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PIAA Playoff Preview: Class 6A

03/09/2017, 3:15pm EST
By Michael Bullock & Josh Verlin

Robbie Heath (above) and Abington are the District 1 6A champions and on a roll heading into states. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
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In five years of CoBL, we’ve never seen a big-school playoff bracket as wide-open as this one. There are four favorites listed below, which is sure to upset at least a few of the nine programs mentioned as dark horse candidates. But there’s really no way to predict how this is going to play out, with plenty of capable programs, players and coaches scattered throughout the state.

Ultimately, it’s going to come down to who gets hot for five games in a row. But we’re looking forward to the ride.

Here’s a look at the Class 6A bracket:

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More Previews: Class A | Class 2A | Class 3A | Class 4A | Class 5A | Class 6A

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Favorites
Abington (24-4)
There haven’t been many public school programs in the state that have had as much playoff success as Charles Grasty’s Galloping Ghosts over the last few years: two Suburban One League championships (2015 & 2017), two District 1 championships (2015 & 2017) and a run to the state quarterfinals (2014). A very young Abington squad got bumped in the first round of the district playoffs last year, but the trio of junior Robbie Heath and sophomores Eric Dixon and Lucas Monroe are much more experienced this time around. Grasty has great size in his top seven, including Dixon (6-7, 250), senior Joseph O’Brien (6-8, 250) and stretch-forward senior Eric Dougherty (6-6, 205), plus a high-scoring guard in the 6-2 Heath, who went off for 30 points in the Ghosts’ league and district championship wins.

Pocono Mountain West (22-4)
Arguably the most athletic team in the tournament, Brad Pensyl’s Panthers come into state play after lighting up Parkland 83-59 in the District 11 championship game. Lance Singh set a single-game record as the 6-5 senior collected 36 points in the final, while 6-0 senior guard Isaiah Wiggins added 18 and 6-5 senior Jalen Vaughns tacked on 17. Singh, Wiggins and Vaughns — Vaughns is the Panthers’ leading scorer — have surpassed 1,000 career points. Additional production comes from 6-5 junior rebounding machine Travis Elmore, 6-3 junior Lee Mosley, 6-1 senior Kieran Romney and 6-3 junior Shermar Ernest. West, which has won 14 of its last 15, also may be determined to send Pensyl out on a memorable note since the long-time skipper is making his 28th season as a head coach his last. He’s won more than 500 games.


Lonnie Walker (above) is nearing the end of a tremendous four years in a Reading uniform. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Reading (25-3)
Determined to rebound following a loss in the District 3 semifinals to Harrisburg that halted Reading’s 21-game winning streak and prevented a repeat celebration, Rick Perez’s Red Knights will open state play against North Penn. While 6-5 senior Lonnie Walker (17.4 ppg/41 treys) is the headliner, 6-5 senior forward Tyrone Nesby (14.5 ppg/69 treys) and scrappy 6-1 senior forward Isiah Cook (9.5 ppg/35 treys) are dependable offensive alternatives capable of burning opponents that spend too much time checking Walker. Although Perez’s usual lineup typically includes 6-2 senior Tymir Comfort (3.6 ppg) and 5-11 sophomore Wesley Butler (7.9 ppg), but 5-10 junior Hector Dixon (5.6 ppg), 6-6 senior Jose Genao Batista (5.1 ppg) and 6-1 junior Xavier Starks (3.4 ppg) also log plenty of minutes for the talented Red Knights.

William Allen (26-2)
Should Doug Snyder’s powerful Canaries mirror the balance they achieved in District 11’s third-place game — an 83-77 win over Emmaus that resembled a track meet — they’ll be awfully difficult to sideline the rest of the way. Hold on a moment, they figure to be a tough out whether they flash a balanced attack or not. Ranked No. 1 by CoBL for most of the regular season, Allen’s primary antagonists are 6-6 senior Tyrese Martin (20.4 ppg) and 6-3 Central Connecticut State recruit Talek Williams (17.7 ppg). While those two shared 40 points in the win over Emmaus, another combined 40 came from seniors J.J. Winslow (24) and Ramel Johnson (16). Carlos Gutierrez, Tyrese Stewart, Bless Jones and Malik Gordon also factor into Allen’s explosive rotation.

Dark Horses
Archbishop Ryan (20-5)
After making the Catholic League semifinals at the Palestra each of the last two years, the Raiders made it to the state playoffs for the first time in school history this season, by way of a play-back game against 2016 Class AA runner-up Mastery Charter North. The Raiders have a pair of Division I commits in senior guard Izaiah Brockington (Archbishop Ryan) and senior forward Matiss Kulackovskis (Bowling Green), but also rely heavily on a pair of sophomores guards, Amin Bryant and Ja’Quill Stone. In the middle, 6-8 forward Fred Taylor, a West Chester commit, is a capable shot-blocker and rebounder. Depth might be an issue at some point.

Carlisle (18-8)
Holding down District 3’s fifth seed for the second year in a row, Andre Anderson’s Thundering Herd may be poised for another memorable run similar to the one they embarked upon last season before running into Pittsburgh hammer Allderdice in the state quarters. With DeShawn “Day Day” Millington still piloting Carlisle’s juiced attack, the Herd is in terrific shape. Sporting a dependable big man in 6-6 Ethan Houston — who can hammer the backboards or slide to the arc — Carlisle can cause problems in the paint. While 5-9 senior Ben Milligan can bring it from deep, the Herd also can turn to 5-9 junior Gavyn Barnes, 6-3 senior Nate Barnes and 6-5 junior Ki Barnes for offense, defense and boardwork. Tough schedule should have them ready.


Jhamir "Jig" Brickus and Coatesville were the District 1 6A runner-ups. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Coatesville (23-5)
The District 1 big-school runners-up are one of the more entertaing teams to watch in the region, never once bothered by their relative youth and inexperience. Senior guard Kamau Brickus and juniors Tyrel Bladen and Hassan Young give head coach Chuck Moore some veteran leadership on the court, but what really makes this team tick are a pair of exciting freshmen. Jhamir “Jig” Brickus (5-8) and DaPree Bryant (5-10) are half-brothers whose father, Maurice Bryant, played on the last Coatesville team to win either a district or state championship, winning both in 2001. Tough matchup with Carlisle in the first round, but if they win that one, they could rip off a few more.

Harrisburg (19-6)
Taking full advantage of a 19-day layoff that gave them time to get plugged back in, Kirk Smallwood’s Cougars turned that renewed focus into a District 3 title highlighted by victories over Carlisle, Reading and Hempfield. Senior guard Chris Whitaker (19.7 ppg) is typically option No. 1, but the ‘Burg also can attack through 5-11 senior lead guard Tito Flemister (10.0 ppg), 6-1 junior forward Tony James (7.1 ppg) and electric 6-0 senior guard Zion Patterson (4.7 ppg). Plus, the Cougars can field a dominant frontcourt (The Bruise Brothers) featuring 6-4 senior Elijah Barrett (8.9 ppg), 6-4 junior Micah Parsons (10.8 ppg) and 6-5 senior Damion Barber (4.4 ppg). Parsons and Barber, both Penn State football recruits, were key members of the Cougars’ football team that last December played for state 5A gold.

Pine-Richland (24-1)
Back in the state arena after claiming a second straight WPIAL championship, Pine-Richland has all sorts of firepower plugged into its explosive lineup. While everything starts with 6-4 senior Andrew Petcash (20 ppg) and 6-5 junior Phil Jurkovec (17 ppg), who shared 39 points in the WPIAL championship game, 6-0 seniors Nolan Rausch and Evan Luellen flesh out a dandy backcourt. A pair of sophomores, 6-6 Andrew Kristofic and 5-11 Greg Shulkosky, shared 25 points in the WPIAL final. Plenty of pop available from numerous spots.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh (23-5)
The Colonials certainly looked like one of the favorites during the regular season, but the loss of junior guard Ahmin Williams clearly had an impact on the Colonials’ impressive pressure defense, as P-W fell to Abington in the District 1 semifinals. But this is still a dangerous group for longtime head coach Jim Donofrio, boasting a 7-foot sophomore in the middle in Naheem McLeod, which automatically makes them tough to score against in the half-court or even if you break their press; when guards Ahmad Williams -- Ahmin’s twin brother -- plus seniors Cheo Houston and Ish Horn are hitting shots, they’re plenty capable of making a run.


Dak'Quan Davis (above) and Roman are the defending PIAA Class AAAA champions, but are very different. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Roman Catholic (20-5)
The two-time defending champions have been “relegated” to Dark Horse territory, but that’s what happens when you graduate three young men who are now at Penn State and another who’s at prep school before playing at Brown -- oh, and two others transfer. But that the Cahillites are even in this position is a credit to first-year head coach Matt Griffin, the former St. Joe’s Prep standout who’s done a great job with a group led by seniors Dak’Quan Davis and J.P. Sanders, junior wing Allen Betrand and sophomore Seth Lundy; unfortunately, they’re without terrific freshman guard Lynn Greer III, out the remainder of the season with a leg injury.

State College (20-4)
Long, athletic and flush with confidence after pocketing Mid-Penn tournament and District 6 championships, Joe Walker’s Little Lions may be primed to make all sorts of noise at the state level behind 6-6 junior Drew Friberg (17.2 ppg) and 6-5 senior Tommy Sekunda (16.2 ppg). And while those two carry plenty of the load, Walker’s bunch also gets plenty of production from 6-4 sophomore Tommy Friberg (6.2 ppg), 6-4 junior Brandon Clark (5.5 ppg), 6-5 junior Ryan McNulty (8.2 ppg) and 5-11 sophomore Keaton Ellis (6.3 ppg). These guys are mighty good, but Walker & Co. might be tremendously anxious since State High has not played since Feb. 24.

Williamsport (20-4)
Tremendously athletic up and down the lineup, Allen Taylor’s high-octane Millionaires are on the attack as soon as one of the zebras tosses the ball up. Warriors from opening whistle to final horn, opponents have absolutely no chance to relax with the likes of 6-4 senior Stan Scott, 6-3 senior Qayyim Ali and 6-3 Rondell Carson getting to the hoop or crashing the glass. Those three have plenty of help, however, as 6-1 senior Brandon Campbell, 6-0 senior Brian Duvall, 6-2 junior Darryl Wilson, 6-2 junior Al-Tamar Jason and 5-7 sophomore Marcus Simmons are among the others rotating in and out of Taylor’s fast-paced lineup.

Players to Watch
Allen Betrand, Roman Catholic
Transfer from Fels fit right into the Catholic League powerhouse, averaging 13.8 ppg to lead the Cahillites in scoring. A 6-3 wing, Betrand picked up offers from La Salle and Saint Joseph's last summer; plus jump shooter who's becoming much better off the bounce.

Jhamir Brickus, Coatesville
“Jig,” as he’s known, is just one of a number of impressive freshmen guards who hail from the Coatesville area, though not all of them go to the public high school. A 5-8 baby-faced guard, Brickus is fearless on the court and can hit shots from anywhere, which he’s shown he can do on a big stage at Temple and Villanova.

Izaiah Brockington, Archbishop Ryan
The Raiders' NJIT commit is looking to put a cap on his stellar Ryan career with a win in the state tournament, something no team there has ever done. A 6-4 lefty, Brockington currently sits at over 1,100 career points, which he accomplished in three years as a varsity starter/contributor.

Austin Butler, Latrobe
Undoubtedly pleased just to be part of the state tournament — thanks to Butler High making the WPIAL championship game, Brad Wetzel’s club landed a PIAA invite — the Holy Cross recruit will be looking forward to hooping it up against Pine-Richland when Saturday’s opener arrives. Averaging 30 ppg at one point earlier this season, Butler unloaded a 40-point salvo in Latrobe’s regular-season finale, a 10-point victory over Kennedy Catholic.

Eric Dixon, Abington
The burly (6-7, 250) sophomore forward is much more than just a big body in the post. Talented lefty with great hands and feet can knock down the open ‘3’ but much more comfortable working in the post, with an array of moves to get to the bucket and scoring; had 42 points and 23 rebounds in Ghosts’ district semifinal & championship wins.

Robbie Heath, Abington
The Ghosts ‘Wonder from Down Under,’ this Melbourne native -- his father, Robert “Tiger” Heath, was a 1,000-point scorer for Abington in the early 80s before moving to Australia -- has been terrific all postseason. Confident 6-2 lead guard who can get to the hoop; has a nifty floater he utilizes often.

Sam Iorio, Parkland
A tough, sharpshooting 6-6 wing forward, Iorio has been a key part of the Trojans’ attack since his freshman season. Now in his final playoff run for head coach Andy Stephens, the American commit has stepped his game up, scoring 39 points in the district quarterfinals and 28 in the semis before his team lost to Pocono Mt. West in the District 11 final.

Justin Jaworski, Perkiomen Valley
The no-brainer pick for Pioneer Athletic Conference Player of the Year was Perkiomen Valley's two-sport star, who led the conference in receiving yards on the football field and then jumped right on the hardwood to lead the Vikings to a PAC championship. Averages north of 20 ppg due to his sharpshooting ability, but he'll drive it, too.

Terrell Jones, Lower Merion
A lanky, versatile 6-4 wing who does a bit of everything for the Aces, Jones has taken his game to another level of late. Likes to attack the bucket off the bounce in isolation situations, but he's a good passer when he does so to find cutting teammates.

Phil Jurkovec, Pine-Richland
Heading into the WPIAL championship game averaging 17 points per contest, the 6-5 Jurkovec uncorked a double-double (21 points/11 rebounds) as Jeff Ackermann’s once-beaten Rams collared their second straight WPIAL championship with a 72-61 win over Butler. Just a junior, Jurkovec will have another season remaining before heading to Notre Dame to play football.

David Kachelries, Emmaus
The second NJIT commit on the list, Kachelries has been a highlight-reel favorite in the Lehigh Valley since his freshman year. There's certainly some big-city flash in the 6-1 combo guard, who loves the no-look pass and has terrific handles to break down his man and get into the lane.

Matiss Kulackovskis, Archbishop Ryan
In two years at Ryan since coming over from Latvia, Kulackovskis turned from a somewhat-passive Euro big man into a much more aggressive Division I recruit, as he'll play at Bowling Green in the fall. A 6-7 forward, Kulackovskis can definitely shoot it but he's not afraid to take defending bigs off the bounce anymore.

Seth Lundy, Roman Catholic
Division I offers are starting to come in for the 6-5 sophomore -- Temple and Penn State, most recently -- whose older brother is 6-7 Rider senior Xavier Lundy. Seth, who has to play the '4' for Roman, is more of a natural '3' who can play/rebound/score inside but utilizes mismatches to take his defender out on the perimeter and knock down shots.

Naheem McLeod, Plymouth-Whitemarsh
Perhaps the best prospect in the state you’ve never heard of, McLeod went from riding the bench last year to a lynchpin of the Colonials’ success this year. The 7-footer with an even longer wingspan and huge hands is a terrific shot-blocker who cleans up everything around the rim, and is improving his offensive game slowly but surely.

DeShawn Millington, Carlisle
Remarkably innovative every time the basketball is in his hands — a ridiculously nasty crossover just adds to the 6-1 senior’s sense of creativity — Millington is the guy opposing defenses game plan for. Most can’t stop him, however, and that’s when the Thundering Herd is likely to pin up another positive result. Averaging just over 19 points per scrap.

Trevonn Pitts, Cheltenham
Pitts is one of those do-it-all wings whose impact on each game is different from the one before it. He can score, dish, rebound and defend, depending on what head coach
John Timms needs out of him; the 6-3 senior is a terrific athlete who can play above the rim, knock down 3-pointers and guard all five positions on the court.

Stan Scott, Williamsport
Typically counted on to collect 20 or more points, grab at least one handful of rebounds and quite possibly more and locate teammates for additional scores, the 6-4 Scott is truly one of those stat sheet stuffers who must be attended to each time he bounces on the floor. The reigning District 4 Class AAA triple jump champ, the athletic Scott has at least one D-I offer.

Lance Singh, Pocono Mountain West
Just one of several athletic specimens that skipper Brad Pensyl can send on the floor at any particular time, the 6-5 Singh established a Pocono Mountain West single-game record last weekend by pocketing 36 points in the Panthers’ 83-59 conquest of Parkland in the District 11 championship game. Singh also is one of West’s three 1,000-point scorers.

Nick Smith, North Hills
Playing alongside a number of North Hills teammates he’s played alongside since they were in the fourth grade, the 6-1 Smith rolled into the WPIAL tournament averaging 26.5 points per game. Come Saturday, the Indians’ all-time leading scorer and his buddies will take aim at an Allderdice program that last season wheeled to the PIAA Class AAAA title game.

Lonnie Walker, Reading
For the last four years, the town of Reading has flocked to see the transcendent Walker, a 6-5 wing and Miami (Fl.) commit who’s ranked by ESPN as the No. 18 player in the entire senior class. As well-rounded as they come, Walker is a tremendous scorer, passer, rebounder and defender who’s also the heart-and-soul of the Red Knights and a beloved part of the Reading community as well.

Chris Whitaker, Harrisburg
Whether it’s getting to the hoop, sticking back an offensive rebound or thriving in the mid-range game, the 6-3 senior regularly fills it up for Kirk Smallwood’s Cougars. Averaging just south of 20 points per contest, Whitaker brought it in the District 3 championship game, netting 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in an impressive 67-40 dismantling of Hempfield.

Talek Williams, William Allen
We’re convinced that when he was young, Williams underwent an operation to put pogo sticks in his ankles. That’s the only reasonable explanation for how the 6-3 CCSU commit throws down some of the dunks he’s capable of -- when he gets in the open court, there’s no one more entertaining in the state. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLpNfS9ARvU)

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First-Round Schedule (District-Seed in Parenthesis, all games 3/11)

(1-1) Abington vs. (3-6) Central Dauphin East -- Bensalem HS, 4:00 PM
(11-2) Parkland vs. (12-3) Archbishop Ryan -- Freedom HS, 6:00 PM

(3-2) Hempfield vs. (11-3) William Allen -- Warwick HS, 8:00 PM
(4-1) Williamsport vs. (1-7) Penn Wood -- Milton Area HS, 4:30 PM

(12-1) Roman Catholic vs. (1-8) Perkiomen Valley -- St. Joe’s Prep, 5:00 PM
(3-3) Reading vs. (1-5) North Penn -- Kutztown Univ., 4:00 PM

(1-3) Plymouth-Whitemarsh vs. (3-4) Lebanon -- Upper Dublin HS, 4:00 PM
(11-1) Pocono Mountain West vs. (1-9) Lower Merion -- Pleasant Valley HS, 5:30 PM

(3-1) Harrisburg vs. (1-10) Downingtown West -- East Pennsboro HS, 7:30 PM
(1-4) Cheltenham vs. (11-4) Emmaus -- Council Rock South HS, 4:00 PM


(12-2) Lincoln vs. (1-6) Conestoga -- South Philadelphia HS, 5:00 PM
(1-2) Coatesville vs. (3-5) Carlisle -- Spring-Ford HS, 4:00 PM

(6-1) State College vs. (7-4) Woodland Hills -- Bald Eagle Area HS, 5:30 PM
(7-2) Butler vs. (7-5) Canon McMillan -- Baldwin HS, 3:00 PM

(7-1) Pine-Richland vs. (7-6) Latrobe -- Baldwin HS, 6:00 PM
(8-1) Taylor Allderdice vs. (7-3) North Hills -- Obama Academy, 4:00 PM


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