February 13-17

Not much going on during this week, the LL boys' basketball playoffs were taking place but since we're not involved I couldn't have cared less (I'm provincial that way: "if we ain't there I don't care"). Had Monday lunch at the mall and Wednesday lunch with Jenny, the only other event of note was on Thursday evening. The McCaskey girls' basketball team qualified for league playoffs and earned their way to the league title game, it was played (as it has been for the last several years) at Manheim Township HS. When I arrived I had planned on buying a ticket like any other fan but an MT school official I've known for many years saw me and discreetly waved me over to the door (It's always nice to be respected for having a good reputation). JPM's overall mark going in was 17-7 but they were in tough against Cedar Crest at 24-0. CC beat JPM twice during the regular year by margins of twenty and sixteen, I'm sure many expected this game to be of little consequence but on this night a different kind of game was in store. Our girls did not win but they gave CC all they could handle before finally falling 49-43. The girls begin district playoff on Monday the 20th, as the higher seed they play at home against Hempfield (!!!). The winner of that game advances to the quarterfinal round against (nobody else but) Cedar Crest (as a top-four seed they earned a bye in the first round). I always thought the idea of a district tournament was to play somebody different but apparently that's just me. The Royals played in Glens Falls on Tuesday night and won via OT shootout, on Friday they were in Elmira for a game that started but didn't finish. Play was halted after sixteen minutes because a section of the ice cracked rendering it unplayable. As a result the teams got an early start on their respective trips to Reading, we host the Jackals on Saturday and Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.