3.1 Mechanicsburg vs 7.7 Gateway: Preview via David Bray

Written by: Dell Jackson on March 8, 2024

3.1 Mechanicsburg vs 7.7 Gateway
Match-up Preview

By: David Bray

Friday kicks off the beginning of the PIAA State Championships and two Keystone teams are ready to begin their push towards being the best 5A team in the state. Let’s take a look at the matchup between the Section 3 champions, the 20-5 Mechanicsburg Wildcats and the 6 seed of the WPIAL championships, 18-8 Gateway. 

First, let’s talk about the Gateway Gators out of Monroeville, PA. Gateway has to take the 3 hour journey to Mechanicsburg to take on the champs for their first round matchup. Gateway features a lineup featuring a relatively guard heavy lineup. For most of their games, they featured a lineup with their tallest starter being Alec Dunsmore, a 6 ‘3 forward who is a presence in the paint and fights his way for position in the post. Gateway can run either a man-to-man defense or a 2-3 Zone and they have changed depending on the opponent, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either tonight. For the viewers, the primary ball handler is #24 Bryson Paulik, a 5’10 Senior guard. He is a very scrappy kind of player, which is very beneficial for Gateway who snatches steals and finds openings for fast breaks on the defensive end. The main scorer for Gateway is #12, Mykel Bruce-McCrommon who likes to penetrate the lane and is a very athletic player. McCrommon is among the group that possesses a shooting presence and can find ways to score. Occasionally, Gateway implements a 2-1-2 Zone press and has been very effective against Penn Hills which #1 Alex Lowry and Paulik benefited off of. Gateway averages around 55.2 PPG and looks to be a strong contender. With their athleticism on the glass and shooting presence on the perimeter, Gateway looks for another shot at the state title after falling to Hershey last year in the first round of the playoffs.

However, this team out of Section 7 has to face the Section 3 champions, Mechanicsburg. Mechanicsburg is led by the guard duo of Josh Smith and Chance Yanoski, who both averaged over 15 PPG each in the regular season. Smith led the entirety of the Keystone division with points in the regular season and is out to help Mechanicsburg push past the second round after being bounced by Exeter Township last season. Led by Coach Mike Gaffey, Mechanicsburg has been able to control the game and stay level-headed the entire season. Justin Bardo has been a key player for Mechanicsburg as he has posed an established position within the paint despite only being 6 ‘0, crashing the glass and denying entry into the paint. Mechanicsburg not only is efficient on the offensive end, but they force many turnovers and create opportunities for a fast break offense. The one thing that has established Mechanicsburg as one of the top teams this season is their ability to adjust and it was evident during the Section 3 championship when their playstyle changed when Liam Owens and Bardo picked up their third and fourth fouls in the third quarter. Mechanicsburg can shoot for sure and their perimeter shooting has been the way their leads separate into blowouts with Yanoski and Smith having multiple lights out games from 3-point land. Mechanicsburg’s talent this year has proven they can compete with the best, and they should have a good shot of making a run in this year’s tournament, but they have to take it one game at a time and play their own game.

This game is for sure going to be a fantastic game to watch as 2 explosive offenses clash from the east to the west parts of the state. The winner will face either Shaler or Greencastle-Antrim in the second round of the playoffs. The game tonight will be at 6:00 pm at Mechanicsburg High School and in order to get tickets, you must purchase them through the PIAA website online. 

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