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District 3 6A: Hempfield stays hot, advances to district final

03/03/2017, 5:15pm EST
By Michael Bullock

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
 
As Danny Walck stood patiently in a Giant Center hallway Tuesday night — just a few minutes after his Hempfield basketball team qualified for District 3’s Class 6A title game — the Black Knights amiable skipper knew there was someplace he needed to be.
 
And while Walck figured he’d have to head back into Hershey’s sizable arena at some point to see how the other 6A semi between Reading and Harrisburg was playing out, he took a moment to mention what his club would face several days later.
 
“I don’t know if I do [want to take a look],” Walck cracked, generating a bit of laughter among the attentive reporters on hand. “Two great basketball teams.
 
“Two great basketball teams and they’re so explosive.”
 
Fortunately for Hempfield, the Knights will play only one of those teams on Saturday afternoon at Hershey’s Giant Center and it’ll be fourth-seeded Harrisburg on the other bench — not the top-seeded Reading squad that many presumed would be there.
 
Either way, Walck knows a serious challenge awaits his seventh-seeded Knights.
 
Yet those same seventh-seeded Knights (19-8) have met every challenge thus far in reaching the school’s first District 3 final since Walck’s son, Christian, and his Hempfield teammates dropped a 54-46 decision in 2010 to Reading.
 
Manheim Twp., Governor Mifflin and Lebanon were the Knights’ first three district adversaries — ironically, all three bested Hempfield during the regular season — but it’s Hempfield that’s still standing some two weeks into the big-school event.
 
“You try to sell to the kids that this is special,” Walck admitted Tuesday night. “You earned the right to play in this. It’s a great state, it’s a great district, it’s a great league that we represent, let’s go make the most of it.”
 
Getting 29 points and nine rebounds from 6-5 junior Ryan Moffatt — along with 11 points and five boards from 6-1 Tyler Hilton — the Knights made the most of it in the semis by besting Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 playmate Lebanon 53-40.
 
Hempfield found itself trailing just once during its third meeting with the Cedars, but that was early in the opening quarter. Eventually, the Knights were able to pull away in the second half behind terrific shooting (10-for-14) from the floor and line (10-for-11).
 
Sharing the basketball — Moffatt finished with four assists, two fewer than 6-4 classmate David Martin-Robinson — was another Hempfield key as the Black Knights assisted on 12 of their 17 field goals.
 
“When we keep on moving the ball, we play really well,” Moffatt admitted.
 
While that ball movement will be critical against Kirk Smallwood’s Cougars (18-6) — particularly if the ‘Burg goes after Hempfield with its tenacious man defense — another key to Saturday’s championship will be the scrap on the glass.
 
Bryan Karl, the Knights’ 6-5 senior, added five boards against Lebanon. He may need to pocket many more since 6-4 Elijah Barrett, 6-4 Micah Parsons and 6-5 Damion Barber combined for 17 points and 17 rebounds in the Cougars’ 61-58 win over Reading.
 
Barber, a senior, signed with Penn State in February to play football, while Parsons has made a verbal commitment. He’s just a junior.
 
While Harrisburg shot extremely well throughout Tuesday night’s success — Smallwood’s Cougars connected on nearly 60 percent of their field-goal attempts and 5-11 Tito Flemister was 4-for-5 from the arc — the Cougars also used a 3-2 zone for lengthy periods to slow down Reading’s penetration opportunities.
 
“This was a team win,” Smallwood admitted. “We had a whole lot of guys step up and do the kinds of things that winning teams do.”
 
Hempfield also likes to get to the basket, but Walck’s Black Knights aren’t as likely to use the dribble to get there. Screens and slicing cuts are sizable ingredients in their recipe.
 
The Black Knights also will need to find a way to slow down 6-3 senior Chris Whitaker and 6-1 junior Tony James. Whitaker netted 14 of his 16 points in the second half — including a runner with 29.2 to play that pushed the Cougars in front to stay and a pair of freebies with 7.3 left that made it a three-point game.
 
Effective with his usual series of mid-range jumpers, James banked eight of his 12 points in the first half while Whitaker was battling some foul issues as the ‘Burg opened a 32-21 lead on the puzzled Red Knights. James also handed out four assists.
 
Another efficient outing from the steady Flemister likely would be another key for the Cougars — especially if Hempfield prefers zone — since the 5-11 senior is Harrisburg’s top deep threat. Flemister finished Tuesday’s game with 14 points and six assists.
 
We’ll see.
 
The Cougars’ passionate fanbase may be in full force Saturday, however, since the Harrisburg girls will play in the 5A final before the boys step on the floor.
 
“This feels good going into the District 3 title game and playing for the city in front of a home crowd,” said James of the Cougars’ first District 3 final since the ‘Burg edged York in overtime in 2013. Smallwood’s bunch also is chasing the school’s 12th district crown.
 
“We’re finally back. It feels good. Can’t harp on this win,” Whitaker offered. “Go right back to work tomorrow and prepare for Hempfield in the district final. It’s good to take Harrisburg back where it needs to be.”
 
Saturday’s victor will open states against District 1’s 10th-place finisher — Lower Merion or Downingtown West — the runner-up will square off against William Allen or Emmaus (District 11’s third seed) when state play begins.
 
First things first.
 
“We’ve been waiting for it. We’ve been waiting to get here,” a grinning Flemister cracked. “We won districts in football; we’re just trying to get it in basketball.
 
“Back to back.”

“Should be fun,” Moffatt said. “Should be really exciting.”


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