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By Chris Masse

So the PIAA is mad at me. In the ultimate irony, it also accuses me of doing PIAA athletes and schools a disservice.

Seriously. It actually said that. An association that every year does public school athletes and schools a disservice by having hypocritical and inconsistent rules said I provide the disservice.

I received an email from PIAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Lombardi Wednesday afternoon following publication of Monday’s Sun-Gazette column in which I pushed for the PIAA to change its unfair practices.

“We understand your opinion, but to offer a misinterpretation of PIAA by-laws that has an impact upon our schools, their students and their communities is damaging to our association and the general public and we are requesting a correction.

“The issue at hand is your interpretation of the 75 percent rules as a by-law that impacts transfer students and that is factually incorrect. You indicate that academics are the only reason that is permitted for a transfer to be approved under our rules. This statement is also incorrect. There are many reasons that are acceptable for a student to transfer other than academics and many are listed in our by-laws.

“The 75 percent rule is a rule that was put into place to address students that participate on an out of school team that same time they are a member of their school team and forgo school competition until postseason so they can garner accolades. This rule has nothing to do with a student that transferred from another state back to Philadelphia where they started as a student.”

Ok, a few things.

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(click on this link for the original story from Chris Masse)

 

By Matt DeGeorge

You couldn’t make up the ending.

Either ending, for that matter.

Bottom line is it just didn’t work out Monday night for Bonner & Prendergast, which battled to overtime before surrendering a 56-51 decision to Abington Heights in their PIAA Class 5A state semifinal at Freedom High.

The Friars got two chances to create a miracle finish thanks to a ridiculous flurry at the final buzzer. When the dust settled, the officials put one second back on the clock and the Friars, down three points, had four chances to win it right there. Michael Perretta made three of the free throws to force overtime.

“I’ve been a part of some crazy stuff,” Friars coach Jack Concannon said. “Maybe one other (ending) was crazier. But I don’t know, what can I say? That was crazy.”

The Comets led, 48-45, when the final buzzer sounded. Fans threw the ceremonial Hershey kisses on the court to celebrate a trip to the state final in Hershey, and players came off the bench to join them.

Perretta and Concannon knew better.

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Webmaster’s note: The Abington Heights vs Bonner-Prendergast game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link by clicking on the player below:

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Game images above ©2018 Cain Images

By Aaron Carter

With about 5 seconds left, the public-address announcer asked spectators to stay off the court at the conclusion of the game.

In fairness to the Abington Heights crowd that packed Freedom High School for the PIAA Class 5A boys’ semifinals, he didn’t say anything about not throwing things onto the court.

It appeared the Comets would prevail in regulation, leading Bonner-Prendergast by three points with seconds remaining.

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By Josh Verlin

They were almost the Kisses of Death.

Instead, Abington Heights found a second life, and a spot in the state championship game.

The Comets looked like they were ready to dispatch Bonner-Prendergast in regulation of their PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal matchup, with a potential game-tying shot by the Friars finding iron as the buzzer sounded inside Freedom High School up in the Lehigh Valley. But a late foul call — and a shower of Hershey’s famous, aluminum-foil-coated chocolates — allowed Bonner to extend the game four extra minutes.

Instead of folding at their misfortune, the Abington Heights players steeled themselves and controlled overtime just like they had the entire second half, advancing the program into the state championships for the first time ever after a 56-51 overtime win.

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Webmaster’s note: The Abington Heights vs Bonner-Prendergast game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link by clicking on the player below:

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By Matthew DeGeorge

 Chalk it up to the delirium of the moment — to his proximity to mounds of Hershey kisses banked courtside like freshly-cleared snow — that caused Jack Nealon to veer from one extreme to another.

He was difficult to pick out of the crowd at Freedom High School Monday night, not just for the throngs of Abington Heights faithful streaming from the stands, their premature excitement turned briefly to rage then elated relief. The Comets’ mop-haired junior guard was out of the niche he’d inhabited for 36 game minutes, with Bonner & Prendergast’s Isaiah Wong unfailingly in his shadow.

“It was very fun. It was a challenge,” Nealon said, the non sequitur intact. “I had to step up and take it and it was an experience. When I’m older, I get to say I got to guard a Division I player, so it’s pretty fun.”

Nealon isn’t headed for the armchair in the den to spin tales of glory days past just yet — not, at least, until Abington Heights plays for its first PIAA Class 5A championship, thanks to an astonishing 56-51 overtime win over Bonner. But the tale of the Comets’ triumph rests as much in the undersized guard as the mounds (not Mounds) of candy.

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Webmaster’s note: The Abington Heights vs Bonner-Prendergast game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link by clicking on the player below:

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By Matthew DeGeorge

For the first half Friday night, even as Bonner & Prendergast owned the distinct height advantage, a smaller, scrappier Allentown Central Catholic team held court in the lane.

It might have cost the Vikings plenty of fouls in a physical PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal encounter, but as the teams recessed to their locker room, the Vikings could feel good about the seven combined points allowed to the Friars’ imposing duo of Ajiri Johnson and Tariq Ingraham.

As they regrouped at Reading High School’s Geigle Complex, the Friars talked about renewing the fervor in the paint. When they did it, they finally created space on the scoreboard.

Johnson and Ingraham rebounded for a strong second half, and the finishing of Isaiah Wong at the line ensured that the District 12 champions marched on, 71-61.

“Before the game started, doing the stats, coach told us the game is going to be won inside with the big men. And he was right,” Johnson said. “We needed to get their bigs into foul trouble because they had nobody to guard us down there. They were good offensively, but defensively, they weren’t as strong.”

Bonner & Prendie’s win sends it to Monday’s semifinal against District 2 winner Abington Heights, which ousted Northeastern 76-56 Friday. The winner heads to the final Friday night in Hershey.

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