Opening round notes

As I sat courtside at Hempfield last night, I started looking up some stats for upcoming opponents Columbia might play. Well, I picked the wrong time to spend about 30 minutes researching Upper Dauphin. UDA was beaten by Pequea Valley, 57-51 in overtime.

So tomorrow at a rather small venue called Middletown High School (noon is tip, get there early), I think the place will be rocking. And it might be the students who will be front and center. Over the last few weeks, the Tide has developed quite a student fan base. I think its great that the students have come out in mass to support their fellow students. Pequea Valley also has a good student fan base as well. If their entire "Red Zone" shows up and our students are there, it could be a rather loud afternoon.

There is another game after that -- Lebanon Catholic girls play Halifax. Might be interesting in terms of the crowd. District 3 always said that after the first round, all sites (with the exception of the Giant Center) are tentative, but I guess they feel Middletown can hold the crowd. I hope that proves me wrong, but, I've been there and done that.

I know in talking with coach Wisler, he really wanted to play UDA, playing someone different. Although the Tide hasn't beaten PV badly twice this year, its always though to beat a team three times. Columbia needs to be ready for a challenge.

Here are some other thoughts from the first round, after scanning the papers, the internet, etc.

• When Hanover took the floor last night, I thought they looked rather young.
• Surprised to see two L-L officials working the game -- Mel Newcomer and Denny Kinloch. Most times in playoffs, just like the gyms, the officials are suppose to be neutral.
• Just a note to the Columbia students. I know we all tend to get excited with the possibility of playing on the big floor in Hershey, but please don't liter the floor at Middletown with Hershey Kisses, if Columbia wins. Wouldn't want to see a game forfeited.
• There will be some scoreboard watching tomorrow -- Trinity and York Catholic play at Dover High School. The Irish already have one win over the Shamrocks.
• A lot has been made about some of the mistmatches in round one. There was none worse than the Scotland/York Country Day. Scotland won the game 74-5. According to the box score, YCD had just two field goals -- one in the second quarter (a three) and a two-pointer in the third.
• Not surprised that Harrisburg beat McCaskey in Boys AAAA.
• Do you realize the two finalists (Hempfield being the other) in the L-L boys' championship lost in the first round!
• Looking at the brackets, going by seedings, other than the 8-9 games, which are toss ups in my mind, here were the upsets by Class: Girls 4-A, 2; Girls 3-A, 3; Girls 2-A, 1; Girls A, one. Halifax is the only public school left in that class. Boys 4A: 4, including E-town dumping 4th seed Cedar Crest; Boys 3-A, 4, including Eastern's OT win over YAIAA champ West York; Boys 2-A, none really; Boys 1-A, 1.
• Teams that played play-in games that are still alive: Delone Catholic and Lancaster Catholic, Girls 3-A; E-town, Harrisburg, Boys 4-A.
• League by league on boys' side: Mid-Penn: 11-5; L-L League, 5-7; York-Adams, 4-7; Berks, 6-4, Tri-Valley, 2-3, Other, 2-9.
• League by league on girls' side: Berks, 5-5; Mid-Penn, 8-9; L-L, 6-6; York-Adams, 5-4; Tri-Valley, 2-1; Other, 2-3.

Tide girls fall

The first round losing streak of the Columbia girls in the District 3 playoffs continued last night.

The Tide saw its season end with a 45-33 loss to Wyomissing at Garden Spot High School.

The Tide dominated the first half in this one, leading 13-6 after one quarter and 20-15 at the half. Columbia was outscored 30-13 in the second half.

Senior Tori Aston led the Tide with 11 points.

Columbia finishes the season with a 7-17 record.

A sad day

Heard this morning and just saw it on Penn Live. Tim was one of the top officials in the L-L League. Got to know Tim not only as an official, but as a youth baseball coach in the Ephrata area.

Veteran ref Timothy M. Bartholomew, 50, of Akron, died last night after suffering an apparent heart attack after he officiated the overtime playoff boys game between Hershey and Boiling Springs held at Red Land High School, officials said.

Rich Czarnecki, men's officials' representative for District 3, said Bartholomew was seated on a chair in a locker room after the 6 p.m. game when he slumped over and was unresponsive.

Czarnecki said Bartholomew's fellow officials called for Red Land Athletic Director Brian McNamara who summoned an ambulance and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Bartholomew was taken to Harrisburg Hospital, Czarnecki said.

Czarnecki was shocked. He said he met with Bartholomew at halftime of the game when the two shook hands and embraced before Czarnecki left to attend another game.

"It's not the exercise and the cardio, it's the stress,'' Czarnecki said. "And you're talking about a playoff situation. Being an official is very stressful.''

"He was one of my veteran guys and he worked all the time,'' Czarnecki said.

Not much of a game

The Columbia boys' basketball team opened what they open will be a long run in the District 3 and state playoffs last night with an easy 84-36 thrashing of Hanover at the "Big House," otherwise known as Hempfield High School.

The win did two things for the Tide. Put them into the second round of the Class AA playoffs and got them back on the court for a good workout.

The next test is a familar foe -- Pequea Valley, tomorrow at high noon, at Middletown's smallish gym. Tickets are on sale today through 3 p.m. at the high school office. Best bet is to get to the game early. I can't understand why Middletown continues to be used as a game site. Our fans could probably fill the gym by themselves.

Back to last night. When Hanover came out to warm-up, I thought they looked like a junior high team. Small and young. About two minutes into the game, the score was tied at 5-5. Six minutes later, there wsa no suspense in this one as the Tide led 33-9 after eight minutes.

Adam Pittman scored the first eight points of the game for the Tide. He had 13 in the first quarter. Ryan Hess also had six in the first quarter. By half, Columbia led 52-22 and the crowd on the Hanover side of the gym, many of whom where watched the girls' game between Lancaster Mennonite and Eastern (which was a thriller won by LMHS 47-45) had cleared out. Take away some of the Columbia fans and the junior varsity team from Columbia, there may have been 10 fans on that side of the gym.

The mercy rule finally kicked in with 1:55 left in the third quarter when Adam Pittman hit a conventional three-point play giving the Tie a 67-27.

Derrick Smithy dominated the fourth quarter for the Tide, scoring 13 points.

It was also kind of an odd twist to have two L-L officials do the game -- Mel Newcomer and Denny Kinloch. Only had two officials, probably because of the number of games last night.

Pittman, Seibert, Derrick Smith and Hess were all in double figures.