The Council Rock South at Council Rock North boys’ basketball game on Friday night will be an SOL Featured Game, sponsored by the Council Rock North Booster Club. Check back for photos and a game story.
By Mary Jane Souder
The game was still more than 24 hours away, but Twitter accounts for both sides were busy psyching up their respective fans.
CR North Basketball: “@CRN_Hoops vs. CRS tmrw…school or no school…WHITEOUT-students get ur free T, wear white and b loud! @CRN_AHA, @CRNorthNews#ATTITUDE.”
CR South Sports: “We wanna make our fan section better than norths tomorrow. So come join @Gregory_Papi and the rest of the guys as we cheer on our teams!”
Fans from both sides don’t need any encouragement to get psyched when Council Rock North takes on Council Rock South in what is one of the best of the local rivalries, and the excitement is certainly not lost on the players.
“There’s definitely more intensity for this game,” Rock North senior captain Chris Rowland said. “It’s North-South, and we’re in the same school district, so it’s bragging rights really.
“The fans in the stands know people on the other side, so it’s more personal for them. They definitely want us to win, and they root for us more so than a normal night because it means more, it hits home more.”
On paper, Rock North, which defeated Rock South 56-39 earlier this season, is the favorite, but games are not played on paper, and this game is always a war.
“We’ll expect to get their best game on Friday night,” North coach Derek Wright said. “It’s a game we always keep in mind in the offseason to motivate us.
“We have a lot of respect for South. There are a lot of relationships between players, and it’s always a fun atmosphere, but the game is never easy. Even if the score might look like it is, it’s always a battle, and that’s fun. That’s why you compete, that’s why you put all the work in – to have games like this on Friday night.”
The stakes are even higher than usual for the Indians, who have their sights set on earning a district playoff berth.
“We’re definitely thinking about where we’re going to be in the playoffs, and we’re trying to win these last couple of games to make sure we get to the playoffs,” senior captain Josh McWilliams said. “This year was a little different from the past three years where we’re fighting to get in the playoffs.
“The past couple of years have been pretty easy getting into the playoffs because record-wise we did really well. This year the team is definitely hungry for the playoffs, and we want to get there.”
This year – with an entirely new nucleus – the Indians were 3-6 after nine games, and no one anywhere was talking playoffs. They have been 8-3 since that time and take an 11-9 record into Friday’s game.
“We know where we’re at right now with the playoffs,” Rowland said. “Every game really matters, and we need to try and win every game, but the North-South game we understand that if we win, we have a very good chance of making it into the playoffs.
“That just adds to the drama around the game and the hype around it. It will definitely make it more fun. It’s going to be a great game and a lot of fun for all the guys on the team. We’re talking about it. We’re really looking forward to Friday night.”
The fact that the Indians are in a position to vie for a playoff spot, according to Wright, is a tribute to the seniors.
“They really have righted the ship for us,” he said. “Josh and Chris, in particular, have been a good go-between between myself and the rest of the team. We have communicated through some adversity. They have listened, they have learned.
“They’ve been very coachable. Neither of them are very comfortable being vocal. They’re reluctant leaders, but sometimes that’s a good thing. They have a lot of respect from their teammates. They’re the only ones that really had a whole lot of varsity experience coming back.”
For the seniors, Friday’s game will more than likely be their last home game.
“You can’t think about it like that,” Rowland said. “You just have to go out there and play and think you’re making the playoffs and this is not the end.
“It’s hitting me that this is the last North-South game and could very well be my last home game, but I can’t let that affect me.”
“South has been a huge rival all four years I’ve been in high school,” McWilliams said. “This is going to be the last time playing them. It’s pretty crazy. I’m definitely looking forward to the game.
“I know quite a few of their players. I used to hang around with a couple of them when I was little. It’s fun to compete against people you’ve known for a while. It’s more competitive.”
And competitive is the best word to describe this war between neighboring rivals. Tip-off time is 7:15, capping a boys/girls quadrupleheader.
“It will be big,” Wright said. “It will probably be (South’s) last game, so it will make their season to win it.
“At the same time it will be an important game for us. I get chills thinking about it. I get so fired up. It will be fun.”
Just the facts:
This year’s record: Council Rock North 7-5 SOL (11-9 overall); Council Rock South4-9 SOL (6-15 overall)
Last year’s record: Council Rock North 17-6 overall (11-3 SOL National Conference); Council Rock South 7-14 (4-10 SOL National Conference)
Last meeting: Jan. 14, 2014 – Council Rock North 56, Council Rock South 39 (CR North: Chris Rowland – 20 points, Josh McWilliams – 13 points; CR South: Will Faccenda – 13 points)
Last game: Council Rock North 61, Neshaminy 25 (Chris Rowland – 14 points, Will Desautelle – 9 points, Matt Margolis – 7 points)
William Tennent 54, Council Rock South 52 (Tom Townsend – 21 points, Mike Stock – 11 points, Will Faccenda – 10 points).
Council Rock North Roster
#0 – Tyler Nowmos, Sophomore, Guard, 5-11
#3 – Josh McWilliams, Senior, Guard, 5-11
#4 – Drew Glenn, Junior, Guard, 5-10
#5 – Matt Margolis, Junior, Guard, 6-0
#10 – Matt Chandlee, Junior, Guard/Forward, 6-0
#11 – Chris Rowland, Senior, Guard, 6-1
#20 – Riley Thompson, Sophomore, Guard, 5-8
#23 – Steve Nowmos, Junior, Froward, 6-4
#33 – James Kosyla, Freshman, Forward, 6-4
#34 – Quinn Johnson, Senior, Forward, 6-4
#35 – David Hills, Junior, Forward, 6-4
#40 – Will Desautelle, Sophomore, Guard/Forward, 6-2
#50 – Tyler Madison, Senior, Forward, 6-6
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