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By Eddie Levin

There are no guarantees in the first round of the district playoffs, and nobody no knows that better than Lower Merion senior guard Terrell Jones.
“I told the guys we have to focus on our first round game [against Central Bucks South] before we can look ahead [to the second round],” said Jones. “There are no guarantees. My sophomore year we won our opening round game by one point; my junior year we won by two points.”
When Jones and the rest of his Lower Merion teammates, seeded 10th, took the court Friday night against the 24th seeded Titans in the opening round of the inaugural PIAA District One Class 6A playoffs, the Aces raced out to a 40-24 halftime lead before holding on for the 70-57 win before a packed house at Bryant Gymnasium.
With the win, 10th seeded Lower Merion advances to the second round, where they will face No. 7 seed Conestoga at Conestoga Tuesday at 7 p.m.
“It was huge,” said Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer, referring to the way his seniors helped Lower Merion jump out to an early lead. “Even the 40-24 halftime lead felt like a good cushion. The second half got a little choppy but the first round game is often a nerve wracking game and all you are doing is trying to live another day.”
Lower Merion sophomore guard Darryl Taylor added, “The seniors told us it could be our last game, so we just had to focus on tonight and not look ahead. They came out real intense and that was big for us. It took some of the pressure off and allowed us to relax and play ball.”
Not only did the Aces make a statement on the court Friday evening, they also made a statement off the court regarding their pre-game actions in Tuesday’s Central League championship game.

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By Matthew De George

Pernell Ghee isn’t keen on discussing the past. So for the Penn Wood senior forward’s sake, let’s dispense with it quickly.

Last year, the 22nd-seeded Patriots had No. 11 Lower Merion on the ropes in the first round of the District 1 Class AAAA tournament before Terrell Jones’ banked-in, overtime buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Two seasons ago, as the No. 5 seed and outright Del Val League champs, the Patriots lost on their home court to Penncrest, again in OT.

Both times, Penn Wood’s conqueror went on to the PIAA tournament.

That’s the Patriots’ overarching aspiration this season, and recent form gives every indication they could ascend those heights. But the first step has proven the hardest, and they must exorcise those demons Friday night when No. 22 seed Neshaminy visits in the first round of the Class 6A district tourney.

“This year, we think we’re better,” Ghee said. “We’re on to better things. We don’t want to reflect back on that and get down. We want to be up for this and what’s coming up.”

Members of the team insist that little has changed save for time. Indeed, Penn Wood’s roster is largely intact, though growth is evident in a 15-6 season capped by wins in 12 of the last 13 outings.

Penn Wood collected the Del Val title and reversed seeding from last year, drawing the 11 seed. With 10 of 24 District 1 teams advancing to a ludicrously expanded state tournament, the Patriots stand every mathematical chance of reaching their goals.

“Nothing is really different,” said senior guard Jay Fitzgerald. “We just play hard. Coach always stresses that. I just think every day at practice, we try to go hard, and every game, we just play it like it’s our last.”

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By Rick O’Brien

The inaugural PIAA District 1 Class 6A boys’ basketball tournament, like the 4A playoffs in recent years, does not have a prohibitive favorite.

The top eight seeds have a first-round bye in the 24-team tournament that will begin Friday night.

Led by wing guard Justin Jaworski, who is averaging 21.5 points per game and has drilled 60 three-pointers, Perkiomen Valley comes in as the No. 1 seed.

Jaworski shot 10 for 10 from the line en route to 24 points as the Vikings topped Spring-Ford, 52-45, for the Pioneer Athletic Conference title.

PV’s other key contributors are point guard Sean Owens, 6-foot-1 forward Hogan Millheim, 6-1 forward Tyler Strechay, and wing guard Andrew Light.

Missing junior guard Ahmin Williams, who is sidelined with a foot injury, No. 2 seed Plymouth Whitemarsh bowed to No. 3 Abington, 70-66, in the Suburban One League final Monday night.

If Ahmin Williams is done for the season, the Colonials will need a strong effort from his twin, Ahmad; 7-foot center Naheem McLeod; and fleet-footed guard Ish Horn.

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By Matthew De George

Kharon Randolph scored 14 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as The Haverford School kept Kiski Prep at a distance in a 71-63 win in the first round of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association Tournament Thursday.

Christian Ray added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson Jr. tallied 18 points, six assists and four steals in an all-around outstanding performance for the sophomore. The seventh-seeded Fords (19-6) held Kiski to just seven points in the third quarter and outscored the visitors 43-29 in the second half to erase a halftime deficit.

Haverford earns a quarterfinal date Saturday at the Hill School, the No. 2 seed. Tipoff is at 4 p.m.

 

By CoBL Staff

The new “big-school” classification in the Keystone State brings with it a smaller tournament than the previous, 32-team AAAA district tourney, but it doesn’t lack any of the punch.

With the first eight seeds given a bye into next Tuesday’s second round, the opening salvo of eight games that takes place Friday night on the higher seed’s home court (all games at 7 PM) should be thoroughly competitive.

Here’s a look at each of those eight, as well as players to watch from all 24 teams over the course of the tournament:

First-Round Matchups
16) Garnet Valley vs. 17) Methacton
Awaiting the winner: 1) Perkiomen Valley

There’s no telling how this one will play out, as both teams are talented but have had their respective ups and downs all year long. Garnet Valley (14-8) won six of its last 10 games entering the postseason, losing twice to Conestoga and once to Upper Darby and Marple Newtown; Methacton ripped off five straight wins from Jan. 10-20 but lost four of its last six, including a Pioneer Athletic Conference playoff game to Norristown. The Warriors (12-10) have a lot of promise in their youth, led by sophomore David Duda Jr. (6-3) and freshman Jeff Woodward (6-8), complemented by a group of seniors led by VIllanova baseball commit Pat O’Neill. Garnet Valley is guard-dominated, led by junior Austin Laughlin (22.5 ppg) and senior Brandon Starr (18.8 ppg). The Jaguars don’t have a player who matches up size-wise with Woodward, so Mike Brown will have to be creative to find ways to slow him down. 6-4 sophomore Cade Brennan might earn first crack at that job.

(click on this link for the complete First-Round 6A preview)

 

By Dennis C. Way

The question going into Wednesday night’s Philadelphia Catholic League playoff first-round game between Archbishop Carroll and La Salle was how well could the young Explorers hang with the Patriots.

It took about eight minutes of playing time to find out.

Carroll blanked the Explorers in the first quarter, then blazed to a 59-37 win that ended La Salle’s season and propelled the Patriots into a meeting with Neumann-Goretti Friday night at Widener University.

AJ Hoggard had 15 points, 12 in the second half, as Carroll built a 12-point halftime lead then refused to look back.

“It’s nice to be that locked in defensively,” said Carroll head coach Paul Romanczuk, after the Patriots held La Salle scoreless in the first. “That’s what you need against a well-coached team like La Salle.”

Meanwhile, the Explorers never got completely on track — at least not until it was far too late to get back in the game.

“We missed some open shots in that first quarter, and it never got better,” said Explorers head coach Joe Dempsey. “We told our guys to be patient, and they were. But we were never really able to get back in the game.”

They were unable to get back because Hoggard and Khari Williams (14 points) got the Patriots in up-tempo mode in the second half. And the Explorers, drilled to stay patient, couldn’t keep up the increased pace.

Early on, Carroll tried to push the pace, only to run into a determined Explorers offense that was just not willing to maintain that tempo.

It bogged the Patriots down for a time. But after intermission Carroll just exploded.

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