City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)

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(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 2023-24 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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West Chester Henderon’s boys basketball program endured a long stretch of losing prior to the past two seasons.

The Warriors finished 10-or-more games under .500 for six straight winters, including a pair of one-win campaigns. They were an afterthought in the district and Ches-Mont League … until Connor Fleet and Nyle Ralph-Beyer came along.

The classmates arrived at the varsity level in 2021-22 and helped Henderson to its first district playoff win in 14 years. Then last season as juniors they led the Warriors to the program’s first PIAA state playoff appearance since 2007.

This year, the senior duo wants to leave its mark on a program without much history.

“They had a taste of success,” second-year coach Jason Ritter said. “They know it wasn’t good enough last year, and they’re itching to get back there.”

“Last year, the goal was definitely to win Ches-Monts, which we fell short of, go far in districts and maybe win a state game,” Fleet said. “This year, we have a lot bigger goals, obviously.”

Henderson went 16-12 (8-4 Ches-Mont National) last season and picked up a district playoff win for the second year in a row before falling to eventual District 1-6A runner-up Spring-Ford in the second round. The Warriors won a pair of games in the playback bracket to earn a spot in states and lost to Parkland in just the the third state playoff game in school history.

“It showed us that when the playoffs come, especially states, everything needs to be firing on all cylinders,” Fleet said. “There can’t be any weak links on the team.”

Led by senior guards Fleet (16.6 ppg) and Ralph-Beyer (16.9 ppg), who committed to Sacred Heart earlier this fall, the Warriors are suddenly one of the favorites in District 1 this season. 

In offseason showcases and leagues, they were matched up with teams like Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Carroll and Camden (N.J.), showing how they are thought of by those around the region.

Henderson’s ascension may have surprised the rest of the area, but this senior class has known it had something special brewing for a long time. 

Back in the eighth grade there was no trophy to hold or banner to put up, but Fleet, Ralph-Beyer and their classmates put together an undefeated middle school season that suggested big things were in store in their high school careers. 

“We have tons and tons of seniors who all grow up playing together,” Fleet said.

Along with Fleet and Ralph-Beyer, Nelson Lamizana was the other star of that middle school squad. The 6-foot-7 forward spent last season at Bonner-Prendergast but is back at Henderson this season playing with the kids he’s known since moving into the school district in seventh grade.

“Oh, it changes (our ceiling) for sure, especially with his height and athleticism, because that’s another big man we can use on our team and we definitely have some size,” Ralph-Beyer said of Lamizana.

The Warriors graduated starting guard Kmari Smith and one of their top bench players, Andrew DeLucia. Fleet, Ralph-Beyer, senior 6-3 guard Danny Surowiec and 6-7 forward Evan McFadden all return to the starting lineup. 

Surowiec is an Army baseball commit Ritter calls the “heart of the team.” McFadden is a St. Joseph’s lacrosse recruit who makes his presence felt most in the defensive interior.

“They know their roles, they do it well, they’re unselfish as all hell and they’re willing to let the other stars shine,” Ritter said.

Seniors Jack Bell, Jesse Smith and Graham Dickerson are a few other vets who should help the group this season. Dylan DeLucia and Ryan Ranalli are among the less experienced players who should fight for minutes as well.

Ritter, who coached a Downingtown West squad with multiple D-I players to a Ches-Mont title in 2016, has been in awe of the group’s work ethic.

Along with the three days of scheduled team workouts, Fleet and Ralph-Beyer organized workouts on their off days, guiding the team on hill runs through West Chester at 6 a.m.

“It’s unbelievable,” Ritter said. “I’ve never had a team that’s worked as hard as they have. I’ve never been a part of a team, I’ve never heard a coach talking about their own team working that hard. It’s special. It’s all thanks to them, led by our two seniors.”

Those two seniors know what they’re working for, trying to accomplish things that haven’t been done in a really long time — or ever — at Henderson.

The banner in the gym labeled boys basketball is noticeably bare, with just the year 2007 marking the program’s only Ches–Mont title. That group was halted in the District 1 quarterfinals and first round of the state playoffs.

The 2023-24 squad is eyeing a triple crown, believing the school’s second league championship and first district and state titles are well within reach.

“We definitely want to go as far as we can and hopefully win some championships,” Fleet said. “It’s also about pushing the culture forward after we leave, so the kids younger than us will keep going and won’t drop off after this year.