Abington and Central Bucks West will play for a spot in Friday’s District One AAAA final at Temple. Both SOL schools will be in action in Wednesday’s semifinals.
By Mary Jane Souder
A quick glance at the District One AAAA bracket would suggest that both Central Bucks West and Abington might have an easy road to Friday’s district final at Temple University.
Don’t be fooled.
Seeds are irrelevant at this point in the tournament, and if the Bucks and Ghosts hope to play for a district crown, they will have to knock off teams that boast impressive postseason resumés. While Abington will face defending district runner-up Spring-Ford, CB West will take on a Downingtown East squad that has a tradition of excellence under coach Bob Schnure.
Schnure has made a career out of winning big games. You don’t win 750 games if you haven’t. The veteran coach’s resumé includes five state titles and 12 district crowns, and the 11th-seeded Cougars have apparently saved their best for last, winning 12 of their last 13 games.
Included in their current playoff run are upset wins over sixth-seeded West Chester Rustin and, most recently, a 52-47 win over third-seeded Mount Saint Joseph. The Cougars seized early control of Monday’s game against the Magic, opening up a 27-8 lead out of the gate and then holding on for the win. They buried 8-of-9 foul shots in the fourth quarter, 17-of-20 in the game. Junior guard Paige Warfel was unstoppable, scoring a game-high 25 points as the Cougars handed the Magic their first home loss of the season.
Spring-Ford, the tournament’s 16th seed, has spent the postseason playing the role of giant killer, handing top-seeded Boyertown its first loss of the season in a riveting second round showdown. Defense has been a forte of a Ram squad that knows how to win the big ones, and the Rams limited eighth-seeded North Penn to just 11 first-half points en route to a 19-11 halftime lead. Spring-Ford fought off a late Lady Knight surge to earn a 41-35 win.
But if the Cougars and Rams have been on a roll in the postseason, so have CB West and Abington. The Bucks – led by senior captains Mackenzie Carroll, Corrinne Godshall, Nicole Munger and Peyton Traina – have won their three district playoff games in convincing fashion, defeating #31 Owen J Roberts (75-31), #15 Council Rock North (55-38) and #7 Upper Dublin (55-40).
The Ghosts have been equally impressive, rolling to double-digit wins over #28 Conestoga (58-29), #12 Central Bucks East (48-34) and #4 Garnet Valley (51-39). Leading the way have been senior Deja Rawls and sophomore Lizzie O’Leary. Both Abington and CB West boast solid supporting casts.
Central Bucks West will be making its first appearance in the district semifinals while Abington is five years removed from capturing the district title in 2010. On Wednesday night at Council Rock South High School, the SOL’s best will be playing for an opportunity to go to the big dance.
Central Bucks West will face Downingtown East at 6:30 p.m., and Abington will face Spring-Ford at 8:30 p.m. Abington’s game was pushed back an hour to allow their fans to take in the boys/girls doubleheader. The Abington boys’ squad will face Pennsbury in a district semifinal at Temple University at 6 p.m. The fan bus will travel from Temple to Council Rock South.
Stay tuned.
#2 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST vs. #11 DOWNINGTOWN EAST at Council Rock South, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Central Bucks West
- 14-0 SOL, 26-1 overall
- SOL Continental Conference champions
Captured first ever SOL Tournament title with 51-38 win over fifth-seeded Abington- Led by first team all-state senior Nicole Munger (17.5 ppg) and a supporting cast that includes Mackenzie Carroll (11.0), Corrinne Godshall (10.6) and Mackenzie Mason (8.7)
- Regular season wins over #7 Upper Dublin (63-41), #8 North Penn (60-50 & 56-44), #12 CB South (59-35, 73-29), #23 Neshaminy (61-25), #26 Pennridge (71-50, 71-39) & #32 CB East (64-38, 67-37)
- Only loss came at the hands of Lake Taylor (Va.) in the Boo Williams Holiday Classic (68-57)
How they got here: In a quarterfinal game featuring a pair of SOL conference champs, Corrinne Godshall had a big night, contributing 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the Bucks’ 55-40 win over Upper Dublin. Nicole Munger added 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
In second round action, the Bucks defeated #15 Council Rock North 55-38. Nicole Munger (16 points, 12 rebounds), Corrinne Godshall (15 points, nine rebounds) and Makenzie Mason (10 points, nine rebounds) led a balanced West attack.
In the opening round, the Bucks defeated #32 Owen J Roberts 75-31, opening up an 18-8 lead after one quarter and taking a 35-15 lead into halftime. Mackenzie Carroll (19 points), Corrinne Godshall (15 points) and Nicole Munger (15 points) led the Bucks.
Downingtown East
- 10-2 Ches-Mont, 20-5 overall
- Finished second to #9 Bishop Shanahan in Ches-Mont National Division
- Lost to Bishop Shanahan 27-25 in Ches-Mont championship game
- Regular season wins over #6 West Chester Rustin (57-40), #18 Unionville (48-32), #21 Coatesville (48-38, 62-40), #25 Downingtown West (39-36, 44-33), #26 Pennridge (50-45), #28 Conestoga (32-29).
- Winners of 12 of last 13 games
- Led by 6-0 junior guard Paige Warfel
How they got here: The Cougars opened up a 27-8 lead over third-seeded Mount Saint Joseph Academy on their way to a 52-47 win in a quarterfinal upset. Paige Warfel, who led all scorers with 25 points, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Kaelyn Johns added 10 and Aryah Aungst had seven.
In second round action, Downingtown East upset sixth-seeded West Chester Rustin 54-49. Paige Warfel (21 points), Aryah Aungst (13 points) and Laura Ochsner (10 points) led the Cougars.
In an opening round 37-32 win over #22 Haverford, Kaelyn Johns led a balanced scoring effort with 11 points while Lindsay Kent added nine and Paige Warfel, eight.
#5 ABINGTON vs. #16 SPRING-FORD (at Council Rock South, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m.)
Abington
- 14-0 SOL, 23-4 overall
- SOL National Conference champion
- Fell to second-seeded CB West 51-38 in SOL Tournament title game, a loss that snapped a 10-game winning streak.
- Regular season wins over #7 Upper Dublin (39-38), #8 North Penn (51-25), #13 Cheltenham (58-52), #15 CR North (44-32, 64-51), #23 Neshaminy (61-25, 32-23), #24 William Tennent (59-31, 74-39) and #27 CR South (50-30, 50-29)
- Led by senior point guard Deja Rawls (12.0 ppg), sophomore Lizzie O’Leary (11.7 ppg), junior Leah Simmons (7.7 ppg) and junior Sammy Lochner (8.2 ppg)
How they got here: Abington led from wire to wire in a 51-39 win over fourth-seeded Garnet Valley, outscoring the Jaguars 22-15 in the fourth quarter to blow open a close game. Sophomore Lizzie Lear had a big night in the paint, contributing 16 points and 13 rebounds. Deja Rawls had 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals.
The Ghosts used a 13-4 third quarter burst to put some distance between themselves and the Titans, earning a 48-34 win over #12 Central Bucks South in a second round game. Lizzie O’Leary led the Ghosts with 14 while Gabby Nolan had 13 and Bre Bermel, seven points.
Abington rolled to a 56-29 win over #28 Conestoga in an opening round game. Deja Rawls led the way with 16 points while Sammy Lochner had 12 and Lizzie O’Leary, 11.
Spring-Ford
- 9-4 PAC-10, 17-8 overall
- Tied for second in the PAC-10 Liberty Division
- Regular season wins over #10 Perk Valley (56-35), #30 Methacton (45-36, 43-29) and #31 Owen J Roberts (52-38, 52-24)
- Led by Maggie Locke (11.3 ppg.) and Abby Beyer (8.1 ppg.). Beyer has 26 three-pointers
- The Rams have averaged 51.5 points a game while allowing just 38.4.
How they got here: In a quarterfinal game, the Rams opened up a 19-11 lead and held on for a 41-35 win over eighth-seeded North Penn. Maddie Haney (13 points) and Maggie Locke (11 points) led a balanced attack.
The Rams knocked top-seeded Boyertown from the ranks of the undefeated with a 45-38 second round win. Spring-Ford, which led 35-21 heading into the fourth quarter, was led by Maggie Locke (11 points) and Sydney Wagner (8 points).
In their 60-45 opening round win over #17 Marple Newtown, Maggie Locke (13), Molly Hynes (12), Julia Roshelli (9), Sydney Wagner (9) and Abby Beyer (8) all contributed.
Playback Games
#7 UPPER DUBLIN at #3 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH’S (7 P.M.)
Upper Dublin
- 14-0 SOL, 20-6 overall
- SOL American Conference champion
- Led by senior Julie Cross (14.5 ppg.), who averages a double-double, as well as junior Allison Chernow (11.1 ppg) and sophomore Josie Barrett (11.1 ppg)
- Wins over #6 West Chester Rustin (47-42), #13 Cheltenham (49-30, 47-42), #29 Upper Merion (35-32, 47-19) and #32 CB East (44-26)
How they got here: In a rematch of the SOL Tournament semifinals, the Flying Cardinals fell to second-seeded CB West 55-40. Josie Barrett (14 points), Allison Chernow (11) and Julie Cross (10) all finished in double figures.
In a dramatic second round win, the Flying Cardinals rallied from five down with 23 seconds remaining in regulation to send their second round game against 10th-seeded Perkiomen Valley into overtime, going on to win 39-33. Julie Cross led the Cardinals with 14 points, 17 rebounds and six blocked shots. Allison Chernow had nine points, including a pair of foul shots in the closing seconds of regulation to knot the score.
In their 65-38 opening round win over Pennridge, the Flying Cardinals received monster performances from senior Julie Cross (career-high 30 points, nine rebounds) and sophomore Josie Barrett (21 points – 17 in the first half on five three-pointers).
Mount St. Joseph Academy
- 12-1 AACA, 24-3 overall
- Shared the Catholic Academies regular season title with Gwynedd Mercy
- Defeated Gwynedd Mercy 29-26 to capture the AACA Tournament title
- Regular season wins over #13 Cheltenham (69-58), #15 Council Rock North (47-42) and #30 Methacton (38-27)
- Led by Catholic Academies All-Stars Mary Kate Ulasewicz and Libby Tacka
How they got here: The Mount was upset by 11th-seeded Downingtown East 52-47 in a quarterfinal game. The Cougars led 40-26 heading into the final quarter when the Magic scored 20 points. Caitlyn Cunningham led the Magic with 18 points.
In the Mount’s 63-43 win over #19 Radnor, Libby Tacka led the way with 21 points while Sarah Wills had 12 and Caitlyn Cunningham, 11 points.
In a 45-31 opening round win over #30 Methacton, the Magic was led by Caitlyn Cunningham (18 points), Sarah Wills (10 points) and Mary Kate Ulasewicz (8 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds).
#8 NORTH PENN at #4 GARNET VALLEY (7 P.M.)
North Penn
- 11-3 SOL, 19-7 overall
- Second place in SOL Continental Conference behind CB West
- Led by junior Mikaela Giuliani (12.5 ppg) and sophomore Sam Carangi (11.1 ppg)
- Wins over #12 CB South (39-38), #26 Pennridge (49-42, 63-60), CB East (54-37, 62-51) and top-seeded Class AAA Gwynedd Mercy 42-40
How they got here: The Lady Knights fell behind early and never could get over the hump, falling to 16th-seeded Spring-Ford 41-35. Sophomore Jess Huber led North Penn with 13 points while Taylor Thames had nine.
In a second round game, sophomore Jess Huber scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the opening half to keep the Lady Knights – who trailed 31-27 at halftime – in the game. North Penn outscored #9 Bishop Shanahan 28-9 in the second half to earn a 55-40 win. Taylor Thames and Sam Carangi both added 10 points.
Sparked by 12 points from senior Taylor Thames, the Lady Knights, who led 13-8 after one quarter, allowed just 12 points over the final three quarters in a 45-20 opening round win over Downingtown West.
Garnet Valley
- 16-0 Central League, 22-3 overall
- Central League champion
- Won 13 of last 14 games, including five in a row, to close out regular season
- Wins over #14 Strath Haven (61-46, 40-31), #18 Unionville (45-24), #22 Haverford (44-37, 56-39), #27 CR South (43-23) and #28 Conestoga (44-29, 37-30).
- Led by sisters Jordan and Maddie Ireland and Macy Goldbach.
How they got here: The Jaguars fell to #5 Abington 51-39 in a quarterfinal game. Jordan Ireland led Garnet Valley with 15 while Maddie Goldbach had 10 points.
In second round action, the Jaguars handed #13 Cheltenham a 52-48 loss. They were led by Macy Goldbach with 18 and Maddie Ireland with 16. Jordan Ireland added eight in a contest that saw them bury 10 three-pointers.
In an opening round win, the Jaguars sprinted to a 25-6 halftime lead and then watched 29th-seeded Upper Merion pull to within 12 before earning a 43-28 win. Macy Goldbach led the way with 14 points.
#12 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH at #1 BOYERTOWN (7 P.M.)
Central Bucks South
- 10-4 SOL, 19-6 overall
- Third place SOL Continental Conference
- Led by junior Jordan Vitelli (10.6 ppg)
- Wins over #7 Upper Dublin (35-33), #8 North Penn (53-35), #25 Downingtown West (53-39), #26 Pennridge (44-40, 51-44), #27 Council Rock South (44-42) and #32 CB East (50-38, 51-41)
How they got here: The Titans led #13 Cheltenham 13-10 after one quarter, and sparked by their tenacious defense, they allowed just 10 points the rest of the way and rolled to a 42-20 win over the Lady Panthers. Jordan Vitelli (10 points), Taylor Dunn (8) and Kaley Smith (8) led a balanced attack. In a half of action, Ashley Jones was limited to just six first-quarter points.
In the second round, the Titans hung with #5 Abington for one half, trailing 20-18 at the intermission before falling 48-34. Taylor Dunn led a balanced attack with 11 points.
In the opening round, the Titans eked out a 42-40 win over #21 Coatesville. Jordan Vitelli (12 points) and Kaley Smith (10 points) led a balanced attack.
Boyertown
- 13-0 PAC-10, 26-1 overall
- PAC-10 Frontier Division Champions
- Captured PAC-10 Tournament title with 38-29 win over 10th-seeded Perkiomen Valley
- Defense has been the forte of a squad that allows just 31.6 points a game while scoring 49.8
- The young Bears are led by sophomore Abby Kapp (16.2 ppg) and junior Ali Bauman (8.3 ppg)
- Rolled to regular season wins over #10 Perk Valley (47-28 & 50-34), #11 Downingtown East (44-32), #16 Spring-Ford (46-44 & 38-36), #30 Methacton (48-35 & 52-20) and #32 Owen J Roberts (49-31 & 43-36)
How they got here: The Bears rebounded from their second round upset at the hands of PAC-10 rival Spring-Ford to rout #8 Bishop Shanahan 37-21 in playback game Monday. Abby Kapp (10 points, 12 rebounds) and Alli Marcus (14 points) led the Bears.
In a second round upset, the Bears fell to 16th-seeded Spring-Ford 45-38. Ali Bauman led the Bears with 10 points
In their 53-38 opening round win over #32 Central Bucks East, the Bears were led by Abby Kapp (14 points), Ali Bauman (11 points) and Maria Garafolo (10 points).
About the Author
