D-11 Boys’ Hoops: Schuylkill Haven rolls past Tri-Valley to claim Class AA title
The Schuylkill Haven boys' basketball team poses with its District 11 Class AA trophy and sign after defeating Tri-Valley 82-68 (Photo by Eli Doyle).
POTTSVILLE — For the first time since 1997, the Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes are bringing home a District 11 boys’ basketball championship.
In a matchup filled with milestones, redemption and a dominant second-half surge, Schuylkill Haven pulled away from Tri-Valley 82-68 on Saturday afternoon at Martz Hall to claim the District 11 Class AA title.
“I felt like the way we were playing, that it would be a very close game,” Schuylkill Haven coach Fran Murphy said. “Then, at the end of the third quarter, I turn my head and look up and all of a sudden we have six more points on the board. I’ve got to give the credit to the kids. The game turned in those 21.0 seconds, or whatever it was.”
It was a statement win in every sense.
Tri-Valley (21-4) had swept Haven (17-8) in two regular-season league meetings, 81-68 on Nov. 29 and 77-76 on Jan. 8 in a shootout. The Dawgs had been the standard in Class AA all winter, and early on it looked like Round Three might follow a similar script.
Instead, this time belonged to the Hurricanes — and to Alan Evans and Justin Watcher.
Evans finished with 22 points and surpassed 1,000 career points during a pivotal third-quarter run. Watcher delivered a game-high 23, attacking the rim, finishing in transition and controlling the pace when it mattered most. Together, they powered Haven to its first district crown in 28 years.
The first half was tight and physical. The teams traded blows through two quarters, with neither side able to gain separation. After Tri-Valley led by as many as five in the second quarter, Haven clawed back. Evans tied the game at 33-33 late in the half, and the Hurricanes entered the locker room even with the Dawgs.
Then came the turning point.
Schuylkill Haven exploded for 27 third-quarter points. Evans opened the frame with relentless work on the glass and hit the 1,000-point milestone on a putback during a 10-0 surge that flipped momentum. Watcher followed with tough finishes through traffic, and Max Heim added interior buckets that forced Tri-Valley to collapse defensively.
The dagger came just before the buzzer. Evans stepped into a steal off the inbound and buried a 3-pointer as time expired in the third, pushing Haven’s lead to 60-48 and sending the Martz Hall crowd into a frenzy.
Tri-Valley attempted to rally behind Braeden Doyle (18 points), Kingsley Johnson (14) and Gavin Klock (15), trimming the deficit to single digits midway through the fourth. But Haven answered every run at the foul line.
The Hurricanes went 22-for-35 from the stripe, including clutch late makes from Evans, Watcher, Brady Kelly and Bradyn Diehl to seal it.
“To be honest with you, we have 60 practices throughout the regular season,” Murphy said. “We start every practice with a drill called 21 passes. That is an end-of-game situation. The kids go five-on-five in a compressed area of the court, and whoever gets to 21 passes wins and the other team has 25 to 50 pushups to do. I feel that drill prepares us for those end-of-quarter situations, where we’re keeping the ball away. In two years there will be a shot clock, so those 21 passes will go away. But for today, those 21 passes ruled the day.”
Heim finished with 14 points, Kelly added 13 and Diehl chipped in 10 in a balanced effort by the Hurricanes’ iron five.
“I want to give credit to Tri-Valley,” Murphy added. “They had a great season. They are a very well-coached team. I want to remember that they’re sitting in the locker room feeling bad, but they had a great season. They should not be feeling bad about anything. They beat us twice in the regular season.”
When the final horn sounded, the Hurricanes emptied the bench and celebrated at midcourt — district champions for the first time since 1997.
A season that included league setbacks to Tri-Valley ended with redemption, a milestone performance from Evans and a banner nearly three decades in the making.
And the Dawgs’ season shouldn’t be defined by one afternoon. Tri-Valley put together an impressive 21-4 campaign, captured a Schuylkill League Division II title going undefeated through league play and established themselves as one of the most consistent Schuylkill League programs before finishing as district runner-up. Contributions from departing seniors Doyle, Klock, Owen Miller, Cooper Carl and Camryn Olmos will be missed.
The Hurricanes will host District 3 runner up DeLone Catholic (23-1) in the First Round of the PIAA Class AA Tournament on Saturday, March 7, at a time to be announced.
Game Summary
District 11 Class AA Championship
At Martz Hall
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (82) — Evans 6 8-11 22, Diehl 2 5-6 10, Kelly 5 3-8 13, Watcher 10 2-2 23, Heim 5 4-8 14, Shafe 0 0-0 0, Lucas 0 0-0 0, Tracey 0 0-2 0. Totals 28 22-35 82.
TRI-VALLEY (68) — Carl 2 0-2 4, Miller 3 0-0 7, Porter 5 0-0 10, Johnson 4 2-2 14, Doyle 5 6-7 18, Klock 6 2-2 15. Totals 25 10-13 68.
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| SH (17-8) | 17 | 16 | 27 | 22 | 82 |
| TV (21-4) | 18 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 68 |
