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BOYS' BASKETBALL: Archbishop Wood Nears State Championship

By John Knebels, 03/23/17, 2:30PM EDT

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By John Knebels

   His countenance was impossible to miss.

   Just minutes after his team captured its first-ever Catholic League boys’ basketball championship on February 27 at the Palestra, Archbishop Wood senior Collin Gillespie acknowledged the magnitude of the present and then immediately talked about the future.

   “We’re not done,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to do.”

   A district title and four state tournament victories later, Gillespie and his teammates are one game away from accomplishing yet another school first – a PIAA Class 5A championship. At 8 PM tomorrow night at the Giant Center in Hershey, the 27-3 Vikings meet Meadville, a 26-1 squad and top seed from District 10.


Wood senior, Collin Gillespie hoists PCL trophy - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings

   “I'm excited for our guys because we've worked hard all year for this moment, and my teammates deserve it,” said Gillespie, the Villanova University-bound Catholic League Most Valuable Player who has averaged 22.4 points in eight post-season contests.  “We're not just satisfied being there, though. We're going to go in and play our game and we want to finish the season out on top. All of us are focused on trying to win this last championship and end the season on the right note.”

   That’s been the Vikings’ mantra from the end of the regular season. Ask a question any which way, and the answers have been basically the same regardless of whom you inquire.

   “We're all really excited about making it all the way to Hershey, but we're still not done yet with one game to go,” said junior Andrew Funk, who scored 17 points in Wood’s 68-57 semifinal win over Abington Heights. “This is the culmination of all our hard work this year.

   “We've been working toward this ever since the summer, so I think we're all really pumped up and we just want to finish the year off right and send the seniors out as champions.” 


Wood senior Matt Cerruti cuts down net after winning the PCL title - PSD photo by Zamani Feelings

Senior Matt Cerruti, who has scored 51 points in the PIAA tournament and 11 points in each of the last three games, concurs.

   “It’s obviously a huge game,” said Cerruti, “but we will take it the same way as we have taken every game this year from the preseason till now. Stick together and play hard. Never get too high or too low. Stay even keel, just like Coach (John) Mosco preaches. 

   “Everybody is excited, but we are trying to remained focus. This is the goal we have been working for since we lost to (Archbishop) Carroll in the playoffs last year.”

Senior Shawn Thompson acknowledged the historic aspect of winning just one more game.

   “It’s great to be able to not just having a chance and winning a state title, but being the first to do so,” he said. 

 

(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com or on twitter @johnknebels.)


Wood is set to play in the PIAA 5A final Friday evening at 8PM at the Hershey Giant Center - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings