Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Saturday. Bensalem/Northeast & Pennsbury/Dobbins photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for galleries. (UD team photos courtesy of Andrew Robinson @ADRobinson3 X) CLICK HERE to view Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
Kobe Bryant Classic
Plymouth Whitemarsh 72, Neumann-Goretti 64
If there’s a marquee game on the Colonials’ schedule, it’s usually a safe bet that Mani Sajid is going to be up for it.
The question PW needed to answer was whether his teammates would be willing to answer the call in the same manner and give the standout junior the help he’d need. Neumann-Goretti, one of the winningest programs in PA basketball history, was just the right team to ask that question of the Colonials.
Sajid showed up and so did his teammates, helping PW pick up an impressive early season victory.
“We ended up going into the fourth quarter up two or three, and we ended up getting it to between six and eight and we controlled the entire fourth quarter,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “We were 20-for-26 from the foul line – just the focus in two days is really, really impressive. Mani is special, but the biggest thing was – is Mani going to show faith in his teammates in the summertime, and are the teammates going to raise their game, so it doesn’t just have to be the Mani show, and tonight you had four guys in double figures against Goretti, so that’s a really big stepping stone.”
Sajid poured in a game-high 28 points.
“He lives for those showcase moments. That’s what great players do, and he was absurdly good for the night,” Donofrio said. “We worked on him getting muscled and people trying to bully him, so for two days, we did a whole lot of ideas for him and our other guards preparing for Goretti just for screening and cutting better and stronger and tougher.”
Players of the Game: Mani Sajid scored 28 points and Jack Hayes added 12 while navigating the Saints’ pressure defense.
PW coach Jim Donofrio on the game: “Wednesday night, we go up to Methacton – a little bit too much emotion. A new experience for a lot of guys. As much as teams are predicted by all the prognosticators that you’re going to have a great year; all coaches know that the reality is sometimes different at the beginning than the prediction. After Wednesday night, I thought we had about 246 things to work on, which is really hard to do in two days, but with this type of game, those showcase type events in Philadelphia against a Catholic League power – that brings its own focus and energy.
“So you have a feeling it’s going to be a little more of a straight up game, man-to-man, serious pressure. Goretti, I think, is always one of the best defensive teams consistently anywhere. They bring great quickness and positioning. They’re a multiple time state championship program. They’ve got a lot of pride. You know what’s coming. I was very, very worried. Basically, they’re going to raise the pressure in the game if we’re winning, and can we handle that moment?”
Strong start: “We get out in front 10-0 and 18-6. The size – Michael Pereira at 6-foot-9 and Micah Thompson at 6-foot-6 – Neumann-Goretti had a challenge handling all the size, they’re guard oriented this year with one big. Our best lineup right now is probably the biggest lineup we have, so you have two choices: Either you adjust to the opponent or make them adjust to you. When you’re confident with your team – this year, we’re going to make you adjust to us even if we don’t match up. So, it started out and in the first 30 seconds, I could tell Michael Pereira was going to be a problem for them in some way.”
Saints’ response: “We were up double digits. We let them come back in the game simply due to great pressure, and we panicked. We looked like a nice middle school team all of a sudden. At halftime you have a decision to make, are we a team that has something to prove? Or do you just want to come to these events and then quietly let the highly respected, high level athletic teams beat you? Do you want to put in a good effort and lose the game simply because you panicked? Either fear is an illusion or you’re going to lose the game by 15 and say what could have been. We worked too hard – we have no interest in that.”
PW answering the pressure: “Jack Hayes made an adjustment at halftime and handled their heat and their traps. Caleb Bridgeman was absolutely terrific. It was one of those really good grow-up games because we’re up by 10 or 15, you know it’s not going to hold – we never lost the lead the entire game. That is a major statement this early to bounce back that fast in two days and asset and show that much poise against that type of traditional power defense.”
Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-0) will travel to Quakertown for its SOL opener Friday.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 19 19 17 17 – 72
NEUMANN-GORETTI 13 15 10 16 – 64
PW: Jack Hayes 3 4-6 12, Mani Sajid 7 8-11 28, Michael Periera 5 2-3 12, Caleb Bridgeman 6 2-2 14, Terron Davis 1 0-0 2, Buddy Denard 0 4-4 4. Totals: 22 20-26 72
NG: K Colson 7 0-0 19, Long-Mtume 1 0-0 2, A Ndiaye 3 2-2 8, Stephon Ashley-Wright 6 4-4 17, D Yates 5 2-2 15, EJ Stanton 1 0-0 3. Totals: 23 8-8 64
Jim Church Classic
Upper Dublin 59, Souderton 42
As he was crafting Upper Dublin’s schedule this year, coach Derek Brooks was looking for ways to test his team.
After playing four games in eight days to open the season, it’s fair to say the Cardinals have seen a lot. Lower Merion, La Salle, Downingtown West and Saturday’s matchup with host Souderton in the Jim Church Classic all provided different tests.
Saturday, UD was able to use its size and strength to combat an Indians team that caused all kinds of havoc in its first two games.
“We wanted to have a tough schedule, you want to go 4-0 but 3-1 is a good start,” Brooks said. “Totally different styles, Souderton is a bit of a smaller team, we played a bigger team in Downingtown West (Friday) night, La Salle who is super-physical, and Lower Merion who is super-fast. Pretty happy, but we still have some stuff we need to build on.”
Players of the Game: Ryan Mulroy had 18 points to lead Upper Dublin
Key Stretches: Upper Dublin used an 8-0 run in the first quarter to take a 16-7 lead and a 9-2 run early in the fourth to take control.
UD coach Derek Brooks on the game: “(Souderton) has got skill, they can shoot, they’ve got some guys who can make plays off the dribble. I thought we had a physical strength advantage, so we wanted to try and use that. I thought we were a little sluggish the first couple possessions, then locked in the rest of the game.”
Defending Souderton: “We rebounded really well. They always do a great job while running some really complicated sets, so I was happy with how we defended. (Chanse Salone) is a talented player, his first game, he had 11 assists, and he can score. Kobe (Bazemore) loves to take out the opposing team’s best player, and it’s nice as a coach to be able to have that, so we said make him work for everything today, and Kobe definitely did that. Reilly McLaughlin also did a good job as well.”
Scoring against the zone: “That’s a newer zone that’s making its way into high school, it’s a good zone and they do a good job with it. There are small windows you can take advantage, but you really have to hit the middle when you can and if you wait, it’s going to get deflected. We had some passes deflected but for the most part did a good job hitting it then making a play off that.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (3-1) will host Cheltenham Tuesday, and Souderton (2-1) will travel to Lansdale Catholic for a non-league game Tuesday.
UPPER DUBLIN 20 10 14 15 – 59
SOUDERTON 14 6 13 9 – 42
UD: Kobe Bazemore 2 0-0 6, James Ragsdale 4 1-1 9, Ryan Mulroy 8 2-2 18, Noah Cohen 1 0-0 3, Idris Rines 2 2-2 7, Reilly McLaughlin 1 4-4 6, Brandon Altman 2 0-0 5, Horace Jackson IV 1 0-0 2, James Castronuovo 0 3-4 3. Totals: 21 12-13 59
S: Chanse Salone 5 2-4 15, Nolan Watkins 1 0-2 2, Nate Rusike 4 1-2 10, Thaddeus Harter 5 0-0 13, Trey Bui 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 3-8 42
Bensalem Tournament
Bensalem 54, Northeast 52
Less than 24 hours after a grueling double-overtime win against Dobbins Tech, the Owls found themselves in another nail-biter against another team out of the Public League.
Northeast, a team that’s steadily improved each of the last three years in the Pub, held a narrow lead late in the fourth quarter prior to a dramatic finish. Amir Drummond, Friday night’s hero, split a pair of free throws to tie the game before Aidan Mayfield quite literally took the game in his hands.
“Amir comes down, gets fouled, makes the first to tie the game, misses the second. They get the rebound, and Aiden Mayfield rips it out of the kid’s hands, puts it back, and now we’re up two,” Owls ‘coach Ron Morris said.
Bensalem needed one more stop and got it.
“Their kid Bobby Perry is a really good player, really quick. He comes down, Aidan played great defense on him. He passed the ball, Chris Kelly had a great closeout, the kid has a ball fake, takes a dribble, foot on the line, shoots it and misses at the buzzer,” Morris said. “If Chris Kelly didn’t close out the way he did, the kid would have had an open shot. Chris Shelly is someone who doesn’t always play a lot of minutes. He gave us great quality minutes all night tonight when he was in there.”
Players of the Game: Amir Drummond led Bensalem with 24 points. Aidan Mayfield had seven points including the winning basket.
Owls’ coach Ron Morris on the win: “This is the kind of group we have. We’re battling right now, trying to figure things out and get the experience we need at the same time on the fly. This is one of the most resilient groups we’ve had. That’s one thing we pride ourselves on – never giving up and playing hard, and we’re doing that. Even in times of adversity – we had a lot of guys in foul trouble tonight, and everyone else had the next man up mentality and stepped up, played their part. Amir (Drummond) was great offensively. They couldn’t stay in front of him. Other guys made some shots.”
Finding a way late in the game: “In the fourth quarter when it mattered, we did have some crucial turnovers, but that comes with the inexperience. We’re happy as a staff – when we make these mistakes and we learn from them and we’re still able to win the game, I think that says a lot about the character of the team. We’re super excited. I love being in the fox hole with this group. They just battle to the end.”
Takeaways: “We just battle, we just grind away, we find a way to win. A win is a win. We would definitely like it if it was a little easier on the coaching
staff, but we play exciting basketball. Our mentality is – play the best defense possible, and the offense will click. Offense is always the last thing to click, but we’re moving the ball, we’re getting good looks, and they’re going to fall. Our offense is going to get better and better as we go, but our defense was there for back-to-back days. When you play back-to-back, it’s difficult on your bodies, especially when you go to overtime the night before, but this is a resilient group that just keeps grinding it out and playing hard, and we got a stop when we needed it most. We were up two with 14 seconds left, they came down – we got a stop and a rebound, and we won the game.”
Up next: Bensalem (2-0) will travel to Holy Ghost Prep for a non-league game Tuesday.
BENSALEM 19 13 15 7 – 54
NORTHEAST 13 10 13 16 – 52
B: Jahmir Chatman 2 0-0 2, Aidan Mayfield 3 1-3 7, Christian Lee 3 0-0 7, Amir Drummond 7 10-13 24, Dymaire Johnson 1 1-1 3, Michael Kramer 1 1-2 3, Kobe King 1 0-0 2, Trevor Morris 1 0-0 2, Jacob Eberhart 1 2-2 4. Totals 20 15-21 54
N: EJ Parilla 1 1-2 4, Tahir Williams 1 4-6 7, Bobby perry 6 3-6 15, Makai Autry 2 1-2 5, James Walker 1 0-0 3, Sharif Wallace 3 0-2 6, Jonathan Miller 5 2-3 12, Mark Jean 0 0-1 0. Totals 19 11-22 52
Dobbins Tech 55, Pennsbury 41
A physical Dobbins Tech team gave the Falcons issues on both ends of the court on Saturday.
The Mustangs willed their way to the foul line over and over and reaped the benefits while Pennsbury found itself stepping behind the three-point line over and over and didn’t come away with enough makes from long
range.
Players of the Game: Jarrell Little led Dobbins Tech with 24 points. Mike Roccograndi led Pennsbury with 19 points.
Key Stat: Free throws. The Mustangs went to the line 26 times while the Falcons took just five foul shots.
Pennsbury coach Wes Emme on the game: “It was a battle. They kind of jumped on us a little bit in the first quarter. We had a plan defensively, and sometimes, as a coach, your plan isn’t as effective as you want it to be. We kind of scrapped it and adjusted. It was back and forth the first half. We made a run in the third quarter.
Free throw margin: “The story of the game was they shot 26 free throws, we shot five. We shot 6-of-31 from three, and we only attempted 14 2-point field goals. That’s poor coaching on my part. I’ve got to get that process corrected. We want that reversed. We want 31 2-point field goal attempts and 14 3-point field goal attempts. Doing that was out of the necessity of the game. At the end of the game, we’re trying to come back.”
Takeaways: “Dobbins is tough. They had a double-overtime game last night. They’re going to be really tough in the Philadelphia Public League. Hopefully, down the line, this kind of game allows us to identify that’s just not how we’re going to win. They were really physical on the backboards. I don’t think it was for lack of effort, but we gave up a lot of possessions that we simply couldn’t make up because we were not making shots.”
Up next: Pennsbury (1-1) will host Central Bucks East in a non-league game Tuesday.
DOBBINS TECH 16 13 12 14 – 55
PENNSBURY 11 12 8 10 – 41
D: Jarrell Little 8 5-8 24, Malakhi Baldwin 0 2-2 2, Khaleef Agbemehia 3 3-4 9, Hanif Davis 3 4-4 11, Hasan Laws 0 5-8 5, Tylee Richardson 2 0-0 4. Totals: 16 19-26 55
P: Mike Roccograndi 8 0-0 19, Connor Tyrrel 1 0-0 2, Grayson Gozum 1 0-0 2, Masyn Young 1 0-0 2, Pat Jajua 4 1-1 11, Max Manga 1 2-4 4. Totals: 16 3-5 41
Pennridge Tournament
Central Bucks East 68, Lansdale Catholic 58
Trailing by a bucket late in regulation, Keegan Marascio put his head down and went for it.
The fact he hadn’t yet scored didn’t seem to be a deterrent, and his drive was rewarded with a whistle and a chance to knot things at the line. Marascio knocked down both foul shots, the Patriots survived a frantic final few seconds then controlled the overtime to make it two wins in two tries at Pennridge’s season-opening tournament.
Key Stretch: East hit the overtime rolling, taking the lead on a three and never looking back.
Players of the Game: Nolan Behm scored 23 points, with eight of them coming in overtime including the go-ahead three.
CB East coach Erik Henrysen on the game: “We tied it on a Keegan Marascio drive – he drove, got fouled, didn’t make the basket, but he made both foul shots. That was with about a little bit under a minute left. Then it was back and forth – we got a stop and had a chance for a last shot, but we turned it over. Then they turned it over – all within probably 10 seconds. We had an out of bounds, then they had an out of bounds. Ultimately, we went to overtime.”
Overtime: “We finally settled in defensively, and we caused a couple of turnovers and got out to a quick start. Nolan Behm was fantastic in overtime. He had eight of our 13 points. He got us going with an early 3 to give us the lead for good. We stretched it to 9 or 10 before they scored. We’re not having a ton of difficulty scoring. Right now, our concentration and focus has to be on the defensive end.”
Props: “I thought AJ Molnar, Connor Mekanik and Graham Smith were really good. They’ve been playing very well together. Tonight, Shane O’Hara Jamison didn’t do his typical scoring, but going into the fourth, he stepped up defensively and caused a little bit of havoc, so we’re happy with the win. We’re just happy seeing the guys show that they can be resilient again.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (2-0) will travel to Pennsbury Tuesday.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 19 10 16 10 13 – 68
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 12 19 14 8 3 – 58
CBE: Nolan Behm 23, Shane O’Hara-Jamison 3, Graham Smith 10, AJ Molnar 16, Connor Mekanik 14, Keegan Marascio 2
LC: Melo Aylmer 9, Rowan Romero 23, James Webb Jr. 3, Matt Johnson 5, Boa Cobold 2, Ben Holdsworth 16
Pennridge 66, Willliam Tennent 51
Life as a bench player in basketball is always unpredictable.
Sometimes, there aren’t a lot of minutes or shots might be limited. Other times, a player coming off the bench is just the jolt their team needs on a given night.
Jake Bolger’s performance was firmly in the latter on Saturday.
“What really was a punch in the arm was Jake Bolger coming off the bench,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said. “He had three 3s tonight.”
Not only was the senior the right guy at the right time, he led the team in scoring with 14 total points. As Behrens explained, it was a performance that was a long time coming.
“The fact that Jake Bolger led the team in scoring is awesome. For all the medical issues he’s had to deal with over the last 2 1/2-3 years – it’s incredible. I’m really pleased and proud of his play,” Behrens said. “When we got him as a freshman, we really were high on him. Unfortunately, he just had these medical issues that he couldn’t control. They were visiting doctors trying to get a handle on things. He really didn’t play his sophomore or junior year, and here we are. I don’t know if they’re certain that everything is completely under control, but it’s the healthiest he’s been since he was a freshman.”
Bolger might not lead Pennridge in scoring again this season, or he might. He might start some games, he might continue to come off the bench.
Whatever he gives on a given night, the Rams will sure take it.
“Now the kid I kind of thought we had as a ninth grader is there. He’s not played a ton of basketball because of this,” Behrens said. “He’s probably 5-foot-10, and he blocked some shots. He was grabbing rebounds. He was aggressive, he was hitting threes.”
Player of the Game: Jake Bolger. The senior provided a needed spark off the bench and led the team in scoring.
Rams coach Dean Behrens on the game: “To the boys’ credit, the kids have really bought in to what we’re selling in regards to defense and our offensive philosophy. It’s been a pleasure coaching the boys every day. I feel like we have a real good group of young men that we feel represent the school and community very well regardless of wins and losses.”
The quick start: “The scoring was pretty evenly distributed, but obviously, Xavier Peters is kind of the engine of the team, and he got the basket a couple of times. We have a freshman, Ryan Flood, hit a three in the second quarter, so I thought our bench played well. I thought our starters played well.”
A new year: “Not to try to rehash last year – we were in a tough spot last year. We had a lot of injuries. I just relooking at some film that the ball stuck too much, and we needed better ball movement offensively, and so far, I feel like we’re doing that. Credit to them – it makes the defense work harder when you move the ball. Obviously, we can always improve on things here and there, but for the most part, I’m very pleased with how the ball’s moving.”
Up next: Pennridge (3-0) will host Neshaminy Wednesday in a non-league game.
PENNRIDGE 16 17 22 11 – 66
WILLIAM TENNENT 8 10 19 14 – 51
P: Rowan Smith 3 0-0 6, Marley Steward 5 0-0 10, Xavier Peters 4 2-2 11, Jake Bolger 4 3-4 14, Ryan Schwind 4 2-2 11, Charlie Rising 1 0-0 2, Connor Murray 3 2-2 9, Ryan Flood 1 0-0 3. Totals: 25 8-10 66
WT: Weigner 0 2-2 2, Tre Straccuzzi 4 0-0 12, Luke Torok 3 1-2 10, Ryan Bula 1 0-2 2, Scheller 2 3-8 8, Jayden Bright 3 1-2 7, Goldberg 0 3-4 3, Tony Pople 2 0-0 5, Greener 1 0-0 2. Totals:16 10-20 51
Cheltenham Tipoff Tournament
Cheltenham 75, Frankford 46
Eleven players put their names in the scoring column for the Panthers, who rolled to a win over Frankford.
Osei Johnson’s 15 points – which included three 3-pointers – led a balanced Panther attack. Mark Hill and Xavier Willoughby both finished in double figures with 10 points each. Justin Ezeukwu added nine points on three 3-pointers.
Behind six points from Johnson, the Panthers raced out of the gate to a 23-5 lead after one quarter, and they never looked back.
Cheltenham coach Patrick Fluery: “The kids played well. Obviously, early on, there’s a lot we need to clean up and do in order to meet our goals. We’re just happy the kids could be on the winning side, and now we’re focused on the next task.
“I’m appreciative of Frankford, Executive Charter and Fels for playing in the tipoff tournament. We look toward playing Upper Dublin Tuesday.”
Up Next: Cheltenham (1-1) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday for a non-league game.
FRANKFORD 5-15-13-13 46
CHELTENHAM 23-12-21-19 75
Frankford (46) – M.Owens 2, L.Hernandez 3, Brandon Gage 19, K. Hawes 1, Edriel Molina-Lopez 7, D. Ross 10, Jasir Jeffcoat 4.
Cheltenham (75) – Osei Johnson 15, Tyree Martin 4, Chris Harmon 5, Kendall Jackson 4, Kamal Mason 4, Salim Kelly 4, Justin Ezeukwu 9, Mark Hill 10, Xavier Willoughby 10, C Kelly 2, Jaedin Mosley 8.
3-point goals: F – Molina-Lopez 2, Hernandez; C – Osei Johnson 3, Justin Ezeukwu 3, Kendall Jackson, Jaedin Mosely, Xavier Willoughby, Chris Harmon.
Phoenixville Tournament
Council Rock South 64, Phoenixville 45
Beating the reigning PAC champions in their gym to win their season-opening tournament would certainly qualify as a good win for anyone.
The manner in which Council Rock South checked all those boxes would then qualify as impressive. After trailing by three points at the end of the first quarter, CR South outscored the Phantoms by seven in the second, then kept on adding to that lead after halftime.
Sophomore MJ Thompson took home tournament MVP honors while Ryan Delp put together a second straight stellar outing to earn a spot on the all-tournament team.
Players of the Game: Ryan Delp poured in 15 points while Ryan Wekluk had 16 points and played strong defense.
CR South coach Andrew Rogers on the game: “We kind of grinded one out last night, and going into today – Phoenixville is good. We knew we’d have a test. They’re really well coached, they move the ball well, they have a couple of guys that can really light it up, so that was important for us early. Credit to our guys for responding early to that.”
Delp’s performance: “Ryan Delp had 15 today, and he had 20 last night, so he had two good games. He really played well both nights. That’s good for us because when he’s playing well, it adds another element for us.”
Thompson’s play: “MJ (Thompson) had nine points today, but he picked up two early fouls in the first half and picked up his third early in the third quarter, so we did have to be careful with him minutes-wise. He was really good today – he was really facilitating, especially late. They were trying to jump on us a little bit, and he really took the ball, got us in good space and was able to break some of their pressure for us, which was huge at the end.
Wekluk’s two-way game: “Ryan Wekluk was huge. He played tough last night. He didn’t see some of his shots go in, so we told him to stick with it, and I’m proud that he did that today. Sixteen points on offense, he had five rebounds and two assists. He also guarded (Deacon) Baratta, who’s a really good player. He held him to eight points and really stepped up there. To be able to do it on both ends is really important for us. When he gives us that energy, the other guys feed off of it.”
Bench spark: “Adam Elabed, who’s a senior, got in and gave us good minutes. He had four points and four rebounds. He actually went in for MJ. He had not played the previous night, which was really a credit to him for going in and being ready. He gave us really good minutes, and that’s kind of been the message to our guys – we have a lot of guys that are able to play and need to remain ready. Credit to him for doing so because it’s not always easy.”
Up next: Council Rock South (2-0) will travel to Great Valley for a non-league game Tuesday.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 8 19 18 19 – 64
PHOENIXVILLE 11 12 11 15 – 45
CRS: MJ Thompson 9, Ryan Wekluk 16, Owen McLean 5, Ryan Delp 15, Ray Haglund 9, Joey Madara 6, Adam Elabed 4
P: Trey Lear 3, Stephen Yurick 3, Keron Booth 18, Brady O’Donnell 5, Jacoby Smith 8, Deacon Baratta 8
Bristol Tournament
New Hope-Solebury 56, Sayre 54 (2 OT)
Rocco Massimino scored 26 points in a superb individual outing, and it was his 3-pointer in the second overtime that propelled the Lions to their first win of the season.
“It was two small schools going at it,” Lions’ coach Mike Connors said. “The kids were making plays.”
The Lions, who led 10-7 after one quarter, took a 23-18 lead into halftime, but a five-point third quarter allowed Sayre to get back into the game. The two teams were deadlocked 39-39 after regulation, and the stage was set for a pair of overtimes.
Massimino had 16 points through four quarters but added 10 more in the two OT periods.
New Hope-Solebury coach Mike Connors: “Any win is a good win for us. They work hard. I give these New Hope-Solebury kids credit. I coached college my whole life, and these kids fight, scratch – they do everything I ask them to do as much as any college team I was part of. We take our lumps, but I know they’re going to fight, so it was good to get rewarded. Now you can go back to practice, and they can feel good about themselves.”
Overtimes x 2: “We had a chance to win it in the first overtime. We missed two shots within the last seven seconds.
“Blake Alderson came up big in the second overtime. At the end of the second overtime, we went up two with the ball out of bounds. We inbound it, and they foul Rocco Massimino. He goes to the line for two -he makes the first to go up three, and he misses the second. So now it’s a 3-point game with 12 seconds to go – we’re not trying to foul, but we fouled the 3-point shooter at the buzzer. Luckily for us, he made the first two and missed the third.
Props: “Rocco Massimino had a heck of a game. He was the offensive star for us. Defensively, Beck Alderson – especially in the fourth quarter and then double overtime – really made it tough for number 5 (Solomon). He still hurt us at times, but he made it hard for the kid. For Beck Alderson, that was only his second high school game.
McCagg back on the court: “My point guard, sophomore Blake McCagg, this was his second high school game. Blake did a great job of running the team and keeping us organized. Coming out of middle school, he was a three-sport athlete. What happened was – he broke his foot in the fall of his freshman year, so he didn’t play basketball. He came back and was able to play varsity baseball. He’s a true point guard, and that’s what he brings. He has great composure.
“I told the kids, ‘Blake hasn’t played a basketball game since he was in eighth grade.’ He’s very mature, and he knows how to get teams organized. Against Sayre’s zone, he made sure guys were in the right spots, and he made some big plays for us as well. We were down two late in regulation, and he stole an inbounds pass to tie the score up. He was another kid that stepped up. Rocco, McCagg and Beck Alderson really came through for us, and you’re talking about two dudes – this was their second varsity basketball game.”
Additional props: “Our other two starters, Noah Kolen and Linus MacKenzie, are just high energy guys. They don’t demand the ball, they don’t care about shots. They’re doing what they do. Linus is maybe 5-10 and starts center, but he’s running around making things happen.
“Johnny Nettles struggled from the field, and he got in foul trouble. He got three fouls and was out pretty much all of the second quarter, and he ended up eventually fouling out. Our seventh man was Mitchell Lontchar. They all contributed at some point.”
Up next: New Hope-Solebury (1-1) will travel to Plumstead Christian for a non-league game on Tuesday.
New Hope-Solebury (56) – Beck Alderson 8, Linus Mackenzie 4, Blake McCagg 5, Noah Kolen 6, John Nettles 6, Rocco Massimino 26, Mitchell Lontchar 1.
Nonleague Games
Constitution HS 60, Council Rock North 47
Constitution led 14-9 after one quarter and extended that lead to 29-22 by halftime on its way to the non-league win Saturday.
Rock North was led by the double-figure scoring efforts of Owen Crowne (12 points) and Grady Burt (11 points).
Council Rock North (0-2) will host Northeast on Wednesday.
CONSTITUTION 14-19-18-9 60
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 9-13-15-10 47
Constitution (60) – I.Mahmoud 5 0-0 14; A.Dawson 4 0-0 9; K.Johnson 1 2-2 4; K.White-Blaylock 1 0-0 3; R.Brown 1 0-0 2; C.Hannah 2 0-0 6; I.Cooke 3 0-0 6; N.Young 6 3-3 16; TOTALS 23 5-5 60.
Council Rock North (47) – Jack Curry 2 0-0 5; Josh Erman 2 0-0 5; Owen Crowne 5 0-0 12; Grady Burt 4 3-5 11; Brandon Holmes 1 0-0 3; Dylan Kiefer 2 0-0 4; Andrew O’Keefe 2 3-5 7; TOTALS 18 6-10 47.
3-point goals: C – Mahmoud 4, Hannah 2, Dawson, White-Blaylock, Young; CRN – Owen Crowne 2, Josh Erman, Jack Curry.
Pottsgrove 83, Lower Moreland 15
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