Area athletes moving on

Carlisle Area School District board of directors hired a new football coach Thursday night but that's not the only thing going on today. We had three football and/or baseball players announce their next destination this afternoon.

Trinity baseball player Will Kerr will play collegiate ball at perennial PSAC power California while Mechanicsburg's Tarik Leftenant will continue his exploits as an explosive running back under Jay Foster at resurgent Clarion of the PSAC.

Moving up a level, Mechanicsburg's Nik Cremo will call the Southeastern Conference his next home and play football for legendary coach Steve Spurrier at the University of South Carolina. Cremo made 20 of 25 extra points as a senior and booted six field goals to help Mechanicsburg qualify for the District 3 Class AAA playoffs two years in a row.

Leftenant, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, finished third in the area last fall with 1,003 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Leftenant's late touchdown on a screen pass from quarterback James Rusenko in the closing minutes of a District 3-AAA first-round contest was called back due to a hold. The touchdown would have made the score 35-35 but the Wildcats lost, 35-28.

Kerr is having an outstanding year for the unbeaten Shamrocks baseball team. Kerr is batting .375 (9-for-12) and has a 4-0 record as a pitcher with a 3.20 ERA in 16 innings with 21 strikeouts and eight walks.