F-F 5 things to watch, Oct. 24-29
It's that time of year when a season's worth of hard work pays off. Five area teams will begin their journey in District 3 playoffs, while five District 5 teams will solidify their place in the rankings this week.
Don't miss any of these district events happening this week around Franklin and Fulton counties.
District 3 boys soccer
MONDAY
Dist. 3 Class 3A first round - No. 9 West York at No. 8 Greencastle-Antrim, 7: Despite claiming home-field advantage for the first round of districts, the Greencastle-Antrim boys soccer team will have its hands full with West York, a No. 9 seed that finished the season 11-5 in York-Adams Division II.
The Blue Devils will also be without one of their best defenders in Luke Herman, who will sit out the first game of districts due to receiving a red card for a handball in the Mid Penn Conference tournament.
Both teams are coming off a loss in their respective conference brackets, as Greencastle (13-5) is recovering from a 4-0 loss to Lower Dauphin, Class 3A's top-ranked team, and West York fell 1-0 to Central York.
TUESDAY
Dist. 3 Class 4A first round - No. 9 Ephrata at No. 8 Chambersburg, 7: Ephrata claimed the No. 9 seed in the Class 4A tournament after claiming the regular season Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2 title, but lost two straight in the conference tournament.
By the time Tuesday rolls around, the Trojans will have nearly eight days off from game play, with an intra-county rivalry win over Greencastle-Antrim more than a week ago. Because it finished tied for third in the Mid Penn Commonwealth, Chambersburg (10-4-3) did not compete in the Mid Penn tournament.
Ephrata (14-4-1) started the season on a 12-game unbeaten streak.
District 3 field hockey
WEDNESDAY
No. 14 Greencastle-Antrim vs. No. 3 Twin Valley at Exeter, 5: The Blue Devils have a challenge in front of them for the first round of the Class 2A tournament.
Greencastle will take on the reigning Class 2A state champion Twin Valley, the third-ranked team in the bracket. The Raiders (13-5) managed a perfect league record, but fell to Oley Valley in the Berks County title game, breaking a 12-game winning streak.
Greencastle (8-9) ended its regular season with a tough 4-0 loss to No. 6 Big Spring.
District 3 cross country
SATURDAY
Saturday, area runners will travel to Big Spring for the District 3 cross country meet, with a number of local runners competing for a PIAA qualifying time. But just qualifying isn't enough for some of Franklin County's top female runners.
After placing third last year, Chambersburg's Abby Yourkavitch has had her eye on the Class 3A title. Greencastle-Antrim freshman Taryn Parks also has a shot at a district gold in 2A. She has shown that she can compete with elite runners - even besting Yourkavitch in the Mid Penn race.
The Chambersburg girls team will make a push for a team title. The Trojans came in fourth last year, and have proven it is just as strong, if not better, than last year's squad.
On the boys side, Chambersburg's Andrew Feldman will look to qualify for states and finish the area's top Class 3A runner, while Dalton Leab from James Buchanan will be a top contender in the boys 2A race.
District 3 girls volleyball
Although tournament brackets have not been finalized, two Franklin County volleyball teams will likely face a pair of highly-ranked opponents.
Chambersburg is ranked 12th in Class 4A in the final power rankings, and will likely take on No. 5 Manheim Township, while Greencastle-Antrim settled into the No. 11 spot in 3A, and looks to play No. 6 Lower Dauphin in the first round.
The Blue Devils lost two five-set matches to Lower Dauphin this season, but they're fresh off an upset over No. 1 Palmyra in the final game of the regular season.
Chambersburg and Manheim Twp. have similar records with only five and four losses on the seasons, respectfully. But the Blue Streaks' opponent win percentage is nearly a full point higher than Chambersburg's, meaning Manheim (11-4) is used to playing tough volleyball.
Chambersburg (11-5) is coming off a 3-0 loss to Cumberland Valley, in which inconsistency cost the Trojans.
District 5 playoffs
The District 5 brackets are not yet finalized, but with the season winding down four area teams are in the running for a post-season berth. Brackets will be released later this week.
The District 5 boys soccer playoffs are close to being set. McConnellsburg has wrapped up the No. 1 spot and Fannett-Metal will be the No. 4 seed -- both will play home games on Saturday. Southern Fulton will qualify for its first-ever District 5 tournament, but could be anywhere from No. 5 to No. 8.
The McConnellsburg girls soccer team would also sneak into a district playoff spot as of Sunday. The Lady Spartans sit in the final playoff spot as of Sunday, ranked 6th, and have two regular season games left on the schedule.
The McConnellsburg girls volleyball team will also look for pairings to be announced in the coming week as the Spartans hold the top ranking in District 5 as of Sunday with a 14-1 record and three matches left in the regular season.