After squeaking past the Red Tornado 50-47 back on January 8, the Lady Comets swept the series with their highest point total of the season on Friday, January 24. A 61-24 victory broke a string of three straight losses. Four days later they won again, this time avenging their first half loss to Cedar Crest with a 47-37 home result.
The Comets jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, scoring in double figures in all four quarters while holding McCaskey to single digits in three.
Up 30-15 at the half, the Comets got off to a slow start in the third. McCaskey cut the lead to ten before a bucket by Sydney Shepos in the paint and a pair of threes by Emily Riggs extended the advantage to 45-29. Seven different players contributed to Manor's 16 point fourth quarter.
Morgan Miller knocked down a game-high 17 points with Lily Sugra, who went 7-for-8 from the free throw line, netting 15. Riggs and Shepos combined for 15 points. Ella Hart (4), Kimmy Miller (4), Riley Peart (2), and Brin Groff (2) rounded out the scoring.
Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Comets made it two wins in a row, and improved to 4-8 in Section One, (7-12 overall), with a solid win over Cedar Crest.
"We finished more shots and we had a better shooting percentage from the foul line," said head coach Megan Collins. "The first time we met we were 18-for-36 from the foul line. This time we were 11-for-14. Our halftime score was the exact same score in both games."
The Comets held an 11-6 advantage after eight minutes and led 20-16 at the half. An 18-13 third quarter proved to be too much for the Falcons to overcome.
Sugra led all scorers with 17 points and Miller added 14. Shepos (6), Hart (6) and Riggs (2) also contributed to the point total.
BOWLING
The Comet bowlers maintained their second place standing in Section One with their fourth shutout in their last six matches, blanking McCaskey last Tuesday, January 28 in their 'Strike-a-Thon' fundraiser. Money raised goes directly to Four Diamonds to support families who have children with childhood cancer. The Comets received pledges, either a flat fee or per strike. They finished the match with 216 strikes and $2579 in pledges with some donations still coming in.
Manor got off to a strong start, knocking down 1032 pins to McCaskey's 862. Behind Jordan Kahler's 234 in the second round, the hosts held off the Red Tornado 973-898 but rebounded with their strongest game of the day, 1076, while the visitors rolled their lowest total, 813.
Josh Stock earned the highest single game of the day, a third round 256. He finished with a 648 series, backing Kahler's 688. Gavin Davidson was the only other Comet to roll all three games. He finished with a 620. Also contributing was Delaney Reitnauer (355), Derek Warfel (379), Charlie Hull (181), and Katelyn Welsh (210).
"We have definitely improved from the start of the year," said head coach Chris Vitale, "and we look forward to the post-season."
SWIMMING
At home last Tuesday, January 28, the boys' swim team wrapped up a second place finish in the Section One standings with a convincing 115-49 win over Cedar Crest. The Comets followed undefeated Manheim Township (5-0) with a 4-1 record. They are 7-1 overall.
The Comets, who won all but one event, got two individual firsts from both Pan Kunyu (200 and 100 free) and Wes Kendig (100 fly and 100 back). The pair also joined Sam Lutter and Andrew Purcel for the top time in the 200 medley relay. Kunyu also swam the opening leg of the winning 200 free relay with Colton Garber, Jack Garvey and Brayden Clow following while Pursel, Mason Sweigart, Garvey and Lutter capped the evening with the top time in the 400 free.
Other winners included Everett Barry in the 200 IM, and Lutter in the 100 breaststroke.
The girls' team, on the other hand, dropped a six point loss, 88-82, to the Falcons who earned their second section win of the year and finished ahead of the Comets in the standings.
Avery Groff was the standout performer of the day, winning the 200 free, the 100 back and anchoring both the 200 free relay with Kailey Stoner, Grace Bresch and Emma Landis and the 400 free with Jordyn Kendig, Jalyn Clow and Landis.
The Comets earned three other wins on the day with Stoner's top time in the 50 free, Clow's effort in the 100 fly and Kendig's mastery of the 500 free.
WRESTLING
With just 11 athletes entered in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Wrestling Championships held at Manheim Township January 24-25, the Comets finished in third place out of 23 teams and brought home nine medals.
"We wrestled a very good tournament," said head coach Brandon Vernalli. "I was happy with the effort our guys gave."
Leading the medal-winners was Colt Barley (152) and Nick Baker (182) with gold medal finishes.
Barley dominated his finals match, hanging an 11-0 major decision on Warwick's Haydn Shreiner.
"Colt wrestled Shreiner a few weeks back (4-2 OT win)," said Vernalli. "The league match was a lot different. Colt dominated and earned his second L-L championship."
Barley was in control from start to finish at the tournament, scoring bonus points in every match. He opened with a 15-2 major over Lampeter's Nick Salgado, pinned Cedar Crest's Dylan Styver in 1:50 and came back with another major, this time 8-0 over Ryan Kernan of Octorara. In Saturday's semifinals, Barley majored again, controlling Hempfield's Joel Dionne 9-1.
Baker's tournament started and ended with highlights. He opened with a 1:36 fall over Mason Ellingsworth of Octorara for his 100th career victory. Three wins later he earned the gold with a 2-1 tiebreaker win over Donegal's William Small.
"Nick lost to Small at the Solanco Tournament earlier this year," recalled Vernalli. "This was a bit of revenge.
"As for his 100th win, there are only a handful of 100 match winners at Penn Manor. He is sitting at 103 and could finish with close to 115 by the time the season is done," the coach added.
Nick's brother, Jonah, is the current wins leader at PM with 149.
The Comets also came home with three bronze medal winners in the form of Tanner Stefanick (120), Dylan Coleman (145) and Kole Marley (160).
Stefanick, the top seed, met a familiar foe in Solanco's Jared Fulton in the semifinals where Fulton avenged two prior losses to Stefanick with a 4-2 ultimate tie breaker. "Tanner just came up short this time," said Vernalli. "But he looked tough as he bounced back with two solid consolation matches to finish third."
Stefanick's final two bouts included an 8-3 decision over Cocalico's Aiden Swann and an 8-0 major over Jeremy Schilling of Garden Spot.
Coleman was next in the lineup and finished with a 4-1 record that included a 20 second fall, a 4-3 win and a 6-5 semifinal loss to eventual champ, Kayde Althouse of Ephrata.
"Coleman had a great tourney and wound up beating the same kid twice," noted Vernalli. "His second bout was a 4-3 decision over Octorara's Michael Trainor and his final match of the weekend was a 5-1 decision over Trainor again."
Marley, a top seed, got caught in a cradle early in the first period and was pinned by Hempfield's Ian Edwards in the semifinals. He shook off the loss with two dominating falls, putting Mason McClair (LCHS) to his back in 39 seconds and decking N. Lebanon's Ethan Walmer in 1:51 for third.
"To come back with two falls was impressive," said Vernalli.
Adding to the Comets' team point total was Trevor Grassel (5th at 132), Anthony Glessner (6th at 170), Owen Rohrer (7th at 138), and Leonid Medvedkin (8th at 113).
Three days later the Comets competed in the District Three Class 3A team tournament at Cumberland Valley where a lopsided 47-22 loss to the hosts was much closer than it looked.
After falling behind 7-0 after the first two bouts, the Comets rolled off five straight wins to take a 22-7 lead. The Eagles, however, rallied with seven straight, including three forfeits, to pull away.
Coleman's 8-1 decision was followed by falls from Barley (152) and Marley (160), a tight 5-4 decision by Glessner (170) and a 10-1 major by Baker (182).
The Eagles went on to edge Hempfield 33-30 in the quarterfinals.
BOYS' BASKETBALL
The Comets had a rough stretch over the last week, taking on the top two teams in Section One. Friday, January 24, they were outscored in all four quarters en route to a 72-52 loss to No. 2 McCaskey. Tuesday, Jan. 28, they put forth a more determined effort against the section leaders, Cedar Crest, but still fell short, 65-52.
McCaskey used a 19-10 third quarter to extend their 32-25 halftime advantage. In a high-scoring fourth quarter for both squads, the hosts prevailed, 21-17.
McCaskey finished with four players in double figures. Ethan Hine knocked down a game-high 22 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, to lead the Comets. Jiel Echivaria added ten points and Brayde Erb and Jaden Matias each scored six. Melvi Rodriguez (3), Tim Hermansen (2), Jack Shipley (2), and Ashanti Stanfield (2) rounded out the scoring.
Cedar Crest led from start to finish Tuesday night but needed a 20-10 third quarter run to extend a close first half lead, 30-23. Manor rallied down the stretch, out pointing the 10-1 Falcons 19-15 but it wasn't enough.
Hine led the Comets with 12 points but it was Crests' Illeri-Ayl-Faleye that poured in 23 points before sitting out the fourth quarter. Shipley (9), Matias (8), Tim Hermansen (6) and Reed Lawrence followed with Axel Velasquez, Sahanti Stanfield and Brayde Erb all adding four points each.
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