Girls Basketball: Goldbach, Ireland lead Garnet Valley to win

While Garnet Valley’s girls basketball team wasn’t competing for a District One Class AAAA championship Friday night, the Jaguars were playing at home one final time.

The Jaguars had already locked up a spot in the state tournament earlier this week, so their meeting with Methacton was merely a warm-up game whose outcome would determine which team earned the ninth seed in next week’s state tournament.

Garnet Valley could have taken things lightly, but the Jags don’t do business that way. Macy Goldbach and Jordan Ireland both scored 12 points to lead their team to a 47-41 victory over Methacton.Garnet Valley meets District 12 champion Archbishop Carroll in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAAA tournament next week.

“It was a good first quarter, but the game was pretty even the rest of the way,” Garnet Valley coach Joe Woods said. “Their big girl (Jordan) Carroll did very well and gave us problems the entire game. She scored most of her 11 points in the second half. It was just another real tough game.”

Haley Warden added eight points, 10 rebounds and seven steals for the Jags (26-2), while Sam Tomasetti had nine rebounds to go with her four points.

The Jags, who were the No. 2 seed in the district tournament, played five straight home games, including three in playback competition.

“We feel very fortunate to have that opportunity,” Woods said. “The crowds here were great.”