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PIAA Class 4A: Russell caps Imhotep career with state championship

03/25/2017, 5:00pm EDT
By Josh Verlin

Daron Russell (above) holds the state championship trophy after Imhotep's 80-52 win. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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HERSHEY, Pa. -- There was something missing from Daron Russell’s resumé.

Imhotep Charter’s all-time leading scorer, a Rhode Island commit, had won 96 games in four years in a Panthers’ uniform, spending his freshman year as a key reserve for the Public League powerhouse before three years as one of the city’s top scoring guards. He’d won two Public League championship games, including this year’s, and captured some District 12 hardware this year as well.

But he hadn’t won a state championship. And his only opportunity came on Saturday afternoon, as the Panthers traveled to the GIANT Center to take on Erie’s Strong Vincent HS. Miss out on that, and he’d have to go to college with one notably empty spot in the trophy case. There would be no second chance.

“A lot of people told me that I hadn’t won anything yet,” Russell said.

They certainly can’t say that anymore.

From his first shot, a straightaway 3-pointer that he launched without hesitation and buried in the face of a Strong Vincent defender, Russell showed the several thousand in attendance that he came to play. By the time he walked off the court for the final time, he had 25 points and six steals, and Imhotep ended its championship drought at four years with a 80-52 win over Strong Vincent.

When Russell finally did check out, with just under three minutes remaining, he walked right into the arms of head coach Andre Noble, the emotions finally pouring out as he embraced first his head coach and then his stepfather, Panthers assistant Tahar Sutton, followed by the rest of his teammates.

“I knew I was going to get emotional,” he said. “They mean so much to me and I knew I’m not going to get a chance to play for and with them again.”

The player-coach bond runs deep for Russell and Noble.

They knew each other for years before Russell even came to the school at the corners of 21st and Godfrey, in the Belfield section of North Philadelphia. He’s surpassed expectations every step of the way, going from a projected JV point guard as a freshman to starting varsity by the end of that season, holding onto that role through the remainder of his prep career.

And he’s always been affable on and off the court, with a big smile and engaging personality that’s made it easy for his teammates and classmates to rally around him during his time at Imhotep.

“He’s been just great,” Noble said. “All-time leading scorer, assists, steals, and he’s just a great kid, a great person. Honor roll student and great in our building, he’s just a good kid.

“It’s going to be tough since I’ve known him since he was a little kid, and to see him now, it’s great that our relationship is going to change to being a friend and a mentor, so it’s going to be great to see him go to the next [level],” the 17th-year head coach added.


Russell (above) skies for two of his 25 points in Imhotep's championship win. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

Russell finished with his 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including making four of his eight 3-point attempts. He had 14 of those (and four steals) in the first quarter alone, to help the Panthers out to a 27-11 advantage by the end of the period.

It was never closer than 15 the rest of the way.

“I wanted to win that championship in the first five minutes,” Russell said, “so the plan worked, I guess.”

The state championship was Imhotep’s fifth since 2009 but its first since 2013, the last of a string of three straight -- the AA crown in 2011 and 2012, the AAA title a year later.

Each of the last two seasons, the Panthers (31-2) had lost to Neumann-Goretti in the semifinals of the old AAA tournament. But with the PIAA going from four classes to six, Imhotep found itself in the 4A classification, with Neumann-Goretti in the 3A group, opening up a path to the championship that didn’t involve the Saints.

And so instead of a loss in the state semifinals this time around, Imhotep dominated Greater Nanticoke to set up the championship game against the District 10 champs.

Strong Vincent was led by David Morris, as the Tennessee State signee finished with 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting to close out his prep career with 2,270 points; he’s the only player in Erie County history to surpass the 2,000-point mark.

Aside from Morris, the Colonials (27-4) had a tough time with an imposing Imhotep squad that came in ranked No. 6 in the country by USA Today. A D-I backcourt of Russell and South Carolina pledge David Beatty combined for 44 points, while eight other Panthers chipped in on the scoring column.

The Panthers forced 24 turnovers, which turned into 35 points the other way.

“We’ve done that all year, it’s what’s made us go and get out in transition, and then our guys are able to be special as athletes,” Noble said. “Defense is what separated us, and it starts when you’ve got a good point guard defending.”

Though Russell and Beatty will be playing at the Division I level next year, the cupboard is far from empty for Noble.

A group of six sophomores who all saw playing time on Saturday afternoon will become the featured group for the Panthers next year, and it’s a class with a lot of talent: 6-7 Donte Scott (9 points, 7 rebounds) leads the way, though 6-6 Chareef Knox, 6-6 Jamil Riggins and 6-5 Dhamir Bishop will provide nightmares for Public League opponents and beyond the next two seasons.

“They’ve been waiting for this moment,” Noble said. “They love Dave and Daron, but I’m sure they’re like ‘we win, and they’re gone...now it’s our turn.’ We just hope they keep getting better and do the right work during the offseasons, have good AAU seasons and come back ready to go.”


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