‘We all make mistakes,’ says BC’s Gordos, ‘ I had to get over it’

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

The first few hours were the hardest. The next few days weren’t much better. Mackenzie Gordos needed time to recover.

Two foul shots, the front ends of a 1-and-1, in the closing seconds of the county semifinals were haunting her. Berks Catholic’s point guard kept reliving them, thinking about what role they played in the Saints’ one-point loss to Gov. Mifflin.

When the days were over and it was time to sleep, she cried.

“I’m not gonna lie,” Gordos said. “That night I did. And a few nights after that.”

Second chances are waiting around every corner in sports. It wasn’t long before Gordos had a different outlook on what transpired at Santander Arena. One with a better perspective. One that was more defiant.

The senior realized that Berks Catholic’s 41-40 buzzer-beater loss wasn’t about one play. Hundreds of quick decisions and unpredictable bounces could have changed that outcome. The free throws were just the most obvious. The moment that was easiest to remember.

“After the third day I realized, it’s not just me,” Gordos said. “It feels like that at the end because it was the last possession. We all make mistakes. It’s just a game and I have to get over it. After that I haven’t really thought about it. It was just those first few days.”

Berks Catholic (21-5) has turned the disappointment into motivation. The third-seeded Saints will take on No. 1 Delone Catholic (25-1) in the District 3 Class 4A final at Giant Center Saturday at 2:30.

There were 10 days between the county loss and the district opener against Big Spring. Gordos used that time to work on her free throws. She shot more than 100 each day. She made, according to her mental tally, between 75 and 85 percent of them.

No crowd was watching those. No reporter was writing down whether she hit or missed. It was an athlete, on her own, confronting her recent past and recognizing her likely future. More playoff games were ahead and they were probably going to be close. Gordos knew she might be on the line at crunch time again.

“That’s why I’m trying to be more comfortable and feel more confident in my shot,” said Gordos, who has connected on 54% of her attempts this season. “I’m the person being targeted because my foul shooting percentage out of the starting five might be the lowest. I want to be confident that I’ll make them no matter what.”

The moment of truth arrived against Bermudian Springs in the district semifinals. Another one-point game. Another chance for pressure free throws.

Gordos didn’t run from it. The ball was in her hands multiple times in the final minute of overtime. Bermudian’s players never fouled the point guard. If they had, she was ready. She put in the work to make sure of it.

Berks Catholic has reached its third district final in the past seven seasons. The Saints will be underdogs Saturday. They’ve lost to Delone twice, a 13-point decision on the road opening weekend and a 15-point setback at home in January.

Getting to this stage, and getting a shot at the gold medal that slipped away in the Berks tournament, was important to Berks Catholic. It changed how the Saints will view their season.

“It means everything,” guard Caraline Herb said. “Especially since we weren’t in the championship for counties. This is a redemption for us.”

Gordos, then an eighth-grader, was in the Giant Center stands when Berks Catholic faced Lancaster Catholic in the PIAA final in 2018. The dream was to one day play on that floor. She made it just before the curtain closed on her high school career.

To have this chance, Gordos was at the center of another last play.

Bermudian, trailing 49-46, needed a 3-pointer in the final eight seconds of overtime. Hannah Chenault was the Eagles’ best hope. She was Gordos’ defensive assignment.

The play was designed for Chenault. Gordos applied pressure and forced a desperation attempt. It was, as BC coach Bob Birmingham described, a throw more than a shot. It wasn’t close.

“Mackenzie Gordos was huge,” Birmingham said. “Absolutely huge. Chenault had 75 3’s this year. She didn’t have one tonight. She only had one field goal. We told Mackenzie, ‘You just deny her all over the floor.’ She did a great job.”

Gordos has earned her stripes. There’s no arguing otherwise. She’s one of four starting point guards to win a county championship since 2017. Abby Gaffney won two. So did Stella Mollica. Gordos last year. Elisa Fiore this year.

After she watched Chenault’s last-second effort fall short, Gordos turned and celebrated with her teammates. She bounced into the arms of Herb.

It was a different ending. A different feeling. Gordos had no trouble going to sleep that night.