‘Blazers drop hard-fought game to Morristown

By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
University coach Brandon Lafferman said it best after the Trailblazers’ game with Morristown Saturday: “It was one of those games that felt like both teams deserved to win.”
The two teams played in the semi-finals of the Class 1A Martinsville regional, and it was a battle worthy of their rankings: University is No. 2 and Morristown is No. 4. But unfortunately, there can only be one winner in tournament time, and it was the Yellow Jackets, who ended the Trailblazers’ season with a 55-53 victory.
The ‘Blazers tied the game at 49-49 with 2:40 left after Foster Flamion made a layin. Morristown’s star senior Hayden Langkabel got his team back in front with layin, which Zack Hodgin with a basket of his own. The score was tied again at 51-all.
The Yellow Jackets then led 53-51, but Hodgin struck again, getting a layin with less than 15 seconds left. But Langkabel quickly scored what would be the game-winner on another layin. University called timeout to try for a final shot, and had plenty of time with 2.7 seconds left. But the Trailblazers’ final 3-point attempt just missed.
“I’m proud of the way we played today,” said Lafferman. “I thought we were in some tough spots late in the second quarter and throughout the whole third quarter, where calls weren’t really going our way, shots weren’t falling. Our guys just hung around and hung around, kept fighting. We got it to the fourth quarter and I thought we did everything we needed to do to win minus one basket.”
University fought for the entire game. The ‘Blazers trailed 6-2 early in the first, but then went on a 7-0 run to lead 9-6. Flamion and Ethan Sickels made layins, and David Howard drained his first 3-pointer of the game.
University then led 15-12 early in the second period, but that’s when Morristown made its first big run, scoring eight unanswered points. Langkabel scored six of those points. Still, the Trailblazers hung tough, and a Howard layin kept them within 22-20 at halftime.
University got the Yellow Jackets’ lead to one point on three different occasions in the third quarter, including thanks to a 3-pointer from Josh Watson. But a sudden 7-0 spurt put Morristown ahead 35-27 for what would be the biggest lead of the game.
The Yellow Jackets matched that lead at 37-29, but that’s when Howard began to assert himself. During the last half of the third quarter, Howard made three 3-pointers, and that helped the ‘Blazers trim Morristown’s lead to 42-40 by the end of the period. A ‘3’ by the seemingly unstoppable Langkabel got the Yellow Jackets ahead 47-42 early in the fourth, but that’s when University began its last push.
“Once we slowed them down a little bit, started to make baskets, I thought we were going to get it and then 25 (Langkabel) made a tough shot there at the end,” said Lafferman.
“We just grinded our way back in it,” said Lafferman. “That’s what we kept talking about in the third and fourth quarter in the huddles. I’m proud of the guys. They did everything they needed to do.”
Howard finished the game with 18 points (including four total 3-pointers), six rebounds and two blocked shots. Hodgin added 13 and Watson scored 10. Flamion totaled six rebounds as well. Langkabel led all scorers with 24 points; Morristown beat Tindley 82-64 to win the regional in the Saturday evening championship game.
As for University, it ended its season at 21-3.
“I think this was the best season we ever had at University High School,” said Lafferman. Indeed, there were some significant wins: An undefeated Pioneer Conference championship (the first time the Trailblazers have ever won a conference championship), a victory over defending 1A state champion Tindley, a first-ever win over a 4A school (Pendleton Heights), several weeks on top of the 1A Associated Press poll, and of course, a sectional championship, the first for University in five years.
“We had a great year and our seniors, hats off to them,” said Lafferman. “I think they’ve really set the stage for what the culture and the expectation now is for University basketball. I’m really proud of them.”

Morristown 55, University 53
University FG FT TP PF
David Howard 7-17 0-1 18 3
Ethan Sickels 2-4 0-0 4 0
Foster Flamion 2-2 2-3 6 2
Josh Watson 3-8 2-2 10 2
Zack Hodgin 6-9 1-1 13 3
Sam Mervis 1-1 0-0 2 0
Totals 21-41 5-7 53 10
Score by Quarters
Morristown 10 12 20 13 – 55
University 11 9 20 13 – 53
University 3-point shooting (6-17) Howard 4-12, Watson 2-3, Sickels 0-2.
University rebounds (20) Howard 6, Flamion 6, Sickels 3, Hodgin 3, Watson 2.