By Scott Huff
The first thing fans notice when they attend Plymouth Whitemarsh basketball games is how young the Colonial starters are – three sophomores, a junior, and a senior.
“Here is your starting lineup for the Colonials of Plymouth Whitemarsh,” the public address announcer will say. “A 6-foot, 9-inch junior, C.J. Aiken – a 6-foot, 6-inch sophomore, Jaylen Bond, - a 5-foot, 9-inch sophomore, Brandon Dixon – a 6-foot, sophomore, Sam Pygatt, and a 6-foot 2-inch senior -------.”
And that senior is Joe Hughes – and no, he’s not the star of the team – and no, he isn’t a player that makes the flashy pass or the acrobatic shot.
But Joe Hughes is a winner.
“I felt so great that Joe had a big game against Williamsport,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio. “His playing time the last few games was fading a bit, but he picked a great time to step up and have a terrific game.
“There has never been in a letdown in the way that Joe has played defensively,” added Donofrio. “But he hasn’t been contributing too much on offense, but he stepped up huge against Williamsport. We are always looking for heroes.”
Hughes, who did not score in the PW state tournament wins over Southern Philadelphia or Norristown, scored 11 key points in the overtime win over Williamsport. Included were a pair of critical baskets that erased a four-point Millionaire lead with less than two minutes left in regulation.
“I was confident that I could make those shots,” said Hughes. “I know that I can bring my defense every game, and when I get the chance to help out on offense I want to stay positive.”
Playing time for Hughes had diminished somewhat due to the maturation of the underclass guards. Junior Whis Grant and sophomores Brandon Dixon and Sam Pygatt have emerged as outstanding varsity players.
“We rotate a lot in practice with big lineups, speed lineups, and press lineups,” said Hughes. “We have a lot of talent, and we play certain players in certain situations.
“I really don’t get upset about sharing time with the underclassmen,” added Hughes. “Everyone has grown so much during the course of the season, and we all play so well together.”
Grant, Pygatt, and Dixon have all gotten notice in the final stat sheet during the state tournament run to date. Grant has averaged 16 points per game, while Pygatt has averaged 11 points per game. Dixon has run the offense and has led the team in assists.
“Whis is ridicously confident on offense,” said Donofrio. “He has that Allen Iverson mentality, and you don’t win big basketball games without players like that.
“Sam has recently been the player we knew he was going to be,” added Donofrio. “He has begun to attack the basket, and it just seems like all the light bulbs have gone on.
“And Brandon has also attacked the basket since we played Norristown in the last regular season game,” continued Donofrio. “The more experience he gets in pressure situations, the better player he becomes.”
The contributions that Joe Hughes makes are not always seen on the stat sheet at the end of the game.
“Joe may not have scored against Norristown, but he played a huge role in the way he defended Khalif Wyatt,” said Donofrio. “Wyatt is a player that can take over a game, and we held him down in the first quarter when we took the big lead.”
“Khalif is an amazing player, and you really can’t stop him for an entire game,” said Hughes of the Temple bound Eagle guard who finished with 26 points against an array of PW guards. “You just work hard to do the little things, and you hope that he doesn’t take control of the game.”
Next up for Plymouth Whitemarsh is William Penn – York in a game to be played at the Geigle Complex in Reading on Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. start.
“This whole season has been a great experience, and I’ve enjoyed every minute,” said Hughes. “I really believe that we can win it all. I want to be able to tell people years from now how we won the state title.”
Tale of the Tape
William Penn – York – The Bearcats (31-1) entered the PIAA Quad-A state playoffs as the #2 seed from District Three. The Cats only loss was a 63-54 contest against Central Dauphin in the district final. William Penn whipped Bethlehem Liberty 58-41 in a first round game and followed with an 87-83 triple overtime win over Central Bucks South. The Bearcats advanced to the semifinal game with a 58-49 victory over Parkland.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (24-5) entered the PIAA Quad-A state basketball run without a net – one loss and your season is over.
The Colonials opened the state playoffs with a trip to St. Joseph’s Prep to meet the Southern Philadelphia Rams – the #2 seed from District 12. The game was close at the final buzzer as PW held on for a 47-45 victory and a second round date with Norristown. The Colonials were led to the Southern win as Bond scored a game-high 14 points, and Aiken chipped in with 10.
Plymouth Whitemarsh was at its absolute best when the Colonials torched District One champion Norristown, 72-50, in a game played before a sellout crowd at Spring Ford High School. PW led 27-6 at the end of the first period and was led in scoring by Aiken with 19, Grant with 16, Pygatt with 15, and Bond with 12.
The Colonials advanced to the PIAA Quad-A state semifinals with a thrilling 65-64 overtime win over Williamsport before another packed house at Martz Hall in Pottsville. It was another balanced scoring attack that was led by Grant with 14, Pygatt with 13, Joe Hughes with 11, Bond with 10, and Brandon Dixon with eight.
Style of Play
Both William Penn – York and Plymouth Whitemarsh like to play the up tempo style of basketball games.
Adjectives that have described the Bearcats in recent games are ‘pressure defense’ – ‘track meet offense’ – ‘run and gun’ – ‘attack the rim’ – ‘chaotic defense’ – and ‘win ugly’.
“It’s all about what we bring to the game,” said Donofrio. “The pace of the game is something that they have going for them, and I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of that.
“At this point of the tournament, both teams have talent,” added Donofrio. “It’s simply a case of getting the matchups we want and being able to execute.”
Players
William Penn – York - The starting lineup for William Penn is Malik Generet (6-5, Sr. 16.0 ppg), Malachi Leonard (6-6, Sr. 15.9), Kelvin Palmer (6-3, soph. 9.8), Ryan Matthews (6-1 Jr. 11.9), and Chemin Lambert (5-8, Jr. 9.8).
“This is a team that has some height, has some length, and everyone knows their style,” said Donofrio. “The key for us is to scout them well and reduce what they can do to us.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh – The starting lineup for the Colonials is C.J. Aiken (6-9, Jr. 12.2 playoff average), Jaylen Bond (6-6, soph. 12.0), Joe Hughes (6-2, Sr. 3.7), Brandon Dixon (5-9 soph, 6.7), and Sam Pygatt (6-0, soph. 11.0). Sixth Man – Whis Grant (6-0, Jr. 16.0).
“We’re playing well right now,” said Donofrio. “And there really isn’t any reason why we can’t keep winning.”
Suburban One Sports.Com Great Eight
1. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials 24-5
2. Pennsbury Falcons 24-6
3. Norristown Eagles 23-6
4. Central Bucks South Titans 22-7
5. Central Bucks West Bucks 20-7
6. Bensalem Owls 18-7
7. Neshaminy Redskins 16-10
8. Souderton Indians 15-10
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