Every year the Lancaster-Lebanon League schedules crossover games, Section One and Section Two always tangle. Elizabethtown was able to kick off that crossover slate with a victory over Cedar Crest but losses to Hempfield and Manheim Township followed, snapping what had been a quick two game run for the Bears.
Township used a monster, 24-7, opening frame as a springboard to a 59-47 victory on the 17th. The Bears were a bit shell shock in the second, allowing Manheim an 11-5 edge but managed to hang with the Streaks over a 30-29 second half. Luke Pierson spread his team high 15 points over all four quarters while Patrick Gilhool picked up the bulk of his 10 points in the opening half.
E-town's first crossover loss came on the 13th via a 60-43 final at Hempfield. The first and fourth frames were the Bears undoing with the Knights holding a matching nine-point edge in each frame. Elizabethtown knocked two points off that deficit in the second only to see Hempfield stretch their lead over the second half for the 60-43 final. Only four Bears scored led by Gilhool's 17. Pierson added 14 and Techeal Gonquoi 10 with Matthew Gilhool picking up the final two points.
Elizabethtown's win over Cedar Crest came on the 11th with the Bears enjoying a 59-44 victory. Patrick Gilhool accounted for nearly half of E-town's tally with a game high 26, including 11 of the Bear's 13 first quarter points. Despite Gilhool's outburst, the Bears trailed by one after one but managed to even the contest at 20-20 by intermission. An 18-8 third quarter run gave way to a 21-16 final frame and a 15-point win. Matthew Gilhool picked up eight of his 10 points in the fourth.
WRESTLING
The prevailing thought in the sports world is to finish strong and the E-town wresting team did just that. With lopsided wins over Middletown and Columbia, the Bears closed out their 2020-2021 campaign with a 9-3 mark.
While both victories fall under the 'lopsided' category the Bears needed to only show up for their 63-9 February 16th win over Columbia. The reason, 11 of the 13 weight classes had forfeits with just two decided on the mat. Elizabethtown claimed one of them with Jake Rudy's win at 152. Bears enjoying an easy victory included Kylie Mummau (106), Austin Reitmeyer (113), Wyatt Mummau (120), Nathan Thomas (126), Nick Smith (138), Aiden Robinson (145), Cade Capello (160), Hayden Haver (172), Bobby Walters (189) and Ryan Hottenstein at 285.
The February 10th battle with Middletown did require actual wrestling but Elizabethtown still collected a lopsided 54-15 win. Once again, the Bears benefitted from forfeits but only three. Elizabethtown gave two forfeits back at 189 and 285 but the Bears eased the sting with six pinfall wins.
Rudy posted the first pinfall, taking out Isaac Lupp in the second period of their 152-pound tangle. Walters followed with another second period pin. Reitmeyer (106), Wyatt Mummau (113) and Smith (138) all joined the second period pinfall fun. Reitmeyer took out Sam Miller, Mummau topped Chance Sweeny while Smith dispatched Dominic Corradi. Findley needed just 67 seconds to take care of Rhakye Wise at 132.
Squeezed in the middle of the final two dual matches was the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship. The action took place on February 13th at Manheim Township but with the COVID restrictions only two Bears qualified for the tournament, Rudy at 152 and Walters at 160.
Rudy made the most of his time in Neffsville, going 2-1 with his lone loss coming in the finals to Township's Kevin Ollavaria. That left the junior holding the 152-pound silver once all was said and done. Rudy earned his spot in the finals by pinning Northern Lebanon's Cooper Gill 41-seconds into their semifinal bout. Rudy's quarterfinal opponent, Jonah Gelbart of Hempfield had to bow out of their match in the second period due to injury.
Walters was not as fortunate. The senior faced a brutal draw and ended up going 1-2 as a result. The draw saw Walters drop his opening match to the eventual 160-pound gold medal winner, Dylan Bard of Hempfield, and his consolation semifinal bout to the eventual bronze medalist, Jonathan Rathman of Cocalico. In between Walters was able to knock off Solanco's Wade Adams by a 2-1 count.
RIFLE
The strangest season in Elizabethtown rifle history ended on February 13th when the Bears competed in the COVID version of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Individual Tournament. Unable to meet in one location because of COVID, the L-L's rifle teams were forced to improvise and the result was each school hosting their own six shooters.
After all the scores were counted and sorted the Bears had one top 10 shooter in Emma Kreiser and one near miss in Aivery Shuck. Kreiser posted scores of 99 with one center and 100 with one center with her 199-2 total good enough for fourth place. Shuck posted back-to-back 99's with one center in her second relay, giving her a 198-1 and putting her just one center behind's Conestoga Valley's Edison Stauffer who occupied the 10 spot.
Kyle Lloyd matched Shuck's back-to-back 99's but was unable to collect any centers putting him in 14th. Allison Lowell, Nizaly Ortiz-Kreiner and Emily Bonsall rounded out the E-town shooters with Lowell posting a 196-1. Ortiz-Kreiner managed two centers in her opening relay but could not continue that shooting in her second, finishing with a 194-2. Bonsall wrapped things up for Elizabethtown with a 194-1 total.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
COVID may have messed with the girls' basketball team's schedule, forcing the Lady Bears to go with no action for a week while not completing a game for a span of 22 days in January, but Elizabethtown is still able to stay focused. The Lady Bears came out of that hiatus and promptly extended their winning streak to five games. A loss to Ephrata on the 9th could have sent E-town spiraling, instead the Lady Bears responded by starting another winning streak.
The first victory came by a 45-31 final over Cedar Crest on the 11th. Macy Seaman was the lone player to reach double digits, helping E-town overcome a four-point first quarter deficit with a game high 13. Jade Love-Morris helped, scoring all nine of her points during Elizabethtown's 41-23 closeout run.
Two days later the Lady Bears continued their Section One-Two crossover tour by handing Hempfield a 46-36 loss. Elizabethtown had to climb out of another first quarter hole, this one 9-7. Love-Morris took the reins, leading the comeback with a game high 13 points. Elise Hassinger was the only other player to hit double-digits with 11 points.
E-town's bid for a three-game run came to a halt on the 17th with a 41-33 loss to Manheim Township. The two sides played even-up through one half but Township started to gain control with a 9-7 third quarter edge. The Lady Streaks competed the takeover with a 15-9 run through the final frame, handing E-town an eight-point loss. Seaman netted a team high 12 with Ainsley Raybold chipping in 11.
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