Sports
Upper Moreland Wins First Basketball District Title in School History
The Upper Moreland Golden Bears boys basketball team clinched first district championship over Pope John Paul II 57-49. The team will now advance to state competition.
The Upper Moreland Golden Bears on Saturday proved to many that a small suburban school can compete and win on the big stage.
With the lights shining brightly on the biggest stage, the Golden Bears came through with a win over Pope John Paul II to capture the school's first ever district championship.
The Bears cruised to a 57-49 win over Pope John Paul II and will now advance to the first round of the state tournament on Friday at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. They will square off against 4th-seeded Susquehanna Township High School in the District 3 bracket.
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Head coach Brian Corrado has been with the team since 1994 and has only been to the state tournament once in his tenure (2006). Even though the Golden Bears have made the state tournament before, this was their first appearance in a district championship. Coach Corrado credits the team’s recent success to their work ethic and their attitudes.
Late in the 4th quarter during the district championship, team captain Matt
Kohn drove hard to the basket and injured his right wrist in the process. The seriousness of the injury is still unknown. Aside from Kohn, the Golden
Bears are healthy for the first round of states.
Find out what's happening in Upper Moreland-Willow Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Pope John Paul II heavily covered Kohn through double teams as he was limited to only eight points in the title game played at Villanova. But Kohn showed his leadership on the court by dishing the ball to Junior Co-Captain Kevin McFall who had a team-high 20 points. Also contributing on the court was Junior Tommy Robinson who recorded 8 rebounds. A huge question mark for the Golden Bears in the beginning of the season was how the addition of Mark Williams, Zack Carroll and James Martin would fit into the Golden Bears offense.
"I guess our questions are answered," coach Corrado chuckled.
Many of the players on this team were members of the 2010-2011 team that struggled to find wins. Coach Corrado attributes this district championship to them and their persistence. After the Golden Bear’s victory on Saturday night, Coach Corrado did a fist pump, and said it was for the fans, players and the community.
The Golden Bears will head to states on a three-game win streak.
