PW, CB West, CB East & Hatboro-Horsham will see action in the PIAA Quad-A Tournament Saturday. Scott Huff previews the four games.
By Scott Huff
The 32-team PIAA Quad-A state championship bracket is set, and four teams from the Suburban One League will begin the grueling journey in a quest to become the 2015-2016 state champion.
The highest seed from the SOL is District One/SOL American Conference champion Plymouth Whitemarsh (25-2). The Colonials have earned the top seed from D-1 and will open state play with a Saturday afternoon matinee (3 pm) against the eighth seed from District 3 – Lebanon (16-11).
PW has completed this championship run in recent memory, winning the state title in 2010 with a remarkable 30-2 record. The Colonials have a tradition of excellence, also winning state titles in 1963 and 1997.
There are three teams from the SOL Continental Conference that will wade into the deep waters of state competition in the opening round of states. Central Bucks West (23-6) is the sixth seed from D-1 and will have a 7:30 pm date with an excellent Central York (26-4) team – the D-3 runner-up. Central Bucks East (16-11) is the seventh seed from D-1 and will have a 3:00 pm date with highly regarded Bangor (25-2) – the D-11 runner-up. And Hatboro-Horsham (14-13) is the tenth seed from D-1 and will have a 4:00 pm date with powerful Reading (25-3) – the D-3 champion.
And the beat goes on…
PIAA Quad-A State Playoffs
Saturday – March 5, 2016
[3-8] Lebanon Cedars (16-11) vs. [1-1] Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (25-2)
@ Great Valley High School – Malvern – 3:00 pm
Playoff Resume:
Lebanon earned a state playoff berth as the final team to qualify from District Three. The # 11 seeded Cedars stunned the D-3 bracket with a 65-56 victory over # 6 seed Harrisburg in the opening round. Dante Vargas scored 20 points for Lebanon, while Shaq Ortiz and Allan Escoto combined for 29 points. The Cedars followed with three consecutive losses to drop to the No. 8 seed. Lebanon lost to Wilson West Lawn 55-39 as Ortiz was the lone player in double digits with 17 points. The Cedars followed with a 52-39 loss to Carlisle despite leading 12-3 at the end of the first period. Eight players scored in the Carlisle loss as Escoto led Lebanon with eight points. The Cedars earned the final berth in the state playoffs with an 80-63 loss to Lancaster McCaskey. Vargas led Lebanon with 15 points, while Logan Blough (12) and Ortiz (10) also scored in double figures.
Plymouth Whitemarsh captured the PIAA Quad-A District One title with a 68-57 victory over # 9 Chester. Xzavier Malone was terrific with a 29-point scoring performance, while Oakley Spencer came up with key steals and clutch free throw shooting and added 10 points. The Colonials punched their ticket to the PIAA Quad-A District One Finals with a 53-42 victory over # 11 Lower Merion. The Colonials were led in scoring by Malone who scored a game-high 19 points. Spencer (14) and Mike Lotito (12) also scored in twin digits in the win over the Aces. PW advanced to the semifinals with a thrilling 43-41 victory over SOL Continental Conference opponent Central Bucks West. Spencer scored the game winner with 0.7 seconds left in the game. Malone led the Colonials with 16 points, while Lotito scored in twin digits with12 points. PW advanced to the district quarterfinals with a 60-56 victory over # 18 Academy Park. Malone led the Colonials with a 26-point outburst, while Ahmin Williams came off the bench and scored eight points. Malone went over the 1000-point mark for his career. PW opened the district playoffs with a 49-36 victory over # 31 Radnor. Malone – who missed most of the second and third quarters with a mild ankle sprain – led PW in scoring with 14 points. Lotito and Kevin Ashenfelter each scored in double digits for the Colonials with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Season Resume:
Lebanon: The Cedars finished the regular season as the champion of the Lancaster-Lebanon 2 League with a record of 8-3.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: The Colonials finished the regular season as the champion of the SOL American Conference with a record of 13-1.
Players To Watch:
Lebanon: Dante Vargas, Shaq Ortiz, Allan Escoto & Logan Blough
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Xzavier Malone, Mike Lotito, Oakley Spencer, Ahmad Williams, Ahim Williams & Kevin Ashenfelter.
Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio says: “We are a team that is in a different place right now as district champions. Do we now play with a level of confidence going into states or do we become satisfied with what we did in winning districts? The bottom line is that we didn’t storm through districts to win the championship. We didn’t beat teams by 20 or 30 points – each game was a struggle. And now that we are a district champion with a win over Chester – we are favored to make a lot of noise in the state tournament. Lebanon is a good team – a state playoff team – and they like to attack. But right now I believe that we are our own opponent. To play the game on a Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock is something different, and good teams lose in the first round. Abington won a district title last year and lost in the first round of states. We have to continue to play with cockiness, but we have to remember to dots all the i’s and cross all the t’s”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will advance to the second round of the PIAA Quad-A state playoffs and will play the winner of the game between [11-2] Bangor vs. [1-7] Central Bucks East game on Wednesday – March 9, 2016.
[1-6] Central Bucks West Bucks (23-6) vs. [3-2] Central York Panthers (26-4)
@ West York High School – York – 7:30 pm
Playoff Resume:
Central York had a strong showing in the District Three tournament with a second place finish. The Panthers lost in the D-3 finals to Reading by a 65-54 score. The high-scoring Jared Wagner was held to just 11 points in the loss. Nathan Markey led Central York in scoring with 19 points, while Onterio Edmonds scored in double digits with 10 points. The Black Cats opened district play with a 67-38 rout of Shippensburg. Wagner scored a game-high 20 points and Markey added 12 points. Central York followed with a 63-49 victory over Hempfield. Wagner scored a game-high 28 points while Courtney Batts scored in double figures with 14 points. The Panthers advanced to the D-3 championship game with a thrilling 53-51 overtime victory over Spring Grove. Wagner scored the game winner for Central York and led the Panthers in scoring with 26 points.
Central Bucks West entered the state playoffs with a 58-56 double overtime loss to # 12 Spring-Ford. Erich Hohenleitner led the Bucks with 15 points. Luke Irons (14), Billy Power (10) and Jake Reichwein (10) also scored in twin digits for CBW. The Bucks captured a district seeding win with a 59-31 victory over # 14 Conestoga. Power led the Bucks with 14 points, while Connor Lynch also scored in twin digits with 11 points. Jake Reichwein added nine points for the winners. CBW fell in the PIAA Quad-A district quarterfinals in a 43-41 loss to # 2 Plymouth Whitemarsh. Power led the Buck scoring with a 13-point effort, while Jake Reichwein also scored in twin digits with 11 points. West lost the game on a Colonial basket with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Bucks advanced to the district quarterfinals with a 40-32 victory over # 10 Phoenixville. CBW led the entire game despite playing most of the game without Cal Reichwein who was injured early in the game. Irons played perhaps his best game of the year with a team-high 17 points. Power, Hohenleitner and Jake Reichwein each scored six points for the winners. The Bucks opened the district playoffs with a 54-35 victory over # 26 Downingtown East. CBW opened up a huge 30-13 lead at the half and secured the win with a 15-5 scoring advantage in the fourth period. CB West was led is scoring by Hohenleiter with 15 points, while Cal Reichwein and brother Jake Reichwein scored in twin digits with 12 and 11 points respectively.
Season Resume:
Central York: The Panthers finished the regular season as the champion of the York-Adams Conference with a record of 15-0.
Central Bucks West: The Bucks finished the regular season as the second place finisher in the SOL Continental Conference with a record of 12-2.
Players To Watch:
Central York: Jared Wagner, Nathan Markey & Courtney Batts.
Central Bucks West: Cal Reichwein, Bill Power & Luke Irons
Central Bucks West head coach Adam Sherman says: “We know that the game is going to be a sellout and that Central York is very close to York. And for us it is going to be a long two-and-one-half hour bus ride. But this is a team that will be playing its 30th game of the season and has seen it all – and the kids are very comfortable in any setting. Central York reminds us a lot like Pennridge – and we are very familiar with Pennridge. They are not real big but can really shoot and pass the ball very well. Of course, you want to take away what they do well, but sometimes it is a matter of just doing the things that you do well and to continue to do them. The key to the game will be making shots and getting defensive stops. The team that does that better will win the game.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will play the winner of the game between [12-1] Roman Catholic vs. [1-9] Academy Park on Wednesday – March 9, 2016.
[1-7] CB East Patriots (16-11) vs. [11-2] Bangor Slaters (25-2)
@ Freedom High School – Bethlehem – 3:00 pm
Playoff Resume:
Central Bucks East earned the No. 7 seed from District One with a 44-40 victory over # 14 Conestoga. Justin O’Neil led a balanced Patriots scoring attack with 12 points. Blake Peterson (11) and Matt Pattyson (10) also scored in double digits for CB East. The Patriots lost a district seeding game in a 64-58 overtime loss to # 12 Spring-Ford. The Patriots showcased a balanced scoring attack as four players finished in double figures. Tommy Strasburger led the CBE attack with a game-high 19 points, while O’Neil (12), Peterson (11), and Pattyson (10) also scored in double figures. CB East overcame a six-point deficit to force overtime but was outscored by the Rams 17-11 in the extra period. The Patriots fell in the PIAA Quad-A District One quarterfinals with a 49-33 loss to powerful # 9 Chester. CBE trailed 10-4 at the quarter and never recovered. CB East had a pair of players score in double figures as both Strasburger and O’Neil each had 10 points. The Patriots punched their ticket to the state tournament with a 49-43 upset victory over # 1 Coatesville. The Patriots outscored the Red Raiders 21-15 in the third period to secure the win. Strasburger was once again the engine for East with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. O’Neil scored in twin digits with 13 points, while point guard Pattyson added 10 points for the winners. In the opening round game, CB East‘upset’ # 16 seed Pennsbury with a 41-30 victory. The Patriots outscored the Falcons 13-3 in the final period to secure the win. Strasburger led CB East is scoring with 13 points, while Pattyson scored eight points and collected eight rebounds for the winners.
Bangor had a fine District 11 run as the Slaters reached the D-11 finals. However, Bangor came up short in a 68-49 loss to Parkland in the finals. Michael Martino scored a team-high 15 points in the loss, while Reece Jones also scored in double digits with 11 points. The Slaters opened the tournament with a 53-49 victory over Whitehall. Martino led Bangor with 22 points, while Dylan Benton added 13 points and Jones scored 12 points. The Slaters advanced to the D-11 finals with a 57-40 victory over Pocono Mountain West. Martino led all scorers with 26 points, while Benton added 10 points and Anthony Schiavone also scored in twin digits with 10 points.
Season Resume:
CB East: The Patriots finished the regular season tied for third place in the SOL Continental Conference with a 7-7 record.
Bangor: The Slaters finished the regular season as champion of the Colonial East Division with a record of 17-1.
Players To Watch:
Central Bucks East: Tommy Strasburger, Blake Peterson & Justin O’Neil.
Bangor: Michael Martino, Dylan Benton & Reece Jones.
Central Bucks East head coach Erik Henrysen says: “Who would have thought that us playing in states at Freedom High School in Bethlehem would be closer to home than any of the district games we played in? We know that their point guard – Michael Martino – is a very good player who can control a game. We know that we are in a battle with a team that is 25-2 and has had a high level of success this year. But we also know how good our district was this year and how good our conference was this year – and we feel good about our chances. We will have five days to prepare for this game and it also gives us a chance to get healthy. We have gotten contributions across the board from our entire team – and that paints a clear picture of who we are.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will advance to the second round of the state tournament and play the winner of [1-1] Plymouth Whitemarsh vs. [3-8] Lebanon game on Wednesday – March 9, 2016.
[1-10] Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (14-13) vs. [3-1] Reading Red Knights (25-3)
@ Governor Mifflin Intermediate School – Shillington – 4 pm
Playoff Resume:
Hatboro-Horsham lost in a seeding game to # 19 Academy Park 72-70 to secure the No. 10 seed from District One. Brian McEachern scored a game-high 20 points for the Hatters, while Brandon Crews (15), Clifton Moore (14), and Jay Davis (12) also scored in double figures. Hatboro-Horsham gave up a lead late in the game. The Hatters punched their ticket to the state playoffs with a thrilling 46-43 victory over # 5 Pennridge. The Hatters were led in scoring by Davis with a team-high 15 points, while Moore also scored in double digits with 13 points. McEachern scored what proved to be the game-winning points and finished with nine points. Moore came up with a key steal and two free throws late in the game to seal the deal. H-H kept its season alive with a 66-57 upset win over # 1 Coatesville. The Hatters trailed 32-23 at halftime but rallied in the second half to secure the win. Davis led the H-H attack with 22 points, while Moore (19) and Joe Russell (11) also scored in twin digits. Hatboro-Horsham fell into the consolation round with a 56-34 loss to # 9 Chester. The Hatters were competitive in the first quarter, trailing 12-9, but quickly fell behind the Clippers by 21 in the third period. Davis fueled the Hatboro-Horsham offense with 24 points, while Moore – who scored 28 against Strath Haven in the first round – was held to just two points. Hatboro-Horsham opened the district playoffs with a 68-45 upset over # 8 seed Strath Haven. The Hatters took an early lead – never trailed in the game – and outscored the Panthers 23-11 in the final period. Moore was spectacular with his game-high 28 points, while Davis also had an excellent scoring outing with 20 points.
Reading captured the District Three championship with four impressive victories. The Red Knights – who have now won 20 straight games – defeated Central York 65-54 in the D-3 title game. Lonnie Walker led Reading with a 25-point performance, while Khary Mauras added 17 points and Oenis Medina scored in twin digits with 10 points. Reading advanced to the title game with a 71-44 rout over Wilson West Lawn. Damon Stern led the Red Knights in scoring with 14 points, while Walker (12) and Mauras (11) also scored in double digits. Reading survived a 78-73 overtime victory over Carlisle in the second round. Walker – who scored the game winner in overtime – led the Red Knights in scoring with 37 points, while Mauras added 20 points for the winners. Reading opened the D-3 playoffs with a 73-55 victory over Greencastle Antrim. Mauras paced the scoring for the Red Knights with 18 points, while Walker and Stern each scored 10 points in the win.
Season Resume:
Hatboro-Horsham: The Hatters finished the regular season tied for third place in the SOL Continental Conference with a record of 7-7.
Reading: The Red Knights finished the regular season as the champion of the Berks County League with a 10-0 record.
Players To Watch:
Hatboro-Horsham: Clifton Moore, Jay Davis & Brian McEachern.
Reading: Lonnie Walker, Khary Mauras & Damon Stern.
Hatboro-Horsham head coach Ed Enoch says: “When you identify what Reading does well on film, you notice (Lonnie) Walker right away. He is quite a talent and he won’t be easy to take away. We can’t let him go off and have a career day. What we have to concentrate on is taking care of ourselves – we have to be more consistent. Getting Brian (McEachern) back healthy makes us a better team. He scored 20 points in our last game for the first time this season – and as he gets stronger we get stronger. Even when you are the underdog, there is a recipe for winning. We have to follow that recipe.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will play the winner of the game between [12-2] Martin Luther King vs. [11-3] Emmaus game on Wednesday – March 9, 2016.
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