Manheim Central Exudes Competitive Greed As Barons Sweep Warwick, Refuse To Share Section Two Title In Final Game Of Sensational Regular Season Series
Written by: Andy Herr on February 10, 2023
For years, this was a series that had laid dormant. As hard as it may be to believe to those on the outside, especially given how the two districts share a border with one another, but Manheim Central and Warwick never really interacted with one another on the hardwood come the winter months. Sure, while there may have been the occasional elementary-level travel league game or perhaps junior high matchup mixed somewhere there in between, seeing the Barons and Warriors tip it off against each other on the varsity level at least was something that had gone unseen for a time longer than what should be deemed allowable by law quite frankly. In fact, while the physical separation between the two schools could be separated by a distance best measured by how far the average crow can fly, the difference when it came to the actual student bodies housed inside the schools themselves was remarkably quite different, particularly when you consider that they had for years been separated by at least two divisions a vast majority of the time with Warwick competing in Section One with Manheim Central down in Section Three respectively.
But finally, yes, aside from the nonconference matchups scheduled early in the season over the last couple of years, these two backyard foes at long last wouldn’t be allowed to avoid each other any longer considering that both now found their respective home addresses inside the neighborhood known as Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two. And if the two games put forth during the regular season this year are to perhaps serve as any sort of indication of things yet to come, you can place your bottom dollar on Manheim Central and Warwick becoming the newest emerging rivalry taking shape inside the conference.
In the first meeting between the pair back on January 17th, that precious first emotional stake was driven firmly into the earth courtesy of the Barons as Manheim Central had done what so many previous to them had failed to do, knock Warwick off at home, as the Warriors’ neighbors to the west were able to saunter away with a 67-60 overtime victory that not only ended the longest homecourt winning streak found around the league up until that time, but it also vaulted Central into the pole position for the final leg of the section slate before the eventual rematch that came on Thursday night on the final night of league play with the Barons eager and ready to lay claim to the division title without having to share it in any way shape or form.
In this game, while an extra session wouldn’t be needed, the second matchup between the Barons and Warriors in 2022-23 was nonetheless thrilling in its own regard. Of course, if you were to ask the Manheim Central patrons most specifically, it would prove to be a night they would hold in a slightly higher regard.
Suffice to say, for anyone that has seen either of these two squads play at any point during this season, it’d be nothing if not fair to say that these are two teams that are so incredibly evenly matched. And as far as the game itself was concerned, that would prove to come to fruition in terms of the early scoring lobbed back and forth. Sure, while Warwick’s Mason Burr would come up with a take to the rack which put his side up by a 6-4 count with 4:20 left in the first period, a prompt Manheim Central answer down on the other end by way of 6’2 junior forward Sam Witmer knotted things back up in no time flat.
Finally, as if to be totally apropos, the first significant Barons’ flurry would come via its most familiar face.
For years, Manheim Central’s Trey Grube has proven himself to be a handful for the opposition to try and match up with to put it very mildly. Here too however would Warwick also fall victim to a Grube-led rally.
In terms of its specifics, it would be of the 5-0 variety as the senior’s salvo put the Barons back on top at 11-8 with 2:30 still left to go in the first. From there, the hosts’ advantage would later swell up even further as a tip-in right at the first quarter horn courtesy of 6’0 senior wing Zach Benner helped vault Central into the second stanza with ownership of the 15-8 cushion.
Once the second quarter got going, it became rather apparent that while they had struggled up until that point offensively, Warwick wasn’t about to let this one slip away into some version of a Manheim Central runaway freight train.
In that respect, the Warriors’ troops needed to rightly give thanks to one Ya’Majesty Washington as the Warwick 6’2 freshman guard was able to splash home a smooth pullup jumper to bring the guests back within four at 18-14 with only two minutes gone by.
But brief excursion in playing with momentum or not, the Barons didn’t feel as if they needed to be the most hospitable and welcoming when it came to their hosting responsibilities.
In fact, following a bucket knocked in by a freshman of their own, Chase Book, the Barons then suddenly found themselves flirting with the double-digit lead at 22-14 with 4:30 still left to go in the opening half. And if you’re wondering as to when it exactly Manheim Central would indeed eclipse that 10-point margin of separation threshold, the time would officially come with 2:44 left to play in the second frame as a sweet Trey Grube to Aaron Enterline deuce made it a 28-18 Barons’ difference with Warwick forced into calling a timeout to try and regroup amidst the raucous sold-out house.
Then, over the course of the final two minutes and change, while Warwick would be able to get the gap back inside of 10, it likely didn’t seem all that comforting seeing as how they would still have to lug a 31-22 deficit with them into the locker room found just a few feet away from their bench area when it came time for the intermission.
Yet here again, the wild ebbs and flows of an officially unofficial playoff game were on display for all to bear witness to.
Case in point, while a Jackson Tracy trifecta helped raise the curtain on the third quarter to make it a 35-24 Barons’ lead with not even a minute having gone by, a timely take to the tin by way of Warwick 5’11 junior guard, Carter Horst, just as quickly got the red-clad visitors back within reach at 34-30 roughly three minutes later.
But the see-saw just kept alternating positions.
Next, while the Manheim Central lead would swell to 39-30 following a Trey Grube pullup J, good for two more en route to his prototypical game-high scoring night which ended with a 27-point performance this time around, a pair of Horst drives not long thereafter sliced the Barons’ lead back down to a much more modest three-point gap as Horst’s four-point swing made it a 39-36 affair with inside of 30 seconds left showing on the third quarter clock which is right where things would remain entrenched once the final quarter got set to commence.
Did we mention by this point that this game had fairly wild pendulum-like swings of momentum inside of it?
Here, while Warwick’s Caleb Johnsen would lift the lid on the fourth quarter festivities with a trey, a pair of dagger trifectas poured in down on the other end of the floor by way of Zach Benner — including one of which directly followed Johnsen’s 3-ball to start the period – then allowed Manheim Central to create some breathing room. Of course, that comfort level surely seemed all the more calming following a Grube take to the cup which made it a 47-39 affair in favor of the Barons with the Warriors calling another timeout to try and stem the tide. And if he wasn’t seen spraying the ball in from outside the semicircle, Benner didn’t appear to have any issues whatsoever when it came to taking his act inside the arc as the senior’s old-fashioned three-point play propelled Central out to what felt like a commanding 53-42 lead with 4:30 left to play.
Keyword there being felt.
Methodically, and with a sheer workmanlike determination to it all, Warwick steadily began making their push back up the hill.
And if we’re still dolling out the kudos, the Warriors’ collective troops most certainly needed to write up a huge thank you note to Caleb Johnsen both down the final stretch and over the entirety of the game at large seeing as how the 6’3 sophomore’s critical 4-0 spurt that first came via the charity stripe before a sensational steal and finish not only helped put the punctuation mark on his magnificent all-around 24-point evening, but it also more importantly whittled the Warwick deficit down to a 58-54 difference with just 1:56 left to play. From there, the other key stalwart on the Warriors’ night, Ya’Majesty Washington, would come up a man-sized take to the rack which suddenly made it just a two-point Manheim Central lead at 58-56 within a flash.
But that would prove to be all the closer they would get the rest of the way home.
Simply put, if we’re going to give credence to the fact that this was a Manheim Central squad who had been gearing up for this kind of season that could be found dating as far back as to before Thanksgiving, surely closing things out down the stretch in a pivotal game such as the one here would help serve as a litmus test for just how far they had come. Well, in that respect, thanks in no small part to the efforts put forth by Jackson Tracy and his late-game free shooting which helped close things out for good of course, the Barons would indeed make good on that preseason promise they had made amongst themselves when it came to knocking off the four-time defending section champs off their perch once and for all by virtue of their 65-56 final triumph in this one.
Afterwards, following their usual dance party found back in the locker room following a win which has quickly evolved into a customary practice as far as Manheim Central is most concerned, did Barons’ head man coach Charlie Fisher eventually emerge with no shortage of compliments when describing his All-State guard, Trey Grube.
“The biggest thing that Trey and I have talked about for the last four years is that Manheim has had some really good scorers, great scorers. But being a great scorer and being able to walk in a gym and say, ‘I played on that team?’ That’s what sort of allowed us to turn the page on him to get him focused on a leader,” said Fisher proudly. “He’s been tremendous for us all season. Really since December,” he lauded of Grube’s efforts both physical and otherwise. “He’s just been awesome. He’s been a team leader on and off the floor. Tonight, (Grube) and Zach Benner had that senior urgency. We didn’t play a flawless game, but we had stretches there where we looked pretty darn good,” Fisher added with a laugh.
And having those “pretty good stretches” certainly had to feel all the more better seeing as how it took place in front of a capacity crowd, one which was predominantly had a rooting interest in the Barons’ success.
“Obviously you work really hard for the reward, but you work hard for those games. You don’t get those games if you’re an average team,” Fisher went on to add describing the atmosphere that encapsulated the evening at Doe Run Elementary. “Our rivalry with Warwick this year is what it is because both programs have done something, have accomplished something. That’s what hard work gets you. Yes, it gets you a section title, but it gets you those moments and that’s something you’ll remember forever.”
NEXT UP: Now, with the section title already in tow, the Barons will try and regroup emotionally and come back down following the justified inherit excitement that comes with capturing a divisional crown when Manheim Central figures to receive nothing but a stern test against an especially dangerous and capable Octorara club who will roll into town on Monday night to begin the week-long quest of ending up at Manheim Township for the L-L championship finale next Friday night. Needless to say, these next couple of days will most certainly prove to be valuable for the Barons, particularly since they have been found rolling the roller coaster of emotions at several points during this season. Rest assured that their head coach is keenly aware of that as well.
“We have to 100 percent come in tomorrow like it’s done and over with,” said Fisher of how he plans to approach this Friday following his squad’s victory over Warwick. “It’s easier said than done because they are high school kids after all, but we have three days here in between. Sunday is what it is. It’ll be our first Monday game all year so the adult in me is nervous about that, but Octorara is incredible. They’re incredible,” he continued of his next opponent. “(Octorara) has two guys that are top whatever they are in the league scoring. If somebody said, ‘They are two of the top five players in the whole league overall,’ it’d be hard to argue,” he in praising Elijah Hamilton and Zach Kirk indirectly.
“We just have to make sure that we understand what our goal is. Our goal is to make sure we are mentally prepared to play in that game, but we want to be play on Friday night. This league as a whole though is insanely competitive. I can’t remember a year where everything has become this tight right here at the end. Octorara is great. That’s as good of a second-place team you could possibly run in to. That’s a section champ caliber team.”
On the other side, Warwick will have the opportunity to butt heads against the team that kept Octorara from winning that Section Three title, Lampeter-Strasburg, as the Warriors will make their first trip down to Lampeter in a great number of years. Even still, for a team as well-rounded as Warwick is quickly morphing in to with scoring contributions and the like found in various different areas, you certainly have to like their chances of making a trip to another district’s campus they happen to share another border with, Manheim Township, provided they too would find a way to navigate their way into the league finale late next week.
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