Category: Latest News

Boys: Talented Delco Christian goes cold from outside, bows out of states

By Matthew DeGeorge

There wasn’t much to be said Wednesday night as players filed solemnly out of the Delco Christian boys basketball locker room.

For a team that had won every tournament put before them this season, that had averaged 72.7 points per game in the regular season, a 3-for-24 shooting figure from 3-point range said enough. It was quite singularly the culprit for the Knights’ 59-52 loss to District 2 champion Old Forge in the second round of the PIAA Class 2A tournament.

“They hit shots,” point guard Khamai Orange summarized. “We didn’t hit shots.”

The “how” of it is a bit more complex. It’s why the District 1 and Bicentennial League champion Knights (26-3) saw a special season end at Bethlehem Liberty High, on a difficult evening on both ends of the court.

Orange encapsulated the frustration. He scored 31 points, a one-man offensive show. But he watched the final seconds of his high school career from the bench.

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Boys: Mita, Penncrest get revenge on Holy Ghost Prep

Mikey Mita (above) had 32 points in Penncrest’s win. (Photo: Andrew Robinson/CoBL)

By Evan Hartenstein

When Penncrest suffered a crushing loss to Holy Ghost in the second round of districts, they could have backed down and let the defeat get to them. 

But a Mikey Mita-led team wasn’t going to do that.

The 6-foot-7 junior forward guided his team to a 68-54 victory over the Firebirds, this time in the second round of states.

Mita was simply unstoppable, scoring 32 points and grabbing 13 rebounds despite Ghost’s physicality. He used his lethal mid-range jumpshot and precise postwork to attack his defenders at all angles, leaving limited options to a befuddled Firebird squad. 

However, it wasn’t just Mita’s superb skills that helped lead his team to the next round of states; rather, his attitude played a major role.

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Girls: Archbishop Carroll dominates Wilson in second round

Archbishop Carroll defenders sandwich Wilson's Kailani Hardy  during Archbishop Carroll's PIAA Class 6A second-round win on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Royersford. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

Archbishop Carroll defenders sandwich Wilson’s Kailani Hardy during Archbishop Carroll’s PIAA Class 6A second-round win on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Royersford. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

By Antonio Perez

Wilson girls basketball avoided back-to-back first round exits in the state tournament with their 51-46 win against Upper Dublin last Friday, but they didn’t want that to be their mark of success.

Heading into their second round matchup with Archbishop Carroll, their goal of state champions remained the same. However, they would find out early that they would be in for a fight all night with the back and forth of the first half.

In the second half, head coach Matt Raquet’s team was facing foul and turnover troubles. Carroll would take the extra possessions and run with it, leading to the end of Wilson’s run.

Wilson (19-9) fell to Archbishop Carroll (19-9) 60-41 Tuesday night at Spring Ford Area high school in the second round of the PIAA 6A state championships.

“We lost some of their shooters and then lost them in transition a bit,” said Raquet. “It’s tough to score with them in transition.”

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Boys: Jakeem Carroll sparks Bonner-Prendergast to stunning blowout over Upper Dublin

Jakeem Carroll hit two huge 3-pointers to help lift Bonner to a 59-37 win over Upper Dublin in the second round of the PIAA playoffs Tuesday (Photo: Matt Allibone/CoBL).

By Matt Allibone

Jakeem Carroll knew he needed to be ready to shoot.

Bonner Prendergast had one more chance to make a first-half statement against District 1 juggernaut Upper Dublin in the second round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs Tuesday. The game had been hotly contested early, but the Friars had taken a seven-point lead in the final seconds of the second quarter.

Now Carroll found a spot in the corner and hoped Kam Jackson, his fellow sophomore point guard, would give him the chance for the final shot. 

That was exactly how it played out, and Carroll knocked down an off-balance 3-pointer to send Bonner into the locker room with all of the momentum. He then opened the third quarter with another 3. 

What was supposed to be one of the best games of the second round was never close again. 

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Boys: Despite being shorthanded, B-P hands UD only second loss of season

Bonner & Prendergast’s Jakeem Carroll celebrates after a 3-pointer in a January game against Cardinal O’Hara. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

Bonner & Prendergast’s Jakeem Carroll celebrates after a 3-pointer in a January game against Cardinal O’Hara. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

By Matthew DeGeorge

Bensalem High School has been the bank on which even the most illustrious recent District 1 boys basketball seasons have run aground, always in the face of District 12 opposition.

It was the site of Radnor’s first and only loss in the quarterfinals of the 5A tournament in 2023. Radnor’s 2024 season would also end here in the second round, both times to Archbishop Ryan. Archbishop Wood ended District 1 Class 6A champ Lower Merion’s state hopes here last year, and it’s where Marple Newtown in 2022 gave 5A champ Imhotep Charter its best run.

Even Upper Dublin, riding a 28-game winning streak, couldn’t break the trend Tuesday.

Missing one of its best players for the tournament and with another star in first-half foul trouble, Bonner & Prendergast still outworked and outplayed the Cardinals Tuesday night on the way to a 59-37 win and a berth in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals. The Friars advance to take on Upper Moreland, which topped York Suburban in overtime Tuesday.

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Girls: Garnet Valley scores first 23 against Altoona, cruises to victory

By Matt Smith

Garnet Valley dominated from the outset Tuesday, scoring the first 23 points against Altoona in a PIAA Class 6A second-round matchup and cruising to a 54-38 victory over the District 6 champions.

Haylie Adamski led the Jaguars (28-2) with 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Addie Adamski contributed 12 points, while Kylie Mulholland posted 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Kylie Adamski posted seven points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Garnet Valley meets O’Hara in the quarterfinals Friday.

Girls: Rullo, Wakefield step up as O’Hara downs Dallastown to advance into quarterfinal

Carly Wakefield (above) stepped up early to help O’Hara out to a hot start. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

By Josh Verlin

All offseason long, Carly Wakefield watched tape of Carly Coleman.

It wasn’t because the O’Hara sophomore had the same name as the ‘24 Lions graduate, who started for O’Hara’s PIAA state title team a year ago. That’s just a coincidence. Instead, it’s because Wakefield has the ability to do for O’Hara exactly what Coleman did: namely, impact the game in all sorts of ways.

“Ever since she left, I’ve just been watching film of her,” Wakefield said of Coleman. “Because me and (O’Hara coach Chrissie Doogan) had a conversation at the end of the season, and she was like, ‘I want you to be the next Carly Coleman. But make it your name.’”

Wakefield has work to do to match the level of Coleman, who earned Atlantic East Rookie of the Year honors after a standout first season at Immaculata. But the 5-foot-10 O’Hara sophomore is making progress, which showed during an impressive first-half stretch of O’Hara’s 46-32 win over Dallastown in the second round of the 2025 PIAA Class 6A Tournament on Tuesday evening at Coatesville. 

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Girls: Dallastown gets the full Molly Rullo treatment in O’Hara win

Cardinal O’Hara’s Molly Rullo, right in this shot from a game against Carroll in late January, did it all against Dallastown in a PIAA Class 6A second-round game Tuesday night. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

Cardinal O’Hara’s Molly Rullo, right in this shot from a game against Carroll in late January, did it all against Dallastown in a PIAA Class 6A second-round game Tuesday night. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

By Matt Smith

Molly Rullo put on a masterclass Tuesday in Cardinal O’Hara’s 46-32 win over Dallastown High in a PIAA Class 6A tournament second-round matchup at Coatesville.

At the free-throw line, Rullo was nearly automatic, sinking 17 of 18 attempts, including her first 10 straight. But that was just one layer of her all-around brilliance.

Matched up against the taller Praise Matthews, the 5-11 Rullo made sure Dallastown’s go-to player never found a rhythm. She stuck to Matthews like glue, limiting her touches and making life difficult for the District 3 champions. From the start, Rullo was hellbent on shutting down Dallastown’s top option, forcing the Wildcats to look elsewhere for offense, which was anemic until it was far too late.

Beyond her defensive dominance, one of the best players in the state did what she does best – pile up points.

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PIAA Class 1A + 6A: Carroll girls storm past Wilson; TCA boys pull off comeback

Alexis Eberz (above) scored 23 points in Carroll’s second-round win. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

By Sean McBryan

Archbishop Carroll junior Alexis Eberz has the rare experience of knowing how it feels to end a season with a win or a loss.

As a freshman, she helped the Patriots win their first state title since 2012. Last year, Eberz and the Patriots fell in the quarterfinal round to Parkland. They prefer the former.

“I won my freshman year, so that’s obviously the goal,” Eberz said. “We want to win it. It’s awesome going [to Hershey’s Giant Center] and playing there in that environment.”

Eberz scored a game-high 23 points to move the Patriots one step closer to the Sweetest Place on Earth with a 60-41 victory over Wilson Tuesday night at Spring-Ford High School in the PIAA Class 6A second round.

Carroll advances to face Central Dauphin, which defeated Parkland 39-23 Tuesday, in the quarterfinals Friday.

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Girls: Haverford seniors lead the way past Downingtown East

Haverford seniors Rian Dotsey (left) and Mya Foley combined for 17 points Tuesday against Downingtown West. They, along with classmates Natalie Wright and Megan Kelly, had 38 of the team’s 44 points.

By Andrew Robinson

Four years together have turned into a matter of days in no time at all.

A year ago, the Fords had their season come to an end in Upper Merion’s palatial Valhalla Gymnasium and the team’s seniors weren’t keen on a repeat performance. Haverford’s quartet of fourth years have been through a lot together and they wanted to keep their march through March going, no matter the venue.

The seniors led the way on both ends, combining for 38 points and providing lockdown defense as the Fords stifled Downingtown East 44-24 in the second round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs.

“We had to come out strong,” Fords senior Rian Dotsey said. “We keep wanting to extend our season and know any game could be our last game, so just coming out and playing as hard as we can is really important.”

With the win, Haverford moves on to Friday’s quarterfinal round against WPIAL champion Upper St. Clair, a 46-32 winner over Canon-McMillan. It’s the furthest the Haverford senior class has advanced in states after first round losses as freshmen and sophomores and last year’s second-round setback against Perk Valley.

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