Methacton starts fast, pulls away from Spring-Ford
WORCESTER >> When Methacton and Spring-Ford met earlier this season the Warriors jumped out to a big lead, let the Rams back into it and held on for a two-point win.
When the teams got together again Thursday afternoon, Methacton didn’t make the same mistake.
The Warriors dominated the first quarter and kept their foot on the gas, picking up a 73-40 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division win at Methacton High School to complete the regular season sweep over Spring-Ford.
“Our energy (was different this time),” Methacton senior guard Owen Kropp said. “We came out in that game and also went up big early, 12-2 I think. They hit a few threes, we let them back in it and we just weren’t as energetic. We didn’t have that fight in us. Every loose ball they were beating us to it. This game I really felt like we brought a lot more energy than the other team and really put them back on their heels.”
The Warriors (15-1, 7-0 PAC Liberty) took the lead on the game’s first possession — Jeff Woodward won the opening tip to Kropp, who found Erik Timko for three — and they led until the final buzzer.
Woodward had eight points in the first quarter while Kropp and Timko each had five to help Methacton to a 25-8 lead after eight minutes.
“We’ve been trying to focus on the mentality of coming out ready to play every single night,” Methacton coach Jeff Derstine said. “Our guys have really been doing a good job of that for most of the season. We had a really tight game with them the first time around at their place. It was a two-point game. We knew they were going to have confidence that they could beat us, the fact that they came right down to the wire the last time. Guys were really locked in. I thought we really did a good job on the defensive end, making them take difficult shots. Offensively I thought we moved the ball well and shot with confidence.”
Woodward added nine more points in the second, while Spring-Ford’s Tre Medearis had eight and Tyler Scilingo six, to send the rivals to halftime with the Warriors holding a 43-22 advantage.
Methacton put the game out of reach after the break, winning the third quarter 23-6. Timko and Brett Eberly each hit a pair of threes to help increase the advantage.
Both teams went to their benches in the fourth as the Warriors closed out a 73-40 win.
Woodward scored a game-high 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds and four blocks. Timko added 14 points and Kropp had 13.
Kropp flirted with a triple-double, dishing out eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds without seeing any playing time in the fourth.
“I’m just trying to be the aggressor that I am,” he said. “I try to do a little bit of everything for our team here. I think that’s our strong suit — I’m all over the place and can do a little bit of everything. I just want to be as aggressive as I can. My main goal for the second half of the season was to rebound the basketball more. I’ve been trying to go up and get more rebounds and help our team with the little things.”
Medearis led the Rams (11-6, 4-3 PAC Liberty) with 12 points. Scilingo and Zach Marinello each added six.
