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Athletes are inherently superstitious. Whether it’s a quirky routine, pregame meal or lucky pair of socks, it’s up to them whether they want to publicize it.

For Jeff Woodward, his superstition is easily noticeable to those around him — a caveman-like beard.

The tradition started on Halloween during his sophomore year of high school when he shaved and then grew a beard for the rest of the season. It culminated with Methacton High School (Pennsylvania) winning a Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship. He didn’t stop there, growing it out the next two seasons when the Warriors won two more titles.

Woodward didn’t let the beard die in high school. He continued to grow it at Colgate, where his superstition has garnered a similar result: four straight Patriot League Championships. Come March, the beard takes on a life of its own and Woodward basks in its glory.

“The beard is in peak form around (March), which is always good in terms of getting some good publicity about it,” Woodward said. “It’s really in full effect five months in. So it’s a little strategic, but also it just so happens to coincide.”

Before committing to Colgate, Woodward became Methacton’s all-time leading scorer (1,450 points) as a dominant center, leading the Warriors to their first-ever PIAA District One championship in 2020. Over the last four years with the Raiders, he’s appeared in 122 games, helping them to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

As Woodward embarks on his final college season, he’s putting his superstition to the test one final time as a graduate student. An early challenge comes against Syracuse in the JMA Wireless Dome on Tuesday, though the beard won’t be in full effect because it’s an early-season matchup.

Woodward always stood out. When he was in eighth grade, then-Methacton assistant coach Pat Lockard was transitioning to become a math teacher at Arcola Middle School. As part of his new position, Lockard taught a lesson to an algebra one class.

Sitting in the back of Lockard’s class was a 6-foot-5 Woodward. Every chance Woodward had to answer a question, his hand shot up, Lockard said. His brother, Greg, played for Methacton at the time and Woodward wanted to grab Lockard’s attention.

Over a year later at Methacton’s preseason open gyms, Woodward’s defensive prowess and rebounding ability was set to land him a spot on the junior varsity team. But the more Lockard and head coach Jeff Derstine observed him, they realized he could contribute on varsity.

“We started looking at ourselves being like, ‘This kid’s not only got to play for us, he’s got to start for us,’” Lockard said.

Hannah Mesa | Design Editor

As a freshman, Woodward started on a team with 10 seniors. His offensive role was limited, so he took the time to perfect his post moves with assistant coach Dave Ford.

Their workouts started with footwork before delving into in-game scenarios. Ford focused on Woodward making himself available, whether above the block or in the high post. To simulate in-game scenarios, Ford had guards initiate traps to get Woodward used to double teams.

Woodward’s role was similar his sophomore season, but as the season evolved, he gained Methacton’s coaching staff’s trust. Lockard said as Woodward became more comfortable within the offense, they played through him more.

In the 2018 PAC finals against rivals Spring-Ford, Woodward provided the highlight of the night. He beat his initial defender before help came. Instead of stopping, he performed a euro step and laid the ball in. Woodward’s 17 points and 19 rebounds boosted the Warriors to a 72-60 win — their first PAC Championship since 2015.

“He’s got great footwork. A lot of people overlook it. You don’t expect him to be moving like that, or in the post,” former Methacton guard Owen Kropp said. “He’s not necessarily quick, but it’s just crisp and fundamental.”

The silky-smooth move was only a sign of things to come for Woodward. As a junior, he became the focal point of Methacton’s offense, averaging 16.3 points, 13 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Woodward used his size and touch to get anything he wanted down low.

With more touches, attention from defenses increased. Teams double-teamed, fronted and dug down on Woodward to slow him. He said he even faced a box and two defensive set against him and his teammate David Duda. Nothing seemed to work.

“He learned the difference between when to go through and when to avoid contact,” Ford said. “He became efficient at both.”

Woodward led Methacton to another PAC championship in 2019, this time a 24-point win over Perkiomen Valley.

The following season, Woodward came back stronger. Beforehand, Woodward got the pressure of his recruiting out of the way, committing to the Raiders in August 2019.

Surrounded by sharpshooters like future Delaware guard Erik Timko, Brett Eberly and Kropp, Methacton’s opponents were forced to pick their poison.

Colgate center Jeff Woodward is the Raiders’ most experienced player with 122 total appearances across four seasons . Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer

Methacton breezed past numerous teams, before an early season test against Philadelphia Catholic League powerhouse Roman Catholic, led by future NBA first-round draft pick Jalen Duren.

Woodward held his own. Duren scored 12 points while Woodward recorded 11. A strong fourth quarter from Roman Catholic pushed it past Methacton 59-52. Behind Woodward, the Warriors only lost one more regular-season game.

They cruised to a third-straight PAC championship and earned the top seed for the district tournament. In four playoff games, it defeated its opponents by an average of 25 points, capped by a 73-48 drubbing of Cheltenham High School in the championship game. Woodward dropped 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting with 13 rebounds and five blocks.

Entering the PIAA 6A state tournament, a rematch with Roman Catholic seemed likely in the quarterfinal. The two were on a crash course for each other until the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season prematurely. Years later, Woodward still regrets not getting a rematch.

“I really wanted to (get a second shot at Roman),” Woodward said. “We had grown a lot going into that second game. When you only lose two games and you have the opportunity to avenge one of those losses, it was definitely gonna be an awesome rematch.”

Woodward’s high school career ended abruptly, yet his postseason success carried over to Colgate with four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Woodward had never started more than 20 games or averaged over 20 minutes. But now, as the most senior member of Colgate’s roster, he finally gets to showcase his skills in an expanded role.

As for his beard, the plan remains simple: don’t lose late in the season. Woodward knows he’ll eventually have to shave it all off one last time. For now, he wants to keep it going as long as he can.

Published on November 11, 2024 at 10:29 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22