Hill School outlasts Perkiomen School in budding rivalry

Battles.

That’s how Hill School coach Seth Eilberg has described his team’s games against nearby Perkiomen School school over the past few seasons.

One glance at the Hill School’s Ryan Moffatt, who walked away from Wednesday night’s game between the two teams with a black eye and bloodied shoulder, and one would have to agree.

“That’s what a battle looks like,” Eilberg said, pointing to a picture of Moffatt after the game.

In a game littered with future Division I talent, a local kid had the biggest impact on the game. Pottsgrove native

Justin Adedinsewo, one of the team’s co-captains, took over on both ends down the stretch. Adedinsewo scored just four points, but their timing couldn’t have been better.

The senior point guard stole the ball three times and made two big buckets in the final two minutes as the Hill School took down Perkiomen School, 52-44.

“I’m more of a defensive player than an offensive player on the team,” Adedinsewo said. “I knew I had to make big steals, play smart for us, and that’s what I tried to do.”

FINAL: Hill 52, Perkiomen 44… Justin Adedinsewo comes up big on both ends down the stretch. This steal helped seal the win. @HillBasketball pic.twitter.com/pxBrhONQzb

— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) January 24, 2019

Not much has separated the two teams since Perkiomen coach Tom Baudinet took over the program in 2016. Hill won a home game by four two years ago. Perkiomen came out with a one-point win last year in another defensive struggle. Wednesday night was the first time either team broke 50 points scored in the past three games.

“I don’t know if they consider it a rivalry, but I think it is budding into one,” Baudinet said. “Definitely some ugly, knock down, drag it out affairs.”

“They’ve been ugly,” he added. “Both teams are physical, play hard and defend and are well coached…Every time we play them, we know we’re in for a battle.”

The offense was hard to come by once again early in this one. Hill took a 9-5 lead after the first quarter behind six points from NJIT recruit Xavier Mayo, who led the Blues with 17 points in the game.

As Hill looked to be taking control in the second quarter, Perkiomen’s Chris Arcidiacono knocked down three 3-point shots, helping give his team a 22-21 lead at halftime.

“We were starting to build a little lead in the second quarter, and then they bang three threes by the same guy,” Eilberg said.

Hill went ahead 26-22 in the first minute and a half of the third quarter after a three by Gabe Dorsey and a bucket inside by Caleb Dorsey. Arcidiacono, who finished with 20 points, scored six points in the quarter, and a bucket by Niels Lane, who had nine points, briefly tied the game before Mayo put the Hill ahead, 33-31, entering the fourth.

The two teams had three ties and three lead changes in the first few minutes of the fourth until Arcidiacono put Perkiomen back ahead, 41-40, with 3:39 to go in the game when he made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot.

The game belonged to the Hill after that point. Gabe Dorsey drilled a three fewer than seven seconds later, which sparked a 12-3 Hill run to end the game. Moffatt, who finished with 13 points, and Caleb Dorsey, who scored 10 points, combined to go 10-for-12 from the line in the final quarter.

Adedinsewo stripped a ball from a Perkiomen player in the final minute to help seal the victory.

“Throughout the season, we weren’t doing that well with finishing games,” Adedinsewo. “We knew we had to defend our home court, so we just ran through our plays, kept our poise and did what we have to do.”

Eilberg hopes the close games between the Hill and Perkiomen can continue down the road.

“He’s done a really good job building their program and has some really good players and does a great job,” Eilberg said. “It’s great to have probably the school that’s closest to us having built really good basketball. I think this will continue to be a great rivalry for years to come.”