Columbia side of things
This is a preview of the Columbia boys' basketball team, who opens the L-L League playoffs tomorrow night against E-town.
For the first time since 1991, the Columbia boys’ basketball team enters the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs as a section champion.
As a result of their big 78-60 trashing of Lancaster Catholic on Saturday afternoon at Penn Manor High School, the Tide will now play Elizabethtown, the runner-up in Section Two Tuesday night at Conestoga Valley.
The Tide was last in the L-L League playoffs in 2005, when they were eliminated in the first round by Manheim Township.
The winner of Tuesday’s quarter-final game will play the winner of the McCaskey-Manheim Central game in the semi-finals on Thursday.
The Crimson Tide started the year off losing to Academy Park, a Class AAAA school from District One in the Oxford Tournament by two points. The Tide, coached by Mark Wisler, then won its next 20 games before losing last Monday night to rival Lancaster Catholic, 73-65.
The loss forced the Tide and Crusaders into a one-game playoff for the Section 4 title.
Columbia won nine of its 22 games this season by the mercy rule. They swept Section 3 competition in crossover games, beating both L-L League playoff qualifiers, Lebanon, 72-58 and Manheim Central, 63-51, on the road, during its 20 game winning streak.
Columbia’s game plan is pretty simple. On defense, they like to pressure teams all over the court. On offense, they like to get the ball up the court as quickly as possible, relying on an athletic transition game.
Here is the Columbia starters:
Point Guard: Colby Tuell, lighting quick guard, who dishes the ball off well and has handled most of the presses thrown at the Tide this year. He penetrates well and can give the team a basket or two when needed.
Shooting Guard: Mike Seibert. He will be a factor on both ends of the floor. He’s been a consistent offensive threat all season and scored his 1,000th career point earlier in the season. Defensively, he might be the Tide’s top defender.
Shooting Guard: Adam Pittman. He’s one of the top three-point shooters in the L-L League and like Seibert also scored his 1,00th career point earlier in the season, in the same game as Seibert, against Northern Lebanon.
Forward: Ryan Hess. He’ll jump center and can leap and rebound with the best of them. Has a nice high arching jumper and scores a majority of his points off feeds from the guards.
Forward: Yahya McIntyre. Probably the Tide’s most improved player over the season. Has a nice short range jumper and does well on the boards. He plays the other team’s big man and makes that player work.
Key reserves: Senior Ben Guiles and junior Derrick Smith.
Guiles, a former starter, has grown comfortable in his role off the bench this season. Likes to drive to the basket and is close to averaging in double figures.
Smith is a smart defensive player with a good shot. Had a big basket in Saturday’s win over Lancaster Catholic.
Seniors Donny Thompson, a strong inside rebounder and defender and guard Corey Halterman might be called on for some minutes.
What the Tide needs to do to win: Start fast, not have any hangover from its win on Saturday over Lancaster Catholic.
They need to continue to pressure teams the entire length of the court and not let up.
Since they have adopted the motto of “one game at a time” all season, they won’t be looking ahead to the league semi-finals.
For the first time since 1991, the Columbia boys’ basketball team enters the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs as a section champion.
As a result of their big 78-60 trashing of Lancaster Catholic on Saturday afternoon at Penn Manor High School, the Tide will now play Elizabethtown, the runner-up in Section Two Tuesday night at Conestoga Valley.
The Tide was last in the L-L League playoffs in 2005, when they were eliminated in the first round by Manheim Township.
The winner of Tuesday’s quarter-final game will play the winner of the McCaskey-Manheim Central game in the semi-finals on Thursday.
The Crimson Tide started the year off losing to Academy Park, a Class AAAA school from District One in the Oxford Tournament by two points. The Tide, coached by Mark Wisler, then won its next 20 games before losing last Monday night to rival Lancaster Catholic, 73-65.
The loss forced the Tide and Crusaders into a one-game playoff for the Section 4 title.
Columbia won nine of its 22 games this season by the mercy rule. They swept Section 3 competition in crossover games, beating both L-L League playoff qualifiers, Lebanon, 72-58 and Manheim Central, 63-51, on the road, during its 20 game winning streak.
Columbia’s game plan is pretty simple. On defense, they like to pressure teams all over the court. On offense, they like to get the ball up the court as quickly as possible, relying on an athletic transition game.
Here is the Columbia starters:
Point Guard: Colby Tuell, lighting quick guard, who dishes the ball off well and has handled most of the presses thrown at the Tide this year. He penetrates well and can give the team a basket or two when needed.
Shooting Guard: Mike Seibert. He will be a factor on both ends of the floor. He’s been a consistent offensive threat all season and scored his 1,000th career point earlier in the season. Defensively, he might be the Tide’s top defender.
Shooting Guard: Adam Pittman. He’s one of the top three-point shooters in the L-L League and like Seibert also scored his 1,00th career point earlier in the season, in the same game as Seibert, against Northern Lebanon.
Forward: Ryan Hess. He’ll jump center and can leap and rebound with the best of them. Has a nice high arching jumper and scores a majority of his points off feeds from the guards.
Forward: Yahya McIntyre. Probably the Tide’s most improved player over the season. Has a nice short range jumper and does well on the boards. He plays the other team’s big man and makes that player work.
Key reserves: Senior Ben Guiles and junior Derrick Smith.
Guiles, a former starter, has grown comfortable in his role off the bench this season. Likes to drive to the basket and is close to averaging in double figures.
Smith is a smart defensive player with a good shot. Had a big basket in Saturday’s win over Lancaster Catholic.
Seniors Donny Thompson, a strong inside rebounder and defender and guard Corey Halterman might be called on for some minutes.
What the Tide needs to do to win: Start fast, not have any hangover from its win on Saturday over Lancaster Catholic.
They need to continue to pressure teams the entire length of the court and not let up.
Since they have adopted the motto of “one game at a time” all season, they won’t be looking ahead to the league semi-finals.
Labels: Columbia boys
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12:13 PM
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