By Jack Mariano

Octorara fans remember not too long ago when the basketball season ended on senior night with the team honoring those parents who have been so dedicated throughout the players and cheerleaders’ career.  Occasionally the team would get to a first round District game and that was usually it.

Now a days, Senior Night marks the beginning of playoff season.  With only one game left on their regular schedule (at Wyomissing, Thursday night),  Octorara shifted into high gear in the second half of Tuesday night’s match up and came away with the easy victory 73-36 in front of a packed house.

Before the game, the senior cheerleaders and players were announced with their parents and presented their folks with a small bouquet of roses.  Kudos to Octorara for maintaining this tradition and presenting these kids and their families with class.

Coach Lambert started all of his senior players, Brown, Cooper, Newton, Dixon and Navarro and eventually filtered in the Reeves’ and the Fords to get all of the seniors’ some court time.

The pesky Vanguards seemed to hang around in the first period as if nobody told them that this was totally Octorara’s night.  Every time Sun Valley seemed to get some momentum, the much superior Braves spurned them.  A Brown jumper here, a Cooper jumper there… a Dequan Newton drive, even Mike Navarro was getting into the scoring act with some pretty impressive goals.

When you think you have these guys figured out, Mauriece Bowers gets open and pops in a couple of three pointers.

It was tough to say who the high scorer was for the Braves because so many of the kids were throwing in shots.  Octorara lead at halftime 35 – 19.

The Braves’ fifty sixth point came on a beautifully orchestrated Dequan Newton slam dunk which brought the Octorara fans roaring to their feet and some of them even out, onto the court!

The Braves were assessed a technical foul as a result which gave the Vanguards three free throws, but nobody seemed to care.  The Braves were on a tear and Coach Lambert emptied his bench giving the senior players a bow as they exited the floor.

Octorara’s 70^th point came on a three-point swish by senior Kadeem Ford and that brought the Braves players to their feet with wild enthusiasm.

Sun Valley managed only 17 points in the second half.

Octorara cruised to the win, which ended the regular home season and guaranteed the Braves at least a tie for first place in the Ches-Mont American Division with Great Valley, who played at Oxford on this evening.

Octorara will either face Coatesville in the first game of the Ches-Mont playoff tournament on Saturday at Oxford High School or they will play West Chester Henderson in the second game, depending on tonight’s Oxford versus Great Valley game.

Stay tuned!