PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | February, 2023

LOWER MERION — Upper Darby’s modus operandi in preparing to face Lower Merion for the fourth time was to force Aces star Sam Brown to drive to the basket. The Royals couldn’t allow the senior guard roam free on the perimeter.

Suffice to say the plan failed in Friday’s District 1 Class 6A tournament quarterfinal. Brown and the No. 2 Aces had a field day en route to an 88-56 victory over the 10th-seeded Royals.

Lower Merion hosts No. 3 Plymouth Whitemarsh in Tuesday’s semifinal. Upper Darby, which has already clinched a PIAA tournament berth for the first time since 2018, will travel to North Penn in the playback round and will compete for fifth place.

“They outplayed us and they worked harder than us in every aspect of the game. And once we got down, we just stopped playing basketball together,” Royals coach Bob Miller said. “(Brown) hit his first five (3-pointers), I think. Obviously, the game plan is to make him go to the basket instead of just standing there shooting 3s. We don’t know what it is. Our guys did not close out. How many does he have to make until you force him to put the ball on the floor? And all the other guys knocked down shots, knocked down that corner 3. As soon as they go four corners, that’s the best thing they do.”

Brown scored 29 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the floor, including 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. The Penn commit and senior wing Jordan Meekins combined to hit five treys in the first quarter as the Aces (21-4) rushed out to a 24-14 lead after eight minutes. Nadir Myers, who poured in a team-high 24 points, swished a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 26-17 in the second quarter, which was the final time the Royals pulled within single digits of the sharp-shooting Aces.

Lower Merion has won all four meetings against Upper Darby this season. Their previous showdown was a 61-52 final in the semifinal round of the Central League tournament. This time the Aces had every intention of burying the Royals early in Friday’s contest.

“Before the game we went into the war room and we were saying, our main thing was to knock them out,” said junior guard John Mobley, who chipped in with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. “And we were watching this boxing clip of this guy giving the other guy a big right hook, knocking his whole mouthpiece out. That’s where we kind of got our energy in the beginning.”

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Lower Merion’s Sam Brown celebrates a made 3-point shot during Friday’s District 1-6A championship game at Lower Merion. (Owen McCue – MediaNews Group)

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ABINGTON >> Googie Seidman made at least one new believer Friday night.

An Abington fan seated behind one of the baskets did little to hide his disdain at the way the Haverford senior guard continually shredded the Ghosts’ defense in the first half and by the second half, at least begrudgingly, gave Seidman his props. It was hard not to, the 6-foot senior raining in deep threes, hitting pull-ups, going to the rim and hitting a lot of free throws on his way to a career-best 36.

Seidman’s big night, plus a lot of contributions from his teammates in and out of the scorebook, led the No. 21 Fords past No. 20 Abington 66-54 in a District 1-6A boys playback, securing a second straight PIAA tourament bid.

“We had a disappointing loss (to Downingtown East) Tuesday, so we were really hungry, me especially because I didn’t have the best game,” Seidman said. “My teammates were getting me open a lot, I was taking the shots when they were there and they were falling tonight. It was a really nice game.”

Not only did Seidman pour in a new career-best, he did so in an extremely efficient manner. The guard hit 8-of-11 field goals and knocked down 15-of-20 at the free throw line, the bulk of those attempts coming in the fourth quarter, and it’s not like he was taking an abundance of easy shots.

Seidman sank a long two on a pull-up for the Fords’ first score but the visitors trailed 7-2 with three minutes left in the opening quarter. Brian Wiener — who had a really strong game in support of Seidman — hit a three then Seidman turned a steal into a layup to get back into it and the Fords took their first lead when Kevin Gannon beat the quarter horn off a nice dish by William Cascarina.

“We were playing off each other, we always pick each other up,” Seidman said. “Once a couple started to go in, we kept being aggressive.”

Seidman opened the second quarter getting foul on a drive for two free throws, then he drained a long three for a 17-10 lead that elicited a half-angry, half-impressed retort from the fan seated a couple rows up behind the rim. The senior scored all 11 Fords points in the second quarter, including another three and a really well-executed play where the guard converted an over-the-top pass from Tommy Wright that created a 23-18 halftime lead.

Abington coach Charles Grasty was impressed with the way the Fords ran their offense, noting while Seidman did the most of the scoring, it was a collective effort to get him those looks.

“They’re a good team, they play well together, play hard and do the little things coaches love,” Grasty said. “They cut hard, box out, the little things. I’m sure their coaches love to coach a team like that.”

The Ghosts didn’t qualify for the state playoffs in the COVID-19 altered 2020-21 season, where they still made the district title game, but it had been quite some time since the last time since they missed out. Abington struggled to stop Seidman, somewhat slowing the senior to start the third quarter before some of the other Fords started to make a few, and had some troubles with turnovers on the offensive end.

After getting within 21-18 on a six-point burst by Khalid Jenkins off the bench in the second quarter, the Ghosts gave up the late lob to Seidman to close the half. Once the Fords took a nine-point lead early in the third, it became a game of catch-up that Abington couldn’t quite maintain.

“We couldn’t get the stop and score we needed that we had gotten throughout the year when we needed it,” Grasty said. “They do a good job, run a good offense and you have to be super-disciplined. One mistake and they’re going to score on you, that’s just a good team.”

Seidman’s best score of the night was the reverse lay-up he coerced in following a tough drive to the baseline in the final minute of the third quarter, capping a nine-point frame for him and putting the Fords up by 12. He’d finish the game out at the foul line, hitting 30 points with 2:54 to play as part of 12 attempts from the stripe in the fourth quarter.

Wiener finished with 15 points, 12 coming in the second half. Nobody else on the team had more than five, but points aren’t everything in basketball and the game’s high scorer was adamant that needed to be addressed.

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Haverford’s Googie Seidman scored a career high 36 points to advance past Abington in a District 1-6A playback game on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Andrew Robinson/For MediaNews Group)

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CONCORD — Garnet Valley star Haylie Adamski has long ago accepted the fact that every team is focused on stopping her on the basketball court. The sophomore sensation has faced double-and triple-team coverage all season.

Adamski missed four of her first five shots in a District 1 Class 6A playback Saturday afternoon. She was unsettled as the Jags fell behind by double digits.

Moreover, Adamski recorded her third foul 51 seconds into the second period. If the 20th-seeded Jaguars wanted to overcome No. 21 North Penn and punch their ticket to the PIAA tournament, Adamski had to be on the floor and not sitting the bench with foul trouble.

“I just have to stay composed,” Adamski said. “Once I got my third foul pretty quickly in the second quarter, I had to back up on defense a little bit. But also my teammates stepped up and that is what got us going on our end. The face guarding from the other team, I am used to that. It’s been that way the whole season.”

Adamski was off and running in the second quarter, scoring 10 of her game-high 25 points and leading the way to a 44-41 victory over North Penn.

Garnet Valley’s defense was tremendous beginning in the second quarter. The Knights led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. One player GV needed to contain was shooter Abby Plaugher, who drilled three 3-point baskets in the first quarter.

“We knew that we couldn’t give them the wide open 3 and we had to pick up our energy,” Adamski said. “I think that’s what helped us win in the second half.”

North Penn was held to 4 of 18 shooting in the second half. The Jags limited the Knights to two points in the third quarter.

Adamski put the Jags in front for the first time with 3:36 left in the third period. The six-footer positioned herself under the basket on an in-bound pass and scored easily. The Jags held a 28-26 lead going into the fourth, then the Knights (13-12) scored the first eight points to take a 34-28 lead. But the Jags kept fighting back.

“No matter what is happening out there, we stay together as a team and we battle,” coach Joe Woods said. “I just was reminding to play smart, play hard and hopefully we will get some momentum going

Adamski scored the game-winning basket with a steal and breakaway layup with 50 seconds to go. After GV got a stop on defense, sophomore guard Kylie Mulholland, who had left the game earlier in the second half with a jammed finger, made a bucket to increase the lead to 40-37. Adamski and Mulholland also combined to hit four three throws in the final seconds.

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Garnet Valley’s Haylie Adamski puts up a shot against Souderton during their District 1 Class 6A second-round game Wednesday. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group

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HAVERFORD – Sky Newman and Aniya Eberhart proved Saturday why they are one of the best guard tandems in District 1.

Most of the time the Fords can rely on their three forwards to carry the scoring load. It’s a rare sight when Caroline Dotsey gets held to under 15 points, but Saturday was one of those nights for Delaware County’s leading scorer.

Newman and Eberhart are at their best when the team needs a lift on offense.

While Dotsey, her sister Rian and power forward Mollie Carpenter were kept at bay, Eberhart drilled two 3-pointers and Newman provided a basket in the opening quarter of a District 1 Class 6A quarterfinal with No. 10 Springfield. Eberhart and Newman’s contributions set the tone in No. 2 Haverford’s 56-31 win.

The undefeated Fords (26-0) host 11th- seeded Pennsbury, a 32-27 overtime winner against No. 19 Upper Dublin, in the semifinal round Wednesday.

Eberhart scored Haverford’s first eight points of the game. The junior finished with 10 points and four assists, while the senior Newman chipped in with nine points.

“I knew I had to come in here and start the fire,” Eberhart said. “I wanted to tell my teammates that I can get the team rolling. My team feeds off my energy and I know that if we’re not starting well, then I can pick them up. I just knew what I had to do tonight and I want to keep it going. One more win until the championship, it’s exciting.”

Newman and Eberhart have improved so much since last season, when they were little more than role players on a senior- laden squad. This season, the Fords wouldn’t be nearly as good without the dynamic duo.

“After losing most of our starters from last year, we knew we had to step up and contribute in some way. We knew we had to make our presence known on the floor because people know about Caroline, they know about Mollie,” Newman said. “So we need to make sure that people know about us and they have to guard us, which will open up Caroline and open up Mollie. If everybody on the court is contributing, then it makes us harder to beat.”

No team has discovered a solution on how to beat the Fords this season. A plucky Springfield team gave the Fords everything they had and kept the score close for one half thanks in large part to a defense that caused 10 turnovers in the first two quarters. Junior guard Cora Fattori, who was starting in place of the injured Mia Valerio, swished a 3-pointer to tie the game at 18 but the Fords scored the final six points of the half to take a 24-18 lead into the locker room.

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Haverford’s Aniya Eberhart drives against Garnet Valley in a game last month. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)

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PROSPECT PARK — Strath Haven’s Alex Thornton and Andrew Reilly were longshots to reach the medal round of the District 1 Class 3A South sectional, let alone qualify for next week’s South East Regional.

Thornton, a sophomore who wrestled on the JV team for most of the season, was filling in for Ben Milligan at 139 pounds after Milligan’s season was brought to a close due to concussions. Reilly entered the tournament as the No. 12 seed at 160 pounds, based solely on his sub .500 record.

Both, though, beat the odds.

Thornton was the surprise of the tournament. He went 3-2 to finish in fourth place and punch his ticket to the regional. Reilly battled to second place to earn a trip to Souderton and help the Panthers claim the team title by 22 points over Plymouth Whitemarsh (187-165).

Thornton had to win a wrestle-off with teammate Adam Papi just to earn the right to compete in the sectional. He did wrestle five varsity matches during the season, four in the Panther Duals and against Bensalem in another dual meet, according to pa-wrestling.com. Thornton went 1-4 in those matches yet he was not fazed by the spotlight.

“I came here expecting to do OK,” Thornton said. “But when it came down to it, I just went out there with a mindset that I had nothing to lose. If I lose, my season is over. If I win I go to regionals. I really had the drive to win.”

Thornton’s only two losses were to Interboro’s Gabe Oliva, in the quarterfinals and the third-place match. He lost by pin both times. He beat Lower Merion’s Sam Soeffling in the opening round, 5-0, pinned Sean Casey of Plymouth Whitmarsh in the second round of consolations in 3:45, decked Peter Phan of Cheltenham in the third round of consolations and then scored a 6-4 overtime victory over Ridley’s Tim Wickham to reach the third-place match and qualify for the regional.

“It was 4-4 and I got a takedown in overtime,” Thornton said. “That’s the most tired I’ve ever been after a match but it put me in a spot where I felt good.”

Reilly scored a major decision over Wissahickon’s Nelson Stubbs (18-10), beat Upper Dublin’s Tommy Clayton (17-14) and recorded a major decision over Lower Merion’s Sam Lledo (13-5) before being pinned by Ridley’s David Rainey in the final in 2:36. Reilly came into the tournament with a 16-20 record.

“The same thing happened at Centrals,” Reilly said. “I got a low seed but that just makes me more determined to do better.”

Thornton and Reilly were among seven Strath Haven wrestlers to qualify for the regional. Sam Milligan (189), Anthony Crawford (215) and Ben Farabaugh (285) all won titles. It was the second straight district title for Milligan and Crawford. Michael Spielman (152) took third and Sam Harrington (133) placed fourth for the Panthers.

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Strath Haven’s Andrew Reilly, right, grapples with Pennridge’s Ryan Gallagher at 160 pounds during the District 1 Class 3A Duals Tournament last month. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group

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HAVERFORD — John Povey cannot remember the last time the Central League was as balanced on the ice as it is this season.

And the reigning two-time champion Fords realize that, no matter which seed it earns in next week’s tournament (probably the second), there is a target on their backs. If you’re good enough to qualify in the field of eight, you have a decent chance of winning the whole thing.

So, the Fords handled their business Thursday night at the Skatium, defeating a good Lower Merion squad, 6-1. Call it a warm-up for playoffs, but captain Aidan Brawley will tell you the Fords are grateful for every point they can get.

“Obviously coming into the season, expectations were so high, even though we lost a lot of good players,” Brawley said. “But, through everything, we have a chance to finish with the 1 seed. It’s almost like every game builds on the other. If you lose one before the playoffs, it’s going to be that much harder to get back to winning.”

The Fords haven’t done any losing in more than a month. The last time they went down was Jan. 16 against Radnor. In that game the Fords blew a 5-1 lead. They are 5-0-1 in the ICSHL Central since then, and Povey sees a team that is poised to make another deep run in the postseason.

“Obviously, last year and the year before we lost some incredible players that are maybe some of the best players that have ever come through our program. And that’s what you’re missing and you rely on those guys so much,” Povey said. “It has taken some time but we also have some guys that have been through it. We have guys that have won Flyers Cups and Central League titles and learned a lot from being part of those teams. At the end of the day, they know what it takes.

“It’s not necessarily me barking and yelling and screaming. They know what’s good and what’s not. I’m lucky with my captains and we’ve got five, six guys that were in those minutes last year. So we do have the experience and I feel really good where we’re at right now. But with that being said, the Central League, I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never seen parity this close. That’s a good thing, and really, anybody can win it next week.”

Pat Cunningham had two goals and assistant captain Gus Scuderi added a goal and two assists. Scuderi assisted on Brawley’s power-play goal in the first period to put the Fords ahead 2-0. Later in the period, Scuderi created a steal in LM’s zone when the Fords were shorthanded. On a 2-on-1 break, Scuderi passed to Cunningham, who sent a wrister past LM goalie Julian Lucca to make it 3-0.

“We spend a lot of time in practice working on those units,” Scuderi said. “Tonight it worked out for us.”

Povey can’t say enough about the Fords’ leadership, a difficult challenge for any senior following in the footsteps of last season’s group. Brawley has earned the right to wear the “C” with his actions on and off the ice.

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Haverford players celebrate Ryan Vieira’s goal in the third period Thursday at the Skatium. The Fords defeated Lower Merion, 6-1.

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HAVERFORD — It wasn’t a masterpiece, but Haverford’s 47-29 win over Methacton Wednesday kept the Fords perfect this season and on track to claim the District 1 Class 6A girls title.

Caroline Dotsey scored 18 points to lift the Fords, who take on Springfield Saturday at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals at Juenger Gymnasium.

“It wasn’t pretty, especially the second half,” Fords coach Lauren Pellicane said. “But I thought we had a really good second quarter that helped us separate ourselves a little bit. We didn’t turn the ball over, we got shots and I think we put 18 points up in the second, and that was the difference in the game. We held on in the second half. It wasn’t clean, we missed some shots but hey, it’s the district tournament. Sometimes that happens. It’s how we respond to it.”

The scrappy Warriors worked hard throughout the first quarter to grab a 12-10 lead on a 50-footer by Cassidy Kropp at the buzzer. Warriors pivot Mairi Smith got the Fords’ attention by blocking their first two shots and scoring five points, including a 3-pointer.

The Fords (24-0) led most of the first frame but didn’t help themselves by committing a handful of turnovers. The second quarter was a totally different story as the Fords powered to the basket against their smaller opponent.

Mollie Carpenter muscled inside for five points, including a three-point play, and Dotsey was unstoppable in the paint as she tallied eight of her 12 first-half points.

The Fords outscored the Warriors 18-2 in the second quarter to secure a 28-14 cushion at the intermission.

“The first quarter we executed the game plan really well,” Warriors coach Kevin Kaminski said. “That halfcourt shot was awesome. It gave us a little momentum.

“The second quarter absolutely hurt us. We just didn’t have an answer for their size. We did a horrible job of boxing out against them. With their size they alter your shots and make it tougher to get the really good shots.”

The Fords beat Springfield, 55-38, a month ago at Springfield. Pellicane has been around long enough to know that in the Central League, just about anything goes on any given game day. The Cougars Wednesday knocked off Conestoga, who the Fords struggled to defeat in their three meetings, including the Central League final.

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Haverford’s Caroline Dotsey puts up a shot past Conestoga’s Janie Preston in the Central League final. Dotsey scored 18 points as the Fords defeated Methacton in the second round of the District 1 Class 6A tournament Wednesday. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)

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SPRINGFIELD – Anabel Kreydt fought off three Conestoga players for the rebound. She put the ball back up and was fouled with 0.5 seconds on the clock.

Springfield’s senior forward and co-captain needed to make one free throw – just one – to break the tie and give the Cougars the win.

No big deal, right?

“Luckily I made the first one,” Kreydt said. “Or else I would have been even more nervous.”

Kreydt made the first of two foul shots to lift No. 7 Springfield past 10th-seeded Conestoga, 32-31. It marked the first time in three meetings this season the Cougars defeated the Pioneers. Springfield advances to the quarterfinal round Saturday to play No. 2 Haverford, another Central League rival.

The pressure was gone as Kreydt shot the second free throw. She missed, but it didn’t matter. Time quickly ran out on the Pioneers.

Kreydt, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, was the star alongside Cora Fattori, who came off the bench and filled in at point guard after senior co-captain Mia Valerio left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury.

“This was definitely emotional. It’s a Central League team and they beat us twice, the last time was to go to the Central League finals,” Kreydt said. “It was definitely a game we knew we could win. We had the home court and it felt like the whole hometown was here cheering for us, everybody’s into this game.

“Once I went to the line, I thought I gotta make these.”

Kreydt hit a buzzer-beating jump shot in the second quarter to trim Conestoga’s lead to 17-16 at halftime. The Cougars were still finding their way in the third quarter without Valerio quarterbacking the offense, and turnovers led to a quick 5-0 run by the Pioneers. The Cougars trailed by as many as eight points in the second half.

“We told them at halftime that we have to control what we can control and someone has to step up,” coach Ky McNichol said. “And Cora Fattori stepped the heck up tonight. She made plays when we needed her to and she defended really well.”

Fattori’s layup in the fourth quarter pulled the Cougars within one at 28-27. Kaitlyn Kearney tied the game at the foul line, but the Pioneers answered with their lone field goal of the fourth quarter, a layup by forward Jamie Preston.

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Springfield’s Anabel Kreydt, in action last season, hit a free throw with 0.5 seconds left to lift the Cougars over Conestoga in the second round of the District 1 Class 6A tournament. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group).

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CONCORD – Max Koehler saw the smile on teammate Jack Krautzel’s face as he stepped to the line in double overtime. It was out-of-place enough to register with him.

Krautzel, you might’ve thought, would want to be anywhere in the known universe beside the free throw line at Garnet Valley at that point Tuesday night. He’d gone 1-for-4 from the line at the end of regulation to see a Jaguar lead over Methacton that had run to 13 in the fourth evaporate. He’d missed two free throws in a first overtime period that saw zero points scored.

But still, Krautzel’s grin was undimmed.

“I’m like, this kid knows he’s got it,” Koehler said. “And I knew he got it, and the rest of us knows he’s got it. We had trust in him.”

Krautzel scored seven points in the second overtime and cleaned up the missed free throw with 2.2 seconds left to seal the game as the Jaguars bested Methacton, 73-69, in the District 1 Class 6A second round.

“You’ve just got to think about how much you practice, how work you put into it,” Krautzel said. “Even if you’re making mistakes, that hard work will come through when it matters.”

The win sends the Jags (17-7) to the quarterfinals to meet top-seeded Spring-Ford on Friday. They also advance to the state tournament.

All of which seemed perfectly obvious with 3:59 left when Jake Sniras hit a shot in the lane to make it 55-43 Garnet Valley. The Jags had been outstanding to that point. Coming off a loss in which they had scored just 29 points in the Central League playoffs against Springfield, they had 33 by halftime. They assisted on their first nine baskets and 12 of 14 in the first half, a pristine display of ball movement.

“You can see when we move the ball, how much easier and flowing our offense is,” Koehler said. “It’s awesome to see.”

But turnovers crept in in the third. And the ninth-seeded Warriors (16-9), who struggled to hit 3-pointers all night, suddenly hit them when they needed them.

The Jags’ free-throw shooting didn’t help. They shot 6-for-13 from the line in the fourth, allowing the Warriors to crawl back in the game. Sal Iemmello hit a 3-pointer with 1:56 to make it interesting at 55-48. Cam Chilson knocked one down from the wing after a good close out by Koehler with 1:12 left to make it 58-53.

With 33 seconds left, Iemmello connected from the corner, cutting the lead to 59-56. Christian hit a 32-footer with 12 seconds left to make it 60-59, then after a scramble where Garnet Valley looked to have it under control, Christian canned one from two steps inside halfcourt at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. It was his seventh 3-pointer of the day on 14 attempts.

“I think it’s just a sense of urgency, knowing we’re battling from behind,” Christian said. “We’ve really got nothing to lose. We got off to a slow start, so that kind of hurt us, a big hole.”

Methacton spotted Garnet Valley the first 13 points of the game. They only got within three at 15-12 after one quarter because Christian hit four first-quarter triples, the last to beat the horn from the logo in a poignant bit of foreshadowing.

Neither team scored in the first OT, as the offenses pulled the handbrake and slowed to a glacial pace. Both had to reset after the end-of-regulation chaos.

“I hit that shot, everyone is going crazy and next thing you know, we’re out there and there’s three minutes left, and the whole place is calm again,” Christian said.

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Garnet Valley’s Ryan Faccenda battles in a game against Spring-Ford last season. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

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GRATERFORD >> Upper Darby coach Bob Miller had already turned his back in frustration.

Locked in a tight battle at No. 7 Perkiomen Valley, the Royals were about to see their nine-point fourth quarter lead whittled to a single point after a mid-court turnover became a breakaway layup opportunity for PV.

No one – not Miller, not the PV offense – ever saw Crishaun Cain closing on the play.

But Cain’s resounding rejection ignited a 10-1 run in the fourth quarter as Upper Darby regained control and advanced to the District 1 6A quarterfinals with a 55-45 victory at PV Tuesday night.

Niymire Brown was the main story, leading the way with 28 points and 17 rebounds on a night when Upper Darby’s outside shots weren’t falling.

“We’re always looking for the best shot on every possession – pretty simple,” said Brown. “Thanks to my teammates, I got a lot of open looks tonight.”

“That’s the hard part – our perimeter guys are usually on point from the outside,” added longtime Upper Darby coach Miller. “As a coach, I can’t tell them to stop doing what’s worked all year.

“But there comes a point where you say, ‘OK, it’s not our night on the outside – let’s get it in to Niymire.”

Cain’s block was the most prominent example of Upper Darby’s formula for clinching their first berth in PIAA 6A states since 2018 with Tuesday night’s win. Forced out of their offensive comfort zone by PV’s dogged defense, the Royals replied with a gritty effort of their own, holding explosive PV junior Julian Sadler to 12 points.

“It’s the first trip [to states] for this group,” said Miller. “And it’s a great feeling because they’re all such good friends. This [making states] was a major goal, and to win this game tonight the way we did is special.”

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Upper Darby’s Nyimire Brown (34) blocks the attempt of Perkiomen Valley’s Julian Sadler during a District 1-6A second round game on Feb. 21 at Perkiomen Valley. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

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