Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Thursday. CR South/Neshaminy photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f716903222 (Kirby Mooney photos provided by William Tennent basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 43, NESHAMINY 33
The Golden Hawks trailed 15-14 at halftime but seized control of the game in the second half, outscoring the Redskins 12-2 in the third quarter and 29-18 in the half to earn the league win.
“We were able to really lock in defensively, which was the key for us tonight,” Rock South coach Andrew Rogers said. “That’s been a big focus for us as a team. I think if we can really defend, we’re going to give ourselves an opportunity every night out, so we really defended in that third quarter into the fourth and were able to garner a little bit of a lead going into the fourth and then from there – just making sure we were playing smart basketball down the stretch as much as possible.”
In the pivotal third quarter, Ryan Wekluk was the offensive catalyst, scoring all nine of his points in the frame.
“He did a great job,” Rogers said. “He’s someone who does a little bit of everything for us, so starting that third quarter – having him be aggressive and seeing a few go in, I think really super charged them. He was huge for us tonight, not only there but on the defensive end. He did a great job talking and really crashed the boards, which helped a lot.”
The fourth quarter belonged to Timmy Rahill, who scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the frame. Included in those 11 points was a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the foul line.
“Timmy did a great job,” Rogers said. “He’s doing a really good job right now. He has to work for a lot of his baskets because teams are going to be face guarding him and doing a lot of things.
“He’s doing a good job of being aggressive but also letting it come to him. You could see that in the
second half, and that was huge for us as well. He stepped to the line and knocked down foul shots, which was huge.”
Also for the Golden Hawks, Jordan Getz scored nine points – seven in the first half to keep his team close.
“Jordan Getz played very well tonight, handling the ball,” Rogers said. “He had nine points and was able to super charge us, especially in the first half when we were stagnant offensively.
“We played 10 guys, and everybody gave us a lift. We’re definitely deep this year, so it could be a different guy every night. We keep preaching that to our guys, and these guys have been great. We’ve been getting better, and that’s been our focus – be a little better week to week, one game at a time.”
Neshaminy was led by the seven-point effort of Nate Townsend. Max Currie added six points.
“Neshaminy is very good – I really respect those guys, and coach (Mark) Tingle does a terrific job with his guys,” Rogers said. “We knew we were going to be in for a fight.”
Council Rock South (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Tuesday, and Neshaminy (1-3, 0-2) will host Norristown in a non-league game Friday.
Neshaminy 6-9-2-16 33
Council Rock South 7-7-12-17 43
Neshaminy (33) – Dominic Ciallella 1 0-0 3; Gavin Meehan 1 0-2 2; Emeer Coombs 1 2-2 4; Max Currie 3 0-0 6; Jason Gilardi 1 0-0 2; Jason Leiva 0 4-4 4; Guy Horton 0 1-2 1; Logan Gale 0 4-4 4; Nate Townsend 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 10 12-16 33.
Council Rock South (43) – Jordan Getz 3 3-6 9; Ryan Wekluk 4 0-3 9; Mike Burns 2 0-0 4; Gabe Cerulli 0 2-4 2; Timmy Rahill 5 4-4 17; MJ Thompson 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 15 9-17 43.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Dominic Ciallella; CRS – Ryan Wekluk, Timmy Rahill 3.
PENNSBURY 39, HARRY S TRUMAN 31
The Falcons won a hard-fought contest with the visiting Tigers. The two teams battled to a 9-9 tie after one quarter, and the Falcons – thanks to a 12-7 second quarter – took a 21-16 lead into halftime. They outscored their visitors 18-15 in the second half.
“Credit to Truman and coach (Randolph) Jackson – they played excellent, and we were not very good in any capacity,” Pennsbury coach Wes Emme said. “Aaron Nathan was very effective protecting the rim for them and getting to his spots in the first half particularly.
“We had 18 turnovers and shot poorly – not a method for success.”
Simon Dlugi led the Falcons with a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Connor Taddei had 10 points and six rebounds, and Teddy Mangan added eight points to the balanced Falcons’ attack. Danny Cohen had six rebounds.
“I thought Simon Dlugi played very aggressive, creating energy,” Emme said. “Connor Taddei continued his tough play on the backboards and making shots.”
For the Tigers, Nathan’s 14 points led the way.
Pennsbury (4-0, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (0-4, 0-2) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 9-7-6-9 31
Pennsbury 9-12-7-11 39
Harry S Truman (31) – Tre Winton 4 0-0 10; Jaden Luchansky 1 0-0 2; Davae Vaughn 1 0-0 2; Aaron Nathan 5 4-4 14; Stephen Thomas 1 0-0 2; Shaq Chapman 0 1-4 1; TOTALS 12 5-8 31.
Pennsbury (39) – Teddy Mangan 2 3-3 8; Danny Cohen 2 0-0 5; Connor Taddei 4 0-0 10; Grayson Gozum 2 0-0 5; Simon Dlugi 5 1-2 11; TOTALS 15 4-5 39.
3-point goals: HST – Tre Winton 2, Pennsbury – Connor Taddei 2, Teddy Mangan, Danny Cohen, Grayson Gozum.
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 47, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 45
It was the story of two halves.
West – which opened up a 24-16 halftime lead – controlled play in the opening half, and North Penn had the better of play in the second half, outscoring the Bucks 31-23.
Listening to North Penn coach John Conrad tell it, the difference in the two halves was quite simple.
“Honestly, I got out of their way, and I let them kind of do ‘them’ – I just got in their way in the first half,” the Knights’ coach said. “I called too many defenses and called too much stuff offensively. At halftime, my seniors said, ‘Coach, can we just play man, get up and down?’ And that’s what we were able to do in the second half.
“They just dug in and played great defense which led to some baskets at the other end. Give them all the credit. We were able to get some stops and some runouts. It just allowed our kids to play at a pace they’re more comfortable with and play with a little more confidence. That’s a lesson for me.”
The Bucks, who led 11-9 after one quarter, outscored the Knights 13-7 in the second to go into halftime with an eight-point advantage. Roman Kulesa had the hot hand for the Bucks, scoring seven points in the second quarter and 10 in the half.
In the third quarter, the Knights trimmed four points off West’s lead to make it a 34-30 game heading into the final frame. Ahmaar Godhania’s seven points led the Knights in the quarter, and he added eight points – including a pair of 3s – in a 17-point fourth quarter. Tre Simpson also came up big in the fourth quarter, burying 3 of 5 from the foul line and scoring nine points.
“We were able to get some penetration and pitch and play inside out, and (Godhania) knocked down some shots,” Conrad said. “Tre Simpson had a great second half. He really played well, finished around the rim. I thought we played unselfish.
“We did a better job of attacking their matchup because that was giving us fits in the first half.”
Godhania’s 20 points led all scorers while Simpson had 13 points, and Gabe Altemus added nine points.
“As always, Lee Hammond did a really good job,” Conrad said. “He played (Matt) Engle and picked him up fullcourt, and I think took him out of his rhythm.
“I thought Gabe Altemus really rebounded and was able to alter some shots in the post. Those two guys did a great job defensively.”
For the Bucks, Kulesa’s 16 points led the way. Julian Phillips added 12 points, which included a pair of 3s.
North Penn (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Central Bucks West (2-2, 0-2) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 11-13-10-11 45
North Penn 9-7-14-17 47
Central Bucks West (45) – Matt Engle 1 2-2 4; Bowen Gugger 2 0-0 4; Roman Kulesa 6 3-3 16; Sam Jankowski 1 2-4 4; Aiden Kimberly 1 0-0 3; Julian Phillips 5 0-0 12; Dan Gallagher 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 7-9 45.
North Penn (47) – Ahmaar Godhania 8 0-2 20; Lee Hammond 1 0-0 3; Corey meade 1 0-2 2; Gabe Altemus 3 1-2 9; Tre Simpson 4 5-7 13; TOTALS 17 6-11 47.
3-point field goals: CBW – Julian Phillips 2, Aiden Kimberly, Roman Kulesa; NP – Ahmaar Godhania 4,Gabe Altemus 2, Lee Hammond.
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 77, WILLIAM TENNENT 59
The Panthers came into Thursday’s game averaging 78 points a game through the first three contests, but it was the Golden Bears who came out of the gate on fire, putting 43 points on the board and taking an 11-point lead into halftime. They didn’t slow down a whole lot in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 34-27 to earn the important win over the defending Freedom Division champions.
“They still put up 59 points, which is a lot, in my opinion,” UM coach Dan Heiland said. “We try to hold teams under 50 points. We didn’t achieve that, but they’ve been scoring in bunches.
“They have really good talent over there in Kirby Mooney, Chris D’Ambra. They have two really good scorers. We tried to hold them in check as best we could. We did a nice job in spells. Overall, we were able to limit those guys and other contributors from Tennent not so much. We were fortunate to get some shots to not fall for them, rebounded and limited their second-chance opportunities.”
The Golden Bears led 22-14 after one quarter and took a 43-32 lead into halftime.
“The first half was huge, scoring 43 points,” Heiland said. “We were able to get the ball up and down, we executed our offense the best we have all year. I think the biggest thing is – we continue to preach – making the next pass, making one more pass, having confidence in your teammates, and tonight showed that guys could step up in moments and knock down shots when they had the opportunities.
“Colson Campbell had 18 of his 22 in the first half, so he had a huge first half for us. Sean Murphy had a huge first half – I think he scored 14 of his 23, and having other guys contribute in moments, knocking down shots, making layups and free throws and just contributing the entire night to really finish it out.”
While Campbell and Murphy combined for 45 points, they weren’t the only contributors. Alex Best (14 points) and Brayden Martin (10 points) also finished in double figures.
“Nate Best only had two points – he had a layup late in the game,” Heiland said. “They had pressure, they got confused, and he just went right to the hole and laid it in. He read it perfectly. He played tough defense on Chris D’Ambra at times. He scored, but he was working for his points.
“Alex Best got us into our sets, setting us up so we could get in our halfcourt sets and run plays, making sure guys were in the right spots, being patient and taking what they gave to us.
“Javier Velez didn’t score a bunch tonight, but he played tough defense in spells against Kirby Mooney. He scored points, but he was working for everything. Hats off to those guys (D’Ambra and Mooney) for scoring 20-plus points, but they were hard-earned points and they had to fight for every one of them, which makes me happy as a coach knowing if guys are going to score they’re going to be challenged the whole time.”
Mooney’s 24 points led the Panthers, and he reached the 1,000-point plateau when he buried a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter.
“It was nice to allow him to celebrate that,” Heiland said. “Even at our school, as a coach, you appreciate his ability and his accomplishment. That’s a heck of an accomplishment for any young high school athlete. He still has a lot more left in him, I’m sure.”
Also for the Panthers, D’Ambra added 22 points, and Imad Abunima had eight.
Upper Moreland (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Harriton for a non-league game Saturday at 3:30 p.m., and William Tennent (2-2, 1-1) will host Cheltenham on Tuesday.
William Tennent 14-18-16-11 59
Upper Moreland 22-21-16-18 77
William Tennent (59) – Kirby Mooney 8 6-7 24; Chris D’Ambra 9 2-2 22; Sean Devine 1 0-0 2; Imad Abunima 3 0-0 8; Tony Pople 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 22 8-9 59.
Upper Moreland (77) – Javier Velez 0 2-2 2; Nate Best 1 0-0 2; Alex Best 5-4-5 14; Colson Campbell 8 3-3 22; Anthony Carson 2 0-0 4; Sean Murphy 10 1-2 23; Brayden Martin 4 0-0 10; TOTALS 30 10-12 77.
3-point goals: WT – Kirby Mooney 2, Chris D’Ambra 2, Imad Abunima 2, Tony Pople; UM – Colson Campbell 3, Sean Murphy 2, Brayden Martin 2.
Historic night for Kirby Mooney
The outcome may not have been what the Panthers had hoped for, but Kirby Mooney gave the Panther faithful plenty to cheer about when – in the fourth quarter – he
buried a 3-pointer that vaulted him over the elusive 1,000-point plateau. He is the program’s first to reach that milestone since Frank Moultrie accomplished that feat in 2002.
“The great part of his accomplishment – you need to stay healthy, you need things to not go wrong for you,” Tennent coach Robert Mulville said. “Jack Rauchet was pretty close – he was about 100 points shy, but he got injured going from his sophomore into his junior year.
“John Ryan was about 100 points shy, and he was injured in football going from his junior to his senior year where he was only allowed to play one quarter. Matt Alden was about 60 points short – he didn’t miss games, but he had a nagging ankle injury.
“Derrik Cosenza definitely would have gotten it had it not been for COVID. He ended up 40 points shy, and we only played 16 games his senior year.”
Mooney – on the heels of a dazzling 40-point effort in Tuesday’s win over Springfield Twp – entered Thursday’s game at Upper Moreland needing 20 points to reach a thousand.
“I’m real happy for him,” Mulville said. “I’m superstitious, and I really didn’t want to talk to him about it. We all knew it was going to happen.
“Going into Upper Moreland and needing 20 isn’t a given. (Colson) Campbell can defend, (Alex) Best can defend. They got a big kid in the middle. You don’t want to be presumptuous. Even though he’s averaging more than 20, he’s still going to have to work for it.
“He had a really good first half – he had 15 points in the first half and then he came out and scored a bucket right away and got to 17 pretty early in the third quarter. He had almost what was a three-point play, but the bucket didn’t go. He made both foul shots and was at 999 for what seemed forever. It stretched into the fourth quarter when he knocked down the three that put him over.”
Mooney accomplished this feat in basically two years. He saw varsity action as a freshman but only scored 12 points and reached the milestone in the Panthers fourth game of the season.
“The growth that he had from freshman to sophomore year was really, really incredible,” Mulville said. “I think he averaged 17 a game sophomore year, and to make another jump like that into his junior year – he averaged 23 a game last year, and right now he’s averaging 28.
“He’s done the things he’s needed to do to improve his game. He’s gotten stronger, he’s improved his jump shot. The thing is – he’s so efficient. You would think he’d shoot a ton, but he really doesn’t. He might not have led the team in shots attempted last year, and I’m pretty sure he’s not leading the team this year.
“He’s been solid as a cornerstone for us over the past three years. We had a pretty good sophomore year and went 9-13, and to make that improvement last year (the Panthers were 16-8 and won the SOL Freedom Division) – I think a lot of that rode on his shoulders for scoring with some help from George Marion last year. He does so much for us. When you talk about guys that really try to improve the program overall, he’s shown that over the last couple years and really elevated us to making the playoffs last year and winning the league. There was a great team chemistry last year, but that scoring load had to fall on someone. He was able to step up and do it last year, and he’s doing it this year too.”
Pictured from left, Kip Mooney, Kevin Mooney, assistant coach Nick Mackell, Kirby, former assistant Ray Horn, Carolyn Mooney and Casey Mooney.
Non-league
LOWER MORELAND 52, CONWELL-EGAN 51
Conwell-Egan took a one-point lead with 35 seconds remaining, and it looked as though the Eagles might escape with the win, but with the final seconds ticking off the scoreboard clock, Lower Moreland’s Kevin Hegedus scored a bucket in close for the game-winner in Thursday’s non-league thriller.
“We called a timeout, we drew up a play, we tried to put the ball in the hands of our two best players – (John) Kroll and Kevin Hegedus,” LM coach Dicky Rhoads said of the game’s final sequence. “It was the players having a feel for the game, scrambling a little bit. We swung it around and eventually got it down to Kevin Hegedus in the block, and he made a great layup.
“We manned up, and they had a halfcourt heave that honestly almost went in. We got lucky it didn’t. It was a crazy finish, and it was a lot of fun, a lot of excitement.”
The Lions actually had a one-point lead with less than a minute remaining but turned the ball over, and the Eagles capitalized.
As first wins go, this was a good one for the Lions’ first-year coach and his players, who were coming off a disappointing overtime loss to neighboring rival Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
“This (win) was huge,” Rhoads said. “They’ve been working hard. Since I got the job in the middle of October, we’ve been in the gym, and they know how hard they have to work every day.
“We don’t play many people – we play about five or six, and they’ve just been busting their butt every single day in the gym. We came off a heartbreaker on Tuesday when we thought we should have won, and we could have won that game. Coming into this game tonight – we know how important every single game is. I told them yesterday – every game is important for district purposes. That’s our goal this year – to make districts and make a run in there.
“Coming in there, we believed we could win. We have that mentality every night that we’re not afraid of whoever walks in the gym. We’re ready to play. They just play for each other every possession.”
The Lions – who found themselves on the short end of a 25-21 halftime score – trailed by nine with 1:40 remaining in the third quarter.
“I called a timeout, and even in that huddle, I had no feeling that we were in trouble in this game,” Rhoads said. “They picked each other up, they knew they had a battle on their hands. They went out and cut the lead to four by the end of the third (44-40), and we just went out and battled in the fourth just like we did on Tuesday.
“These kids just play for each other, and that’s all we ask of them. They work hard every single day of practice, and they deserved this, for sure. I was very proud of them.”
Hegedus played a key role in the Lions’ comeback, scoring 17 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. He had a pair of 3s and 10 points in the third quarter while teammate Nathan Fellah had six. In the fourth quarter, Hegedus had seven points, and Kroll added five. Both had a 3-pointer in the quarter.
Fellah finished with 16 points and Carl Barnette added 10 points, but according to Rhoads, this was a team effort.
“John Kroll is our point guard – he handles the ball the entire game, and he had zero turnovers tonight,” the Lions’ coach said. “Nate Fellah – a sophomore – had 16 points, and he kept us in the game in the second half.
“Mason (Tammaro), Carl (Barnette) and Kevin (Hegedus) – they’re smart, they make the right decisions, and they keep picking each other up. Whenever we need the right play – Carl made some great decisions tonight, Kevin hit big 3s, and Mason is our guy – if we’re down, he’s there picking the team up, telling them – this is our game, don’t lose faith, just keep playing for each other. All five of them busted their butt.
“We play five, maybe six guys, but everyone on that bench has a role, and the energy in the game starts from the bench. In the second half, the defense changed. The energy is always coming from them and then it translates onto the court. From one to 13, everyone has a role in the game, and everyone is buying in day by day. We’ll keep building off it, but them coming together – it’s fun to watch, it’s fun to coach, it’s a great group of kids.”
Conwell-Egan was led by the 13-point effort of Morris Ivery.
Lower Moreland (1-1, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham on Friday.
Conwell-Egan 11-14-19-7 51
Lower Moreland 13-8-19-12 52
Conwell-Egan (51) – Jared Velez 3 1-2 9; Aiden Mondragon 1 0-0 3; Morris Ivery 5 1-1 13; Sebastian Khan 5 0-1 10; Franz Fabian 2 0-0 6; Antwone George 2 0-0 4; Johnson 1 0-0 2; Bob 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 21 2-4 51.
Lower Moreland (52) – Carl Barnette 4 1-1 10; Kevin Hegedus 7 4-6 21; John Kroll 2 0-0 5; Nate Fellah 7 2-2 16; TOTALS 20 7-9 52.
3-point goals: CEC – Jared Valez 2, Morris Ivery 2, Franz Fabian 2, Aiden Mondragon; LM – Kevin Hegedus 3, Carl Barnette, John Kroll.
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