Pennridge falls to Central Dauphin in PIAA-3A quarterfinals
LEESPORT >> Pennridge’s season came to a close on Saturday out at Schuylkill Valley High, but the entire journey was worth taking.
“It was a fantastic ride. The most fun I ever had was playing volleyball here,” said senior Ryan Benscoter, who capped a terrific high school career for the Rams. “I really enjoyed this season and I really hope the younger guys come back next year.”
The Rams fell 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-17) to Central Dauphin in the PIAA-3A State Quarterfinals, bringing a tremendous season to a finish.
“Cinderella story, so we wanted it to go on as long as possible,” Benscoter said. “We knew it was gonna be a tough match today but we were still hoping to go on.”
The win sends Central Dauphin to Tuesday’s state semis, against Emmaus or Hempfield.
Central Dauphin pulled away in Game One but the Rams started to find their way and put things together in Game Two.
“They came out and slapped us across the face,” Benscoter said. “There was nothing we could really do about that. That was how they played.
“We tried to play our own game for the next two sets.”
Benscoter, along with Bryce Muller and Tyler Johnson and others, helped the Rams make a push in Game Two.
“After the first game, we had spurts, but we couldn’t put anything together long term,” Rams coach Dave Childs said. “We made some plays. It was just a matter of stringing it together. Central Dauphin is a very seasoned team, well coached, and they’ve been playing a lot. We just weren’t consistent enough.”
Outside of Benscoter, the Rams had a good deal of inexpierence coming into this spring, but this run changed that.
“Going on these runs is huge,” said Childs, who guided Pennridge to the District One Title and a victory in the first round of PIAA’s. “It’s huge for the underclassmen, just to get the experience.”
Pennridge says goodbye to its seniors, including Benscoter, who was a force all season.
Said Childs: “He’s a monster. He did it again today. He was the one getting the kills for us and it’s been that way all season. That’s his job. Everyone has their job and his is to get the big kills and he’s really, really good at it.
“He has a swagger about him and he’s a very confident kid, but he’s a great teammate. He’s a good leader. And that allows team success when you have a great player that also buys into the team concept.”
