Donegal vs. Elizabethtown - L-L League girls basketball
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Elizabethtown’s Chloe Wilkinson (1) makes a layup against Donegal during second-half action of an L-L League girls basketball game at Elizabethtown High School’s Daubert Gymnasium on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

 CHRIS KNIGHT | Staff Photographer

Knock it off with the officials.

Seriously. Give the game officials a break. Fan behavior at basketball games — and I’m at a lot of games, usually five or six a week, from early December through late March — is getting out of control.

You know who you are.

You thought an official missed a traveling call? You stink, ref.

You thought an official mistakenly called a foul on your kid? That’s awful, ref.

You think every official in every game is out for the team you’re cheering for? You’re terrible, ref. I think that's the one I hear the most, come to think of it.

It’s truly sad the way some fans — not all of you, of course — treat game officials these days. A ticket to a game doesn’t give you free rein to scream at officials for an hour and a half.

Do people come to where you work and badger you?

I hear you whining on a nightly basis. You’re embarrassing yourselves.

And by the way, you yelling at officials at the top of your lungs about a charge when you thought it was a block, they’re not going to change their call for you.

So save it. Cheer for your kid. They’d love your support. They’d love to hear your voice offering words of encouraging. Not mouthing off about a call.

If my father — RIP, dad — would have screamed at officials when I was playing baseball and basketball back in the day, I would have been embarrassed beyond belief, and I would have told him to stop.

Think about your kid the next time you open your mouth. Do you want him or her to hear you berating an official because you thought they missed a traveling call? Really?

I offer this challenge to the L-L League: Before the starters are announced at a basketball game, the PA announcer fires off the line about how if fans become unruly, they will be ejected from the gym.

How about you start ejecting the yellers and the screamers? Stop the game. Summon the game manager and the police officer on duty in the gym, and escort them out.

Will it solve the problem? Maybe not. But people would certainly be aware to behave better if a precedent was set. But only you can set the precedent.

Make it happen. Make an example out of ref-haters. I think maybe twice in my career — making it literally thousands of basketball games in gyms across the state — I’ve seen someone escorted from the gym for unruly behavior. That’s it. Two. And the one time it was because a fan sucker-punched a school official.

I’ve heard that pregame announcement thousands and thousands of times, on a loop.

Now, more than ever, that pregame announcement needs to be enforced. Do it.

Last week was PIAA Winter Sports Officials’ Appreciation Week. I know I appreciate our local officials, and I tell them that all the time. I’ve gotten to know a lot of them — especially in girls basketball circles — over the years.

These are people who are giving up their time to officiate high school sports. This isn’t cutthroat. This isn’t multi-millionaire athletes. These are kids. Your kids. Playing games.

It’s no wonder people don’t want to officiate anymore. I blame it squarely on screamer fan man or woman, the one sitting behind the bench, tearing into an official about a completely insignificant call in the third quarter of a nonleague game on a random Thursday night in December.

If you think you can do better, go take the PIAA test and get a whistle.

In the meantime, give it a rest.

End of rant.

And now for something completely different: Some girls basketball news and notables for your reading pleasure ...

WHERE THEY STAND

L-L League section leaders at the start of the week:

* Lebanon (4-1 league, 12-2 overall) and Manheim Township (4-1, 11-2) share the top spot in Section 1. Circle it: Cedars at Blue Streaks on Friday in Neffsville. Manheim Township won the first meeting 52-48 back on Dec. 14 in Lebanon; the Cedars haven’t lost since, ripping off 10 wins in a row.

* Ephrata (5-0, 10-2) is out front in Section 2, with Manheim Central (4-1, 9-5) on the Mountaineers’ heels. Ephrata gets Manheim Township in an intriguing nonleague game on Thursday; Manheim Central is at Warwick (3-2, 5-8) on Wednesday.

* Lancaster Catholic (5-0, 11-1) is setting the pace in Section 3, with Northern Lebanon (4-1, 12-2) alone in second. Lancaster Catholic’s league winning streak is up to 74 in a row dating back to 2017, and the Crusaders have an intriguing week, with undefeated New York power Magnus Albertus on Friday, and a trip to postseason rival Berks Catholic on Saturday.

Northern Lebanon is at red-hot Cocalico (2-2, 7-6) — winners of five in a row — on Thursday.

* Despite some recent hiccups, Columbia (4-0, 8-4) leads the pack in Section 4. The Crimson Tide are 2-3 in their last five games, but they’re still unbeaten in section play. Pequea Valley (4-1, 12-1) is ready to pounce. Hang a star: Columbia at PV on Tuesday.

And go ahead and circle this game: Back-to-back District 3 Class 1A champ Mount Calvary Christian will visit Veritas Academy on Tuesday. Veritas is No. 1 in the D3-1A power ratings; Mount Calvary is No. 4. Two other Lancaster County teams sandwich them: Linville Hill Christian — last year’s D3-1A runner-up — is No. 2 and Lancaster County Christian is No. 3.

Lancaster Catholic, Columbia and Pequea Valley are 1-2-3, respectively, in the D3-3A power ratings.

Complete D3 girls basketball power ratings

TOP SCORERS

Here are the L-L League’s leading scorers heading into the new week: Hempfield’s Sophia Ott (20.5 points per game), Columbia’s Brie Droege (18.6), Lebanon’s Kailah Correa (18.1), Manheim Township’s Ava Byrne (17.4), Lancaster Country Day’s Sophia Sanchez (16.0), Lancaster Catholic’s Mary Bolesky (15.7), Cocalico’s Addi Martin (14.7), Pequea Valley’s Janae Patterson (13.7), Northern Lebanon’s Olivia Shutter (13.7), McCaskey’s JoJo Mills (13.7), Annville-Cleona’s Kendall Cooper (13.2), Columbia’s Brooke Droege (13.1), Elco’s Kenzie Eckhart (12.0).

TOP SNIPERS

Here are the L-L League’s leading 3-point shooters heading into the new week: Cedar Crest’s Allison Metzgar (37 treys), Lancaster Catholic’s Mary Bolesky (28), Conestoga Valley’s Gabrielle Moore (25), Northern Lebanon’s Olivia Shutter (25), Lancaster Mennonite’s Liviiah Sweeney (24), Manheim Central’s Giana Walters (24), Lancaster Country Day’s Sophia Sanchez (23), Lampeter-Strasburg’s Anna Horner (22), Hempfield’s Sophia Ott (22), Donegal’s Mia Wissler (21).

MILESTONE UPDATE

The next L-L League player to join the 1,000-point club should be Manheim Township senior Ava Byrne, who is at 988 career points heading into Tuesday’s nonleague home tilt against Unionville. If she doesn’t get 12 points there, the Blue Streaks play Thursday at Ephrata. … After Byrne, Lancaster Catholic senior Rylee Kraft (950) and Hempfield senior Sophia Ott (833) are closing in on 1K. Also keep an eye on Northern Lebanon junior Olivia Shutter (778) and Lancaster Catholic senior Lily Lehman (692). … Columbia senior Brie Droege (1,863), Lebanon junior Kailah Correa (1,295), Columbia senior Brooke Droege (1,264) and Lancaster Catholic senior Mary Bolesky (1,087) are in the 1K club at the start of the week.

THIS AND THAT

Section 1: Cedar Crest is 1-2 in its last three games, and the Falcons have slipped two games behind Lebanon and Manheim Township in the section hunt. Those two losses in this clip were against — ta-da — the Cedars and the Blue Streaks. The Falcons might be relegated to spoiler duty the second time around the section slate, but with 11 wins, they’ll be looking to lock up a D3-6A bid; Cedar Crest will start the week at No. 10 — in a 12-team bracket — in the power ratings. Allison Metzgar continues to light it up from deep. Last five games for the Falcons’ shooter: 9.6 points with 13 treys. Fun fact: Metzgar is the only player in the L-L League to hit at least one 3-pointer in every game this winter. Hence her league-leading 37 triples. … Hempfield’s roller-coaster season continues. The Black Knights started last week in a tie for first place — and remained there with a good win over McCaskey — but Hempfield fell at Lebanon on Thursday to fall out of that first-place tie with the Cedars and Manheim Township. Hempfield is 1-4 in its last five games, but is still in the thick of the section chase. But at 5-8 overall to open the week, the Black Knights are on the outside looking in at a D3-6A invite; they’re currently at No. 15 — outside the bubble. Last four games for Hempfield sniper Nevaeh Ramirez: 13.0 points with five treys, including a season-high 17-point, 3-trey night vs. Red Lion. … 10 wins in a row for streaking Lebanon, which hasn’t blinked since that loss against Manheim Township in the section opener back on Dec. 14. Balance galore for the Cedars, and paint fiends Liliana Harrison and Zariyah Whigham have been dominating on the glass. Last six games for Cedars’ open-court specialist Olive Brandt: 12.5 points and six treys. The sophomore is blossoming before our very eyes. Don’t miss her in your travels. … Four wins in a row for Manheim Township, which continues to keep pace with Lebanon, after beating the Cedars the first time around. Friday night: Lebanon at Manheim Township. Don’t miss it. Winner there will have the inside track on the section crown. Last four games for Ava Byrne, who will go for 1,000 points on Tuesday: 19.5 points and five treys, with three 20-point games. She’s been superb. … JoJo Mills went into Sunday’s Hoops for Harmony event on quite the post tear for McCaskey. She’s at 15.9 points in the last seven games, including a season-high 20 points vs. Cedar Crest, and 19 points on Sunday vs. Woodland Hills. Mills went (wait for it) 11-for-20 at the foul line vs. Woody High, as she continues to firmly establishing herself as one of the top paint players in the league. … Penn Manor continues to give everyone headaches. Throw out the 2-13 record with the Comets; they’re making everyone earn it. Ask Hempfield. PM also gave section leaders Lebanon and Manheim Township a tough time last week.

Section 2: Pegged Conestoga Valley to be a nuisance in the section race, and the Buckskins are 3-2 in their last five games. The setbacks were both squeakers in section play: 36-30 against Warwick and 23-17 against front-runner Ephrata. CV has 19 3-pointers in its last five games; Gabrielle Moore had five treys vs. East Pennsboro and Erin Figart had five triples vs. Warwick. Better guard the Bucks at the arc. Or else. … Elizabethtown finally found some mojo and won three games in a row after a 0-8 start. But the Bears have hit another snag with three straight setbacks. Injuries — Maggie Clouser (concussion protocol) and Olivia Martin (last seen in a walking boot) — have stymied E-town. But they’ve fought through it, and it paid off with some victories. … Ephrata saw its 10-game winning streak come to a close on Saturday against Lebanon. Hardly a bad loss for the Mountaineers. They’ll get the other Section 1 leader on Thursday, when Manheim Township comes to Ephrata. The Mounts’ nonleague schedule features Hempfield, Lebanon and Manheim Township — the three teams at the top of the Section 1 chart. Bella Vazquez has been instant offense off the bench for Ephrata. She’s made six buckets so far this season — all of them 3-pointers. … Garden Spot snapped a 4-game slide with a hard-fought win over Solanco last week. Sniper Gwen Varley has seven 3-pointers in the last three games for the Spartans, who can play spoilers on Friday when Ephrata comes to New Holland. … Manheim Central is kinda flying under the radar with three wins in a row. The Barons ran the table as the hunted in Section 2 last winter, and now they’re in the hunting pack, trying to chase down Ephrata. Warning: Manheim Central has three freshmen — Gianna Walters (8.4, 24 treys), Maddie Gehman (7.1, 16 treys) and Lilah Walters (6.9, 14 treys) — on the floor at the same time. Methinks the Barons are going to be trouble the next three and a half years. Which leads me to this reminder: Manheim Central goes down to Section 3 next season when the league realigns. Cocalico goes up to Section 2. That’s the only shift in the girls league for 2024-25 and 2025-26. … Re-tool mode for Solanco, and we knew that coming in. But the Golden Mules are making some strides. Here are two newbie names to know: Saskia Ludgate (5.3) and Layne Dawley (4.8, 11 treys) have become go-to scorers for Solanco. Dawley had a career-high 10 points with two 3’s last week vs. Spring Grove; Ludgate had a career-high 10 points in the Mules’ lone win, over Penn Manor. … Warwick has gone W-L-W-L in its last four games, and the Warriors have some big games coming up: Monday at Hempfield for a nonleague clash — and all-important D3 power points — and then Wednesday at home vs. Manheim Central in a key Section 2 game. Circle that one. Last five games for Warwick enforcer Bella Smithson: 12.8 points. And speaking of newbie names to know: Warriors’ G Mia Warfel (6.4, 14 treys) has been an arc threat for Warwick.

Section 3: Five wins in a row for Cocalico. And, impressively, the last two have come minus leading scorer Addi Martin, who is battling a nagging injury. The Eagles would love to have her back this week; they’re at Lampeter-Strasburg on Tuesday before 12-win Northern Lebanon comes to Denver on Thursday. Circle that one. Last three games for Cocalico freshman Kira Lehman: 15.0 points with two treys, including a career-high 20-point night in a win over Elizabethtown. She’s really picked up the slack with Martin out. … Donegal had an excellent OT nonleague win at Elizabethtown last week — Mia Wissler ripped six 3-pointers that night — but then struggled to make buckets in setbacks vs. Eastern York and Cocalico. Still, five wins for the Indians, who want to keep everyone honest the second time around the section slate. When they’re making shots, they’re tricky. … Elco needs an adrenaline boost. Stat. The Raiders were 5-0 in mid-December; they’re just 1-7 since, with five straight setbacks — and no slouches in that bunch: Parkland, Northern Lebanon, Lancaster Catholic, Cocalico and York Catholic. Elco beefed up its nonleague slate this time around; the Raiders are hoping that experience turns into a D3-4A bid. But they need to pick it up again; Elco is three spots out of the final slot in 4A to start the week. … Four setbacks in a row for Lampeter-Strasburg, but again, against some top-shelf competition: Exeter, Lancaster Catholic, Northeastern York and Northern Lebanon. That’s a heck of a 4-game clip for anyone to face. Pioneers’ ace Kelsey McTaggart has 26 points and five 3-pointers in the last two games. She’s been steady from the arc. … Lancaster Catholic continues to sizzle, with seven wins in a row and a 74-game section winning streak, dating back to 2017. That’s a mind-scrambler. Fun stat: Mary Bolesky is 18-for-20 (90%) at the foul line. Cool week for Lancaster Catholic: Friday they’ll travel to Spring-Ford in Royersford to take on undefeated Magnus Albertus (New York) at 6 p.m. Then on Saturday, the Crusaders will be right back on the bus to Berks Catholic for a 2 p.m. tip vs. the Saints, a longtime postseason rival. Lancaster Catholic’s Rylee Kraft needs 50 points for 1,000; there’s a shot she’ll get it during the Crusaders’ three-game week. Stay tuned. … Northern Lebanon was tripped up by Lancaster Catholic last week to lose grip on a first-place tie with the Crusaders. Still, 12 wins already, a solid No. 3 power-rating in D3-4A, and the Vikings will get another shot at Lancaster Catholic in a couple of weeks. Key game this week is Thursday at Cocalico. Can NL cool off the Eagles? Last three games for Kasey Weimer: 13.7 points with three treys, including a season-high 17-point, two-3 night in the Vikings’ win over L-S.

Section 4: Annville-Cleona had a nice 5-1 clip going, but the Dutchmen ran into the section leaders last week, and it wasn’t particularly pretty: Pequea Valley 49, A-C 33; Columbia 74, A-C 16. So the Dutchmen are now looking up at the Crimson Tide and the Braves, and at 6-7 overall to start the week, they need to start accumulating some dubs to get back in the D3-3A power-ratings chase. Funky stat: A-C has just one 3-pointer in its last five games. … Not sure what to make of Columbia at the moment. That said, the Crimson Tide will be just fine. They’ll work their way out of this wonky 1-2 stretch and get to where they need to be by the first full week of February. In the meantime, the reigning league champs need to flush the last two games, a 56-27 setback at Lancaster Catholic and then a 10-point loss against D5-1A power Berlin Brothersvalley in the Hoops for Harmony event in York. The Crimson Tide are hoping those will be blips on the screen moving forward. I’ll be honest: I didn’t peg Columbia to be sitting on four losses in mid-January. But there’s a long way to go. Be patient up there on the hill. There’s way too much talent there. And hey, Columbia is still out front in Section 4 — with a key game Tuesday at Pequea Valley. … Lancaster Country Day is 1-3 in its last four games. But the Cougars continue to make strides with a rookie coach and a bunch of players getting regular varsity minutes for the first time. Plus, Sophia Sanchez (16.0, 23 3-pointers) is one of the most exciting players to watch in the league. She’s been drawing all kinds of junk defenses — and is still making buckets. … After four straight setbacks, Lancaster Mennonite got back on track with a W over Octorara to close out last week. The Blazers are in the thick of the D3-2A playoff race, but they’d love a better showing the second time around the section slate. … Numbers haven’t been an issue for Linden Hall so far. After playing with six or seven kids on a nightly basis last season, the Lions have trotted out a 10-player rotation in their first five games. They’re still looking for their first win. But Linden Hall is fighting like heck to make some baby steps. … Octorara will lug a 7-game slide into the week. But the Braves are doing what they set out to do this season: Keeping everyone honest, and getting some freshmen — Jada Hess, Ali Matys, Harper Rice, Abby Tuel — some regular varsity run. … Pequea Valley is humming right along with seven straight wins, and the Braves will get their nemesis — Columbia — on Tuesday in Kinzers. They might be catching the Crimson Tide at the right time, so circle that one. Last seven games for PV sniper Katie Stoltzfus: 12.4 points and 14 treys, including a season-high 20-point, 4-trey night in a victory over Lancaster Country Day. Halfway through her sophomore season, PV PG Janae Patterson starts the week with 501 career points. She’s certainly on pace for 1,000 — and beyond.

TWITTER-X: @JeffReinhart77

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