The Hempfield boys' basketball team claimed the Section One title in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and headed into the league playoffs as one of the favorites to bring the trophy to Landisville.

On Monday, February 13, the Black Knights topped Lancaster Mennonite 63-53 in a quarterfinals round game at Hempfield with Michael Pena pouring in 25 points.

With a 25-11 run in the second stanza, the Knights (20-2) gained the momentum for the rest of the game.

Camden Hurst tied Pena for the top scoring honors in the game by scoring 25 for Mennonite. Hurst had a pair of three-point shots. Pena made three on the night. He was one of four Hempfield players to score in double digits. Kamyn Lawrence added 12 while Michael Hester and Ben Troyer scored 11 and 10, respectively.

The victory moved the Knights into the semifinals where they faced a tough Warwick team at Conestoga Valley on Wednesday, February 15.

The Warriors came into this game with a similar fate as the Knights - that regardless of the outcome of the match, they were headed for the district playoffs. Warwick was ranked fifth in the District Three 5A rankings while Hempfield is ranked third in class 6A behind Reading and Cumberland Valley.

It was 23-20 Warwick at halftime. The Knights made crucial shots, including Chase Calabretta's free throws in the final minute of the game, winning 49-43. Calabretta (14 pts) also had a three-point field goal on the night.

Pena led the team in scoring with 17 points.

Trevor Evans and Caleb Johnsen each scored 11 to lead the Warriors, who fell to 16-7.

Manheim Central won the other semifinal game at Conestoga Valley on Wednesday, defeating Cedar Crest 49-46.

SWIMMING & DIVING

Carol Fabian accounted for 20 of her team's 184 points as Hempfield claimed the L-L League Swimming & Diving Championship on Saturday, February 11. The Black Knights pulled away from Manheim Township, winning by a 184-161 margin.

Meanwhile, the Hempfield boys' team finished a very close second to Manheim Township with the Blue Streaks posting a 191-187 margin of victory.

The two-day event was held at the Roy G. Snyder Natatorium at Wilson High School on Friday and Saturday, February 10-11.

The girls' championship was their first in 12 years, head coach Casey Lear pointed out.

"We tied Manheim Township in 2011, but it was the girls' first league title since 2009," Lear explained. "Going into this year, I knew the girls were contenders for the title."

Fabian's contributions included being on the winning 400-yard freestyle relay foursome with Lillian Farmer, Anna Koger and Micah Wiglesworth as they posted a time of 3:39.58.

Fabian, Caroline Schweigert, Emily Taylor and Kendall Stringe also medaled in the relays, earning fourth in the 200 medley relay.

Koger, Taylor, Farmer and Wiglesworth were second (1:41.96) in the 200 free relay.

Wiglesworth and Koger finished fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 50 freestyle.

"Micah has been an amazing competitor since her freshman year," Lear said. "She has one more year ahead of her. She dropped 1.23 seconds to earn fifth in the 100 free.

"Anna Koger is a championship swimmer through and through," Lear added. "In big moments, she comes in and performs when it matters the most, which is difficult to do in sprint events - her specialty. She dropped 1.51 seconds to earn ninth place in the 100 free."

Fabian's individual event accomplishments included a fifth-place finish in the 500 free - an event in which Lucy Bishop took eighth. Fabian and Farmer went stroke for stroke in the 200 free with third-place finisher Fabian edging her teammate 2:00.70 to 2:00.71. Stringe placed seventh in the 200 free.

"Kendall is a sophomore, who has a very promising career ahead of her," Lear said. "She is a tough competitor. In the 200 free, she dropped 3.99 seconds to earn seventh and dropped 1:02.01 in the 100 back."

Farmer came through, earning fourth (1:00.21) in the 100 back. Schweigert (1:00.88), who was the seventh-place finisher in the 200 IM, took fifth in the backstroke. Schweigert also placed 13th in the 500 free.

Taylor took sixth (1:11.28) in the 100 breaststroke. Junior Maya Trowbridge finished fifth (54.90) in the 100 free with Koger taking 12th in the event.

The Hempfield leaders in the boys' championship included Toby Marco, Jack Root, Ryan Taylor, and Kiran Georrge.

"Ryan Taylor, much like his sister Emily, is a fierce competitor and a tough athlete," said Lear. "He will always rise to the occasion to help his team."

Taylor contributed 15 points as he dropped 1.02 seconds to earn seventh in the 100 free. Taylor also finished sixth in the 50 free - an event in which Root was the winner and Marco finished seventh.

Root took fifth in the 100 free at a 48.49 pace.

"Jack Root was our top performer, scoring 19 points," Lear pointed out. "He places a lot of pressure on himself to perform well, always looking for ways to improve and get faster."

Taylor, Marco, and Root joined Andrew Gates for a second-place finish in the 400 free relay. Root, Taylor, Marco and Jase Colino won the 200 free relay at 1:28.62, dropping 3.08 seconds.

The 200 medley team of Colino, George, Andrew Gates and Luke Roettger took third.

Roettger (56.98) placed seventh in the 100 fly as Marco took 10th in the event. Gates and Roettger were seventh (56.96) and ninth (58.02) in the 100 backstroke where Colino earned 10th place.

Ivan Vitko contributed an eighth-place finish in the 500 free with Will Russell taking ninth.

Colino was sixth (2:05.01) in the 200 IM as Russell took 10th place.

"The league title was not something we even considered for the boys' team until we got some steam under us this year," Lear said. "They competed as a team and as a family with every individual working their absolute hardest.

"It was tied going into the final relay," Lear added, referring to the close finish. "But we clinched our section and have a young team that will be stronger in the next few years."

BOWLING

Hempfield, the Section One winner in L-L League bowling with a record of 60-31, faced off against Northern Lebanon, the Section Four runner-up on Wednesday, February 8 at Rocky Springs.

The Black Knights came away with a first-round victory over the Vikings. Derick Keller rolled games of 241 and 244 as the team totaled 942 and 1025 in the 2-0 win.

Hempfield and Penn Manor squared off in the semifinals. Defending league champion Hempfield could not get past Penn Manor. The Knights did beat the Comets 980-889 in the first game. The Comets came back to win 939-840 and 859-825 only to lose to eventual champ Elizabethtown.