By Scott Huff
The trek to the PIAA Quad-A Final Four is mapped out, and the path is clear for both Council Rock North and Plymouth Whitemarsh – win or go home. The Indians have perhaps the toughest # 9 seed in the history of the Quad-A tournament in Penn Wood while the defending state champion Colonials must face a huge Red Land team.And the playoff beat goes on …
PIAA Quad-A Quarterfinal Games
Saturday – March 19, 2001
Council Rock North Indians [1-2] vs. Penn Wood Patriots [1-9]
@ Spring-Ford High School – 1 pm
Tale Of The Tape
Records: CR North (27-2) – Penn Wood (22-8)
MaXprep State Rankings: CR North (#11) – Penn Wood (# 5)
Offensive Scoring Average: CR North (56.9) – Penn Wood (69.3)
Defensive Scoring Average: CR North (44.8) – Penn Wood (52.2)
Common Opponents: Chester – CR North lost to Chester 66-43, while Penn Wood lost to Chester twice – 76-72 and 71-65; Neshaminy – CR North beat Neshaminy twice – 55-43 and 55-43, while Penn Wood also beat Neshaminy twice – 85-49 and 54-50; Wissahickon - CR North beat Wissahickon 50-44, while Penn Wood beat Wissahickon 63-57; Glen Mills - CR North beat Glen Mills 59-47, while Penn Wood beat Glen Mills twice – 71-60 and 58-48.
Last Game:
Council Rock North won its PIAA Quad-A second round game over Liberty, 41-38. The Indians did not have a single player score in double figures in the victory, but featured a balanced scoring attack. The 6-foot, 6-inch senior twin towers John Raymon and Charlie Anastasi each scored nine points for Rock North, while Aaron Morgan added eight points and Arron Goodman scored seven points for the winners. The Indians played terrific defense and held Liberty to just 13 points in the first half. They also dominated the backboards with Raymon pulling down a game-high 13 while Anastasi added seven. Penn Wood won its PIAA Quad-A second round game over Neshaminy, 54-50. The Patriots showcased a balanced scoring attack as three players scored 12 points each for PW – Aaron Brown, Malcom Richardson, and Darian Barnes. Shawn Oakman – the powerful 6-foot, 9-inch center on his way to Penn State on a football scholarship – added seven points for the Patriots. Penn Wood – which crushed Neshaminy 85-49 earlier in the season – had to off hold the Skins in the final minute to secure the playoff win.
Players To Watch:
Council Rock North: Aaron Brown, Arron Goodman, John Raymon, Charlie Anastasi, Jordan Chernin, Hunter Stevens, and Brandon Knotts.
Penn Wood: Aaron Brown, Darian Barnes, Shawn Oakman, Malcom Richardson, and Jeff Kyem.
Council Rock North head coach Derek Wright says: “Penn Wood has a team that is very comparable to the Montrose Christian team we played early in the season. (Montrose Christian and Chester have handed Rock North its only two losses of the season.) They are very big and athletic, and (Shawn) Oakman has the type of size you really don’t see anywhere. We are going to have to take care of the basketball and be able to rebound with them. This should be a great high school basketball game, and with what’s at stake, the game should be a lot of fun for our players.”
Council Rock North junior point guard Aaron Morgan says: “We look at this game like we look at every game we play in the playoffs – a chance to get to play for a state championship. This might be another one of those games that we have to grind it out. The team with the biggest will to win is going to win the game. We will prepare the best we can, and we are going to have our hands full. Aaron Brown is a Big East player (committed to West Virgina) and we are going to have to find a way to contain him. It should be fun.”
Prediction:
This game should be a heavyweight bout with the size and skill that both teams bring to the court. Penn Wood’s Shawn Oakman and Rock North’s John Raymon are both dominant inside players going to Big Ten schools as football players – Oakman to Penn State and Raymon to Iowa – but both will have hearts and minds focused on a state basketball championship. Patriot senior guard Aaron Brown is a Division One player and Indian junior guard Aaron Morgan will be a Division One player. This game should be very entertaining, and the team that dictates pace will most likely will be the winner. And that will be – Council Rock North 58 – Penn Wood 52.
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials [1-3] vs. Red Land Patriots [3-2]
@ Geigle Complex (Reading) – 4 pm
Tale Of The Tape
Records: Plymouth Whitemarsh (25-5) – Red Land (22-6)
MaXpreps State Rankings: Plymouth Whitemarsh (#2) – Red Land (#20)
Offensive Scoring Average: Plymouth Whitemarsh (63.2) – Red Land (56.2)
Defensive Scoring Average: Plymouth Whitemarsh (44.0) – Red Land (49.5)
Common Opponent: Central Dauphin – Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated Central Dauphin 61-43, while Red Land defeated Central Dauphin 70-63.
Last Game: Plymouth Whitemarsh won its second round PIAA Quad-A game with a 71-51 victory over District 12 champion Frankford in a game played at Wissahickon High School. The Colonials trailed 9-2 at the outset of the game, but a 15-1 third period run shifted momentum to the winners. Senior guard Sam Pygatt scored a game-high 23 points to fuel the PW offense while Jaylen Bond was terrific with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Junior Jake Silvers came off the bench for the Colonials and scored nine important points.
Red Land won its second round PIAA Quad-A game with a come from behind 40-38 victory over District One’s Lower Merion. The game was played at the Geigle Complex in Reading. The Patriots scored the final six points in the final 57 seconds to secure the win. Mike Zanagri scored a game-high 18 points for Red Land while Nick Diller hit key free throws at the end of the contest.
Players To Watch:
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Jaylen Bond, Stephon Baker, Marcus Badger, Sam Pygatt, Brandon Johnson, and Jake Silvers.
Red Land: Mike Zangari, Steve Zack, Dominick Antonelli, Duke Antonelli, Nick Diller, and Billy Wilt.
Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio says: “Red Land is a team that has size in (7-foot – Steve) Zack and (6-foot, 9-inch – Mike) Zangari, and we are going to have to deal with that. They are a team that has senior leadership and are a team that likes to play a halfcourt game. We are going to have to try and make them play at our pace, and a lot of that might have to do with whether or not we have Stephon (Baker) available. (Baker sprained an ankle in the Colonials win over Frankford). My team continues to impress me, though, with all the things that I have thrown at them the last few weeks. We are peaking at a good time.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh senior guard Sam Pygatt says: “Our focus is to do what we have to do to win a state championship. Our goal at the beginning of the year was to be back playing for a state championship at State College, and that hasn’t changed. Right now I want to be the best player that I can b, and do the things that I have to do to make us win basketball games. We will be prepared to play the next game, and we will play with the idea of winning.”
Prediction:
This game will also come down to who plays at the tempo that is comfortable for the team. Plymouth Whitemarsh proved it could win at any tempo – moderate against Central Dauphin or fast against Frankford – but the Colonials do not want to play a slow paced game against the size that Red Land presents. Stephon Baker – if he can play at 100 per cent – helps PW run on high octane. But even without him, PW can motor with the likes of Pygatt, Badger, and Bond. Speed kills – and the Colonials have the speed. Plymouth Whitemarsh 72 – Red Land 61.
PIAA Quad-A Quarterfinal Games
Chester Clippers [1-1] vs. La Salle Explorers [12-2]
Records: Chester (28-1) – La Salle (21-5)
MaXpreps State Rankings: Chester (# 1) – La Salle (# 12)
Offensive Scoring Average: Chester (76.1) – La Salle (56.3)
Defensive Scoring Average: Chester (52.0) – La Salle (45.7)
Common Opponent: Reading – Chester beat Reading 71-64, while La Salle beat Reading 57-55.
Prediction: Chester 68 – La Salle 53.
Butler Golden Tornados [7-3] vs. Mount Lebanon Cedars [7-4]
Records: Butler (17-10) – Mount Lebanon (17-13)
MaXpreps State Rankings: Butler (# 15) – Mount Lebanon (# 77)
Offensive Scoring Average: Butler (57.6) – Mount Lebanon (55.6)
Defensive Scoring Average: Butler (52.5) – Mount Lebanon (53.8)
Common Opponent: Gateway – Butler lost to Gateway 47-45, while Mount Lebanon beat Gateway 59-33.
Prediction: Butler 55 – Mount Lebanon 53.
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