Jaden Workman (above, in Feb.) hit the game-winning layup as Pope John Paul II advanced to the state quarterfinal for the first time. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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All season long, Jaden Workman has been Pope John Paul II’s closer.
The sophomore guard, who doesn’t start for the Golden Panthers but is almost always on the court during end-of-game situations, has been money from the foul line for head coach Brendan Stanton down the stretch, and has displayed poise beyond his underclassman years.
So it wasn’t a surprise when Workman came up with the game-winning layup as Pope John Paul II topped Allentown Central Catholic, 44-42, in a PIAA Class 4A second-round game.
“Going in a lot of the talk going in was how were we going to guard them, and I was thinking about the opposite -- how are they going to guard us if we go small?” Stanton said by phone from the bus ride home. “I trust all the kids to make plays, but I do like it when it gets into Jaden’s hands.”
Workman, a 5-10 guard, scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter. None were bigger than his driving layup in the final 10 seconds. Allentown CC had an opportunity to tie it at the line with 0.2 seconds left, but couldn’t connect.
Jaden Workman ties it but foul called on PJP. Two shots. 44-42 PJP pic.twitter.com/Dz1oGpkNaa
— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) March 10, 2020
With the win, the Golden Panthers (21-6) advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history. It continues the best season in program history at the 10-year-old school, including its first district championship and now third-ever state playoff win.
“We’re a program trying to make our stamp around the area in 4A basketball,” Stanton said. “So tonight was a great opportunity for us to seize the moment, and we did that.”
Junior guard Luke McCarthy led the way with 12 points, including a trio of three-pointers; senior Drew McKeon added nine points while brothers Justin Green and Kevin Green added eight apiece.
As a team, PJP hit eight 3-pointers, but Stanton was more impressed with his team’s output on the other end of the floor. The Golden Panthers clamped down on Vikings’ star Nick Filncher, holding the 6-6 wing forward to eight points, well below his season average.
“It was really defense, they were a lot bigger than us and all our guys played really big,” he said. “We put Justin on (Filchner) the whole game and made his life really, really hard. Probably our best defensive game of the year, we rebounded really well.”
PJP II led 13-8 after one quarter and 20-19 at halftime, then took a three-point lead into the final quarter before holding tough down the stretch. In the quarterfinals, they’ll face the 11-3 seed Tamaqua, which happens to be the same school that ended PJP’s football season in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Even on the bus ride home, the Golden Panthers were already watching film of the Blue Raiders.
“I think the guys are already thinking about that [game],” Stanton said. “Which is good, they’re locked in.”
In other results…
Class 1A
Chester Charter 72, Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg 55
The Sabres certainly aren’t playing like a team that’s in the PIAA state playoffs for the first time ever. Despite being one of the youngest programs in the state at only three years in the PIAA (and one non-PIAA season before that), Dan Spangler’s squad is rolling like a title contender. The Sabres had four in double figures, including senior forward Damir Baez (13), junior guard Davon Stovall (12), junior wing Malik Cook-Stevens (12) and senior guard Saleem Butler (10). They play Southern Fulton, the 5-3 seed and an upset winner over another state title contender in St. John Neumann, on Friday night.
Sankofa Freedom 85, Lancaster Co. Christian 50
CoBL will have full coverage of this game on-site later tonight
Nativity BVM 77, Mt. Calvary Christian 59
Southern Fulton 59, St. John Neumann 57
Berlin Brothersvalley 74, Vincentian Academy 54
Bishop Canevin 40, Cameron County 39
Cornell 53, Elk Co. Catholic 44
Bishop Carroll 52, Shade 51
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Class 4A
Bonner-Prendergast 67, Valley View 33
Bonner's starting lineup of five senior guards got rolling in the second quarter and didn't let up, forcing more than two dozen turnovers in another impressive all-around performance for the Friars. Tyreese Watson busted out for 29 points in a normally-balanced offense, scoring 15 in the third quarter alone. Donovan Rodriguez added nine and Oscar Uduma had seven for Bonner, which had 10 different scorers, getting 18 points off the bench. Bonner gets Harrisburg's Bishop McDevitt in the quarterfinals.
Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg) 58, Archbishop Carroll 49
Pope John Paul II 44, Allentown Central Catholic 42
Imhotep Charter 60, Montoursville 38
Tamaqua Area 72 vs. Susquehanna Twp. 58
Lancaster Catholic 84 Belle Vernon 82 (4OT)
Grove City 45, Highlands 38
Hickory 68, Huntingdon 47
Class 5A
West Chester East 38, Pottsville 35
Senior guard Tym Richardson has always flashed the ability to hit even the most difficult of shots. So with the clock ticking down in a tie game, the ball was in the right hands. Richardon’s 3-pointer from the right wing as the buzzer sounded was the difference-maker in East’s 38-35 win. Richardson finished with 13 points and Delaware-bound star Andrew Carr had 19, 17 of which came in the second half. Pottsville led 19-12 at halftime, but couldn’t contain the Vikings’ attack for 32 minutes.
Tym Richardson with the game winner to send WC East to the 5a State quarterfinals @WCEVikings @WCEastBBall @DLNSports @PeteDLN @PaPrepLive @bbsociety_ @TymRichhhh @apc_andrew pic.twitter.com/YrKVxjbLJt
— Evan Werley (@Ejsteeler87_) March 11, 2020
Archbishop Wood 72 vs. Pittston Area 45
The Vikings didn't struggle too much in advancing to the quarterfinals, opening up a 12-point gap by halftime which became 22 by the end of the third, as John Mosco's group cruised behind four double-digit scorers. Daeshon Shephard had 22, Marcus Randolph 14, Rahsool Diggins and Jaylen Stinson popped in 13 each for Wood, which made it to the state championships last year and now starts five juniors with a banner on their mind. They'll face Dallas in the next round.
Unionville 61, West Chester Rustin 49
Archbishop Ryan 67, Elizabethtown 39
CoBL will have full coverage of this game on-site later tonight
Dallas 78, William Penn (York) 51
Muhlenberg 78, Shippensburg 68
New Oxford 73, York Suburban 48
Milton Hershey 81, Obama Academy 57
Tag(s): Home Boys HS Catholic League (B) Archbishop Carroll Archbishop Ryan Archbishop Wood Bonner-Prendergast Unionville West Chester Rustin Ches-Mont National (B) West Chester East Pac-10 (B) PAC-10 Frontier (B) Pope John Paul II Public League A (B) Sankofa Public League (B) Ches-Mont (B)