Even though it became apparent very early that Berwick would not be able to compete with Bethlehem Catholic in the first round of PIAA State Class 4A girls’ basketball playoffs on Saturday at Freedom High School, the Bulldogs’ tears were as apparent as if they had lost in the final seconds.

The Bulldogs did lose, 56-25, and as they walked in line, red-eyed, past Becahi coach Jose Medina, they congratulated him and wished him luck, one-by-one, and left the gym.

“That’s the toughest part there, and a lot of graduating seniors,” Medina said, after thanking each Berwick player.

The Hawks had a similar experience two years ago, losing to Conrad Weiser in states, and Medina having to find a way to comfort his players.

“Coming back to that locker room, being a first-year coach, and just hearing their cries, it was like piercing to my soul, honestly, and I said that when we get to these positions, situations, I’ve got to do everything that I can to really get these kids prepared because that’s a tough thing,” said Medina.

“That experience really motivated me to work hard and put our girls in the best position possible, but last year’s last year, and it doesn’t mean anything for this year other than the experience, but you’ve got to go out there and play. You take the things in terms of the preparation and knowing that you’ve been there.”

The Hawks are off to a good start in states, having led Berwick on Saturday, 15-2, at the end of the first quarter.

“We wanted to come out here and play lockdown D. That’s our strong suit,” said Becahi junior Briana Barnard, who had six points in the fourth quarter. “I contribute defensively a lot, but I wanted to score more and as soon as I got the ball, I looked to score as well as looked to pass if I needed to.”

By halftime, the Hawks led 26-7.

“It’s always harder when we take a big lead,” said Becahi center Abby Brown. “You want to slack off, but these are the kinds of games you need to practice because coming down the stretch at states, it’s going to get harder, so you can’t slack off.”

As it turned out, Berwick guard Reese Mensinger was the scoring threat from the Vikings.

“She was really quick and she also could light it up from outside, so we tried our best to shut it down but they had good bigs too, so it was hard to play on her,” Brown said.

Berwick tallied 10 points in the third quarter, their highest in any quarter, but the Hawks scored 20 with seven points apiece by Natalie Rhine and Hope Brown.

Becahi is now preparing for Bonner-Prendergast whom the Hawks will face this Wednesday.

“Changing every practice for a different team, that’s the fun of it, and that’s where the true grit comes out. We accept it as a challenge, and every team is a new challenge, and we work to that goal,” Abby Brown said.

Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Royersford.

“This is a special time of the year, and it’s great to have that experience,” Medina said.