Executive Education players and coaches will spend the offseason wondering what could have been.
But at the end of the day, and the end of the season, the Raptors won't have to second-guess their efforts after losing 62-57 in double overtime to perennial PIAA powerhouse Devon Prep.
“I'm so proud of them,” Executive Education Coach Ray Barbosa said. “We didn't win a state title, but that's OK. We're 23-5. They put a lot of work into this. We've made it this far. To be in the position we're in right now. There are a lot of teams, programs and players that would love to be there.”
But right after being eliminated from the PIAA playoffs for the second straight year in the 3A boys basketball quarterfinals, all the Raptors could think about was what might have been.
District 11 champion Executive Education (23-5) was up 53 with less than two minutes left in the first overtime after 6-foot-11 Ramin Sano made the first two baskets of overtime. He led with 49. But District 12 champion Devon Prep (13-13), playing at home in Chester County, scored the next six points with 17 seconds left in the first overtime to take a 55-53 lead.
Rylan Muniz had a potentially game-winning 3-point shot blocked. He scrambled to get the ball back and made a shot from just inside the arc with 2.3 seconds left to send the game into his second overtime period.
Muniz, a 5-11 senior, hit five 3-pointers and scored a team-high 19 points. He had to work on everything because Devon Prep was glued to his defenders the entire game.
“Rylan has been performing for us for the last four years,” Barbosa said. “That kid has the heart of a lion. He's the smallest kid on the court, but he's the best performer.”
Zane Conlon, who scored a game-high 22 points, made the first 3-pointer of the second overtime to advance Devon Prep, the 2022 PIAA 3A champion, to retention.
Gabe Hornberger, who scored 15 points for the Raptors, responded with two free throws. These were the only points of his Executive Education in the 2nd OT.
Devon Prep, which also lost in the state quarterfinals last year, got 21 points from Reece Craft and denied Executive Education a chance to play in the semifinals.
“Our players fought,” Barbosa said. “I'm proud of their accomplishments this season. We have to go back to the drawing board and solve this problem.”
They'll have to do it without Muniz, Sano and five other seniors who played in their last game. Hornberger, a 6-4 sharpshooter, Jaden Shipley and Elias Lopez are the top returning players. Lopez finished with 11 points.
“They raised the bar for this program,” Barbosa said. “We have reached back-to-back quarterfinals. We will continue to fight, our players will continue to work hard and we hope that one day we can get over this hump.”
Brian Rippey is a freelance writer.
