It wasn’t exactly a Picasso.
But not every victory needs to be a work of art.
Ephrata wasn’t looking for perfection Tuesday night. Just a win – Picasso-like or otherwise. The Mountaineers had to pull some teeth and scratch and claw and overcome a wonky third quarter before getting the victory.
“We weren’t really focused on winning the section until it became so real. ... As soon as it became real, we started really zoning in on what we needed to do to win,” Ephrata bowler Nathan Barnica said.
And so the Mountaineers did, wrapping up the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two title with a 7-0 sweep of Warwick on Friday at Dutch Lanes.
While Ephrata’s title seemed rather improbable earlier in the season, a Section One title for defending champion Hempfield was certainly more in the cards, though hardly a given. And on a wild ending to a crazy season, the Black Knights again emerged victorious, earning just enough points in a 4-3 loss to Manheim Township — only a handful of lanes away from where the Mounts earned their crown.
It was impossible for Jasmine Griffin to hide from the number. Every student who crossed her path seemed to mention it.
Twelve points. That’s all Ephrata’s senior needed. No big deal, right? Griffin can score 12 points in her sleep.
These points were different. They were going to place her atop the program’s all-time scoring list. Anticipation was there from the opening tip. Fans cheered a little louder after Griffin’s baskets. They counted down in their heads.
“We ask a lot of her,” Ephrata coach Brian Cerullo said. “She always delivers. There’s a lot of pressure on nights like this. She was able to deliver again.”
Exhale, Baron Nation.
Manheim Central nearly had its nine-game winning streak snapped by rival Ephrata on Tuesday night.
Maddie Knier to the rescue. The Barons’ senior standout coaxed in a fadeaway jumper near the foul line at the fourth-quarter buzzer to force overtime and Central went on to top the Mountaineers 53-49 in a real barnburner to clinch at least a tie for the Lancaster-Lebanon League girls basketball Section Two title.
Even competitive swimmers spend more time on land than in water, so dry-land training is an important aspect of any competitor’s development.
The Ephrata swim team takes dryland training so seriously, the Mounts don’t just use weights and resistance bands. They make sure they are learning from the most successful in the sport while working out.
Two-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist Katie Hoff Anderson has partnered with Ephrata through her Synergy Dryland program. Anderson is not there in person at Ephrata, but she does consult with head coach Mickey Molchany and Ephrata’s staff regularly through Zoom to refine the workouts for the swimmers’ needs.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.