Spartans split in Division V play

Florida - The Seward Spartans continued an unfortunate trend by failing to hold onto a lead again in a 43-39 loss to Tri-Valley. Two days later against Tuxedo in another home game, to the relief of Spartan coach Rob Gravelle, that trend was banished as Florida raced ahead of Tuxedo and stayed ahead, winning 57-42. The low-scoring game against the Tri-Valley Bears on Tuesday saw the Spartans go out to a 10-2 lead after the first quarter. Three pointers by Saddam Sahmanovic and Mickey Collins helped. Neither team did much in the second quarter, but Florida managed to stay in front at half-time, 16-11. The third quarter was quite even, but the visiting Bears scored an easy layup at the buzzer to close to 25-21. In the fourth quarter the lead changed hands several times. The Spartans still led 39-38 with about a minute to go. Tri-Valley leap-frogged ahead on two foul shots, and after a Florida turnover they converted two more fouls to go ahead 42-39. Then time basically ran out on the Spartans. Sahmanovic led the Spartans in scoring with 14 points, seven of those in the last frantic quarter. Bryan Folk hit double figures with ten and Jeremy Harter had seven. Brenden Myers and Collins were held to four apiece. Two nights later against Tuxedo it was Senior Night, the last regular-season home game. Perhaps that was inspiration enough for the Spartans to play one of their finest and most complete game of the season. Behind Folkl’s rebounding, nine first-quarter points and scoring from all five starters, Florida went ahead 21-4 after that opening quarter. Myers registered seven in the second quarter to put the Spartans up 31-20. Even at the end of the third quarter when Florida was still ahead 44-30 nobody sat back and relaxed, especially coach Gravelle and his players. The seniors’ parents, however, were treated to a fine show of determination in those last eight minutes. Folkl and Myers were tough underneath and Sahmanovic was just as tough on driving to the basket and making clutch foul shots. The closest the Tornados could get was 48-40 with two minutes left, but the Spartans would not be denied, holding on for a well-deserved 57-42 win. Folkl had a team-high 19 points and 17 rebounds. Myers tallied 16 to go with ten rebounds, the same number as Collins. Sahmanovic added 11, with eight coming in that decisive fourth quarter. A Gravelle, half-jokingly, expressed the theory that his team was “peaking at the right time,” referring to the Section 9 Tournament that lies ahead.