City of Basketball Love

Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)
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LANGHORNE — It was at a Neshaminy basketball camp in fourth grade that Sean Curley first got to see Nate Townsend and Emeer Coombs on the court, his future teammates doing what they do best. Unfortunately for Curley, they were on opposite sides during that particular camp game. 

“We weren’t on the same team and they were a pain, a pain,” Curley said. “They were annoying to guard. We’re in fourth grade and we’re killing each other. I remember in the car thinking, ‘this team is gonna be good.’” 

Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle knew Townsend even further back, having helped run the annual summer camp for years now that takes place in Gym Number 3, where Neshaminy plays its home games, well before he became head coach in 2016. The faces he saw back then are still around, just a couple years older. He definitely has nostalgic moments remembering his current players as little kids. 

Townsend attended Neshaminy camp before he was even old enough to actually sign up. 

“I've known Nate since kindergarten, even though it (camp) starts at fourth grade he was still able to play with the boys,” Tingle recalled.

“It was always fun being there at such a young age,” Townsend added. “I always looked up to the high schoolers back then.” 

It was those basketball summer camps that served as the springboard for the current Neshaminy boys squad’s evident chemistry, which has given them the confidence and belief that this season can be special. Varsity starters and major contributors like Curley, Townsend, Coombs, and Joey Zack all played together at either Neshaminy basketball summer camp or Maple Point middle school, the largest of three middle schools in the district.

Neshaminy has done well keeping their kids playing and wanting to stay together. It all starts in fourth grade, when students are eligible for the Neshaminy basketball summer camp. The kids then go all the way through middle and high school. 

“I think we’ve done a great job of keeping a lot of our kids here at Neshaminy and [a couple] still making it to D-I, NBA,” Tingle said, referring to the Arcidiacono brothers, Chris and Ryan, who both wore the Neshaminy uniform — but that level of success is the exception, not the rule. “Some kids do leave, but the core of this group chose to stay.” 

Retaining talent when Catholic and boarding school recruiting reach gets wider is not easy for any public school. Townsend nearly became one that got away.  

The 6-2 guard started his freshman year of high school at Conwell-Egan, then returned as a sophomore. Looking back, the junior is happy with his decision and Curley is grateful his wingmate returned to his hometown team. 

“I wanted to be in school with my closest friends,” he said of his decision, which certainly has seemed to pay off. Townsend played major minutes in his first year back at Neshaminy and his influence and importance to the team has only grown. “Finally being able to be a Neshaminy basketball player is a really exciting experience.” 

“Thank god he came here,” Curley said about Townsend. “Thank god, it's so much fun to play with him.”

Neshaminy’s long-building chemistry and pride was on full display Thursday night in their first SOL league game of the season against Pennsbury. Neshaminy led by four going into the final quarter, but pulled away due to Townsend and Curley’s aggressive offense and stout defense. 

Townsend led the way, totaling 22 points and five rebounds in a 55-35 win over their bitter rivals. He took the game into his hands in the fourth quarter. Late in the fourth quarter, with Pennsbury’s top scorer, Ty Kocak (15 pts) in foul trouble, Townsend drove right at Kocak on back-to-back possessions, drawing fouls both times, and hitting all his free throws, putting the game out of reach for the Falcons (0-2, 0-1 SOL Patriot). 

Curley, a team captain who recently tied Neshaminy’s all-time record for 3-pointers in one game (7) during a win over New Foundations Charter, added 15 points and three rebounds. The Division III prospect found ways to score around the rim after his jumper went cold following his noteworthy performance from the prior game. 

The potential damage done by Curley’s shooting prowess created wide open driving lanes for Townsend who made a living by driving aggressively downhill to the cup. 

Once Townsend begins to have his way, Neshaminy’s offense turns into a lot of drive and kick actions that create easy and open looks for Curley, Coombs, and their other guards, like Guy Horton and Ashton Lovelace. 

“I reap the benefits of him going down hill,” Curley said about Townsend’s ability to create open looks. “We all compliment each other so well.” 

“Having that familiarity from last year, playing all the games together, and the offseason,” Tingle said about Curley, Townsend, and the team’s chemistry. “Knowing where each other is going to be all the time, where to pass, and their strengths. They all can attack.” 

After a season-opening loss at home to Conestoga, Neshaminy (2-1, 1-0) wanted to bring the energy and aggressiveness for the matchup vs Pennsbury. Both student sections were large and loud and the gym was energized for the rivalry, no lack of familiarity whatsoever between the two programs.

Tingle, who played at and graduated from Neshaminy, spent part of the fourth quarter coaching his team and the Neshaminy students to get loud. They didn’t need much coaching.

“I’ve hated Pennsbury since I was born,” Curley said with a smile. “My entire family played Pennsbury, and you just hate them.” 

By Quarter
Pennsbury: 10 | 4 | 11 | 10 || 35
Neshaminy: 6 | 14 | 9 | 26 || 55

Scoring
Pennsbury: Kocak 15, Zuckerman 9, Magnan 6, Roccograndi 5
Neshaminy: Townsend 22, Curley 15, Horton 6, Coombs 5, Zack 4, Lovelace 3