Jess Huber, North Penn Knights eye title
Area teams set for PIAA playoffs
North Penn’s Jess Huber eclipsed 1,000 career points in fine style last Wednesday — sitting a point shy of the milestone, the senior hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of the Knights’ 53-25 win over Garnet Valley in the District 1-6A fifth-place playbacks.
“She was giving me the shot, so I was just like if she’s going to give it me, I might as well take it,” said Huber after North Penn’s 44-36 win over Boyertown in the fifth place game last Friday. “I mean, I’m just glad it went in.”
It was the second time this season North Penn got to storm the court celebrating a 1,000-point scorer as senior Sam Carangi reached the total on a free throw in NP’s win at Central Bucks West Jan. 17.
“These three seniors (Huber, Carangi and Irisa Ye) have been remarkable,” said North Penn coach Maggie deMarteleire last Friday. “And for Jess, she really picked it up last year because going into her freshman and sophomore year, I don’t know what her total was, but it wasn’t that much.
“Especially in playoffs last year she really hit her stride and then she just continued it this year. She got off to a little bit of a slow stat this year but she had several games in a row where she was scoring 23, 24, 21. So I think when that started happening, she was like, ‘Wow, I can do this.” And I’m really happy for her because she works really hard and puts in a lot of time.”
For Huber, now that she’s
reached 1,000, at that’s left to focus on is team goals and for the Knights (23-4) that means a state title. Friday night, the Knights begin the PIAA Class 6A tournament at Lebanon High School against District 3’s third-place team Cedar Crest. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
“A little bit relieved. Now we can just play to win, always just keep focusing on that,” Huber said.
Cedar Crest (27-1) won its first 26 games before falling in the District 3 semifinals to eventual champ Central Dauphin 42-38 last Tuesday. In the third-place game with Central York last Thursday, the Lancaster-Lebanon League champ Falcons got 17 points form Ariel Jones in claiming a 48-41 victory.
“We’re really confident,” Huber said. “Obviously, we’re going to take it game by game. We scout every team, we have a scouting report every time, we memorize it. I mean, we’re just going to prepare really well and hope for the best.”
Huber, who along with Ye signed with Division III University of the Sciences, played a huge part in North Penn’s run to the 4A semifinals in 2016. In the Knights’ four state games, last year, Huber averaged 14.8 points per game, scoring in double figures the last three — 15 against Neshaminy in the second round, 18 in the quarterfinals against Perkiomen Valley then 17 as NP fell to Cardinal O’Hara 48-41 in the semifinals. North Penn led O’Hara 3123 in the third before the Lions finished the game on a 25-10 run.
“Honestly we should have been in that state championship, so we’re hoping to go there this year,” Huber said. “That’s our main goal.”
Huber put in the offseason work and in her senior year showcased a wellrounded offensive game that featured a knack for finding a path to the rim and a consistent 3-point shot. Those skills earned her All-Suburban One League Continental Conference first-team honors as the Knights won the conference over four other teams that qualified for the state 6A playoffs.
“I worked really hard in the summer with my AAU coach a lot, just extra time on the playground so I wanted to fix my shot, make it better and just the drive,” Huber said. “So I think, all-and-all, the end of junior year is when it really clicked.”
North Penn was the top seed in the District 1-6A tournament, but were upset in the quarterfinals by No. 9 Abington, which eventually went on to win the district title over Plymouth Whitemarsh. The Knights bounced back with wins over Garnet Valley and Boyertown to take fifth for a second straight season.
The PIAA tournament is becoming a North Penn tradition. NP’s senior trio of Huber, Ye and Carangi have made states in all four of their seasons with the Knights reaching PIAA play the past six years. North Penn has reached at least the second round the last five trips.
“We wanted to get back rolling,” Huber said. “Against Abington, we’ve had those game before, we just don’t want to have any more of them. We’re just going to keep following the momentum.”
Class 6A
(1-2) PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH VS. (3-5) JP MCCASKEY >> 6 p.m. Friday, Cheltenham HS. PW (25-2) saw an 11-point halftime lead slip away in the District 1-6A final loss to Abington, but now the Colonials have to focus on states, making their first appearance on this level since 1997.
Taylor O’Brien is an offensive force — she had 30 points and 10 rebounds in the district final — but PW is not just one player. Juniors Ali Diamond and Lauren Fortescue were both named to the SOL American second team.
J.P. McCaskey fell to Cedar Crest in the District 3-6A quarters but bested Dallastown and Cedar Cliff to earn the district’s fifth seed.
(1-3) CENTRAL BUCKS WEST VS. (3-4) CENTRAL YORK >> 7:30 p.m. Friday, William Tennent HS. Central Bucks West (22-5) reached the 4A PIAA final in 2015, missed states last year and return to the tournament season with a young and talented group.
Tori Abelson — a SOL Continental third-team selection — had 17 points as West topped Central Bucks South 58-53 in the District 1-6A third place game last Friday.
Central York reached state for the first time since 1999 but the Panthers come into the first round have lost back-to-back games to Cumberland Valley and Cedar Crest to finish fourth in District 3.
(1-9) UPPER DUBLIN VS. (12-1) CARDINAL O’HARA >> 6 p.m. Friday, Philadelphia University. Upper Dublin (216) fell to Central Bucks West in the District 1-6A second round but ran off three straight win to take ninth and earn a third straight trip to states.
UD’s Jackie Vargas and Nicole Kaiser had 11 and 10 points, respectively in the 45-37 win over Central Bucks East in the ninth place game.
Cardinal O’Hara (21-5) brought back the core players from last’s year team that reached the 4A final, including All-Philadelphia Catholic League first-team picks senior Mary Sheehan and junior Hannah Nihill.
The Lions knocked off Archbishop Wood to claim their first PCL title since 2013 then rolled past Central 77-36 in the District 12 final.
(1-11) SOUDERTON VS. (3-1) CENTRAL DAUPHIN >> 6:30 p.m., Friday, Milton Hershey School. Souderton (19-7) missed on their fist two opportunities to clinch a PIAA berth this season, but got in on their third — beating Coatesville 4837 in the District 1-6A 11th place game.
Megan Bealer had 18 points to lead the Indians over the Red Raiders while Kate Connolly — an All-SOL Continental firstteam selection — added 10 points.
Central Dauphin ended Cumberland Valley’s quest for a third-straight District 3 title, the Rams topping CV 40-31 in the 6A final for their first District 3 championship since 2010. Central Dauphin’s Nadia Romanchock had a gamehigh 17 points.
Class 5A
(1-2) MOUNT ST. JOSEPH VS. (12-3) ARCHBISHOP CARROLL >>4 p.m. Saturday, Cheltenham HS. The Mount (1314) ended the regular season 10-12, but as the seventh seed made a run to the District 1-5A final before falling to No. 1 Springfield-Delco.
Mount senior Ashley Smith looks to get back on track after being held to two points by Springfield last Saturday. Smith went for 17 in the semifinal win over Bishop Shanahan.
Carroll (18-7) routed Palumbo 74-34 in the District 12-5A third place game, the Patriots’ sixth win in their last seven games. Bella Sorrentino was an All-PCL first-team selection while Molly Masciantonio made the second team.
Class 4A
(12-1) LANSDALE CATHOLIC VS. (3-5) BERKS CATHOLIC >> 6 p.m. Friday, Father Judge HS. LC waited 16 days between their PCL quarterfinal loss to Cardinal O’Hara Feb. 16 and its District 12 title game with Audenried last Saturday. But the Crusaders (13-11) showed little rust, beating Audenried 70-48 for the program’s first district title since 1991.
Brady Wassel (17), Lauren Crim (16) — an All-PCL first-team pick — and Kris Finkelson (12) all finished with double figures in the district final for LC, which is playing its first PIAA game since 2011. The Crusaders last state win came in 2002.
Berks Catholic made the state 3A semifinals the pat two seasons — losing to the eventual champ both times.
BC’s Abigail Gaffney has 13 points in its 49-39 win over Eastern York in the District 3 fifth place game.
(1-2) GWYNEDD MERCY VS. (12-2) AUDENRIED >> 6 p.m., Friday, Lincoln HS, Philadelphia. The Monarchs (178) are making their third straight PIAA appearance — falling to eventual champ Archbishop Wood in the 2016 3A quarters last season — but are looking to rebound from their loss to Lower Moreland in the District 1 final.
Class A
(1-2) FAITH CHRISTIAN VS. (3-5) HARRISBURG CHRISTIAN >> 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Spring-Ford HS. Faith’s alltime leader scorer Ashley Forker has helped the Lions (17-10) reach PIAA play for the second time in three seasons. FCA lost to Jenkintown 39-26 in the District 1 final last Saturday.
Harrisburg Christian was upset by Greenwood in the District 3-A quarterfinals then bounced back with wins over Mount Calvary and Lancaster Country Day to finish fifth.