By Scott Huff
The Upper Moreland basketball program has been very successful on the court in the recent past. Last season was the first time in five years that the Golden Bears have not been in the PIAA Class AAA District One Playoffs.
Upper Moreland head coach Brian Corrado – in his 13th season at the helm for the Bears – returned just two players from the 2009-2010 team that finished 5-17 overall and 3-11 in the Suburban One American Conference.
And even though Upper Moreland has struggled through a 2-18 overall record and 0-11 in the SOL American Conference during the 2010-2011 season, Corrado knows that this season has been just as rewarding as all those playoff years.
And the coach would very much like to celebrate the contributions that his seniors have made this year as Upper Moreland prepares for Senior Night against Upper Merion.
“We have always had spirited practices and have always maintained intensity,” said Corrado. “And that starts with the attitude of the six seniors I have on this team.
“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to get better every day, and we have done just that,” added Corrado. “We have put in the extra work, and the seniors exemplify what it takes to be great role models.”
The only players that returned with any varsity experience were seniors Matt Worley and Scott Smith.
“Matt Worley, along with (sophomore) Matt Kohn, lead the team in scoring with 11 and half points a game,” said Corrado of his ‘shooting’ guard. “He has great quickness, and he knows how to use that to his advantage.
“Scott Smith is our anchor,” continued Corrado. “He is a very smart basketball player that is able to both anticipate and communicate.”
Smith averaged seven and a half points this season, and led the Golden Bears in rebounding with eight and a half boards per game.
“It really feels like a family playing with this team,” said the 6-foot, 3-inch Smith. “When I started playing here as a freshman, I didn’t really know what to expect.
“The season was a little disappointing in wins and losses – we made too many mistakes,” added Smith who played both fullback and defensive end on the Upper Moreland football team. “But there is no doubt that I am going to miss playing basketball.”
“The one thing that I learned about this season is to win games you have to be able to play all four quarters,” said Worley who has played four seasons of baseball for the Golden Bears. “And you can never give up.”
Upper Moreland has had its flashes of brilliance this season.
The Golden Bears led powerful Norristown (18-2, 10-1) 22-13 after the first period, and also led conference rival Cheltenham (14-7, 6-5) 20-13 after the first quarters.
But those games resulted in tough losses.
Upper Moreland – one of two Class AAA teams in SOL American Conference along with Upper Merion – has beaten both Owen J Roberts (61-59) and New Hope-Solebury (68-50) this season. The remaining conference teams Plymouth Whitemarsh, Norristown, Cheltenham, Wissahickon, and Upper Dublin are Quad-A schools.
Worley and Smith were the only returning varsity players this season, but Corrado wanted to acknowledge the contributions given by his remaining four seniors.
“All of my seniors were really good kids who brought the best they had every day,” said Corrado. “They set a great example for the younger players to follow.
“Joe Green has come a very long way,” added Corrado. “He hustles all the time and spends more time diving on the floor than anyone.
“Dave Driscoll has become a very pleasant surprise,” continued Corrado. “He is a great guy in the locker room, and he has had some very good games for us.
“Dan Petry didn’t get a whole lot of time, but he was a great team player,” added Corrado. “He did a lot of things on our scout team to get us ready for the next opponent.
“Pat O’Donnell is one tough bird,” continued Corrado. “He was always willing to learn, and he always had a positive attitude.”
Success is often measured by just wins and losses, but there is no question that the Upper Moreland basketball team had a successful 2010-2011 season.
Upper Merion @ Upper Moreland Preview
The Senior Night contest between the host Golden Bears (2-18, 0-11) and the visiting Vikings (9-12, 3-8) is a rematch of a Suburban One League American Conference game played on January 18. 2011.
In the game, Upper Merion jumped out to a 12-2 first period lead but led the Bears by just 37-34 going in the fourth period. The Vikings held on for a 60-47 win.
Matt Kohn led Upper Moreland with 14 points, while Scott Smith added 10 points for the Golden Bears.
Naim Cheeseboro scored a game-high 22 points for Upper Merion, while James Mobley scored in twin digits with 13 points.
Upper Moreland will conclude its season on Saturday (2/12/11) night. The Bears will have a non-league home game with Lansdale Catholic (2-17).
Upper Moreland Roster
#3 – Nick Corbett (5-10, Soph., Guard)
#10 – Joe Green (6-1, Sr., Forward)
#20 – Pat O’Donnell (6-1, Sr., Guard)
#22 – Matt Worley (5-11, Sr., Guard)
#23 – Dan Petry (6-3, Sr., Forward)
#24 – Josh Villanueva (6-1, Soph., Guard/Forward)
#30 – Matt Kohn (5-10, Soph., Guard)
#32 – Billy Burnick (5-7, Sr., Guard)
#33 – Dave Driscoll (6-2, Sr., Forward)
#40 – Kevin McFall (6-3, Fr.,Forward)
#44 – Scott Smith (6-1, Sr., Forward)
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