Greencastle-Antrim maintains standard of success
By Ben Destefan
t was somewhat of a surreal feeling. Not so much that they had lost, but that the season wasn't continuing beyond the first round of the District 3 playoffs.
Besides, the previous two campaigns reached the state tournament, meaning basketball into the month of March. Such a run wasn't meant to be for the Greencastle-Antrim girls' basketball team this winter. Still, considering the oddity surrounding the early playoff exit, the Blue Devils' expected success speaks to the reputation of the program.
G-A finished 18-6 overall, winning a fourth consecutive Mid-Penn Colonial Division title while earning a home game to open the District 3-5A tournament. The Blue Devils went a perfect 12-0 in Colonial play, once again proving to be the area's premiere girls' squad.
"When you think about previous years, it felt premature to lose in the first district game," G-A head coach Mike Rhine said. "We were used to spending more time together and making a run in districts. But, when you look back, it's hard not to think about all the firsts that were accomplished since Jenay's class started their careers."
Finishing as the school's all-time leading scorer, few players can impact a program like Jenay Faulkner did at G-A.
Signed to continue her career at Division-I Holy Cross, Faulkner racked up 1,820 points as a Blue Devil, scoring the most points by any girl or boy in school history. For her senior season, Faulkner averaged 18.9 points per game, earning yet another Colonial Division First Team selection. She also averaged nine rebounds and four steals per contest, influencing every phase on a nightly basis.
"Jenay was that player that put us out there as a program," Rhine said. "It was really just perfect timing with her entering high school when she did with the other working parts we had in place. To have Jenay is one thing, but to also have players like Hannah Crist and Katie Gelsinger in previous years, it was just a dream scenario as a coach. Jenay was at the center of it, changing the way people viewed us, and really, basketball in Franklin County."
As leaders of the team, fellow senior Morgan Wagaman rose to the occasion as Faulkner's running mate this season, averaging 10.4 points per game to earn a nod on the Colonial Division First Team.
Also assuming a more prominent role, Lydia Crist emerged as a legitimate threat outside, netting 7.3 PPG and 38 trifectas.
The likes of Madison Sweitzer, Heidi Schanzenbacher and Ashley Noblit will presumably join Crist in carrying the future torch, with each gaining valuable experience this season. Providing strong minutes as a senior, Lauren Cole was a reliable asset off the bench, giving G-A a physical presence inside.
"There is a lot of pride in what we've done, not just with those in the program, but in the community," Rhine said. "We've created something that is bigger than just a team that competes in the winter. It's more of a tradition now, and the girls that we have coming back want to keep it going. It will be a collection of efforts, from players and coaches, but we're not going to be satisfied with being average."
Recapping the season
G-A quieted some early concerns by winning the Franklin County Tip-Off Tournament for a fourth straight season, beating Chambersburg and Waynesboro to open the campaign.
Victories over James Buchanan, Northern York, Boiling Springs and Dallastown ran the Blue Devils' record to 6-0 before West York handed G-A its first loss in the championship game of the Lower Dauphin holiday tournament.
Four more wins ensued prior to consecutive losses against Mechanicsburg and Delone Catholic briefly halting the Blue Devils' momentum at the midway point
Greencastle responded by winning its next eight contests, including a thrilling rally against East Pennsboro in which Faulkner scored a career-high 38 points.
The Blue Devils then slipped in the regular-season finale against Susquehanna Township, suffering their first home loss since 2013.
Representing the Colonial Division in the Mid-Penn Conference tournament, G-A battled Bishop McDevitt into double overtime, ultimately falling short 51-46.
Awarded a home game to open districts as the No. 8 seed, G-A drew ninth-seeded West York in the first round, where the Blue Devils had their season come to an end with a final record of 18-6.
