Cheesman A. Herrick Fieldhouse, North Philadelphia PA -  You can tell a lot about a team based on how they respond after falling short to the best team in their league.  Girard College lost last Saturday to Bicentennial League leader Holy Ghost Prep by two points.  With a week to sit on it before playing again, Girard had the option of hanging their heads, or coming out strong in their next effort.  This past Friday, in their first meeting against the Bristol Warriors since defeating them for last year's District I-A championship, Girard chose the latter, dominating the Warriors for a 97-59 home victory.

“Bristol is one of the top teams in our [league],” Girard's John Johnson (22 points) said after the game.   “We had something to prove.”   The Cavaliers proved that they are still in the elite class of the Bicentennial league by setting the pace in the first quarter with strong interior offense and a headsy defense that forced many turnovers.  Bristol seemed to lack energy to start the game, and Girard took advantage with an uptempo offensive strategy that included quickly coming upcourt after every inbound.  Girard led 23-12 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Bristol came alive, thanks mostly to the efforts of Asa Rankins, who led the team with 18 points, and Derek Torres, who had 15.  The Warriors managed to get to within three at 27-24 with 4:15 left in the half, but Girard's Omar Ford-Bey (21 points) began to pound the Warriors inside repeteadly, and point guard Trevor Peeples (11 points) helped Girard regain the tempo with great ball handling and aggressive man defense.  Girard ended the final 4 minutes of the half on a 19-5 run to hold a 46-29 lead.

Johnson took over in the third quarter for the Cavaliers, at one point scoring 8 straight Girard points.  Bristol did not have an answer for him, nor for Terrell Candelria (22 points), who hit a buzzer beating three to expand Girard's lead to 19 at the end of the third. Candeleria went on to help put the finishing touches in the fourth quarter with another three and a wild double pump layup that fell and showed that this was just Girard's night. The Cavaliers ran away with the game at this point and finished up the 38 point victory, bouncing back big from their loss to Holy Ghost and making a statement to the league - and the district.

“We just need to play together and play team defense,” Johnson said in regards to what it will take for Girard to repeat as District champion.  Talent helps, too.  And judging by the performance the Cavaliers have been giving all season and especially Friday night, they do indeed have a lot of it.