LANCASTER, Pa. — What a ball game the District III 3A boys final was. Powered by the three ball Columbia lead Lancaster Catholic 35-30 midway through the third. The Columbia Crimson Tide didn't score a field goal until the fourth and the Crusaders scored eight unanswered to take the lead into the last eight minutes. How did they do it? They used their defense to turn up the offense.
Senior Ross Conway first scored down low on a great entry from Devin Atkinson. Next came a stop. Conway then drove baseline for a lay in and the deficit was down to one. Before you could take your eyes off the roaring crowd, which was large and felt like a normal game, Nevin Roman had a steal and coasted on in for another bucket and 36-35 lead.
Back and forth this one would go for the next few minutes.
Tide junior Kerry Glover was a force in the final stanza. His back to back buckets, first via an acrobatic slash and then with a hesitation on a baby jumper put Columbia up 40-39 with 6:30 left in the game. That would be their last lead of the ballgame.
Lancaster Catholic coach Joe Klazas and Devin Atkinson, who regularly gets chants of M-V-P from the students, calmed their guys. Leading 41-40 it was Atkinson who found Conway open in the far side corner and he stayed hot downing the triple for 44-41 advantage. Lancaster Catholic would push that lead to eight and this one seemed all wrapped up, except it wasn't.
Two reasons why, ok maybe three. Foul shots, sloppy play, and Kerry Glover.
The Crusaders missed more than one opportunity on the line, and even when Columbia came up empty on offense Lancaster Catholic kept resuscitating them with turnovers and Glover was an EKG machine for the Tide.
"Clear"... Glover hit a jumper to make it 50-42.
A brief pause for a timeout followed and as the home crowd made their presence felt, Columbia fans, sat silent with nerves.
Back on the court, "Clear"... a jolt of energy pulsed into the Tide. The source, Glover again this time cutting through the lane to make it 50-44 Lancaster Catholic.
A missed foul shot would follow by the Crusaders, and the Tide pushed, off a miss, Robert Footman rebounded and as he kicked to, you guessed it, Glover, you could feel the energy. "Clear"... Glover hit another three and just like that it was 50-47 with 85 seconds left.
Those seconds would play out like pure havoc. Lancaster Catholic missed the front end of a one and one, they turned it over once and then again on a travel.
With 27 seconds left Glover paced the ball up the court and would square up on the left wing. His drive would be cut off but he found an outlet and then popped to the top of the key. Receiving a perfect pass in step, he rose. With him so did the spirits of the Columbia fans. The shot was in the air for an eternity it seemed and then it glanced off the left side of the rim.
There were frantic screams from both sides of the court. Columbia freshman Brelon Miller chased down the loose ball in the corner and with 9.5 seconds left got it to an open Footman. He was deep and challenged but it was a pretty good look. Floating it high over the outstretched arm of the 6'3" Conway the shot came down on the front of the iron.
Heart break for the Tide, ecstasy for the Crusaders. They rebounded, tossed the ball out and just before the final horn put in a lay-up for 52-47 margin to claim back to back District III titles.
After the game, Devin Atkinson summed up what he told his guys midway through the the third quarter.
"We did the same thing last week, came back down eight with a minute and eight left. I was telling the guys, I was like, 'we did the same thing the other day,' this game isn't over yet but I knew we were going to stick it out and get the 'W'."
Lancaster Catholic will host the champion of District II in the first round of the state tournament.
In the 2A game Lancaster Mennonite made victory a theme for the Lancaster schools. Facing off against Antietam the Blazers came out ready to battle.
With a loud and supporting crowd behind them, the Blazers put their bodies on the line. Cole Fisher used quick hands to create a steal and as he was slapped in the face controlled the ball and coasted in for two.
The next few possessions for Antietam were a nightmare. If the Blazers' hands weren't deflecting passes and jumping lanes, there bodies were diving and sliding all over he hardwood and each jump ball just fired up the crowd even more.
Camden Hurst fed off them, finding a seam down the lane he went up and under for a basket and then it was Hurst who put home an 'and one' in transition as Lancaster Mennonite controlled the Mountaineers for a 80-67 victory.