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Balanced Friars run away from Penn Charter

01/12/2016, 7:15pm EST
By Jeff Griffith

Jeff Griffith (@Jeff_Griffith21)
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Unlike the average teacher, when John Harmatuk finishes teaching Technology in Society at 3:10 each Tuesday, his day is far from over.

While the rest of the Malvern Prep faculty is done for the day, Harmatuk has a quick turnaround to face, as his Malvern Prep Friars take part in the 4:00 p.m. games played by Inter-Ac teams each Tuesday.

Admittedly, and rightfully so, he’s not a huge fan of the tradition.

“I don’t like the four o’clock games at all, it’s a rush,” said Harmatuk. “I taught the last class of the day. In the Inter-Ac, it’s tradition, so the kids can go home and do school work.

“(Our seniors) are a huge part of it,” he added, in regards to preparations for the quick turnaround. “If you ask the guys, I’m a pretty hands-off coach, if the leadership comes within, it reaches more kids and it’s even better. I like to let the kids be the leaders.”

On this given Tuesday, however, his players proved he didn’t have much reason for major concern, as the Friars ran away from Penn Charter in their second league matchup, by a final score of 70-50 at their home gymnasium.

Malvern scored that convincing victory behind a balanced scoring attack, with double-digit efforts from three of their seniors.

“It all started with our defense, I think from the get-go, we pressured the ball, we got them out of their offense, and then we rebounded,” said Harmatuk. “I mean, Will averages twenty a game, but everyone else averages like eight, so who’s going to get the points on any given night is helping a ton. I know people who watch get a little anxious when we miss three or four in a row, but our offense is designed for the open guy to shoot the ball. Will’s a special scorer, but we get a different ten or fourteen every night from somebody else.”

While -- as anyone who has seen the Friars this season can attest -- Will Powers is the most prolific scorer on this team, Mike Hollingsworth, a 6-7 senior center, has been fast improving into a critical force around the rim.

He had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Powers led the way with 20. Fellow senior Tommy Wolfe dropped 14 as part of that balanced scoring effort.

“There were some little-bitty glimpses of his potential last year, he guarded (Nick) Alikakos well at EA, but he couldn’t stay consistent,” said Harmatuk of his big man. “This summer, he started really working on his game, he started believing in what kind of player he was and his improvement is now game to game, he’s been the biggest key, he’s the back part of our defense, and we wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

Penn Charter, who was led by senior Mason Williams with 15 points, just knocked off Inter-Ac power Episcopal in convincing fashion. The Quakers seemed poised to hang with the Friars after the first quarter, trailing 16-9 despite seven turnovers.  

However, Malvern’s uptempo style, which isn’t common among their opponents, proved to be too much for Penn Charter, as they ripped off an 11-0 run in the second frame to blow up their lead to 34-16 at the half.

Harmatuk developed that uptempo philosophy over sixteen years as a coach in Houston, Texas, before applying it to his current position with the Friars.

“We’re an outlier, nobody else plays that way in the league and pretty much all of Philadelphia,” said Harmatuk. “One, I think it fits the kind of kids we have. Two, it’s fun. Three, I believe in it, I’ve been coaching it for twenty years. I really like the way we play, and I think our depth allows us to play at that tempo.”

The high-speed, balanced Friars are now 2-0 in league play having also dismantled Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, and their toughest Inter-Ac test to date awaits at home on Friday, where they’ll take on Episcopal.

“Just because Penn Charter beat EA, and we beat Penn Charter, that doesn’t mean anything for this Friday,” Harmatuk said. “I know it’s cliche, but we need to take it just one game a time, we have to stay focused.”









 


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