Hempfield remained unbeaten (6-0) with a decisive 6-1 victory over Ephrata on Wednesday, September 14.

The Mountaineers did play a pair of very close doubles matches. Megan Wendell and Lindsay Over outlasted Grace Willetts and Lanie Reinhold 9-8 (7-3) at second doubles. At number three doubles Nancy Winand and Selena Felices won 9-7.

Alex Gregory and Lydia Sullivan, who were straight set winners at number one and number two singles, respectively, took the number one doubles 8-3. Wendell won 6-3, 6-1 at number three singles.

The Knights were coming off a 7-0 win at Cedar Crest the previous Thursday. Sophie Carson paired up with Sullivan for a 9-7 number one doubles win. Gregory and Wendell were 8-0 winners and Winand paired up with Felices for an 8-2 triumph at third doubles.

Carson took the first singles 6-2, 6-4 with Gregory (6-3, 6-2) winning at number two. Sullivan cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win and Wendell won 6-1, 6-2.

BOYS' SOCCER

The Knights played Section One rival Manheim Township to a scoreless draw on Tuesday, September 13. It was a change from the Knights' previous game - an exciting match at non-league Central York on Saturday.

In the Saturday match, the Panthers outlasted the Knights 3-2. In the seesaw battle, Hempfield took a 1-0 lead on Jase Colino's goal. The senior midfielder scored in the 26th minute off a Dylan Luong assist.

The Panthers put two shots into the Hempfield net in a span of six minutes to make it 2-. Senior forward Devin Schmitt scored the equalizer for Hempfield off a Colino assist four minutes into the second half.

The deciding goal came by Nate Kimbell, who scored his second one of the game for CY. It came with seven minutes remaining in regulation.

Andrew Etkin made three saves in goal for the Knights.

VOLLEYBALL

The Hempfield girls' volleyball team stormed out of the gate with three consecutive 3-0 victories over Lancaster-Lebanon League rivals in the early going this season.

On Tuesday, September 13, the Black Knights raised their mark to 3-0 on the year, notching a victory at home over Conestoga Valley.

Addison Leber demonstrated dominance with 11 kills and six digs for the Knights, who posted victories by scores of 25-14, 25-19 and 25-20.

Equally significant in statistical accomplishments was Melody Butzer's contribution of 30 assists. Sarah Hess registered two blocks while junior outside hitter Reece Calabretta served up three aces.

The previous Thursday at Landisville, the scores were 25-17, 25-13 and 25-14; the opponent was Manheim Township and the leader in kills was Calabretta. The final score was again 3-0 in Hempfield's favor.

Calabretta also led the team in aces with five. It was Kate Howard posting 15 digs to lead her team while Butzer dished out 24 assists. Hess and freshman Sophia Blyznyuk each recorded two blocks.

FOOTBALL

By outscoring the Knights 17-13 in a wild fourth quarter, the Central York Panthers pulled off a 30-20 victory in non-league gridiron action on Friday, September 9.

"The score was 13-7 heading into the fourth quarter," head coach George Eager pointed out. "Giving up big plays on defense is something we need to improve upon. They proved to be costly for us."

In the first quarter the Panthers scored on an 80-yard touchdown run by Juelz Goff. He would go on to score on a one-yard sneak in the second quarter, giving Central the aforementioned 13-7 lead.

Goff had another big play from scrimmage - a 58-yard dash to the endzone.

All three Hempfield scores were rushing TD's from five yards or less. But the Hempfield ball carriers were steady for most of the game.

Grant Hoover, who finished with 53 yards and Stephen Katch, who ran for 26 yards scored for Hempfield as did quarterback Jackson Landis on a one-yard sneak. Landis went to the air 35 times, completing 18 passes for 194 yards.

"The plan every week is to get the ball to the best guys, and we feel we have three really solid carriers in Hoover, Katch and Landis," Eager said. "Landis is the quarterback and Hoover is primary a running back while Katch can play both."

The loss dropped the Black Knights to 2-1 on the year.

FIELD HOCKEY

The record for the field hockey team may show 0-5-0. However, the Black Knights have been in it for pretty much every match this season.

Hempfield lost a 4-1 match at home to Elizabethtown on Tuesday, September 13. The following day, in a close contest at Ephrata, the Black Knights were on the short end of a 1-0 final.

Paige Brosig faced 25 shots on goal and saved 21 of them in front of the Hempfield cage on Tuesday. Mikaela Condran scored twice for the Bears while Avery Salada put Hempfield on the board in the fourth quarter.

The Mountaineers piled up 10 shots on goal but only got one score on the Knights Wednesday. Campbell Shelley scored in the third quarter while goalie Hannah Popolis denied all three Hempfield shots on goal in the close shutout win.

CROSS COUNTRY

In a Section One race at Cedar Crest, the Falcons edged the Black Knights 27-29 in the girls' race while Hempfield downed Lebanon 15-50. The Black Knights fell to 1-3 on the year.

Top runners for the Knights were Ella Wolfe (19:43) and Molly Siebert (21:33). They clinched second and third, respectively.

Leah Forry's time of 23:04 was good for seventh place and Callie Herr (23:14) took eighth.

Jazahlyn Lopez (23:15) and Norah Rynier (23:15) were a stride behind, grabbing ninth and 10th spots.

Roz Scott (12th, 23:30) and Ashley Page (13th, 23:37) rounded out the top runners.

The boys' squad improved to 4-0, defeating Crest 17-46 and Lebanon 15-46.

With the likes of Aidan Hodge (16:42), Joe Fahrney (16:47) and Sam Meyer (17:32) claiming the top spots, Hempfield cruised to a victory. Sam Freedman's fifth place finish (17:44) and Isaiah Hollinger (17:46) in sixth strengthened the Knights' grip on the top spot.

Emerson Long took eighth. Chris Titter (11th, 18:44) and Frank Christoffel (18th, 18:58) completed the top runners.

GIRLS' SOCCER

The Hempfield defense had no answers for the Manheim Township attackers on Tuesday, September 13, in a Section One girls' soccer match at Landisville. Namely, the Knights had no solution for Blue Streaks forward Liv Palmer, who notched a hat trick in a 4-0 Township win. Hempfield fell to 3-3-1.

Dallastown was in town on the previous Friday, escaping Landisville with a 1-0 win. Emileigh Antesberger, who had nine saves in the Township game, had two saves against the Wildcats.