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SCRANTON — The way MMI Prep boys basketball coach Joe Flanagan saw it, there was no need to assign fault when his team got into an 18-point first quarter hole in Friday night’s District 2 Class A championship game.
“They’re a fantastic basketball team,” Flanagan said after Old Forge routed the Preppers, 70-42. “This was more about them than about us.”
Old Forge got into the paint to overpower MMI for eight points before the Preppers took a shot.
After turning the ball over on its first four possession, MMI got a 3-pointer from Kyle Williams.
Then, the flood gates opened.
Old Forge scored the final 13 points of the first quarter for a 21-3 lead and never looked back.
“We knew had to have a huge team effort,” 6-foot-7 Old Forge center A.J. Cantarella said. “ … We came out with that attitude of scoring early and grabbing that gold.”
Grabbing the gold is something the Blue Devils have done often. Old Forge has won three straight District 2 Class A titles and eight of the last nine.
Cantarella was a big part of the latest title with 24 points, all before the last minute of the third quarter, and 10 rebounds.
“Cantarella is a tough customer,” Flanagan said. “We don’t face a lot of big guys like that.
“He’s big; he’s strong; he can run. He’s as good a big man as we’ve seen.”
Cantarella got help from the Old Forge backcourt in hounding the MMI guards and pounding the ball inside.
“We knew they’re a very patient type of offense,” Cantarella said. “We stretched them out with our half-court press and forced some mistakes.”
Old Forge ran out to a 26-5 before MMI put consecutive scores together for the first time. The Preppers were more effective in the second half, but they never seriously threatened.
Cory Rogers led MMI with 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Williams came off the bench to add 11 points. Joey Gutowski had 16 points and seven assists for Old Forge. Ben Grochowski added 12 points and eight rebounds. Nick Pelosi had eight assists and Armando Sallavanti had six.
Old Forge evens its record at 12-12 and advances into the state playoffs March 6 at a District 2 site against the District 4 runner-up, the loser between St. John Neumann and Meadowbrook Christian.
MMI Prep, which won two district games including over top-seeded Forest City in the semifinals, finished its season 11-14.
Old Forge 70, MMI Prep 42
MMI PREP (42) — Ed Herbener 3 0-0 8, Cory Rogers 4 4-8 13, John Stish 2 1-2 5, Andrew Alday 0 0-0 0, Sam Harman 0 2-2 2, Kyle Williams 4 0-0 11, Jay Solgama 0 0-0 0, Kisan Patel 1 1-1 3, Mike Badamo 0 0-0 0, George Palermo 0 0-0 0, Joe Delese 0 0-0 0, Lucas Smith 0 0-0 0, Nick Young 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 8-13 42.
OLD FORGE (70) — Armando Sallavanti 2 2-4 7, Joey Gutowski 5 5-5 16, Nick Pelosi 4 0-0 9, A.J. Cantarella 11 0-2 22, Ben Grochowski 6 0-0 12, Eric Parker 1 0-0 2, Anthony Delucca 0 2-3 2, Brendan Mozeleski 0 0-0 0, John Lee 0 0-0 0, Michael Cantarella 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 9-14 70.
MMI Prep`3`9`18`12`—`42
Old Forge`21`11`19`19`—`70
Three-point goals — MMI 6 (Williams 3, Herbener 2, Rogers), OF 3 (Sallavanti, Gutowski, Pelosi).