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4- ADVERTISER - Penn Manor Edition - February 9, 2022 SPORTS Conestoga Valley • Donegal • Elizabethtown Garden Spot • Hempfield Lampeter-Strasburg • Manheim Central Penn Manor • Pequea Valley • Solanco MORE SPORTS PICTURES and other high school sports news at

Bowlers Keep Pace With Hempfield to Lead Section

BY MONA STEINHAUER

With the end of the season just two matches away and the Comets sitting tied for first place in Section One with Hempfield, each match is big. Thursday, Jan. 27, Penn Manor took care of business and held off Warwick, 5-2. Five days later, they shut out Manheim Township.

“Warwick was an important match,” said head coach Chris Vital. “They’re a gritty team and fighting for a playoff spot. We struggled a bit in the first game, but Derek Warfel and Eva Brubaker came up with two big games, rolling a 247 and 231, respectively, and we won by 40 pins.”

Josh Stock’s 223 led the second game before Warwick rallied to take the third game 1036996. The Comets finished with the highest pin total by 115. Warfel’s 675 was the highest series. Stock followed at 659. Lacey Slaymaker added a 535. Willow Hee (438) and Brubaker (411) each rolled two games while Corinne Smith (183) and Zach Carroll (170) contributed with single games. Last Tuesday’s shutout over Township kept the Comets tied with Hempfield. “We had a big first game,” said Vital of the 1080 total. “We’ve been doing that a lot this year. Charlie Hull (242) and Zach Carroll (236) had big first games. And Derek (Warfel) had six strikes in a row and finished the third game with a 234 to help us pull away, 1033-964.”

Carroll (662), Warfel (660) and Stock (636) led the way. Hull added a 583 with Brubaker eight pins behind.

WRESTLING

The Comet matmen competed in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships at Manheim Township January 28-29 and came home with three medals. Wrestling in their first-ever league championship, Travis Clawson, Riley Evans and Teagen Rogers all reached the podium.

Clawson, wrestling at 113, improved to 29-3 overall with his third place finish. He went 4-1 on the day and earned bronze with a 8-4 decision over CV’s Trent Ruble. Clawson opened with a tech fall and then pinned in the quarterfinals to get to Warwick’s Nico Tocci, who advanced with a fall.

“That was a tough loss to Tocci,” said head coach Branon Vernalli. “But Travis was able to bounce back and take third.”

Wrestling at 106, Evans (19-14) finished in fifth place. He suffered a pin in his opening round matchup with Solanco’s Caden Rutt but rebounded with three straight wins, two via the fall, to get to the consi semis where he lost to Township’s Louis Malave. In a battle for fifth, Evans met Rutt yet again and this time avenged that opening round loss with a 1:26 fall and a medal.

“This was actually the fourth time this year that Riley and Caden wrestled each other,” Vernalli said.

Also placing fifth was Rogers, who improved to 25-15 at 172. Rogers went 5-2 on the day with two falls and a pair of major decisions. His final match of the day was a 9-4 decision over N. Lebanon’s Clayton Erb.

“Teagen dropped two tough matches but was able to power through and medal,” said Vernalli. “All the guys wrestled well.”

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

With the post-season rapidly approaching, the Lady Comets took care of business, dominating McCaskey 62-29 on Jan. 29th, posting a solid 43-30 non-league win over Susquehanna Township one day later, and adding a key 52-39 win over visiting Cedar Crest last Tuesday, Feb. 1. The win over the Falcons, coupled with Hempfield’s loss to Manheim Township the same night, moves the Comets into sole possession of first place in Section One with one game remaining. The Comets are poised for their first section title since 1975.

The Comets, despite falling behind by 10 points against McCaskey early on, used an 18-0 run through the second quarter to go back in front. They took control with a 24-3 effort in the fourth to win 6227. Lily Sugra poured in 32 points, including 15 in the fourth, and was an impressive 13-for-16 from the free throw line. Morgan Miller added ten of her 11 in the first quarter.

“We didn’t come ready to play,” said head coach Megan Collins of McCaskey’s early lead. “But we got back on track by holding them scoreless in the second quarter.”

Susquehanna Township proved to be a bigger challenge, but the Comets rose to the occasion breaking a 6-6 first quarter tie by out pointing the visitors in each of the next three frames.

“This was the first Friday/Saturday that we won back-to-back all season, so I was pleased with our efforts,” noted Collins.

Sugra led all scorers with 17 points and Miller followed with 13 as the double-digit scorers.

On senior night last Tuesday, the Comets fell behind 15-8 in the first quarter but rallied to victory over Cedar Crest. Their 22-9 run through the third quarter turned the tide for good.

Triples by Emily Riggs and Miller sparked a 10-4 second quarter and closed the gap to 19-18 at the half. Sugra netted 13 of her game-high 28 in that pivotal third quarter and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. Miller and Shepos combined for 14, while Riggs (5), Kligge (2), Goodley (2) and Foster (1) also contributed.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Try as they might, the Comets efforts to put together four consistent quarters fell short over the last week as they suffered three more losses.

At West York Thursday, Jan. 27, the Comets were held to single digits in each of the last three quarters and dropped a 64-32 non-league outing. Randy Short and Kamrin Carroll combined for 17 points.

On the road again Saturday, the Comets made the short trip to McCaskey (9-10 overall) but couldn’t keep pace with the Red Tornado in an 88-49 defeat. The hosts scored 23 points or more in three of the fours to pull away from a 23-17 first quarter lead. They placed four players in double figures.

Short, who netted three triples on the night, settled for 15 points and Carroll added 10.

Suffering an eight-point loss in their first meeting, the Comets were looking to split the series at Cocalico last Tuesday, Feb. 1 but were denied, 52-40.

Ethan Benne’s five points sparked an early 12-9 Comet lead. Crest returned the favor in the second frame and held a 22-21 lead at the break. A 24-11 run by the Falcons proved to be the difference as Manor’s 8-6 fourth quarter effort wasn’t enough.

The Falcons drained eight triples on the night, including four in that third quarter romp.

Carroll’s 10 points were tops for the Comets. Cameron Scholl (9), and Benne (8) were close behind.

photo by Mona Steinhauer

At home Saturday, January 29, the Comets’ Kelsey Buswell handles the ball on the sideline in Penn Manor’s 43-30 non-league win over Susquehanna Township. for more photos visit.www.townlively.com

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