The Black Knights suffered a tough 20-13 loss to Cedar Crest on Friday, October 8, at Landisville in a clash between Lancaster-Lebanon League rivals. The Falcons surrendered an early 13-0 lead, allowing the Knights to eventually tie the score before halftime. Both of Cedar Crest's first-half scores were by Aadyn Richards, who scored on a rushing touchdown in addition to a 38-yard interception return to the Knights' endzone.

"We turned the ball over four times and just never clicked offensively," said George Eager, the Hempfield head coach.

The Knights' defense was tough on this Hempfield homecoming game. In fact Kaleb Elslager scored a safety early in the second quarter to put Hempfield on the board.

Richards rushed for 119 yards on 21 carries. The one drive by the Falcons' offensive unit that was critical was their fourth-quarter touchdown that gave the visitors the eventual winning margin.

"We were driving with a few minutes left, hoping we could go ahead with a touchdown or by a field goal," Eager explained. "We fumbled deep in their territory. They recovered and were able to string together a drive."

That score would come in the form of a 13-yard touchdown toss from Jay Huber to Ethan Heisey.

Cedar Crest (3-3, 1-1 league) opened the scoring with the pick-six by Richards - the only interception by Hempfield quarterback Cameron Harbaugh, who threw for 88 yards on seven completions. Harbaugh also ran for 60 yards while Stephen Katch led the Knights in rushing with 71 yards.

The Falcons made it 13-0 on the rushing TD by Richards. Hempfield (4-3, 1-1 league) battled back with 13 second-quarter points - a Micah Gates 27-yard touchdown reception from Harbaugh (2-point conversion of Harbaugh to Aidan Shorter); a 32-yard field goal by Cannon Biscoe and a safety.

"Micah Gates had two catches, including our only touchdown," Eager said. "He made a tough catch.

"He was named our offensive player of the game.

"Our defensive players of the game were Kaleb Elslager and Tony Reed," continued the coach. "They had a lot of individual tackles."

With the 1-1 record in Section One competition, the Knights look to overtake first-place rival Manheim Township - a team that defeated Cedar Crest 42-7 on October 1.

"They are doing well this year," Eager said. "We will have to play very well to beat them."

.BOYS' SOCCER

They controlled their destiny

They couldn't have scripted it better.

Pick your cliche and apply it to the Hempfield boys' soccer team 2021 season. The Knights were in a tight race for the Section One championship, battling the only team to have beaten them in league play - Warwick. Their slate of league games had been scheduled to end with a match at home against Warwick on Saturday morning, October 9.

In that showdown, Noah Felty made seven saves to help Hempfield eke out a 2-1 victory and earn the Section One crown. Zach Antesberger's goal with two minutes into the match and Caden Bonner's goal 34 minutes later gave Hempfield a comfortable lead.

Ammon and Nate Schwartz were each credited with an assist on the day. Hempfield went 8-1-1 in league play while Warwick finished 8-2-0.

On the way to the showdown, the Knights played to a scoreless draw with Manheim Township on October 5.

Warwick and Hempfield both won their games two days later as Hempfield took care of Cedar Crest 3-1. Ben Ammon, Gunnar Swanger and Michael Keene each netted a goal.

Hempfield concluded the regular season with 1-0 overtime victory over non-league foe Spring-Ford on Monday. Nathan Leisure broke the scoreless deadlock 12 minutes into extra time off an assist by Ammon.

Felty went the distance, making three saves in the shutout as the Knights improved to (10-4-1)

TENNIS

Sophie Carson and Grace Lehman have had some stellar doubles matches this season in girls' tennis competition. On Monday, the duo reached the L-L League Flight One doubles championship match but came up short to Manheim Township twosome Avery Palandjian and Kayla Kurtz in a 6-3, 6-0 match.

Lehman, who was named an L-L League All-Star selection, reached the semi-finals of the Flight One singles championships. In the semis at Cedar Crest, she fell to eventual champ, Penn Manor's Cathy Rabatin, who went on to defeat Palandjian for the title.

Kurtz came back from her semi-finals loss to top Lehman 6-3, 6-2 in the third-place consolation match.

In singles Flight Two, Lehamn reached the semis before losing to Kylie Gerhardt of Lampeter-Strasburg.

Alex Gregory represented Hempfield in Flight Three singles. She topped Elizabethtown's Julia Anderson 7-5, 6-3 to take that bracket.

Gregory and Lydia Sullivan captured the Flight Two doubles with an 8-3 defeat of Anderson and Nizaly Ortiz-Kreiner.

VOLLEYBALL

Hempfield improved to 9-0 in league play with a 3-0 triumph over Cedar Crest on Tuesday. They won 25-9, 25-15, 25-18 as Camile De La Torre poured in eight kills and Regan Andrus came away with eight digs.

Melody Butzer was the team leader in assists with 20. Allison Cummings served four aces and Joslene Morgan registered two blocks.

GIRLS SOCCER

Hempfield closed out the regular season with a three-game stretch that included a victory over Manheim Central and two close losses to Section One opponents Manheim Township and Cedar Crest. The Black Knights concluded the regular season with a 4-10-1 record (3-6-1 league).

In the afternoon game at Central on Saturday, October 2, Katherine Morgan provided the assists for both Georgia Kielmeyer and Maya Trowbridge.

Abbie Reed had put the Barons ahead 1-0 just past the midway mark of the first half. Kielmeyer scored the equalizer 10 minutes into the second half. Trwobridge scored the eventual game-winner in the 68th minute.

Meanwhile Emileigh Antesberger stayed solid in goal, making six saves for Hempfield.

Antesberger had four saves in the Township match at home three days later. However, Liza Suydam's goal with five minutes left in the match gave the Blue Streaks a 1-0 victory.

The offense would not be denied in the Cedar Crest game on Thursday evening as Brianna Zickefoose scored at the 15-minute mark off a Kielmeyer assist.

Abrielle Miller evened the score 19 minutes later and the two teams remained tied into overtime where Crest was able to put the match in the books.

Antesberger went the distance in the marathon match, making eight saves for the Knights.

CROSS COUNTRY

The Hempfield boys outran Ephrata and Warwick on Tuesday, October 12 at home. With a 15-50 defeat of Ephrata and 15-48 win over Warwick, the Knights improved to 10-0 on the year.

In the girls' race, Warwick edged Hempfield 25-34 but the Knights topped Ephrata 22-38 as Hempfield evened its record at 5-5.

In both races, a Hempfield runner finished first - Ella Wolfe, with a time 19:14, in the girls' race and Aiden Hodge (15:09) for the boys.

Taking eight of the first nine finishes helped Hempfield with a stronghold in the boys' race. Joe Fahrney (16:06) was second while Sam Freedman (16:36), Isaiah Hollinger (16:40) and Emerson Long (16:49) took third through fifth.

Sam Meyer's 16:53 was good for seventh place. Dale Winand (17:07) was eighth and Ryan French (17:14) took ninth place.

Molly Siebert took fourth in the girls' race at 20:06. Lucy Bishop's 21:15 earned her ninth. Also in the top-15 were Paige Harrington (13th, 21:38) Mackenzie Ridilla (14th, 21:51) and Norah Rynier (15th, 21:57)

FIELD HOCKEY

On the morning of Saturday, October 9, the Knights' offense received a boost from Keira Boensch and Karly Bervinchak as they topped Cocalico 5-2. Bervinchak, who also had an assist, scored twice while Boensch added three assists. With her assists, Boensch pulled even with Penn Manor's Riley Robinson for most points in Section One - 25.

Kenna Price, Elizabeth Williams and Lillian Kesser also scored for the Knights.

The victory raised Hempfield's mark to 9-7-1.