Henderson Moves into Holiday Tourney Finals

MEDIA – The Henderson High School basketball team picked up victory number four Wednesday and will now try to close out the calendar year with a trophy Thursday night when the Warriors meet Penncrest at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game of the Penncrest High School Holiday Tournament. 

The Warriors secured their place in the title game with a 61-46 victory over Council Rock South in the opener of the first-round doubleheader, racing out to a 21-4 lead before holding off a serious Council Rock South rally to achieve the comfortable win.  Penncrest, now 3-5, moved into the championship game against Henderson with a 49-35 victory over Sun Valley in Wednesday’s first-round nightcap.

The right-handed twin, Jason McCormick, played the leading role for the Warriors, scoring eight of his team’s first 11 enroute to a 20-point performance.  He hurt the Golden Hawks all night long, forging the early lead, delivering a key assist for a Chas McCormick three-point play midway through the third quarter and then tallying the first four points of the fourth to stretch Henderson’s lead from eight to 12 points.

Council Rock South coach John Easterly called three of his five time outs in the first seven minutes of the first period, as his charges tried to cope with Henderson’s relentless zone press.   The Golden Hawks got their act together in the second period, outscoring Henderson, 19-8, but when they pulled to within two in the third, Jason fed Chas for a baseline floater plus the foul and Henderson carried an eight-point lead into the fourth.

“We knew about their press,” offered Easterly, whose team dropped to 3-3.  “Henderson did a great job of getting to loose balls and they outhustled us.  We missed a lot of opportunities.”  Many of those came at the free throw line, where Council Rock South converted only nine of 18 attempts, including three of nine during the second quarter comeback. 

“We got a false sense of security (after the first quarter),” Henderson coach Chris Bruno stated after his team moved to 4-3 on the season.  “They (our players) thought the way we started was the way it would go.  That’s what can happen.  Once they (Council Rock South) got settled, it was an even kind of game.”

Both teams were without their top rebounders, senior football players who were in Maryland for the second annual Chesapeake Bowl All-Star game in Edgewater, MD.  Henderson’s T.J. White and Council Rock South’s P.J. Gallo are teammates on the North team that will take on a collection of all-stars from Maryland and Washington D.C. Friday night.

P.J. Costello, David Goodman and Scottie Cullinan made key contributions in White’s absence for the Warriors, who attacked the basket all night long, never attempting a three-point shot and making the inside, physical play pay off by hitting 17 of 23 free throws.  Costello scored four straight points late in the third quarter to push the lead from five to nine.  Goodman hit both of his field goal attempts on nifty moves down low.  Cullinan had six rebounds and six points, including the fast break lay-up that pushed the lead to 13 and closed the deal with two minutes left in the game.

Chas McCormick, the southpaw twin, ended up with 11 points and added four steals.  Declan Kane contributed seven points and led Henderson rebounders with seven.  Costello also contributed five rebounds.

Will Faccenda paced the Council Rock scorers with 13 points and Michael Brightcliffe and Nick Cocco added 10 each.  It was the 6-5 Brightcliffe and Cocco whose work on the offensive boards pulled Council Rock South to within two points before Chas McCormick’s crucial three-point play gave his team that third-quarter lift.

 Following Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. championship game in Media, the Warriors launch their home schedule on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. with a Ches-Mont National Division game against Downingtown West at the Henderson High School gym.

The Henderson junior varsity’s holiday tournament games took place on Tuesday, when the Warriors lost narrow decisions to Strath Haven (47-39) and to Upper Darby (52-46).  Luke Weaver had 12 points to lead Henderson in the Upper Darby game with Mike Griffith and Mark DiMatteo chipping in 10 each.  Weaver led the way with 11 and DiMatteo had 10 in the Strath Haven game.