With Yofan slowed by injury, Fox Chapel boys find way to win in PIAA opener

By: George Guido
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 8:30 PM

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Lately, during Fox Chapel’s run that has stretched into the PIAA playoffs, the mode of operation has been making big plays in the fourth quarter.

Wednesday was no different as Fox Chapel made a variety of key plays — most of the time without standout Eli Yofan on the floor — as the Foxes defeated Cumberland Valley, 52-47, before a sellout home crowd.

Yofan suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter and played sparingly in the fourth, but his teammates made enough solid plays and survived a 3-point barrage by Cumberland Valley.

The WPIAL champion Foxes (25-1) won their 24th game in a row and will play Allderdice in the second round Saturday at a site and time to be determined. It was the first win for Fox Chapel in the PIAA tournament since the Foxes defeated Bradford in an opening-round game March 7, 1998.

Cumberland Valley, the No. 7 team from PIAA District 3, concluded its season at 19-8.

With Fox Chapel leading just 36-33 as the fourth quarter got underway, Colin Kwiatkowski’s tip-in brought the lead to five. Fox Chapel then went on an 8-0 run to stretch its lead to 46-35. Yofan made a pair of free throws, and a layup by Jeff Moorefield-Brown was set up by Jake DeMotte’s stop of an Eagles shot. Russell Fenton’s drive through the key gave Fox Chapel an 11-point advantage.

But Cumberland Valley got 3-point baskets from Grant Truffa and Dylan Levis, and, suddenly, the Eagles were down 46-41 with 1 minute, 36 seconds to go.

Another basket by Moorefield-Brown and three free throws by J.P. Dockey put the Foxes in the driver’s seat. A partially blocked shot was gobbled up by Kwiatkowski with the game still up for grabs.

“Just extra focus late in the game,” Dockey said, explaining the late heroics. “We make valuable shots. You can’t force anything, and you have to be patient. And lock in during the fourth quarter.”

Added coach Zach Skrinjar: “That’s why these guys are champions: They find a way in the fourth quarter.”

Cumberland Valley trailed by just one at the end of the first and second quarters.

“We felt like the longer we could keep the game close as the underdog, the pressure shifted to them,” said Eagles coach David Vespignani. “They came out a made a little run in the third quarter, and we had to play catch-up from there.”

Said Skrinjar: “We talked during a timeout that we needed three stops. We got a big block by Colin that was enormous and a couple more. I thought that was a turning point, just getting those stops. I knew with this big crowd and this atmosphere they wouldn’t let this one drop tonight.”

Yofan and DeMotte finished with 10 points each, and Yofan was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Kwiatkowski collected eight rebounds to go with his two blocked shots, and Dockey had three blocks and four assists.

Levis led the Eagles with 16 points, and Spencer Titus had 10.

Now the focus is on Yofan’s ankle. The 2021 Valley News Dispatch Player of the Year was due to be evaluated Thursday morning.

Tags: Fox Chapel