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Amauro's Corner Amauro "Amar" Austin is
a headliner among our trusty observers. He is not to be confused with Ruben Amaro,
the Phillies' general manager. Like "Huck" Palmer,
Amauro is a West Catholic graduate. He will make reports on games he sees. |
FEB. 18
PUBLIC LEAGUE DIVISION A
Frankford 70, U-City 54
Frankford 63, Northeast 51
PHEW! What a late afternoon! This HAD to be covered as the Pioneers did
something unprecedented in playing a game and a half in one day . . . with a
trip in between. You see a few weeks ago, the NE-Fkd game was postponed at
halftime due to a broken rim at Frankford's gym. Since then there has been a
whole week wiped out due to snow and League officials made the proper decision
in deciding to finish out the season. Ah, but there was one problem: Frankford
had to make up 5 (actually 4 and a half) games and do it within 4 days. So
today's plan was to play UC. Sounds good, right, but NOOOO this is the Pub so of
course things didn't exactly go that way. Game One didn't get started until 3:45
due to the fact that NO REFS showed! Around 3:10, a guy named Anthony
Smith came to the scorer's table and was kinda forced into action.
Smith is PIAA certified and actually does do Pub games, but he just happened to
be there to watch and didn't even have his ref gear. Yes, shake your heads
please! Anyway, Smith was a good sport and luckily Frankford local so he was
able to quickly change into Mr. Ref. (Smile) So finally at 3:45, the festivities
began! And UC was trying to spoil the party throughout much of the first half
prompting one Jaguar supporter to yell, "We takin' this game!" Sr. F
Micah Peeler (14P, 10R), a tough utility man, and jr. WG-SF
Martez Lyles (11P, 4A, 2S), a strong wing with a football mentality,
were flat out ballin! By half's end though, the Pioneers had taken control and
NEVER really looked back. The star of the game and the day for that matter was
6-4 sr. SF Carl Wallace, a multi-skilled, multi dimensional,
ambidextrous (shoots jumpers with his left, does everything else with his
right), GRITTY player who also very will be the Pub's BEST athlete. Here
Wallace went for 14 points (3 RIM-RATTLERS -- aka Dunks), 7 Rebounds, 6 Assists
& 3 Steals. Wallace is indeed a D-I Prospect, but may need JC to reach that
goal. There's only one guy in the city leagues that is more explosive and that
is Neumann-Goretti's Danny Stewart, so if you've seen him . . .
Sr. PG Dehaven Brown quietly/efficiently went for 16 points and
plucked 3 steals. Team Rock sr. SF Terrell Clark (12P, 6R) did
his normal yeoman's work. Jr. SF Steffon Poole (10P, 6R) did
his norm off the bench as well.
The second half of the NE game was rather exciting as NE, almost winless in
League play (one), was rather inspired as they came from 11 down at the half to
tie the score at 51 with 2:49 remaining. Then the Pioneers awoke after driving
over and having a 5 minute warm-up to score the game's final 12 points
with Wallace again smack dab in the middle of it with 2 more VICIOUS Dunks in
traffic (on one he put a defender in the basket with the ball -- smile) and the
second an alley-oop off an inbounds play. The latter caused the spirited NE
crowd to jump ship and start cheering for the Gold, Red, White & Blue.
AA's NOTES: The Pioneers are on a strong run
right now and that could lead to a collision course with whoever comes out of
AA (Mansion, Imhotep, C-Tech) for the Pub Title. Its going to be VERY exciting
the next 2 weeks... Wallace was EXTRA impressive as his finishes in traffic were
demoralizing. He's one of those athletes that would be good at whatever sport he
decided to play and probably even all-league, be it soccer, football, track,
baseball or whatever he wanted to play... UC is not to be counted out in the 4A
equation as they are extremely dangerous with their mix of tough guys, skill
guys and the fearless PG tandem of sr. Brandon Baynes and jr.
6th man Nasir Mitchell. Add that to veteran coach Lou Williams,
whose been known to play spoiler in the playoffs, and you have a dangerous
mix... NE's program is on the rise as well even with this gloomy season. Jr. C
Anthony Fuscellaro goes 6-7 297 and has BIG, soft mitts. He
also knows how to work around the hoop. Plus there are other underclassman. And
as always when it comes to NE, there has to be a bevy of talent amongst 3000+
kids... Let the fun begin folks! For me it starts this weekend as my sweetheart
of a girlfriend (Erika) and I are going on a weekend couple's
retreat in the Pocono area as the trail goes on (literally -- smile)...
FEB. 3
PUBLIC LEAGUE DIV. A
Fels 69, Lincoln 59 (OT)
I know what you're saying, "Why here, Double A? Wasn't Mansion @ Imhotep
and wasn't Frankford @ Bartram?" Yes and yes, but I was at Fels' beautiful new
place, and happy I came I might add, as this one wound up being a goodie. I saw
Lincoln VERY early in the year and remembered that the Railsplitters were a
junior-laden team (9 in their 10-man rotation) with 2 standouts in quick/slick
PG Rickey Savage & high scoring 6-4 SF Tyrone Martin. Add to that
a developing post in 6-6 C Ronald "Tree" Rollins and the makings of a
decent crew are there. All year long Fels has been led by athletic 6-3 sr. CG
Devon Perrin (no different here either, 26P, 4R, 2A, 3S). Perrin didn't
disappoint either as it seemed that he got better as the game went on. When the
game got more and more intense, he stepped his energy up notch by notch. That's
a great approach folks as it shows that he understands what's going on out
there. Jr. F Teree "Twin" Johnson was the next best Panther as he bulled
and even bullied his way to 24 points and 10 rebounds. He did so while making 9
out of 11 shots from the field and 6-of-9 from the line. Sr. F Robert Jones,
a true energy-guy, hustled for 9 of both points and boards. He also dished 2 and
stole 2. Shifty sr. PG Kennieth Stewart (4P, 4R, 8A) was the steadying
influence. As for Lincoln, the big 3 only played with 2 as Savage was glued to
the bench in street clothes for undisclosed reasons. Martin, who's quite the
character by the way, had an off shooting day (5-for-18, 2-of-5 at the line). He
possesses a sweet mid range jumper and overall can be VERY dangerous when under
control. What I do like is that he not bashful or lacking in the confidence
department. Rollins (11P, 10R) started slow but then became the go-to guy in
the 2nd half before fouling out as he just posted strong and shot right over the
top of much smaller defenders. Role players jr. SF Jack Ferguson (9P, 6R)
& jr. PG Nahjir Robinson (7P, 3R, 2A) both gave strong efforts.
AA's NOTES: Both of these NE Philly schools are in brand spanking
new buildings. This was my second trip to Fels' new spot. I haven't been to
Lincoln yet though I hear it could host some future playoff games... Both teams
make my brainstorm for the near future of the Pub look easy. All the teams in
the NE should be part of six nine-team divisions based on geography with a
7th division for the lesser lights. Everyone plays each other twice which would
make for 16 League games with a Saturday quadrupleheader League game date once a
month at the super site of the division. The NE Division has 3 super sites (NE,
Lincoln & Fels) so each would host a Sat. The NE division would feature: NE, GW,
Linc, Fels, Fkd, F'Towne Charter, Swenson, Olney & Mastbaum. And finally most
games would be JV/V Doubleheaders meaning the Varsity game would start no
earlier than 4:30 with teams without JV starting at 3:30. More on this in the
coming weeks as the trail continues . . .
JAN. 31
DR. ERIC BRAY WINTERFEST/GPL SHOWCASE
Franklin 72, Robeson 67
Phew, this one literally gave me a headache. There was so much back and
forth and up and down play here that my head was spinning. It was fun to watch
though as there was a TRUE playoff feel here as both teams really got after it
leaving it all out there. Going in I was excited to check out the point guard
dual between srs. Jay Harris (Robeson) and Kenny Bey-Brown
(Franklin). Both are two of the Pub's (city's?) better generals so that alone
made things interesting. In the first half, Harris seemed to be winning the
battle by a landslide as he opened with 3 straight treys en route to 13 points.
Bey-Brown didn't score at all while shooting 0-for-6, UGGGH! Ah, but he did
regroup to score all 20 of his points after halftime, including 14 in the 4th
(12-of-14 at the line). I liked how KBB WILLED himself effective even when his
shot wasn't falling and overall things weren't going his way, VERY IMPRESSIVE!
Sr. Backcourt mate Jeff Giddings also had a rough start and answered the
2nd half bell by scoring all 12 of his points after halftime. Sr. WG-SF Shawn
Penn was HUGE throughout and honestly was the difference maker. Penn went
for 17P, 9R, 3S while going a clutch 9-for-10 at the line all in the 2nd half.
Jr. SF Shaquil Taylor (9P, 13R) did major damage on the baseline. Harris
was in serious whirlwind mode scoring 28 points, 8 boards, 3 dishes & 7 thefts
before fouling out with more than five minutes left in the 4th. Fouls 4 and 5
came in succession as Harris got a little too emotional. I don't think it'll
happen again as this cost the Huskies the lead and eventually the game. Harris
is much improved and is starting to open some eyes including mine. There's now
no doubt in my mind that there's a D-I ride somewhere with his name on it and if
not he'd be a *STAR* at the D2 level. D3s forget about it! Sr. WG Jamair
Williams, a true defensive pest, worked great with Harris in scoring 14
points. Soph. Sniper Marquise Richards was impressive as he made some
deep jumpers. Jr. F Andre Washington was perfect from the floor (3-for-3)
and the line (2-for-2) while also snatching 7.
AA's NOTES: This was a GREAT event and directly pointed to my
vision for the future of the Pub. I had a long, productive chat with D-XII
Chairman Robert Coleman about just that... Harris played an electric game
here. His confidence was at an all-time high and as I've learned over the years,
the big C is everything in this game and in the bigger picture, the game of
life. One thing he MUST improve on is 9-of-15 from the line. That's unaccepatble
for a PG and especially one with his dead-eye stroke... Gotta give props to
Electron boss Larry Gainey, who may be doing his BEST coaching job yet.
His team has one regular over 6-1 and they seem to be entrenched in EVERY
game... Finally in other games, Constitution took down Dobbins in a wire-to-wire
war, Octorara outlasted Vaux and Comm Tech, playing its 4th game in 4 days, loss
to a quality Wissahickon (led by an old friend: a now EXTREMELY MUSCULAR Jack
O'Neill) club, 64-59.
JAN. 21
PUBLIC LEAGUE DIV. A
Central 51, University City 48
This was refreshing! Two classic Pub Programs coached by two of the
league's better coaches (Central - Haviland Harper & U-City - Lou
Williams) playing in a competitive game/atmosphere that meant something (at
least to me). The Lancers won this seesaw battle behind a GRITTY all around
effort by many. This crew is a senior-laden squad and that's always dangerous in
a close game. Four srs stood tall in this one. The normal headliner is 6-6
235-lb sr. PF-C Brandon Smith (13P, 7R, 2B) and he indeed did his part
here being consistent throughout while imposing his will. The heroes here were
lesser lights. Let's start with sr. WG Joshua Welles (12P, 5A, 5S). His
fast start (10P in the first half) got the Lancers going when the Jags had early
control. And in the second have he got his distribute on (4 of his 5 dishes).
Sr. PG Kamell Alston (5A, 4S) was steady throughout and succeeded for the
most part in the unenviable task of controlling whirlwind Jag PG Brandon
Baynes (8P, 7R, 5A, 5S) while also taking a KEY charge down the stretch. 6th
man sr. G-F Mark Sanders (10P, 2A, 2B) may have been the most valuable as
his contributions off the bench may have been what lead to this W. The Jags'
Baynes had a pretty uneven outing as he did many whirlwind-like things, but
missed his last 6 shots including a just short would-be game tying trey at the
buzzer and an a key one-and-one down the stretch. BUT, he could be a small
college terror with his high-energy jitterbug style. 6-4 Sr. SF Mike Clemmons,
a long lefty, (7P, 8R, 3S) also had an off outing, but hustled throughout.
Another lefty sr. WG Aramis Jones had a breakout game with 17P, 7R, 2A,
2S. Jones had serious tricky-dick leftiness and I love how he embraced eating
today without 2 regulars stepping up in a major way.
AAs NOTES: UC played this week without two 2 regulars (Only 8 in
uniform), a key starter and their 6th man and secondary ballhandler. Both are
expected back on Tuesday. They make the Jags VERY dangerous... Central played an
excellent floor game, dishing 16 assists on 19 baskets (14 Turnovers)... Smith
is getting feelers at all three levels and rightfully so, but could be an AA at
the D3 level if he ends up there... Finally I LOVE watching 4A ball in the Pub!
Every game seems to be competitive which will make things interesting going
forward as the trail goes on . . .
JAN. 18
IMHOTEP COACHES VS CANCER SHOWCASE
PET Charter 77, ML King 50
It's always fitting to see King HS play on Dr. Martin Luther King's holiday
and this event can and will grow in the coming years. This was my first look at
both squads so that's always grounds for some excitement. PET started 3
freshman, a soph and a junior while eventually frolicking to victory. Comm Tech
transfer 6-2 jr. CG Carrington "Merc" Ward was the headliner as
he slashed and dashed his way to 24 points, 10 boards & 7 dishes while shooting
8-for-12 (FG) & 8-of-11 (FT). He's indeed a sleeper in the very strong junior
class and bears watching. Another junior, CG Devonte Chance,
came off the bench for 18 points. These two are great complements to each other
as Chance is quick/slick to Ward's size/skill. 5-11 Freshman PG Hakeem
Baxter (15 points) completes the trio. The youngster already has savvy
to go along with skill and with continued development, well you never know. The
frontcourter and lone sr. was 6-5 SF Kyle Baldwin (14P, 6R, 2A,
4B, 3S), who's quite the stat sheet guy and a VERY good name to pass on to D3s.
His best hoops are in front of him. Freshman C Jai
Williams (6-7 220 already) had a rough day, playing maybe a total of 10
minutes due to the foul plague. He's not only big, but coordinated and will be
interesting to watch over the next few years. King was in this one deep into the
3rd quarter before it all unraveled. This club is a player or two away. The
headliner is 6-3 210-lb sr. WG-SF Mike Wilson (10P & 5R). He's
a strong, shifty power guard and a surefire D-II prospect. Sr. SF Tyreek
Massey hustled for 10P, 11R, 3S. While soph. PG Trayvon King
(4A, 3S) battled hard all game long with his entertaining flyweight
style (5-6 125 maybe?).
AA's NOTES: Its always good to watch hoops on
King Day. Again this event can REALLY take off and I want to be a part of it.
Dr. King must have been smiling down on it as equality in HS athletics was
INDEED part of his dream . . . PET is 5-0 in Division B right now, but upcoming
dates with Gratz, E&S, FLC, Dobbins & West will tell their true tale. You have
to like the prospects though . . . Sorry, everyone, as I've been missing
in action the last few weeks and didn't report on a few games I attended. I had
a busy stretch so hopefully I'll get back around, to Gratz, West, Frankford,
Washington, U-City, Edison and Olney . . . And the trail continues.
JAN. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE A (AAAA)
Fels 43, Overbrook 38
Day 2 of the Pub marathon was much better than day one as the game was
competitive while pretty much going down to the wire. Fels showed big heart in
this one as the Panthers trailed for 90% of the game before taking control in
the end. 6-3 sr. PG Devon Perrin was rather impressive as he
pretty much captained this ship to the W. He scored 13 of his 19 points in the
2nd half while snatching all three of his steals as well. A couple times Fels
boss Mark Heimerdinger ORDERED clearouts so that Perrin could
do his thing and "Dev" delivered! I love to see a coach that has that kind of
confidence in his STAR! Anyway although Perrin was the only Panther that scored
more than 5 points, he wasn't a one man gang by any means. Sr. SF Rob
Jones was scoreless until the last minute of the game, but he was
EVERYWHERE and his mentality is why these Panthers got the W. Jones hustled
endlessly and went for 6R, 5A, 5S while making 3-for-4 from the line late. Two
reserves were also key as sr. PG Kenneith "Neef" Stewart (3R,
3A, 3S) & jr. SF Kevin Steed (all 5 pts in the 4th, 4R, 2A,
2S). By far and away, Brook's MOST impressive player is/was 6-4 (maybe taller)
sr. SF Cashad McFadden. This McFadden is VERY similar to
another McFadden, Ish (former Gratz star now a jr. at Philly U. and
"Shad's" big bro), but Shad is a more fluid wing player at the same stage with
an even more feathery jumper. He'd fit right in Herb Magee's style as
he's a SUREFIRE D-II prospect! McFadden went for 18 points (7-for-12, 3 treys) &
17 boards and was very efficient, a joy to watch. Jr. PG Dante Glover
(11P, 3A) is chiseled (6-0 205) and had his way with smaller defenders.
He had a decent run. Jr. F Corey Watkins hustled off the bench
for 8 boards.
AA's NOTES: The Hilltoppers' biggest guilt came
from not recognizing who their main man is and that's McFadden. Some other
players seemed to make the wrong plays at the wrong times while others who had
no business taking shots down the stretch were jacking them up; very perplexing
. . . This is why I LOVE the Pub: There are always hidden gems that arise from
nowhere that deserve attention with Perrin being the other. Good luck to both of
these kids! I'll do anything on my end to help both of them . . . Finally, the
whole new Fels facility in absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I have a hunch that in the next
few years this program for a lot of reasons will be on the City map.
JAN. 4
PUBLIC LEAGUE C (AA)
Comm Tech 81, Vaux 36
I sure didn't picture this to be what my first report of the season would be
like, but the Phoenix were clicking on all cylinders while the upstarts from
North Philly just didn't have it on THIS afternoon... I thought going in this
would be a good one as did the CT coaches. On the contrary it was anything but
as CT frolicked from beginning to end. Not much to talk about as I expect the
Phoenix to make a DEEP run as this group has a perfect mix/mesh: EVERYONE plays
hard, NO ONE is bigger than the team and ALL seem to be having fun... I will say
this: I haven't seen a forward all season that plays as strong as sr. F
Sherman Blanford (15P, 13R, 2A, 4B, 3S)! He was like TWO people out
there and should be the model for ALL aspiring ballplayers. 6-6 jr. F-C
Chris Burney (13P, 8R, 3A) played great in unison with Sherm. I'd bet
their combined 5 assists were to each other. The star here was sr. WG
Raheem Roher though as he sniped 9-for-14 (6-of-9 on treys) and 2-for-2
at the line for 26 points. This was the best shooting exhibition that I've seen
to date. Sr. CG Shaq Shannon (7P, 3R, 3A, 3S) played the role
of game manager here and he relished that role. He's one of the city's smartest
and more efficient players in that he rarely (never?) forces things and plays
for the win instead of the show and that's a rarity in this day and age. Soph. G
Richard "Eggy" Hoskins (5P, 5R, 5A. 5S) came off the bench and
was very impressive. He's the Program's next star in waiting. Vaux had been
impressive to date with home wins over quality clubs in Prep Charter and Del
Val, but the road proved a different tale. Its early so they'll have their
chances to prove themselves again with skill, depth & athleticism in their mix.
Freshman CG Rysheed Jordan bears watching. He simply has IT and
WILL be heard from for the next 4 years barring disaster...
AA's NOTES: CT has a chance to make serious
noise in the Pub and beyond. You just don't see what they have much anymore in
this day of win-at-all/any-cost or all-about-me Basketball. The casual fan
should see it for themselves... Let's hope that this ONE game doesn't send an
upstart program (Vaux) that looks to be headed for success in the wrong
direction... CT got great support today from a half dozen recent FB/BB grads...
Finally, it's always good to see old head referee Nate Gale.
Nate is an old timer from my old neighborhood in West Philly and every time I
see him, he makes sure to give me a history lesson (smile). Anyway, he's a
fixture on the Pub scene and in Northern DE where he lives.