Allen will celebrate 100 years of hoops
It is going to be a season filled with celebrations for the Allentown/Allen High School boys basketball program as it salutes 100 years of Canaries basketball.
The current Allen team would like to add one or two more celebrations, the kind that would come after winning league or district championships.
The Canaries, who are the latest stop on The Morning Call’s Dandy Dozen Preseason Tour of Lehigh Valley boys basketball teams, won the District 11 6A championship last year and return 1,000-point scorer and four-time local 3-point champion Nate Ellis.
While they lost several talented pieces from last year’s 11-5 squad, they return several quality players who figure to keep the team in contention for titles.
“The guys had a really good summer, a really good fall,” said second-year coach Darnell Braswell. “We lost five seniors who contributed to a championship team, but we have two vets in Nate Ellis and Eli Vigo who are going to be the backbone of what we do this season. But we’ve also got different guys who are coming in with the right mindset and they are ready to take advantage of the opportunity that’s being given to them.”
Angel Castro and Leandro Pena, who played in seven and nine games respectively last season, figure to contribute. Demitri Rogers, who played in 12 games for Emmaus last year and averaged 6.2 points per game, has transferred to Allen. Jharon Johnson and Robert Johnson, a pair of juniors, also figure to get time in the rotation.
The Canaries again lack height, but will push the pace on offense and apply pressure on defense.
Braswell is embracing the 100th year celebration and hopes the current team will uphold the school’s tradition of excellence in the sport.
“This is a program that means a lot to the city of Allentown,” Braswell said. “It means a lot to us as coaches. But we’ve still got to focus on the main thing and that’s the game. Right now, it’s about getting the kids getting in here and working hard every day to get better.”
On Dec. 18 when Allen plays Dieruff, the 100th year celebration begins when previous head coach Doug Snyder will speak and family members from the late John Donmoyer, J. Milo Sewards, and J. Birney Crum will be invited back to the school.
On Dec. 28 on the opening day of Allen’s Christmas tournament and prior to a 6:30 p.m. game against Liberty, a boys and girls basketball reunion will be held and athletic director Randy Atiyeh is planning a Night of
Champions with all former players invited back and 1,000-point scorers will be recognized.
The current Canaries will want to put on a show as well.
“When the special events come, we’ll let the kids know what it’s all about and we’ll appreciate Allen fans and alumni being back in the building this year,” Braswell said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about us and what we can do basketball-wise and take care of business on the court.”
Ellis, who scored 32 points against Parkland in last year’s district final and enters the season with 1,101 points, will be
a reason by himself for people to come see the Canaries.
“When it is all said and done, Nate’s career can stack up with the best of them,” Braswell said. “He’s a great player and he never cheats the game. He works hard, he’s respectful. He is loved by his peers. Whether he gets the love and recognition from the outside, he doesn’t care about it. He just goes out there and plays hard. He’s the ultimate leader, the ultimate competitor. I’m just blessed to be able to coach him for another year.”
Allen Canaries
Coach: Darnell Braswell (second season, 11-5)
2020-21 season: 11-5, 8-3 in EPC. Beat Freedom 66-47, Pocono Mountain West 80-67, Parkland 58-51 in the District 11 6A tournament; lost to Archbishop Wood 70-56 in the PIAA tournament.
Season opener: Dec. 10, vs. Cumberland Valley in a tip-off tournament at Hershey.
EPC opener: Dec. 14, host Emmaus.
Players to watch: Nate Ellis (5-9, Sr. PG) 17.3 ppg; Eli Vigo (6-0, Sr. G) 6.4 ppg; Demitri Rogers (6-0, Sr. G) 6.2 ppg at Emmaus; Leandro Pena (6-0 Sr. G); Robert Johnson (6-2, Sr. G-F); Angel Castro (5-11 Sr. G); Jharon Johnson (6-0, Jr. F); Cris Justo (5-8 Jr. PG); Aaron Schneider (6-1, So. G).
Take note: Dan Freed, who is a 2002 Allen graduate and a member of the Canaries league and district title team in 200102 is back on the coaching staff. His father, Bob, is another former Allen player and coach who was on Doug Snyder’s staff when he took over in 1997. The rest of the coaching staff, which includes Mike Kaminski, Jamil Newsome, Daquan Holiday, and Brent Williams, has returned.
Why the Canaries could be dandy: Ellis is a special talent who makes everyone around him better. Vigo has also blossomed into a scorer and Pena and Castro are capable of big scoring nights. Plus, Braswell, now in his second season in charge of the program, will feel more comfortable on the sidelines after COVID-19 made
things difficult for everyone to get settled last season.
Why the Canaries could be a dud: If Ellis has to do too much. He is ready to be a leader and take charge, but he will still need help and the Canaries will need to share the basketball and get everyone involved. Ellis made 38 3-points last season and Vigo made three. Rogers had seven 3s at Emmaus. The point is, Allen has to get the ball to the rim in transition and not settle for 3s in halfcourt sets.
The final word: Allen has talent, but is in an extraordinarily tough division, the EPC Skyline, with two games apiece against Central Catholic, Parkland, and Northampton. No one in the division is likely to run the table and the key will be the ability to bounce back from tough defeats because everyone is likely to encounter one or two. Plenty of special things are planned for Allen basketball, but the most special of all would be for Ellis, who has won either a league or D11 title each year, to get another championship in his final season as a Canary.