Kehler on Hoops: SHENANDOAH VALLEY DEFEATS BLUE MOUNTAIN 64-51

Written by: Dell Jackson on December 28, 2021

SHENANDOAH VALLEY DEFEATS BLUE MOUNTAIN 64-51

Shenandoah Valley scored first and never trailed, defeating host Blue Mountain 64-51 on Monday night in a contest between two PIAA District 11 teams. The only tie of the game was at 2-2. Shenandoah Valley broke that tie on a hoop by 6′ 1″ senior Owen Kosar and then scored the game’s next 11 points on a backdoor basket by 5′ 10″ senior Matt Alvarez from a nifty pass by 6′ 3″ senior Luke Matta, two 3 pointers by Matta, and a 3 pointer by 5′ 11″ junior Kaleb Maksimik. Although Blue Mountain was able to draw within two points of Shenandoah Valley three times later in the game, Shenandoah Valley never relinquished the lead.

These squads are in different divisions of the Schuylkill League, and Blue Mountain is in PIAA’s 5A classification, while Shenandoah Valley is a Class 2A team. Both teams were deliberate on offense in this game, and both played man-to-man defenses. There were few fast breaks in the game, and the teams often walked the ball up the floor. The offenses were fun to watch and Shenandoah Valley scored on several slick backdoor cuts. On the downside, the officials called a slew of questionable offensive fouls on both teams, and it made it difficult for either offense to build momentum during long stretches of the game On several occasions, players were visibly–and understandably–frustrated with the officiating. Three early offensive fouls called on Blue Mountain were a major factor in their falling into that big first quarter deficit.

Although they trailed big early, there was no quit in Blue Mountain. They had a strong second quarter, outscoring the visitors 14-7, with key baskets by 5′ 10″ junior Brogan Campbell, 6′ 4″ sophomore Isaac Thomas, and senior Branson Devitt. However, Shenandoah Valley finished the third quarter with an 11-2 run, the key plays of which were a drive by Alvarez, a three point play by Matta, and a shot from behind the arc by Matta. That run cinched the win for Shenandoah Valley.

On the llhoops.com scorecard, Matta finished with 21 points and was the game’s high scorer. Campbell was the standout for Blue Mountain and of particular note was his effective mid-range offense, something that is in short supply in contemporary high school basketball. Both teams showed plenty of structure on offense, always a sign of good coaching.

Shenandoah Valley 18 7 19 20-64
Blue Mountain 6 14 12 19-51

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