THE SPORTS REPORTS: HORSEHEADS' LIMONCELLI NAMED 'COACH OF THE SPRING;' FIVE BRADFORD COUNTY COACHES EARN ALL-REGION RECOGNITION (2025-07-21)

The Sports Reports
Horseheads baseball coach Jeff Limoncelli started his career in 1999 with a state title. Twenty-six years later, in his final season, he reached the pinnacle for the second time. He is The Sports Report 2025 All-Region "Coach of the Spring."

Limoncelli directed the Blue Raiders to a Sectional IV title for a school-record fourth straight year.

Horseheads then won 1-0 in the state quarterfinals, and 2-0 in the semifinals, behind All-Region "Player of the Year" Mason Holloway.

Horseheads beat Fox Lane, 6-5, the Class AA championship game.

Limoncelli amassed more than 400 wins as coach of the Blue Raiders in his career.

2025 All-Region Coaches of the Spring
Jeff Limoncelli, Horseheads baseball: See above.

Paul Richmond, Horseheads softball: Richmond led the Blue Raiders to their first state final since 2008 and led them past state-ranked Vestal in the Section IV title game.

Horseheads won a pair state playoff games, including a 6-5 win over Clarkstown South in the semifinals, before dropping a 3-1 decision to Orchard Park in the Class AA finals.

MaKaylah Leljedal, Northeast Bradford softball: Leljedal pulled all the right levers in getting the team to make history.

After an up-and-down regular season, the Panthers were able to pull out an NTL division title, but didn’t stop there. They claimed their first District 4 title in seven years, and made it to the state finals for the first time in program history. 

Rusty Virkler, Owego flag football: Virkler led the Owego flag football program to new heights this spring, returning to the New York State Class C Final Four again, but this time coaching the River Hawks one step further to a berth in the Class C championship game.

Virkler coached the team to an undefeated regular season, going 12-0, before going on to win the Section IV Class C title by defeating top-10 state ranked Susquehanna Valley. 

Virkler would coach the River Hawks to three more wins in the state playoffs, including a Regional Final win and a State Semifinal victory, before falling in the NYSPHSAA State Championship in overtime.

Brian Wendela, Athens softball: Wendela engineered quite a turnaround of the Athens softball program, piloting it to its first-ever District 4 title this spring.

The Wildcats were 9-11 in the year prior to Wendela's arrival, and took a step back in his initial season, posting a 5-15 record, but things began to turn around in 2024 with an influx of young talent and some talented veterans, which resulted in a 13-8 season.

This year, Wendela directed the Wildcats to a school-record 21 wins, against just two losses, and the second division title in program history. The crowning moment, however, was wins over Jersey Shore and Central Columbia for the program's first-ever District 4 title.

Wendela also became the first area coach to win a Section IV title (2019 at Waverly) and a District 4 title.

Jamie St. Peter, Cowanesque Valley baseball: St. Peter led the Indians to the best season in program history.

Cowanesque Valley finished the season with a 16-5 record, but won its first-ever District 4 title, and a state playoff game, before seeing its season end in the PIAA, Class A quarterfinals.

Ashlee Marsh, Owego girls lacrosse: Marsh coached OFA to a 12-3 regular season record and a Section IV Class C Championship. 

Owego went on to a Regional title victory over New Paltz, paving the way for her team's run all the way to the New York State Final Four.

Eric Gutierrez, Tioga boys track & field: Gutierrez pulled all the right strings for the Tioga Tigers in 2025. He led Tioga to an IAC South Small School Division title, and an IAC Small School title. The Tigers finished fourth at the Section IV, Class D Championships.

Stephanie Hills, Tioga softball: Hills piloted a young Tioga team to a 15-4 season, a berth in the IAC Small School championship game, and a trip to the Section IV, Class C Championship game.

The Tigers lost twice to Union Springs, ranked sixth in N.Y. State, before beating them in the Class C semifinals. Their other losses were to eventual state finalist Deposit-Hancock, and Athens, which won its first-ever District 4 title.

Mike Bronson, Athens girls track & field: Under Bronson, the Wildcats claimed their 10th consecutive NTL championship.

Athens finished sixth at the District 4, Class 3A Championships, and sent junior Abby Burgess, who won a fourth-place medal in the 100, and senior Sara Bronson to States.



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