Sejuste’s Heroics Help Lift Linville Hill To Avon Grove Holiday Tournament Title In Final Seconds As Warriors Topple Lancaster Mennonite, Take ‘Bragging Rights’ In Ballyhooed Battle Between Two Of Lancaster County’s Finest Teams
Written by: Andy Herr on December 29, 2024
Giovanni Sejuste. LLHoops POG In Linville Hill Win Over Lancaster Mennonite In Avon Grove Holiday Tournament.
In retrospect, maybe this wasn’t the best place for this game. A game of this magnitude to take place. Nothing against the fine folks at Avon Grove of course. They have an absolutely beautiful, sprawling campus that comes complete with a palatial gym that understandably has proven itself worthy of having hosted PIAA state tournament games as it has over the last year(s). But even though the actual confines were pristine and gorgeous, it was nonetheless a bit odd for arguably the two most preeminent Lancaster County-based small school boys’ basketball programs to wage a battle royale roughly a little under ten miles away from the Delaware state line down in the southern recesses of Chester County. Again, with no intent to somehow throw shade at Avon Grove, this was probably a game worthy more befitting of being played on the Giant Center floor if we’re being totally honest here.
While they may not want to say it outwardly – or perhaps they do – since I have the pen (or keyboard), I will for them. For both Linville Hill and Lancaster Mennonite, they have every right to believe that they will each being playing games at Giant Center this winter, perhaps multiple times over if they can help it.
For Linville Hill, while the Warriors got the mandatory bump up from the PIAA offices prior to this season that the tiny, tiny school located on the outer edges of the village of Gap is now going to be competing alongside the other 2A rank and file from around the state, that should in no way diminish any sort of aspirations that the Warriors may have had coming into the year. For if they had remained in 1A, they’d be the overwhelming favorite to capture the eventual District 3-1A crown this season, and quite possibly the odds-on favorite to win 1A state gold as well. Even still, with a bump up in class all the same, while the competition waiting for them come the postseason will likely figure to be stiffer than perhaps they are used to seeing if you go with the assumption that bigger means better, there’s still no reason as to why Linville Hill should in any way feel like they have to hedge off those same aspirations of hoisting either District 3 or PIAA gold trophies once the dust settles come late March this winter. Yes, even if it means they are joining a whole new neighborhood.
Ironically enough, the same could be said for their opposition waiting for them in the title fight of the 2024 Avon Grove Holiday Tournament as well.
Lancaster Mennonite is used to this whole song and dance when it comes to sweeping the District 3 and PIAA contingent here of late. The Blazers, currently the four-time defending District 3 champs – albeit in the 2A ranks – also went on the capture the state title two years ago now against Aliquippa as you likely recall. However, there will be no “five-peat” when it comes to defending the 2A title this year, or perhaps making it two out of three at the 2A state level for that matter, as the Blazers also got the bump up from 2A to 3A prior to the start of this season. In theory though, for a school with a boys’ enrollment that is still a tick under 100 male students overall, Lancaster Mennonite is essentially punching two classes above their actual weight class when it comes to the basketball floor. Even still, it hasn’t appeared to slow down the Mennonite machine considering that the Blazers came into their Saturday night championship fight against their fellow county brethren found just down the road alongside Route 30 as the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s lone unbeaten left standing this season. And that’s before you even look into their margin of victory tabulated against 5A schools during said start no less.
To be sure, whether you feel this game should’ve been played within the borders of Lancaster County or not, whether you feel it should’ve been tucked away in a late Saturday night tip amid a herky-jerky holiday week or not, or whatever nit-picky fight you wanted to possibly have as to the gripes entering this one, rest assured that neither Linville Hill nor Lancaster Mennonite likely could’ve cared. For two teams that routinely run into each other along the summer trail, they could’ve played this game on Mars, and each would’ve been game for it. Rest assured, once you put a clock up on the wall, a scoreboard that keeps count, and referees out on the floor to oversee things, there is no love lost between these two whenever – or wherever – they may happen to meet up. For fans at least, this was certainly a late Christmas present that figured to be well worth the wait in opening.
And suffice to say, with a game that came dripping with nothing but high expectations and anticipation between arguably two of the best small school clubs found on this side of Pennsylvania, there’s no way this one could’ve possibly lived up to the hype, right? Or so you thought….
If the initial goal on Saturday night was to get off to a blazing hot start, Linville Hill would be the ones to get that check mark in their ledger.
In fact, following an offensive rebound and subsequent stick-back by way of Warriors’ senior forward, Stephen Smucker, the 1A state semifinalists of a year ago had already raced out to an 8-2 advantage with all of five minutes having already ticked off the first quarter clock.
Yet while Lancaster Mennonite may have been stuck in the mud on the offensive end up until that point, the Blazers would finally get a reprieve late in the opening frame.
For that, the kudos needed to be extended in Daulton Nolt’s direction as the Blazers’ explosive sophomore wing was able to tally four straight Mennonite points to usher the black-clad troops ever closer at an 8-6 count roughly one minute of game play later.
And for a quarter that largely felt as if Linville had more or less controlled for a vast majority of, a simple glance up at the scoreboard to see a miniscule 10-8 buffer in the Warriors’ favor was somewhat surprising considering Mennonite’s late charge to get back within reach.
But even after it may have seemed as if Mennonite had finally weathered that initial Linville storm, the Warriors were quick to point out that they continued to have other ideas for their opposition.
True to form, after executing a beautiful set that ended with Giovanni Sejuste’s completed lob at the cup to help get the second stanza underway which then preceded a Jerome Stoltzfus take to the tin in his own right, the pair of Warriors’ veteran seniors helped to build the Linville Hill cushion back upwards to five, 16-11, once again getting out to a bit of blitz in kickstarting a fresh quarter of play.
This time though, the Blazers would do more than rebuke. They would complete a full-out retaliation to get out of their existing predicament.
As he had throughout much of the first half up until that point, Lancaster Mennonite’s Chase Hurst was the diminutive pest for which Linville Hill largely struggled to contain with the Blazers’ guard getting what felt like every loose ball in sight in order to help his team. And here, after chasing down yet another carom off a missed shot, Hurst’s timely follow at the bucket helped to trim the Linville lead back down to three, 16-13.
From there, the other preeminent star in the Mennonite show, Cody Fisher, made his first noticeable imprint on the game as well.
Here, after staring up at Linville Hill having a larger number on the scoreboard than themselves throughout the entire night up until that point, a timely trifecta knocked down by the Mennonite junior wing knotted things up at 16-apiece before his dunk in transition three minutes later made it a 22-18 Blazers’ buffer with two minutes left to go in the opening half and Linville Hill forced into calling a timeout to try and stem the tide.
But make no mistake about it. While the explosive plays the likes of which Hurst and Fisher were able to tally for their squad were impossible to ignore, there was no denying that the fuel that was igniting this impromptu Lancaster Mennonite charge was almost entirely the work of their collective defensive effort. To be sure, for a team that wants to get out and run – and then run some more and after they get done running – Linville Hill probably felt like they were at the dentist the way in which the Blazers had put a lid on the Warriors’ potent run game and made things arduous and uncomfortable for them. For that reason, while perhaps Lancaster Mennonite hadn’t flashed their best opening half tabulated thus far in the season, it didn’t make it any less pretty from their perspective to see the Blazers possess a 26-22 lead at the conclusion of the opening 16 minutes on Saturday night in West Grove.
Ironically though, the shoe seemed to be on the other foot in terms of who was exerting control and who was trying to get back within reach as a role-reversal of sorts from the opening half was on display come the outset of the second half.
After this time stepping outside and bombing in a trifecta, this serving as a 3-point addition to what would end up being his team-high 18-point effort once the dust had finally settled, a Cody Fisher triple had given Mennonite a 34-28 lead after yet again stymying Linville Hill by and large considering six minutes had already evaporated off the third quarter clock by that point and the Warriors being well, well under their season average.
Then, for the shoe being on the other portion aspect, while a pair of Giovanni Sejuste and Derian Petersheim takes to the rack whittled the Mennonite down to a pair at 34-32, yet another prototypical Chase Hurst chase-down of a loose ball resulted in his follow bucket to build the Blazers’ lead back upwards to four at 36-32 roughly 30 seconds afterwards this most recent Linville Hill counterpunch. All told, once there was finally just eight minutes left to play following the expiration of the third frame, Lancaster Mennonite was still holding onto a slim 38-35 lead, despite it appearing that they continued to have the remedy for any sort of Linville potion.
In fact, that certainly seemed to be the case during the fourth quarter’s infancy seeing as how the Mennonite cushion would swell to its largest gap up until that point behind a 48-39 Blazers’ lead with all of 4:35 left to play in the aftermath of another cold-blooded triple rained down by Fisher.
Needless to say, it was starting to “get late early” on Linville Hill given Mennonite flirting with the idea of building their lead upwards into double figures with just half the final act left to go. But for a team that has visions of being considered amongst the best outfits in the entire state, what a time to try and author a signature moment.
And while it is true that Linville Hill primarily relies on a merry cast of 5, 6 characters on any given night in their team rotation, four of which are seniors who have played a ton of basketball while wearing a Linville Hill uniform, they each offer their own unique perspective into what they can bring. Case in point, Giovanni Sejuste being the literal and physical muscle needed to power the Warriors through. Especially at the most opportune of times.
In this instance, while Linville Hill had gradually and rather methodically begun chipping away at the existing Mennonite lead, a take to the rack by way of Sejuste made it a 48-45 contest before another take to the hole by, you guessed it, Giovanni Sejuste, sliced the once-impressive Lancaster Mennonite margin down to the smallest of counts, 48-47, with a shade over two minutes left to be played with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
But there would be no need for extra time. Sejuste would make sure of that.
After bearing witness to Mennonite come up empty on their ensuing offensive trips down the floor with a bevy of missed shots to try and put this one out of reach with some sort of exclamation mark, Linville Hill was more than pleased to see the door remain open for them.
However, with inside of a minute left to play and just 48 seconds remaining, it would prove to be Linville Hill as the club who would place the punctuation mark on this grudge match of tiny, yet mighty behemoths.
There, after executing their stall-game almost perfectly without letting Mennonite so much get a sniff of a possible deflection and subsequent run-out, the Warriors saw each second of the clock melt away steadily and steadily. Finally, with the set inside of ten seconds left to play and Linville Hill still trailing by a point mind you at 48-47, a cut, a pass, and a lob finished off through contact by Giovanni Sejuste not only saw the Linville Hill senior finished off the most emphatic pair of his points scored throughout a 17-point outing once he fell to the floor following the acrobatic effort, but it also more importantly awarded the lead back in his team’s favor with suddenly just two seconds left to go. Then, after finishing things off with a freebie at the charity stripe on the back end, Sejuste’s herculean three-point play at the most critical of junctures made it a 50-48 Linville Hill lead with Lancaster Mennonite having to travel the length of the floor.
And while the Blazers would indeed advance the ball slightly further up the floor on the ensuing inbounds pass before calling their final timeout, Mennonite’s final shot at the buzzer from the timeline bounded off the front rim, awarding Linville Hill not just with the distinction of having won the Avon Grove Holiday Tournament, not just with the distinction of knocking off the last of the L-L League’s unbeaten squads, not just with the distinction of moving their overall record to a 9-0 mark with the calendar now flipping over to January, but perhaps the highest honor they were seeking all night long, prevailing against a school they have somewhat unintentionally been seen rubbing elbows with here when it comes to fighting for room and space in sitting amongst the big boys’ table when it comes to the overall Lancaster County high school boys’ basketball discussion.
“Oh yeah. We were looking forward to this one,” a triumphant Giovanni Sejuste offered amid the postgame fracas with everyone in the Linville Hill contingent still posing for photographs afterwards. “Me personally though, I don’t think we really made a statement or anything. Yeah, we won and its bragging rights, but it wasn’t the type of win were looking for,” he then said of the team’s two-point victory.
Even his coach, a savvy veteran pacing along the sidelines in Lancaster County as he is, he too was looking forward to a date with Lancaster Mennonite just the same.
“You could tell this game meant a lot to them,” Linville Hill head coach Mike Schatzmann said afterwards of his team’s mental makeup coming into this Saturday night brouhaha. “We’ve been trying to get (Lancaster Mennonite) on the schedule for the last two years…We’d try calling,” Schatzmann said in trying to get two of the foremost power brokers inside Lancaster County to square off head-to-head and have it not be dependent on semifinal round results within a tourney inside an entirely different county. “This is good for both schools. We’re only seven miles apart. We’re like Duke and North Carolina,” he said with a smile. “Hopefully this is the kind of rivalry that can happen year after year. We’d certainly like to play them every year if we could. They’re a real good ballclub. There’s no doubt about that,” Schatzmann added of Mennonite. “But yeah, this was certainly a good win for us.”
But without Sejuste and that final offensive halfcourt set with inside of a minute left to play, there would be no “good win” provided they didn’t pull that last assignment off with 49 seconds left to go. For if it hadn’t been as fruitful as it was, the difference between a “good win” and a “close loss” could not be further apart on the emotional spectrum.
“So, as I saw him drive, I cut to the basket. I didn’t think he was going to throw it up at first because it was a lob, but then he threw it up,” said Sejuste recounting the victorious play and the assist credited to junior point guard, Drew Tibbins. “#11 (Jerome Stoltzfus) tipped it, tipped it straight up instead of away from me so I could just go up with it, and then it just became an easy layup.”
“No,” his head coach said without hesitation as to whether he could be directly credited for the events the way in which they ultimately unfolded.
“We wanted to run our five-out with Stephen (Smucker) at the foul line,” Schatzmann shared. “We wanted to run about 25-30 seconds off that clock, bounce pass to (Smucker), let him spin, go to the basket. When that play broke down, Stephen didn’t look. He caught the ball, didn’t spin, but then kicked it back out. When Drew (Tibbins) penetrated, he just threw that lob up to Gio and Gio went and got it,” he added of what transpired from his point of view. “No, that was not a set play, but we’ll certainly take it.”
“We’ve got a lot to work on,” said Sejuste. “You saw that tonight. We came out flat-footed, (Mennonite) got that early lead, and then we had to fight back. If we come out with more energy and play our basketball, Linville basketball, this could’ve been different,” he said again looking at the scoreboard with the final 50-48 verdict still emblazoned in neon light bulbs.
“For three quarters of that game, we were flat,” Schatzmann said piggybacking off his senior. “Normally, we’re scoring 65-70 points. We had no running game going. (Mennonite) was beating us in transition,” he remarked. “I don’t know what it was, but we came out very, very slow and we just couldn’t ever get it going…This was one of the worst offensive games we’ve played all year.”
But to steal a baseball analogy, when you can win with your off-speed pitch, even when the fastball isn’t cranking, that isn’t so bad either. Come February and into March, Linville Hill likely will find themselves in such affairs with the score barely tipping above 50, 60 points in some instances. For that, Schatzmann, certainly the best coach in Pequea Valley boys’ basketball history, and quite literally the only coach in Linville Hill history, sees its value.
“We have a great team. There’s no doubt about it,” said Schatzmann with pride. “These guys we got here, they know how to play and what it takes. They’ve been playing 11 months out of the year. I truly think only good things are going to happen for us.”
On this night at least, that certainly proved to be the case.
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