Bensalem, Central Bucks South and Cheltenham are featured in this week’s notebook.
By Scott Huff
Don’t be fooled by the 3-5 overall record of Bensalem.
“We have been in every single game this season, but we have struggled in finishing the games off with wins,” said Bensalem head coach John Mullin. “We have lost some very close games, against some very good teams, and we remind the players that we are 3-1 in our (Suburban One League National) conference.”
Those painful losses came against William Tennent (66-64), Archbishop Ryan (50-44), Holy Ghost Prep (50-46), Glen Mills (68-63), and Archbishop Wood (49-47). The Owls own a share of first place in the conference standings along with Abington and Council Rock North with conference victories over Pennsbury (53-51), Truman (55-50), and Neshaminy (62-31).
“Our game against Neshaminy was the best game we have played all season,” said Mullin. “I think that the players have gotten to know the roles that we want them to play, and we did that very well against Neshaminy.
“This week is going to a huge measuring stick for this basketball team,” added Mullin as the Owls travel to Abington (8-2, 3-1) on Tuesday and host Council Rock North (6-3, 3-1) on Friday. “Playing at Abington is always difficult, and Council Rock North has gotten tougher with its recent acquisition (sophomore Rip Engel).”
Bensalem has received excellent efforts from senior Julian Hyden along with juniors Leo Vincent and Deion Jones.
“Julian is a scorer, and at 6-foot, 3-inches, he can shoot over defenders and still has the ability to get to the rim,” said Mullin of the Owls leading scorer. “Deion has done a great job at the point guard position making good decisions, and Leo is coming off his very good sophomore year and becoming a better player.”
Bensalem is now hosting games in its magnificent new gymnasium.
“Honestly, it is the nicest high school gym that I have seen anywhere in the state,” said Mullin. “It is a spectacular place to play, and the players are very proud to play there. It is a showpiece.
“But the best part of having the new gym is that we get a chance to practice every day right here at the high school,” added Mullin as the Owls were forced to commute to Armstrong Middle School prior to this season for practice and home games. “We seem to get a whole lot more done.”
Like winning Suburban One League National Conference games.
What a huge difference a day made for Cheltenham (8-4, 2-1).
On Friday night, the Panthers were humbled by defending SOL American Conference champion Plymouth Whitemarsh – 66-39. And on Saturday afternoon, Cheltenham rebounded with a strong 75-46 victory against Glen Mills (3-5).
“How we lost on Friday night was bad, but how we responded on Saturday afternoon was outstanding,” said Cheltenham head coach Brian Johnson. “We were able to just throw away the bad game against PW and play a good game against Glen Mills.
“Plymouth Whitemarsh did a great job of taking Nafis (Walker) out of the game on Friday,” added Johnson of the Panthers’ high-scoring senior. “We played a very good first quarter against them, but then they doubled him all over the floor and we had a difficult time adjusting.
“Glen Mills didn’t use the same strategy on Saturday, and Nafis was able to score,” continued Johnson as Walker scored a game-high 23 points for the Panthers. “Plus we shared the ball much better and had four players finish in double figures.”
Toyon Wynder (16), Aaron McGlawn (16), and Jerrell Harrison (14) all scored in twin digits in the Glen Mills win.
“Right now, Wissahickon is at the top of the standings,” said Johnson. “And I’m sure that (Wissahickon head coach) Kyle Wilson will tell you that there are a number of teams in our league that can beat any other team. All of the teams have tough game remaining on the schedule, and the rest of the season should be very exciting.”
Central Bucks West (9-1, 4-0) has flown somewhat under the radar this season and is the SOL Continental Conference leader.
“I like the way that we approach the game of basketball both in practice and in the games,” said Central Bucks West head coach Adam Sherman. “We have a bunch of hard working kids that cherish the opportunity to defend. We have a defensive minded team, and that right now has been our strength.”
The Bucks are currently on a nine-game winning streak and have allowed opponents only 41.3 points per game. West took the conference lead on Friday with a 41-30 win over rival Central Bucks East (5-5, 3-1).
“We just go out and try and win one quarter at a time,” said Sherman. “The players have been focused, and we have played well as a result.”
Jack Rogers, Sherrod Higginbotham, Sam Lis, Tyler Schechter, and Derek Dyer have all made significant contributions to the early season West success.
“We gained a lot of team chemistry after our trip to Florida,” said Sherman as the Bucks went 3-0 in a holiday tournament held in Lake Worth Florida. “The players got to know one another, and that should help us when we face adversity down the road.”
In the Rear View Mirror
On Saturday, Cheltenham (8-4) made the road trip a worth its time as the Panthers routed host Glen Mills (3-5) – 75-46. The Panthers showcased a balanced attack that had four players score in twin digits. Nafis Walker scored a game-high 23 points for Cheltenham, while Aaron McGlawn (16), Toyon Wynder (16), and Jerrell Harrison (14) also scored in double digits.
Cheltenham Panthers 15 26 18 16 - 75
Glen Mills Bulls 16 7 7 16 - 46
On Saturday, Quakertown (1-10) suffered its ninth straight loss as the Panthers were caged by visiting Whitehall – 57-37. Quakertown was led in scoring by Corey Jorgensen with 13 points, while Steffan Spieker scored in double figures with 10 points for the Black Cats.
Whitehall Zephyrs 14 10 14 19 - 57
Quakertown Panthers10 4 8 15 - 37
Suburban One Sports.com Super Seven
1. Wissahickon Trojans (10-1, 3-0)
2. Central Bucks West Bucks (9-1, 4-0)
3. Abington Ghosts (8-2, 3-1)
4. Council Rock North Indians (6-3, 3-1)
5. Souderton Big Red (6-3, 3-1)
6. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (5-4, 3-1)
7. Cheltenham Panthers (8-4, 2-1)
***Suburban One League **** Tuesday ‘Nite’ Lights
American Conference
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (6-5, 1-3) @ Upper Moreland Golden Bears (5-6, 0-3)
Norristown Eagles (6-4, 3-1) @ Cheltenham Panthers (8-4, 2-1)
Upper Merion Vikings (4-6, 0-3) @ Wissahickon Trojans (10-1, 3-0)
Continental Conference
Central Bucks South Titans (5-5, 3-1) @ Central Bucks East Patriots (5-5, 3-1)
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (3-7, 2-2) @ Central Bucks West Bucks (9-1, 4-0)
Pennridge Rams (5-5, 0-4) @ Souderton Big Red (6-3, 3-1)
North Penn Knights (2-6, 1-3) @ Quakertown Panthers (1-10, 0-4)
National Conference
Neshaminy Redskins (2-9, 1-3) @ William Tennent Panthers (3-7, 2-2)
Bensalem Owls (3-5, 3-1) @ Abington Ghosts (8-2, 3-1)
Pennsbury Falcons (4-4, 2-2) @ Truman Tigers (4-6, 1-3)
Council Rock South Hawks (4-6, 1-3) @ Council Rock North Indians (6-3, 3-1)
***Suburban One League***Friday ‘Nite’ Lights
American Conference
Wissahickon Trojans @ Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
Upper Moreland Golden Bears @ Cheltenham Panthers
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials @ Upper Merion Vikings
Continental Conference
Quakertown Panthers @ Central Bucks East Patriots
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters @ Central Bucks South Titans
Central Bucks West Bucks @ Pennridge Rams
Souderton Big Red @ North Penn Knights
National Conference
William Tennent Panthers @ Abington Ghosts
Council Rock North Indians @ Bensalem Owls
Truman Tigers @ Neshaminy Redskins
Council Rock South Golden Hawks @ Pennsbury Falcons
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