Girls wrestling has come a long way.
Don’t believe us? Just ask the blossoming programs at Greencastle-Antrim at Chambersburg, two squads aleady finding plenty of success this winter.
The Blue Devils are only a few weeks into the season, but have already established themselves as the best team in program history after tripling the win total from their debut season a year ago. The state-ranked Trojans, with regional qualifiers slotted all throughout the lineup, have been a force to be reckoned with this winter.
On Thursday night, both teams will have a chance to showcase their progress when Greencastle visits Chambersburg in a clash we’ve selected as our Match of the Week.
The Blue Devils will most certainly be a heavy underdog against the Trojans, but the real winner on Thursday will be the sport of girls wrestling.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Match of the Week. Any big upcoming games or matches we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Greencastle-Antrim at Chambersburg
Start time: Thursday, 7 p.m., at Chambersburg
Records: Greencastle is 3-4, while Chambersburg checks in at 5-2.
Last match: The Blue Devils went 2-4 at the Gettysburg Duals last weekend, while the Trojans competed at the same event and went 4-2.
Last meeting: Chambersburg topped Greencastle 36-24 in last year’s match.
Meet the Blue Devils: Improvement has been the name of the game for coach Drew Allshouse and his Greencastle squad, and as a byproduct, the Blue Devils have already tripled their win total from last winter … Greencastle will be rallying behind the grappling of senior Aniuta Pavlii, a sophomore who is 9-2 with six falls. Pavlii, a competitor at 112/118, was a fifth-place finisher at the section tourney last season … Pavlii sets the table for a capable gauntlet of light and middleweights that include Jadelynn Corbin (118, 2-5), Jazmin Corbin (124, 3-4, 2 falls), Anna Booze (130/136/142, 6-5, 3 falls), Kathryn Bream (130/136/142, 5-3, 4 falls), and Rachael Graham (148/155, 1-9) … Freshman Riley Martin has gone through the rigors of wrestling against upperweights at 155 and 170, but has three wins to her name … Hannah Vazquez, a senior, is 4-5 at 100 pounds this season … An upset victory over Chambersburg would give the Blue Devils their third-straight victory.
Meet the Trojans: Coach Joshua Sherman’s Chambersburg squad, an Honorable Mention selection in the state team rankings, is a deep and powerful group … Simply from a numbers perspective, the Trojans are a capable team because they have enough wrestlers to consistently fill an entire lineup card, a rarity in the current girls wrestling world … It’s when you start going through the hammers in the Chambersburg lineup that you start to realize just how dangerous the Trojans can be … Junior Aulana Stanton, a defending section champion who is ranked No. 5 in the state at 190 pounds, is 7-0 with four falls this winter … Jessica Li qualified for states as a sophomore last season and the lightweight, a competitor at 106/112, is off to a 5-2 start with one fall this season … At 136/142, Chambersburg boasts a powerful grappler in the form of Reagan Evans, a defending section champion who is 7-0 this season with six falls … Look for Lilybeth Alcantaras (235 pounds, 5-2, 3 falls), a regional qualifier, and Hadyn Fritz (148, 5-2, 3 falls) to have an impact on this match … Others in the Trojans lineup with winning records include Emily Shaffner (100, 4-3, 3 falls), Joselyn Snavely (106, 1-0, 1 fall), Piper Jones (130, 5-1, 2 falls), Alejandra Cole Rosales (130/136, 2-0, 2 falls), and Makenna Lowe (170, 5-2) … Chambersburg’s only dual losses this season have come to state-ranked teams Gettysburg and Emmaus … A win over Greencastle would give the Trojans their second win in a row.
Sandrik’s pick: Trojans by 21.
