By: John Knebels
Photos: Patty Morgan & Zamani Feelings
PHILADELPHIA - If fans had been in attendance, perhaps the practical sorts would have exited the warm gym at the end of the third quarter and braved the frigid air and snowy remnants still fresh from a winter storm.
After all, visiting Germantown Academy led Penn Charter by a dozen points entering the fourth quarter of Thursday’s Inter-Academic League season opener, and since the Patriots had not lost a league affair in three full seasons and possessed a surreal 70-2 Inter-Ac mark over the past six, well, a miraculous Penn Charter comeback did not appear likely.
What happened over the next eight minutes epitomized the phrase That’s Why They Play the Game.
Twenty One to Five. Against all odds, contradicting all logic, Penn Charter outscored the Patriots by an implausible 21-5 in that decisive fourth to win the contest, 64-60.
Amazing.
“This was a very important victory for our team,” said sophomore Aleah Snead. “For many years, Penn Charter has always been seen as second place to Germantown Academy in the Inter-Ac. The win gives our team so much confidence. I’m so thankful to be a part of this team and excited for the years to come.”
PC vs. GA Game Highlights by Patty Morgan:
Though she downplayed her individual contribution, the victory would never have occurred without Snead’s herculean 26-point, 11-rebound, seven-steal feat.
Snead wasn’t alone. Sophomore Bella Toomey scored 11, grabbed nine boards, and swatted away five GA attempts. Senior Kait Hnatkowsky netted nine points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and added five steals. Junior Maddie Shoup contributed eight points, five rebounds, and three assists. Before leaving with a possible concussion in the second quarter, sophomore Kelsey Bess (approximately 600 varsity points since eighth grade) scored six points.
It was an intense viewing party at the Maguire residence as all four of Coach Joe Maguire's daughters (Macie 6, Sawyer 5, Haddi 2 & Maeve 7 months) were glued to the virtual game stream - Photo courtesy of J. Maguire
For Germantown Academy, which outscored the Quakers by 43-28 over the middle two quarters, the loss sullied strong performances by sophomore Kendall Bennett (10 points, 13 rebounds), senior Jessica Moore (15 points), freshman Jess Aponik (15 points), freshman Sam Wade (12 points), and sophomore Josie Munson (nine points)
For sixth-year Penn Charter coach Joe Maguire, whose only previous win over GA occurred when he was coaching Springside Chestnut Hill, it’s what he didn’tsee that impressed him the most.
“It was a great win, but they didn’t act like they had just won the Super Bowl,” said Maguire. “It wasn’t a fluke. It was hard earned. We actually didn’t play all that great earlier, but we played great down the stretch. If we had made more shots, it would have not have come down to that.”
Almost apologizing for the hackneyed explanation, Maguire said PC’s fourth-quarter comeback relied on “taking each possession one at a time.” Aided by a defensive adjustment and the league’s new 30-second shot clock, the Quakers meticulously cut into their deficit. A steal and layup by senior Ava Coyle trimmed the PC deficit to 55-50; senior Jamie Kubach (two steals) then connected on two free throws.
Foul trouble eventually doomed the Patriots, who shot 5 for 6 from the line while Penn Charter hit on a subpar 18 of 29. Maguire explained the free throw disparity on Germanton Academy’s aggressive man-to-man defense, which ultimately relegated the Patriots to surrender one-and-one opportunities throughout the second and fourth quarters.
Though memorable for Penn Charter’s underclassmen, beating Germantown Academy expelled years of frustration and disappointment for the Penn Charter seniors.
“It is very hard to stay positive and to keep playing hard when you’re down a lot at the end, but you have to just push through and make good plays on defense, and it will all start from there,” said Hnatkowsky. “I think the reason we won today was because everyone contributed something positive, whether it was great hustle on defense or making smart and good plays on offense.”
Senior Kait Haughey noticed a sense of urgency began after Bess’s injury.
“Our team really stepped up when needed,” said Haughey, whose head-turning defense kept the Quakers close enough to engineer their rally. “We were able to come together as a team. I was proud of everyone, especially Aleah, who had an amazing game.
“This game meant a lot to our team, as this has been our goal since I could remember – to beat GA. It was exciting to be able for all of us to get this win for our coaches.”
Since no team will be determined a league champion this year, about the only negative aspect of Penn Charter’s stunner was its timing.
Snead, however, doesn’t see it that way.
“Not being a champion this year doesn’t matter as much,” she said. “For me, it’s still really rewarding, and it gives us a lot of confidence. We only had about 10 practices, but I think we did well with trusting each other.”
Penn Charter vs. Germantown Academy PSD Photos by Patty Morgan
Penn Charter vs. Springside Chestnut Hill - Photos by Zamani Feelings
Toomey labeled the comeback win “thrilling.”
“This win is a major accomplishment,” said Toomey. “Not only for our present team, but also for our coaches and all of our prior players.”
On Saturday, the Quakers followed their comeback win with a much less stressful 63-26 victory over Springside Chestnut Hill. Toomey’s 14, Snead’s 12 and Haughey’s eight led the way.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)