Last Wednesday, CV boys' basketball faced an undefeated Warwick squad, and were dealt a 65-22 blow. The loss comes as the third in a row for the Bucks, a trend they are looking to reverse as they head into the depth of the season.

The Warriors got ahead early and stayed there, but the Bucks refused to go down without a fight, putting together a strong second quarter effort, led on offense by Austin Wertz who finished with eight points.

On Saturday, January 16, the Bucks suffered a 66-59 setback against Lancaster Mennonite. The close contest came down to the final quarter with free throws playing a major role in the outcome.

With both teams in the bonus, the final minutes were marked by trips up and down the court to trade free throws. Both teams shot well, but unfortunately for the Bucks, the Blazers saw more opportunity and netted 21-of-25 in comparison to the Buckskins' 12-of-16.

"Currently we are sending teams to the foul line a little more than we would like," noted head coach Jim Shipper. "Defensively we are getting better. It is a work in progress to get us to where we need to be. We will continue to work to improve our man-to-man defense."

Eighteen points from Wertz kept the offense on pace with the Blazers, including Wertz capitalizing on six-of-seven trips to the line. An addition, 11 points from Luke Rumbaugh and seven from Titus York gave the team options on the attack. It is expected that with a few tweaks the team will be functioning at an even higher competitive level soon.

"I feel the offensive rhythm and flow is getting better each day," added Shipper. "We put a few wrinkles in with the offense and I was pleased to see the boys execute and score within those changes."

Limited practice time and constant fluctuations in the season schedule do not help when it comes to conditioning and game-preparedness, but that won't stop the Bucks from pressing on.

"We are making strides and I believe we are starting to form our identity as a team," Shipper concluded.

In an 56-33 loss at Elizabethtown the prior week it was Rumbaugh and York that led the CV offense with 10 and eight points, respectively.

WRESTLING

CV grapplers experienced split results in recent league matchups, falling 42-30 to Manheim Township on the 20th, but triumphing by two points in a close battle over Cocalico the prior week.

Township churned the early momentum in Wednesday's clash hosted by the Bucks, but despite being down, CV started to come back sparked by consecutive falls from Robby Swift at 160 and Nate Kirchner at 172.

Jonathan Lopez (285) was another CV highlight, pinning his opponent at 5:12, but the early deficit was just too large to overcome.

The Buckskin matmen earned their first league victory the previous Thursday, pulling off a narrow, 32-30, triumph over Cocalico on January 14th.

Every bout and point proved crucial in the two-point win, making it a high-stakes event for veteran and new players alike, and the evening featured three key victories for freshmen grapplers Luke Morley (113), Rey Ortiz (120), and Luke Needham (145) who each displayed maturity in addition to boosting their team.

"Even though it was a close dual, they showed discipline and composure," praised head coach Trent Turner.

The Eagles struck first with a fall in the initial 285-pound bout, but CV responded with a trio of consecutive pins from Trent Ruble (106), Morley (113), and Ortiz (120).

Cocalico leveled the score at 18 before another eight-point swing in CV's favor thanks to Keaton Fischer (138) with a technical fall, and Needham's three decision points at 145 pounds.

The Eagles responded, pulling in a collective 12 points in the subsequent three duals, giving Cocalico the 30-26 edge headed into the final two bouts.

CV's Zander Rider came up big for the Bucks, wrestling up a weight class and earning three points by decision to bring the Bucks within one and set the stage for the 215-pound showdown, in which Lopez also earned three points by decision to capture the final lead.

"There was a little pressure on Ander Rider to come in clutch for us and he did-and so did Jonathan Lopez when he pulled out the final bout of the night with a winning decision," acknowledged Turner. "We're young, but we showed a lot of heart."

BOWLING

CV bowling continued their hot streak, rolling over Lebanon, 7-0, last Tuesday for their second league sweep, giving them the distinction of the only Section Two team without any losses on their record in the second week of competition.

Up and coming talent was on display as freshman high-roller Ryan Muckle once again won the day with his 214-203-253 series, totaling 670.

The impressive performance was infectious for CV. Cooper Tardibuono supplied a 610, and a trio of Lady Buckskin bowlers rounded out the top five totals of the day.

Haley Jack's 578, Jocelyn Ross' 576, and Annabel Whitton's 563 all surpassed Lebanon's high series of the day, a 530 by Mark Fake.

"We have added a few new faces that are helping us compete in Section Two and definitely complement our returning bowlers," noted head coach Douglas Davidson. "The motto has been thus far to continue what we started, and by all means have fun."

RIFLE

The rifle team hosted Garden Spot last Tuesday and fell behind the Spartans 494-490.

CV's Wyatt Stauffer nailed a 100 to lead the Buckskin effort. Edison Stauffer put up the Bucks next highest score with a 99, Adam Zook posted a 98, Sierra Land a 97, and Grady Ray a 96.

While the Spartans also had only one 100, supplied by Leksi Bender, the remaining Spartan top five all shot 98 or 99 to pull away with the win.