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BERWICK — They didn’t know where to turn.
Ethan Potter and Harsh Patel both admitted their hearts sank. Their sport, their passion for volleyball, was taken away from them. The sounds of sneakers squeaking off the hardwood floor or the brush-burn of skin hitting the court seemed to be a thing of the past.
“I was shocked when I heard that the school board was going to suspend our program,” said Potter, who was a sophomore at the time of the decision in the early months of 2015. “We didn’t know what to do.”
With the program dangling in the balance, one thought quickly came to mind.
“We went to Mrs. Warner,” Patel said.
Mrs. Warner is Sarah Warner, a teacher in the district who was also doing a remarkable job of turning around the girls’ volleyball program.
“I won’t forget the day they came to my classroom and told me that the program might be suspended,” Warner said. “I was disappointed for them and our school because our sport provided a different opportunity for kids in our district. They were asking me where they can turn to, and what they could do? They didn’t come right out and ask me to coach, and I wasn’t thinking of myself because I was six or seven months pregnant at the time. Finally, they asked if I would coach if they could get enough kids.”
The rest is history, and boy, are the Bulldogs turning heads in the Wyoming Valley Conference in 2017. Berwick is one of three teams still undefeated in the league, along with Holy Redeemer and Delaware Valley.
Think about that very statement. Berwick (7-0), which had won a combined seven games between 2011-2014, is at the top of the league with one of the state’s best volleyball programs in Holy Redeemer and one of the biggest schools in District 2 with DelVal.
“This is actually pretty amazing,” Patel said. “Everyone worked so hard, and everyone came together. This is what we hoped for. We wanted to show that everything we worked for, and all the time to make sure our program remained at Berwick, was well worth it.”
At the time when the school board was contemplating suspending the program, numbers were a question. Ten kids on the roster was probably a fair guess at the time.
“We knew we were going to need more kids,” Potter said. “So the group of us that decided to fight this decided that we had to recruit some of our classmates. Then, we knew that we had to address the school board. So, we dressed up and approached them. It was nerve-racking, but we knew that we had to do it.”
Warner laughs about balancing coaching, teaching and pregnancy in the first season.
“We just kind of rolled with the punches in that first season,” she said. “I was blessed with some really good people associated with the program who were so helpful. And that’s the big thing. It’s not just me. We had so much support from the other teachers who are always willing to help. And we have coaches at the middle school who are helping to direct kids into the volleyball program.”
It was in 2016 where Warner saw it.
While the team only won five matches, she was pretty confident that with hard work in the offseason, Berwick was on the brink of a special 2017.
“I think everyone went into this season with an open mind,” Potter said. “Last season, you saw it. Yes, we lost but we were right there. A few points here or there, and we could have won some of those tight matches. We knew it could be us going to playoffs or maybe going to states. We worked hard in the offseason, and we built up our team chemistry. Everyone kind of took pride in our program.”
Forget about flying under the radar. Berwick kicked down the door two matches into the season with victories over North Pocono and Nanticoke, both ranked top 10 of Class 2A in the preseason state rankings.
Add to it, another quality victory over Crestwood, a state qualifier in 2016.
“I think we turned some heads, at least I hope we did,” Patel said. “At that moment, you knew all our hard work is definitely worth it. Those are three great teams, and we won. But we had to stay focused, and take it one game at a time.”
There are plenty of tests still ahead for the Bulldogs, starting with a home match with state-ranked Redeemer on Tuesday. That’s not counting matches with DelVal and Wyoming Valley West looming later.
But there’s no denying this fact: Warner, who has won 15 matches in her first three seasons, is quietly building something special in a place known for its football.
“Maybe it has been an eye-opening for some in our district,” said Warner, who has led the girls’ program to playoff berths in consecutive seasons. “We are starting to get those athletes from other sports that want to be part of this program. We are starting to get those freshman that we can teach the game to, and will be with us for four seasons. Honestly, I couldn’t be more proud of these boys and what they’ve accomplished. They accepted the challenge in front of them, and have succeeded.”
As for the future, Patel has some advice to the underclassmen or anyone interested in the sport.
“You know that you are always going to have a successful program because Mrs. Warner is such a great coach,” he said. “It’s up to the players to keep promoting the sport in the school. Just try to get as many kids out for the program as you can. Some may not stay with the team, and that’s OK. You have to keep at it. As long as the numbers are there, the program is going to keep moving forward.”
