BLUE DEVIL DISPATCH 2-3-10
BOYS’
BASKETBALL
The Blue Devils (10-7, 4-1 MPC-Capital Division) made the week memorable. Not only did they knock off a pair of rivals (by an identical 22 points each), G-A kept itself in the hunt for a divisional title and clinched a district playoff berth.
First off the Devils had to travel to Waynesboro, but the navy and gold barely flinched in dismantling the Indians 68-46. G-A used an array of weapons to collect the win, including eight shots from beyond the arc, being strong in the paint and on defense. The Devils held the Tribe to single digits in each of the opening two quarters en route to a 28-14 halftime advantage. Waynesboro narrowed the gap to 10 in the third, but G-A reacted by pulling away for the 22-point final spread.
Eric Baymon put in a game-high 17 points and added three steals and five assists. Dyshean Workman and Christian Hoover put in 10 a piece and Andrew Zeger rang up nine. Eric Schanzenbacher and Seth Sprague pulled five rebounds each.
G-A’s student section was frenzied even before the tip as James Buchanan came to town Friday and the basketball team didn’t miss a beat in rolling to an 81-59 win to the delight of the fans. The Rockets put up a fight early, but the Blue Devils proved too much and set a tone with a 15-1 run toward the 22-point win. The Devils widened the score to 56-35 going into the fourth when the scoring came often for both teams to play out the game. The win assured the Devils of making it into the district playoffs.
Baymon was the high scorer again with a double-double at 20 points and 10 assists. He added seven rebounds. Sprague was also on fire, tossing in a career-high 19 points. Hoover added 16 and Schanzenbacher put in 11 with eight rebounds.
The junior varsity Devils had just one game on the week and came out well with a 55-42 verdict over Waynesboro. With 15 points each were Denver and Denton Cordell and Corey Meyers tossed in 11.
GIRLS’
BASKETBALL
The Greencastle-Antrim girls’ team (8-8, 4-2 MPC-Capital) had an equally successful week, also downing both Waynesboro and James Buchanan and evening its overall record to .500.
The Blue Devils turned back a rally from the Maidens in the second quarter to stand up with a 52-32 victory. A balanced scoring attack helped as did a solid defensive effort in the second half. Waynesboro narrowed G-A’s halftime lead to four, however the Devils held the Maidens to just 10 second-half points and inserted 24.
Jenna Crunkleton was high for the Devils at nine points. Eight other players scored, including Rachelle Piper (eight), Alex Nicastro (eight) and Caitlyn Hoover (seven). Piper added five boards and three assists. Nicastro pulled five rebounds. Tache Smothers had six steals.
G-A then went west for two games. First up was non-conference McConnellsburg which the Blue Devils easily dismantled 59-17. Smothers dumped in 15 to lead the way, while Jenna Crunkleton and Nicastro each added nine. Piper collected nine rebounds and Charmayne McFadden delivered three assists. Rachel Kline, Hoover and Smothers had three steals each.
A tougher chore awaited in Mercersburg as the Devils and Rockets are both looking for a postseason berth. G-A started off like gang busters with 10 points each in the first half from Piper and Smothers and a 33-15 halftime lead. Just like Waynesboro, the Rockets had some left and surged in the third quarter (16-4) only to be halted by the Devils for the final 12-point spread.
Piper tallied 14 points and seven rebounds. Smothers contributed a dozen points and seven steals.
In junior varsity action, G-A clipped the Maidens 36-21 with 10 points from Malaya Maloy, eight from Brooke Strait and seven from Cassey Cordell. The Little Blue Devils dropped a 39-23 game to McConnellsburg and 26-22 to JB.
WRESTLING
The Blue Devil wrestlers (4-6, 4-5 MPC-Capital) flexed its muscles in the Mid-Penn Conference Capital division last week and in front of the home crowd. Everything aligned G-A’s way to bypass Susquehanna Township 45-29. G-A kept on a roll with a 51-27 win over Camp Hill on Senior Night.
G-A built a 19-point lead over the Indians as Todd DeWalt (189), Rusty Pine (103) and Tanner Maloy (135) each secured pins, Bobby McPhearson (130) had a major decision and Dustin Maynard (215) and Jake Heuer (112) got forfeit points. Township rebounded with three consecutive wins, a pin, decision and technical fall. That left the team match up to a pair of senior grapplers and G-A couldn’t have found a better pair to rely on. Tyler Ezolt pinned his opponent in the third period at 160 and at 171 Dylan Schaeffer worked a tech fall to shore up the Devil win.
The Blue Devils used bonus points well to rack up a 51-27 victory over Camp Hill. G-A built up a big lead as Schaeffer punched in a major decision at 171 and DeWalt pinned his opponent at 189. A few forfeits and G-A was up 28-0. Heuer with a pin at 119 and McPhearson with a tech fall at 130 broke up the Lions’ best run, but a pin from Chris Kinzey at 145 was key and Ezolt put down the lock with a forfeit at 160.
Ezolt remains unbeaten on the season at 18-0. DeWalt is 17-1 and Schaeffer is 14-3.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Boys’ Basketball
G-A’s freshman team (8-1) chalked up a pair of runaway wins last week, clipping James Buchanan 47-30 and Shippensburg 62-47.
The Rockets kept up with the Devils early but G-A just gained speed as it went, ending with a 15-0 rout in the fourth quarter. Gabe Fridgen led all scorers with 14 points and Zach Faulkner put in a dozen. “JB was much improved from the first game we played,” said G-A head coach Jerry Englehart.
The Blue Devils built a 38-17 lead in the first half and held off Shippensburg in the second for the win. Josh Young rang up 18 points and Fridgen claimed 16. Englehart said, “We did a good job of making the extra pass to get the open shot.”
The eighth-grade Devils posted a pair of wins last week, 35-27 over JB and 38-27 over Shippensburg.
In seventh-grade action, G-A prevailed over JB 37-26 and dropped a close 34-31 game to Ship.
Girls’ Basketball
The Blue Devil freshmen team more than doubled up on Milton Hershey in a 43-21 final. Mackenzie Gayman was high for the Devils at nine points. Katie Gelsinger contributed eight.
G-A put up a consistent effort against Shippensburg for a 40-35 win. Chloe Hoover topped the scoring with 18 points. Mary Ward had 10.
In results for the previous week, the Devils beat Boonsboro 40-30. Hoover was high with 15 points and Gelsinger put in 12.
The eighth-grade Devils trailed 27-23 going into the final stanza, but surged for a 10-2 quarter and a two-point victory at 29-27. Ashlynn Schaeffer had 11 points and Abbey Pool 10. G-A dropped a 27-21 final to Ship.
In seventh-grade action, it was also close with JB as G-A prevailed 28-26. Jane Herman put in a dozen points to lead the Devils. G-A dropped its game with Ship in overtime, 21-18. Herman led with six.
Wrestling
G-A’s middle school wrestlers mirrored the performance of the senior circuit with wins over Susquehanna Township (58-41) and Camp Hill (52-31).
Posting bout victories over Township were Hunter Heuer (75), Wyatt Binkley (80) and Wade Rider (105), Ryan Wolf (115) and Jensen Stoner (155) by forfeit; Eugene Byers (90) by major decision; Nick Silva (95), Cody Carbaugh (100), Nick Datillio (130) and Jared Starliper (145) by pin.
In the Camp Hill match the Devils dominated with pins. Recording the falls were Heuer (75), Silva (95), Carbaugh (100), Dexter Miller (138), Starliper (145) and Stoner (155). Byers also got bonus points for the Devils with a major decision at 90 pounds. Decisions came from Aaron Grossman (100) and Wolf (115). Getting a forfeit win was Binkley (80).
