Playoff Preview: #7 Milton Hershey vs #10 Lower Dauphin
Written by: David Bray on February 17, 2025
This matchup between the two Keystone teams who already have matched up twice this year is not what I wanted, especially since I want all the Keystone teams to make the state championships. However, we must deal with another matchup that will put one team into the state playoffs and another to battle it out in the second-chance bracket, needing three extra wins to move into the ninth and final spot in the state playoffs, which I believe both these teams are capable of doing. Even with all of the coverage I’ve done this season, let’s highlight the best of the #3 and #4 Keystone teams of #7 Milton Hershey and #10 Lower Dauphin.
Starting with the road team, Lower Dauphin enters the District 3 5A tournament with an 11-10 record after finishing the Keystone division with an 8-6 record. Lower Dauphin was in and out of the playoffs multiple times, however, cemented themselves in the field of 16 after winning four out of their last five games, with the only loss being on a 30-foot buzzer-beater by Lampeter-Strasburg’s Chase Smucker. Lower Dauphin is better than what their record says, which I have stated throughout the entire season, with two games decided by buzzer-beaters and about five games where they were within one possession, including both games against Hershey. The Falcons have a key win against Northern York, who they passed on the final day before the rankings froze to put them into the 10 seed rather than the 11 seed. Lower Dauphin beat Mifflin County, Red Land, Palmyra, and Cedar Cliff twice each and seemed to not have much difficulty in the process. In high-stakes games, LD has struggled, losing to Hershey, Mechanicsburg, and their playoff opponent Milton Hershey twice. Lower Dauphin lost to East Pennsboro, Ephrata, and Lampeter-Strasburg, all playoff teams in their classifications, by three or fewer points, which would have drastically changed their playoff ranking and possibly given them home-court advantage. LD is led by their 6 ‘8 senior forward Nico DeFrank, who is having his best season over the past 3 years I’ve seen him, averaging around 14 points and 7 rebounds and being a dominating force around the rim, being one of the best shot-blockers in the Mid-Penn. Senior guard Brady Hofsass is another key factor for the Falcons. Hofsass started the season off slow but was able to get some rhythm towards the end, dropping a 20+ point game against Lampeter-Strasburg. Hofsass, despite having a down year in scoring, is contributing a lot more in the assist department, averaging around 4 assists per game and playing a key role in spacing the floor with his three-point shooting. Senior guard Evan Deibler has been a consistent third option for the Falcons, contributing around 7 points per game, with a 16-point performance against Milton Hershey highlighting the season. When DeFrank and Hofsass run the floor, with senior guard Wes Heagy pickpocketing players throughout the season, it’s very hard to stop this offense at their best.
Milton Hershey evolved from a 3-19 record in 2023-24 to a 15-7 record in 2024-25. Winning five times more than the season prior shows the improvement this team has had in terms of scoring and defense. Milton Hershey sat in the top 5 of the power rankings for most of the season, going into their three-week hiatus on a 9-0 record. Towards the end of the season, the Spartans dropped a few key games that they could’ve won, however, they stole a few games against teams they were projected to lose based on prior performances. Milton Hershey beat Hershey at home, the first time they beat the Trojans since 2022-23. The Spartans also had key wins over Lower Dauphin twice, Bishop McDevitt, and probably the most prominent, against Cedar Crest, the LL League Champions, after completing a comeback from being down 17 in the third quarter. Milton Hershey did lose to Central Dauphin East and Red Land, two teams that are eliminated from playoff contention which are big blows to their positioning in the rankings. Milton Hershey is led by junior guard Khalif Turner who is averaging around 20 points per game and completing a huge jump from playing limited minutes the season before. Turner is a knockdown shooter who will let you know when he is getting hot, and the whole crowd can sense his stardom when he is scoring consistently. Turner dropped 34 points in 3 quarters earlier this year and will be a huge factor on the defensive end, turning steals into fast break points on the other end. Sophomore forwards Abdou Diene and Dylan Crawford have played significantly well throughout the season, with Diene averaging a double-double at around 10 points and 10 rebounds a game, while Crawford averages around 8 points and 7 rebounds. Crawford has been very good recently, averaging around 12 points per game for the second half of the regular season. Senior guard Josh Sessoms has played an important role, contributing around 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game throughout the second half, where he moved from the sixth-man role to the starting rotation. The Spartans get their first taste of the playoffs since their Mid-Penn playoff performance in 2023, however, this time they would like to make a big run in the 5A, which they failed to do in 2022-23 as they finished sixth and lost in the first round of the state playoffs.
Both of these teams have a shot of making a big run after their game on Tuesday, but it is a matter of who will be moving on and who will have to fight their way in. If Hershey does their job against New Oxford, there is a chance I will be writing another Keystone vs Keystone article. Best of luck to both teams and I will be at Milton Hershey High School tomorrow for the game!
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