With the official start of the basketball season on Friday, the SOL is looking to make its presence felt. Check out some of the players who will be difference makers for their respective teams.
By Mary Jane Souder
American Conference
The fun is back - Plymouth Whitemarsh had grown accustomed to life at the top, but when the Colonials’ 2011 campaign ended in the state semifinals on the heels of capturing a state title in 2010, it marked the end of a very special era.
“Unless you’re the Saint Anthonys of the world, you pay a little price when you have six or seven guys start for three straight years,” coach Jim Donofrio said. “It affects your feeder program because kids get tired of waiting around for their opportunity. You can’t replace that state title run that easily.”
The first indication that things were not the same came during the offseason.
“From the time the 2011 season ended, outside of Anthony McKie and a couple of others, the gym was more quiet in the offseason than it had ever been,” Donofrio said. “It was as if the Mardi Gras ended, the streets were littered and the party was over.
“I was like, ‘Wow, where are the guys who love basketball?’”
The good news is that after PW’s 13-12 campaign last season the ‘guys who love basketball’ are back, and so is the fun.
“What was fun about this year was as soon as last season ended, four of our young then freshmen and three of our sophomores were waiting for me after school for a half hour for the gym to open,” Donofrio said. “I thought, ‘Okay, we’re back to what was fun.’
“What’s fun about coaching the team we have now is we have probably 13 gym rats on the team, and that makes all the difference in the world. It doesn’t even matter what their record is, they love basketball.”
At the forefront, according to Donofrio, is senior standout Anthony McKie, a first team all-league selection last year.
“He had a slight injury where he had to sit for a couple of days, and man, did we look young and new when he was out,” Donofrio said. “I have been spoiled with great players and great guards. Like anything, you don’t appreciate something until you don’t have it.
“Anthony is going to be a 1,000-point scorer for his career. He’s a player, and they’re like warm blankets – you can’t have enough of them. You center your fun around them. Anthony is so passionate about basketball.”
McKie is coming off a difficult year after transferring from Wissahickon to PW as a junior.
“He’s a kid who thinks deeply about things,” Donofrio said. “He’s a 4.0 GPA kid. People don’t understand what kind of student he is. His work ethic in the classroom is exceptional. He’s a quiet guy, he’s a very intense guy.”
Donofrio and McKie had some serious talks in the offseason about how the veteran coach wanted his senior leader to approach the season.
“Not that he isn’t confident, but I want him to be a little bit more of a ‘cool hand Luke’ type of guy’ – I have been there, done that,” Donofrio said. “You don’t have to feel like you have to prove something to the world every possession. It’s not you against the world. You’re a player. Make sure you walk on the floor like that.”
When McKie walked into the gym this fall, according to his coach, he had assumed a different demeanor.
“He really seemed to have some light bulbs go on,” Donofrio said. “Something happens when kids become seniors.
“If they’ve done the work – and Anthony has done the work, they walk with their chin up. Anthony is doing that right now. He is ready to go. He’s looked so good in the first two weeks of practice that I’ve really been excited if he can maintain the mindset he has.”
McKie is the lone returning player with significant experience, and he will be the undisputed leader of this year’s squad.
“Anthony’s challenge is – he will be caught between do I have to take over this game or do I help these guys develop,” Donofrio said. “I think that’s hard for an NBA point guard, let alone a high school point guard.
“What’s missing is the repetition of the experience. I don’t know if we can win early as much as we’d like, but I’m excited.”
Win or lose, the passion for basketball is back at PW, and that can only mean good things.
SOL American Conference Players to Watch*
Cheltenham - Aaron McGlawn (Sr.), Guy Henderson (Sr.), Aaron Burton (Jr.)
Norristown - Luke Kelley (Sr.), Jahbri Hargrove (Sr.)
Springfield - Billy Dahm (Sr), Matt Krewson (Sr), Malik Ball (Jr)
PW - Anthony McKie (Sr.)
Upper Dublin - Andrew Carber (Sr.)
Upper Merion - Justin Lewis (Sr.)
Upper Moreland - Matt Kohn (Sr.)
Wissahickon - Chase Wilson (Jr.)
Continental Conference
Brown is total package - Mike Brown boasts plenty of talent, a fact that was underscored by his second team all-league selection last season, but according to his coach, that’s not what sets him apart.
“He’s got all of the intangibles coaches look for in players,” Hatboro-Horsham coach Dennis Steinly said. “He’s a good leader. He leads by example. He’s the hardest worker at practice.
“His basketball skills are probably the least important thing he gives to the team, and his basketball skills are good. He just does the right things. He helps his teammates, makes his teammates better, and he’s very coachable. He’s a very skilled player, but all the other things are a coach’s dream.”
Brown averaged 12.4 points a game last year, and he can score in many different ways.
“He’s basketball only, so he’s been playing a lot,” Steinly said. “His game has really progressed to where we feel more comfortable with him handling the ball.
“His ability to get his own shot really takes the pressure off the other players. Last year we had to set him up. We needed people to pass to him, and we didn’t have good passers, so it was a struggle. Now it’s a little bit better.”
Brown will not have to be a one-man show. Zach Quattro was a third team all-league selection as a sophomore, and senior Brian Kelly is a three-year varsity veteran.
The Hatters, with their veterans leading the way, expect to improve on last year’s 8-14 season.
“Mike’s great and the people around him are great, and that just makes it a lot more fun,” Steinly said. “They have worked hard.
“It’s a tough league, but we expect to be one of the top teams.”
SOL Continental Conference Players to Watch*
CB East - Matt Stauffer (Sr.), Danny Reilly (Sr.)
CB South - Kevin Raymond (Sr.), Chase Vonder Schmalz (Sr.)
CB West - Jared Kelly (Junior Point Guard)
Hatboro-Horsham - Mike Brown (Sr.), Ryan Kelly (Sr.), Zach Quattro (Jr.)
Pennridge - Zach Muredda (Soph.)
Quakertown - Justin Klee (Sr.), Mark Repsher (Jr.)
Souderton - John Kanas (Sr.), Brendan Wagner (Jr.)
National Conference
Ghosts a secret no more – It’s a whole new world for Abington this season. Last year, the Ghosts finished fourth in the SOL National Conference standings but then rolled through a magical postseason, earning a berth in the state tournament.
While the Ghosts may have surprised teams last season, it’s a safe bet they won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time around.
“It’s definitely different,” coach Charles Grasty said. “Last year we were under the radar, and a lot of teams didn’t know what to expect, but this year we kind of go from being the (hunter) to the hunted.
“We let our guys know that with some of the success we had last year, teams are going to be out to get us, so we’re going to have to play hard every possession. We have to play as a team. We have to do the things that made us successful.”
With four starters – seniors Anthony Durham, Jordan Simmons, Jiere Morrissey and sophomore Matt Penecale - returning from last year’s successful squad, the Ghosts are expected to be a force.
“Those four starters know if we play as a team we can be successful,” 
Grasty said. “If we get into individual play, it will be a long season.
“They’re listening, they’re getting it. They love to win. Practices have been a lot of fun because it’s very competitive. We have younger guys who are a lot better this year. It’s been fun.”
The trio of senior guards - Durham, Simmons and Morrissey - will be counted on to lead the Ghosts.
“We’re definitely going to need their senior leadership,” Grasty said. “We have seven seniors that will play, but we have some younger guys that will play also. They will need to step up and show senior leadership.”
That leadership, according to the Ghosts’ coach, extends beyond the basketball court.
“They have to show it in the classroom and in the hallways,” Grasty said. “We tell them it’s their turn. They’re a great group. Their teammates love them, their teachers love them. It’s good to coach a bunch like that. They all get 
along.”
Durham, the team’s top scorer last year, was the lone underclassman to earn first team all-league honors last season.
“We’ll need him to continue to play at a high level,” Grasty said. “Durham is our scorer.
Simmons earned third team all-league honors while Morrissey received honorable mention recognition.
“Jordan Simmons had some big games last year,” Grasty said. “We’ll need him to rebound and crash the boards. He’s also one of our better - if not our best - defensive players.
“Jiere Morrissey took a backseat last year, but we’re looking for him to be aggressive this year. The sky’s the limit with Jiere. We have been telling him that, and he seems to be buying in. Morrissey’s strength is he rebounds well. He likes to attack the basket, and he’ll handle the ball for us a lot.
“They all have different roles. They all understand their roles. We have a little slogan where we say – everybody’s role is different, but they’re important just the same. They’re buying in. We’ll see what we can get these guys to do.”
The Ghosts will get their first test in Friday night’s opener when they will face defending SOL American Conference co-champion Wissahickon in an opening round game of the Ghosts’ Tip-Off Tournament.
SOL National Conference Players to Watch*
Abington - Anthony Durham (Sr.), Jordan Simmons (Sr.), Jiere Morrisey (Sr.)
Bensalem - Leo Vincent (Sr.)
CR North - Kyle McCloskey (Sr.)
CR South - Christian Crane (Sr.)
Pennsbury - Drew Dietterich (Sr.), Zach Muredda (Soph.)
Truman - Medic Green (Sr.)
William Tennent - Horace Spencer (Soph.)
*Players to Watch listed for all three conferences either received all-league recognition last year or were selected by their respective coaches.
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