Last night at City Honors, I was asked prior to tip if that was City Honors or Maryvale in the white shirts? I pointed to City Honors and said they're wearing white. Then the person pointed to the crowd and said he was referring to them. I looked up and saw a large contingent of Flyer fans clad in white shirts that read "Why not us". In a year where Class B1 is riddled with parity and appears to be there for the taking, the Flyers chances of winning a sectional title are much more than the wishful thinking of a #10 seed.
Maryvale won all four quarters at City Honors in the Class B1 pre-quarterfinal on Wednesday night, en route to posting a 71-47 win over the Centaurs. The victory advances them to the quarterfinal round on Friday night, where the #2 seed and league rival, Depew, awaits.
"We've got to go to their place, it's going to be a battle – no doubt about it", Maryvale coach Mark Kensy said. "We've been playing each other for a long, long time. We know each other very well and I think we match up pretty evenly".
The two regular season meetings between the Wildcats & Flyers certainly back up that sentiment. Depew took both games in the series, winning by two points in both games. The second time the two played was the first outing for the team's point guard, Ray Blackwell, a freshman call up from the JV team who has given the team a floor general to orchestrate the offense, break the press, and provide energy & enthusiasm.
The Flyers had to knock off a pair of teams from Yale Cup II to set up the rubber match with Depew. In the first round on Tuesday night, they made quick work of Lafayette, beating the Violets, 69-44. Just 24 hours later, another 20-plus-point victory over the Centaurs was in the books. Depew coach Larry Jones was looking on for both, as his Wildcats secured the #2 seed in Class B1 and had a bye until the quarterfinal round.
The two wins that got the Flyers to Friday night went similarly. In both games, Maryvale took control early, enjoyed a comfortable lead at halftime, shot the ball well, and got contributions for many. And in both games, Mike Kelleher, the team's senior leader, was the best player on the floor for his team. Kelleher finished with team-highs in scoring on both nights – 17 points against Lafayette and 18 points against City Honors, on a combination of 3-pointers and polished post moves. Whether on the court or on the bench, Kelleher is a big part of the game, always talking to his teammates.
"Mike's given us leadership all year, it hasn't just been the last two games", Kensy said. "He's tremendous – he works hard and is very vocal".
Junior Andrew Crombie scored a combined 28 points over the two games and showed off a nice touch from the perimeter. Marcus Ford is a good defender for the Flyers and showed the ability to play away from the basket, along with using his size and strength inside. Matt Mason gives Maryvale a big and capable post presence, and Jeremiah Pace, along with sophomore Theodore York-Brown, are solid off the bench for the Flyers.
"We're improving and getting contributions from a lot of different people", Kensy said.
Have they improved enough to overcome Depew when they meet for a third time on Friday is the burning question that we will soon have the answer to. The winner will move on to Buff State and be just two victories from a Section VI championship. Despite coming in as the 10 seed, Flyer fans ask "Why not us?".
-centercourt
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