Radnor’s Charlie Thornton, left, and Jackson Hicke celebrate a second-half basket in a 65-34 win over Springfield in the Central League semifinals Saturday. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)
By Matthew DeGeorge
The losses ultimately didn’t mean much, but the lessons were well-taken.
Radnor’s boys basketball team started the 2021-22 season 13-0. It stumbled twice in the regular season, reached the Central League and District 1 Class 5A finals and the second round of states before meeting the buzzsaw that is Imhotep Charter. By any measure, Radnor maxed out its talent.
But the rare setbacks in a 23-5 season left an impression, for a nine-strong senior class determined not to feel that sting again. And so a motto was born in the locker room, among a group in the rare position of being the favorite just about every time out this season.
The focus, forward Jackson Hicke says, is on trying to put together a one-game winning streak.
Twenty-three of them have led the Raptors back to the Central League final, against a familiar foe in Lower Merion, Monday night at Harriton (7:45 tipoff).
Webmaster’s note: Delcohoops.com will be video streaming both the boy’s and girl’s Central League Championship games on Monday, February 13th! Tune in at 5:50 for the girl’s game and 7:30 for the boy’s game for our LIVE video broadcast!