SOL Boys Basketball District Preview (2-28-17)

Check out the preview capsules for the six SOL boys’ basketball teams in action in the District One 6A and 5A Tournament.

The District One 6A semifinals at Temple University on Tuesday night will showcase three SOL squads – Plymouth Whitemarsh, Abington and Cheltenham. In the 6 p.m. contest, second-seeded PW will take on third-seeded Abington in a rematch of this year’s SOL title game. The Ghosts won that one 70-66.

For Abington and PW, trips to Temple for the district semis have become something close to the norm. The Colonials are making their fifth trip in as many years while the Ghosts are making their fourth trip in the past six years.

“You hope you don’t get to a point where you think it’s normal because then you’re probably in a bad place,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “You have to take a breath and say, ‘Wow, appreciate it.’

“You think about other coaches who are really terrific coaches and have never had a chance to experience it once. I have to stop and take a breath, appreciate 22 wins and another successful year for this group.”

For Cheltenham, which earned the program’s first trip to the state tournament since 2006, this is a brand new experience.

“We’re trying to find out ticket information and the details of the game,” coach John Timms said with a laugh. “It’s like no one really knows, and everyone is feeling their way.

“It’s very exciting, and it’s a good time to be a Panther.

Cheltenham is the lowest seeded team in the final four after upsetting the tournament’s number one seed, Perk Valley.

“Right now, it’s caught some by surprise,” Timms said. “It wasn’t as if it was last year’s team that was senior heavy with 10 seniors.

“The expectations were somewhat for last year’s team to try and make this run. This year’s team it was never expected, so everyone is in shock and somewhat surprised, and we’re just living in the moment right now.”

Timms has a simple explanation for this year’s unexpected run.

“I honestly believe they bought into the belief that you have to fight to win and you can’t quit,” the Panthers’ coach said.

While Abington will travel to Temple on Tuesday with a full roster, both Cheltenham and PW are minus one of their top players due to injuries. The Colonials are without junior point guard Ahmin Williams.

“Ahmad Williams had to take over the point completely, playing without his brother for the first time in his life,” Donofrio said. “I think the first night we did that was in the Abington game. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, so I’m pleased with the last two games.”

The Panthers are minus Tim Spencer, who had surgery last Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus. The senior guard averaged 13 points and six assists a game and also was the Panthers’ best shooter from long range, connecting on 51 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

“He’s a great player, he brought a lot of contributions, and he has not played in the playoffs,” Timms said of his all-conference guard. “For those guys on the bench – Rodney Carson to step in and now become a starter, it just seemed normal. There was no panic.

“When we saw Tim go down in the game against PW and we were able to continue to play and then beat some good teams without him – I think that was the turning point once we realized we could play without our starting shooting guard. I think we can play with anybody and with any unit on the floor.

“It just says a lot about the understudies. We put a lot of emphasis on the bench being good understudies, and that’s why these guys were able to make the transition from last year’s team so smoothly.”

Tuesday’s winners will meet in the district title game at Villanova University on Saturday night.

In a playback game, Pennsbury will try to keep its season alive when the Falcons host Lower Merion. The winner will earn a spot in the state tournament, and the loser will go home. North Penn – with its spot in states assured – will travel to Perk Valley for a playback game for state seeding purposes.

District One Class 6A Semifinals

#2 Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. #3 Abington (at Temple University, Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
Plymouth Whitemarsh

22-4 overall
Suburban One League American Conference champions (14-0)
Only loss to a District One team came to #3 Abington (70-66) in Suburban One League Tournament championship.
Deep rotation includes eight players who play significant minutes
Colonials are led by junior point guard Ahmad Williams, sharpshooter Matt Walker and 7-0 center Naheem McLeod
Regular season wins over #4 Coatesville (52-45) and #6 Pennsbury (64-48). Swept season series with #8 Cheltenham (74-59, 56-51) and #21 Hatboro-Horsham (54-36, 58-45).
Earned fifth straight trip to district semifinals.

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, PW defeated 18^th-seeded Central Bucks East 62-43 in a second round game, opening up a 27-20 halftime lead and outscoring the Patriots 35-23 in the second half. Ish Horn led the Colonials with 19, Ahmad Williams had 12 and Kareen Breeden added 10.
In a quarterfinal game, PW defeated #7 Conestoga 44-29. The Colonials, who led by one after the opening quarter, seized control with a 12-2 second quarter surge to go into halftime with a 24-13 lead. The Pioneers managed just 18 points over the final three quarters. Ahmad Williams led PW with 17 while Ish Horn had 11.

Coach Jim Donofrio says: “The expectation (to be here) is built in because of the last couple of years, and to them, this is what we must always do. There was expectation on this team from the team itself that they should be here, and maybe expectation is a good mindset to have. They’ve done a very nice job of doing one thing from the very beginning, and that is, despite not being very experienced, they believe they’re supposed to win, and that might be the most important thing to have in life.
“Against Conestoga on Friday night, the offense was on no gasoline. It was completely empty, and yet, you’re watching this defensive performance that is one of the best I’ve ever seen to hold a playoff team to 29 points. They’re starting to follow game plans.”

Abington

22-4 overall
Suburban One League National Conference champions (12-0)
Sophomore forward Eric Dixon (18.6 ppg, 7 rpg) and junior guard Robbie Heath (16.1 ppg, 3.5 apg) combine for 34.7 points per game
Senior point guard Robert Young, who has 51 steals, rarely turns ball over, and senior center Joseph O’Brien (6.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.3 bpg) cleans glass, blocks shots and defends high-scoring big guys well. Guard Lucas O’Brien (5.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.9 apg) also is an important contributor.
Regular season wins over #1 Perkiomen Valley (51-47), #2 PW (70-66), #5 North Penn (66-45), #18 Central Bucks East (58-42)
Swept season series with #6 Pennsbury (37-31, 56-44), #15 Council Rock South (53-40, 43-41), #22 Neshaminy (60-38, 71-44)
14-1 in 2017
Earned fifth trip to the state tournament in six years for the Ghosts..”

How they got here:

Abington had an opening round bye and then defeated #19 Norristown 48-32 in a second round game. The Ghosts were led by the dangerous one-two punch of Eric Dixon (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) and Robbie Heath (18 points, 6 steals, 4 assists).
In a quarterfinal game, Abington defeated #11 Penn Wood 67-49. The Ghosts led 41-37 heading into the final quarter when they outscored the Patriots 26-12. Robbie Heath, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, led the Ghosts with 21 points. Eric Dixon added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Lucas Monroe also finished in double figures with 12.

Coach Charles Grasty says: “This was one of the goals that they set out because in order to get to Villanova (for the district championship), you have to get to Temple. I’m just happy for the guys. We will definitely use (the game we played against them), and I’m sure they’ll prepare a little more for us. I’m sure they’ll watch film and correct their mistakes, and we’ll do the same. I’m sure they’re going to come with a lot of energy

#8 Cheltenham vs. #4 Coatesville (at Temple University, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Cheltenham

19-5 overall
11-3 in SOL American play, finished second to PW
Panthers led by senior forward Trevonn Pitts (16.7 ppg, 11.3 rpg), junior point guard Ahmad Bickley (14 ppg, 8.3 apg), junior guard Jack Clark (15.1 ppg, 49 threes)
Regular season wins over #3 Abington (79-76) and #12 CB West (61-57)
Swept season series with #21 Hatboro-Horsham (78-76, 59-53)
Won 13 of last 15 games
Panthers earned program’s first trip to states since 2006

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, Cheltenham knocked off #9 Spring-Ford 66-52 in the second round. The Panthers, who led by five at halftime, took a 43-37 lead into the final quarter and then closed it out with a 23-15 frame. Four Panthers – Ahmad Bickley (17 points), Trevonn Pitts (16), Jack Clark (15) and Rodney Carson (11) – finished the game in double figures.
In a quarterfinal game, Cheltenham played the role of giant killer, upsetting top-seeded Perk Valley 64-53. The Panthers led 30-16 at halftime, but a 15-4 third quarter by the Vikings made it a three-point game. The Panthers closed out the game with a 30-22 fourth quarter. Cheltenham was led by Ahmad Bickley (22 points, 8 assists), Jack Clark (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Trevonn Pitts (12 points, nine rebounds).

Coach John Timms says: “You can’t let the stage be bigger than your performance. It’s still basketball, and don’t overthink it. The biggest thing for us and the main focus for us is to play Cheltenham basketball because that’s what we know. If we try to do anything else, we’re going to get ourselves in trouble, so my thing has always been – keep it boring, and do what you know. That’s our theme right now. We want to keep it boring and do what we know.”

Coatesville

21-4 overall
11-1 Ches-Mont National Division regular season champions
Defeated Bishop Shanahan 43-37 to capture their second consecutive Ches-Mont title
Swept regular season series with #13 Downingtown West (47-33 & 51-38) and #14 Downingtown East (45-36, 49-29)
Young lineup includes just one senior starter
Coach Chuck Moore led Plymouth Whitemarsh to a state title in 1997 and came back to coach the junior varsity at his alma mater for eight years before taking over the helm of the Red Raiders in 2013.

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, Coatesville defeated #13 Downingtown West 56-46. The two teams were deadlocked 24-24 at the intermission and were still tied heading in a fourth quarter that saw the Red Raiders close out the game with a 20-10 tear. Freshman Jhamir Brickus scored 21 points, which included an 11-for-14 effort at the foul line.
In a quarterfinal game, Coatesville defeated #5 North Penn 62-51, rallying from a 28-19 halftime deficit to outscore the Knights 42-23 in the second half. Freshman Jhamir Brickus had a game-high 28 points.

Playback Games

#10 Lower Merion at #6 Pennsbury (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
Pennsbury

16-9 overall
8-4 in SOL National play, finished second to Abington
Falcons led by senior forward Mark Flagg and senior point guard Addison Howard
Regular season wins over #5 North Penn (61-46), #8 Cheltenham (62-53), #14 Downingtown East (55-39), #15 Council Rock South (40-35), #21 Hatboro-Horsham (52-36)
Swept season series with #22 Neshaminy (62-45, 49-41)
Made district playoffs for sixth straight year

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, Pennsbury was upset by #11 Penn Wood 71-55. The Patriots, who led 13-11 after one quarter, blew the game wide open by outscoring the Falcons 41-24 in the middle two quarters. Mark Flagg led the Falcons with 22 points.
In a playback game, Pennsbury defeated #19 Norristown 84-83 in overtime. Addison Howard led the Falcons with 29 points. Mark Flagg, who added 25 despite battling foul woes, scored on a putback at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Billy Warren added 12 points and seven blocked shots.

Lower Merion

18-8 overall
13-3 Central League second to Conestoga
Defeated Strath Haven 82-60 to capture fifth Central League title in nine years
Led by 6-4 senior guard Terrell Jones, a returning first team All-Central League selection
Split regular season series with #6 Conestoga (69-72 & 58-56)
13-3 after a 4-5 start to the season

How they got here:

In the opening round, Lower Merion defeated #23 Central Bucks South 70-57. Noah Fennell and Terrell Jones both scored 16 to lead the Aces.
In the second round, Lower Merion fell to #6 Conestoga 77-57. The Aces, who trailed 35-28 at halftime, were outscored 24-14 in the third quarter. Terrell Jones led the Aces with 19 while Jack Forrest (14) and Steve Payne (13) also finished in double figures.
In a playback game, Lower Merion defeated #18 Central Bucks East 58-54 in overtime, outscoring the Patriots 15-5 in the final quarter to extend the game to OT. Jack Forrest and Terrell Jones led the Aces with 19 points each. Noah Fennell added 10 points.

#5 North Penn at #1 Perkiomen Valley (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)
North Penn

19-6 overall
Suburban One League Continental Conference champions (11-1)
Deep, experienced rotation includes six seniors and eight players who play significant minutes
Six players have led Knights in scoring at least once this season
David Guiliani, Reece Udinski and Ricky Johns have done so the most.
Regular season wins over #17 Methacton (56-51) and #18 CB East (60-54)
Swept season series against #12 Central Bucks West (48-35, 63-53), #20 Pennridge (56-50, 61-48), #23 Central Bucks South (60-51, 66-54)
14-2 in 2017
Earned first trip to state tournament since 1996.

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, North Penn defeated #21 Hatboro-Horsham 55-45 in a second round game. The Knights, who led by two at halftime, outscored the Hatters 17-9 in the third quarter. David Giuliani (13 points), Reece Udinski (12) and Lance Ford (10) all finished in double figures.
In Friday’s quarterfinal game, North Penn fell to #4 Coatesville 62-52. The Knights, who led 28-19 at halftime, were doomed by a third quarter that saw the Red Raiders go on a 19-8 tear. Reece Udinski (15 points), AJ Mitchell (13) and Ricky Johns (12) led the Knights.

Perkiomen Valley

22-4 overall
8-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division regular season co-champions with Spring-Ford
Defeated Spring-Ford 52-45 to capture the Pioneer Athletic Conference title.
The Vikings, who average close to 60 points a game, are led by senior sharpshooter Justin Jaworski, who averages 21.5 points a game with 60 3-pointers. Also contributing are Sean Owens (10.8 ppg, 28 threes), Hogan Millheim (8.3) and Tyler Stretchay (8.3).

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, Perk Valley was extended to overtime before defeating #16 Garnet Valley 68-60 in the second round. Justin Jaworski torched the Jaguars for 34 points, which included five threes. Sean Owens added 13 and Andrew Light, 11 points.
In a quarterfinal game, Perk Valley fell to #8 Cheltenham. The Panthers raced to a 30-16 halftime lead and withstood a Viking second-half rally. Justin Jaworski led all scorers with 32 points, and Sean Owens added 10.

District One Class 5A Playback

#11 Wissahickon at #10 Springfield-Delco (Wednesday, March 1, 7 p.m.)
Wissahickon

14-10 overall
10-4 in SOL American play, finished third behind PW and Cheltenham
Trojans use deep rotation where eight players play significant minutes
Do-everything forwards Shane Ford and Zach Reiner lead Wissahickon
Swept regular season series with #16 Upper Moreland (62-54, 57-48)

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Wissahickon rolled to a 67-48 rout of #6 Phoenixville. The Trojans, who raced to a 34-17 halftime lead, were led by Shane Ford (20 points), Zach Reiner (17 points, 9 rebounds) and Chaz Owens (12 points). Max Rapoport had seven points and eight assists.
In a quarterfinal game, Wissahickon fell to #3 Penncrest 60-56 in overtime. Zach Reiner led the Trojans with 18 points while Shane Ford added 12.

Springfield-Delco

14-10 overall
9-7 Central League tied for fourth place behind Conestoga, Lower Merion & Penncrest.
Split regular season series with #9 Strath Haven (58-52 & 67-76) and #14 Harriton (69-59 & 69-78)

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Springfield defeated #7 Holy Ghost Prep 58-42, opening up a 24-16 halftime lead and never looking back. Kyle Long scored a game-high 16 while Great Orjih and Mike Webb both added 10 points.
In Saturday’s quarterfinal, Springfield fell to second-seeded Great Valley 41-38