Sands’ senior season has been anything but a disappointment for Saints

Aidan Sands grew up watching Berks Catholic dominate in the postseason.

The Saints won Berks and District 3 titles in their first two seasons, 2012 and 2013. They made it to the Berks Conference title game in each of their first eight seasons.

When Sands was playing at Holy Guardian Angels the Saints — Casey Jack, Luis Garcia, Tre Dabney — beat Reading High for the Berks championship and Bishop McDevitt for the district title.

He couldn’t wait to get to BC and take part in those annual net-cutting parties.

It didn’t happen that way, though.

When Sands was a sophomore backup the Saints got bumped in the opening round of the BCIAA Tournament. Last year they didn’t even make the field, finishing 6-11, the first losing season in program history.

“It was so disappointing,” said the 6-3 senior after scoring a season-high 21 points in a 66-52 win over Antietam that sent the Saints to Santander Arena for tonight’s semifinal against Exeter at 6.

“We all felt down on ourselves; we had no confidence. It was just a bad year.”

The Saints were young and lost a lot of close games. Head coach Snip Esterly saw the makings of a good team and knew they had a chance to get back on top.

Things came tp fruition in the summer when they beat Wilson in the championship game of the West Reading Summer League.

Summer league results can be dismissed; players are often involved training or playing other sports, or off with their families on vacation.

Sands and the Saints looked at it as a key stepping stone for this season.

“In the summer, we all worked hard on ourselves,” he said. “We took our summer league serious, like it was a preview of the season, basically. When we won the summer league championship, that’s when I got real excited, knowing we were a good team.

“After our first win (this season) vs. Mifflin (72-70 at Wolf Gymnasium) — that was our first game with a full gym — I knew we could do what we want to do and make it as far as we can.”

The Saints (19-3) have a chance to take it pretty far. They’ll be the No. 1 seed in the District 3 Class 4A Tournament when it tips Monday. They’re the No. 2 seed in Berks. With a win over Exeter, a team they’ve beaten twice this season, they can make it back to the Berks title game for the first time in three years.

That might not seem like so long but it’s a virtual lifetime for a high school player. Sands was a freshman that season; he didn’t see varsity time. Josiah Jordan and Ryan Koch, the Saints’ top two scorers, were eighth-graders.

Much has changed since then, especially for Sands. He was a starter last season and averaged 9.9 points per game, second on the team. His game has grown in every dimension this season. He’s become a better defender, one of the Saints’ top rebounds and a steady scorer. He also knows how to find opener shooters and distribute the ball; Monday he had a game-high six assists.

“He does so much for us,” said Esterly. “He can take the ball to the basket, but if you lay off him he can bang a 3 on you. He’s a tough match-up. Everyone talks about Ryan, and rightfully so, and Jay-Jay, but Aidan’s a player, man. He’s a nice player. I’m glad he’s on our team.”

“I feel I’ve had good games where I showed everything I could do, and other games where I just wasn’t myself,” said Sands, who’s averaging 12.3 points. “The past couple games I’ve been getting back to what I know I can do, and I’m feeling good about it.”

The Saints will present match-up problems for the sixth-seeded Eagles (11-11), and vice versa. Sands, Koch and Jack Miller can hurt you from beyond the arc. They’re part of an attack that has knocked down 154 3-pointers, second-most in the league and a program record. Then there’s Jordan, a guard with a lightning-like first step who can get to the basket against anyone.

“Berks Catholic’s an outstanding basketball team,” said Exeter coach Matt Ashcroft, a former Saints assistant coach who played on a state championship team for Esterly at Central Catholic. “We know we have a tall task, but we’re up for the challenge.”

The Eagles were pretty much counted out after they ended the season with seven losses in eight games and without 6-6 junior Joey Schlaffer, their second-leading scorer and a Penn State tight end recruit. He hasn’t played since Feb. 3 when he injured his wrist in a 60-40 lost to Berks Catholic.

Exeter pulled off a quarterfinal stunner, knocking off Wilson 55-51. Colin Payne, one of the league’s top scorers, had 21 points and 6-6 Anthony Caccese had a monster game, with a career-high 19 points and a dozen boards.

Another upset will send the Eagles to the championship game for the first time since 1974, when Rod Hand was the head coach and they beat Muhlenberg.

“We’re excited, but we’re not satisfied,” Ashcroft said after beating Wilson. “We have 22 of the most competitive kids I’ve ever been around. This is a team I want to go to battle with.”