City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The Never Forget Classic tipped off the 2024 high school hoops preseason this Saturday, with around 50 area boys and girls’ teams in action between five courts at Competitive Edge Sports and one at Chestnut Hill College.

Here’s who stood out to the CoBL staff in games we attended over the course of the day at both facilities:

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Bella Bacani (2025 | Perkiomen Valley)
The newly-minted Jefferson recruit already looked in midseason form Saturday, displaying the pallet of skills that have made her the Vikings’ floor leader since her freshman year. Bacani shot the ball well, was aggressive defensively and most importantly as a point guard, got the ball inside to her teammates in opportune spots.The 5-foot-7 senior is a gamer, so whether it’s splashing an open triple, crashing in late for an offensive putback or getting hands on the ball, Bacani isn’t going to hesitate to do any of it.

Quinn Boettinger (2025 | Perkiomen Valley)
It took a few minutes for Boettinger to get going, but there wasn’t much that slowed the Navy recruit once she did. The 6-foot-3 forward and Naval Academy commit controlled the low block, displaying some good hands to not only corral but control her teammates’ passes into the post and Boettinger as efficient both ducking to the rim after setting a screen and passing out of the high post.

Devin Booker (2025 | Cristo Rey)
In a high-scoring affair against Archbishop Ryan, Booker played with an unmatched intensity on offense and defense. The explosive athlete displayed some skill as he got to mid-range pull-ups and floaters to give his team a big lead. But Ryan wouldn't quit so Booker didn't let up. He created havoc with splash plays on defense that stifled the Raiders' offense. His grand total of 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks were invaluable in the Blue Pride's victory. 

Fareed Brown & Matthew McField (2026 | Engineering & Sciences)
The E&S backcourt duo combined for 22 points and eight steals in a win over Unionville on Saturday. They both return this season to lead an E&S squad that’s moving up to the Public League ‘A’ Division. Brown (5-7) and McField (5-11) are both speedy guards that like to fling their slight frames around the court, attacking the basket without abandon and flying around the court on the defensive end. 

Tammar Brown (2025 | Rocktop Academy)
The 7-foot forward couldn’t find a way to use his size advantage on the offensive end against an undersized Springside Chestnut Hill Academy squad but his length and mobility defensively were a real eyecatcher. Brown tallied nine points and added six blocks and 10 rebounds. He close space quickly in the halfcourt, turning a few SCHA shots that appeared to be wide open into rejections.

Jeremiah Camara & Weshly Rosario (2027 + 2026 | Reading)
The two-headed monster at point guard provided a steady supply of rim pressure and shotmaking for the Red Knights, but they did it in their own ways. Camara drove to the basket for tough buckets and knocked down some self-created threes. Rosario, the DR-native, drove to collapse the defense and set up his teammates for buckets of their own, in addition to scoring off of two feet. Their combined efforts helped their team split wire-to-wire games versus Friends Central and Cristo Rey. 

Elijah Cline (2025 | Owen J. Roberts)
Cline could be the go-to guy for the Wildcats this season with Luke Fryer (Susquehanna) at the next level. The 6-4 wing/guard put up 18 points, grabbed four rebounds and sprinkled in a pair of steals and an assist in a fun one against Great Valley. He likes to go to a turnaround jumper in the lane, but was even more impressive attacking the basket. The assertiveness and confidence to take over hint at a big jump in his senior season.

Duke Cloran (2025 | Haverford School)
Recently cleared to get back on the court after missing the 2023-24 season due to a torn ACL, the Fords’ rising senior guard looked more and more comfortable back on the court as the Fords’ game against Marple Newtown went on. The 6-2 guard missed a few early shots but then got rolling to finish with 15 points, knocking down a 3-pointer and slicing to the rim on several occasions. He’s still got work to do to get back to his previous quickness level, but it was good see him back producing. 

Jared Dolimpio (2027 | Cumberland Valley)
The sixth man for the District 3 6A champs a year ago, Dolimpio looks ready to be in the starting lineup as a sophomore. The 6-2 guard impressed in a 19-point outing as CV took a high-level Academy New Church squad to overtime in its second game of the day, leading his team in the effort. He knocked down two 3-pointers, got to the line twice (3-4 FT), and was generally efficient from the floor (7-11 FG) against an ANC lineup with a significant size advantage. 

Patrese Feamster (2027 | Friends Central)
A shot creator and shot maker, Feamster scored with precision versus Reading. He got going by finding his spots inside the arc and hitting a bevy of touch shots to pace the Phoenix. Feamster knocked down a couple more middies in the second half, but he truly closed the game out at the free throw line. He shot a perfect 8-for-8 to put down the Knights’ comeback attempt. The 6-3 sophomore finished with an efficient 22 points (10-11 FT).

Luca Foster (2026 | Archbishop Carroll)
Picking up where he left off from his stock-boosting summer, the two-way wing had his fingerprints all over both of Carroll’s matches. Foster assaulted the rim early as a slasher with off-ball cuts and quick decisions off-the-catch. Then on defense, his activity level won out, as he showed the range to clean the glass and alter shots in the paint. Foster followed up a complete floor game against Life Center — 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steals & 3 blocks — with an overwhelming offensive performance versus Marple Newtown — 20 points, 5 rebounds & 1 block. 

Grace Galbavy (2025 | Perkiomen Valley)
Hitting the court for the first time since announcing her commitment to Wake Forest, Galbavy put on two sterling efforts as the Vikings downed Archbishop Carroll and Conestoga. The 6-foot wing showed off her entire arsenal, including one impressive takeover stretch against Carroll that saw her sink back-to-back threes, grab a rebound and push it in transition for a score then dish off an assist the next time down. Defensively, Galbavy was also locked in, guarding a top player on both opposing teams and using her reach to get a hand on a couple of shots in both games. The senior connected on a trio of threes in each game and she not only got to the basket, but had a couple tough finishes for good measure.

Silas Graham (2027 | Haverford School)
Seems like every time we watch the Fords, Graham ends up on one of these lists. The 6-4 sophomore was his usual quality self on Saturday in helping his team to a 25-point win over Marple Newtown, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, and a few other assorted stats. Graham knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers from the left wing on his only two attempts from distance, posted up and scored, knocked down a turnaround mid-range jumper, and generally got to whatever spots he wanted to on the floor, usually looking to make a pass first, with a number of hockey assists. 

Ryanne Jennings (2026 | Conestoga)
The Pioneers’ tired legs caught up to them in a loss to Perk Valley in their second game Saturday but Jennings was really good in their first, a win over Archbishop Carroll. Making the feat a little more impressive was the fact the 5-foot-10 guard, in her first season on the varsity roster for the Pioneers’ strong girls’ soccer program, had played earlier that morning in a 2-1 win over Downingtown West. Against Carroll, Jennings had it all working from the three to the drive, battling down low and even flashing a nice pump-fake that led to a mid-range shot

Hayden Johns (2025 | Perkiomen School)
The ground-and-pound wing put on a clinic playing off of two feet. In wins over Cardinal O'Hara and West Catholic, Johns created space for jumpers with ball fakes and found angles to score inside by creating contact and using pivots. His nuances of skill were what made him successful, constantly playing within himself and applying just the right amount of power or finesse at any given moment. Then, in overtime of the second game, needing just 3 points to win, Johns gave the Panthers 4, scoring the game-winning basket on a spin-move into a layup. 

Owen Kelly (2026 | SCH Academy)
Kelly is going to have to wear a lot of hats for SCHA this season. The 6-5 wing has hints of both guard and forward in his game. He stuffed the statsheet with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in a win over Rocktop Academy. The lefty stepped outside to knock down a pair of threes and even handled the ball at times, looking comfortable surveying the floor. He had to play big though too — making things tough for Rocktop’s 7-foot forward Tammar Brown and picking his spots to attack around the lane.

Saaid Lee (2025 | West Catholic)
No one in the gym was faster end-to-end than Lee and it started on defense. Other guards struggled to get by him thanks to his lateral quickness. Even more so on offense, people had a harder time staying in front of him. Lee got by them off the bounce, tilting the defense with his first step before distributing the ball around to teammates. Most of all, Lee used his speed to pour in a steady stream of buckets, shouldering the responsibility of being the West Catholic’s primary playmaker and go-to scorer. He dropped 20 points and 4 assists in a convincing win over Coatesville. 

Abigail McFilin (2027 | Archbishop Carroll)
McFillin had something going on every time she was on the court Saturday. A super-sub last season, the guard did plenty of everything against Perk Valley and Conestoga from driving to the rim for scores to hitting the glass hard, especially on the offensive end, to putting plenty of energy into her defensive efforts. McFillin brought good energy and that led to plenty of positives for her team.

Khamai Orange (2025 | Delco Christian)
Orange didn’t have his best shooting day as Delco Christian swept past Great Valley in a morning game at Competitive Edge. But the 6-2 lead guard just plays so hard and is always around the ball, and there’s no denying his impact after a 15-point, 15-rebound, five-assist, three-steal effort in the win. Orange showed his finishing flash with a pair of and-ones as he went 6-of-12 from the floor, his misses mostly of the jump shot variety, including a pair from deep. Orange grabbed four offensive boards and was constantly bothering his man on defense, forcing a number of turnovers thanks to quick hands and his ability to gamble slightly for steals and still recover when unsuccessful. 

Henry Person (2025 | Great Valley)
The 6-foot-5 wing showed off quite a few impressive attributes in a win over Owen J. Roberts, tallying 20 points. Pearson has a high arching jump shot he knocks down beyond the arc and in the midrange. He did a really good job finding his way within the offense, moving to open space within the floor and even hanging out in the lane to use his size occasionally. The highlight of his day was a two-handed slam in traffic after a terrific cut to the hoop.

Zaire Smaltz (2025 | Perkiomen School)
Smaltz bet himself when he opted to prep with the Panthers and it looks to be paying early returns. At 6-5, the forward from Allentown brought a combination of physicality and dynamism off of the bench against Cardinal O'Hara. In the first half, he primarily contributed by crashing the boards to eliminate second-chance opportunities for the Lions. Coming out of halftime, he switched gears and began flashing as a play-finisher. Smaltz popped a couple threes, hit a mid-range jumpers, and scored around the basket to tally 13 points and 7 rebounds in the win.

Ryan Warren (2026 | Academy New Church)
ANC went 2-0 on Saturday, beating PJP II and Cumberland Valley, and Warren was at the center of both of them. The 6-7 forward scored 13 points with five rebounds against PJP but really shined in the Lions’ second win, scoring 25 points with three rebounds and three steals against CV. Warren was 10-of-12 from the floor, knocking down a 3-pointer from straightaway; he also showed he can attack the rim off the bounce from the top of the key, and he made some great high-low passes to Smith for layups. 

Nasir Williams (2025 | Coatesville)
New to the program, Williams came off the bench and elevated the Red Raiders to a bounce back win versus Cardinal O'Hara. He made his mark on defense, rather than offense, giving maximum effort at the point of attack all game. But his sense of urgency rose even more in crunch time. Williams started picking up his man 94 feet and didn't let him cross halfcourt. Instead, he generated points off of the turnovers he forced. In the end, he put up 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals. 

Deacon Baratta and Keron Booth (2025, 2027 | Phoenixville)
The duo led Phoenixville to blowout wins over Wissahickon and Bensalem Saturday. The 6-foot-5 Baratta displayed his usual outside shooting, but also an improved physique after an offseason dedicated to weight lifting. He was a force driving toward the basket and had several impressive blocked shots. Just a sophomore, Booth ran the offense efficiently and had total control of the games while also showing off his impressive speed when getting to the rim. 

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Honorable Mention
Blake Adams (2026 | Reading), Nigel Adamson (2026 | Cristo Rey), Su-Meer Alleyne (2025 | Friends Central), Bradford Berwick (2026 | Delco Christian), Asher Bradley (2026 | Perkiomen School), James Brenner (2026 | Unionville), Elijah Brown (2025 | Life Center, N.J.), Larry Brown (2026 | Coatesville), Jayvon Byrd (2027 | West Catholic), KJ Carson (2025 | Haverford School), Dior Carter (2026 | Academy New Church), Drew Corrao (2027 | Archbishop Carroll), Aiden Diehl (2027 | Cumberland Valley), Alexis Eberz (2026 | Archbishop Carroll), Kayla Eberz (2028 | Archbishop Carroll), Amon Fowlkes (2025 | Coatesville), Dylan Gamble (2026 | Haverford School), Matt Gardler (2025 | Marple Newtown), Munir Greig (2027 | Archbishop Carroll), Tony Hartman (2026 | Cardinal O'Hara), Ryan Holmburg (2025 | Owen J. Roberts), Jalyn Hopkins (2026 | West Catholic), Dylan Homenick (2025 | Perkiomen School), Malik Hughes (2026 | Archbishop Ryan), Caleb Jackson (2028 | Cristo Rey), JJ Lebo (2025 | Cumberland Valley), Beau Lyren (2025 | Delco Christian), Grace Miley (2025 | Perk Valley), Olivia Nardi (2025 | Archbishop Carroll), Maggie Neary (2026 | Conestoga), Amir Nelson (2025 | Cristo Rey), Marquis Newson (2027 | Academy New Church), Nigel Pierman (2025 | Friends Central), Mekhi Robertson (2027 | Life Center, N.J.), Sahin Rodriguez (2026 | Engineering & Sciences), Brandon Russell (2025 | Archbishop Ryan), Cameron Smith (2026 | Academy New Church), Kam Waters (2025 | SCH Academy), Kingston Wheatley (2026 | West Catholic), Chris Woodard (2026 | Great Valley), Nico Vacchiano (2026 | Wissahickon)