This week’s notebook features CR North, CB South and Wissahickon and recaps the final week of the SOL season.
By Scott Huff
And the beat goes on…
SOL National Conference ‘Snapshot’
Council Rock North Indians
Council Rock North has had to knock heads with district powers Abington and Pennsbury during the regular SOL National Conference season – and that valuable experience should help the Indians as Rock North enters the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs. The # 21 seeded Indians will travel to Lower Merion to meet the # 12 seeded Aces.
“We have had to battle Abington and Pennsbury in the conference – and we learned that we have to be more solid to beat teams of that caliber,” said Council Rock North head coach Derek Wright in reference to the # 6 seeded Ghosts and the # 7 seeded Falcons. “There may not be an unbeatable team in the top 10 or 12 teams – but those teams are all very good.
“Lower Merion plays in the Central League – and that is one of the most competitive leagues in the district,” added Wright. “Playing a team out of our area works both ways – it doesn’t help because we are not familiar with them – but then they aren’t familiar with us either.
“The beauty of the tournament is that one big win can create a memorable year,” continued Wright. “This is a team that has played hard – played together – and we hope things come together for us on Friday.”
The winner of the CR North-Lower Merion game will play the winner of the # 5 Penn Wood vs. # 28 Penncrest game.
Abington and Pennsbury will also open the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs on Friday. The # 6 seeded Ghosts will host # 27 North Penn, while the # 7 seeded Falcons will host the # 26 seeded Central Bucks South Titans.
The winner of the Abington-North Penn game will play the winner of the # 11 Chester vs. # 22 Hatboro-Horsham game. The winner of the Pennsbury-CB South game will play the winner of the # 10 Downingtown West vs. # 23 Upper Dublin game.
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL National Conference
Abington (14-0)secured an unbeaten conference championship with a pair of wins last week. The Ghosts opened the week with a 54-39 victory over Council Rock North (9-5) and closed the week with a 66-52 win over Truman (5-9). Amir Hinton led the Ghosts in scoring in both games with a 21-point performance against the Indians and a 15-point effort against the Tigers.
Pennsbury (12-2) held on tight to second place in the conference standings with a pair of wins last week. The Falcons opened the week with an 80-59 win over Council Rock South (4-10) and closed the week with a 68-46 victory over William Tennent (5-9). Derrick Woods earned top scoring honors in both games with a 20-point effort against the Hawks and a 21-point performance against the Panthers.
Council Rock North (9-5) secured third place in the conference standings as the Indians split a pair of games last week. Rock North opened the week with a 54-39 loss to Abington (14-0) and closed the week with a 63-38 win over Bensalem (5-9). Steve Nowmos paced CRN in scoring in the loss to the Ghosts with 11 points, while Drew Glenn scored a game-high 17 points in the win over the Owls.
Truman (5-9) secured a share of fourth place as the Tigers split a pair of games last week. HST opened the week with a 40-38 win over Neshaminy (2-12) and closed the week with a 66-52 loss to Abington (14-0). TyQuan Law was the leading scorer for the Tigers in both games with a 15-point effort against the Redskins and a 24-point performance against the Ghosts.
William Tennent (5-9) secured a share of fourth place as the Panthers split a pair of games last week. Tennent opened the week with a 53-37 victory over Bensalem (5-9) and closed the week with a 68-46 loss to Pennsbury (12-2). John Ryan scored a game-high 26 points in the win over the Owls, while Josh Kravets scored a team-high 14 points in the loss to the Falcons.
Bensalem (5-9) shared fourth place in the standings and lost both of its games last week. The Owls opened the week with a 53-37 loss to William Tennent (5-9) and closed the week with a 63-38 loss to Council Rock North (9-5). Nick Mulvey scored a team-high 14 points in the loss to the Panthers, while Neel Patel scored a team-high nine points in the loss to the Indians.
Council Rock South (4-10) closed out its season with a pair of losses. The Golden Hawks opened the week with an 80-59 loss to Pennsbury (12-2) and closed the week with a 41-24 loss to Neshaminy (2-12). Austin Thomas scored a team-high 17 points in the setback against the Falcons.
Neshaminy (2-12) closed out its season with a split of its final two conference games. The Redskins opened the week with a 40-38 loss to Truman (5-9) and closed out the season on a winning note as NHS defeated Council Rock South (4-10) by a 41-24 margin. Jenkins Timber scored a team-high 10 points in the loss to the Tigers, while Eric Altiere scored a game-high 12 points in the win over the Hawks
SOL National Conference Standings
1. Abington Ghosts (19-3, 14-0)
2. Pennsbury Falcons (18-4, 12-2)
3. Council Rock North Indians (14-8, 9-5)
4. Bensalem Owls (8-14, 5-9)
Truman Tigers (7-15, 5-9)
William Tennent Panthers (6-16, 5-9)
7. Council Rock South Hawks (7-15, 4-10)
8. Neshaminy Redskins (6-16, 2-12)
SOL Continental Conference ‘Snapshot’
Central Bucks South Titans
Central Bucks Southprepped for the upcoming PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs by playing SOL National Conference power Pennsbury just last week – and surprise – the Titans will meet those very same Falcons in the first round of the district playoffs.
“The last time we played them it was a strange match-up,” said Central Bucks South head coach Jason Campbell in reference to the 66-53 Pennsbury victory. “It was a make-up game – and we played in the afternoon. The whole look and style of the game was very different than playing a night game.
“We will try to do something different,” added Campbell. “Pennsbury has a ton of weapons with (Cameron) Jones, (Mekhi) Bryant, and (Derrick) Woods – but the other players are also dangerous and pose a challenge. I saw them play Pennridge in the SOL championship playoffs – and they looked very crisp.
“But the one thing I am certain of is that our players are going to be well prepared and won’t quit,” continued Campbell. “We played against great competition in our league – we played some great competition in our non-league games – and we are well prepared for the games ahead of us. We are all excited.”
Pennridge, Central Bucks West, Souderton, Hatboro-Horsham and North Penn will also open the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs on Friday. The # 3 seeded Rams will host # 30 Spring-Ford; the #8 seeded Bucks will host # 25 Great Valley; the #18 seeded Indians will play @ #15 Phoenixville; and the # 22 Hatters will be on the road against the #11 Chester Clippers; #26 CB South will travel to #7 Pennsbury, and the # 27 seeded Knights will travel to # #6 Abington.
The Pennridge-Spring-Ford winner will play the winner of the # 14 Coatesville vs. Boyertown winner; the winner of the CB West-Great Valley winner will play the winner of the # 9 Ridley vs. # 24 WC Rustin game; the winner of the Souderton-Phoenixville will play the winner of the # 2 Methacton vs. # 31 Marple.Newtown game; the winner of the Pennsbury-CB South game will play the winner of the # 10 Downingtown West vs. # 23 Upper Dublin game; and the winner of the Hatboro-Horsham/Chester game will play the winner of # 6 Abington vs. # 27 North Penn.
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL Continental Conference
Pennridge (13-1)secured an unbeaten conference season with a pair of wins last week. The Rams opened the week with a 67-59 overtime victory over Hatboro-Horsham (6-8) and closed the week with a 67-56 win over Quakertown (3-11). Zach Muredda (22) and Dan Long (21) fueled the offense in the win over the Hatters, while Joey Molettiere poured in a game-high 30 points in the win over the Panthers.
Central Bucks West (10-4) secured second place in the final standings with a pair of wins last week. The Bucks opened the week with a 62-40 win over Central Bucks East (1-13) and closed the week with a 46-42 win over Central Bucks South (8-6). Nico Munari scored a game-high 14 points in the win over the Patriots, while Jim McCusker scored a team-high 11 points in the win over the Titans.
Souderton (9-5) secured third place in the final standings with a pair of conference wins last week. The Big Red opened the week with a 53-44 win over North Penn and closed the week with a 39-32 victory over Central Bucks East. Evan Slone scored 22 points to pace Souderton in the win over the Knights, while Slone and Austin Eberhart each scored a game-high eight points in the win over the Patriots.
Central Bucks South (8-6) secured fourth place in the final standings as the Titans split a pair of games last week. CB South opened the week with a 53-41 win over Quakertown (3-11) and closed the week with a 46-42 loss to CB West (10-4). Sean Gallagher was the leading scorer for the Titans in both games with a 12-point effort against the Panthers and a 17-point performance against the Bucks.
Hatboro-Horsham (6-8) closed out its conference season with a split of its final two games. The Hatters opened the week with a 67-59 overtime loss to Pennridge (13-1) and closed the week with a 47-44 win over North Penn (6-8). Brian McEachern led HH in scoring in both games with a 23-point performance against the Rams and a 19-point effort against the Knights.
North Penn (6-8) had a difficult week as the Knights closed the season with a pair of losses. North Penn opened the week with a 53-44 loss to Souderton (9-5) and closed the week with a 47-44 loss to Hatboro-Horsham (6-8). Cordell Lord led the Knights with a 15-point effort against the Indians, while Jared Melone score 15-points to lead NP in the loss to the Hatters.
Quakertown (3-11) closed the season with a pair of conference losses. The Panthers opened the week with a 53-41 loss to Central Bucks South (8-6) and closed out the week and the season with a 67-56 loss to rival Pennridge (13-1). Kyle Baskin and Griffin Schmidt led the Black Cats in scoring with 11 points in the loss to the Titans, while Kevin Norvasis scored a team-high 26 points in the loss to the Rams.
Central Bucks East (1-13) closed out a difficult season with a pair of conference losses. The Patriots opened the week with a 62-40 loss to Central Bucks West (10-4) and closed the week with a 39-32 loss to Souderton (9-5). Travis Ives scored a team-high 12 points in the loss to the Bucks, while Ryan Flack scored a team-high eight points in the loss to the Indians.
SOL Continental Conference Standings
1. Pennridge Rams (20-2, 13-1)
2. Central Bucks West Bucks (17-5, 10-4)
3. Souderton Indians (13-9, 9-5)
4. Central Bucks South Titans (12-10, 8-6)
5. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (11-11, 6-8)
North Penn Knights (11-11, 6-8)
7. Quakertown Panthers (9-13, 3-11)
8. Central Bucks East Patriots (6-16, 1-13)
SOL American Conference ‘Snapshot’
Wissahickon Trojans
Wissahickon was the last team invited to the PIAA Quad-A District One playoff dance – and the Trojans earned the date.
“We had to beat two very good teams – playoff teams – the last week of the season to get in,” said Wissahickon head coach Kyle Wilson in reference to the Trojans 34-33 win over Upper Dublin and a 45-42 victory over Cheltenham. “I told the players before the week started that our playoffs started this week – and we responded well.
“It was a tough road for us to travel to get to the playoffs,” added Wilson. “But we feel real good about how we played – and all we wanted was a chance to get to the playoffs.
“We get to play the giant slayer – and that’s okay with us,” continued Wilson. “The pressure is all on the other team – we’ll see what we can do.”
The ‘other team’ will be # 1 seed Conestoga.
“The district has been very competitive this year – but there isn’t one team that looks unbeatable,” said Wilson. “We worked hard to get into the playoffs – you never want your year to end in the regular season.”
The winner of the Wissahickon-Conestoga game will play the winner of the game between # 16 Oxford and # 17 Academy Park.
Plymouth Whitemarsh, Upper Dublin, and Cheltenham will also open the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs this Friday. The # 4 seeded Colonials will host # 29 seeded Cheltenham, while # 23 seeded Upper Dublin will be on the road against #10 seeded Downingtown West.
The winner of the PW-Cheltenham game will play the winner of the # 13 West Chester Henderson vs. # 20 Springfield-Delco game and the winner of the Upper Dublin-Downingtown West game will play the winner of the # 7 Pennsbury vs. # 26 Central Bucks South game.
In the Rear View Mirror in the SOL American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-1) secured a conference championship with a pair of wins last week. The Colonials opened the week with a 59-44 victory over Cheltenham (9-5) and closed the week with a 59-42 win over Norristown (8-6). Jimmy Murray was the leading scorer for PW in both games with a 21-point performance against the Panthers and an 18-point effort against the Eagles.
Wissahickon (10-4) secured a tie for second place in the conference standings with a pair of wins last week. The Trojans opened the week with a 34-33 win over Upper Dublin (10-4) and closed the week with a 45-42 victory over Cheltenham (9-5). Steve Driscoll scored a team-high nine points in the win over the Cardinals, while Zach Reiner scored a team-high 12 points in the win over the Panthers.
Upper Dublin (10-4) secured a tie for second place in the final conference standings as the Cardinals won two of three games last week. Upper Dublin opened the week with a 34-33 loss to Wissahickon (10-4) – the Cardinals defeated Upper Merion (2-12) by a 56-44 score – and closed the week with a 54-43 win over Springfield (1-13). Simeon Fryer led Upper Dublin in scoring with a 17-point performance against the Trojans and a 14-point effort against the Spartans. Ryan Stover paced the Cardinal scoring with 17 points in the win over the Vikings.
Cheltenham (9-5) secured fourth place in the conference standings despite losing two of three games last week. The Panthers opened the week with a 45-38 win over Norristown (8-6) – CHS followed with a 59-44 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-1) – and closed the week with a 45-42 loss to Wissahickon (10-4). Khalil White led the Panthers in scoring with 13 points in the win over the Eagles, while Fatir Al-Ahad led the Black Cats in scoring over the Colonials and Trojans with 11 and 15 points respectively.
Norristown (8-6) closed out its conference season with one win and two losses. The Eagles opened the week with a 45-38 loss to Cheltenham (9-5) – followed with 54-45 win over Upper Merion (2-12) – and closed the conference season with a 59-42 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh. Darryl Carr was the leading scorer for Norristown in each game with a 16-point effort against the Panthers – a 15-point performance against the Vikings – and a 19-point effort against the Colonials.
Upper Moreland (3-11) lost both of its final two conference games. The Golden Bears opened the week with a 54-45 loss to Norristown (8-6) and closed the week with a 61-48 loss to Upper Merion (2-12). James Martin scored 16 points to lead the UMHS in the loss against the Eagles, while Brendan O’Donnell led the Bears with 16 points in the loss to the Vikings.
Upper Merion (2-12) won one of three conference games last week. The Vikings opened the week with a 47-38 loss to Springfield (1-13) – followed with a 56-44 loss to Upper Dublin (10-4) – and closed out the week with a 61-48 victory over Upper Moreland (3-11). Matt Faw scored 19 points in the loss to the Spartans – Ethan Miller led Upper Merion with 19 points in the loss to the Cardinals – and Faw led the Vikings with 19 points in the win over the Golden Bears.
Springfield (1-13) split a pair of conference games last week to earn its first conference win. The Spartans opened the week with a 47-38 victory over Upper Merion (2-12) and closed the week with a 54-43 loss to Upper Dublin (10-4). Springfield was led in scoring in the win over the Vikings by Christian Yoast with 15 points. In the loss to the Cardinals – Justin Hill, Sean Stovall, and DeAndre Johnson each scored 10 points.
SOL American Conference Standings
1. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (20-2, 13-1)
2. Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (14-8, 10-4)
Wissahickon Trojans (13-9, 10-4)
4. Cheltenham Panthers (12-9, 9-5)
5. Norristown Eagles (11-11, 8-6)
6. Upper Moreland Golden Bears (7-15, 3-11)
7. Upper Merion Vikings (3-19, 2-12)
8. Springfield Spartans (3-19, 1-13)
SUBURBAN ONE SPORTS.COM
TOP TEN
1. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
2. Abington Ghosts
3. Pennsbury Falcons
4. Pennridge Rams
5. Central Bucks West Bucks
6. Souderton Indians
7. Council Rock North Indians
8. Central Bucks South Titans
9. Upper Dublin Cardinals
10. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
About the Author
