UNIONTOWN — Francis Scott Key overcame a poor start to last season and played in a sectional final, so those players who returned for this year were determined to make sure things were better in 2019-20.
That didn’t really happen, but the Eagles perhaps started another postseason push when they opened the Class 2A West Region 1 playoffs by turning back county rival South Carroll 60-42.
FSK opened the year at 2-9, won two in a row, and then dropped five straight. Key (7-16) has won three of five games since then, and Friday’s home victory meant advancing to face Century, the Carroll County Athletic League champion, on March 3 in the regional semifinals.
“I’d like them to flip [that switch] a little bit earlier,” Key coach Ryan Kimble said. “With this team in particular ... sometimes they flip it and sometimes it doesn’t come on. So we need to get rid of that inconsistency.”
Junior guard Travis Williams led the Eagles with 18 points and Ryan Rill added 16, and Kimble said his team displayed better defense that led to a playoff win. Rill, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, poured in 14 first-half points, and had nine in the second quarter to help Key grab a 37-21 halftime lead.
South Carroll (6-17) tried to climb back into the game with a 9-2 run to start the fourth quarter, but went cold over the final six minutes while the Eagles pulled away.
“The intensity on defense, the ball movement ... when we get more assists it usually counts as a win,” said Rill, whose team had eight assists against four turnovers in the first half. “We did this last year, I think it was sort of the same thing. I think we started 1-10 and then we got it together at the end. We played much better at the end.”
Williams and Jaeden Heiser had six rebounds apiece for FSK, and Williams sank three 3-pointers. Heiser and Logan Milstreed had three assists each.
Francis Scott Key split with the Cavaliers during their two-game set in the regular season, and SC routed the Eagles 71-52 on Feb. 14 in Winfield behind 30 points from Luke Anderson. The senior had 11 Friday night, but he was the only Cavs player in double figures.
South Carroll missed its share of short-range shots, and Kimble credited his team’s defensive efforts for aiding in the win.
“We really focused on having a hand on [Anderson],” said Kimble, who then referenced FSK’s 60-53 victory Jan. 17 over the Cavs in Uniontown. Anderson had 17 and Karson Pavlik scored 16 in that game for SC; Kimble praised senior Cam Brooks for his defensive efforts against Pavlik on Friday night.
Anderson added seven rebounds and four blocks for the Cavaliers, and Carter Chesney handed out four assists. South Carroll went 1-10 to start the year but played better down the stretch, said coach Jim Carnes. The Cavaliers held their own in games against Century, Liberty, and Westminster, Carnes said, and used their athleticism to their advantage.
Meanwhile, the Eagles get a third crack at the Knights when they play next week in Eldersburg. Century enjoyed a 27-point win over Key at home on Jan. 28.
“If we defend, we can can compete,” Kimble said. “We know Century is going to make it hard for us to defend. But if we’re physical and we’re strong ... I feel like we can compete with them. Now it’s up to them ... to see if we can win down in a great environment.”
South Carroll (42): Matt McNally 3, Carter Chesney 6, Dylan O’Neill 5, Luke Anderson 11, Caleb Eddins 8, Aiden Greaney 7, Tucker Eckert 2.
Francis Scott Key (60): Logan Milstreed 5, Michael Saghy 6, Travis Williams 18, Jaeden Heiser 4, Jarren Rutter 5, Bryce Zepp 2, Ryan Rill 16, Cam Brooks 2, Liam McGrath 4.
Halftime: 37-21.