Only eight wrestlers from each weight class were invited to the District III Championships held at Spring Grove on Saturday, February 27th. The CV matmen were honored to have two representatives earn a ticket to the event, freshman Luke Morley at 113 pounds and Trent Ruble competing at 106.

Continued trimming of the winter season meant that only top four finishes in each weight division received medals and only the top three would advance to the Super Regional round on March 6th.

While both Morley (1-2) and Ruble (0-2) finished outside the medals and concluded their post-season journeys, their battle to get there is a noteworthy achievement in itself.

"We're proud to have had Trent and Luke represent our program in the District III Championships," praised head coach Trent Turner.

Morley fought back after a first-round defeat to pick up a decision win that would have put him in contention for fifth place during a normal season.

As a freshman, Morley is just getting started, and will have plenty to prove in coming seasons, including defending his Sectional title, a distinction that hasn't been earned by a freshman since 1994.

Overall, the Buckskins conclude their 20-21 campaign at 7-5, making it the 12th consecutive winning record for the CV grapplers, further evidence of their commitment to hard work and a legacy of success.

"It has been a very challenging season on many fronts and to have had another winning season with a young team is something that this group of wrestlers, parents and coaches can be proud of," summarized Turner. "This one took a lot of sacrifice and commitment."

BOWLING

In true 2021 fashion, the LL Single Bowling Tournaments were delayed a week due to inclement weather. The boys' tournament took place Wednesday, February 24th and CV's Robbie Jack earned a fifth-place finish to represent the Buckskins.

Jack's day started out strong and the senior led all bowlers after the initial round of five games, amassing a score of 1106 while rolling his strongest game of the round in the second with a 240.

Joining Jack in the top 20 and advancing to round two was teammate Ryan Muckle in 16th with a first-round total of 892.

In the second round, Jack's numbers got even stronger, rolling a 248 and 246 as part of a four-game collection, but the other bowlers were heating up as well causing Jack to slip down in the rankings to third, just behind Tyler Miller of Warwick and Darren Zombro III of Elizabethtown.

With more in the tank, Jack produced his highest score of the day, a 276, in his first head-to-head matchup, easily overcoming Northern Lebanon's Fred Staley.

Jack's journey came to a halt in the subsequent showdown where he faced eventual second place winner Eberly who out-rolled Jack by six pins to advance (197-191).

Muckle, the CV freshman in the bunch, was limited to a second-round performance, with an 11th place finish just shy of the top ten who would participate in the stepladder portion of competition.

The girls took to the lanes the following day and three Lady Buckskins represented with finishes in the top 20 of the League. Haley Jack claimed 11th with her 838-pin total, Jocelyn Ross 17th (753), and Annabel Whitton 20th (743).

"All bowlers competed and gave their best," praised coach Douglas Davidson.

Muckle also had separately qualified for the PIAA District III championships held at Hiester Lanes in Reading on February 27th. Though Muckle did not advance beyond the qualifying rounds, he picked up valuable experience in his debut season.

"Ryan did well for a freshman and for a first-time experience bowling against seniors and juniors," noted Davidson. "I was proud of how he handled the adversity of the shot and the scores. He will grow from this experience and be back to compete."

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

The Lady Bucks basketball club ended their grueling season on a high note, claiming a 61-53 win over McCaskey for their third victory of the tumultuous season.

Taylor Hehnly poured in 18 points to lead the Bucks including a six-of-ten showing at the line. Two more Lady Buckskins finished in double digits, with 14 points coming from Rebecca Hartranft and another 11 from Ashley Cirilo.

The Lady Bucks have been working with a very small roster and together have faced cancellation, injuries, quarantines, and a jam-packed schedule to name a few of the obstacles in their way, but in their final showdown they pulled it all together for a true team win.

All seven CV players contributed to the scoreboard, and the Bucks outscored the Tornados in all four quarters in the validating the final triumph.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

Despite falling to McCaskey (74-63) and Bishop McDevitt (81-42) in back-to-back contests during the closing weekend of their season, the CV boys' basketball team can look back on the growth and achievements of their 6-11 season with the knowledge they overcame a lot of adversity to even complete a 17-game season.

Lead scorer and senior Luke Rumbaugh finished strong, continuing to pace the Buckskin offense with 17 points in their hard-fought, closing battle against McCaskey on February 27th.

Rumbaugh's aptitude for the long-range shot has been displayed all season, and the McCaskey game was no exception, as he added a trio of three-point baskets to boost his season-long tally to 37.

Cameron Swinton and Cooper McCloud paired up for 11 points apiece to balance the Buckskin offense.

In the previous evenings pairing against Bishop McDevitt, it was junior Austin Wertz who led the Bucks with a dozen points.