Category: Latest News

By Thomas Nash

Everyone inside Spring-Ford’s Gymnasium knew where the ball was headed.

Everyone, that is, except her.

Abby Kapp knocked down the game-winning jumper with 1.1 seconds left in regulation to lead Boyertown past Cardinal O’Hara 39-37 in the semifinal round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs on Monday night.

We were trying to run a play to get Alli (Marcus) the ball,” recalled Kapp of the inbound play, “but they were face-guarding her because they didn’t want us to get into any offensive set. So I heard coach (Jason) Bieber say, ‘Abby, go get the ball.’”

Kapp got the ball, got to her spot and proceeded to get the Bears to their first state final in school history while sending defending state runner-up and District 12 champ Cardinal O’Hara home empty handed. Boyertown will face off against North Allegheny (winner over Souderton) in Friday night’s state championship game (6 p.m.) at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Just two days after she nailed a clutch 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in the quarterfinal round, she was at it again. Kapp corralled the ball at half court and glanced up at the clock.

What happened next was vintage Abby Kapp.

(Webmaster’s note: The Cardinal O’Hara vs Boyertown game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)

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By Jack McCaffery

When she’s 20, when she’s 30, when she’s 40, for as long as girls play basketball at Cardinal O’Hara High, Mary Sheehan plans to follow the same routine.

She will enter the gym.

She will look to the banners on the wall.

She will remember her senior season, and she will smile.

“It will say that we won the Catholic League,” Sheehan said. “And the two teams that we beat on the way will probably win state championships in their own right. I’m hoping for that. It’s a competitive league and it’s an historic league and I’ll have that memory forever.

“That memory will trump this one in the end.”

The Lions’ season had been over for about 15 minutes Monday night, punctured by a 16-foot jumper with 1.6 seconds left from Abigail Kapp that gave Boyertown a 39-37 victory in the semifinals of the PIAA Class 6A tournament. But that was plenty of time for the perspective to subdue the expectations. And there were expectations on the Lions, most from the outside, at least some from within, and they had been building for years.

(Webmaster’s note: The Cardinal O’Hara vs Boyertown game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)

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By Bob Grotz

Chester High coach Larry Yarbray probably can count on one hand the games where his guys “played like Clippers” yet lost.

One of the heartbreakers was Sunday.

The Clippers bounced back from a couple of double-digit deficits but ran out of plays in the second overtime against Abington Heights, which rode the hot hand of scorer Jackson Danzig to a 65-61 victory in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal at Bethlehem’s Liberty High.

Danzig scored 18 of the Comets’ 22 points in the overtimes against a variety of defenders. The 30-point performance was so off-the-charts that Clippers fans waiting for their team paid their respects to the senior when he walked by. Danzig has totaled 55 points the last two games for the Comets.

“It was a heck of a game to watch,” Yarbray said. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t come out on the other side. But the kids played hard. They did everything we asked them to do. It just came down to making plays and (Abington Heights) made plays at the right time while we couldn’t come up with the loose ball or the rebound. They hit a couple shots to put the pressure back on us. And they made a couple foul shots at the end.”

Seniors Ahrod Carter, Jamar Sudan and Jordan Camper gave the Clippers a chance to win late in regulation. Carter buried two of his six 3-pointers in the frame while Sudan worked the low post for seven points to knot the game at 41. With 42.4 ticks left, Camper tapped in a miss to give the Clippers their first lead.

But, well, you know who converted a reverse layup just before the buzzer to force the first extra session. Danzig had four points in the frame for Comets, who downshifted into a clock-killing mode, only to be unable to finish around the basket.

The Clippers never trailed in the second overtime. Carter got them started with a 3-pointer and Michael Smith canned two straight shots from beyond the arc. Sudan’s free throw with 1:04 to go staked the Clipper to a five-point lead, their largest of the game.

(click on this link for the full article)

By Bob Grotz

Archbishop Carroll’s quest to reach Hershey ended inconsolably Saturday in the quarterfinal round of the boy’s PIAA Class 5A state tournament.

While there are no moral victories, it took Northeastern four quarters to catch up to the Patriots, and two overtimes to break through for an 86-84 decision at Garden Spot High.

“It was a really good high school basketball game and all the credit goes to Northeastern and how they battled,” Patriots coach Paul Romanczuk said. “They didn’t give up. They could have laid down there and they just kept coming. They have a lot of toughness about them and that’s what it takes to make deep state playoff runs. And I thought my team really had that as well.”

The Patriots will secondguess themselves for blowing the 15-point lead they carried into the fourth quarter. But they can find solace in rallying from an almost impossible sixpoint deficit with 28 seconds left in the second overtime.

A.J. Hoggard drilled backto-back treys to make it a onepossession game for the Patriots. The third attempt wasn’t a charm, the Bobcats grabbing the rebound to secure their 30th victory of the season.

“We got one of the best shots we could possibly get, a little floater from a guy who just hit two three-pointers and had played well down the stretch for us,” Romanczuk said. “We had a lot of chances. There were some breakdowns we’d like to have back but it’s still high school basketball and teenagers. We kept battling even though there was some adversity going against us there and I’m proud of the guys. I’m really proud of them.”

The Patriots got after the Bobcats from the outset. Senior Colin Daly scored 11 of his team-high 19 points to stake the Pats to an 18-16 lead entering the second quarter.

(click on this link for the full article)

By Michael Bullock

 As they huddled prior to the fourth quarter — and down by double figures — Brandon Coleman and his Northeastern teammates figured they had one last chance to keep their season moving in a positive direction.

So they just went out and gave it everything they could.

And while Coleman got everything started at the beginning of the final quarter, everyone else sporting white jerseys with orange-and-black trim had a say in how the rest of the festivities eventually played out … and played out … and played out.

Collecting 23 of his game-high 30 points from the first tick of the final stanza on — including going a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor — Coleman’s sensational play down the stretch fueled a comeback that ultimately turned into Northeastern collaring an 86-84 victory over Archbishop Carroll that needed a pair of overtimes to decide.

“Really just my teammates having confidence in me,” said Coleman, referring to his shooting display from the floordown the stretch. “When we were coming out, they said if he sags off, shoot the ball. I shot the first one and made it and that just boosted my confidence. It was skyrocketing from there.”

Fred Mulbah (19), Antonio Rizzuto (16) and Austin Greene (12) also cracked double figures as Jon Eyster’s Bobcats (30-2) finally collared Saturday afternoon’s PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal-round thriller before a howling crowd at juiced Garden Spot High School.

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By Jim Seip

Near the end, after almost all of the craziness had transpired, Brandon Coleman and Austin Greene made eye contact on the floor and just started laughing.

Northeastern’s two senior starters and lifelong friends slapped hands.

Heart and soul, working overtime.

And then they pulled double overtime.

Eventually, they led Northeastern to its most remarkable victory in what has already been an historic season. Northeastern pulled out an 86-84 victory in double-overtime over Archbishop Carroll in a PIAA Class 5A boys’ basketball quarterfinal Saturday at Garden Spot High School.

Northeastern junior Fred Mulbah summed up the wild comeback moments later: “I never wanted to win so bad.”

Northeastern needed its best fourth quarter of the season, and maybe the best fourth quarter in program history, to overcome a 15-point deficit. The crazy part is Northeastern didn’t even need a full eight minutes to erase Archbishop Carroll’s lead.

The Bobcats overcame the big deficit and long odds of winning with two dynamic spurts. They started the quarter with a 10-4 run, keyed by a pair of 3-pointers by freshman Nate Wilson.

By CoBL Staff

Thanks to winter storm Stella wreaking havoc on Pennsylvania — certainly in some spots much worse than others — the PIAA playoff schedule is all out of whack. With the second round split between Thursday and Friday, the quarterfinals are being played over Saturday and Sunday; any team that played Friday won’t have to play until Sunday, though some of their opponents are on a day’s extra rest.

Here’s a look at the weekend’s matchups involving CoBL-area (District 1 & 12) teams:

5A: Northeastern (York) vs. Archbishop Carroll
Garden Spot HS, 2:30 PM

The talented Northeastern (23-1) guard duo of juniors Fred Mulbah and Antonio Rizzuto welcome the Patriots out into the central part of the state for a right to play in the 5A semifinals. In the Bobcats’ win over Upper Merion in the second round, Rizzuto — who has a quartet of Division I offers — went for 24 points, while the bouncy 5-8 Mulbah and senior Brandon Coleman had 14 apiece. They’ll go head-to-head against a talented Carroll guard group of its own, coming off a 36-point beatdown of Palmyra. Freshman A.J. Hoggard led 10 different scorers with 17 points, while senior big man Jesse McPherson added 14 points and 11 rebounds inside. The Patriots (20-8) are making their ninth consecutive state appearance under Paul Romanczuk, and going for their first title since that first year (2009).

(click on this link for the complete review)

 

By Matthew De George

Jamar Sudan cracks a smile when the conversation shifts to Brian Randolph.

In his first two seasons with the Clippers, Sudan was the energy player, the gangly wing who could guard 1-through-5, who brought energy on defense and the boards, for whom offense was an occasional bonus.

Now, with the senior Sudan inheriting Chester’s star role, he’s happy to see his former job in such sure hands.

In Thursday night’s PIAA Class 5A second round, Brian Randolph supplied Chester’s spark with 15 points, nine rebounds and stalwart defense as the Clippers finally shook Hershey, 61-51, at Pottstown High School’s Strom Gymnasium.

Randolph scored 13 points after halftime, the lone outlier a put-back bucket at the first-half buzzer to send the teams into the locker room knotted at 22. He was 5-for-6 from the line in the fourth, and contributed to a 12-0 Chester run to start the second half that swung the balance.

“Brian is our undercover guy, but he’s that big spark that we need,” Sudan said. “He’s not on everybody’s scouting report, and that’s what we need from him every game.”

Like many a Chester player, defense is the starting point for Randolph. But his offensive game has progressed, as Thursday’s second half demonstrates.

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(Webmaster’s note: The Hershey vs Chester game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)

 

By Matt Chandik

The game hadn’t been in question for the last 12 or so minutes of game time. Archbishop Carroll was putting the finishing touches on what ended as a 78-41 dismantling of District Three No. 6 seed Palmyra in the second round of the PIAA Class 5A tournament. Patriots coach Paul Romanczuk was starting to sub out his starters one at a time, but Jesse McPherson had plans for one final exclamation point.

Carroll freshman point guard A.J. Hoggard took the ball to the hoop, but his shot dangled off the rim and into the air. McPherson didn’t mind. The senior center skied through the air and rocked the rebound home, an emphatic finish that highlighted a monster game from McPherson.

He poured in 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting – making his last seven attempts – to go with 11 rebounds and three blocks.

All in a day’s work to send the Patriots to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Northeastern (York) at a date, time and place to be determined.

“It’s just aggressiveness and confidence,” McPherson said. “This year, over the summer with my recruitment going, my confidence was going up and up. Me being aggressive just comes along with it. For four years, Coach Paul has talked about working on my motor and just keeping it moving. I’m not the type of player that needs the ball, though. If somebody else is scoring, good. If you’re going to dish it off, you got it. If you’re hot, I got you. I feel like we play well as a team when nobody is saying, ‘make sure he takes the shots.’ That’s when we’re best as a team when everyone is involved.”

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By Tyler Sandora

Jamar Sudan has been around the Chester basketball scene for many years.

Attending the games as a youngster, being a varsity player as a freshman, and now the star of the Clippers, Sudan has seen what it takes to win.

The one thing Sudan has yet to experience is a state championship.

Chester, an eight-time PIAA champ, won its most recent title in 2012, when Sudan was a seventh-grader.

Sudan got a taste of the state tournament as a freshman, and now he is doing all he can to bring home a title to cap off his high school career.

The 6-foot-6 senior was able to extend his career for one more night as the Clippers defeated Hershey High 61-51 on Thursday night at Pottstown’s Strom Gymnasium.

“I’m playing with chip on my shoulder,” said Sudan. “We lost in the final four my freshman year, and we haven’t been back since.”

The southpaw accounted for nine points and eight rebounds in the victory, 12 of which came in the first half.

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(Webmaster’s note: The Hershey vs Chester game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)