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Duck Tales Return to TedSilary.com Home Page Jon
"Duck" Gray is one of our most ardent web site supporters. His
main sport is basketball, and he's partial to his alma mater, FLC. Actually, he's partial
to anyone who can play and behaves. How cool is it that his nickname is a good fit with Tom
"Puck" McKenna and Ed "Huck" Palmer? |
MARCH 5
PIAA CLASS AA FIRST ROUND
Milton Hershey 53, Franklin LC 29
Wow! What was the number of that bus? The Milton
Hershey Spartans went to work early and often and blew this one open from the start. FLC
struggled offensively from the onset and had a horrific time guarding Spartan star Richard
Flemming, a 6'7 center with three-point range. Another thing, most PIAA schools have
weight rooms and just as importantly assistant coaches that specialize in weight training.
Milton Hershey's endowment is higher than that of some major colleges, so they probably
rival the Philadelphia School District in financial commitment to athletics. Strength
played a huge part in this one as the Spartans pretty much beat up the much frailer
Bobcats. That being said the Bobcats had their chances: They missed twelve free throws
total and nine in the third quarter. They twice got within nine and missed the front end
of one-and-ones both times. They also missed four layups in the period. Flemming also
killed the Philly kids on the boards with authorative rebounds in the final stanza (9
boards total for the junior). Only Malcolm Eleby (who scored FLC's first basket in
a state playoff game) managed double figures with 11 points.
Table Talk- This game was played at Hersheypark Arena (site of Kobe
Bryant's state championship run) in front of 3,000 people, most of which were loud
Milton Hershey fans. I've sworn off Hershey's kisses and chocolate bars for a year or so .
. . Yes, there was some shaky officiating. Here goes an interesting sequence. Down eight
to start the second quarter, FLC is a little slow coming out of the huddle. Should not be
a problem because Milton Hershey is slow coming out of its huddle as well. The horn sounds
for the start of the quarter. All the while the referee has begun to count and when the
teams are back on the floor, he drops the ball on the ground and awards its to Hershey. A
three-point play followed and then another five-second count, and this one was academic.
FEB. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Prep Charter 80, Bok 69
I really enjoyed watching this game. It was
absolute fun for the soul. The crowds were somewhat involved all game long and the Prep
Charter Huskies advanced to the PL semifinals after holding off the very determined Bok
Tech Wildcats. Prep Charter was in control early, building its lead to 20-7 at the end of
one period. Also, the Huskies were in command by the score of 29-12 early in the second
quarter. Bok Tech, behind the three-pronged guard attack of Marquise Salley
(25 points), Lamont Butler (15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists) and Cory
Moultrie (15 points), moved within 29-24. The Huskies, though, have
"spurtability" (I borrowed that term from somebody; can't recall who). So
despite the Wildcat push they led 39-29 as the first half ended. The Tech would come all
the way within 55-52 early fourth quarter on a Moultrie steal and Salley layup. However,
the Wildcats faded terribly to end the game, they simple could not give their big three
enough consistent help and Prep Charter cruised home. The Huskies' seniors, who are often
overshadowed by the precocious underclassmen, really showed well today. Senior point guard
Bilal Rogers provided some stabilty in the ballhandling department; he
dealt 7 assists. Senior forward Jason Dogan, despite foul trouble, was a
rock on defense and had 10 points and 4 rebounds. Senior forward Haven Wroten
was steady with 15 points and 10 rebounds (6 in the fourth quarter). Those precocious
underclassmen had their say as well. The Morris twins - 6'8 Markieff
and 6'7 Marcus - especially had an impact on the outcome.
Markieff, the post player, had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Marcus, the wing
player, had 11 points including two back-breaking treys in the first half. Junior swingman
Rodney Green had two crucial layups as the Huskies extended their late
lead. (Coach Danny Brinkley had an interesting and loud convo with Green
when he was inserting him back into the game in fourth quarter. "I don't care if you
have three fouls, I need you to play hard.")
Table Talk - PC is a serious threat to take the PL title to
South Philadelphia.
FEB. 12
PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT
Montrose Christian (Md.) 77, Episcopal 66
This game started at roughly 10:30 pm and did not end
until 11:47 pm. I gueess the crowd was around 150 and that was mostly recruiting services,
sneaker company people and event staff not many "fans" so the players had to
supply their own emotion because the crowd was silent. It was a whale of a
game. Montrose Christian is a traditional national power with a high-profile national
coach in Stu Vetter (he can really coach) and several (5-plus) major college
prospects. Episcopal has a high profile coach in Dan Dougherty (he can really coach
as well), so this was a marvelous game to watch. Wayne Ellington was electric. He
started the game off the opening tip -- Gerald Henderson must have climbed 14-feet
plus in the air -- by going in for a two-handed slam. Ellington carried the load
throughout the first half with deep treys, mid-range pull-ups and slashing moves to the
hole. Montrose Christian is well-discplined and tough they have a 6'10 monster in center Uche
Echefu and two guards who have high national profiles in Taishi Ito and KJ
Matsui. They opened up a 21-14 lead early in the second quarter, then Ellington scored
5 of the next seven points to momentarily tie the bigger and deeper Montrose team. But
with a bench that constantly was throwing tall athletes out on the floor, the Mustangs
were in control early and often. Ellington, Henderson (13 points, 6 rebounds and 6
assists) and center Mike Yocum (8 points) had a nice rally to get
within four on a Henderson midrange jumper with 2:44 remaining. They faded late and the
Mustangs truiumphed by 11. Uche Echefu had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Montrose.
Ellington finished with 38 points on 15-27 from the floor, including 4-7 on treys.
Table Talk - The legendary Hockey Puck must
have kept stats for ten straight games. He did not even break a sweat..... Here is a
question: You guys think that Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson need a nickname for
their high wire act?
FEB. 10
PL ROUND OF 16/DIST. 12 QUARTERFINAL
Gratz 38, Dobbins 35
Has my beloved Pub become the Catholic League
North????????? The score after one period of play was Gratz 7, Dobbins 4. This after
seeing a 4-4 first quarter in the Southern-University City game. This was a slowdown game
that was controlled by the defensive work by both squads. Simon Gratz for a majority of
the game had this one in control leading mostly by 8 or 9 points from the early stages of
the second quarter until the fourth quarter. Gratz has a lot of talented players, but this
season one question has not been answered -- who is the go-to guy? In my opinion
this season-long question got answered in this game. The answer: Ameer Ali. Ali, a
6'4 strongman who consumes rebounds with his massive hands, either gets fouls or converts
most of the time he touches the ball for Gratz. Ali had the big play of an intense fourth
quarter, when he made a free throw and then low and behold made another. Putting the
Bulldogs up one on the Mustangs with a minute and some change to play. Junior guard Malik
Alvin hit two to provide the final margin. With 37 seconds left the Mustangs erred in
their shot selection and took too much time to take and brick a bad shot. After Gratz
junior Sean Gilbert missed two FTs with 14 seconds remaining, the Mustangs did not
use their final timeout to get junior deep shooter Justin Hayes (2-4 on treys) in
the game. Instead they advanced the ball off the missed free throw, and as the buzzer
sounded senior Damon Griffin's trey was off the mark. Senior forward Kassim
Green led Dobbins with 15 points. Ali had 10 points and 9 rebounds and Syheem
Perkins fought for 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs. The Mustangs played without
senior guard Dujuan "Bud" Anderson (ill) and his backup, Sean
Mosby, played well with 6 points and 4 assists. You think Yank thinks I'm a jinx?
Dobbins went 0-3 when I was present.
Table Talk - Awesome atmosphere. You gotta love the North Philly hoops
rivalries. Dobbins had a nice amount of supporters, mostly female, and Gratz had a lot of
supporters as well, the DJ put on a song at halftime and I thought I was in the middle of
a scene from the movie "You got Served." All these kids started dancing and
engaged in playful trash talk (the Pub is not the CL North yet.)... Making an apperance
was Sonny Hill, who was sitting with the Mayor of Wilmington, Del., who is a Gratz
alum. (This may sound strange but shouldn't the Mayor of Wilmington be at a Delaware high
school sporting event and the Mayor of Philadelphia at a Philadelphia High school sporting
event. Just kidding, Mayor Street. I mean no harm. (wink wink.)
FEB. 1
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin LC 86, CAPA 51
Most of you are probably thinking why did Duck come
to this game? Well it was senior day at FLC so I decided to poke my head in. The game was
hardly entertaining with all do respect CAPA is not overloaded with talent and they are
not overloaded with teamwork (4 assists as a team, Ouch!!!!!!!), so it was a little hard
on the eyes. Guard Darrell Reed did have 20 points with 4 treys (three were banks)
and Carl Chapman had 10 rebounds as well, that was pretty much all of their
highlights. 6'4 William Logan (26 points, 3 treys) and 6'7 Denis Delli (13
points, one ferocious slam) are FLC's only seniors. Their teammates, while mostly having
fun, made sure that the two elder players got a chance to impress a crowd that included
their parents. The underclassmen had their moments. Sophomore guard Malcolm Eleby
(8 points 8 assists) started the scoring by taking an inbounds pass from junior Brandon
Williams (13 points, 4 assists) and slamming home a vicious alley-oop. Sophomore Jeff
Ellison had 12 points. And the play of the day went to soph Dante Wooten,
who took off for a dunk that nearly brought the rim down with a poor CAPA kid on his back.
Table Talk - Logan and Delli received nice shirts and flowers which
they promptly gave to their mothers. (I wonder in all the senior day festivities
throughout the city in the CL and I-A and the very rare ones in the Pub, has there been
any time when a dad got flowers?) The managers got nice things as well . . . One nice
thing about CAPA (although they did mouth back with trash-talking FLC fans), they were
quiet and respectful during the ceremony and mostly displayed class all day long.
JAN. 31
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 67, Bartram 64 (OT)
Are you ready for the playoffs??? Central
eeked out an overtime triumph by three by coming back form a four-point deficit with 2:57
remaining in regulation. The preceding made for great prologue as the Lancers, who
dominated the first quarter by the score of 14-6. Bartram replied on the back of 6'5
senior forward Daziah Miller, who was a horse in this one. Miller tallied 19
points, 4 rebounds and a block in the second quarter alone. His first half stat line- 21
points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks on his way to 30 points and 13 rebounds. The play of junior
guard Kenny St. George ( 19 points, 3-4 on treys) and senior Scott Rodgers
led the Lancers to a 29-25 advantage at the half. Bartram star guard Marquise
Carrington got hot early second half and it made a huge difference, Central held a
narrow lead into the early stages of the 4th quarter when Carrington hit a mid-range
jumper at 6:28 to give Bartram its first lead since 2-0, at 46-45. Carrington (17 points,
12 rebounds and 8 assists) extended Bartram's lead with a trey to make the score 49-46.
The Braves controlled the game until the final minute of regulation when a Rodgers steal
and free throw put the Lancers within one. Carrington made one of two from the line to
provide a 58-56 lead with 29 seconds remaining. St. George, off of a broken play, drove
into the teeth of the defense and drew the foul. He made two pressure-packed freebies at
13.9. Bartram, without a timeout, got the ball to Carrington who missed a 19-footer from
the top of the key as time expired. Overtime !!!!!!!!!! The key play of the extra session
occurred when St. George fouled out and was hit with a technical foul. Four free throws
and the foul 2:13 remaining in overtime, the score 62-61 Central. Miller misses two and
senior forward Bryen Spriggs misses two! Despite a made free throw on the ensuing
possession, the Lancers were in control. Senior guard Lamar Williams (12 points,
all coming after halftime) found sophomore Marcus Morris for a big basket
and the Lancers held on from there to take a 67-64 decision and the regular season Public
League Division B title.
Table Talk - I'm ready for the playoffs!!!!!!!!!
JAN. 21
CATHOLIC NORTH
North Catholic 57, Dougherty 56
With all the young talent on the floor in this one it
is safe to say that these two schools will have the opportunity to play classic contests
like this one with regularity in the near future. From the opening tip this one was
entertaining. North Catholic received good efforts from most of their players but the
performances of three starters stood out. Sophomore Andrew Pomager (17 points),
senior shooter John Adamski (14 points) and junior point guard Hanif
Edwards (10 rebounds). In a really good first half, both teams were taking turns
banging in treys from deep. Cardinal Dougherty has a bunch of deep shooters: Sophomore Kahlil
Mumford (team high 15 points) hit two in the second quarter including a nice off-glass
buzzer-beater; soph point guard guard Josh "Scrap" Martin burried two in
the first half as well. North bomber Adamski got rolling in the second quarter with
back-to-back treys as North closed an eight-point gap and trailed at the half by three.
The Cardinal came out and took control in the third quarter with sophomore forward Robert
Townsend scoring four of his 11 points early. The Falcons flew back into this one with
H. Edwards directing the offense and at only 5'7 leading the team with 10 rebounds. H.
Edwards also had four assists; although he did not score he played a big part in the
eventual triumph. A couple of key "treys" were tossed in for the Falcons in this
stanza one by reserve Brett Bryan and another from about 30 feet as time ran down
by junior guard Nate Edwards. That set up a nice fourth quarter, the Falcons would
tie the score at 50-50 with two Nate Edwards FTs at 4:38. They took the lead on a Pomager
steal and layin at 4:04. Dougherty responded with senior Dwight Lyons' off-glass
runner at 3:23. H. Edwards found senior John Daley for two at 1:50, so the
advantage went back to North. Dougherty would tie it at 54 with Martin rebounding a
teammate's miss and putting in a follow at 1:02. Pomager made a tough turnaround with 40
seconds left -- Falcons lead by two. Martin cooly sank two pressure- packed free throws
with 29 seconds remaining. That brings us to the last stage of the game -- place your bets
which sophomore or other underclassmen will make the decisive play? You know Pomager had a
big game? How about Martin? He sure was cool making the free throws. How about N. Edwards?
He's capable. How about Mumford? Does he have enough brass to make the play? Here is
the answer: none of them. North held for one shot, of course, and N. Edwards missed a
12-footer in the lane. Adamski grabbed a rebound (it appeared from my angle that he took
it out of a sophomore's hands) and was immediately fouled. After seriously missing the
first free throw, he swishes the second. 3.1 seconds remain and Martin's halfcourt running
trey misses the basket.
Table Talk - Guess who was happy about North's
triumph???????? Yes the one and only Hockey Puck McKenna who was quoted
as sasying, "Huck think we overrated. So does Ted.
Put that in your report, Duck. We overrated and we don't rebound, they say. Put that in
your report, Duck," he said while spitting occasionally. Hockey Puck is truly a
Philadelphia sports ICON, I bet he can get into the Linc for the big game with no hassle.
(Note from Ted: At the Prep-Carroll game earlier, Puck kept saying over and over, while
showing me the season stat sheets, "We can't rebound. Look at this game.
Outrebounded. Look at this game. Outrebounded. Look at this game. Outrebounded." The
man is beautiful -- ha ha.)
JAN. 20
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 53, Dobbins 46
To call this a marquee match-up in the Public
League's Division B would be a bit of an understatement. Frankford and Dobbins are clearly
two good ballclubs and they played a whale of a game in this one. Early on, the Mustangs
had serious problems finding a way to contain the Pioneers star junior Lewis Leonard.
Leonard, using step backs and ball fakes to get free for good looks, had 10 in the first
half. The Mustangs, by limiting their turnovers and getting good two-way performances from
point guard Dujuan "Bud" Anderson (12 points, 3 assists and 3 steals) and
senior forward Kassim "KG" Green (12 points), moved forward to take a
surprising 23-21 lead into the halftime break. The Pioneers came out on fire in the third
quarter; senior guard Ryan Smith hit a big trey to start the half. Then
underrated senior guard Maurice Miller (9 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) made
a key basket as well. Then Leonard got hot again. This time he buried a deep three, then
shook a defender and finger-rolled at the rim. He nearly had an ALL-Time highlight --
after making a steal and running hard down the right side of the court, the lefty took off
from near the foul line and nearly posterized two Mustangs. The ball caromed high off the
rim and Anderson pushed the ball the other way and found Green for two. That cut the
Pioneers' lead to 8. Then came an Anderson driving basket off glass. After a Frankford
score, a Damon Griffin (this kid's nickname should be "Sleeper") crossover
move and basket got the "Hank" extremely loud. Anderson would then find Green
open for two and the Mustangs, who once trailed by 11, were down two heading into the
game's final 4:30. Leonard and Miller pretty much took control form there, with Miller
breaking his man down and finishing at the rack and Leonard with another step back jumper
and this game is becoming academic. Frankford moves to 8-1 in the division and Dobbins is
now at 6-3. The Mustangs must deal with the fact that they have lost three close division
games at the "Hank."
Table Talk- Nothing much . . . Crowd was really entertaining
. . . This Division sure is interesting.
JAN. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Univ. City 62, Bartram 49
This was a very interesting game. The Jaguars of
University City locked down on the defensive end and got things in their favor early. The
Jaguar guards, junior Aaron Stephens ( 13 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4
rebounds) and senior Timothy Barlow ( 4 steals), caused problems early for
Bartram. Inside forwards Ervin Jordan (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Anthony
Morrison (10 points and 6 rebounds.) and junior center Robert Mosby (6 points, 8
rebounds and 3 blocks) made things difficult for Bartram. Also, the taller team Bartram
did not efftectively attack the zone defense, but decided to bomb away treys from
distance. (The Braves shot 1-10 from trey, the only trifecta was made by Daziah
Miller on their first field goal attempt of the game!!) University City had a
first quarter lead of 15-6 and then in the second quarter they played even better defense
and limited Bartram to only five points in the period!!! Stephens, who was in foul
trouble, is a pest on the defensive end even in zone defenses. Barlow is as well. Jordan,
a senior who goes about 6'3 and plays extremely hard and efficently near the basket,
swipes the glass with aggression. At the half the few stunned spectators saw the score at
28-11 University City. The Jaguars led early third quarter by the score of 34-15. Then
here comes Bartram showing its pride. The Braves cut the lead to 10 points in the last
minute of the third quarter behind the play of guards senior Marquise Carrington
(20 points, 9 in the third quarter on a badly injured foot) and junior Jernardo Lucas
(5 steals in the second half). The Braves continued to come back all the way to 52-48 with
only two minutes and some change remaining. Stephens and Mosby made key baskets and
Jordan's acrobatic layup put the game out of reach at 58-48 with less than a minute
remaining. Reserve Earl Lewis comes in for two late scores and once again
University City shows a Public League tough cookie (remember Southern last year in the
first round of the playoffs?) a big loss.
Table Talk- Great game marred by..... yes..........no stands!!!!!!!
Nice turnout amongst colleges; five or so in attendance... Coach Lou Williams and
assistant Kenny Gritter did an excellent job keeping their team under control all
game. Funny thing: coach Williams had a bag of hot chips and a soda with him on the bench.
Bring em to Gratz (wink, wink).
JAN. 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 81, West Phila. 35
What happened? This game was over in
record time. Gratz moved out to leads of 11-0 and 41-17 and the next time I looked up this
game was over. 6'4 Roxy Transfer Ameer Ali was impressive as he grabbed
15 rebounds in the first half on his way to 20 total. Point guard Jamar
Bruce managed 6 assists and 5 steals. Ali and high rising junior Malik
Alvin had 15 points apiece. Alvin had a high flying two-hand slam. Senior forward
Raheem Miller had 13 points and the leading scorer for the Bulldogs, Syheem
Perkins, had 17 off of the bench. The Speedboys were terrible, as only two
players showed signs of life. One was combo guard Malik Wright,
who was able to muster 11 points, and the other was combo forward Glenn Goodman
(8 points, 8 rebounds).
Table Talk- What is the deal with stands? No stands at
King, no stands at Gratz, no stands at U-City and Brook and 'Baum. What gives? I do not
know about you but I think the schools deserve an answer. If no answer, something fishy is
going on.
JAN. 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Parkway 70, Bok 63
This
pivotal matchup of Class AAA schools was definitely full of entertainment. Bok was without
guard Marquise Salley (discipline), one of the Public League's top scorers, yet
this was close and competitive throughout. The Hoyas really took control in a second
quarter when they ran in 34 points in impressive fashion, and basically the Wildcats could
not come all the way back. The top Hoya is 6'4 combo guard Larz Jeter. Jeter put
the crowd into a frenzy when he took a rebound, dribbled downcourt, faked like he was
passing and in one motion wolfed down a dunk. Astounding!!! But more than that he
plays some point and is an improving defender. His jumper needs a little work but he
projects as a Division II player. Jeter had plenty of help. 6'4 Jr. point guard Ryan
Davis, who is all arms and legs and not a natural point, should be commended. Davis
played good defense and did not have many turnovers; he also has a nice touch from deep.
Davis had 9 points and 4 assists. 6'4 sophomore forward Ishmayil McFadden
is a tough cookie as well, and he made two extremely clutch fourteen foot jumpers while
the Wildcats were within two late in the fourth quarter. He also does not waste his time
with the ball and is pretty efficient. McFadden had 14 points and 8 rebounds. Junior guard
Tyrone Palmer had 16 points. The Hoyas have pretty good size and athleticism and
when they listen to coach Kermit West they seem OK. Bok had its chances; 6'3
forward Keith Mitchell, who is a widebody, had 10 points and 21 rebounds.
Mitchell is not much of scorer but he has some serious enforcer-type skills. Senior guard Lamont
Butler had an uneven performance. He did muster 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals but
he often forced things. At other times he looked like a cool-tempered scoring threat.
Football star Corey Moultrie was also key although he fouled out. He had 16 points,
most coming on high-off-the-backboard, running one-hand shots. Junior forward Gary Harris
fought for 10 points. This game did have some strange moments. A Parkway reserve was
kicked off the bench, and Bok coach Lloyd Jenkins argued non-stop with referees Larry
Harris and Jack Kaperstein; he was even teched up late. In all fairness Harris
and Kaperstein did a poor job and shouldn't think for a second that they gave both teams
their money's worth. Get them some glasses.
Table Talk -- I love this little gym and the Bok crowd was not tiny and the
noises just ring off the walls.... Bok started the game with one cheerleader eventually it
swelled to 8 cheerleaders. They were very loud also.
JAN. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Germantown 54, King 46
The last
two Pub contests that I attended were memorable, so I decided to take a trek to this
sacred rivalry. It was only an okay game. It was mostly Germantown all game long until the
Cougars eventually awoke and made it interesting late. Germantown has a nice feel to their
club; they have a sum-is-greater-than-the-parts approach. A couple of juniors made
impressions: Tyrell Coleman (13 points, 4 steals and 5 assists.) and Elijah
Clark (14 points and 14 rebounds.) Coleman goes about 6'2 and is reed thin, he goes
non-stop and zips through the lane for flip shots and draws fouls with regularity. He has
point skills and if he can phase out some bad shot selection, his progress bears watching.
Clark, a burly type, grabs rebounds like a man. He takes the ball out of his opponents'
hands with authority. He does not show much lift, but he consumes rebounds with hard work.
Another forward, 6'5 senior Devon Price, would be a good get for a D-3. He is long
and lanky and plays with sense, he did not show a mean streak but maybe that will come to
him in time. A couple of football players: Kevin Burwell (junior point guard) and Xavier
Shaw (senior small forward) figure prominently in the rotation. Shaw mustered 10
points. The Cougars were led by 6'2 scoring guard Darnell Moore, who tallied 20
points. Moore is a good shooter and he showed off his athleticism with a
jump-through-basket dunk as King staged a late comeback. Down six with under 2:00
remaining, Moore hit a long jumper (from my vantage point a trey) that was called a two.
The Bears, with simple basketball, held on for the win over their archrival. Besides
Moore, the top Cougars are 6'3 combo guard Zane Oxley (6 points, 5 rebounds, 3
assists) and wing guard Brandon Connelly (9 points). Problem #1- no point
guard, so Oxley, who also guards the opponent's top scorer, has to play out of position at
the one. Problem #2 - Poor rebounding, Problem #3- Players a little testy with each other.
If they can solve the three problems maybe they can turn it around a little.
Table Talk - King has a beautiful campus: complete with amphitheater,
manmade pond and vestibule entrance -- why no damn stands???????..... Nice warm-up music,
but for King/G-Town you have to bring out the Quilly Mills and only kids in the
Northwest part of the city will understand....Just like at the football game not the
slightest sign of violence or commotion and both schools should be proud of that.... King
AD Margie Stinson did nice player introductions.
JAN. 4
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 56, Dobbins 54 (OT)
Not a
bad way to start the New Year at the legendary "Hank" gym at Murrell Dobbins.
This was a key matchup in the Public League Division B. The Eagles swooped down from the
Northeast for this tilt and started off with high wire act of 6'3 SF Dominique Curry
(14 points). Curry rose for two electric jams in this one. His first jam was off of a lob
pass over the Mustangs' zone. His primary playmate was slithery combo guard Corey White
(21 points). White and Curry, if they can continue to use each other well, should present
some matchup problems in the Pub. The Mustangs had a lot of fight in this one playing in
front of a decent-sized crowd. The Eagles actually are in control of the first quarter and
have the crowd at a silence before a key sequence just before the horn. Senior guard Damon
Griffin (10 points, 10 steals and 3 assists) steals the inbounds pass, crosses a
defender over behind the back, and burries a thirty-footer. After that my hearing was
hampered by the loud crowd noise for the next 85 minutes. ( I did not mind however). The
Eagles get their machine rolling in the second quarter. White was on fire, showing a good
jumper and nice crossover dribble. He poured in 15 points, including two treys in the
second stanza. White was 6-6 from the field and 1-2 from the line; the missed free throw
was slammed home by the high rising Curry and the "Hank" erupted again. At the
half, Washington led, 35-28. Dobbins, trying to slow down the Eagles' momentum, gets
a boost from senior point, Dujuan "Bud" Anderson, a waterbug guard
with instincts. Anderson, who had 12 points and 4 assists, leads the Mustangs on the
comeback trail. Anderson finds 6'5 sophomore forward Chris "Youngboy" Edwards
(10 points and 8 rebounds) three times for key scores. 6'4 Star forward Kassim
"KG" Green had 11 rebounds but the long and burly frontline of Washington
hindered him in this one. (The Eagles frontline is 6'7, 6'5, 6'3 and they play a 6'6 kid
off the bench. ) The Mustangs get within one early fourth quarter on a Griffin two-hand
jump through the basket. Then take a momentary lead on a Steve Sydnor (10 points)
basket from Anderson. Dobbins would miss two layups in the late stages of the fourth
quarter, one a player missed while trying to tap the backboard. (Tapping the backboard is
stupid! Either lay the ball up or dunk. Leave the backboard alone.) The Eagles would have
the better of the overtime play. 6'7 center Pat Martin, likely a state school
prospect, had 12 rebounds (5 in the extra session) and drew a key foul on Green that
forced him to leave the game. (Martin also drew Edwards' fifth foul.) Martin hit one free
throw to put the Eagles ahead 55-54. After a scrum after a missed Mustangs shot, deep
reserve Dan Powell would hit a key free throw with 10 seconds remaining. (His knees
appeared to be knocking -- smile.) The Mustangs came down and Griffin's right wing trey
went array and the Eagles celebrated a huge win on the court.
Table Talk - Nice crowd on display and they were involved . . . With
Yank yelling "Youngboy" at Edwards, the crowd mocked him with
"Youngboy." And when Yank yelled, "Be patient!", they yelled the exact
same thing.
DEC. 22
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin LC 72, Prep Charter 66 (2 OTs)
A jam-packed crowd took up every inch of Cunningham
Community Center for this playoff atmosphere-type tilt. Standing room only throughout both
baselines and all along the stage. I estimate the attendance over 400 in a place that can
really hold 150. The Huskies of Prep Charter came out with a vengeance after being hit
with a technical for dunking in the layup line, (FLC hit one of two from the line). PC's
star junior swingman Rodney Green goes baseline for a ferocious slam. The Huskies
get rolling to a 16-5 advantage punctuated by a sickening one hand alley-oop dunk
by Green that forces a FLC timeout. The Bobcats regroup led by sophomore point guard Malcolm
Eleby (20 points, 9 assists, 4 steals) and come to the half with the score tied at
28-28. Eleby had 12 points at the half and 5 assists as the smooth lefty, Mike
Green-type (FLC '03), who was in attendance, helped generate a 15-point second
quarter. On the defensive end the Bobcats regained their composure with a zone trap. At
the half, the score was changed. C assistant coach and former Overbrook star Rahim
Washington had the score 28-27, and the score was reversed to that. Eleby finds soph
guard Jeffery Ellison (7 points) for a trey. The Bobcats get rolling in the third
quarter and after a buzzer-beating Ellison trey as the third session ends the score is
45-39. The Huskies come back. They receive a "Rasheed-like" effort from 6'8
center Markieff "Big Twin" Morris -- check the stat line: 27 points, 17
rebounds 3 blocks. Despite losing Green (18 points) and forward Haven Wroten
to fouls in the middle of the fourth quarter, they still have a chance with the
score 61-56 with only 29 seconds left. (Eleby fouled out with 59.2 seconds remaining in
regulation). After a foul on FLC when they tried to inbound the ball, PC senior Jason
Dogan hits a miracle trey. FLC tries to hold but misses a short layup and Big
Twin's layup off a Dogan miss sends the gym into a frenzy. Junior wing guard Brandon
Williams (18 points 5 steals), who took over at the point after Eleby fouled out,
misses a contested jumper as time expires. OT. Baby!!!!!!! Williams scores all of the
Bobcats points in the first overtime as he hits four free throws. "Big Twin"
with two follows scores all of the Huskies points. The Huskies have a chance with 9.9
seconds remaining. They get two shots on the rim and they come tantalizingly close, but
the ball does not fall in. Williams makes the decisive play with a little over a minute
remaining when with the score 66-65 Huskies. He shakes his defender to the floor and
hits a tough pull-up jumper to give FLC the lead. After a missed PC jumper, 6'4
senior William Logan (17 points, 9 rebounds) grabs a key rebound and hits two at
the line. Williams steals the inbound pass and hits one of two from the line. PC misses a
trey and Logan procures his ninth rebound and ends this classic battle of attrition with
two freebies. After the final buzzer the immense crowd swarms the court and on to the
playoffs......ugh stupid schedule.........Christmas break. FLC heads to Virginia and Prep
Charter heads to North Carolina.
Table Talk - All most every former FLC player in the last three years
was in attendance......... Mike Green was up from Towson where he is a
starter......Loads chants of Bobcats are still ringing in my ears.........Prep Charter had
a large following as well.....Williams shot 13-16 from the line, Eleby 13-19.... After
Dogan fouled out Prep Charter put 6'7 Marcus "Wing Twin" Morris out on
the perimeter to defend.......PC lost "Wing Twin", Green, Wroten, and Dogan to
fouls, FLC lost Eleby and 6'6 center Denis Delli to fouls...If every Pub game was
like this, there would be no better league in the world.
DEC. 21
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 55, Southern 34
The
Bulldogs of Gratz won this one with a good run druing the third quarter after leading only
by the score of 31-28. Junior guard Malik Alvin, who sniped three treys, was able
to generate a little end-to-end action that helped to blow the lid off a contested game. I
really like the improvement of 6'7 center Abdullah Moon. He has shown flashes in
the past but now he seems to take less plays off and makes his presence known on a
constant basis. He had two thunderous jams. Another key player for the Bulldogs was 6'3
slashing forward Syheem Perkins. He helped disrupt the Rams' zone defense with
crafty drives through the lanes. He finished with 9 points. Roxy transfer Ameer Ali
had 12 points and was a constant threat offensively. Senior guard Jamar Bruce had 8
assists. The Rams had their opportunities but struggled finishing plays and at the free
throw line. Senior guard Amir Ryan had a rough outing. A very good defender, he
struggled with his shot and was only 1-14 from the field. He did draw foul after foul and
showed a good knack for diving on the floor. Senior center Ervin Spuriel, while a
talented player, has to look to score more. During one key possession he passed up a layup
for a pass. Huh? The Rams were without three rotation members.
Table Talk - I watched the game with Mark "Froggy' Carfagno,
a legendary figure in South and Southwest.
DEC. 20
NON-LEAGUE
Dougherty 76, Kennedy-Kenrick 59
Some nights you just want entertainment and to watch something
interesting -- this one was both entertaining and interesting. Dougherty jumped out to a
13-2 lead and then took the first quarter by the score of 25-9. They are very young as
they started three sophomores and two other 10th graders figure prominently in the
rotation. Sophomore point guard Joshua "Scrap" Martin was impressive. He
dropped 8 assists and led a high-scoring, unselfish, uptempo attack that was fun to watch.
Put him in the books for 19 points, 7 rebounds 8 assists and 4 steals. 6'7 bruiser Chris
McNicholas is really the only big man and he will be counted on for heavy
minutes. Sophomore wing guard Kahlil Mumford (6 points on two very deep threes) is
a zone buster with loads of brass. Sophomore swingman Robert Townsend is a high
flyer while classmate Justin Minter is a vital cog as well. Senior Dwight
Lyons is a ballhandler who provides leadership for the youngsters. KK was mostly quiet
but had a couple of loud plays - down 31-9, 6'5 junior Jermaine Pierce took a
bounce pass from sophomore combo guard Tim Bowman and slammed home a VICIOUS dunk
over a Dougherty reserve. He had 12 points and will be key for the Wolverines. Also,
junior swingman Scott Marsten had a late two hand flush over the same Dougherty
reserve. (Poor kid gonna hear about it the rest of his life.) The Wolverines will get
better. If sideline antics are any indication. coach Mike Fick is a hell of a
competitor.
Table Talk- It was good to see some former Dougherty players in
attendance like David Goode who know attends Wilkes University and Shane Clark,
who has committed to Univ. of Maryland and is atttending Hargrave Military Academy.
DEC. 20
NON-LEAGUE
Mastbaum 61, Bodine 56
This was a really good game. William Bodine is much improved and
they are capable of pulling off upsets. Mastbaum's star 6'6 forward Tariek Belcher
was playing with a severely sprained ankle so the Panthers were not near full strength.
The Panthers actually led from start to finish but got hit with the turnover bug during
some key situations, so this was hardly a walk in the park. The Ambassadors got a solid
all-around performance from their three guards. Lefty wing Tyree Grffin, a chunky
junior; senior point Keith Gastearl and freshman combo Lamarr Jackson. They
actually had the better of the guard play in this one. Griffin, plays hard and has some
point skills and uses his body well. Gastearl is a vocal floor leader with brass and
intelligence. Jackson, who only goes about 5'5 is tough as nails and plays really hard and
smart. They've got the guards and when you have guards in a lot of circumstances you have
a chance. The Panthers personnel besides Belcher is hardly superb but they have some hard
playing athletes who make things happen. One, football player, David Pough had some
key plays late- he had 8 points, four rebounds and four steals. He and guard Zelmay
"Paragraph" Hernandez did a good job of generating some plays in a key
second half run. Hernandez had 13 points but I think he was fretting two turnovers he had
with under 2:00 minutes left that left the score in doubt. Senior forward Jamil Wilson
had 12 points and with Jackson (4 points, 4 assists, 4 steals and 5 rebounds) helped force
the two turnovers, but nly made one of two from the line with under a minute remaining.
After another turnover the Ambassadors missed and Belcher, without jumping, procured his
13th rebound. He had 13 points with one trey and showed a nice outside touch on two other
jumpers. He is probably a major junior college kid. Gastearl had 12 points and I
think that he and Wilson could help a Division 3 program near you. Griffin crafted himself
18 points.
Table Talk - Bodine has a nice atmosphere, I really liked
it. Good cheerleaders, funny fans and nice crowd support. Hernandez got the nickname
Paragraph because he has a long tattoo with a a wordy phrase and one of the fans kept
calling him "Paragraph." Bodine coach Steve Kikendall is
turning things around. Stay tuned.
DEC. 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 79, Southern 61
This game had the style of play that has been missing
in the Public League in the last couple of years. You know what I mean: a good,
free-flowing style of play. Southern and Central was a fun game to watch. The Lancers had
a two-ponged attack throughout much of the game -- 6'3 Drexel signee Scott Rodgers
and 6'3 swingman Andre Woodlin. Rodgers was impressive in this one, especially
with some pinpoint passes he made across the Rams' zone for layups. He also did a
lot of ballhandling. Yes, he did score 23 points but the 8 assists he had were just as
impressive. Woodlin is a sleeper, and what you can call a classic Lancer. You know the
type -- in-your-shirt defender, slithery scorer and solid, all-around player. He made some
nice finishes in traffic. I think he is a Division 2 state school player and he is on his
way up as there are no signs of peeking in sight. Another key Lancer is junior Rashiid
Coleman. (8 points). He's tough and a good passer-defender. (You sense a theme here?).
This kid shoots daggers!! Each shot he makes takes the life out of the defense. Another
player for Central is junior Kenny St. George, who handles the point and plays
tough defense and makes key passes. He must lead the area in charges taken, he At
6'4 he has good size for a combo, so his progress bears watching. Southern is not far from
making a good run this year. Do not let the score fool you: they were competitive
throughout against the Lancers' starting unit and that was without their primary
ballhandler. Senior combo guard Amir Ryan is a tough as nails defender and
competitor he scored 11 points and played some good defense on Rodgers. 6'8 center Ervin
Spuriel, despite foul trouble, did have 6 assists with his 4 points. Reserve senior
forward Jason Sabb (brother of former star Shawn Sabb) had 16 late. Football
quarterback Jalil Harris bombed 3 treys. Senior forward Tarik Gray had 7
points and 4 steals. Sophomore Ramone Moore showed potential. The Rams are
in the middle of a tough stretch: Central then Bartram then Gratz then Neumann. That is
close to Temple-like schedule.
Table Talk: Nice to see all those assistants at Southern.
DEC. 11
COACHES VS. CANCER SHOWCASE
Bishop O'Connell (Va.) 58, Frankford 54
Early on Frankford had some real problems with this
big and talented team from the Washington, D.C., area. The Pioneers trailed by the count
of 14-4 early first quarter and this one had the look of a rout. Yeah, right. Frankford
has some tough and brassy kids who when pushed into a corner know how to respond with
sensibility. They rallied gradually behind the play of their perimeter players. Guard Ryan
Smith is one tough player. Smith controls the tempo, handles the ball with sense and
makes things happen. (I heard that he has an 1100 SAT too, that helps) He had a really
telling line -- 3 points, 8 assists and 5 steals. The Pioneers, when trailing early,
needed an insertion of offense and that came from sixth man Maurice Miller, who
came in firing from deep and that got O'Connell (coached by Joey Wootten; son of Morgan
Wootten a Hall of Fame Coach at DeMatha Catholic in Maryland) out of a zone defense.
Despite that effort Frankford still trailed by four at halftime. They would take a
momentary lead in the second half when 6'3 star Lewis Leonard got on track, scoring
all 14 of his points in the second half. Leonard went right at North Carolina signee Marcus
Ginyard and held his own. He doesn't need screens to get his shot off even with major
defensive attention paid to him, he is in my opinion the Public League's top junior. The
Pioneers had their chances late but some mistakes on their end in terms of offensive
execution and one key sequence they allowed Dave "I should love Philly
because there is no 3 second violation" Neal who was a bear with 18 points and 18
rebounds, to claim a key rebound off a missed free throw. Anyway they should get it
together when some of their very green post players -- namely promising 6'6 freshman Malik
Tinsley (8 points) -- get some more seasoning.
Table Talk - CL fans remember Tom Keenan
from Father Judge. He attends Gwynedd-Mercy, I could not recognize him at first so I asked
"Are you Tom Keenan?" He said "Yeah." You got big. Been lifting
weights everyday? "Never." Conversation continues and then he adds "Still
roughing people up, though."
DEC. 4
PHILLY HOOPS INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Germantown Academy 61 Roman Catholic 55
The adrenaline was in the building for this one. The Patriots maybe the
area’s top team and the Cahillites of Roman are always a threat for the top spot, so
although the season is only days old this had the requisite big game atmosphere. The
Empire struck early behind the play of 6’6 junior Mike Ringgold. The Freire
Charter transfer made his first two baskets in leading Roman to a 16-10 first quarter
lead. Here comes the Patriots, one night after a 12 point performance 6’7 senior
forward Ryan Ayers (Germantown Academy) was the go to guy in this one. He would
finish with 25 points. Playing a big role in the GA success is 6’1 wing guard Kyle
Griffin who totaled 19 points. The Patriots are back in the saddle and moving ahead
but a last second basket by sophomore wing guard Brian Wanamaker put the CL power
on top heading into the half 29-28. GA goes to work in the early stages of the third
quarter, the strong play of senior forward Brian Grimes on both ends of the floor
is the catalyst as they surge ahead. Roman forward Malik Perry is hindered with
foul trouble and has to got to the pine with plenty of time left in the third with his
fourth foul. Roman would respond; sophomore wing guard Bradley Wanamaker was
impressive, following a steal by Raymond "Doodles" Sims (7 assists) slams
home two of his 15. He also burried a few mid-range jumpers as this one tightened up.
Roman would get within three on a big Bill Lally trey with 4:48 remaining in
regulation. They would come all the way back to forge a brief lead on a Ringgold
layup off a Sims pass with 2:10 remaining. (55-54) They would score no more after Ayers
who was an ultra clutch six for six from the foul line in the fourth quarter, hit
two freebies at 1:37 remaining. Junior center Andrew Ott followed with a big block
at 1:01. He had another key block at 40.8 which fueled the victory. Ott was named to the
All-Tournament Team along with MVP -Brian Grimes. Roman was represented by Perry and
Lally.
Table Talk-"Who picked the All-tournament team?" Hockey yelled !!!.
"Ayers not MVP, what they watching?" …….. Also he commented "Kyle
Griffin one of my favorite players."
DEC. 4
CONSOLATION
Wissahickon 66 North Catholic 60
This game must have been played in the twilight zone. Wissahickon star
forward Ryan Washington had only 5 points and only played roughly twenty
minutes but the Trojans beat an undermanned North Catholic squad. Washington picked up
fouls early but senior guard Bruce Kennedy covered nicely for him. The small guard had 18
points and five assists. North was a little out of sync. Sophomore guard Andrew
Pomager had a strange performance --- he had 7 assists and many of the assists
showed his excellent passing skills and court vision,; his 8 turnovers did not show either
the skills or the vision. Ahh the beauty of being a sophomore. The North banner was
carried by 6’2 Danny Breen, who hit two late treys to get within two with only
one minute and forty-two seconds remaining. The Falcons did not get any closer. Jeremy
Coombs, a 6’6 forward, played the best that I’ve ever seen from him --
16 points and 9 rebounds. D-II’s and D-III’s should be all over him. His best
days are clearly ahead of him. Junior guard Nate Edwards had 13 points as well.
Table Talk - "I should have picked O’hara that would have
put me one behind Huck," Hockey screeched.
DEC. 3
PHILLY HOOPS INVITATIONAL
Roman 73, North Catholic 57
As far as tip-of tournaments go right now, this might
be the best ticket in town. Held at Althouse Hall on the campus of Philadelphia University
(formerly Textile). Roman, the perennial championship contender from the Catholic League
South, vs. North Catholic’s emerging program from the CL North. Both teams would be
without key parts to their machines. Roman without senior guard and leader Bobby Jordan;
the Falcons without scoring threat John Adamski (who rung up 31 on Bishop Loughlin
of NY in a tournament in Maryland last week.) Also guard Hanif Edwards
(out with an ear injury) and forward Joe Rod. However by halftime the Falcons led
the Cahillites 36-34. How? Well a good reason was 6’3 sophomore combination guard Andrew
Pomager. The flashy guard was turning heads in the first half with snappy passes,
eye-popping ball handling skills and deep set shooting threes. He had 14 points. His
primary playmate Nate Edwards had an in and out performance, he generally was able
to attack Roman and he sure did compete but seven turnovers and a poor performance from
the foul line would allow Roman to storm ahead in the third quarter. Edwards left the game
late with what looks like a small injury. Roman was led by Malik Perry, who
was a force along the baseline to right around the basket similar to how Charron Fisher
used to score for Roman. Perry in total had 29 points and 15 rebounds. That sounds like
I’m Roman’s go to guy numbers. With Perry dominating the low post Roman would
have an eight point lead after three quarters and they would use their depth and better
overall athleticism to a sixteen point win. Junior guard Raymond
"Doodles" Sims was on point to say the least, he had 10 assists, and
defensively forced North associate Head Coach Tim Hueber to warn his guards:
"Do not cross over in front of him." Sims' quick hands on numerous occasions
would poke the ball loose and cause havoc on the North ball handlers. Fellow junior Mike
Ringgold, a Freire Charter School transfer, had 15 points and seemed to progress as
the game went on. (He might have had some jitters in his first game at Roman). Senior Billy
Lally had 12 points and sophomore swingman Bradley Wanamaker tallied 11. North
is fun to watch scrappy reserves Joe Sychulski and Danny Breen had a lot of
floor burns. 6’6 forward Jeremy Coombs, despite some foul trouble, did tally
10 points.
Table Talk- I watched the game with the legendary Tom "Hockey
Puck" McKenna. He made a slight error in writing down a player's number into the
scorebook and it resulted in a technical foul. He sure got mad at himself. I just
told him, "Calm down ‘Hock’ -- everybody makes mistakes" ….
Pomager nearly broke another kid’s ankle this game and he had a couple of sickening
moves, Hockey commented, "He the real deal."
DEC. 3
PHILLY HOOPS INVITATIONAL
Germantown Academy 71 Wissahickon 62
The Patriots from Germantown Academy according to some sources are one
the top teams in the East. The Trojans of Wissahickon are a competitive team with
the ability to pull off upsets. This one was darn good. The main man for the Patriots in
this one was not Ryan Ayers (Notre Dame signee). It really was not Brian Grimes
another headliner for the Patriots. The real star was 6’10 junior center Andrew
Ott, who had a whale of a game in this one. No doubt this kid will see major D-I as he
consumes rebounds and is surprisingly active. The "big fella" was a bear, check
the stat line: 21 points and 24 rebounds. A consistent force inside he received good help
form the hard-playing 6’6 senior forward Grimes, a D-I prospect. Ayers had 12. The
Patriots do have some chinks in the armor -- their ball handling was suspect. In time
though senior Kirk Jones and sophomore combo guard, Kyle Griffin will be a
more cohesive ball handling unit. A big boost was given when jr. reserve guard Zack
Paul came in a provide some much needed stability. The Trojans contended all game long
and they often got Patriot leads down to four and five but could not overturn the GA
machine at key moments of the game. Their leader was 6’5 senior forward Ryan Washington
(23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks.) He is a D-I prospect. Guard Bruce Kennedy
although tiny (5’7) is dynamite he had 18 points on three "treys."
Table Talk - Is the GA for Glamour Academy. Why are all the fans
dressed up nice?… Lots of stars out and about here. One was Billy Owens,
former 76ers player, was on hand to watch his son who plays for Wissahickon… Why are
all the top players in the area at the game watching GA?…. Glamour Academy.