By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
DUKE CENTER, PA – Although it was still an hour before tipoff, the Terror Dome was buzzing. Donning blue and gold, as well as neon construction vests and clothes in the student section, fans shuffled into the bustling gymnasium, finding what seats they could as they readied for the impending showdown.
They had good reason to be early. Not only were they waiting for the first showing of the newly crowned District 9 Class A champions, but it could possibly be the last time congregating around the hallowed hardwood.
Since the beginning of their postseason, the Otto-Eldred boys basketball team always had a fall back plan. Even if they didn’t take home a D9 banner, they had already punched the ticket to the PIAA state tournament by arriving in the D9 semifinals. Now, however, as they warmed up for the first round of the state playoffs, nothing was guaranteed. Lose now and the season is over.
“We knew whether we won or lost last week, we were playing at home (in states.) But at the end of the day, we wanted to win a D9 title and we did that,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Derrick Francis. “Now we want to make a run at states.”
However, the surging Terrors refused to let their long-awaited dream season come to an end. Leaning on their defensive IQ and an all-or-nothing mentality, O-E routed Nazareth Prep 64-39 as they took another step towards the next championship.
At first glance, the Terrors seemed to have their hands full. Coming from Pittsburgh’s renowned WPIAL league, the Saints posed a tall task, literally – Naz Prep’s roster consisted of six 6-footers, including center Willie Evans at 6’7. It was no surprise that they leaned into their height advantage early on.
Against the Terrors’ initial man-to-man defense, the Saints pushed inside, finding Evans in the post on their first possession for two points before ripping down consecutive offensive rebounds. Facing size coupled with athleticism, O-E struggled to contain their matchups down low. However, they wasted no time making adjustments, switching to a 1-3-1 zone within the first few minutes.
From there, O-E took Evans and Co. out of the game, collapsing on drives and post touches that forced several misses at the rim.
“(Naz Prep) are superior athletes. We had to find ways to outsmart them and make them think and make them turn the ball over,” said Francis. “I thought we did a good job of that.”
On offense, the Terrors finally broke out of the shooting slump that had hamstrung them over the past few weeks. Landon Francis would knock down the first triple of the night to pull ahead 5-3, before nailing another just moments later. Shene Thomas contributed three points, albeit from a second chance score and foul, before Manning Splain hit another triple as O-E sparked a 14-1 run. Holding Naz Prep scoreless for over three minutes, O-E had amassed a 16-6 lead after the first quarter.
Landon Francis, the Terrors’ all-time leading scorer, stops and pops from beyond the arc during O-E’s win over the Saints in the first round of the PIAA state tournament. Francis would finish with three triples and 25 points in the win. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
After getting warmed up in the first, Splain would get red hot at the start of the second. Starting with a trip to the free throw line on their first possession, he would score O-E’s first eight points with a mixed bag of shots from outside and in, as well as backdoor cuts to the basket.
“When he made those free throws in Clarion (in the D9 championship game) and I knew we were coming back home, I said that it’s going to be now or never. If he was going to come back on, it was going to be back home,” said Derrick Francis of Splain, who was sidelined for three games late in the season due to an ankle injury. “He’s been good, physically, for three weeks. Mentally, it takes a little bit of time. But he’s back.”
As the Saints continued to struggle with the Terrors’ zone defense, being held scoreless for another three-plus minutes including several empty trips to the charity stripe, O-E began to pull away. The 8-2 run that Splain started snowballed into a 14-2 stretch that put O-E up by 19 by the end of the half.
Naz Prep would lean into their athleticism and physicality throughout the second half. Starting by implementing a full-court-press at the beginning of the third, the Saints would stay within arms reach of O-E on every drive. However, their plan would ultimately backfire as aggression resulted in Evan’s fourth foul just over a minute into play, relegating him to the sidelines. With him off the court and out of the paint, the battle for rebounds became a fair fight.
Splain would break the ice on this new front, pulling down back-to-back offensive boards and scoring four quick points. Although the Saints would find their best scoring quarter in the third – 14 points – they were unable to keep up with O-E, who scored from all avenues and led 45-27 heading into the final period.
Fighting through more physicality and aggression, along with rampant double-teams, nothing seemed to slow down the Terrors. Allowing just 12 points from the Saints, O-E cruised through the final eight minutes of play as they continued to add to their side of the scoreboard. Maintaining an iron grip on the game, as well as a 20-point advantage, the Terrors completed the thrashing of Naz Prep, earning their spot in the PIAA quarterfinals.
“We just executed,” said Derrick Francis. “All we can ever do is give the boys opportunities and I think my coaching staff does a damn good job of giving kids opportunities. When you give them a chance and they put in the work, good things happen.”
After battling back from a late-season injury, Splain finally returned to his true form against the Saints, leading O-E with 26 points. Landon Francis followed closely behind with 25 while Davey Schenfield, who was the main defensive assignment that held Evans to just four points, ended with five points in the win.
Moving forward, the Terrors will face another challenger from District 7, this time Serra Catholic (D7-2). That game will take place on Tuesday, March 11 at a location yet to be decided.
After the game, the Terrors took time to recognize their newest achievement. Along with this senior class being the most successful in school history, the win against Naz Prep solidified a 50-0 record when at home.
“Our fans are freaking awesome. They’re awesome, the kids are awesome,” said Derrick Francis. “It’s special here.”
The Otto-Eldred seniors, the most successful class in program history, celebrate earning their 50th consecutive home win. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
AT DUKE CENTER
Nazareth Prep (39)
Keyes 6 3-4 15, Harrison 3 1-3 10, Evans 1 2-4 4, Johnson 2 0-1 4, Caldwell 1 1-4 3, Rucker 1 0-2 2, Pierce 0 1-3 1. Totals: 14 8-21 39
Otto-Eldred (64)
Splain 6 12-13 26, Francis 6 10-11 25, Schenfield 2 0-0 5, Thomas 2 1-1 5, Obenrader 0 2-2 2, Mac. Splain 0 1-2 1. Totals: 16 26-29 64
Naz Prep 6 13 27 39
Otto-Eldred 16 32 45 64
Three-point goals: NP (3) Harrison 3, O-E (6) Francis 3, Splain 2, Schenfield; Total fouls: NP 24, O-E 15; fouled out: Harrison, Rucker (NP).
