By:
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 11:47 PM
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
Montour’s Kaleb Platz (24) reacts after a phone call and one withdrawn from the AMA Sow teammate in a Piaa Class 5a’s first round game against Milton Hershey on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
AMA SOW (10) Montour throws an attempt shot by Abdou Diene i Milton Hershey (12) in a game of Piaa Class 5a of the first round on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
AMA SOW (Center) of Montour (Center) Montour in an attack on Milton Hershey Josh Gibb (Left) in a Piaa Class 5A game of the first round Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
Kaleb Platz (Center) of Montour (Center) attracts into an attack against Jossoms by Milton Hershey (left) in a Piaa Class 5a game of the first round Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
Montour’s Colton Straight (right) nails a 3-notioner over Milton Hershey Aryan Sandhu in a Piaa Class 5A game of the first round on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
Kaleb Platz i Montour (24) and Aj Alston (1) react after a 3-trainer from Platz against Milton Hershey in a first game of Piaa 5a of the first round on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Andrew palaw | To the triblies
Trey Hooper of Montour (3) reacts after nailing a 3-notor against Milton Hershey in a Piaa Class 5A game of the first round on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Montour.
Previous
Other
The only trap on Friday evening was the defense that Montour stuck her opponent.
Montour’s Kaleb Platz scored 28 points, and three teammates scored in double figures while Spartans opened the Play offs-states with a 68-49 win to visit Milton Hershey in Piaa Class 5a.
Clearly, this was not a trap game.
Lurking in the next round was a match with the WPIAL Champion Chartiers Valley, the team that amazed Montour in the semifinals. Milton Hershey (17-10) was only seventh country team from circle 3. But Montour was not caught looking forward.
“We knew what was ahead of us,” said Platz, who went 9 for 13 four 3. “We just had to take care of the business at home.”
Montour (26-2) had a lead of 16 points by half. But Sow scored 13 points, and Colton Straight and Trey Hopper added 10 points each.
A strong night of the shooting helped the Spartans, who went 10 for 23 from the 3 -point arch. Milton Hershey was 0 for 7.
“I don’t know if they shoot the ball so well every game, but they do in the movie I’ve seen,” said Milton Hershey Scott Rooney. “They’re just dangerous.”
Now, all concentrations move to Tuesday.
Montour faces Valley Chartiers (23-3) in a site and time to be announced. It is the fourth match this season between section rivals.
The Spartans won twice in the regular season and were planted first in the WPIAL Play. However, Chartiers Valley won, 47-44, when they met on February 25 at the WPIAL semifinal.
“They caught us on a bad, bad night,” Platz said. “They got the best of us. We’ll see them again Tuesday. We’ll be ready.”
Montour coach Bill Minear said his team already survived a so -called “trap game” in the WPIAL consolation bracket, so he was not worried about what was happening against Milton Hershey.
After her semifinal defeat, Montour regrouped two days later to defeat Mars in a third place game that did not start well.
“What I really like about (the comfort bracket) is that you have a game to get it out,” Minear said. “The first quarter against Mars, we were in 19-8. You get to see your character. Will we fold or pull it together? We pulled it together. “
The biggest mounted deficit this time was three.
The Spartans tracked 12-9 before Aj Alston and Platz made 3 consecutive indicators in the last 30 seconds of the first trimester. Their shooting began an 18-2 run that lay in the second trimester and let the Spartans withdraw.
They mixed three different press defenses and forced Milton Hershey in six laps in less than two minutes. Montour led 27-14 after a placement by Platz at 5:35 left to half the time.
“They continued to call time, giving us time to change the protection,” Platz said. “They don’t like pressure. They were throwing deep passions and not connecting. “
Milton Hershey played without Junior Khalif Turner, his guard and the top scorer. This certainly made a difference when Montour alternated between a 1-2-2, 2-1-2 area and an area 2-2-1.
Montour exceeded Milton Hershey 25-12 in the second quarter to lead 40-24 in half.
“Maybe we had visions of the big boy all over the country,” Rooney said about 6-foot planting. “We started throwing the ball very high. I don’t know if the nerves have taken the best of us there. “
Sophomore Dylan Crawford led Milton Hershey with 14 points. Sensoms sensoms and 6-6 sophomore abdou diene added 12 pieces.
Montour’s direction peaked at 22 points late in the third quarter. A 3-teacher from Platz placed Spartans ahead of 58-36.
Minear said that some of the defenses they decided on Friday did not show much throughout the season.
“At this point of the season, everyone knows everything you do,” he said. “So if you have things you didn’t use, that’s time to use it.”
Chris Harlan is a tribute reporter that covers sports. He joined TRIB in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at Beaver County Times. It can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Montour