Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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WARMINSTER >> Brady MacAdams has been beyond clutch over the past week for Archbishop Wood.
The junior wing nailed a game-winning three at the buzzer against Erie Cathedral Prep to win the Burger King Classic last Saturday, then one-upped himself back home Friday night. With the Vikings still chasing their first positive result in the Philadelphia Catholic League this season and trailing a rising Cardinal O’Hara side late, MacAdams tapped into the clutch gene again.
MacAdams sank a pair of fourth quarter threes, including the go-ahead look, as Wood rallied past the Lions 51-48 for that elusive first PCL win.
“This one was super important for us,” MacAdams said. “We came off some tough losses, we played good teams, but we’re starting to get a little bit of a win streak and we’re moving forward.”
Jaydn Jenkins was a major presence for Archbishop Wood, pulling in 11 rebounds and blocking seven shots. (CoBL Photo/Mark Jordan)
Injuries have ravaged the Vikings’ lineup, with senior wing Milan Dean and freshman point guard Rowan Phillips out, forcing plenty of players into larger roles by necessity. That includes MacAdams, who figured to be a prominent piece in coach John Mosco’s rotation anyway but has now taken on a role as a lead scoring option.
“He’s playing with new guys,” Mosco said. “We lose (Dean), who’s our tough leader."
Luckily for the Vikings, it’s a role MacAdams spent the summer preparing himself for. Last season, MacAdams was known primarily as a floor-spacing shooter playing off the Vikings’ bench.
Playing with Philly Revolution this summer, he worked to accent that skill with an ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. As his slam dunk proved, MacAdams is a good athlete as well, so he’s trying to employ all facets of his game at more consistent level now that he’s taken on more responsibilities this season.
“I had to be better on defense,” MacAdams said. “Offensively, scoring, I definitely had to pick it up a little bit.
“I have great teammates, they help me out a lot and give me the ball. I put in a lot of work over the summer and I’ve changed my game.”
MacAdams, who had scored 26 points in a loss to Devon Prep last week and 22 in the win over Cathedral Prep, didn’t have to do it alone on Friday. Caleb Lundy led Wood with 13 points and had the assist on MacAdams’ go-ahead three while senior Karon Shedrick and freshman Dylan Powell gave a needed lift off the bench.
Sophomore Jaydn Jenkins also had a noticeable impact on the game. The 6-foot-9 forward blocked seven shots, altered several others and pulled in 11 rebounds including a rather important board off a missed free throw in the fourth quarter just before MacAdams’ second three.
“Karon’s a football player, he hadn’t played all year but he’s a senior and we gave him a chance and he just brings a spark of energy,” Mosco said. “Jaydn just controls the paint, 11 rebounds, seven blocks. We gotta get him some more touches.”
Archbishop Wood's Brady MacAdams hit back-to-back threes, including the go-ahead look, as the Vikings got their first PCL win of the season. (CoBL Photo/Mark Jordan)
Cardinal O’Hara came out firing, the Lions ripping off a 7-0 run to open the game in the first two minutes. Wood answered with the next 12 points, all of them coming from Lundy or Mike Green, and MacAdams’ first hoop sent the Vikings to the second quarter with a narrow 14-13 lead.
A 6-0 run by Wood, punctuated by MacAdams punctuating a slam over a defender, jumpstarted an overall 13-3 run that put the hosts ahead 26-18. MacAdams explained the dunk, which the junior put down emphatically one-handed with his right, as a necessity due to an earlier foiled attempt to score.
“He blocked me on a play before so I realized I had to dunk on him,” MacAdams said. “That was the only way I was going to get through him, he was tall and long, a good shot-blocker so I had to go through him.”
Despite trailing 30-21 at the half, the Lions roared back to open the third quarter. O’Hara started the third the same as the first, putting together a 7-0 run to get within a score then after Shedrick hit a three, the Lions scored the next seven points again.
Malik Brown scored late in the third and again to open the fourth to tie the game 39-39 before Kaleb Hargrove gave O’Hara its first lead since early in the second quarter with 6:34 to play.
“We haven’t been playing consistently for four quarters, we tried to get on them at halftime but they didn’t pay attention to it,” Mosco said. “We start the (third) quarter out trying to get Brady going and instead he gets his third foul and little things that didn’t work. (O’Hara) is a good team, they tried to hold the ball and we’re not really good chasing and pressuring then Dylan Powell came in and made a couple steals and a couple good passes, he’s a young kid.”
O’Hara had taken a 46-41 lead on a floater by Kahseem Bronzell and a three from Milak Myatt - who led the Lions with 12 points - with 4:36 left, then after a Wood turnover with 4:24 to go, ran off a few minutes of clock. Powell was able to create a steal, the Lions fouling but on the reset, Green found MacAdams for his first trey to cut the lead to 46-41 with 1:43 to go.
MacAdams isn’t the first big-shot maker in his family. His older brother Collin was a standout at CB West then at IUP and Brady said his brother has been a constant source of encouragement and motivation.
The junior, who said he’s heard from a few Ivy League and Patriot League programs, stayed ready in the fourth even when it looked like things might have gotten away from the Vikings again. So when Cardinal O’Hara came up empty on a trip to the foul line with 1:11 left and Lundy found him on the wing, MacAdams cashed in again for the go-ahead three.
“They were guarding me pretty tough, so I realized I had to go make something happen at the end of the game,” MacAdams said. “I wanted to win the game, that’s it.”
Mosco and MacAdams agreed getting away to Erie last weekend greatly benefitted the team. Not only did Wood pick up a pair of quality wins and win a tournament, they didn’t have to worry about the PCL standings or their record and instead spent the time together.
It also put MacAdams in position to play the role of hero, one the junior gladly seized when he sank a deep three at the buzzer to beat Cathedral Prep.
“That was probably my favorite Wood moment so far in my career,” MacAdams said. “We needed those wins, needed something to pick us up and get us started.”
By Quarter
AW: 14 | 16 | 9 | 12 || 51
CO: 13 | 8 | 16 | 11 || 48
Scoring
AW: Caleb Lundy 13, Brady MacAdams 10, Mike Green 10, Karon Shedrick 6, Dylan Powell 5, Jaydn Jenkins 4, Brian Donohue 3
CO: Milak Myatt 12, Kahseem Bronzell 10, Malik Brown 9, Tygee Clark 7, Jack Quinn 6, Edwin Ujor 4
Tag(s): Home High School Andrew Robinson Boys HS Catholic League (B) Archbishop Wood Cardinal O'Hara