C. Milton Wright High School - At Wednesday's Harford County Boys Volleyball Championship tournament, the Havre de Grace boys stormed back from an early loss to top the host-team C. Milton Wright boys twice in a row during the final pairing, securing top honors for the Warriors, who wrapped up a perfect regular-season campaign last week.
After edging the Patterson Mill Huskies 25-22 in the opening round, the Warriors got past Bel Air with a 25-19 victory. In the third round, however, Havre de Grace was beaten handily by CMW, 25-13, sending the Warriors down to the losers' bracket.
Havre de Grace defeated Fallston 25-20 in the semifinal round, earning the Warriors a spot in the championship matchup, where they would have to beat the upper bracket winner CMW two times to take the event's top spot.
The Warriors won the first game of the finals 25-19, then wrapped up the tournament by topping the Mustangs 25-21.
"Havre de Grace made some adjustments in the finals, and really came alive," CMW head coach Rich Moyers said. "Around 20 points into the first set, there was a definite moment when the momentum radically shifted to their setter, outside hitter pairing, to which we simply struggled to pass the deep crossing attack. So, with the momentum on their side, they found the means to tap that nail into it. Congrats to the Warriors for finishing so strongly."
David Beck was Havre de Grace's leader in the final two games, posting 23 kills, nine digs, two aces and one block. Steve Ashman had eight digs, three kills and two blocks, while Tyler Cooke put up one kill, four aces and a team-best 26 assists.
Moyers pointed out the players who helped the Mustangs take second place at the tournament.
"I definitely think that Ryan Walsh led an inspired effort, and kept our team focused on the task at hand," Moyers said. "Justin Pezzella had some of the best hands I've seen from him all season through most of the matches, and that built a trusting pact between him as a setter and his hitters. Mike Krouse came out as a serving fiend, banking 22 straight service points in one game, and was consistent throughout the evening, to which the entire team came together as one. There was such positive energy, it was palpable."
Through the six games they played at Wednesday night's tournament, the Warriors were led by Beck, who had 55 of Havre de Grace's 63 kills, 17 digs, two blocks, five aces and one assist. Ashman notched five kills, while leading the Warriors in blocks with four, and digs with 23. Cook paced the Warriors in assists with 62, and also had a team-high eight aces. Tony Cofrancesco scratched out three digs, two kills and one ace overall, while Sebastian Pruitt had seven digs and one block. Havre de Grace's Sean Darney registered four digs during the tournament.