When Norwich won its second Section IV title of the decade two seasons ago, even that team did not have the type of record this deep into the season as the current crop of Tornado ballers. In fact, most people may have figured – after, back-to-back outstanding seasons in which the Tornado won a combined 38 games – that this season the longtime successful program would take a step backward.
Not so.
There are teams in the Southern Tier Athletic Conference that have comparable overall records to the Tornado, but no club has a better overall record. “These guys have put in a lot of time and effort,” said Norwich 25th-year coach Mark Abbott. “If people haven’t had the opportunity to see these guys play, they are missing out on something. These guys epitomize the word team from the number one guy to number 13. It would be great to play in front of a great crowd.”
Abbott’s hope for a big crowd refers to Norwich’s pivotal STAC Central Division showdown with second-place Johnson City tonight at 7:45 p.m.. Norwich came back from a slow start against JC in the initial meeting to edge the Wildcats, 66-63. The win is the one-game lead Norwich presently holds over Johnson City, and Norwich can clinch the division outright with a victory. A Tornado loss, and each team will head back to the floor later in the week for a one-game playoff to determine the division champion.
“A win Wednesday night, and it would be three straight division titles,” Abbott said. “If you look back at the last 20 years, we’ve won 13 division titles. That doesn’t leave a lot for the other schools in our division to share. We kind of like it that way. From a team-goal perspective, wanting to win a division title every season is a nice time to be selfish.”
After Johnson City’s quick start in the first meeting seven weeks ago, Norwich came together to play one of its best offensive games of the season against a club that is arguably the most athletic team in STAC.
At guard and on the wing are speedy Ian Pettiford and scorer Troy Robinson. Complementing those two this season are inside players Rashawn Powell and Ryan Clark. Powell, an active post player who scores most of his points around the basket, missed the first meeting due to injury. Clark, an inside banger, had 20 points against Norwich in the loss, but suffered an ankle injury and is expected to miss Wednesday’s contest at Jack Jones Gymnasium.
“It will present a different look for us,” Abbott said of the JC’s lineup that will feature Powell, but exclude Clark. “Powell is more of an athlete in the paint; Clark was more of big body who could post up or step out and shoot the three. It will be a different challenge for us.”
Norwich’s balanced offense provided the key to victory as Jon Foulds scored 19 points to lead four NHS players in double figures. Jacob Kelly, Dennis Oralls, and Seth Thomsen also reached double figures. Thomsen, who didn’t have a double figures scoring game until the fifth game of the season, has scored in double figures, had double figures rebounds or had both in nearly every game over the last month. Foulds, meanwhile, came out of a recent shooting slump to score 20 against Susquehanna Valley last Friday, and the Tornado had one of their more error-free league games of the season in that win turning it over a mere seven times.
Abbott believes his team will need to be at its best to overcome a talented squad that has only dropped games this season to the upper echelon of STAC.
“Our calling cards all season have been defense and rebounding,” Abbott said. “Those two things have been constants. If we are able to take care of the ball, we have a good shot of winning.”
The junior varsity game begins at 6 p.m. Before the varsity contest, Norwich seniors Josh Favaloro, Frank Somich, Zach Martinson, Kelly, and Foulds will be recognized.