Methacton handles Phoenixville, stays on course for PAC threepeat
ROYERSFORD >> Methacton’s perfect run through the Pioneer Athletic Conference regular season schedule no longer meant anything coming into Friday night’s Final Six playoff semifinal, and the Warriors knew it.
They came out ready to play against Phoenixville, scored the first 13 points of the contest and broke the game open in the second half of a 69-41 win at Spring-Ford High School. No. 1 seed Methacton (21-2) will play for the title and a championship threepeat Tuesday at 7 p.m. against No. 2 Pope John Paul II, a 61-31 winner over Spring-Ford in the first game of the night.
PHOTO GALLERY: Methacton vs Phoenixville 2.7.20
Erik Timko scored 19, Brett Byrne and Brett Eberly added 12 points each and Jeff Woodward had 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks for the Warriors. Steven Hamilton led the Phantoms (14-10) with 12 points and Will Allain scored nine.
“The first time we played them, we won by over 40 points (62-20),” said Woodward. “They didn’t shoot well. We knew they were going to come out with the kind of energy they always do.
“We talked the entire season about how we have a target on our back. 16-0 in the regular season doesn’t matter. We’re going to get every team’s best.”
The Warriors ripped off their 13 straight in a little over four minutes on a basket by Byrne off a pass from Woodward, a 3-pointer by Eberly, a drive down the middle by Woodward and a pair of treys by Timko.
Meanwhile, Woodward blocked shots the first four times the Phantoms came down the floor.
“It’s just my goal to help my team on defense,” said the 6-10 senior. “I try to contest shots. Every game, I’m trying to alter shots and help our interior defense.”
Then Allain and Clay Kopko hit back-to-back 3-point shots for the fourth-seeded Phantoms, who pulled to within 15-8 by the end of the opening quarter and trailed by just 15-11 after a 3-point basket by Kade Breisblatt.
“If they go on their runs, we still have to be relentless and keep playing,” said Hamilton. “We kept belief. We stayed together.”
“I think we came out with some energy,” said Warrior coach Jeff Derstine. “To their credit, they responded and hit a couple shots and kept it close. They came out and battled and I’m proud of how our guys played.”
Methacton got back on track with a with two free throws by Cole Hargrove, a 3-point basket by Eberly off an assist from Woodward and two at the line by Byrne for a 22-11 advantage and led 35-21 at the half after a steal and breakaway basket by Owen Kropp.
A 10-2 run after the break wrapped up the Warriors’ third straight trip to the PAC final.
“We focused on Steven Hamilton, a very good player, very, very talented,” said Woodward. “The second half, we really tightened things up. The offense got going. It was a total team effort.”
“I’ll give our guys credit,” said Derstine. “They’ve done a really good job of taking it one day at a time. We had a tough loss on Saturday (58-56 to Wilson). I think our balance was big. Brett Byrne put the ball in the basket. He’s been a solid defender for us all season long. Ryan Baldwin came off the bench and gave us some good energy and Cole Hargrove came in and grabbed some offensive rebounds.”
Phoenixville came into the game with confidence after a 45-41 opening round win over Boyertown on Wednesday and hopes to carry that into the district playoffs..
“Definitely, playing Boyertown – a much bigger team – we knew that would definitely be good momentum,” said Hamilton. “One thing, it was definitely a tough battle. We still have districts, so we’re not done yet. The two weeks of practice will be the hardest we have all year.”
“It was a good experience for our guys,” said Phoenixville coach Eric Burnett. “I can’t say enough about the guys. They didn’t play scared. They didn’t play timid. We were hanging around early and had some confidence. It was all about our mindset.”
The top-seeded Warriors will now try for their third straight PAC title against second-seeded PJP.
“Their kids were playing with a lot of energy,” said Derstine. “We’re going to have to come out with a lot of focus and have two good days of practice.”
PAC FINAL SIX
Wednesday, Feb. 5
Spring-Ford 48, Upper Merion 46
Phoenixville 45, Boyertown 41
Friday, Feb. 7
Pope John Paul II 61, Spring-Ford 31
Methacton 69, Phoenixville 41
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Methacton vs. Pope John Paul II, 7 p.m.
Methacton 69
Phoenixville 41
PHOENIXVILLE: Allain 3 0-0 9, Breisblatt 2 0-0 6, Brutsche 1 0-0 2, Hamilton 5 2-3 12, Hopkins-Quinn 0 0-0 0, Kopko 1 0-0 3, Kuranda 0 0-0 0, McDonnell 1 0-0 3, Memmo 1 0-0 2, Olsen 0 0-0 0, C Weiah 1 0-0 2, M Weiah 1 0-0 2, Totals 16 0-0 41.
METHACTON: Baldwin 1 0-0 2, Byrne 4 4-4 12, Eberly 4 0-0 12, Hargrove 1 2-2 4, Hopwood 0 0-0 0, Kehinde 0 0-0 0, Kropp 4 0-2 9, Merola 0 1-2 1, Penjuke 0 0-0 0, Timko 6 3-3 19, Trafford 0 0-0 0, Woodward 5 0-0 10, Totals 25 10-13 69.
Phoenixville 8 13 10 10-41
Methacton 15 20 19 15-69
3-point goals: Allain 3, Breisblatt 2, Hamilton 2, Kopko, McDonnell, Eberly 4, Kropp, Timko 4.
