CHESTER -- Chester guard Gene McCaskill has been down this road before.
Having been the quarterback of the Class AAA Upper State champion during the fall, McCaskill found himself in a familiar role Tuesday, leading the Cyclones on a journey in the state playoffs. But this time, the sport was basketball.
The first-round result, and the victim, was the same.
Seneca, the same school which fell to Chester in the first round of the football playoffs, stumbled on the basketball court as the Cyclones cruised to an easy 83-63 victory.
McCaskill plays point guard, basketball's equivalent to a quarterback. He directed the Cyclones' offensive tempo and set the pace for Chester's offensive blitz with five 3-pointers.
He drained three from beyond the arc during a pivotal 22-4 run which began midway through the third quarter and ended with a 43-22 Chester lead with 1:43 remaining before the half.
"That is my role on this team," McCaskill said in regards to his torrid 3-point shooting. "It is my job to pick the offense up and get it going."
Chester coach Jason Smith said McCaskill's big-game experience in football is proving valuable in the basketball playoffs.
"He is like he was in football; he sets the tempo of our offense and that is just like a quarterback," Smith said.
McCaskill, who is headed to Kentucky on a football scholarship, finished with 24 points. When not scoring, the 6-foot-2 guard was busy finding open teammates, most notably forward Jemarcus McClinton.
McClinton, who ranks among the state's scoring leaders at 27.8 points per game, netted a game-high 30, 23 in the first half.
Chester held a commanding 45-27 margin at the half and increased the margin to as much as 33 late in the third quarter.
In addition to McCaskill's solid floor game, Smith was quick to recognize other valuable contributions.
"Tyrell Pendergrass came in and gave us a great boost defensively, Jemarcus gave us his usual solid offensive game and Donald (Sims) did a fantastic job on the boards and with his passing," Smith said. "He is averaging 15 rebounds per game, but tonight, a bit more came on the offensive end."
Chester (15-8) will host Camden on Friday.
