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One team got its mojo back last weekend. The other needs to find its tonight.
That sums up the paths Holy Redeemer and GAR have taken to the PIAA boys basketball state playoffs.
Redeemer heads south on Saturday, playing traditional District 3 power and two-time district champion Trinity at 2:30 p.m. at East Pennsboro High School in Enola in a Class 2A contest. The District 2 third seed Royals regained their swagger with an impressive 64-55 win over Riverside.
Meanwhile, D2-3A runner-up GAR gets to stay close to home, playing D3 fourth seed Manheim Central (24-4) at 6 p.m. today at Wyoming Area. The Grenadiers were staggered 88-55 by Scranton Prep — as many opponents have been this season — in the championship game.
“We have to learn from our mistakes and move on,” GAR senior guard Seth Callahan said. “They ran, got open shots and hit them. We didn’t hit our shots and they started what 15 of 32. They shot lights out.”
“We came out flat and didn’t really hit our shots in the beginning,” GAR junior guard Dajon Rush said. “They were hitting and got up on us pretty quickly. In the second half, we tried to make a run at them, but it was too late.”
Manheim Central doesn’t bring much basketball history into the game. The Barons have never won a District 3 championship and have played for the title once, losing 59-44 to Susquehanna Township last season. They then made a first-round exit in states.
Still, this is a tough opponent for GAR. Matt Walsh, a 6-foot-5 senior, is the catalyst of Manheim Central and has the ability to score anywhere on the court. GAR coach Paul Brown compares him to one his own, Greg Skrepenak Jr. Skrepenak would be an idea matchup for Walsh, but is ineligible to play after receiving two technical fouls against Prep.
“He is the man on the team,” Brown said. “From talking to other coaches down that way, he’s possibly a scholarship player. He’s very aggressive, plays inside-outside and he can hit the three. And he’s a bear on the boards. He gets a lot of offensive rebounds.”
Next in line is 6-8 sophomore Tyler Funk. Funk rarely posts up and is more of a stretch-five player. Brown considers him the Barons’ best 3-point shooter.
Manheim Central tore through its schedule before losing three of its last five. Trinity was the opposite, hitting a rough patch right after the New Year but winning its last seven. The Shamrocks were a state power in the early 2000s, winning the Class 2A state titles in 2000-01 and 2002-03 and finishing second in 2003-04. They were 122-10 in that four-season span.
Trinity has won 13 District 3 championships, tied for third most in its district. The Shamrocks have excellent size inside with 6-10 freshman Sean Good and 6-8 junior Jake Vukelich. Long-range shooter Austin Gilbertson, though, will be Redeemer’s main concern.
“The Gilbertson kid is tough for a sophomore,” Redeemer coach Paul Guido said. “He’s a complete kid. He’s tall, he’s lanky. He’s sort of like (Hanover Area’s) Jake Barber, but he doesn’t have the upper body build like Jake. He’s still a little skinny, but he has that type of game. He can shoot, he can drive.”
Vukelich is more of a perimeter threat than an inside pounder. Good isn’t involved much offensively. However, he’s a force on the boards.
“He can rebound like crazy offensively and defensively, and he never leaves the paint,” Guido said. “That’s going to be a big thing for us, keeping him off the glass.”
Redeemer had its 14-game winning streak snapped in the D2-2A semifinals by Holy Cross 51-44. The Royals opened the third-place game with Riverside by hitting their first five shots and was able to hold off a third-quarter run by the Vikings in the third quarter with a burst of their own in the fourth.
Both teams have been hampered by inclement weather. GAR had to get permission from superintendent Bernard Prevuznak to practice Wednesday because school was closed, but wasn’t allowed to practice Thursday when school was closed once again. Redeemer hasn’t practiced since its win Saturday against Riverside.
The GAR vs. Manheim Central winner plays Tuesday against the winner of D12 champ Neumann-Goretti (24-2) vs. D3 sixth seed Gettysburg (16-10). The Redeemer vs. Trinity winner plays Wednesday against the winner of D1 champ Bristol (13-10) and D12 third seed Mastery North (14-9).