Ever since Coach Julian McFadden can remember, the “Kingsley Krazies” have packed the gym in support of the Blue Devils. On Friday, they might’ve had their best performance in decades.
Hundreds of fans flooded the Kingsley Gym for Alumni Night, showing support to both the boys and girls basketball teams as they took wins against GA and the Hill School, respectively.
The night started with the girls matchup against the Hill School. The Devils trailed early, down 11-5 with 1:38 left in the first quarter. Things changed when senior Pia Swamy sank a big three-pointer, which was the start of a nine-point SCH run to take a 14-11 lead by the second quarter.
The rest of the game was a back and forth battle. Both teams traded blows, with SCH still holding a three point lead, up 27-24 at the half. But, from there, the Hill School began to pile on points. They managed to recontrol the lead, but despite a run from SCH, they trailed 39-35 going into the final quarter.
SCH finally managed to break away in the fourth quarter with the support of their fans. Many students crowded the stands, chanting and cheering, with the sounds echoing throughout the Kingsley Gym, spurring the Devils on as they went on a run towards the end of the game. Despite a run from the Hill School, they couldn’t pull away, and the Devils won 62-54.
“It’s great that everyone [was] able to come out and support us,” said Swamy. “I’m glad people could see the girls’ games are entertaining, and I hope they’re able to come to future games.”
After that showdown, the boys team had a matchup against Germantown Academy. Fans crowded the stands to not only watch this matchup, but to see senior manager Nick Simon step onto the court against the Patriots.
Simon, who played for the Devils his freshman and sophomore year, had become the Devils manager in his junior year. Since then, he’s been hard at work helping the Devils. “He’s one of the guys that’s propelled us to where we are,” said head coach Julian McFadden. “We believe he’s one of the hardest workers around.”
To celebrate Simon and his work, the Devils started the senior for the beginning of SCH’s game against GA. When his name was announced during the lineups, the fans went crazy, rushing onto the court and shouting out.
As soon as the Devils got the ball, they found Simon. The senior rolled around screens, setting himself up on the wing and leaving him wide open for a three-pointer. “I had a coach’s mindset, so I knew they probably weren’t going to guard me,” said Simon. “I knew I was going to get this jawn open and to be ready for it.”
Simon was more than ready, moving into a quick catch and shoot, banking in the three-pointer as the Kingsley Krazies erupted in cheers. “It was great for him to feel the love, to feel how we feel about him,” said Coach McFadden. “It was just awesome to see.”
The Devils used that momentum and ran with it for the rest of the game. With the student section roaring, SCH rattled the Patriots early on, pouring points on early and often. GA seemed rattled, which was made evident by their struggles at the free throw line. Every time they sat at the charity stripe, they consistently missed their free throws.
“[The fans] were fantastic tonight”, said Coach McFadden. “The energy in [The Kingsley] rivals any building you can find in all of PA.”
That energy is what pushed the Devils to finish this game. Despite the Patriots refusing to go down, SCH held the lead and never let it go, winning the Inter-Ac matchup 76-66 behind senior forward Alex Ormond’s 27 points.
“I think the work is finally paying off,” Ormond said postgame. “It feels great [to win], we had a lot of support around us.”
After a win against EA, SCH looks to win three straight as they take on Malvern this Friday
