Originally Published in The Merchandiser. By Leah Sintic
Three additional wins last week propelled the Chargers beyond the mid-point of the regular season, earning them an overall record of 12-2, and boosting their undefeated CCAC streak to 6-0.
Last Friday night capped the week with a resounding 81-21 win over the Crusaders of the Christian School of York.
The away contest started and ended with the Chargers in control of the run-away triumph, led by Aidan Masters’ 15 points and complimented by another 10 from Evan Barnes.
The offensive blitz was truly a team-wide effort with 12 players adding to the point tally.
Forty team rebounds, grabbed by 13 different players, certainly provided a slew of opportunities for the Chargers. Chip Stambaugh and Regan Mummau had the most, each securing six.
Brett Taylor and Damian Rutt topped the assist category, with three apiece.
Last Tuesday the team topped York Country Day with a comfortable 56-36 final score, after a 20-4 Charger run in the opening period which set the tone for the contest.
The highest four scorers shared the offensive load with similar contributions; Masters put in 12, Hunter Stewart and Stambaugh each had 10, and Barnes added nine.
Jack Hilsher led the team in assists, with four, and Masters provided the same number of steals to spur the defense.
Monday, January 13, the Chargers trounced Harrisburg Christian in a 71-21 victory on the road. Thirteen different Mount Calvary athletes added points to the scoreboard, led by a game-high 21 from Masters.
Stewart had a perfect night at the line, going five-of-five.
“I think the most important thing was that we were able to get off to a fast start and take command of the game early,” noted head coach Kory Pruner.
On defense, Masters swept in with four steals, and freshman Reagan Mummau led the team’s rebound count with seven.
Using the new year as a platform to discuss one of the team’s spiritual themes, Coach Pruner has been emphasizing to his team the importance of character building that extends beyond the basketball court.
“We are focused on playing with a new perspective and new purpose,” explained Pruner. “We are taking ideas from John 1 and 2 and have started looking at playing with new life.”
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Last week held a bit of everything for the Lady Chargers, with the week coming to a close after a win, a loss, and a weather postponement.
Friday night, after five consecutive CCAC wins, the Chargers faced their first conference loss of the season, falling 32-30, on a trip to Christian School of York.
The MC girls found themselves trailing the Crusaders 19-13 at the break. Rallying for a stronger second half, the Chargers outscored CSY 17-13, but came up just one possession short of a full comeback.
Kenzie Baughman stole the show in last Monday’s 44-38 triumph over Harrisburg Christian, racking up a season high 26 points, which included five three-point buckets and five-of-eight free throws.
The Lady Chargers were up 27-18 at intermission, but the Knights rallied for a comeback in the third, going on a 12-0 run and briefly taking the lead, 30-27.
Fouls and turnovers plagued the Charger squad in the quarter, areas that needed to be addressed for a successful outcome.
“We played really well in three of the four quarters,” summarized head coach Phil Ferrari. “We battled back after a rough third quarter to hold on for another league win.”
A 17-point fourth quarter scoring blitz for the Chargers put them back in front, as well as defensive contributions from Haley Witmer who pulled down seven rebounds and grabbed four steals.
Nine of those fourth quarter points came from the free throw line, a team-wide effort in which the Lady Chargers got to the line for 17 attempts. The squad also improved their protection of the ball, only allowing one turnover in the final eight minutes of play.
Moving forward, Coach Ferrari has several areas he hopes to grow the team as they head down the home stretch of the season.
“Our turnovers have been too high,” explained Ferrari. “We’re still winning the turnover battle because we’re forcing a lot, but we need to clean up our play on offense.”
Physicality is another area the team is honing in on, hoping to improve their second chances with additional offensive boards and neutralizing opponents on the defensive side.
“We want to continue focusing on crashing hard on every shot,” elaborated Ferrari. “We need to continue getting better at slowing down opposing post players.”
With those goals in mind, the squad faces an upcoming week with three opponents lined up to test their skills in the form of Dayspring Christian, Harrisburg Christian, and Lancaster Country Day.
