By Ben Destefan

There were several unknowns heading into last weekend's Franklin County Tip-Off Tournament.

And, although still a small sample size, we learned quite a bit Friday and Saturday.

Personally, I covered games involving both Greencastle-Antrim squads along with the Waynesboro girls, gaining an early understanding of what the teams offer. I can't fairly speak to the Waynesboro boys, but it sounds like Chambersburg was simply the best of the four on hand.

We'll start with the now four-time champion G-A girls. It's pretty clear the Blue Devils aren't the same powerhouse they've been the last three years, having to hold on down the stretch against both Chambersburg and Waynesboro en route to the tournament title.

Even so, as evident by the trophy presentation, Greencastle is still the girls' team to beat in the area. Much of that reality revolves around returning superstar Jenay Faulkner, who was named Tournament MVP with a combined 39 points in two games. Presumably, Faulkner will break the girls' school record when the Blue Devils return to action at home Friday night, sitting just 16 points shy of surpassing Kylene Helman's mark of 1,420.

Considering Faulkner's signed to continue her career at Division-I Holy Cross, we expected her to be the premiere player on the floor. What we didn't know was how the supporting cast would perform. There is no Hannah Crist this year, a 1,000-point scorer that is now playing at Stevenson University. Instead, the Blue Devils are starting three sophomores alongside Faulkner and fellow senior Morgan Wagaman.

Being asked to assume a greater role as G-A's No. 2, Wagaman certainly appeared up to the task, netting 20 points over the weekend to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. There were also positive glimpses from the younger Blue Devils, as Lydia Crist, Madison Sweitzer and Heidi Schanzenbacher each made contributions. Additionally, Lauren Cole provided some valuable minutes off the bench, adding a physical aggressiveness to the rotation.

How G-A's youth develops will largely dictate just how far the Blue Devils can go. Faulkner will get hers and Wagaman looks ready. The progression of the sophomore trio could be the difference.