Garnet Valley believes its time to win is now

Garnet Valley has had many excellent girls basketball teams in the last decade.

In the last six years, for instance, the Jaguars have dominated in the regular season. No other team in Delco has matched the success the Jags have had against league opponents. They’ve lost to only one Central League team since the start of the 2013-14 campaign and have captured five conference titles in six years.

Before this season, though, the Jags always have met their match somewhere in the first few rounds of the district tournament. Last season they reached the Class 6A semifinals, but couldn’t conquer mighty Souderton. The Jags have won a few games in the state tournament over the years, but haven’t advanced to the semifinal round or beyond.

This year, in a return trip to Bensalem High School for the final four of the district tournament, the Jaguars finally checked off that one box. Wednesday’s hard-fought 42-40 win over Spring-Ford opened a new door for the Jags. For the first time in program history, the team was going to play for a District 1 title.

And it was about time.

Top-seeded Garnet Valley will look to finish the job Saturday afternoon at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. Standing in the Jags’ way of a Class 6A district title is No. 2 Neshaminy. Tip off is scheduled for 4 o’clock or following the conclusion of the boys Class 5A final.

As happy as everyone was after defeating Spring-Ford, the Jags knew they couldn’t be satisfied. Did they overcome the “bugaboo,” as senior guard Jill Nagy put it? Sure did, but merely reaching the district final isn’t the team’s ultimate goal.

The Jags (25-1) have built around four-year starters Emily McAteer and Brianne Borcky — both 1,000-point scorers — for this one moment. And they have been looking forward to this day.

“I’m just very happy for the players, particularly my seniors, who are going to leave me after this year,” coach Joe Woods said. “I’m just very very happy to them because they have gotten so close over the years. When Bri and E-Mac (McAteer) were freshmen, and we lost to Cardinal O’Hara on that bogus call (in the state quarterfinals) … with 0.1 seconds left … that was hard. We’ve had some tough ones … It’s just so nice to see them get this far.”

Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, the Jags believe they have plenty left in the tank to make a deep run in the state tournament. With five seniors in Borcky, McAteer, Nagy, Morgan Falcone and Madi McKee in the lineup, the Jags’ time is right now.

“We believe it,” McAteer said. “We know what we can do. Come Saturday … just play basketball.”