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District 1 6A: Quarterfinal Preview (Feb. 24)

02/23/2017, 12:00pm EST
By Josh Verlin

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The District 1 6A field is narrowing oh-so-quickly.

Eight teams have already punched PIAA state tournament berths, as well as a spot in Friday night’s quarterfinals. The octet they beat on Tuesday night are still alive, though much closer to the edge; they’re in single-elimination play, with the final two teams grabbing two more state tourney spots.

Here’s a look at the four quarterfinal matchups, followed by a quicker peek at the four playback games:


Jack Clark (above) and Cheltenham have qualified for the PIAA state tournament for the first time in 11 years. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

1) Perkiomen Valley vs. 8) Cheltenham
It’s been a season of firsts for Perkiomen Valley, which hosted the first district playoff game in school history, and won it, capturing its first-ever state playoff berth. Now the Vikings (22-3) have a chance to move onto the district semifinals for the first time, with a game at Temple’s Liacouras Center certainly going to bring the biggest crowd Mike Poysden’s bunch has ever played against. But they’re facing a Cheltenham squad with revenge on its mind -- last year, the Panthers’ season ended in the first round of the district playoffs at the hands of these same Vikings.

Cheltenham (18-5) is a much different squad from a year ago, having graduated a class of 10 seniors that included four starters and several key reserves; still, the program qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2006. The only starter back is Trevonn Pitts, an athletic 6-3 senior wing and defensive priority No. 1 for a Perk Valley squad that while not totally undersized, doesn’t quite have anybody with the strength, size and mobility of Pitts. The Vikings answer with a star of their own in Justin Jaworski, the shoo-in for PAC Player of the Year; the 5-11 guard with several Division II offers (and burgeoning Division I interest) poured it on with 34 points in the second-round win over Garnet Valley.

But while those two are sure to light it up, both teams have strong supporting casts, and it’s whichever group steps up collectively that’s going to find itself playing on the big stage. Perkiomen Valley features 6-5 senior Hogan Millheim in the middle plus a smart, savvy group of guards that includes senior Sean Owens, junior Andrew Light and sophomore Tyler Stretchay, one of the brighter underclassmen in the PAC. Cheltenham counters with a guard-heavy group featuring juniors Jack Clark, Ahmad Bickley and Rodney Carson; sophomore forward Kyin Healy also stepped up in the second round with four blocks.

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Coatesville coach Chuck Moore (above) has guided the Raiders to back-to-back Ches-Mont championships. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

4) Coatesville vs. 5) North Penn
Coatesville proved it was the class of Ches-Mont League when it counted this year, winning the league championship last week and then dispatching league rival Downingtown West in the second round of the district tournament to set up a conference champion matchup. North Penn (19-5) is enjoying its best season in recent memory, winning the Suburban One Continental title outright for the first time since joining the league late last decade, though the Knights fell short to Abington in the SOL tournament semifinals. They’ve looked good in districts thus far, downing Hatboro-Horsham 55-45 in the second round.

Chuck Moore’s Red Raiders (21-4) have ripped off eight straight wins and are victorious in 14 of their last 15, a testament to a young group that’s developed throughout the course of the season. Seniors Kamau Brickus and Hassan Young and junior Tyrel Bladen lead the way, but Coatesville gets a ton of production from its freshmen guards Jhamir Brickus and DaPree Bryant, a pair of cousins -- Kamau Brickus is also included in that familial connection -- who have have fit right into Moore’s in-your-face, high-energy defensive system while also keeping the offensive flow going.

North Penn shouldn’t be bothered too much by Coatesville’s toughness, as the Knights feature several big-time athletes who are stars in other sports. Seniors Ricky Johns (6-4) and Reece Udinski (6-5) are headed to West Virginia and VMI, respectively, for their abilities on the football field, but both are terrific inside-out scorers who can handle the ball as well. They’re only part of a large group that also features David Giuliani, a 6-5 forward and D-II Merrimack (Mass.) commit, plus 6-4 wing Lance Ford and 6-5 senior Derek Heiserman. In the backcourt, sophomore A.J. Mitchell, a two-year varsity contributor, runs point for head coach John Conrad.

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Charlie Martin (above) and Conestoga lost in the district quarterfinals each of the last two years. (Photo: Mark Jordan/CoBL)

2) Plymouth-Whitemarsh vs. 7) Conestoga
How upset was Conestoga about losing to Strath Haven in the Central League semifinals? Mike Troy’s Pioneers (19-5), playing on nine days’ rest, laid waste to Lower Merion in a 77-57 second-round win, getting the Pioneers a date with the defending district champions. Though it was called the AAAA division when P-W won it all a year ago, behind current Rider freshman Xzavier Malone and a strong group of seniors, there’s no doubt this is the title that Jim Donofrio’s Colonials (21-4) currently lay claim to. But the road to repeat is tough, beginning Friday night.

The last two years, Conestoga had a similar path in districts, getting to the quarterfinal round before losing its next three to wind up as the 1-8 seed; that put the Pioneers in a tough first-round state matchup against Parkland. A win this time around -- their first in the district quarters since 2014 -- would put ‘Stoga into the top four, and earn them a much easier first-round state game, and this is a group that’s been here before. Seniors Charlie Martin (6-4), Scott Shapiro (6-1) and Angus Mayock (6-5) give Troy a versatile trio that he can go to, while sophomore point guard Zach Lezanic has Division I potential; Milton Robinson and Charlie Schappel provide quality minutes off the bench.

That depth will come in handy against a Colonials squad that loves to push the tempo, even with junior guard Ahmin Williams sidelined due to a broken foot. That leaves his twin brother, Ahmad Williams, as P-W’s energetic leader, though he’s got help to lean on; seniors Cheo Houston and Ish Horn are both capable scorers from outside and in, though it’s fellow senior Matt Walker who’s the designated 3-point specialist. What really makes them special is 7-foot sophomore Naheem McLeod; if Conestoga can’t find a way to neutralize his impact, it’ll be a long evening inside.

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3) Abington vs. 11) Penn Wood
There was one solitary upset in the second round, pulled off by Penn Wood, who traveled all the way up to Fairless Hills to knock off Pennsbury. It's perhaps not that surprising, considering this is a Patriots squad that took home the Del-Val League championship, beating out the likes of Chester and Academy Park along the way, and though it's a first-year head coach in Matt Lindeman, he's got a great group of seniors to rely upon, and they're clicking like a group who's played together for so long should. But now they have to prove themselves against an Abington squad that's been dreaming of district and state championships all season long, against a program that's just two years removed from a District 1 AAAA championship of its own.

Junior point guard Robbie Heath is the Ghosts' only returning starter form that district championship, and the 6-2 Australia native has gone from reliable role player to one of two dominant offensive players for Abington (21-4); sophomore Eric Dixon (6-7, 250) is a terrifically skilled left-hander with a bevy of post moves who can also knock down a jump shot. When that tandem is rolling, that opens things up for the rest of the team, including 6-8 senior Joseph O'Brien, 6-6 senior Eric Dougherty and 6-5 sophomore Lucas Monroe, another promising youngster. It's size that few teams in the region can match, so Penn Wood will have to counter with its variety of perimeter options.

Point guard Kairi Jones is the engine that runs the Penn Wood train, though he's not often the team's leading scorer; that honor rotates amongst fellow seniors Javon Lindsay-Terrell, Vincent Smalls, Pernell Ghee and others -- including junior Sharif Goff, who had 18 points against Pennsbury -- depending on the night. Unlike Abington, which can rely on two or three players to carry a bulk of the scoring, Penn Wood's strength is the sum of the parts; they need to limit turnovers, move the ball and take advantage of every opportunity to beat the Suburban One League champs on the road.

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Spring-Ford's Ryan Fitzpatrick (13) had 25 points in the Rams' second-round loss. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Playback Round:

9) Spring-Ford vs. 16) Garnet Valley
After taking Pioneer Athletic Conference champs Perk Valley to overtime before falling short, Garnet Valley gets to travel to the PAC runner-up to keep its season alive. Spring-Ford gave Cheltenham a good scare for 30 minutes before fading down the stretch, but the Rams (18-8) showed their offensive potency, as senior Ryan Fitzpatrick went off for 25 points. Garnet Valley (15-9) is led by the two-man show of junior Austin Laughlin and senior Brandon Starr, who combined for 40 points in the loss to PV; when everything’s clicking, junior guard Connor O’Brien and sophomore big man Cade Brennan are getting double-digits as well.

13) Downingtown West vs. 21) Hatboro-Horsham
This is familiar territory for Downingtown West (15-9), which lost in the second round of the district tournament each of the last two years; the Whippets were able to survive two play-back games to earn a state spot in 2015, but fell one win short a year ago. This time, they’ll start off against a Hatboro squad that’s coming off a state tournament appearance of its own, as the Hatters (13-11) used the playback route last year. Both teams are senior-laden, with the Hatters’ offense focused around sharpshooting 6-10 Indiana commit Clifton Moore and explosive 6-3 guard Jay Davis, while the Downingtown West attack is based off 6-7 Ursinus pledge George Gordon and 6-4 Matt Carson.

10) Lower Merion vs. 18) Central Bucks East
Fresh off a 20-point beating at the hands of Central League rival Conestoga, Lower Merion (18-8) returns home to Kobe Bryant Gymnasium to try and take its frustrations out on Central Bucks East. The Patriots (13-11) are experienced, however, making a run into the state tournament a year ago, pulling some impressive road upsets along the way; seniors Matt Pattyson and Elijah Seger lead a group of nine upperclassmen for Erik Henrysen. Gregg Downer’s Aces are younger but exciting, led by 6-4 Jack Forrest and 6-1 Stephen Payne; if they can handle the atmosphere and the pressure, the Aces should survive at home.

6) Pennsbury vs. 19) Norristown
The only one of the top eight seeds to get upset on Tuesday night, Pennsbury (15-8) is now one more loss away from missing out on the state playoffs for the second consecutive year after making it the previous two, including a Class AAAA quarterfinal appearance in 2015. It’s a matchup of size vs. speed, as Pennsbury’s solid front line of seniors Mark Flagg (6-8), Billy Warren (6-7) and Joey Monaghan (6-4) will create mismatches down low all game long, as Norristown's tallest rotational player is the 6-4 Marquise Greenwood; the Eagles will have to counter with the speedy guard trio of Darius McGowan, Xavier Edwards and Mickeel Allen


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