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Lancaster Mennonite Staves Off Persistent Mounts’ Advances As Blazers Top Antietam For Second Consecutive Season To Claim District 3-2A Gold
 

Lancaster Mennonite Staves Off Persistent Mounts’ Advances As Blazers Top Antietam For Second Consecutive Season To Claim District 3-2A Gold

Written by: Andy Herr on March 6, 2022

 

Quick question here for the audience, but how many of you would like to pretend that the last couple of years, last year in particular, never took place at all? A fair amount? Yeah, kinda figured as much. Okay, but I see not everyone in the crowd has their hand raised here. Who’s that abstaining? Oh, Antietam and Lancaster Mennonite? Yep, sort of figured on you two holding out from participating here in this very unscientific experiment.

Alright, alright. Rhetorical questions put to the side here, for as much as most every boys’ basketball team would probably like to forget the 2020-21 season given the litany of headaches and roadblocks that seemed to be waiting around nearly every turn for them, both the Antietam Mounts and Lancaster Mennonite Blazers had likely hoped for a repeat of last year if they had their druthers. There, just one year ago, arguably the best boys’ basketball programs that have emerged from within the 2A ranks of District 3 since the adoption of the six-classification system met up with one another in the center of the ring to settle the score for the District 3-2A title. Of course, part of the overall malaise and unattractiveness of last season was the fact that district title games would be held on school campuses –with limited attendance too of course – as opposed to the always-present goal (life goal in some instances) of reaching the palatial Giant Center. Not only that of course, but the reality of only the eventual District 3 champion earning the right to advance into the statewide bracket all by their lonesome also made the magnitude and reality of the situation last year far more arduous, yet somehow also far more delicate than normal at this stage of the game one year ago. Speaking of that aforementioned district title game between the two by the way, Mennonite was able to withstand a furious Antietam charge down the final stretch for the 80-67 victory on their home floor, a win which marked the program’s first District 3 title since their 1996-97 campaign.  

So, needless to say, Antietam most certainly wanted a shot at righting their wrongs from a year ago, but especially if could draw Mennonite one more time seeing as how the Blazers were the ones to abruptly end the Mountaineers’ season without any sort of tangible idea or notion of how they might have ultimately fared if given the opportunity to try and compete within a traditional and full PIAA statewide bracket format.  Well, as fate would have it, it seemed as if the tiny and seemingly always underappreciated appreciated school located at the foot of Mount Penn had made good on those aspirations of returning to the district championship game this season, especially given how the Mounts came into Saturday afternoon’s championship matinee opposite of Mennonite with a year-long resume that contained just one loss prior to January 26th among its many highlights, a lone defeat which ironically which came at the hands of Lancaster Mennonite no less back on the afternoon of December 18th. And after a sizable takedown of Greenwood in the opening round of district play last Friday night, the 20-4 Mounts were finally back on the precipice of turning last year’s result firmly on its head given their much-anticipated rematch with the Blazers.

Granted, expecting Lancaster Mennonite to simply adhere to those wishes without much in the way of pushback likely wouldn’t allow the argument to carry on much further than that. To be sure, much in the same vain that Antietam is likely glossed over when assessing their program within a league-wide vacuum, the same notion could likely just be as easily be said for the Blazers found competing inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League as well. In fact, in terms of recent history, no other team from the conference has made it as far in the state tourney as the 2018 Mennonite squad did that ultimately fell just one half court heave at the final buzzer shy of competing for the state title that year thanks to Richland’s Tyler Zimmerman, both a name and a shot that will live in infamy as far as Blazers’ backers are forever concerned undoubtedly. Of course, speaking of prowess on the PIAA level, don’t forget that Mennonite also came within a whisker of making it back to that same stage last year as well –thanks in large part of that lone bid into the dance following their District 3 triumph over Antietam – as the Blazers fell on their home floor in double-overtime to Old Forge in the state quarterfinal round last March.

Yet here again though was Mennonite going about their business in the most methodical of manners this year too, without a care in the world as to whether the general masses were paying them much mind or not.

In sheer terms of bodies of works that anyone brought with them into the Giant Center this weekend, regardless of classification level or gender, there likely weren’t all that many that could reasonably stack up to the one submitted by the group from Lancaster Mennonite. In fact, the Blazers’ foray this season got underway on the literal first night of the season given their wildly-impressive takedown of Shippensburg in their opening contest against a Greyhounds team that fell in the District 3-5A final to Lampeter-Strasburg on Thursday night in Hershey. From there, the Blazers only continued to line up a who’s who of local basketball franchise when formulating a schedule that contained the likes of Steel-High, Trinity, Susquehannock, Berks Catholic, Antietam and Camp Hill just to name a few. But consider this helpful nugget- of the dozen boys’ teams that were seen competing at Giant Center over the course of the two-day extravaganza of District 3 title games this year, Mennonite had already faced an astounding seven of them. Yep, as in over half of the entrants, seven.  In short, good luck trying to find much of a counterargument that can reasonably resonate on that type of level. And while their 15-9 overall record may not have perhaps moved the needle for many at least at first blush, this Blazers’ crew may serve as the literal definition of having to be careful when trying to judge a book by its apparent cover. After all, this is a program that has winning basketball engrained in the fiber of its very soul. And while it certainly wasn’t easy in the long run over the span of 32 minutes on Saturday afternoon, the Blazers were able to rely on those very same characteristics to claim their second consecutive District 3-2A crown over Antietam.

Speaking of not easy, the Blazers’ task didn’t start off all that favorably, at least early on. No, especially not when the Mounts raced out to an early 6-0 bulge following a take to the rack by way of 6’1 junior forward, Jovan Hollis, as Antietam was able to knock Mennonite back on their collective heels to start things off.

Finally, and surely not a moment too soon as far as the Mennonite-backers had to be concerned, the Blazers were at last able to crack open the scoring seal with a David Weaver follow bucket from point-blank range, making it a 6-2 affair with 4:50 left in the opening period.

Of course, while it might have been hard to predict at the time, but Mennonite’s big man was only just getting his sensational and invaluable afternoon underway right then and there.

While his prowess on the offensive end was already on display, Weaver’s poke away defensively helped lead to a Cam Hurst layup in transition, a key deuce which had sliced the Mounts’ once sizable lead down to the slimmest of margins, 10-9, with 2:10 left to play in the opening stanza.

That said, for a program that has grittiness engrained into its collective soul as well, seeing the Mounts simply yield back following the Mennonite attack didn’t appear to be something all that likely. Sure enough, a timely bucket through contact by way of Antietam 5’6 junior guard, Carson Lubas, quickly ended the ongoing Mennonite onslaught while also simultaneously protecting the Mounts’ existing lead which stood firm at a 12-11 count after the opening quarter of play.

Ironically, while Antietam’s lead stood at just a penny at the end of the first period, it had felt as if the Mounts had by and large controlled the opening eight minutes. In fact, the Blazers had yet to take experience the feeling of playing with a lead up until that point. Well, that was of course until Mennonite’s all-state guard, Cam Hurst, got into the act as the junior’s smooth Euro-step through traffic gave the Blazers their first foray with the lead, 19-18, with 4:50 left before the intermission. From there, Hurst then took his exploits from out beyond the arc as a 3-ball splashed down by Mennonite’s explosive scorer upped the Blazers’ lead to 22-20 roughly 50 seconds later. And while Antietam would counter back with a pair of freebies sunk at the charity stripe with 50 seconds left in the half thanks to 6’3 sophomore guard, Josh McKoy, making it a 25-23 Mounts’ advantage, a crucial hoop plus the harm from a fearless Jadyn Taylor shortly thereafter knotted things back up at 25-25 as both teams retired to their respective dressing rooms for the halftime respite.

In short, while Cam Hurst may have been the key catalyst who inflicted the greatest amount of damage in terms of the scoring column for Lancaster Mennonite in the first half of play, most notably with his baker’s dozen output at the end of the first half, make no mistake about it, the Blazers would’ve been hard-pressed to even find themselves within shouting distance at that point in the afternoon had it not been for the handiwork of one David Weaver.

Throughout the first 16 minutes of the contest, if he wasn’t seen scoring the ball, he was most certainly making his presence felt in some fashion. Perhaps it may have taken place with either blocking and/or altering would-be Antietam shots inside, if not tipping the ball around off of missed shots to keep the ball alive for his fellow Mennonite troops to prolong Blazers’ possessions. Of course, it goes without saying that everyone likes to score the ball. And with that in mind, it seemed apropos to note that Weaver was able to tally the Blazers’ first bucket of the second half with a determined and hard-nosed bucket from within the paint to get things underway for the Mennonite cause.

And while no one may have known it yet at the time, the third quarter display put forth by both Antietam and Mennonite would be one for the ages as both teams shot the rock with stellar proficiency while answering the opposition blow-for-blow.

Granted, while the Blazers may not have been able to enjoy the fruits of a 31-29 cushion with four minutes left in the third frame, the Mennonite lead would be wiped away entirely following a determined take to the cup by way of Antietam 6’2 senior forward, Hector Tiburcio, knotting things back up at 31-31 on the Mounts’ ensuing offensive trip following the Weaver bucket.

Speaking of the third stanza, one of the few seniors within Mennonite’s rotation, Delcan Hersh, proceeded to get into the act for his fellow troops by burying a pair of key triples to aid the Blazers, an exchange in momentum that was promptly wiped away by Tiburcio, making things all square once more at 37-37 later in the frame.

Yet again though, just when Mennonite tried their hardest to stave off an Antietam rally –such as the case when a bucket through contact by the Blazers’ Jadyn Taylor tied things back up at 39-apiece — a prompt rebuttal by Antietam’s Josh McKoy would follow suit, a bucket which propelled the Mountaineers into the final quarter with the 41-39 lead as several of Antietam’s key rotational players were in the midst of trying to manage dangerous foul trouble.

The funny thing about that wildly entertaining period that featured lead changes back and forth and seemingly every turn? Undoubtedly the fact that the Blazers were able to do so without the always-plentiful efforts of Camden Hurst.

However, as was to almost be expected with the game on the line, Hurst promptly rose to challenge at hand.

For that, look no further than his four quick points to begin the fourth quarter after being held scoreless for the entirety of the third frame as Hurst’s rally helped tie things back up at 43-43 just 1:20 into the last stanza.

Speaking of rising to the challenge, Antietam wasn’t about to simply surrender what they had built up over the previous three quarters either. Instead, rather than succumbing to the magnitude of the situation, the Mounts were able to right the ship marvelously, something best exemplified by a leak-out bucket by Jovan Hollis which handed Antietam the 46-43 lead roughly 40 seconds following the pair of Hurst-generated buckets.

At that moment in time, with the Mounts protecting the slim three-point lead, it seemed as if this may have finally been the day in which Antietam would be able to expel their demons from a year ago. However, as fate would have it, Antietam wouldn’t score for the remainder of the afternoon from there on out.

So, with the Mounts’ attack being stymied over the final six minutes of play, Mennonite made their push. And with 3:30 left to play, a David Weaver bucket from underneath the cup handed the Blazers the 47-46 lead, a lead which they would never relinquish.

However, even when he wasn’t scoring the ball, Weaver was more than apt at getting his teammates involved, something best evidenced by his sweet dime to a streaking Jaedon Mast who went back-door as the Weaver-to-Mast connection was good for two more Blazers’ points, making it a 46-43 Lancaster Mennonite cushion with time starting to run on the Mounts’ comeback efforts.

Unfortunately, as far as the orange-colored cast from Berks County was concerned, a 3-ball on the Mounts’ ensuing offensive trip bounded cruelly off the rim, leading to a defensive snared down by Mast, as the 5’11 senior guard was able to add one more to the Mennonite lead, 50-46, with just 54.9 seconds left to be played. From there, the task at overcoming Mennonite grew all that more precarious for Antietam on the Mounts’ ensuing offensive trip as an untimely turnover gave the ball right back to Mennonite without any sort of dent being inflicted upon the Blazers’ existing advantage.

Fittingly, with the game still on the line, Cam Hurst proceeded to pump in two more freebies at the foul stripe within the final few seconds, good for two more en route to his game-high 19-point scoring outburst, as Lancaster Mennonite was able to celebrate the last few seconds with glee as the Blazers would have an impromptu celebration at the middle of the Giant Center floor once the final buzzer rang out, signifying the Blazers’ 52-46 triumph over Antietam that also snatched up back-to-back District 3-2A titles.

As mentioned though, success the last couple of seasons, particularly in these last two especially, is not something unforeseen for Lancaster Mennonite. In fact, it’s quite frankly become a constant occurrence of sorts. And speaking of common occurrences, seeing the Blazers trot out impressive scorers the likes of recently-departed Cole Fisher –now playing collegiately at Messiah – pairs rather nicely when also lumped together the exploits of Cam Hurst. To be sure, it’s something not lost on the Blazers’ head coach either.

“With both Cole and Cam, especially with Cam, he doesn’t force his shots. It’s feels like a ho-hum night because he’s passing the ball most of the time and then choosing wisely when to shoot it. It’s almost like every night you look up and say, ‘Wait, what? How did he have 19 (points)?’ I think it’s a tribute to him that he doesn’t demand shots every time down the floor,” fourth-year Lancaster Mennonite head coach Seth Buckwalter said with a District 3 gold medal hanging down from his neck. “We don’t run sets that get him wide-open for a look, he’s just creating. He’s a very creative player,” Buckwalter added of his all-state guard.

Yet with Hurst’s scoring output pushed gently to the side for just a moment, it would be something akin to that of a crime to not mention just how valuable David Weaver was to this squad, but especially on this day in particular.

“I’ll just say that he’s just so valuable to what we do,” the Mennonite head coach said of his impressive junior forward. “We don’t win most of our games without him. He gets a ton of blocks, controls the middle, gets rebounds like crazy, gets an iso every now and then,” he went on to say.

“He’s also coming off a summer where he had a broken ankle and didn’t get in the gym at all from June until the beginning of November,” he was quick to point out regarding Weaver’s offseason. “He’s really just now getting to where probably I’d hope he be at the beginning of the season. I’m just excited to see what he can do with a full summer to put work in.”

Lastly, in the perhaps the most fitting of ways possible that personifies both the coach himself and his team in general, when asked if Saturday’s triumph may be the start of another memorable and lengthy Lancaster Mennonite postseason run, Buckwalter responded with a soft smile and said, “I hope so.”

 

 

 

 

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