This week's notebook features PW, CB West and Pennsbury and recaps all of last week's action.
By Scott Huff
There are a couple of huge Suburban One League games on Tuesdayas conference titles could be determined in just the second game of the second half of the conference season.
In the SOL National Conference Council Rock North (7-1) visits Abington (7-1) with the winner gaining sole possession of first place. In the first meeting between the two schools, Abington handed Rock North its first loss of the season – 64-51. The Ghosts had four players reach double figures in that game led by Anthony Lee with 18 points. Kyle McCloskey led the Indians in scoring in that contest with 18 points.
In the SOL Continental Conference Hatboro-Horsham (8-0) visits Souderton (6-2) in a pivotal game for both teams. In the first meeting between the two teams, Hatboro-Horsham broke open a tie game in the fourth quarter to win 64-52. Michael Brown was spectacular for the Hatters with 33 points, while John Kanas excelled for the Big Red with 22 points.
In the SOL American Conference Norristown (7-1), Wissahickon (7-1), and Cheltenham (7-1) all are favored to win games tonight. The Eagles host Upper Dublin (2-6); the Trojans host Springfield (0-8); while the Panthers have the stiffest test hosting Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-4).
The SOL Challenge was held on Saturday and here are the highlights:
#Wissahickon stunned Council Rock North with a 67-64 overtime victory. The Trojans were led in scoring by Chase Wilson with 26 points while Chris Vila scored important points in the OT. The Indians had four players score in double figures and were led in scoring by Chris Rowland with 20 points.
#Norristown outscored Central Bucks South 35-10 in the first half and coasted to a 61-37 victory. The Eagles had 10 players score in the game and were led by Josh Johnson with 15 points, while Matt Scamuffo led the Titans with 10 points.
#Cheltenham gave the SOL American Conference a huge 56-54 victory over rival Abington. Aaron McGlawn scored a team-high 14 points, while teammate Guy Henderson scored 13 points and collected 15 rebounds for the Panthers. Anthony Durham scored a game-high 17 points for the Ghosts.
#Hatboro-Horsham rallied from a first quarter deficit to defeat Upper Dublin 51-41. The Hatters were led by Michael Brown with 17 points, while Zach Quattro scored 16 points for the winners. Andrew Carber led the Flying Cardinals in scoring with 17 points.
#Pennsbury continued its winning ways as the Falcons soared by Central Bucks West by a 60-44 margin. Cameron Jones scored a game-high 22 points for Pennsbury, while Patrick Kelley scored a team-high 11 points for the Bucks.
#Souderton received a big night from Brendan Wagner as the Indians registered a 53-43 victory over Truman. Wagner scored 19 points and collected 16 rebounds for the Big Red, while Merdic Green scored a team-high 16 points for the Tigers.
#Bensalem was on the winning side of a 59-39 contest against North Penn. Donnie Reed led the Owls with 16 points, while Aaron Dean and Jim Lin paced the Knights with 10 points each.
#William Tennent outscored Upper Moreland 21-7 in the fourth quarter as the Panthers defeated the Golden Bears 48-43. Connor Spornak led WT with 14 points, while James Martin scored 12 for UM.
#Council Rock South stunned Pennridge 40-39 as Will Facenda (12 points) hit a 3-point field goal at the buzzer for the Golden Hawks. Drew Dietterich scored 12 points to lead the Rams.
#Central Bucks East stopped a two-game losing streak and at the same time extended the losing streak of winless Neshaminy to 15 games. The Patriots captured a convincing 53-34 victory over the Redskins. Matt Stauffer led CBE with 16 points, while Cole Housel led the Skins with nine points.
The Final Scoreboard for the Challenge? --- SOL American Conference 3-2 --- SOL National Conference 4-4 --- SOL Continental Conference 3-4.
Suburban One League American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh was a staggering 79-14 from 2008-2011 as the Colonials gained recognition as one of the finest programs in the entire state of Pennsylvania. However, PW was 13-12 last season and has won six of 14 games this season.
“We continued to get a world of invitations to play top level teams, and we didn’t turn them down,” said veteran Colonial head coach Jim Donofrio. “When we booked those games in April, we were hopeful that we could be competitive in those games.
“I was really surprised at the learning curve with this basketball team,” added Donofrio. “We needed the light bulbs on for every possession, and that really didn’t happen early in the season.
“There are times when we look like the old PW teams,” continued Donofrio in reference to the Colonials 50-47 win over a highly regarded Church Farm team recently. “But I was stunned in how poorly we played in losses to both Cheltenham and Wissahickon.”
One player that hasn’t played poorly for Plymouth Whitemarsh is senior Anthony McKie.
“Anthony has had a monster year for us,” said Donofrio. “Sometimes when a player doesn’t play on a team that is winning, he can get overlooked. He was the one guy we had back with experience, and teams really ramped up the pressure on him. He was getting pressure all 85 feet and was getting double-teamed a lot.
“He has gotten looks from East Stroudsburg, but he is going to reinvent himself at that level as a point guard,” added Donofrio. “He has carried much of our scoring this year, but there is no question that he could be an excellent point guard at the next level.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh has had multiple starting lineups this season – but the current starting five feature three sophomores to go along with McKie and senior Michael Reddick.
“Andre Mitchell has really come into his own as our point guard,” said Donofrio. “And Cameron Jones and Chase Rodgers have been terrific at times. Those three sophomores are going to get better the more experience they get.
“Right now we have played 10 players, and it isn’t because we are that deep,” added Donofrio. “We are still looking for combinations.
“We finished the first half of our conference season as a fourth place team,” continued Donofrio as the Colonials (4-4) trailed Norristown (7-1), Cheltenham (7-1), and Wissahickon (7-1) in the standings. “I don’t think this team wants to finish the season as a fourth place team.”
In the SOL American Rear View Mirror
Norristown climbed back to the top of the conference standings as the Eagles won both conference games last week. Norristown handed Cheltenham its first conference loss 57-40 behind a 14-point 10-rebound game by Josh Johnson. Johnson scored 19 points to spark the Eagles to a 63-36 victory over Upper Merion on Friday.
Wissahickon climbed back to the top of the conference standings as the Trojans won both conference games last week. Chase Wilson scored a game-high 29 points in a 72-62 victory over Upper Moreland and followed with a game-high 24 points in a 50-41 win over Upper Dublin.
Cheltenham fell into a tie for the top of the conference standings as the Panthers split their pair of conference games. Cheltenham suffered a 57-40 setback against Norristown to open the week despite a 15-point effort by Guy Henderson. The Panthers rebounded by opening the second half of the conference season with a 62-37 victory over Springfield.
Plymouth Whitemarsh captured a pair of conference wins last week as the Colonials routed Springfield 75-45 and followed with a 66-59 victory over Upper Moreland. Anthony McKie led PW in scoring in both games with a 23-point effort against the Spartans and a 26-point performance against the Golden Bears.
Upper Merion split its pair of conference games as the Vikings sailed to a 55-44 win over Upper Dublin behind a 16-point scoring effort by Conner McGrath. Upper Merion opened the second half of the conference schedule with a 63-36 loss to Norristown.
Upper Dublin had a tough week as the Flying Cardinals were grounded in both conference games. Upper Dublin opened the week with a 55-44 loss to Upper Merion and followed with a 50-41 setback against Wissahickon. Andrew Carber was the leading scorer in both games with 11 points against the Vikings and 12 points against the Trojans.
Upper Moreland had a tough week as the Golden Bears were clawed in both conference games. Upper Moreland opened the week with a 72-62 loss to Wissahickon and followed with a 66-59 setback against Plymouth Whitemarsh. Matt Kohn and Kevin McFall each scored 15 against the Trojans, while Tommy Robinson scored 19 points in the loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Springfield is still in search of its first conference win as the Spartans dropped both conference games. Springfield lost to Plymouth Whitemarsh 75-45 to open the week and followed with a 62-37. Billy Dam led the Spartans in the loss against the Colonials with 17 points.
Suburban One League American Conference Standings
1. Cheltenham Panthers – (7-1)
Norristown Eagles – (7-1)
Wissahickon Trojans – (7-1)
4. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials – (4-4)
5. Upper Moreland Golden Bears – (3-5)
6. Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals – (2-6)
Upper Merion Vikings – (2-6)
8. Springfield Spartans – (0-8)
Suburban One League National Conference
Pennsbury wants to continue to make its ascent to the top of the SOL National Conference standings and came up with a thrilling 63-62 victory over Bensalem in a critical conference game last Friday. Senior Shawn Pepper scored the game winner in the final second to secure the win.
“To be honest, I don’t think anyone else on our team makes that shot,” said Pennsbury head coach Bill Coleman. “We talk about positive energy getting positive results. Shawn is a great example of that concept.
“We lost a game to Abington (65-63) in the final minute,” added Coleman. “But at the same time, we learned in that game that we can compete with one of the best teams in the league, and one of the best teams in the district.”
The Falcons have four captains on this team – seniors Pepper and DaQuan Mack – along with sophomores Cameron Jones and Mekhi Bryant.
“Cameron comes from an outstanding basketball family – his dad Gary is part of our coaching staff,” said Coleman. “And Mekhi brings a football mentality to the game. He is an excellent slasher to the basket, and his motor is non-stop.”
Pennsbury – with a 5-3 record in the conference – trails both Abington (7-1) and Council Rock North (7-1) in the conference standings.
“Really, anyone can beat anyone in this conference,” said Coleman. “We feel we still have a chance. We will prepare for every game, and we will see what happens.”|
In the SOL National Conference Rear View Mirror
Council Rock North moved into the conference penthouse with a pair of conference victories. The Indians opened the week with a 54-50 victory over district rival CR South and followed with a 70-47 win over William Tennent. Rip Engel led Rock North win a 20-point performance against the Golden Hawks, while Chris Rowland led the Indians with 19 points against the Panthers.
Abington fell into a first place tie for the conference lead as the Ghosts spilt a pair of games last week. Abington closed out the first half of the conference schedule unbeaten with a 48-44 win over Bensalem behind an 18-point effort by Jordan Simmons. The Ghosts were upset later in the week by Council Rock South as the Golden Hawks pinned a 67-54 loss on Abington. Anthony Durham led the Ghosts in the loss with 17 points.
Harry S Truman collected a pair of conference wins as the Tigers clawed William Tennent 61-55 and followed with a 65-39 victory over Neshaminy. Merdic Green was the leading scorer in both games with a 29-point performance against the Panthers and a 16-point effort against the Skins.
Pennsbury came up with a pair of impressive wins as the Falcons soared to wins over both Neshaminy and Bensalem. Pennsbury captured a 65-35 win over rival Neshaminy behind a 15-point effort by Shawn Pepper and followed with a 63-62 win over the Owls. The Falcons had four players in double figures in the Bensalem win as Pepper (14), Cameron Jones (15), Mekhi Bryant (13), and Steve Ciotti (12) all scored in twin digits.
Council Rock South spilt its conference games last week as the Golden Hawks opened the week with a competitive loss to CR North and followed with a stunning victory over Abington. CR South lost to CR North 54-50 as Christian Crane led the Hawks with 17 points. Crane scored a game-high 27 points to fuel the CR South 67-54 upset over the Ghosts.
Bensalem had a tough week as the Owls lost both of its conference games. Bensalem opened the week with a 48-44 loss to Abington and followed with a 63-62 loss to Pennsbury, The Owls were led in scoring in both games by Austin Nyekan with 16 points against the Ghosts and 14 points against the Falcons.
William Tennent had a tough week as the Panthers dropped both of its conference games. William Tennent opened the week with a 61-55 loss to Truman and followed with a 70-47 setback to Council Rock North. Matt Alden scored 24 points in the loss to the Tigers, while Horace Spencer scored a team-high 15 points in the loss to the Indians.
Neshmainy is still in search of its first conference victory as the Redskins lost both conference games. Neshaminy lost to Pennsbury 65-35 and followed with a 65-39 setback against Truman. Cameron Fattore led the Skins in scoring against the Falcons with 9 points, while Marvin Carr scored a team-high 19 points against the Tigers.
Suburban One League National Conference Standings
1. Abington Ghosts – (7-1)
Council Rock North Indians – (7-1)
3. Truman Tigers – (5-3)
Pennsbury Falcons – (5-3)
5. Bensalem Owls – (4-4)
6. Council Rock South Hawks – (3-5)
7. William Tennent Panthers – (1-7)
8. Neshaminy Redskins – (0-8)
Suburban One League Continental Conference
Central Bucks West knew there was going to be some growing pains this 2012-2013 season as the Bucks graduated seven seniors.
“With only one returning starter, we knew that is was going to take a while for the team to grasp our system,” said Central Bucks West head coach Adam Sherman. “(Junior) Jared Kelly was our starting point guard last year, and he has been great. But we play seven players that are underclassmen.
“The tough thing about our season is that we have been able to win three of the quarters, but one bad quarter costs us the game,” added Sherman. “The good thing is that we continue to get better, and we knew that we were going to be better basketball team in February than we were in December.”
In addition to Kelly, the Bucks have received a super freshman season from Cal Reichwein and a surprise addition in junior Evan Dunn.
“We knew that Cal was going to be a varsity player before the season even started,” said Sherman. “We knew that he had the skill set to compete on the varsity level, and like our team, he has gotten better each and every game.
“And we had a nice surprise when Kevin Dunn moved into the area from Florida in December,” added Sherman of his 6-foot, 5-inch junior. “He brings us size that we didn’t really have, and the longer he plays in our system the better he is becoming.
“We expect to get better as the second half of the conference season begins,” continued Sherman. “Now we have to wait and see if that happens.”
In the SOL Continental Conference Rear View Mirror
Hatboro-Horsham remained unbeaten in conference play as the Hatters topped both of their conference opponents. Hatboro-Horsham opened the week with a 53-45 victory over Central Bucks West and followed with a 53-46 victory over Central Bucks East. Michael Brown led the Hatters in scoring in both games with a 15-point effort versus CB West and a 22-point performance against the Patriots.
Souderton kept pace with the Hatters as the Indians captured a pair of conference victories. The Big Red claimed a 48-19 victory over Quakertown and followed with a 53-38 win over North Penn. John Kanas led Souderton with a 13-point effort against the Panthers, while Austin Murphy scored 19 points in the victory over the Knights.
Central Bucks South kept pace with the Hatters as the Titans captured a pair of conference wins. CB South opened the week with a 58-46 victory over rival CB East and followed with a 59-48 win over Pennridge. Kevin Raymond scored 10 points to pace the Titans in the win over the Patriots, while Chase Vonder Schmalz scored a team-high 11 points in the win over the Rams.
Central Bucks West split its pair of conference games as the Bucks opened the week with a loss to Hatboro-Horsham and followed with a win over Quakertown. CB West dropped a 53-45 loss to the Hatters as Jared Kelly scored a team-high 10 points, while Kevin Dunn scored 13 points to pace the Bucks in the win over the Panthers.
Pennridge split its pair of conference games as the Rams opened the week with a win over North Penn and followed with a setback against Central Bucks South. Jeff Garner scored a game-high 17 points in the 52-44 win over the Knights, while Drew Dietterich scored a team-high 12 points in the loss to the Titans.
North Penn had a tough week as the Knights dropped both conference games. North Penn fell to Pennridge 52-44 and followed with a 53-38 setback against Souderton. Jason Jones scored 14 points in the loss to the Rams, while Brian Coleman scored a team-high eight points in the loss to the Indians.
Central Bucks East had a tough week as the Patriots lost both of their conference games. CB East opened the week with a 58-46 loss to Central Bucks South and followed with a 53-46 setback against Hatboro-Horsham. Brendan McLauglin scored a game-high 23 points in the loss to the Titans, while Matt Stauffer scored a team-high 16 points in the loss to the Hatters.
Quakertown also had a tough week as the Panthers lost both of their conference games. Quakertown was outscored 48-19 in a loss to Souderton and followed with a 53-26 setback to Central Bucks West. Brett Wolf scored a team-high 10-point in the loss to the Bucks.
Suburban One League Continental Conference Standings
1. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters – (8-0)
2. Central Bucks South Titans – (6-2)
Souderton Indians – (6-2)
4. Central Bucks West Bucks – (4-4)
5. Pennridge Rams – (3-5)
6. Central Bucks East Patriots – (2-6)
North Penn Knights – (2-6)
8. Quakertown Panthers – (1-7)
Suburban One Sports.com
Top Ten
1. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
2. Council Rock North Indians
3. Abington Ghosts
4. Norristown Eagles
5. Wissahickon Trojans
6. Pennsbury Falcons
7. Cheltenham Panthers
8. Souderton Indians
9. Central Bucks South Titans
10. Truman Tigers
‘On Deck’ In the Suburban One League
January 22, 2013
SOL American ConferenceUpper Merion Vikings (2-6) @ Upper Moreland Golden Bears (3-5)
Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-4) @ Cheltenham Panthers (7-1)
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals (2-6) @ Norristown Eagles (7-1)
Springfield Spartans (0-8) @ Wissahickon Trojans (7-1)
SOL Continental Conference
Pennridge Rams (3-5) @ Quakertown Panthers (1-7)
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (8-0) @ Souderton Indians (6-2)
Central Bucks West Bucks (4-4) @ Central Bucks East Patriots (2-6)
North Penn Knights (2-6) @ Central Bucks South Titans (6-2)
SOL National Conference
Neshaminy Redskins (0-8) @ Bensalem Owls (4-4)
Pennsbury Falcons (5-3) @ William Tennent Panthers (1-7)
Council Rock North Indians (7-1) @ Abington Ghosts (7-1)
Council Rock South Golden Hawks (3-5) @ Truman Tigers (5-3)
January 24, 2013
Neshaminy Redskins @ Abington Ghosts
January 25, 2013
SOL American Conference
Wissahickon Trojans @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
Springfield Spartans @ Upper Merion Vikings
Norristown Eagles @ Upper Moreland Golden Bears
Cheltenham Panthers @ Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
SOL Continental Conference
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters @ Pennridge Rams
Central Bucks South Titans @ Quakertown Panthers
Souderton Indians @ Central Bucks West Bucks
Central Bucks East Patriots @ North Penn Knights
SOL National Conference
Truman Tigers @ Council Rock North Indians
Council Rock South Golden Hawks @ Pennsbury Falcons
Bensalem Owls @ William Tennent
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