Check out the recaps for the SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Friday. Pennsbury/Neshaminy photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL National
Council Rock South 45, Council Rock North 42
The Golden Hawks recuperated from a slow start to defeat the visiting Indians in their regular season finale.
“We’ve been saying we’re in playoff mode for the past two weeks, and we’ve gone 3-1,” Rock South coach Chris Clark said. “Any time you can beat North, which is really difficult to do – we’re always happy to do that. It’s always going to be a struggle.
“I think the story of the game was we hung together at both ends of the court. Our offense struggled in the first half. I thought we played much better defense in the second half, and our offense got a little bit better ball movement, and we started to make some shots.”
The Indians led 11-5 after one quarter, but the Golden Hawks – behind six points from Jack Rebholz – pulled to within two by halftime, 20-18. They still trailed by one heading into the final quarter when they outscored their visitors 16-12. Rebholz had six points to lead the Hawks in the frame.
“Joe Purcell got a big charge call that was real important and turned the tide a little bit in the fourth quarter,” Clark said. “That was a big play. I thought overall we got more intense at the defensive end.”
Rebholz finished with a game-high 17.
“Jack started off well – he’s been aggressive taking the ball to the basket, and he’s been not only finishing, getting to the foul line, but he’s also making nice passes either dumping it off inside or making nice passes to the perimeter,” Clark said.
Kevin McNamee added 12 points – six in each half.
“Offensively, Kevin is really starting to play better,” Clark said. “We’re trying to go to him more with certain post-ups and plays, and he’s been finishing his layups. He made some foul shots tonight, and he’s been playing solid defense.”
Michael Stewart also finished in double figures with 10 points, which included a trio of 3s. Luca Baratta had a pair of threes for six points.
For the Indians, who were once again without Luke Vliet, Hunter Wan had 12 points, Bernie Parent had seven, and Jack Blum chipped in with six.
Council Rock South (15-7, 8-4 SOL) finished second to Bensalem in the conference standings. The Golden Hawks are 16th in the latest District One 6A power rankings and are looking forward to making their first postseason appearance in three years.
“It’s great for the players,” Clark said. “This was a goal for us. We thought we could get better off of last year. They really worked hard, and it’s worked well for them.”
Council Rock North (2-10 SOL) closed out its season with a 5-16 record overall.
Council Rock North 11-9-10-12 42
Council Rock South 5-13-11-16 45
Council Rock North (42) – Bernie Parent 3 0-0 7; Andrew Stewart 1 0-0 3; Sean Mealey 2 0-0 5; Hunter Wan 5 2-2 12; Connor Rushing 1 2-2 5; Jack Blum 3 0-0 6; Adam Mahtat 2 0-0 4; Totals 17 4-4 42.
Council Rock South (45) – Jack Rebholz 6 3-5 17; Luca Baratta 2 0-0 6; Michael Stewart 3 1-2 10; Kevin McNamee 5 2-4 12; Totals 16 6-11 45.
3-point goals: CRN – Bernie Parent, Andrew Stewart, Sean Mealey, Connor Rushing, CRS – Michael Stewart 3, Jack Rebholz 2, Luca Baratta 2.
Pennsbury 61, Neshaminy 59
The Falcons – who led by as many as 16 – held on to earn a win over their archrivals in their regular season finale, but it may not have been 
enough to propel them into the district playoffs.
“It’s one of those years where the guys are up 16 – let’s push it to 20, and the next thing you know, we’re only up two,” Pennsbury coach Bill Coleman said. “We’re at the whim of the computer for playoffs – we’ll be close.
“When you start 2-7 like we did and end 11-11 – the guys figured it out, they bought into what we were talking to them about and finished 9-4. I’m happy for that. I’m disappointed for the seniors, especially the guys who were part of the district playoffs and the state playoffs, but that’s the hand we were dealt right now.”
The Falcons, who led 38-28 at halftime, took a 10-point lead into the final quarter when the Redskins made things interesting, outscoring their visitors 19-11.
“I think our guys just figured the game was over at the end of the third quarter,” Coleman said. “We really had a hard time scoring in the fourth quarter. We closed it out on the free throw line – we were 7-of-9 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.”
Kyrie Miller had five points in the fourth quarter and was 3-for-4 at the line. Evan McNeely buried a pair of free throws with 30 seconds remaining, and Evan Reichard was 2-for-3 from the foul line with four points in the frame.
“It’s definitely a rivalry game, and any game in the SOL is a rivalry game for us,” Coleman said. “It’s hard for our guys to understand this, but when you really look back – it’s been a very long time that Pennsbury has been one of the dominant names in the league.
“For the younger guys, it’s hard to understand that. When we play teams, they are ready to play us. My first year I didn’t quite comprehend that, but I got used to it pretty quickly.
“The guys finally figured it out as we got into the second half of the season. They played very hard, they played together. I hope they have another opportunity to get another game in.”
Shane Simmons led the Falcons with 15 points while Collin Connor had 14, including three triples. Evan McNeely also was in double figures with 10, and Miller added nine. Evan Reichard had eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds. McNeely had five boards, and Simmons pulled down four.
“Shane played very well, Collin played very well, and Evan McNeely stepped up big time,” Coleman said. “We threw a sophomore (McNeely) in the starting lineup over the last few games, and he played well.
“Kyrie Miller was up and down at the beginning of the year, and he was really solid the last half of the year for us. It’s a complete team effort. I hope at least the seniors get to enjoy playoffs.”
Coleman congratulated the Pennsbury girls team for capturing a share of the conference crown with its win over Neshaminy.
“When Pennsbury is winning, there is no place like it in the district,” Coleman said. “The people come out. It’s one of the best places to be a part of, and hopefully, our guys at least get a chance to be a part of that.”
For the Redskins, Brandon Kelly connected on five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 19 points. Jon Desir added 11, including three 3-pointers. Kyle Saglimben had nine points. Mike Murray led the Redskins under the boards with nine rebounds.
Pennsbury (11-11, 7-5 SOL) is 28th in the District One 6A power rankings. Neshaminy (6-6 SOL) closed out its season with a 10-12 record overall.
Pennsbury (61) – Shane Simmons 6 1-2 15; Kyrie Miller 3 3-4 9; Collin Connor 5 1-1 14; Cooper Arnold 2 0-0 5; Evan McNeely 2 4-7 10; Evan Reichard 2 3-6 8; Totals 20 12-20 61.
Neshaminy (59) – Jimmy MacDonald 2 1-2 5; Kyle Saglimben 2 3-7 9; Brandon Kelly 7 0-0 19; Matt Drapkin 2 1-1 5; Jack Simkiw 1 2-2 4; Mike Murray 2 0-4 4; Jon Desir 4 0-0 11; Jake McGinty 0 2-3 2; Totals 20 9-19 59.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Collin Connor 3, Shane Simmons 2, Evan McNeely 2, Cooper Arnold, Evan Reichard, Neshaminy – Brandon Kelly 5, Jon Desir 3, Kyle Saglimben 2.
William Tennent 55, Harry S Truman 40
Sean Haus had a big night for the visiting Panthers, knocking down four 3-pointers. He led all scorers with 18 points. He added 11 rebounds to complete his impressive double-double. Derrik Cosenza also finished the game in double figures with 17.
Daulton Zeman added seven points and Josiah Johnson had six for the Panthers.
TJ Rogers and Fernando Vargas both had 11 points to lead the Tigers.
William Tennent (12-10, 6-6 SOL) is 21st in the latest District One 6A power rankings. Harry S Truman (2-10 SOL) closed out its season with a 4-17 record.
William Tennent (55) – Jay Stanfield 2 0-0 4; Daulton Zeaman 2 2-2 7; Josiah Johnson 2 1-3 6; Sean Haus 6 2-2 18; Mike Scheller 0 3-6 3; Derrik Cosenza 5 7-11 17.
Harry S Truman (40) – Kashun Holden 1 1-2 3; Fernando Vargas 4 1-3 11; TJ Rogers 4 2-8 11; Mike Leonhauser 2 0-0 5; Andrew Johnson 1 2-2 5; Isaiah Law 1 0-0 3; Manny Johnson 1 0-0 2.
SOL Continental
North Penn 57, Pennridge 54 (OT)
The Knights pulled off the shocker of the night – and might well have punched their ticket into the post season – when Matt Swanson’s shot from beyond midcourt fell through the net at the buzzer, breaking a 54-54 tie and propelling the visiting Knights to the thrilling victory.
A second overtime appeared inevitable when the Rams knotted the score with 3.6 seconds remaining in the first OT, but Swanson made sure that didn’t happen.
“We called a timeout, we designed a play that did not go at all according to plans, so we ended up inbounding it to Matt in the backcourt, he took two dribbles, threw up a halfcourt shot, and it went it,” North Penn coach John Conrad said. “We had to go the length of the floor, and we tried to design something to get the ball to Joey (Larkins) or Josh Jones on the move, and Pennridge defended it really well, so Matt was the only guy left who was open. He caught it, took two dribbles and threw up a halfcourt shot.”
“It was a really nice win. The kids played well, the kids battled.”
The Knights led 13-6 after one quarter and took a 24-18 lead into halftime. They still led by six heading into the final quarter when the Rams closed it out with a 19-13 frame. Colin Post led the Rams’ charge with nine points in the final quarter, including a 5-for-6 effort at the foul line.
“We defended well early,” Conrad said. “Matt Swanson and Josh Jones really played well.
“I thought our guard play was good. We had a lead in the third quarter, and we kind of gave it back. They were able to take the lead in the fourth, and our kids were able to tie it and force overtime.”
In the overtime, the Knights edged the Rams 11-8. In addition to Swanson’s buzzer beater, Mike Chaffee and Jones also buried 3-pointers in OT.
“We (also) got some huge 3-point shots from Chaffee and (Kolby) Barrow in the fourth quarter,” Conrad said. “Their kid – Anthony Phillips – hit a three, and Barrow answered with a three.
“All of the kids played well tonight on both ends of the floor. That’s a good team, well coached. Dean (Behrens) does a great job.”
Jones – who had three 3-pointers – led the Knights with 19 points. Swanson also had three treys and finished with 15 points. Chaffee added 11 points, which included three 3s.
“We were really down after the CB South loss,” Conrad said of Tuesday’s 50-48 loss to the Titans. “We were up 13 in the second half. We just didn’t feel like we played well down the stretch. They made some plays.
“We came in yesterday in practice, and our guys were really down and demoralized. To their credit, they came ready to play today – they believed they could win, and they did. That goes to our seniors – they are good character people, good leaders, and that goes a long way.”
For the Rams, Post’s 16 points, which included an 8-for-10 effort at the foul line, led the way. Trent Fisher added 15, and Christian Guldin had nine. Phillips finished with six.
North Penn (9-13, 5-7 SOL) is the 24th seed in the latest District One 6A power rankings and would be in the postseason if they can maintain that position.
“I’m trying not to really look at it,” Conrad said. “I think this gives us a chance. I don’t know if it will be good enough to get us in or not, but it will give us a chance.”
Pennridge closed out its regular season with a 9-3 record and the SOL Continental Conference crown. The Rams – eighth in the latest power rankings – are 16-6 overall.
North Penn 13-11-9-13-11 57
Pennridge 6-12-9-19-8 54
North Penn (57) – Kolby Barrow 1 0-0 3; Josh Jones 8 0-1 19; Joey Larkins 2 0-0 5; Mike Chaffee 3 2-2 11; Rob Carangi 1 2-2 4; Matt Swanson 5 4-4 15; Totals 20 8-9 57.
Pennridge (54) – Connor Pleibel 1 0-0 3; Luke Yoder 2 0-0 4; Christian Guldin 4 0-0 9; Paul Croyle 0 1-2 1; Colin Post 4 8-10 16; Anthony Phillips 2 1-2 6; Trent Fisher 7 0-0 15; Totals 20 10-14 54.
3-point goals: NP – Josh Jones 3, Mike Chaffee 3, Kolby Barrow, Joey Larkins, Matt Swanson, Pennridge – Connor Pleibel, Christian Guldin, Anthony Phillips, Trent Fisher.
Central Bucks West 59, Central Bucks South 51
The Bucks earned a win that ensured them a spot in the SOL Tournament while the Titans – as a result of the loss – could be on the outside looking in when the District One 6A Tournament field is finalized Sunday.
“I thought we played well, and I thought the CB South kids played with a lot of heart,” West coach Adam Sherman said. “It was nice to get the win. It sealed us for the SOL Tournament, so we’re excited about the opportunity.”
The Bucks opened up a 27-20 halftime lead, and after the Titans trimmed four points off that lead by outscoring their hosts 13-9 in the third quarter, the Bucks closed it out with a 23-point fourth quarter.
Owen Haney’s 17 points – which included a pair of 3s – led the Bucks. He also had four rebounds and three assists.
“Owen played great – he hit some clutch free throws down the stretch of the game, and he made some nice plays for us, which was nice to see,” Sherman said. “I thought Teddy Spratt did a really nice job defensively on (Alex) Dietz.”
Spratt also contributed 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Jack Neri also had 14 points to go along with four rebounds. Danny Miller, who had seven points, led the Bucks under the boards with eight rebounds. Mika Munari also had seven points.
For the Titans, Mike Waltrich led the way with 18 points, which included four 3-pointers. Dietz added 13 points and Michael Farley had 10.
Central Bucks West (15-7, 8-4 SOL) will face SOL American Conference champion Cheltenham in the SOL Tournament Saturday at 2pm at Bensalem High School. Central Bucks South (11-11, 6-6) was the 25th seed after Thursday’s game in what will be a 24-team field. The Titans will find out if they are in or out at Sunday’s seeding meeting.
Central Bucks South 14-6-13-18 51
Central Bucks West 18-9-9-23 59
Central Bucks South (51) – Mike Waltrich 7 0-0 18; Evan D’Orazio 1 0-0 2; Alex Dietz 4 4-4 13; Josiah Harrison 1 0-0 2; Nick Wursta 2 0-0 6; Owen Petrich 0 0-2 0; Michael Farley 5 0-0 10; Totals 20 4-6 51.
Central Bucks West (59) – Mika Munari 3 1-6 7; Owen Haney 5 5-6 17; Teddy Spratt 3 7-10 14; Jack Neri 5 3-4 14; Danny Miller 3 1-2 7; Totals 19 17-28 59.
3-point goals: CBS – Mike Waltrich 4, Nick Wursta 2, Alex Dietz, CBW – Owen Haney 2, Teddy Spratt, Jack Neri.
Souderton 69, Quakertown 38
Tommy Doughty had himself a Senior Night to remember, burying seven 3s en route to a game-high 21 points.
“He was unbelievable – it might be a school record,” said Souderton coach Tim Brown, who has been with the program seven years. “We all know that Tommy has this in him. He’s a great 3-point shooter, so we knew he was coming out tonight and was going to knock down his shots.
“I didn’t think it would be seven, but once he knocked down that first one, you knew he was going to have himself a night. It was fun watching him have that night. I’m happy for him.”
The Indians have eight seniors on their roster. Andrew Vince and Dom Natale remain sidelined with injuries, but the six seniors who saw action all put their names in the scoring column.
In addition to Doughty, Brian Reiner (11 points) and Matt Uhrich (10 points) also finished in double figures while senior Jack Towsen added nine. Sami Chouiraf and Ty Roth both added five points.
“They all played really, really well, they all played for each other,” Brown said. “These guys have been playing together since they were eight years old.
“We told them to enjoy the night, play for each other, and they did that, so it was fun to watch them.”
Eleven players contributed scoring for the Panthers, who were led by the nine-point effort of Jack Gordon.
Souderton (11-11, 7-5 SOL) closed out its regular season tied with Central Bucks East for third place in the conference standings. The Indians are 14th in the latest District One 6A power rankings. Quakertown (0-12 SOL) closed out its season with a 2-19 record.
Quakertown 6-8-11-13 38
Souderton 23-12-17-17 69
Quakertown (38) – Jack Gordon 9, Will Steich 5, Trey Perez 4, Luke Bauer 4, Jake Hallowell 3, Matt Ruley 3, Ty Wilkin 3, Tim Kratz 2, Zach Fondl 2, Ant Zedda 2, Matt Catalano 1.
Souderton (69) – Tommy Doughty 21, Brian Reiner 11, Matt Uhrich 10, Jack Towsen 9, Sami Chouiraf 5, Ty Roth 5, Jason Price 3, Evan Kutzler 3, Sean Purvy 2.
SOL American
Cheltenham 70, Abington 67
A year ago, the only thing standing between Abington and an undefeated SOL American season was a game in archrival Cheltenham’s gym.
Thursday, the only thing standing between Cheltenham and an undefeated SOL American season was a game in archrival Abington’s gym.
In both cases, the home team looking for the upset came out strong and gave the conference champion all it could handle, but the table-setter would be the one to leave with a win and the still-perfect conference record.
Cheltenham needed a major second half rally, but the team that’s shown plenty of resiliency all season did it again to wrap up the program’s first unbeaten conference title since 1968. The Panthers joined the football team as undefeated SOL champions, the first time in school history the two programs did so in the same year.
“This is a big win because Abington is a good team and the records go out the window,” Cheltenham coach Patrick Fleury said. “It came down to who was going to get those two or three stops in a row. We were able to do that, but this is so much more than just a game.
“It’s a point of pride, there’s no animosity or hate toward Abington, but you want to give your community something to care about. I look at all our guys from one to 15 and how much they’re invested and even in the tough times, buy in.”
The Ghosts, led by Robert Bell and Caleb Baker, started off with plenty of energy and led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter despite a putback dunk by Panthers senior Jaelen McGlone at the buzzer. Abington built a lead as large as 10 in the first half, but a couple scores from the Cheltenham bench, including a three by Rasheem Dearry and three drives to the rim by Saleem Payne, prevented the visitors from falling too far behind.
Bell scored 11 of his 19 in the first half while Baker added eight as Abington built a 34-29 halftime lead despite McGlone scoring 10 for Cheltenham.
The Ghosts extended their lead thanks to a 7-0 run at the start of the third quarter, going ahead 41-29 on a basket by senior Manir Waller. A basket by Bell, assisted by Waller, gave the Ghosts a 46-35 lead with a shade less than three minutes left in the quarter but the Panthers kept their belief.
“Our team is super-focused,” McGlone said. “This win was like a playoff win, we saw tonight as starting our playoff run.”
The senior made a sensational play to get the Cheltenham crowd back in the game, surging into the lane and dunking over several defenders to start a 9-0 quarter ending run that pulled the Panthers within 46-42.
“It was a big up for the team,” McGlone said. “We had just come off me getting a tech, I’m an emotional guy but that dunk was just a way to release everything. We were in the game after that.”
Payne found success driving to the rim against the Abington defense and sophomore Justin Moore took notice. The guard came up huge for his team in the final quarter, scoring 10 of his 18 points in the final stanza including the go-ahead basket.
He did all of it by attacking the rim and not flinching when he took contact.
““There were some gaps and I had smaller defenders on me,” Moore said. “I knew I could finish over them so I just kept going to the basket and finishing over them and finishing through contact.
“We showed how much heart we have as a team. We never give up, we can overcome adversity by fighting together to grind out a tough win.”
Moore did get an and-one call with 4:23 to go and while he missed the foul shot, Sean Emfinger’s offensive rebound and score gave the Panthers a brief 54-53 lead. Abington responded with an 8-4 run, leading 61-58 left with two minutes to play.
Again, Moore drove and scored then the Panthers’ defense was able to string together a few stops all while continuing to score on the other end. Moore’s driving layup put the Panthers ahead for good at 62-61. Then he found Travis Coleman for a layup, Coleman split a pair of free throws and McGlone’s pass set up Mike McClain to finish the run for a 67-61 lead.
“We had to really lock in,” McGlone, who has 17 points said. “Our back line had to start communicating more, they were getting a lot of backdoors and when they would set a pick, we were blitzing up top and nobody was helping, so we had to talk on defense.”
Waller wouldn’t let his team go down quietly, hitting a corner three to halve the lead, then drawing a shooting foul on a deep shot and connecting on all three at the line to cut the Cheltenham lead to 68-67 with six seconds left.
McGlone had another big play to make, beating everyone else to the ball off a missed foul shot with 4.6 on the clock, getting fouled on a putback that ripped two seconds off the clock and forced Abington to settle for a long heave at the final buzzer.
“I saw it coming off and I made sure I went and got it,” McGlone said. “That was an important rebound, there were four seconds left and I knew if I got that, the game would be over.”
The neighboring rivals will no longer be competing in the same division next year in the newly aligned SOL.
“To leave 14-0, to leave undefeated and to be one of the two teams in our history to do it is amazing,” Fleury said. “Our fans – the kids will tell you themselves – we cannot thank them enough. They were definitely the difference.
“When I looked at that crowd, there was every type of person and face unified, and I think that drove the team after Jaelen McGlone had a monster dunk in the second half that ignited the crowd.
“Justin Moore was back for us after missing two games. Sophomores Saleem Payne along with Justin Moore were amazing in their poise. Sean Emfinger and Brandon Scott provided great leadership and rebounding.
“Zahree Harrison – the information he’s sharing with me during the game. St. Francis told me they never saw a player injured move that fast up and down the sideline. It’s just an amazing season for the guys and the community.”
McGlone and Travis Coleman both had 10 rebounds, Emfinger, seven and Scott had six. Payne had three steals, Coleman also had a pair of steals.
“Rasheem Dearry, another sophomore who is going to be a budding prospect and star, had three points, but the difference in the game was that possessions,” Fleury said. “It was in the first quarter when we were stumbling, and they were very sharp.”
Cheltenham (20-2, 14-0 SOL) will face Central Bucks West in Saturday’s SOL Tournament at 2 p.m. Abington (12-10, 10-4) is 17th in the latest District One 6A rankings.
Cheltenham 8-21-13-28 70
Abington 15-18-12-21 67
Cheltenham (70): Justin Moore 8 2-5 18, Jaelen McGlone 7 3-4 17, Saleem Payne 4 4-6 12, Sean Emfinger 3 3-4 9, Travis Coleman 3 1-2 7, Mike McClain 1 1-2 3, Rasheem Dearry 1 0-0 3, Brandon Scott 0 1-2 1. Totals: 27 15-25 70
Abington (67): Robert Bell 7 2-6 19, Manir Waller 4 6-10 15, Caleb Baker 5 2-4 12, Oreck Frazier 4 1-1 9, Joey Brusha 2 2-2 8, Connor Fields 1 2-2 4. Totals: 23 15-25 67
3-point goals: C – Dearry; A – Bell 3, Brusha 2, Waller
Wissahickon 56, Upper Moreland 52
The Trojans found themselves staring at an 18-3 hole in the opening quarter but rallied to earn the come-from-behind Senior Night win.
“They had a kid – McKie Walker – he had a career high 20, and he hit four 3s in the first quarter,” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. “They came out on fire, and we came out a little off.
“It was an intense, crazy Senior Night game with so much riding on the line. When you’re down 18-3 early, you’re thinking, ‘Oh boy, this might not be our night,’ but the kids stayed with it and fought and fought. It was just a really exciting night for the seniors.”
The Trojans were without one of their starters, point guard Andrew Buck.
“Somehow my Hudl messaging got turned off today, and Harrison Williams walked in maybe as the jayvee game is about to start. He said, ‘What are we going to do without Buck tonight?'” Wilson said. “I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He was messaging me all day, so our starting point guard has food poisoning. He was able to get there for Senior Night to walk with his team, but he couldn’t suit up and play.”
A quick run-through with D’Shan Love during the jayvee game was as much prep time as the Trojans had with their new point guard.
“D’Shan Love has started all of last year, and we knew we had guys that could step in, but it’s a little funky when at the last minute you realize you don’t have a key player, especially when you prepare the day before,” Wilson said.
Walker had 14 points in the first quarter to lead the Bears, but the Trojans closed out the half with a 22-6 tear to go into halftime with a one-point lead.
“Jackson Intrieri came in and gave us a nice spark, and we got out of the first quarter (down) 20-11,” Wilson said. “We got a great defensive quarter in the second quarter.”
The Golden Bears – behind 10 points from Matt Tiernan – rallied in the third quarter and took a 41-38 lead into the final quarter. The Trojans closed out the game with an 18-11 frame to earn the important win. Harrison Williams scored eight points in the quarter and Matt Compas had six.
“It was back and forth,” Wilson said. “Their kid (Jordan) Gregg would make a nice drive and dish it. Finally, Matt and Harrison got into a nice flow, and we were able to stay with it to where we got a lead, we were able to spread the floor, and down the stretch, Harrison went to the line when we had a one-point lead and they fouled us. He made both to put us up by three, and we were able to carry it to the victory.
“Upper Moreland deserves so much credit. They had Jahaire Johnson go down with a knee injury, they lost Beau Woollens, and tonight they didn’t have Byron Hopkins, so they’re playing without three of their key guys. They still played as if they didn’t miss a beat.”
Compass led the Trojans with 17 points – 11 in the second half. Williams added 16, including four 3’s. Stefan Lowry had eight and Intrieri added seven.
“My assistant and I said before the game even started – to look at our guys starting out 0-5, what a credit to their effort and stick-to-it-ness,” Wilson said. “I said to them, ‘Win or lose where you guys have come from, a lot of people could have written you off.’
“I’m very pleased, especially for the seniors. Last year we had a tough year, and they said, ‘We want to turn this thing around.’ When you start off 0-5, it makes the goals seem far, far away. I give them credit for sticking with it.”
For the Golden Bears, Walker finished with 20 points while Gregg and Tiernan both had 10 points.
Wissahickon (12-10, 10-4 SOL) moved up to 23rd in the District One 6A power rankings after Thursday’s win. Upper Moreland (14-7, 7-7) is 10th in the latest District One 5A rankings. The Golden Bears will host Sun Valley in a non-league game Saturday.
Upper Moreland 20-4-11-11 52
Wissahickon 11-14-13-18 56
Upper Moreland (52) – Sanders 0 0-1 0; Jordan Gregg 5 1-3 12; McKie Walker 8 0-0 20; Jake Tiernan 1 1-4 3; Matt Tiernan 6 0-2 12; Chance Byrd 1 0-0 2; Tyler Ibbotson 1 0-0 3; Ryan Schernecke 0 0-2 0; Totals 22 2-12 52.
Wissahickon (56) – S’Dhan Love 1 0-0 2; Harrison Williams 5 2-3 16; Jackson Intrieri 2 2-4 7; Stefan Lowry 3 1-2 8; Josh Twersky 0 1-2 1; Matt Compas 7 3-5 18; Carmen Ostroski 2 0-0 4; Totals 20 9-16 56.
3-point goals: UM – McKie Walker 4, Jordan Gregg, Wissahickon – Harrison Williams 4, Jackson Intrieri, Stefan Lowry, Matt Compas.
Upper Dublin 60, Springfield Township 46
The visiting Flying Cardinals trailed by one at halftime but outscored the Spartans 19-3 in a pivotal third quarter to earn the decisive win in their season finale.
“It was a good win for us,” UD coach Chris Monahan said. “It’s not a good feeling at the end of the season, knowing you’re not making the playoffs, but we ended the season playing well.
“We knew at the beginning of the year that if we could get good guard play – handle the ball – make shots, that we’d be tough to beat with Drew (Stover) inside. Unfortunately we were up and down in that area. But tonight we took care of the ball and made 10 3s. We’re tough when we do that.”
The Spartans – behind six points from Gabe Harris – led 15-11 after one quarter and took a 27-26 lead into halftime. Jason Williams had nine points and Drew Stover, eight, to lead the Cardinals.
In the third quarter, Amare Johnson buried a pair of 3s and had eight points while Stover had six as the Cardinals opened up a 45-30 lead and never looked back.
“Springfield came out fast,” Monahan said. “We were down 7-0 after three possessions, but were able to settle down.
“At halftime, we talked about increasing the pressure on defense and we were really able to execute that strategy. They didn’t score a field goal in the third. They had three free throws and we outscored them 19-3 – almost all generated off of our defense.”
Stover’s 20 points led the Cardinals, and Johnson added 17. Williams also finished in double figures with 14, and Bazel Brady had six.
“Amare Johnson had a very nice performance, making a season high five 3s,” Monahan said. “Drew was good inside. Jason had a season-high 14. Will Mead struggled in the first half, but came back in the second and gave us good defensive pressure.
“Bazel (Brady) was very good as usual. He rebounded well, took a charge, handled the ball and got us into our offense – all the winning-play things he’s been doing at a high level all year.”
The Spartans were led by the 19-point effort of Harris. Jay Joseph added 13 points – 11 in the first half, and Amir Williams had eight.
Upper Dublin (4-10 SOL) closed out its season with a 10-12 record overall. Springfield Township – the third seed in Class 4A – is 6-16 overall (2-12 SOL).
Upper Dublin 11-15-19-15 60
Springfield Twp 15-12-3-16 46
Upper Dublin (60) – Jason Williams 14, Bazel Brady 6, Drew Stoever 20, Will Mead 3, Amare Johnson 17.
Springfield Twp (46) – Amir Williams 8, Jay Joseph 13, Austin Maggioncalda 1, Jamal Whit 5, Gabe Harris 19.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 75, Hatboro-Horsham 37
The Colonials closed out the regular season with their third straight win, solidifying their spot in the District One 6A Tournament. They are 22nd in the latest power rankings.
“Tonight was Senior Night, and you get up for that,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “It was a struggling Hatboro-Horsham team, so you don’t know what you’re going to get.
“With your team most likely in the playoffs and not playing for a week – how are they going to approach this game? Did Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland (wins) create a little better understanding of the killer mentality? The term was – are we at a new normal? Tonight I saw a new normal. We maintained the confidence from Upper Moreland the other night. It’s funny how teams evolve. Now I’m nervous about the week off because we’re at a good place.”
Eleven players contributed scoring for the Colonials, who raced out of the gate to a 19-3 lead and took a 44-12 lead into halftime. Caelin Peters celebrated Senior Night with a monster first half, scoring 16 of his game-high 18 before the intermission.
The Colonials added to their lead in the second half.
“I asked them to trust – ‘You’re a good team now. Do you want to take five days to learn to think like a great team? Let’s make that our challenge,’” Donofrio said. “I’m very happy – it took a long season to climb back from 3-8 and then go 8-3.
“A lot of teams fold it up, especially as critical as I was, and they didn’t. They maintained a nice enthusiasm and a nice respect for wanting to try to be whatever the heck we were trying to sell. They maintained a very polite respect even though they had no idea what we were talking about half the time. It’s been a fascinating experiment – can you bring out the competitor in someone? It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s not.”
In addition to Peters, Luke DiCianno added 10 points while Qudire Bennett added nine and Zende Hubbard and Jayden Pryce both had eight.
“We were so young in the mind in so many areas and then you add a challenging non-league schedule,” Donofrio said. “I kind of questioned our ability to win in a lot of ways. I questioned our ability to win in terms of toughness, our ability to win in terms of caring, in terms of hating to lose.
“To question a team’s desire, to question their fight – it was that kind of two-and-a-half months, but no matter what I said they kept coming back the next day on time. I hate the cliché that things are coming together, but a lot of things are coming together all at once, and I think the kids have to want to play like stars.”
The Colonials (9-5 SOL) evened their regular season record at 11-11. Hatboro-Horsham (0-14 SOL) closed out its season with a 1-21 record.
Hatboro-Horsham 4-8-12-13 37
Plymouth Whitemarsh 19-25-19-12 75
Hatboro-Horsham (37) – N’Gianni Cerisier 2 0-0 4; DJ Cerisier 1 1-2 3; Zehier Cheeze 3 7-10 13; Jack Marvin 3 3-4 11; Ben Schlosser 0 0-1 0; W. Schlosser 1 0-0 2; Joyce 0 1-1 1.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (75) – Caelin Peters 6 5-5 18; Luke DiCianno 4 2-3 10; Zuri Jerman 1 0-0 2; Zende Hubbard 4 0-1 8; Qudire Bennett 3 2-2 9; Taji Hubbard 1 0-0 2; David Harris 2 1-1 6; Jayden Glover 2 0-0 4; J. Harris 1 0-0 2; Aidan McGhin 3 0-0 6.
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