Current Conditions
76°F - M/SUNNY
(1922) (1341) (785) (706) (483) (347) (40) (24) (23) (17) (12) (12) (8) (3)These two Lancaster-Lebanon League schools aren't hoops rivals. You have to page deep into the history books to find any kind of meaningful clash between them.
Back in 1997, they met in the quarterfinals of the L-L League tournament.
That's about it.
They've never shared the same section and have only played on a regular basis recently because of the creation of crossover play.
This season's encounter has different stakes, mostly because E-town is in a different class. The Bears, who have never won a league championship and haven't captured a section title since 1976-77, are a serious contender.
Both Hempfield and E-town are 12-1 overall and 8-0 in league play. They meet in Elizabethtown tonight at 8 to determine — for the moment at least — which is the league's best team.
This is new territory for the Bears.
"Hempfield is always good and is always up there," E-town coach Kevin Dolan said. "This is a good measuring stick for us. We're sort of the newcomer. We're looking forward to the challenge."
E-town thrives because of its depth and balance. The Bears have five players averaging between 9 and 12.5 points, led by forward Quinn Cozzens.
Despite adding transfers Jeremi Jones and Andrew Placeres to a mix that included four returning seniors, there have been no problems with team chemistry.
E-town shoves egos aside because it has lofty goals in mind.
"I knew they were good kids and good players," Dolan said. "I knew they could do a lot of good things. They continue to surprise me with how unselfish they are. That's a big benefit. We have a different high scorer every night and that's OK with them."
Dolan, an E-town alum in his second season in charge of the varsity, has to be the early favorite for coach of the year. He has seamlessly guided the Bears through what could have been a difficult transition.
This was the first time in a long time that E-town was expected to win big. After reaching the District Three Class AAAA semifinals and qualifying for states last season, everyone was buzzing about the Bears' chances of having a magical year.
E-town has shrugged off the hype and has navigated the first half of the league schedule flawlessly.
"So far, we've played well and have done some good things," said Dolan, whose team's only loss came at Central Dauphin East on Dec. 30.
"We've won some close games, but we really haven't accomplished anything to this point. It's too early to tell if we've lived up to preseason expectations."
Hempfield is fighting the same threat of complacency. The Black Knights have won 12 in a row since a season-opening defeat against Eastern York on Dec. 5.
They went through Penn Manor, Manheim Township and McCaskey, their three toughest rivals in Section One, in the span of five days last week. Two of those wins were in overtime.
Hempfield seems to do all the little things needed to pull out close games. Last week, in those three nail-biters, the Section One frontrunners made 85 percent of their foul shots.
Christian Walck (14.8 points) and Chris Yoder (12.6) are Hempfield's double-digit scorers.
Ask any coach in the league about Hempfield and you'll get some variation of the same response. The Knights are efficient, well-coached and disciplined.
"We have a style of play we feel comfortable with and we use it," Hempfield coach Warren Goodling said. "You just try to do the best you can with the people you have on the floor."
Hempfield is trying to win Section One for the first time since 2004. Although the Knights have five league championships to their credit, they're stuck in a drought. The last came in 2000 when Ryan Butt and Daron Pressley were the big names in Landisville.
So, who's the favorite in this marquee matchup? It's hard to say since both teams have such similar resumes.
Hempfield will claim E-town is expected to win because it's playing at home. E-town will argue the opposite because of Hempfield's winning tradition.
One thing is for sure: E-town is enjoying its time as one of the L-L League's elite.
"The gym gets a little bit more crowded every game," Dolan said. "You see some different faces at the road games. There's a real connection with people who come out and watch."
Everyone loves a winner.
For the first time in ages, E-town has one.
E-mail: jguarente@lnpnews.com
