Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CB East/CB West photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, Wissahickon/Hatboro-Horsham photos courtesy of Kim Supko and Bensalem/CR South photos courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for galleries of all three games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f382701921
Patriot Division
Bensalem 74, Council Rock South 62
Bensalem couldn’t have asked for a better way to open the 2023-24 season.
The Owls made an emphatic statement in their season opener, pulling away over the middle two quarters on the way to a 74-62
win over Council Rock South in Tuesday’s Patriot Division matchup.
Senior Antonio Morris scored 12 of his game-high 19 points in the first half, while his brother, fellow senior Noah Morris, scored 10 of his 18 points after the break.
“It’s always tough to start on the road,” said Bensalem coach Ron Morris. “We came out hot. We hit some shots early. Noah was hot early. Antonio was getting to the cup, so that was good.”
Amir Drummond and Jaidyn Moffitt each added 12 points for the Owls, who trailed by 1 after the first quarter but outscored South 37-24 over the middle two periods.
“It was back and forth, and at the end of the first quarter, we got a steal outlet, and Nate Cooper (6 points) got a big dunk, and that changed the momentum,” Morris said. “At the end of the second quarter, right before halftime, Antonio Morris hit a three, so that was really good to close both quarters well.”
Micah White handled the paint, pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with 3 points.
“He was a rebounding machine,” Morris said of White. “He just has a knack to go get the ball. (Jaidyn) Moffitt did really 
good in the middle.
“We played really good defense. We knew coming in that (Timmy) Rahill is a very good player. He earned every point he got tonight. Nate (Cooper) did a really good job defending him and making him work for every point he got.”
Rahill led South with 16 points, including 9 points in the second half. Gabe Cerulli scored 12 for the Hawks and Jordan Getz added 11.
“In the second half, we held our composure,” Morris said. “Council Rock South came at us with everything. We handled their pressure well, we finished at the rim, so overall, it was a great team effort.
“Our energy all the way through from top to bottom was great to see. It’s a great way to start the year. We got one game at a time, one day at a time, and we just keep grinding and working. It was great for our guys to have success early with all the work they’ve put in. Coach (Andrew) Rogers has a really good program over there at South.”
Bensalem (1-0, 1-0 Patriot Division) will visit Council Rock North at 3:30 pm Friday. Council Rock South (1-2, 0-1) will look to rebound when the Hawks host Neshaminy at 7 pm Thursday.
Council Rock South (62)—Jordan Getz 4 3-7 11; Timmy Rahill 4 4-5 16; Mike Burns 3 0-0 7; Ryan Delp 1 0-0 2; Ray Haglund 1 0-0 2; Gabe Cerulli 4 3-4 12; MJ Thompson 4 2-4 10; Ryan Wekluk 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 12-20 62.
Bensalem (74)—Antonio Morris 8 1-4 19; Noah Morris 5 1-4 18; Micah White 1 1-2 3; Amir Drummond 4 1-5 12; Nate Cooper 3 0-2 6; Jahmir Chatman 1 0-1 2; Idris Savadago 1 0-0 2; Jaidyn Moffitt4 2-4 12. Totals: 27 14-26 74.
3-point goals: CRS-Rahill 4, Burns, Cerulli; B-A Morris 2, N Morris 4.
Council Rock South 18 10 14 20 – 62
Bensalem 17 17 20 20 – 74
Council Rock North 58, Harry S Truman 40
Grady Burt scored 10 of his game-high 18 points in the first quarter to help Council Rock North build a 6-point lead after one frame en route to a 58-40 win over Harry S Truman in Tuesday’s Patriot Division opener for both teams.
Oliver Schaefer scored 15 for the Indians, including going 7-for-7 from the foul line in the first half. Riley Haggerty sank three 3-pointers among his 11 points for the Indians, who saw seven players contribute to the scoring.
“Riley Haggerty had some big points off bench tonight,” said North coach Derek Wright. “Grady Burt and Oliver Schaefer hit some timely baskets. And we had great team defense.”
Tyler Rodowicz pulled down 6 rebounds to go along with 5 points for North, which outscored Truman 31-15 over the middle two quarters.
Aaron Nathan led the Tigers with 15 points, with 8 points coming in the fourth quarter. Jaden Luchansky added 10.
North (1-0 Patriot Division, 2-1) will host Bensalem at 3:30 pm Friday. Truman (0-1, 0-3) will look to pick up its first win of the season when it visits Pennsbury at 7 pm Thursday.
Council Rock North (58)—Grady Burt 6 4-5 18; Oliver Schaefer 3 9-11 15; Jack Curry 0 2-2 2; Tyler Rodowicz 2 0-0 5; Than Neels 1 2-2 5; Riley Haggerty 4 0-0 11; Grant Capozzoli 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 17-20 58.
Harry S Truman (40)—Tre Winton 2 1-2 7; Julian Rogers 1 0-0 2; Jaden Luchansky 4 0-0 10; Brandon Armond 0 0-2 0; Davae Vaughn 1 0-0 2; Aaron Nathan 5 5-8 15; James Cook 0 2-2 2; Shaq Chapman 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 8-14 40.
3-point goals: CRN-Burt 2, Schaefer, Rodowicz, Neels, Haggerty 3; HST-Winton 2, Luchansky 2
Council Rock North 17 16 15 10 – 58
Harry S Truman 11 7 8 14 – 40
Pennsbury 54, Neshaminy 40
After a back-and-forth battle typical of an athletic matchup between local rivals Pennsbury and Neshaminy, the Falcons pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 54-40 victory in both teams’ Patriot Division opener.
“In a massive rivalry game, I’m pleased with how tough we were in a back-and-forth, knock-down, drag-out game,” Pennsbury coach Wes Emme said. “They weren’t going away. Every time we would start to extend a lead, they would make a run. We would get passive, and one of our seniors would make a big play.”
The Falcons led 21-15 at halftime, but Neshaminy erased the deficit with a 7-point run to open the second half. Then the Falcons responded in a big way.
“Teddy Mangan hits a couple of pull-ups, tough shots after that run, and Simon Dlugi was massive for us all night – on the backboard, protecting the rim. He had a big putback to kind of get us going again. Simon Dlugi was our player of the game. He was massive.”
Dlugi finished with a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Connor Taddei led the Falcons’ offense with 11 points and 4 assists. Mangan joined the duo in double digits with 10 points, and Danny Cohen pulled down 8 boards to go along with 4 points.
“Nine players scored so that tells the story of the game,” Emme said. “We got contributions from a lot of guys. Guys that are star role players like Eric David and Sam Callahan, two guys that come off the bench for us that are seniors that have been around the block a little bit, but the moment wasn’t too big for them. Sam hit a big three in the first half. Eric plays in our five-spot mostly when he comes in, but he hit a big three for us. He got to the free-throw line and then guarded their best player, Nate Townsend, for long stretches of the game. I think the physicality he provided just slowed Nate down enough to allow us to get some adjustments on him because Nate was excellent tonight.”
Townsend finished with a game-high 20 points, including 8 points in the second half. Emeer Coombs added 14 for Neshaminy.
Pennsbury (1-0 Patriot Division, 3-0 overall) will look to extend its undefeated start when it hosts Harry S Truman at 7 pm Thursday. Neshaminy (0-1, 1-2) will aim to rebound at Council Rock South at 7 pm Thursday.
Pennsbury (54)—Teddy Mangan 4 2-2 10; Mike Roccograndi 2 1-2 5; Danny Cohen 1 2-6 4; Grayson Gozum 1 1-2 3; Sam Callahan 1 1-2 4; Connor Taddei 3 3-3 11; Eric David 1 1-2 4; Tyler Boraski 0 1-2 1; Simon Dlugi 5 0-0 10. Totals: 18 12-23 54.
Neshaminy (40)—Emeer Coombs 5 4-5 14; Max Currie 1 0-0 2; Guy Horton 1 2-2 4; Nate Townsend 9 2-4 20. Totals: 16 8-11 40.
3-point goals: P-Callahan, Taddei 2, David.
Pennsbury 7 14 10 23 – 54
Neshaminy 6 9 11 13 – 40
Colonial Division
Central Bucks East 59, Central Bucks West 45
Bryce Lolas sank four 3-pointers in the first quarter to stake Central Bucks East to an early lead as the Patriots held off Central 
Bucks West and earned a 59-45 victory in Tuesday’s neighborhood rivalry and Colonial Division opener for both squads.
“Bryce was able to get us off to a great start,” said East coach Erik Henrysen. “We built a lead but then needed to deal with some foul trouble. Jacob Cummiskey and Justin DiRoberto sat for large stretches. West took advantage and made a run at us.”
While West threatened several times, the Patriots never surrendered the lead. Druv Mukund finished with a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds (as well as 3 assists) and Nolan Behm scored 12.
“Dhruv Mukund was huge for us,” Henrysen said. “He handled the ball when Cummiskey went out and dominated the boards. He is so unselfish all the time so it was nice to see him get some well-deserved spotlight.”
Cummiskey made his time on the court count, tying for team high with 13 points.
“Cummiskey and DiRoberto returned for the fourth quarter and had immediate impacts to help build another lead,” Henrysen said. “Our fourth-quarter defense was very good. Our team is playing for one another. Different guys have stepped up at different times. No one cares who gets the headlines. We can really build on that.”
Julian Phillips scored a game-high 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, to lead the Bucks. Bowen Gugger added 10.
The Patriots (1-0 Colonial Division, 3-0 overall) continue the local rivalry games when they host Central Bucks South at 7 pm Friday. The Bucks (0-1, 2-1) will visit North Penn for a 7 pm Thursday matchup.
Central Bucks East (59)—Jacob Cummiskey 13; Dhruv Mukund 13; Bryce Lolas 12; Tyler Dandrea 3; Justin DiRoberto 6; Nolan Behm 12; Caleb Lyzinski 2.
Central Bucks West (45)—Matt Engle 7; Bowen Gugger 10; Roman Kulesa 6; Sam Jankowski 2; Julian Phillips 16; Dan Gallagher 4.
Free throws: Central Bucks East 9-10; Central Bucks West 9-12.
3-point goals: CBE-Cummiskey, DiRoberto 2, Lolas 4, Dandrea, Mukund, Behm; CBW-Engle, Gugger, Phillips 2.
Central Bucks East 17 20 8 14 – 59
Central Bucks West 13 15 15 2 – 45
North Penn 65, Pennridge 52
North Penn came out hot from behind the 3-point arc.
The Knights buried 4 treys in the opening quarter to help the hosts jump out to a 22-10 lead over Pennridge after one period. While the Rams threatened in the middle quarters, narrowing the deficit to a one-possession game late in the third, the Knights shored up their defense and pulled away for a 65-52 victory in the Colonial Division opener for both teams.
“The first-quarter threes were huge to get out to a fast start,” North Penn coach John Conrad said. “Pennridge was able to get within 3 late in the third quarter was but I thought our defense late was the difference. We were able to get stops when we needed them. Gabe Altemus and Lee Hammond did a nice job defensively.”
Hammond also added 11 points (with a pair of 3-pointers in the opening period) to his strong defensive effort. Ahmaar Godhania led the Knights with 22 points, including four 3-pointers (2 in the first quarter). Tre Simpson scored 14 for the Knights, and Corey Meade added 13.
Xavier Peters led Pennridge with a game-high 22 points, while Dylan Horton added 12 and Rowan Smith netted 9 points on three 3-pointers.
North Penn (1-0 Colonial Division, 2-1 overall) will host Central Bucks West at 7 pm Friday. Pennridge (0-1, 0-3) will look for its first win of the season when the Rams visit local rival Souderton at 7 pm Friday.
Pennridge (52)—Rowan Smith 3 0-0 9; Xavier Peters 10 0-0 22; Dylan Horton 5 2-4 12; Charlie Rising 4 1-3 9. Totals: 22 3-7 52.
North Penn (65)—Ahmaar Godhania 6 2-2 18; Lee Hammond 3 2-2 11; Norman Gee 2 0-0 5; Aiden Atkinson 2 0-0 4; Corey Meade 5 3-4 13; Tre Simpson 5 4-6 14. Totals: 23 11-14 65.
3-point goals: P-Smith 3,Peters 2; NP-Godhania 4, Hammond 3, Gee.
Pennridge 10 14 16 12 – 52
North Penn 22 11 12 20 – 65
Souderton 63, Council Rock South 58
The Indians – trailing by seven on the road with four minutes remaining – had every reason to lose Tuesday night’s SOL opener. Instead, they found a way to win.
“This was huge,” Souderton coach Okoteh Sackitey said. “We wanted to start out the Suburban One Colonial schedule 1-0. That was very much on our minds, so we knew how important it was to get a good start in the league. We were ready for it, we were hyped up. They just played with passion, intensity and togetherness. We knew we had to have it.
“We never gave up, and we believed in ourselves. Everyone believed that we could still win the game. We thought there was enough time left to do it.”
The comeback began when – on a sideline out of bounds after a timeout – Clinton Kikonjo buried a huge 3-pointer to trim the Titans’ lead to four.
“Right after they got it to seven, we got it to four,” Sackitey said. “The very next possession we got a steal, and Danny Dyches had a nice finish in transition.
“Everyone made plays. Bill Sackor had a big rebound. We tied it up, and they went up three.”
Souderton sophomore Chanse Salone answered with a three to even the score.
“It was real back and forth,” Sackitey said. “With 2:13 left, Nolan Watkins gets fouled shooting a 3-pointer. He made two of three at the line, so we go up two.
“We got a big stop on defense, and Nolan drove in the lane and finishes a nice layup. He took us from 58 to 62 to put us up four. After that, we played man defense, got a big stop and rebound. Chanse (Salone) got fouled and knocked down that final point, and that was the game.”
Sackor’s 17 points led the Indians and included 10 in the first quarter as the Indians opened up a 16-12 lead. Kikonjo added 14 points – 12 in the second half and eight in the Indians’ 22-point fourth quarter. Salone and Dyches each had nine while Watkins and Trey Bui both had seven points.
“Joey Childs gave us good minutes and gave us good rebounding,” Sackitey said. “Trey Bui gave us good minutes and scored seven points in the fourth quarter. Trey Bui and Joey Childs are our sixth and seventh man, and they gave us great minutes. I really appreciated their efforts.”
The Titans, who trailed by just one at halftime, used a 20-15 third quarter burst to take the lead. Both Brett Barrett and Ben Harrison scored six points in the third quarter. Harrison’s 14 points led the Titans while Dylan Valentine had 11 and Barrett had 10 points. Kyle Moyer finished with seven points.
Souderton (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Pennridge on Friday, and Central Bucks South (1-2, 0-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Friday.
Council Rock South (58)—Connor Thompson 3 0-2 9; Alex Shahin 1 0-0 2; Dan Gries 0 2-2 2; Kyle Moyer 3 0-0 7; Ron Harrison 6 2-2 14; Jackson Braun 1 0-0 3; Brett Barrett 4 2-2 10; Dylan Valentine 5 0-0 11. Totals: 23 6-8 58.
Souderton (63)—Chanse Solone 3 2-4 9; Trey Bui 2 2-2 7; Bill Sackor 7 2-2 17; Clinton Kikonjo 5 2-2 14; Nolan Watkins 2 2-3 7; Donny Dyches 4 1-5 9. Totals: 23 11-18 63.
3-point goals: CRS-Thompson 3, Moyer, Valentine; S-Solone, Bui, Sackor, Kikonjo 2, Watkins.
Council Rock South 12 13 20 13 – 58
Souderton 16 10 15 22 – 63
Liberty Division
Upper Dublin 75, Quakertown 36
Despite opening the season with two wins to claim the Jim Church Tournament championship, Upper Dublin felt it did not start the season playing its best basketball.
In Tuesday’s Liberty Division opener against Quakertown, the Cardinals took it to the next level, dominating the visiting Panthers to the tune of 75-36.
“I’ve never coached a team that played as hard and intense and was as focused as our guys were tonight,” said Cards’ coach Derek Brooks. “It was unbelievable. I cannot be prouder.
“We went 2-0 over the weekend, but we didn’t play like everyone felt like we’re capable of playing. I thought physically we played way too timid from what we had to play in order to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”
Sparked by 8 points each from Brady Fogle and Ryan Mulroy, Upper Dublin exploded for 29 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Fogle would finish a game-high 20 points, while Mulroy and Idris Rines (3 three-pointers) each finished with 14.
“Yesterday’s practice was intense,” Brooks said. “We worked on a lot of stuff, like handling physicality because Quakertown is a big, strong team. They’re a good team, they know how to play, and they know how to use their physicality, so I just knew we had to really ramp up the intensity and prepare our guys physically.
“You could just tell – the energy was good, their focus. They knew this was a huge game. They knew Quakertown was a really good opponent, and they were literally shot out of a cannon today. It was unbelievable.”
The Cards led 48-20 at halftime, with Brandon Altman scoring all of his 8 points before the break.
For Quakertown, Miles Longacre scored 6 of his team-leading 12 points in the third quarter, while Ethan Tomlinson also chipped in with 12 points.
The undefeated Cardinals (1-0 Liberty Division, 3-0 overall) will host neighborhood rival Wissahickon at 7 pm Friday. Quakertown (0-1, 1-2) will visit Plymouth Whitemarsh at 7 pm Friday.
Quakertown (36)—Sam Wilkin 2 0-0 4; Myles Longacre 4 4-6 12; Anthony Callan 1 0-0 2; Ethan Tomlinson 3 5-6 12; Jameson Sykes 0 1-2 1; Trae McCray 1 0-0 3; Matt Thomas 0 2-2 2. Totals: 11 12-16 36.
Upper Dublin (75)—Kobe Bazemore 3 0-0 6; Brandon Altman 3 2-2 8; Brady Fogle 6 6-10 20; Ryan Mulroy 5 3-5 14; Idris Rines 4 3-5 14; Noah Cohen 0 3-4 3; Chris Kohlbrenner 2 2-2 6; James Castronuovo 1 0-0 2; Reilly McLaughlin 1 0-0 2. Totals: 25 19-28 75.
3-point goals: Q-Tomlinson, McCray; UD-Fogle 2, Mulroy, Rines 3.
Quakertown 11 9 10 6 – 36
Upper Dublin 29 17 18 11 – 75
Plymouth Whitemarsh 68, Abington 66
Jaden Colzie and Mani Sajid were lights-out in the first quarter, combining for 23 of Plymouth Whitemarsh’s 29 first-quarter points. Abington – which trailed by as many as 19 – hung tough throughout the game and began steadily narrowing the Colonials’ lead.
The Ghosts had a chance to take the lead down the stretch, but a timely defensive play and a clutch 3-pointer from Sajid kept the Colonials in front and able to eke out a 68-66 win in a thriller of a Liberty Division opener for both teams.
“We had an opportunity to take the lead,” said Abington coach Dan Marsh. “We had a big turnover down the stretch. (Sajid) came down and hit a 3 to give them a 4-point lead that sealed the deal. We scored at the buzzer, but it was too little too late.”
Colzie terrorized the Ghost defense for a game-high 29 points, with 26 coming in the first half when he buried 10 of 11 shots. His 26-point first half was the most at Abington since Norristown’s Henry Williams set the record in the 1970-71 season.
“You love that Jaden is back, a four-year starter,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “Kids in high school who are four-year stars, they tend to be able to put a team on their back and right the ship. He’s going to play with an edginess because he’s still fighting to gain respect from the college that he thinks he hasn’t gotten yet. I love that chip on his shoulder because what he did tonight was serious business. You center everything around that.”
Sajid scored 24, including 8 points in the fourth quarter.
“We had a heavyweight fight in the third quarter when they quietly cut it from 19 to 15, and then here comes the run in the fourth,” Donofrio said. “We’re trying to do this one of two ways – whatever happens in the early going, just do your best to win some games because you don’t know what you don’t know. Shoot with confidence and have a lot of fight, and that’s what it was tonight. They cut it to two, and Mani went down and made two monster shots, hit nothing but net. It’s a great confidence builder.
“That first half was just tremendous – all the right signs that you’re a team that believes and has confident enthusiasm, but you have to remind them, we’re at Abington, and we’ve had all kinds of wars. They have a ton of pride. It’s been a 60-year rivalry, and they have a way of making timely shots to win games and get back in games.”
Abington did indeed get back in the game. After facing a devastating PW offense in the first half, the Ghosts chipped away at a 19-point halftime deficit, trimming it to a 1-point lead down the stretch on a Xander Grasty steal and score.
“I was concerned how they would handle it if they got down,” Marsh said. “PW came out really fired up, really ready for the game. We got selfish on offense and defense, and it hurt us. PW made us pay for it.
“I told them at halftime, ‘Look, I don’t care how the score ends. We need to battle and fight one possession at a time and play together as a team both offensively and defensively, and they did. I was very, very proud of how hard they fought.”
Jeremiah Lee led Abington with 19 points along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Aaron Jones added 15 points for a Ghosts’ squad that saw 12 different players contribute to the scoring. Damon Rawls dished out 6 assists to go along with 4 points.
“It was just a really, really entertaining game, and a great crowd,” Marsh said. “Two pretty good teams going at it. I said to my assistant, ‘I thought they were supposed to be down this year.’ (Colzie) and (Sajid) were just unconscious for them. (Colzie) hit 3s that were NBA 3s with people in his face. It was just unbelievable.
“I told my guys, it’s not a loss unless you don’t learn from it. I think we learned from it because we had such a good second half.”
The Colonials (1-0 Liberty Division, 1-0 overall) will host Quakertown at 7 pm Friday. Abington (0-1, 2-1) will look to build off their solid second half and rebound at Hatboro-Horsham at 7 pm Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (68)—Jaden Colzie 11 4-9 29; Ben Marsico 2 0-0 6; Jack Hayes 0 0-2 0; Mani Sajid 9 2-5 24; Ehab Ahmed 0 1-2 1; Josh Harris 2 0-0 4; Jah Pendergrass-Sayles 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 25 8-20 68.
Abington (66)—Damon Rawls 0 4-5 4; Lathan Miller 1 0-0 3; Aaron Jones 7 0-0 15; Jaden Flournoy 2 1-2 6; Jeremiah Lee 5 9-12 19; Jake Manigault 0 1-2 1; Paul Glants 2 5-6 9; Kamari Brasher 0 1-2 1; Kellen Ingram 1 2-2 4; Xander Grasty 1 0-0 2; Khalid Jenkins 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 20 23-31 66.
3-point goals: PW-Colzie 4, Said 4, Marsico 2; A-Miller, Jones, Flournoy.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 29 18 11 10 – 68
Abington 15 13 18 20 – 66
Wissahickon 63, Hatboro-Horsham 42
Inconsistent play in its season-opening tournament led to Wissahickon dropping a pair of games to kick off the season. The 
Trojans found their rhythm as they began league play on Tuesday, downing Hatboro-Horsham by a 63-42 count in a Liberty Division matchup.
“It was a much-needed win,” said Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson. “We struggled with continuity and shot selection over the weekend and had two rough losses to good teams. It was nice to bounce back and get the first win of the season with this group.”
Dom Vacchiano scored 5 of the Trojans’ 9 first-quarter points, then erupted for 15 points including three 3-pointers in the second quarter to help the hosts go on a 25-9 run to pull away for a 34-17 lead at the break. Vacchiano would end with a game-high 26 points.
“Although it was a big second quarter for Dom, it was a night where many players made plays and contributed,” Wilson said. “We have a tough challenge Friday at Upper Dublin, so it was nice to get some things working on offense and defense heading into that rivalry game.”
Gabe Lassiter joined Vacchiano in double-digit scoring with 10 points for the Trojans, including 6 in the fourth quarter.
Kenny Lutz led Hatboro-Horsham with 21 points and was responsible for 8 of the Hatters’ 11 points in the third quarter.
After picking up their first win of the season, the Trojans (1-0 Liberty Division, 1-2 overall) will look to continue their winning ways when they visit local rival Upper Dublin at 7 pm Friday. Hatboro-Horsham (0-1, 1-2) will host Abington at 7 pm Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham (42)—Vaugn Craig 0 2-2 2; Brad Davis 2 2-3 6; Ryan Smith 1 2-2 4; Kenny Lutz 6 7-12 21; Shane Phillips 2 0-0 5; Jaden Thompson 1 2-2 4. Totals: 12 15-21 42.
Wissahickon (63)—Mason Stelzer 0 1-2 1; Nijel Harrison 1 2-2 5; Brayden Ryan 3 2-2 8; Nico Vacchiano 0 0-4 0; Caj Jones 1 0-0 2; Gabe Lassiter 5 0-0 10; Josh Palutis 3 0-0 7; Grant Ajemian 0 1-2 1; Ben Schwartz 0 2-2 2; Dom Vacchiano 10 2-4 26; Delmar Taliafero 0 1-2 1. Totals: 23 11-20 63
3-point goals: HH-Lutz 2, Phillips; W-Harrison, Palutis, D. Vacchiano 4.
Hatboro-Horsham 8 9 11 14 – 42
Wissahickon 9 25 7 22 – 63
Freedom Division
Upper Moreland 57, Lower Moreland 53 (OT)
There’s nothing like overcoming adversity early to set the proper tone for the season.
After jumping out to a 10-point lead at halftime, Upper Moreland saw neighborhood rival Lower Moreland chip away in the third and fourth quarters, knotting the score at 49-49 at the end of regulation after a Carl Barnette shot at the buzzer.
“Carl Barnette made a really tough shot as time was expiring to tie the game and send it to overtime,” said Upper Moreland coach Dan Heiland. “We had two guys that were right there, and he made a tough shot at a big moment, so you take a cap off to Carl for giving his team a chance to win in overtime.
“Our guys came out – they were definitely down. It was kind of deflating to see the ball go through the hoop after all the effort we put in, not only on that sequence but throughout the game. I got into them and said, it’s still our game to win. My captains – Alex Best, Colson Campbell and Jimmy Perce – really stepped up in overtime.”
The Golden Bears doubled up the Lions by an 8-4 count in the extra frame to come away with the hard-fought 57-53 victory.
Campbell and Sean Murphy each scored 13 points to lead the Bears. Anthony Carson added 10.
Barnette and John Kroll led all scorers with 14 points each. Mason Tammaro chipped in with 10 for the Lions.
“It was a big win for us,” Heiland said. “Lower Moreland brings a good group of guys back. They have a new coach in Dicky Rhoads, who’s young, he’s got energy, he’s enthusiastic – it’s what young men love to play for because to match that energy and enthusiasm is fun.
“Those guys play that style. That’s what he preaches, that’s how he coaches. It was a great game. It was really well played between both teams, the ups and downs. That’s what high school basketball is about.”
Upper Moreland (1-0 Freedom Division, 2-1 overall) will host William Tennent at 7 pm Thursday. Lower Moreland (0-1, 0-1) will host nonleague opponent Conwell Egan Catholic at 7 pm Thursday, then visit Cheltenham at 7 pm Friday.
Upper Moreland (57)—Nate Best 1 2-2 4; Alex Best 3 0-0 7; Colson Campbell 4 5-6 13; Anthony Carson 3 2-4 10; Jimmy Perce 2 0-0 6; Sean Murphy 5 2-2 13; Larry Hughes 2 0-2 4. Totals: 20 11-16 57.
Lower Moreland (53)—Carl Barnette 5 1-2 14; Mason Tammaro 5 1-1 11; Kevin Hegedus 2 0-0 6; John Kroll 5 2-2 14; Nate Fellah 3 2-3 8. Totals: 20 6-8 53.
3-point goals: UM-Carson 2, Perce 2, A. Best, Murphy; LM- Barnette 3, Hegedus 2, Kroll 2.
Upper Moreland 12 14 11 12 8 – 57
Lower Moreland 8 8 16 17 4 – 53
William Tennent 83, Springfield Twp 53
Kirby Mooney had himself a career night.
The Panthers’ sharpshooter erupted for a program record 40 points in a dazzling offensive performance. He connected on 16-of-20 shots from the floor with his only misses coming from beyond the arc where he was 6-for-10.
Behind Mooney’s hot hand, the visiting Panthers raced out of the gate to a 51-26 halftime lead.
Chris D’Ambra added 14 points – including four 3s – for the Panthers, who buried 16 3-pointers in the game. Mooney and Imad Abunima had eight rebounds each. Mooney, D’Ambra and Abunima each contributed three assists.
For the Spartans, Bob Hartman led the way with 18 points while Brandon Thompson added 12. Aiden Hood finished with nine points.
William Tennent (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland for a 7 pm Thursday game, while Springfield Twp (0-3, 0-1) hosts New Hope-Solebury at 7 pm Friday.
William Tennent (83)—Kirby Mooney 16 2-2 40, Chris D’Ambra 4 2-2 14, Sean Devine 1 0-0 2, Luke Torok 2 0-1 5, Imad Abunima 3 1-4 9, Matt Wiegner 1 0-0 3, Kishan Patel 1 0-0 2, Ryan Bula 1 0-0 3, Jayden Bright 0 2-2 2, Tony Pople 1 0-0 3, Sulpizio 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 30 8-13 83.
Springfield Twp (53)—Spearman 1 1-1 3, Bob Hartman 6 5-6 18, Aiden Hood 3 2-2 9, Brandon Thompson 5 2-4 12, Will McLaughlin 1 0-0 2, Will Cooney 1 0-0 3, Hunter Davis 1 0-0 2, Chase Murphy 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 20 10-13 53.
3-point goals: SHS Hartman, Hood, Cooney; WT Mooney (6), D’Ambra (4), Torok, Abunima (2), Wiegner, Bula, Pople
William Tennent 24 27 17 15 – 83
Springfield Twp 15 11 18 9 – 53
Cheltenham 73, New Hope-Solebury 27
Six different players scored in a 25-point first quarter, and nine players contributed to the scoring overall, as Cheltenham rolled to a dominating 73-27 victory over New Hope-Solebury in Tuesday’s Freedom Division opener.
Chris Harmon led all scorers with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Mark Hill added 17 (9 in the fourth quarter) with a trio of treys. On the defensive end, the Panthers held New Hope-Solebury scoreless in the third quarter.
Liam Ross led the Lions with 10 points.
The Panthers improve to 1-0 in the Freedom Division, 2-1 overall, and will host Lower Moreland at 7 pm Friday. The Spartans (0-2, 0-4) will host New Hope-Solebury at 7 pm Friday/
Cheltenham (73)—Kamal Mason 1 0-0 2; Mark Hill 6 2-4 17; Aiden Worley 0 0-2 0; Korey Wyatt 1 0-0 2; C Harmon 7 0-0 18; Osei Johnson 1 2-2 5; Salim Kelly 3 1-2 8; Asante Johnson 3 1-3 8; Jabril Blackledge 4 0-0 8; Chris Jones 0 1-2 1; Peyton McClendon 2 0-0 4. Totals: 28 7-15 73.
New Hope-Solebury (27)—Heath Miller 2 0-0 5; Rocco Massimino 1 0-2 3; Jonathan Gormley 2 0-0 5; John Whelan 1 0-0 3; Nicholas Rieder 0 1-2 1; Liam Ross 5 0-1 10. Totals: 11 1-5 27.
3-point goals: C-Hill 3, Harmon 4, O Johnson, Kelly, A Johnson; NHS-Miller, Massimino, Hormley, Whelan.
Cheltenham 25 18 20 10 – 73
New Hope-Solebury 9 0 7 11 – 27
About the Author
