More than about winning
ADAMS TWP — At the end of the game, the scoreboard read: Mars 79, Knoch 59.
Planets' boys basketball coach Rob Carmody had a different take.
“This wasn't about Mars winning. This was about both communities, both schools winning,” he said. “Credit to all of the people involved in allowing this to happen; the administrations, the players, coaches, parents.”
Due to COVID-19, the high school basketball season in Pennsylvania will now be shut down for at least three weeks. Though schools were allowed to play Friday, many chose not to. Others could not due to exposure to the virus.
“I'm not down-playing what people are going through,” added Carmody. “I understand there is a very serious situation going on with COVID, but as adults, we owe it to these kids to come up with a way to bring them back in three weeks and let there be some sort of season. So much in their lives right now is not normal. They need to have a bit of normal.”
Knoch was originally scheduled to open the season at the Armstrong Tournament and Mars at the Freeport Tournament. Both of those events were canceled and both the Knights and Planets searched for an opponent.
They didn't have to look far.
“It makes sense,” said first-year Knoch coach Alan Bauman. “It's Knoch/Mars; this game should be played every year.”
There were standout efforts in the game. Knoch junior Ryan Lang scored 29 points and teammate Keagan Fraser added 14.
Zach Schlegel and Mihali Sfanos, who are being counted on to lead the Planets this year, drained 25 and 19 points, respectively.
But the overriding feeling after the game was the hope that it was the beginning of a now-interrupted season, not the end.
“Making a shot is not essential,” said Carmody. “Developing relationships with teammates, finding a way to grind through things with each other ... learning to do things for others and not just yourself, those are essential lessons kids can learn from sports.”
Carmody said his players were dejected when he told them Thursday that there would be a three-week break before the team's second game.
“You could see it in their eyes; it was like 'What's next?'”
Right now, teams are planning to convene again on Jan. 4. Until then, they can't have practices or games.
“We have a lot of opportunities to watch film from this game and grow from it,” said Bauman. “I told the kids, don't go home and just eat bon-bons for the next three weeks.
“We'll count on our captains — Zack McMillen and Tyler Buterbaugh — to stay in contact with the other players and keep them on track.”
KNOCH 59
Keagan Fraser 3 6-10 14, Blaze Voltz 1 0-0 3, Ryan Lang 9 8-10 29, Tyler Buterbaugh 3 0-1 7, Zack McMillen 2 2-4 6, Logan Harrison 0 0-0 0, JJ Szebalskie 0 0-0 0, Jake Murphy 0 0-0 0, Cole Green 0 0-0 0, James Snyder 0 0-0 0, Lleyton King 0 0-0 0, Hudson Fuller 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 16-25 59.
MARS 79
Austin Cote 1 0-0 2, Zach Schlegel 7 8-9 25, Anthony Vargo 2 0-0 4, Chris Dvorak 2 0-1 4, Tasso Sfanos 4 0-0 11, Nate Roush 1 0-0 2, Bryce Cunningham 3 0-0 8, Jonah Kozora 1 1-4 4, Mihali Sfanos 7 5-5 19, Pete Gonzalez 0 0-0 0, Pete Craska 0 0-0 0, Eric Schaffner 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 14-19 79.
Knoch 15 18 6 20 — 59
Mars20 20 14 25 — 79
3-point goals: Knoch 7 (Lang 3, Fraser 2, Voltz, Buterbaugh); Mars 9 (Schlegel 3, T. Sfanos 3, Cunningham 2, Kozora).
