Abington Heights tops Mars
went over 1,000 for his career. Tinsley made 11 of 14 shots from the field.
Tinsley led four players in double figures. Junior guard Jack Nealon had 13 while 6-6 senior forward Jackson Danzig and 6-1 sophomore guard Corey Perkins had 11 each. Carmody was the only Mars player in double figures. He made 10 of 17 shots, 12 of 15 free throws and grabbed eight rebounds.
“I think in the third quarter only one guy scored for us and that’s not good. That’s not going to win you a state championship,” said Rob Carmody.
Mars led at halftime, 25-24. Mars had some balance against Abington Heights’ matchup zone defense as Carmody had only seven points in the first two quarters. Mars junior guard Andrew Recchia hit three 3-pointers and scored all nine of his points in the first half.
But Abington Heights took the lead for good early in the third quarter and never gave it back. Mars pulled within 39-38 in the fourth quarter, but Abington Heights went ahead, 46-38, early in the fourth. Carmody put Mars on his back, but the Planets couldn’t overtake the more balanced Comets.
“I think Robby sensed that I better go now,” the elder Carmody said. “You’ve poured your heart and soul into this program and now this is it. This is the last time you’re putting on that uniform and I think he just said, ‘I’m going to go and try to will this thing. Hopefully, someone can knock a shot down and get everyone going.’ Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
Carmody’s 34 points gave him 2,490 points, good for seventh place on the WPIAL alltime scoring list. In the game, Carmody passed legendary former Wampum player Don Hennon, who played in the 1950s before going to be an All-American at Pitt.
Carmody had only one 3pointer in the second half. Carmody, who stands 6-4, used his strength to get to the basket numerous times and had three, three-point plays in the final two quarters. He consistently beat double teams to score. “The first half, they kind of keyed on me a little more and our guys were stepping up and making shots,” the younger Carmody said. “In the second half, I had more room to drive and make plays. I just took the plays thatwere there.” Carmody didn’t place any blame on his teammates. After the game, he went to the bottom of the stands and hugged numerous family members and fans. “We just didn’t get enough shots to fall as a team and that’s all it was,” Robby Carmody said. “I’ve grown up with all these guys. It’s been a special ride. It’s just sad to see it over.” Notre Dame assistant coach Ryan Ayers was one of the people who hugged Carmody. “I’m not going to say I never saw a guy like that, but Notre Dame knew what they were doing,” said Bianchi. “They made a good move and they’re going to be happy about it. He’s strong and that’s what makes him above everybody else. We’ve played outstanding shooters and really, really quick guards who got by us. But the combination of the two is what’s tough to handle.” Carmody also had more than 1,000 rebounds in his career. The Planets won 91 games in his four years as a starter. His father was philosophical after the game.
“All eight of our seniors have gone to school together since kindergarten,” Coach Carmody said. “They have a 3.825 grade-point average between them. How could I not be proud? At Mars? Think about it. Two state championship games in three years. A WPIAL championship. Don’t tell me this can’t be done in a smalltown.”