Roman, Mastery boys chasing state titles
Talent-filled Roman Catholic aims to repeat, and relative unknown Mastery North looks to make history Saturday at Hershey's Giant Center.
Talent-filled Roman Catholic aims to repeat, and relative unknown Mastery North looks to make history Saturday at Hershey's Giant Center.
Defending state champ Roman (26-4) takes on District 8's Taylor Allderdice (28-1) for the PIAA Class 4A championship at 8 p.m. In its first title game appearance, Mastery North (27-3) faces District 7's Aliquippa (29-0) for top Class 2A honors at 2 p.m.
Class 4A
Allderdice, also looking for its first crown, has won 24 straight games since a 71-63 loss to Kennedy Catholic, a Class A finalist, on Dec. 19.
The Pittsburgh-based Dragons traveled to the Philly area to open the season. They topped Imhotep Charter, 70-65, at Widener and followed with an 81-70 triumph against Jawan Collins and host Academy Park.
Like Roman, Allderdice prefers to play at a breakneck speed. Buddy Valinsky's squad averages 77.8 points per game.
"They kind of play off a lot of runs," Cahillites coach Chris McNesby said. "They feed off bad shots and turnovers. They're not going to try to hold onto the ball too much."
Allderdice, which last season reached the state semifinals before losing to Martin Luther King, has a solid backcourt in floor general Ramon Creighton and the Jackson twins, James and Tim.
James Jackson scored 18 of his 32 points after halftime as the Dragons pulled away from District 3 champ Reading in Tuesday's semifinal and easily won, 70-45.
"He doesn't need a lot of room to get off his shot," McNesby said. "He can create off the dribble, get you on layups, hit the three-pointer."
Creighton chipped in 14 points, and Tim Jackson had 12 against Reading. Tim Jackson helped hold the Red Knights' Lonnie Walker, a 6-5 junior and top-level Division I prospect, to six points on only seven shots.
Roman is spurred by a trio of Penn State recruits: 6-4 point guard Tony Carr (14.8 ppg.), 6-7 swingman Lamar Stevens (14.9), and 6-3 wing Nazeer Bostick (11.3). Junior guard D'Andre Vilmar and 6-7 center Paul Newman round out the starting lineup.
We expect the Cahillites, with Bostick and Vilmar keeping James Jackson from another high-scoring effort, to prevail in a taut thriller.
Pick: Roman, 68-67, in overtime.
Class 2A
After reaching the state quarterfinals last season, Mastery North, guided by fourth-year boss Terrence Cook, is on the doorstep of its first title.
"It's been a good ride," said Cook, 35, who played at Dobbins (Class of 1998), Albany State, and Delaware State. "The kids have worked really hard to get to this point."
The Pumas are sparked by 6-4 junior forward Daeqwon Plowden, who averages about 18 points and eight rebounds, 6-1 senior wing guard Rodney Ross, and junior point guard Eli Alvin.
Aliquippa, the state's only remaining undefeated team, is fueled by four seniors: 5-10 guards Jassir Jordan and Sheldon Jeter, 6-6 forward Charles Humphries, and 6-3 forward Kaezon Pugh.
Cook's team deserves a lot of credit for its stretch-drive perseverance. But the bigger and more physical Quips are on a mission after bowing to Conwell-Egan, 62-51, in last year's final.
Pick: Aliquippa, 66-53.
@ozoneinq