City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
__

RADNOR — While Elijah Sellers didn't see the floor often for the Radnor boys basketball team last season, Michael Savadove and his teammates could see there was something there inside the athletic 6-foot-3 wing.

They watched him on the scout team in practice each day, getting in the faces of guys like Jackson Hicke and Charlie Thornton as they led the Raptors to the best season in program history.

They watched him once again this preseason ready himself for a larger role.

“He was always the hidden gem,” Savadove said. “He works so hard. He spends countless hours in the gym. He’s here before, after practice. He’s working on his game.” 

Hicke, Thornton and several other members of last season’s Central League and District 1 championship team were in the stands for Radnor’s home game against Springfield-Delco on Thursday night.

Sellers put on a show with eight of his team-high 16 points in a 45-43 win over the Cougars. As he headed toward the locker room, the former Radnor stars made sure to congratulate the newest Raptors star on the performance.

“I didn’t get any minutes (last year), but I just kept working,” Sellers said. “This is my opportunity, and I’m taking it.”

Raptors first-year coach Tim Smallwood said he and his assistants have tried to push Sellers to be more aggressive. He led the team in points with 14 in a win over Marple Newtown last Friday then led the team with 18 in a win against Strath Haven on Tuesday.

He was scoreless in the first quarter Thursday but added four in the second and four more in the third as Radnor (6-1, 4-1 Central League) came back from eight points down to tie the game 34-34 heading to the fourth. Junior Harrison Ceppa hit a three for Radnor’s first points of the fourth but Sellers took over the rest of the way with the Raptors’ final eight points of the game.

“We’ve been pressing him to let him know that he’s the best player on the floor and he’s gotta show it and it was very impressive,” Smallwood said. “Nobody could guard. He was head and shoulders above everyone on the floor.”

After Springfield-Delco (3-3, 2-3) senior Colin Treude (10 points) tied the game 39-39 with under two minutes to play, Sellers responded right away to start a personal 6-0 run. 

He made it 43-39 Radnor when he ripped down the left side of the lane and finished with under a minute to go. His eighth straight point off a feed from Savadove (six assists) in transition was the putaway punch, making it 45-39 Radnor with 20 seconds left. 

“I didn’t want to lose that game,” Sellers said. “My teammates did their best to give me the ball, and I just finished. I executed hard.”

Smallwood was the head coach at Valley Forge Military Academy last season. He didn’t know Sellers or the rest of his teammates before he officially replaced Jamie Chadwin, who was also in attendance Thursday, as Radnor’s head coach on Sept. 14. Savadove and senior Henry Pierce were role players last season, but most of this year’s Radnor team was like Sellers finally ready for their turn to shine on the varsity stage.

Ceppa had eight and senior captains Pierce, Savadove and Kessy Cox all had seven Thursday night. They’ve taken their turns leading the Raptors so far this season for the first time in their careers.

“I think it’s a credit to last year’s team, but we’ve got new guys,” Savadove said. “Every year we’ve got new guys. We just gotta fill the roles. Our new guys are doing a great job. They’re listening. They’re hustling. They’re working so hard in practice. I’m just so proud of them. We deserve this. I know everyone thinks we’re gonna have an off year, but this is our year. We can do this.”

With so many unproven players on the roster, the Raptors weren’t projected to be much of a factor in the Central League. They dropped their league opener to Penncrest but have since won four in a row, trailing only unbeaten Lower Merion in the league standings and currently ranking No. 2 in the District 1-5A power rankings.

“I got huge shoes to fill and we’re trying to prove it to everyone in the program and everyone in the league and in the district that we’re here to play and we’re serious,” Smallwood said. “We’re going to be a serious contender. That’s our theme for the year is prove and we proved it tonight against a well-coached, well-disciplined Springfield team.”

~~~

Radnor 45, Springfield-Delco 43

By Quarter
Springfield: 12 | 13 | 9 | 9 || 43
Radnor: 15 | 4 | 15 | 11 || 45

Scoring
Springfield: Patrick Flaherty 11, Colin Treude 10, Jake Adams 10, T.J. Valletti 9, Chris Dolan 3.

Radnor: Elijah Sellers 16, Harrison Ceppa 8, Kessy Cox 7, Michael Savadove 7, Henry Pierce 7.