City of Basketball Love

Michael Bullock (@thebullp_n)
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(Ed. Note: This article originally said Del-Val Charter dropped out of this event voluntarily. It has been re-worked to reflect that change.)

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ALLENTOWN — Always looking to add needed oomph to his remarkably successful basketball program’s non-conference slate, Abington Heights skipper Ken Bianchi rarely passes on an opportunity to hit the road and play some people.

So when the chance to take on a talented Del-Val Charter squad — even if that meant a 90-minute jaunt in a school bus — the Comets obviously said yes.

Problem was since a late schedule change resulted in a youthful Berks Catholic side being added to the three-game event by the Play-by-Play Classics folks operating the Parkland Showcase – for whatever reason – that meant the perennial District 2 big-school hammers were forced to adjust in remarkably quick fashion.

Well, they did.

Although Bianchi’s Comets needed a half or so to figure out Snip Esterly’s struggling Saints, eventually they walked off and headed for the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension for the trip back to suburban Scranton lugging the 51-31 victory they captured in the Parkland High School opener.

Although Bianchi’s Comets needed a half or so to figure out Snip Esterly’s struggling Saints, eventually they walked off and headed for the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension for the trip back to suburban Scranton lugging a 51-31 victory.

Trey Koehler, a 6-4 sophomore with a terrific shooting stroke, pocketed 17 points as Abington Heights (7-1) churned out its fifth consecutive victory. Seth Maxwell chimed in with 12 points, while Jackson Danzig finished with 11 points.

The 7-0 Maxwell also yanked down eight rebounds and blocked nine shots for the Comets — the third-ranked Class 5A side in City of Basketball Love’s latest set of state basketball rankings — who limited Berks Catholic to nine second-half points.

“To begin with, we had no idea what they had because we weren’t supposed to play them,” Bianchi said. “Then it got switched and we just came down on the fly.”

Casey Jack netted 12 points to lead the Saints (1-4), who had played the likes of Pennsbury, Conwell-Egan and York Catholic before meeting Abington Heights.

“He’s a good ballplayer,” Bianchi said of Jack, the youngest of three brothers (Donovon and Connor were the others) to play for Esterly.

“I’m hoping we figure it out sooner than later,” Esterly said. “I think I scheduled too hard for these guys right now. They need a couple wins under their belts and we’ll be fine.

“We’ve played some tough teams.”

Koehler and Jack were tagged their respective teams’ most valuable players.

Holding a 27-22 advantage at the halftime break — Koehler and George Tinsley posted 17 combined points — the Comets opened the third quarter with a 9-0 burst highlighted by Danzig finding Maxwell for a finger roll and an alley-oop flush.

Berks Catholic was able to creep to within 10 points (36-26) with 1:45 remaining in the third on a Luis Garcia stickback — Garcia could not convert the ensuing freebie — but Abington Heights responded by running off eight unanswered points.

“Right now, we’re struggling offensively,” Esterly admitted. “We’re not taking care of the ball and we’re not shooting well at all. The only guy that’s shooting the ball well right now and that’s Casey Jack. He’s just doing too much and he’s getting no help.”

While Maxwell flashed his shooting range by burying a shot from just beyond the foul line and tacked on another finger roll, Koehler’s pilfer and finish punctuated the Comets’ timely 8-0 spurt at the 5:32 mark. By then, Abington Heights led 46-28.

“The big guy played better for me in the second half,” Bianchi said.

Added Esterly: “The big guy gave us trouble.”

Koehler would add six more points as the Comets’ lead reached 20.

Since Maxwell and the 6-5 Danzig are the only starters back from a 23-3 outfit that captured last season’s District 2/4-AAAA championship — and Tinsley’s reputation is growing steadily — Koehler’s going to get his chances to score.

Tinsley finished Tuesday’s game with nine points and seven boards.

“He’s going to get his opportunities and he’s been taking advantage,” Bianchi said of his sophomore wing guard, who also was honored following Abington Heights’ two-point win over La Salle College 10 days earlier at nearby Muhlenberg College.

“He got the MVP the last place we were.”

When he’s connecting from deep, those darts should open up the floor so Maxwell and the 6-5 Tinsley can operate effectively in the painted area.

Diminutive lead guard Tom Rothenberger also understands what his role is and that’s to win the 50-50 stuff on the floor and keep the ball moving. Rothenberger also helped out on the glass, grabbing six caroms.

Since the Comets aren’t all that deep — just yet — everything’s been working thus far. Even if they didn’t know all that much about Esterly’s growing Saints.

“We’re gonna be fine in our division,” Esterly said of the Berks 2 teams the Saints eventually will see. “I love playing competition, but right now this competition is just a little too much for this team. And we’re struggling.”

Conversely, Abington Heights is riding a five-game winning streak.

And, as usual, Bianchi’s club is a legitimate contender to bounce off with a District 2-5A championship and advance to the state playoffs.

“We thought we’d be a better shooting team than last year,” said Bianchi, whose graduation losses included 6-9 power forward Tim Toro and a pair of guards.

“We just don’t have the muscle.”

While they eventually figured out Berks Catholic, they’ll likely figure out a few more folks as they move into Lackawanna League play and beyond.