By Andrew Koob
Nothing seemed to go right for Archbishop Carroll in the first eight minutes of their PIAA Class AAA semifinal game against New Castle.
Turnovers and a back-and-forth affair helped New Castle gain momentum behind a clear advantage in fan base.
A new quarter brought forth a different, yet familiar Patriots team as Carroll cruised past New Castle 77-48 at Chambersburg High School.
The Patriots only held a three-point lead at the end of the first quarter after Marquel Hooker’s and-one with 0.1 seconds remaining was successful.
Carroll turned the jets on after the break, scoring the first 10 points of the second quarter and taking outscoring the ’Canes 22-5 heading into halftime.
“I thought we were great in the second quarter,” Archbishop Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk said. “It was a feeling-out process, I have to respect Coach Blundo and the New Castle program. They played hard, they play with a champion’s heart. I just don’t know if our guys were quite ready to start the game.