Tuesday night the Indians played a non-conference game against Section 2's Solanco. The long trip to Quarryville began with a bus malfunction (the third bus issue this season). Surely this was an ominous moment as the team continued to seek its first victory of the season. Coach Butt had yet another teachable moment regarding adversity; no wins, bus issues, a new starting lineup, and a formidable opponent looking for its first victory. How would the Indians respond?
For the third straight game, Donegal found itself down early as the Golden Mules' 1-3-1 defense disrupted the Indians offensive flow. Solanco's Junior guard, Tyler Stitz, aggressively played the passing lanes and transitioned a turnover into a dunk that sent the nome team's student section into a frendzy. Coach Butt was forced to call the first timeout of the game following the next possession; the Indians losing 6-0.
The Indians came out of the timeout with a fire. They began attacking the zone and clawed their way back into the game. Defensively, they turned up the pressure and went after each and every rebound with a tenacity unmatched this season. The Indians closed the first quarter leading 13-12.
To the Donegal fans in attendance, the next 8 minutes featured a sight for sore eyes. The team worked collectively on defense and focused on boxing out. Solanco scored only 2 points the entire quarter. The coaching staff reluctantly breathed a sigh of relief heading into the locker room, their team ahead 23-14.
The second half of the game featured a brief Solanco run early in the third quarter. The Indians held tough and closed out the game by managing the clock and making quality decisions winning 46-30. The 16 point victory marked the first win of the season and the first win over Solanco in at least 5 seasons.
Catch the Indians in action again tonight as they face York Tech at DHS; the first home game of the season.
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