Don’t look now, but the spring sports postseason is right around the corner, as regular-season section races take shape and local teams also continue the race for District 3 power points.
One spring sport is already one week into its postseason:
L-L League boys’ tennis has already crowned its team champ — Manheim Township topped Hempfield for the second year in a row — and on Monday, the league’s singles and doubles finals will be contested at Conestoga Valley, starting at 3:45 p.m.
In Class AAA singles: Hempfield junior Derek Hagino will go for back-to-back crowns when he takes on Cedar Crest junior Colin Muraika, who knocked off No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Tony Deimler from Warwick 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals. Hagino defeated Manheim Central freshman Connor Merrill 2-and-2 in the semis.
In Class AA singles: Elco junior Galen McNaughton will take on Lancaster Mennonite freshman William Wanner, who knocked off reigning champ Adam Bahney, McNaughton’s teammate, 6-2, 6-3 in the semis. McNaughton knocked off No. 1 seed Josh Riley from Lancaster Catholic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in an entertaining three-setter semi.
In Class AAA doubles: It’ll be a busy day for Hagino, who will take on Muraika in the singles finale, and then team with Tommy Athey to take on Warwick's Deimler and Luke Newberry in the doubles championship. A lot of folks tabbed Hagino and Deimler to square off for singles supremacy; instead, they’ll have at it for doubles gold.
In Class AA doubles: Same deal for McNaughton, who will take on Wanner for singles gold, then join Bahney as Elco’s duo will meet Lebanon County neighbors Caleb and Cameron Darkes-Burkey from Northern Lebanon for the doubles title. The Darkes-Burkey boys beat Wanner and Caleb Derstine 6-3, 5-7, 11-3 in a wild semifinal on Saturday.
The District 3 singles tournament is set for May 3-5; the doubles tournament is set for May 9-10; and the PIAA singles and doubles finals are set for May 23-24.