Springdale boys don’t let Riverview spoil season this time, clinch playoffs with win

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 9, 2018 | 10:48 PM

Last year, Springdale needed a win over Riverview in the season finale to clinch a WPIAL playoff spot but came up short.

The Dynamos were determined not to repeat history. They led the entire way Friday night in a 42-29 victory in Oakmont.

Junior Mike Zolnierczyk had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead the way as Springdale secured the 33rd WPIAL playoff berth in school history.

The Dynamos (11-8, 6-6) and the other playoff entrants will receive their brackets at the WPIAL meeting Tuesday in Green Tree.

But for now, Springdale can erase the bad memories from last season when Riverview upset the Dynamos in Springdale for its section victory of 2017.

“We talked about it and said that this was meant to be,” Dynamos coach Seth Thompson said. “This is why you play high school sports. You're in a win-and-get-in situation, and you do what you have to do against your cross-river rival, packed gym on a Friday night.”

Added senior Josh Harmon: “We had every thought of last year in the back of our minds. It was the same situation as last year. The only difference is we were down here at their place. We weren't going to let that happen again. We had no doubts.”

Springdale's effort was bolstered by two players who weren't part of that season-ending disappointment: freshmen Ben Myford and Demitri Fritch.

Myford scored seven points and collected six rebounds, and Fritch played a steady game at point guard and came up with several big steals.

“Dimtri is like a chess player,” Thompson said. “He doesn't react to what you do. He's a little bit ahead of you. He's very perceptive and caused a lot of disruption. Ben's really come on this year, way better than I expected. He got the nod tonight, and I thought he played with a lot of bravado.”

Riverview (2-18, 0-11) wasn't going to go away quietly. A steal by freshman Gideon Deasy late in the second quarter trimmed Springdale's lead to 19-14 at the intermission.

But the Dynamos scored seven points — five by Harmon — in the first two minutes of the third quarter to lead 26-14.

“At halftime, we talked about how pivotal the first half of the third quarter is,” Thompson said. “I told them to come out and set the tone of how the rest of this game is going to be.”

Said Harmon: “Coaches like to say how important the first couple minutes of the third quarter is for the rest of the game. We did what coach asked, executed well in those first couple of minutes, and it was over from there.”

Springdale needed that cushion. Riverview trimmed the deficit to 26-21 with 2:57 left in the third quarter. A Springdale 3-second violation and another turnover gave the Raiders the ball, but Riverview couldn't convert.

A steal by Fritch at midcourt put the Dynamos in front 28-21, and the Raiders couldn't get any closer.

Springdale's biggest lead was at the conclusion when Zolnierczyk canned two free throws with 19.9 seconds left.

Harmon finished with 10 points and Nick Taliani added eight.

It didn't help Riverview that one of its top players, Noah Black, picked up a pair of fouls in the game's opening minutes, hampering coach Paul Sapotichne's rotation.

Deasy scored nine points, and Black and Dorian Rodriguez had seven each.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Riverview, Springdale