ELYSBURG — When it comes to athletic success, the teams and individual athletes from North Schuylkill High School have excelled at the county, district and state levels.
That has been the case in team sports and events that emphasize individual talent requiring a certain star quality. As the warmer days of June gather momentum and spring exits with today’s official arrival of summer, the last thing on the mind of most high school students is thinking about their first major competition of the season.
The special group of students who truly can be described as shooting stars and comprise the newest team to represent the Spartans is not comprised of individuals who are like most of their peers. These teenagers are members of the school’s scholastic shotgun team, and like many of the school’s other teams, it has been achieving a measure of success since its formation in March.
Last weekend the Spartans faced a competition they had been anticipating and preparing for since their first weekly practice session at the Ashland Gun Club in Fountain Springs. Competing in the Pennsylvania State Shoot, which concludes today at the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen’s Association at Valley Gun and Country Club, they made an impressive inaugural showing.
Six of the 19 shooters representing the Spartans broke more than 90-of-100 clay birds. Junior Division competitors Scott Wagner, the son of coach Craig Wagner, and Domenic Caruso led the way with scores of 97; Ryan Oswald and Paul Ahrensfield had 96s; and Nikki Harris had a 93. Colton Fey was the top Sub-Junior for the Spartans with a 93.
Scott Wagner, a professional electrician, has been turning on youth to trap shooting for years as the driving force behind the annual free shoot for ages 8-16 held every summer at the Ashland Gun Club. Trophies are awarded to the four age-group and overall champions, but the main thrust of the event is to expose youngsters to the lifetime sport of trap.
“Hazleton is the only other high school in our area that has a trap team, and some of the kids thought it would be a good idea if they had a team at North Schuylkill,” Wagner said. “It was my son, Scott, and his friend Mitch Roshannon, the student council president, who really got the ball rolling.
“They not only built interest among the students, but they also made a presentation to the school board. When it came time for the board to vote on the team being allowed to form, I went to the meeting prepared to present our case, but that wasn’t necessary because it passed on the spot.
“Once we had the approval, we began in March to have Thursday evening practice sessions at the club, and we now have 23 members on the books. Of course, with baseball, family vacations and other summertime activities, most of the time there are between 10-15 shooters, but considering what’s involved and the commitment needed, that’s not bad.”
That commitment involves both time and money, as most team members have to rely on family members or friends to attend practices. They are also responsible for supplying the clothing, equipment and extras needed to compete. While items such as hearing protection, shooting glasses and vests are relatively inexpensive one-time purchases, serious shooters soon learn their pheasant gun is not going to allow them to challenge shooters who compete with shotguns designed for trap shooting. The biggest “extra” expense is for the purchase of shells or reloading supplies.
“Let’s face it, these kids have to love this because they are making a big commitment,” Wagner said. “A lot of them are hunters, but many are here simply because they have discovered how much fun it is to shoot clay birds.
“This isn’t an inexpensive sport, and it’s not just buying shells, but there’s also travel involved to compete every month at Amateur Trapshooting Association registered clubs.’’
Although the Spartans failed to win any hardware at the PSSA AIM competition, Wagner believes the experience will benefit them in future events. Thus far the Junior Division team has placed first, Mark Scott was the first-place individual and Blake Rothermel the Sub-Junior runner-up in zone competition.
“These kids are proud to represent their school and also Schuylkill County,” Wagner said. “It’s amazing how many people have stepped forward to help the team and are so happy to see something like this at the high school level.”
For information on becoming a supporter of the North Schuylkill trap team, contact Craig Wagner at (570) 875-2094 or (717) 989-1696.