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High Flyin' Viking Return to TedSilary.com Home Page
Tom Zulewski
is a junior at Archbishop Wood. He plays baseball, plans to study
journalism in college and envisions being a sports writer. He's a rabid
hockey fanatic, especially the Flyers.
Tom may be reached at flyersfan91@verizon.net.
|
FEB. 10
CATHOLIC NORTH
The end of the season has finally come to an end for the Vikings. I was thinking to myself as I was watching the JV game, boy it would be great if the Vikes could play spoiler today and knock off Judge’s playoff hopes. I mean after their long and tough season, wouldn’t it be great to end on such a high note? Well, I would soon find out shortly that I was just dreaming and Judge was determined, and on a mission to make the playoffs. Right from the opening tip off there was no question which was the better team this afternoon. The Crusaders jump out to an early 11-4 lead. Playing a huge role for Judge early was senior Andrew Vose, who early on was having his way with Wood defenders. He was getting open shots down low in the paint, and he was also a force on the glass as well. Wood was having some difficulty guarding him. He also did a nice job defensively. Vose finished the game with 16 points, and 5 boards. After Judge jumped out to its early lead, coach Joe Sette called a quick timeout to reorganize his men. Right out of the timeout Wood went on a nice little 4-0 run. Eric Loughnane (8 points) scored a quick basket, and hit two foul shots to cut the Crusaders’ lead to 11-8. I thought Wood played pretty hard in the 1st quarter. The score after one was 15-10 Judge.
Second
quarter
begins,
and
this
is
where
Judge
pretty
much
took
over
the
contest.
I
don’t
know
what
was
going
on
with
Wood.
There
were
missed
defensive
assignments,
sloppy
fouls,
and
there
seemed
to
be a
lack
of
energy.
Maybe
they
stayed
up
too
late
from
last
night’s
Winter
Formal.
I
don’t
know.
Even
when
the
Vikings
had
their
chances
they
just
couldn’t
execute.
The
score
at
half
was
33-18
Judge.
Halftime is here so myself and Wood’s manager Mike Cleighton are a
bit
so
hungry
so
we
decide
to
go
downstairs
and
get
a
bite
to
eat.
I
specifically
wanted
some
soft
pretzels.
So
we
make
our
way
downstairs
and
we
find
out
there
is
absolutely
nothing
left
to
eat
except
soda
and
some
candy.
So
Mike
said
there
was
some
vending
machines
upstairs
where
you
come
into
the
gym.
So
we
both
make
our
way
upstairs,
walk
across
the
court
and
I
notice
the
man
who
runs
this
website
is
perched
up
in
the
balcony.
So,
we
finally
get
to
the
machines
and
lo’
and
behold
there
not
working.
Great!!!!
Just
what
I
need!!
So
then
some
guy
said
to
us
there
are
vending
machines
downstairs
in
the
cafeteria.
I
was
like
OK,
let’s
go.
So
here
we
go
again
looking
for
some
food.
We
get
downstairs,
and
guess
what!!!
The
machines
are
out
of
order
except
the
ice
cream
machine.
Can’t
get
a
break
here.
So
Mike
spots
with
his
eyes
a
golden
opportunity
for
some
food.
On
the
tables
right
in
front
of
us
there
were
some
pretzels,
and
chips.
Naturally,
both
of
us
being
hungry,
we
took
some.
Anyway
to
make
a
long
story
short,
I
did
end
up
getting
a
Baby
Ruth
bar,
but
I
really
wanted
that
soft
pretzel.
Third
quarter
is
here
and
Judge
quickly
jumps
out
of
the
gate.
Matt
McLaughlin
(7
points)
hit
a
jump
shot
in
the
opening
minute,
which
was
then
quickly
followed
up
by
three
pointer
from
Jim
DiLisio
(13
points).
At
the
7:11
mark
of
the
third
a
scary
moment
happened
for
Judge.
Their
leading
scorer
on
the
contest,
Andrew
Vose,
went
down
with
an
apparent
ankle
injury.
Fortunately,
he
would
return
to
start
the
fourth.
The
Vikings
however
did
do
some
good
things
today.
One
thing
I
was
really
impressed
with
was
their
defensive
play
on
Bob
Zanneo.
The
Vikes
held
Zanneo
to
only
9
points
the
whole
game.
This
is
impressive
given
the
fact
that
he
is
one
of
the
Catholic
League's
leading
scorers.
This
is
not
the
first
time
this
year
the
Vikings
held
him
to
under
ten
points.
In
the
first
match
up
between
these
two
teams,
Wood
held
Zanneo
to a
mere
three
points.
So I
guess
Wood
knows
what
Zanneo’s
weaknesses
are.
The
score
after
three
was
46-31
Judge.
Okay time for the fourth quarter. Wood could have easily just let down
and
not
played
hard
in
the
fourth,
but
they
didn’t.
They
kept
battling
and
showed
pride
in
who
they
are.
Remember
everyone,
Judge
had
21-point
lead
at
one
point
during
this
game
and
Wood
cut
the
lead
down
to
ten
on a
few
occasions.
They
never
gave
up,
which
is
what
I
like
to
see
in a
team.
This
being
Dan
Comas’
last
high
school
game
I
thought
he
played
pretty
well.
Despite
having
a
lackluster
first
half.
Dan
finished
with
17
points,
and
7
boards.
It
was
good
to
see
Dan
finish
strong.
Another
nice
thing
to
see
was
the
play
of
Tim
Fahy.
Tim
was
in a
bit
of
funk
scoring
wise,
but
today
he
showed
who
he
really
is.
Tim
had
a
total
of
17
points,
and
5
boards.
Only
if
they
hit
their
foul
shots
today.
Wood
missed
a
total
of
12
shots.
Just
maybe
if
they
made
some
of
them
today’s
outcome
would
have
been
different.
Yes,
Judge
would
hang
on
for
the
win,
but
the
Vikings
didn’t
go
down
without
a
fight
Just
like
they
have
doing
all
year
long.
It’s
time
to
look
forward
to
next
year.
I
honestly
believe
this
team
is
going
to
be
good.
I
mean
they
had
so
much
young
talent
on
the
team,
and
they're
only
going
to
get
better.
If
their
JV
team
is
any
consideration
of
what
that
the
future
may
entail,
then
the
Wood
basketball
program
will
be
looking
good
for
the
next
few
years.
The
JV
squad
only
had
two
losses
the
whole
year,
and
the
majority
of
those
players
were
also
on
varsity.
So
things
can
only
get
better,
I
guess.
I
had
a
lot
of
fun
covering
the
team
this
year,
I
and
would
like
to
thank
Ted
Silary
for
giving
me
the
opportunity
to
cover
them.
I
will
certainly
be
back
next
year,
you
can
count
on
that.
Hopefully
the
girls
squad
will
bring
us a
championship
this
year!!
Well,
baseball
season
is
less
than
a
month
away,
and
I’m
looking
forward
too
it.
Other scorers for Wood: Joe Getz ( 5 points), and Fran “Doc” Dougherty ( 3 points) For Judge: Tom Ryan ( 10 points), Josh Jaskowiak ( 6 points), and Ryan Langdon ( 2 points).
FEB.
8
Well
tonight
at Wood
it was
senior
night
which is
always a
special
event.
Tonight
was the
last
time
Dan
Comas
(16
points,
7
boards)
and
Eric
Loughnane
(2
points),
will
step
onto
their
home
court to
play a
game. It
was
definitely
a
special
night
for
sure.
Wood
also
honored
senior
Mike
Novey,
who
couldn’t
be in
attendance
due to
shoulder
surgery,
and a
unsung
hero of
the Wood
basketball
family
senior
manager
Mike
Cleighton.
Mike has
done a
marvelous
job as
manager
over the
last
four
years.
He
hasn’t
missed a
single
game,
which is
pretty
impressive.
That was
nice to
see them
honor
Mike. I
tell you
right
now
tonight
was just
not the
Vikings'
night.
It seems
like
I’ve
been
saying
that all
year.
But to
be
honest
with
you,
Wood
really
didn’t
stand a
chance
tonight.
The
Raiders
came out
ready to
play.
Ryan
wasted
no time
right
from the
opening
tipoff
dictating
the play
of this
game.
They
made
their
first
three
shots,
and they
just
seemed
more
determined.
Wood
looked
OK
early.
They
were
hitting
some
shots
early in
the
first
quarter.
Comas
was
getting
some
looks,
and he
drawing
fouls
which
was a
good
sign. I
don’t
know
what
happened,
but
halfway
through
the
first
quarter
the
score
was 9-5
Ryan.
Then all
of a
sudden
both
teams
went ice
cold
from the
field.
No one
could
hit a
shot, or
a three
throw
for that
matter.
So the
score
after
one was
9-5
Ryan.
Another
thrilling
quarter
of
basketball!!!!
Second quarter arrives and pretty much the same as the first. Strong
defensive
basketball
from
both
teams,
although
turnovers
were in
abundance.
I liked
the way
senior
Tom
Marshall
(7
points,
10
boards)
played
tonight.
For a
pretty
tall
kid, he
can move
pretty
swiftly
up and
down the
court.
He has a
nice
mid-range
game,
and he
can
certainly
rebound
the
ball.
The
score at
half was
20-14
Ryan.
Halftime
is here,
and
Vikings
dance
team
does a
nice
performance
again.
Nothing
else
special
really
happened.
So let's
go to
the
third
shall
we.
Third quarter is here, and this is where Andrew Rogers (19 points, 3 boards) pretty much took over the game. This kid does it all, plain and simple. He can shoot the daylights out of the ball. He plays stellar defense. He causes multiple turnovers, quick as lightning, and can even rebound the ball a little. Hands down he is Ryan’s best player. He is a big reason why Ryan is where they are in the standings. If the Raiders want to go far in the playoffs, they need games like this from Rogers every night, and from what I’ve seen from him this year he is certainly very capable of doing that. Anyway the score after three was 38-25 Ryan.
Fourth
quarter
begins,
and to
be
honest
with you
I was
getting
ticked
off. I
honestly
thought
Wood
could
have
come out
tonight
and
showed
some
effort.
It just
seemed
like
there
was no
sense of
urgency
tonight.
Yeah, I
know
they're
not
making
the
playoffs
this
year,
and the
season
has been
long,
but it
was
their
last
home
game. I
would
have
liked to
seen a
better
effort,
but what
are you
going to
do.
Maybe
their
minds
were
focused
on
tomorrow’s
winter
formal,
who
knows?
Anyway
the
remainder
of the
fourth
was
pretty
much a
Raider
onslaught,
plain
and
simple.
The
Vikes
simply
just got
outplayed
tonight.
But hey
look at
the
bright
side,
one more
game to
go,
Sunday
at
Judge.
Shout
out to
the all
the
members
of the
Lady
Vikings
basketball
squad
(21-2
overall)
in
attendance
tonight.
These
girls
know how
to play
ball.
Their
only two
losses
came to
nationally
ranked
teams,
Nos. 1
and 6 I
think.
Undefeated
in
Northern
division
play. So
everyone
get out
go see
these
girls
play
their
last
home
game of
the year
Tuesday
night at
7:30
against
Ryan.
Other
scorers
for
Wood:
Joe Getz
(9
points),
Tim
Fahy
(4
points,
4
boards),
Fran
“Doc”
Dougherty
(2
points,
3
boards),
and
Sean
“Smack’
McCartney
(3
points).
For Ryan
: Rus
Slawter
(2
points),
Eric
Jann
(6
points),
Chris
Wilk
(13
points),
and
Anthony
Keiter
(6
points).
FEB. 4
CATHOLIC
NORTH
Dougherty
50, Wood 49
I’m
telling
you
right
now this
one is
going to
sting
for a
while.
Seems
like I’m
always
saying
this,
but this
team
always
manages
to lose
by less
then
three
points,
with the
exception
of a few
blowouts.
Let’s
get to
the
game!!!
For once
the
Vikings
came out
ready to
play.
Right
from the
beginning
I could
tell
Dan
Comas
was
going to
have a
special
night.
The
Vikings
got him
the ball
early
and
often.
When
that
happens
he
starts
to get
into an
early
groove
and
builds
confidence.
Dougherty
really
had no
answer
for him
the
whole
night.
Sean
Williams
(11
points,
6
boards),
and
Brandon
Savage
(9
points,
5
boards)
tried to
cover
Dan.
They had
some
success
early in
the
first
half,
holding
Dan to 9
points,
but Dan
went off
for 17
points
in the
second
half for
a total
of 26.
Dan also
pulled
down 9
boards,
plus he
had 4
nice
blocks
early in
the
game. I
was
happy to
see Dan
finally
get back
to the
typical
“Dan
Comas
game”.
20
points
10
boards.
The
Vikings
had a
12-8
lead
after
the
first
quarter
of play.
Second quarter began and the Cardinals started to find their groove. They
started
to find
their
shot,
they
were
getting
to the
foul
line,
and
applying
some
good
defensive
pressure
on Wood.
The
Cardinals
got
their
first
lead of
the
contest
at the
4:25
mark of
the
second
on a
nice
steal
from the
Brandon
Wims
(8
points),
who
rushed
downcourt
for the
easy
layup.
On the
Cardinals'
next
possession,
Wims was
fouled
and made
both of
his
shots
from the
line. I
liked
what I
saw out
of this
kid
tonight.
He began
the
season
on North
Catholic's
roster,
then
transferred!
He
seemed
to give
the
Cardinals
the
energy
they
needed
of the
bench.
That was
good to
see.
Tim Fahy
( 8
points)
then hit
a three
with 15
seconds
to go to
extend
Wood’s
lead to
26-24.
The
score at
half was
deadlocked
at 26
apiece.
Halftime was here, and Dougherty’s cheerleaders performed a nice dance routine for the audience. I was busy texting updates to loyal fan and Vikings legend Fran McGlinn. Anyway not much else occurred, so let's get onto the third, shall we?
Third quarter: we had frantic action back and forth. Each team was trading off shots left and right at will. I thought it was pretty fun to watch. The Vikings were hanging right with the Cardinals the whole time. Like I’ve said plenty of times before these boys don’t quit, they play hard for the full 32 minutes and overtime when needed. Every time I watch this team, especially in the last two weeks, Fran “Doc” Dougherty continues to impress. This kid is growing and maturing with every game he plays at the varsity level. I really think Doc benefits from having such a great role model, and teacher in fellow big man Dan Comas. Early in the season Doc seemed kind of lost out there. Maybe it was just nerves, but whatever he has done in the last two weeks or so I hope he keeps it up. Remember Fran is only a sophomore. I think if he bulks up a bit, he’ll be a dominant force for the next two years. I’m really serious about this, I truly think he is going to be very good player. The score after three was 40-39 Dougherty.
Here we go again!! Down by one point to start the fourth. Every game seems to be like this. I’m just going to flash forward to 1:17 to go in the fourth. Dougherty is down by one, and they get a huge basket from Sean Williams to take the one point lead. Now with 33.4 seconds to go Brandon Savage is at the line shooting for a chance at the two-point lead. He shoot the ball and misses, Wood ball. Joe Sette calls a quick timeout to reorganize his troops. Wood draws up a play for Comas in the low post. Seconds are ticking off the clock, ball goes down low to Dan. He goes up for the shot, and he gets hacked, ball is stripped, no call at all, Dougherty calls a timeout. Dan and the coaching staff couldn’t believe it. That would have sent Dan to the line shooting two for a chance at the lead. Instead Dougherty has time to draw up a play. After the timeout Wood quickly fouls. Forcing Dougherty to shoot two shots. They miss both shots, Wood gets the rebound and quickly calls a timeout. Now with 2.8 seconds to go Brian O’Grady heaves a pass to Comas at the top of key for a chance at win, but the Cardinals bat the ball down. Game over!!!! Another tough one on the chin for the Vikings. They should have won this game. They had plenty of opportunities the whole night. Only if they called that foul. I still can’t believe it. I don’t want to blame refs, but that was a foul. Even all the people around me said it was. But what can you do. Anyway up next for the Vikings is Friday night against Ryan. This is senior night so it should be really special. Hope everyone can get out and support our boys!! Other scorers for Wood: Sean “Smack” McCartney (3 points, 4 boards), and Eric Loughnane (3 points). For Dougherty: Ryan Fitch (7 points), Jahkeem Bogans (3 points, 3 boards), Isiah Mason (6 points), and Zaahir Allen (8 points).
FEB. 1
CATHOLIC NORTH
La Salle 45,
Wood 43 (OT)
Halftime
is here and
we have our
first
performance
from the
Vikings
Dance Team.
The girls
look good
out there
tonight.
They did a
nice dance
routine
which the
Wood
faithful
went nuts
over. One
thing that
bugs me is
that darn
sound system
in the North
Gym. It’s
absolutely
terrible.
Once again
you could
barely hear
the music,
but the
girls still
managed to
pull it off.
As I
watching
this I’m on
the cell
talking to
former
Vikings
legend
basketball
player
Fran McGlinn,
who
unfortunately
could attend
tonight
because he’s
up at Penn
State. I was
giving Fran
updates the
whole night
long,
especially
late in the
game which
was crazy,
but we will
get to that
in a bit.
Third quarter: Vikings come out hitting their first two shots. Actually
Comas had
the first 5
points of
the quarter
for Wood.
Dan had a
slow first
half, but
boy did he
pick things
up down the
stretch. I
think the
slow start
was due to
some foul
trouble, and
the
defensive
play of
Aiken.
Probably the
highlight of
the night
for Dan was
a two-hand
dunk right
over Matt
“Looks Like
I Go
Tanning”
Crozier.
The building
absolutely
erupted in
euphoria.
Ah, man, I
was going
nuts. That
was great to
see. Back
and forth
action, up
and down the
court. This
was the
theme the
whole night.
Let’s just
flash
forward a
few minutes
to the
beginning of
the 4th.
The tension
between the
Wood
faithful and
the La Salle
kids is at a
fever pitch.
To put it
plain and
simple,
these two
school do
not like
each other
at all.
There were
chants back
and forth
between each
student
section. The
atmosphere
in the North
Gym tonight
was awesome.
Absolutely
awesome!!
Wood
students
were
terrific.
I’m going to
flash
forward to
two minutes
left in the
fourth. The
score is
35-32
Explorers.
At this
point, I’m a
nervous
wreck. My
heart is
beating
ferociously,
I’m sweating
like a pig
because its
so darn hot
in that gym,
and my
pencils are
flying
everywhere.
At 1:55 my
boy Fran
Doc hits
a three ball
to tie up
the score at
35 apiece.
Building
goes nuts!!
The score
remains the
same for the
rest of the
fourth. La
Salle and
Wood each
had multiple
opportunities
down the
stretch to
win this
game. OK,
0.4 seconds
to go. Wood
ball. The
Vikings got
a shot to
win the
game. Fran
Doc throws a
halfcourt
heave to
Comas. Comas
catches,
spins and
tries a
fadeaway
shot at the
buzzer . . .
rims in and
out. Now at
this point
the first
thing that
goes through
my head is
March 28,
1992. Does
that ring a
bell for
anyone?
Well, if you
don’t
remember it
was Grant
Hill’s
halfcourt
heave to
Christian
Laettner.
He catches
it, spins,
shoots, goes
in. Duke
beats
Kentucky
104-103 in
the East
Regional
Finals. That
game by the
way was held
at the
Spectrum.
Anyway back
to tonight’s
game.
Overtime is
here and I’m
giving play
by play
action to
Fran McGlinn,
who is
100-plus
miles away,
who is then
relaying the
information
to other
former Wood
kids up at
PSU. La
Salle starts
off hot
hitting
their first
few shots.
Wood
responds
with shots
of their
own. A few
more
Explorer
shots, and a
Wood
turnover and
La Salle is
up by a
basket. The
Vikings were
forced to
foul with
every La
Salle
possession.
The only
thing
LaSalle
needs to do
for the win
is to hit
their foul
shots. But
you know
what? They
didn’t! They
missed four
straight
shots down
stretch. OK,
here’s the
situation:
43-41 La
Salle.
Wood's
Eric
Loughnane
(5 points)
is at the
line
shooting two
for a chance
to tie up
the game.
The crowd
gets real
quiet,
except for
the La Salle
kids. Shot
goes up and
swoosh its
good. Only
down by one.
Second shot
goes up, a
chance for a
tie . . .
clank, he
misses.
Comas
then swats
the ball at
out of
bounds. La
Salle ball.
10.8 seconds
to go.
Timeout La
Salle.
Joe
Migliarese
(2
points) then
inbounds the
ball to
Crozier.
He is then
swarmed by
players, and
lo’ and
behold,
Brian
O’Grady
(1 point)
comes away
with the
ball and is
fouled. Now
at this
point
everybody is
an euphoric
state. I’m
going crazy,
I still got
Fran on the
phone, and
I’m trying
to get all
the stats
down.
O’Grady at
the line,
shooting two
for the
lead. First
shot goes up
and swoosh,
its good.
We're now
deadlocked
at 43. Next
shot goes
up, and he
misses. La
Salle gets
the rebound
and quickly
calls a
timeout.
Timeout is
over.
Migliarese
inbounds to
Pierson.
He quickly
dribbles up
the
sideline,
time is
ticking 4,
3, 2, 1, and
then a
whistle. No
one in the
building
knew why the
whistle
blew. Not
even both
benches
knew. I
think
Pierson was
pushed out
of bounds
right at the
scorers'
table. I’m
still not
sure what
happened.
Anyway,
whatever it
was, there
was 0.5
showing in
OT.
Migliarese
is about to
inbound the
ball again.
Wait,
another
whistle. I’m
thinking to
myself,
"What could
this be?"
The refs get
together and
chat amongst
themselves,
and they
decide to
put more
time back on
the clock.
So now
instead of
0.5 seconds
its 0.9
seconds. The
Wood stands
erupt in
anger. So,
here we go,
0.9 seconds
to go.
Migliarese
throws the
ball to
Crozier.
He turns and
shoots. Ball
goes off the
backboard,
hits the
front part
of the rim,
and trickles
into the
net.
Ballgame!!!
LaSalle
wins!!! The
La Salle
kids storm
the court
and mob the
team. Wood
kids are
left in a
state of
shock. I’m
not making
any excuses
but I could
have sworn
that he
didn’t get
that shot
off in time.
Comas agrees
with me as
well; he
made a dash
straight to
the ref
after the
shot went in
to plead his
case. Those
extra tenths
of a second
made the
difference.
I couldn’t
believe it,
kids
couldn’t
believe it,
Fran
McGlinn
couldn’t
believe it.
What a
terrible way
to end such
a terrific
game. Tough
one. This
one will
sting for a
while. I've
got to give
Wood credit.
They never
gave up when
things were
looking
bleak. They
kept
plugging
away and
battling.
One thing
this team
has is heart
and pride,
which is
great to
see. Up next
for the
Vikings is
Monday night
at
Dougherty.
Should be a
good game.
Other
scorers for
Wood: Joe
Getz (2
points), and
for La
Salle,
Todd Stokley
(2 points).
JAN. 28
CATHOLIC NORTH
North 74, Wood
45
JAN. 25
CATHOLIC NORTH
Wood 52,
Conwell-Egan 41
JAN. 21
CATHOLIC NORTH
Yes, everyone, you are
reading that score
right. Wood has finally
won a game in Northern
Division play. You have
no idea how happy I am
right now. Thank God
because, quite frankly,
I was getting fed up
with their play. I'll
tell you right now it
wasn’t easy tonight.
McDevitt sure showed a
ton of heart out there.
They came out hitting a
few baskets. Senior
Pat Doyle (6
points, 2 boards) made
his presence known
early, hitting the
Lancers' first three
shots. Wood quickly
responded with some nice
baskets of their own.
Leading the way for the
Vikings was junior guard
Tim Fahy. Tim had
a total of 20 points,
including 4 threeballs.
Tim is kind of an unsung
hero for Wood. The kid
is a real smart
basketball player. He’s
quick, feisty
defensively, and is
quickly turning into a
three-point specialist.
I just don’t get why
opposing teams just
leave him wide open.
When Tim is on, which is
pretty much every night,
he’s a force. I was
happy to see Tim play so
well tonight. I can’t
forget about the play of
junior forward Sean
“Smack” McCartney.
Quietly, Sean played a
very nice game. He had a
total of 16 points and 3
boards. I was glad he
played well, especially
because it was against
McDevitt. If you
remember last game Sean
had a really rough
night. Not only on the
court, but from the fans
as well. It was pretty
cool to see him shut up
his critics a bit. I
thought McDevitt
controlled the play in
the 1st quarter. They
just seemed more hungry
for the ball especially
James Williams (
12 points, 10 boards).
The score after one was
17-12 McDevitt.
Second quarter began and things didn’t change much. Wood seemed sluggish,
slow and sloppy
throughout the 1st half.
Missed defensive
assignments were
prevalent. I don’t know
how there was no urgency
on Wood’s part. The
Lancers controlled the
play and led at the ha;f,
26-21.
Halftime is here, and lo’ and behold, look what we have. Yes, everyone
the cheerleaders. I knew
at that point it was our
night when the
cheerleaders arrived.
They did a very nice
performance that the
Wood faithful greatly
appreciated. I was
impressed that they did
it with very little
music. (Sound system
wasn’t working in the
gym, so they used a boom
box that you could
barely hear). Anyway,
nice job girls.
Third quarter arrived, and you could see right from the beginning that
the Vikings had a
different attitude
toward the game. They
seemed more aggressive,
there was better
communication, and they
had more energy. Dan
Comas (11 points, 8
points, 4 blocks, 3
dimes) played an OK game
tonight. He wasn’t his
dominant self, but he
made the best out of
what McDevitt was giving
him. He made his foul
shots late to seal it,
though. Wood chipped the
lead to one. It was
36-35 after three.
Fourth quarter is
here, and the Vikings
take over. Quick
threeball from Tim
Fahy, and Wood has
the lead. They would
never look back from
there. McDevitt did
close the lead to one,
but a nice three-point
play from Fahy would
help seal the win. Other
scorers for Wood: Joe
Huebner (3 points, 3
boards), Eric
Loughnane (3 points,
5 boards), and Brian
O’Grady (2 points, 3
boards). For McDevitt:
Matt Davis (7
points), R.P. Boyle
(4 points), Matt
Shervin (4 points),
Dan Drennen (12
points), Courtney
Havens-Dobbs, and
Linburg Green each
had 2 points. Shoutout
to the Wood fans once
again for a great
turnout. PCL Blue MVP
Bob DeLucas was in
attendance, along with
some other members of
Wood Football. I feel
like I should mention
this. Big props go to
the Lady Vikings
basketball team, who
this weekend went 3-0 in
the Cougar Classic
Tournament in Cherry
Hill, NJ. They are an
incredible 14-1 overall
and undefeated in
Northern Division play.
Way to go, girls!!! Next
up for the guys is Egan
Friday night, at Egan
7:30. Should be
interesting how they
will guard Hayk
Gyokchyan. It’s
exam week at Wood, so
good luck to everyone.
Player of the
Game- Tim Fahy.
JAN. 18
Judge 60, Wood 52
You'd think when you hold
the Catholic League's
leading scorer, Bob
Zanneo, to only three
points the whole game --
yes, everyone THREE
STINKIN’ POINTS -- you'd
have a good shot to win the
game. But no this is Wood.
The team that always seems
to find a way to lose. Yes,
everyone it happened again.
The incredible thing is that
all of Zanneo’s three points
came from the foul line. The
Vikings held him scoreless
from the field all night.
Not to mention only 1 point
in the first half. Hats off
to Sean McCartney (9
points) and Joe Huebner
(5 points) for defending
him all night. They both did
an outstanding job.
Zanneo just never seemed
comfortable. He was rarely
open for a shots, and didn’t
see many looks, when he did
have a look, he missed.
Although he did have a very
nice block. Things started
out well for the Vikings.
Tim Fahy ( 9 points, 5
boards) opened up the
contest hitting two
threeballs. At one point
they had an 11-6 lead.
Things were looking good. I
couldn’t believe it. Then
Judge went on a nice run of
their own to pull within
three. Tom Ryan (17
points, 7 boards) hit a
threeball to end the
quarter. The score after one
was 16-14 Wood.
The second quarter begins, and we have pretty much the same as the
first. Evenly matched play
from both teams. Each team
trading off baskets. It was
pretty even. I was really
impressed with the play
of senior center Andrew
Vose. This kid can do it
all. He runs the floor, has
a nice touch outside the
paint, can rebound, knows
how to dish out the rock,
plays solid defense. Vose
had 19 points, and 5 boards.
With Dan Comas
getting into some early foul
trouble, Wood put in Fran
Dougherty (2 points, 4
boards). I love the way Fran
plays, but Vose’s experience
and size got the better of
Fran. Vose took full
advantage of Doc’s
inexperience. Doc’s young
and he will get better and
stronger as he matures as a
basketball player. I was
talking to Dan after the
game, and he couldn’t
believe how physical Vose is
down low. Dan said he was
really tentative to do
anything against Vose
because of his fouls. That
would explain why Dan only
had 2 points in the 1st
half. The score at half was
26-21 Judge.
Halftime is here. Nothing special was going on. Once again the
cheerleaders/dance squad was
M.I.A. Anyway,
getting back to Comas. Dan
was pretty quiet in the 1st
half, but that would change
in the 2nd. Overall Dan had
18 points, and 5 boards. But
the astonishing thing is Dan
went 12-13 from the line.
That’s incredible. I can’t
remember the last time Dan
got to the line that often.
I thought Wood battled hard
throughout the third. I mean
I give them credit they were
only down by 1 at the end of
the quarter, 37-36.
The first four minutes of the fourth was the same thing all night. Evenly
matched play. But things
started to unravel and fall
apart late for the Vikings.
With Tim Fahy fouling
out late and Comas in foul
trouble, Wood was forced to
press a little bit. That
cost them. Once the
Crusaders got a four-point
they never look backed. Wood
was forced to foul, and
Judge hit their foul shots.
Funny thing is that it
seemed like the last 55
seconds of the game was an
eternity. I’m telling you
that last minute took about
15 minutes to finish. Oh, my
gosh, foul after foul, foul
shot after foul shot,
timeouts. Crowd was kind of
restless. Well, the student
section was. Speaking of the
student section, a shoutout
to everyone who showed up
tonight. I was getting
worried when the game
started and Wood section was
half empty, but that quickly
changed. This team just
can't find a way to win. One
thing I’ve noticed covering
this team is, they don’t
have a balanced scoring
attack. When someone is
having a great game, there
is no one to complement him.
That’s frustrating as a
team. I can’t question this
team's determination to play
ball. They certainly have
the enthusiasm, with the
exception of the Ryan game,
which in my opinion was a
pathetic effort on Wood’s
part, but that’s a story for
a different day. Other
scorers for Wood were:
Scott Adkins (2 points,
and Eric Loughnane (7
points). For Judge: Matt
McLaughlin (9 points),
and Jim DiLisio (12
points, 7 boards). Maybe
they will get their first
division win on MLK day
against McDevitt. If you
remember, Wood lost to
McDevitt in December, 46-42.
This time the game is our
gym. This should be a good
match up. Could this be the
game???? We’ll find out.
JAN. 13
Ryan 60, Wood 45
Well everyone, I have
bad news to report from Academy
Road today. Yes, everyone, Wood
lost another game, dropping them
to 7-9 overall and 0-6 in
division play. You know I
actually thought Wood might win
this game. They came out strong,
hitting there first couple shots
from the field. Junior Sean
“Smack” McCartney (6 points,
2 boards) got into the action
hitting Wood’s first two shots.
The Vikings had a nice 11-6 lead
early in the 1st quarter. Boy,
would that change in a
heartbeat. The Raiders then went
on a nice run of their own.
Leading the way for them was
senior Chris Wilk (15
points). Wilk had a very nice
game, knocking down 2 threeballs
in the1st quarter. He was
definitely a force with his
perimeter shooting. Mike
Colon (7 points) also had a
nice contribution off the bench
for the Raiders. The score after
one was 14-14.
Things were looking okay for Wood after one. Despite the fact that Dan
Comas (13 points, 7 boards,
3 assists) was getting pushed
around, and that they couldn’t
guard Chris Wilk if their
life depended on it. Anyway,
Ryan opened up the 2nd quarter
going off on a nice 8-0 run.
From that point on the game was
all Ryan’s. The Vikings just
never seemed into the game
today. They weren’t
communicating well, there were
missed defensive assignments,
and Comas wasn’t in a rhythm. I
was really impressed with the
play of Raiders guard Andrew
Rogers (14 points, 4 boards,
1 assist, and 1 steal). This kid
is so quick and athletic. I mean
some of the passes he made today
were unbelievable. At times he
would just blow straight by the
Wood defender. I definitely see
why he runs the show for Ryan.
The score at half was 28-23
Ryan. Halftime arrives and I
decide I want a nice hot dog. So
I go to get one, and I run into
the man who runs this website. I
had a nice chat with Ted.
I also see Wood’s girls
basketball star Rosie
Tarnowski, who by the way is
committed to play at Washington
State next year.
Third quarter arrives and it all goes downhill for Wood. Turnovers,
stupid fouls and
miscommunication plagued the
Vikings all day. Ryan basically
pulled away from this game late
in the third quarter. Senior
Tom Marshall (13 points, 4
boards, 2 assists) hit a
buzzer-beating three at the end
of the quarter to extend their
lead to 10.
Fourth quarter arrives and to be honest with you I was getting bored, and
frustrated with what I was
seeing. Wood has so much talent,
and it's frustrating to see
them lose. I have been to every
game this year (except the
Wildwood tourney) and I really
feel like they're not as bad as
their record indicates. They
have the talent, I just don’t
know if they have the size and
experience. I feel for Comas,
Huebner, and Loughnane. This
is their senior year. It’s
supposed to be fun for them.
From what I see and what I’m
hearing it doesn’t look like
they are having fun. Hopefully,
this will change. Anyway you can
pretty much guess what happened
from here. Ryan finishes their
blowout, and the Vikings are
left searching for answers.
Other contributors for Ryan
were: Victor Graham (2
points), Rus Slawter (4
points, 2 boards), Eric Jann
(5 points, 4 boards), and
Anthony Keiter (4 boards, 3
assists.) Others for Wood:
Scott Adkins (1 point, 1
assist) Tim Fahy (6
points, 4 boards), Joe Getz
(2 points), Joe Huebner
(8 points, 2 boards, 2 assists),
and Eric Loughnane (7
points, 2 boards, 1 assist). We
had some famous Wood people in
the crowd this afternoon:
varsity boys soccer coach Joe
Krantz, and PCL Blue
football coach of the year
Steve Devlin. Up next for
the Wood is Friday night Jan
18th at home versus the
Crusaders of Father Judge.
Should be a good game!!!
JAN. 11
CATHOLIC NORTH
Dougherty 58, Wood 52