Devon Prep’s Zach Orchard follows in brother’s footsteps, adds another state title to the household

HERSHEY — Zach Orchard walked off the court at the Giant Center last week holding the PIAA Class 3A boys’ basketball championship trophy.

A few rows up in the stands, older brother Lucas, wearing a blue Devon Prep “State Champs” sweatshirt, stood beaming with pride.

Two years after the senior watched Lucas help Devon Prep win its first state title, Zach made his own impact this year.

He scored a career-high 11 points and hit the shot of his life in the 60-56 win over Franklin Area last Saturday to finish his basketball career with a state crown.

“It felt great because last time I didn’t get a ring or medal or anything,” Zach said of the 2022 state championship win. “Watching that inspired me to go get my own. Being able to contribute to bringing home a state championship now, it’s amazing, best feeling in the world.”

The Orchards are the sons of Jay and Bridget Orchard. The family moved from New York to the Conestoga area when Bridget became head softball coach at their alma mater Villanova in 2018.

Lucas, a 6-foot-4 guard, was a four-year varsity player at Devon Prep, arriving a year after the Tide joined the Philadelphia Catholic League. He was a second team all-state player as a junior, when Devon won its first state title.

He did a post-graduate year at the Perkiomen School this year, adding a Pennsylvania Independent Schools state champion to his resume. He’s extending his basketball career at Monmouth next season.

Zach, a 5-10 guard, had a much different path, starting on the freshman team. He was on junior varsity as a sophomore and experienced the state title run as a bench attendant. Last season, he appeared in four varsity games.

With a pair of transfers entering the program this season, Zach wasn’t sure how much he would play.

“He’s always been a player,” Lucas said. “He’s always wanted to play, but he’s never really had the opportunities I had. To see him keep sticking with it — sometimes he wanted to stop playing and it’s been rough — I’m so proud of him for coming out and playing like that. That’s his last game. Playing like that was great.”

Zach could tell during the offseason that he might not have a large role for the Tide, but he was encouraged to stay ready.

“My parents, Lucas, a lot of people have just been telling me, ‘Don’t get down on yourself. It’ll pay off,’ ” Zach said. “And it did.”

Zach played limited minutes in 13 games during the regular season, but when transfers Mason Thear and Calvin Smith couldn’t play in the PIAA postseason, he was one of those whose name was called upon to step up along with juniors Ayinde McLendon and Mike Pergolis and freshman Cooper Fairlamb.

“For every district and state playoff game, we had a different starting lineup,” said Devon Prep coach Jason Fisher. “They all kind of stepped up in different ways. For Zach to be ready to go, step up, and make plays, I’m happy for all of them.”

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Zach’s nickname is “Teek,” a moniker his friends in New York called him, and although no one on the team knows its exact origins, the name has stuck. After watching him go off in practice, the Tide adopted the phrase “Free Teek” to encourage him on the floor.

And it started to show in games. Zach played a season-high 27 minutes in the team’s District 12 championship win over Math, Civics & Sciences, which marked the program’s first District title since winning District 1 in 2012.

His role varied during the Tides’ five-game run in the state tournament.

“When Teek’s in practice, he goes crazy, and we’ve been saying, ‘Free Teek,’ and we let him go,” said Devon Prep junior Reece Craft. “When [he] gets the ball in his hands, he’s crafty with it. I’m just happy for him.”

Zach started the state final and was assigned to guard Franklin Area standout Jalen Wood.

He came in clutch in the fourth quarter, hitting a corner three-pointer to put Devon Prep on top. It was a shot that won them the state championship, Fisher said. And a moment that Zach had waited for.

“It’s the best way to go out,” Zach said. “It’s a dream come true.”

The state championship marked the last game of Zach’s career; he heads to Villanova in the fall for academics.

Lucas was in attendance during Devon Prep’s run in the PIAA tournament. He was happy to play the role of proud brother in the stands for a change.

“I’m just so proud of him,” Lucas said. “Nobody would have thought he would be out here doing that.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.