Shorthanded Haverford can’t keep up with GA

Haverford’s Isaiah Hart, right, makes a move to try to shake Germantown Academy’s Evan Eric-Longino during the Fords’ 61-44 loss in their season opener Friday. (Times Staff/Tom Kelly IV)

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Matthew DeGeorge

Keith Heinerichs knew that he was signing up for a challenge in scheduling Germantown Academy as the opener for his Haverford team.

What he might not have expected was to head into that encounter without his starting backcourt. Or with a starting lineup consisting of a freshman, a sophomore and a grand total of 71 varsity points scored last year. Or with the idea that he’d hand varsity debuts to five players and the most significant minutes of their high school careers to nearer a dozen Fords.

Understandably, Heinerichs and company were sanguine walking out with a 61-44 loss that contained more positives than the score may indicate.

For one, the Fords started their season by spotting the Patriots the game’s first 16 points and coming within 37 seconds of letting the hosts pitch a first-quarter shutout. The easy view is to observe that 16-point concession as being the difference Friday night, and while that’s overly simplistic, there’s no denying that the team that bumbled through the first quarter stuck around for the next three.

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