Pennridge will face La Salle in Tuesday’s PIAA 6A semifinal game at Norristown High School (7 p.m.). Check back for a full recap of the game.
On the eve of his team’s PIAA 6A semifinal contest against La Salle, coach Dean Behrens spent some time at Monday’s practice explaining to his players the legacy they are creating with their historical postseason run.
“This is the farthest, obviously, a Pennridge team has been,” the Pennridge coach said. “It’s the farthest any Continental team has gone.
“I put up the list of guys that have played in the semifinal and also the finals from the past like Kobe Bryant. I remember when he played at the semifinals at the Palestra against Chester in 1996. Rip Hamilton (Coatesville) didn’t get to win a state title because Kobe was in the way. Jameer Nelson from Chester won a state title and played in the semifinal game. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from Chester didn’t win a state title. Matt Carroll from Hatboro-Horsham didn’t win a state title, but he got to the semifinals. Just some of the great players.”
Behrens pointed out the lone state championship banner in Pennridge’s gym – the 1987 baseball team.
“It’s got all the names of the players and the coaches with some history there,” the Rams’ coach said. “Coach (Tom) Nuneviller played basketball in the program, and Denny Robison was the baseball coach but was also the basketball coach at Pennridge and was a Pennridge basketball player.
“We have a team that played in this little gym and is going to play for an opportunity to go to Hershey. I said, ‘Just look around, take it all in.’ I think (this postseason run) was based on 18 guys that bought into what the coaching staff was trying to sell from day one. Not that we were trying to sell playing in the state semifinals but trying to win a division, first and foremost taking it one game at a time. You work hard and play hard every game. You always have a chance to win.”
The Rams’ journey through the state tournament has been a minefield with one formidable opponent after another.
“We’ve played in some tough environments,” Behrens said. “We played at South Philly High which was a different environment for us – obviously out of our district, an early evening game, playing a tough team like Lincoln a little more on their turf than our turf. That was a tough game that we won at the end.
“Obviously, beating Abington for the first time in four shots and then beating Methacton. I don’t know if I would have ever thought we’d be a (state) semifinal team, I give the kids a lot of credit. They really believed in what we’re doing. Their energy level has been through the roof.”
Senior Sean Yoder averages over 20 points a game and is the program’s all- time leading scorer. The senior co-captain deservedly finds himself living in the spotlight, but he is not a one-man show. Senior co-captain Jon Post, who averages 12 points, mans the paint.
“They’ve done a great job of leading this team and being leaders,” Behrens said of his co-captains. “Just making everyone feel important – they really have made all the kids from our freshman team to our seniors feel real welcome.
“Both of them have brothers that are sophomores, so that kind rubs off on it that no one is more important than the other. It’s been nice to see this group come together.”
John Dominic averages 8.5 points but, according to Behrens, would be averaging in double figures if the first seven or eight games of the season were taken out of the equation.
“Guys like Trent Fisher and Luke Yoder have gotten more and more confident throughout the year,” the Rams’ coach said.
Jack Gillespie has elevated his game over the course of the season.
“I know how well Jack can shoot – he shoots well at practice, but he couldn’t hit a shot in a game early in the year,” Behrens said. “His defensive prowess was amazing, and then he started to find his groove from the perimeter, and now he’s become a real offensive threat.
“Pat Gillespie really gave us a great spark at the beginning of the year with his three-point shooting. He did a nice job when we played Abington, gave us good minutes in all of those games and did a lot of dirty work, rebounding the ball against Dixon and being physical. I thought that was important.”
Nick Dunn is getting healthy after battling ankle injuries.
“He plays with a ton of energy,” Behrens said. “And our jayvee team has done a great job of practicing hard and getting us better each day.
“It’s been tremendous. This is a long season. We’re past the four-month mark. My motto has been – why don’t we finish the week out? For my jayvee guys to hang in there and practice every day without getting playing time, that’s hard, but it’s a fun group and they like being with each other. No one’s complained. I think they’ve enjoyed the games and the atmosphere. I want them to experience it so it’s something they can look forward to and see what it’s like to do when they’re juniors and seniors.”
With each win, the Rams are making history with one win separating the team from a trip to Hershey and the state title game.
“We talked about just focusing on taking care of business (Tuesday) and just focusing on that game,” Behrens said. “They know what’s at stake.
#1-4 PENNRIDGE vs. #12-4 LA SALLE (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Norristown High School)
Pennridge
- 26-5 overall
- 11-1 SOL Continental Conference champions
- Fell to Abington in SOL Tournament title game.
- Led by U.S. Naval Academy recruit Sean Yoder, who averages 21 points and seven rebounds. The senior guard has 638 points this year.
- Senior Jon Post, who averages 12 points, patrols the paint, and John Dominic is averaging 8.5 points a game.
- Luke Yoder, Trent Fisher, Jack Gillespie, Pat Gillespie and Nick Dunn are also contributors.
How they got here: In Saturday’s state quarterfinal, Pennridge defeated Methacton, District 1’s seventh place team, 50-47. Senior Sean Yoder drained a step-back three at the buzzer to win it. Yoder (17 points), John Dominic (14 points) and Jon Post (11 points) all finished in double figures.
In a second round contest, Abington played the role of giant killer, sending District 1 6A champion Abington home for the season with a 55-51 win. It was the fourth meeting between the two teams – the Ghosts won the previous three. Sean Yoder (26 points) and Jon Post (11 points) led the Rams.
In an opening round game, Pennridge defeated defending state runner-up Abraham Lincoln 49-45, rallying from a three-point halftime deficit to outscore Lincoln 32-25 in the second half. Sean Yoder led the Rams with 15 points while Trent Fisher had eight and Luke Yoder, seven points.
La Salle
- 26-3 overall
- 12-2 Philadelphia Catholic League second place
- Fell to Roman Catholic 64-50 in PCL title game
- Led by the big three – senior Allen Powell, 5-11 guard (15.3 ppg), senior Konrad Kiszka, 6-7 forward (12.4 ppg) and senior Zach Crisler, 6-9 forward (9.3 ppg). Powell and Princeton recruit Kiszka both earned first team All-PCL honors. Crisler, who has signed with Rice, earned second team honors.
- Junior guard Jake Timby (6.6 ppg) and senior guard Titus Beard (8.6 ppg) round out the starting lineup. Beard earned All-PCL third team honors.
- Top reserves are Khalil Diarrah, Jack Rothenberg and Sam Brown
How they got here: In Saturday’s quarterfinal contest, La Salle also played the role of giant killer, knocking out favored Roman Catholic, the District 12 champion, in a 55-47 win. Konrad Kiszka (16 points), Allen Powell (11 points) and Titus Beard (10 points) all finished in double figures.
In second round action, La Salle rolled to a 70-53 win over District 11 champion Wilson, opening up a 19-9 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Allen Powell (22 points), Konrad Kiszka (18 points) and Jack Timby (13 points) led the Explorers.
In an opening round game, La Salle defeated District 3’s third place team, Reading, 47-42. Jack Timby won it when he buried a three-pointer with 3.6 seconds remaining to break a 42-42 tie. A pair of technical foul shots accounted for the five-point margin of victory. Timby finished with 12 points while Konrad Kiszka led the way with 19.
About the Author
