On Sunday, February 4th, the Lancaster Lebanon League Youth Travel Basketball Season concluded with the championship games being played at Cedar Crest. In a sign of what may be bright days ahead for the host school, Cedar Crest had its 5th and 6th grade representatives in the girls’ championship games.
The 5th grade team made it to the playoffs following a 12-2 regular season. The Falcons started the LL Travel circuit with a loss to Northern Lebanon but then went on to win eleven straight games on their way to winning the Section 1 title. They opened the playoffs with a 27-10 win over Lampeter-Strasburg. In the second round, they defeated Donegal, the Section 2 Champion, by a 19-11 margin. This earned them a spot in the Championship against Northern Lebanon. As expected, it was a marvelous battle between two talented teams. The game pushed into overtime, with the Falcons edging out the Vikings for the 27-26 victory.
The 6th grade team had won the League Championship as 5th graders and entered the season as the favorite to repeat. They began the season with a win in the Turkey Tip Off at Northern Lebanon and never looked back. They went 17-0 in the regular season before earning playoff wins over Lancaster Mennonite, Northern Lebanon, and then Cocalico in the finale. The championship victory ended a two-year run in the league where this group went undefeated, going 36-0. The unit, which prides itself on its athleticism and ability to play defense, will play together one more time in early March in the Back Mountain Shootout in Wilkes-Barre. After that, the girls will head off to middle school, with most of the group continuing to play as Falcons.
In addition to the Northern Lebanon 5th grade Girls finishing as the runner-up, it is worth noting that the Northern Lebanon 6th grade Boys also made it to the championship game before falling to Manheim Township.
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Cedar Crest Girls – 6th Grade
Record: 20-0
Roster
Mya Kleinfelter
Addy Shay
Lynken Bechtold
Kemper Falcetta
Gracie Deraco
Maniyah Charles
Taylor Lechleitner
Claire McCracken
Taylor Jones
Coaches
Ashli Shay
Mike Bechtold
Cedar Crest Girls – 5th Grade
Record: 15-2
Roster
Lucy Snyder
Taylor Blouch
Emerson Young
Kai Templin
Brooklyn Love
Serenity Earl
Charleigh Myers
Alexis Hitz
Maria Streiff
Lyla Spade
Coaches
Chris Blouch
Ross Young
Ron Snyder