SPORTS Knights Win District Three Championship
8 - MERCHANDISER - Hempfield Edition - June 9, 2021
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Photo by Cheri Sine
Grant Lorelli makes a set for the Knights during their 3-1 victory in the District Three championship final at Northeastern on May Hempfield Black Knights - District Three Class AAA 2021 Champions 28. BY ARA GRIGORIAN
eastern York on Friday, May 28 in the title match. Playing on the Bobcats’ court, the Black Knights posted a 25-11 victory in the opening set and took command of the match with a 25-23 victory before the home team responded with a 25-21 win in the third set. Hempfield, the district’s fifth-seeded team, claimed the fourth set 2520, defeating the previously unbeaten number three seed. “We played the best match of our life on Friday,” commented Hempfield head coach Mike Vogel. “That’s
what you strive to do - to play better each day, each week. We kept Champions! errors to a minimum. It was a total The one-word lead-in to a team effort.” Hempfield article that begins with The Bobcats came into the chamcoverage of the boys’ volleyball pionship match with a 16-0 mark, team right around this time of year having themselves defeated a high(not including the spring of 2020 er seed on the road in a 3-2 triumph for obvious reasons) has often at second-seeded Cumberland Valincluded that one word exclamaley in the semis. tion - Champions. “This was a very satisfying victoThe trophy case at Hempfield ry,” Vogel added. “We played three will show off yet another district quality teams in five days - Palmyra, championship thanks to the Central Dauphin and Northeastern.” Knights’ 3-1 victory over NorthRyan Givens led the Knights with 17 kills and nine blocks. Fellow senior Gerry Gallagher as well as junior Dante Keener each registered eight kills. Gallagher also finished with five digs. “Givens rose to the occasion and was unstoppable at the net,” said Vogel. “Dante Keener played very well. He’s opposite Ryan Givens as a middle. Those guys scored big points for us.” Adam Gimeson registered five kills and seven digs. Mason Orth led the team in digs with 14. He and Givens each had one service ace. In its opening-round match of the PIAA’s, Hempfield downed Neshaminy, the third-place team from District One, 3-0. The match was played at Cocalico on Wednesday, June 2, with the Knights posting winning scores of 25-19, 25-20 and 25-22. Gallagher finished with a match-high 14 kills and Givens poured in 12 kills. “Gerry Gallagher played out of his mind,” Vogel said. “He had a great match all-around.” Of course, with the 2020 spring sports schedule being canceled due Gerry Gallagher lays out to get under a Bobcat shot during the to the pandemic, everyone on this Black Knights’ 3-1, District Three championship victory at North- Hempfield roster came into the eastern on May 28.
states without having experienced a PIAA playoff victory. “The previous year we lost in the first round of states, and we’ve already bettered that position,” Vogel pointed out. Gimeson served up three aces to go with his two blocks and six kills in the match while Orth registered 21 digs. Keener compiled three kills and a blocked shot. With the win, Hempfield moved on to the quarterfinals to face Emmaus. The Hornets swept District Two champ Delaware Valley 3-0 for a trip to the quarterfinals at Schuylkill Valley High School. TRACK At the PIAA Class 3A track and field championships held at Ship-
pensburg on Friday and Saturday, May 28-29, the foursome of Owen Jackson, Aidan Hodge, Christopher Titter and David Jackson placed for Hempfield in the boys’ relay competition. In the 4 x 800-meter event, they earned a sixth-place medal with a time of 8:02.13. LACROSSE Thursday afternoon was the conclusion of a championship match that began on Wednesday evening, May 26. In the Class 3A district lacrosse championship match, the Wilson Bulldogs topped Hempfield 12-9 on Thursday after District Three officials decided to postpone the second half of the contest at Central Dauphin Middle School’s Speed
Photo by Cheri Sine
Ebersole Stadium due to weather conditions. Hempfield trailed 7-4 at halftime. The Knights matched the Bulldogs goal-for-goal in the second half, which was not enough to catch the second-seeded team in the district. The Bulldogs won their third district trophy. Ryan Heuston, Jason Hilton, Zack Antesberger and Max Grube each scored for the Knights while goalie Matty Weist collected 13 saves. As runners-up in the district, the Black Knights (16-3) opened the PIAA Class 3A state playoffs at Lancaster Catholic on Tuesday, June 1, facing District One’s fourth-place team, the Kennett Square Blue Demons. See Sports pg 9
Photo by Cheri Sine
Ryan Hilton takes control of the ball during Hempfield’s 12-9, District Three final loss to Wilson on May 27.
