City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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BRYN ATHYN — It took Nolan Waldon less than 10 seconds to set the tone in the fourth quarter of Academy New Church’s Friends Schools League games against Westtown on Thursday evening.

Before the Moose could try to continue the momentum they grabbed at the end of third, Waldon jumped a pass and jetted to the other end for a score. 

While Westtown continued to hang around, ANC held control the rest of the way in a 66-48 victory — Waldon ending the second half the same way he started it with a steal and one-man fastbreak for the final touches of the Lions’ win.

“I just anticipate the pass and get in the gaps, and Coach Kev get on us  in practice about getting in the gaps,” said Waldon, who had four steals in the win. “I just listen to Coach Keve and I just get the steals from that.”

ANC’s victory clinched the Lions’ (17-4, 8-0 FSL) first undefeated seasons in the FSL since 2008 and the top spot in next week’s league tournament.

To go along with four steals in the game, Waldon finished with 14 points and scored 12 of them in the fourth quarter. Sophomore forward Ryan Warren had 19 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore guard Tobe Nwobu added 10 points. Juniors Cam Wallace and Daveyon Lydner scored 11 apiece for the Moose.

The Lions led by as many as 11 in the second quarter before Westtown closed the half on a 13-5 run. ANC got up by nine in the third before Westtown closed the gap to 41-37. Waldon’s play to begin the fourth gave the Lions a six-point cushion. They built that to double digits by the five-minute mark in the fourth and brew the game open in the last two minutes.

“That’s exactly what we were looking for,” senior guard Bahsil Laster said of Waldon’s steal.

ANC finished with one loss against George School in FSL play last season before falling to the Cougars in a tight championship game. The Lions’ last FSL title came in 2009. This was ANC’s first undefeated run in league play since they also won the Friends Schools League title and PAISAA tournament championship in 2008.

The Lions not only went undefeated in their league slate, they also won seven of the eight games by double digits, the exception a 76-72 Saturday afternoon victory over Friends Select on Jan. 13. ANC flexed its muscles in particular this week sandwiching wins over the last two league champions, George School (71-55) and Westtown, around an 85-51 win over Abington Friends.

ANC has won five straight, including eight of its last nine since a Jan. 6 loss to Cristo Rey.

“When we started losing, we started figuring things out,” Waldon said. “Guys weren’t really doing what they were supposed to be doing, so we just had a talk and everyone was on the same page.”

Waldon’s in his second year at ANC. He spent his first two seasons of high school at Bishop McDevitt, a season at Father Judge then arrived in 2022-23 and reclassified to the Class of 2024.

He started in the backcourt alongside Deywilk Tavarez (Delaware State) with the versatile Laster, Jarell Keel (Neumann) and Dior Carter. With Tavarez and Keel playing at the next level, Waldon slid to the point guard role this season. 

“I’m a pass-first guard, so I look for my teammates before I score,” Waldon said. “I’m always thinking about my teammates before myself, and I like to play defense and rebound the ball.”

ANC also added forwards like sophomore Cameron Smith (nine points) and junior Caleb Alston-Nelson (out with concussion) this offseason in addition to a really talented scorer in Nwobu.

Waldon has been essential in helping feed the frontcourt group inside. His improved outside game has also opened things up inside after Laster said things were “packed” down low at times last season and earlier this year. Waldon hit a pair of threes during the 12-point fourth quarter. 

“He brings the element of stretching the floor,” Laster said. “We have a little bigger team than we did last year, so we’re starting to look in the post more, and having him on the floor stretching the floor makes it easier for us … especially because he’s shooting better.”

Waldon’s getting looks at the Division II and III levels, mentioning Washington College as a program that has recruited him hard. 

As one of the two key seniors, he’s focused on guiding the Lions back to the FSL title game this season — and finishing the job for the first time in 15 years.

“Just keep playing the way that we’re playing, play defense, rebound the ball, and make sure everybody eats, everybody gets buckets,” Waldon said of what ANC needs to do.