There are two sides to every story and for the Central York boys basketball squad, that tale had a happy ending last winter when the Panthers won a District 3-6A crown for the first time in school history.
On the other side of that story are the Chambersburg Trojans, whose district dreams were crushed with a quarterfinals loss to the Panthers.
Fast-forward a year: The Trojans and Panthers are back in the playoffs and set to once again meet in the quarterfinal round on Friday. Central York believes it has the pieces to successfully defend its district title, but the going won’t be easy against a Chambersburg squad that will be eager for revenge.
We’ve selected this Elite 8 matchup as our Game of the Week.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming contests we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
District 3-6A Boys Basketball Quarterfinals
Chambersburg at Central York
Tip-off: Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Central York
Records: The Trojans are 20-2, while the Panthers check in at 17-6.
Last game: Chambersburg kicked off districts with a 51-33 win over Cumberland Valley, while Central York topped Harrisburg 83-74 in the opening round.
What’s at stake: The winner advances to the district semifinals on Tuesday, while the loser will be sent to compete in the consolation bracket.
Meet the Trojans: Coach Shawn Shreffler’s No. 7-seeded Trojans, winners of seven of their last eight, are aiming to advance to the district semifinals for the second time in three years … Chambersburg, a team scoring 59.1 points per game and allowing 48.5, played to a runner-up finish in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division … The Trojans are led by a couple of sharp-shooting guards in Colton Cornwell and Grayson Kegerreis … Cornwell, a 6-foot-4 senior who was an All-Commonwealth Third Team selection last season, is averaging 16.5 points per night this winter and has drained 42 3-pointers … Kegerreis, a 6-foot-1 senior, leads Chambersburg with 51 3-pointers and is averaging 12.5 points per game … The Trojans are hoping to control the boards with a pair of 6-foot-6 forwards in sophomore Malachi Duhaney (9.9 ppg) and senior Landon Buhrman (9.7 ppg) … Junior Angelo Onomastico, a 6-foot-1 guard, is averaging 4.3 points per night and leads a supporting cast that includes Josh Rudy (2.8 ppg), Aedan Walker (2.5 ppg), Brady Truett (1.8 ppg), Seth Gilliam (1.6 ppg), and Brennen Smith (1.4 ppg) … A win over Central York would put Chambersburg one step closer to winning its first district title since 2012.
Meet the Panthers: Central York, the YAIAA Division I champion, is now on a quest to defend its District 3-6A championship … The No. 2-seeded Panthers will be aiming to push past the quarterfinal round with an offense that’s scoring 75.6 points per game and a defense that’s allowing 57.5 points per night … Coach Jeff Hoke’s high-powered squad is powered by four players — Ryan Brown, Brooklyn Nace, Ryan Jackson, and Kylar Landis — who are averaging double-digit scoring this season … Brown, a 6-foot guard who recently scored his 1,000th career point, is averaging 15.6 points per game … Nace is an Old Domininon football recruit who also shines on the basketball court with a scoring average of 14.6 points per game … Jackson (14.4 ppg) and Kylar Landis (11.1 ppg) lead a supporting cast that also includes Doug Layer Jr. (7.8 ppg), Savien Vanable (6.2 ppg), and Gavino Grove (6.1 ppg).
Sandrik’s pick: Trojans by 2.
