PW will take on Lower Merion for a spot in the District One Quad-A semifinal. Scott Huff previews the district games featuring SOL teams. Check back for a recap of all the games. Photo courtesy of Larry Small.
By Scott Huff
The five remaining Suburban One League teams playing in the PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs all have a different level of pressure in the games to be played Tuesday night.
Plymouth Whitemarsh will play in a prime time game at Temple University as the Colonials compete in the semifinals against Lower Merion. PW lost in the district semifinals two years ago and lost in the district finals last year. But there are really no losers when you get to the district semifinal show.
Pennridge and Hatboro-Horsham will play what amounts to a state playoff game when the Rams and the Hatters meet for the third time this year. The winner will advance to play the winner of the Downingtown West-Academy Park game and will guarantee itself a berth as either a nine or ten seed in the state tournament. The loser of the game between the Rams and the Hatters will have their season end.
Central Bucks West and Central Bucks East have already guaranteed state playoff spots by reaching the Elite Eight – but both the Bucks and the Patriots suffered tough losses in the quarterfinals on the road to the district title. West and East join Conestoga and Spring-Ford in a four game ‘playback’ to determine seeds five through eight in the state tournament.
And the beat goes on…
PIAA Quad-A District One Semifinals
@ Temple University
Tuesday February 23, 2016 – 6 pm
# 11 Lower Merion Aces (18-7) @ # 2 Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (23-2)
Playoff Resume:
Lower Merionpunched its ticket to the PIAA Quad-A District One Final Four with a 68-45 victory over Central League rival #14 Conestoga. The Aces had lost twice to Conestoga during the regular season by scores of 66-55 and 63-57. Lower Merion led 16-0 at the outset of the game. Noah Fennell led the Aces in scoring with 18 points, while 6-8 Jeremy Horn scored 17 points and had 9 rebounds. Both KJ Helton (15) and Terrel Jones (11) scored in double figures. Lower Merion had advanced to the Conestoga game with a 64-48 win over # 27 Upper Dublin. In the win over the Cardinals, Jones scored 14 points with eight rebounds, and Fennell scored in twin digits with 11 points. In the opening round district game the Aces defeated # 22 Penn Wood 68-66 in overtime. Dion Harris led Lower Merion with 17 points, while Helton scored 12 points for the winners.
Plymouth Whitemarsh punched its ticket to the PIAA Quad-A District One Final Four with a thrilling 43-41 victory over SOL Continental Conference opponent Central Bucks West. Oakley Spencer scored the game winner with 0.7 seconds left in the game. Xzavier Malone led the Colonials with 16 points, while Mike Lotito scored in twin digits with12 points. PW advanced to the district quarterfinals with a 60-56 victory over # 18 Academy Park. Malone led the Colonials with a 26-point outburst, while Ahmin Williams came off the bench and scored eight points. Malone went over the 1000-point mark for his career and now has a career total of 1015 points. PW opened the district playoffs with a 49-36 victory over # 31 Radnor. The Colonials never trailed in the game but led the pesky Indians by just 11-10 at the close of the third period. Malone – who missed most of the second and third quarters with a mild ankle sprain – led PW in scoring with 14 points. Lotito and Kevin Ashenfelter each scored in double digits for the Colonials with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Season Resume:
Lower Merion: The Aces finished the regular season tied for third place in the Central League with a record of 12-5.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: The Colonials finished the regular season as the champion of the SOL American Conference with a record of 13-1.
Players To Watch:
Lower Merion: Noah Fennell, Jeremy Horn & Dion Harris.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Xzavier Malone, Mike Lotito & Kevin Ashenfelter.
Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio says: “We know them very well by playing them in a summer league. (6-8 Jeremy) Horn has developed nicely and is a good player. Lower Merion likes to spread and hold with a lead – while we like to accelerate with the lead. This is a rivalry between two traditionally good teams that goes back to the 60’s. Last year we lost in the finals to Abington, but that experience hopefully helps us this year. We’ve been there before – and this has been a team that has figured out how to win games. We want to make a run into March and make some good memories for our seniors.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will play the winner of # 4 Ridley vs. # 9 Chester game in the PIAA Quad-A District One title game @ Temple – 8 pm.
Loser Gets: The loser of this game will play the loser of the # 4 Ridley vs. # 9 Chester game in a game to determine the # 3 and # 4 seed in the state tournament from District One.
PIAA Quad-A District One State Seeding Games
Tuesday – February 23, 2016 @ 7 pm
# 14 Conestoga Pioneers (19-8) @ # 7 Central Bucks West Bucks (22-4)
Playoff Resume:
Conestogafell in the PIAA Quad-A district quarterfinals to #11 Lower Merion (57-51). The Pioneers – who had beaten Lower Merion twice during the regular Central League season – fell behind 16-0 in the first period. Darryl Caldwell scored a game-high 23 points. The Pioneers had advanced to the quarterfinal game with a 69-52 victory over # 3 Downingtown West. Caldwell and Andrew Larkin paced the Conestoga offense with 14 points each. Jack Baker and Angus Mayock played terrific defense in the win over the favored Whippets. The Pioneers opened the district playoffs with a 57-45 victory over # 19 seed Great Valley.
Central Bucks West fell to #2 Plymouth Whitemarsh 43-41 in the PIAA Quad-A district quarterfinals. Billy Power led the Buck scoring with a 13-point effort, while Jake Reichwein also scored in twin digits with 11 points. West lost the game on a Colonial basket with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Bucks advanced to the district quarterfinals with a 40-32 victory over # 10 Phoenixville. CBW led the entire game despite playing most of the game without Cal Reichwein who was injured early in the game. Luke Irons played perhaps his best game of the year with a team-high 17 points. Power, Erich Hohlenleitner and Jake Reichwein each scored six points for the winners. The Bucks opened the district playoffs with a 54-35 victory over # 26 Downingtown East. CBW opened up a huge 30-13 lead at the half and secured the win with a 15-5 scoring advantage in the fourth period. CB West was led is scoring by Hohenleiter with 15 points, while Cal Reichwein and brother Jake Reichwein scored in twin digits with 12 and 11 points respectively.
Season Resume:
Conestoga: The Pioneers finished the regular season tied for third place in the Central League with a record of 12-5.
Central Bucks West: The Bucks finished the regular season as the second place finisher in the SOL Continental Conference with a record of 12-2.
Players To Watch:
Conestoga: Darryl Caldwell, Andrew Larkin & Jack Baker.
Central Bucks West: Bill Power, Luke Irons & Jake Reichwein.
Central Bucks West head coach Adam Sherman says: “A big factor in the game is to see which team rebounds better mentally from losing in the Elite Eight. (Darryl) Caldwell is a very quick guard and might be one of the best point guards in the district. We do a lot of the same things that Conestoga does. We might not have the same style of play or personnel – but we have the same basic philosophy. The team that comes out with the most energy is the team that will most likely win the game.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will play the winner of the # 12 Spring-Ford vs. # 17 CB East game for the # 5 seed in the district.
Loser Gets: The loser of this game will play the loser of the # 12 Spring-Ford vs. # 17 CB East game for the # 7 seed in the district.
# 17 CB East Patriots (15-10) @ # 12 Spring-Ford Rams (20-7)
Playoff Resume:
Central Bucks East fell in the PIAA Quad-A District One quarterfinals with a 49-33 loss to powerful # 9 Chester. The Patriots trailed 10-4 at the quarter and never recovered. CB East had a pair of players score in double figures as both Tommy Strasburger and Justin O’Neil each scored 10 points. The Patriots punched their ticket to the state tournament with a 49-43 ‘upset’ victory over # 1 Coatesville. The Patriots outscored the Red Raiders 21-15 in the third period to secure the win. Strasburger was once again the engine for East with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. O’Neil scored in twin digits with 13 points, while point guard Matt Pattyson added 10 points for the winners. In the opening round game, CB East‘upset’ # 16 seed Pennsbury with a 41-30 victory. The Patriots outscored the Falcons 13-3 in the final period to secure the win. Strasburger led CB East is scoring with 13 points, while Pattyson scored eight points and collected eight rebounds for the winners.
Spring-Ford fell in the PIAA Quad-A District One quarterfinals with a 54-50 loss to # 4 Ridley. The Rams trailed 17-2 at the close of the first period but rallied to outscore the Green Raiders 17-4 in the second quarter to trail by just 21-19 at the half. Nigel Cooke had a monster game for S-F with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Gnais also scored in double figures with 14 points. The Rams had punched their ticket to the state tournament with a 61-58 overtime victory over # 5 Pennridge. In the win over the Rams, Gnais scored a game-high 23 points, while Chris Drummond added 11 points. Cooke and Cameron Reid each scored 10 points in the Pennridge game. Spring-Ford opened the district playoffs with a 69-60 victory over # 21 Penncrest. Cooke led the Rams with 19 points, while Drummond and Reid each scored 14 points. Gnais and Ryan Fitzpatrick each scored 10 points for the winners.
Season Resume:
CB East: The Patriots finished the regular season tied for third place in the SOL Continental Conference with a 7-7 record.
Spring-Ford: The Rams finished the regular season as the champion of the Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division with a record of 11-2.
Players To Watch:
Central Bucks East: Tommy Strasburger, Blake Peterson & Justin O’Neil.
Spring-Ford: Matt Gnais, Nigel Cooke & Cameron Reid.
Central Bucks East head coach Erik Henrysen says: “Spring-Ford presents another huge road test. They shoot the ball from the perimeter tremendously well. They have five guys that can shoot the three. We need to continue to maintain our composure on the road, rebound, and play at our tempo. Chester was a letdown, no doubt. We shot 10-for-50 and still had a chance to win, we don’t feel that we took a step backward.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game will play the winner of the # 7 Central Bucks West vs. # 14 Conestoga game for the # 5 seed in the district.
Loser Gets: The loser of this game will play the loser of the # 7 Central Bucks West vs. # 14 Conestoga game for the # 7 seed in the district.
PIAA Quad-A District One Playoffs
9th & 10th Seed Playback Games
Tuesday – February 23, 2016 @ 7 pm
# 25 Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (13-12) @ # 5 Pennridge Rams (21-5)
Playoff Resume:
Hatboro-Horsham kept its season alive with a 66-57 ‘upset’ win over #1 Coatesville. The Hatters trailed 32-23 at halftime but rallied in the second half to secure the win. Jay Davis led the H-H attack with 22 points, while Clifton Moore (19) and Joe Russell (11) also scored in twin digits. Hatboro-Horsham fell into the consolation round with a 56-34 loss to # 9 Chester. The Hatters were competitive in the first quarter, trailing 12-9, but then fell behind the Clippers by 21 in the third period. Davis fueled the Hatboro Horsham offense with 24 points, while Moore – who scored 28 against Strath Haven in the first round – was held to just two points. Hatboro-Horsham opened the district playoffs with a 68-45 ‘upset’ over #8 seed Strath Haven. The Hatters took an early lead – never trailed in the game – and outscored the Panthers 23-11 in the final period. Moore was spectacular with his game-high 28 points, while Davis also had an excellent scoring outing with 20 points.
Pennridge kept its season alive with a 61-42 victory over # 20 Perkiomen Valley. The Rams led 33-19 at the close of the first half and outscored the Vikings 17-7 in the final period to secure the win. Dan Long led the PHS attack with 19 points, while Ryan Kinky scored in double digits with 11 points. Ryan Cuthbert, Steve Lowry, and Max Wagner each scored nine points for the winners. Pennridge fell into the consolation tournament with a 61-58 overtime loss to # 12 Spring-Ford. The Rams led 54-51 late in the fourth quarter but could not secure the win. Pennridge was led in scoring by Long with 20 points, while Lowry added 14 points and Wagner scored in double digits with 10 points. Pennridge opened the district playoffs with a 67-60 victory over #28 Central Bucks South. The Rams led 14-6 at the close of the first period and protected the lead for the remainder of the game. Pennridge shot 20-of-21 from the free throw line. Long led all scorers with 24 points, while teammates Cuthbert and Wagner each scored in double digits with 13 points.
Season Resume:
Hatboro-Horsham: The Hatters finished the regular season tied for third place in the SOL Continental Conference with a record of 7-7.
Pennridge: The Rams finished the regular season as the champion of the SOL Continental Conference with a record of 13-1.
Players To Watch:
Hatboro-Horsham: Clifton Moore, Jay Davis & Brian McEachern.
Pennridge: Dan Long, Max Wagner & Steve Lowry.
Hatboro-Horsham head coach Ed Enoch says: “We get another chance to play our league nemesis. Pennridge is a very, very good basketball team that plays hard every possession and can grind you down. I have so much respect for the way that Dan Long plays for them – he puts them on his back and carries them. It really isn’t a hard formula to follow to beat them – play good defense, rebound and don’t turn the ball over. But it is going to be a difficult job. It is a privilege to be able to play Pennridge – and if we win, we get into states, which is a nice reward.”
Pennridge head coach Dean Behrens says: “Hatboro-Horsham is a very good team that is playing very good basketball. We’re happy to be playing a home game, but to beat a good team three times in one season is a tough task. The last time we played them it was a one-possession game late in the game, and I expect it to be a one possession game for most of this game. The kids were down after losing to Spring-Ford, but Dan Long and Steve Lowry got the kids up – and we have had great practices ever since that loss.”
Winner Gets: The winner of this game plays the winner of the game between # 3 Downingtown West and # 18 Academy Park for the # 9 and # 10 seed in the district.
Loser Gets: The loser of this game will end its season.
In the rearview mirror:
Upper Moreland saw its season come to an end in Saturday’s District One Class AAA opening round, but the Golden Bears didn’t go down without a battle. The sixth-seeded Bears extended third-seeded Holy Ghost Prep to double overtime before falling 45-42.
Early on, the Golden Bears had things going their way, opening up a 17-11 lead after one quarter and taking a 25-19 lead into halftime. Upper Moreland led by as many as 12 in the first half (23-11).
The Firebirds battled back in the second half, outscoring the Bears 9-4 in the third period and 11-10 in the fourth to knot the score. Each team managed just two points in the first overtime, but the Firebirds won it in the second when Aiden Bauer – who was fouled taking a three-pointer – connected on all three foul shots with two seconds showing on the scoreboard clock.
Brendan O’Donnell led the Golden Bears with 11 points, and Shane Stone added nine. Damian Washington scored eight, and Casey Decker had seven.
Jack Coolahan led the Firebirds with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Upper Moreland (5-9 SOL) closed out the season with a 9-14 record.
Upper Moreland 17-8-4-9-2-2 42
Holy Ghost Prep 11-8-9-10-2-5 45
Upper Moreland: Damian Washington 8, Shane Stone 9, Brendan O’Donnell 11, Casey Decker 7, Brett Brossman 3, Jake Villanueva 4.
Holy Ghost Prep: Aiden Bauer 9, Greg Calvin 4, Jack Coolahan 15, John McCrane 3, Mike McFadden 7, Julian Turner 7.
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