It has been nine months since the Hopewell American Legion baseball team finished the summer with an outstanding 23-5 record. Along the way it won the Beaver County championship and went 2-2 in the Region 6 tournament.

Given the general retention capabilities of most teenagers, it's hard to believe that what happened in May, June and July would have an impact on the current Hopewell High School team.

But coach Joe Colella believes the carryover from the summer is one reason the Vikings took a 10-1 overall record and 4-0 mark in Section 3-AAA into yesterday afternoon's section game against Montour. Hopewell went into that contest on a six-game winning streak.

"You know as well as I do that how well you do in the summer can have an effect on the [high school] team," he said. "I don't think there's any question about it."

Colella should know about such things. He is in his 45th season at Hopewell; he also manages the Legion team in the community in the summer. Ten of the 17 players he had on the Legion squad last summer are on the high school team.

It is almost the same team he had last year when the Vikings went 9-9 overall, 4-8 in the section and missed the WPIAL playoffs for an eighth consecutive year.

Injuries were the problem last season. Hopewell had some key players go down early and struggled. By the time they returned to the lineup, the Vikings had too much ground to make up in the standings.

"We tied for third place [in the standings] one year but didn't go to the playoffs because we lost twice to the team we tied," said Colella, who has 617 career victories, of the 2006 season. "We were good enough but things just didn't work out."

Hopewell did not have a senior on the roster a year ago and lacked leadership. That's not a problem these days with six seniors in the starting lineup.

"It makes a big difference," Colella said. "Last year we had no seniors and when guys got hurt, there was nobody to challenge players to step up. This year, that's not a problem. There's a maturity factor and the players are determined to do well."

Key returning players from last season and the summer are pitcher/outfield Max Vogel, pitcher/outfielder Dylan Schwegler, third baseman/pitcher Brad Kubis and outfielder/pitcher Tyler George. Kubis and Vogel are the captains.

Vogel, who is 6 feet 2, will play at Winthrop University in South Carolina next season, while Schwegler is headed to Cleveland State. Campbell University in North Carolina is interested in George and Westminster College and John Carroll have been talking to Kubis.

Vogel hit .318 last season and was 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA on the mound. He pitched a complete game Monday as Hopewell defeated West Allegheny, 7-4, in section action.

Kubis hit .391 and has power. Schwegler, who is 6-3, hit .280 and was 2-0 and George hit .500.

Senior Tyler Miller starts at shortstop and has good speed, Junior Kevin Welsh has been at first with junior Scott Dierdorf behind the plate. Senior Alex Haas is at second and junior Matt Hundenski has been the designated hitter, played in the outfield and pitched some.

"We play very well defensively," Colella said. "That's been a key for us."

While Vogel, Schwegler and Kubis have been solid on the mound, Colella is the first to admit he doesn't have an ace pitcher. That could hurt the Vikings down the road.

"We don't have that outstanding pitcher who can take you a ways in the playoffs," Colella said. "We've got good pitching and we have a number of guys who can throw, which is good if you get backed up because of bad weather.

"I just don't know how far we can go in the playoffs, assuming we make the playoffs, without that one dominating pitcher. It seems like teams that go a long way have that guy."

The last time Hopewell was in the playoffs was 2000. The Vikings won the WPIAL Class AAA title that season.

Hopewell has not yet played second-place Moon Area -- 7-1 overall, 3-0 in the section -- yet this season. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday afternoon at Moon. They will meet again May 6 at Hopewell.

West Allegheny is in third place in the section with Montour andKeystone Oaks next at 1-2 following Tuesday's action.

"I felt good about this season coming in because of the experience we had coming back," Colella said. "This is a good group of players, of course it's always a lot more fun when you're winning."

Here are the Section 3-AAA baseball standings following Tuesday's games:

Team Section record

Hopewell 4-0

Moon 3-0

West Allegheny 2-1

Montour 1-2

Keystone Oaks 1-2

Chartiers Valley 1-3

McGuffey 0-4