Late Pirates uprising versus Trojans sends Garaway to regionals
A late monstrous three-minute rally for Garaway pushed a 3-point lead to a 17-point bulge and helped the Pirates down Tusky Valley to claim a spot at the upcoming Div. III regionals.
How long does it take to turn a thrilling, tightly contested basketball game into a massive blowout?
According to how the Garaway Pirates went after the Tuscarawas Valley Trojans in their Div. III East district final contest at Claymont High School Friday, Feb. 4, the answer to that question is two minutes and 48 seconds.
In that time span, Garaway pushed a 44-41 lead to a 17-point bulge that propelled the Pirates to regional play with what was ultimately a 62-45 victory.
These two teams had played two close contests in the regular season, and this one had the makings of making it third.
Then the Pirates used the time between 5:04 and 2:16 the fourth quarter as their own personal showcase to blow the game wide open. That time period came on like an onrushing avalanche, coming with such ferocity that it left Trojans fans and players stunned.
“We pleased with our kids, they worked their butts off during the season and this is a great reward to get to cut down the nets here and be district champions,” said Garaway head coach Terry Rowe.
Getting to that point was a non-biased fan’s dream game, with both teams putting together short spurts that saw the teams passing the lead back and forth.
Cody Robinson’s 3-pointer, a score from Logan Stotzer and a runner in the lane from Conner Newsome helped the Trojans build an early 11-8 lead. Logan Yoder answered for Garaway, drilling a trey, followed by a jumper and then another triple to give the Pirates a 16-13 lead at the end of one quarter.
After Alex Roden hit two free throws, Stotzer took over, scoring on three straight trips down the floor to give the Trojans the lad back at 21-18. Back came Garaway, with Yoder scoring off the drive, Brady Roden feeding Alex Roden on a perfect back-door cut and Jarett Wallick hitting two free throws that allowed Garaway to take a slight 26-24 lead into the half.
The Pirates came out blazing to start the second half, with a Drew Mullet three-ball and Yoder’s coast-to-coast drive highlighting an 8-0 run.
When Mullet drilled a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer to end the third period, Garaway held a 41-32 lead, but that was about to disappear quickly.
Newsome scored inside and Mullet followed with a trey for a 44-34 Garaway lead. Back stormed the Trojans, getting consecutive scores from Stotzer, Silas Miller and Newsome that drew TV to within 44-41.
Momentum was squarely with the Trojans, but at 5:04, the Pirates were about to put on a clinic, one that started with Alex Roden taking over. On consecutive possessions, he roared right down the middle of the lane through TV defenders for lay-ins. Newsome missed from point-blank, and after both teams turned it over, Alex Roden split two free throws. Another Garaway stop led to another Alex Roden slice-and-drive stroll down the lane, this one resulting in an and-one and a 52-41 Garaway lead.
A Trojans misfire saw Sam Page grab the board and he was fouled, resulting in two more points on free throws. A defensive stop led to Brady Roden’s picture-perfect lob to Yoder who had cut back door, Yoder’s lay-in making it 56-41. On the next two TV possessions Brady Roden and Yoder both made steals near midcourt and raced to easy scores. With 2:16 to play, a three point Garaway lead had grown to 17, and it happened in a heartbeat.
“The last game we played them we kind of took over late in the game,” Alex Roden said. “We kind of wore them down. This is a dream to go to Ohio University and play at regionals. This is what we’ve been playing for our whole lives and our chemistry has made this happen.”
Tusky Valley got 14 and 12 points from Stotzer and Newsome, respectively, while Alex Roden scored 22 to lead the Pirates. Yoder added 19, Drew Mullet scored nine and Wallick pitched in with six.
The Pirates boast a starting crew of five juniors, who will all return to bolster a strong team next season. However, the two seniors, Page and Brendan Chapman, play key roles off the bench for the Pirates. Rowe couldn’t stress enough how both of his seniors contributed in mighty ways. The two seniors shared their joy in helping to lead the Pirates to Athens to play in the Div. III regionals.
“We’ve been here since the beginning, and seen this team develop, struggle and lose close games and now we’re seeing it all come together,” Chapman said. “Seeing all of this come together has been an amazing and fun ride.”
The seniors play an almost good cop, bad cop role for the team. Chapman said when he comes in, his goal is to keep things calm and in control, and keep everyone focused on the task at hand.
Page, a star middle linebacker on the Pirates’ football team, is the exact opposite.
“I know my role in football, and how to be a leader, and that doesn’t change through sports,” Page said, adding with a grin, “I may not be the best basketball player ever, but I am going to give energy regardless of playing time. I know my role is leadership, whether I’m on the court or on the bench.”
As Page and Chapman came off the floor to a big ovation, Page turned to the Garaway fans, raised his arms and encouraged them to get even louder.
“I’ll always remember that,” Page said. “I take pride in the role I get to play on this incredible team.