Hempfield Finishes Strong, Uses 13-2 Run In Final Minutes To Push Dallastown Away In Saturday Nonleague Tilt

Written by: Andy Herr on January 10, 2021

Coming into this season, the 2020-21 version of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One basketball figured to be the most-wide open its ever been in recent memory. And when you stop and think about it, that’s really saying quite a mouthful considering all the goliaths that have ascended to the top of the L-L League’s most storied of thrones in terms of the individual divisions themselves. Nonetheless, one of those teams found residing in Section One, Hempfield, figured to be on pace to perhaps be on the steady incline once again following a handful of lean years at the end of a stretch where the Black Knights would routinely play deep into the PIAA state tournament roughly half a decade ago. Granted, while it may have only been just one game, it was a big game at that on Friday evening when Hempfield rolled into Lancaster and took one away from rival McCaskey, 49-36, effectively allowing the Black Knights to plant their flag near the top of the divisional summit while also sending a message to the rest of their Section One brethren that Hempfield does appear in fact to be on the way back.

That said, it truly was no rest for the weary for the Hempfield contingent following their win over the Red Tornado considering they had to lace the shoes back up and play a team that loves to play just as frantic of a style, Dallastown, on Saturday afternoon back in the friendly confines of their home gym for the first time this year. And whether it be a carryover of the mojo the Black Knights gained off of Friday night’s victory, or just a case of knowing how to handle such an up-and-down tempo having seen it just one night prior, Hempfield was able to maintain the winds in their collective sails for the duration of the weekend with an emphatic slamming of the door on the visiting Wildcats over the final four minutes on Saturday.

If you’re ever tasked with playing Hempfield, you already know in advance that the tempo of the game will likely be one where every possession will be of the upmost importance considering how methodical the Black Knights routinely like to play. True to form, along with Dallastown’s emphatic defensive effort right out of the gates, points proved to be at a premium early on. In terms of finally making a dent into the scoreboard, those honors went to the visitors from York County as a dead-eye triple splashed in 6’1 senior guard, Egan Granholm, propelled the Wildcats out to the early 5-0 cushion with nearly half of the opening quarter already having expired.

Finally, thanks to a sweet dish Miguel Pena to Cole Overbaugh, the sophomore to junior Hempfield connection gave the hosts their first points of the afternoon coming on the heels of Granholm’s triple, only to then witness their guests jump right back out to a six-point lead at 12-6 following a 3-ball cashed in by 6’0 senior guard, Michael Dickson. From there, Hempfield would end up having the last laugh in terms of who would go on to finish the opening stanza’s scoring, as Dallastown carried the 12-8 lead with them into the second period.

Despite playing an uphill battle throughout the entirety of the first quarter, the Black Knights finally found themselves back on level ground at the 5:10 mark of the quarter when Pena promptly dialed up a timely triple, as the Hempfield 6’1 sophomore floor general made things all square at 13-13. Knowing full well that Hempfield had yet to gain the upper hand up until that point, Dallastown had no interest whatsoever in surrendering their lead entirely, perhaps best evidenced by the charge taken 6’0 junior forward, Dylan Lease, thwarting yet another Black Knights’ bid at overtaking the scoreboard. Ultimately however, Hempfield would go on to enjoy their first lead of the afternoon on a put-back courtesy of 6’0 sophomore guard, Michael Hester, giving Hempfield the 15-13 lead with 3:20 left to play before the break. And while he largely had been kept in check thanks to Dallastown’s collective defensive effort, Miguel Pena was able to get loose against the Wildcats’ D for a smooth pullup jumper before capping that off with a nifty floater in the lane, ultimately propelling Hempfield into the intermission with ownership of the 21-16 lead.

Ironically, for as slow as Hempfield had appeared to sputter at the beginning of the contest on the offensive end, the opening stages of the third quarter could not have looked any more different considering that Michael Hester came out of the gates firing, going on his own personal 5-0 salvo to help Hempfield generate even more breathing room, making it a 26-18 Black Knights’ lead early on in the third. But just when it seemed that perhaps Hempfield was on the path to running away and hiding for the rest of the afternoon, Michael Dickson was there to reel the Black Knights back in with a crucial momentum-halting triple, slicing Hempfield’s lead back down to five at 28-23 with three minutes having ticked off the third quarter clock.

That said, even though he too had been hemmed in for much of the day up until that juncture, Hempfield 6’1 senior guard, Ryan Hilton, was able to break free, finishing off a layup in transition to up the host’s lead to nine, 34-25, just two minutes later. And even while another Dickson pullup J pulled the Wildcats back to within five at 34-29 late in the quarter, Hempfield was able to counter right back with a triple knocked in on the Black Knights’ next trip down the floor by Michael Hester, good for three more en route to his team-high 14-point performance on the afternoon, helping catapult Hempfield into the final frame with what felt to be a commanding 37-29 buffer.

However, Hempfield’s late lead seemed to resemble more of a mirage as the final quarter went along.

Case in point, a 5-0 blitz authored by Dickson, forcing Hempfield to burn a timeout while nursing a 39-34 lead. But the hits only kept coming for the Black Knights. Following the timeout, Dallastown continued their ascension, eventually knotting things back up at 39-39 following a timely triple sunk by Wildcat senior forward, Ryan Snyder, with four minutes still left to play in regulation.

Now, with Hempfield clearly finding themselves in precarious position of having witnessed their lead evaporate over a span of just four minutes, it became paramount that someone take over the charge for the Black Knights’ contingent in order to help bring them home unscathed. For that, enter Ryan Hilton.

For much of the afternoon, it was rather obvious that Hilton had drawn the primary attention of Dallastown’s defensive game plan with the Wildcats refusing to allow the Black Knights’ most veteran of players single-handily beat them. Well, while it seemed to work for roughly 28 minutes of gameplay, the final four minutes were entirely taken over by Hilton.

For the first piece of evidence, we move to a series late in the game which sees Dallastown down by one trying to go ahead. Suffice to say, the Wildcats’ best laid plans were ultimately dashed as Hilton was able to poke the ball free from his on-ball position, ultimately capping off the Black Knights’ timely takeaway with a layup in transition while also getting fouled in the process, capping off a monstrous three-point play which swung the pendulum of momentum back in Hempfield’s favor, making it a 43-39 Black Knights’ lead with three minutes still left to play. From there, after refusing to breathe life into the Dallastown cause by crashing the defensive glass hard, the Black Knights once again handed the ball to their captain and let him do the rest as a cold-blooded jumper splashed in by Hilton on the ensuing Hempfield trip down the floor effectively sunk the Dallastown boat, making it a 45-39 Black Knights’ lead with time running out.

In the end, while Dallastown showed incredible moxie for having eviscerated Hempfield’s lead in such a short span of time, the energy used during the comeback seemed to lead to the Wildcats’ eventual downfall as empty trips in the final few possessions along with key Brandon Hagel free throws in the waning few minutes helped put the final stamp on Hempfield’s gutty nonleague victory on Saturday afternoon, 52-41.

NEXT UP: Now residing at 2-0 all along in the Section One standings coming out of the first two days of the regular season, the Black Knights will play their third game in as many eligible days, having taken the traditional Sunday off of course, when they travel to Millersville to tangle with the Penn Manor Comets on Monday night against a Comets’ team that had to stave off a similar effort from that of the Solanco Golden Mules on Saturday evening from all accounts, 48-46.

Coming into this season, the 2020-21 version of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One basketball figured to be the most-wide open its ever been in recent memory. And when you stop and think about it, that’s really saying quite a mouthful considering all the goliaths that have ascended to the top of the L-L League’s most storied of thrones in terms of the individual divisions themselves. Nonetheless, one of those teams found residing in Section One, Hempfield, figured to be on pace to perhaps be on the steady incline once again following a handful of lean years at the end of a stretch where the Black Knights would routinely play deep into the PIAA state tournament roughly half a decade ago. Granted, while it may have only been just one game, it was a big game at that on Friday evening when Hempfield rolled into Lancaster and took one away from rival McCaskey, 49-36, effectively allowing the Black Knights to plant their flag near the top of the divisional summit while also sending a message to the rest of their Section One brethren that Hempfield does appear in fact to be on the way back.

That said, it truly was no rest for the weary for the Hempfield contingent following their win over the Red Tornado considering they had to lace the shoes back up and play a team that loves to play just as frantic of a style, Dallastown, on Saturday afternoon back in the friendly confines of their home gym for the first time this year. And whether it be a carryover of the mojo the Black Knights gained off of Friday night’s victory, or just a case of knowing how to handle such an up-and-down tempo having seen it just one night prior, Hempfield was able to maintain the winds in their collective sails for the duration of the weekend with an emphatic slamming of the door on the visiting Wildcats over the final four minutes on Saturday.

If you’re ever tasked with playing Hempfield, you already know in advance that the tempo of the game will likely be one where every possession will be of the upmost importance considering how methodical the Black Knights routinely like to play. True to form, along with Dallastown’s emphatic defensive effort right out of the gates, points proved to be at a premium early on. In terms of finally making a dent into the scoreboard, those honors went to the visitors from York County as a dead-eye triple splashed in 6’1 senior guard, Egan Granholm, propelled the Wildcats out to the early 5-0 cushion with nearly half of the opening quarter already having expired.

Finally, thanks to a sweet dish Miguel Pena to Cole Overbaugh, the sophomore to junior Hempfield connection gave the hosts their first points of the afternoon coming on the heels of Granholm’s triple, only to then witness their guests jump right back out to a six-point lead at 12-6 following a 3-ball cashed in by 6’0 senior guard, Michael Dickson. From there, Hempfield would end up having the last laugh in terms of who would go on to finish the opening stanza’s scoring, as Dallastown carried the 12-8 lead with them into the second period.

Despite playing an uphill battle throughout the entirety of the first quarter, the Black Knights finally found themselves back on level ground at the 5:10 mark of the quarter when Pena promptly dialed up a timely triple, as the Hempfield 6’1 sophomore floor general made things all square at 13-13. Knowing full well that Hempfield had yet to gain the upper hand up until that point, Dallastown had no interest whatsoever in surrendering their lead entirely, perhaps best evidenced by the charge taken 6’0 junior forward, Dylan Lease, thwarting yet another Black Knights’ bid at overtaking the scoreboard. Ultimately however, Hempfield would go on to enjoy their first lead of the afternoon on a put-back courtesy of 6’0 sophomore guard, Michael Hester, giving Hempfield the 15-13 lead with 3:20 left to play before the break. And while he largely had been kept in check thanks to Dallastown’s collective defensive effort, Miguel Pena was able to get loose against the Wildcats’ D for a smooth pullup jumper before capping that off with a nifty floater in the lane, ultimately propelling Hempfield into the intermission with ownership of the 21-16 lead.

Ironically, for as slow as Hempfield had appeared to sputter at the beginning of the contest on the offensive end, the opening stages of the third quarter could not have looked any more different considering that Michael Hester came out of the gates firing, going on his own personal 5-0 salvo to help Hempfield generate even more breathing room, making it a 26-18 Black Knights’ lead early on in the third. But just when it seemed that perhaps Hempfield was on the path to running away and hiding for the rest of the afternoon, Michael Dickson was there to reel the Black Knights back in with a crucial momentum-halting triple, slicing Hempfield’s lead back down to five at 28-23 with three minutes having ticked off the third quarter clock.

That said, even though he too had been hemmed in for much of the day up until that juncture, Hempfield 6’1 senior guard, Ryan Hilton, was able to break free, finishing off a layup in transition to up the host’s lead to nine, 34-25, just two minutes later. And even while another Dickson pullup J pulled the Wildcats back to within five at 34-29 late in the quarter, Hempfield was able to counter right back with a triple knocked in on the Black Knights’ next trip down the floor by Michael Hester, good for three more en route to his team-high 14-point performance on the afternoon, helping catapult Hempfield into the final frame with what felt to be a commanding 37-29 buffer.

However, Hempfield’s late lead seemed to resemble more of a mirage as the final quarter went along.

Case in point, a 5-0 blitz authored by Dickson, forcing Hempfield to burn a timeout while nursing a 39-34 lead. But the hits only kept coming for the Black Knights. Following the timeout, Dallastown continued their ascension, eventually knotting things back up at 39-39 following a timely triple sunk by Wildcat senior forward, Ryan Snyder, with four minutes still left to play in regulation.

Now, with Hempfield clearly finding themselves in precarious position of having witnessed their lead evaporate over a span of just four minutes, it became paramount that someone take over the charge for the Black Knights’ contingent in order to help bring them home unscathed. For that, enter Ryan Hilton.

For much of the afternoon, it was rather obvious that Hilton had drawn the primary attention of Dallastown’s defensive game plan with the Wildcats refusing to allow the Black Knights’ most veteran of players single-handily beat them. Well, while it seemed to work for roughly 28 minutes of gameplay, the final four minutes were entirely taken over by Hilton.

For the first piece of evidence, we move to a series late in the game which sees Dallastown down by one trying to go ahead. Suffice to say, the Wildcats’ best laid plans were ultimately dashed as Hilton was able to poke the ball free from his on-ball position, ultimately capping off the Black Knights’ timely takeaway with a layup in transition while also getting fouled in the process, capping off a monstrous three-point play which swung the pendulum of momentum back in Hempfield’s favor, making it a 43-39 Black Knights’ lead with three minutes still left to play. From there, after refusing to breathe life into the Dallastown cause by crashing the defensive glass hard, the Black Knights once again handed the ball to their captain and let him do the rest as a cold-blooded jumper splashed in by Hilton on the ensuing Hempfield trip down the floor effectively sunk the Dallastown boat, making it a 45-39 Black Knights’ lead with time running out.

In the end, while Dallastown showed incredible moxie for having eviscerated Hempfield’s lead in such a short span of time, the energy used during the comeback seemed to lead to the Wildcats’ eventual downfall as empty trips in the final few possessions along with key Brandon Hagel free throws in the waning few minutes helped put the final stamp on Hempfield’s gutty nonleague victory on Saturday afternoon, 52-41.

NEXT UP: Now residing at 2-0 all along in the Section One standings coming out of the first two days of the regular season, the Black Knights will play their third game in as many eligible days, having taken the traditional Sunday off of course, when they travel to Millersville to tangle with the Penn Manor Comets on Monday night against a Comets’ team that had to stave off a similar effort from that of the Solanco Golden Mules on Saturday evening from all accounts, 48-46.

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