City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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More than 70 local boys and girls basketball players in action this season joined the 1,000-point club this season or last. Here’s three of their stories followed by the complete list of the 2023-24 area 1,000-point club:

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Neshaminy’s Townsend reaches 1K in final game

Neshaminy senior Nate Townsend saw his high school career come to a bittersweet end two weeks ago. Townsend entered the opening round of the district playoffs against Conestoga needing 10 points to join the 1,000-point club.

He got there, scoring 10 of his team’s points in a 53-19 loss that ended his team’s season.

“It was mixed emotions,” Townsend said.

While the merits of his achievement didn’t quite hit Townsend right away, an achievement award from PA state senator Frank Farry earlier this week helped put the accomplishment into focus.

He’s just the sixth player in the program’s 74-year history to achieve the milestone.

“I’m really proud of myself and blessed to have everyone in my corner as well,” Townsend said.

Nate Townsend and his Neshaminy teammates celebrate his 1,000th career point. (Photo: Courtesy Nate Townsend)

Townsend started his high school career at Conwell-Egan, where he scored 26 points as a freshman. The rest of his buckets have come at Neshaminy.

He and classmate Emeer Coombs were the team’s leaders this season. Townsend led the team in scoring in each of the past two seasons, earning first team All-SOL Patriot honors two seasons in a row. But he describes himself as a “pass-first type of guard,” also leading the team in assists for three straight years.

He’ll continue and try to blend both skills when he continues his hoops career at Penn State-Harrisburg next season.

“Definitely just the IQ part of the game,” Townsend said of what stuck out to the PSU-Harrisburg coaches. “My perspective, I’m really smart about the game, knowing where the ball needs to go, knowing the plays, being the leader on the court.”

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Xola Wade sets standard at ANC
Even with teams knowing they needed to stop her, they couldn’t.

Despite facing Box-and-1s and face guards, Academy New Church Xola Wade senior put up another big year this season, averaging 18.6 ppg, 3.0 apg, 5.0 rpg and 3.3 spg and made some history in the process.

Wade finished her career with 1,064 points, the most in program history. She became the first ANC player to reach the 1K milestone Jan. 30 in the second to last game of the regular season with a big game against Abington Friends.

“It became a goal this year,” Wade said. “It was very exciting. I didn’t think I was going to reach it that game yet, so it was a surprise.”

The Lions didn’t play during Wade’s freshman season, but she’s been the team’s go-to player since her sophomore campaign. Led by Wade, ANC went 16-6 this season and finished third in the Friends Schools League this season, highlighted by an upset win over George School. 

The 5-foot-6 guard’s strength has always been her ability to drive to the basket and her “determination”. She added in a midrange jumper this season to give her another weapon.

“I’ve kind of always been a scorer,” Wade said. “I just got more confident in what I do, so it grew through the years.”

Wade wants to continue to keep playing, though she’s not sure where yet. When she comes back to visit from wherever that may be next winter, there will hopefully be a banner with her name on it in the gym with her name on it.

“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Wade said. 

“That’ll be cool.”

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Walsh finishes career strong at Jenkintown

Jenkintown senior Tommy Walsh knew this school year would be his last playing organized sports. With still one more season to go, he’s already made it one to remember.

Walsh, an all-league soccer, basketball and baseball player for the Drakes, added 1,000-point scorer to his list of accomplishments with a career night against Lehigh Valley on Feb. 6.

He only needed one point to reach 1,000 but hit his first shot from deep and went off for a career high 32 points.

“It was a big accomplishment,” Walsh said. “Thinking about all the hours I put in, it meant a lot for me.”

Jenkintown senior Tommy Walsh, center, and his teammates celebrate his 1,000th career point. (Photo: Courtesy Drakes Hoops)

Walsh was a second team All-Bicentennial Athletic League third baseman last spring. He was a first team All-BAL goalkeeper in soccer this fall. The 6-foot-1 forward, nicknamed “Baby Shaq” by his AAU teammates, added first team All-BAL honors on the hardwood for Jenkintown this winter.

Walsh was a three-year starter on the hoops team. Along with becoming the program’s seventh 1,000-point scorer, he is also the program’s all-time leading rebounder — unafraid to battle down low with those taller than him.

“I’m a shooter, but I’m a post-up player too,” Walsh said. “Like a Kevin Love-type thing. Spot-up threes, off the dribble three or post-ups.”

Walsh is going to play shortstop for the Drakes this spring. Then he will attend Penn State University this fall. 

“I guess in college I’m going to figure out a way to stay in shape and do something fun,” Walsh said. “I’m going to be playing pick-up. I’m going to try out for my club team, if not I’ll play intramural with my friends and my buds that I get down there.”

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2023-24 CoBL-Area 1,000-point club
Boys

*Jalil Bethea, Sr., Archbishop Wood
Cam Burns, Sr., Springside Chestnut Hill Acad.
Devin Booker, Jr., Cristo Rey
Torrey Brooks, So., Neumann-Goretti
Aasim “Flash” Burton, Sr., Cardinal O’Hara
Zach Campbell, Sr., Dobbins Tech
KJ Cochran, Jr., Perkiomen School
Jaden Colzie, Sr., Plymouth Whitemarsh
Jake Cummiskey, Sr., CB East
*Jordan Dill, So., Germantown Friends
Connor Fleet, Sr., West Chester Henderson
Donovan Fromhartz, Jr., Downingtown West
Luke Fryer, Sr., Owen J. Roberts
Matt Gardler, Jr., Marple Newtown
Matt Gilhool, Jr., Penn Charter
Josiah Hutson, Jr., Cheltenham
Joell Idrovo, Sr., Solebury School
Bahsil Laster, Sr., Academy New Church
Jeremiah Lee, Sr., Abington
*Kevin McCarthy, Sr., Episcopal Academy
Jaron McKie, Jr., St. Joe’s Prep
Kirby Mooney, Sr., William Tennent
Jacob Nguyen, Jr., Spring-Ford
*Ahmad Nowell, Sr., Imhotep Charter
Tobe Nwobu, So., Academy New Church
Nyle Ralph-Beyer, Sr., West Chester Henderson
Bryce Rollerson, Jr., Germantown Academy
Kevin Rucker, Sr., Bonner-Prengergast
Julian Sadler, Sr., Perkiomen Valley
Tyler Simpson, Jr., Solebury School
Thomas Sorber, Sr., Archbishop Ryan
Jake Sniras, Jr., Garnet Valley
Nate Townsend, Sr., Neshaminy
Dom Vacchiano, Sr, Wissahickon
Cameron Wallce, Jr., Westtown
Tommy Walsh, Sr., Jenkintown
Darren Williams, Sr., Archbishop Ryan
Ryan Williams, Sr., Malvern Prep 

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Girls

Haylie Adamski, Jr., Garnet Valley
*Anna Azzara, Sr., Spring-Ford
Anna Barry, Sr., Central Bucks East
Nal’la Bennett, Jr., Friends’ Central
Kaylinn Bethea, Jr., Penn Charter
Quinn Boettinger, Jr., Perkiomen Valley
Izzy Casey, Sr., Germantown Academy
Savannah Curry, Sr., Westtown
Whitney Evans, Sr., West Chester Henderson
Grace Galbavy, Jr., Perkiomen Valley
Logyn Greer, Jr., Friends’ Central
Holly Gohl, Sr., Upper Moreland
Jocelyn Goldstein, Jr., Masterman
Amber Howard, Sr., Bensalem
Lola Ibarrondo, Sr., Neshaminy
Olivia Jones, Jr., Westtown
Amy Ngo, Sr., Upper Dublin
Senaya Parker, Jr., Audenried
Lauren Patnode, Sr., Perkiomen School
Ava Renninger, Sr., Archbishop Wood
Molly Rullo, Jr., Cardinal O’Hara 
*Shayla Smith, Jr., Audenried
Caleigh Sperling, Sr., North Penn
Sofia Vitucci, Sr., Pennsbury
Xola Wade, Sr., Academy New Church
Brooke Wilson, Sr., Archbishop Carroll
Reese Zemitis, Sr., Neshaminy

* = Accomplished last season

Please let us know if there are any omissions we need to add!