Lady Bears falls to Delone Catholic, 47-37
It was in good shape Friday, leading the better part of its game with Delone Catholic in pursuit of a championship finish in its own tournament.
Then the fourth quarter started, and the Boyertown girls basketball team saw it all come undone.
A 21-point fourth quarter by the Squires reversed the Bears into a 47-37 loss. They had held 12-7 and 2221 leads in the first half en route to a 28-26 advantage by the conclusion of the third quarter.
But Kylie Webb’s gamehigh 18 points — eight of which came down the stretch, on a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws — amounted to a majority of Boyertown’s late scoring. Delone (7-1), in the meantime, rode a combined 17 by Bradi Zumbrum and Brooke Lawyer to the championship comeback.
Victoria Boalton kicked in with 11 points for Boyertown (2-6) while Delone got a team-high 15 from Zumbrum and 14 from Lawyer.
In the tournament’s third-place game, Pope John Paul II prevailed over Coatesville in a barnburner, 93-73. Monica Rapchinski scored 21 points to lead a quartet of double-figure Golden Panthers that included Lauren Ciuba (17), Julia Owens (14) and Elise Sylvester (13). UPPER DARBY 38, PHOENIXVILLE 31 » The Phantoms fell off the Royals’ second-half scoring pace in their nonleague matchup.
Jasmine Hamilton had nine points and 10 rebounds to lead Phoenixville. Peyton Graham added eight points and 10 boards. MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 43, OWEN J. ROBERTS 28 » A troubling second half, with numerous missed layups, factored in the Wildcats’ loss to Mount St. Joseph in the Marple Newtown Tournament.
Kylie Cahill and Olivia LeClaire highlighted Roberts’ showing with their selection to the All-Tournament Team.
Boys basketball
WILDWOOD 53, PHOENIXVILLE 42 » The Phantoms fell off Wildwood’s scoring pace early and fell to the hometown team in an opening-round game from the Boardwalk Classic.
Brendan Jenkins was the leader for Phoenixville (3-5), pulling down a gamehigh 15 rebounds while emerging as one of three players with eight points. Steve Hamilton and Colton Brown matched Jenkins’ scoring production while K.J. Quinn kicked in another seven. OXFORD 62, POPE JOHN PAUL II54» The Golden Panthers rallied from a first-half deficit, only to see the Hornets come on stronger in the fourth quarter of their third-place game from the Marple Newtown Tournament.
Aidan McCarthy and Rick Bearden, with a respective 13 and 12 points, helped PJP turn a 33-28 halftime shortfall to a 4239 lead after three. Dan Cirino and Vince Viney each chipped in with eight points for the Panthers. KUTZTOWN 52, DANIEL BOONE 36 » A 16-4 edge in third-quarter scoring made the difference for the Cougars as they pulled away for victory over the Blazers in a non-divisional pairing of Berks Conference member schools. Dylan Walker scored nine points to lead Boone, whose 11-9 first-quarter lead was turned into a 20-20 tie at the half.
Wrestling
GOV. MIFFLIN » Zak Reck scored a second-place finish for Boyertown, which ranked third among the 24 teams taking part in the Mustang Holiday Tournament.
Reck came in second at 220 after being blanked by Malvern Prep’s Brendan Devine in their final, 3-0. Reck pinned his first two opponents before advancing to the medal round with a 1-0 decision of Pine Grove’s Austin Ney.
The Bears followed Reck’s performance with bronze medals for Julien Maldonado (106), Jacob Miller (182) and Elijah Jones (195). Evan Mortimer added a seventh-place outing at 160 to help Boyertown (138.5 points) finish behind team champion Malvern Prep (277.5) and runner-up Penn Manor (155).
Pottstown was led by Nathanael Parson’s third-place showing at 132, and Tom Doyle placing fifth at 285. MANHEIM CENTRAL » Kibwe McNair and Michael Blakemore were champions for Methacton as it placed third in the 10-school Manheim Lions Club Holiday Tournament.
McNair pinned Gannon Jones of New Kent, Va. to win at 132 while Blakemore topped the host team’s Andrew Seigrist in a 5-3 decision at the 170-lb. final. Both went 3-0 in their respective brackets, McNair capping his pin parade with a 4:38 drop of Jones.
Corey Morabito placed second at 113, Roman Moser was third at 145, William Rebert fourth at 126 and Jorge Carmona fifth at 120. The Warriors’ 133.5 team points were topped only by champion Manheim Central (199.5) and runner-up Bald Eagle Area (192.5).
Tonee Ellis was another finalist for Methacton, reaching the 285-pound gold-medal bout. BETHLEHEM LIBERTY » Brandon Meredith brought home an individual championship to head Spring-Ford’s showing in the Bethlehem Holiday Classic.
Meredith capped his run at 120 with a 4-3 decision of Parkland’s Brandon Kassis. The Ram senior scored two pins and a technical fall in his earlier bouts.
SF had four other medalists in the course of their seventh-place team finish in the 31-school competition. Tyler LaRocca (220) and Matt Lepore (285) posted fourths, Michael Gradwell was sixth at 170 and Jack McGill came in eighth at 126. BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC » Zach Rozanski scored a silver medal to lead Upper Perkiomen in the Tony Iasiello Christmas City Tournament.
Rozanski placed second at 138, one of three Indians to medal in the 16-school tourney. Jarek Svanson was fifth at 132 while Jacob Ankele placed sixth at 106. HATBORO-HORSHAM » Perkiomen Valley and Pottsgrove both had five contestants stay in the championship brackets after the opening day of the Ralph Wetzel Holiday Classic.
PV’s P.J. Kakos (113), Stephen Coleman (120), Cody Jefferies (132), Gavin Euker (220) and Jahir Holmes (285) will resume action in the quarterfinal round Saturday, as will the Falcons’ Chase Banyai (132), Stephen Hennelly (152), Noah Miller (170), Skylar McLeod (220) and Isaac Hanna (285). Jefferies and Banyai will face off in a bid to reach the 132 semifinals.
Boys swimming
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 86, POPE JOHN PAUL II 59 » The Golden Panthers finished out Thursday’s inaugural meet against the Crusaders with some great showings.
Kaden Buchler won the 500 freestyle with a time of 6:09:69, and Josh Murtaugh was third in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 IM.
Girls swimming
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 86, POPE JOHN PAUL II 69 » Maggie Sullivan highlighted the Golden Panthers’ inaugural meet Thursday by winning a close 100 breaststroke in 1:25:31.
Maddie D’Elia finished third in the 100 butterfly, and Lindsey Piontek also went third in the 100 freestyle.