By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for The Lansdale Reporter
| Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515 |
BOYS BASKETBALL SUPERLATIVES
Top Scorer - Mike Brown (Hatboro-Horsham) - "Sir, Yes Sir." You can hear the Hatter faithful chant that every time Navy commit scores for the first place team in the Suburban One Continental Conference. And this season at Hatter games, you have heard that a lot. With his ability to attack the rim or pull up from anywhere on the floor, Brown is averaging over 19 points per game.
Best Passer - Nick Lindner (Germantown Academy) - His scoring skill-set is no slouch, but the Patriots spread the ball around and do it with ease because of who they have in charge of the offense. The smart, Lafayette bound senior dishes dimes with the best in the state.
End-to-End Speed - Montana Mayfield (Abington Friends) - Mayfield took home this superlative last year when I did this and nothing has changed. His scoring has gone down this season because the team has so many different scorers, but his defense and leadership are still there. And his speed and athleticism lights up the eyes of Division-One programs.
Best Defender - Chase Wilson (Wissahickon) - This junior point guard can take on whatever role is asked of him. He scores with the best of them, facilitates like not many can, and knows how to guard any position on the floor. I have seem him shut down players with six inches on him and that's why he gets the nod here.
Clutch Gene - Anthony McKie (Plymouth-Whitemarsh) - It has not worked out as much as the Colonials would have liked this season, but if the game is close and McKie get his hands on the ball with the game on the line, the best bet is on him sinking the shot. The senior is fearless and has put the young team on his back all season.
Best Three-point shot - Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood) - Smith had 41 three-pointers through 14 games and his rapid fire approach, combined with his height, makes him a very tough guard for any high school player. The junior should be able to be a big-time scorer at the Division-One level because while the three-ball is his strength, he can do so much more.
Best Shot Blocker - Horace Spencer (William Tennent) - Slowly, but surely the phenom is coming into his own. People expect the Panther to plop into the high school scene and take over, but it has taken time to get comfortable in his 6-9 skin. While the offense is coming around, the defense has always been there from the start, especially his ability to block and alter shots.
Best Rebounder - Zameer McDowell (Spring-Ford) - Whether you have seen him playing tight end or forward for the Rams, Zameer McDowell knows how to use his body, get position, and make things happen. McDowell's ability to control the glass almost single-handedly has kept the Rams in games where otherwise they could have faltered.
Best Inside Game - Tyrell Long (Bishop McDevitt) - The Royal Lancers have let Long loose this season and he has not disappointed. A double-double threat every night, the lanky Long has dominated the pain in the majority of his games. He has dominated on both sides of the floor, offense and defense, and gave himself a number of options to complete his highlight reel tape with.
Most Improved - Brendan Casper (Methacton) - The Warriors knew Casper was dangerous, but I do not think anyone expected the senior to score over 25 points per game. Casper has been unstoppable this season, lighting up every team in his way. I think the threat of Matt Forrest and other teammates had allowed Casper to maintain this level of play. It will be interesting to see how improved Casper really is when he finds a road game against a higher seed in the playoffs.
Oncoming star - Jared Armstrong (Christopher Dock) - The sophomore keeps getting better and is quietly racking up a pretty strong season for the Pioneers. Armstrong's ability to score against bigger defenders might make Dock a sleeper in the Class A competition. Next year, the crucial junior season every talks about, could be a big year for Armstrong who already has heard whispers from Division-One programs with an interest.
Team most likely to win a state playoff game - Abington - The Galloping Ghosts have dropped a game or two recently, but there is too much talent on this team for it not to get fired up for the playoffs and make a serious run at the state playoffs. Anthony Durham and Jordan Simmons have been great this season and the role players on coach Grasty's team are not afraid of being the hero for a day.
Surprise team of the Year - Perkiomen Valley - In Mike Poysden's first season as the head coach the Vikings have already surpassed the win total from last year. Their mixture of talent and leadership makes them my surprise state playoff team.
Team to watch in 2013-2014 - Plymouth-Whitemarsh - You will not be able to keep a Jim Donofrio coached team down for long. It also helps he has the players currently maturing int their sophomore season to contend next year. Look for point guard Andre Micthell and center Chase Rodgers to take a big step forward by next winter and make the Colonials conference contenders once again.
Most Likely to be a part of NCAA March Madness next year - Amar Stukes (LaSalle) - Well there are not that many strong choices yet, as many seniors have still not signed, but Stukes is the leader in the clubhouse right now. Stukes, who will attend LaSalle University, may be a long shot, but maybe the Atlantic-10 bid rolls their way for once. Other possibilities include Stukes' teammate Steve Smith (Farfield) or GA's Julian Moore (Penn State).
TOP SCORERS
Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood) 30 pts vs Conwell Egan
Jordan Simmons (Abington) 30 pts vs Truman
Steve Smith (LaSalle) 25 pts vs Cardinal O'Hara
Mike Brown (Hatboro-Horsham) 23 pts vs Central Bucks South
Jamal Stinson (Pope John Paul II) 23 pts vs Upper Perk
Matt Alden (William Tennent) 23 pts vs Neshaminy
Aaron McGlawn (Cheltenham) 22 pts vs Wissahickon
Greg Dotson (Germantown Academy) 22 pts vs Malvern Prep
Jared Armstrong (Christopher Dock) 20 pts vs Morrisville
AROUND THE AREA:
SUNDAY
Roman Catholic 61, Bishop McDevitt 58
St. Benedict's 85, Germantown Academy 60
MONDAY
Archbishop Wood 65, Conwell Egan 52
Archbishop Carroll 62, Lansdale Catholic 34 READ THE GAME STORY
LaSalle 69, Cardinal O'Hara 40
TUESDAY
William Tennent 65, Neshaminy 38
Germantown Academy 59, Malvern Prep 48
Friends Central 76, Abington Friends 64
Academy New Church 46, Shipley 41
Boyertown 63, Faith Christian 27
Norristown 81, Springfield 42
Upper Moreland 43, Upper Dublin 33
Cheltenham 57, Wissahickon 44 READ THE GAME STORY
North Penn 68, Quakertown 43 READ THE GAME STORY
Central Bucks South 57, Hatboro-Horsham 50
Central Bucks East 50, Souderton 49 READ THE GAME STORY
Central Bucks West 55, Pennridge 42
Abington 73, Truman 57
Christopher Dock 48, Morrisville 38
Pope John Paul II 66, Upper Perk 37
Methacton 41, Perkiomen Valley 39
SOUDERTON SEASON STATISTICS (12-7, 8-3)
NAME FGM FTM-FTA PTS PPG
John Kanas 111 69-105 314 16.5 ppg
Brendan Wagner 86 49-83 221 11.6 ppg
Austin Murphy 67 33-43 195 10.3 ppg
Steve Shaffer 20 16-29 66 3.5 ppg
Anthony Williams 16 19-30 54 2.8 ppg
Carter Knight 15 7-9 41 2.2 ppg
Dan O'Hara 11 3-6 24 1.3 ppg
Kurt Muhlberger 7 4-5 23 1.2 ppg
Chris Uhrich 4 0-3 8 0 4 ppg
Jared Bernhardt 3 1-3 7 0.3 ppg
Vince Kowalick 3 0-0 6 0.2 ppg
Tim Markow 1 3-4 5 0.2 ppg
Guilerme Freire 1 0-0 2 0.1 ppg
Evan Stone 0 2-2 2 0.1 ppg
PENNRIDGE SEASONS STATISTICS (9-9, 4-6)
NAME FGM FTM-FTA PTS PPG
Zach Muredda 43 27-40 135 13.5 ppg**missed 8 games
Jeff Garner 61 30-46 183 10.2 ppg
Alex Krivda 47 31-51 133 7.4 ppg
Drew Dietterich 63 9-23 117 6.5 ppg
Kyle Bigam 39 26-37 108 6 ppg
Pat McClatchy 34 6-10 92 5.1 ppg
Shane Schmidt 10 6-7 28 4.7 ppg *missed 12 games
Dan Shane 7 1-4 17 0.9 ppg
Joe Molittiere 4 2-5 11 0.5 ppg
Dan Long 2 3-4 7 0.4 ppg
Steve Lowry 2 0-0 5 0.1 ppg
Joe Garrity 1 0-0 2 0.1 ppg
