take the floor. Pennsbury, Abington and Souderton are all in the main draw and have first-round byes.  Boys' basketball Pennsbury, Council Rock North, Neshaminy, Abington, Central Bucks East and Central Bucks South are all in action Friday for the opening round of the PIAA District One Class 6A tournament. Bensalem, seeded fourth, is the only area team in the main draw and will receive a first-round bye.  Wrestling  Three Suburban One League divisions - the Colonial, Freedom and Liberty, will hold tournaments on Tuesday - in preparation for next week's PIAA District One-North tournament. Also, four area teams - Council Rock South, Quakertown, La Salle and Faith Christian - took part in last week's PIAA Dual-Meet Tournament in Hershey. 

Winter high school sports talk highlighted by four area girls' players each scoring their 1,000th-points last week - a rare feat indeed, and even rarer that so many did it at the same time. On the boys' side, we talk about the big win by La Salle High over Archbishop Wood and how the district tournament for both boys and girls is quickly approaching. And, in wrestling, we talk about Council Rock South and Faith Christian winning PIAA District One Dual-Meet Tournament titles. A weekly podcast that's all about winter sports in the Bux-Mont area with Drew Markol and Daryl Bell of the Intelligencer/Courier Times sports staff. Girls basketball Four area players - Abington's Cire Worley, Central Bucks South's Taylor Hinkle, Central Bucks West's Emily Spratt and Hatboro-Horsham's Alice Hall - all scored their 1,000th career points last week. An odd coincidence to have that many players all reach the milestone within a few days of each other. Boys basketball We also talked La Salle High defeating Archbishop Wood, handing the Vikings their first Philadelphia Catholic League loss of the season. Also, Wood senior Justin Moore scored his 1,000th point against the Explorers. Wrestling The PIAA District One Class 2A and 3A Dual-Meet tournaments finished up as Faith Christian won the title for the fourth-straight time in Class 2A and Council Rock South defeated Quakertown in the championship match to win its fourth Class 3A title in the last six years.