PW advanced to the District 1 6A semifinals with a convincing road win. Bensalem kept its season alive with a win in playbacks. PW/Garnet Valley photos courtesy of Michael Rice Photography & Larry Small, and Cheltenham/Conestoga photos courtesy of Greg Lindsay. Check back for photo galleries of both games. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
District 1 6A quarterfinals
#5 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 72, #4 GARNET VALLEY 58
The Colonials followed Tuesday’s dominant effort in a second round win over Neshaminy with an equally dominant win over fourth-seeded Garnet Valley on its home court.
Once again, Mani Sajid and Michael Periera provided a devastating one-two punch, combining for 47 points to lead the Colonials.
Sparked by three 3-pointers from Buddy Denard, the Colonials led 22-13 after one quarter. Also in the frame, Sajid had seven points and Periera had six. By halftime, Sajid had 15 points while Periera had 14, and the
Colonials led 39-25. They never looked back.
Key players: Mani Sajid’s 27 points, which included four 3-pointers and a 3-for-3 effort at the foul line, led the Colonials. Periera added 20. Denard finished with 12 points on four 3s.
For the Jaguars, Jake Sniras led the way with 22 points.
PW coach Jim Donofrio: “It was a nerveracking day because the team all year has been trying to figure things out. Every step of the way, it’s a new challenge. Ever since the springtime when we went to the Philly Live event, we would look really good against one team and then just kind of falter against another. Really, there’s about eight or 10 of those on the list over the last year that you wonder – where’s the killer energy to get over the hump in these kinds of games. I’ve been a little insecure. We had big wins and then we would run into Upper Dublin, and it’s a 16-2 start to a game, and you’re down. What is this Jekyll-Hyde thing we’re doing?
“The way we played against Neshaminy Tuesday night was the best game of the year in terms of absolute team concentration and following a scouting report, so can you do it twice? I just give the kids so much credit for taking constant critique in terms of – you can be better at this, you have to concentrate better, you have to focus better, you have to go longer in your concentration, all of these little things. They look at you very politely, and you wonder- is anything connecting?
–An effective game plan: “This Garnet Valley team required a preparation of great detail. I stopped counting at 12 or 13 set plays, seven out-of-bounds under plays alone. Because of the way we matched up, it had to be a pure man-to-man game, so that man-to-man had to be disciplined and relentless at the same time. That’s what we’re morphing into at the right time.”
–Executing on the court: “Michael Periera is all of a sudden taking people up with him for dunks. Mani (Sajid) is looking at the opposing crowds. He’s taking whatever teams think they can do physically and putting their best guy on him. Now he’s kind of just winking at them.
“It took the whole season. They’re mostly juniors, and they’re new to this. They were predicted to be great before they had a chance to become great. I’m proud of them for constantly taking the reality checks from us on the coaching staff and just saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to trust you and keep going.’ I’m really proud of them. It was a fun win for them tonight. It’s great to say you’re in the district semifinals. To me, that’s always a great standard to say you’ve had a really good season.
“Now what do you want to do with this? I think they’re proud of themselves, We even learned from tonight’s game. They’re so young with this. They’re up by eight points in the first quarter, and you’d think we just won the lottery. Garnet Valley is not going away, trust me. They made one or two runs. A 20-point spread becomes 10. Teams do that at the NBA level. I don’t want them to not enjoy the moment but being up by 15 in the third quarter is not exactly winning the game, so keep going”
–Winning the destination: “I know a lot of times people think I’m crazy when they hear me talk about the fact that – it’s not that I don’t want them to enjoy the moment, but in sports, do you enjoy the journey or the destination? Well, if you really want to enjoy the journey, win the destination. The season is a journey, but each game is a destination you’re trying to achieve. Most people in life say- enjoy the journey. I’m a destination guy. It’s about winning now, that’s what it’s about. If you can’t handle that pressure, it’s $7 to get in – do that. Sit in the stands.”
–Props: “Jack Hayes was brilliant. His defensive energy, and he’s running the show. Buddy Denard hit three 3s in the first half. He’s gotten the start lately. He’s just evolved at the right time. He had four 3s. Michael Periera’s inside presence to start the game – you could tell immediately there was no answer for that, and then Mani just played like a star two games in a row. He hit a dagger of a 3 when most players wouldn’t get that green light with about three minutes to go in the game and you’re holding on to a 12-point lead. He just takes an NBA 3, hits nothing but net. It’s taken him most of the season to remember that’s who he is. I’m so happy for him that he’s come full circle to psychologically know how to handle this moment and say, ‘You know what, I am pretty good, and I can handle anything you throw at me.’ For all the attention he’s gotten, he’s proving a hundred times over that he’s more than worthy of it. It’s fun to watch it come together.”
Next up: Plymouth Whitemarsh (19-7, 7-3 SOL) will travel to top-seeded Lower Merion on Tuesday for a district semifinal.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 22-17-15-18 72
Garnet Valley 13-12-15-18 58
Plymouth Whitemarsh (72) – Jack Hayes 2 2-4 6; Terron Davis 2 0-0 4; Mani Sajid 10 3-3 27; Michael Periera 10 0-0 20; Buddy Denard 4 0-0 12; Micah Thompson 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 29 6-9 72.
Garnet Valley (58) – Jake Sniras 9 3-3 22; Grayson Golak 6 2-2 17; Brady Krautzel 3 1-1 9; Luke Faccenda 0 1-2 1; Nick Bosch 2 0-0 6; Rohan Bhojadi 0 3-4 3; TOTALS 20 10-12 58.
3-point goals: PW – Mani Sajid 4, Buddy Denard 4. GV – Jake Sniras, Grayson Golak 3, Brady Krautzel 2, Nick Bosch 2.
#1 LOWER MERION 80, #8 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 56
The Patriots found themselves on the short end of a 25-15 score after one quarter. They spent the rest of the game playing catchup against the district’s top-seeded team.
Nolan Behm led the Patriots with 22 points, and Connor Mekanik also finished in double figures with 10.
Carson Kasmer’s 27 points included five 3-pointers and led the Aces, who took a 37-23 lead into halftime on their way to the win.
Next up: Central Bucks East (15-10, 5-5 SOL) will travel to #4 Garnet Valley for a playback game Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 15-8-10-23 56
Lower Merion 25-12-20-23 80
Central Bucks East (56) – Nolan Behm 22, Shane O’Hara-Jamison 5, Keegan Marascio 8, Connor Mekanik 10, Graham Smith 3, AJ Molnar 5, Quinn Slack 1, Ryan Dailey 2.
Lower Merion (80) – LaMont Grier 9, Rashyne Patterson 9, Sam’I Singletary 14, Gus Wright 11, Carson Kasmer 27, Kyle Parrish 4, Nicholas Dragut 6.
3-point goals: CBE – Keegan Marascio 2, Shane O’Hara-Jamison, AJ Molnar, Graham Smith, Nolan Behm; LM – Carson Kasmer 5, LaMont Grier, Rashyne Patterson, Sam’i Singletary, Gus Wright.
#3 CONESTOGA 52, #11 CHELTENHAM 44
The Panthers appeared poised to pull off the upset win, taking a 39-34 lead into the final quarter, and it still was either team’s game in the fourth quarter when the host Pioneers took over, outscoring their visitors 18-5
to earn the quarterfinal win.
Key players: Kamal Mason’s 18 points – 11 in the first half – led the Panthers. Osei Johnson and Tyree Martin both added 11 points. Johnson scored eight of his in the opening half while Martin had nine in the second half.
For the Pioneers, Rowan Miller’s 18 points led the way. Ben Robinson had 13 points – eight in the pivotal fourth quarter. Corey Hogan added 11 points.
Next up: Cheltenham (17-9, 9-1 SOL) will travel to #11 Spring-Ford for a playback game on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 16-9-14-5 44
Conestoga 14-10-10-18 52
Cheltenham (44) – Kamal Mason 8 0-0 18; Mark Hill 1 0-0 2; Osei Johnson 3 3-4 11; Salim Kelly 1 0-0 2; Kendall Jackson 0 0-2 0; Tyree Martin 5 1-1 11; TOTALS 18 4-7 44
Conestoga (52) – Rowan Miller 5 7-8 18; Sam Gibbs 1 0-0 3; Ben Robinson 4 4-6 13; Shane O’Brien 2 2-2 7; Corey Hogan 2 7-10 11; TOTALS 14 20-26 52.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Osei Johnson 2, Kamal Mason 2; Conestoga – Rowan Miller, Sam Gibbs, Ben Robinson, Shane O’Brien.
District 1 6A playbacks
#13 BENSALEM 53, #21 NESHAMINY 45
Amir Drummond had himself a night.
The senior guard – who led the Owls with 29 points – set the tone for the win with 14 first-quarter points, which included four 3-pointers. By halftime, Drummond had 18 points, and the Owls led 27-19.
Bensalem took a 40-35 lead into the final quarter only to watch the visiting ‘Skins even the score 40-40. The Owls answered with a 13-5 tear to close out the game for a win that kept their season alive.
Key players: Senior Amir Drummond had a monster game for the Owls, leading all scorers with 29 points, which included four 3-pointers. Aidan Mayfield and Christian Lee both added eight points, and Trevor Morris had seven.
For Neshaminy, Logan Gale had a big night, finishing with 26 points (3 3-pointers). Jason Leiva added 11 points.
Bensalem coach Ron Morris: “This was a great team victory. They’re so resilient. We knew coming in it was going to be a tough game, playing a team three times. Going into overtime and then two overtimes, we heard the noise. We heard they thought the last game was a fluke, there should have been a technical foul, and it just gave us some extra juice when we came out tonight. Our kids just played really hard – we wanted to play tough Bensalem basketball tonight, and that’s what we did. They were resilient.
“We got up early, and then we held on. They came back and tied it up 40-40. We turned it up a notch. There were some cheap fouls, there was a minor scuffle, and it just gave us extra energy.”
–Drummond delivers: “Amir Drummond early on just took over the game. He was unbelievable. He had a couple rough games offensively, and he just continued to work. We knew he would come out on the right side. He just showed up tonight. All-league player, senior leader – that’s what they do.”
–Props: “Christian Lee was awesome. He’s playing on a stress fracture, and he’s just a warrior. He hit some big shots tonight and just gave us good minutes.
“Aidan Mayfield has a stomach bug. He was up all night. He came into school, struggled through the day. He’s just a warrior, he’s a dog – he had six big points in the fourth quarter, and he did a good job defensively.
“Kobe King – who’s been sick the last week – started, and he did an awesome job on Max (Currie) tonight. It was fun to see Kobe be aggressive on defense and rebounding and just playing with tenacity.
“Trevor Morris came off the bench and gave us good minutes. Dymaire Johnson came off the bench and Chris Kelly.
“I’ve got to shoutout our scout team. Our scout team gets us ready. Coach Mike Rongione does an awesome job with the scout team, and we’re able to practice against what they’re going to actually run, and that just helps us tremendously on defense. To hold a team like that to 45 points is not easy. The kid (Logan) Gale is unbelievable. He had a monster game, but he had to work for everything he got.
“Jahmir Chatman did an awesome job. He didn’t score, but he had seven rebounds – three offensive rebounds, four assists.
–Credit all around: “I’ve got to thank our staff. Our staff puts in so many hours to get our team prepared. We couldn’t do it without the staff.
“We get support from our administration. This type of win – it’s for our team, it’s for our school, it’s for the community, it’s for all the all of our alumni. We had a good crowd tonight – a lot of alumni were there, so it’s just good for our kids to show what our culture is about, and that’s playing tough and playing together.
“Our bench energy was awesome. Just overall, it was a great win. It’s awesome to still be playing basketball in late February. We’re taking it one day at a time. We enjoy this tonight and get ready for another war on Tuesday.”
Up next: Bensalem (16-10, 8-2 SOL) will travel to #9 Phoenixville on Tuesday night with a state berth on the line for the winner. Neshaminy closed out its season with an 11-14 record overall. The ‘Skins were 4-6 in league play.
Neshaminy 11-8-16-10 45
Bensalem 17-10-13-13 53
Neshaminy (45) – Jason Leiva 3 4-4 11; Eriq Gold 1 0-0 2; Logan Gale 8 7-9 26; Cadenn Amati 0 0-2 0; Max Currie 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 15 11-15 45.
Bensalem (53) – Aidan Mayfield 3 2-2 8; Christian Lee 3 0-0 8; Amir Drummond 11 3-5 29; Dymaire Johnson 0 1-2 1; Trevor Morris 1 4-4 7; TOTALS 18 10-13 53.
3-point goals: N – Logan Gale 3, Jason Leiva; B – Amir Drummond 4, Christian Lee 2, Trevor Morris.
#14 METHACTON 79, #6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 58
The Titans ran into a torrid shooting Warrior squad in Friday’s playback.
They trailed by just two after one quarter, but the visiting Warriors erupted for 25 second-quarter points to go into halftime with a 39-30 lead. Cole DiEmidio’s eight points led the Titans in the opening half.
It was a seven-point game (53-46) heading into the final quarter when the Warriors – behind 12 points from Wes Johnson and nine from Mason Conrad – blew the game open with a 26-point frame.
The season represented a remarkable turnaround for the Titans, who were 6-16 last year. This year’s team closed out its season with an 18-8 record.
Key players: Ben Harrison led the Titans with 16 points, while Cole DiEmidio added 11, and Brett Barrett finished with 10.
Wes Robinson’s 21 points led the Warriors.
Central Bucks South coach Louie Ditri on the season: “This is an outstanding class that we’re graduating. It was great to coach them – they are truly wonderful kids on and off the court. I think they got CB South basketball pointed in the right direction. We needed a little bit of a culture change, and it started in the offseason back in last March and April. They did it the right way. It doesn’t have anything to do with going 18-8. Just what they created – the culture going forward, and for the younger kids in the program that they bonded with and taught stuff on and off the court, this is hopefully pointing us in the right direction and leading to a bright future.
“It’s not coach speak. They made it enjoyable coaching, and it’s not because of wins and losses. My assistants would say the same thing – they really are a wonderful group.”
The season: Central Buck South closed out its season with an 18-8 record overall. The Titans were 8-2 in the SOL Colonials, finishing one game out of first place.
Methacton 14-25-14-26 79
Central Bucks South 16-14-16-12 58
Methacton (79) – Ben DePaul 1 0-0 2; Mason Conrad 6 0-0 14; Jack Lineen 4 1-1 11; Sal Iemmello 2 3-4 8; John Bradford 3 1-2 8; Pat Sweeney 1 0-0 2; Wes Robinson 9 0-0 21; Jahmir Carter 5 2-4 13; TOTALS 31 7-11 79.
Central Bucks South (58) – Cole DiEmidio 4 1-1 11; Alex Shahin 1 0-0 2; Brett Barrett 4 2-4 10; Dan Gies 1 0-0 2; Connor Thompson 2 1-2 7; Ben Harrison 6 3-4 16; Chase Ross 1 0-0 3; Kayoda Adebayo 2 1-1 5; Leo Medwid 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 21 10-14 58.
3-point goals: M – Wes Robinson 3, Mason Conrad 2, Jack Lineen 2, Sal Iemmello, John Bradford, Jahmir Carter; CBS – Cole DiEmidio 2, Connor Thompson 2, Ben Harrison, Chase Ross.
#9 PHOENIXVILLE 67, #17 PENNSBURY 52
The Falcons saw their season come to an end in Friday’s playback game at Phoenixville.
They trailed by just one after one quarter, and they were still very much in the game at halftime, trailing 33-29. Mike Roccograndi and Grayson Gozum kept the Falcons in the game with eight points each.
In the third quarter, the Falcons managed just nine points, and they found themselves on the short end of a 47-38 score. They never could make up the ground they lost.
Key players: Three players finished in double figures for the Falcons – Grayson Gozum (13 points), Mike Roccograndi (12) and Max Manga (12 points).
For the Phantoms, Deacon Baratta’s 25 points led the way. Trey Lear added 21 points.
Pennsbury coach Wes Emme on the season: “You know it’s a really special group by the end – you feel it during the year, but you know it’s a really special group at the end because I saw how much it meant to them in the locker room after the game. Even seniors that didn’t play much were pretty upset. I guess that’s the only consolation I can take in losing is that I know how much they care. They’re teenage boys, and you’re going to get some resistance throughout your four years with these kids, but I will say I’ve enjoyed coaching this group as much as any group I’ve coached. They were a pleasure to be around.
“Eight great seniors that dedicated a lot of time and a lot of unseen hours in the gym working for this moment. A lot of guys that had to wait a long time for their opportunity. When I think of Mitch Primola, Masyn Young and Connor Tyrrel, they had to work their way to get minutes this year – three years of junior varsity play or sitting on the bench. Kieran Shaw coming back for his senior year to be a part of this group. Obviously, Roccograndi and Gozum – I’ve been around probably them the most because they’re three-year varsity players with me. A lot of summer league games, a lot of time in the gym together where you develop a bond. It’s hard to know that it’s over. It’s very abrupt at the end. I will never write that (season-ending) speech before a game unless you know it’s the last one.”
–The game: “I thought this team deserved to play a little longer, but we made too many mistakes. The team that plays with less mistakes usually wins. Roccograndi and Gozum tonight went out as expected – guys that are going to battle all the way to the end of the game. We had a lead in the first half, but turnovers – live ball turnovers in particular – gave them a lot of baskets that we weren’t able to set our defense.
“(Phoenixville) has a couple of really good players. Deacon Baratta is one (heck) of a basketball player. He’s a very difficult guard. We did our best to try and limit him, but you have to give something up sometimes when that happens. Unfortunately, our offense suffered as a result because we turned the ball over far too much. Roccograndi had 12, Grayson Gozum had 13, and Max Manga was also in double digits. I thought he had a really strong second half to get us some second chance points, buckets around the rim. Too many easy baskets for them.”
The season: Pennsbury closed out its season with a 13-12 record overall and a 7-3 record in SOL play.
Pennsbury 14-15-9-14 52
Phoenixville 15-18-14-20 67
Pennsbury (52) – Brayden Clark 2 0-0 4; Mike Roccograndi 5 0-0 12; Connor Tyrrel 1 0-0 2; Grayson Gozum 5 1-1 13; Owen Hawkes 1 0-0 2; Sean Breslin 1 0-0 2; Pat Jajua 2 0-0 5; Max Manga 5 2-2 12; TOTALS 22 3-3 52.
Phoenixville (67) – Trey Lear 8 5-6 21; Kevon Booth 4 3-4 11; Brady O’Donnell 1 3-4 6; Johoash Leo 1 0-0 2; Jacoby Smith 1 0-0 2; Deacon Baratta 9 4-5 25; TOTALS 24 15-19 67.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Mike Roccograndi 2, Grayson Gozum 2, Pat Jajua; Phoenixville – Deacon Baratta 3, Brady O’Donnell.
About the Author
