Blue Devil Dispatch
Blue Devil season ends in heartbreak
By JAI E. COURTER Echo Pilot

Aknee injury may have kept Rusty Cordell off the court, but it didn't stop his pep talks in the huddle.

Greencastle-Antrim's luck and storied season ran out in the second round of the PIAA State Championships Tuesday as the boys' basketball team let a 23-12 halftime lead slip away and its season ended in heartbreak.

The District 2 champions, Scranton Prep, converted two foul shots in the final seconds leaving G-A's season to rely on a half-court prayer and an ending that left the many G-A fans who traveled two hours in soggy conditions in disbelief.

G-A came out somewhat slow but got the job done on defense, outscoring the Cavaliers 12-8 in the first quarter and 11-4 in the second, which gave the Devils an 11 point cushion at the half. The Devils continued to pour it on at the start of the second half. An "overrated" chant from Scranton Prep's student aimed at Dameatric Scott sparked him for several possessions, as he got to the basket at will.

The Blue Devils led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers slowly chipped away at the margin. The Devils were outscored 19- 13 in the third and their lead was cut to just five. The Cavaliers got out on a 9-0 run that started in the final seconds of the third and lasted into the fourth, as they gained their first lead, 37-36, with about six minutes remaining.

Dameatric Scott drives to the basket in the state game.

Scranton Prep stuck Josh Ildefonso on Scott for the last quarter and a half, and he made the difference. His physical defensive play gave G-A some trouble as he caused several turnovers. However, Scott went on to be G-A's only scorer in the fourth quarter, with nine. A hook shot from Scott put the Devils up 39-37, but Scranton Prep scored five straight to gain a three-point lead with 1:44 to play.

Scott cut the lead to one on the next possession but a free throw on the other end put the Devils down two. Levie Holman found Scott in the corner for three, to give Greencastle a one point lead with 43 seconds on the clock. G-A's 10th foul sent the Cavaliers to the line for two shots. They made the first, but Scott rebounded the second shot after it bounced out.

Jordan Gembe goes up for a block.

The Devils called a timeout with 24 seconds left and passed it around a little until they called another timeout with 9.1 seconds left. The inbound was meant to go to Jordan Gembe, but he was held up before the inbound and was sent to the line for 1-and-1. Gembe's first shot rimmed out but Scott gathered the rebound and was fouled with 7.1 ticks left, which would send him to the line for two shots.

He stepped up and drained the first shot to put the Devils up by one. His second shot didn't fall and Scranton Prep rebounded the ball and got off on a 3-on-1 fast break. Gembe was the last man back, and he contested the lay-up and a foul was called with 1.5 seconds remaining. Billy Joyce calmly stepped up and sank two free throws with the pressure on to put Scranton Prep up by one. The inbound went to Scott and his half-court prayer bounced off the front rim to put an end to the G-A's post season run.

Scott led all scorers with 29 points and 16 rebounds. He shot 5-for-11 from the free throw line. Holman chipped in with seven point and three rebounds, while Jordan Statler added six points and six boards. Gembe's only points came on a three-pointer in the first half, leaving him 15 points shy of becoming a member of Greencastle's 1,000 point club.

Levie Holman makes a shot in this photo taken from the rafters of Martz Hall in Pottsville.

The Devils finished the season with a record of 25-6. They will lose eight seniors who led them to the state playoffs three years in a row. Last year the Devils won their first state playoff game in school history and continued their run to the championship game, where they fell by two points on a last second shot.

Jordan Statler battles under the hoop.