Stout defense fuels Spring-Ford boys basketball over shorthanded Boyertown

ROYERSFORD >> Second-year coach Joe Dempsey told the Spring-Ford boys basketball team to remember the feeling when the Rams missed the Pioneer Athletic Conference tournament last season.

Spring-Ford still hasn’t forgotten. If anything, it might be all the Rams have thought about since. But so far in 2022-23, that’s been the kerosene added to the bonfire.

“The kids have been focused. It’s all the kids. I told them, we missed the playoffs last year and we’ve had our eye on that,” Dempsey said. “The playoffs happen to be in our gym this year and I said, ‘Look, just remember that feeling.’”

With a 54-26 win over Boyertown at home on Tuesday, Spring-Ford is in the driver’s seat of the Liberty division and now rides a nine-game win streak.

The Rams (9-1, 2-0) played lights-out defense, holding the Bears (8-2, 1-2) to just two points in the third quarter to ride out the win after mounting a 30-16 halftime lead.

“We just pressured them, made them uncomfortable and they made some bad decisions,” Spring-Ford guard Jacob Nguyen said. “We got some steals, runouts, stuff like that.”

Nguyen was the lone player to score double-figures with 10 points on the night for the balanced Rams. Caleb Little and Tommy Kelly put up nine points apiece for the Rams and EJ Campbell added eight.

Q4, 6:36 — Jacob Nguyen hits Tommy Kelly in transition to go up 46-18 for Spring-Ford. pic.twitter.com/JuydOvLlvt

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 4, 2023

Jake Kapp, an All-Liberty shooting guard averaging 20.2 points per game — the second-most in the PAC — was held to nine points for Boyertown.

The Bears were missing major firepower with senior guard Zach Ward out with a shoulder injury. A starter who averages 11.7 ppg, Ward has been key to an explosive Boyertown offense that entered averaging a PAC-best 68.3 points per game.

In Ward’s place was sophomore Trey Kern, who made his first start in his varsity career. He finished with five points on the night with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

“Spring-Ford gives a lot of full-court pressure and this is something we expected,” Boyertown coach Travis Miller said. “But you can’t simulate that speed and strength at practice.”

Dempsey added, “In fairness to them, that kid Ward is out. … I hate to see a senior miss any time. Apparently he has an injury, so I think it would’ve been an entirely different game if he was able to play. Another leader, another scorer, another ball handler, so we were fortunate.”

Q1, 3:41 — Trey Kern with a putback to put Boyertown up 6-2.

Kern, a sophomore, is starting for the first time in his varsity career in place of Zach Ward (shoulder). pic.twitter.com/Bfw9Gz1emH

— Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) January 4, 2023

Spring-Ford took what became a permanent lead when Little drained a 3-pointer to put the Rams up 6-5 with 1:56 to go in the first quarter.

So far through 10 games, Spring-Ford is allowing 41.8 ppg to opponents — the fewest in the PAC. The Rams made Boyertown work for defensive rebounds, kept great ball pressure and took away scoring opportunities all 48 minutes.

“You look at their box scores, they’re holding teams under 40. We knew it was gonna be a struggle to score,” Miller said on Spring-Ford. “And we knew with Zach being out, it was gonna be even harder to find good opportunities. They limited us in transition and that started with them making shots.”

Spring-Ford’s only loss so far this season was its opener against West Chester East at State College. West Chester East, ranked No. 3 among District 1 Class 5A teams, retained its starters and projects to be a power this year.

A 61-59 loss was taken as a good sign against a solid measuring stick, springboarding a win streak from there on out that’s carried over into conference play with a pair of divisional wins.

“It set the tone for the season. West Chester (East) is a really good team,” Nguyen said. “All the other teams we’ve played, I don’t think they were as good as West Chester East, so I think it’s been pretty easy.”

Ranked No. 4 among 6A teams in District 1, the Rams host PAC power Methacton Thursday while Boyertown hosts Norristown.

The Bears are currently 13th among 6A teams in District 1. With Ward in the mix, Boyertown’s offense leads the PAC in scoring at 68.3 ppg. Without him and against the PAC’s leading defense, it was a tall order that went in Spring-Ford’s favor.

“They challenged our toughness,” Miller said. “We didn’t rise to the occasion.”