Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Friday. Upper Dublin/Wissahickon photos provided courtesy of Kiim Supko. Abington/Hatboro-Horsham photos courtesy of Gregory Lindsay. Check back for galleries of both games.
SOL Patriot Division
Neshaminy 50, Council Rock South 49
Down one with 12 seconds remaining, Max Currie came up with the big play for Neshaminy, with a driving layup with two seconds left to give his team the exciting one-point win against visiting CR South on Friday.
“I definitely thought it was an even game,” said Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle. “It was tight the whole game. I don’t think anyone ever led by more than five points. It was just a really good game, a great atmosphere.”
Neshaminy found itself on the short end of a 25-22 scored at halftime but outscored the Golden Hawks by three in the third quarter to even the score heading into the fourth quarter.
Key Players: For Neshaminy, Jason Gilardi (14 points), Logan Gale (13 points); for CR South, Ryan Delp (17 points), MJ Thompson (10 points).
Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle on the win: “(CR South) had the ball up one with 30 seconds left, and we were able to get a rebound, take it down and get a timeout. It was kind of a broken play, but Max got the ball to the basket and made the big shot.
“We’re getting guys back from injuries, which is nice. We’re 5-2 and winning the first game in the league is a nice start.”
Next up: Neshaminy (5-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North Tuesday, and Council Rock South (3-2, 0-1 SOL)) will face Neumann-Goretti in the Diane Mosco Shootout at Archbishop Wood on Sunday at 12:30 pm.
CR South (49) – Ray Haglund 1 1-2 3; Ryan Delp 6 4-5 17; Owen McLean 1 0-0 2; Joey Madara 2 1-2 6; Adam Elabed 2 2-3 7; MJ Thompson 4 2-2 10; Ryan Wekluk 2 1-2 5. Totals 18 11-16 49.
Neshaminy (50) – Zach Stewart 1 2-2 4; Eriq Gold 2 0-0 4; Logan Gale 5 2-2 13; Cadenn Amati 2 1-6 5; Max Currie 5 0-0 10; Jason Gilardi 6 2-3 14. Totals 21 7-13 50.
CR South 12 13 13 11 – 49
Neshaminy 13 9 16 12 – 50
3-point goals: CRS-Delp, Elabed; N-Gale
Bensalem 51, Council Rock North 39
Bensalem shook off a slow start, outscoring CR North 18-8 in the second quarter and took control of the game on the way to the solid road win in the SOL Patriot opener for both teams.
“Playing a game at 3:30 throws everything out of routine with our kids,” said Owls’ coach Ron Morris. “We had to get out of school early to get over there. The first quarter we started really slow, but we battled through it. We controlled what we could control. We were getting good looks, but our shots weren’t falling in the first quarter, but we stuck with it and just kept grinding.
“Council Rock North is a tough place to play. We’ve always struggled to shoot there. Coach (Derek) Wright is one of the best around, so you know when you go there it’s going to be a battle. He does a great job having his guys prepared.”
Key Players: For Bensalem, Amir Drummond (22 points), Christian Lee (11 points); For CR North, Grady Burt (14 points)
Bensalem coach Ron Morris on the win: “It was just overall a great team victory. We had a lot of good energy. You never know what you’re going to get from high school basketball players, especially when you start a game at 3:30 on a Friday. That’s something you never hear of out here.
“I’m really proud of our guys for taking the challenge and controlling what we could control. We enjoy this one tonight, and we get ready for another war on Tuesday. The bench energy was great all game, we battled all the way to the end like we challenged them to do. It was nice to come out victorious.”
–Key Stretch: “The turning point in the game was in the second quarter. We actually got down 17-11 after they made back-to-back 3s. We came back and hit a ‘3’, and our defensive intensity just turned up a notch, and we finished the second quarter on a 14-0 run, so that took us into halftime with a nice lead. We challenged our guys at halftime. ‘Don’t let up, keep the defensive intensity. That’s the standard we want to play to.’ Credit to our guys, they kept doing it.”
–Props: “Amir (Drummond) didn’t force it early. He didn’t score in the first quarter, but he was distributing, and he still was able to finish with 22 points. He had four 3-pointers, four steals, five rebounds and five assists. He was really controlling the game. He hit big shots in crucial moments as a senior leader.
“Christian Lee had another good shooting night. I’m really proud of him because he missed a couple early, but every shot was in and out, but he kept shooting. That’s the confidence we have in him. We keep telling him, ‘We believe in you, keep shooting. You put in the time.’
“Jahmir Chatman continues to do a little of everything. He had seven points, six rebounds, two assists. He played some really good defense. He can guard players, one through five, pretty much because he’s a really tough kid.
“I can’t say enough about Aidan Mayfield’s defense. His defense was amazing tonight. He made Grady (Burt) work for everything he got and even held him scoreless in the second quarter. There were two- to three-minute stretches he couldn’t even touch the ball because Aidan was so close on him. Aidan contested every shot he took.
“I can’t say enough about inside, Mikey Kramer and Kobe King. Those guys battled today. Council Rock North is huge, and they were battling for rebounds, they had a couple of putbacks.”
Next up: Bensalem (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (1-3, 0-1 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks South in a non-league game Saturday at 2:30 pm.
Bensalem (51) – Jahmir Chatman 2 3-4 7; Aidan Mayfield 2 0-0 4; Christian Lee 4 0-0 11; Amir Drummond 7 4-8 22; Michael Kramer 1 0-0 2; Tim Waltman 2 1-1 5; Totals 18 8-13 51.
Council Rock North (39) – Jack Curry 3 0-0 7; Josh Erman 2 0-0 5; Owen Crowne 1 0-0 2; Grady Burt 4 3-4 14; Dylan Kiefer 2 3-4 7; Andy O’Keefe 2 0-0 4; Totals 14 6-8 39.
Bensalem 7-18-18-8 51
Council Rock North. 9-8-13-9 39
3-point goals: B – Christian Lee 3, Amir Drummond 4; CRN – Grady Burt 3, Jack Curry, Josh Erman.
Pennsbury 44, Harry S. Truman 28
Pennsbury trailed this one at halftime, but figured things out in the second half, breaking the game open with a big third quarter on the way to the 16-point road win on Friday.
“Truman had a great game plan,” said Falcons coach Wes Emme. “They really kind of shrunk the game down, ate up some clock. We were trying to set the tempo with our half-court defense. They made really strong adjustments in the first half, got every loose ball. Credit to them.
“In the second half, our kids stepped up defensively. Our league is just so competitive. You might feel like you have a really good roster, but it doesn’t matter in the SOL. It’s going to be competitive because of the rivalry. Particularly now, that only division games are going to count for the title, every game is magnified.”
Key Players: For Pennsbury, freshman Patrick Jajua (18 points), Mike Roccograndi (8 points), Grayson Gozum (6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists)
Davae Vaughn’s nine points led the Tigers.
Pennsbury coach Wes Emme on the win: “Patrick Jajua was outstanding. He has incredible poise and plays the same way no matter what the situation is. He may start slow, but he’s a finisher as a player. He plays exactly the same way in the fourth quarter that he does in the first. To see a kid at that age play at that level is special.
“Max Manga was out tonight. Owen Hawkes, a sophomore, stepped in. Senior Kieran Shaw, a Division I volleyball player, played big minutes for us off the bench and had six or seven rebounds in the second half.”
Next up: Pennsbury (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (1-3, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Faith Christian Academy for a non-league game.
Pennsbury (44) – Brayden Clark 0 1-2 1; Mike Roccograndi 3 0-0 8; Grayson Gozum 2 0-0 6; Owen Hawkes 1 0-0 2; Mitch Primola 1 0-0 3; Kieran Shaw 2 0-0 4; Sean Breslin 1 0-0 2; Pat Jajua 5 5-7 18. Totals 14 6-9 44
Truman (28) – Tre Winton 2 0-0 4; Jaden Luchansky 3 0-0 8; Adul-Azil Diallo 1 1-2 3; Davae Vaughn 4 1-4 9; Juliun Rodgers 1 0-0 2; Dwayne McCoy 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 2-6 28.
Pennsbury 6 7 14 17 – 44
Truman 7 9 5 7 – 28
3-point goals: P-Jajua 3, Roccograndi 2, Gozum 2, Primola; HST-Luchansky
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks South 61, Central Bucks East 37
CB South ended the game by outscoring rival CB East 34-10 over the end of the third quarter and then the fourth on the way to the huge 24-point road win over the defending champion Patriots in the SOL Colonial opener for both teams.
“Our last two games, we did well,” said Titans coach Louie Ditri. “One, we felt we could play with them, and we needed to get a game like this under our belts. They were locked in over these last three days of practice. The focus was there. My two (assistant) coaches did a great job prepping these guys, they got locked in, and the boys followed the game plan.”
Key players: Ben Harrison (17 points), Connor Thompson (10 points), Cole DiEmidio (9 points)
CB South coach Louie Ditri on the win: “Erik (Henryson) does a great job with (East). They had a good second quarter, it was like 24-20 at halftime, and they tied it at 27 in the third quarter. We called timeout, kind of refocused, and mentally locked in.
“In the three games we lost, we gave up leads in the fourth quarter. East was fighting back in it, and we ended the game on a 34-10 run. The defense locked down and offensively, they ran our sets. The players stayed patient and made the passes they needed to make.”
Central Bucks South coach Louie Ditri:
–Props: “Ben Harrison was a beast on both ends of the court. Everybody got in, knew their roles and executed. Harrison had 17 points, Leo Medwid did a great job – his defense was great, rebounds, a couple blocked shots. Everybody who played contributed in some fashion. Connor had three ‘3s’ off the bench. Geis was great defensively off the bench. This was literally a team win in every way.”
Next up: Central Bucks South (3-3, 1-0 SOL) will host Council Rock North in a non-league game Saturday (2:30 pm), and Central Bucks East (3-1, 0-1 SOL) will host New Foundation Charter in a non-league game Saturday at noon.
CB South (61) – Leo Medwid 6, Ben Harrison 17, Dan McCusker 2, Brett Barrett 7, Cole DiEmidio 9, Connor Thompson 10, Kayode Adebayo 4, Danny Gies 6
CB East (37) – Shane O’Hara-Jamison 12, Nolan Behm 8, Graham Smith 4, AJ Molnar 3, Connor Mekanik 2, Quinn White 3, Jackson Lutz 2, Henry Bartchak 3
CB South 13 11 16 21 – 61
CB East 5 15 10 7 – 37
3-point goals: CBS-Thompson 3, Gies 2, Barrett; CBE-Molnar, O’Hara-Jamison
North Penn 55, Central Bucks West 26
Two days after a crushing last-second loss to Engineering & Science, North Penn rebounded in a big way. A fast start was the difference early as seniors Ahmaar Godhania and Lee Hammond combined for 13 in the first quarter, and North Penn stepped it up defensively to get past visiting CB West in the Colonial Division opener.
The Knights led this one 17-8 after one and 29-13 at halftime.
“We had a good conversation after the loss on Wednesday,” said coach Cordell Lord. “We stayed together, we stayed the course. It’s a really long season, there’s plenty of ups and downs. The best thing about it all is that we can’t get much worse than what we were going through right now. When you lose to a halfcourt prayer, it really makes you put things in perspective. We did what we were supposed to do, and we just got unlucky. We’ve got to stay the course and just continue to grind and just get 1 percent better every day.
“I think the kids really bought into that, and they did a great job executing tonight on both sides of the floor. One thing we always feel we have the advantage in is just the rebounds, and for us to go out there and just play hard, multiple guys contributed to the rebounds on both sides of the floor. It speaks volumes to how much the kids are buying into the things we’re trying to execute. We’re just really proud of them. It’s hard to come back from some of these losses we’ve had.”
Key Players: For North Penn, Ahmaar Godhania (17 points, 4 3-pointers), Lee Hammond (11 points, 3 3-pointers)
North Penn coach Cordell Lord:
–Unsung heroes: “Wyatt (Martin) was a fantastic boost of energy off the bench tonight. One of the things that we praise Wyatt for consistently is his effort on the glass, especially on the offensive end. He has a knack for always being in the right place at the right time and the ball just finding its way to him. Tonight, he did a great job of outworking those guys and getting himself in really good positions to get offensive rebounds and then go up strong. He was definitely great for us tonight.
“Gabe (Altemus) and Aiden (Atkinson) did a great job on the boards as well. They both got multiple offensive opportunities as well.”
Next up: Central Bucks West (2-4, 0-1 SOL) will be on the road at Souderton Tuesday at 6:30 pm, and North Penn (3-4, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
CB West (26) – Roman Kulesa 5 0-0 12; Dan Pellegrini 1 0-0 3; Isaiah Rubenstein 2 0-0 5; Carter Boss 1 0-0 2; Harry Meyers 2 0-0 4. Totals 11 0-0 26.
Hatboro-Horsham (55) – Ahmaar Godhania 6 1-3 17; Lee Hammond 4 0-0 11; Shane Ward 0 4-7 4; Aiden Atkinson 3 2-2 8; JC Wood 1 2-3 5; Wyatt Martin 5 0-0 10; Gabe Altemus 0 0-2 0. Totals 19 9-17 55.
CB West 8 5 6 7 – 26
North Penn 17 11 11 16 – 55
3-point goals: CBW-Kulesa 2, Rubenstein; NP-Godhania 4, Hammond 3, Wood
Souderton 55, Pennridge 44
It was a rivalry game to start the SOL Colonial schedule, and Souderton turned a half-time deficit around with a big fourth quarter, pulling away from short-handed Pennridge on Friday night.
“It felt good to get back on track after a tough close loss to LC (on Tuesday),” said Indians coach Okoteh Sackitey. “It was a good environment, a loud environment, a close game, a pressure situation at the end of the fourth quarter, and we came up short.
“Our goal was to learn from that and be better from that. I think the lessons we learned against LC helped us pull this one out tonight.”
Key Players: For Souderton, Chanse Salone (16 points), Nate Ruiske (15 points), Grady Kovach (12 points).
Souderton coach Okoteh Sackitey on the win: “Grady Kovach came in in the fourth quarter and had a nice run for us with rebounds, he made a big reverse layup and knocked down two free throws in a two or three-minute stretch. There was a defensive play he made when there was a loose ball, and he dove on the floor. He wanted it more than anyone else on the court and just got straight there with no hesitation, dove on the floor. That was a big play for us. We were able to stretch it to six and eight and then hold onto it. It was close.
“Pennridge was without one of their best players, Xavier Peters, and they still fought hard. They’re well coached, they’re tough, they can shoot it, so we’re fortunate and happy to come out with a win and go 1-0 in the Colonial.”
Next up: Pennridge (4-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East Tuesday, and Souderton (2-3, 0-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West Tuesday.
Pennridge (44) – Ryan Smith 3 0-0 8; Marley Steward 2 0-2 4; Jake Bulger 2 2-3 6; Ryan Schwind 3 0-0 9; Cole Rising 4 0-0 9; Connor Murray 1 0-0 2; Ryan Flood 2 2-2 6. Totals 17 4-7 44.
Souderton (55) – Chanse Salone 5 4-4 16; Trey Bui 1 1-3 3; Nolan Watkins 0 3-6 3; Nate Rusike 4 6-7 15; Thaddeus Harter 2 1-2 6; Grady Kovach 5 2-4 12. Totals 17 17-26 55.
Pennridge 6 12 16 10 – 44
Souderton 10 7 18 20 – 55
3-point goals: P-Schwind 3, Smith 2, Rising; S-Salone 2, Rusike, Harter
SOL Liberty
Upper Dublin 46, Wissahickon 35
After a low-scoring first half, Upper Dublin found the answers in the second half on the way to the 11-point win over rival Wissahickon in the Liberty Division opener on Friday night.
“It’s always a fun night at Wiss,” said UD coach Derek Brooks. “It’s a little earlier this year. Usually, we take the home game in December and then go there in January. We flipped this year. It was a great environment
again this year. Everyone was excited for it, a fun rivalry, a great gym to play in, a hard gym to play in. You always see teams go in there and have a tough time. We’re happy to come out with a win.”
Friday’s game was Wissahickon’s Silent Night, and the Cardinals led by just a 16-13 score at halftime.
“It was a tight defensive battle, but in the second half, UD was able to pull away little by little,” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said.
Players of the Game: For UD, Ryan Mulroy (17 points), Justin Ragsdale (11 points); for Wissahickon, Nico Vacchiano 12 points.
UD coach Derek Brooks on the win: “We played pretty good defense, obviously. We only gave up 35 points. The key is you’ve got to stop Nico (Vacchiano), and we did a pretty good job on him. We followed the game plan and helped out when we needed to. He’s a really good athlete.”
–The second half: “We settled in. We started working the ball in the middle of the zone and finding the back line and got layups and free throws. Once we figured out their zone, we got a lead up to 16.”
–Props: “Ryan Mulroy had an awesome second half. I thought he was great all game, but he really had a nice second half. He had a dunk – it was a fastbreak dunk, the kid tried to take a charge and he just posterized him.
“Riley McLaughlin and James Castronuevo gave us huge minutes off the bench in the second half. We’re fortunate. We have eight or nine guys who can come in for us. If one guy is having a bad game, we always have another guy who can step in for him. The bench was big for us tonight.”
Next up: Upper Dublin (5-1, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Abington Tuesday, and Wissahickon (2-2, 0-1 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh Tuesday.
Upper Dublin (46) – Kobe Bazemore 4, Ryan Mulroy 17, Idris Rines 6, Justin Ragsdale 11, James Castronuovo 6, Reilly McLaughlin 2
Wissahickon (35) – Mason Stelzer 4, Michael Maltin 4, Owen Haughey 3, Nico Vacchiano 14, Ben Schwartz 10
Upper Dublin 10 6 15 15 – 46
Wissahickon 6 7 9 13 – 35
3-point goals: UD-Mulroy, Rines, Ragsdale, Castronuovo; W-Stelzer, Haughey
Abington 63, Hatboro-Horsham 37
Up eight at halftime, Abington exploded out of the gates in the third quarter to eventually extend its lead and blow out Hatboro-Horsham by 26 on the road in the Liberty Division opener for both teams.
Sophomore Xander Grasty hit four 3-pointers and led the Galloping Ghosts with 18 points, 16 of which came in the second half.
Key Players: For Abington, Xander Grasty (18 points, 4 3-pointers), Jake Manigaut (16 points), Paul Glants (12 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists); For H-H, Shane Phillips (16 points)
Abington coach Dan Marsh on the win: “It took us a bit to adjust to not having our defensive leader, Skit Garland. He had a family commitment, but Xander, Paul and Jake picked up the slack.”
Next up: Abington (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (2-3, 0-1 SOL) will host Lansdale Catholic in a non-league game Saturday at 1 pm.
Abington (63) – Kyler Pickron 1 1-2 4; Xander Grasty 6 2-2 18; Leo D’Arco 1 0-0 2; Michael O’Rourke 1 0-0 3; Jake Manigaut 7 2-2 16; Zian Hospedales 3 1-2 7; Michael Schreiner 0 1-2 1; Paul Glants 5 2-3 12.
Hatboro-Horsham (37) – Ryan Smith 3 2-2 8; Sean McCue 1 0-0 2; Jaden Thompson 2 2-4 7; Shane Phillips 6 1-2 16; Ethan Marquis 2 0-0 4.
Abington 12 16 17 18 – 63
H-H 8 12 7 10 – 37
3-point goals: A-Grasty 4, Pickron, O’Rourke; HH-Phillips 3, Thompson
Plymouth Whitemarsh 69, Quakertown 34
Mani Sajid and Plymouth Whitemarsh got off to a quick start and never looked back on the way to the 35-point win in the Liberty opener for both squads.
Sajid finished with a team-high 23 points, 15 in the first half. Michael Pereira added 15 points.
The Colonials led 20-4 after one quarter and 39-16 at halftime.
For the Panthers, Matt Thomas led the way with 10 points.
Next up: Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Wissahickon Tuesday, and Quakertown (0-4, 0-1) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (69) – Tyriq Taylor 2, Jack Hayes 4, Terron Davis 11, Mani Sajid 23, Michael Pereira 15, Ehab Ahmed 2, Buddy Denard 3, Caleb Bridgeman 3, Will Pereira 2, Micah Thompson 8.
Quakertown (34) – RJ Ficco 3, Aiden Burgy 4, Jameson Sykes 1 0-0 2; Matt Thomas 10, Sam Wilkin 6, T. Thomas 5, Gavin Mushrush 4
PW 20 19 8 20 – 69
Quakertown 4 12 10 8 – 34
3-point goals: PW-Sajid 2; Q-Thomas 2, Wilkin, Ficco
SOL Freedom
Springfield Twp 61, New Hope-Solebury 38
Bob Hartman and Will Cooney each had a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter, as Springfield started quickly, jumped up big and blew past visiting New Hope-Solebury on Friday night to notch its fifth win of the young season.
“I think we just came ready to play,” said Spartans coach Rob Fusaro. “We executed pretty well defensively, understood what we wanted to do and came out pretty locked in defensively and started like that. Our defense led to offense.”
Key Players: For Springfield, Aidan Hood (12 points, 5 rebounds), Will Cooney (11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Bob Hartman (10 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds); for New Hope, John Nettles (15 points).
Springfield coach Rob Fusaro on the win: “We executed really well. A lot of guys moved the ball, shared the ball and made some big shots and drives. The scoring was very spread out in terms of offense.
–Props: “Guys off the bench brought a really good spark. Chadrack (Kiamba) had a really good spark. Cahlin Spearman did well. Jack McGuckin gives great energy and hustle off the bench. They were very effective. It was good to start the conference with a win.”
Next up: Springfield Twp (5-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Plumstead Christian for a non-league game Monday, and New Hope-Solebury (2-4, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland Tuesday.
New Hope (38) – Alderson 4, McCagg 9; Nettles 15, Massimino 8, Loritchar 2
Springfield (61) – Bob Hartman 10, Jack McGuckin 2, Chadrack Kiambra 11, Aiden Hood 12, Julian Ciasullo 4, Will Cooney 11, Cahlin Spearman 6
New Hope 2 14 10 12 – 38
Springfield 14 14 19 14 – 61
3-point goals: NH-Nettles 3, Massimino 2, McCagg; S-Hartman 2, Cooney 2, Kiamba, Spearman
Cheltenham 65, Lower Moreland 37
Kamal Mason and Osei Johnson scored 15 points each, combining for five 3-pointers, in the lopsided win for visiting Cheltenham on Friday night.
The Panthers led 19-8 after one and 35-19 at halftime.
“It’s a long season, a long way to go,” said coach Patrick Fleury. “We have not hit our stride yet, which is a good thing because it’s early December.
“It’s good that we came out with a win, but we have so much more to chase as a group. The more we can block out the outside noise, the faster we can get to our goals and put ourselves in a position to achieve what we want.”
Next up: Cheltenham (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will host William Tennent on Tuesday, and Lower Moreland (1-4, 0-1 SOL) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
Cheltenham (65) – Chris Harmon 2, Kamal Mason 15, Mark Hill 2, Xavier Willoughby 2, Chris Jones 2, Osei Johnson 15, Salim Kelly 4, Justin Ezeukwu 11, Jaden Mosley 3, Tyree Martin 4.
Lower Moreland (37) – Zack Kendall 9, Andre Zoubroulis 7, Jonathan John 9, Tom Maloney 8, Luke Wheeler 2, Chase Carroll 2
Cheltenham 19 16 8 22 – 65
Lower Moreland 8 11 7 11 – 37
3-point goals: C-Mason 3, Johnson 2, Kelly, Mosley, Kelly, LM-John, Kendall
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