Three Solanco wrestlers qualified to compete in the District Three South Central Regional Championships at Spring Grove High School on Saturday, Feb. 27. One not only earned a silver medal but extended his season for yet one more tournament and a chance to get to states.

Dom Flatt picked up two wins before facing Manheim Townships Kaedyn Williams, in the final, for the fourth time this year. The Solanco senior lost 4-3.

"Really, each time he gets closer to winning," said head coach Tony Mendez. "It was 4-3 with a minute to go. We talked about having that nothing to lose attitude. I mean, a loss is a loss so push and take a chance.

"In a normal year, second place puts you in states," the coach continued. "But the covid restrictions make it harder this year. The super regional, in Altoona, is next. The top four get to states."

Flatt is 18-4 on the year with all four losses to Williams.

Flatt, wrestling at 106, opened with a convincing 19-8 major decision over Spring Grove sophomore Levi Snyder (19-1). In the semifinals, Flatt worked a 7-3 decision over undefeated freshman James Garcia of Wilson, fighting off a 2-1 deficit heading into the third period.

"We expected that quarterfinals match to be a bit tighter," said Mendez. "Dom just wrestled very well. In the semis, he seemed a bit tight at first, a bit cautious, knowing that he needed a win to move on. He came around and scored more in the third period."

Joining Flatt at Spring Grove was Jackson Houghton and Ronnie Fulton.

Houghton, wrestling at 132, dropped a 7-4 decision in the quarterfinal and then met Garden Spot junior Garrett Gehr, who prevailed with a 13-1 major decision. Gehr went on to place third.

Fulton suffered a similar fate. The senior dropped a 6-0 decision to Dallastown junior Caden Dobbins, the eventual 138-pound second place finisher. He faced Daniel Boone's JT Hogan in the consolations and suffered a 13-3 major decision. Hogan finished fourth overall.

"Ronnie and Jackson wrestled well," said Mendez. "It's the top eight right away and the consolations are tough. You're going up against someone who made the finals the week before, not just a fourth-place guy. There is no room for error.

"On the plus side, with all the restrictions, these guys (Dom, Ronnie and Jackson) are my seniors," Mendez added, "and they were South Central Regional qualifiers."

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Hoping the momentum of a Wednesday night upset victory over Elco would continue, Solanco traveled to York Suburban Thursday, Feb. 25, but a second upset was not in the cards. YS, seeded ninth in District Three Class 5A, held Solanco to single digits in all four quarters and tallied 19 points in the second frame en route to a 54-20 win.

"It was a tall task for our program," said head coach Chad McDowell. "We needed to play a quality opponent to try to give ourselves an opportunity to qualify for districts.

"Playing back-to-back, after an emotional, highly contested game the night before, took a toll on us," he added. "We struggled to find a rhythm on both sides of the floor."

The hosts, knocking down 10 treys on the night (40%), opened with a three-ball and never looked back. They held Solanco to four points in the quarter and led 31-10 at the break. Both teams connected on seven field goals, but the Mares did not hit a single three, which proved to be the difference.

Nikki Trout paced Solanco's offense with six points. Suburban's Grace Hare netted five triples and finished with a game-high 15 points.

"We played hard and did what we could," said McDowell. "They made their shots and played solid defense.

"I'm proud of our efforts," he added. "We played hard each possession and I love the heart we play with."

Olivia Lasko led with six rebounds, dished out two assists and scored one point. Jade Eshleman followed with five boards and scored three points. Other contributors included Sammi Jackson, Jenna Ehlers, Josie Janssen and Meg Bailey with two points each. Arianna Seiberlich finished with two steals and one point and Kendal Janssen added three rebounds and one point.

BOYS' BASKETBALL

Two teams struggling in the wins department faced off Friday Feb. 26 in Mt. Joy. And when the final whistle sounded, it was Donegal that survived a Solanco rally and held on for a 51-46 win.

Colesen Shaeffer, who knocked down a game-high 17 points, sparked a 15-13 Solanco lead in the opening quarter. The Indians made up that ground with an 8-6 edge in the second frame. Shaeffer and Zed Baker each scored three points as the teams went into the locker room tied at 21-21.

The third quarter, however, proved to be the difference. With six points from Sites, who netted a team-high 14, and five different players scoring, the hosts went on a 17-7 run to go up ten.

"We just struggled to score that quarter and that hurt," said head coach Dave Long. "All the seniors played really well. We got great looks, but the shots just did not fall."

The Mules battled back, dropping in four fourth quarter treys, two by Colesen, and outscored the Indians 18-13 but it wasn't enough.

Tyler Burger backed Colesen with 13 points and three treys on the night. Baker netted seven, Ryan Smith chipped in with five and Ethan Clary added four to round out the scoring.

"Overall, I am very proud of what our guys did this year," Long stated. "We never got back into a full rhythm with being quarantined so often, but the fact that we had a season is a testament to the mental toughness of not only our kids but to the entire L-L League."