Fatigued DV players pull off JV victory but flub Varsity game against Pleasant Valley

On Saturday, Jan. 25, Delaware Valley had a home basketball gamr with Pleasant Valley of Broadheadsville.

I am going to cover the Junior Varsity game first, as I usually do, and them more print than usual because their game was so much more exciting and enjoyable to watch.

Okay -- the game starts out with DV looking really great and in total control. The first period was very fast-paced, with DV running and gunning against a taller Pleasant Valley team. The period sees DV up 19-8.

In the second period. PV came out strong for the first couple of minutes. But DV regrouped and slammed the door shut on Pleasant Valley, ending the half with DV up 33-16.

Now, in most of the games that I have seen, both JV and Varsity DV come out revived and energized in the third period. I was surprised to see this would not be the case that night. PV kept creeping back into the game and closing the gap only to have DV battle back and storm ahead again. DV was up by 20 at one point, only to see the lead dwindle to three later. Pleasant Valley was a totally different team, playing really tough and swarming defense, and they got hot with scoring as well.

DV was going to have to battle their way through this if they were to get the win.

In the fourth and final period, PV gave it all that they had, but DV was just clearly the superior team with more talented players. In one play, Andy Guerin -- the smallest player on the team, but the slickest guard and the field general on the court -- was triple-teamed in an attempt to steal the ball. But he easily dribbled through all three like threading a needle.

DV managed to cling to a six-point lead with two minutes left to play. Chris Cruz was fouled and sank both shots. Then a PV player was fouled while attempting a three-point shot and sank two out of three. Chris Cruz is fouled again and again sinks both shots. Jack Pfuhler is fouled and he sinks both. (How important is good foul shooting? It can't be emphasized enough.)

Finally, PV scores an uncontested three-point shot to end all scoring, with DV not wanting to cause a foul with five seconds to play.

The game ends, and believe me it was an exciting one. DV Junior Varsity won 59-52.

I have to mention here that DV has played four games in five days. Fatigue surely raised its ugly head in the second half, but DV was just too good to let it get the best if them.

There are a number of exciting players on the JVs, and I could name the entire team, but there isn't enough space. Just to name a few, I will point out Andy Guerin, Mark Callanan, Ryan Doherty, and Noah Newton. They all play fine basketball.

High scorers in the game for DV were Ryan Doherty with 18, Andy Guerin with 12, and Chris Cruz with 9.

Varsity takes the court

Now the Varsity team takes the court. Again, four games in five days, as mentioned earlier, is really going to show in this game.

Pleasant Valley is a sub-500 team, and under normal circumstances I am convinced that DV wins this. However, on this night, nothing --and I mean nothing -- worked for DV.

They missed so many shots that I would be surprised if they even shot 10 percent. They made terrible decisions on passing and many times passed into heavy traffic, resulting in stolen balls. Even the best shooters on the team could not find the touch. Nothing was falling, both outside shooting and inside shooting. At the same time they seemed not to have the energy to cover PV players, allowing free and uncontested shots that resulted in easy scores for Pleasant Valley. It was so frustrating for the team that Jackson Shafer very uncharacteristically committed a technical foul. Another DV player had to be told to shut up by Coach Holtzer.

It was hard to see such a fine team have such an off night, but they were just physically spent.

The result was a resounding defeat by a lesser team by a crushing score of 54-33.

If DV had made half of their shots and had not made such sloppy passes, resulting in steals and scores by PV, they would have won this game. But the grinding schedule just wore them down.

Don't hang your heads boys, you're better then you showed tonight, and you will survive this and come back in future games.