As October comes to a close, so are McCaskey’s fall sports. 

Although a few teams such as boy’s soccer are going into playoffs, it’s time to look ahead to the winter sports season. Last year, winter sports occurred under heavy pandemic restrictions, so teams are looking forward to an increased sense of normality this season. 

The McCaskey girls wrestling team is especially excited, McCaskey having made history last year as the first school in Pennsylvania to sponsor a girls’ wrestling team.

Many schools followed McCaskey’s example, including Annville-Cleona and Gettysburg. Jon Mitchell, the athletic director at McCaskey, had been pushing for a girls wrestling team for over 20 years, and in 2020, it finally paid off. 

“Last year was unlike other years I’ve wrestled,” said junior Heavynn Rodriguez. “Because of COVID, people were hesitant to come out.” Tournaments were canceled often and there were few people who felt comfortable joining the team, partly because the girls team was very new. 

This year, the wrestling team is hoping to get more people to join, especially girls. Current players love the way that they are able to create a special bond with their coaches and teammates because of how unique and intimate wrestling is, and they can’t wait to share this year with many more people. 

Wrestling has primarily been a sport played by boys, but last year was a chance to change that, despite how odd the year was due to COVID.  “It felt amazing to make history,” said Rodriguez. “Being a female wrestler and being able to be used as an example for other girls feels great, especially in a male dominant sport.”

 Other winter sport options include basketball, bowling, swimming, and indoor track. 

Games start at the end of November, so if you are interested in playing, show up to tryouts soon. And if you are a spectator, look forward to the end of November for the beginning of a fun winter sports season. 

Last year, the boys’ basketball team ended their season second in the Lancaster-Lebanon League in Section 1, right behind Hempfield. The girls finished last in Section 1, however, there were only three games on their conference schedule, and this year is a chance to play more games and move up in the rankings. If you are not playing in the gym at JP during the months of December and January, make sure to come out and support both the girls and the boys basketball teams!

McCaskey also has its own bowling team. Games are primarily played at Leisure Lanes on Columbia, and the first game is in the middle of December. Also in December, the swimming and diving teams meet at the beginning of the month and compete mostly at Franklin and Marshall College. 

Each and every team did phenomenal last year, given the circumstances of COVID policies and lack of numbers. This year, however, is a chance for our winter sports teams to get back into the swing of things, with more people doing wrestling and spectators allowed at the games.

For students who still need sports physicals, the school will be offering free physicals on November eighth from 3-5 PM in the East Main Lobby. 

Be sure to come out and show your support for our school’s  sports teams, whether it is in the student section at basketball games or in the swimming pool at F&M. We are all looking forward to a great winter season!