By Todd Stanford
HERSHEY -- Just when it seemed like Greenwood had lost its scoring touch Friday night, Zach Fortenbaugh and Jordann Ferguson remembered how to put the ball in the hole.
Fortenbaugh had a game-tying 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation, and Ferguson scored six points in overtime as the Wildcats beat the Church Farm School 51-48 in overtime in a PIAA Class A first-round playoff game at HersheyPark Arena.
"(We) got the big shot out of our senior when we needed it," Greenwood coach Kent Houser said of Fortenbaugh. "I think that turned the tide our way."
The Wildcats (24-3), the District 3 runners-up, will meet District 2 champion Old Forge -- which defeated Sayre 54-46 in another first-round game Friday -- on Tuesday at a site and time to be announced.
Church Farm, the District 1 runner-up, finishes the year at 17-6.
"Our guys picked up the intensity on defense and got after it," CFS coach Marc Turner said. "We created some problems for them running their offense. ... We gave ourselves a chance to win the game, and that's all I can ask."
Four Greenwood players scored in double-figures, led by Fortenbaugh with 12. Ferguson had 11 and Andrew Rhoads and Cameron Hinkel both added 10.
"We had a great week of practice," Houser said.
"We really worked hard in playing harder and faster in our halfcourt offense."
Greenwood saw a 14-point second-half lead dissolve as the Griffins stormed back in the fourth quarter. Church Farm -- which forced six turnovers in the fourth after Greenwood had just eight turnovers through three quarters -- started the fourth on a 12-0 run and did not allow a Greenwood point until the final minute.
"We just couldn't get anything done," Houser said. "We weren't executing very well."
When the Griffins' Cordell Long -- who tallied a game-high 18 points -- scored inside off a Martin Evans assist with 1:11 left in regulation, Church Farm was up 43-39 -- its largest lead since it was 10-6.
Fortenbaugh then hit the first of two foul shots. The second shot was off, but in the struggle for the rebound a Church Farm player knocked it out of bounds. Fortenbaugh then got the ball on the wing before passing it inside to Deaven Kelly. Two defenders collapsed on Kelly, so he kicked it back out to Fortenbaugh, who buried the tying trey with 42 seconds remaining.
"It wasn't a set play," Fortenbaugh said. "I was just open and I hit it."
The Griffins' Howard Sellars attempted a 3-pointer from deep in the corner as time expired, but the shot was long and both teams prepared for overtime with the score tied at 43.
Evans put CFS up 45-43 with a pair of free throws one minute into overtime. Fortenbaugh and Ferguson then executed a perfect give-and-go, with Ferguson feeding Fortenbaugh for the game-tying layup. On Church Farm's ensuing possession, the 6-foot Hinkel blocked the 6-4 Long's shot, and Rhoads then found Ferguson on a perfect backdoor cut to give the Wildcats a 47-45 advantage.
DaTwan Bolden made one of two from the line to pull the Griffins within one with 53 seconds to go, but Ferguson drove in for a layup and was fouled.
"He has a tendency to do that," Houser said when asked about Ferguson's overtime heroics. "He came through with a couple of big plays for us there."
Ferguson missed the foul shot, and Bolden scored on a runner to get the Griffins within one again. But Ferguson buried two from the line with 16 seconds left for the final deficit. After a timeout, Church Farm got the ball to Long -- who'd buried two 3-pointers in the game -- on the left wing. But his potential game-tying shot was off, and Greenwood was on to the second round.
