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Thursday, November 14, 2002

By Mike White and Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writers

SCHOOL: Penn-Trafford

	Lindsay Yeargers: 35 goals the past two years. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

WHO IS SHE? A senior forward on the Penn-Trafford girls' soccer team that has made it to the PIAA Class AAA championship game.

SEASON: Yeargers is the team's second-leading goal scorer with 17 goals. She has helped Penn-Trafford to a 21-3-1 record, and the Warriors will play for the PIAA title Saturday in Hershey.

CAREER: Yeargers has been a starter since her sophomore year and scored 18 goals as a junior.

BIG-GAME PLAYER: Yeargers has scored three goals in the postseason. She had one in a 2-1 WPIAL semifinal victory against Butler and two in a 5-2 victory against Schenley in the first round of the PIAA playoffs. "I think I do better in the bigger games with tougher opponents," Yeargers said.

PASSING FANCY: Yeargers leads the team in assists with 28. She has doubled her assists total from a year ago. Many of Yearger's assists have set up senior Nicole Mannella, who has 29 goals. "Nicole, myself and Jen Lyman really work well together," Yeargers said. "I actually think I'm better at getting assists than goals."

Penn-Trafford Coach Mike Sapsara said: "What Lindsay does isn't usually in the newspapers or score sheets. She's a playmaker and is in a unique position because we have her play with her back to the goal most of the time."

CHAMPIONSHIP MATERIAL? Penn-Trafford lost in the WPIAL title game the past two seasons to Upper St. Clair. Those losses have made the Warriors hungry to win the PIAA title.

"Teams from the eastern side of the state are really good," Yeargers said. "But I think we'll do well. We're so excited. It was overwhelming beating Butler [in the PIAA semifinals]. It was probably the best moment in my life so far."

THE FUTURE: Yeargers, who has a 3.4 grade point average, hopes to play college soccer. Robert Morris is recruiting her.

-- By Mike White

SCHOOL: Thomas Jefferson

WHO IS HE: A 6-foot, 185-pound senior running back/defensive back for the football team. The Jaguars (11-0) will play Hopewell (10-1) in a WPIAL Class AAA semifinal Friday.

PAST WEEK: Drager carried 30 times for 166 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-0 quarterfinal victory against Keystone Oaks. He scored on runs of 1, 4, 12 and 18 yards and set up another touchdown with a 67-yard kickoff return.

SEASON: He has rushed 229 times for 1,970 yards and has scored 41 touchdowns. He also has caught 16 passes for 268 yards and has returned four punts for touchdowns.

CAREER: A two-year starter, Drager has rushed 343 times for 2,499 yards, caught 31 passes for 452 yards and scored 53 touchdowns.

GOOD RETURNER: Drager gets a lot of recognition for his performance at running back, but Thomas Jefferson Coach Bill Cherpak said he might be better at returning kicks and punts. "I think the key is his elusiveness," Cherpak said. "He's a threat to go all the way every time he gets the ball kicked to him."

SECOND SPORT: Football is Drager's favorite sport, but he is also the starting point guard on the basketball team. Last year, he averaged 13 points per game, but he only plays it to stay in shape for football.

LESSON LEARNED: Last season Drager was on his way to having a breakout year, but he was suspended by Cherpak for academic difficulties. He missed several games while he worked on improving his grades. "That was a long stretch, but it made me realize that took things, football and school, for granted and I needed to get in gear. I should have stayed on top of my grades, but I am glad that I learned that lesson while I still had the chance to correct it," he said. Drager has a 3.6 GPA.

FUTURE: Drager will play football in college. He is being recruited mostly by small Division I schools and a number of Division I-AA schools.

-- By Paul Zeise