Section Two of the Lancaster-Lebanon League had been their battleground all season long.
But when Ephrata and Elizabethtown met in the District Three Class 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals Tuesday evening in Elizabethtown, so much more was riding on the outcome.
This time, the winning program would earn a substantial reward — a first-ever trip to the PIAA tournament.
I’m still standing better than I ever did … The Ephrata girls soccer team is still standing, looking like a true survivor after claiming a 1-0 decision over host Manheim Township, Saturday afternoon in a District Three Class 4A quarterfinal match at the Streaks’ Journey Field.
Kiersten Doutt’s finish of an Emily Weidner free kick in the 46th minute was the only goal the Mountaineers (17-4) would need as the back line of Jianna Long, Hannah Logue, Sydney Hornberger and Kendall Miller, along with holding midfielder Claire Schultz, kept the area in front of keeper Sophia Gonzalez relatively clean.
At one point in Wednesday night’s match, Ephrata girls soccer coach Wes Deininger implored his team, “Now we look for the Emily-Jorja combo.”
Emily Weidner and Jorja Welsh have combined for 11 goals and three assists for the Mountaineers this season, and the duo teamed again to pace Ephrata to a 1-0 victory over Lampeter-Strasburg in a key Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two matchup.
ATGLEN — The traditional intensity and atmosphere of the Lancaster-Lebanon League girls volleyball playoffs was met with a high-energy quarterfinal showcase Saturday at Octorara High School.
Credit goes to Section Three runner-up Northern Lebanon for setting the tone.
The Vikings came out swinging in the first match of the day, winning the initial set vs. Section Two runner-up Ephrata and perhaps raising a few eyebrows in the process.
AJ Hoffer is a beast. The senior running back ran 204 yards on 25 carries for Daniel Boone. He and fellow senior Thatcher Hogan formed a thunder and lightning combination that ran all over Ephrata in a 33-14 nonleague victory Friday night at War Memorial Field in Ephrata.
The Blazers (3-2) pounded out 324 yards on the ground. Hogan was responsible for 70 of those yards on 15 carries, scoring three times. Hoffer added another score on the ground.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.