YAIAA vs. Mid-Penn Showcase to tip off Saturday

For anyone who fancies themselves a fan of high school basketball, Gettysburg High School is hosting an event that's right up your alley.

It's the Mid-Penn/YAIAA Showcase Challenge and it's being held Saturday, Jan. 23. The event starts at 11 a.m. with a seven-game schedule. Admission is $5.

This is the second year of the current format after four years of using a Pennsylvania vs. Maryland setup.

"Last year was a big success. We drew some very good crowds for the games," Gettysburg head coach and event organizer Jeff Bair said. "And this year could be even better."

The Mid-Penn Conference took the inaugural event, 4-3, on the strength of a pair of narrow wins with Camp Hill defeating Spring Grove by three points and Bishop McDevitt slipping past West York by two points in overtime.

Sometimes it was hard to retain the same field from year-to-year in the event, but Bair was able to keep all 14 teams from last year, though he has set up seven new matchups.

"This event is young. So I'm not sure that its caught up to the public yet in terms of what coach Bair is trying to do with it. I hope it has another good year and continues to grow. I think rivalries are a healthy way to build competitive programs," Central York head coach Kevin Schieler said. "District 3 is a strong basketball district and I think more events like this, where we get to square off against each other, will help all of the programs to grow and become more competitive."

The day kicks off with New Oxford taking on Boiling Springs.

New Oxford (7-10) is led by senior big man Devon Duvall (21.5 points per game), along with sophomore John Wessel (12.4 ppg),.

Boiling Springs (5-11) receives 12.4 ppg from senior guard Hunter Breon.

"Although they don't have as many wins as they did last year, they are playing a lot of close games against quality opponents," New Oxford head coach Sean Bair said of the Bubblers. "Coach (Pat) Dieter always does a nice job of preparing his team."

In what might be the marquee contest of the day, Central York faces off with Bishop McDevitt in the second game. This could be a high-scoring affair.

Schieler brings his team in with a 14-2 mark and they are led by York College commit Jared Wagner, who scored a career high 33 points in a win over New Oxford. Wagner is putting up 19.5 points per game, while the Panthers average 61.8 points per contest as a team.

Bishop McDevitt (12-4) brings an offense that averages 64.6 points per game and is paced by the 21.9 PPG that James Williams supplies. Williams has reached at least 20 points nine times and has scored 27 in a game twice.

"McDevitt has a strong basketball tradition and a coach with a good track record for winning," Schieler said. "I'm excited to see how we measure up against them."

The next game on the docket features West York hooking up with Chambersburg.

West York (7-6) is led by senior forward Darian McCauley who averages 16.2 points per game.

Chambersburg (6-9) has dropped seven straight, though that has coincided with injuries to frontcourt starters John Shupp and Cade Whitfield. The Trojans are led offensively by junior guard Cole Christian (16.4 points per game).

Bermudian Springs takes on Camp Hill in the fourth game of the event.

Bermudian (2-14) is led by junior Quinton Nace (13.5 points per game) and plays a patient style of offense and tough defense. Those philosophies are staples of 17th-year head coach Tom Flaherty.

Camp Hill (11-3) is paced by sophomore Casey Caruso (16.0 points per game) and 6-foot-7 sophomore Zack Kuntz, who is among the top tight end recruits in the country in his class. Kuntz has received a scholarship offer from the University of Michigan to play football there. The Lions knocked off previously unbeaten Milton Hershey on Tuesday, 60-58.

"Our players are excited about the opportunity to play in this event," Flaherty said. "Camp Hill has a strong tradition and an excellent team this year."

The fifth game features South Western taking on Mechanicsburg.

South Western (3-12) is led by senior guard Brock Geiman (13.4 points per game). His high game for the season is 30 points in a win over Waynesboro on Monday.

Mechanicsburg (9-6) plays in the Mid-Penn Keystone division and is paced offensively by junior guard Cade Alioth's 14.3 points per game.

"We lost to Mechanicsburg (57-31) in our tip-off tournament at Carlisle," South Western head coach Nathan Brodbeck said. "We look forward to the opportunity of competing with them now that it's later in the season to see how much we've improved as a team."

The penultimate tilt matches Spring Grove with Red Land.

Spring Grove (12-2) is led by star junior Eli Brooks and his 26.6 points per game, along with senior Darin Gordon (14.1 points per game). Brooks has already received 10 NCAA Division I offers, has topped 20 points in 12 games and has a high game of 36 points.

Gordon will play on the collegiate level at York College.

Red Land (7-8) relies heavily on 6-foot-6 senior Morgon Keiser. The third York College recruit in the event averages 20.1 points per game. He has scored at least 20 points in seven games this season and has a high game of 35 points.

"It's good to see different opponents in the regular season," Spring Grove head coach James Brooks said. "We have a tough matchup. We play Red Land and they play very hard."

The nightcap features the host Warriors against former Mid-Penn Colonial foe Waynesboro. The Indians' head coach, Tom Hoffman, played for Waynesboro when Coach Bair was an assistant there.

Gettysburg (10-5) is led by senior guards Marquise Camel (13.9 points per game) and Max Lampe (12.2 points per game).

Waynesboro (4-12) is paced by junior forward Cameron Keck (14.1 points per game).

"It's always fun to face Waynesboro," Jeff Bair said. "Their kids always play hard and we've had some good battles with them over the years."

Mid-Penn/YAIAA Showcase Challenge schedule

New Oxford vs. Boiling Springs, 11 a.m. 
Central York vs. Bishop McDevitt, 12:30 p.m. 
West York vs. Chambersburg, 2 p.m. 
Bermudian Springs vs. Camp Hill, 3:30 p.m. 
South Western vs. Mechanicsburg, 5 p.m. 
Spring Grove vs. Red Lion, 6:30 p.m. 
Gettysburg vs. Waynesboro, 8 p.m. 
* According to Gettysburg head coach Jeff Bair, if the Showcase is cancelled due to inclement weather an announcement will be made Friday. Log onto www.GameTimePA.com for news and updates on the Mid-Penn/YAIAA Showcase Challenge and all things YAIAA basketball.