Scott Huff recaps the SOL action from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's non-league games.
By Scott Huff
Perkasie – The fans that filled the gym at Pennridge High School came to see 6-foot, 8-inch Horace Spencer – the high profile freshman from William Tennent. With all due respect to the enormous potential of Spencer, those same fans left the gym talking about 5-foot, 10-inch Ram freshman Zach Muredda.
Muredda – who did not enter the game until the second period - played a brilliant floor game and scored 17 points to lead the Rams (4-2) to a 75-52 non-conference victory over the Panthers (2-3). Pennridge senior Tim Abruzzo led all scorers with 22 points.
“Zach began the season as a part-time junior varsity, part-time varsity player,” said Pennridge head coach Dean Behrens of his 14-year old ninth grader. “But he has progressed so quickly that we have no trouble putting him in our rotation and letting him get his minutes.
“Tim (Abruzzo) and Andrew (Lyons) have taken him under their wing and their experience has really helped him,” added Behrens. “Plus Zach has an extremely high basketball IQ, and he doesn’t play the game one bit scared.”
“I will do whatever I can to help him,” said Abruzzo who played a polished game for the Rams both handling and shooting the basketball. “I played varsity as a freshman, and I know what he is going through. We are five games into the season right now, and he will continue to gain confidence as the season goes along.”
Spencer – who scored seven points and had four blocked shots – continued his progression as a varsity player.
“There is so much pressure on (Spencer) to do well, I hope he can just be able to play the game,” said Behrens. “We were concerned about him and (Jack) Rauchut coming into the game.”
Rauchut was a force inside the paint and scored a team-high 20 points for the Panthers.
“Everyone knows about Spencer and Rauchut,” said William Tennent head coach Robert Mulville. “We are going through some growing pains, but we have to be able to get the ball in to those two players a little better.
“Plus, we can’t give up 75 points a game and expect to win,” continued the coach. “Pennridge was a championship team last year, and Abruzzo and Lyons are back. And that freshman (Muredda) stepped up and hit some big shots for them.”
Muredda – who played on the same Montgomery County AAU team this summer with Spencer – was excited about the reunion.
“I was really looking forward to playing against (Spencer),” said Muredda. “I looked on our schedule as soon as it came out, and I couldn’t wait for tonight.”
The basketball followers in the Pennridge area also couldn’t wait to see super-frosh Spencer – and they exited the gym with a smile and a winning performance from super-frosh Muredda.
William Tennent Panthers 10 13 12 17 - 52
Pennridge Rams 10 27 17 21 - 75
WT: Jack Rauchut 20; Ryan Smith 12; Horace Spencer 7; Corey Hamlet 7; Kenny Rauchut 3; and Matt Alden 3. – Total – 52.
PR: Tim Abruzzo 22; Zach Muredda 17; Andrew Lyons 13; Jeff Garner 10; Shane Schmidt 7; Alex Krivda 3; Kyle Bigam 2; Dan Shane 1. – Total – 75.
Friday Night Lights
Upper Dublin (5-2) rallied in the fourth period as the Flying Cardinals soared to a 47-46 victory over Methacton (6-2). Upper Dublin trailed by five points going into the final period, but the Cardinals limited the Warriors to just five fourth period points to secure the win. Andrew Derr scored a game-high 15 points for Upper Dublin, while Darrell Harrison also scored in twin digits with 10 points. Andrew Carber and Tyreek Magruder each scored eight points for the winners.
Upper Dublin Cardinals 7 12 17 11 - 47
Methacton Warriors 11 15 15 5 - 46
Norristown (2-3) lost a heartbreaker in overtime as the Eagles dropped a 59-58 contest to Germantown Academy (7-2) in the opening round of the Coach ‘O’ Classic. Norristown was a step away from sending the game into a second overtime when Samir Bey’s shot at the buzzer was ruled a two-point goal and not a three-point field goal. Bernard Gordon led the Eagles with 16 points, while Jahbri Hargrove (12) and Luke Kelly (10) also scored in double figures.
Germantown Academy Patriots 14 8 19 13 5 - 59
Norristown Eagles 8 14 14 18 4 - 58
Hatboro-Horsham (1-4) was competitive in the first half with Archbishop Carroll (4-1) but dropped a 57-38 verdict in the closing game of the Coach ‘O’ Classic. The Hatters were led in scoring by Michael Brown who scored a team-high 11 points, while Ryan Kelly added nine points for Hatboro-Horsham.
Archbishop Carroll 13 15 16 13 - 57
Hatboro-Horsham 10 12 6 10 - 38
Bensalem (2-4) soared to an 11-point first half lead, but the Owls could not seal the deal in a 49-47 loss against Archbishop Wood (3-1). Bensalem was led in scoring by Julian Hyden with a game-high 22 points, while Davonte Newkirk scored in twin digits for the Owls with 12 points.
Bensalem Owls 12 16 11 8 - 47
Archbishop Wood 6 11 22 10 - 49
In The Rearview Mirror (Thursday – 12/21/11)
Central Bucks South (3-3) snapped the unbeaten streak of Abington (5-1) as the Titans captured a 45-44 victory over the Ghosts. Kevin Raymond scored a basket at the buzzer to give South the win. Abington trailed by eight in the fourth period before regaining the lead at 44-43. Chase Vonder Schmalz scored a team-high 18 points for CB South, while Anthony Durham scored a game-high 19 points for Abington.
Truman (2-4) jumped out to a 15-point first half lead and held off Cheltenham (4-2) – 69-61. The Tigers had three players score in double figures as Daiquan Ashley and Kenny Osborne led HST with 14 points each. Merdic Green scored 12 points and collected 11 rebounds for the Tigers. Jarrell Haywood scored a game-high 21 points to lead Cheltenham, while Nafis Walker (11) and Aaron McGlawn (10) also scored in twin digits.
Cheltenham Panthers 12 9 20 20 - 61
Truman Tigers 17 19 18 15 - 68
Upper Moreland (4-2) stretched its first half lead in the second half as the Golden Bears defeated visiting Bristol (2-4) – 58-46. Upper Moreland had a wonderful game played by senior Matt Kohn, who pumped home a game-high 22 points. The Golden Bears had eight players reach the scorebook with the second leading scorer being Kevin McFall with nine points.
Bristol Warriors 4 15 15 12 - 46
Upper Moreland Bears 8 17 14 19 - 58
North Penn (1-3) played unbeaten Archbishop Ryan (6-0) close in the first half, but the Knights fell to Ryan – 58-46. Wes Brooks led North Penn in scoring with 14 points, while Javi Alvarino also scored in twin digits for the Knights with 11 points. Larry Roane added nine points for North Penn.
Archbishop Ryan 7 15 18 18 - 58
North Penn Knights 7 12 11 16 - 46
Wednesday – 12/20/11
Wissahickon (5-1) won its fifth straight game as the Trojans defeated host Central Bucks East (2-3) – 56-51. Wissahickon had a strong game turned in by Tanoh Kpassagnon, who scored a game-high 16 points and collected 12 rebounds. Jordan Reed also scored 16 for the Trojans while Chase Wilson scored in twin digits with 12 points. The Patriots were led in scoring by Lou Pannella with 13 points, while Steve Topley and Matt Stauffer each scored 10 points.
Wissahickon Trojans 10 20 14 12 - 56
CB East Patriots 15 8 10 18 - 51
Bensalem (2-3) surrendered an eight-point first period lead as the Owls lost a 68-65 contest to visiting Glen Mills (3-2). Bensalem was led is scoring by Leo Vincent with a game-high 18 points. Julian Hyden added 15 points for the Owls, while Donnie Reed scored in double figures for the Owls with 11 points.
Glen Mills Bulls 11 25 12 20 - 68
Bensalem Owls 19 12 9 23 - 65
Upper Merion (1-4) had a superlative 27-point effort by James Mobely, but the Vikings could not defeat host Marple-Newtown (6-1), falling 62-48. Upper Merion – which had a nine-point scoring effort by Justin Lewis – led Marple-Newtown at the close of the first half by a 33-30 score. The Vikings, however, would score only 15 points in the second half.
Upper Merion Vikings 13 20 8 7 - 48
Marple-Newtown 14 16 14 18 - 62
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