It was mid-January when the Waynesboro boys basketball team last lost a game. At that time, the Tribe were limping with a 6-7 record and seemed like a lost cause to qualify for the District 3-6A postseason.
But coach Tom Hoffman’s Waynesboro squad has turned a corner, with the Tribe winning six-straight ballgames. Following Waynesboro’s most recent victory, a 58-42 blowout over Mid-Penn Colonial Division leader Middletown, the Tribe rank No. 18 in the district power rankings.
Only 16 teams qualify for the 6A dance, so if Waynesboro hopes to crash the party, it will need to keep winning. Of course, that will be easier said than done for the Tribe, as they will have to beat another district power — the Carlisle Thundering Herd — to keep their playoff hopes alive.
We’ve selected this Friday night showdown 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 games we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Waynesboro at Carlisle
Tip-Off: Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Carlisle
Records: Waynesboro is 12-7, while Carlisle checks in at 13-7.
Last game: The Tribe routed Middletown by a 58-42 score, while the Herd are coming off a 54-43 loss to Chambersburg.
Last meeting: Carlisle blasted Waynesboro 66-33 in last year’s meeting.
Meet the Tribe: Coach Tom Hoffman’s Waynesboro squad hasn’t lost a game since falling 54-53 to South Western on Jan. 15 … The Tribe responded to the loss with six-consecutive wins to surge into second place in the Colonial Division … Waynesboro is led by two returning senior Colonial All-Stars in Alex Torbica and Farin Parks … The 6-foot-5 Torbica was a Second Team selection last year and is scoring 7.1 points per game this season … Parks, a Third Team selection, is averaging 7.7 points per contest … Junior guard Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt has been a Top 5 scorer in the Local.News1 coverage area this winter, averaging 12.0 points per night … Other impact players in the Waynesboro lineup include Nate Nystrom (9.6 ppg), Carter Hough (8.0 ppg), Joey Long (3.5 ppg), and Julian Mencia (1.9 ppg) … As a team, the Tribe are averaging 49.9 points per game, while allowing 45.7 per contest … Waynesboro owns notable wins over New Oxford (69-67), Northern York (52-40), East Pennsboro (57-47 and 50-43), and Middletown (58-42) … The Tribe will be looking for their first win over Carlisle since the 2020-21 season.
Meet the Thundering Herd: Carlisle, guided by coach Andre Anderson, is looking to get back on track after taking two losses over its last three games … To do so, the Herd will likely need a big game out of 6-foot-2 senior guard Parker Smith, who ranks No. 2 in District 3 in scoring with 24.4 points per game … Smith, the 19th 1,000-point scorer in Carlisle history, is the lone returning Mid-Penn All-Star for the Herd … He will be joined on the court by 6-foot-8 forward Tyler Royal (7.1 ppg), as well as Masyn McMeekin (6.9 ppg), Luke Fischer (6.2 ppg), Lucas Ream (5.6 ppg), and Cayson Johnson (3.7 ppg) … Carlisle is averaging 58.9 points per game and allowing 47.6 … The Herd own notable wins over Penn Manor (68-43), Cumberland Valley (60-33), and Susquehanna Township (51-42) … Carlisle ranks No. 13 in the District 3-6A power rankings.
Sandrik’s pick: Carlisle by 10.
