Cam Harris, Lancaster Country Day Submit Their Names To A Statewide Audience As Cougars Outlast The Christian Academy, Cement Legacy In Reaching State Semifinals For The First Time By Winning Second Straight Overtime Game In PIAA-1A Playoffs
Written by: Andy Herr on March 15, 2025
Is this the best season ever in Lancaster Country Day boys’ basketball history? Admittedly, while a bit of loaded question to rattle off right out of the chute, it’s an inquiry that doesn’t make it any lesser fair to at least ponder. Rest assured, there are ample reasons as to why those on one side of aisle may feel inclined one way, while an entire group of people altogether different may retain that of a differing opinion.
Sure, there have been years in which the Cougars have reached the District 3 championship game in years past. 2018, 2019, and 2022 of course, the middle of which continues to be the program’s only such district title crown, but this year was not one of those occasions. In fact, the Cougars didn’t even take bronze in terms of walking away with seeding into this year’s PIAA-1A state tournament following the district playback round as LCD came out donning District 3’s #4 seed prior to entering the statewide bracket.
There have also been recent years in which Country Day has had a 1,000-point career scorer in its midst, the likes of Andrew Williams and Grant Landis fitting the bill of late, but this year too would be void of such a landmark occasion taking place throughout the Cougars’ 2024-25 season journey.
But that’s about it for the negatives. For the positives, there’s equally – if not more – at the disposal to suggest that this iteration of Lancaster Country Day is indeed the best ever when it comes to this tiny private school on the outside of Lancaster’s city limits.
How about the making the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs? That was something the Cougars were able to finally do for the first time this winter since joining the conference almost ten years ago, including taking the eventual league champions from Cedar Crest to the ropes while having the Falcons look up at a double figure halftime deficit.
Beyond that, setting aside the fact that Country Day, the #2 seed come the start of this year’s district tournament would fail to reach even the finale this season as mentioned, the Cougars’ overall prowess when it came to navigating their way through the first week of the state field was far more impressive all things being equal given that LCD came to Coatesville High School for an early Friday evening with the opportunity to try and do something that the program had yet to experience in its entirety—reach the Final Four of the state tournament.
Yet as would be the case once you get down to this minutia of a level concerning teams that pop out from all corners of the commonwealth with so few games left to be contested, there really is no accident as to who makes it this far and who is still standing upright once you reach this stage. And that’s surely something Country Day was well cognizant of coming into their Friday night affair against The Chrisitan Academy, a school that had already knocked the Cougars’ most recent foe, Phil-Mont Christian, in a wild overtime affair in which Country Day sent the Falcons back home to Erdenheim packing for the second consecutive year in the second round of states.
So, which was it?
Prior to the 5pm tip down at Coatesville in a rush-hour game in the state quarterfinal round, there was surely reason as to why this may or may not be the best Cougars’ team of all-time. The good news for this 2024-25 roster? Provided that they could package up 32 more minutes against a second straight foe by way of District 1 in such a manner that would end in the net result being that of a Country Day victory, there would be no further debate needed. For if they could get the job done here on this night against The Christian Academy, the question would just as quickly be settled and put to bed once and for all.
And while it would take a little longer than just 32 minutes alone, there would be a verdict reached all the same. A ruling that would suggest that this is indeed the finest group of Cougars that the school has ever seen assembled.
Right out of the gates, it seemed as if the team that was far more comfortable was that with a Lancaster County mailing address.
In fact, with The Christian Academy somewhat out of sorts while trying to go against the Cougars’ zone defense, LCD was able to pounce on their opposition early as a result as evidenced by Chris Dukes getting lost behind the backline of the Crusaders’ defense as the Country Day 6’0 senior was able to finish off an easy bucket at the cup to make it a 9-5 LCD lead near the halfway point of the opening quarter.
Yet while Country Day may have gotten off to a far sultrier start comparatively speaking, TCA was warm to this fight all the same.
Sure enough, while riding on the heels of a critical 3-ball sunk by the Crusaders’ leading scorer on this night, Cam Harrop, The Christian Academy senior guard had whittled the deficit down to the slimmest of margins, 9-8, with 2:30 left in the game’s first period not long afterwards.
However, TCA would draw no closer to LCD over that final pair of minutes and change.
In fact, Country Day’s eventual game-high scoring author, Jordan Ashby, who tossed in a 19-point showing to pace the Cougars’ contingent on Friday night, tallied a smooth turnaround jumper no more than a minute later for a bucket which made it a six-point bulge in Country Day’s favor, 14-8, before a pair of Cam Harris freebies at the charity stripe helped to vault the Cougs into the second frame while also doubling up their challenger by virtue of the 16-8 difference after the first.
All that is to say, while the initial eight minutes may have made it seem as if Lancaster Country Day was operating at a far greater level when it came to being void of stressors, that narrative would prove itself to be a bit of fool’s gold by the time the second quarter later rolled around.
For that turn of events, a 3-ball which preceded a take to the take in back-to-back fashion courtesy of the efforts found of Cyrus Mulder and Sir Guy Epps Jr respectively saw The Christian Academy insert themselves back within reach at 18-16 with not even a full two minutes having bled off the second quarter clock by that point. Then, following another TCA bucket from bonus distance, this one via the handiwork of Liam Foreman, the blue and white-clad Crusaders had surged back to within a penny, 23-22, which is precisely where the halftime gap remained come the game’s intermission as Lancaster Country Day made the quick walk into their nearby locker room at Coatesville while leading by the absolute slimmest of possible margins despite controlling what felt to be the terms of engagement throughout the first 16 minutes.
Lancaster Country Day’s Cam Harris Rises Above The Crowd For A Pullup Jumper Against The Christian Academy
Regardless, not much seemed as if it would totally negate and halt this TCA-led charge that transpired over the latter portions of the second frame. Truth be told, that second quarter rally would later prove to lay the groundwork when it came to The Christian Academy stealing the lead right back in due time once the third quarter commenced on Friday evening.
1:20. That was all it took for the Crusaders from Brookhaven to retake control of the scoreboard –their first such instance in doing so since the five-minute mark of the first quarter – as a trifecta splashed down by Cam Harrop propelled The Christian Academy out to a slim 25-23 buffer to help get the second half action ignited. Later, roughly two minutes later to be somewhat precise, that Crusaders’ lead would swell slightly larger following another TCA triple sunk amid the Country Day zone, this one launched in from senior sharpshooter, Judah Gray, making it a 30-27 TCA lead with the worm starting to turn somewhat.
But that was before both Jordan Ashby and Cam Harris would do the yeoman’s work when it came to turning that slimy creature right back to where it came.
In that respect, The Christian Academy occurrence in playing with the lead would prove to be short-lived considering how a Country Day rebuke of the Crusaders’ sudden spurt amounted to that of a 5-0 run to follow suit with Ashby having the honors in leading off the fray by sinking a triple before a Harris defensive theft and layup in transition made it a 32-30 Cougars’ lead with the third quarter rapidly approaching the two-minute mark.
And while TCA would regain the lead in the aftermath of a yet another Judah Gray triple which made it a 33-32 ballgame with Gray en route to bucketing a 14-point showing on the night, another Country Day run, this of the 4-0 variety over the final 1:26 of the penultimate frame, saw LCD be able to begin the fourth period with that of a 36-33 advantage next to their name.
Back and forth. Trading the baton. Exchanging blows. Whatever phrase you wanted to coin it with, rest assured that either team’s ownership of the scoreboard heading down the final stretch on Friday night was anything but solid.
Sure, while TCA would find themselves enjoying the spoils of a 39-38 lead following two treys knocked down by Gray and Harrop to help raise the quarter’s curtain, a timely 4-0 retaliatory charge authored by one of Country Day’s foremost heroes found in their last outing against Phil-Mont Christian, Chris Dukes, helped to vault the Cougars back in front, 42-41, with now 4:50 left outstanding. Later, following a successful 2-2 venture to the charity stripe by way of Gray with 2:18 left to play, The Christian Academy was back in front by a 45-44 count. Well, that was before arguably LCD’s primary hero of this affair, Cam Harris, was able to split his own offering at the foul line in making it a 45-45 stalemate with then 1:31 left to play.
However, just when things may have appeared as if Lancaster Country Day was about to head out of the woods and end the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s oddest ongoing hex when it came to seeing state playoff runs end in an abrupt fashion at Coatesville High School over the course of the last six occasions following a pair of Jordan Ashby freebies sunk with 48.2 seconds remaining that put the Cougars in front by a 47-45 difference, a season-saving turnaround jumper knocked down in the paint on the Crusaders’ ensuing offensive trip courtesy of Harrop, knotted the engagement up once more at 47-47 with Country Day having the opportunity to sink one final shot with inside of a minute left to play.
Or so they thought.
Instead, while there would be a shot attempt of sorts, it would come after a foul on the floor had been called, an offensive foul on Ashby to be exact, as TCA would find themselves with the opportunity to then end this contest in true walk-off fashion.
But not quite.
Instead, the Lancaster Country Day defense would stiffen up and hold The Christian Academy to not even a field goal whatsoever, prompting the Cougars to venture into their second overtime affair in as many outings with nothing having been decided over the course of 32 minutes with a dead-even 47-47 scoreboard reading here in this one against TCA.
Speaking of defense, how does pitching a shutout sound? How about a shutout that in turns makes school history to boot?
Not to spoil the roast, but Country Day would indeed hold The Christian Academy scoreless over the course of the additional four minutes of the overtime session. And when it came time to finally seeing their side spill over the top for what would in theory be the game-winner, it would crystalize in the form of a Ben Sponaugle bunny at the cup, the senior’s lone field goal of the entire night, as the 6’3 “big” man saved his clutch theatrics for the absolute best of times from Country Day’s perspective no doubt.
Suffice to say, a team does not find itself now just one game shy of reaching the same shared ultimate goal for each and every team from around the state come the start of preseason practices dating all the way back to November by going there alone. Yes, while Lancaster Country Day is able to routinely lean on the efforts of their own version of the “big two,” Jordan Ashby and Chris Dukes in particular, there is another blossoming star emerging in the Cougars’ lineup. A lanky sophomore who is already on the verge of potentially making himself a household name around these parts when it comes to LCD 10th grader, Cam Harris.
In terms of this game in and of itself, Harris’ 17 points tallied against TCA were of course crucial no matter in which direction you want to try and slice it. That much is rather obvious. But it was his activity, his pension for cheating passing lanes and coming up with steals for what at times felt to come on almost every other Crusaders’ offensive possession in the second half which then led to breakaway runouts, occurrences most usually finished off the by Cougs’ wiry 6’1 sophomore utility knife.
Then again, if more direct evidence is instead your cup of tea, never fear. Cam Harris has you covered there too.
How about game-clinching free throws with the game, nay, the season, hanging delicately on the proverbial edge? There, with The Christian Academy clearly flummoxed following Country Day’s defensive departure away from the zone and back to man-to-man principles, the Crusaders’ shots down the stretch went begging to the tune of their final seven shots hoisted from beyond the arc going by the wayside without bearing any sort of fruit in crunch time. And for the capper, Cam Harris responded in kind by finishing off the final 1:41 of overtime by scoring all the game’s remaining points all by his lonesome over the course of three successive trips to the foul line in rattling off a 4-6 clip over that triumvirate, helping to finish things off with Lancaster Country Day advancing past The Christian Academy following their 54-47 overtime victory once the horn sounded.
Yet this was far, far more than just a seven-point overtime win inside of the state playoffs for Lancaster Country Day on Friday at Coatesville. For this was an outcome drenched in historical significance in that it marked LCD’s biggest dent made throughout a state tournament bracket in its school history in now reaching the semifinal round.
That’s one piece of it. Look further, and you’ll notice that the Cougars’ two leading scorers in this Elite Eight game, shoot, three of their top four scorers on the night at large were that of underclassmen, it then becomes readily apparent that this Country Day run figures to be anything but some sort of momentary flash in the pan. No, these are a group of Cougars that figure to have some significant staying power. Right now however, as far as the immediate future is concerned, they get to stay in the 2025 state tournament for at least one week longer as they await one of the state’s perennial small-school powerhouses, Sankofa Freedom Academy, for a Pennsylvania Final Four contest at a time and located to be determined for next Friday night.
“When we got in the locker room, that’s when we really became aware of everything,” a jubilant Cam Harris said after leading the way out his team’s winning locker room when about his level of awareness regarding the history both he and his teammates are currently writing in very real time. “Coach started to tear up a little bit with us during his postgame speech,” Harris acknowledged of his head coach, Jon Shultz, who couldn’t help but surrender just a sprinkle’s worth of waterworks flow by the sounds of it following the Cougars’ second consecutive victory in this year’s state playoffs. “He, and us, we’re all just so excited.”
But to see Harris thrive in this moment, under the season’s hottest of spotlights while inside the crucible of pressure that comes part in parcel in making up now 1/4th of the boys’ basketball teams left standing in the entire state with just two games left to play, that isn’t something necessarily totally unforeseen. You see, he’s been building towards a moment, a starring role most of all, like the one he successfully fulfilled on Friday night against these Crusaders for a bit of time.
“After that first game,” said Harris without hesitation when asked to when he himself first noticed things slowing down on a personal level for his overall game and his niche within the team’s dynamic starting to take shape. “We started off slow this season losing a couple of games,” he stated of the Cougars’ 1-2 record found at the beginning of this year’s campaign. “We lost at Mennonite at the beginning of the year and from right there I was like, ‘I have to get in the gym and just keep working, working, working. Every day. Even on Saturdays and Sundays. I have to keep going.’”
Certainly not a bad attitude nor work ethic of approach for that of a talented young man who may not even own his learner’s permit yet. Also, a stellar mental makeup to have in your overall character following what could have been a game-altering moment late in the fourth quarter in which Harris appeared to have become mentally trapped in between deciding whether to flush it down with a dunk in transition or opt for the more mundane layup and kiss off the glass. Unfortunately, neither of those two options came to pass in what could have amounted to a critical Country Day turnover late in the game where momentum could’ve easily flipped on a dime with the margin of separation being essentially nonexistent. But Harris wasn’t worried about such an event transpiring and its possible implications. He knows that the next opportunity will come his way while keeping a level head about himself. Do that, and further chances will present themselves when it comes to imprinting his stamp on the game for good.
“Last year, I used to get really, really mad when I’d miss those easy layups like that,” Harris shared of his freshman year self from a season ago and his difference in maturity. “But tonight, my guys were all around me telling me, ‘Goldfish, goldfish.’ Goldfish have bad memories,” the perhaps aspiring zoologist remarked of the message reiterated to him by teammates in hopes of seeing Harris keep on keeping on down the stretch against The Christian Academy. “It’s really just that next play, next play attitude. That next play mentality.”
As for his head coach, one who is rapidly ascending his way up the local ladder in terms of accrued success over the course of his now seven-year tenure while in charge at LCD, he did come clean and admit that he in fact got choked up.
“Slightly. Just slightly. I only got a little teary-eyed,” Shultz said in light-hearted defiance of his crack in visible emotion shown amid the postgame fracas in front of his club.
“They’re all invested. Every one of them is invested. It’s a total team effort,” said Shultz proudly of this year’s Country Day team. “We’re fortunate because we don’t have anyone on our team ever looking around and saying, ‘Where’s my minutes? Where are my minutes?’ We just don’t do that here.”
“It’s really great because they all get along just so well,” the 105-time winner continued. “They’re all good friends with each other off the court, so it’s only natural that they pull for one another. It’s just so important to have that. (The bench) is into the game from start to finish. Almost every game, I need to tell them to sit down and be quiet. All that kind of stuff,” Shultz chuckled referencing his role players and their infectious energy that comes oozing onto the floor in supporting their brothers in action. “But we need that. All of those guys are on the floor for us in that way.”
But for one of those guys on the floor, Cam Harris in particular, this has been a guy that Shultz himself has seen rounding into the form as the months have progressed.
“If you ask Cam what option he is, he isn’t third or second,” Shultz joked of his sophomore’s upmost confidence. “He’s been the first option since about second grade with all the nicknames he gives himself,” he said jovially. “But like him, it’s taken us a little bit here to find our identity. This season has had its fits and starts….He’s been a heckuva player. But once he bought into the team stuff, that’s when things really took off for him,” Shultz said of Harris.
Now, just 32 minutes separate Harris, Shultz, and Lancaster Country Day from a trip to Hershey’s Giant Center after all. Even if they failed to get there last month for what figured to be at minimum at a district title showing.
“They appreciate this. Trust me, they appreciate all of this,” said Shultz of his team’s historic ride through the record books at Country Day. “We’re not going to (practice) til Tuesday probably, so we’ll give them a couple of days off here,” he then shared of the impromptu week-long break found in between this game and the next. “I’ll have some lacrosse coaches and some baseball coaches a little upset with me because I still got some of those guys going with us,” he sarcastically said of his multi-sport athletes and the spring sports season that has already gotten underway in earnest. “But they’re in this. They’re totally in this. I’m so happy for them to see them so excited. It’s just a lot of fun.”
Who can argue? When you officially cement your legacy into history, yeah, fun is probably an applicable word. Win a couple of more games this month and these Cougars will go far beyond that. They’d be remembered for eternity. Yes, the prospect of reaching that level too is probably also somewhere along the lines of the word fun.
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