‘They’ve never believed anyone was better’: Greencastle girls basketball reaching peaks they knew they’d meet

 

by Dan Sostek on 3/2/23

 

 

Soccer coaches aren’t usually the ones getting credit for the success of a basketball team.

 

But Greencastle-Antrim girls basketball head coach Mike Rhine was quick to name Blue Devils’ girls soccer coach Chris Noblit as a big help to G-A’s dynamic run to the District 3 5A championship game.

 

Because, with a core of girls that have grown up playing both on the pitch and on the hardwood, Noblit and Rhine have worked in tandem to balance practices, schedules and more to allow a talented crop of athletes to become one of the most successful in the program’s history.

 

“Chris actually deserves a lot of credit,” Rhine said. “He spent a lot of time organizing soccer tournaments, alternating with basketball tournaments, for a long long time. He kept everyone active, involved. It just seemed like they kept winning, and they developed that culture.”

 

That group, headlined by seniors Mia Libby and Rylee Henson, as well as junior Haley Noblit, were just part of a special season on the soccer field, where the Blue Devils made it all the way to the state semifinals.

 

They now believe they can get there with the roundball, as this Blue Devil team has bounced back from a disappointing playoff loss in 2022 to go 22-1 on the year.

 

“It’s kind of how you want your program to be,” Rhine said. “You don’t have to do a whole lot. You’ve got good leaders, and they’re setting good examples. And it just kind of works its way to the bottom and keep recycling.

 

Some of those leaders, like guard Mia Libby, have been starting since freshman year, when she transferred over from Christian school to “be a part of something special.” Others, like the junior Noblit, Rhine had on his radar since she was playing elementary school ball, knowing she’d be an immediate impact player once she got to high school.

 

Then, there are girls like Henson, who didn’t even play basketball until she got to sixth grade, just decided she wanted to play, and worked her way into becoming one of the premiere players in the Mid-Penn.

 

“She just was a good athlete,” Rhine said. “She couldn’t shoot a basketball in sixth grade when she had if she had to. And she just decided I’m gonna play and she started to work and work and work and they’ve really set the tone for the younger kids.”

 

Now, the group faces a York Suburban on Wednesday for a chance to bring a title back to Greencastle.

 

“We’ve kind of been number one all year long, as the computer goes, and now we have the chance to try and prove we are.”

 

“They’ve never believed anyone was better,” Rhine said. “They’ll do whatever hard work it takes to overcome it. That’s what they’ve signed up for. And we got one more game to try to get there.”