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Chester Charter Scholars Academy 67, Greenwood 44 >> A nearly two-week layoff did not bother Chester Charter Scholars Academy in its PIAA boys Class A opener at Coatesville Area High School Friday night.

Neither did a cold spell in the second quarter.

The Sabers turned to their defense in the third quarter to take control of the contest and roll to the first state playoff win in program history.

After scoring just six points in the second quarter to take a 22-16 lead into halftime, CCSA forced several turnovers and put 20 points on the board in the third quarter to open up a 42-29 advantage. The District 1 champion moves on to the second round against Notre Dame East Stroudsburg, a 71-64 winner over Sullivan County, next Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Senior forward Damir Baez paced a balanced attack with 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Breon Showell tallied nine points. Malik Cook-Stevens contributed eight points, six assists and three steals. Tyler Howard added seven points, six boards, six blocks and two steals.

(click on this link for the Christian Academy story)

By Harry Chaykun

The Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast boys basketball team had two goals as it made the trip to St. Joseph’s Preparatory School’s Kelly Gymnasium Friday afternoon.

“The coaches wanted us to play our game and do what we know how to do,” senior Tyreese Watson said. “And we know that this is our head coach’s gym, so we couldn’t leave here without a win for him.”

Friars head coach Kevin Funston played at The Prep under the legendary head coach Speedy Morris then coached under Paul Romanczuk at Archbishop Carroll. He had to be happy after his team, the District 12 champion, rolled to a 78-40 victory over District 3’s fifth-place team, Eastern York in the opening round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament.

With the win, MBAP (19-5), which placed second in the 2019 PIAA tourney, qualified for a second-round match with District 2 runner-up Valley View (18-8), a 70-58 winner over District 4’s third-place team, Athens, Friday night.

“I have so many good memories of being in this place,” Funston said off Kelly Gymnasium.

Add Friday’s game to his list. Bonner-Prendergast shot only 4-for-14 from the floor in the opening period but closed the quarter with an 8-0 run to go up, 14-8.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matthew DeGeorge

There wasn’t much to be said to Marquis Tomlin as the Penncrest senior guard pulled his jersey up over his shoulders and watched Pittston Area mob the floor Friday night.

Tomlin took matters upon himself in the final minutes of a PIAA Class 5A boys basketball first-round game at Souderton High School. And but for a couple of bounces off the back iron, it would’ve been a winning decision.

Pittston had the final say in a bizarre affair, Andrew Krawczyk’s and-1 with 16.8 seconds remaining the difference-maker in a 42-40 win for the third seed from District 2.

Befitting the nuttiness of the game, Krawczyk wasn’t anticipating that he’d play the hero on a do-or-die possession.

“Honestly, I didn’t even expect to touch the ball on that possession,” Krawczyk said. “Logan (Booth) had the hot hand all night. We expected it to go to him. And he just flushed it down low, and I was right there to make the play.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Stephen Miller

Anchored to the bench after collecting four first-half fouls, Anquan Hill reassured Archbishop Carroll coach Francis Bowe at halftime.

Hill would sit as long as Bowe saw fit and provide encouragement from the sideline. When his chance to return to the floor came, he wouldn’t waste it. 

Hill checked in to start the fourth quarter with the Patriots trailing Bethlehem Catholic by two points. He scored Archbishop Carroll’s first nine points of the quarter to set the stage for a taught finish. 

Freshman Dean Coleman-Newsome delivered the shot that extended the Patriots’ season, connecting on a 3-pointer with 29.3 seconds to play. Archbishop Carroll then survived a 3-point try by Bryan Santana that came up short and a last-second heave from Julian Thomas to escape with a 46-44 win in a PIAA Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday at J. Milo Sewards Gymnasium in Allentown. 

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

By Matthew DeGeorge

All of the work that Garnet Valley did was 32 minutes from falling apart.

The four months of preparation, the 20 wins, the 17-game winning streak, all the various and sundry program history made along the way – a loss to Spring-Ford on Feb. 21 would’ve made it all for naught, from a states perspective. Had the Jaguars’ three-game losing streak stretched to four in that playback semifinal, the season would’ve been over.

“The 20 wins felt like a long time ago,” junior point guard Carl Schaller said this week. “The whole team, me and Chris (Coyne), we were trying to get our guys back on track, saying, ‘we won 20 games for a reason. We’ve got to go back out there and prove it.’”

Distant as it seemed, the Jaguars summoned the memory of those performances. And the result was three straight wins to carry a head of steam into the postseason, the program’s first states berth in 23 years.

Garnet Valley (23-4) takes on District 12 champion Simon Gratz (23-5) in Saturday’s PIAA Class 6A opener at Lincoln High School. Tipoff is at 5 p.m.

The states berth is the latest first in a program resurgence under coach Mike Brown. Garnet Valley basketball had fallen on hard times, enduring three straight one-win seasons from 2009-12 before Brown took over. But the Jags have made the District 1 tournament five straight seasons, equaling the number of playoff berths from the previous 19 seasons, per research provided by athletic director Seth Bruner.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

The low point in Springfield’s season came during Christmas break.

While many of their Central League cohorts were at home, the Cougars challenged themselves by competing in the Cardinal O’Hara Christmas tournament, which was by far the top showcase in the county during the holiday season.

It didn’t go well for Springfield, suffering defeats to Episcopal Academy and Notre Dame of the Inter-AC League. They should have beaten one of those teams, and looking at the Cougars today, it’s not outlandish to suggest they should have won both contests. The poor showing dropped Springfield’s overall record to 4-4.

“I think we were doubted a lot this year,” senior guard Alyssa Long said, “but we always stuck together.”

The Cougars have posted a 19-1 record since Dec. 28. Their only loss came in early February to Ridley in the Central League final.

Coach Ky McNichol got the best of her players after the holidays, culminating last Saturday afternoon at Temple University’s Liacouras Center with the District 1 5A championship.

(click on this link for the full story and previews of other playoff games)