Boys Basketball: Districts Preview – No secrets between Haverford, Upper Darby - PA

Both Bob Miller and Keith Heinerichs expressed lament over their teams drawing each other in the first round of the District One Tournament. But more than anything, those concerns were a sign of mutual respect between Upper Darby and Haverford, and a bit of dismay that one of the Central League combatants will see its season end Friday night.

On the court, it’s an “open book”, in the words of Heinerichs, between his No. 23 Fords and No. 10 seed Upper Darby. The teams have played twice this season, the Royals claiming a 53-29 win in December and a 44-38 win in January. The strategic aspects of each team’s approach – Haverford’s deliberate, methodical, ball-movement offense vs. Upper Darby’s athleticism and battle to knock down shots – are well established. So this meeting is about the higher-order tactics, the little things each team hopes will shift the balance.

For Haverford (13-9, 8-8 Central), that involves changing something to overturn the recent history between the teams in the school’s first playoff appearance in at least six years, according to Heinerichs.

“They beat us both times, so obviously we have a lot of work to do,” Heinerichs said. “We have to definitely up our game and execution and play hard at both ends.”

The Fords tumbled down a murderous final stretch of their schedule, going 1-5. Only one of those losses – a let-down drubbing at the hands of a Garnet Valley team playing for its slim playoff chances after the Fords toppled Penncrest – was to a non-playoff team. Two of the losses were to top seed Conestoga by a combined eight points, plus a five-point loss to Ridley.

That ability to play with – if not finish against – Conestoga leaves the Fords’ confidence undented, knowing they’re hardened for playoff battle thanks to a difficult Central League slate.

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With the injury to Quadir Rice, the versatility of Upper Darby’s Beni Toure, right, will become even more vital to the Royals. (Times Staff / JULIA WILKINSON )