By Ben Destefan

In many ways, the pressure’s off.

Regardless of what happens in the next two games, the Greencastle-Antrim girls’ basketball team will play in the state tournament for the first time in program history.Then again, Wednesday’s District 3-AAA semifinal against top-seeded — and unbeaten — West York provides another signature opportunity for a Blue Devil squad quickly emerging among the area’s elite.

Oh, and the game is being played on the region’s biggest stage, tipping off inside Hershey’s Giant Center at 4 p.m

.“We’re now in the mindset of ‘why not us?’,” G-A head coach Mike Rhine said. “We’ve earned the right to be here and now we want to win. It was a goal for the girls to get to play at the Giant Center, and now they get that chance. We’re all really looking forward to it.”

Undoubtedly, the challenge will be as large as the venue.

The Bulldogs enter the game with a sparkling record of 27-0, rolling past both Middletown (81-43) and York Suburban (66-31) to reach the Class AAA semis.Needless to say, there’s a reason why their ranked No. 1 in the district, and No. 6 in the state.

“They’re a powerhouse, no doubt about it,” Rhine said. “They actually remind us a lot of ourselves in terms of individual character and responsibilities. They are big, tenacious, and very, very good.

”Much of West York’s production runs through its two senior guards, with the duo of Emily Wood and Kari Lankford serving as focal points.Wood, who scored her 1,000th career point against Middletown, is coming off back-to-back 20-point performances while Lankford netted 19 in Sunday’s quarterfinal win over York Suburban.

“Their two guards really make them go,” Rhine said. “We want to focus on them defensively and try to disrupt their rhythm.”

Similarly, the fourth-seeded Blue Devils (22-3) also bring a couple hot hands into Wednesday’s showdown, led by junior point guard Hannah Crist.In Sunday’s 45-41 victory against Lancaster Catholic, Crist recorded a game-high 19 points, headlined by several clutch free throws in the closing stages to seal the win.

Sophomore sensation Jenay Faulkner, who’s averaging 17.3 points per game, will presumably be West York’s primary focus with Katie Gelsinger presenting her own set of challenges in the paint.

Through G-A’s two district games, Gelsinger has grabbed 32 rebounds to go along with 24 points, including a double-double (17 pts., 18 reb.) in the first round against East Pennsboro.

“We’re honored and excited to get this chance against this opponent on this stage,” Rhine said. “We’re going to give it our best effort and see how it plays out.”