This week’s notebook highlights Upper Dublin, North Penn and Neshaminy and recaps all of last week’s action.
By Scott Huff
Suburban One League Challenge
January 19, 2013
The Suburban One League is hosting a terrific slate of games this Saturday – gas up the car – program the GPS - and catch a few outstanding contests.
Perhaps the best venue to visit would be under the dome at Wissahickon where Abington will clash with Cheltenham @ 3:30 pm. The host Trojans square off against Council Rock North @ 6:30 pm.
The other SOL battles will take place at Truman (William Tennent vs. Upper Moreland @ 2:00 & Truman vs. Souderton @ 6 pm); at Central Bucks West (CB West vs. Pennsbury @ 5 pm); at Quakertown (Hatboro-Horsham vs. Upper Dublin @ 2:00 & Quakertown vs. Springfield @ 5 pm); at Central Bucks South (Council Rock South vs. Pennridge @ 1:30 & Central Bucks South vs. Norristown @ 4:30); and at Bensalem (Neshaminy vs. CB East @ 2:00 & Bensalem vs. North Penn @ 6:30 pm).
Be safe.
Suburban One League American Conference
January 11, 2013 was a date to remember for the Upper Dublin Flying Cardinal basketball program.
Upper Dublin won its second consecutive conference contest of the week with a breathtaking 59-58 overtime victory over Plymouth Whitemarsh. In addition to the stunning victory, the night we be remembered by countless Upper Dublin elementary students who filled the Cardinal gym on the second annual Elementary Night.
“It is just a wonderful experience for both the players and the kids,” said Upper Dublin head coach Josh Adelman. “All of our varsity and junior varsity players went to Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School and read books to the kids. The kids could then ask them questions about the book or about playing basketball.
“Then elementary kids from all the schools were given a picture of the team that they could bring with them to the game,” added Adelman. “And after the game we set up tables so that the players could autograph the pictures for the kids.
“I guess you could say that it gave the players extra incentive to win the game,” continued Adelman. “It would have been tough to sit at those tables if we would have lost the game.”
Upper Dublin – which had beaten Springfield 51-41 earlier in the week for its first conference win – featured the talents of a freshman and a senior to capture the OT victory over visiting PW. Slender 6-foot, 3-inch Simeon Fryer was the pride of the frosh class with a 12-foot jumper that caught ‘nothing but net’ to provide the winning margin in the overtime, while 6-foot, 9-inch Andrew Carber was the pride of the senior class with a team-high 16 points.
“Simeon continues to gain confidence in the way he plays the game,” said Adelman. “It is a lot to ask a freshman to compete on a varsity level, but he more than holds his own.
“And Andrew is a third year starter who has become our ‘go-to’ guy,” added Adelman of his standout three-sport performer. “He has posted hard and has begun to demand the basketball. He is an outstanding golfer and has a lot of options as to where he wants to play next year – and what sport he wants to play.”
Upper Dublin will close out the first half to the SOL American schedule with an away game against Upper Merion on Tuesday.
“We have been making improvement every game, and it was great for that improvement to come out in the form of wins the last two games,” said Adelman. “To beat Upper Merion would be a nice boost to go into the second half of the season.
“To be able to beat PW the way we did – with all the fans piling on the players on the court after the game – is really something that we should be able to build on,” continued Adelman. “It was just a great night for us all.”
Saturday Night Fever in the SOL American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Anthony McKie went over the 1000-point mark for his scholastic career as the Colonials marched to a 50-47 non-league victory over Church Farm. McKie and teammate Chase Rodgers scored a game-high 16 points in the win.
Upper Moreland had three players score in double figures as the Golden Bears clawed New-Hope Solebury 49-46 in a non-league contest. James Martin (15), Kevin McFall (13), and Mark Williams (10) each scored in twin digits for Upper Moreland.
In the SOL American Conference Rear View Mirror
Upper Dublin won a pair of conference games last week as the Flying Cardinals defeated Springfield 51-41 and followed with a 59-58 overtime win over Plymouth Whitemarsh. Andrew Carber was the leading scorer in the win over PW with 16 points, while Simeon Fryer added 14 points. Carber scored 22 points in the win over the Spartans, while Kurt Goff scored in twin digits with 10.
Cheltenham assumed sole possession of first place in the conference, as the Panthers remained unbeaten in conference play. The Panthers edged Upper Moreland 51-48 behind a 23-point effort by Aaron McGlawn and followed with a 51-41 victory over Upper Merion as McGlawn led all scorers with 19 points.
Norristown fell out of first place in the conference as the Eagles split conference games last week. Norristown opened the week with a 62-52 victory over Plymouth Whitemarsh, but the Eagles were defeated later in the week as Wissahickon captured a 55-54 win. Josh Johnson led Norristown in both games with 14 and 12 points respectively.
Wissahickon moved into a second place tie with Norristown behind Cheltenham as the Trojans won both of their conference games last week. Wissahickon opened the week with an 80-56 win over Upper Merion behind a career-high 30-point performance by Chase Wilson. The Trojans knocked Norristown out of the ranks of conference unbeaten with a 55-54 win. Wilson once again led the Wissahickon scoring in the Norristown win with 28 points – including the game winner with seven seconds left in the game.
Upper Moreland split its conference games last week as the Golden Bears collected a 53-46 win over Springfield after absorbing a 51-48 loss to Cheltenham. Matt Kohn scored a team-high 14 points against the Spartans in the win, while James Martin scored a game-high 24 points against the Panthers in the loss.
Plymouth Whitemarsh had a tough week as the Colonials suffered a pair of conference losses. PW dropped a 62-52 contest to rival Norristown and also lost a 59-58 overtime loss to Upper Dublin. Anthony McKie led the Colonials in both games with a 23-point effort against N-town and a 16-point performance against Upper Dublin.
Upper Merion had a tough week as the Vikings suffered a pair of conference losses. Upper Merion dropped an 80-56 contest to Wissahickon and also lost a 51-41 contest to Cheltenham. Justin Lewis led the Vikings in the loss to the Trojans with 20 points, while Connor McGrath scored a team-high 11 points in the setback to Cheltenham.
Springfield is still in search of its first conference victory as the Spartans dropped a pair of conference games. Springfield lost a 51-41 contest to Upper Dublin to open the week and followed with a 53-45 setback against Upper Moreland. Billy Dahm led the Spartans in scoring in both games with a 12-point performance against UD and a 16-point effort versus UM.
Suburban One League American Conference Standings:
1. Cheltenham Panthers (6-0)
2. Norristown Eagles (5-1)
Wissahickon Trojans (5-1)
4. Upper Moreland Golden Bears (3-3)
5. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (2-4)
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (2-4)
7. Upper Merion Vikings (1-5)
8. Springfield Spartans (0-6)
Suburban One League Continental Conference
North Penn has always been considered the giant of the SOL Continental Conference – especially in the football arena, but the 2012-2013 edition of the Knight basketball team is anything but gigantic.
“Everyone assumes that with a school as big as North Penn we’re going to have big basketball players,” said North Penn head coach John Conrad. “What I will tell you that isn’t the case. I have looked around the school, and I can’t find those big players.
“Our inside player is (junior) Noah Melchoir and he is 6-1,” added Conrad. “He has is very strong, has a high basketball IQ, and is a great competitor. But he is still 6-1 playing every game against bigger players.”
North Penn may not have huge players, but the Knights came up with a huge conference win with a 43-41 victory over Central Bucks West. Melchoir and senior Stephan Brown each scored 12 points to pace the offense, while junior Aaron Dean played well and added 11 points.
“Stephan has is a very good player in the open floor and can get to the rim,” said Conrad of his 6-0 captain. “Stephan plays the game with a whole lot of energy.
“Aaron also plays with that energy,” added Conrad of his 5-11 guard. “And he can shoot the ball very well from long range.”
North Penn is 2-4 during the first half of conference play with wins over both CB West and CB East. The Knights have lost to Hatboro-Horsham, CB South, Souderton, and Quakertown. North Penn will close out of the first half of conference play with Pennridge on Tuesday.
“It would be great to close out the first half with a win over Pennridge,” said Conrad. “Our goal is to be competitive in the second half of the season and to have some different outcomes. We felt that we were on a roller coaster ride, and with the win against West maybe we’re on that swing up.”
Saturday Night Fever in the SOL Continental Conference
Souderton captured a non-league victory as the Indians defeated Notre Dame 55-43. The Big Red had three players score in twin digits as John Kanas led all scorers with 17 points. Brendan Wagner tallied 13 markers, while Austin Murphy posted 12 points.
Central Bucks East captured a non-league victory as the Patriots marched to a 59-38 victory over St. Joseph. Brendan McLaughlin led CB East with 12 points, while Matt Stauffer also scored in double figures with 11 points.
In the SOL Continental Conference Rear View Mirror
Hatboro-Horsham was the only conference team with a perfect week as the Hatters captured a pair of conference victories. Hatboro-Horsham defeated North Penn 58-40 as Ryan Kelly scored a game-high 16 points. The Hatters closed the conference week with a 66-46 win over Quakertown as Michael Brown scored a game-high 27 points.
Central Bucks South spilt its conference games last week as the Titans captured a 39-37 victory over Souderton but dropped a 51-47 contest to Central Bucks West. TJ Ohnrtup led South with 11 points in the win over the Indians, while Matt Scamuffo scored a game-high 23 points in the setback against the Bucks.
Central Bucks West split its conference games last week as the Bucks captured a 51-47 win over rival CB South and dropped a 43-41 verdict to North Penn. Jared Kelly scored a game-high 15 points in the win over the Titans, while Tyler Schechter scored a game-high 14 points against the Knights.
Central Bucks East split its conference games last week as the Patriots captured a 40-35 win over Quakertown and dropped a 40-39 verdict to Pennridge. Matt Stauffer led CB East in scoring in both games with a 16-point effort in the win over the Panthers and a 12-point effort in the loss to the Rams.
Souderton split its conference games last week as the Indians captured a 68-49 win over Pennridge and dropped a 39-37 verdict to Central Bucks South. John Kanas led Souderton in scoring in both games with a 30-point performance in the win over the Rams and an 18-point effort in the loss to the Titans.
Pennridge split is conference games last week as the Rams captured a 40-39 win over Central Bucks East and dropped a 68-49 verdict to Souderton. Shane Schmidt scored 14 second half points to lead Pennridge in the win over the Patriots, while Jeff Garner led PHS with 17 points in the loss to the Indians.
North Penn split its conference games last week as the Knights captured a 43-41 win over Central Bucks West and dropped a 58-40 verdict to Hatboro-Horsham. Noah Melchoir and Stephan Brown each scored 12 points to pace the Knights in the win over the Bucks, while Mike Swanson led the Knights in scoring with just five points in the loss to the Hatters.
Quakertown was the only conference team without a win last week as the Panthers were defeated by both Central Bucks East (40-35) and Hatboro-Horsham (66-46). Brett Wolf scored 10 points to lead the Black Cats in scoring against the Patriots, while Lucas Schan and Griffin Schmidt each scored eight points in the loss to the Hatters.
Suburban One League Continental Conference Standings
1. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (6-0)
2. Central Bucks South Titans (4-2)
Souderton Indians (4-2)
4. Central Bucks West Bucks (3-3)
5. Central Bucks East Patriots (2-4)
North Penn Knights (2-4)
Pennridge Rams (2-4)
8. Quakertown Panthers (1-5)
Suburban One League National Conference
The desperate search for victory #1 is unending for Neshaminy,and there is no question that the Redskins (0-12, 0-6) will be able to collect that win before the conclusion of the season.
“We continue to work hard, we game plan, and we watch film,” said Neshaminy head coach Jerry Devine. “We have shown some improvement in recent games, and that improvement should result in some wins.
“I was very pleased with how we played in the second half of the Pennridge game,” added Devine. “And with the exception of the first quarter, I thought we played well against Council Rock North.”
Devine tweaked his lineup and extended more playing time to seniors Stephon Tucker, Mark Leonhauser, and Marvin Carr.
“All three of them are seniors with no varsity experience,” said Devine. “But they all play the game the way that it should be played. They put all they have into their time on the court.”
The Redskins returned only seniors Jaylen Picket and Conner McGarry with limited varsity experience. It is hopeful that this duo will create a winning culture with the likes of Tucker, Leonhauser, and Carr.
“We are very young in terms of varsity experience,” said Devine. “And right now in our junior varsity and varsity program we have 12 sophomores and four freshmen. This year is going to be tough, but I know that better things are right down the road.”
And those better things might be a coveted win this week either at Pennsbury on Tuesday or at home against Truman Friday or in the SOL Challenge Saturday against Central Bucks East.
Saturday Night Fever in the SOL National Conference
Council Rock North captured an impressive non-league victory as the Indians defeated Glen Mills – 59-49. Rip Engel led Rock North with a 24-point scoring performance, while Chris Rowland (15) and Kyle McCloskey (10) also scored in double figures.
In the SOL National Conference Rear View Mirror
Abington remained unbeaten in conference play as the Ghosts defeated William Tennent (74-39) and Pennsbury (65-63 in overtime). Jordan Simmons led Abington with a 16-point effort in the win over the Panthers, while Anthony Durham led the Ghosts with 20 points in the victory over the Falcons.
Council Rock North kept pace with Abington as the Indians won both of their conference games last week. Rock North captured a 74-59 win over Bensalem behind as both Brandon Knotts and Rip Engel scored 18 points, and the Indians collected a 56-45 win over Neshaminy as Kyle McCloskey led the scoring with 17 points.
Council Rock South had its best week of the season as the Golden Hawks won a pair of conference games. Rock South soared to a 54-37 victory over Neshaminy behind an 11-point scoring effort by Will Faccenda and followed with a 55-43 win over William Tennent. Christian Crane led the Hawks with a 26-point scoring performance against the Panthers.
Pennsbury splits its conference games last week as the Falcons captured a 73-54 win over Truman and dropped a 65-63 overtime contest to first place Abington. Shawn Pepper led Pennsbury with an 18-point effort against the Tigers, while Cameron Jones led the Falcons with a game-high 21-point performance against the Ghosts.
Truman split its conference games last week as the Tigers captured a 46-44 victory over Bensalem and dropped a 73-54 contest to Pennsbury. Merdic Green scored a game-high 23 points in the win over the Owls and also led the Tigers in scoring with a 16-point performance in the loss to the Falcons.
Bensalem had a tough week as the Owls lost both of their conference games. The Owls fell to Council Rock North 74-59 and followed with a 46-44 loss to Truman. Stephon Johnson scored a team-high 16 points in the loss the Indians while Leo Vincent scored a team-high 18 points in the loss to the Tigers.
William Tennent had a tough week as the Panthers lost both of their conference games. The Panthers fell to Abington 74-39 and followed with a 55-43 setback to Council Rock South. Matt Alden led the Black Cats in scoring in both games with a 15-point effort against the Ghosts and a 20-point performance against the Golden Hawks.
Neshaminy is still in search of its first conference victory as the Redskins lost both of their conference games. Neshaminy fell to Council Rock South by a 54-37 margin and followed with a 56-45 setback to Council Rock North. Jaylen Picket scored 16 points to lead the Skins in the loss to the Indians.
Suburban One League National Conference Standings
1. Abington Ghosts (6-0)
2. Council Rock North Indians (5-1)
3. Bensalem Owls (4-2)
4. Truman Tigers (3-3)
Pennsbury Falcons (3-3)
6. Council Rock South Golden Hawks (2-4)
7. William Tennent Panthers (1-5)
8. Neshaminy Redskins (0-6)
Suburban One Sports.com
Fab Five
1. Abington Ghosts
2. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
3. Council Rock North Indians
4. Norristown Eagles
5. Cheltenham Panthers
‘On Deck’ in the Suburban One League
Tuesday – January 15, 2013
American Conference
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (2-4) @ Upper Merion Vikings (1-5)
Cheltenham Panthers (6-0) @ Norristown Eagles (5-1)
Wissahickon Trojans (5-1) @ Upper Moreland Golden Bears (3-3)
Springfield Spartans (0-6) @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials (2-4)
Continental Conference
North Penn Knights (2-4) @ Pennridge Rams (2-4)
Central Bucks East Patriots (2-4) @ Central Bucks South Titans (4-2)
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (6-0) @ Central Bucks West Bucks (3-3)
Souderton Indians (4-2) @ Quakertown Panthers (1-5)
National Conference
Council Rock South Golden Hawks (2-4) @ Council Rock North Indians (5-1)
Neshaminy Redskins (0-6) @ Pennsbury Falcons (3-3)
Abington Ghosts (6-0) @ Bensalem Owls (4-2)
Truman Tigers (3-3) @ William Tennent Panthers (1-5)
Thursday – January 17, 2013
Continental Conference
Souderton Indians @ North Penn Knights
Friday – January 18, 2013
American Conference
Norristown Eagles @ Upper Merion Vikings
Wissahickon Trojans @ Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
Upper Moreland Golden Bears @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
Cheltenham Panthers @ Springfield Spartans
Continental Conference
Central Bucks East Patriots @ Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
Quakertown Panthers @ Central Bucks West Bucks
Central Bucks South Titans @ Pennridge Rams
National Conference
Bensalem Owls @ Pennsbury Falcons
William Tennent Panthers @ Council Rock North Indians
Truman Tigers @ Neshaminy Redskins
Abington Ghosts @ Council Rock South Golden Hawks
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