Scott Huff highlights the three SOL conference races and recaps all of last week’s action.
By Scott Huff
The Suburban One League basketball season is racing toward the finish line with a pair of conference games this final week of the season.
The math calculates that both Abington (11-1) of the SOL National Conference and Norristown (11-1) of the SOL American Conference are guaranteed at the very least a share of the conference title. Council Rock North (9-3) could only share the title if the Indians were to win both of its remaining conference games, while Abington lost both of its games. Cheltenham (9-3) and Wissahickon (9-3) could only gain a share of the title if Norristown lost both of its conference games this week and either the Panthers or the Trojans won both of their games.
In the SOL Continental Conference, Central Bucks South (10-2) could win an outright title with a pair of wins – share a title with one win – or possibly earn no title at all if the Titans were to lose both games. Both second place Hatboro-Horsham (9-3) and Souderton (9-3) figure into the final outcome for the conference championship.
The one thing for sure is that on Friday night all of the SOL conference championships – shared or outright – will be decided.
Stay tuned.
SOL Continental Conference
Central Bucks South is the epitome of the cliché that there is no ‘I’ in TEAM.
“This is a team that has been 10 players deep all season,” said Central Bucks South head coach Jason Campbell. “We only have one player – Matt Scamuffo – average over 10 points a game. We have nine seniors on this team, and each of them has played a role in our success. We know that on any given night, any one player on this team could stand out and play a great game.”
The Titans have tremendous leadership in their trio of senior captains – Brennan Rudnick, Dan Giaquinto, and Kevin Raymond.
“These players have all led by example, with that example being playing with an unselfish attitude,” said Campbell. “And that is not only during the course of the game, but at practice as well. We practice hard every day.”
CB South has won eight of its last nine games with the only loss coming to Norristown in the Suburban One Challenge. The Titans added a nice 57-44 non-league victory to its resume over Pennsbury on Saturday.
“We treated that game as a very important game for us as far as seedings will go in the district playoffs,” said Campbell. “And we won that game like we have won most of the others this season – with everyone stepping on the floor and making a contribution.”
That list of contributing Titan players – in addition to Scamuffo, Raymond, Rudnick, and Giaquinto – includes Chase Vonder Schmalz, Adam Tamny, TJ Ohntrup, Kevin Doyle, Bryce Dobisch, and Ricky Dennis.
“We have two tough conference games with Souderton and Central Bucks East to close out the season,” said Campbell. “Souderton was a real war that we won the first time around (39-37), and playing at Central Bucks East in the final game of the season is always wild. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win a conference championship and get a good seed in the playoffs. We have a shot to do both.”
And the Titans will do it as a team.
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL Continental Conference
Central Bucks South punched its ticket for the top spot in the standingswith a perfect 3-0 week. The Titans opened the week with a 57-50 overtime win over Hatboro-Horsham; followed with a 50-34 win over Pennridge; and closed the week with a 56-39 victory over Central Bucks West. Matt Scamuffo led South with a 23-point performance against the Hatters and a 12-point effort against the Bucks. Adam Tamny led the Titans with a team-high 16 points in the win over the Rams.
North Penn had a perfect week as the Knights won a pair of conference games. North Penn opened the week with a 68-43 victory over Quakertown and was led in scoring by Mike Swanson with 11 points. The Knights came up with a huge upset win as they edged Hatboro-Horsham 64-57 in overtime behind a terrific 24-point performance by Swanson.
Central Bucks East had a perfect week as the Patriots won a pair of conference games. CB East opened the week with an upset 50-49 victory over Souderton behind Brendan McLaughlin’s 18 points. McLaughlin led the Patriots with a 12-point effort in the closing game of the week as CB East defeated Quakertown 43-34.
Souderton split its pair of conference games last week as the Indians remain in second place in the conference standings. Souderton was upset by Central Bucks East 50-49 to open the week as John Kanas scored a game-high 17 points. Kanas once again led the Big Red in scoring as Souderton closed the week with a 60-39 victory over Pennridge.
Central Bucks West split its pair of games last week as the Bucks defeated Pennridge and lost to Central Bucks South. Cal Reichwein scored 18 points to pace the Bucks in its 55-42 win over Pennridge, while Jared Kelly led CBW with eight points in the 56-39 setback against CB South.
Hatboro-Horsham had its toughest week of the season as the Hatters won just one of three conference games. Hatboro-Horsham lost a pair of overtime games – the first to Central Bucks South and the second to North Penn. The Hatters fell 57-50 in OT to the Titans despite a 23-point performance by Michael Brown, and fell 64-57 in OT to North Penn as Brown scored a team-high 20 points. Hatboro-Horsham defeated Pennridge 50-34 as Zach Quattro led the Hatters with 21 points.
Pennridge had a tough week as the Rams lost all three of their conference games. Pennridge was beaten by Central Bucks West 55-42 to open the week; followed with a 50-34 loss to Hatboro-Horsham; and closed the week with a 60-39 setback against host Souderton. Jeff Garner led the Rams in scoring in each of the games with 13, 17, and nine points respectively.
Quakertown had a tough week as the Panthers lost all three of their conference games. Quakertown was beaten by North Penn 68-43 to open the week; followed with a 56-39 loss to Central Bucks South; and closed the week with a 43-34 setback against Central Bucks East. Jack Perrine led the Black Cats with a 16-point effort against North Penn; John Smith scored 10 to pace the Panthers in the loss to the Titans; while Justin Klee and Griffin Schmidt led Q-town with seven points in the loss to CB East.
Suburban One League Continental Conference Standings
1. Central Bucks South Titans – 10-2
2. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters – 9-3
Souderton Indians – 9-3
4. Central Bucks West Bucks – 6-6
5. North Penn Knights – 5-7
6. Central Bucks East Patriots – 4-8
Pennridge Rams – 4-8
8. Quakertown Panthers – 1-11.
SOL National Conference
Abington was gliding along as one of the premier teams in the area when the Ghosts were stunned by Council Rock South (4-8) in conference play by a 67-54 score. And that was followed with a tough 56-54 loss to Cheltenham the next night in the SOL Challenge.
“I think the players realized that you have to come to play every night, or you are going to get beat,” said Abington head coach Charles Grasty. “We took those lumps, and the next practice on Monday the guys were really upset with the way we played. You have to remember, these are still high school boys we are coaching.
“There is no secret, though, that we are an experienced bunch of players,” added Grasty. “Jordan Simmons, Anthony Durham, and Jiere Morrisey held a team meeting to get some things straightened out.”
It must have worked as the Ghosts have won five games in a row – four conference games and a convincing 71-49 win over Spring-Ford on Saturday.
“The win over Spring-Ford is huge for us as far as gaining points in the district seedings,” said Grasty as the Ghosts topped the Rams behind a 23-point performance by Durham and a 20-point effort by Simmons. “We look at this game as a very important game for us.
“We have Pennsbury and Bensalem to close out the (conference) season,” added Grasty. “They both played us close the first time around, and we expect another pair of close games with them. We want to be able to go into the playoffs by playing well down the stretch.”
Abington had to work overtime to defeat Pennsbury in its first half meeting as the Ghosts captured a 65-63 victory. Abington had a game on its hands with a 48-44 win over Bensalem in the first half meeting between the Ghosts and the Owls.
“It is no secret to the players that we have already won a share of the title,” continued Grasty. “But we don’t want to share it with anyone. We want it all to ourselves.”
And Abington has more than a Ghost of a chance for that to happen.
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL National Conference
Abington held tight to first place in conference standingsas the Ghosts won both of their conference games. Abington opened the week with a 73-57 victory over Truman behind a dazzling 30-point performace by Jordan Simmons. The Ghosts closed the week with a 61-41 win over William Tennent as Anthony Durham paced the Maroon and White with 17 points.
Council Rock North held tight to second place in the conference standings as the Indians won both conference games last week. Rock North snapped a four-game losing streak with a 71-61 victory over Pennsbury and followed with a 53-42 win over Bensalem. Kyle McCloskey scored 22 points in the win over the Tigers and followed with a team-high 16 points in the victory over the Owls.
Pennsbury created a 3-way tie for third place in the standings as the Falcons soared to a 55-52 victory over Truman. Pennsbury opened the week with a 71-61 loss to Council Rock North. Mekhi Bryant led the Falcons in scoring in both games with a 20-point performance against Rock North and a 16-point effort versus Truman.
Truman fell into a 3-way tie for third in the conference standings as Tigers suffered a pair of conference losses last week. Truman opened the week with a 73-57 loss to Abington and followed with a 55-52 setback against Pennsbury. Merdic Green led the Tigers in scoring in the loss to Pennsbury with a 20-point effort, while Marcus Palmer led HST in the loss to Abington with a 22-point effort.
Bensalem joined the 3-way tie for third place in the standings as the Owls split a pair of conference games last week. Bensalem opened the week with a 55-43 victory over Council Rock South and closed the week with a 53-42 loss to CR North. Leo Vincent was the leading scorer in both games with a 23-point effort in the win over the Golden Hawks and a 17-point effort in the loss to Rock North.
Council Rock South split its pair of games last week as the Golden Hawks opened the week with a 55-43 loss to Bensalem and closed the week with a 66-47 victory over Neshaminy. Christian Crane scored a team-high 15 points in the loss to the Owls, while Will Facenda scored a game-high 20 points in the win over the Redskins.
William Tennent split its pair of games last week as the Panthers opened the week with a 65-38 victory over Neshaminy and closed the week with a 61-44 loss to Abington. Matt Alden was the leading scorer in both games for the Black Cats with a 23-point effort against the Skins and a 15-point performance against Abington.
Neshmainy is still in search of its first win of the season as the Redskins dropped a pair of conference games last week. Neshaminy opened the week with a 65-38 loss to William Tennent despite a 19-point scoring night by Jaylen Pickett. The Skins closed the week with a 66-47 loss to Council Rock South. Neshaminy in now 0-12 in the conference and 0-18 overall.
Suburban One League National Conference Standings
1. Abington Ghosts – 11-1
2. Council Rock North Indians – 9-3
3. Bensalem Owls – 7-5
Truman Tigers – 7-5
Pennsbury Falcons – 7-5
6. Council Rock South Golden Hawks – 4-8
7. William Tennent Panthers – 3-9
8. Neshaminy Redskins – 0-12
SOL American Conference
Upper Moreland has its sight set on becoming a PIAA Class AAA district basketball team. And the Golden Bears took a gigantic step in that direction with a 47-39 victory over second place Cheltenham.
“It was a good game for us for a number of reasons,” said Upper Moreland head coach Brian Corrado. “To beat an excellent Cheltenham team on its home floor will do a lot for our confidence. We have had a number of close games with them recently, but we couldn’t come up with a win.”
The biggest factor in the Upper Moreland win this time around was the outstanding play of 6-foot, 5-inch junior Kevin McFall. McFall scored 14 points, but Corrado was more impressed with plays that did not show up in the box score.
“Kevin showed great hustle at the end of the game and made some huge plays,” said Corrado. “He blocked a shot and was able to bang the ball off one of their players to give us another key possession. And a little later, he got an offensive rebound off one of our missed foul shots and scored a key basket. You could see the wind come out of them after those two plays.
“We want to be able to be playing our best basketball right now before districts,” added Corrado. “And to beat an Upper Dublin and to beat a Cheltenham last week does a lot for us. This is a team that has battled every single game, and we looking forward to the next step against whoever that is.”
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL American Conference
Norristown held tight to first place in the conference standings as the Eagles soared to a pair of conference victories last week. Norristown opened with week with an 81-42 rout of Springfield and followed with a 60-55 victory over rival Plymouth Whitemarsh. Josh Johnson (16), Luke Kelley (15), and Jahbri Hargrove (13) scored in twin digits in the win over PW.
Cheltenham spilt a pair of games and remained in second place as the Panthers bested Wissahickon and were upset by Upper Moreland. Aaron McGlawn scored 22 points to pace the Panthers in their 57-44 win over the Trojans, while Aaron Burton scored a team-high 15 points in the loss to the Golden Bears.
Wissahickon spilt a pair of games and remained in second place as the Trojans bested Upper Merion and lost to Cheltenham. Jesse Hunsicker scored a team-high 12 points in the loss to the Panthers, while Chase Wilson scored a team-high 17 points in the win over Upper Merion.
Upper Moreland had a perfect week as the Golden Bears won both conference games. Upper Moreland opened the week with a 43-33 victory over Upper Dublin and followed with a 47-39 win over Cheltenham. James Martin scored a team-high 13 points in the win over the Flying Cardinals, while Kevin McFall scored a team-high 16 points in the win over the Panthers.
Plymouth Whitemarsh spilt its pair of conference games this week as the Colonials marched to a 67-53 victory over Upper Merion and fell to rival Norristown 60-55. Plymouth Whitemarsh is tied with Upper Moreland for fourth place in the conference standings at 6-6.
Upper Dublin split its pair of conference games last week as the Flying Cardinals closed the week with a 56-41 win over Springfield after opening the week with a 43-33 loss to Upper Moreland. Andrew Carber paced Upper Dublin with a 22-point effort in the win over the Spartans, while Simeon Fryer scored a team-high 10 points in the loss to the Golden Bears.
Upper Merion had a tough week as the Vikings lost both of their conference games. Upper Merion opened the week with a 67-53 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh and closed the week with a 59-48 setback against Wissahickon. In the loss to the Trojans, Riece Jenerette scored a team-high 18 points, while Justin Lewis scored in double figures with 12 points.
Springfield had a tough week as the Spartans lost both of their conference games. Springfield opened the week with an 81-42 loss to first place Norristown and followed with a competitive 56-41 setback against Upper Dublin.
Suburban One League American Conference Standings
1. Norristown Eagles 11-1
2. Cheltenham Panthers – 9-3
Wissahickon Trojans – 9-3
4. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials – 6-6
Upper Moreland Golden Bears – 6-6
6. Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals – 4-8
7. Upper Merion Vikings – 2-10
8. Springfield Spartans – 1-11.
Suburban One Sports.com
Top Ten
1. Abington Ghosts
2. Norristown Eagles
3. Council Rock North Indians
4. Central Bucks South Titans
5. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
6. Cheltenham Panthers
7. Wissahickon Trojans
8. Souderton Indians
9. Pennsbury Falcons
10. Truman Tigers
10+. Bensalem Owls
‘On Deck’ In the Suburban One League
Tuesday – February 5, 2013
SOL American Conference
Cheltenham Panthers (9-3) @ Upper Merion Vikings (2-10)
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (4-8) @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (6-6)
Wissahickon Trojans (9-3) @ Norristown Eagles (11-1)
Upper Moreland Golden Bears (6-6) @ Springfield Spartans (1-11)
SOL Continental Conference
North Penn Knights (4-8) @ Central Bucks West Bucks (6-6)
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (9-3) @ Quakertown Panthers (1-11)
Central Bucks East Patriots (4-8) @ Pennridge Rams (4-8)
Souderton Indians (9-3) @ Central Bucks South Titans (10-2)
SOL National Conference
Abington Ghosts (11-1) @ Pennsbury Falcons (7-5)
Council Rock South Golden Hawks (4-8) @ William Tennent Panthers (3-9)
Truman Tigers (7-5) @ Bensalem Owls (7-5)
Neshaminy Redskins (0-12) @ Council Rock North Indians (9-3)
Friday – February 8, 2013
SOL American Conference
Upper Merion Vikings @ Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
Norristown Eagles @ Cheltenham Panthers
Upper Moreland Golden Bears @ Wissahickon Trojans
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials @ Springfield Spartans
SOL Continental Conference
Pennridge Rams @ North Penn Knights
Central Bucks West Bucks @ Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
Quakertown Panthers @ Souderton Indians
Central Bucks South Titans @ Central Bucks East Patriots
SOL National Conference
Pennsbury Falcons @ Neshaminy Redskins
Bensalem Owls @ Abington Ghosts
William Tennent Panthers @ Truman Tigers
Council Rock North Indians @ Council Rock South Golden Hawks.
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