The Hempfield boys' basketball team traveled to Norristown for an opening-round game of the PIAA Class 6A state playoffs on Wednesday night, March 9.

The Knights knew they had their work cut out for them as the second half tip-off had them trailing the District One runner-up Eagles 31-18. Hempfield poured it on in the third quarter, closing the gap by four points. There just were not enough points to go along with the momentum as Norristown prevailed 64-50, ending Hempfield's season. John DiNolfi and Righteous Mitchell scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, to lead Norristown.

Miguel Pena, who was recently voted Player of the Year and was a first-team all-star in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One all-star voting by the league coaches, led all scorers with 19 points. He drilled three three-point jump shots in the process.

Cole Overbaugh - also an L-L League first-team all-star - added 18 points.

The Black Knights carried a 21-6 record into the Pennsylvania playoffs possessing potential madness in the month following February. Victory number 21 did have its share of wildness in the second half as the Knights edged Chambersburg 49-47 in what was the fifth-place consolation contest of the District Three 6A playoffs. The Knights managed to hold off the Trojans by a slim margin, outscoring the visitors 23-21 in the second half of a contest that was tied at halftime.

Pena led a balanced offensive production. Nine of Pena's 13 points came on three-point baskets. Ben Troyer poured in 12 points. He and Parker Wolfe each nailed one three-point shot as did Mike Rieker. Both Rieker and Wolfe tallied seven points on the night while Chase Calabretta scored six. Michael Hester added four points.

In addition to Pena and Overbaugh making first-team all-stars, Troyer made second team while Hester received honorable mention.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

The L-L League girls' basketball coaches named Lauren Moffatt and sophomore Sophia Ott as first team all-stars in Section One while junior Autumn Cook and senior Orianna Edmond made second team all-stars.

Moffatt was also named to the all-academic squad while Brynne Axe was an all-defensive all-star selection.

SWIMMING

Ella Root registered a time of 1:06.49 in the girls' 100-yard breaststroke event on Saturday March 5 at Cumberland Valley High School. The Hempfield senior took fifth place in the event, earning a medal at the District Three Class 3A championships.

Root helped the girls' 200 medley relay team earn ninth place. She teamed with juniors Emily Taylor, Anna Koger, and Lillian Farmer for a time of 1:51.34.

The girls' team finished 11th overall in the team standings with 78 points. Wilson won the team competition with 330 points while Hershey finished second at 313.

Also earning a medal was the boys' 200-yard freestyle relay team. The foursome of Ryan Taylor, Gavin Krawizcki, Toby Marco, and Jackson Root had a combined time of 1:31.08, earning eighth place in the event.

In the 400 free relay, incidentally, Root and Taylor joined Ardan McHugh and Will Russell for a 5:22.09 finish, which was good for 10th place.

In other relays, the girls' 200 free relay earned 12th place with a time of 1:42.58. The Ephrata relay team was only .08 seconds faster at 1:42.50 for 10th place.

Hempfield's 200 free relay squad included Koger, Taylor, Micah Wiglesworth, and Cassandra Christoffel. Both Wiglesworth and Christoffel also swam in the 400 free relay (3:41.55, ninth place) with Carol Fabian and Carol Farmer.

Farmer finished 10th in the 100 backstroke with a time of 59.59 seconds.

Fabian drew the number 13 twice in the individual events. She finished in that spot in the 200 freestyle event with a time of 1:58.29 as well as in the 500 free (5:19.01).

BOWLING

In the Pennsylvania Eastern Regional team bowling championships at Leisure Lanes on Saturday, March 5, the Black Knights came up just short in the semifinals against Exeter. The Knights, who had a first-round bye, lost to Exeter 2 games to 1. The Eagles won the first game 197-172 and bounced back from a 178-145 Hempfield victory to edge the Knights 181-180. Exeter went on to defeat Central York in the championship games 2-1 to earn the boys' team championship.

In the boys' qualifying round, the Knights finished second to Central York, coming up two pins short, 4253 to 4251.

Derick Keller led the Knights with 590 pins while Caleb Mertz bowled 589 over three games and Xander Green 586. Mitchell Barnes finished at 542.

In the individual championships, held on Friday, Keller advanced out of the qualifying rounds when he tied for eighth place with a five game 1101 pin total. In the opening round quad-match, he finished fourth in his bracket with 162 pins and did not advance.