By HUNTER O. LYLE
EMPORIUM, PA – Rivalries. Some would say they are the best part of sports. Lakers versus Celtics. Yankees versus Red Sox. Shrink down to the North Tier League, in boy’s basketball the main show is Otto-Eldred versus Cameron County.
Over the past half decade, the Terrors and Red Raiders have been a constant clash of titans as both perennially fight for contention for the top spot in the league. Through their eleven meetings over the years, O-E managed to emerge victorious ten times – Cam Co’s lone win came in the NTL tournament semifinals last season.
However, in meeting No, 12 , the Red Raiders broke the trend, earning some long sought-after redemption in the form of a 50-44 victory.
“It was great to win. (Otto-Eldred) is well coached, they have solid players, a solid program,” said Cameron County head coach Marcus Brown. “Those teams that they had in the last four teams were just super teams, they were great, but it’s good to win now.”
Having their deafening fans behind them, Cam Co came out firing on all cylinders. Implementing a quick-stricking full-court-press, the Red Raiders managed to stunt O-E early as they plucked away several passes before turning steals into points on the other end. When not in transition, their 6’7 man in the middle, Isaac Grovanz, cleaned up any mistakes, dominating the offensive glass as the Red Raiders jumped out to an early 11-5 lead.
“Jack (Sherry) is a good basketball player and Grovanz is pretty solid,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Rob Wight. “We talked a lot about how Jack’s going to box him out, but he’s not going to be the guy getting the rebound. It’s going to be the other four guys when the ball gets tipped and tapped and battered around.”
However, Grovanz’s dominance came at a price. Picking up two fouls midway through the period, he was sent to the bench, leaving a window open for the Terrors, one they immediately took advantage of. In the final three minutes of the first, O-E swiftly got to work probing inside, with their own big man, Jack Sherry, quickly tallying two baskets as they broke open a 6-0 run.
While Cam Co’s offense had settled into a lull after their hot start, a floater from Taylan Tucker preserved a lead, albeit, by just two points, heading into the second quarter. But even despite having a moment of rest to revisit the drawing board, points were still hard to come by as they rolled into the next eight minutes of play. Luckily for them, O-E faced the same struggles.
After a game of runs in the first period, the second was plagued by offensive grid lock. Although both teams immediately traded baskets in the opening minutes, knotting the game at 19-19 with just under five minutes to go, a drought overtook the court from there. With Grovanz still on the bench due to foul trouble, the Red Raiders were forced into one-and-done possessions more times than not, while the Terrors struggled to get their shots to sink despite carving paths to the rim.
Following two full minutes of scoreless possessions, both teams ended the half on a make. Mason Schenfield would initially end the drought with a made 3-pointer with 50 seconds left on the clock, followed by a retaliation pick-and-roll score from Grady Gribble, the Red Raiders’ other 6-footer, just before the buzzer. Entering halftime, O-E managed to claw out a 22-21 advantage.
“I think you can chalk (our slump) to scouting. They seemed to have the playbook pretty down for us and I think we did a good job defensively down there,” said Wight. “At halftime, we wanted to just keep doing our stuff and executing. We knew the game was going to be won or loss on our ability to defend and rebound.”
Coming out of the locker room, the Red Raiders put their six-and-a-half-foot disruption back in the paint. Having Grovanz buried deep inside, Cam Co immediately made O-E think twice about taking trips to the rim, evident in Grovanz’s swat on the Terrors’ first possession. Meanwhile, their offense fed off of his presence, using pick-and-rolls to find him underneath the basket before O-E’s help coverage opened shots for his teammates.
While the Terrors were forced to the perimeter, Cam Co slowly but surely began pulling away, holding a five-point lead with one quarter to go.
Having the finish line within sight, the Red Raiders grabbed a firm grasp on the late-game momentum. Starting with back-to-back buckets inside from Beckett Bure and Gribble, Cam Co’s offense seemed infallible. Even when the Terrors finally broke the seal, with Wyatt Blendinger knocking down a shot from the outside, the Red Raiders wasted no time responding, finding Nick Goss open in the corner for a triple on the next trip down the court. Putting in their double-big lineup, with Gribble saddled up next to Grovanz, they continued to execute flawlessly, building up a double-digit lead midway through.
“It was an end-game situation. I thought we were pretty phenomenal,” said Brown. “I don’t think we turned (the ball) over once in it and we were patient and worked for good shots at the end, and that’ll happen if you listen and let things develop.”
As the clock continued to drain, the Terrors’ desperation grew. Looking to chip away at the deficit as fast as they could, they settled for rushed shots and contested 3-pointers, few of which connected. Even as they found scattered scores, it was not enough to fight against the current. Facing the Red Raiders’ stall-ball offense, O-E realized the inevitable: for the first time in a long time, they were on the wrong side of the rivalry. As well, for the first time in years, they had lost their place atop the NTL, suffering their second league loss of the season.
Sherry led the Terrors through the loss, posting a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Blendinger finished with 11 points and six rebounds. For the Red Raiders, Grovanz ended with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, while Bure led the team in scoring with 13 points alongside five rebounds and a steal.
While O-E’s sting from the loss is undoubtedly fresh as they take the ride back to Duke Center, redemption may not be far away. In just five days, the two teams will clash once again, this time in Terror Dome. That game is slated for Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
“The expectations have kind of shifted among the players and the fans. We’re four juniors and a sophomore. We’re still learning. This is their first time down here on this court, getting that kind of action” said Wight. “Being in it, getting that experience is great and we know we get them again in five days and it’s just as big. We can still get a share of the NTL with a win then so we’ll be locked and loaded for that and we’ll see what happens.”
AT EMPORIUM
Otto-Eldred (44)
Sherry 7 2-2 17, Blendinger 4 2-4 11, Schenfield 3 0-0 7, Rees 2 0-0 5, Sheeler 1 2-2 4. Totals: 17 6-8 44
Cameron County (50)
Bure 5 2-5 13, Grovanz 5 2-2 12, Zucal 4 0-0 9, Gribble 3 0-2 6, Tucker 3 0-2 6, Goss 1 1-2 4. Totals: 21 5-13 50
Otto-Eldred 11 22 27 44
Cameron County 13 21 32 50
Three-point goals: O-E (4) Rees, Blendinger, Sherry, Schenfield, CC (3) Bure, Zucal, Tucker; Total fouls: O-E 15, CC 12; Fouled out: Grovanz (CC).
JV: Cameron County 29, Otto-Eldred 25
