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By Scott Huff
The third round of the PIAA Quad-A District One Playoffs are on Friday (2/25/11) and the winners will advance to the Final Four and the coveted invite to the Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University.The Suburban One League should be proud of its representation in the Great Eight as five SOL schools made the grade. # 2 Council Rock North, # 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh, # 5 Neshaminy, # 7 Norristown, and # 9 Bensalem all will attempt to gain that Final Four ticket to the Main Line.
PIAA Quad-A District One Semifinals
Friday – February 25, 2011
All games @ 7 pm except Norristown-CR North
# 7 Norristown Eagles (20-3) vs. # 2 Council Rock North Indians (23-1)
***8 pm. @ Council Rock South***
Road To The Great Eight:
Norristown had an impressive win over # 10 Coatesville (18-7) to gain its admission ticket to the quarterfinals as the host Eagles defeated the Red Raiders – 67-62. Senior guard Aaron Webb – Aaron Who? – torched Coatesville for 33 points in the huge win. The Eagles scored 26 fourth period points to seal the win – Webb had 15 of those. Maleek Williams also scored in twin digits with 14 points. Norristown was less than impressive in a 47-41 opening round district playoff win over # 26 Ridley. Rasheed Johnson and Williams shared the scoring honors in that game with 15 points each.
Council Rock North had it earn its way to the quarterfinals with a tough 50-44 victory over Wissahickon. Aaron Morgan fueled the Indian offense with 25 points. Charlie Anastasi scored in twin digits for Rock North in the Wissahickon victory with 13 points. CR North opened district playoff action with a 43-28 win over # 31 Great Valley. Arron Goodman led the Indians with 14 points, while Morgan added 12 points for the winners.
Notebook:
Norristown is back in the state playoffs after a one-year absence. The Eagles have won 10 of their last 11 games with the only loss coming against Plymouth Whitemarsh (60-37) in the Suburban One League American Conference title game. The only other setbacks for Norristown this year came against # 1 Chester (67-58) and in the first game against # 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh (59-49). The Eagles have featured a balanced scoring attack and are extremely athletic.
Council Rock North has won 21 consecutive games and is the Suburban One League National Conference champion. The only loss of the season for the Indians was in 2010 when Rock North lost a 68-53 contest to powerful Montrose Christian out of Maryland. The game was played at Villanova University. The Indians are not very deep, but have all the pieces needed to be both a District One champion and a contender for the PIAA Quad-A state championship.
Players To Watch:
Norristown: Maleek Williams, Rasheed Johnson, Aaron Webb, Jahquan Hargrove, and Tyreese White.
Council Rock North: Aaron Morgan, Arron Goodman, Charlie Anastasi, John Raymon, Matt McCloskey.
Norristown head coach Michael Evans says: “Aaron Morgan makes their team go, and we are going to have to find a way to contain him. He plays very smart basketball and is very disciplined on the floor. Council Rock North plays good team defense, and we want to be able to run the floor and make them play a more up-tempo game.”
Council Rock North head coach Derek Wright says: “Playing a team with the tradition of Norristown is a great opportunity for our players. (Norristown head coach) Mike Evans really does an outstanding job with that program, and Norristown has a lot of talent. I expect it to be an excellent high school basketball game.”
# 9 Bensalem Owls (19-5) @ # 1 Chester Clippers (23-1)
Road To The Great Eight:
Bensalem has had a unique road to in the playoffs in that the Owls have played two teams they had played earlier in the season – and had beaten both # 24 Strath Haven and # 8 North Penn. Bensalem opened District One play with a 53-37 victory over Strath Haven, and followed with a road win at North Penn – 36-33. In the win over Strath Haven, Leo Vincent led the Owls with 18 points. Bensalem had three players – Calvin Brown, Austin Nyekan, and Vincent share the scoring lead with eight points each.
Chester has proven why it is the # 1 seed in the tournament with a pair of impressive victories. The Clippers eliminated # 32 Perkiomen Valley in the opening round by a 70-36 score as Maurice Nelson – brother of Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson – scored 18 points to lead the Chester scoring. Nelson scored 16 points as the Clippers blasted # 17 Springfield Delco 72-48 in the second round game.
Notebook:
Bensalem has won 10 of its last 12 games but has done so without an explosive offense. The Owls won six of their last 10 games by scoring 48 points or less. Bensalem has scored in the 30’s four times this year – and has won two of those games against District One playoff teams. The Owls edged North Penn 36-33 and defeated Lower Merion 38-37. Bensalem has done it on defense – and nobody plays it better than 6-foot, 8-inch senior Calvin Brown.
Chester has won 18 straight games with its only loss of the season coming to out-of-state opponent Sanford (Delaware) in a showcase event held at Widener University on December 30, 2010. The Clippers lost that game 62-57 – by far the lowest point total they have put up all season. Chester has exploded for a 109-42 victory over Chichester and a 98-37 win over Interboro. Chester has done it with an explosive offense that has featured a balanced scoring attack.
Players To Watch:
Bensalem: Calvin Brown, Leo Vincent, Chris McMullin, Austin Nyekan, and Alex Agyedu.
Chester: Maurice Nelson, DeQuann Walker, Rondae Jefferson, Erikk Wright, and Darius Robinson.
Bensalem Coach John Mullin says: “We are going to have to study film very hard this week to get ready for a team like Chester and see what we can do. We want to be able to enjoy our first trip to the state playoffs in twenty years with the win we had over North Penn, but we can’t take much time doing that. The prize for beating North Penn was Chester – maybe it was a booby prize.”
# 13 Lower Merion Aces (17-7) @ # 5 Neshaminy Redskins (20-4)
Road To The Great Eight:
Neshaminy looks to be playing its best basketball of the year, as the Skins have looked impressive in a pair of district playoff victories. The Redskins may have looked their best all season in a second round win over # 12 Glen Mills. Ryan Arcidiacono fired home 19 points and dealt out eight assists, while Tyler Katz added 13 points to go along with five steals. Michael McGarry was an inside presence with 11 rebounds and 10 points. Neshaminy opened the playoff run with a 55-43 victory over Central Bucks East. McGarry led all scorers in that game with 18 points, while Dwight Williams added 16 for the Skins.
Lower Merion avenged a pair of Central League losses to # 4 Upper Darby as the Aces beat the Royals in a second round district playoff contest – 73-66. Raheem Hall led Lower Merion with 22 points, while Eric Green added 15 points for the winners. Darius Hall scored in double figures with 12 points. The Aces opened the district playoffs with a 63-57 win over Methacton. Darius Hall led LM with 16 points, while Mike Robbins scored 12 points for the Aces.
Notebook:
Neshaminy seems to have made the total rebound from its disappointing 85-49 loss to Penn Wood in a non-league contest. The Redskins have won nine of their last 11 games with the only setbacks coming against Penn Wood and Council Rock North (38-34). The only other losses during the season came in the first Rock North meeting (55-43) and to SOL National Conference opponent Bensalem (42-41).
Lower Merion – the high school home of Los Angeles Laker star Kobe Bryant – has won 12 of its last 13 games. The only loss in that span came against Simon Gratz of Philadelphia (56-49). The Aces had lost to Central League champion Upper Darby twice in the regular season (64-40 & 48-47), but got their revenge with a second round playoff victory.
Players To Watch:
Neshaminy: Ryan Arcidiacono, Michael McGarry, Tyler Katz, Dwight Williams, and Dave Baron.
Lower Merion: Raheem Hall, Darius Hall, Eric Green, Mike Robbins, and Michael Buchwald.
Neshaminy head coach Jerry Devine says: “Lower Merion is very well coached and can either be very patient and slow it down, or they can push the ball up and down the floor. They have a well-rounded team, and it always seems like Lower Merion has good guards. I’m sure that they will try to take Arch (Ryan Arcidiacono) away from us offensively, so we have to be prepared for that.”
#6 West Chester Rustin Golden Knights (20-3) @ # 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (20-4)
Road To The Great Eight:
Plymouth Whitemarsh had a pair of easy victories as the Colonials travel down the PIAA Quad-A District One playoff highway. Plymouth Whitemarsh opened its state title defense with a 78-42 opening round victory over # 30 Interboro. Point guard Marcus Badger finished the game as the leading scorer with 18 points, while Jaylen Bond scored 17 points for the winners. PW followed that game with a defensive gem as the Colonials shut down high-scoring # 14 Pennridge – 50-27. Sam Pygatt scored a game-high 17 points for the Colonials, while senior backcourt partner Stephon Baker added 16 points.
West Chester Rustin surprised some people with a 59-51 second round victory over # 11 Penn Wood. The Golden Knights were led in scoring by Corey Blake with a game-high 17 points. Anthony Nash added 13 points for the Golden Knights, while Zach Butcher scored in twin digits with 10 points. WCR routed # 27 Penncrest in its opening round contest – 48-29. Blake was again the high scorer for the Knights with 18, while Butcher chipped in with 17 markers.
Notebook:
Plymouth Whitemarsh is the defending PIAA Quad-A state champion and has played a superior non-league schedule in preparation for the defense of its title. The Colonials have lost games to Quality Education of North Carolina (66-46), Friends Central (49-48), Neuman-Goretti (69-57) and Neshaminy (64-57). Jaylen Bond is a 6-foot, 7-inch talent who is signed-sealed-and soon to be delivered to the University of Pittsburgh. Seniors Sam Pygatt and Stephon Baker have proven to be superior guards.
West Chester Rustin has won 19 straight games and is the 2010-2011 Ches-Mont League champion. The Golden Knights also have played some very competitive games this season in their non-league schedule. The only setbacks this season for the Golden Knights came to Harrisburg (49-44), Neuman-Goretti (70-59), and Archbishop Carroll (63-55).
Players To Watch:
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Jaylen Bond, Sam Pygatt, Stephon Baker, Marcus Badger, and Brandon Johnson.
West Chester Rustin: Corey Blake, Zach Butcher, Anthony Nash, Latrell Shelton, and Ethan Ridgeway.
Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Jim Donofrio says: “We owed it to a Jaylen Bond, and a Sam Pygatt, and a Stephon Baker to play a great non-league schedule to get ready for this level of the playoffs. We have played on the big stage, and this game will be on the big stage.”
PIAA Quad-A District One Playback Games
All Games played on February 25, 2011
#17 Springfield (Delco) Cougars (16-8) @ # 8 North Penn Knights (19-5), 7:30 p.m.
Playoff Road:
North Penn dropped its second round game to visiting # 9 Bensalem – 36-33 – to fall into the playback bracket of the PIAA Quad-A District One tournament. The Knights lost an eight-point fourth quarter lead that led to a disappointing loss. Matt Possanza led North Penn in scoring with a 12-point scoring performance. The Knights won their first round district game with a 49-38 victory over # 25 Upper Dublin. North Penn was led in scoring in the win by senior guard Sean Brooks who scored a game-high 17 points. Janeus Somers also scored in double figures for the Knights with 12 points.
Springfield (Delco) dropped its second round game to host # 1 Chester – 72-48. Brendan McNamee led the Cougars with a team-high 11 points, while Zack Devito tallied nine points. Springfield won its first round district game with a 56-55 overtime victory over host # 16 Cheltenham. In that win for the Cougars, Adam Washington scored a game-high 21 points.
Notebook:
North Penn finished the season as co-champions of the Suburban One League Continental Conference. The Knights shared the title with Pennridge with an 11-3 conference record. North Penn has five losses – to only three teams. The Knights have lost to Bensalem twice (43-26 & 36-33) and Pennridge twice (53-51 & 59-51). The only other loss came to Central Bucks West (40-37).
Springfield (Delco) had a streak of games in the middle of the season where the Cougars won eight of nine. However, Springfield has won only three of its last six games counting the PIAA Quad-A District One playoff appearances.
Players To Watch:
North Penn: Matt Possanza, Sean Brooks, Wes Brooks, Javi Alvarino, and Janeus Somers.
Springfield (Delco): Adam Washington, Brendan McNamee, Zack Devito, Steve Baker, and Dave Carpenter.
North Penn head coach Ron Hassler says: “It looks like with Upper Darby and Penn Wood falling to the loser’s bracket, it is going to be a tough one. One thing we might see is that teams are going to be so disappointed they might just pack in the season. It is our job as a coaching staff to make sure that we aren’t one of those teams.”
# 14 Pennridge Rams (18-6) @ # 11 Penn Wood Patriots (16-8)
Playoff Road:
Pennridge opened its district run with a 74-54 home victory over # 19 West Chester Henderson. The Rams were led in scoring by Mike Guldin who scored a game-high 24 points. Tim Abruzzo tallied 15 points for Pennridge, while Rocky Ferrier scored in double digits with 13 points. Pennridge got spanked in its second round game as the Rams fell to # 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh – 50-27. The leading scorers for the Rams were the backcourt tandem of Guldin and Abruzzo who scored eight points each.
Penn Wood opened its district run with a 90-65 destruction of # 22 Conestoga. Aaron Brown led the Patriots with a 24-point performance, while Akil Anderson scored 17 markers and Malcom Richardson added 11 points. The Patriots were ‘upset’ by West Chester Rustin in their second round game – 59-51. Brown once again was the leading scorer with 19 points, while Richardson scored in twin digits with 11 points.
Notebook:
Pennridge did not get any favors from the bracket maker as the Rams played the defending PIAA Quad-A state champion in Plymouth Whitemarsh and will now face defending PIAA Quad-A District One champion Penn Wood. The Rams will enter the 2011-2012 season as the defending Suburban One League Continental Conference champion. The 2010-2011 Pennridge team is the only team in the history of the school to win a boys’ hoops title.
Penn Wood was thought to be the best double-digit seed in the history of the district, but the Patriots stumbled against an excellent West Chester Rustin in the second round. Penn Wood features the silky smooth talents of Aaron Brown and powerful 6-foot, 10-inch senior Shawn Oakman.
Players To Watch:
Pennridge: Mike Guldin, Tim Abruzzo, Jared Schaffer, Andrew Lyons, and Rocky Ferrier.
Penn Wood: Aaron Brown, Shawn Oakman, Akil Anderson, Malcom Richardson, and Darian Barnes.
Pennridge head coach Dean Behrens says: “To be one of the last 16 teams playing in the district is a great thing for our kids. We have had a wonderful season – league champs and the most wins in the school history. Our fan support has been great this season, and we still have one more game to play.”
# 15 Wissahickon (14-9) @ # 10 Coatesville (18-7)
Playoff Road:
Wissahickon opened its district run with a 47-43 home victory over # 18 Spring-Ford. The Trojans were led in scoring by Anthony McKie who scored a game-high 13 points. Wissy followed its win with a tough 50-44 loss to # 2 Council Rock North. The Trojans trailed by 13 points at the end of the first quarter but closed to within four points with three minutes to play.
Coatesville opened its district run with a 71-59 home victory over # 23 Souderton. The Red Raiders were led in scoring by Will Shuler with 18 points, while Tymier Miller added 17 points. Kris Miller scored in double digits with 16 points. Coatesville followed its win with a 67-62 loss to Norristown. Kris Miller led the Raiders with 19 points, while Will Shuler added 16 points for Coatesville.
Notebook:
Wissahickon has won six of its last seven games and gave highly touted Council Rock North more than it wanted in its second round game. The Trojans feature a very balanced scoring attack, which makes them very difficult to defend.
Coatesville – who has won 11 of its last 13 -has been a power in the Ches-Mont League for decades and finished the season in second place behind the West Chester Rustin Golden Knights. The Red Raiders seek to play an up-tempo game and will defend the entire court.
Players To Watch:
Wissahickon: Mike Scheier, Jordan Reed, Tanoh Kpassgnon, Anthony McKie, and Jordan Freed.
Coatesville: Will Shuler, Kris Miller, Tymier Miller, Dameron Nixon, and Leroy Hoggard.
Wissahickon head coach Kyle Wilson says: “I saw them at the beginning of the season, and I was very impressed with them. They have a great tradition and a winning program, and I don’t expect to see anything but a very good basketball team when we play them.”
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