By Sean McBryan
Emma Rowland and the Haverford Fords’ stingy defense threw everything it had at Cedar Cliff and its freshman sensation Olivia Jones; it was nearly enough to top the Colts on their home court.
As they’ve done in a season where they pushed District 1 champion Plymouth Whitemarsh to the brink and soundly defeated Central League champ Garnet Valley to make it to states, the defensive effort never dwindled for Haverford even while pressing for the majority of the game.
Cedar Cliff, with only one scratch on an otherwise perfect record which came on a halfcourt heave in the district semifinals, were able to match that intensity and keep that single mark in the loss column by outlasting a tough Fords squad 36-27 Tuesday night in Camp Hill in a PIAA Class 6A first-round tilt.