CLARION – Tiger Woods doesn’t prepare to beat players like Phil
Mickelson and Jim Furyk by pounding the local golf pro 9-and-8
every match and neither do the Owls prepare for the postseason by
filling their non-league schedule with cupcakes.
The logic of that reasoning was never more clearly on display
than during Saturday’s District 9 Class AAA title game in which the
Owls claimed yet another championship with a 69-54 win over St.
Marys at Clarion University.
Bradford High coach Dave Fuhrman maintains that losses to teams
like Class AAAA State College and Hollidaysburg or triple-A
powerhouse Highlands does more for a team than crushing sub-par
squads.
“Everybody’s going to look at our record and say, “How the hell
does that team win a district title?,” Fuhrman said. “We play a
great schedule and that’s why – to get us ready for this time of
year.
“Our juniors and seniors have played in a lot of big games in
their careers. Some teams don’t handle that atmosphere very well
and our kids blocked that out. There’s no substitute for big-game
experience and I think that showed tonight.”
More than experience and preparation, however, the Owls brought
the want-to into Tippin Gymnasium for the title tilt, playing
inspired defense and determined, attacking offense.
Senior Dan Vecellio ignited the Owls with his fiery
first-quarter play.
When Dutchman Kurt Baumgratz buried a three to put St. Marys up
5-4, Vecellio followed with three consecutive baskets for a 10-7
Owl edge at the 3:38 mark of the first quarter.
While the Dutch would tie it up twice more from here, the Owls
did not trail in the game again. “Dan got us off to a good start,”
Fuhrman declared. “He was running the floor and hitting the boards.
He’s been playing well.”
Bradford remained on the offensive through the second and
doubled up the Dutch 16-8 in the period, including an 11-2 run to
start it off.
Sophomore Drew Kelly keyed the quarter with six points on two
trifectas as Ryan LaBrozzi and Ben Lanich threw in four points
each.
Junior Tom Taylor made two key defensive plays in the first
half, drawing a charge and a five-second call, and once again
worked opposing point guard Matt Guido ragged.
“Guido played a good game,” Fuhrman noted. “Taylor made him work
up the floor, too.”
Tommy Morris and Lanich spurred the third, scoring six points
each in those eight minutes.
LaBrozzi put up six marks in the fourth quarter and the Owls
shot 13-for-14 from the foul line to secure the victory.
“It was a great team win for us,” Fuhrman commented. “We got
great contributions from everybody out there tonight.
“Ben hit the boards hard for 18 rebounds and gave us 19 points.
Morris had a good, solid game with 15 points and handled the ball
well. LaBrozzi played very well (17 points).
“Kelly, I thought, came in and did an oustanding job as a
sophomore, I can’t say enough and that was big. Ryan got into some
foul trouble, we had to sit him and Drew came in and really played
well.”
Defensively, the Owls played the same hard-nose style that has
won them eight previous championships under Fuhrman.
BHS limited St. Marys’ Big Three – Louie Pisani, Baumgratz and
Levi Welder – to 25 combined points and held the Dutch as a team 18
points under their 72-points per game average.
“I thought we played great defense, particularly on Pisani. He
had two points at halftime. He is a tough match-up.
“LaBrozzi guarded him tough and when he got in a little foul
trouble, we put Tommy Morris on him and Tom Taylor guarded him
some. He got 17, but that’s how great he is that he can get 17 on
an off night.
“We did a great job on their top three scorers and that gave us
a great chance to beat that team. Their support players came in and
hurt us a bit – Brett Quiggle and Brendan Mulcahy.
“Defense has always been a mainstay of our program,” Fuhrman
remarked. “Defense really is important this time of year, you’ve
really got to guard.”
As far as how this league title stacks up with the eight others
he has won, Fuhrman said, “This one is special.
“I’m really proud of our guys. When I think about how far this
team has come from the beginning of the year to now I’m very
proud.
“These championships never get old and the guys are coming
together. Our chemistry is good and we’re playing our best
basketball at the right time of year.
“I know one thing,” Fuhrman added. “We’ve got to get another
banner in the gym because the district championship banner is
full.”
Next up for the Owls is District 7’s third-place team Ambridge
on Friday in the first round of the PIAA tournament. The game will
be played at 7 p.m. at Pitt-Bradford.
St. Marys, now 15-10, will play in a play-in game Tuesday.
