NEW PHILADELPHIA — Schuylkill Fire Dogs General Manager Hank Clarke said Tuesday his organization may reconsider its membership in the Eastern Basketball Alliance after a third attempt to play the Maryland Bayraiders last Sunday afternoon went awry.
No score was reported for Sunday’s home game, but contrary to the postponement reported on the EBA website, Clarke said an attempt was made to play the game.
However, he said the Bayraiders left the Citadel Athletic Complex, the Fire Dogs’ home gym, after halftime.
Clark said the Maryland Bayraiders held a six-point halftime lead, but the Bayraiders then told the Fire Dogs that one of their five available players had to leave. The Bayraiders refused to continue with four players and so the team left, leaving fans wondering what happened.
Clarke said he immediately attempted to get a ruling from the EBA about the situation, but has yet to get a definitive answer.
“We’re trying to get it resolved with the league,” he said. “Right now, I’m not happy with the EBA.”
The game was the third attempt for the Fire Dogs to play the Bayraiders.
The first attempt on Feb. 7 did not happen because Bayraiders players were involved in an auto accident en route to the game. A second attempt on Feb. 21 was postponed.
Clarke admitted the postponements and Sunday’s curtailed game is beginning to leave a wrong impression with fans.
“We’re ready to play every week that we’re supposed to,” Clarke said of his Fire Dogs. “We’re ready to go.”
Last Sunday’s game was the first for new head coach Rich Mills, who replaced John Plachko Jr. after Plachko resigned last week.
Pending a ruling from the league about the Bayraiders’ departure from last Sunday’s game, the Fire Dogs will bring a 2-1 record into its EBA Northern Division showdown against the Harrisburg Horizon (5-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Citadel Athletic Complex.
The Firedogs suffered their only loss so far at the hands of the Horizon, who won 127-98 on Feb. 22 at Harrisburg.
“We’re looking at this as our biggest game of the season,” Clarke said of Saturday’s matchup.