By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

When the ’Stoga basketball season began, the Pioneers were not expected to go very far. Made up of mostly new players, the team faced a schedule loaded with the biggest and best of the Central League. The boys struggled to adjust to a fresh lineup and new style of play as they plunged into a slew of tough games right from the start. The same old story of graduation losses weaved hauntingly through the Pioneers’ early roster, which seemed to dash any hope of a successful season.

“The beginning of our season was extremely tough. Every game we played was against a team well over the .500 mark,” senior captain Austin Smith said. “Playing that tough of competition with such an inexperienced team hurt our record to start.”

With a record of 4-9 in early January, all the team could do was look past its tough beginning and hope its hard work would pay off later in the season.

But then they won a game. And then they won another. And soon enough, they had strung up a streak of seven consecutive victories, and fans began pouring into the Conestoga stands to watch the Pioneers dominate the home court. Although they suffered a tough 57-39 loss to Chester in the first round of the District 1 playoffs on Feb. 19, the season still remains a remarkable success for the Pioneers.

With an incredibly balanced and athletic roster, ’Stoga was able to utilize its speed on both ends of the court to turn around its tough season start, employing good defense and rebounding skills, as well as finding more open opportunities on offense to finish the season strong.

“We are a very athletic team and we love to run the floor,” junior guard Tanner Scott said. “We look to have an upbeat tempo and use our speed.”

With the practice and experience came the success, and as the team figured out how to take advantage of its strengths on the court, the boys hit their stride. Although the playoffs ended early for the Pioneers this year, the season was no less of a success for the newly-formed Conestoga squad.

The chemistry of this year’s team turned out to be one of the major components of its late-blooming success. The Pioneers actually benefited from losing some of last year’s seniors because they were able to rid themselves of some negative team chemistry, junior forward Harry Biemer said. Although the new players were slow to gain momentum, the effort expended toward creating an effective roster turned out to be well worth it at the end of the season.

“It just took some time for the team to get used to playing varsity basketball together,” Smith said. “[Losing seniors gave] a fresh feeling to the team and allowed us to create our own identity.”

Once ’Stoga had adjusted to the influx of new players, they were finally able to focus on winning.

“Perseverance was really the key for us,” Scott said. “We had a very slow start but we still managed to get through the bad moments and manage a winning season.”

Although their winning streak finally ended with a close loss at the hands of Lower Merion, the boys played out the rest of their season to finish with a record of 12-9 and managed to clinch a berth in the District 1 tournament.

Entering the playoffs as a 22-seed team, the Pioneers had to keep their game strong and their competition tough for their first game of the tournament. But, despite Conestoga’s best efforts, the team was unable to defeat the 11-seed Chester in the playoffs, and suffered an early exit from the tournament.

But now that the playoffs have ended for the boys and the season draws to a close, it remains quite obvious that Conestoga has most definitely defied all odds with a miraculous turnaround to finish off a great season. Win or lose, the Pioneers have shown that they have the talent to start from scratch and build a team fit to win.

“I didn’t know what to think as far as how far we were going to go in the beginning of the season,” Scott said. “But I knew what we were capable of and that we were a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

Printed originally on p. 20 of The Spoke’s Feb. 23, 2010 edition.

By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

It’s 4:50 p.m., and most of the Conestoga varsity basketball team has arrived. Lively, loud and rather tall, the players hang around the small gym, dribbling through each other and practicing slam dunks with a competitive fervor.

At 5 p.m., a cry of “Gym’s open!” sounds through the locker room hallway. The space immediately empties as the team rushes into the large gym, eager to start practice.

After a shaky start to the season, the team’s enthusiasm is still high as ever. The Pioneers lost ten seniors to graduation, only retaining three members of last year’s varsity squad. With a current record of 4-6, they’ve taken their time to transition new players into the inner-workings of ’Stoga basketball, but now they’re ready to play.

Among the newcomers is sophomore forward Jarred Seltzer, who, though one of the youngest players, is also one of the tallest at 6 feet 5 inches.

“It’s difficult for the team not to have varsity experience like last year, but we have a pretty mixed group this year, which has its advantages,” Seltzer said.

One such advantage of the overturned manpower is an opportunity to establish a more equalized roster. Although last season’s team was not set in stone, this year’s starting five has become much more fluid.

“The players who work the hardest will earn starting spots on the team,” head coach Mike Troy said. “Everyone on the team has to earn the right to play.”

With that attitude, the Pioneers hope to bounce back from a less-than-ideal season beginning. Having lost four games by a total of seven points, ’Stoga has undoubtedly suffered many unlucky outcomes in several very close matchups.

“We need to come together as a team to finish our games,” senior guard Jon Hamer said. “We really need to work on that.”

The team is led by three senior captains: guards Leighton Dennis and John Marshall, as well as center Austin Smith, who recently returned from an ankle injury. But the seniors also receive strong support from their underclassmen, particularly juniors Harry Biemer and Tanner Scott. After some practice time together, the team has found a more comfortable, integrated style of play.

“We played a lot of tough teams in the beginning, but now that we’ve played with each other a little more I think we’re going to start winning,” Seltzer said. “We are really quick on the fast break, and we’ve been talking more on defense. We’re going to bounce back in the next few games.”

Their feeling of optimism is easily justified. The Pioneers started off the season with a string of unlucky fourth quarters and a slew of new team members not familiar with playing together. But, after two recent wins over Garnet Valley and Radnor, the boys are focused on making the best of the season they have left before them.

“Right now, we have an opportunity to go on a run, and we might have a shot at the playoffs,” Hamer said. “We have really athletic players, and more quickness than in previous years.”

Regardless of their record, the team keeps one thing on a refreshing upswing as the season wears on: a resounding affinity to entertain, both on and off the court.

The Pioneers still have plenty of time to turn their game around and get ahead before the end of the season.

“I hope that our team keeps growing as its growing,” Troy said. “That’s when the close games will become wins.”

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

By Mike McCarter
Sports Editor

Conestoga boys basketball has once again found itself in district playoffs. After cruising through the Central League at the beginning of the season the team suffered its first and only regular season loss, to rival Lower Merion, at the close of the regular season. This forced a Central League playoff because no team went undefeated in league play.

Last Friday, the team faced Upper Darby in the first round of the four team playoff. Conestoga survived, advancing to the final.

In the final of the Central League playoffs, Conestoga had a rematch with Lower Merion. It was a hard-fought battle, but the Pioneers came up short.

Although the team lost the Central League title, district playoffs are still in sight. The Pioneers clinched the second seed in the bracket because rankings are done solely on regular season play.

Conestoga is entering the district playoffs with high expectations even though it has struggled in its last few games. Last year’s disappointing first-round loss in Districts is only motivating the team even more on its quest for a title.

The 32-team playoff will test the team to see how it can play against the best competition in the area.

If the team advances to the quarterfinals then it automatically qualifies for state playoffs. Also, if all goes according to plan there should be a rematch with Lower Merion in the fourth round of Districts. It will be an opportunity for the Pioneers to avenge the loss in the Central League Championship game.

Mike McCarter can be reached at mmccarter@stoganews.com.

Printed originally on p. 22 of the Feb. 13, 2009 issue of The Spoke.