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District 1 6A: Coatesville's freshmen step up late against Downingtown West

02/22/2017, 12:00am EST
By Ben McWilliams

Ben McWilliams (@BenMcWilliams22)
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If a district playoff game against a league rival with a state playoff berth on the line was not enough pressure, picture two freshmen trying to ice the game from the free throw line.

Just the thought of it is enough to send any coach’s pulse racing.

Any coach except Coatesville’s Chuck Moore, that is.

“They’re the coolest cats in the gym,” Moore said of his two freshmen, Jhamir Brickus and DaPree Bryant. “[Bryant] with that grit and determination, [Brickus] with that savvy and that swag.”

With a minute left in the game, the Red Raiders were clinging to a four-point lead over Downingtown West when Brickus calmly knocked down two of his six fourth-quarter free throws to give Coatesville a six-point cushion.

“I don’t feel the pressure,” Brickus said. “Practice makes perfect.”

Bryant added two more with 30 seconds left and the Red Raiders never looked back as they defeated their Ches-Mont rivals 56-46 in the second round of the District 1 6A playoffs.

Brickus led No. 4 Coatesville with 21 points, including 11-of-14 from the free throw line, while Bryant added eight off the bench.

“I can’t even say I’m shocked anymore because that’s who they are,” Moore said. “For them to be so poised and confident in their abilities continues to amaze me.”

The win not only propels the Red Raiders into the quarterfinals of the 6A District 1 playoffs, but also secures its berth in the PIAA state playoffs.

The game was a test of defensive wills as Coatesville’s vaunted full-court pressure caused 11 first half Whippet turnovers while the No. 13 Downingtown West zone stifled the Red Raiders.

Despite the huge turnover disparity, Coatesville was not able to turn the defensive dominance into instant offense and each of the first three quarters ended tied.

“Our goal is to make teams play ugly and we certainly did that tonight,” Moore said. “But we didn’t capitalize. We have to reward ourselves for our defensive effort.”

The fourth quarter was a different story for Coatesville (21-4) as it found its rhythm against the zone before the freshman free throws put the game out of reach.

“When you keep attacking, good things happen,” Moore said. “Once we penetrated that wall they had, with the three bigs, we were able to create opportunities for others.”

The loss sends Downingtown West (15-10) to the eight-team playback bracket for the third straight year where it will have to win two more games against the other district flameouts to secure a state playoff spot. The Whippets managed to escape the consolation bracket in 2015 but fell short against Academy Park in the clinching game in 2016.

“It’s simple, we just have to do it,” first-year coach Stuart Ross said. “There are not going to be any blowouts in the district playoffs. You’ve got to be able to execute in the half court, especially in the fourth quarter and make the right decisions.”

Seniors Matt Carson scored 14 points for the Whippets in the loss while classmate George Gordon, an Ursinus commit, added nine.

While Moore has seen the bright lights of the states stage before--both as a player and assistant coach at Plymouth-Whitemarsh--he had yet to take Coatesville to the storied tournament in his four years as head coach.

If Tuesday night’s win is any indicator, his young team will be ready.

“What I’ve learned as a coach very quickly is that I have no control,” he said. “When the ball gets thrown up, it’s on them. As nerve-wracking as that is for me as a coach, I’ve got the ball in the hands of ball players who are confident in their ability, make big plays and make free throws down the stretch.”

But before the Red Raiders can worry about states, it must first navigate the district bracket.

Next up is North Penn, fresh off its first-ever Suburban One Continental title. The Knights defeated Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday on the strength of seniors David Giuliani and Reece Udinksi, who combined for 25 points.

“North Penn is a good team and they’re senior-laden so they have some guys with some experience,” Moore said. “It feels great to be in that elite eight. We’ve got a great opportunity ahead of us."

~~~

In other District 1 6A action….

No. 1 Perkiomen Valley 68, No. 16 Garnet Valley 60 (OT)
Justin Jaworski led the way with 34 points as the Vikings survived a tough challenge from the Jaguars. Garnet Valley’s Brandon Starr sent it into the extra session with a 3-pointer with five seconds to spare, but Perk Valley’s senior star was too much to be contained, hitting four key foul shots as GV went scoreless in OT. Garnet Valley was paced by Starr with 23 points; junior Austin Laughlin chipped in 17 for the Jaguars.

No. 2 Plymouth-Whitemarsh 62, No. 18 Central Bucks East 43
After leading just 8-7 following the first quarter, P-W used a balanced scoring attack to blow the gates open and make its way back to the district quarterfinals for the third season in a row. Ish Horn and Ahmad Williams led the way with 19 and 12, respectively, while Kareem Breeden (10) and 7-footer Naheem McLeod (8) chipped in with solid showings as well.

No. 3 Abington 48, No. 19 Norristown 32
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No. 5 North Penn 55, No. 21 Hatboro-Horsham 45
Clifton Moore
got the Hatters off to a quick start with nine points and five rebounds in the opening quarter, but the Knights slowly took control of the game to book their spot in the state playoffs. Thanks to a 17-9 third quarter, the Knights were able to pull away from the Hatters, keeping the game just out of reach in the fourth. Senior forward and Merrimack commit David Giuliani had 13 points and 13 rebounds, while his classmate Reece Udinksi added 12 points in the Knights win.

No. 11 Penn Wood 71, No. 6 Pennsbury 55
The only upset of the night belongs to the Patriots, who made the long trip up from Lansdowne to Fairless Hills to knock off the Falcons. Penn Wood outscored Pennsbury 22-16 in the second quarter before a 13-0 third quarter run helped them secure the upset. Shariff Goff led the Patriots with 18 points while Javon Lindsey-Terrell added 15. St. Francis (Pa.) commit Mark Flagg scored 22 points for the Falcons.

No. 7 Conestoga 77, No. 10 Lower Merion 57
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No. 8 Cheltenham 66, No. 9 Spring-Ford 52
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