Perfect ending for OLSH
HERSHEY, Pa. — There was no fiery pregame speech from the coach, no loud yelling or boisterous pregame chants from the players. Heck, instead of the black quarter zips that the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart coaches wore, instead of those purple uniforms that the players donned, maybe they all should have dressed in pinstripe suits because this quest for perfection and a state championship was done in a very business-like manner.
The Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers played in the PIAA Class 2A championship last Friday at Giant Center in Hershey against Constitution of Philadelphia. Not only was a state title at stake, the Chargers were trying to become only the 14th boys team in the history of the WPIAL to win a state championship with a perfect record.
“It wasn’t like this three years ago,” OLSH coach Mike Rodriguez said, referring to the team’s appearance in the 2019 state championship that resulted in a loss to the same Constitution team. “Everybody was so different. Everyone was too excited, even at the hotel. This was treated more with a business-like attitude, but that’s the way we wanted it. The players wanted it that way, too.”
Here is an inside look at OLSH’s quest for perfection. The Post-Gazette met the team upon arrival at Giant Center and was in the “locker room” before the game, at halftime and postgame.
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Tipoff for the championship is 2:30 p.m. OLSH’s team arrives at Giant Center at 1:20 and heads straight for the locker room. Well, it’s not really a locker room. Due to COVID-19, the PIAA does not permit teams to use locker rooms. All teams come dressed in their uniforms and are given a room to meet before the game. OLSH’s room is small and a number of items, such as tables, are stored behind curtains on one side of the room.
Some players sit in chairs around the room, putting on their game shoes.
“Do you wear those socks to play baseball in because they’re pretty dirty,” one player says to Rocco Spadafora, a sophomore and starting guard.
Dante Spadafora, OLSH’s standout senior point guard and Rocco’s brother, grabs two basketballs and goes through a set of ballhandling drills in the corner of the room. Players stretch and Spadafora goes through exercises on his right heel. He has been bothered lately by planter fasciitis.
“It’s killing me,” Spadafora says.
It is relatively quiet in the room during pregame. No music. Players talk softly among themselves. A few take a ball and practice their shooting motions, throwing the ball up against the wall. Rodriguez even plays trainer, taking a minute to lace up an ankle brace on Jake DiMichele.
Rodriguez and his assistants use a white board to write down some keys to the game and a short scouting report on every Constitution starter. Some players go up to the board and read the notes on the Constitution players. Rodriguez reminds players to please take out their earrings.
At 1:50, Rodriguez addresses the team.
“Gentlemen, don’t let them be in attack mode against you,” Rodriguez says. “You know what our motto is. We are constantly what?”
“Attacking,” the players answer in unison.
Rodriguez then says, “And if we’re not attacking?”
“We’re being attacked,” the players answer.
Assistant coaches say a few words before Rodriguez speaks again. He uses a normal tone of voice. There is no rah-rah speech.
“I want you to make your own memory today. Enjoy the journey we’ve been on,” Rodriguez says. “You know what I think of you guys. You know I love you very much. Just do what we do. Everybody good?”
“Yes, sir,” the players answer.
Dante Spadafora speaks up, “Hey, yo. Thirty-two minutes is all we need.”
Rodriguez mentions one last thing, about playing fundamental basketball before the team gathers in a circle and says an Our Father prayer. At the end of the prayer, Rodriguez says, “Our Lady of Sacred Heart pray for us. Our Lady of Victory pray for us.”
The team breaks up and heads to the court. On the way into the arena, Rodriguez remarks how Dante Spadafora’s foot is so bad that it’s remarkable he’s playing.
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OLSH doesn’t play its best in the first half, shooting only 38% from the field. But the potent one- two punch of Dante Spadafora and Jake DiMichele still combine for 22 points. The score was tied, 19-19, in the second quarter, but OLSH goes on a 15-4 run in the second quarter and leads at halftime, 34-25.
In the “locker room” at halftime, you can sense OLSH is confident about winning this game against the same team that beat the Chargers three years earlier.
“Hey, they gave us their best half. We’ve only got two more quarters,” Dante Spadafora says.
Rodriguez enters the room and says to the team, “We didn’t execute particularly well offensively.”
He talks about better shot selection.
“If you can’t execute in a state championship game, you can’t execute anywhere,” Rodriguez says.
Rodriguez talks for only a few minutes. No major adjustments are needed. He brings up a few defensive areas where OLSH needs to do a better job. It was one of the few times he raised his voice.
“Poise, patience, good possessions,” Rodriguez says. “You’ve got the lead right now, but it does not matter. The score is zero zero. We’re starting over. But way to play hard boys. Give me another half.”
The players gather together in the center of the room and Dante Spadafora says loudly, “Let’s go. Let’s finish it.”
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OLSH controls the game in the second half and is never seriously threatened. The Chargers roll to a 62-49 win. The win gives OLSH a final record of 24-0. The first WPIAL team to win a state title with a perfect record was McKeesport 100 years earlier.
Four players score in double figures in the OLSH victory. DiMichele leads with 21, only three short of what McKeesport scored in the state final in 1921. Dante Spadafora has 15, Dawson Summers 13 and B.J. Vaughn gives a big lift off the bench with 11. OLSH blocks 10 shots. DiMichele finishes the season with 1,813 career points and DiMichele 1,792.
The players wait for Rodriguez to enter the locker room and they give him the celebratory shower, dousing him with water from bottles while jumping around and yelling loudly.
After order is restored, the players sit in chairs while Rodriguez gives a short talk. He holds the game ball, which was given to him by Constitution coach Rob Moore.
“It’s one of the classiest gestures I’ve seen in 32 years of coaching,” Rodriguez says. “That’s a big compliment to you guys. It’s a sign of respect.”
Rodriguez tells the team to rise and gather around him. He addresses the Chargers one last time, but again in a calm, measured voice.
“You’ve done something that in the history of OLSH has never been done,” Rodriguez says. “You’ve done something that I guarantee you will remember for the rest of your lives. Twenty years from now, 40 years from now, when you’re talking to your grandkids, you’ll say, ‘You know something, I won a state title.’”
A few players chime in. “Undefeated state title.”
Rodriguez delivers a few final sentences.
“The time for long speeches is over,” he says. “All I can tell you is that I love you and you did a great job. You did this for yourselves. You earned it. I love you all.”
And that was the perfect ending.