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Prepping for Preps '22-23: Central League (Boys)

12/07/2022, 3:15pm EST
By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)

(Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2022-23 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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The Central League has had one dominant program in recent memory: Lower Merion, which seems to be the favorites year in and year out. The Aces have earned that right in Gregg Downer’s 30-plus years on the Main Line, with a couple state titles and double-digit league championships along the way. Lower Merion’s far from down this season, but there’s a significant challenger to the throne it successfully defended this year, and it’s a school just a few miles down Lancaster Ave. (and, to be specific, over Church Road).

Here’s how we see the Central League shaking out this year:


Senior guard Danny Rosenblum, above, and Radnor are hoping to overtake rival Lower Merion for the Central crown this season. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Predicted Top 4

1. Radnor
2. Lower Merion
3. Garnet Valley
4. Conestoga

Favorites

If there’s “a year” for Radnor basketball, it’s this one. It’s a senior class that came together 10 years ago, when Jackson Hicke’s family moved to Radnor from England, Charlie Thornton’s family moving in from Ohio, bringing two program cornerstones to the Main Line well before they knew it. Now Hicke’s a do-everything 6-foot-5 wing and Princeton commit, Thornton a bouncy 6-4 wing guard, and they’re not all the Raptors have: their classmates include point guard Danny Rosenblum, a University of Rochester commit, plus 6-3 Cooper Mueller, a Princeton lacrosse commit.

With that quartet leading the way, Radnor — which went 23-5 (14-2) last year, losing in the Central League and District 1 5A championship games as well as the PIAA 5A second-round — would already likely have been league favorites. Then this offseason they added one more big piece in 6-7 senior wing Jackson Gaffney, who’d previously been at St. Joe’s Prep. That gives Jamie Chadwin arguably the best starting five anywhere in District 1, with length, athleticism, pace, IQ and shooting ability, plus a few veteran reserves in Michael Savadove, Henry Pierce and Matt Wolfington. This should be the best hoops team Radnor’s ever seen, by a good margin.

Dark Horses

Lower Merion — with a Division I commit — as an underdog, seems like an oxymoron, especially considering it’s rival Radnor they’re the underdogs to, and that they’re coming off a 27-4 (14-2) year. The Aces do have a terrific set of senior guards led by Penn commit Sam Brown, who’s improved his game by leaps and bounds every year, plus fellow returning starter Sam Wright; Justin Poles and Teddy Pendergrass III, two more seniors, should step into larger roles. But LM’s without 6-9 Penn State freshman Demetrius Lilley for the first time in three years, and they’ll miss Jaylen Shippen, Peter Gribbon and Henry Bard, too. 

Garnet Valley returns quite a bit from a team that went 18-12 (10-6) last year, including a strong senior core that’s now in its second year together at the varsity level. Lead guard Max Koehler is committed to D-III York College, and he’s joined by classmates Ryan Faccenda, Nolan Brennan, Drew Van Horn and Logan McKee, who all have been indoctrinated in head coach Mike Brown’s system since their youth years. Key to their success will be how much 6-3 sophomore guard Jake Sniras, already a second-year starter, takes a step forward after flashing some real talent as a freshman.


Marple Newtown Matt Gardler made some big shots as a freshman last season. (Photo: Dan Hilferty/CoBL)

More Players to Watch

Marple Newtown made its run to the PIAA 5A quarterfinals last year thanks to its strong nine-man graduated class, but it does return sophomore guard Matt Gardler, the latest in one of Delco’s most well-known hoops families, plus junior guard P.J. Esposito, a left-handed 3-point specialist. Gardler, a 5-11 sophomore, is a gangly guard with great shooting range, and he’s as competitive as they come.

Haverford High finished 19-8 (13-3) last year and returns a few seniors with experience. Leading the way is Catholic U (D.C.) commit Alex ‘Googie’ Seidman, a 6-2 combo guard who’s also a good outside shooter, and has greatly improved with the ball in his hands over the last couple seasons. Seidman’s going to have support from Brian Wiener, Tommy Wright and Kevin Gannon, all seniors, but he’s going to be the one drawing the most defensive attention.

Conestoga will be led by junior guard Brendan Styer, a 5-11 point guard who’s one of the few returning varsity players for the Pioneers; he’s a good dribble-drive guard and outside shooter who’s also a tough on-ball defender. Inside, bouncy 6-2 forward Abe Dembele is a rebounding specialist and double-double threat, and senior guard Patrick Corr will score in bunches as well.

Upper Darby will be led by senior guard Nadir Myers, who averaged just shy of 20 ppg last year, plus more than three rebounds and three assists per contest; his classmate, senior forward Niymire Brown, averaged 14.2 ppg and 9.8 rpg, though he’s hurt at the start of the season. After that, it’s a lot of new faces, including South Philly transfer Yassir Joyner.

Strath Haven returns two scoring guards with experience in senior Jaden Jauregui (16.9 ppg) and Jack Edwards, whose older brother Luke Edwards starred for Chris Conlan and is now on the roster at Susquehanna. 

Harriton doesn’t have any returning stars, but keep an eye out for a pair of junior guards, Marquis Kubish (7.2 ppg) and Jadyn Gaskins (7.0 ppg), who’s hurt to start the year, while senior point guard Aiden Abrams (4.7 ppg) played for the Maccabi USA 3x3 team which won a gold medal this summer in Israel.

Springfield (Delco.) returns four starters, including two All-Central picks in 6-2 senior guard Michael O’Donnell, a second team selection after averaging 13.5 ppg, and 6-0 senior Michael Hoey, who averaged 8.2 ppg and was an honorable mention. Up front, 6-5 junior Colin Treude gives them some size and averaged 7.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg a year ago.

It’s going to be a rebuilding year for Penncrest, which only has one returning starter in Branden Hemphill, who was a complementary piece a year ago. His younger brother Brett Hemphill is one of several who will have to step up, but Mike Doyle will also have to rely on some freshmen to keep a 15-year district tournament streak alive.

Ridley, which won just two games last year, will rely on senior Seth Sizemore, who averaged 11.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg last year, plus junior point guard Austin McCaughlin, who averaged 7.0 ppg and 4.6 apg as a sophomore.


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