February 21

We'll get the bad news out first: JPM lost on Friday night, the final score was 47-39. By all accounts it was an excellent game, the boys were in tough against the district's #1 seed on their floor and battled all the way. Wilson's coach said on social media that McCaskey was a dangerous team and gave his guys all they could handle. JPM drops into the playback round and plays on Tuesday the 25th at Central Dauphin HS in suburban Harrisburg, the winner qualifies for the state tournament as either the fifth or sixth seed from the district and the loser goes home for the season. CD entered districts as the #5 seed after winning their league championship, they beat Manheim Township in the first round and lost to Cedar Crest in the quarterfinals. It won't be easy but at this point there is no such thing as easy. While the boys were playing in suburban Reading I was only a few miles away, downtown at the Arena the Royals hosted the Newfoundland Growlers for the last of their seven visits. The Royals entered on a seven-game winning streak, on this night they made it eight straight with a one-goal decision. Matthew Strome gave the Royals the lead five minutes in, midway through the first period the Growlers tied it 1-1. Fifteen seconds later Frank DiChiara put the Royals on top for good, late in the period Brayden Low lit the lamp from in close to make it 3-1 at the intermission. In the second period Hayden Hodgson found the twine on a breakaway putting the Royals up by three, in the final period the Growlers scored an early goal and another with ten seconds left but Felix Sandstrom closed it from there to pick up the 4-3 win. The Royals improve to 21-5-2 at home and 31-14-5 overall, the Brampton Beast visit on Saturday the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.