Lancaster Mennonite Blends Youth With Experience As Blazers Concoct Potion To Get Past Steel-High In Battle Of 2A Stalwarts
Written by: Andy Herr on January 17, 2023
Let’s just be perfectly frank here. If we’re talking about success inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League found on the boys’ basketball scene most specifically, surely we cannot have any semblance of an actual conversation if we were to neglect Lancaster Mennonite in any way, shape, or form.
To put it mildly, there has arguably been no better franchise in the entire conference than that of the Blazers, particularly within the last half decade or so most of all. And if local hoops junkies are looking to find a wagon in which to hitch their ride to on a perennial basis, odds are fairly strong that selecting Mennonite as your form of transportation will not let you down in the slightest. In fact, here’s an oddball nugget that best exemplifies as to just how strong the Blazers have been over the last handful of seasons. Here it goes…Beginning with the 2018 season, a season which will forever burn hot in the memory Mennonite fans seeing as how it saw their team fall one miraculous halfcourt Tyler Zimmerman heave away from playing for the state title at the hands of the Richland Rams over at Chambersburg High School on a March Saturday afternoon, LMH has literally been the very last L-L team left playing in any given year for three of the past five seasons whether it be by a matter of days, or even by a mere matter of hours. Sure enough, two of those three in particular have come in these two past season no less as the Blazers ironically fell to the very same victim in both instances, Old Forge, with the Devils by way of Scranton metro concluding Mennonite’s 2021 and 2022 campaigns respectively.
Now granted, while we are still in some ways quite a ways away from worrying about the PIAA state bracket, there’s been ample reason exhibited thus far to suggest that this year might be a year in which Lancaster Mennonite ends up carrying the L-L League’s banner across the finish line yet again as the final, lonesome solider.
I suppose it might be best then to start with the actual roster if we were to correctly assess things for 2022-23. Sure enough, it’s hard not to like the prospect of a multi-year all-state player coming back into the fold for his senior campaign in Cam Hurst, a key piece which pairs nicely alongside the ever improving big man, David Weaver, to at the very least begin the conversation for the back-to-back defending District 3-2A champs. However, the Blazers have had to navigate the waters here lately without the services of one of the entire state’s best-kept secrets in Hurst and his ability to seemingly roll out of bed and go off for a 20, 30-point performance in any given contest. That said, Mennonite has consistently proven time after time, year after year, that the sum of their parts is far greater than that of one individual piece alone, especially considering how fellas such as Myles Halvorsen and Savier Sumrall have stepped up marvelously to help carry the torch with Hurst still out on the shelf. All told, even with the injuries along with the various fits and starts that have largely come to define the Blazers’ season up until the MLK holiday weekend, it’s largely been business as usual for the small school alongside Route 30 seeing as how the Blazers began the week in those same familiar positions of old being right there on Columbia’s tail in terms of the L-L section race, but also more importantly simultaneously occupying the top spot in the District 3-2A rankings yet again, lending credence as to why a possible LMH three-peat at the district level this season may be a thought not all that farfetched whatsoever.
But hey, if the topic is success, rest assured that their opponent on Martin Luther King Jr night could basically serve as the dictionary’s definition of it.
It technically falls within the two boroughs of Steelton and Highspire respectively if we’re being precise, but there’s good reason as to why the locals call their hometown, “Titletown.” In terms of the sheer volume history that can possibly be found at any local school in the mid-state of Pennsylvania that can date back to even before the Great Depression, darn near everyone else pales in comparison to what the Steamrollers have done in a variety of different venues. In terms of basketball, yes, the Rollers certainly have plenty of that to boast about given how the school can lay claim to six state titles in its illustrious history. Ironically, their current head coach, Tristian Crawford, has some hardware that demonstrates such success seeing as how he himself is one of those household names if you will whose legend and overall historical stature somehow only elevates with the passage of time even despite the fact that he was already an incredible talent back in the day in his own right that folks turned out in droves to see at the ticket gates.
And if we then shift our focus and attention to the football field, rest assured that Steel-High has seen plenty of success in that avenue too, including this year no less as the Rollers were able to take home yet another state championship gridiron this fall. That being said, it should probably come as little to no surprise whatsoever to see that many of those same familiar faces who were in shoulder pads and helmets just a few months ago have since traded in the equipment –all while picking up high-major collegiate offers in the meantime – for the basketball sneakers come wintertime with a bevy of the same familiar faces helping to push the Rollers along to what would be the fourth and final spot in the 2A field if the postseason were to get underway today.
Needless to say, those who suited up either in black and gold or blue and white on Monday night at Lancaster Mennonite have already achieved so, so much during their high school careers already that most everyone else their age could only dream of accomplishing. And frankly, because of such a fact, that’s Monday’s contest between Steel-High and Lancaster Mennonite figured to be a 32-minute battle royale between these two clubs who could very well likely renew acquaintances with one another here in another month or so come playoff time.
But if such a matchup were to ever transpire sometime in future, you can best believe that Mennonite will certainly prefer that the same familiar script holds up true to form.
Ironically though, while one Hurst was out, another one was just fine in plugging the gap. Sure, while Cam Hurst may be out still, younger brother Chase was more than capable in filling his big bro’s shoes. Case in point, the wily freshman guard proceeding to fill it up from both the inside and outside throughout the opening frame as Hurst’s personal string of five consecutive points allowed the hosts to enjoy a 7-2 advantage with 3:50 left to play in the first.
However, just when Mennonite surged out to a sizable lead, Steel-High was there to reel them right back in.
In fact, on the very next Roller possession following the Hurst 3-ball which put the Blazers up by five, a hoop plus the harm down on the other end courtesy of Matt Chaplin gave the visitors a spurt of momentum. From there, the Rollers kept, well, rolling seeing as how a steal and finish courtesy of Yahmir Ceasar gave Steel-High their initial lead of the night at 8-7 exactly one-minute after they had fallen behind the aforementioned five-point difference. But that wouldn’t be the last of the Steel-High charge given that the Rollers ending up shuttering the opening quarter with an 11-0 blitzkrieg, a key run that vaulted the guests into the second quarter with the 13-7 lead.
While down, Lancaster Mennonite’s Jordan Lilly wasn’t the least bit pleased with his team’s current positioning.
At least, it certainly didn’t appear that way right from the onset of the second considering that the Blazers’ sophomore guard proceeded to tally his own personal 8-0 run right of the chute from both inside and outside of the arc as the impromptu Lilly run put Mennonite back in front, 15-13, with exactly 2:59 have ticked off the clock by that point. And while Steel-High would find the remedy in the form of a Chaplin bucket inside not long thereafter to give the Rollers the three-point bulge at 19-16 with 3:50 left to play before the break, a Lilly layup at the cup knotted things up at 20-apeice exactly two minutes after that.
As it would turn out, with Lilly being the catalyst to author up the bulk of the damage imposed upon the Rollers at that point in this quarter at least, a familiar face would be the one to push the Blazers over the proverbial hill yet again as a smooth triple sunk by none other than David Weaver gave Mennonite the slimmest of cushions, 23-22, with just 70 seconds left to go in the opening half. But if you had thought that would be the last that Steel-High would have to contend with Chase Hurst, those aspirations were quickly put on ice.
While playing with anything but the timidness of a 9th grader at the varsity level, Hurst would then end the second period with a dizzying 4-0 flurry, including a bucket right before the first half buzzer, to usher the Blazer troops into the dressing room with the wind of a 27-25 halftime lead at their collective backs.
But as was to be predicted, Steel-High would be the furthest thing from a team that would simply allow Mennonite to cruise home with a victory without nary a fight.
Right on cue then, the Rollers began the third quarter with a quick 6-0 spurt, a run which was punctuated with pair of buckets tallied inside by way of Alex Erby and Taevon Chisholm respectively, sending Steel-High into the lead position with a 31-27 advantage at that time.
Here too though came the Mennonite rally right back, however.
In a similar fashion to which their opponent had just exerted upon them, Mennonite would roar back with a rally of their own, this of the 8-0 variety, as a critical triple splashed home courtesy of yet another underclassman seeing playing time for the Blazers on this night, sophomore Jadyn Taylor, made it a 35-31 Blazers’ lead before another LMH trey later on, this one from the handiwork of senior guard Savier Sumrall, put the hosts up by a touchdown at 40-33 with 2:15 left in the third stanza.
But did we mention that football and the verbiage thereof kind of happens to be Steel-High’s forte?
True to form, perhaps aided by a field goal and a safety if you will, the Rollers found themselves back within a pair at 40-38 following a trifecta knocked home by Yahmir Ceasar inside the final 20 seconds of the frame which is precisely where things would remain once the final eight minutes got underway in this noncon affair.
As one may have predicted in a game between two teams who can very easily look one another in the eye, the intensity out of the floor in this one was nothing if not palpable. Unfortunately for the guests, those emotions boiled over at times much to their detriment including here in the infancy of the final quarter as an ill-timed technical foul call whistled against the Rollers meant free throws for the Blazers. And with Sumrall being the beneficiary of the one asked to toe the charity stripe, the Mennonite senior would deliver the goods for his team as Sumrall’s freebies in the aftermath of the stoppage put the Blazers up by a half dozen, 44-38, with six minutes and change still yet to go.
But speaking of free throw shooting, that is what by and large helped prove to be the eventual difference down the stretch in this one as a perfect 2-2 trip nailed by that same gutty freshman, Chase Hurst, gave Mennonite their largest lead of the evening at the point, 50-40, with just inside of four minutes still left to play. And speaking of this impressive young gun, a star was undoubtedly born on this night as Horst would go on to share game-high scoring honors alongside his fellow backcourt mate who can also put up points in bunches, Savier Sumrall, as both shared in the netting of 20-point performances once the night had ultimately concluded.
From there, as if the margin to overcome wasn’t already enough to try and overcome for the Steamrollers, the difference was exacerbated even further following a 3-ball nailed nearly 50 seconds later by way of the aforementioned Sumrall which then put the Blazers up by a dozen at 54-42 with just two minutes and change left to go.
Yet once the dust had finally settled, thanks in no small part to David Weaver’s remarkable night of work patrolling the paint defensively which cannot be overlooked nor understated in which the Blazers’ big man came away with an utterly ridiculous stat line that included a dozen rebounds to go along with 14 blocks officially –none of which count towards the shots which he alerted at the cup anyhow which was easily above 25 Steel-High shot attempts inside – Lancaster Mennonite proved to be too much for Steel-High, at least in this particular go ‘round that is, as the Blazers were able to finish things off with an eventual 63-49 final verdict.
In a lot of ways, while Lancaster Mennonite would surely much prefer to have all their options at their disposal, sometimes there can be a bit of a silver lining of sorts when guys who may have started off on the bench are then asked to fill in at key positions when the situation warrants. It’s a facet of things that the Blazers’ head man can also get on board with as well.
“We’re still figuring roles out,” Lancaster Mennonite head coach Seth Buckwalter admitted candidly in the aftermath of his team’s victory on Monday evening. “Part of that is a lot of other guys are battling injuries too…Every game has been a little bit different and a little bit new, but as far what each of the guys do without Cam (Hurst) on the floor, I think we know what each one of them brings to the table at this point which is nice.”
Of course, when you can have a freshman go off for a 20-point night in Chase Hurst along with a sophomore who helped turn the game around in the second quarter almost entirely by his lonesome in Jordan Lilly, while maybe not necessarily expected, you certainly recognize and appreciate when young and talented players reach their potential when the lights shine brightest.
“I think we knew that they had it in them, but we didn’t necessarily know it would be required,” Buckwalter then said light-heartedly of his young core. “But it’s been nice with different guys stepping up every single game,” he went on to add. “One night it will be a senior or junior carrying the load, tonight it was a freshman and a sophomore getting it done, so they haven’t had to bring it every night because other guys have subbed in and stepped up, so it’s been a good mix.”
And as if this Lancaster Mennonite potion wasn’t perhaps already dangerous enough right now, with so many guys getting invaluable reps at this stage of the season, in this stage of some of their careers no less, when the Blazers’ other key pieces then get inserted into the equation, this may yet again be a year in which Lancaster Mennonite ends up being the last one left standing out on the dance floor once the music finally stops.
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