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By Matthew DeGeorge

The state tournament doesn’t permit much time for reflection, when after weeks of waiting for it to begin, the schedule jams three games into seven days.

But first-year Bonner & Prendergast coach Kevin Funston found a moment of peace Saturday, in the hours after his team’s PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal handling of Catholic League rival Archbishop Carroll.

“I was over the moon,” Funston said of the 82-57 victory. “I told the team the next day, ‘that was probably the most fun I’ve had being a coach, from assistant to head coach,’ just because of how unselfish we played, how much we bought in on the defensive end, just how everybody contributed. I saw a video of our bench after somebody scored, and it looked like a college bench, celebrating, cheering each other on. It was a really great moment for me as a coach.”

The Friars could have two more chances to celebrate, starting with Monday’s collision with District 1 champion Lower Moreland at Plymouth Whitemarsh at 7:30.

The winner of that contest books a trip to Hershey for Thursday night’s state final, against the winner of Imhotep Charter and District 10 champion Hickory.

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By Bob Grotz

It was only a matter of time before Coatesville wrapped up its runaway 96-82 victory over Chester in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class 6A tournament Saturday at Spring-Ford.

Yet there still was enough suspense to stick around for the last minute.

Red Raiders guard Jhamir Brickus was scoring at a record pace. The countdown to the single-game Coatesville school mark began with four minutes remaining when he reached 40 points. Spectators updated the number together with each additional basket.

Inside of 30 seconds, Red Raiders guard Dapree Bryan threw the ball far out in front of Brickus to lay in for 50 points.

Seconds later Brickus added a deuce for a school-record 52. Coatesville alum Rip Hamilton never did that.

“I knew how many he had,” Bryan said. “I was just like, give him the ball so he could break the record. He’s fast, he can get to the basket and he can score on anybody. He showed it again today.”

Brickus was so fast he jetted through reporters and disappeared into a sea of fans heading toward the exits.

It was standing-room only inside the gym. Fans began lining up for the 1 p.m. contest at 11:15 a.m. In spite of the score, it was worth the wait.

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By Matt Smith

Bonner & Prendergast is the complete package.

The Pandas run, shoot and defend. And they have players who dominate the low post with their combination of size and athleticism.

They had some tough setbacks this winter, but are built for the long run in the PIAA Class 4A tournament.

After a 73-47 romp of District 3’s Bishop McDevitt, the Bonner & Prendie girls team joined the boys team in their respective PIAA Final Four showdowns.

“This is our best team we’ve had in the last four years. We all want it,” said senior guard Maeve McCann, who was outstanding. “We’re all trying our very best. We’ve improved our defense so much, it’s crazy. Having everyone’s shots falling, and having everyone on the same page, it changes the whole entire game.

“Even from the regular season, we just have a whole new mindset.”

Bonner & Prendergast will meet Bethlehem Catholic in the semifinal round Tuesday.

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By Rich Flanagan

When Isaiah Wong and Tariq Ingraham transferred over to Bonner & Prendergast prior to last season, the expectations for the Friars grew exponentially.

Having both come from out of state (Wong from Notre Dame in New Jersey and Ingraham from Salesianum in Wilmington, Del.), they, along with Ajiri Johnson (Rider) took Bonner & Prendie to new, hyped heights, with an appearance in the Philadelphia Catholic League championship game as well as a trip to the state semifinals.

But Wong noted the Friars needed to realize hype doesn’t necessarily translate into results on the court.

“This year, we wanted to play a lot smarter,” Wong said. “Last year, we felt over-hyped and we got that into our heads. It’s something we still struggle with as a team and I feel like we’re going to continue to work on it going into the next game.”

They put some of that improved composure to work Friday night with a ferocious comeback against Nanticoke and they carried that into Friday’s clash with neighboring Catholic League rival Archbishop Carroll.

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Webmaster’s note: The PIAA 4A quarter-final round playoff game between Bonner-Prendie and Archbishop Carroll was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard in its entirety below or on our Archived Broadcasts link listed in the menu at the top of our page.

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By Andrew Robinson

Mary DeSimone really wanted to make Archbishop Wood pay.

Within the first few possessions of Saturday’s PIAA 5A girls basketball quarterfinal against Wood, the Archbishop Carroll senior saw the Vikings were leaving her open, daring her to beat them. DeSimone used it as fuel and then torched Wood.

Behind DeSimone’s blistering shooting and another sterling game from Erin Sweeny, the Patriots beat the Vikings for the third time, with the 63-48 win at Cardinal O’Hara sending Carroll to the state semifinals for the second straight year.

“It makes you a little angry,” DeSimone said. “All you can do it shoot it and prove them wrong.”

The Patriots will tangle with District 11 champion Southern Lehigh in Tuesday’s semifinal round.

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By Bob Grotz

Drained like his basketball team, Sun Valley coach Steve Maloney turned the corner from the locker room to a rousing ovation.Vanguards basketball fans flooded both sides of the hallway, cheering and clapping as he walked up the corridor at Bethlehem Freedom High School.

The crowd stuck around to pay its respects long after the Vanguards were ousted, 61-46, in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs by defending state champion Abington Heights.

At that point it was the only thing that could put a smile on the face of Maloney, whose squad got within six points of the fast-starting Comets just once in the second half, with 6:17 remaining, on a turnaround by Isaac Kennon.

Now for the bad news. Jack Nealon, who scored 19 points, ended the threat with a three-pointer almost from the Comets’ gym in Clarks Summit, that mountainy place at the northern end of the Northeast Extension.

“We got it to six,” Maloney said. “We battled. We just didn’t come up with that one big play to get us over the hump. And they’re really good. They’re talented. You don’t win a championship and bring four starters back and not be good. And I think that was the coach’s 800th win.”

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