Font ResizeHeading into Saturday night's PIAA Class AAAA championship game against Penn Wood, the William Penn players know they are carrying a banner for all of York.
Senior forward Malachi Leonard said it best after Wednesday night's semifinal defeat of Plymouth-Whitemarsh.
"We are playing for all of York City," he said.
That fact was made even more apparent on Thursday when, according to coach Troy Sowers, the school had already sold 900 tickets for the 8 p.m. game at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.
Always passionate for basketball, the Bearcat fans have developed a new love for this team. And the team is ready for that challenge.
"It feels good that we have people behind us in our corner," senior Malik Generett said. "It motivates us. You hear people screaming in the crowd for us even when we are losing. I have never felt that before.
"It feels great and makes us go harder. We want to bring it back to York City."
The support for the 32-1 Bearcats has been nothing short of amazing to Sowers, who added that the love is not limited to the city limits. He has gotten well wishes from around the county.
"People have come into school and said nothing but positive things," he said. "The good thing is that it is not always related to athletic ability. They like the team concept, the fact the kids are getting good grades and their character off the floor."
All season, William Penn has done "the right thing," leading up to Saturday night, where the team can earn its
It has been a dream season.
"Playing in a state championship game has not hit me yet," Generett said. "It is not going to hit me till game time. I want the victory, the team wants the victory. The team is just ready. We are hungry for it."
But it won't be easy.
The Patriots are big -- very big.
Penn Wood has two players standing 6-foot-8, another 6-7, plus leading scorers Duane Johnson (13.5 points per game) and Aaron Brown (13 PPG) are both 6-5.
Still, facing more size is nothing new to the Bearcats.
Sowers is also impressed with Patriot point guard Tyree Johnson, who averages 12.86 points, along with 5.2 assists per game.
"They really remind me a lot of Plymouth-Whitemarsh and the (rest of the) teams we have been seeing in the state tournament," Sowers said. "It is going to be another battle. That is the way it has to be for a AAAA state championship."
Penn Wood (27-4), the second-place team from basketball-rich District 1, lost twice to Norristown and once to Plymouth-Whitemarsh -- both teams that William Penn knocked off.
Yet Sowers knows that means little. The Patriots enter the game ranked No. 1 in the state by Maxpreps.com.
The coach knows the remedy for capturing the ultimate prize is no secret.
"Hopefully our will to win will be more than their will to win," Sowers said. "Teams that work harder, stay together and focus on team are going to be the ones that come out on top."
Out-working the opposition is how the Bearcats reached this game, willing out victories even after falling behind in two of three games during the PIAA tournament.
It's the culmination of never giving up and having no ego on the basketball court.
"Every one of my kids has great parents," Sowers said. "That makes it easier for me to get them to understand that basketball is a team sport. They love each other and are not willing to put themselves above the others."
snavaroli@ydr.com; 771-2060
