Ephrata Gets Pushed To The Brink, Turns Away Donegal As Mounts Keep Conference’s Last Unbeaten Record Intact
Written by: Andy Herr on December 21, 2022
In many ways, the start to the 2022-23 Lancaster-Lebanon League boys’ basketball season has really been no different than most others that have preceded it. Like clockwork, this year too –albeit while still in its relative infancy – has offered up tantalizing storylines that have captivated the general masses. True to form, there have been your surprising results, eye-popping stat lines, along with the prototypical grouping of teams that have perhaps either overachieved or underachieved throughout this first third of the regular season slate. However, some of those teams that have been able to define the former in terms of their preseason expectations coming into the year may surprise you somewhat.
Of course, when you look at the two men leading their programs, it’s not all that difficult to soon discover as to why both Donegal and Ephrata are right there among the two foremost darlings that have emerged from this the first couple weeks of the season. After all, both the Indians’ and Mountaineers’ shared programs are enjoying a jolt of energy, optimism and enthusiasm that can only come in hiring two young up-and-comers eager to better cement their respective statures in terms of the local basketball coaching scene. And hey, let’s just be honest here, but it can’t hurt that both of their dads just so happen to be successful coaches that have been at this gig for a while in their own right, yes?
Suffice to say, the season up until this point has been nothing but an immense success for the Ephrata Mounts. Hard to argue with that when you consider that the Mounts came into their Wednesday night home battle against Donegal while owning a perfect 4-0 record to their name, the lone team in the entire conference that could boast such a distinction entering the night of December 21st. Simply put, thanks in large part to the reemphasis that comes in a year-round focus and dedication to the sport itself that head coach Scott Gaffey has instilled throughout the entirety of his program from top to bottom over his three years while at the helm of the program, tangible and clear results of the like aren’t all that impossible to fathom.
On the other bench, a renewed focus and collective buy-in have certainly appeared to help turn the tides of fortune over in Mount Joy thus far.
In some ways, as hard as that may be to consider given that we’re talking about a ballclub that came into the night at 0-2 in their division and a 4-3 record overall here, but the Donegal Indians have not so quietly emerged as a story to take note of. However, the reason as to why that may be the case almost certainly stems from this bit of an oddity that comes contained within the Tribe’s initial gamut of their season thus far. That being the sheer fact that while Donegal may currently possess an 0-2 record against Section Three competition –setbacks coming by a very modest seven-point combined difference against the likes of long-time stalwarts in Lancaster Catholic and Lampeter-Strasburg respectively — the Indians are ironically a perfect 3-0 against L-L Section Two competition. Or, in other words, Donegal has been able to meet or surpass the competition in front of them at nearly every turn if we are taking divisional status strictly at face value here. And never more would that narrative of “playing up” be put to the test more than with the green and white’s excursion to Ephrata Middle School to tangle with that aforementioned lone wolf who still possessed a goose egg in the loss column for this midweek interdivisional tussle.
And while it would hardly be defined as easy, Ephrata would indeed be able to keep their unblemished record intact at the end of a grueling 32 minutes of play.
However, in a twist of irony, arduous may not have originally been the exact term to describe the Mounts’ opening stanza.
Sure enough, even despite finding themselves in front by just a pair at 7-5 three minutes in, an Ephrata onslaught was quickly forthcoming. Case in point, aided by a pair of triples sunk by 6’5 junior forward, Gavin Haupt, the Mountaineers’ lead had quickly swelled up to a commanding 22-5 at the end of the first period, formally punctuating what was a dominant 15-0 salvo authored by the hosts to close things out.
Slowly but surely however, another theme of the evening was rounding into form in its own right. That being the undeniable fact that Donegal simply refused to go away without a fight.
Brick by brick, the Indians slowly inched themselves closer to the opposition once the second period got underway.
Sure enough, aided and abetted by a Deandre White trifecta and an old-fashioned three-point play courtesy of Sawyer Floyd, Donegal had rather innocently cut the deficit down to ten at 25-15 with 3:55 left to go before intermission courtesy of their talented sophomore duo of guards. From there, using defense as their catalyst, a Dutch Good rejection of a would-be Ephrata shot led to an eventual 3-ball sprinkled in by the aforementioned White as the green-coated guests had ushered themselves to within a half dozen, 25-19, with now just two minutes remaining in the second quarter. In regard to Deandre White most specifically, if Wednesday night is to serve as any indicator of things yet to come, rest assured that the future is bright for the Indians considering that the wiry 5’11 underclassman was able to pump in a team-high 16-point effort once the night was through.
Yet just when as it may have seemed as if Donegal had been able to figure out the Ephrata riddle, the Mounts were on scene to offer a prompt rebuttal.
Well, truthfully the entire rebuttal came via Dylan Kohl all by his lonesome all things considered as the 6’3 senior wing was able to fire in back-to-back triples close the second quarter, a crucial six-point pendulum swing in Ephrata’s direction that allowed the Mounts to sail into the second half as owners of a 32-19 advantage.
And while the third quarter was largely quiet and timid in terms of much offensive firepower, it was evident that Donegal was setting themselves up for one final charge at overtaking the lead for good, a lead which by the way they had yet to play with for the entirety of the night up until that juncture.
Hanging around was the name of the Indians’ game by and large. And thanks to a three-point play thanks to the dutiful efforts of one James Turbedsky which made it a 32-24 affair, a strong take to the tin by senior guard, Dutch Good, was not far behind as visitors kept themselves within reach, 32-26, with roughly 4:50 left to tick off the third quarter clock. Then, following a perfect 2-2 showing at the charity stripe by Deandre White, the Indians had worked themselves back to within a touchdown at 35-28 which is exactly where things would remain over the final 2:30 of the third session.
At the onset of the fourth quarter, it appeared as if Ephrata had finally been able to get themselves out of dodge once for all. Easy to think that once Dylan Kohl, the game-high scorer who finished with a resounding 18-point night’s worth of work, sprayed in another triple to help the final stanza get underway which made it a 40-30 Mounts’ count before a stick-back by way of another Ephrata junior, Trent Wolf, kept the margin at double figures, 42-32, with 4:30 left to play.
But back came Donegal with a vengeance.
Despite time seeming to perhaps run dry on them, the Indians proceeded to go on a timely 5-0 flurry to close the gap back down to size with an enormous trifecta hit by 6’1 junior, Evyan Patal, serving as the exclamation point to said rally as the score stood at a modest 42-37 difference with 3:20 still to play.
Here though, with an obvious flair for the dramatics, Ephrata’s Dylan Mahlandt was able to steal momentum –both literally and figuratively – in his team’s favor as his hoop plus the harm tallied by the Mounts’ senior was quickly followed up with a timely theft and finish of his mere moments afterwards, all of which preceded a fearless charge taken down on the opposite end of the floor by another member of the Ephrata senior class, Brennan Hurst, a series of game-altering moments which had firmly altered the trajectory of the final few minutes.
Or so it would seem.
Needing to strike right then and there, the key cog for Donegal who seemed to pop up at every moment his team needed him most of all, Deandre White, came through with a crucial personal six-point rally all his own to race the Indians within reach, 46-43, with just 1:05 left to be played.
However, that would be all the last gasp for what all the Indians would be able to offer on this evening.
Thanks to key defensive stops down the homeward stretch, a trait which largely figures to help serve as the Mounts’ calling card all season long, along with a pair of successful late-game foul shooting via the work of a pair of seniors found in Andre Weidman and Brennan Hurst respectively, the Mounts were able to wipe the sweat off their collective brow at long last as Ephrata’s perfect record would remain alive and well come Thursday morning as the hosts were able to prevail victorious in a 48-43 final verdict over a very game Donegal squad once the buzzer blared.
NEXT UP: It’s right back to work for the Mounts if they want to keep that unbeaten record alive and well going into the holiday. For it’s what is without question their most anticipated game of the entire “nonconference” slate if you will come late Thursday night when they take their show right down the street essentially as it’s a twin-bill Cocalico/Ephrata boys’ & girls’ double-header at The Nest in Denver in what figures to be a festive yet less than hospitable atmosphere between these two backyard rivals in their only meeting of the season. However, even regardless of what the eventual outcome ends up being in that one, it has been a remarkably positive start to the season thus far the Mounts no matter how you try and slice it. And with their home neighborhood of Section Two looking more topsy turvy with every game that gets played, who’s to say that Ephrata can’t plant their flag at or near the summit by the end of it all?
For Donegal, it too is another step in the process, albeit a process that doesn’t make anyone sleep any more peacefully or make the food taste any better when it comes in the form of an L that is to say. But make no mistake about it, if there is one thing that has become readily apparent up until this point, it’s that the Donegal Indians will bring it each and every night they step on the floor. And if any of their upcoming opponents aren’t ready for a 32-minute battle royale, don’t be surprised if you see the Indians come out on top here more often than not. Something that would give true credence as to why this is a program on the rise.
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