No doubt about it: Uniontown claims section title No. 51 in emphatic fashion
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Uniontown’s boys basketball team is back on track and made a loud statement on its home floor Tuesday night.
The Red Raiders needed a win to secure their program’s WPIAL-record 51st section championship and left no doubt that would happen with a dominating performance from the start in rolling past third-place Elizabeth Forward, 69-29.
Using an all-senior starting lineup on Senior Night, Uniontown opened the game with a 9-0 run and never looked back.
The strong showing didn’t surprise Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky, whose team followed a 1-3 stretch with an impressive 78-56 win over Southmoreland on Friday.
“The last couple days were the first time we had a full team practice in a long time,” Kezmarsky said. “We’ve had some injuries, most notably to Calvin (Winfrey III) and he looks great now.
“It’s a long season and it’s not easy to stay at the high level we had been playing at. We hit a little bump in the road but we’re healthy and back on track now.”
The Red Raiders led 25-15 after the first quarter and then outscored the Warriors 21-2 in the second to take a commanding 46-17 halftime advantage which ballooned to 62-24 at the end of three, invoking the mercy rule.
Notorious Grooms hit four 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 14 points and Winfrey also had 14 to lead the way for Uniontown (8-1, 17-3). Jeremiah Hager and K’Adridan McLee followed with 11 points apiece. Isaac Ellsworth added eight points and Jamire Braxton chipped in with six.
Isaiah Turner paced Elizabeth Forward (6-3, 11-7) with 11 points and Daniel Spence had five points.
Kezmarsky held juniors Grooms and Winfrey out of the starting lineup so seniors Eric Townsend and Marcus Hice could join fellow seniors Braxton, Hager and McLee at the beginning of the game. Senior Nick Torbich entered the game two minutes later as Uniontown scored the game’s first nine points.
“I was so happy for them,” Kezmarsky said of his six seniors. “That was nice to see.”
Grooms and Winfrey took the floor with 3:25 left in the first quarter.
The Red Raiders rang up the first 10 points of the second quarter to go up by 20 and the rout was on.
“We haven’t shot the ball as good as we did tonight recently,” Kezmarsky said. “I like the way we moved the basketball and found each other with good passes. When our shots are going in we’re a really good team.
“I liked our defensive effort, too. Anytime you hold a team to 29 points, especially a playoff team like EF, you’re doing a good job.”
The Red Raiders earned their 12th section title under Kezmarsky but he preferred to focus on the historic program topping the half-century mark in first-place finishes.
“We’re very pleased to win our 51st section title,” Kezmarsky said. “It’s important to win the section. That’s something we all take great pride in.”
Kezmarsky admitted he does not want to share that title with second-place Belle Vernon (7-2, 12-6). The Red Raiders can wrap up sole possession of first place with a win at rival Laurel Highlands on Friday night then caps their regular season by hosting Berlin Brothersvalley at noon on Saturday. Although the Mountaineers are a Class A team they are highly regarded in the state and have a 17-1 record so should provide a solid test for the Red Raiders heading into the postseason.
“We want to finish strong and get a high seed for the playoffs,” Kezmarsky said.
“I feel blessed to have the players we have. They’re great kids. Look at what they’ve accomplished in the last two years. They’re 40-9 with two section titles, played eight playoff games last year and played for a chance to get to Hershey.
“Now we also realize, like everyone says, in these playoffs we’re all going in at 0-0. But I know our kids are going to give every ounce of energy they have to get as far as they can.
“That’s been their goal the whole season.”