Boys Hoops: Hawks Swipe UCBAC Title

Johnny Brooks joked Wednesday night that his team loves making history.

Wednesday’s history wasn’t the type that would bring a smile to the Havre de Grace coach’s face.

North Harford overcame a big deficit in a 40-36 win at Edgewood to become just the third Susquehanna Division team in any sport to upset a Chesapeake Division team in an Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference championship.

League Commissioner Bob Slagle said two softball teams from the Susquehanna Division have upset Chesapeake Division squads in past championships. But the Hawks became the first lower-division squad to upset an upper-division opponent on the basketball court.

“I thought we could compete,” Hawks’ third-year coach Jeff Burrows said. “But I knew we’d have to play really hard and execute really well.”

Havre de Grace, which won the Chesapeake Division regular season title and was looking for a second straight conference crown, led 10-1 early in the first quarter and finished the first frame with a 14-3 advantage.

The Warriors maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the first half, and opened the third quarter with a 6-0 run to lead 28-16 before the Hawks closed the gap to three points a 9-0 run.

The fourth quarter began with Havre de Grace leading, 31-29. The Hawks would take their first lead with 1:44 to play, when Tyler Campbell hit a shot from the paint and was fouled. He’d convert the free throw for a three-point lead that would only expand in the waning moments of play.

Campbell scored a game-high 14 points. Havre de Grace was led by Nate Jones’ nine points, while Travonn Bond and Trevell Malloy added seven each.

Brooks blamed turnovers and a lack of intensity after a hot start for his team’s lead slipping away so easily.

The Hawks wrap up an impressive regular season, in which they edged Patterson Mill for the Susquehanna Division crown.

“When we took over, this group was sophomores,” Burrows said. “We won four years the year before I got here. Now, to win the UCBAC, it’s amazing.

“I’m really happy. I’m proud of my boys.”