Pioneers Win Nail Biter at Conestoga Valley, Continue Their Win Streak
Last night's battle between the two Lampeter Township schools was nothing short of electric. The Pioneers were able to pull ahead late in the fourth to claim victory at CV in a high energy game. The boys in blue finished strong, winning 86-71.
Ben Wert in Game vs Manheim Central (Logan Thompson)
The stands were filled before the JV game even ended. You could feel the tension within the building leading all the way up to tip off. You could tell CV wanted their revenge after being stumped earlier in the fall in the Lampeter Bowl. They were unsuccessful in their revenge tour.
Right from the get-go, both squads made the weather forecast change to, “raining 3’s!” Nobody could miss from beyond the ark. Seniors Luka Vranich, Isaiah Parido, and Berkeley Wagner took charge with strong leadership to end the first half with a score of 50-39, with the Pioneers leading.
However, the game wasn’t over yet. The Buckskins charged back after keeping the game close throughout the 3rd quarter. The momentum was totally shifted as CV’s fans and student section erupted when they cut the deficit to single digits. It became a hostile environment for the Pioneers to play in.
But, with stellar defense and stunning team chemistry, the Pioneers put away the Buckskins with a final score of 86-71. I was fortunate to talk to a close friend of mine and senior team captain, Berkeley Wagner on how their team chemistry led them through a hostile environment in this nail-biter.
He told me, “I think it definitely helps when you are in a gym like that and it is hard to communicate and talk. You have to trust your teammates and know they are going to be in the right place at the right time and we do a really good job of that. When you get to play hoops with some of your best friends the chemistry is always there and when it is clicking in a gym like that, it's a ton of fun.”
The Pioneers host Lancaster Catholic tomorrow (Tuesday) in another fun game.
By Jake Reichert, LS News Reporter