Spartans end season with loss

Florida - It was a tough loss in a tough season. The 50-48 loss to Tuxedo in the Section 9 Class C quarterfinals seemed to mirror the entire season for the Seward Spartan basketball team. As in so many games this year, coach Rob Gravelle’s team fell behind early, made a comeback, then lost in the agonizing, closing moments. This time the Spartans fell behind 11-4 in the first quarter, cut that lead to 28-22 by half-time, then fell back again, 42-32, by the end of three quarters. A late rally found the Spartans nipping at the Tornados’ heels in the last quarter until Florida only trailed by two, 50-48, with one second left and the Spartans in possession. A last desperate shot by Brenden Myers was off. Tuxedo advances; thoughts in Florida drift to baseball. Senior Myers led the Spartans in scoring with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Bryan Folkl, another senior, notched 13 and pulled down 12 rebounds. Sophomore Saddam Sahmanovic tallied an even dozen. Myers, Folkl and Mickey Collins end their final season with an 10-11 overall record. They also end with a lot of praise and gratitude from coach Gravelle. “I’m proud of those three; it was really a pleasure coaching them. They showed a lot of senior leadership, both on and off the court. I’ll really miss them.” Next year the Spartans will slip back down to Class D. Gravelle will build on a group of juniors, including Wayne Hallock, Andy Zis and Will Oliphant, who saw significant playing time this year and should be even better as seniors. Sophomore starters Sahmanovic and Jeremy Harter will also be back to try to reverse this year’s record. “It was great working with this group,” Gravelle said. “It was rare when a player missed a practice. Hopefully that dedication continues next year.”