Panthers

It's safe to say Bishop Walsh's girls basketball team has Hancock's number. The Spartans have three wins this season. Two have come against the Panthers, including Wednesday night's 49-25 victory. “The girls are starting to learn how to play together,” said Bishop Walsh coach John Steiner, whose Spartans defeated Hancock 56-30 on Jan. 7. “I think we can beat more teams if they play like they're capable of.” Bishop Walsh showed its capability by building a 10-2 lead in the first quarter to take control of the game early.

Hancock's boys and girls basketball teams earned their first victories of the season Thursday as they swept host Grace Academy. The Hancock girls cruised in the night's first game, beating the Knights 54-29. The boys score was just as lopsided, a 62-24 drubbing. * In the boys game, Donnie O'Brien led the way for the Panthers (1-4) with a double-double, going for 13 points and 10 rebounds while also recording six steals. “It was a good game to win going into Christmas break,” Hancock coach Jeff Spielman said.

Despite a slow start that saw St. Maria Goretti go 8-for-27 from the field in the first half, the Gaels turned it up in the second half to defeat the Hancock Panthers 64-34 in girls basketball on Wednesday night. Goretti (7-4) started the game on a 9-0 run with three field goals from T.J. Tillman and a 3-pointer from Seva Narkute en route to a 13-4 advantage after one quarter. Narkute kept it going in the second quarter with six points, though Hancock (0-4) outscored Goretti 9-8 in the period.

Hancock's largely successful volleyball season came to an end in the Maryland Class 1A West quarterfinals on Monday night. Fifth-seed Southern Garrett came into the Panthers' gym and walked out with a 26-24, 25-11, 25-21 sweep to earn a crack at top seed and two-time defending state 1A champion Smithsburg on Wednesday. “I've said this before: We're consistently inconsistent,” Hancock coach Lauren Baker said. “We made mistakes between great plays. The service errors hurt us.” Hancock (8-8)

CLICK HERE to order photos of the Hancock vs. St. Maria Goretti volleyball match. St. Maria Goretti and Hancock each got a little something out of their Washington County high school volleyball match on Monday night. For the Gaels, it was Senior Night. But the Panthers got the thing that really counts - a hard-fought 25-19, 8-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-8 victory at the Gael Center. Hancock took control of the decisive final game as Jessica Martin opened by serving the first seven points to put the Panthers ahead for good.

Landon Decisio scored from 2 yards out with 7 seconds left in the game, and Allegheny-Clarion got its first win of the season in stunning fashion Saturday night against Hancock, beating the Panthers 28-24. The win snapped the Falcons' eight-game losing streak dating back to last season. Allegheny-Clarion's last win also came against Hancock, a 13-8 triumph. The 28 points scored by the Falcons (1-6) was more than they had scored in their first six games (26). “Hancock is a small school like us and they were gracious enough to do a home-and-home with us,” Allegheny-Clarion coach Chris McNany said.

Key turnovers and field position were elements that put an end to Hancock's two-game winning streak Friday night as the Panthers fell to Randolph-Macon Academy, 40-20. Three turnovers, including one that led to RMA taking an early 7-0 lead, were a hindrance to Hancock, which never led in the contest. Garrett Wiles was intercepted and the Yellow Jackets had a short field at the Panther 20. On fourth-and-9, RMA scored on a 19-yard run by Denzel Goode, the first of his three rushing touchdowns.

Thursday, September 29, 2011 PREP VOLLEYBALL HANCOCK - Lyndsay Himes had six kills and four aces to lead Hancock to a 25-19, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of Saint James (2-3) on Thursday. Sara Wagner had six kills and a block, Tiffany Younker had 10 assists and five kills, Alisa Shives had 11 nine assists and three aces, Jessica Martin had five digs and Lindsay Flowers added four digs for the Panthers (5-3). JV: Hancock, 2-0. Goretti 3, CVCS 0 MECHANICSBURG, Pa. - Jean Hogan had eight assists, four aces and three kills to lead St. Maria Goretti to a 25-14, 25-18, 25-19 sweep of Cumberland Valley Christian School (2-10)

Broadfording's volleyball team was too potent from the service line for Hancock to handle on Monday night, as the Lions finished with 20 aces in a 25-9, 25-22, 25-17 sweep. “That was one of the more consistent matches we've had serving-wise,” Broadfording coach Joe Cartwright said. “We were struggling early in the season. We also did a better job setting up our hitters more effectively.” Sarah Couch (seven kills, five aces, two blocks) and Maria Pifer (six kills, six aces)

Clear Spring's train kept rolling on Friday, as the unbeaten Blazers took it to the Hancock Panthers in a 34-6 victory. The Blazers (3-0) wasted no time, quickly recovering Hancock's opening onside kick to set Clear Spring up at its 42-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Adam Mellott found Mike Sensenbaugh for a 21-yard touchdown and Ryan Aaron converted a two-point conversion run to put Clear Spring up 8-0. Less than a minute later, Jared Brant intercepted a pass by Hancock's Garrett Wiles and returned it 38 yards for another Blazers touchdown.