Many local teams still pursuing title dreams
PW boys, Souderton girls chase 6A titles
Plymouth Whitemarsh’s boys’ basketball team has answered almost every question asked of it this season.
The Colonials have won every game they’ve played so far. They went 4-0 against Catholic League teams. They didn’t drop a game in the SOL American. They won the SOL tournament. They took the No. 1 seed in the District I 6A playoffs and handled everyone trying for an upset.
PW has answered every question but one so far. Can the Colonials beat Abington?
Abington and PW have won the last three large-school classification District I basketball titles. In 2015 and 2017, the Galloping Ghosts were the team that knocked PW out of the running, first in the district final and last year in the district semis.
The Ghosts beat PW twice last year, including in the SOL tournament final so a rematch this season has been on a lot of people’s wish lists. An injury to Eric Dixon, since healed, kept the teams from meeting in this year’s SOL final but those wish seekers will be rewarded Saturday night when the No. 1 Colonials and the No. 2 Ghosts clash at Temple’s Licaouras Center for the district crown.
Their game will follow another 1 vs 2 matchup as No. 1 Souderton clashes with No. 2 CB South for the fourth time this year, this with the District I 6A girls title on the line. Souderton’s been playing at another level for the last month-plus, but the Titans do own one of the Indians’ two losses this campaign.
It’s the nightcap to a packed championship Saturday schedule that has a heavy local influence.
DISTRICT I 6A BOYS
WHO » No. 1 Plymouth Whitemarsh v No. 2 Abington WHEN » 6 p.m. Saturday at Temple’s Licaouras Center OUTLOOK » The top two teams in the district finally meet with the Ghosts looking to repeat as cham-
pions and the Colonials looking to get some payback for last year. Abington’s senior class has never lost at Temple but the Colonials are no strangers to the Broad Street venue either counting their district and state games there the last four years. Both of these teams can score and they can both defend. This should be a good one.
KEY MATCHUP » PW’s Naheem McLeod vs Abington’s Eric Dixon. McLeod, the 7-foot-2 junior center, has put together a breakout campaign and looks leaps more polished on both ends of the floor. Dixon, a 6-foot-7 forward, plays with skill and touch above his years has established himself as a top college prospect in next year’s class.
DISTRICT I 6A GIRLS
WHO » No. 1 Souderton v No. 2 CB South
WHEN » 4 p.m. Saturday at Temple’s Liacouras Center
OUTLOOK » CB South was the best team in the district the first half of the season while Souderton has held that title the last half, but the gap between the two isn’t much. Both are top-tier defensive teams as Souderton proved by dominating a semifinal game where it couldn’t buy a bucket and South fought through plenty of foul issues. South snapped a two-year hex in the semifinals to finally get to the big stage while Souderton is also making its debut in the district final.
KEY MATCHUP » CB South’s Haley Meinel vs Souderton’s Megan Walbrandt. The point guard duel between Alexa Brodie (South) and Tori Dowd (Souderton) intrigues too, but Meinel and Walbrandt are two great athletes who will be trying everything they can to get an edge on the other. Meinel is close to the school scoring record while Walbrandt has been consistently good on both ends for the Indians.
DISTRICT 12 5A GIRLS
WHO » Archbishop Wood (PCL) vs Mastery Charter North (Public)
WHEN » 1 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln High School
OUTLOOK » The Vikings haven’t played since losing in the PCL semifinals, so they’ll be looking to get back in the win column and shake off some rust before the state tournament starts. Wood had been playing at a high level before falling to Cardinal O’Hara on Feb. 22 and it will want to recover that form heading into next week. It’s a typical Wood team, balanced on offense and stout on defense.
KEY MATCHUP » Vikings players vs rust. MaST North will be fired up and looking to knock off a PCL side, so avoiding a slow start will be huge for Wood. The Vikings’ system will help, as it usually finds the best shot and the team’s bench has been a major spark all season. If the starters are off, look for some of the reserves like Mia Andrews, Nicole Greenberg and Ryleigh Parsons to try and get something going.
DISTRICT I/XI 4A BOYS
WHO » No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic (XI) vs No. 2 Lower Moreland (I)
WHEN » 5 p.m. Saturday at Easton Middle School
OUTLOOK » These two met last year in the first round, with the Hawks winning handily. While it’s mostly the same LM roster, it’s not the same team. The Lions are scrappy and tenacious, they’re unselfish and they can really shoot the ball. Becahi is still really good, led by 6-foot-10 Northwestern recruit Ryan Young and sharpshooting guard Justin Paz. Lower Moreland will be undersized, but that’s nothing new either.
KEY MATCHUP » Becahi’s Justin Paz vs Lower Moreland’s Shane Cohen. Cohen is about 5-foot-7 but he’s one of the best defenders in the Bicentennial Athletic League. He’s relentless and seems to come up with at least four or five steals a game. Paz is a solid ballhandler and a great shooter, so Cohen will have his hands full.
DISTRICT I 4A GIRLS
WHO » No. 1 Lower Moreland vs No. 2 Gwynedd Mercy Academy
WHEN » 12 p.m. Saturday at Council Rock South
OUTLOOK » It’s a rematch of last year’s title game that Lower Moreland took over the Monarchs. Both teams have changed some since last year, but they won’t be doing anything radically different. GMA relies on its tough defense to win games while searching for points where it can. Lower Moreland is a balanced team that also favors lower scoring games.
KEY MATCHUP » Lower Moreland’s Ceili Corduff vs GMA’s Kaylie Griffin. Corduff emerged as the team’s go-to offensive option this year while Griffin, a freshman, came on late in the season as an offensive spark. Griffin has a solid outside shot while Corduff makes most of her impact inside the arc with a solid all-around game.
DISTRICT I/XI 3A GIRLS
WHO » No. 1 North Schuylkill (XI) vs No. 2 St Basil Academy (I)
WHEN » 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Martz Hall
OUTLOOK » The Panthers are the defending regional champions but have a long trip ahead of them to defend their title. Martz Hall is a great place to watch or play a game and North Schuylkill will have a bit of an advantage having played there a few times this season. The Spartans certainly earned their top seed, but St. Basil has played a rugged schedule and coming off an AACA title, is playing really good basketball at the right time of year.
Key matchup: St. Basil’s Casey Remolde and Jules Gura vs North Schuylkill’s Sam Shinkus and Averi Jordan. Post player Jordan is the catalyst for the Spartans but Shinkus, a hard-driving guard, is right there with her in ability to score in bunches. Remolde is the Panthers’ top two-way player and Gura is a lockdown defender as well and they’ve made a habit of limiting whoever they’re matched with.
DISTRICT I 2A BOYS
Who: No. 1 Dock Mennonite vs No. 2 Delco Christian
When: 4 p.m. Saturday at Council Rock South
Outlook: The Pioneers had another strong season under coach Mike Fergus and are trying to claim back-to-back 2A district titles. Delco Christian has topped the Pioneers this season, so Dock will have to work for it on Saturday. Dock is an excellent defensive team and played extremely well in winning the BAL tournament so the Pioneers should be coming in with a lot of confidence.
Key matchup: Dock’s Misrahim Nyagwegwe vs Delco Christian’s Tyler Penley. Nyagwegwe, or “Miz” to everyone, is a hardnosed defender on top of his role as lead ballhandler for Dock. Penley, at 6-foot-5, has a solid inside-out game where he can score at the rim or out on the perimeter. Miz has made some big plays in big games through his career and may need to do it again on Saturday.
DISTRICT I A BOYS
Who: No. 1 Faith Christian vs No. 2 Girard College
When: Saturday at Bensalem High School
Outlook: This is a rematch of last year’s final, won by Girard College. Girard won in a rout, but when the teams met in states, it was much closer. Faith’s had a solid team all season, with experience all over the lineup and a good bench that can provide whatever the Lions may need on a given night.
Key matchup: Faith’s Charles Ervin vs Girard College’s Mikeal Jones. Jones, a 6-foot-8 forward, is one of the top underclassmen prospects in the Philadelphia area. He’s extremely athletic, a strong defender and still refining his offensive game. Ervin missed the BAL playoffs with an injury but is back to full speed and chipping on both ends of the floor for Faith.
DISTRICT I/12 A GIRLS
Who: No. 1 Jenkintown (I) vs No. 2 Sankofa Freedom (12)
When: 6 p.m. Saturday at Council Rock South
Outlook: The Drakes are going for their third straight District I title and have put together a fantastic season. Jenkintown’s only loss was to 6A top seed Souderton and it’s the third season together for the team’s core group. They defend all game, play hard and don’t mind who scores on a given night. Sankofa is coming off a solid run in the Philadelphia Public League.
Key matchup: Jenkintown’s defense vs Sankofa’s offense. If the Drakes are able to put pressure on right from the start, it generally leads to quick and easy baskets. Jenkintown can score in the halfcourt and shoots well from the outside, but there’s not much better than an open transition layup, especially in the postseason.
Due to the adverse weather on Friday, all District I playback and seeding games will also be played on Saturday, with the higher seeded teams still hosting those games. District I requires that all games be completed by Saturday night with state playoff brackets expected to be released on Sunday.