Scholastic Basketball, 2014
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All-City
FIRST TEAM |
Name, School | School
Ja'Quan Newton | Ss. Neumann-Goretti
Chris Clover | St. Joseph's Prep
Ahmad Gilbert | Constitution
Samir Doughty | Math/Civics/Sciences
Tyrell Long | Bishop McDevitt
Derrick Jones | Archbishop Carroll
SECOND TEAM |
Name, School | School
Rashann London | Roman Catholic
Shep Garner | Roman Catholic
Sean Lloyd | Imhotep
Kimar Williams | Constitution
Sammy Foreman | M.L. King
THIRD TEAM |
Name, School | School
Chris Bing | Central
James Suber | Phila. Electrical
Pat Smith | Archbishop Wood
Mike Watkins | Math/Civics/Sciences
Levan "Shawn" Alston | Haverford School
City Titles
CLASS A No game. No "A" schools in Catholic League. (Tripleheader at Saint Joseph's University) CLASS AA Constitution 68, West Catholic 49: Kimar Williams was terrific throughout,
earning game MVP laurels by shooting 7-for-10 (4-for-6 on treys) and 6-for-9 for 24 points. Ahmad Gilbert
added 11 points and eight boards. Floyd Preito dealt four assists. Best for West was Jahmil Harris (11
points, 12 boards, five assists). CLASS AAA Neumann-Goretti 69, Phila. Elec. 55: Game MVP Ja'Quan Newton racked up 10
of his 26 points in a 17-10 first quarter as the Saints mostly coasted. Troy Harper (15) and Jamal
Custis (13) provided scoring help while guard Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble collared eight rebounds. Larenz Thurman
(12), Jihad Barnes (11) and Devante Truitt (10) paced the Chargers, who received nine boards from James
Suber. CLASS AAAA Roman 58, King 55: Due to two delays caused by fan misbehavior (plastic
soda bottles were heaved onto the court from high in the stands), the final 21 seconds required about 20
minutes. After the first stoppage, Rashann London sank two free throws to give Roman a 56-55 lead. London had been
hit in the head, a ref ruled, right after having his fastbreak layup swatted by Jahmir Taylor.
Thereafter, Roman went 2-for-4 at the line while King missed two shots and a pair of free throws (one on purpose in
desperation mode). London and game MVP Gemil Holbrook (4-for-4 on treys) evenly divided 36 points. Manny
Taylor (no relation) claimed 10 rebounds and Shep Garner made six steals. Greg Bennett scored 17
points for King and received major help from Taylor (13, 14 rebounds, seven blocks).
Public League
PRELIMINARY PLAYOFFS Class AAAA Southern 54, Northeast 51: Kahsiaan Kay scored 15 points and his fourth
steal, with 8 seconds remaining, sealed the deal. Khaid Jones added 13 apiece of
points/rebounds. For Northeast, Elmange Watson notched 22 points while Darren
Baggett and Will Smart halved 18 boards. Lincoln 72, Kensington 54: Akquil Harrington (20), Blair Bowes (19) and
Raymond Fred (17) sparkled for the 'Splitters. Harrington added 10 rebounds.
Kendale Brisbon (17) and Jerrell Richardson (15) led Kensington. Class AAA Esperanza 61, Mastbaum 48: Hyking Brisbon mixed 13 points with 20
rebounds. Briheim Anthony (20) dished six assists. 'Baum's best were Andre
Bryant (22) and Rhasheed Camp (16). Dobbins 67, New Foundations 47: Devante Laws tallied 13 of his 17
points in a 41-23 first half. Andre Cannedy also finished with 17 points and
Tyron Roberson logged 12 apiece of points/boards. NF, a first-year Pub member,
received 16 points from Keith Blassingale. Eng. and Science 50, West Phila. 48: The last two of Eric Lewis' 17
points won it with 4.4 seconds remaining. Jon Hall (14) and Hanif Taylor (nine)
were the rebound leaders. Lavelle Harper (19) paced West. Franklin LC 60, Mastery North 59: After working hard to secure a home
game, MN was betrayed by its roof. Leaking caused a site switch to FLC's home
court and the Bobcats used that familiarity to go 13-for-13 at the line in the
last quarter. Karon Snead had 21 points. Eli Alvin (22) led MN. Class AA Roxborough 67, Masterman 47: Tyere Marshall, a 6-8 junior playing
his first season of competitive hoops, contributed 17 points, 15 rebounds and
six blocks. Tony Brown added 15 points. Freshmen Liam Shanahan (19) and Jesse
Turkson (16, same number of rebounds) led Masterman. Sayre 80, World Comm 54: . . . Damir Boone (14) led WC. Audenried 63, Prep Charter 45: Devin Jacobs (21 total) and Malachi
Thompson (14) combined for 19 points in a 29-12 fourth quarter. The leader for
PC coach Rahim Washington was his son, Rahim (15). Freire 59, Maritime 47: Thomas Spruill (18) and Rashid Nixon (14) led
Freire, which rolled to a 39-23 halftime lead. Zahir Stewart (14) and Devon
Adams (13) paced Maritime.
FIRST ROUND Class AAAA Quarterfinals King 56, Southern 52: Sammy Foreman, who played earlier at Haverford
School and Vaux (closed in 2013), reached 1,000 career points on a third quarter
trey. He ended the game with 15 and 1,005. Greg Bennett led the way with 19.
Kahsiaan Kay (17) and Jamir Lomax (15) paced Southern. Washington 80, Olney 70: Charles Brown (24) drained six treys overall
and posted 14 points in a 24-4 first quarter. Jerome Blume added 23 points and
13 rebounds. For Olney, which decided to play the game at the former Cardinal
Dougherty (closed in 2010), Shakeem Stevens saved 25 of his 40 points (16-for-22
at line) for a 35-25 fourth quarter. Tyheim Monroe had 19 points, 12 rebounds. Central 63, Lincoln 47: Chris Bing (20 points) and Rafiq Johnson halved
20 boards and Gregory Holdsman notched 14 points. Akquil Harrington (15) led
Lincoln. Frankford 66, Bartram 55: Aaron McFarlan packed 10 of his 21 points
into an 18-10 third quarter. Bartram's leaders were Malik Smith (18) and Shawn
Bailey (16). Class AAA Quarterfinals Imhotep 70, Franklin LC 35: Basil Thompson, returning from a stretch of
inactivity, scored 16 points. Help came from Deion Evans (14) and Sean Lloyd
(10). Daron Russell and Jakwan Jones were credited with 10 and nine assists,
respectively. Karon Snead (nine) came close to double digits for FLC. Phila. Elec. 80, Eng. and Science 40: Larenz Thurman contributed 18
points and 12 assists, James Suber added 15 points and 16 rebounds, and Devante
Truitt (15 points) and Jihad Barnes halved 12 steals. Jon Hall (16) led E&S. Esperanza 58, Boys' Latin 55: Briheam Anthony hit five triples and went
7-for-8 at the line en route to 26 points. Hyking Brisbon added 15 points, 13
boards and three blocks while Robert Edwards clutched 12 caroms. Pasquale
Dimascio (14) was best for BL in points while Jamar Brisbon managed 11 boards,
five assists. Gratz 59, Dobbins 56: The Bulldogs survived against their North Philly
rival as Tahir Wharton connected on a late trey. Malik Tyndale scored 14 points.
Andre Cannedy posted 16 points for Dobbins. Class AA Quarterfinals Constitution 69, Freire 49: Ahmad Gilbert and Chad Andrews offered
matching 15-point efforts. Ditto for Freire's Thomas Spruill. Del-Val 64, Audenried 60: DaShon Giddings was golden with 21 points and
11 rebounds. Shahid Adams (14) and Darius Wallace (13) also reached double
figures. Devon Jacobs (22) paced Audenried. Future 63, Roxborough 52: Junior Dominick Morales was perfect at the
line (13-for-13) while pouring in 30 points and raising his career total to
exactly 1,000. Tony Brown (14), Tyere Marshall (13) and Romello Brown (12) were
Boro's best. Palumbo 61, Sayre 59: Anwar Epps, who also notched six assists and five
steals, saved 17 of his 32 points for a 19-13 fourth quarter. Shafi Meachum (13)
helped out. Richard Burton hustled for 23 Sayre points. Class A Quarterfinals Math/Civics/Sciences 100, GAMP 21: Samir Doughty (24), Lou Myers
(23) and Mike Watkins (16) led the way as the Mighty Elephants crushed the Pub
and city postseason record for victory margin (79). It had stood at 63 since
1992, when Gratz thumped GAMP, 88-25, in the round of 16. Doughty added eight
apiece of rebounds/assists. Watkins had 12 boards, seven blocks. GAMP's Jeff
Williford (12), who missed five games with an injury, finished his career with
954 points. New Media 75, Parkway West 42: Devin Bullock totaled 18 points and 10
assists while John Fieffe swept 15 rebounds. Tyquill McFadden added 15 points.
PW placed no one in double figures. Robeson 83, Palmer 67: Leron Epps (30) and Jihaad Fluellen (20) were
the dominant scorers while Malik Harris-King mixed 12 points with 10 boards and
six rejections. Marvin Bell (20) and Demetruis White (19) provided Palmer's
one-two punch. Sankofa 57, Straw. Mansion 56: Luis Martinez scored nine of his 13
points in a 24-17 third quarter and Anthony Wright-Downing (27) made big plays
in a stretch run that that mostly featured free throws. Sakwon Ali-Epps secured
the game's final rebound by diving onto the floor. Raekwon Dial and Derrick Gant
halved 36 points for Mansion, which was without the services of starter Quadir
Norman (house destroyed by fire the previous night).
ROUND OF 16 Class AAAA Semifinals King 65, Frankford 59: Jabri McCall posted 17 points and received big
help from Greg Bennett (15, five rebounds, five steals), Sammy Foreman (12) and
Tyheem Harmon (seven assists, six steals). After scoring two points in the
previous round, Frankford's Ladji Fofana exploded for 29. Central 68, Washington 55: Kahlil Williams wolfed down some hellacious
dunks en route to 21 pints while Chris Bing mixed 17 points with 14 rebounds.
Rafiq Johnson posted 10 apiece of points/boards. Jerome Blume and James Cottrell
halved 26 markers for Washington, which had to go without its top player
(academic ineligibility). Asante "Redz" Ali distributed seven assists. Class AAA Semifinals Imhotep 78, Gratz 52: Jakwan Jones (17), Daron Russell (13), Dymir
Logan (12), Sean Lloyd and Deion Evans (10 apiece) scored in double figures as
the Panthers maintained control throughout. Logan bagged nine rebounds and Jones
dealt eight assists. Malik Tyndale (21) topped Gratz. Phila. Elec. 66, Esperanza 29: Devante Truitt paced the romp with 19
points and four steals. Anthony Harris added 15 points while James Suber (eight
rebounds) and Larenz Thurman (seven assists) were efficient in other categories.
Hyking Brisbon managed nine points for the Toros. Class AA Semifinals Constitution 75, Palumbo 58: Kimar Williams shoehorned 12 of his 22
points into a 23-11 second quarter. Ahmad Gilbert and Floyd Preito added 11
apiece. Anwar Epps (27) powered Palumbo. Del-Val 58, Future 48: Dominick Morales, the Pub's leading scorer,
poured in 25 points, but Del-Val got by with balance -- Shahid Adams (16),
DaShon Giddings (14), Clayton "CJ" Wolfe (12). Giddings added 14 rebounds and
Adams posted six points in a 17-7 third quarter. Class A Semifinals Math/Civics/Sciences 65, Sankofa 45: Mike Watkins settled for six
points, but it's doubtful he cared because of his dominance -- 14 rebounds,
eight blocks -- in other areas. Samir Doughty had 22 points. Luis Martinez (23)
and Anthony Wright-Downing (10) led 'Kofa. New Media 66, Robeson 65: Due in part to nine missed free throws and a
cramp that sidelined star point guard Devin Bullock (19 points), NM dropped the
last quarter, 24-13. But the Jaguars survived when Bullock returned with 48.2
remaining and hit a free throw at 10.8. John Fieffe mixed 16 points, 12 boards
and five assists while Tyquill McFadden played lockdown D. Jihaad Fluellen (19)
and Maurice Smith (16) paced Robeson, which missed two last shots.
QUARTERFINALS Class AAAA Final King 50, Central 48: At Franklin, Sammy Foreman bagged 12 points and four
assists as the Cougars captured the win in a game that was tight throughout.
Jahmir Taylor added eight points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. For Central,
which killed its hopes by going 5-for-12 at the line, Chris Bing (14) and
Gregory Holdsman (10) scored in double digits while the former claimed nine
boards. Class AAA Final Phila. Elec. 53, Imhotep 48: At Southern, Devante Truitt racked up all 12
of his points in a 36-22 second half as the Chargers prevented 'Tep from
advancing to the semis for the fifth time in six years. James Suber offered a
dozen apiece of points/boards and Anthony Harris had 10 points. No one scored in
double figures for the Panthers, but Basil Thompson swept 16 rebounds. Class AA Final Constitution 79, Del-Val 75: At Southern, Floyd Preito (17), Ahmad
Gilbert, Kimar Williams (15 apiece) and Raheem Liggins (12) reached double
figures, Gilbert/Liggins halved 14 rebounds, Preito/Akeem King halved eight
assists and Haneef Vaughn scrambled for five steals. With 18 points, eight
rebounds and six assists, Clayton "CJ" Wolfe paced the Warriors. Shahid Adams
(16) and DaShon Giddings (13, nine boards) helped out. Class A Final Math/Civics/Sciences 64, New Media 49: The Mighty Elephants
established command in an 18-10 first quarter and wound up placing three guys
(Samir Doughty 17, Tyrese Hester 14, Terquin Mott 12) in double figures. Mott
added 10 boards. For NM, Jirveese Thomas contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds
while John Fieffe (13, eight) was in the neighborhood.
SEMIFINALS Doubleheader at Southern King 75, Math/Civics/Sciences 56: Sammy Foreman scurried for 17
points and 11 rebounds as the Cougars used a 42-29 second half to earn a spot in
the championship game for the first time in 38 seasons of PL membership. Fellow
guard Jabri McCall was also vital, thanks to 17 points and five assists. Gregory
Bennett (16) and Chase Rodgers (12) helped with points and Jahmir Taylor
snatched 11 boards. Samir Doughty racked up 24 points for MC&S before fouling
out (maybe) with 3:15 left. The official scorer had him for five personals.
Three others right at the table had him for four. Constitution 69, Phila. Elec. 65: Floyd Preito nailed two treys en
route to 19 points while Ahmad Gilbert added 15 points and 14 boards. The game
got close down the stretch, in part, because the Generals were iffy at the foul
line (16-for-32 total). Devante Truitt (22), Anthony Harris (15) and James Suber
(14) topped the Chargers in points and the rebound leaders were Suber
(13)/Truitt (10). With 9.9 left and the spread at two, ConHigh missed two free
throws. After the second flub, the ball bounced all the way to the right corner
and was rebounded by Haneef Vaughn. He passed to Raheem Liggins and his two
charities ended it. Just as in 2012, two teams with losing league records failed
to advance to the final. Lincoln's 1952 team (5-4) remained the Pub's worst
finalist percentagewise. Franklin's '65 squad (9-5) owned the most losses.
FINAL At Temple's Liacouras Center King 46, Constitution 44: In its 38th season of Pub membership,
King turned its first title-game appearance into a happy occasion. The teams
combined to shot 25-for-88 from the floor and 5-for-22 beyond the illegal arc
(at the college distance of 20 feet, 9 inches). A high school arc (19-9) was
never painted onto the court. Soph Jabri McCall sparked the Cougars with nine
quick points (including a four-point play) midway through the third quarter,
lifting their lead from 21-20 to 30-21. Akeem King's two free throws advanced
the Generals within 46-44 at 19.5 and McCall missed a pair at 10.2, but off a
timeout at 5.8 Ahmad Gilbert was short with a trey from the top of the key.
McCall (13) and Sammy Foreman (12) paced the Cougars in scoring while Jahmir
Taylor battled for 14 rebounds/four blocks. Constitution's Kimar Williams used
8-for-8 marksmanship at the line to reach 12 points. Gilbert claimed 11 boards
while Chad Andrews and guard Floyd Preito halved 18. Sean Colson became just the
third guy in 76 seasons to coach a Pub champ after starting for one (Franklin
Learning Center in '92), joining Bill Nelson (Bartram '44; Franklin in '52 and
Germantown in '64) and Vince Miller (Overbrook in '55, Frankford in '88 and
'89). Also, he was the third former NBA/ABA player to win a city leagues
championship, matching Fran O'Hanlon at Bonner in '88 and Tom Ingelsby at
Carroll in '95. Like Colson, they also started for title teams in high school
(O'Hanlon at St. Thomas More in '66; Ingelsby at O'Hara in '68). King was 7-3
(.700) in regular season league play, the lowest winning percentage for a Pub
team that wound up winning the crown since Franklin's .667 (6-3) in '52.
Standings
| DIVISION A | W | L
3A | 1-Imhotep | 8 | 2
2A | 1-Constitution | 8 | 2
4A | King | 7 | 3
1A | MC&S | 4 | 6
3A | Phila. Electrical | 3 | 7
4A | Frankford | 0 | 10
| 1-co-champs | |
| DIVISION B | W | L
2A | a-Del-Val | 11 | 2
3A | Boys' Latin | 11 | 2
4A | a-Bartram | 10 | 3
3A | Gratz | 10 | 3
4A | Washington | 9 | 4
3A | b-Dobbins | 7 | 6
3A | a-Esperanza | 7 | 6
4A | Southern | 7 | 6
3A | Eng. and Science | 6 | 7
2A | a-Freire | 4 | 9
1A | Sankofa | 4 | 9
3A | a-Franklin LC | 2 | 11
4A | Fels | 2 | 11
2A | Prep Charter | 1 | 12
| forf: Sank>Fels | |
| DIVISION C | W | L
4A | Central | 12 | 0
4A | a-Olney | 9 | 3
2A | Sayre | 9 | 3
1A | Robeson | 8 | 4
4A | Lincoln | 7 | 5
4A | b-Northeast | 6 | 6
3A | a-Mastery North | 6 | 6
3A | West Phila. | 6 | 6
1A | b-Straw. Mansion | 4 | 8
2A | a-Audenried | 4 | 8
3A | Franklin | 4 | 8
1A | Palmer | 2 | 10
4A | Overbrook | 1 | 11
| DIVISION D | W | L
1A | New Media | 11 | 1
4A | a-Kensington | 10 | 2
2A | Palumbo | 10 | 2
2A | Roxborough | 9 | 3
3A | Mastbaum | 8 | 4
3A | Franklin Towne | 7 | 5
4A | a-Edison | 6 | 6
3A | Swenson | 6 | 6
2A | World Comm | 4 | 8
3A | Mastery South | 3 | 9
2A | Randolph | 2 | 10
2A | a-Bodine | 1 | 11
3A | Bracetti | 1 | 11
| DIVISION E | W | L
2A | Future | 12 | 0
3A | b-New Foundations | 9 | 3
1A | a-Parkway West | 9 | 3
2A | Maritime | 9 | 3
1A | GAMP | 8 | 4
1A | a-Parkway NW | 7 | 5
1A | Elverson | 7 | 5
2A | Masterman | 6 | 6
2A | Science Lead. | 4 | 8
2A | Phila. Academy | 3 | 9
1A | Rush | 2 | 10
2A | a-Penn Treaty | 1 | 11
2A | CAPA | 1 | 11
Coaches' All-Public
DIVISION A | | | |
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Ahmad Gilbert | Con | 10 | 171 | 17.1
Sean Lloyd | Imho | 9 | 119 | 13.2
Sammy Foreman | King | 10 | 130 | 13.0
Samir Doughty | MCS | 10 | 149 | 14.9
Kimar Williams | Con | 10 | 104 | 10.4
SECOND TEAM | | | |
James Suber | PET | 10 | 132 | 13.2
Mike Watkins | PET | 10 | 105 | 10.5
Greg Bennett | King | 10 | 109 | 10.9
Larenz Thurman | PET | 10 | 89 | 8.9
Ladji Fofana | Fkd | 10 | 116 | 11.6
THIRD TEAM | | | |
Devante Truitt | PET | 10 | 115 | 11.5
Devin Liggeons | Imho | 10 | 106 | 10.6
Floyd Preito | Con | 10 | 83 | 8.3
Jabri McCall | King | 10 | 98 | 9.8
Jahmir Taylor | King | 10 | 66 | 6.6
DIVISION B | | | |
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Anthony Wright-Downing | Sank | 12 | 277 | 23.1
Malik Smith | Bart | 13 | 267 | 20.5
Malik Tyndale | Gtz | 12 | 201 | 16.8
Eric Lewis | E&S | 13 | 255 | 19.6
Briheam Anthony | Esp | 12 | 197 | 16.4
SECOND TEAM | | | |
Andre Cannedy | Dobb | 12 | 214 | 17.8
Jamar Brisbon | BL | 12 | 182 | 15.2
Clayton "CJ" Wolfe | D-V | 13 | 126 | 9.7
DaShon Giddings | D-V | 13 | 116 | 8.9
Hyking Brisbon | Esp | 13 | 148 | 11.4
THIRD TEAM | | | |
Charles Brown | Wash | 9 | 134 | 14.9
Charles Presley | BL | 13 | 130 | 10.0
Karon Snead | FLC | 13 | 173 | 13.3
James Cottrell | Wash | 13 | 159 | 12.2
Shahid Adams | D-V | 11 | 97 | 8.8
DIVISION C | | | |
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Chris Bing | Cent | 12 | 225 | 18.8
Jihaad Fluellen | Robe | 12 | 289 | 24.1
Elmange Watson | NE | 12 | 276 | 23.0
Tyheim Monroe | Oln | 12 | 244 | 20.3
Leron Epps | Robe | 12 | 250 | 20.8
SECOND TEAM | | | |
Blair Bowes | Linc | 12 | 221 | 18.4
Malachi Thompson | Aud | 11 | 187 | 17.0
Raekwon Dial | Mans | 10 | 206 | 20.6
Shakeem Stevens | Oln | 12 | 171 | 14.3
Demetruis White | Palm | 12 | 218 | 18.2
Will Taylor | Fkn | 12 | 224 | 18.7
THIRD TEAM | | | |
Raymond Fred | Linc | 10 | 196 | 19.6
Antwan James | Say | 12 | 172 | 14.3
Kahlil Williams | Cent | 12 | 144 | 12.0
Tyquaan Bardlavens | West | 12 | 133 | 11.1
DIVISION D | | | |
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Anwar Epps | Palu | 12 | 292 | 24.3
Devin Bullock | NM | 12 | 202 | 16.8
Ryan Boyd | FT | 11 | 206 | 18.7
Montrell Gilliam | Edi | 12 | 332 | 27.7
John Fieffe | NM | 11 | 168 | 15.3
SECOND TEAM | | | |
Tony Brown | Rox | 12 | 172 | 14.3
Troy Richardson | Bod | 12 | 235 | 19.6
Andre Bryant | Mast | 12 | 170 | 14.2
Jerrell Richardson | Kens | 11 | 157 | 14.3
Tyere Marshall | Rox | 10 | 134 | 13.4
THIRD TEAM | | | |
Andrew Singleton | Kens | 12 | 159 | 13.3
Mike Chau | Palu | 11 | 134 | 12.2
Naykwon Phillips | Swen | 12 | 158 | 13.2
Gilberto Martinez | Edi | 11 | 158 | 14.4
Rhasheed Camp | Mast | 12 | 154 | 12.8
DIVISION E | | | |
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Dominick Morales | Fut | 12 | 382 | 31.8
Wayne Stewart | Elv | 12 | 233 | 19.4
Muhammad Laws | PAC | 12 | 264 | 22.0
John Herndon | PW | 12 | 326 | 27.2
Jeff Williford | GAMP | 9 | 152 | 16.9
SECOND TEAM | | | |
Liam Shanahan | Mstr | 12 | 224 | 18.7
Ahanri Briggs | PNW | 12 | 196 | 16.3
Keith Blassingale | NF | 12 | 203 | 16.9
Kahlif Askew-Hughes | PNW | 12 | 120 | 10.0
Isaiah Riddick | Rush | 12 | 168 | 14.0
THIRD TEAM | | | |
Roger Bracy | SL | 12 | 106 | 8.8
Devon Adams | Mari | 11 | 150 | 13.6
Jesse Turkson | Mstr | 12 | 176 | 14.7
Akeem Roberts | Mari | 11 | 123 | 11.2
Bryant Turner | CAPA | 12 | 114 | 9.5
Champs' Rotation
2014
KING
Coach
Sean Colson
Record
7-3,
Starters
Sammy Foreman
Greg Bennett
Jahmir Taylor
Jabri McCall
Chase Rodgers
Key Subs
Brandon McNair
Tyheem Harmon
Rasool Samir
Xzavier Malone
Catholic League
PREPLAYOFF (At La Salle High) McDevitt 51, Judge 40: The teams combined to miss 30 of their first
32 shots, but McDevitt was on fire (8-for-9, 6-for-7) in a 23-7 fourth quarter.
Therein, Tyrell Long (13 total rebounds) scored 10 of his 15 points and Amin
Taylor posted six of his nine. Sub Fateem Jackson claimed 18 rebounds. Sophs
Quincy Reed (14)/Justin Fleming (12) and frosh Marc Rodriguez (11) led Judge,
which shot 7-for-26 on threes and 6-for-21 on twos.
FIRST ROUND Home Sites McDevitt 58, Conwell-Egan 57: Playing a do-or-die game for the
third consecutive day, the lower-seeded Lancers lassoed this win as Jayson Clark
passed to Amin Taylor (17 points, seven rebounds) for a three-point play and his
fifth assist with 14 seconds left, then hit a clinching free throw at 0:04.
Tyrell Long (four blocks) and frosh Qadir Burgess halved 30 points. With Burgess
(5-for-7) and Taylor (3-for-4) leading the way, McDevitt shot better on treys
(8-for-16) than it did on twos (11-for-25). In all, the Lancers were playing for
the fourth consecutive day. The string began with a 102-69 loss to
Neumann-Goretti and then a win over Bonner-Prendergast to earn a preplayoff with
Judge. These two CL playoff wins were just the third and fourth in the school's
51 seasons of membership. C-E was denied its second; No. 1 had come in '64. The
Eagles were led by Stevie Jordan (19), LaPri McCray-Pace, Jordan Burney (13
apiece) and Vinny Dalessandro (10). Burney was a junior. The others were sophs. W. Catholic 48, Lansdale 45: Small forward Jahmil Harris (23 points, 11
in fourth quarter) drained a top-of-the-key trey with 1.3 seconds remaining to
cap a wonderful performance. The hosts posted 18 field goals and he was involved
in 16 of 'em -- scored nine, assisted on seven. Brandon Cole packed 11 of his 13
points into the first half. Brian Rafferty (16, seven rebounds) and Kyle Pavlik
(12) reached double digits for LC, which had dropped a two-point decision to
West (also on a last shot) in the same gym five days earlier.
QUARTERFINALS Home Sites Roman 84, McDevitt 56: At West Catholic, the Cahillites trailed by
36-34 at halftime and were in danger of becoming just the fifth CL team with a
perfect league record to fall in a quarterfinal. So much for nervousness: Roman
scored 30 of the next 34 points. All five starters -- Rashann London (15), Shep
Garner (14), TreVaughn Wilkerson (13), Manny Taylor and Tony Carr (12 each) --
scored in double figures, Taylor swept 11 rebounds and London/Carr halved 12
assists. Tyrell Long scored 22 points for McDevitt, finalizing his career total
at 1,140 (No. 2 in school history to 1,272 by '84 grad Eric Ervin). Neumann-Goretti 98, West Catholic 58: Ja'Quan Newton (26) led the way
as the Saints had no trouble breaking the record for points in a CL playoff (89
by Roman in a '91 quarterfinal). Newton shot 6-for-12 on treys. Eleven guys
scored and three more reached double figures -- frosh sub Quade Green (15), Troy
Harper (13) and Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble (12, eight rebounds). For visting West,
Brandon Cole netted 20 points while Jahmil Harris mixed 12 points, eight boards,
four assists. Carroll 64, Wood 44: Derrick Jones shot 9-for-17 and 6-for-10 for 24
points and snatched 13 rebounds for the Patriots, who owned the second half at
29-14. Austin Tilghman totaled 12 points, four assists. Dave Beatty scored 10
points off the bench. For visiting Wood, which shot 8-for-24 on treys, no one
reached double digits. Joe LoStracco claimed seven rebounds and Cody Fitzpatrick
dealt three assists. La Salle 38, SJ Prep 33: The teams combined to shoot 22-for-76 from the
floor (28.9 percent) and 4-for-24 on treys (16.7 percent) and only one player
from each team -- David Krmpotich (16) for La Salle; Chris Clover (17) for SJ
Prep -- scored in double figures. The Explorers' top rebounder, with seven, was
their shortest starter, Najee Walls. The visiting Hawks, who missed wing sniper
Tom Fox (knee injury), posted just six points over the initial 14:37 of the
second half and went 0-for-8 for treys before hitting their first of two with
19.9 left.
SEMIFINALS Doubleheader at the Palestra Roman 52, La Salle 45: The Cahillites owned a 15-point lead after
three quarters, but La Salle stormed back within 46-43 before experiencing a
late fade. Fueling the comeback was sixth man Sean Greenberg, who notched eight
of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. His dad, Chip, starred for the school's
'81 CL champs and was the Daily News City Player of the Year in '82. Tony Carr
led Roman with 13 points while sub Gemil Holbrook and Manny Taylor evenly spilt
20. They added nine and eight boards, respectively. David Krmpotich led La Salle
with 15 points, 10 boards and four blocks. Najee Walls dealt six assists. Neumann-Goretti 67, Carroll 62: By draining a left-corner, west-end,
step-back trey to end the third quarter, Ja'Quan Newton (1,809) surpassed '85
grad Steve Benton (1,808) to become the leading scorer in N-G's many-names
school history. He finished the night with 15 and 1,816. Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble
had 17 points and three assists. Though the Saints were embarrassed on the glass
(35-15), they triumphed in blocked shots, 10 to four (six for Tony Toplyn, four
for Jamal Custis), and three-pointers (8-for-13 to 1-for-10). For Carroll,
junior Derrick Jones used a late free throw to reach 1,000 career points while
he and Ernest Aflakpui (14 points) halved 20 boards. Newton's three-point play
off an outrageous dunk made it 63-56. His reverse layup stretched the edge to
67-57.
FINAL At the Palestra Neumann-Goretti 53, Roman 48: Becoming the first player to
start for four CL championship teams since at least the 1920s (and likely ever),
Ja'Quan Newton entertained a packed house (and then some) by scoring 23 points
while adding half of N-G's six assists and two-thirds of its six steals. In 12
playoff appearances, he scored a record 211 points and averaged better numbers
in finals, as opposed to overall, in every statistical category. The title was
the Saints' sixth in a row, matching Roman's record feat from 1989-94, and their
CL record during this glorious run was 100-2. The crown was No. 10 for coach
Carl Arrigale, tying him for all-time CL honors with ex-Roman boss Dennis Seddon.
Jamal Custis (three dunks) added 12 points and four blocks and was joined in
double scoring figures by Troy Harper (10). Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble shook off a
poor shooting night (1-for-10) to snag eight rebounds and his bucket sent N-G
into the lead for good, at 34-33. For Roman, which was missing two frontcourt
rotation guys (starter TreVaughn Wilkerson, sub Carnell McGirt) due to injury,
Rashann London notched 22 points and Manny Taylor claimed 15 rebounds. Since
1942, the Cahillites were the 13th CL team (of 23) to go unbeaten in the regular
season but not make it through the playoffs unscathed. N-G's girls (over Wood)
also triumphed, paving the way for a Saintly sweep.
Standings
| SCHOOL | W | L
4A | Roman | 13 | 0
3A | Neumann-Goretti | 12 | 1
3A | Carroll | 11 | 2
4A | La Salle | 9 | 4
4A | SJ Prep | 8 | 5
3A | Wood | 7 | 6
2A | a-Conwell-Egan | 6 | 7
2A | West | 6 | 7
3A | b-Lansdale | 5 | 8
3A | c-McDevitt | 5 | 8
4A | Judge | 5 | 8
4A | O'Hara | 2 | 11
4A | Ryan | 2 | 11
3A | Bonner-Prendie | 0 | 13
Coaches' All-Catholic
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Ja'Quan Newton | N-G | 13 | 284 | 21.8
Chris Clover | Prep | 13 | 286 | 22.0
Shep Garner | Roman | 13 | 158 | 12.2
Rashann London | Roman | 13 | 200 | 15.4
Derrick Jones | Carr | 13 | 183 | 14.1
Pat Smith | Wood | 13 | 206 | 15.8
Tyrell Long | McD | 13 | 299 | 23.0
Lamarr Kimble | N-G | 13 | 164 | 12.6
Ernest Aflakpui | Carr | 13 | 133 | 10.2
Troy Harper | N-G | 13 | 165 | 12.7
SECOND TEAM | | | |
Austin Tilghman | Carr | 13 | 138 | 10.6
Dave Krmpotich | La S | 13 | 155 | 11.9
Manny Taylor | Roman | 13 | 140 | 10.8
Najee Walls | La S | 13 | 153 | 11.8
Luke Connaghan | Wood | 13 | 160 | 12.3
Stevie Jordan | C-E | 13 | 146 | 11.2
LaPri McCray-Pace | C-E | 13 | 165 | 12.7
Brian Rafferty | Lans | 13 | 148 | 11.4
Brendan Horan | Ryan | 12 | 190 | 15.8
Andrew Riviello | Lans | 13 | 162 | 12.5
THIRD TEAM | | | |
Tony Carr | Roman | 13 | 103 | 7.9
Tony Toplyn | N-G | 13 | 92 | 7.1
Kyle Thompson | Prep | 13 | 122 | 9.4
Jahmil Harris | West | 13 | 129 | 9.9
Shawn Witherspoon | La S | 13 | 109 | 8.4
Champs' Rotation
NEUMANN-GORETTI
Coach
Carl Arrigale
Record
12-1,
Starters
Ja'Quan Newton
Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble
Troy Harper
Jamal Custis
Tony Toplyn
Key Subs
Vaughn Covington
Quade Green
Inter-Ac League
Gtn. Academy (9-1) The Patriots missed out on clinching the title in game No. 9, falling at home
to Haverford School. Then, at SCH Academy, they used an 18-9 second quarter to
claim a 69-58 win and their consecutive outright crown. Fittingly, Sam Lindgren
(20), Tim Guers (14), Evan-Eric Long (13) and Devon Goodman (12) scored in
double figures because all four averaged at least 10.0 in I-A play. Frosh Kyle
McCloskey snagged 11 rebounds while Lindgren and Longino halved 20. Guers
managed three steals. GA was the first I-A team since Malvern in 1966 to win a
championship with no returning first- or second-team all-league honorees (beyond
that, all starters were new), and this crown enabled Jim Fenerty (14) to ease
past Dan Dougherty (13) for the No. 2 spot on the list of most coaching titles
in I-A history. Penn Charter's Duke Taylor captured 16. In the Indy tourney, the
Patriots and Haverford School advanced to the quarterfinals, then suffered
defeats vs. Kiski and Hill School, respectively.
Standings
SCHOOL | W | L
Gtn. Academy | 9 | 1
Haverford Sch. | 7 | 3
Episcopal | 6 | 4
Penn Charter | 4 | 6
SCH Academy | 3 | 7
Malvern | 1 | 9
Coaches' All-Inter-Ac
FIRST TEAM | | | |
Tim Guers | GA | 10 | 183 | 18.3
Levan "Shawn" Alston | HS | 10 | 160 | 16.0
Sean O'Brien | PC | 10 | 187 | 18.7
Devon Goodman | GA | 10 | 139 | 13.9
Mike Jolaoso | EA | 10 | 142 | 14.2
SECOND TEAM | | | |
Lamar Stevens | HS | 10 | 149 | 14.9
Eric Anderson | HS | 10 | 141 | 14.1
Sam Lindgren | GA | 10 | 155 | 15.5
Demetrius Isaac | PC | 10 | 150 | 15.0
Nick Alikakos | EA | 10 | 115 | 11.5
Chris McNeal | EA | 10 | 107 | 10.7
Jordan Watson | SCH | 10 | 162 | 16.2
Champs' Rotation
GTN. ACADEMY
Coach
Jim Fenerty
Record
9-1, 19-8
Starters
Tim Guers
Sam Lindgren
Devon Goodman
Evan-Eric Longino
Kyle McCloskey
Key Sub
Joe Stinson
Bailey Whitman
State Playoffs
CLASS A First Round
At Southern
Math/Civics/Sciences 100, Delco Christian 50:
Junior guard
Samir Doughty shot 19-for-28 (two treys) and 5-for-9 for a school record 45
points as the Elephants indeed were Mighty. Doughty, a transfer from
shuttered Comm Tech, raised his career total to 1,011. Mike Watkins added 23
points and nine boards.
At Carroll
Phil-Mont Christian 76, New Media 65 (OT):
The Jaguars were
outscored, 36-12, over the final 12 minutes. John Fieffe recorded 22 points
and Tyquill McFadden had 15.
At Dallastown
New Hope Academy 58, Sankofa 52:
Anthony Wright-Downing packed
19 of his 30 points into the first half. He finished his career with 1,415.
For the season, his 627 points represented 42.2 percent of the Warriors'
1,486.
Second Round
At Allentown Parkland
Math/Civics/Sciences 57, Sullivan County 39:
A 20-8 first
quarter sent the Mighty Elephants into coast mode. Samir Doughty (13) and
Mike Watkins (10) led in scoring. The former had four assists; the latter
had 15 rebounds and seven blocks.
Quarterfinal
At Ryan
Math/Civics/Sciences 47, Church Farm 46:
Mike Watkins scored 11
points, swept 16 rebounds and registered five rejections to pace the Mighty
Elephants, who trailed until 5:42 remained in the third quarter. Samir
Doughty added 16 points and Nazeer Bostick, out since Feb. 7 with a groin
injury and playing against his doctor's advice, held CF franchise Andofo
Anyan (20) to four points in the second half. With Dan Jackson attending the
funeral of his uncle, James Jackson, who raised him, MC&S was coached by
assistant Lonnie Diggs.
Semifinal
At East Pennsboro
Math/Civics/Sciences 76, St. John Neumann 53:
Nazeer Bostick
and Samir Doughty scored 17 points apiece as the Mighty Elephants, who
played top-notch, larger-school competition all season, finally surpassed
.500 at 15-14. Bostick added eight rebounds and five steals. Mike Watkins
collected 15 apiece of points and rebounds. Neumann's Richard "Tre" Allen,
grandson of Phillies all-time slugger Dick Allen, was held to eight points.
Final
At Hershey's Giant Center
Lincoln Park 70, Math/Civics/Sciences 66:
The Mighty Elephants
finished the season 15-15 despite strong efforts from Samir Doughty
(12-for-19, 26 points) and Mike Watkins (17 points, as many rebounds, five
blocks). Nazeer Bostick hustled for seven points, eight boards, five assists
and four blocks.
CLASS AA First Round At Southern Constitution 61, Columbia 45: Kimar Williams nailed two treys
en route to 21 points; he was the only General in doubles. At Philly Univ. West Catholic 61, Palumbo 40: Josh Townsend registered a
triple-double (11 points, 15 rebounds, 10 blocks) for the Burrs, who were in
control throughout. Other mainstays were Devonta Peterie (10, 10 rebounds)
and Jahmil Harris (12, eight assists). Shafi Meachum (17) and West transfer
Anwar Epps (12) topped Palumbo, which shot 11-for-58. At Parkland Del-Val 60, Notre Dame (Green Pond) 45: DaShon Giddings (14),
Darius Wallace (12) and Shahid Adams (11) topped the Warriors, who scored
their first 18 points via treys. At Council Rock South Bristol 52, Future 47: Kameron Gilfillian (18) and Dominick
Morales (17, three treys) fueled the Firebirds, who fell into a 17-6 hole
over the first eight minutes. Morales added eight rebounds and three apiece
of assists/steals. A climb within 41-39 was followed by Bristol's 10-point
run. Second Round At Allentown Parkland Constitution 67, Mid Valley 52: Ahmad Gilbert (26) and Kimar
Williams (14) did the heavy lifting while Gilbert and Chad Andrews halved 20
rebounds. The Generals stormed to a 22-12 advantage in the final quarter. At Bethlehem Freedom Elmer L. Meyers 51, West Catholic 41: Jahmil Harris (18, three
treys), Josh Townsend (11, three first-half putbacks) and Devonta Peterie
(also 11) combined for all but one of West's points. The Burrs led at
halftime, but surrendered 10 consecutive points to open the third quarter. At Cumberland Valley Del-Val 46, Loyalsock 45: While falling backward out of bounds,
Darius Wallace (10) nailed a deeeeep left-wing trey with 19 seconds
remaining and Loyalsock failed to hit its shot in response. DaShon Giddings
posted 11 points and grabbed the offensive rebound after a one-and-one was
missed with nine-tenths left. Quarterfinals At Allentown Allen Constitution 72, Holy Cross 62: Kimar Williams reached
20 points thanks mostly to a 13-for-16 performance at the foul line.
Overall, the Generals went 31-for-46 at the line and drained 23 in the
fourth quarter. Ahmad Gilbert (15) and Floyd Preito (14) also scored in
double figures. Gilbert added seven rebounds and three assists while Haneef
Vaughn had four steals. At Allentown Allen Elmer L. Meyers 52, Del-Val 50 (2 OTs): Shahid Adams racked up
20 points and his bucket with 8.6 seconds left in regulation got the
Warriors to OT. They missed one shot at the end of the first extra session
and two at the end of the second. Semifinal At Allentown Parkland Constitution 55, Elmer L. Meyers 44: In a 23-17 third quarter,
Ahmad Gilbert (18 points) dealt two early assists and then nailed three
triples. Raheem Liggins posted all 13 of his points in a 37-26 second half.
Kimar Williams added 10 points. Final At Hershey's Giant Center Constitution 61, Seton La Salle 59: Ahmad Gilbert scrambled for
19 points and 14 rebounds and Akeem King contested a last-second trey that
would have caused major heartache. The Generals had also won a state crown
in 2012 (at the Class A level). Kimar Williams mixed 14 points with five
assists and sub Chad Andrews had eight points, nine boards.
CLASS AAA First Round At Ryan Neumann-Goretti 62, Berks Catholic 46: The Saints broke open a
close one with a 16-0, third-quarter run. Ja'Quan Newton finished with 14
points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Troy Harper (13) and
Jamal Custis (10) also scored in double figures. At Garden Spot, New Holland Carroll 57, Manheim Central 35: Late in the first half, Derrick
Jones was limping out of the gym after hurting his hip. By late in the
fourth quarter, he was flushing a pair of alley-oop dunks. His 17 points led
the way. Austin Tilghman (11 points) and Ernest Aflakpui halved 14 rebounds
and Samir Taylor posted four steals. At Carroll Phila. Elec. 68, Blue Mountain 50: Larenz Thurman dished eight
assists and notched eight of his 23 points in a 19-6 first quarter. Anthony
Harris (15) and Devante Truitt (13) helped with points and James Suber swept
14 rebounds. At Central Dauphin East Susquehanna Twp. 65, Imhotep 47: Frosh Daron Russell (16) was
the lone Panther to score in double figures. Basil Thompson added nine
points, eight boards. Imhotep shot 17-for-59 and 4-for-22 beyond the arc. Second Round At Bethlehem Freedom Neumann-Goretti 73, Wilkes-Barre GAR 55: Ja'Quan Newton crammed
12 of his 19 points (and two assists) into a 26-11 third quarter, thus
expanding a 30-23 lead. In part due to foul trouble, he'd entered halftime
with three points. Troy Harper (16) hit two treys, Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble
added eight rebounds and five assists to 11 points and Tony Toplyn had five
steals, four blocks. At Allentown Parkland Carroll 59, Abington Heights 55: Derrick Jones scored seven of
his 17 points on three consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to help the
Patriots overcome a three-point deficit; the last three markers came on an
and-one. Jones also had 10 rebounds (as did Ernest Aflakpui) and three
apiece of steals/blocks. Austin Tilghman added 13 points. At Colonial Elementary School (P-W) Phila. Electric 53, Holy Ghost Prep 52 (OT): Larenz Thurman hit
a step-back, foul-line jumper to provide a one-point lead, then created
enough of a distraction to assure HGP's last-second trey would not cause
agony. Thurman (18, three treys) and Devante Truitt (14, five steals) scored
in double figures while James Suber contributed nine apiece of points and
boards. Quarterfinals At Souderton Neumann-Goretti 60, Allentown CC 50: Ja'Quan Newton (20)
finished the night still needing six points to break the Catholic League's
all-time career record (1,923 by '07 Bonner grad Jeff Jones), but his
defense helped to assure he'd get another opportunity. Against others, ACC
star Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkwan scored 10 quick points to start the game and
seven more to open the third quarter. Until the final 4:31, which began with
N-G in command, 50-33, Abdur-Rahkwan (30) notched just two points against
Newton. Troy Harper and sub Vaughn Covington (three treys) contributed 11
points apiece, Newton added eight rebounds/four assists and Tony Toplyn had
five blocks. At Ryan Phila. Electric 52, Carroll 51: James Suber bagged 16 points
and 10 rebounds, Larenz Thurman notched all 15 of his points on treys (eight
attempts) and Jihad Barnes provided a three-point lead with a regular field
goal off a goaltending call with 16.8 seconds remaining. Carroll scored on
Ernest Aflakpui's layup with a tenth or two under five seconds left, but was
out of timeouts and the Chargers did not have to inbound. For Carroll,
Derrick Jones had 15 points while Austin Tilghman and Ryan Daly halved 24. Semifinal At Southern Neumann-Goretti 65, Phila. Electric 53: On a lefthanded layup
4:11 before halftime, Ja'Quan Newton raised his game points total to seven
and career number to 1,925, thus eclipsing 2007 Bonner grad Jeff Jones
(1,923) for the top spot in Catholic League history. He finished the night
with 21. Troy Harper (20) ended the first half with three free throws after
getting hacked beyond the arc, lifting the lead to 28-24, then drained a
trey to open the second. The Saints added eight more consecutive points
before the Chargers regrouped (and eventually moved within six). Newton
(five steals) and Tony Toplyn halved 16 rebounds. Devante Truitt (17) and
Larenz Thurman (12) paced PE. Final At Hershey's Giant Center Neumann-Goretti 64, Susquehanna Twp. 57 (OT): A day after his
mother passed away, Ja'Quan Newton exploded for a career high 33 points (six
in the extra session) and a team-high eight rebounds as the Saints seized
their fourth state title in five years (also 2010-12). The outburst, best by
a Catholic League player in a state playoff, finalized his total at 1,972,
the No. 9 effort in city history. Troy Harper (12) and Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble
also scored in double digits and Tony Toplyn blocked a late jumper to assure
OT.
CLASS AAAA First Round At Carroll Roman 48, Oxford 38: The Cahillites stormed to a 15-point
halftime lead, but the pad dwindled to one before control again was
established. Only Gemil Holbrook (13) reached double figures in scoring, but
four more guys managed nine/eight. Manny Taylor grabbed seven rebounds. Shep
Garner made four steals. At Southern King 57, Cumberland Valley 43: Jahmir Taylor (12 rebounds) and
Chase Rodgers halved 28 points while Greg Bennett made five steals. Thanks
mostly to free throws, the Cougars won the fourth quarter, 15-7. At Spring-Ford La Salle 64, Conestoga 58: Shawn Witherspoon totaled 19 points
and four assists while David Krmpotich shot 7-for-10 en route to 16 points.
Najee Walls and Dan Corr hit two treys apiece and the latter, as a sub,
added two assists and three steals. Chuck Champion went 3-for-4 at the line
in the final moments to expand a three-point lead. Second Round At Ryan Lower Merion 64, Roman 52: The Cahillites shot just 19-for-56
while suffering the upset. Guards Shep Garner (Penn State) and Rashann
London (Drexel) tallied 17 and 19 points, respectively, ending their careers
with 1,437 and 1,103. Starter TreVaughn Wilkerson, sidelined for three-plus
weeks by a high-ankle sprain, came off the bench to contribute seven points
and six rebounds. At Colonial Elementary (P-W) King 65, Pennsbury 43: Jahmir Taylor added 11 rebounds and
eight blocks to his 16-point outing while Jabri McCall notched his 16
markers thanks to a 12-for-13 performance at the line. Sammy Foreman had
eight points and seven apiece of rebounds/assists. Twenty-eight fouls (of 44
total, with three techs) were called in the first half. At Coatesville La Salle 49, Cedar Crest 43 (OT): Najee Walls (22) drained two
treys in a 15-8 fourth quarter and David Krmpotich's bucket got the
Explorers to OT. They'd trailed by nine with 6:32 left. A quick sequence --
triple by sub Dan Corr, Walls' three-point play -- was huge in the early
part of the extra session. Quarterfinals At Colonial Elementary (P-W) La Salle 71, Lower Merion 48: Thanks to nine points from subs
(Sean Greenberg five, Shane Stark four), the Explorers stormed to a 22-5
lead in the first 9:23. By halftime, they owned 24 of the game's 30
rebounds. By late in the third quarter, La Salle's students were chanting
toward LM's, "You need Kobe! You need Kobe!" Jalen Herdsman led the way with
14 points and 11 rebounds. Shawn Witherspoon also scored 14 points while
Najee Walls managed 13. At Colonial Elementary (P-W) Abington 56, King 52: Sammy Foreman posted 16 points, three
assists and six steals for the Cougars, who were prevented from trying a
trey, at 54-51, when Jabri McCall was fouled while dribbling along the arc.
He went 1-for-2 at the line, then the Ghosts added two free throws at 4.5 to
end the drama. Chase Rodgers had 10 points, eight rebounds. Jahmir Taylor
contributed nine/10. Semifinal At Coatesville La Salle 61, Chester 55: David Krmpotich (19) and Shawn
Witherspoon (17) led the way as the Explorers became one of the few schools
to beat twin powers Lower Merion and Chester in back-to-back outings. The
shooting performances of those two (DK 6-for-8 and 6-for-8; SW 5-for-6 and
7-for-9) helped La Salle, which led by as many as 11 and became the first
District 12 school to earn a berth in a AAAA final, shoot 18-for-33 (one
trey) and 24-for-31. Krmpotich grabbed six rebounds. Witherspoon dealt three
assists. Final At Hershey's Giant Center New Castle 52, La Salle 39: The Explorers fell short of
becoming one of the few teams in recent state history to win a state title
with no returning starters and no transfers to flesh out the lineup. Najee
Walls (15) and Shawn Witherspoon (10) led the way. La Salle hit just one of
10 attempts from behind the arc and was outrebounded, 36-23. The Explorers'
eight varsity returnees totaled 1,521 points after scoring 94 in 2012-13. NC
finished 31-0 with a starting lineup featuring four players bound for
Division 1 football.
Author
Published
March 5, 2026
Updated
March 5, 2026
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