The Cardinals (7-19, 2-16) have played hard all year long and on a Senior Night for five graduating players that have made hard work and persistence their hallmark, the 51-40 upending of the WCAC’s third place Good Counsel Falcons (17-10, 10-7) was a just reward for that diligence. Ireton started all five seniors, Taylor Jobin, Tyler Hargett, Thaddeus Babiec, Chris Levy, and Marvin Elliott. Their energy in the game’s first 4 minutes set the tone for the game, Good Counsel’s second in as many nights. Thursday the Falcons dropped a 12-point decision in DeMatha’s emotional final game in Wooten Gym. Friday the toll of that physical game was evident.
The Falcons struggled out to a 5-2 advantage in the first three minutes against the hustling senior starters. Ireton trailed 11-9 at the end of one and the Falcon full court press kept the Cardinals stymied. When the Olney, Maryland school went on a 9-1 run to push their advantage to 20-12, Coach Neil Berkman reorganized during a timeout. Ireton responded with a Rouse three-pointer and a Patrick Hanafin put-back to draw back to 20-17 and the Cardinals went to intermission down 23-17.
With the senior “wild bunch” again starting in the second half they worked deliberately against the Falcons and Jobin broke open for a layup to start the half. The Falcons Julian Sessoms picked up his third personal foul with 6:37 left in the third, then junior Matt Barnwell buried a three to pull Ireton to 26-25. Good Counsel hit a floater but Hanafin responded with another three to tie the contest at 28. The Falcoms turned the ball over and Barnwell got a backdoor layup and drew Sessoms to his 4th personal foul, taking the lanky senior off the floor. The traditional three point play gave Ireton is first lead, one they would not relinquish.
Nursing a 35-34 advantage to open the final quarter, Marvin Elliott found the range on another three pointer to put Ireton up 4, starting a 7-0 run that took the game away from the tiring visitors. Sophomore Marcus Hayes hit a floater in the lane, Rouse converted another turnover into a bucket, and Hayes added a free throw in the run to push the Cards up 43-34. Good Counsel staged its last rally when Glascow dropped in a layup and Harrell hit a three to pull the navy and gold clan visitors back to within 5 with 2:17 left. But the otherwise tough 2-3 zone the Cardinals employed was too much for the cold shooting Falcons and with a 20 to 4 advantage in free throw attempts, the Falcons were unable to make up ground.
When Rouse took the inbound pass against the full court pressure and raced by everyone for a breakaway layup with 1:25 to play, the free throw contest began with Hanafin, Rouse and Hayes scoring from the charity stripe, pushing the Ireton advantage to the 51-40 final.
“This gives us some momentum going into the tournament,” commented Berkman. “In a 26-game schedule, we played 16 games against top 20 ball clubs in the DC area. We won 3 of those games, took two others to overtime. I am very proud of these guys.”
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