Warwick Makes Quick Work Of Conestoga Valley As Warriors Continue To Run With Lead Pack In Section Two
Written by: Andy Herr on January 8, 2023
While the season may still be relatively young at this point, one could also look at the body of work compiled by the Warwick Warriors so far this year and rightfully determine that it has been nothing if not a strong start to begin their campaign. In fact, some might even say historic in some ways.
Sure, while there was that initial pocket of hiccups found right at the onset of the season which bore out in the form of setbacks at the hands of Waynesboro and Chambersburg respectively, two very fine 6A outfits it would appear in 2022-23, since then it’s been pretty much lights out over in Lititz. In fact, coming right on the heels of that pair of losses which dipped the Warriors down to a 1-2 mark out of the chute, a gritty win would follow in their next time out which would also simultaneously knock the Wilson Bulldogs, another fine 6A club, from the ranks of the unbeaten with a head-turning 53-50 win. From there, the “historic” part of their early season if you came in what would be an eventual holiday tournament championship via a pair of wins against Lancaster Catholic and Dallastown respectively, signifying the program’s first title of its own annual holiday hoops summit since 2007.
But the encore that would come right afterwards? Well, that certainly could be dangerous.
In terms of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two boys’ basketball landscape, the Conestoga Valley Buckskins will always figure to be thorn in everyone’s side. After all, with what one would think would be an ample talent supply pool there at the Buckskins’ disposal of which to work with, it likely will not be all that long before we see CV back at the head of the class, especially with a veteran coach the likes of one Jim Shipper helping to orchestrate the show. In fact, this very group appears to contain many of those same characteristics when you factor in that Conestoga Valley, like Warwick, is already a champion this season with the Buckskins taking their own tip-off tourney to kick off the season. Then, add in a dynamo like senior guard Griffin Rishell who can go off scoring on a moment’s notice, and it’s suddenly not all that hard to fathom as to why seeing CV appear on your upcoming schedule could cause a bit of consternation.
So, with a scary club rolling into town in Conestoga Valley –a group which nearly knocked off another of the section’s top stalwarts in Manheim Central on the Barons’ home floor right before the holiday break we might add– along with the Warriors coming back for their return trip home following the 15-year holiday tourney conquest, there was ample reason as to why Warwick would need to have their collective ears perked up on Friday night when the Bucks came calling. That said, it became rather clear right from the opening tap that the Warriors’ ongoing home court winning streak which is now in the neighborhood of 30 consecutive triumphs would really not be in any sort of jeopardy over the span of the next 32 minutes.
Suffice to say, if Warwick head coach Chris Christensen was looking for his team to make a strong opening statement in this one, rest assured that the pregame message was received loud and clear. So much so in fact that after a trademark Warrior 3-ball splashed home by way of 6’5 junior big man Thomas Jeanes, the Buckskins needed to call a timeout to try and regroup while already staring at an 8-0 deficit with the opening quarter not even halfway completed yet.
But the three-point arc only continued to remain the primary scene of the crime as far as CV was concerned.
In fact, the hosts would be able to increase their cushion by another half dozen following a successful trey cashed in by another Warwick underclassman, Caleb Johnsen, as the junior wing made it a 14-0 contest with two minutes and change still left to tick off the first quarter clock.
From there, CV was finally able to crack that pesky goose egg following a nice post-entry feed that found its way into the waiting mitts of senior big man Isaac Fadlelmoula underneath the tin who would then finish with ease as the Buckskins’ first points of the contest which came at the 1:30 mark of the opening frame made it a 17-2 score.
However, Warwick’s shooting continued to remain prolific throughout the opening period. Case in point, another triple sunk not long thereafter from Johnsen yet again inside the final 30 seconds of the quarter which made it a 17-2 score which is precisely where things would remain heading into the second stanza.
Here again though, the beat just continued to go on as far as the Warriors were concerned.
Ironically enough, it came right on Warwick’s opening offensive possession of the quarter as Jeanes proceeded to bury yet another trifecta to begin the proceedings which put the Warriors in front by nearly 20 points right then and there.
Fortunately for the visitors however, that sizable gap would be bit down to size somewhat as the quarter moved along as evidenced with a nice bucket tallied inside courtesy of Buckskins’ junior big man Owen Fisher, making it a 25-8 ballgame with a hair outside of four minutes yet to go in the second quarter before a pair of Griffin Rishell triples in the waning stages helped made the difference appear much more modest, 31-16, given the way in which the first half had largely played itself out as the two teams retired to their respective locker rooms for the halftime intermission.
New half? Same potent shooting displayed by the hosts.
Sure enough, just as he had begun the contest back in the first quarter, Warwick’s Trevor Evans began these festivities by bombing in a 3-ball, this one making it a 34-16 Warrior’s lead with the third quarter still well in its infancy.
In some ways though, perhaps that sizzling display of shooting had rubbed off on the opposition somewhat when you consider that CV’s Grayson Fisher would follow suit with one of his own nailed at the 5:20 mark which made it a 38-19 affair before a pair of bunnies tallied inside by way of Isaac Fadlelmoula later on the in the quarter helped to trim some of the prior fat off of the Warriors’ commanding lead displayed at that juncture.
However, while Evans may have been the one to begin the quarter with a resounding pop, Caleb Johnsen would be right there with a strong bookend to it all as his take to the cup mere moments before the quarter’s buzzer helped Warwick carry the 47-28 lead with them into the final eight minutes on Friday evening.
Simply put, this was undoubtedly Warwick’s night from start to finish.
If you need to know as to why exactly, look no further than another Jeanes trifecta found inside the fourth quarter, what would be his third and final of the contest, to make it a 53-33 Warwick lead with 5:03 still yet to go.
And in terms of scoring from the Conestoga Valley perspective, there would be none better than Griffin Rishell on this night as the senior would end his evening with a game-high 19-point display, a feat which was assisted by a pair of takes to the rack near the three-minute mark of the final stanza.
Scoring at the tin you say? Well, Warwick’s Amani Cooper and Jacob Evans proved that they could do that in spades as the final quarter wore along.
First in that grouping came Cooper’s sweet Euro-step around traffic which made the patrons in attendance audibly voice their awe in approval. Then, on the Warriors’ ensuing offensive trip down the floor, a bucket tallied inside by Evans drew even more delight from the crowd still found inside the gym as the sophomore duo helped close the book on what would be a resounding Warwick victory over Conestoga Valley from start to finish in this one to the tune of a 62-41 final verdict.
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