Down 17, CCHS rallies to advance
Vikings stun Archbishop Carroll, reach semis for first time since 2001
Tyson Thomas sat on a bench in the Central Catholic locker room Friday in near complete exhaustion.
When a reporter requested an interview, Thomas summoned the energy to get off the bench and go outside the locker room. But even though the game had been over for at least 15 minutes, Thomas was still out of breath.
That’s how much effort the Vikings junior guard put into what turned out to be the most amazing game of his career and this CCHS season.
Thomas scored 24 points, including 15 in the second half, to rally the District 11 champions to a memorable 55-51 PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal win over Philadelphia Catholic League power Archbishop Carroll.
Trailing 39-22 three minutes into the third quarter, the Vikings (18-4) staged a stunning comeback that put the program into the state semifinals for the first time since 2001.
They will travel to either District 3 champ Middletown or District 4 titlist Danville Monday night, but as they got into their bus for the ride home, it didn’t matter to any of them who’ll they play. After two come-from-behind wins in the tournament so far, one thing they’ve proved is that they never surrender.
“I’m so proud of every single individual on this team from the coaching staff to the 14 players,” Thomas said.
“In the third quarter we were down 15 or 17 and I told the guys that this is not over. Every single one of them had to believe it. We came together and fought, and fought and fought and fought.”
Thomas said the team had to pick up the energy on defense and start making shots. CCHS struggled from the field in the first half, making just 7 of 22. The Vikings had just one 3-pointer before intermission and went nearly half of the second quarter without scoring as Carroll (9-7) went on a 9-0 run and led by as much as 26-13 and settled for a a 29-19 halftime lead.
It didn’t get any better early in the third period as the District 12 champs answered a Griffin Patridge 3-pointer with an 8-0 run to go up by 17.
“We looked like we were down and out, but the guys just kept battling and competing,” CCHS coach Dennis Csensits said. “Tyson Thomas was really special tonight and put us on his back and showed why he’s an MVP. He got everybody going.”
Thomas made back-to-back 3-pointers to pull CCHS within 39-30 with minutes, 45 seconds left in the third quarter. The Vikings had a chance to get within six or seven on their final possession of the third stanza, but turned it over.
Carroll, which starts two freshmen and features a Division I candidate in 6-foot-8 senior center Anquan Hill, got the lead back up to 47-37 before CCHS went on its run. A pair of free throws by Carroll’s Moses Hipps made it 51-46 with 2:17 left, but the Patriots wouldn’t score the rest of the night.
CCHS got two free throws from Thomas to get within three and then a steal and layup from Liam Joyce to pull within one. Then after another empty possession by Carroll, Joyce worked his way inside for the go-ahead layup with 48 seconds left.
Patridge made one of two foul shots with 28 ticks to go to get the lead to 53-51 and fittingly it was Thomas who made the two clinching free throws with eight seconds left.
“In the first half, we struggled a lot at the offensive end, but in the second half we came through,” Thomas said. “We go hard in practice and work hard to make every one of us better. It’s not just about me. Other guys made shots. I made shots. It was a team effort.”
CCHS finished with seven 3-pointers, including three by Thomas and two by Andrew Csensits. Carroll had just one 3-pointer after halftime and Hill, who dominated inside at times in the first half with 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, had just four points after intermission and none in the fourth quarter.
“Hill is a great player and he’s getting Division I offers for a reason,” said Central senior Christian Spugnardi, who had just three points but contributed seven rebounds and three assists. “Tyson stepped up and told us at halftime that we’re still in this. We came out and played our hearts out in the second half. He willed us to this win.”
Spugnardi said he didn’t think about it until the bus ride down to Radnor Township, but he realized it could have been his last game as a CCHS basketball player.
“I’m so happy it wasn’t,” he said.
Bangor eliminated
Bangor led Archbishop Ryan 13-12 after one period but the host Raiders were in control the rest of the way and rolled to a 68-50 victory in PIAA Class 5A first-round action Friday night.