City of Basketball Love

By Matt Allibone (@Bad2theAllibone)
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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 2025-26 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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For this team and this season, Jim Donofrio believes directly looking at the big picture is vital. 

And that means keeping the end of March 2026 circled on the calendar.  

It might seem premature to be talking about state championships in November. But for a program with Plymouth Whitemarsh’s history and current crop of talent, it might be the best way to unlock its potential. 

“This team has the chance to be one of the best teams we’ve ever had, and that means state championship-type teams,” Donofrio said. “But that only happens if we really set a goal with the endgame in mind, and only the best teams can say, ‘when’s the last game of the year?’

“I don’t know if we’re worthy of that, but if we don’t think that way we’ll get prematurely happy.” 

Plymouth Whitemarsh reached the District 1 Class 6A title game last season, but lost in the first round of the state tournament. This Colonials team has a long way to go before it can be considered among the best in history for a program that has won three state titles and produced numerous professional players. 

But it’s clear why the Colonials believe winning a PIAA Class 6A title is a realistic goal. They bring back nearly the entire lineup from a team that went 20-9 last season. Their top two players will be playing NCAA Division I basketball and that just scratches the surface of the team’s talent. 

Plymouth Whitemarsh’s seniors have already embraced the huge expectations being placed on them. 

“Those of us returning have grown accustomed to pressure and we’ve learned to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” 6-foot-6 senior Micah Thompson said. “We played a lot of big games last season and have gotten past the point where the pressure is paralyzing us because pressure means we’re doing something right.” 

The headliners in Plymouth Whitemarsh’s lineup are Towson commit Mani Sajid and Penn commit Michael Pereira. A 6–foot-4 wing, Sajid averaged 22 points, three rebounds, three assists last season and racked up scholarship offers from multiple Big Five schools while also earning interest from power conference programs like Pitt and Wake Forest. 

Blessed with incredible length and a smooth jump shot, Sajid can beat teams from the outside and in transition. 

Pereira is a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center who averaged 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last year and could be primed for a bigger season in 2025-26. Donofrio described him as a “beast of a body” and Thompson couldn’t hide his pride when talking about his teammate. 

“I’ve played with Big Mike since we were little kids and it’s just incredible how much he’s grown,” Thompson said. “He takes his development so seriously. Every time I watch him, I think it’s the best I’ve ever seen him play. He just gets better every single day. I can’t wait for the world to see what he can do.” 

Thompson didn’t want to speak about himself much, but Donofrio believes the senior forward will be extremely important to Plymouth Whitemarsh’s success this season. 

A likely recruit at the NCAA Division II or III levels, Thompson is “one of the brightest students in the building with a combination of toughness and high basketball IQ,” according to Donofrio. His ability to guard centers, forwards and wings could be the key to Plymouth Whitemarsh’s defense this season. 

Senior Jack Hayes is a 5-foot-11 point guard with multiple years of varsity experience who Donofrio believes is one of the most underrated players in Pennsylvania. Buddy Denard is a 6-foot junior guard who broke into the starting lineup last season and can share ball-handling duties with Hayes. 

Terron Davis is a 5-foot-10 guard who might come off the bench due to talent around him, but the senior brings “change of gears” speed to the Colonials lineup. Thompson praised 6-foot-4 junior Luca Taormina and 5-foot-10 senior Zhaiden Gray for their improvement this offseason. 

“The thing I’m proudest of about this team is the expectation is, if you’re in the gym you’re working to get better,” Thompson said. “All of our guys have taken their past deficiencies or slights personally this summer and have used that for internal growth. I can’t wait for them to showcase their talent.” 

The biggest benefit of having so much returning talent is the Colonials know how to play with each other. Plymouth Whitemarsh’s offense revolved around Sajid last season, and the Colonials had to learn to embrace their roles while adjusting to the different zone defenses opponents would throw at them. 

Donofrio credited his assistants and former Plymouth Whitemarsh standouts, Vanderbilt alum Chuck Moore and longtime NBA player John Salmons, with fostering a team-first mindset among the most talented players. Thompson said Sajid has become a more “assertive and self-confident leader” over the course of his career. 

“We went through the fire last year and had a lot of hard conversations, and I think we understand what true team is,” Donofrio said. “These kids have so much attention thrown at them and you’ve gotta satisfy their egos while helping them understand if they want to accomplish something, it has to be as a team.” 

Plymouth Whitemarsh will quickly find out how good it is with early-season contests against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Roman Catholic and Archbishop Wood. The Colonials are also playing a holiday tournament in San Diego from Dec. 27 to Dec. 29. 

While Donofrio has been impressed with how his team has played against top competition at offseason showcases like Philly Live, he acknowledged the Colonials will need to prove they can remain consistently motivated throughout the course of the season. 

Plymouth Whitemarsh is likely the favorite for the Suburban One League Crown after losing in the semifinals to Upper Dublin last season, and its seniors are determined to reclaim the district title the program won their freshman year in 2023. But Donofrio has reminded them they can lose to anyone if they get complacent. 

“We definitely need to take things one step at a time, but we can focus on the present and still think about the future,” Thompson said. “We can take the right now for granted if we don’t keep the bigger picture in mind.”