Hardwood Heroes
Federal Hocking Lancers take sectional final over Manchester Greyhounds
By: Reese Thompson
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STEWART, Ohio (WOUB) – The Federal Hocking Lancers secured their first tournament victory 65-44 in a brawl against the Manchester Greyhounds, giving them the title of Sectional Champions
This was a neck-to-neck battle and the crowded stands added fuel to the fire on the court. Right off the bat, this was a fast moving game and Manchester’s dynamic defense kept the Lancer’s from gaining a lead in the first quarter ending 17-16. Caden Chapman was on his A-game draining two three’s in the first eight minutes..
The Lancers were in fight-or-flight mode in the second quarter, barely keeping up with Manchester. Shots weren’t falling and they had difficulty maneuvering around the Greyhound defensive barrier. As a result, Manchester held on to the close game 32-30 going into the half.
The intensity was high during timeouts with both coaches implementing schemes to motivate their players. This talk went into effect for Federal Hocking after halftime as they took off with the lead. They were aggressive under the basket which is exactly what happened for Scotty Balch, who led with 10 rebounds and four assists on the night. When the Lancers started to connect , there was no looking back.
Communication on the defensive end pressured the Greyhounds into inconsistent shooting. Big time players like Tariq Cottrill could be found ready in any given situation on the court, proving his reliability in tough situations Cottrill led with five steals, seven assists, and 16 points for the Lancers.
Going into the fourth it was smooth sailing for Federal Hocking . Heavy defense propelled the Lancers to the pull away with 21 points over Manchester. The team cut down the nets after the game in celebration for moving on in tournament play as they take on the Beaver Eastern Eagles on Monday.