The Herald, Sharon, Pa: Winter sports '97-'98

Published Saturday, March 21, 1998

PIAA PLAYOFFS
Eagles 51, Blue Jays 48

Kennedy Christian seniors, from left, Damon Clayton, Lamar Jefferson, Justin Green (partially obscurred) and Carlos Oatis celebrate the Golden Eagles' PIAA Class A crown Fraiday, which they collected with a 51-48 win over Reading Holy Name. (Jean NeiceHerald)

Kennedy is golden
* * *
Eagles hold off Reading Holy Name
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KC CAPTURES 3RD PIAA CROWN UNDER COACH JOE VOTINO

By Ed Farrell
Herald Sports Writer

HERSHEY, Pa. _ Mission accomplished!

The Kennedy Christian High School boys basketball team had taken to wearing warm-up tee-shirts this season adorned with the slogan, ``Mission: Possible,'' a reference to a state-championship bid.

And on Friday afternoon at HersheyPark Arena, the Golden Eagles realized that goal, via a 51-48 victory over Reading-Holy Name to annex the PIAA Class A crown, the school's third during head coach Joe Votino's 16-year tenure.

``It's the greatest feeling in the world,'' a victorious _ and vindicated _ Votino began after his club claimed its 24th consecutive conquest en route to its 30th win, a new single-season school standard.

A year ago, Kennedy was denied a trip to state after dropping a heart-breaking 51-50 decision to eventual Class A titlist Sewickley Academy in the Western Regional finale. It was a loss that might have devastated some programs, but Votino, et al, chose to use it as the impetus to capture this season's crown.

``That team was very, very hurt last year,'' Votino related. ``Losing to Sewickley Academy, when they had a 4-point lead with a minute-and-a-half to go, they let the game slip right outta their hands.

Kennedy's, Damon Clayton rips down a rebound in a battle with Ready Holy NAme's Robert McIntosh (42). (Jean NeiceHerald)

``I don't think there was pressure on them,'' Votino continued. ``But I think that they were not gonna be denied this year. Absolutely. They were not gonna be denied.''

Illustrating Votino's contention was the outset of the second half, when the Golden Eagles allowed a 27-20 margin at intermission dissipate into a 28-27 deficit during the third period's initial 3:24, when Holy Name embarked on an 8-0 spree.

``We rely a lot on defensive pressure, and we weren't getting a lot of that in the third quarter, and we had to call a couple timeouts to reawaken our kids about how we play defense,'' Votino related. ``We were a little tired, and so were they. But the way we play defense, it demands a lot of physical energy, and I think we were worn out a little bit.''

When Matt Barber scored off a lobbed inbounds pass, Holy Name assumed its first _ and only _ lead of the contest, 28-27 with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter. However, Damon Clayton's put-back of his own miss 40 seconds later enabled the Golden Eagles to regain a 29-28 margin.

Deadlocks at 29 and 33 during the next 2-plus minutes followed before a John Reimold corner jumper at the 1:38 mark afforded Kennedy a lead it would not relinquish, 35-33. A Justin Green trey at the 30-second mark expanded the Eagles' lead to 38-33, before another Barber bucket with nine seconds remaining in the quarter drew Holy Name within 38-35 entering the fourth frame.

Barber's 4-for-5 marksmanship during the third period enabled him to tally eight of his team-leading 14 points, but his performance was offset by Reimold's 3-for-3 effort, part of flawless 6-for-6 by the slender sophomore sharpshooter.

Kennedy led throughout the final frame, although the Blue Jays drew within two points on four occasions. Green, however, knocked down a pair of freebies to increase Kennedy's lead to 50-46 with 1:13 to play.

A J.D. Schieber drive was blocked by Reimold, but Holy Name retained possession when the loose ball kicked out of bounds. But Barber missed a shot from the lane with approximately 45 seconds remaining, though Kennedy could not secure the victory.

Both Ryan McElhinny and Clayton misfired on the front end of 1-and-1 free-throw opportunities at the 31- and 9-second marks. Sandwiched inbetween, Schieber swished a pair of charity tosses with 21 seconds remaining, narrowing the Jays' deficit to 50-48.

Following Clayton's missed free-throw attempt, Holy Name's Jasen Esposito rebounded and hit a streaking McIntosh in stride with an outlet pass. However, McIntosh missed a driving layup, and Green rebounded with two ticks to play.

After Holy Name head coach Lloyd Wolf hailed a timeout in an effort to ice Green, the latter responded as his first freebie rolled around the rim before dropping through for a crucial 3-point margin. Green's second shot, however, kicked out.

Kennedy fans begin to celebrate near the end of the state championship game. (Jean NeiceHerald)

J.J. Moult rebounded Green's miss, but his outlet pass _ flung simultaneouly and awkwardly as he was falling, off-balance, backwards _ was intercepted by Green at midcourt.

``Those guys did a great job battling back,'' Votino said in praise of Holy Name. ``Those guys have big hearts. Those guys fought to the bitter end, they just missed a couple crucial shots.

``They confused us,'' Votino said of the Bluejays' defensive scheme. ``They matched up, with a 1-3-1 trap. But they, actually, were in `man' and we should, but we haven't run it that much this year. But today we ran it pretty well.''

The Golden Eagles led from the outset, as Green's 3-for-3 effort, including a game-opening left-handed slam-dunk as well as a top-of-the-key trey, keyed Kennedy to a 15-10 first-quarter lead, although Schiemer and burly Dave Stahler evenly divided eight points.

However in the second stanza, the Golden Eagles _ who did not commit their initial turnover until the 5:19 juncture _ were guillty of a handful of miscues, enabling Holy Name to draw within five points on a pair of occasions.

But with Green and Reimold each saddled with a pair of personal fouls, Votino inserted junior frontliner Tony Hurl, who contributed a free throw and _ with just four seconds remaining _ a bucket courtesy of a Carlos Oatis pass, as the Golden Eagles assumed a 27-20 halftime lead.

In addition to the shirts his players had worn for weeks, another tee-shirt played an intangible part in the victory.

Votino, after a few anxious moments when he could not find the memento, held aloft a faded-yellow tee-shirt with the inscription ``Farrell state champions'' scripted over the heart.

``I had on his shirt tonight,'' Votino, in reference to his mentor, the legendary McCluskey, related. ``I think he'd be very proud. This is a shirt he wore 30 years ago. Ex-Farrell coach, Anthony Farnell (whose son, Anthony, is a freshman in Kennedy's cage program) mailed it to me on Wednesday.''

During his unparalleled tenure, McCluskey directed the Farrell Steelers to seven state titles. And before he retired for good, he took an eager young coach under his wing and taught him some of the game's nuances. Now that protege, Votino, has become the mentor, having led three Kennedy Christian cage contingents to the Commonwealth's Class A crown.

``Oh, God! This is my life,'' Votino, unashamedly said. ``This is the greatest feeling in the world. I wouldn't trade it for anything.''

Coach McCluskey would be proud.

Mission accomplished.

Notes: Kennedy (30-2) turned in a shooting performance reminiscent of Villanova's in its '85 NCAA title tilt upset of Georgetown. The Golden Eagles, led by Reimold and Green _ 6-for-6 and 6-for-7, respectively _ connected on 17 of 24 (70.8) floor shots, compared with a 16-for-36 (44.5 percent) effort for Holy Name (27-4). ... Barber's half-dozen caroms enabled the Bluejays to outrebound KC, 21-13. ... Schieber's 9-for-10 accuracy from the free-throw line led Holy Name to a collective 15-for-19 (78.9) effort, compared with Kennedy's 14-for-20 shooting. ... Kennedy committed 13 turnovers, two more than Holy Name, which was making its initial appearance in the PIAA title tilt.

PIAA Class A Championship
KENNEDY CHRISTIAN _ C. Oatis 0-0-0-0; Jefferson 0-2-4-2; 
Clayton 2-4-5-8; Green 6-3-4-17; McElhinny 2-2-3-7; Reimold 6-2-2-14; 
M. Oatis 0-0-0-0; Hurl 1-1-2-3. 3-pt. goals: Green 2, McElhinny 1. 
Totals: 17-14-20-51.


 HOLY NAME _ Stahler 3-1-2-7; Barber 6-1-1-14; Moult 2-2-2-6; 
McIntosh 1-2-2-4; Schieber 2-9-10-13; Esposito 2-0-2-4. 
3-pt. goal: Barber 1. Totals: 16-15-19-48.



KENNEDY CHRISTIAN 15  27  38  51
READING HOLY NAME 10  20  35  48

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Updated March 21, 1998
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