Garden Spot's field hockey team improved to 3-0-0 in L-L League play with an 11-0 victory over Lebanon on Friday, September 23 at home. It was yet another stingy game for the Spot defenders, who have notched six shutouts in 10 matches (8-2-0 overall).

"Defensively, we have given up seven goals on 26 shots in the last 10 games," head coach Katy Eby noted. "Our back line is doing a phenomenal job slowing the play before the circle and not allowing many opportunities."

The defense prevented the Cedars from taking any shots on goalie Kasey Miller.

"Kasey has done a great job and is getting the support of our defensive players," Eby added.

Kylee Barshinger notched a hat trick while Lacey McCalicher tallied two goals and assisted on four. Liby Kauffman and Mary Culbert also scored twice. Melanie Esh chipped in with one score and four assists. Lauren Horning (1g, 1a) and Emma Swatski (1a) also contributed.

"The girls were able to try some new things offensively," Eby added, "and we were able to get all available players into the varsity game, which helps develop confidence for our underclassmen."

In their next league match - a home game with Octorara on Tuesday - the Spartans earned another shutout. With two goals scored in each quarter, they defeated the Braves 8-0.

Esh (2, 2) and Horning (2, 1) scored multiple times while McCalicher, Kauffman, Swatski and Ali Sensenig each netted one goal. McCalicher and Erin Hamer each had one assist while Barshinger recorded two.

This shutout came with three saves by Miller in goal.

FOOTBALL

Kye Harting threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in Garden Spot's 44-0 defeat of Section Three opponent Fleetwood on Friday, September 23 in New Holland.

The junior quarterback connected with Blake Weaver on a 62-yard scoring pass in the first quarter, giving the Spartans a 13-0 lead. Garden Spot, with the help of a Harting TD pass to Zac Nagle and Harting himself breaking out into the open for a 79-yard dash to the endzone, increased that lead to 37-0 by halftime.

"He is deceptively fast," head coach Matt Zamperini said of Harting. "He's a big threat - throwing and running. He leads our offense well."

And when Harting and the offense weren't finding their way into the endzone, place kicker Nick Gleason was coming through with accurate and strong kicks through the uprights. He nailed field goals from 25 yards, 32 yards and 40 yards away - all in the first half.

"He played a huge role for us, kicking three field goals and all our PAT's," Zamperini remarked.

While Harting completed six passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns - a 14-yard scoring pass to sophomore Jace Conrad to close out the scoring in the first half, he also accounted for 179 of his team's 317 rushing yards.

"Our offensive line opened up a lot of holes for us," Harting said.

Harting described the touchdown pass to Weaver in the first period.

"It was a fake sweep," he said. "I saw Blake Weaver running down the field wide open and just threw the ball right to him. He went all the way in."

The Spartans also scored on a Harting 33-yard dash to the endzone, giving them the eventual margin of victory in the third stanza.

Fleetwood quarterback Jack Riffle threw 29 passes, completing 16 for 119 yards. The Spartans defense could often be found in pursuit of Riffle or getting enough penetration to limit the Tigers (2-3, 0-2) to five rushing yards all night.

"We didn't give up any big plays," said Zamperini of the defense. "We got to our spots quickly and that was the biggest thing. We got a lot of pressure on the quarterback."

BOYS' SOCCER

Coming off a 2-1 loss to Lancaster Catholic on Monday, September 26, the Spartans turned it around and edged Section Two rival Cedar Crest by the same score Tuesday, improving to 6-5-1 (3-3-0 league).

Rowan Sensenig's goal came early in Monday's match in New Holland. The Crusaders evened the score five minutes before halftime and went ahead for good on Will Scott's goal in the 57th minute.

Josh Martin, who had four saves against Catholic, snagged five shots away from Crest attackers.

Sensenig's goal in the 60th minute tied the game at 1-1. Braedyn Brill, who provided the assist, scored the eventual game-winner 10 minutes later.

GIRLS' SOCCER

Solanco's Meg Bailey posted a hat trick to lead her team to an 8-1 victory over Garden Spot on Tuesday at New Holland. Ashton Gonzalez scored the lone goal for the Spartans, who fell to 0-10-0.

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL

Playing three close sets against Elizabethtown, the girls' volleyball team came up short in a 3-1 loss on Thursday, September 22 at home.

The Bears and Spartans exchanged two close finishes with the visitors winning 25-20 only to have Spot even the match with a 25-23 win. The Bears (8-1, 7-1 league) led by Elizabeth Kerin's 16 kills, won the next two sets 25-18, 25-15.

Chloe Grady collected 11 kills for Spot and Avery Smith registered five blocks. Summer Stern added 14 digs and Kayla Kauffman put up 29 assists.

GOLF

In the L-L League Championships at Fairview Golf Course on Monday, September 26, Lila Albertson finished sixth in the girls' Class 3A Championships with a score of 97. In doing so, Albertson qualified for the District Three 3A Championships, scheduled for October 7-8 at Briarwood East Golf Club.

In the boys' championships, Evan Humphreys shot a 93 and Ryan Chapin a 100, both missing the cut for districts.

CROSS COUNTRY

Racing against Ephrata and Manheim Central at Ephrata Middle School on Tuesday, September 27, the girls' cross country team fell just short of its Section Two rivals. Ephrata won 18-42 and Central topped Spot 21-37.

Top finisher for the Spartans (1-4) was Julia Hoover, who earned third place with a time of 21:58.

Haley Zimmerman (12th) and Haylee Horning (15th) also made the top 15.

The boys (2-3) ran past Ephrata 20-27 and also Central 24-32 with Alan Krock (18:05), Gavin Reimers (18:12) and Josiah Smucker (18:33) taking second, third and fourth, respectively. Justin McFalls legged out a time of 20:05 to earn 12th.

GIRLS' TENNIS

The Spartans came up empty against Manheim Central and Donegal in Section Three girls' tennis matches. In Manheim on Friday, September 23, Lauren Huber edged Spot's Leah Moua 6-3, 6-1 at number three singles while Brooke Kettler won by the same scores at number four singles against Spot's Lauren Pavelik en route to a 7-0 Barons victory.

In Monday's match at Donegal, the Indians prevailed 7-0 as the Spartans fell to 3-9 overall.

Meredith Horst, at number one singles, and Corrine Watson, playing number three, both came close to overtaking their respective opponents. Horst and Moua made a great effort at number one doubles before falling 8-3.