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District 1 6A: Garnet Valley wins first playoff game in "modern era"

02/17/2017, 10:45pm EST
By Josh Verlin

Austin Laughlin (above) and Garnet Valley won a district playoff game for the first time in its modern era. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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When the buzzer sounded, Garnet Valley’s Austin Laughlin looked first at his bench, for his teammates and coaches leaping up into the air.

Then he turned around, to see the throng of students pouring towards him.

That’s when the enormity of what had just happened hit the 6-foot-1 junior guard: a 49-45 win for his 16th-seeded Jaguars over 17-seed Methacton had just made history at the Glen Mills high school.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s the first playoff win in Garnet Valley history.”

Since Garnet Valley moved into the Central League in 2008, what head coach Mike Brown referred to as the beginning of the “modern era” of Jags basketball, it had largely been a struggle on the hardwood. The Jags had previously been in the now-defunct Southern Chester County league, until a growth in the district’s population -- and thus a growth in the school’s student body -- had necessitated a move up in PIAA classification and league competition.

But though the school grew, the basketball team hadn’t made the corresponding improvements. When Brown took over the program before the 2013-14 season, he inherited a team that had won a total of three games in its previous three years.

Now, they’re one win away from a berth in the state playoffs.

“You make the kids all these promises -- if you work, if you do this, you’ll get to a certain point, and when you get the point, they know you weren’t making it up,” Brown said.

Laughlin paced three Garnet Valley players in double figures with 13 points, including a game-sealing layup with under 12 seconds to play. The team’s other usual leading scorer, senior Brandon Starr, added 10 points and 12 rebounds, though both Starr and Laughlin were forced into a number of misses by an energetic Methacton defense.

The most important offensive contributor in this one was junior guard Connor O’Brien, who chipped in four 3-pointers -- including a half-court chuck going into halftime -- plus seven assists and three rebounds.


Connor O'Brien (above) had 12 points and seven assists for the Jaguars. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

“When they apply so much pressure to Laughlin and Starr, you’ve got to have a guy like Connor O’Brien step up and hit shots, and he did, that was just huge,” Brown said. “You can’t be a two-man team, and we’re not.”

“Austin and Brandon are both really good, so a lot of times if us other guys can hit shots, it gets everyone else going," O'Brien said. "We know if we hit shots, then they’re going to start playing off those two guys, those two will get even more open.”

O’Brien had spent the last few games wearing a face mask after breaking his nose in a practice collision with Laughlin.

Friday night was his first game without it. Coincidence?

“I don’t know how to describe it but it gets all sweaty, fogs up, sometimes the light reflects off it weird,” he said. “Feels good to get it off.”

Not quite as good as he was feeling at the end of the night.

The Jaguars (15-8) trailed 25-21 at halftime but flipped the script with a 13-4 third quarter, taking the lead for good on a jumper by 6-4 sophomore Cade Brennan with 4:32 left in the period.

Methacton (12-11) didn’t let the margin get any larger than seven, however, pulling within a single point with two minutes to play on a layup by senior Crandall Jones (11 points).

But Brennan backed down the Warriors’ impressive 6-8 freshman Jeffrey Woodward and, despite the significant size disadvantage, laid it up and in for the biggest of his eight points.

“All week of practice (the coaches were) saying they’re going to D up Austin and Brandon so I had to make my shots,” Brennan said, “and that’s what I did tonight.”

That the Jags were even that close at halftime was thanks to O’Brien’s 45-footer, which gave his team a much-needed emotional boost going into the locker room.

It’s the second buzzer-beating heave Garnet Valley hit this season, after one by Laughlin to beat Lower Merion in overtime on Jan. 24.

“We do practice half-court shots at practice at the end, I guess it’s paying off,” O’Brien said with a smile. “Against LM and then today, that’s two big shots.”

"We love to count on that," Brown cracked. "That’s great coaching.”

Sophomore guard David Duda led Methacton with 12 points. Woodward had 10 and four rebounds. The two of them form a promising core for Jeff Derstine’s program moving forward.

“I think the young guys have gotten some tremendous experience this year, getting in the postseason, getting a taste of it is great moving forward,” Derstine said. “I think the future’s bright for those guys.”

Awaiting next Tuesday is a very talented Vikings squad, which went 19-3 in the regular season and took home the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship on Tuesday. Led by Justin Jaworski (21.5 ppg), Perk Valley presents a formidable obstacle on the road.

But now Garnet Valley is playing with house money.

“Perk Valley’s a good team,” O’Brien said, “so we’ve got to move the ball, make shots, work as a team and I think we’ll be alright.”

~~~

In other District 1 6A action:

No. 9 Spring-Ford 59, No. 24 Avon Grove 54

A balanced scoring attack from Noah Baker (16), Nestor Diaz (11), Ryan Fitzpatrick (11) and Austin Hokanson (10) propelled the Rams to victory. Leading the way for Avon Grove was an 18-point outing from Aldred Russo. Spring-Ford moves on to face No. 8 Cheltenham on Tuesday.

No. 10 Lower Merion 70, No. 23 Central Bucks South 57
Seniors Noah Fennell and Terrell Jones had 16 apiece for the Aces, who jumped out to an early lead and never let CB South threaten at Kobe Bryant Gymnasium. Next up, a Central League rematch against No. 7 Conestoga.

No. 11 Penn Wood 59, No. 22 Neshaminy 51

A late run from Penn Wood overcame a four-point Neshaminy lead late in the fourth quarter behind the efforts of Pernell Ghee, who finished with 18 points, and Vincent Smalls, who chipped in another 17. The duo’s strong play was enough to overcome a 26-point showing from Neshaminy’s Chris Arcidiacono. Penn Wood’s win gives it the opportunity to travel to No. 6 Pennsbury for the next round of action.

No. 13 Downingtown West 69, No. 20 Pennridge 64

The Whippets welcomed senior George Gordon back from a concussion, and the Ursinus-bound 6-7 forward led the way with an even 20 points as Downingtown West sets up a big-time Ches-Mont clash with Coatesville in the next round. Matt Carson added 15 points for Downingtown West, including two 3s; Kyle Yoder had 13 points to lead Pennridge, which was without his younger brother, talented sophomore guard Sean Yoder.

No. 18 Central Bucks East 39, No. 15 Council Rock South 36 (2OT)

The Patriots went on the road to fellow Suburban One squad CR South and pulled the upset, though it took an extra eight minutes of action -- including a scoreless first OT. Junior Kyle Cassidy came up big late, scoring all of his game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter and OT sessions. Senior guard Austin Thomas led CR South with 12 points.

No. 19 Norristown 51, No. 14 Downingtown East 43

Click here for game coverage

No. 21 Hatboro-Horsham 34, No. 12 Central Bucks West 32 (2OT)

Indiana-bound Clifton Moore was unstoppable in this double overtime thriller as the 6-foot-10 forward finished with a near triple-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks. Brandon Cruz added in nine points for the Hatters and Jake Schalki reeled in nine rebounds. Hatboro-Horsham will be welcomed in the next round by fellow Suburban One League foe No. 5 North Penn.


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