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Meyers seeks first state victory in nine years in battle of teams trying to overcome doses of district heartache.
Nahjee Brown of Meyers dribbles the ball during practice this week. Brown and the Mohawks face Central Columbia on Saturday in the first round of the state playoffs.
JENNIFER WYCHOCK/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
As heartbreaking as Meyers’ loss in the District 2 Class 2A boys basketball championship game was, it paled in comparison to the fate of Central Columbia in the District 4 title contest.
At least the Mohawks knew the inevitable was at hand in the final seconds of their 49-36 setback to Riverside. Central Columbia did not.
The Blue Jays were on the cusp of winning their first district title in 12 seasons against Hughesville. They had the ball with six seconds left, but an errant pass led to a turnover and a buzzer-beating basket that gave Hughesville a 36-33 victory.
Now both teams will try to recover starting at 3 p.m. Saturday as District 2 runner-up Meyers (23-2) plays District 4 runner-up Central Columbia (17-9) at Wyoming Area High School.
“We gave them two days off and came back in (Tuesday),” Meyers coach Pat Toole said. “I told them how this team lost their district final. This team lost a heartbreaker, too. They had the ball in a tied game under their basket with six seconds to go and threw the ball away on an inbound pass. Then Hughesville hit a three to win it.
“Right now for us, it’s about a little redemption, bouncing back and the opportunity to play one of the top teams in the nation most likely in the second round.”
That team would be District 12 champion Imhotep Charter (26-3), which is a huge favorite against District 3 third seed Wyomissing (14-11) at 6 p.m. Saturday at South Philadelphia High School. Imhotep is ranked 25th in the nation and fifth in the East region by USA Today.
But first Meyers must take care of Central Columbia, a team that prides itself on defense. The Blue Jays have held 18 opponents to 40 points or less. Only two opponents – Bloomsburg and Selinsgrove – have been able to reach at least 60 points.
“They play man-to-man and 1-2-2 zone,” Toole said. “Are they going to look at the Riverside game and try to man us up or are they going to look at 1-for-15 from beyond the arc and play zone? Obviously, we’re going to prepare for both. I don’t think it’s any secret, we’re going to have to get tempo in this game.”
Meyers was able to create a fast pace against Riverside at times. The only problem was Riverside had the athletes – in particular Tommy Armillay and Jerry Kincel – to match the Mohawks gallop for gallop.
“I don’t think they have an offensive player along the lines of a Kincel or an Armillay,” Toole said. “They look more team oriented, low scoring. We’re going to have to push the ball up and down the floor.”
Central Columbia does have a pair of 6-foot-3 seniors in Mitch Hock and Nick Marotto to match up with Meyers’ big men Rasheed Moore and Keyton Winder. Senior guard Tanner Harmon has paced the offense in the postseason, so he’ll likely face Meyers guard Nahjee Brown, who is considered one of the top defenders in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
Meyers is making its first state appearance since the 2002-03 season. Central Columbia last played in states during the 2000-01 season when it defeated Meyers 54-50 at Bishop Hoban High School.
PIAA Class 2A boys basketball
Meyers (23-2)
vs. Central Columbia (17-9)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Wyoming Area H.S., Exeter
Admission: $6
What’s At Stake: The winner plays Wednesday against the winner of Saturday’s game between District 12 champion Imhotep Charter (26-3) and District 3 third seed Wyomissing (14-11). Those teams play at 6 p.m. Saturday at South Philadelphia High School.
About Meyers: Meyers failed in its attempt to win its first District 2 title since the 1999-2000 season when it lost 49-36 to Riverside. The Mohawks shot 15-of-41 (37 percent) from the field and 1-of-15 from three-point range in their worst offensive performance of the season. Their other loss was 54-41 to Holy Redeemer on Dec. 20.
Meyers will be making its first state appearance since the 2002-03 season. The Mohawks were the District 2 third seed and opened that tournament by defeating District 4 champion Milton 32-29. They fell to District 1 champion Harriton 87-64 in the second round.
About Central Columbia: Central Columbia was defeated on a buzzer-beating three-point shot 36-33 by Hughesville in the District 4 championship game. The Blue Jays were going for their first district title since the 1998-99 season.
Central Columbia will be playing its first state game since finishing the District 4 runner-up in 2000-01. The Blue Jays opened with a 54-50 victory over Meyers, then the District 2 runner-up. They lost 81-38 to District 3 champion and eventual state champion Trinity in the second round.