Welch closes as Jenkintown tops Faith Christian in District 1 -1A semis

JENKINTOWN >> As an underclassmen, Jadan Welch saw how much it meant to make the playoffs.

Now a senior, Welch and his Jenkintown boys basketball teammates are back in the postseason, guaranteed only the next game in front of them if they can keep winning. The Drakes started that path on Monday as they hosted Faith Christian Academy in the District 1 Class A semifinals.

A neck-and-neck game opened up in the No. 2 seed Drakes’ favor after halftime and 10 fourth quarter points from Welch pushed Jenkintown over the No. 3 seed Lions 49-39.

“To me, it means a lot and I know it means a lot to the rest of them,” Welch said. “When I was a freshman, all I wanted was to make the postseason and we ended up going but lost our first game. I wasn’t a senior, but in the locker room I saw all the seniors crying and I got emotional too just because I’ve been playing basketball for so long and really want to win a district title.”

Welch finished with a game-high 20 points but Drakes coach Wes Emme pointed out a charge the guard took in the fourth quarter as the senior’s standout play. Jenkintown hasn’t relied on guy to do everything and has had seven different players serve as leading scorer throughout the season.

Monday’s win puts Jenkintown in its first District 1 final since 2015, and was the Drakes’ first playoff win since that same postseason.

The only way to get to a final is to win in the semifinals and Jenkintown had to get past a Faith Christian team that had a size advantage, plenty of heart and that had tested the Drakes earlier this season. Early on, Lions big man Branco Sestanovich was giving Jenkintown the works down low with eight first quarter points.

“We had to make a concerted effort to make a change because that entire first quarter, I’m thinking the only way they’re going to beat us is if they maul us going to the rim and making plays,” Emme said. “It’s a credit to guys like Roan McCall and Emmet Tweh, who were at a size disadvantage but got more physical at the point of attack and our guards for digging down.”

Sestanovich faced a double-team every time he touched the ball after the opening quarter and only took two more shot attempts the rest of the game but to his credit, moved the ball when help came and didn’t force anything up. Even with their big guy getting swarmed, the Lions kept pace with the host team.

A pair of free throws by Peyton Curry, who played with great energy, gave FCA a 14-10 lead in the final minute of the first quarter, the largest lead either team had in the first half. Six different players scored for the Lions in the first half and they had a 25-23 lead with six minutes left in the third quarter.

The Drakes weren’t worried their offense hadn’t taken off and kept true to what they’ve done well all season.

“We decided to keep moving the ball a lot and knew it would get more people open,” Welch said. “If I’m not hitting my shots, I’ll own up to it and if my teammate’s on fire, I’ll hit him and get him some points. It doesn’t matter who gets shots, I just want to win the game and we all want to win.”

Jake Hilton hit a 3-pointer a few steps beyond the arc to put Jenkintown up 26-25, kicking a game-changing run through the latter half of the third. The eventual 9-0 run featured a transition layup by Welch for a 30-25 lead, which was the largest of the game for either side at the time.

Welch pocketed six points in the quarter as Jenkintown built a 34-27 lead, then he and Tweh combined for the first five of the fourth quarter for Jenkintown’s first double-digit lead. The Drakes’ six seniors have set the tone for the season, which has included unselfish play, hustle and toughness as a group.

“At the beginning of the year, we talked about how the team that was the most resilient would be the team that ends up playing last,” Emme said. “We have a bunch of resilient kids who have been through a lot and it showed tonight.”

Sean Mizzoni, a senior, returned from a lengthy injury layoff and hit his first shot for a 3-pointer then made a couple of terrific hustle plays to spark his team.

Faith Christian continued to play hard even after falling behind and the Lions didn’t give Jenkintown a free path to the final. With shots not falling, the Lions went aggressively to the basket and were able to cut into the lead at the foul line.

The Lions got within 45-39 on a score by Daniel Meeh with 47 seconds to play, but Welch canned three of four at the foul line to cap his 10-point quarter and seal up the win.

“It’s just us not being selfish,” Welch said. “In the summer, we all went to the park together and played basketball and even there, we worked on passing the ball and getting everyone involved.”

Jenkintown will face No. 1 seed Phil-Mont Christian Academy in Thursday’s championship game. The teams split their regular season meetings, with each winning on their home floor and with this season’s playoff format, it means Phil-Mont gets to host the title tilt.

Emme noted the season wasn’t a given and his players have been great about doing everything asked of them so they could play games and be on the court together.

“We really love playing basketball together,” Welch said. “Even when our season does come to an end, I think we’ll keep playing together at the park as long as we can.”

JENKINTOWN 49, FAITH CHRISTIAN 39
JENKINTOWN 13 8 13 15 – 49
FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 14 6 7 12 – 39
Jenkintown: Jadan Welch 6 8-10 20, Iman Jackson 3 1-2 8, Jake Hilton 2 3-3 8, Roan McCall 1 1-2 4, Emmet Tweh 2 2-5 6, Sean Mizzoni 1 0-0 3. Totals: 15 15-22 49.
Faith Christian: Dylan Zicardi 2 1-2 5, Branco Sestanovich 4 0-0 8, Chris Evans 2 2-5 6, Daniel Meeh 3 5-8 11, Peyton Curry 2 3-4 7, Shane O’Conner 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 11-19 39.
3-pointers: J – Jackson, Hilton, McCall, Mizzoni.