Abington will face Truman on Friday night in an SOL Featured Game, sponsored by the Abington Boys' Basketball Booster Club. Check back for a complete game story.
By Scott Huff
Abington will celebrate Senior Night tonight as the Ghosts (15-6, 8-5) host Harry S Truman (10-11, 6-7) in a key Suburban One National Conference game on Friday. And Abington head coach Charles Grasty has plenty to celebrate about his devoted four seniors – all of which will be in the starting lineup against the Tigers.
Seniors Chris Ruhl, Zaahir Baldwin, Thomas Kennedy, and Marvin Crawley will all be playing their final regular season game for the Ghosts in the iconic Abington gym. The Ghosts have hopes of hosting a PIAA District One playoff game in the near future.
Ruhl – who is headed for Lehigh University on a football scholarship – is the lone starter of the senior foursome. However, Grasty is a big fan of his entire senior class, and that quartet will be joined in the starting lineup by junior Anthony Durham in the regular season finale.
“There is no question that this team would not be 15-6 without each of those seniors,” said Grasty. “With the exception of Chris, they don’t get a whole lot of playing time. But they come to practice every single day, never make excuses, and push the starters that play in front of them. They are huge team players, and the underclassmen on the team look up to each of them. They have gained a great deal of respect from the other players and our coaching staff.”
Ruhl is the most noticeable of the seniors with his powerfully built 6-foot, 4-inch frame. He may not light up the scoreboard with his point production, but there is much to be said about his contributions on the hardwood.
“Chris has a saying ‘Get Dirty’ and the other players on our team have really bought into that idea,” said Grasty. “It is amazing to see how many bruises he gets during a practice. He will dive after any loose ball – whether it is in a game or in practice – and he sets that example for the younger players on the team.
“Chris was a leader on the football team, and he takes time to tell the players about what it takes to be successful,” added Grasty of the Abington football team gained a share of the SOL National Conference title this year. “He doesn’t say a whole lot – but when he talks everyone listens.”
Senior Thomas Kennedy knows all about that Ghost success story on the football field. The 5-8 Kennedy played outside linebacker for Abington this season, and was a starter all three seasons for the gridiron Ghosts.
“I have seen Thomas play basketball since grade school,” said Grasty. “He simply loves to be part of a team, and in our win over William Tennent last week, he gave us some great minutes off the bench. He has taken some time to find his role with this team, and we are going to count on him for some important minutes.”
Senior Zaahir Baldwin has been a part of the Abington basketball program for the last three seasons. The diminutive 5-6 guard gives the Ghosts much needed depth on the bench.
“Zaahir is very quiet, but he plays the game with a great excitement,” said Grasty. “He continues to get better each and every day and has a great work ethic. I’m sure he is going to be excited about starting this final home game in front of his family and friends.”
The final member of the senior class is 6-2 Marvin Crawley – and his story is a wonderful one.
“Marvin did not make the team in either his sophomore or junior year,” said Grasty. “But he kept working – came to all the open gyms – and kept improving. He made the team as a senior – and it sure wasn’t any favor. Marvin deserved his spot on the team, and we are glad that we have him.”
The seniors will all make that final start for Abington – but the Ghosts realize the importance of the game – and quality of play is required.
“We tell the players the truth – this is a big game for us,” said Grasty. “There is a difference between us going into the playoffs with 15 wins or 16 wins. Truman is a team that is fighting for a playoff spot, and we need to play good basketball.
“Truman beat us the first time around, and we took a hard look at the film to see why,” added Grasty. “We showed them the first quarter (a 21-6 Abington lead) and the players saw a team that made the extra pass and was unselfish. And then we showed them the second quarter (a 23-9 Truman comeback) and the players saw a team that settled for the first shot and played with no energy.
“That loss to Truman showed us what it takes to be a good basketball team,” continued Grasty. “We won some games early in the season, and we needed to see that is wasn’t going to be that easy. We learned that we needed to focus more on working as a team.”
And the committed senior class of Ruhl-Kennedy-Baldwin-and Crawley provided that razor-sharp focus the Ghosts needed to become a district playoff team.
Just The Facts:
Records: Abington (15-6 overall, 8-5 SOL National Conference); Harry S Truman (10-11, 6-7).
Last Meeting: Truman overcame a 15-point first period deficit to defeat the visiting Ghosts – 68-65. Merdic Green led the Tigers with 23 points, while Jordan Simmons was the leading scorer for Abington with 20 points.
Last Game: Abington won a closely contested 58-55 game with William Tennent. Anthony Durham led the Ghosts with 21 points, while Simmons added 15 points for the winners. Truman won a closely contested 64-62 victory over Neshaminy. Green led HST with 17 points, while Daiquan Ashley added 15 points for the winners.
Abington Ghost Roster
# 2 – Jiere Morrisey (Jr)
# 3 – Zaahir Baldwin (Sr)
# 4 – Anthony Lee (Soph)
# 5 – Jordan Simmons (Jr)
# 10 – Jordan Neeley (Fr)
#11 – Thomas Kennedy (Sr)
# 12 – Anthony Durham (Jr)
# 20 – Michael Griffin (Jr)
# 21 – Marvin Crawley (Sr)
# 22 –Matt Penecale (Fr)
# 23 – Mark Bond (Soph)
# 30 – Patrick Rice (Jr)
# 33 – Khalid Gibson (Jr)
# 44 – Christopher Ruhl (Sr)
Truman Tiger Roster
Merdic Green
Daiquan Ashley
Tyrice Harris
Lamont Waters
Mike Mintah
Larry Winton
Kenny Osborne
Robert Beacon
Dan Harris
Tyrone Roberts
Shariff Clinton
- Log in to post comments
