Spring-Ford overcomes Council Rock North for district win in game of runs
ROYERSFORD >> In a game of scoring runs, the outcome seemed destined to come down to who could get hot last.
And in the end, Spring-Ford did it the old-fashioned way: they earned it at the foul line.
Ryan Hagan gave the Rams the lead for good with a short jumper with under two minutes to play, while Robert Bobeck was 6-for-6 from the line down the stretch as the Rams survived a seesaw contest with Council Rock North, 59-55, in the first round of the District 1 Class 6A tournament on Friday night.
Patrick Kovaleski led the hosts with 17 points, including 8-of-12 from the line. In all, the Rams made 20 of 28 free throws, good for more than a third of their points. Spring-Ford survived not only without the services of junior Tre Medearis, out with an injury, but weathered the foul-out of leading scorer Noah Baker with 6:01 left.
“It’s always tough when your top scorer’s out,” said Bobeck, who finished with 13 points. “We were motivated though, and I was feeling pretty comfortable at the line.”
“We stayed positive—think good thoughts,” added Hagan. “We get everybody involved, and for us, that was the difference.”
The Rams scored eight of the game’s final 10 points on a night where both sides traded extended scoring runs. But it was Hagan’s jumper that put Spring-Ford up to stay with 1:54 left.
“I saw my defender jump out on me—gave him a little pump fake, quick dribble and let it go,” he said. “I jumped as high as I could.”
Best of all, the 13th-seeded Rams (16-8) now stand only one victory away from a berth in the PIAA Class 6A state tournament— an opportunity they’ll pursue Tuesday night when they visit No. 4 Pennridge. Spring-Ford dropped a regular-season matchup to Pennridge last month, 64-53.
The Rams can afford to play loose against Pennridge (23-4), because a loss won’t mean the end of the road. The loser of Tuesday’s game will move into a playback bracket that allows for two PIAA berths, to be decided amongst the losers of the second-round District 1 matchups.
“We’re excited,” said Bobeck, whose late foul shooting helped the Rams ice their victory. “It’s a shot to get to the state tournament, and a chance to avenge that earlier loss.”
Long, in-season layoffs are typically to a team’s detriment. But the further the Rams could get from their most recent contest, the better.
By the time the Rams took the court for the district opener Friday night, ten days had passed since their most recent contest—an 87-51 drubbing at the hands of eventual PAC champion Methacton.
“Coach Talley wasn’t letting us go—lots of good practices,” said Bobeck. “Long practices, but good. Lots of one-on-one work.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” Spring-Ford head coach Chris Talley confirmed. “We had a week to get better. We challenged them, and that was their answer tonight.
“Council Rock North is so physically tough, but we got contributions from guys who don’t always get significant minutes. The seniors didn’t want this to be their last game—and (Bobeck and Hagan) rallied everyone around them.”
Spring-Ford started the game without Baker, but made up for the absence with tight defense and timely shooting from Tyler Scilingo and Patrick Kovaleski, who each canned early 3s to put the Rams up, 12-3. CR North overcame nine early turnovers to close the gap to 13-10 by quarter’s end.
After CR North reeled off an 8-0 run to knot the game, Kovaleski and Mike Fitzgerald put together consecutive three-point plays to put the Rams back in front. Zach Saifer’s driving layup gave the Indians their first lead just before half, but a pair of Fitzgerald free throws sent the Rams into the break with the smallest of advantages, 28-27.
The third quarter was a story of extended runs for each side, as turnover troubles returned early for CR North, keying a quick 10-2 Spring-Ford run to return to their largest lead of nine at 38-29. But for the second straight stanza, CR North was able to reel off a quick run—this time, 13 in a row—coming all the way back to take a three-point lead to the final quarter.
But after CR North took its largest lead at 51-47, Spring-Ford turned the tide, scoring 12 of the game’s final 16 points—eight of them at the charity stripe.
Council Rock North saw its season come to an end with a record of 14-10. Saifer led four Indians in double figures with 13 points.
“We’re proud of our six seniors, their selflessness—they’ve been committed since last spring, and made plenty of sacrifices,” said Council Rock North head coach Jesse Krasna. “Credit to Spring-Ford—I think they have the depth and coaching to compete with a lot of the best teams in this district.”
