Check out the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Thursday. Photos of the Upper Moreland/Upper Merion game were provided courtesy of Kathy Leister Photography. Check back for a gallery that game as well as the CR South/CR North game. Photos of the CB West/CB South game were provided by Lisa Henderson. Check back for a gallery.
By Jarrad Saffren
That’s pretty much it folks. The two-month sprint is just about over. Most Suburban One League boys’ basketball teams closed out their league schedules Thursday night. Some have one stray game left on Friday after #Blizzard2016 wiped it out a few weeks back. Some teams solidified their playoff positions Thursday night, and one clinched an unexpected league title. The results and recaps are below.
SOL Continental
Pennridge 77, Quakertown 60
The Rams clinched the SOL Continental Conference for the fourth time in six seasons.
Before the season and throughout the first half of the league schedule, most fans and pundits thought Central Bucks West would end Pennridge’s two-year reign at the top. But two late league losses, including a 63-60 loss to Pennridge, doomed the Bucks.
Pennridge, on the other hand, won 14 of 15 to end the regular season, with the only loss being a 50-48 thriller to Plymouth Whitemarsh. The Rams went 11-0 against league opponents during that span.
“It feels great,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said.
Dan Long dropped 33 points to lead the Rams as usual. Max Wagner (18) and Stephen Lowry (14) combined for 32 to complement Long.
“We shot the ball well and got into transition well,” Behrens said.
Nick Drosnock paced Quakertown with 20 points. Griffin Schmidt added 17.
Pennridge is fifth in the District One Class AAAA Power Rankings and did not hurt itself with three more wins this week.
The Rams (19-3, 13-1 SOL) will play in the Suburban One League Tournament on Saturday at Council Rock North where the second-seeded Rams will face third-seeded Abington at 1:30 p.m. They will find out their opponent Friday morning. Quakertown ends the 2015-16 season 7-15 overall and 2-12 in league play.
Pennridge 11-22-27-17 77
Quakertown 13-17-13-17 60
Pennridge: Dan Long 33, Sean Yoder 6, Stephen Lowry 14, Kyle Yoder 2, Ryan Cuthbert 2, Max Wagner 18, Jon Post 2.
Quakertown: J.R. Grimmage 7, Ryan Howard 9, Ryan Mestayer 1, Branden Lewis 2, Dakota Suchanec 4, Nick Drosnock 20, Griffin Schmidt 17.
Central Bucks West 63, Central Bucks South 55
CB West coach Adam Sherman summed up his team’s night with one simple, highly overused, but still emphatic, phrase.
“He’s back,” Sherman said, without using his evil voice. 
“He” is CB West leading scorer Cal Reichwein, who missed four games with a sprained knee and played only three minutes on Tuesday against Central Bucks East.
Reichwein scored 14 points Thursday night in his first return to normal minutes. He also had three steals and three asssits.
“He got a good practice yesterday and he’s his old self,” Sherman said. “He’s getting stronger every day. He’s still doing some physical therapy on it. He’ll make progress every day.”
The Bucks went 2-2 without Reichwein, losing to Pennridge and North Penn. The losses cost CB West the conference title. But Sherman is not sure that his team would have won those games with Reichwein healthy.
“I don’t know,” he said. “You could think that. Now we have the Suburban One playoffs. If we win the Suburban One championship I’ll turn around and say, ‘Absolutely.’”
Sherman said one player, who happens to be very close with Reichwein, stepped up the most in his absence.
“Everybody stepped up, but his brother (Jake) stepped up the most,” Sherman said. “He replaced him in the starting lineup and made plays on the glass. He produced on all levels.”
Erich Hohenleitner and Bill Power stepped up Thursday night, scoring 16 and 15, respectively. Power also had seven rebounds and four assists. Luke Irons added eight points and three assists.
The Bucks took a nine-point lead into halftime (31-22) and coasted in the second half.
Nate Robinson led CB South with 13 points. Tim Waddington had 11.
CB West (18-4, 12-2 SOL) qualified for the Suburban One League Tournament on Saturday at Council Rock North and will face top-seeded PW at 4:30 p.m. on the heels of the third-seeded CB West girls versus second-seeded Upper Dublin at 3 p.m. The Bucks are sixth in the district power rankings and have won two games since the rankings came out.
CB South (10-12, 6-8 SOL), at 27 and 1-1 since the rankings were released, is on the bubble.
Central Bucks South 12-10-10-23 55
Central Bucks West 16-15-8-24 63
Central Bucks South: Alex Karras 6, Nate Robinson 13, Tom Doyle 9, Nate Johnston 5, Ian Vogt 2, Sam Al-Asha 2, Ryan Joerger 7, Tim Waddington 11.
Central Bucks West: Luke Irons 8, Cal Reichwein 14, Bill Power 15, Erich Hohlenleitner 16, Jake Reichwein 4, Shane Harrison 5, Zach Paley 1.
North Penn 60, Hatboro-Horsham 53
North Penn did what it had to do. The Knights were 33rd, or the last team out, when the power rankings came out Sunday.
At 9-11, North Penn needed two wins to make its best possible case. Mission accomplished.
“I hope so. Might have snuck in the backdoor but we will take it,” North Penn coach John Conrad said. “We have high character kids who just kept working. Good senior leadership.”
Lance Lindsay-Ford led the Knights with 13 points. Conrad said that JJ Melchior, Matt Pickford, and Ricky Johns also played well.
Clifton Moore paced Hatboro-Horsham with 18 points and eight rebounds. Jay Davis added 10 points.
Hatboro-Horsham is 20th in the power rankings but lost twice this week.
The Hatters finish the season 11-11 overall and 7-7 in league play. North Penn closes at 11-11 and 6-8.
Central Bucks East 43, Souderton 32
On Souderton’s senior night, CB East stole the show.
Three Patriots players—Tommy Strasburger, Matt Pattyson, and Blake Peterson—had strong all-around games. Strasburger had eight points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Pattyson finished with six points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Peterson posted eight points and seven boards.
Justin O’Neil led the Patriots in scoring with 13 points.
CB East – which took a 24-18 lead into halftime – won every quarter and held Souderton to single-digits in the first and third. The Patriots used a man-to-man defense to stifle the Indians.
Tracy Simsick scored 10 points to lead Souderton. Austin Eberhart chipped in nine.
CB East is 19th in the power rankings and went 1-1 this week.
“I feel like we are in,” Patriots coach Erik Henrysen said.
Henrysen’s team closes the regular season at 13-9 overall and 7-7 in league play. Souderton ends with a record of 7-15 and 3-11.
Central Bucks East 11-13-7-12 43
Souderton 7-11-4-10 32
Central Bucks East: Tommy Strasburger 8, Justin O’Neil 13, Blake Peterson 8, Matt Pattyson 6, Elijah Seger 5, Ryan Plack 3.
Souderton: Ty Salone 1, Austin Eberhart 9, David Brush 8, Tracy Simsick 7, Ian Beardsley 5, Kyle Lennon 2.
SOL National
Council Rock North 49, Bensalem 47
CR North’s Will Desautelle hit two foul shots with seconds remaining to put the Indians up four.
Bensalem raced down the court and scored with .5 seconds on the clock, too little, too late. 
CR North is 32nd in the power rankings and went 1-1 this week, though the loss was to seventh-ranked Abington.
“I think we’ll be in,” CR North coach Derek Wright said. “Everything I’m hearing points in that direction but you never know. We’ll find out Sunday.”
One thing was virtually certain. North needed to beat Bensalem, and it did just enough. “They guarded us tougher than anyone has all year,” Wright said.
The Indians trailed by two at halftime (24-22) but outscored Bensalem 14-7 in the third quarter.
“We started hitting our shots in the second half,” Wright said.
Riley Thompson (17) and Desautelle (16) combined for 33 of North’s 49 points. Brandon Vaughn and Richard Dean led Bensalem with 14 and 10.
The Owls are 25th in the rankings but lost twice since they came out.
CR North finished the regular season 13-9 overall and 10-4 against SOL National opponents. The Indians won eight of their last 10 games. Bensalem (10-11, 6-8 SOL) has one more game left, on Saturday against Glen Mills.
Bensalem 11-13-7-16 47
Council Rock North 12-10-14-13 49
Bensalem: Brandon Vaugn 14, Rich Dean 10, Ward Roberts 5, Taco Douglas 4, Brian Quarterman 7, Johni Domeny 6.
Council Rock North: Tyler Nowmos 3, Riley Thompson 17, Will Desautelle 16, Noah Ehlin 1, Eric Levine 6, Elliott Spicer 3, Matt Baniewicz 3.
Pennsbury 55, William Tennent 41
The Falcons, 16th in the district rankings, helped their cause for the second time this week. On Tuesday, Pennsbury pummeled Council Rock South by 17. On Thursday, they controlled Tennent, sprinting to an 11-point lead at halftime (26-15) and never looking back.
Mark Flagg dropped 19 points and Addison Howard pitched in 10 for the Falcons. Rob Daly had nine. No Tennent players scored in double figures. John Ryan, Anthony Woodard, and Brendan Carter each had eight.
Pennsbury (14-7, 9-4 SOL) closes its regular season against Harry S. Truman Friday night. William Tennent finishes at 6-16 overall and 3-11 in the SOL National.
Pennsbury 16-10-14-15 55
William Tennent 9-6-13-13 41
Pennsbury: Addison Howard 10, Vaughn Ward 3, Corey Deo 1, Tyler Sessa-Reeves 4, Isaiah Carpenter 4, Joey Monaghan 5, Rob Daly 9, Mark Flagg 19.
William Tennent: Anthony Woodard 8, Maher 1, Pat McCauley 7, John Ryan 8, Matt Berndlmaier 6, Brendan Carter 8.
Abington 80, Harry S. Truman 62
With a league title, a spot in the SOL Tournament and a high seed in the district playoffs wrapped up, the Ghosts played just about everyone in their program Thursday night, and they all scored.
Thirteen Abington players got on the board. Eric Dixon, as usual, led the team with 22 points. Joe O’Brien posted 12. Everyone else scored in single-digits, led by Robbie Heath with eight.
Abington has won 17 of 19 and 13 straight against league opponents after losing to Pennsbury to open its SOL National schedule.
“I just think our guys are playing with a chip on their shoulders,” Abington coach Charles Grasty said.
Maurice Jackson and Danell Snelling dropped 18 and 16 to lead Truman. ZJ Jackson added eight.
Abington closes the regular season at 18-4 overall and 13-1 league play, and will play in the SOL Tournament on Saturday at Council Rock North. The third-seeded Ghosts will face second-seeded Pennridge at 1:30 p.m. Truman (7-12, 5-7 SOL) plays Pennsbury Friday night.
Abington 18-17-18-27 80
Harry S. Truman 17-12-17-16 62
Neshaminy 56, Council Rock South 53
Neshaminy ended its league schedule on a high note.
“Huge road win,” Neshaminy interim coach John Mason said.
With Neshaminy up two, Frances Robles stole the ball, raced downcourt, and got fouled. He made one of two at the line to put Neshaminy up three. CR South’s Austin Thomas missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Neshaminy went 3-8 since Mason took over for Jerry Devine on Jan. 5, hours after Devine bumped an official at the end of a seven-point loss to Pennsbury. Mason, 25, does not know if he will be back.
“I’m just focusing on enjoying one more game with this group of kids,” Mason said. “I will worry about that Saturday morning.”
Mason has spoken with Neshaminy athletic director Thomas Magdelinskas, but not about his status.
“Nothing about moving forward as far as the future, just day to day questions I may have,” Mason said. “And of course to say good luck and congratulations when we win.”
Mason was proud of his players Thursday night.
“It was a complete team effort,” he said.
Charles Dominick led all scorers with 20 points. Matt McGinty added 12 and Robles 10. Pat Campbell, in his first start, grabbed five rebounds. The Redskins also forced 17 turnovers. Mason specifically praised an unsung reserve.
“Zach Giberson off the bench with big minutes in the first half when (Zach) Tredway got in foul trouble,” Mason said.
Ryan Boyd paced South with 14 points. Austin Thomas had 12.
Neshaminy (4-15, 3-10 SOL) plays Holy Ghost Prep Friday night in its season finale. CR South (7-14, 5-9 SOL) will play in the PA/NY Challenge on Saturday.
Neshaminy 15-19-9-13 56
Council Rock South 8-15-15-15 53
Neshaminy: Shammond Thomas 4, Matt McGinty 12, Francis Robles 10, Anthony Papeo 5, Zach Tredway 5, Charles Dominick 20.
Council Rock South: Austin Thomas 12, Michael Krepich 7, Alex Nordenholt 5, Kevin Newbert 2, Ryan McNamee 5, Mike Stock 7, Ryan Boyd 14, Kenny Brightcliffe 2.
SOL American
Upper Dublin 60, Springfield 42
The Flying Cardinals climbed all the way back from 1-7 to .500, 11-11.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Upper Dublin coach Josh Adelman said. “It would have been easy for them to just pack it in. And many teams would have done that. But they kept fighting and winning.”
Such a turnaround was not without precedent in Adelman’s program. Upper Dublin won four straight games to finish 11-11 in 2013-14 also.
“It’s always unfortunate to be in that position, but to our credit we’ve battled back,” Adelman said. “Both groups were resilient.”
Upper Dublin is 35th in the district power rankings and has won three straight since they were released. Adelman is confident, but cautious.
“I have a good feeling, but there’s a lot of teams on the bubble,” he said. “Hatboro-Horsham is 11-11 now too.”
So is North Penn.
Even if the Cardinals do not get in, Adelman said his players should be proud of themselves.
“We obviously want to get in, but it’s impressive to go 10-4 over your last 14 games,” Adelman said.
UD closes the regular season at .500 in league play as well, 7-7. Springfield finishes at 3-19 overall and 0-14 against SOL American opponents.
Cheltenham 73, Wissahickon 66
Cheltenham coach John Timms said his players would be looser now that the conference title was no longer a possibility. He was right.
"For the first time, we went to Wissahickon and controlled the game," Timms said. "From beginning to end, we built maybe a seven to 10-point lead and pretty much cruised on that lead all the way through.”
The Panthers pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring the Trojans by eight to inflate a two-point lead to 10 by halftime (39-29). Khalil White (23) and Justin Sutton (16) combined for 39 points for the Panthers.
"Right now our offense is real efficient. We were able to score 73 tonight and 77 on Abington,” Timms said. “I think we're getting better. I'm real comfortable with how we played tonight.”
Jack Clark added 11. White also had eight assists and four steals and Sutton recorded eight boards. Amir Lewis grabbed 10 rebounds.
Three Wissahickon players—Zach Reiner (14), Chaz Owens (13), and Max Rapoport (11)—scored in double figures.
Cheltenham is ninth in the power rankings and went 1-1 this week. Wissahickon, ranked 29th, could be out after losing its last two games of the regular season.
Cheltenham (16-5, 10-3 SOL) battles Norristown Friday night. Wissahickon finished 10-12 overall and 5-9 in league play.
Cheltenham 15-24-12-22 73
Wissahickon 13-16-18-19 66
Cheltenham 15-24-12-22 73
Wissahickon 13-16-18-19 66
Cheltenham: Branden Mack 7, Khalil White 23, Anthony White 6, Jack Clark 11, Maurice Valentine 3, Amir Lewis 6, Justin Sutton 16, Trevonn Pitts 1.
Wissahickon: Chaz Owens 13, Max Rapoport 11, Marquese Wison 3, Zach Gelman 3, Noah Curran 5, Blake Rapoport 3, Alex Tappen 7, Shane Ford 7, Zach Reiner 14.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 65, Norristown 43
PW led by 14-7 after one quarter and 13 after three (42-29). Four Colonials players—Xzavier Malone (18), Oakley Spencer (12), Kevin Ashenfelter (11), and Mike Lotito (10)—scored in double figures. Ashenfelter hit three three-pointers “in the second half at key times,” said PW coach Jim Donofrio.
But Donofrio was more impressed with his team’s defense.
“We played really strong defense in the second half,” Donofrio said. “Ahmin Williams gave us a big defensive boost.”
“We played with great team confidence after a somewhat sluggish start.”
Roy Green and Amir Carter led Norristown with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
PW, at 20-1 overall and 13-1 in the SOL American, is the top seed in Saturday’s SOL Tournament at Council Rock North and will faced fourth-seeded Central Bucks West at 4:30 p.m.
The Colonials are also third in the district power rankings behind Downingtown West and Coatesville.
Norristown (9-12, 6-7 SOL) takes on Cheltenham Friday night. The Eagles are 41st in the rankings and need to beat Cheltenham to have an outside shot at making the playoffs.
Norristown 7-15-7-14 43
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14-12-16-23 65
Norristown: Darryl Carr 5, Roy Green 14, Kether Massiaz 2, Amir Carter 11, Darius McGowan 2, Tyrique Lyons, Dorman 2.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Xzavier Malone 18, Mike Lotito 10, Oakley Spencer 12, Kevin Ashenfelter 11, Grady Minick 4, Ahmad Williams 2, Cheo Houston 2, Ahmin Williams 2, Davon Burrell 4.
Upper Merion 46, Upper Moreland 37
Upper Merion used a 12-5 third quarter to pull away from its rival.
“Upper Moreland played a very deliberate style of offense, I thought they executed well,” Upper Merion coach Jason Quenzer said. “In the second half, we pressed a bit to try and get the tempo up, and it helped us get the separation that we were determined to hold.”
Matt Faw led the Vikings with 16 points and Ethan Miller pitched in 11. But Quenzer praised everybody.
“We played well as a team tonight,” Quenzer said. “The guys were really hungry for 16 (wins) and a shot at a home game. I am so proud of this group, but our work is not done yet.”
The 16-6 (9-5 in league play) Vikings are 14th in the district power rankings, and have won four games since the rankings came out. A home game in the first round seems like a slam dunk.
No Upper Moreland players scored in double figures. Brett Brossman and Shane Stone each had nine. The Golden Bears have lost 11 of 13 but are fifth in the District One Class AAA Power Rankings, though they have lost twice since those rankings came out.
The Golden Bears close the regular season at 9-13 overall and 5-9 in league play.
Upper Merion 7-10-12-17 46
Upper Moreland 9-7-5-16 37
Upper Merion: Aidan Newell 5, Isaiah Graham-Mobley 6, Ethan Miller 11, Chris Carita 2, Matt Faw 16, Andrew Persaud 4, Jordyn Adegun 2.
Upper Moreland: Brendan O’Donnell 3, Ryan Coyle 8, Brett Brossman 9, Casey Decker 6, Shane Stone 9, Jake Villanueva 2.
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