By Kyle McFadden
GERMANTOWN- For an average high school student, snow days are always a breath of fresh air. This past week, as a blizzard dumped two to three feet of snow across the state of Maryland, almost every high schooler got their winter wonderland dream. Athletes, however, frowned upon the wintery storm; digging and shoveling their way around the sizable obstacle to keep fundamentals somewhat sharp.
For Matt Kelly and John Fierstein, they were no match to Winter Storm Jonas. Almost three feet of snow you say? That’s no match for Quince Orchard’s basketball version of “Batman and Robin”. Despite the nine day layoff between today and the last team practice, Kelly and Fierstein found their way to keep fresh as they throttled Quince Orchard past Seneca Valley, 60-43.
“The kids did whatever they could to find a basket over the nine day layoff,” Quince Orchard head coach Paul Foringer said. “They did anything. Shoveling their driveways for a patch of asphalt, going to fitness centers, and even church’s that have gyms.”
Even if it was for an hour a day, every workout was valued knowing that not too many other opponents had the same opportunity of ridding cabin fever to hone in on basketball fundamentals.
“A lot of us got together over the long break to get shots up whether it was at the fitness center, church’s or our driveways,” Fierstein said, who finished with a game-high of 17 points and averages 17.7 on the year. “Keeping our confidence up in the gym allowed us to come out and make sure (Seneca Valley) don’t control the game.”
Fierstein and company came out just as they expected, controlling the tempo, forcing a hefty amount of turnovers to open up a 9-2 run in the first 3:44. Seneca Valley would then regroup and closed out the first quarter on a 8-2 spurt on a series of Quinton Twyman layups to bring the game on its heels, 11-10, still in favor of Quince Orchard.
A pivotal second quarter in which Quince Orchard outscored Seneca Valley, 16-4, broke the flood gates open and set the tone for the rest of the game.
By halftime, eight different Cougars scored in some way, shape or form to boost a 27-14 lead after two.
“Our bench was huge today,” Foringer said. “They did what they needed to do; play effectively while giving our starters, who normally see a huge amount of minutes, much needed rest.”
Seneca Valley would then bring the game to within eight in the first minute of the second half. But the tandem of Fierstein and Kelly, who have been playing together since the first grade, proved to overwhelmingly be enough.
“We’ve been playing with each other since we were basically born,” junior Matt Kelly said, who had 15 points of his own. “We know each others tendencies and that makes it much easier.”
Fierstein was relatively quiet for the first two quarters, but in the third, he showcased why he is one of the top players in Montgomery County. The junior accounted for 11 of his teams 20 third quarter points on crafty moves to the rim and midrange jumpers.
“Our offensive execution today was in a rhythm,” Fierstein said. “We were in attack mode the whole game and didn’t get comfortable with the outside shot.”
Kelly had the lone three pointer for Quince Orchard. Outside of that, the Cougars made their living off of crisp offensive sets and will to get to the free throw line.
“(Matt) Kelly and (John) Fierstein, they’re Batman and Robin,” Foringer said. “Two of the most versatile players I have ever coached. We have to continue to keep the pedal down.”
Quinton Twyman finished with 10 for Seneca Valley.
