BLUE DEVILS DISPATCH 2-2-11

BOYS’

BASKETBALL

Denver Cordell was able to level the playing field of a seesaw Mid-Penn Conference Colonial Division matchup with Shippensburg last week. Cordell collared a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, coming through for the Blue Devils (10-6, 6-2 MPC-Colonial) each time they needed a boost in a 70-60 victory over Shippensburg. Cordell added three steals and three blocked shots in the game where G-A posted an 11-point lead at the half.

The Greyhounds responded to open the second half, and three Devils were sidelined by the foul tally board. Cordell was undaunted and led the Devils on an 11-4 run that put them back in control. Solid support was provided by Seth Sprague with 10 points and Tyler Szaflarski and Zach Faulkner with eight each. Sprague added four steals.

G-A traveled to Wrightsville Saturday to take on the defending district championship Eastern York Golden Knights in a non-divisional skirmish. The Devils gave the Knights a run for their money, forcing 11 first-half turnovers and trailing by just two at the half and four after three stanzas. Eastern York responded in the fourth quarter with a 21-8 run. Cordell led the G-A tally with 18 points and went again into the double-double with 11 rebounds.

In junior varsity action, Ship dropped G-A, 51-46. Brandon Puffenbarger sank nine for the Devils. Eastern York won on its home court, 48-21 over the Devils.

GIRLS’

BASKETBALL

Greencastle-Antrim (8-11, 3-4 MPC-Colonial) traveled to Shippensburg and with its two leading scorers sidelined the Hounds prevailed 58-40. The Hounds opened up an 11-point advantage in the first half and didn’t let up the rest of the way. Lauren Grove netted 11 points for the Devils. Caitlyn and Chloe Hoover each put in 10. Rachel Kline grabbed 11 rebounds and had three blocked shots. Malaya Maloy had three steals.

In a makeup game Saturday afternoon the Devils regrouped from a slow start, but couldn’t cover the gap in a 65-49 loss to non-league Dover. Lauren Grove connected for 18 points. Kline and Caitlyn Hoover had six points and five rebounds each.

The junior varsity Devils fell 40-34 to Ship and 52-37 to Dover.

WRESTLING

A good start wasn’t enough as Greencastle-Antrim (0-6, 0-6 MPC-Colonial) mustered just one bout win after that in a 60-15 Mid-Penn Conference Colonial Division setback to Northern.

Cody Carbaugh (103) and Wade Rider (112) set a good tone for the Devils with pins in the opening two bouts. Carbaugh used under a minute for his fall. Rider went into the second period. But only Bobby McPherson’s decision at 140 broke a long string of Polar Bear wins after that. McPherson edged his opponent, 5-3. In a number of spots the Devils yielded pins to the Bears. Rusty Pine (119) and Josh Pluta (189) each battled well in dropping close decisions.

Carbaugh and Rider carried the momentum into the Elizabethtown Challenge Saturday. Each brought home titles from the tournament. Carbaugh did nothing but pin his way to the top — his longest match being 2:43. Rider worked his way through decisions to get to the title bout where he secured a 2:11 pin.

McPherson captured third in a tough 140-pound weight class. With two pins and two technical falls McPherson worked his way to the top three in the class.

G-A had several other placers as Jake Heuer (125) and Devin Statler (130) were fourth with 2-3 records. Also competing for the Devils were Brennen Bickford, Matt Nardi and Ryan Wolf.

For the event, G-A was sixth out of eight teams with 104.5 points. Host Elizabethtown won with 248.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Middle school scores made available are as follows:

Boys’ basketball vs. Shippensburg — freshmen, 40-32 win; eighth-grade, 53-23 loss; seventh-grade, 44-15 loss.

Girls’ basketball vs. Shippensburg — freshmen, 34-25 win.

Girls’ basketball vs. Dover — freshmen, 52-37 win.