The 2022-23 winter high school sports season came to an end on Thursday, as the Waynesboro Area Senior High School varsity boys’ basketball team and varsity wrestling teams competed in road contests.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
The Waynesboro Indians paired up with two Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division teams who also share the Tribe’s PIAA classification (Class 6A) in what could be a prelude to the postseason.
On Tuesday, Waynesboro traveled to Carlisle and came away with only its second loss of the season, 66-55, to the Thundering Herd. On Thursday, the Indians made a shorter trip to Chambersburg and were turned away 40-31 by the Trojans.
Waynesboro (Mid-Penn Colonial Division) has already clinched a berth in the District 3 playoffs but will first play State College (Commonwealth Division) in the Mid-Penn Conference Tournament on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at a site to be determined (either Big Spring, East Pennsboro or Mechanicsburg).
Waynesboro’s high-powered offense was neutralized in both games this week and were held to a season-low 31 points against Chambersburg.
Ryan Shaffer led the Tribe with 12 points, while Cooper Hough had nine points.
Waynesboro (19-3) shot 3 for 17 from the three-point arc and were outrebounded 36-21 by the Trojans.
The Indians led Carlisle 27-22 in the first half but the Herd rallied to take a 29-28 lead at halftime and then outpointed Waynesboro 37-27 in the second half.
Shaffer had a team-high 19 points for Waynesboro. Jaylon Bean had 13 points and Hough tallied 11 points.
Waynesboro is ranked fifth in the current District 3 power rating. The top four teams receive a first-round bye in the 12-team tournament. The opening-round games will be played at the higher-seeded team, meaning, if the standings remain the same, the Indians will host No. 12 Red Lion (11-11) next Tuesday.
WRESTLING
Waynesboro ended its regular season with a 37-24 victory over Shippensburg in a Mid-Penn Colonial Division meet in Shippensburg.
The Greyhounds enjoyed a dominant start to the contest by winning the first four bouts, including three by fall and the other by regular decision to build a 21-0 lead.
After a no contest at 106 pounds the Indians reeled off wins in seven of the final eight matches to secure the team win.
It started at 113 when Jawaun Ballard and Steven Howard (120) both won by forfeits.
Chance Atkinson closed the gap to 21-18 with a pin in 1:30 in the 126-pound contest. At 132 pounds, Jayden Rooney gave Waynesboro the 22-21 lead with a major decision (14-2).
Shippensburg briefly got the lead back after winning by decision at 138 pounds, but Waynesboro got if right back when Calvin Myers earned a decision at 145 pounds. Garrett Lowans scored some crucial bonus points with a second-period fall at 152 pounds, and Luke Lehr ended the night with another second-period pin in the 160-pound bout.
Wrestling’s second season gets underway on Feb. 18 with the PIAA District 3 Section IV Class AAA tournament hosted by South Western. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the District 3 South Central Regional Championships.
In addition to Waynesboro, Section IV consists of Central York, Dallastown, Dover, Gettysburg, New Oxford, Northeastern, Red Lion, South Western, Spring Grove, Susquehannock, West York, York Suburban and York Tech.
Waynesboro and Gettysburg are the only two Mid-Penn Conference teams. The rest of the field consists of teams from the York-Adams League.
SWIMMING
The Waynesboro girls’ team finished its first season in PIAA-sanctioned competition with a sparkling 11-0 record that includes a Mid-Penn Colonial Division championship.
Last week the Maidens defeated Cedar Cliff 102-74 to complete an undefeated regular season.
The Indians also won and finished with a 9-2 record. Waynesboro handed the Colts a 100-62 setback.
Waynesboro is competing in the Mid-Penn championships on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11 at Cumberland Valley High School.
Both Waynesboro 200 individual medley relay teams won the opening event against Cedar Cliff. The Maidens team consisted of Anna Swanson, Belle Hess, Eve Phillips and Mya Beck, won won with a time of 1:58.05, narrowly defeating Cedar Cliff’s time of 1:59.87.
For the Indians, it was Aiden Hess, Owen Shockey, Cello Dimino and Brenner McIlquham outlasting the Colts by nearly 10 seconds as they finished in a time of 1:57.12.
Dimino won the boys’ 200-yard freestyle (2:17.19) and JB Bonner took the top spot in the boys’ 200 IM (2:15.32).
Waynesboro’s Brenna Naddeo won the girls’ 50 freestyle with a time of 26.82, while McIlquham claimed first place in the boys’ 50 freestyle (24.20).
Phillips gave the girls another first-place finish when she won the 100 butterfly in 1:00.27.
Bonner added another individual win with a triumph in the 500 freestyle (5:20.93). Bonner finished nearly 13 seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher.
Then, both girls and boys won the 200 freestyle relay events. For the girls, Swanson, Hess, Naddeo and Maddy Stoops combined to finish with a time of 1:48.95. For the boys, it was Nathan Nolan, Kyle Swanson, Colby Smith and Tank Benedict winning with a time of 2:02.93.
Waynesboro also swept the 400 freestyle relay. Phillips, Naddeo, Beck and Stoops teamed up to finish in 3:55.15, while McIlquham, Gabe Blake, Hess and Bonner won in 3:43.28.
