CCHS throttles Becahi for 20th district title
When the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys basketball all-star team was released Wednesday night, Central Catholic’s Tyson Thomas joined Parkland’s Nick Coval and Allen’s Nate Ellis as MVPs in the league’s Lehigh County Division.
Thomas’ Vikings teammate Liam Joyce was another first-team selection.
Griffin Patridge was not among the 30 players honored by the league. But on Thursday afternoon, Central Catholic may not have repeated as District 11 4A champs without an all-star-styled effort by the sophomore guard
Patridge, who scored 38 points and made just six 3-pointers all season, had two big 3s in the second quarter when CCHS took command and finished with a season-high 10 points as the Vikings shut down Bethlehem Catholic 57-42 at PPL Center.
It was Central’s third district gold in four years, its 13th since 2000 and 20th overall.
What made it special was that it was the Vikings’ first at PPL Center, the downtown Allentown arena about a 15-minute walk from the high school.
CCHS was determined not to leave 701 Hamilton St. without a win this time after losing to Liberty in the EPC semis in February 2020.
Mission accomplished thanks to the expected solid efforts of Thomas and Joyce, who ran the offense and dominated the low post, respectively, and key contributions from Patridge, Christian Spugardi, Andrew Csensits and others.
“I was just trying to do my job to help my team get the win,” Patridge said after swishing three of his team’s four 3-pointers. “Tyson and Liam draw all the defensive attention and I just hope to do my job. It felt good today.”
Joyce, a junior who had 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, was motivated.
“Reflecting on playing here last year and coming up short in the EPC playoffs, we were just all ready to go today,” he said.
Asked about the EPC all-star team and the three who received MVP honors from one division, Joyce had no problem with three of his friends getting special recognition.
“They’re all my guys, they’re all great players who deserved it,” he said. “Tyson was an excellent choice. Same with Nate Ellis and Nick Coval.”
Ellis and Coval were set to go headto-head for the third time this season in the 6A championship game Thursday night and Central coach Dennis Csensits said it was the quality of the EPC Lehigh Division that helped his team get ready for the 4A bracket.
CCHS (16-4) ripped past Colonial League members Wilson 61-44 and Northwestern Lehigh 84-44 before seeing rival Becahi for the first time since last year’s 4A final.
“We were in a really good division,” Csensits said. “We split with both Allen
and Parkland, who are meeting in the 6A finals, and we also played Holy Ghost Prep, which is one of the best teams in Class 5A.
“That helps you. We are battletested and have learned how to handle adversity.”
It also helps that the Vikings play solid defense, as evidenced by their ability to hold three straight opponents in the 40s.
“All five guys who were on the floor for us at any given time defended well together,” Csensits said. “And Liam and Spugnardi were really keys for us today because they had to defend on the perimeter. They’re not used
to doing that, but they had to do it today and they did it well.”
Becahi, coming off a 76-54 win over North Schuylkill and a 60-39 rout of Jim Thorpe on the road to PPL Center, never got in sync.
Edixon Gomez, a first-team all-star selection in the EPC’s Northampton Division, had just five points in the first half and finished with 10, as did second-team all-star Ryan Glassmacher.
The Golden Hawks (12-5) had just eight points in the second quarter,when they shot 3- for -14 and had three turnovers. An injury to starter Steve Recchio didn’t help Becahi’s chances.
After a Glassmacher 3-pointer tied it at 15-all, CCHS scored 16 straight points before a Caden McClary 3-pointer ended the
drought. Spugn ar di answered with a basket before the buzzer to make it 33-18 at halftime.
“Seniors are so important and it was great to have Christian back out there,” Csensits said. “He didn’t play in one league game all year long because of his ankle injury. Getting him back at the end was big for us because he’s a winner.
“He’s got four district medals now, one in football and three in basketball.
Jared Richardson, who missed most of the season with an injury suffered while playing quarterback in football, scored six points in the third quarter and the Golden Hawks battled back to within 47-37 on a Louis Vidal steal and layup with 5 minutes, 10 seconds left.
However, Joyce answered on the
other end and Thomas made six straight free throws late to send the Vikings back into the state tournament, where they will open against Pope John Paul II of District 1, the same team that knocked Central out of last year’s tournament in the second round.
It is expected that the game will be played Tuesday night at Rockne Hall.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’ t play for an EPC championship because of everything going on, but I’ m glad we got this gold rather than no gold at all,” Thomas said. “Now we’re in the state playoffs and we know we have an opportunity to win the state championship. We know it has been a long time since anyone around here has done so, so why not us making some history?”