Brett Barbush battled in two state tournament bouts, and although he lost both, he gained experience and showed he belonged on the state's biggest stage.

The junior competed at 172 pounds in the PIAA Class 3-A wrestling tournament March 10 in Hershey's Giant Center.

"It was a great experience," Barons' coach Quint Eno said. "Of course, his aspirations were higher than where he finished, nonetheless he was grateful for the experience. Plus, he wrestled his tail off. That's one thing you can expect from him every time out. And for him to continue that style of wrestling on high school's biggest stage shows that he belonged there."

The two wrestlers he competed against were no pushovers, combining for a 59-12 record. Barbush, who finished the season with a 31-11 record, lost 15-5 to senior Logan Hoffman (30-9) from Belle Vernon in the first round. Despite falling behind 4-0 in the first 25 seconds, when Hoffman executed a four-point takedown, Barbush battled until the end. Hoffman finished sixth in the tourney.

With not much time to recover from his loss, Barbush squared off against junior Marek Seaman (20-3) from West Chester Rustin. Seaman scored early and held on for a 10-6 decision to eliminate Barbush.

"Some allow the stage to change them, Brett did not," Eno said. "He pressed the action each match, competed in every situation, and focused on presenting his best product of wrestling. Of course, there were a few learning opportunities too. We must improve our situational awareness and be able to make mid-match adjustments."

A two-time District Three tournament qualifier, Barbush was making his first appearance at states. Eno said he and his staff were proud of the way Barbush competed and how he represented Baron Nation.

"We look forward to seeing what he does with his off-season," Eno said.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

The record-setting season for the Lady Barons came to end on March 13 in the second round of the PIAA Class 5-A girls' basketball tournament. Manheim Central lost 49-34 to West York at Cumberland Valley High School in a rare Sunday afternoon game, after snow pushed back the contest one day.

Finishing with a 20-8 record, the Barons took the program to a level they have not seen in more than a decade at Manheim. They won their first-ever state playoff game, they were co-champions for Section Three in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, made the league playoffs and placed fourth in District Three for Class 5A. Maddie Knier, a junior, also eclipsed the 1,000-point milestone for her career.

Barons' coach Tyson Hayes has built himself a strong program, one that will grow from this years' experience.

"All the credit goes to the kids," he said. "They bought into the vision and the process. (I'm) so proud to see them reap the awards."

The Barons lost to a familiar foe, as Central beat West York 50-41 on Feb. 25 in the District Three Class 5-A quarterfinals at Manheim's Doe Run Elementary. The Bulldogs used a 16-6 third quarter run in the rematch to pull away for 37-25 lead and cruised to the win. Knier paced the Barons with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Abbie Reed scored on a layup to help Central overcome a five-point deficit to take a 19-18 lead in the first quarter, but the advantage was short lived. Nailing a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first, West York led 21-19 after one quarter.

Rachel Nolt, who had eight points and five rebounds, drained a 3-pointer with 7:12 to play to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 37-28. This was as close as the Barons would get.