One intangible that can make a team dangerous is confidence.  Confidence can turn  perennial underdogs into undeterred threats, and perennial favorites into unstoppable machines.  The #8 Souderton Indians came into last night’s AAAA State playoff contest against the #2 South Philadelphia Rams confident that they belonged in the matchup after upsetting previously undefeated Reading last Saturday.  However, Southern came in confident as well; believing that they would be up to the challenge and defeat the fiesty Indians.  When the smoke cleared, the Rams accomplished that feat with a 73-54 victory, although Souderton was able to keep it close for the first three quarters.

After a tight first quarter that ended with Southern holding a 16-14 lead, the Rams went on a 12-2 run to make it 28-16.  They played a 3-2 zone which forced Souderton to work the ball around the perimeter perhaps more than they wanted to.  Souderton tried to drive the ball inside to break the zone, and this method worked occasionally, especially for senior Ron Benson, who finished the game with 26 points (and scored his 1,000th point in the game).  But as the game went on, the drives to the basket became tougher for Souderton.  When they tried to counter with quick passes inside, Southern countered with effective interior defense and efficient use of their hands and arms to create turnovers. The turnovers led to quick transition baskets for the Rams during this run and throughout the rest of the game.  “I liked the intensity on defense,” Rams coach Greg Anderson said after the game when asked about what part of his team’s performance impressed him most.

They outscored the Indians 20-13 in the 2^nd quarter, and it proved to be the difference, as the Indians spent the rest of the game fighting an uphill battle.

The entire Rams offensive effort was impressive, but especially key was junior forward Furnell Doster.  He showed his ability to score inside and outside in this game and finished with 23 impressive points. Every time Souderton looked like they would make a run, Doster seemed to be right there, hitting a clutch basket. Having had problems with his shot the past few games, Doster benefitted from the quick transition offense the Rams ran, and his own ability to get into the open space and take good shots.  “The past five games I was forcing my shot,” he said after the game.  “Coach said let the game come to me.”

When things got close at the end of the third quarter (50-42 at the end of the 3^rd), the Rams, in danger of letting the game get away from them, found a way to put it all back together.  “They stayed calm at the end,” Coach Anderson said about his team.  “They got more patient with their shots.”

Southern looked like a team playing with a humble confidence in this game, and that is the most dangerous confidence out there.  They now face Norristown on Saturday, and the two teams should match up very well.  With no clear-cut favorite, we’ll see what other intangibles come to play in what should be a terrific game.