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District 12 3A/4A: Devon Prep boys, Neuman-Goretti girls get on track for states

03/01/2023, 12:30am EST
By Sean Barnard

By Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1)
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WEST PHILADELPHIA — It is a new season but the same goal is in play for Devon Prep. The defending PIAA Class 3A state champs have narrowed their focus on lifting the state championship trophy once again this year even with the sky-high precedent that is already set.

“We don't really talk about it at all, but you can tell that the guys play with a little bit of pressure,” head coach Jason Fisher said. “Which you don't want them to, you want them to just play loose. But today was a good step. Today I thought they played loose.”

Devon Prep put forth a convincing performance by securing an 87-71 victory over SLA Beeber in Tuesday’s District 12 Class 3A third place game at West Philadelphia High School. The Tide locked up the third seed in the state tournament, which is sure to hold some extra importance after an underwhelming season. The Rockets enter the PIAA Class 3A tournament, which begins March 11, as the fourth seed from District 12.

The gauntlet that is the Catholic League gave Devon Prep some issues this season. The Tide entered the matchup with SLA Beeber with a 10-12 overall record and going just 3-10 in Catholic League play. Riding a six game losing streak coming into Tuesday and with two full weeks off since its last game of the regular season, a 63-40 Feb. 12 loss to West Catholic, Devon Prep came out ready to make a statement. The time off, which is rare in the midst of the stress of a high school season, was also a moment to reevaluate and reorganize for The Tide. 

“We had several good days of practice working on what we need to do to win another state championship,” senior Jacen Holloway said.


Devon Prep senior Jacen Holloway, above, scored 29 points in Tuesday's win over SLA-Beeber. (Photo: Josh Velrin/CoBL File)

The preparation paid off as Devon Prep leaped out to an early lead and managed to keep SLA Beeber at an arm's length throughout. The lead reached double digits in the second quarter and never returned, despite a few sparks of a comeback that were quickly stomped out.

The game was blown open in the third quarter with Holloway making his presence felt in the post. The 6-foot-4 forward increased his physicality and Beeber had no answer. Holloway scored 15 points in the third quarter alone, doing the bulk of his damage around the rim and finishing with 29 points in total.

I think that’s one of my strong suits,” Holloway said. “Just being strong, physical because I don’t think anybody can stop me down there.”

It was far from a one-man show as Devon Prep dove notably deeper into its bench than usual. It felt as if every timeout there were fresh legs coming onto the court with eight different players adding points in the victory. 

“We're trying to get guys ready for the state tournament,” Fisher said. “So we wanted to experiment with the different lineups and different combinations of guys out there. So yeah, we rotated, probably had eight or nine guys play today, which hopefully we can continue with that in the state tournament.”

Much of this Devon Prep core has been together from far before high school. Junior Ty Mishock has played with Holloway since the two were about eight years old. Mishock ended with 12 points of his own in the victory. Senior Lucas Orchard, who added eight points of his own in Tuesday’s matchup, began playing with the two when they were about 12. The familiarity between this core has not stopped the new pieces from fitting in. 

“We grew like family once I met them,” Halloway said of the younger players.

One of the new pieces that stepped up was sophomore Zane Conlon, who added 15 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Senior Tyler Scarpulla also added 10 points in the fourth quarter to help put the nail in the coffin of the victory. 

Senior guard Maki Pettigrew scored 19 points and knocked down four three-pointers to lead SLA Beeber in scoring. Jahad Marable scored 16 points, while Michael Brady added 12 of his own. Despite several spurts where the team looked to be picking up momentum, the Rockets were unable to cut the deficit to smaller than double-digits following a brief first-quarter lead. 

Devon Prep will now lock in on the state tournament, which brought it success last season. The Tide has another 10-day break to continue fine-tuning its game and finalizing its rotation. With the season winding down and no more room for error, there is some confidence within the locker room.

“Be on the lookout for us,” Hollaway said when asked for his message heading into states.

By Quarter

DP: 19 | 22 | 23 | 23 || 87

SB: 11 | 15 | 18 | 27 || 71

Scoring

DP: Holloway 29, Conlon 15, Mishack 12, Scarpulla 10, Orchard 8, Costello 6, Doyle 5, Craft 2

SB: Pettigrew 19, Marable 16, Brady 12, Dia 11, Jamalladdin 8, Briggs 3, Hightower 2

Shooting

DP: 32-57 FGA (5-19 3PA), 18-23 FTA

SB: 24-57 FGA (10-22 3PA), 13-20 FTA

~~~

Neumann-Goretti Girls Cruise to Convincing Win 

The PCL quarterfinal loss at the hands of Archbishop Carroll left Nuemann-Goretti hungry for revenge. However, with the Patriots in a different classification, there was no way to get it in the District 12 or PIAA postseason. 

Unfortunately for Engineering & Sciences, that meant it was the victim that stood in the way of a fired up Saints team in Tuesday's District 12-4A third place game. 

“I think we’re ready to win this championship now,” head coach Andrea Peterson said. “Only thing you can do now is go out and win states. You can’t look back, you can’t do anything in the past. We can just continue to get better and now our mind is set on winning a state championship.”

The Saints showed this motivation in their play and put forth a dominant 70-33 victory. They leaped to a double-digit lead after the first quarter and never allowed E&S a chance to get back in it. As usual, they were led in scoring by their dynamic sophomore backcourt of Carryn Easley and Amya Scott, who combined for 48 points.

“They’re tremendous, " Peterson said of the backcourt duo. “They lead our team, and it’s bright for the future.”

Easley led all scorers in the matchup with 25 points. Scott was right behind her with 23 points of her own and some clear chemistry showing in the duo’s play. They caused nightmares for the opposing backcourt with their full-court press and this effective defense allowed them to get out in transition for some easy baskets. 

Their continued high-level play also earned both guards first team All-Catholic League honors as voted on by the league’s 11 coaches. This honor has also brought some energy and motivation across the rest of the Neumann-Goretti program. 

“I think the rest of the team, they feed off it,” Peterson said. “Carryn and Amya kinda handle the load for us, but it means that everyone has to do their part. So everyone knows that. … We’re a family here so they understand that like those two got first-team All-Catholic, they’re gonna work harder and push everybody else.”

The Saints’ youthful roster also provides a positive outlook for Neumann-Goretti moving forward. In the short-term they will focus on their state title run and build off Tuesday’s massive victory. However, they will continue to be a team to watch moving forward and looking ahead. 

“Most of the time I start two freshmen, two sophomores, and a senior, " Peterson said. “So we’re very, very young. Sometimes you take that curve of a year where it’s a learning year and then next year when they’re juniors when they’re already averaging 15-20, they can only get better from here. It can only make us better in the future.”

By Quarter

N-G: 17 | 33 | 12 | 8 || 70

E&S: 6 | 7 | 11 | 9 || 33

Scoring

N-G: Easley 25, Scott 23, Hackney 8, Tyler 7, Berry 4, Murphy 3

E&S: Bonds 19, Hoarn 5, Zepp 4, Brown 3, Jamaladdin 2


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