City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Plymouth-Whitemarsh juniors Ahmad and Ahmin Williams both figure they’ve felt every bleacher in the Suburban One League.

The pair of 6-foot-tall guards lead a Colonials unit that’s ferocious defensively, and they’re not afraid to risk their bodies if it means getting after a steal or a loose ball.

“I try to just get the ball by any means,” Ahmin Williams said. “So if that means diving on the floor, then I’ll dive on the floor. I’ll do anything to get the ball for my teammates.”

In a Suburban One-American road game at Hatboro-Horsham on Friday night, the Williams twins were throwing themselves all over the court, helping Plymouth-Whitemarsh force nearly two dozen turnovers in a 59-45 win.

And yes, both of them ended up in the Hatboro stands, not that it’s something they intend to do.

“I’m just playing hard,” Ahmad Williams said. “Every possession like it’s my last.”

Though the hard wooden bleachers close to both sidelines at Hatboro’s gym certainly don’t provide a cushiony landing spot, Ahmin Williams had a different choice for most painful seating in the Suburban One League.

“I’m going to say Cheltenham,” he said. “Because I remember last year, I dove in the bleachers, and it was real hard. I fell into one of their student sections, too, it wasn’t a good feeling.”

Plymouth-Whitemarsh (16-2, 11-0) was relentless on the defensive end, forcing 21 Hatboro turnovers for the game. It’s an energy they’ve had the last two years thanks to the Williams twins, who transferred over from Cardinal O’Hara after their freshman season.

Last year, the twins were reserves on the team’s District 1 AAAA championship and state semifinal runs; now, they’re playing every useful minute for the Colonials, and still bringing that same energy and intensity they did in spurts a year ago.

“I’m trying to calm down and realize they’re like reckless abandon, you’ve got to let them make their mistakes,” longtime P-W head coach Jim Donofrio said. “It’s like trying to make a tornado smart.

“But you can’t stop that energy,” he added. “That energy is what defines us.”

Ahmin Williams came up with six steals and six assists to go with 10 points; Ahmad Williams had a team-high 13 points plus a trio of assists and steals. Junior guard Ish Horn had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench, and Matt Walker knocked down three 3-pointers for nine points.

What sets this team apart defensively from the one a year ago is the addition of the man in the middle.

Naheem McLeod, a 7-foot sophomore, saw seldom few minutes as a freshman, as the young big man needed a year to adjust to the high school level. Though he’s still quite raw, McLeod is making great strides as a sophomore; on Friday, he scored nine points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked four shots and even grabbed three steals in the win.

“It helps so much,” Ahmin Williams said. “Even if their guards go by us, he’s there to block shots, and he’s learning to block everything around the rim; he’s a sophomore and he’s growing every time.”

The Colonials locked down on Hatboro star Clifton Moore. The Hatters’ 6-10 senior, headed to Indiana University in the fall to play in the Big Ten, finished with nine points on 2-of-10 shooting before fouling out with six minutes to play.

Moore was never able to get comfortable in the flow of the Hatboro offense, with the usually-reliable outside shooter missing all five of his 3-point attempts.

“[We were] just frustrating him...take away his strong points, don’t let him shoot, when he catches, make sure someone’s there with a hand in his face,” Ahmad Williams said. “Just make sure we let him know that we’re there all night and we’re not going away, and he got frustrated.”

By the time Moore fouled out, the game was already well in P-W's hands. The Colonials went on a big run spanning the first and second quarters to open up a 23-9 lead midway through the second on an Ahmad Williams 3-point play and acrobatic Horn bucket.

The lead stayed between nine and 16 points the rest of the way.

Hatboro (10-8, 7-5) was led by senior guard Jay Davis, who had 14 points. Sophomore Khalid Johnson came off the bench to add 11 points, all in the second half.

Even when the Hatters were able to break the P-W press, they shot 16-of-43 (37.2 percent), including 3-of-17 (17.6 percent) from 3-point range.

The Colonials, who committed 17 turnovers of their own, were 19-of-46 (41.3 percent) overall and hit four of their nine 3-point attempts, as well as 17-of-22 (77.2 percent) from the line.

After taking on Trinity tomorrow in the Scholastic Play-By-Play Trinity Classic out in Camp Hill, Pa., Plymouth-Whitemarsh will put its undefeated league record on the line at one-loss Cheltenham next Tuesday at 7 PM.

“All the league games make me nervous, everyone knows you and everyone’s going to bring everything they have for you, because a win helps you in the districts incredibly and it’s a pride thing,” Donofrio said. “I’m impressed with the way the kids are acting more like an experienced team that’s been here. What did last year’s team do, what have we done in the past, this is what you’re measuring yourself up against.”