Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Friday. CR North/New Hope-Solebury photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
Pennridge 44, Governor Mifflin 33
Pennridge senior Sean Yoder became the fourth Ram this decade to reach 1,000 career points and his efforts helped lead the Rams to a win over Governor Mifflin in the opening round of the Boyertown Holiday Tournament on Friday.
Yoder needed six points heading into the game and reached the milestone when he converted a free throw in the second quarter. At that point, the game was halted and Yoder was recognized for the accomplishment.
"I thought Boyertown handled it with a lot of class, their AD as well as Governor Mifflin,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said. “They let us stop the game and honor him, and that was nice because we were on a neutral floor. They were all class – it was first class all the way.”
The Rams started slowly, trailing 13-2 after the first quarter before battling back to be down only three at halftime (18-15).
“I think we were sleepwalking through the game,” Behrens said. “I also think the kids knew Sean needed six points. That seems easy. He got a bucket right away, it was 2-2, and then the ball just kind of was sticking. We weren’t moving the ball, we weren’t cutting well. I think all the kids were on eggshells because they wanted Sean to get the thousand. He hit a three in the beginning of the second quarter, and everyone relaxed a little bit. When it was over, we started playing back to normal, but Governor Mifflin had a lot to do with that.
“They were very tough defensively, very physical, tough kids. They play in a tough league with Reading, Wilson West Lawn and Exeter, so they’re not going to back down to anybody. I thought our defense stepped up. We held them to five points in the second quarter and then we held them to four points in the third quarter. That really was big for us. Defensively, we really clamped down on them.”
Pennridge allowed just 15 points in the second half en route to pulling away. Luke Yoder was next for the Rams with nine points.
“Jon Post on the defensive boards was a big catalyst,” Behrens said. “Trent Fisher had a couple of key blocks for us where they couldn’t score. Luke Yoder hit the glass very well and did a real nice job on his man (Bryce Stubler). It was a collective team effort.
"We had some good production off our bench. We bring Jack and Pat Gillespie off the bench. They’re brothers, and they give us good minutes, which really benefited us, especially in the second quarter.”
Pennridge (7-2, 1-1 SOL) will face Boyertown in Saturday’s title game at 7:30 p.m.
Pennridge 2-13-12-17 44
Governor Mifflin 13-5-4-11 33
Pennridge (44) – Luke Yoder 9, John Dominic 4, Sean Yoder 21, Trent Fisher 3, Pat Gillespie 3, Jack Gillespie 4.
Governor Mifflin (33) – Sutzer 4, Harmon 11, Black 4, Stubler 2, Whitman 4, Klahe 2, Stewart 6.
Cheltenham 72, Friends Central 53
Cheltenham erupted for 45 first-half points on its way to a romp over Friends Central at the Pete and Jameer Nelson Classic at Chestnut Hill College on Friday.
“It was a balanced attack,” coach Patrick Fleury said. “I think the energy defensively was there early on. We shared the ball and made the easy plays. As we ran through our sets, we made the reads, and the guys who were in the spots to make plays made the plays. The pace was good for us. It was really a collective effort.”
Zahree Harrision had 21 points and six assists in the win and Tim Myarick added 14. Sean Emfinger was next for the Panthers with 12. Myarick and Kyin Healey each grabbed nine rebounds. Mike McClain added six. Jalen Mickens had three steals.
“All of them did well, but junior Sean Emfinger is starting to take form,” Fleury said. “Kyin Healey continues with his success in the paint offensively and defensively. Obviously, getting in foul trouble can hinder that, but he played well. Zahree Harrison led the way as our point guard and our catalyst, just getting the guys great shots. The guys screened well for each other.
“Justin Moore, as a ninth grader, continues to be a high point for us, and sophomore Mike McClain is doing a really good job for us, just being in the right spots and making the plays that are there for him. It was a good win.”
Cheltenham will play undefeated La Salle in the Arcadia Showcase at Arcadia University on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Cheltenham 27-18-16-11 72
Friends Central 19-7-12-15 53
Cheltenham (72) – Zahree Harrison 21, Jalen Mickens 2, Tim Myarick 14, Justin Moore 5, Jaelen McGlonne 1, Mike McClain 5, Sean Emfinger 12, Dom Vazquez 2, Kyin Healey 10.
Friends Central (53) – Omar Nichols 5, Bryce Spriggs 7, Edward Holland 9, Myles Robinson 13, Mason Mosley 7, BK Kothari 2, Brandon Banadda 4, Ryan Ellison 2, Basim Horshaw 2, Tom Foley 1.
Council Rock North 30, New Hope-Solebury 29
Council Rock North, in a game that was tight from start to finish, edged host New Hope-Solebury to win the Over The River Tournament on Friday.
“It was really close the whole way,” Council Rock North coach Jesse Krasna said. “It was 19-18 at halftime, 23-21 after three quarters, and in the fourth quarter, it was back and forth, too. We got up by five, 28-23, and then New Hope made a three and another bucket, and they tied it up. The last couple minutes of the game, both teams were having trouble scoring. They hit a free throw to go up by one, and we got a bucket from Luke Vliet with about 30 seconds to go.
“They got the ball back. We had three team fouls to give, so we used a couple of team fouls. Eventually, the clock got down to 2.3 seconds. They had the ball on the sideline, and we subbed in our tallest kid, Zach Saifer. He’s about 6-5, and he got a deflection. A little bit of time ran off, and by the time they got the ball inbounds, there was only 0.7 seconds left. They had to catch it and heave it.”
Defense was the name of the game for both squads, and the Indians were particularly effective in containing NHS center Topher Taylor.
“It was one of those games where both teams were playing very deliberately, playing great defense,” Krasna said. “It was hard to score for us, and it was tough to score for them as well. It was just one of those games where you have to find a way to win, and our kids really did that.
“New Hope’s center is about six-foot eight, and our center, James Duffy, is 5-11. He did a really nice job defending their center and held him to four points. That was a big part of the game plan. (Duffy) really battled, and his teammates were there to kind of help him out as well. When they were trying to lob the ball over his head, his teammates were there to get some steals and deflections, but it was really him defending Topher Taylor. He really shut him down, and that was a big part of the game.”
Hunter Wan led the Indians with 10 points. Vliet and Duffy both had eight.
“Any time you can win a game and only score 30 points – you’re doing something right on the defensive end,” Krasna said. “Even though we weren’t scoring, our kids were defending with so much tenacity. They kept New Hope off the backboards too, which was a big part of the game because we knew that if we defended well but didn’t rebound well, we probably wouldn’t have a chance to win. We really controlled the backboards for the majority of the game. That’s because our kids were physical, and they just rebounded as a team."
Council Rock North (6-3, 1-2 SOL) will return to action next Thursday when the Indians will travel to Neshaminy.
Council Rock North 14-4-5-7 30
New Hope-Solebury 12-7-2-8 29
Council Rock North (36) – Luke Vliet 8, Hunter Wan 10, Mikey Sylvester 2, James Duffy 8, Josh Fisher 2.
New Hope-Solebury (29) – Taylor 4, Wallace 11, Borys 10, McLaughlin 4.
Central Bucks East 54, Dock Mennonite 49
Defense was the difference for Central Bucks East at it claimed a win over host Dock Mennonite in the title game of the Dock Mennonite Holiday Tournament on Friday.
“Dock is a very good team that is going to compete for a (Bicentennial Athletic) league championship, so we are happy with the win,” Central Bucks East coach Erik Henrysen said.“We thought we were outworked early, but the guys responded after halftime with energy and focus.”
The Patriots, who led 10-8 after one quarter, found themselves on the short end of a 26-22 score at halftime. They regrouped and outscored the Pioneers 15-6 in the third quarter and 33-23 in the second half.
Nick Roggio had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Patriots while Leo Masterson also had 14 points. Both were named to the all-tournament team. Ben Markowitz and Joe Jackman were next for East as both contributed nine points.
“Nick Roggio was selected as the MVP of the tournament and Leo Masterson was also on the all-tournament team,” Henrysen said. “We are excited to go into the New Year at 7-1 and knowing that we haven’t played our best basketball, yet.”
The Patriots connected on 14-of-19 shots from the free throw line. Dock was 6-for-10.
Central Bucks East (7-1, 2-1 SOL) will host Souderton next Friday.
Central Bucks East 10-12-15-18 54
Dock Mennonite 8-18-6-17 49
Central Bucks East (54) – Nick Roggio 14, Ben Markowitz 9, Leo Masterson 14, Joe Jackman 9, Anthony Giordano 2, Jason Markowitz 6.
Dock Mennonite (49) – Bolton 7, Scialanca 11, Saint-Fleur 6, Wilder-Hamilton 4, Tamulis 2, Martin 4, Ellis 15.
North Penn 56, Perkiomen Valley 52
It was another close game for the Knights, who clamped down on defense in the second half and it resulted in a win over Perkiomen Valley in the Vikings’ Holiday Shoot-Out on Friday.
The win came on the heels of a two-point victory over Methacton that saw the Knights let a four-point lead slip away late in the game.
“Tonight we were coming from behind almost the whole way,” coach John Conrad said. “They were up four with about two-and-a-half to go, and we were able to get a stop and a score and then a stop. Chris Caputo hit a big three to put us up one with a little over a minute.”
The Knights, who were led by Caputo’s 17 points, then got a defensive stop and the rebound.
"We missed the one-and-one, and we got another stop, the rebound and a foul, and made one, so we were up two,” Conrad said. “We actually ended up fouling them, and they missed the front end of a one-and-one, and we rebounded and made two free throws.
“The kids really battled, the kids really played hard and played well. We talked about what a great opportunity this was because Methacton’s a really good basketball team, and Perk Valley is a good basketball team. We talked about this being a good opportunity for us to figure out who we are and what we are. It’s a good feeling to walk away with two wins against those types of clubs, but we have to get back to work Hopefully, we can keep it rolling as we get to the New Year.”
While Caputo led the Knights, Mike Chaffee added 13 points, and Solomon Robinson had 11. AJ Mitchell added nine points.
“They did a really nice job on AJ Mitchell and made it tough for him,” Conrad said. “Chris Caputo had five threes, and Solomon Robinson was really strong inside. Chris and Solomon were really big for us offensively, and Mike Chaffee, as always, was really good defensively, especially late in the game."
North Penn (6-3, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at Quakertown on Friday, Jan. 4.
North Penn 17-9-16-14 56
Perkiomen Valley 22-7-12-11 52
North Penn (56) – McIver 3, Mitchell 9, Caputo 17, Larkins 1, Chaffee 13, Robinson 11, Swanson 2.
Perkiomen Valley (52) – Parks 2, B. Streeper 5, Strechay 24, I. Streeper 1, Krause 16.
Springfield Township 71, South Hunterdon 44
Springfield Township rebounded from a heartbreaking loss Thursday to clip South Hunterdon in the consolation game of the Over The River Tournament on Friday.
The Spartans held a 30-21 lead by halftime and were never threatened after intermission.
“This was a win that we needed,” Springfield Township coach Chris Cole. “Especially after yesterday having that last look for a game-winner and coming up short. With 1.5 seconds on the clock, Ben Rittenhouse had an open three-pointer right down the middle, and it clinked off the front of the rim.
“Having that heartbreaking loss did affect the players tremendously. Their heads were down, so coming into today and having a team victory and seeing Ben Rittenhouse – who yesterday was 0-for-6 from 3-point range – come in and make his first two threes, including a three from the same spot he missed from yesterday, helped the guys out."
Rittenhouse and Wilson Krewson combined for 32 points for the Spartans with Rittenhouse netting a game-high 17 and sparking his squad with eight first-quarter points. Krewson added 15, and sophomore Austin Maggioncalda contributed a dozen points.
“Max Perry stepped up on the defensive end,” Cole said. “Max is a born leader. He has natural leadership characteristics. He’s a motivator, he’s the quarterback of the football team, and he’s a senior, and he’s so competitive. Once he got into the game he was determined to make a difference, which he did. He didn’t even score a basket, but there was a huge difference when he got into the game. The energy changed. We got out to a big lead. The lead was 20-8 at the end of the first quarter – we finally had a good first quarter. Having that comfortable lead, we were able to build confidence.
"Taking that long bus ride to New Hope yesterday and coming back having to think about the loss, I think the kids responded really well today. They were just there for each other. One thing I preached today during the pregame was – we have to play together as a family and we have to get the mentality – we over me. Having today’s win showed we can work as a team. I believe we’re still trying to identify ourselves and figure ourselves out and see what works best for us."
Springfield Township (4-5, 0-3 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday, Jan. 4.
Springfield 20-10-19-22 71
South Hunterdon 8-13-11-12 44
Springfield (71) – Jordan Pauls 6, DeJaun Waters 2, James Joseph 6, Wilson Krewson 15, Sully Shackleford 6, Ben Rittenhouse 17, Ethan Hamilton 2, Austin Maggioncalda 12, Matt Leibfreid 5.
South Hunterdon (44) – Sanders 4, Smith 4, McCaffrey 10, Conner 2, Zalencik 13, Jesse 3, Hiller 7, Bodman 1.
Central Bucks South 55, Bartram 49
A sluggish first half on defense didn’t deter Central Bucks South in a first-round victory over Bartram at the Jack Schott Holiday Tournament at Holy Ghost Prep.
The Titans yielded 35 first-half points, but only gave up 14 after halftime to snag the victory.
“After being down 18-6 and burning two timeouts, our team regrouped to do a better job of limiting second-chance shots,” Central Bucks South coach Jason Campbell said.“We also played with more confidence, finishing baskets in the lane.
“And by changing up our defenses throughout the second half we were able to keep Bartram off balance and less comfortable.”
Tom Kuypers led the Titans offense with 18 points and Alex Dietz was next with 11 followed by Ian McCaw with 10.
“Offensively, we did some things differently as an adjustment that our players bought into and worked well together doing it,” Campbell said. “We handled their press and traps well by playing confident and with discipline.”
Central Bucks South (6-2, 3-0 SOL) will face Holy Ghost Prep in Saturday at 7 p.m.
Bartram 22-13-7-7 49
Central Bucks South 14-19-10-12 55
Bartram (49) – Gatewood 2, Reed 1, DeVaughn 15, Massey 7, Bay 7, DuPriest 12, Nichols 5.
Central Bucks South (55) – C. Prezelski 5, B. Prezelski 3, D’Aulerio 3, Dietz 11, Kannengiesner 5, Kuypers 18, McCaw 10.
Upper Dublin 62, West Chester Henderson 39
Upper Dublin trailed by a point at halftime, but the Cardinals then surged in the second half to upend West Chester Henderson to claim the West Chester Rustin Winter Classic on Friday.
“It really was a tale of two halves,” Upper Dublin coach Chris Monahan said. “The third quarter was big for us. They (West Chester Henderson) play very hard and we had to try and match that.”
The Cardinals took the lead for good in the third quarter and poured in 24 points over the final eight minutes to win going away.
“The story of the game was turnovers and us being able to play in transition,” Monahan said.
Corby Watkins, who had a game-high 20 points, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. His 11 first-half points kept the Cardinals close.
The win also moved the Cardinals to 6-3 on the season. A year ago, they were 6-16.
“We’re in a much better spot,” Monahan said. “We’re a somewhat young team, but we have a lot of kids that played varsity minutes last year.
“I’m happy for the kids and we just need to try and keep it going.”
Brian Klammer had a dozen points in the win – all in the second half, and Mike Slivka had 10.
Upper Dublin (6-3, 1-2 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland next Friday.
Upper Dublin 10-11-17-24 62
West Chester Henderson 10-12-9-8 39
Upper Dublin (62) – Stover 7, Watkins 20, Brady 5, Williams 8, Klammer 12, Slivka 10.
West Chester Henderson (39) – Fay 4, Weirman 10, Harkins 3, Gray 2, Briglia 4, Ladaro 16.
Neshaminy 51, Upper Darby 44
The Redskins brought a welcome end to a six-game skid with a win over the Royals on day two of the West Chester Rustin Winter Classic.
“It was a total team effort,” coach Mark Tingle said. “We finally played four quarters. The energy and effort was great.”
The ‘Skins trailed 13-11 after one quarter but outscored the Royals 13-4 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 24-17 lead. Angelo Gyamfi jumpstarted the Redskins with six points in the first quarter, and Mike Murray’s six points led the ‘Skins in the second.
Neshaminy added to its lead in the third quarter and took a 38-27 lead into the final frame. Brandon Belton had the hot hand in the third quarter, burying a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 10 of his team’s 14 points. The fourth quarter featured one trip to the foul line after another with the Redskins connecting on 13-of-20 from the charity stripe. Damon McGovern’s 5-for-8 led the Redskins. Kyle Saglimben was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line in the quarter.
“It was a good win to break a six-game losing streak,” Tingle said. “We’re starting to figure things out heading back into league play.”
Belton’s 15-point effort – which included three 3-pointers – led the Redskins. McGovern added 11 points and five assists, and Gyamfi had six points and eight rebounds.
Neshaminy (2-6, 0-3 SOL) will host Council Rock North next Thursday.
Upper Darby 13-4-10-17 44
Neshaminy 11-13-14-13 51
Upper Darby (44) – Mo Konte 2, Mamadou Toure 7, Diby Keita 15, Iyana Joshuasville 1, Shareef Jones 10, Jack Cavanaugh 6, Kymir Roper 3.
Neshaminy (51) – Kyle Saglimben 4, Brandon Belton 15, Matt Drapkin 3, Damon McGovern 11, Mike Murray 7, Angelo Gyamfi 6, Evan Brooks 5.
Upper Moreland 50, Jenkintown 38
Upper Moreland used a big first half on both offense and defense on the way to a win over host Jenkintown in the opening round of the Robert Hoft Tournament on Friday.
The Golden Bears led by seven after one quarter and then did not allow the Drakes to score in the second quarter en route to grabbing a 27-9 lead by halftime.
Byron Hopkins and Jahire Johnson shared the scoring honors for Upper Moreland as each finished with 14 points. Tyler Ibbotson was next with nine points and Christian O’Donnell had eight.
Upper Moreland (5-2, 1-2 SOL) will take on neighboring Lower Moreland in Saturday’s title game at 7:15 p.m.
Upper Moreland 16-11-13-10 50
Jenkintown 9-0-18-11 38
Upper Moreland (50) – Byron Hopkins 14, Beau Woollens 1, Christian O'Donnell 8, Jourdan Gregg 4, Jahire Johnson 14, Tyler Ibbotson 9.
Jenkintown (38) – Trevor Brockwell 9, Cade Lafferty 10, Adam Giammanco 3, CJ Jackmon 8, Carpenter 8.
West Chester Rustin 56, Souderton 53
Souderton gave host West Chester Rustin a tussle from beginning to end before falling in the title game of the West Chester Rustin Winter Classic on Friday.
“We tip our cap to Rustin,” coach Tim Brown said. “(Andrew) Hickson hit some huge shots. (Jake) Nelson and (Taj) Asparagus are tough to deal with, and (Argel “Ivy”) Petit is going to be special. Their coaches run a great program as well.”
The Indians led by a point at halftime (29-28), and the game was tied after three quarters (43-43) before the hosts were able to squeak out the win over the final eight minutes.
“We’re a young team,” Brown said. “We need to be able to execute the little things throughout the game so we can close out games.
“But we played with a different desire to win these past two games, and the guys are getting there. We got a couple days before we play against a great CB East team, and we know we need to have some great practices like we’ve been having to continue improving.”
Sami Chouiraf led Souderton with 15 points while Dom Natale and Andrew Vince each ended up with nine points.
Souderton (3-6, 0-3 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East next Friday.
Souderton 12-17-14-10 53
West Chester Rustin 8-20-15-13 56
Souderton (53) – Chouiraf 15, Natale 9, Vince 9, Reiner 8, Towsen 5, Williams 5, Thatcher 2.
West Chester Rustin (56) – Pettit 16, Nelson 12, Andrew Hickson 9, Archer 8, Pew 6, Wethey 5.
Oakland Mills 64, Central Bucks West 54
Central Bucks West fell to the host team in a tightly-contested title game of the Oakland Mills Holiday Tournament on Friday. The Bucks led by two after one quarter but found themselves on the short end of a 25-22 score at the intermission. Oakland Mills used a 20-point third quarter to go on top 44-35 heading into the final frame, and the Bucks never could make up the ground they lost.
Jack Neri led the Bucks in scoring with 23 points. Reed Zerweck added eight points, and Jack Mulhearn had seven. Mulhearn and Neri were both named to the all-tournament team.
Central Bucks West (4-4, 1-2 SOL) will host Harry S Truman in a non-league game on Friday, Jan. 4.
Central Bucks West 14-8-13-19 54
Oakland Mills 12-13-19-20 64
Central Bucks West (54) – Jack Mulhearn 7, Mika Munari 4, Jack Neri 23, Reed Zerweck 8, Andrew Lindenmuth 5, John Murnen 5, Ted Spratt 2.
Oakland Mills (64) – Evans 5, Eaton 23, Hopkins 6, Simpson 11, Parks 4, Eiland 8, Gayman 4, Riggs 2, Simpson 1.
Northampton 47, Quakertown 32
The Panthers trailed the Konkrete Kids by just two at halftime of Friday’s title game of the Salisbury Holiday Tournament. They managed just three points in the third quarter and found themselves on the short end of a 26-16 score. Despite eight points from Bobby Rosenberger in a 16-point fourth quarter, the Panthers could not make up the ground they lost.
Rosenberger (10 points) and Jimmy Casey (eight points) led the Panthers. Both players were named to the all-tournament team.
Quakertown (2-5, 1-2 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Friday, Jan. 4.
Quakertown 7-6-3-16 32
Northampton8-7-11-21 47
Quakertown (32) – Matt Catalano 3, Matt Tuley 5, Jimmy Casey 8, Bobby Rosenberger 10, Eli Ortiz 6.
Northampton (47) – Tyler Gilliard 2, Donte Rodriguez 15, Spencer Cole 3, Zac Gula 12, Isaac Harris, Jon Actomare 4.
Executive Education Academy 64, Bensalem 50
The Raptors jumped out to an early lead over the host Owls and never looked back in Saturday’s title game of the Dick Dougherty Memorial Holiday Tournament.
Executive Education – a charter school from Allentown – opened up a 19-7 lead after one quarter and extended that to 33-14 at the intermission. The Owls finished the game strong, outscoring the Raptors 36-31 in the second half.
Lamont Hasker (12 points) and Shane Simmons (11 points) led the Owls offensively while the Raptors put three players in double figures.
Bensalem (4-5, 1-2 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Friday, Jan. 4.
Executive Education 19-14-16-15 64
Bensalem 7-7-14-22 50
Executive Education (64) – Justin Rockmore 4, Willie Torres 2, Kahleel Foster 2, Jahson Chico Whyte 16, Amari Milles 18, Shayne Magee 5, Jevin Muniz 17
Bensalem (50) – Nasir Williams 4, Jeremiah Alexander 5, Shane Simmons 11, TJ Igielski 5,, Lamont Hasker 12, Blaise Unger 3, DeShawn Hicks 4, Aaron Sanders 6.
Methacton 74, Wissahickon 56
Wissahickon fell behind early and couldn’t recover in a loss to Methacton at the Perkiomen Valley Holiday Shoot-Out on Friday.
“We played better on the second night (of the tournament), but we were unable to stay with Methacton's high-powered offense,” said coach Kyle Wilson, whose team fell to Perk Valley 60-33 one night earlier.
The Trojans trailed by six points after a quarter and by 12 by halftime.
Eddie Fortescue led Wissahickon with 13 points and Maurice Willis finished with 10.
Wissahickon (4-5, 2-1 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Friday, Jan. 4.
Wissahickon 17-11-12-16 56
Methacton 23-17-20-14 74
Wissahickon (56) – Love 6, Fortescue 13, Williams 3, Willis 10, Caso 5, Hirsch 3, Richman 2, Compas 8, Ostroski 6.
Methacton (74) – Kropp 9, Eberl 2, Duda 16, Timko 28, Christian 4, Woodward 15.
Palumbo 63, Hatboro-Horsham 57
Holy Ghost Prep 53, Harry S. Truman 33
Bishop McDevitt 70, Pennsbury 50
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