A look ahead: York's week of April 25
Another exciting week of high school sports in the York-Adams area gets off to a fast start with several key matchups on Tuesday, followed by some intriguing games later in the week. Here are a few you should keep an eye on:
Boys' lacrosse
Central York at Red Lion, 4:15 p.m. Tuesday: The two teams atop the YAIAA standings square off Tuesday night under the lights at Horn Field. The Lions have picked up key wins against top contenders York Catholic and York Suburban after a tough loss against Eastern York that head coach Stefan Striffler called a wake-up call. The Panthers are riding a four-game win streak after a tough one-goal loss to Suburban. The winner will be in the driver's seat to seal the top spot in the YAIAA playoffs. Both teams' goaltending has been solid this season but keep an eye on the matchup between two of the league's top duos: Central's T.J. Ross and Katon Yantek against Red Lion's Sam Emig and Jac Gemmill.
Red Lion at Susquehannock, 6 p.m. Thursday: Talk about a tough week for Red Lion. Striffler admitted that the Lions have a target on their back and will get everyone's best shot so his team needs to be ready. They'll get two tough games this week, including this one at Susquehannock. After a slow start, the Warriors have won six of their last seven thanks in large part to the emergence of Nick Chamberlin as one of the league's better goaltenders and the outstanding play of Dorian Faster and Anthony DeVincent, who Striffler mentioned as one of the top duos in the league.
Girls' lacrosse
York Catholic at Kennard-Dale, 7 Tuesday: This is the girls' lacrosse game that everyone has had circled on their calendar since the preseason. Why? Both teams are undefeated. The Irish are the only YAIAA team to beat the Rams in the last five seasons. The winner will likely go on to secure the top spot in the league playoffs. Both teams can put up a lot of points and neither gives up many goals. Their resumes are almost identical this season. Through Apr. 22, the Irish had outscored their opponents, 168-39, and the Rams had outscored their opponents, 215-46, and they're both ranked among the top 15 teams in the state according to LaxPower rankings. So who's the better team? We'll see on Tuesday.
Susquehannock at Red Lion, 7 Thursday: While the two top teams clash on Tuesday, the No. 3 and 4 teams in the league meet on Thursday at Red Lion. The Warriors (12-1, 6-1 YAIAA) have won 11 in a row, including a 10-9 win on the road against Berks County powerhouse Wyomissing last week. Susquehannock uses a strong defense and a balanced offense. Three of the top four assists leaders in the league are Warriors. The Lions (7-3, 6-2) have won six of their last seven after a slow start. Junior Alyssa Adams has been on fire, racking up 17 goals in two games last week.
Boys' volleyball
Northeastern at Red Lion, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: Outside of the Northeastern-Central York rivalry, this could be the most highly anticipated matchup of the season. The Lions (7-1, 5-1) sit in second place behind Northeastern (8-0, 6-0) and hope to avoid falling into the logjam of YAIAA teams with two losses (York Suburban, Dallastown, Susquehannock). Led by Cole Brillhart and Dillon Hildebrand, Red Lion has won three in a row after a setback against Central. Meanwhile, the Bobcats keep cruising along, sweeping every opponent in non-invitational play this season. Note: You can watch this match live at GameTimePA.com.
Girls' track and field
York Suburban at Eastern York, 4:15 p.m. Wednesday: In one of the biggest dual meets of the season, the Trojans (5-0, 5-0 YAIAA Division II) and Knights (5-0, 5-0) get a chance to separate themselves as the top dog in the division. Both teams are among the league's fastest in the 3,200 and 400 relays. The 800 and 400 should be exciting as well with Eastern's Hannah Myers and Madison Nalls taking on Keelie Walker and Olivia Gettle.
Baseball
Northeastern at Dallastown, 4:15 p.m. Monday: Division II's top team takes on Division I's top team in this matchup. Led by pitcher Riley Hamberger, who has had a standout season so far, the Wildcats have won five in a row. With Adam Kipp, Kody Reeser and Jonah Latshaw leading the way, the Bobcats have won seven in a row after starting 2-3. Someone's winning streak is coming to an end on Monday.
Softball
Susquehannock at Central York, 4:15 p.m. Monday: Fresh off back-to-back wins against league contenders Dallastown and Dover, the young, undefeated Central Panthers host undefeated Susquehannock. The Panthers have outscored their opponents, 107-12, and haven't given up more than three runs in a game to any YAIAA opponent. The Warriors aren't far behind, having given up only 24 runs this season.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the start time of the Central-Red Lion boys' lacrosse game.