Winning in basketball is comprised of many things.

Typically, among these factors are winning the rebounding game against your opponent and another is shooting baskets with a relatively high percentage of success.

For the Donegal boys' basketball team, Monday evening's game at Warwick, it was the Warriors who had the upper hand in rebounding while the Indians' shooting percentage fell as the game went on.

The Indians thus ended their season with a 62-38 loss in the opening round of the District Three Class 5A boys' basketball playoffs.

"We had a great start to the game, ending the first quarter ahead 19-16," Donegal head coach Ryan Shipper stated. "Unfortunately for us, we only scored 19 points throughout the next three quarters."

Warwick outrebounded Donegal 39-24.

"We shot 19.5% from the floor for the game," Shipper pointed out. "Warwick did a tremendous job defensively and shot the ball very well."

On offense, Caleb Johnsen led Warwick with 16 points, including four treys and Ya'Majesty Washington added 12.

Evyan Patel and DeAndre White led the Indians, scoring nine points each. James Turbedsky scored seven.

Donegal's 2022-23 campaign featured victories that proved the team's resilience throughout the regular season. The team finished strong, winning six of its final eight Lancaster-Lebanon League games. The Indians didn't lose sight of their winning ways, waging that final stretch of eight games right after a 57-41 mid-January loss to Eastern York.

"I am pleased with the season as a whole," said Shipper. "As a program, I believe we took a step in the right direction."

While Patel and Turbedsky would be returning seniors next year, the program will say good-bye to this year's seniors - Cole Hess, Noah Rohrer, Ezequiel Amaro, Dutch Good, Mason Pavelik and Eliezer Kabamba.

"We will miss our seniors and the leadership they've brought," said Shipper. "But I'm excited to help develop our younger players into leaders and help them reach their goals."

Warwick, the sixth-ranked team in the District Three 5A brackets, improved to 16-6, earning a spot in the quarterfinals. The Indians wrapped up their season at 14-9.

WRESTLING

The Donegal wrestlers competed at the District Three Class 3A Section Two tournament, which was held at Hempfield High School on Saturday, February 18. Senior Nicholai Brotzman claimed the gold medal at the 285-pound weight class while Dan Viselli earned silver at 215.

Ruben Mumper and sophomore Caidyn Leaf also advanced.

"Brotzman has been the heart and soul of our team all year on the mat," said Nick Evans, the Indians' coach. "He was confident going in. He went 3-0 and just looked really good.

"Hopefully, he will make the state tournament," continued the coach.

After a 59 second quarterfinals pin, Brotzman pinned a victory over Treson Spahr of Lampeter-Strasburg, setting up the title bout against Caleb Mussmon of Hempfield.

"He beat Caleb in leagues by one point," Evans recalled. "This time he separated. He had three takedowns, so it was nice win."

Brotzman won it on a 6-2 decision.

Mumper earned third place at 152. He had qualified for regionals last year also.

After Mumper had majored Kaden Kemp of Township 12-4, Ryan Garvik of Central Dauphin won on a fall in the semis.

"The Central Dauphin kid was ranked in the state," Evans noted. "Ruben wrestled well."

In the third-place match, he defeated Mason Bucks of Palmyra 6-3.

Leaf was one of the impressive Donegal sophomores at the tournament. In his first consolation match, he won a double overtime ride-out 2-1 against Gabe Sanchez of Warwick. Christian Burd of Hershey, who had sent Leaf to the consis with a 9-2 win, won the third-place match in a much closer 3-0 final.

In a battle between Viselli, a 10th-seeded sophomore, and Rayshawn Johnson, a senior from Susquehanna Township, the Donegal underclassman pinned 1:15 into the bout. He also posted a pin in the quarterfinals before battling to an 11-9 victory in the semis.

"It was a take 'em down, reverse, back-and-forth match," Evans said. "I was ecstatic.

"He then faced three-time section champ Jose Garcia, a senior from McCaskey and a two-time state qualifier," Evans pointed out.

Garcia won the gold at 215 with a first-period pin.

To say the performance impressed the coach might be an understatement.

"Dan went 3-1 and that's an amazing story," said Evans. "I'll probably use his story through the rest of my career at Donegal. He had a look about him that he wrestled without any pressure."

Wrestling in the fifth-place match in the 121-pound weight class, Noah Hinkel worked a 10-2 major decision over Palmyra's Nathaniel Foltz.

"His weight class was the toughest in the tournament," said the Donegal coach. "The top three kids in that weight class were all ranked in the state.

"Noah finished fifth, so he's the alternate, added Evans, referring to qualifying for South Central 3A Regionals at Spring Grove.

Hinkel's first loss came at the hands of the eventual champ, Marco Tocci of Warwick. In the consolations, he lost to Kamdyn Williams of Manheim Township before posting the victory over Foltz in the fifth-place match.

"Kamdyn Williams is tough," Evans remarked. "He was wrestling in the quarterfinals and had to injury default out. He came back through and made it through to third. Had he not gotten injured, he would have been on the opposite side of us in the brackets."

At 145, Landen Baughman opened with a 7-1 win only to be pitted against the top seeded Matt Repos of Central Dauphin. In the consis, Baughman fell to Ben Williams of Solanco.

Sergio Garcia (172) also went 1-2, opening with a 4-0 decision over Manheim Township's Logan Martin. In a long battle with McCaskey's Kevin Olavarria, Garcia was pinned at the 5:36 mark.

In the consolations, Jack Koons of Warwick outlasted Garcia 4-1.

Donegal finished eighth with 95 team points. Central Dauphin, with four first-place and three second-place finishers, was tops with 226.5 points while Manheim Central finished a distant second at 131.5.