Hershey Shootout

Following a brief drive to The Sweetest Place on Earth, the Donegal Boys' Basketball Team had a chance to see how they stack up against the competition. In their first action since the Hempfield Summer League, the boys faced three opponents; Northeastern, Greencastle Antrim, and Hershey at the Hershey Team Shootout.

In the first game of the triple-header, the Indians faced Northeastern, a potential tip-off tournament foe. The team focused on playing fundamental team basketball with a primary emphasis on pushing the ball offensively. The first half was closely contested, but the depth of the Indians was unmatched and the team prevailed with a 20 point victory.

Game two presented an interesting matchup for the Indians. Greencastle's run-and-gun style of play, coupled with an interior post presence, caused problems both offensively and defensively for Donegal. The game featured several lead changes and each team gained experience in situational basketball. The execution of Coach Butt's halftime adjustments made the difference as the Indians made enough key plays down the stretch to leave the Hershey Middle School with back-to-back wins.

In the final game of the day, the Indians faced a tough match-up with host school, Hershey. Donegal started 5 seniors for the first time during the shootout and the experience played a significant role during the game's first 5 minutes. Lead by the returning seniors, the Indians dominated both ends of the court and cruised to an early lead. Drake Brumfield's block of Hershey's 6'8" center and John Sager's emphatic block, moments later, sent the Donegal bench into a frenzy. Hershey called a timeout to recover, and did they ever. Hershey rallied, eventually taking the lead. Donegal bounced back and tied the game at the end of regulation. "We lost our focus and that allowed Hershey to get back into the game."

The trip to Hershey would not be complete without some controversy. At the conclusion of the overtime period, a rule change was implemented to maintain time constraints. Instead of playing a full 1 minute overtime period, the Hershey coach announced the second OT period would be the first team to score 2 points would win. Following the home team's 6'8" center winning the tap, Hershey worked the ball through the offensive set and hit the game winning field goal. About the controversial ending, Coach Butt simply stated, "We had our chance to win and came up short. We had too many turnovers, missed layups, and free-throws." To be a good team we need to do the little things a little bit better.

The shootout served as a preview of what the Indians have to offer this season. The team has a substantial starting point for the upcoming season. Guard, Ben Shenandoah said it best, "It [the tournament] allows our team to see what we are good at and what we need to work on going into the season. It also allows us to build chemistry and work together against good competition." The team has a lot to work on, but overall the season's goals are in reach. The continued efforts to improve may help the Indians find success on their Journey to the Giant Center.