BLUE DEVIL DISPATCH 2-10-2010

BOYS’

BASKETBALL

G-A’s boys’ basketball squad (11-7, 6-1 MPC-Capital Division) stayed extremely hot last week with a  shockingly easy win over Shippensburg. A low-scoring and slow opening quarter changed into a race that the Blue Devils won in a rout at 72-47. The win kept G-A in a first-place tie atop the Mid-Penn Conference Capital Division and set up a showdown with the other frontrunner, Big Spring. That game was postponed Friday because of the snow storm and was played Monday.

After a quarter the Devil took control with a 13-0 roll and kept going to score 68 of the 72 points in the final three frames. In the end the Devils had recorded 21 assists in the 25-point win. Christian Hoover topped the leader board with 21 points and five assists. Nathan Pool and Jerrick Gembe each put in 11 and Eric Baymon added nine points and nine assists. Eric Schanzenbacher had five rebounds.

The Greencastle-Antrim boys’ basketball team claimed the Mid-Penn Conference Capital Division championship Monday night with a 59-49 victory over Big Spring.

G-A was scheduled for the weekend Dunks For Drew at Chambersburg against Milton Hershey. The event has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13. G-A plays at 6 p.m.

The junior varsity Devils also went for the 25-point spread in a 75-50 final. With 16 points each were Denver Cordell and Tyler Szaflarski. Trenton Springs put in 12.

GIRLS’

 BASKETBALL

The Blue Devils (8-10, 4-3 MPC-Capital) have their playoff hopes on the line in the final two games of the regular season after a two-loss week.

G-A had a nail biter Monday, going into overtime with non-conference Biglerville before the Canners prevailed 54-53. A bucket that would have won it for the Devils in regulation didn’t got through and the Devils struggled at the foul line. Jenna Crunkleton led all scorers with 24 points. Tache Smothers was in for nine points and four steals. Rachelle Piper contributed eight points and Katrina Wright pulled nine rebounds.

The Devils took to the road the next night against division foe Shippensburg. The Hounds came out eight points up in the opening quarter and the Devil never covered the ground. Wright neared a double-double with 10 rebounds and eight points. Alex Nicastro added seven points and blocked three shots. Smothers notched three steals.

G-A’s scheduled game Friday against Big Spring was postponed until Wednesday, Feb. 10.

The junior varsity Devils came up short, 34-26, at Biglerville, but edged out Ship, 41-40 behind 15 points from Brooke Strait.

WRESTLING

G-A’s wrestling team (4-6, 4-5 MPC-Capital) had one last dual match before prepping for the postseason in the Franklin County Tournament. The tourney was rescheduled to Monday because of the snow and the visit to Waynesboro was not the best of days in a 57-15 loss to the non-divisional match.

The Blue Devils managed just three bout wins over the Indians. Bobby McPhearson got the first points of the evening on the board for the Devils at 130 pounds with a 10-8 decision. Tyler Ezolt stayed unbeaten on the season with a first-period pin at 152. At 160 Brennen Bickford followed up with a pin in 1:09. Despite some close bouts by Dylan Schaeffer at 171, Tanner Maloy at 135 and Todd DeWalt at 189, the Devils couldn’t find any more team points. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Wrestling

The middle school wrestling team pulled off a dramatic 37-34 victory over Waynesboro in the final match of the season as one of the smallest Blue Devil grapplers came up big in the last bout of the night.

Trailing 34-31, Wyatt Binkley dominated his 80-pound bout and made it a pin in the second period to push G-A over the top. The Devils set the tone early by winning five of the first six bouts. Cody Carbaugh (100) had a pin, Aaron Grossman (110) a major decision, Wade Rider (105) and Ryan Wolf (115) regular decisions and Nick Silva (95) a forfeit. Dexter Miller (138) and Walker Kinzey (165) broke up some Waynesboro runs down the stretch before Binkley secured the winning moment.

The G-AMS wrestlers ended the dual meet season with a 7-4 record.

Boys’ Basketball

G-A’s freshman team (10-1) stayed dominant last week by dumping Waynesboro (53-40) and Mercersburg Academy (50-23). The Devils led 31-18 at the half over the Braves and added 11 to the deficit after the third. Waynesboro made a run in the fourth to no avail. “I like the energy and effort we started with,” said G-A coach Jerry Englehart. “We are playing good, fundamental basketball.” Zach Faulkner put in 13 to lead the Devils and Josh Young added 10.

Young led all scorers with 14 points in the win over the Academy, which G-A held to single digits in each of the four quarters. Englehart said, “We had good, balanced scoring and our defense continues to play well.”

The eighth-grade Devils went into overtime with Waynesboro and came out with a 44-43 win.

In seventh-grade action, Waynesboro won 39-22. Justin Smalls led G-A with eight points.

Girls’ Basketball

The eighth-grade Blue Devils defeated Waynesboro 24-13 after a 12-0 start. Moriah Woods was in for eight points to lead the way.

In seventh-grade action, G-A pulled off a 17-15 victory over the Maidens.