Check out the recaps for SOL teams in action Thursday. New Hope-Solebury/Morrisville photos provided courtesy of Karla Donohoe. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f716903222
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
SOUDERTON 62, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 32
Okoteh Sackitey described it as bittersweet.
And that effectively summed up a day that saw Souderton close out its season with its second win in as many outings, this one in impressive fashion. But with Thursday’s ending came the reality that the Indians had come up just short in their bid for a coveted District 1 6A Tournament. They are 27th in the latest power rankings in what will be a 24-team field.
“To be so close, it’s really tough because we know we had our chances, and we know we can compete with anyone in the district,” Sackitey said. “We played well this season. We lost four games by one shot, and you think about how many possessions that you have in a year – it’s over 2,000 possessions, and if four of them go differently, we’re in the playoffs.
“Every little thing matters, and I just feel for our players and our seniors. I’ve got to do better because we haven’t been in the playoffs since I’ve been here. We’ve been close a couple of times. I know the kids are giving their all, and I appreciate that. The kids give a lot, they sacrifice a lot, and they work so hard. We hate to miss the playoffs, but we’re excited for the future. We’ll be hungry and focused going into next year.”
As for the game, Souderton did a whole lot of things right. The host Indians opened up a 14-10 lead after one quarter and extended it to 34-16 at halftime, thanks to a 20-point second quarter that featured a whole lot of Chanse Salone. The sophomore guard scored 10 points in the second quarter and 15 – including three 3s – in a half Souderton dominated.
For good measure, Souderton outscored its visitors 28-16 in the second half.
“It was a good way to end the season,” Sackitey said. “It was staff appreciation day, so we started our game at 3:30, so we had an unusual start time, but even with that, the kids were focused and ready to go.
“Similar to Senior Night – we kind of knew this was going to be our last game of the year and the last game for the seniors. We wanted to end it right and end it on a good note for our seniors. That was a little motivation. We were focused and got it done.”
Salone’s 20 points led the host Indians. Bill Sackor added 13 points while Nolan Watkins, Danny Dyches and Clinton Kikonjo each had nine.
“In the locker room (after the postgame meeting), it was the seniors plus Chanse, Trey (Bui) and Nolan (Watkins), and it stood out to me when Bill Sackor said to those three, ‘I’m going to be watching you and rooting for you next year,’ and then he said, ‘I just want to see you be great,’” Sackitey said. “Behind that comment was – I want to see you guys have a better record, go farther and go into the playoffs. I know he means that. There’s a lot of love on this team.
“Obviously, we wish we were still playing. I think they had fun, I know that I had fun. It was a blast to be able to coach them. I’m so fortunate and grateful for that. We wish we had a couple of games, a couple of possessions back, but all things considered, these guys did really good. I’m proud of the way they carried themselves and who they are as people led by our seniors. Our seniors were great role models for the rest of the team and the rest of the program. They have a lot to be proud of.”
Rock North was led by the 14-point effort of Grady Burt. Oliver Schaefer added nine points.
Souderton closed its season with an 11-11 record while Council Rock North finished its season with a 6-15 record overall.
Council Rock North 10-6-7-9 32
Souderton 14-20-14-14 62
Council Rock North (32) – Grady Burt 5 4-5 14; Oliver Schaefer 2 4-4 9; Patrick Curry 1 0-0 2; Tyler Rodowicz 1 0-0 2; Kyree Henry 0 1-2 1; Brandon Holmes 1 0-0 2; Grant Cappozzoli 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 9-11 32
Souderton (62) – Chanse Salone 7 3-6 20; Bill SAckor 6 0-0 13; Nolan Watkins 4 0-0 9; Danny Dyches 4 0-0 9; Thaddeus Harter 1 0-0 2; Clinton Kikonjo 4 0-1 9; TOTALS 26 3-7 62.
3-point goals: CRN – Oliver Schaefer; Souderton – Chanse Salone 3, Bill Sackor, Nolan Watkins, Danny Dyches, Clinton Kikonjo.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 65, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 60
What a difference a year makes.
Last year this time, the Golden Hawks were turning in their uniforms after a 5-17 season. On Thursday, the Golden Hawks notched their 14th win of the season and cemented their position in the District 1 6A Tournament. The Hawks are 20th in the latest power rankings.
Their 14th win did not come easily as the Titans gave them all they could handle.
“It was definitely a hard-fought win,” Rock South coach Andrew Rogers said. “It was very back and forth. We led by four at the half – we were up eight with a little over a minute, so they were able to cut it before the half. They had a really good third quarter – they scored 23 in the third.
“We had some defensive lapses, but credit to them – they played hard. Coach (Louie) Ditri does a really good job, and I knew that going in. I said, ‘These guys are going to play really hard, so be ready.’ Credit to our guys. Even after a little bit of a blur there where they outplayed us, we just kept our minds focused and stayed with it. We were down in the fourth quarter, but we were able to keep them from extending the lead too much – we did a good job staying with it. We had a lot of guys playing in the fourth quarter that really helped. We were able to tie it and get the lead at the very end.”
The Titans, who trailed 28-24 at halftime, took a 47-39 lead into the fourth quarter when the Golden Hawks outscored their hosts 26-13 to close out the game. No one had a bigger impact in the quarter than Timmy Rahill, who had been relatively silent through three quarters with five points – all in the first half.
The recent Moravian University commit took charge in the fourth, burying three shots from beyond the arc and scoring 13 points.
“Credit to him for staying with it,” Rogers said of Rahill. “The first half and even the third quarter I thought he got some good looks – they were right on, they just weren’t falling.
“Our message was – ‘Hey, if it’s a good shot – catch ready to shoot every time.’ He got those same opportunities in the fourth quarter and came up big for us and knocked them down.”
Rahill’s 18 points led the Golden Hawks. Ryan Delp and Ryan Wekluk also finished in double figures with 12 (on 4 3-pointers) and 10 points respectively. Gabe Cerulli had nine points, and Jordan Geltz added eight points. They weren’t the only players to contribute.
“Ray Haglund is a sophomore – he came in and gave us really good minutes defensively and had a huge assist to Timmy Rahill down the stretch for one of his 3s,” Rogers said. “He’s a guy who comes in and gives us a lot of energy, so that was huge.
“MJ Thompson is a freshman. He played well in both halves but also had a very big take down the stretch where we were able to cut their lead, and Ryan Delp, who’s a sophomore as well, played good throughout. He had four 3s tonight. He’s just very solid. He gives us a lot of good looks on offense.
“Jordan Getz had seven assists tonight – he had 10 the other night, so he’s doing a really good job distributing the ball.”
Thursday’s win is a nice springboard into the playoffs for the Hawks.
“I think (the games are) all important, and that was a message to our guys,” Rogers said. “This was a make-up game, and I’m happy we were able to play because there is obviously a bit of a layover until (districts) start, so I think it was good for us.
“A game like this was good for us too because it tested our resilience a bit. It’s good we were in a situation where we had to play a tight game and overcome some obstacles. It was good for us, and I’m just really happy for our guys. Now it’s just one game at a time.”
For the Titans, Ben Harrison finished with a game-high 24 points, which included a nine-point third quarter. He scored 14 of his points after the break. JD Kollock added 10 points, Dylan Valentine had seven, and Brett Barrett, six points.
Council Rock South (14-8, 11-5 SOL) is 20th in the latest District 1 6A rankings and is off until next Friday’s opening round game. Central Bucks South’s young team closed out its season with a 6-16 record.
Council Rock South 8-20-11-26 65
Central Bucks South 9-15-23-13 60
Council Rock South (65) – Jordan Getz 3 1-2 8; Ryan Wekluk 5 0-0 10; Mike Burns 1 1-2 3; Gabe Cerulli 2 5-6 9; Timmy Rahill 6 3-3 18; MJ Thompson 2 1-2 5; Ryan Delp 4 0-0 12; TOTALS 23 11-15 65.
Central Bucks South (60) – Connor Thompson 1 0-0 2; Alex Shahin 0 2-2 2; JD Kollock 4 0-2 10; Nick Zakrezewski 0 1-2 1; Kyle Moyer 1 1-2 4; Ben Harrison 9 4-5 21; Dan McCusker 2 0-0 4; Brett Barrett 2 0-0 6; Dylan Valentine 2 2-4 7; TOTALS 21 10-17 60.
3-point goals: CRS – Ryan Delp 4, Timmy Rahill 3, Jordan Getz; CBS – JD Kollock 2, Brett Barrett 2, Ben Harrison 2, Kyle Moyer, Dylan Valentine.
Non-league
NORTH PENN 75, FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 60
One short week ago, the Knights – coming off a loss to Bensalem – were firmly on the bubble and stood a good chance of missing out on a district bid. That didn’t happen, however, as the Knights upset SOL Colonial Division champion Central Bucks East on Tuesday and closed its season with a resounding win over a 16-win Faith Christian squad on Thursday.
“We were supposed to play Engineering and Science but it got snowed out in the January snowstorm, and we rescheduled for this week, but they cancelled on us because they’re starting the Public League playoffs,” NP coach John Conrad said. “We scrambled, and fortunately enough, we found Faith.”
In the latest District 1 6A power rankings, the Knights find themselves 21st in what will be a 24-team field.
“We were talking about it as a staff – we finished 7-2 and feel like we’re playing pretty good basketball right now,” Conrad said. “The kids get all the credit in the world. They did a really good job and stayed with it. We’re pleased with what they were able to accomplish. I’m proud of them. We’re happy and just excited that we get a chance to go to practice and see what happens.”
The Knights seized control of the game from the outset, opening up a 20-10 lead after one quarter and extending that to 44-25 by halftime. The Knights took a 59-41 lead into the final quarter.
“They made a nice run early in the fourth quarter, got it to 10, but then we were able to extend it back to 15,” Conrad said. “
Making Thursday’s win especially impressive is the fact that six Knights finished the game in double figures. Tre Simpson’s 17 points led a balanced attack. Ahmaar Godhania – who had three 3-pointers – and Corey Meade each had 13 points while Norman Gee had 12 points. Lee Hammond and Aiden Atkinson both had 10.
“Defensively, Faith pressed us,” Conrad said. “Our guards – Norm (Gee), Lee (Hammond) and Ahmaar (Godhania) – did a really good job of handling their pressure, and we were able to finish on the front end. Tre (Simpson) had a lot of points, Aiden Atkinson benefitted from that.
“Corey Meade did a great job in the halfcourt getting to the front of the rim. Everybody that was able to score was in double figures for us. I thought we were very unselfish and handled the pressure well. This was a good non-league game for us. Now we’ll take a couple days off and get back at it on Monday.
Leading FCA was freshman Jagger Verbit, who led all scorers with 24 points.
North Penn (12-10, 10-6 SOL) will await its opponent in the opening round of next Friday’s opening round District 1 6A contest.
North Penn 20-24-15-16 75
Faith Christian 10-15-16-19 60
North Penn (75) – Ahmaar Godhania 13, Lee Hammond 10, Norm Gee 12, Aiden Atkinson 10, Corey Meade 13, Tre Simpson 17.
Faith Christian (60) – Tyler Forscht 12, Micaiah Hughes 11, Mason Paul 4, Jagger Verbit 24, Garrett Grant 8.
3-point goals: NP – Ahmaar Godhania 3, Lee Hammond, Norm Gee, Corey Meade; FCA – Garrett Grant 2, Tyler Forscht, Micaiah Hughes.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 58, MORRISVILLE 50
(Game info will be included when it is received.)
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