This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
03/19/2018 12:00 AMThe Valley Regional boys’ basketball team’s postseason run came to an end when the Warriors dropped a 67-59 decision at No. 5 seed and eventual state champion Kolbe Cathedral in the quarterfinal round of the Division IV State Tournament on March 12. The Warriors finished the season with an overall record of 16-9, marking a nine-win improvement from last year.
The 13th-seeded Warriors put up a valiant effort against Kolbe Cathedral and saw four players reach double digits in scoring, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Cougars. Despite getting out to an early lead, Valley was set back when senior center Mitch Holdmeyer got into foul trouble in the opening minutes. Head Coach Kevin Woods watched with a sense of pride as his squad battled with its back against the wall and the game-plan out the window.
“I’m incredibly proud of the effort the team showed. We played without Mitch, who was in foul trouble the whole game,” said Woods. “We had him for the first minute and a half. It’s tough to win without your best player. We couldn’t have played any better.”
Valley was also missing senior Adrian Sperzel for this game, and junior Kevin Fasulo had to leave early due to an injury. Coach Woods felt the Warriors put forth a great effort on defense, but with a shorter bench, they wore down as the game went on.
“We didn’t have a lot of depth. With Kevin Fasulo getting hurt early, we didn’t have Adrian Sperzel, and Mitch in foul trouble, they wore us down a little bit,” said Woods. “We played unbelievable team defense. We just broke down a little defensively, because we were tired and didn’t have Mitch to protect the basket.”
Valley took a 15-11 lead in the first quarter and had a 34-25 at halftime. After the break, Kolbe came out hitting its shots and outscored the Warriors 23-10 during a third quarter that put them go up by four going entering the fourth. The Cougars then won the final frame 19-15 en route to the 67-59 victory.
Coach Woods said that Kolbe Cathedral caught fire in the second half and felt that the Cougars’ solid 3-point shooting was the major difference in the game.
“They hit some shots. Give them credit for putting the ball in the basket,” Woods said. “They needed nine 3-pointers to beat us. If they don’t hit those shots, we keep them high 40s to low 50s we win by 10.”
Several of Valley’s players put it all on the line against Kolbe, including senior captain Ernest Jean-Pierre, who led the Warriors in scoring with 14 points to go with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Senior captain Ben Weinstein recorded another double-double behind 13 points and 11 rebounds to complement his two assists and steal. As was the case all year, sophomore Cade Ensinger provided a spark off the bench both offensively and defensively with his 11 points, three assists, three steals, and a block. Also, senior Colin Sparaco provided 12 points on the night for Valley Regional.
Even though the game didn’t go the way he planned, Coach Woods appreciated the Warriors’ work on the floor versus Kolbe. Win or lose, his athletes showed that they go out and compete as a team.
“We pride ourselves on beating good teams. That was a team that was originally Division II, and to play them as tight as we did without our best player is pretty good. Ernest played great. Colin was hot for a little bit...Brian Tonks came off the bench and played well, and Cade was tough on offense and defense,” said Coach Woods. “We’re a true team. We don’t rely on one person to carry the work load. We do it all together. We win together, and we lose together.”
All in all, this season marked a strong turnaround by the Warriors. Coach Woods believed that his team had a great shot at taking home a title this season, and it’s bittersweet for him to see the campaign come to a close. In the end, though, Woods knows that this year’s edition of the Warriors was a special squad that he won’t be soon forgotten.
“It’s just unfortunate. I think if we win that game, we’re still playing basketball. Unfortunately, things happen. I don’t think we could have played any better, especially without Mitch. I think that performance beats that team with us at full strength,” said Woods. “You just know how close you were. It is what it is. I feel for these guys. I feel like they deserved to be a state champs. I’ll treasure this team forever. I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish this year—championship or no championship. They were a special team that will be remembered for a long time.”