Hornets Sting SAC In Overtime Thriller

Story And Photo By John Singleton

The 13U Green Hornets stunned the Severn Athletic Club (SAC) on February 11 with a game-winning put back by center Jake Caffiero as the clock expired in overtime. Propelled by the interior play of Caffeiro and teammate Robby Denhardt, who tallied 14 points and 12 rebounds, the 34-33 victory was a milestone in the eyes of Coach Kevin Burke.

“I was happy for our kids. We have lost some close games recently and this comeback win was a nice reward for all of their hard work in practice,” said Coach Burke. “I think we are learning that if you keep working and don’t give up, good things can happen.”

With five seconds left in overtime, the Hornets showed grace under pressure when point guard Joe Morrow went the length of the floor with a pinpoint pass to Robby Denhardt at the right elbow. Denhardt turned and shot, with the rebound falling into the hands of Caffeiro, who boxed out his opponent on the weak side in textbook fashion. After sinking the winning shot off the backboard, Caffeiro was mobbed by his teammates at half-court.

“It was a physical game and SAC is an athletic team,” said Burke. “But we consistently found our centers open in the high post. Whenever you get the ball on the offensive end between the elbows with room to move that is a huge advantage. Our players did a great job of taking advantage of that situation.”

To get the ball in the high post, the Hornets needed heady play from their backcourt players. They were fortunate enough to get it — both Morrow and point guard Chase Harding took advantage of the creases in the SAC defense, finding wide-open teammates time and again with bounce passes.

“SAC threw a lot of traps at us, especially in our half-court offense,” said Assistant Coach Steve Phillips. “We did a nice job fighting off that pressure and seeing the court. We also played a very solid defensive game.”

Providing a spark off the bench were Teddy Giard and Tim Phillips, who relentlessly pursued the SAC ball handlers, creating numerous turnovers and forced shots. When it came to raising the intensity level, Mert Oznur and Ian Graves contested for loose balls and frequent hustle plays.

Inside the paint, Devin Joyce and Brendan Mulvey added to the Hornets’ interior domination, controlling the backboards at both ends.

“The team gave a great effort today and this win gave us something to build on as we moved into the home stretch of our season,” said Coach Steve Phillips.