DISTRICT 3-AAA GIRLS BASKETBALL: Greencastle-Antrim's soccer experience paying off

HERSHEY >> Is it coincidence? Fate?

Or is this group of girls just that talented?

"These kids don't believe they're going to lose in any sport," Greencastle-Antrim girls basketball coach Mike Rhine said after the Blue Devils' 42-40 win over No. 1 seed West York on Wednesday at Giant Center in a District 3-AAA semifinal. "Katie (Gelsinger) said in the locker room that she's tired of hearing we're the underdog. She told the girls that we are a better team than them. The girls truly believed that, and everything came together. Call it some type of devine intervention or whatever you want, but these girls got it done."

These girls have been through this all before.

Just this past fall, all five of the Blue Devils starters were big parts of the girls soccer team that won districts and made it all the way to the PIAA quarterfinals. That experienced proved to be vital for Greencastle on Wednesday.

Facing the undefeated Bulldogs, the Blue Devils were considered big underdogs. After a shaky start, Greencastle quickly gained its composure.

Sophomore guard Jenay Faulkner said, "I think our run in soccer really helped our mindset. We were able to treat this like any other game, and that helped us settle down and pull this one out."

And just when you thought things couldn't get anymore ironic, think again.

• The Blue Devils will face the same team in the District 3-AAA final that they faced in the District 3-AA girls soccer final – Conrad Weiser. Greencastle beat the Scouts 1-0 on the soccer field and will square off again with Weiser (20-7), the No. 7 seed, on Saturday. Three players on the Scouts' basketball team were also on the soccer team.

• In the 2005-06 season, the Greencastle boys basketball team was the No. 5 seed in districts and played in the semifinal against the No. 1 seed. The Blue Devils pulled out a 54-52 upset win against (who else?) West York.