Despite Early Jitters, Lancaster Mennonite Responds In Kind As Blazers Begin State Playoff Journey By Posting Commanding Victory Over Lansdale Catholic To Kick Off PIAA-3A Tournament On Saturday Afternoon

Written by: Andy Herr on March 8, 2025

If you’ve followed along this whole season inside this space when it comes to the Lancaster Mennonite Blazers, the word “plural” has been used so much that it might as well have become just as familiar as the school’s black and yellow color scheme.  Plural of course being used to describe the litany of titles that Lancaster Mennonite set out to try and chase at the start of this season when it came to Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Four, the overall L-L League crown itself, the District 3-3A title, and the subsequent 3A version of the PIAA bracket as the cherry on top of it all of course.

Well, coming into this weekend and the opening round of the state playoffs, while it hasn’t totally been an open-and-shut case of the Blazers striking out in every instance in their time up at the plate thus far, they are certainly behind in the count if you will in stealing a phrase from that other sport.

The divisional crown? Yeah, that was wrapped up long ago seeing as the Blazers finished the Section Four slate by bringing out the brooms against their fellow section mates in rattling off a 10-0 mark against said competition this season.

However, the Blazers’ league tourney dreams would make an abrupt stop in the semifinal round against a school five times their size, Warwick, as the 6A school simply overmatched and wore down their true 1A foe, who is nonetheless competing at the 3A level all the same.

From there, while Mennonite would indeed make it back to the District 3 championship round for the fifth consecutive time, their quest for five straight gold medals was dashed by the Trinity Shamrocks in last week’s title fight up at the Giant Center, with Trinity becoming just the second boys’ basketball program from the state’s District 3 mid-section to claim district supremacy on at least 20-such occasions regardless of classification size.

So, in starting their final venture out in trying to reel in the biggest of fishes, certainly the #2 seed would certainly figure to have at least a favorable draw one would think, yes? Well, the short answer to that inquiry is, kinda?

Yes, whether you hate or love this new format of the state tournament which sees the higher-seeded being able to host the opening game on their own campus – another gracious gift left behind from our dear friend known as COVID – Mennonite was at least able to play this Saturday afternoon game while being able to get dressed in their same familiar locker room. Then, when you look and see that a sub .500 team was making their way west to the tiny private school tucked away amid the Rockvale shopping outlets found alongside Route 30 as another added element, that too obviously would’ve given credence as to why this first-round state affair figured to be more than favorable from Mennonite’s collective perspective all things considered.

Or so you’d think.

Yes, while the letter of the law will forever show the Lansdale Catholic Crusaders entered the 2025 state playoffs with ownership of an 8-14 overall record next to their name, there’s more to it than that quite frankly.

Can you name a better boys’ basketball conference on the entire eastern seaboard than that of the Philadelphia Catholic League? Sure, there’s bound to be some on equal footing no doubt, but year-after-year, there is little doubt as to which grouping of teams continue to rule the roost when it comes the overall landscape of scholastic basketball played inside the state of Pennsylvania on a perennial basis without much in the way of sound debate. And that’s whether you want to say either girls or boys. But yeah, while the Crusaders went without tallying a single win against any of their conference foes this season in compiling an 0-13 mark, does anyone truly feel warm and fuzzy this time of year when a Philly Catholic League squad pops up on your schedule? Yeah, probably not.

So yes, while Lansdale Catholic may have needed to pick up a win against Overbrook last Wednesday as a means to extend their season and a draw a trip to the home of the 2023 2A state champions on Saturday afternoon — a Lansdale Catholic state tournament-clinching win that marked the Crusaders’ first triumph since a late December affair found against Ridley – the fact of the matter was that regardless of how they arrived here, the Crusaders had fulfilled their required obligations and punched their ticket to the dance all the same. Eight wins tallied so far on the year, yes, but just five away from none of that mattering whatsoever.

However, much to the Crusaders’ chagrin, there be no more wins found beyond the bottom of the two o’clock hour on Saturday afternoon at Lancaster Mennonite as it turned out as the Blazers made sure that their clock struck midnight.

Now, all that is to say, while the homestanding Blazers would largely be unimpeded throughout much of the contest from start to finish, the initial stages in particular weren’t quite so smooth from their perspective if they were being totally honest.

Case in point, Lansdale Catholic clearly being the aggressor and taking the fight to their hosts by virtue of the Crusaders’ quick 7-2 lead following the second of two early Rowan Romero buckets with roughly two minutes having gone by following the opening tap.

Yet from there on out, hot start put exerted by Lansdale Catholic and all, Lancaster Mennonite clearly had enough of that when it came to being overly hospitable.

In fact, the Blazers would just as quickly take command following a pair of buckets inside courtesy of Cody Fisher and Chase Hurst respectively as Hurst’s deuce made it an 8-7 Lancaster Mennonite lead with now a hair inside of half the opening quarter left outstanding.

Speaking of Fisher, the 6’3 junior wing’s overall prowess remained on display later in the opening quarter as yet another of his fearless takes en route to the hoop allowed Mennonite to double up their opposition, 14-7, with now just inside one final minute left in the opening period. All told, Fisher would finish the day as one of three Lancaster Mennonite Blazers to reach double digit scoring totals with Fisher himself culminating his day at the office with a dozen next to his name in the ledger once the sun had finally set.

But Mennonite remained just as relentless when it came to finishing the first eight minutes in good order.

In that regard, following a nice baseline out-of-bounds play which ended in Bill Rothwein being the beneficiary of an easy deuce inside after being left all alone underneath in the aftermath of fulfilling his role of inbounder, not only were the Blazers able to propel themselves into the second quarter with a firm 19-9 advantage, but they also had just put the finishing touches on a remarkable 17-2 spurt to close the books on a first quarter showing that had so clearly flipped on a dime and in their favor.

However, that would largely continue to be the theme at large for the remainder of the afternoon as fate would have it—Lancaster Mennonite being able to play with the aid of having a double figure lead at almost every turn.

For starters, that underlying element continued to ring true following a runner in the lane put home by way of 6’0 sophomore wing, Daulton Nolt, as the Blazers’ lead had expanded once again out to an 11-point margin at 23-12 with 3:25 left in the opening half. From there, another Fisher bucket, this of the turnaround jumper variety, put LMH up by a baker’s dozen, 25-12, before his running mate, Chase Hurst, followed suit with a trademark take to the tin that then made it a 27-12 difference with Lansdale Catholic baited into spending a timeout with 1:59 left before the halftime break.

And while Melo Aylmer would retaliate with a much-needed trifecta on the Crusaders’ ensuing trip down the floor following the stoppage to help bandage Lansdale Catholic’s current bleeding, the seeds of what would become an eventual 29-15 Lancaster Mennonite lead at the half blossomed into view once the first 16 minutes of play ultimately expired and both teams retired to their respective locker rooms.

Yet again, no matter how determined and ardent they undoubtedly were in trying to achieve the task at hand prior to the start of the second half of play, there seemed to be little if any traction that Lansdale Catholic was able to garner on Saturday while trying to go up against this stingy Lancaster Mennonite outfit as well.

For your evidence file, look no further than a kiss off the glass put home by way of Rowan Romero on the Crusaders’ initial offensive trip to begin the final half that cut their deficit into a dozen in next to no time at all having been wiped off the third quarter clock. Even still, early mojo garnered and all, a Bill Rothwein bucket inside — good for two more en route to his sharing of eventual team-high honors alongside Chase Hurst with each posting 15-point clips — upped the margin back to two touchdowns, 35-21, with 5:07 remaining in the third by that point.

Once more, even despite his best efforts that came in the form of an eight-point quarter that came courtesy of a litany of fearless takes to the rack littered throughout the entire third frame, Boa Cobbold Jr’s takes to the rack nonetheless seemed somewhat unfulfilling from Lansdale Catholic’s perspective all things considered given how the last in those buckets from point-blank range still saw the gap remain firm at ten, 39-29, with all of 80 seconds remaining in the game’s third act by that point.

And wouldn’t you know it, but that same type of point differential remained just as sturdy and cemented into place come the start of the final eight minutes of play with Mennonite continuing to hold serve, 43-31.

Suffice to say, if the visitors from the prestigious Catholic League had any ideas when it came to trying to extend this game out whatsoever, the time was now if the Crusaders wished to make one final go of trying to climb this Lancaster Mennonite hill. Unfortunately for them, the game’s overall lack of drama up until that point would remain just as tempered as it had been previously upon entering that homeward mile.

Again, even the door may have been propped opened, albeit just a smidge, the Blazers were just as eager to then close and lock it back up in short order.

In this instance, Chase Hurst continued to remain his same usual, fearless self by finishing off another of his acrobatic finishes at the cup, this one making it a 51-35 Mennonite cushion with just three minutes left to go, but more importantly wiping out any sort of Lansdale Catholic momentum with now inside of half a quarter left to play.   

And while the Crusaders’ talented freshman, Melo Aylmer, was able to come up with a vicious step-back trifecta that kept the difference steady at 14, 52-38, neither that, nor his team-high scoring honors in bucketing a 15-point showing to pace the Crusaders’ cause would be near enough for Lansdale Catholic to saunter homeward with a seismic upset victory placed in their back pocket.

So, when it was time for the verdict to go final, there was little mystery as to what transpired over the course of the previous 32 minutes considering how things would end with Lancaster Mennonite not just protecting their home floor for the final time this season in what would amount to an 11-1 overall record inside their friendly confines this season on the whole, but the Blazers’ resounding 57-39 triumph on this day more importantly signified Lancaster Mennonite moving on with the right to play another day, Wednesday in fact, following this opening round PIAA-3A victory against Lansdale Catholic held on Saturday afternoon.

But rest assured, while some on the outside might not have given these Crusaders much more than a passing glance when it came to simply looking at their overall record and not thinking anything more of it, those in charge of these Blazers were far more mature and considerate when it came to respecting this particular opponent waiting right out of the chute.

“We were really concerned right away considering who (Lansdale Catholic) plays against,” Lancaster Mennonite head coach, Jeff Hartenstine, then offered in the aftermath of his team’s victory on Saturday to advance onward in states. “If you look at their schedule, they have played some close games,” Hartenstine continued of the Crusaders. “Sure, some (scores) were lobsided, but there was more than a few in there that were five, six points. And they didn’t just play Philadelphia Catholic League teams either. They beat a Ridley. They beat a Simon Gratz,” he continued in lauding his opening foe.

“What they’re doing over there, they’re building something,” Hartenstine added of LC. “(Lansdale Catholic) brought in a new coach who has an AAU background, two brand-new freshmen that have kind of become the stars of the team, so they’re building something over there for sure.”

Ironically, while this proud, old Lansdale Catholic franchise appears to be waking back up in trying to assert themselves inside arguably the best high school basketball conference found across the entire east coast, it doesn’t make it any easier for anyone on the outside to really know what’s going on in those parts. Allow Coach Hartenstine to explain.

“What’s crazy and what makes it most difficult is that the Philadelphia Catholic League has a rule in place where they will not share film for states,” the Mennonite coach highlighted. “It’s hard to get film on these guys, so you’re scouring the internet looking at film from opponents like Ridley going all the way back to January and things like that. But we knew they were going to be tough…We thought that if we prepared for (Lansdale Catholic), showed them zone stuff, that we might be able to make it out okay.”

And now, after snatching up this victory, there remains unfinished business left to tend to in Mennonite’s camp. For them, they just hope it lasts until the end of the month.

“We were talking as a staff, ‘What are we going to do with our practice schedule moving forward if we are to win this game?’ Spring sports are in session now, so we’re having to share gym time. We have guys that are multi-sport athletes too, so they’re asking if they can do this or do that. I told those guys, ‘Just focus one hundred percent on this game. If we get this game under our belt, I’m telling you that it will be smooth the rest of the way. You guys will love it. We’ll get on a nice bus and go somewhere, and the experience will be awesome.’”

 “I can tell you, I’ve been around a lot of teams, whether it be the head coach or the assistant coach, and our guys just don’t want this thing to end,” Hartenstine commented confidently of his bunch. “A lot times, you’re burnt out by this time of the year, and you just want to go home after doing this thing for four months straight. But our guys want to keep playing, so we’re going to keep coaching them and hope for the best.”

As far as Saturday was concerned, consider that to be mission accomplished in Lancaster Mennonite’s regard.

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