Check out te recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Saturday. Upper Dublin/Upper Moreland & Neshaminy/O’Hara games photographed by Greg Lindsay. Check back for galleries.
CARDINAL HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Championship game
Upper Dublin 69, Upper Moreland 48
In a battle that was closer than the final score might indicate, Upper Dublin used a big third quarter to help pull away from Upper Moreland and earn a hard-fought 69-48 victory to claim the Cardinal Holiday Tournament Championship in front of the home fans.
Justin Ragsdale led all scorers with 20 points, while Ryan Mulroy added 14 and Idris Rines had 13. Mulroy and Rines were all-tournament selections.
Larry Hughes led the Golden Bears with 12 points.
Upper Dublin coach Derek Brooks: “The score indicates it was a bigger margin than it was most of the game. It was actually closer. We were down three after the first quarter, we were up five after the second, and then we had a nice third quarter, and we were up 16 at that point.
“We got off to a little bit of a slow start. We needed to pick up our energy again today, and fortunately, we did, and once we got going a little bit, we started to settle in, get some stops and turned them into baskets.”
–Big third quarter: “A really big third quarter set us up nicely, and that when the game was at a good distance, and we were able to hang on at that point.”
–Starters deliver: “The starting lineup did most of (the scoring) today. That will not be the case most nights. (Friday) night, our bench was great. On any given night, we have nine guys who contribute and contribute in different manners. The starters just scored more today, but I thought the bench still gave us good minutes when they were in.”
–Ragsdale comes up big: “He is a talented player, he’s a 6-5 sophomore. He has a nice touch, he’s a good athlete, can shoot the 3 a little bit and he can finish around the rim. He can drive from the perimeter, and he can post up. He’s capable of getting those points on some nights. I thought today was a good matchup for him. They don’t have much size, and any team that does have one big – they end up putting them on Idris (Rines) a lot of the time. It was a nice matchup for Justin where he could take advantage inside. He had a nice game offensively, and finished well for us.”
–Winning at home: “When you’re hosting, you definitely want to win. Today was a big one. Upper Moreland is a (Class) 5A school. I don’t want to call them a rival, but they’re close to a rival. They had a great record, so beating them is good for our district ranking. Every game is important to come out and play the right way, do what you’re supposed to do. Whether it’s a tournament or not, your approach should be the same. It’s nice to have the kids get a trophy.
“I thought it was a great field of teams today. O’Hara is a good team, Neshaminy is having a nice year, and they almost beat O’Hara, and Upper Moreland is having a great year. It was a good tournament. We’re happy to host, and it’s definitely nice to win your own tournament.”
Up next: The Cardinals (10-1, 3-0 SOL) will kick off the 2025 portion of their season when they visit Hatboro-Horsham at 7 pm Friday. Upper Moreland (8-2, 2-1) will visit Springfield Twp at 7 pm Friday.
Upper Moreland 13-9-15-11 48
Upper Dublin 10-17-26-16 69
Upper Moreland (48) – Alex Costanzo 2 1-1 6; Nate Best 5 2-2 13; Colson Campbell 2 0-0 5; Anthony Carson 3 0-0 6; Larry Hughes 6 0-1 12; Jadon Cybok 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 20 3-4 48.
Upper Dublin (69) – Kobe Bazemore 4 0-0 9; Noah Cohen 4 0-0 10; Ryan Mulroy 5 2-2 14; Idris Rines 5 2-2 13; Justin Ragsdale 7 5-6 20; Horace Jackson 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 26 10-12 69.
3-point goals: UM – Jadon Cybok 2, Alex Costanzo, Nate Best, Colson Campbell; UD – Noah Cohen 2, Ryan Mulroy 2, Kobe Bazemore, Idris Rines, Justin Ragsdale.
Consolation Game
Cardinal O’Hara 61, Neshaminy 57
TIM EHST HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Souderton 48, Quakertown 33
Chanse Salone and Nate Rusike combined for 32 points and were key to Souderton’s quick start as the Indians topped Quakertown 48-33 in Saturday’s Tim Ehst Holiday Tournament Championship game.
Salone led all scorers with 17 points, while Rusike added 15. Salone was named the Tim Ehst Tournament MVP, while Rusike was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Quakertown stayed with Souderton through the first half, with the Indians clinging to a one-point lead at halftime. But Souderton stepped it up in the second half, holding the Panthers to just 11 points after the break.
Sam Wilkin led Quakertown with 10 points.
Souderton coach Okoteh Sackitey: “The story today was Chanse Salone and Nate Rusike just being dominant. They scored 30 of our first 35 points. After three quarters, we were up 35-25, and those two had 30 at that point. They just stepped up. The whole team stepped up and was hungry to get the win. We wanted the trophy, and we want more. We came in really focused, and those two led the way.
“It was a good team win. Everyone was focused. We were hungry for this, and we’re hungry for more.”
–Getting defensive: “Holding Upper Moreland to three points in the third quarter – we were only up one at halftime, and a strong third turned a one-point halftime lead to a 10-point lead. We can thank the defense for that.
“Chris Lewis had another strong defensive performance. Thaddeus Harter told my assistant during the game that he doesn’t care how many points he scores – he’s just so focused on getting stops. I won’t know until I get the Hudl stats, but Thad had a handful of blocks. The kids are just really bought in on defense, bought into the game plan, controlling the ball.”
Souderton point guard Chanse Salone on the win: “I think the key to winning today’s game was to push the ball on fast breaks and doing that with confidence. We knew it was going to be a dog fight for rebounds, so we had to play hard and play with heart because they were bigger than us. Last key was just to play smart and fast – we love pushing the ball against teams and slowing down when we need to.”
Next up: Souderton (7-2, 3-0 SOL) will host North Penn on next Friday. The Panthers (1-8, 0-3) will host Wissahickon at 7 pm Friday.
Souderton 11-12-12-13 48
Quakertown 7-15-3-8 33
Souderton (48) – Will Lockwood 0 1-2 1; Chanse Salone 6 3-4 17; Trey Bui 0 2-2 2; Nolan Watkins 2 3-3 7; Nate Rusike 6 1-2 15; Thaddeus Harter 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 17 10-13 48.
Quakertown (33) – Trae McCray 1 0-0 3; Jameson Sykes 3 1-1 7; Aiden Burgy 2 0-0 4; Sam Wilkin 3 2-2 10; Colin Ficco 1 0-0 2; RJ Ficco 1 0-0 2; Mason Rush 2 1-2 5; TOTALS 13 4-5 33.
3-point goals: S – Chanse Salone 2, Nate Rusike 2; Q – Sam Walker 2, Troy McCray.
DICK DOUGHERTY HOLIDAY SHOWCASE
Bensalem 56, Notre Dame 46
Coming off a disappointing loss Friday, Bensalem coach Ron Morris expected the game to be a test of the Owls’ character.
To a man, the Owls showed that character, playing strong defense against a high-scoring Notre Dame squad.
Amir Drummond’s game-high 24 points powered the offense.
Bensalem coach Ron Morris: “Our energy level was there tonight. We knew it was going to be a tough game coming in. Notre Dame is a good program. They do a good job over there. The kid, Will Foley, is a really good basketball player. He’s a shooter, he’s crafty. He worked for every point he got. He ended up with 20 points, but every single shot was tightly contested, and I think we wore him down over the game. Aidan Mayfield had him, Jahmir (Chatman) was guarding him.
“The injury bug has got us, but like anything, we just keep grinding and keep working, and we stay ready. These guys are a fun group to coach. I thought we played good defense. We did a really good job rebounding and limiting Notre Dame to one shot.
“Overall, it was just a really good game. It was good to see us bounce back after a tough loss last night. It just shows the true character of this team. Like always, we enjoy tonight. We have another war Monday.”
–Props: “I thought Jahmir Chatman had an awesome first half, bringing energy on the defensive end. He was making foul shots, he was making some tough buckets.
“Amir (Drummond) had an awesome all-around game. Last night, he wasn’t happy with his performance, and as I challenged him and our whole team – when you get knocked down, true character comes out, and how you respond shows your true character. Amir did an awesome job tonight, letting the game come to him. He didn’t force anything. He ended up with 24 points. He had some big 3s. They went zone in the second half, and he shot them out of the zone.
–Picking up the slack: “Trevor Morris gave us great minutes off the bench. He was a spark of energy. He was in the passing lanes, he had some fast break layups, he made some foul shots at the end. He did really good.
“Aidan Corbett’s been filling in great. We’re down Mikey Kramer and Kobe King the past few games, and Aidan Corbett has been doing really well. He gave us solid minutes again. Kobe came back a little bit tonight. He’s still not 100 percent. We got minutes from Trevor and other guys off the bench tonight.”
Next up: Bensalem (6-2, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Archbishop Ryan where the Owls will face a tough Muhlenberg squad as part of the Rare Footage Classic at noon Monday.
Notre Dame 8-14-14-10 46
Bensalem 13-17-10-16 56
Notre Dame (46) – Elijah Ale 5 0-1 10; Owen Gojaniuk 1 0-0 3; Mile Rancan 2 0-0 4; Wyatt Moore 1 2-4 4; Josh Gatete 2 0-0 4; Will Foley 8 4-8 21. TOTALS 19 6-13 46.
Bensalem (56) – Jahmir Chatman 3 5-6 11; Aidan Mayfield 3 0-0 7; Amir Drummond 8 6-7 24; Aidan Corbett 1 0-0 2; Trevor Morris 3 2-6 9; Jacob Eberhardt 1 1-2 3. TOTALS 19 14-21 56.
3-point goals: ND – Owen Gojaniuk, Will Foley; B – Amir Drummond 2, Aidan Mayfield, Trevor Morris.
PERKIOMEN VALLEY HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Perkiomen Valley 38, Wissahickon 34
Wissahickon came out on the losing end of a defensive battle as host Perkiomen Valley pulled out a 38-34 win in Saturday’s matchup in the Perkiomen Valley Holiday Tournament.
Nico Vacchiano led all scorers with 19 points for the Trojans, including eight of the team’s 12 third-quarter points.
“The game was close throughout and the lead switched several times in the fourth, but unfortunately miscues down the stretch led to a Perk Valley victory,” said Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson.
Up next: Wissahickon (2-6, 0-3 SOL) will visit Quakertown at 7 pm Friday.
Wissahickon. 11-6-12-5 34
Perkiomen Valley 13-7-10-8 38
Wissahickon (34) – Mason Stelzer 0 2-2 2; Chase Neumeister 1 0-0 2; Michael Maltin 1 1-2 3; Chris Lee 1 0-0 2; Nico Vacchiano 8 3-3 19; Ben Schwartz 1 0-0 2; Taliaferro 1 2-2 4. TOTALS 13 8-9 34.
Perkiomen Valley (38) – Kyle Tracey 1 0-0 2; Jacob Harken 5 4-7 15; Joseph Keogh 0 2-2 2; Anthony Rodriguez 0 3-5 3; Jonah Boyd 6 1-2 16. TOTALS 12 10-16 38.
3-point goals: W – none; PV – Jacob Harken, Jonah Boyd 3.
Methacton 68, North Penn 54
PENNCREST HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Penncrest 58, Pennridge 28
Undefeated Penncrest – the top-ranked team in the District 1 5A rankings – rolled to a 59-28 victory over Pennridge in the Championship Game of the Penncrest Holiday Tournament. The Rams got off to a good start, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, but were held to 18 points the rest of the way.
Ryan Schwind led the Rams with 7 points, while Connor Murray and Sam Crognale each added 6 on a pair of three-pointers each.
“(Penncrest) is well-coached – they execute well, rebound well, and defend,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said.
Up next: Pennridge (5-4, 1-2 SOL) will visit Central Bucks South at 7 pm Friday.
Pennridge. 10-5-5-8 28
Penncrest. 23-8-12-15 58
Pennridge (28) – Marley Steward 1 0-0 2; Jacob Dietl 1 0-0 3; Ryan Schwind 3 0-0 7; Charles Rising 1 0-1 2; Tim Croyle 0 2-2 2; Connor Murray 2 0-0 6; Sam Crognale 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 10 2-3 28.
Penncrest (58) – Will Stanton 3 1-2 8; Jeffrey Cropper 1 0-0 2; Sean Benson 5 4-6 14; Theo Gladue 4 2-4 12; Viktor Ford 1 0-0 3; Connor Cahill 3 0-0 6; Kolby Poole 1 0-0 2; Finley Lester 1 0-0 2; Mikey Mita 4 1-3 9; TOTALS 23 8-15 58.
3-point goals: Pr – Connor Murray 2, Sam Crognale 2, Jacob Dietl, Ryan Schwind; Pc – Theo Gladue 2, Viktor Ford, Will Stanton.
CACTUS JAM
Central Bucks East 33, Chugiak (Alaska) 26
In a low-scoring semifinal affair, Central Bucks East downed Chugiak 33-26 on Saturday in the Cactus Jam. East recorded 11 steals as part of Chugiak’s 19 turnovers in the game, which saw the Patriots leading 7-2 after one quarter.
Shane O’Hara-Jamison and Connor Mekanik each scored 8 points to lead the Patriots; Mekanik added 7 rebounds.
Central Bucks East coach Erik Henrysen: “It was a really odd game. We didn’t shoot well but were able to create turnovers. Then we didn’t convert in the open court. A win is a win but it wasn’t pretty.
“Around the basket was a battle. They were big and strong. Holding a team to 26 points is a positive, defensively. If we shot a little better, I think we would have found a better rhythm and increased the tempo of the game. Finding a way to win when you aren’t at your best is a good thing. We grinded out the win and look forward to playing in the final Monday.”
Up next: East (7-2, 1-2 SOL) will play Monroe (WA) in the JAM Bracket final today at 3:30 pm (5:30 pm EST)
Central Bucks East 7-8-10-8 33
Chugiak 2-9-8-7 26
Central Bucks East (33) – Nolan Behm 7; Shane O’Hara-Jamison 8; Graham Smith 2; Connor Mekanik 8; AJ Molnar 3; Jackson Lutz 5.
Chugiak (26) – Tyler Cage 4; Eisaiah Echon 2; Owen Dockstader 2; Knud Larsen 13; Blake Hales 3; Jarel Tom 2.
3-point goals: CBE – Shane O’Hara-Jamison, Jackson Lutz; C – Blake Hales.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 78, University High School 51 (WA)
EASTON ROTARY HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Abington 75, Northeast 49
The Ghosts rebounded from a disappointing loss to Phillipsburg in Friday’s opening win with a rout of Northeast.
Faison Garland scored a team-leading 16 points – and was joined in double digit scoring by Xander Grasty (13 points), Paul Glants (12 points), Kyler Pickron (11 points), and Jake Manigualt (10 points) in Saturday’s consolation game.
Abington coach Dan Marsh: “We have been in a bit of a slump and tonight I told them we need to play with a sense of urgency for 32 minutes. I told them that they need to pretend that they’re down no matter what the score. We needed tonight. And everybody contributed.”
Up next: Abington (6-3, 2-1 SOL) will visit Plymouth Whitemarsh for a 7 pm game on Friday.
MODIE RISHER HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Pennsbury 73, North Charleston (SC) 47
After a tough battle to the wire in Friday’s first-round matchup, Pennsbury made sure the outcome of Saturday’s game was never in doubt. The Falcons jumped out to a 15-8 lead after one quarter and never let up, rolling to a 73-47 victory over North Charleston in the Modie Risher Holiday Tournament.
Mike Roccograndi led all scorers with 25 points. He scored 6 of the Falcons’ 15 first-quarter points and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line in the second half. Pennsbury also got 19 points from Grayson Gozum in a dominating effort.
Pennsbury coach Wes Emme: “This was one of our finer performances of the year, particularly on defense. We did an incredible job of defending the drives against a really physical and athletic team. They have a really successful coach who has over 500 wins. They were a really good team coming into the tournament. We saw their film – they played against the team we played last night (Burke), and they put a pretty good stomping on them, and Burke gave us all we could handle last night in terms of pace of play.
“It was a really, really good response by our team. I’m happy with how we’re handling this experience.”
–Props: “It was the best game I’ve seen from Grayson Gozum, by far. He was incredible getting to the rim and finishing through contact. He was defending, handling the basketball, making plays for others. He had five rebounds and multiple assists.
“Our other senior, Mike Roccograndi, really took what the defense gave him today. he had some big-time finishes. He was 7-for-7 from the free throw line when we needed it. He had a couple of struggles earlier this year and feeling vindicated by how he stepped to the line and knocked down some free throws to keep them at bay for the majority of the second half.”
Next up: Pennsbury (5-4, 2-1 SOL) will have a free day Sunday and will return to action against TL Hanna on Monday at noon.
“We’ve got a lot of fun tomorrow,” Emme said. “We have a shoot-around in the morning, we’re going to go to the South Carolina Aquarium, and they’re going to go watch the Eagles.”
Pennsbury 15-19-23-16 73
North Charleston 8-10-22-7 47
Pennsbury (73) – Mike Roccograndi 6 10-13 25; Grayson Gozum 7 3-4 19; Owen Hawkes 3 0-0 6; Sean Breslin 3 2-4 9; Pat Jajua 2 3-3 9; Max Manga 2 3-4 7. TOTALS 23 21-28 73.
North Charleston (47) – Lodson 1 2-4 4; Simmons 6 0-1 13; Porcher 0 2-2 2; Hazel 4 4-6 13; Evans 1 0-0 2; Blukney 0 2-2 2; Middleton 4 3-4 11. TOTALS 16 13-19 47.
3-point goals: P – Mike Roccograndi 3, Grayson Gozum 2, Sean Breslin; NC – Simmons, Hazel.
Burke 49, Central Bucks West 47
MaST HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT (at MaST Charter)
William Tennent 59, String Theory 27
Tony People posted a double-double with a game-high 14 points and 14 rebounds as well as four steals as William Tennent rolled to a 59-27 win over String Theory School in Saturday’s opening round of the MaST Holiday Tournament.
Ryan Bula added 10 points and Jay Bright had 6 assists.
Up next: Tennent will play in the championship game Sunday.
William Tennent 13-19-16-11 59
String Theory 6-9-6-6. 27
William Tennent (59) – Carter Jameson 1 2-2 4; Luke Torok 2 0-0 6; Ryan Bula 4 2-3 10; Brayden Hahn 3 0-0 6; Scott Scheller 3 1-2 7; Jay Bright 1 0-0 2; Braden Goldberg 4 0-0 10; Tony Pople 4 4-4 14. TOTALS: 22 9-11 59.
String Theory (27) – L. Varallo 2 6-8 10; A. Tanner 2 0-0 4; T. Procopio 0 2-2 2; J. Sposaro 1 0-0 2; C. Jones 0 2-2 2; M. Long 1 1-3 3; A. Battle 1 0-0 2; J. Boston 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 8 11-15 27.
3-point goals: Tony Pople 2, Luke Torok 2, Braden Goldberg 2.
JOHN MOLINELLI HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Harry S Truman 45, Ocean Twp 30
Davae Vaughn scores six of his game-high 12 points in the first quarter to boost Harry S Truman out to a quick start en route to a 45-30 victory over Ocean Twp in Saturday’s third place game of the John Molinelli Holiday Tournament.
The Tigers led 14-5 after one quarter, and increased their lead to 24-12 at halftime. Jaden Luchansky and Salahuddin Roberts each contributed eight points for the Tigers, who saw eight players contribute to the scoring while not allowing any Ocean players to reach double-digits in points.
Harry S Truman coach Randolph Jackson: “Great team win! Our 94 feet of press was able to get us easier layups offensively.”
–Props: “Davae Vaughn was all-tournament, made big plays for us defensively while guarding the team’s best offensive player along with Juliun Rodgers. Juliun continues to do the little things for us – rebounds, assists and steals. Today he finished with 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 points.”
Up next: The Tigers (4-5, 1-2 SOL) return to action when they host Neshaminy at 7 pm Friday.
Harry S Truman 14-10-8-13 45
Ocean Twp 5-7-9-9 30
Harry S Truman (45) – Jaden Luchansky 3 1-1 8; Davae Vaughn 6 0-0 12; Dwayne McCoy 2 0-0 4; Juliun Rodgers 3 0-0 6; Cole Quirmoule 1 0-0 2; Dyson Brown 2 0-2 5; Salahuddin Roberts 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 21 1-3 45.
Ocean Twp (30) – Ollie Aiello 3 2-2 8; Brody Bell 2 0-0 5; Daniel dos Santos 1 0-0 2; Noah Nguyen 1 0-0 3; Aidan Saint Louis 2 0-0 5; Niall Tantrum 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 12 2–2 30.
3-point goals: HST – Dyson Brown, Jaden Luchansky; OT – Brody Bell, Aidan Saint Louis, Niall Tantrum, Noah Nguyen.
PLAY-BY-PLAY CLASSIC
Cheltenham 63, Chester 53
The Panthers received contributions up and down their lineup to notch their fifth straight win – Saturday night’s as part of the Play-by-Play Classic at Widener University.
Kamal Mason and Mark Hill both scored 13 points to lead a balanced Panther attack. Justin Ezeukwu also finished in double figures with 10 points while Osei Johnson added nine points on three 3s, and Kendall Jackson had seven points.
The Panthers and Clippers were deadlocked 28-28 at halftime, but a 24-5 third quarter explosion put Cheltenham in the driver’s seat with a 52-33 lead heading into the final quarter. Johnson was a catalyst in the Panthers’ third-quarter tear, connecting on all three of his 3-pointers in the frame. Kamal Mason also played a starring role, scoring eight points in the third quarter.
Cheltenham coach Patrick Fleury: “We were up by 20, and we played our reserves a little more than we probably would have. I’m just happy to win.
“Defensively, we did well. In terms of offensively, we moved the ball well, we found the open spots in the press and attacked with a purpose.
“In our last four games, we got wins over Upper Moreland, Gratz and Chester, and I think those were good tests. They were all pretty much winning teams so far in the season, so I think we’re starting to come together and gel more and more. That’s the biggest thing for us.
“I’m just happy that everybody really shared in this victory. There were a lot of positive contributions and minutes, and that was the biggest thing. The more that becomes the focus, the better we’ll be later on.”
Up next: Cheltenham (6-2, 3-0 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury next Friday.
Cheltenham 17-11-24-11 63
Chester 15-13-5-20 53
Cheltenham (63) – Kendall Jackson 2 2-2 7; Mark Hill 4 4-4 13; Osei Johnson 3 0-0 9; Kamal Mason 4 4-5 13; Xavier Willoughby 1 2-7 5; Isais Vargas 2 0-0 4; Salim Kelly 1 0-0 2; Justin Ezeukwu 3 4-5 10; TOTAL 20 16-23 63.
Chester (53) – Kristian Chambers 2 1-2 5; Dallas Thompson 5 0-0 10; Zahir Clayton 5 5-6 15; Kameron Wilson 1 0-0 3; Rashaad Dorsey 3 1-2 7; Nyrell Pray 0 1-2 1; Jay’son Demby 1 2-4 4; Jah’leer Haley 1 2-2 4; Paul Lindsay 1 0-0 3; Nymeer Madison 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 19 13-20 53.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Osei Johnson 3, Mark Hill, Kendall Jackson, Xavier Willoughby, Kamal Mason; Chester – Kameron Wilson, Paul Lindsay.
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