Justin DiBona (above) and Marple’s deep 2022 senior class led them into the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
By Joseph Santoliquito
The memories are great. They’ll resonate through the years and will be great talking points at school reunions.
Marple Newtown head coach Sean Spratt knows there is more that can be derived from the Tigers’ historic 2021-22 season, in which they won their first two PIAA state playoff games in school history before giving eventual 5A state champion Imhotep Charter a major scare in finishing with an 18-11 overall record.
Nine seniors are gone from that team (Justin DiBona, Jordan Bochanski, Matt Cantwell, Joe Downs, Owen Mathes, Eric McKee, Nick Sanfrancesco, Christian Sessa and Jonny Small).
A strong core does return enriched by the experience of reaching the 2022 state quarterfinals, where Marple Newtown lost to the Panthers, 44-39, in the closest game they played toward winning their fourth state championship in the last five seasons (the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).