Jarrad Saffren recaps Saturday’s SOL boys basketball contests. Souderton/GA photos provided courtesy of Keith Clemens Photography, and the Council Rock North/Upper Moreland photos were provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos from both contests.
By Jarrad Saffren
Tip-off weekend concluded Saturday night.
Thirteen Suburban One League boys basketball teams played non-league games.
One SOL team pulled off a major upset and served notice. Another pulled off a last-second, one-point win. Three others got off to impressive 2-0 starts and showcased burgeoning identities.
The results and recaps are below.
But before we get to them: League play starts this week, in the Suburban One League National, Continental and American conferences.
New talent will rule the Continental and American conferences.
Twenty players were named to the 2016 All-SOL Continental teams. Only one—North Penn’s Lance Ford (Third Team)—is back in the league in 2016-17. Hatboro-Horsham’s Clifton Moore (Second Team) and Jay Davis (Third Team) moved to the American Conference.
Only three 2016 All-SOL American players—Cheltenham’s Trevonn Pitts (Second Team), Upper Moreland’s Damian Washington (Third Team) and Wissahickon’s Zach Reiner (Third Team)— return for this season.
The National returns a lot more talent.
Twelve of 20 All-SOL National selections are back this season, including three First Team selections and three Second Team selections.
But new talent will emerge in all three leagues. It will have to in the Continental. The new chapter starts Tuesday night. The introduction ended Saturday night. Read about it below.
Non-League
Council Rock South 39, Hatboro-Horsham 36
Council Rock South won the Hatboro-Horsham Tip-Off Tournament with an upset win over the host.
“It was a crazy one. I’m really proud of the guys,” CR South coach Derek Wright said. “They just kept playing despite being down most of the game. It was good to see them respond to adversity.”
The Golden Hawks overcame a 14-point fourth quarter deficit. Austin Thomas led the comeback by making four 3-pointers.
“Austin got hot,” Wright said. “I’ve seen Austin a lot over the years on film and in games. He has a knack to get hot. He had one of those stretches in the fourth. He made an open shot and then got going.”
CR South overcame the deficit because it finally figured out Hatboro-Horsham’s 1-3-1 zone.
“We hadn’t worked against it in practice. We have so many other things to worry about in practice everyday,” Wright said. “So it took time to execute. But in the fourth (quarter), we got more aggressive. The guards got into the paint and found Austin. He stepped up.”
South’s offense did not click until the end. But its defense kept it in the game.
“Had we not defended, we would have been out of it early. It was a great team defensive effort,” Wright said. “We put Kevin Newbert on (6-foot-10 H-H forward) Clifton (Moore). We knew there’d be a size disadvantage but we liked Kevin’s aggressiveness. We also put big guys behind Kevin. And Kenny Brightcliffe spelled Kevin when he needed it. Alex Nordenholt did a great job on (Hatters’ leading scorer Jay) Davis. He’s a great athlete. But we made things difficult for them and that’s a credit to our team defense.”
Davis scored 16 points and Moore scored 12. Nordenholt chipped in nine for South.
The Hawks (2-0) play Central Bucks East Wednesday night at seven. The Hatters (1-1) open American play Tuesday night at seven against Springfield-Montco.
Council Rock South 5-7-10-17 39
Hatboro-Horsham 8-13-11-4 36
Council Rock South (39) – Austin Thomas 15, Christian Jabbar 3, Alex Nordenholt 9, Kevin Newbert 3, Ryan McNamee 5, Ryan Boyd 4.
Hatboro-Horsham (36) – Chris Edwards 2, Kyle Hogan 4, Johnson 2, Clifton Moore 12, Jay Davis 16.
Pennridge 44, Methacton 43
Kyle Yoder hit two free throws with six seconds left to put the Rams up by one.
Methacton ran an inbounds play. But Rams forward Jon Post tipped the pass. The ball bounced to a shooter in the corner. Post ran over and blocked the shot. He did it so aggressively that he scared his coach.
“I was worried it would be a foul,” Rams coach Dean Behrens said. “I told him, ‘Never do that again.’”
Post’s play, while risky, capped an impressive defensive performance by the Rams. “Methacton can really score. The night before they were bombing threes all over floor. Our D was key,” Behrens said. “We didn’t let anybody go off. Our goal was to keep them under 47. We played man, a little zone. We jumped out on shooters. We felt prepared for what they would try to accomplish.”
The Yoder brothers—Sean (16) and Kyle (10)—combined for 26 points.
“They had a pretty good night,” Behrens said.
Ryan Kinky added seven points for Pennridge.
Pennridge won its Memorial Tip-Off Tournament and improved to 2-0.
“Tonight was a great win for us,” Behrens said. “The guys are gaining confidence.”
Pennridge hosts Lansdale Catholic Tuesday night at seven.
Pennridge 12-9-16-7 44
Methacton 8-12-17-6 43
Methacton (43) – O’Neil 6, Jones 3, Shields 2, Duda 5, Pisano 12, Marberger 2, Maachowski 2, Jeff Woodward 11.
Pennridge (44) – Sean Yoder 16, Ryan Kinky 7, Kyle Yoder 10, Ryan Cuthbert 5, Jon Post 4.
Pennridge (44) –
Central Bucks East 56, Pottsgrove 44
Central Bucks East won its second straight game in the Pottsgrove Tip-Off Tournament.
“We played well tonight,” CB East coach Erik Henrysen said.
CB East’s Elijah Seger—a 5-foot-11 guard—had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
“He plays bigger than his height. He also took two charges and can really defend,” Henrysen said. “He was great the first night and even better the second night.”
The Patriots played strong defense for the second night in a row.
“We like to frustrate teams and keep them in the 40s,” Henrysen said. “We had a poor first half against Boyertown Friday. They hit some shots. But now we’re where we want to be from that perspective.”
CB East closed out the win by making free throws. The Patriots shot 9-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter.
“We shot the ball well from the free throw line,” Henrysen said. “We were clutch.”
Matt Pattyson scored 15 points for CB East. He also had five assists. Ryan Plack had five points and eight rebounds. Cooper Fink added six points and five boards.
Collin Stein dropped six points on two 3-pointers.
CB East (2-0) battles Upper Dublin Tuesday night at seven.
Central Bucks East 13-8-15-20 56
Pottsgrove 8-8-12-16 44
Central Bucks East (56) – Matt Pattyson 15, Sean Dann 2, Elijah Seger 17, Ryan Plack 5, Collin Stein 6, Cooper Fink 6, Kyle Cassidy 5.
Pottsgrove (44) – Hein 8, Salata 13, Curnew 13, Whitehurst 3, Clark 2, Dargan 5.
Upper Moreland 64, Council Rock North 51
Upper Moreland won because it boxed out.
“(CR) North is very physical. We boxed out well and caused them to go over the top,” Upper Moreland coach Matt Heiland said. “They got in the penalty in both halves and we made free throws. We made both on a lot of one-and-ones.”
The Golden Bears shot 20-of-25 from the free throw line in the fourth and 28-of-36 overall. Ryan Coyle shot 10-of-12 from the line and scored 14 points. Shane Stone shot 6-of-8 from the line and dropped eight points.
Damian Washington led Upper Moreland with 16 points. Brett Brossman added 10. Casey Decker chipped in seven.
“There will be nights where we’re balanced with our style of play. We have guys who can shoot the ball and guys who can finish at the basket,” Heiland said. “We have everybody back and guys capable of getting hot from 3-point range. The first 9-10 can get hot on any night.”
Upper Moreland made 14 field goals Saturday night, six 2-pointers and eight 3-pointers.
“Getting to the line 36 times will help us win when we’re not hot,” Heiland said. “We attacked the basket. We didn’t settle for jump shots too much. But we did knock down some open threes early.”
North’s Noah Ehlin led all scorers with 17 points. Drew Burton added 11. James Kosyla scored eight.
Upper Moreland improved to 1-1, salvaging a win the tip-off tournament on its home floor.
CR North fell to 0-2, dropping both of its games in the Upper Moreland Tip-Off Tournament.
“(New CR North coach) Jesse (Krasna) is doing a really good job,” Heiland said. “He’s got those guys believing and buying into the system. The 0-2 start doesn’t change that.”
Upper Moreland opens its league season with a game against Hatboro-Horsham Friday night at seven. CR North takes on William Tennent Tuesday night at seven.
Upper Moreland 17-12-9-26 64
Council Rock North 11-10-14-16 51
Upper Moreland (64) – Casey Decker 7, Tommy Jacob 2, Damian Washington 16, Ryan Coyle 14, Brett Brossman 10, Shane Stone 8, Jake Villanueva 4.
Council Rock North (51) – Ryan Costello 3, Eric Levine 3, Drew Burton 11, James Kosyla 8, Tyler Shields 3, Noah Ehlin 17, Matt McAlister 6.
North Penn 64, Upper Perkiomen 42
North Penn out-played Council Rock North in the last two and a half quarters Friday night.
The Knights carried that momentum into Saturday night. North Penn won the first quarter 18-3 and cruised from there.
“We started out real strong,” North Penn coach John Conrad said. “We started in a press. That got us playing up-tempo. We subbed guys in and out to keep them fresh.”
Conrad used all 10 available players. Eight scored. David Guiliani led the Knights with 19 points. He also led them in scoring on Friday night with 14.
“David played really well. He started well. He hit his first jump shot, a 3,” Conrad said. “He rebounded exceptionally well. He also played well with his back to the basket and found ways to score.”
Guiliani hurt his back at the beginning of tryouts. He barely saw live action before Friday night. He played two minutes in North Penn’s first scrimmage against Emmaus. He did not play in North Penn’s second scrimmage against Holy Ghost Prep.
“We knew he had this in him, even with the injury,” Conrad said. “He was relentless on the offensive glass. That’s helping him score.”
Lance Ford and Derek Heiserman each scored 10 for North Penn. Nate O’Donnell contributed seven.
North Penn is about to get even deeper. Football players Ricky Johns and Reece Udinski returned to the basketball team this past week. The North Penn football team lost in a PIAA Class 6A semifinal Dec. 3.
“They are trying to get into basketball shape. They will practice again Monday and play against Pennsbury on Tuesday,” Conrad said. “They started at the end of the season last year and were valuable contributors. At some point they should get an opportunity. All along we thought we had 10-12 varsity basketball guys. We want to wear people down and play with a lot of passion.”
North Penn (2-0) takes on Pennsbury Tuesday night at seven.
North Penn 18-15-13-18 64
Upper Perkiomen 3-10-13-16 42
North Penn (64) – Lance Ford 10, Nate O’Donnell 7, Chris Coleman 4, Mike Ward 3, AJ Catanzaro 5, David Giuliani 19, Derek Heiserman 10, Noah Kwortnik
Upper Perk (42) – Nick Groff 1, Ryan Kendra 10, Liam Boyle 19, Will Walker 4, Jon Brown 8.
Abington 51, Perkiomen Valley 47
Abington improved to 2-0, winning both games in the Galloping Ghosts’ Basketball Classic.
The Ghosts won the second quarter of Saturday’s title game against the Vikings by eight and led by 10 at halftime (31-21). Perkiomen Valley won the third quarter by eight to make it a 38-36 game. But Abington held the Vikings off in the fourth.
Sophomore dynamo Eric Dixon scored 19 points for Abington. He shot 7-for-14 from the field and 5-for-7 from the foul line. Dixon was named tournament MVP after the game.
Junior guard Robbie Heath – who connected on a pair of three-pointers – dropped 13 for the Ghosts. Heath also had six assists.
Abington center Joe O’Brien had nine rebounds, seven points and four blocks. Lucas Monroe added six points for the Ghosts.
Abington hosts Bishop Carroll Tuesday night at seven.
Perk Valley 12-9-15-11 47
Abington 14-17-7-13 51
Abington (51) – Eric Dixon 19, Robbie Heath 13, Joe O’Brien 7, Lucas Monroe 6, Robert Young 3, Darius Brown 3.
Germantown Academy 57, Souderton 46
GA raced to a 17-4 first quarter lead and never looked back on its way to capturing the title of the Jim Church Classic at Souderton. The Indians played the Patriots 42-40 over the final three quarters but never could make up the ground they lost.
GA was led by 6-5 senior forward Kyle McCloskey, who contributed 2 points and nine rebounds and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Senior point guard Evan-Eric Longino added 15 points and seven assists and earned MVP honors.
Mike Bealer dropped 20 for Souderton. Noah Horas scored 12.
Souderton battles Perkiomen Valley Wednesday afternoon at 2:45.
Germantown Academy 17-15-15-10 57
Souderton 4-17-13-12 46
Germantown Academy (57) – McCloskey 20, Ashley Diarrah 2, Storm 5, Longino 15, D’Ambrosio 2, Brownstein 10, Towne 2.
Souderton (46) – Mike Bealer 20, Matt Cartwright 3, Groller 11, Noah Horas 12.
BETHLEHEM LIBERTY 65, BENSALEM 60
The Owls lost a tightly contested game in the Steel City Challenge despite the brilliant 32-point effort of Ward Roberts, who also added four steals. Rich Dean contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, and Kris Shiellds added six points, five rebounds and four assists.
"It was a battle down to the last possession, and this game will pay dividends late in the season," coach Mike McCabe said. "Both teams payed really hard and well.
"It's hard to win games when you go to the free throw line six times, and they go 28 times."
Bensalem (1-1) will host Wissahicon on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Spring-Ford 64, Central Bucks West 50
Central Bucks West trailed 27-25 at halftime. But Spring-Ford pulled away in the second half, winning the third quarter 20-12 and outscoring the Bucks 37-25 after the intermission.
Collin MacAdams led CB West with 15 points. He also had four rebounds and two steals. Shane McCusker had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Jack Traina filled the box score with six points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Liam Cooney dropped 12 points.
The Bucks went 1-1 in the SOL-PAC-10 Challenge.
Spring-Ford 18-9-20-17 64
Central Bucks West 20-5-12-13 50
Spring-Ford (50) – Ryan Hogan 2, Ryan Fitzpatrick 17, Nestor Diaz 20, Noah Baker 3, Adam Geremski 4, Nick Heller 3, Robert Bobeck 2, Austin Hokonson 13.
Central Bucks West (64) – Jack Traina 6, Shane McCusker 13, Liam Cooney 12, Collin Mac Adams 15, Jack Mulhearn 2, Davis Zerweck 2.
Lansdale Catholic 41, Quakertown 36
Quakertown fell to 0-2, dropping both of its games in the Souderton Tip-Off Tournament.
The Panthers led by two at halftime but lost the third quarter 16-6.
Ryan Howard led Quakertown with 11 points. He also drilled two 3-pointers. Drosnock added 10.
Quakertown battles Freedom next Saturday night at seven.
Lansdale Catholic 8-9-16-8 41
Quakertown 8-11-6-11 36
Lansdale Catholic (41) – Ottomato 10, Rosenberger 2, Gabel 6, Kusters 3, J.Kane 5, K.Kane 2, Goodziebell 13.
Quakertown (36) – Ryan howard 11, Jashua Rodriquez 3, Drosnock 10, Dakota Suchanec 4, Kevin Juszynski 3, Lucas 3, JR Grimmage 2.
Pottstown 63, Central Bucks South 57
Central Bucks South came back to Earth after upsetting Spring-Ford Friday night.
The Titans still went 1-1 in the SOL-PAC-10 Challenge. They play Father Judge Thursday night at seven.
Lower Moreland 48, William Tennent 47
William Tennent dropped to 0-2 on the young season, in the consolation game of the Hatboro-Horsham Tip-Off Tournament.
The Panthers fell to Hatboro-Horsham Friday night and have lost 13 of 14 games dating back to last season.
William Tennent battles CR North Tuesday night at seven.
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