Masterful Methacton pummels Pope John Paul II for PAC championship threepeat

ROYERSFORD >> Owners of two consecutive Pioneer Athletic Conference boys basketball championships, the Methacton Warriors spent the 2019-2020 PAC season with a large bull’s-eye planted firmly on their backs.

But in the end, no one came close to hitting the mark.

The Warriors secured a third consecutive title with a 74-49 win over Pope John Paul II Tuesday night at Spring-Ford in a virtuoso performance that showed that when Methacton’s on their game, no one in the PAC — and perhaps far beyond — can match this rare collection of talent, versatility, and experience.

PHOTO GALLERY: PAC Boys Basketball Championship Methacton vs. PJP

“I think it’s that simple,” said Jeff Woodward, the captain and double-double machine who added another 15 points and 14 rebounds in the championship effort. “The biggest thing for us is confidence in everybody on the court. We may have a few standout players, but more importantly we have guys who can step up if you overplay others.”

FINAL: Methacton 74, Pope John Paul II 49. … Three-peat for Methacton. pic.twitter.com/g6PShZ9Xgx

— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) February 12, 2020

On Tuesday, that guy was sophomore Brett Byrne, whose six 3-pointers on 10 attempts tied him for the team lead in scoring with senior and PAC leading scorer Erik Timko with 18 apiece.

For Byrne, the Warriors’ only non-senior starter, the contest was a confirmation of the strides he’s taken in his second year on varsity after playing mainly in mop-up duty a year ago.

“Everyone’s done such a great job helping me — when I was the youngest kid on the team,” said Byrne. “Usually I’ve been more of a defensive guy, but tonight everything was clicking.”

The victory completed Methacton’s flawless 18-0 run through the conference as they become the first school to three-peat since Pottstown reeled off eight consecutive titles from 1989-1996. But the team, which advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals a year ago, doesn’t have a ceiling on what they can accomplish this winter.

“Our only two losses (to District 3 Wilson and District 12 Roman Catholic) are to top 6A teams in the state,” Woodward said. “But we’ll get to that later, hopefully. For now, we’re enjoying this and looking forward to districts.”

The Warriors will enjoy the top seed when the District 1-6A tournament gets underway this weekend, and they showed how worthy they are of that lofty spot on Tuesday.

Jeff Woodward grabs a rebound and finishes in traffic. Byrne follows with a three. 27-8 Methacton with under three to play in first half. Warriors on a 21-0 run. pic.twitter.com/xENJDOhnZa

— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) February 12, 2020

The difference was a dominant second quarter that saw the Warriors outscore PJP by a margin of 24-3, with Woodward dominating the inside with nine points in the stanza.

Seniors Owen Kropp, Brett Eberly, and Timko were joined by sophomore Byrne in striking from deep as the Warriors shot 6-for-10 from three and 67 percent overall from the field in the opening half.

The Warriors followed the formula to perfection all night, with Timko and Byrne tying for the team lead at 18 points apiece as the squad shot over 50 percent (15-29) from beyond the arc on the evening. With the outside shooters on fire, and a tough matchup like Woodward on the blocks, how can opposing coaches gameplan to stop the Warriors?

“We’ve seen plenty of different approaches this year,” said Byrne. “I don’t know if there’s one single approach that would stop us.”

Meanwhile, on the other end the 6-foot-9 Woodward dissuaded PJP from developing any sort of inside game, and after a couple early threes from Justin Green, the Golden Panthers went ice cold, finishing the first half 4-for-23 and attempting only two free throws. The Warriors went into the break up 35-11, beneficiaries of a 21-0 run that spanned the first two quarters.

PJP kept pace offensively after halftime, led by Justin Green’s 17, but Methacton wasn’t cooling off and wasn’t allowing second chances. Led by Woodward, Methacton dominated the boards by a 35-9 margin.

“Our strategy was to help on Woodward, help on Timko — we needed to have a strong shooting night and needed them to have a bit of an off-night,” said Brendan Stanton, who led the Golden Panthers to their first PAC title game since winning the championship in their inaugural season back in 2011.

“Obviously, the second of those things didn’t happen.”

With a record of 22-2 and boasting the No. 1 seed in the upcoming District 1 6A tournament, the Warriors have more than proven their worth throughout the campaign. But in completing their undefeated run through the PAC, the squad proved they can take anyone’s best shot and come out clean on the other side.

After running roughshod over a league filled with teams gunning for them (only two of Methacton’s 18 league games were decided by single digits) it’s time for the Warriors to do some hunting of their own. But as late February and March loom, the opponents get stronger, the challenges tougher—and the potential accomplishments greater.

Tuesday’s victory places this Methacton team in rarified air in PAC basketball history, let alone the annals of the Methacton program. But none of that matters come Friday, when the district tournament begins.

The Warriors have no reason to fear anyone, with wins over top independent school Malvern Prep and District One contenders North Penn and CB West to their credit.

But by the same token, just last year the Warriors made a run all the way from the No. 7 seed from District 1 to the state quarterfinals. This year, seeded No. 1 in the district and No. 6 in the most recent state rankings, the Warriors won’t ‘sneak up’ on anyone.

“We have to take care of business in districts first,” said Woodward. “Next goal is to get down to Temple, take home that district title.”

Pope John Paul II (18-6) will enjoy an extended rest before returning to the court on Feb. 22 at Lower Merion to battle either Lower Moreland or Springfield (Montco) for the 4A District 1 title with a berth into the PIAA state tournament on the line. 

“This hurts tonight, but our goals were to win the (Frontier) Division, try to win the PAC,” said Stanton. “We fell short of that one tonight, but our next game (for the District title) will allow us to hopefully reach two more goals — winning the District and qualifying for states.”

PAC Boys Championship