This week’s notebook features Abington, Pennridge and PW and recaps last week’s SOL action.
By Scott Huff
And the beat goes on…
The Suburban One League showcased its SOL Coaches versus Cancer Challenge on Saturday as 22 of the league’s 24 teams participated.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (SOL American) and Pennsbury (SOL National) did not participate.
The crossover games between the SOL Continental – National – and American resulted in a great day for the SOL Continental.
The SOL-C won seven of its eight games that included wins for CB South, Hatboro-Horsham, North Penn, Pennridge, Central Bucks East, Central Bucks West, and Quakertown. The SOL-N collected three wins in seven contests with Abington, Neshaminy, and Council Rock South capturing victories. The SOL-A finished with one win in seven games with Cheltenham the lone winner.
The ‘second half’ of the SOL schedule is now underway – and the first ever ‘SOL Final Four’ playoffs with take place at the conclusion of the season. The three conference champions – plus a fourth team with the highest District One point total outside the conference champions – will contend for the title.
The semifinal round will be played on Saturday (2/7/15) at Council Rock North – and the championship final will be played Monday (2/9/15) at Souderton.
Stay tuned.
SOL Continental Conference ‘Snapshot’
Pennridge Head Coach Dean Behrens
Pennridge (14-1, 8-0) is the odds-on-favorite to win the SOL Continental Conference and earn an invitation to the SOL playoffs.
“We can’t forget about the next few weeks – there are a lot of very good basketball teams in our league,” said Pennridge head coach Dean Behrens. “We can’t really think too much about a (league) playoff – we need to concentrate on the games right in front of us.
“That being said – I think the idea of a league championship is a great idea,” added Behrens. “We talked about it five years ago – and we were told that it couldn’t be done. The PAC-10, Central League, and the Ches-Mont have league playoffs – so I guess we figured it out.
“I think that when the basketball season got shortened to 22 games from 24 games, everyone was looking at how we could add a couple of games,” continued Beherns. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll have a snowstorm between then and now and we don’t even get to play the games.
“There is always a risk when you play those games right before districts,” added Behrens. “Someone could get hurt – you might play teams in districts that you just played in the league playoffs. But I still like the idea of playing in those playoffs, but we aren’t there yet.”
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL Continental Conference
Pennridge remained unbeaten in the conference with a pair of victories. The Rams opened the week with a 57-45 win over Quakertown and closed the week with a 70-50 victory over Central Bucks East. Joe Molettiere led Pennridge in scoring in both games with an 18-point effort against the Panthers and a 21-point performance against the Patriots.
Souderton kept pace with the Rams with a pair of conference wins. The Indians opened the week with a 68-62 victory over Central Bucks East and closed the week with a 46-44 win over Hatboro-Horsham. Tracy Simsick scored a team-high 19 points in the win over the Patriots, while Evan Slone scored a game-high 14 points in the win over the Hatters.
North Penn remained in contention with a pair of conference wins last week. The Knights opened the week with a 48-45 victory over Hatboro-Horsham and closed the week with a 64-58 win over Central Bucks South. Jared Melone led the Knights in scoring with 13 points in the win over Hatters, while Cordell Lord scored 15 points in the win over the Titans.
Quakertown split a pair of conference games last week. The Panthers opened the week with a 57-45 loss to Pennridge but rebounded with a 59-44 win over Central Bucks West. Griffin Schmidt led Q-town in scoring in both victories with a 16-point effort against the Rams and an 18-point performance against the Bucks.
Central Bucks West split a pair of conference games last week. The Bucks opened the week with a 45-44 victory over Central Bucks South and followed with a 59-44 loss to Quakertown. Cal Reichwein was the leading scorer for West in both games with a 14-point effort against the Titans and a 17-point performance against the Panthers.
Central Bucks South had a difficult week as the Titans lost both of their conference games. South opened the week with a 45-44 loss to Central Bucks West and closed the week with a 64-58 loss to North Penn. Tim Waddington scored a team-high 14 points in the loss to the Bucks, while Alex Karras scored a team-high 13 points in the loss to the Knights.
Hatboro-Horsham had a difficult week as the Hatters dropped a pair of conference games. H-H opened the week with a 48-45 loss to North Penn and closed the week with a 46-44 loss to Souderton. Walter Kimble scored 18 points to lead the Hatters in the loss to the Knights, while Zeke Sloan scored 10 in a losing effort to the Indians.
Central Bucks East remained in search of its first conference victory. The Patriots opened the week with a 68-62 loss to Souderton and closed the week with a 70-50 setback against Pennridge. Tommy Strasberger scored a game-high 23 points in the loss to the Indians, while Justin O’Neil scored a team-high 17 points in the loss to the Rams.
SOL Continental Conference Standings
1. Pennridge Rams (14-1 overall, 8-0 conference)
2. Souderton Indians (10-6, 6-2)
3. Central Bucks West Bucks (12-4, 5-3)
Central Bucks South Titans (9-6, 5-3)
5. North Penn Knights (9-7, 4-4)
6. Quakertown Panthers (7-8, 2-6)
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (6-8, 2-6)
8. Central Bucks East Patriots (5-11, 0-8)
This Week in the SOL Continental Conference
Tuesday (1/20/15)
North Penn @ Central Bucks East
Hatboro-Horsham @ Central Bucks South
Pennridge @ Central Bucks West
Souderton @ Quakertown
Friday (1/23/15)
Central Bucks East @ Hatboro-Horsham
Central Bucks South @ Pennridge
Central Bucks West @ Souderton
North Penn @ Quakertown
SOL American Conference ‘Snapshot’
Plymouth Whitemarsh Head Coach Jim Donofrio
Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-1, 7-1) – with apologies to Upper Dublin (10-5, 7-1) – is considered the odds-on-favorite to win the SOL American Conference and earn an invitation to the SOL playoffs.
“I get the idea of having the playoffs, but I’m just not too sure how it will play out,” said Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio. “It is a great challenge for teams to get through the first two rounds of districts in order to get to states – and now it is going to be even more challenging.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against it, but it does change the dynamic of what we’re used to at the end of the season,” added Donofrio. “Let’s just say it’s not my favorite thing. If we would play one of those teams a couple of weeks later – it is tricky to beat a good team twice in the same season. There is that payback mentality.
“I know teams were disappointed in going back to 22 games from 24 games, and this was a good way to get those two games back,” continued Donofrio. “It will create excitement in the league – and that is a good thing.
“I really haven’t talked to the players about the league playoffs,” added Donofrio. “We blinked and lost a game to Cheltenham – we could blink again and never get to those playoffs.”
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh remained in a first place tie with Upper Dublin as the Colonials won both conference games. PW opened the week with a 77-47 rout of Norristown and closed the week with a 58-34 win over Upper Moreland. Xzavier Malone led the Colonials in scoring in both games with a 23-point performance against the Eagles and a 17-point effort against the Vikings.
Upper Dublin remained in a first place tie with PW as the Cardinals soared to a pair of conference wins. UD opened the week with a 58-38 win over Springfield and closed the week with a 62-53 win over Norristown. Simeon Fryer led the Cardinals with 11 points against the Spartans, while John Barrett scored 26 points in the win over the Eagles.
Wissahickon remained in contention with a pair of conference wins. The Trojans opened the week with a 57-47 win over Cheltenham and closed the week with a 53-44 victory over Springfield. In the win over the Panthers, Stephen Driscoll scored a game-high 22 points. Driscoll again led the Trojans in scoring with a 13-point effort against the Spartans.
Cheltenham split a pair of conference games last week. The Panthers opened the week with a 57-47 loss to Wissahickon and rebounded with a 66-62 win over Upper Merion. Justin Sutton scored 14 points to lead CHS in the loss to the Trojans, while Vaughn Jenkins scored a game-high 21 points in the win over the Vikings.
Upper Moreland split a pair of conference games last week. The Golden Bears opened the week with a 40-37 win over Upper Merion and closed the week with a 58-34 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh. James Martin scored a team-high 20 points in the win over the Vikings, while Joe Trovato scored a team-high nine points in the loss to the Colonials.
Norristown had a tough week as the Eagles dropped a pair of conference games. Norristown opened the week with a 77-47 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh and closed the week with a 62-53 loss to Upper Dublin. Darryl Carr scored a team-high 13 points in the loss to the Colonials, while Roy Green scored 22 points in the loss to the Cardinals.
Upper Merion had a tough week as the Vikings lost a pair of conference games. Upper Merion opened the week with 40-37 loss to Upper Moreland and closed the week with a 66-62 loss to Cheltenham. Matt Faw led the scoring for the Vikings in both games with a 14-point effort and a 28-point performance against the Panthers.
Springfield remained in search of its first conference win as the Spartans lost a pair of conference games. SHS opened the week with a 58-38 loss to Upper Dublin and closed the week with a 53-44 loss to Wissahickon. Luke Teesdale scored a team-high 14 points in the loss to the Cardinals, while Justin Hill scored a team-high 10 points in the loss to the Trojans.
SOL American Conference Standings
1. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (13-1, 7-1)
Upper Dublin Cardinals (10-5, 7-1)
3. Wissahickon Trojans (8-6, 6-2)
4. Cheltenham Panthers (8-7, 5-3)
5. Norristown Eagles (5-8, 4-4)
6. Upper Moreland Bears (6-10, 2-6)
7. Upper Merion Vikings (2-13, 1-7)
8. Springfield Spartans (2-13, 0-8)
Tuesday (1/20/15)
Upper Dublin @ Cheltenham
Springfield @ Norristown
Upper Merion @ Plymouth Whitemarsh
Upper Moreland @ Wissahickon
Friday (1/23/15)
Cheltenham @ Springfield
Plymouth Whitemarsh @ Wissahickon
Upper Dublin @ Upper Moreland
Norristown @ Upper Merion
SOL National Conference ‘Snapshot’
Abington Head Coach Charles Grasty
Abington (12-3, 8-0) is the odds-on-favorite to win the SOL National Conference and earn an invitation to the SOL playoffs.
“The atmosphere for that playoff will be great to experience,” said Abington head coach Charles Grasty. “It will be exciting to coach in those games – but it is even going to be more exciting for the players.
“We look at it as two great games to play to get ready for districts,” added Grasty. “We want to go out and win every game we play, and it would be nice to play for that first-ever playoff championship.
“The kids know what’s going on, we don’t have to tell them,” continued Grasty. “We had three legit losses earlier in the season, but we are hitting our stride at the right time of the year.
“We have played the game hard and we have played smart,” added Grasty. “And as a result we have played free and had a lot of fun.”
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL National Conference
Abington remained in first place with a pair of huge wins. The Ghosts opened the week with a 55-30 win over Truman and closed the week with a critical 52-50 victory over second place Pennsbury. Amir Hinton led Abington is scoring in both games with a 19-point effort against the Tigers and a 17-point performance against the Falcons.
Bensalem won a pair of conference games last week. The Owls opened the week with a 38-37 victory over Council Rock North and followed with a 41-32 win over Neshaminy. Keith Howard scored a game-high 15 points in the win over the Indians, while Nick Mulvey scored 14 points in the win over the Redskins.
Council Rock North split a pair of conference games last week. The Indians opened the week with a 38-37 loss to Bensalem and closed the week with a 35-22 win over William Tennent. Riley Thompson scored a team-high 11 points in the loss to Bensalem and Matt Margolis scored a team-high 12 points in the win over the Panthers.
Pennsbury split a pair of conference games last week. The Falcons soared to a 64-32 win over William Tennent and followed with a 52-50 loss to Abington. Derrick Woods was the leading scorer for Pennsbury in both games with a 17-point effort against the Panthers and a 20-point performance against the Ghosts.
Council Rock South split a pair of conference games last week. The Hawks soared to a 55-48 win over Neshaminy to open the week and closed the week with a 63-61 overtime loss to Truman. Austin Thomas was the leading scorer in both games for Rock South with a 15-point effort against the Skins and a 25-point performance against the Tigers.
Truman split a pair of conference games last week. The Tigers opened the week with a 55-30 loss to Abington and closed the week with a 63-61 overtime win over Council Rock South. James Clowney led the Tigers with a team-high eight points in the loss to Abington, while TyQuan Law scored a team-high 20 points in the win over Rock South.
William Tennent had a tough week with a pair of conference losses. The Panthers opened the week with a 64-32 loss to Pennsbury and closed the week with a 35-22 loss to Council Rock North. Lyle Lewicki scored a team-high 11 points in the loss to the Falcons, while Kevin Simonson scored a team-high 11 points in the loss to Rock North.
Neshaminy had a tough week with a pair of conference losses. The Redskins opened the week with a 55-48 loss to Council Rock South and closed the week with a 41-32 loss to Bensalem. Cole Housel scored a team-high 11 points in the loss to Rock South, while Chris Arcidacono scored a team-high 11 points in the loss to the Owls.
SOL National Conference Standings
1. Abington Ghosts (12-3, 8-0)
2. Pennsbury Falcons (11-4, 6-2)
3. Council Rock North Indians (9-6, 5-3)
4. Bensalem Owls (6-9, 3-5)
Truman Tigers (5-10, 3-5)
William Tennent Panthers (4-11, 3-5)
Council Rock South Hawks (5-10, 3-5)
8. Neshaminy Redskins (5-9, 1-7)
This Week in the SOL National Conference
Tuesday (1/20/15)
Neshaminy @ Abington
Pennsbury @ Council Rock North
Council Rock South @ Bensalem
William Tennent @ Truman
Thursday (1/22/15)
Abington @ Council Rock South
Bensalem @ Pennsbury
Neshaminy @ William Tennent
Friday (1/23/15)
Council Rock North @ Truman
Suburban One Sports.com
Top Ten
1. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
2. Abington Ghosts
3. Pennsbury Falcons
4. Pennridge Rams
5. Souderton Indians
6. Central Bucks West Bucks
7. Council Rock North Indians
8. Central Bucks South Titans
9. Upper Dublin Cardinals
10. North Penn Knights
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