Top boys basketball teams gearing up for district and league playoffs in Bucks County area
For Bucks-Mont area boys basketball teams, time is running out to qualify for the playoffs, especially in District One. The regular season was scheduled to end Feb. 6, though some makeup games have been shifted to Feb. 7.
In the Suburban One League, the eight-team SOL Tournament is slated for Feb. 9-13, with the first two rounds at the higher-seeded school and the final at Holy Family. The four division winners will be seeded 1-4 based on district rankings, with Nos. 5-8 decided solely on the rankings.
Here are our latest Courier Times/Intelligencer biweekly rankings, including games through Sunday:
Big-school rankings
1. Archbishop Wood
The Vikings (11-7) rallied from a 16-point deficit after one quarter to give St. Joseph's Prep its first Philadelphia Catholic League loss 81-74. Miami-bound senior Jalil Bethea paced Wood (7-2 PCL) with 30 points and Drexel signee Josh Reed added 25. The Vikings, who have won six in a row, also defeated Cardinal O'Hara 84-68 as Bethea scored 31 points and Reed had 16. Wood overcame La Salle 68-64, overwhelmed Archbishop Carroll 96-69 behind 27 from Reed and 18 by Bethea and dispatched Bonner-Prendergast 96-74 with Bethea (23), Reed (19) and junior Mike Green (18) leading the way.
2. Bensalem
The Suburban One League Patriot Division-leading Owls (15-2) toppled Council Rock South 64-49 with seniors Antonio Morris and Jaidyn Moffitt tallying 17 points apiece after Holy Ghost Prep snapped Bensalem's nine-game win streak 86-83 in a non-league overtime contest. The Owls, who are 11-0 against SOL competition, also downed Wissahickon 63-55 behind 19 from Antonio Morris 19, 17 by Moffitt and 16 from junior Amir Drummond, and got past Council Rock North 58-51 as Moffitt had 22 and senior Noah Morris chipped in 11.
3. Central Bucks East
The Patriots (15-4) defeated Central Bucks South 62-38 as senior Dhruv Mukund had 13 points and senior Tyler Dandrea 11. SOL Colonial Division-leading East rallied to down Council Rock North 45-42 behind senior Jake Cummiskey's 12 points and fell to rival CB West 67-61 despite Dandrea's game-high 22 points and Cummiskey's 19.
4. Abington
The Galloping Ghosts (13-4) outlasted William Tennent 66-64 behind senior Jeremiah Lee's 16 points and senior Jaden Flournoy's 14. Abington also topped Hatboro-Horsham 51-46 with senior Aaron Jones scoring 15 points and Lee adding 11, and dropped a 67-45 decision to SOL Liberty second-placer Plymouth Whitemarsh despite senior Khalid Jenkins' 12 points and 10 apiece from Lee and senior Kamari Brasher.
5. Central Bucks West
The Bucks (14-5) upended rival CB East 67-61 behind senior Matt Engle's 20 points and 19 by senior Julian Phillips. West also beat Pennsbury 44-31 with junior Roman Kulesa scoring 15, handled North Penn 77-63 behind Phillips (23 points), senior Sam Jankowski (19) and Kulesa (17), and fell to Neshaminy 48-46 despite Engle's 16 points.
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6. William Tennent
The Panthers (12-6) topped Plymouth Whitemarsh 67-55 behind seniors Chris D'Ambra (20 points), Kirby Mooney (19) and Imad Abunima (15) and dispatched Springfield-Montco 78-48 with Mooney pouring in 35, Abunima adding 16 and D'Ambra contributing 10. They also got past Upper Moreland 65-54 with Mooney hitting 15 of 16 foul shots for a game-high 28 points. D’Ambra scored 15 points against UM. Finally, Tennent was edged by Abington 66-64 with D’Ambra scoring 19 and Mooney 14.
7. Upper Moreland
The Golden Bears (11-7) handled Lower Moreland 79-66 behind junior Colson Campbell's 22 points, senior Sean Murphy's 14 and sophomore Nate Best's 10. UM also toppled Hatboro-Horsham 56-32 with Campbell (18) and Murphy (12) leading the way, plus fell to Plymouth Whitemarsh 60-54 despite Campbell's 14 points and freshman Brayden Martin's 13.
8. Neshaminy
Neshaminy (11-7) downed CB East 59-49 with senior Nate Townsend scoring 17 points and senior Emeer Coombs contributing 15. It also outlasted CB West 48-46 behind 18 points by Coombs and 12 by Townsend, plus Townsend went for 29 in a 59-40 Senior Night win over Council Rock South. Mark Tingle's team also fell to Pennsbury 53-51 despite 18 from Coombs.
9. Council Rock South
The Golden Hawks (10-7) edged Souderton 77-74 in double overtime on sophomore Ryan Delp's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Senior Mike Burns finished with 22 points and senior Tim Rahill had 21. CR South also toppled Pennridge 49-37 behind 10 points apiece from senior Jordan Getz and Burns. Getz totaled 17 points in CR South's 64-49 loss to Bensalem.
10. Souderton
The Big Red (9-9) defeated Pennridge 47-38 behind senior Bill Sackor's 18 points and senior Clinton Kikonjo's 10. Souderton also handled CB South 59-45 with junior Nolan Watkins (15 points), sophomore Chanse Salone (13) and Kikonjo (10) leading the way.
Small-school rankings
1. George School
Freshman Tyler Sutton scored 20 points and senior Tristen Guillouette added 17 in the Cougars' 69-40 victory over Shipley, while Guillouette tallied 30 and Sutton had 14 in a 66-58 loss to Friends Select, and Guillouette finished with 15 in a 67-52 defeat at the hands of Westtown.
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2. Dock Mennonite
The Pioneers (14-4) won their 41st consecutive Bicentennial Athletic League regular-season game by upending Collegium Charter 62-51 behind junior Robbie Sukaly's 17 points, senior AJ Washington's 15 and junior Tony Martin's 13. Dock also dispatched Plumstead Christian 64-27. Senior Bryan Dorneman led the way with 11 points and Washington had 9 as 14 Dock players scored.
3. Germantown Academy
The Patriots overcame Springside Chestnut Hill 69-64 behind 36 points from junior Bryce Rollerson and 13 from sophomore Bryce Presley. They lost to Malvern Prep 69-65 despite 25 points by junior Tyler Nolan and 22 by Rollerson, and handled Fels 85-70 with Nolan (25 points) and Rollerson (24) leading the way.
4. Faith Christian
The Lions (13-4) beat BAL opponents Bristol 74-28 and Valley Forge Military Academy 80-47. Freshman Jagger Verbit tallied 24 points against Bristol, with senior Tyler Forscht adding 11 and senior Paul Leisner 10. Ten Faith players scored in the game.
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Boys High School Basketball: Rankings feature some changes
