Ealey helps Coatesville clinch Final Four spot

CALN — On the gridiron, Coatesville’s Amir Ealey and Downingtown East’s Cary Angeline are supremely talented tight ends with Division I futures. Put them together on the hardwood, and the result is a veritable torrent of athleticism and physical prowess.

Angeline put up his customary monster numbers, but Ealey was more than a match for the reigning Ches-Mont National Division MVP — and he had plenty of backup.

Ealey scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds, spearheading a vintage Coatesville run early in the second quarter that paved the way for a 66-46 National Division victory on Tuesday night. With the win, the Red Raiders (10-1, 15-6) clinched their spot in Saturday’s Ches-Mont Final Four. Downingtown West (National) and Octorara (American) locked up division titles Tuesday, placing Coatesville in a rematch with the Braves, who prevailed in a 57-53 thriller just three days prior.

“I’m a senior, so this is my last game against East; they’ve been our rivals since I’ve been here,’ said Ealey, who will play football at Syracuse in the fall. “My mindset was to try to go out with a bang.’

Mission accomplished. After missing the early part of the season due to recruiting visits, Ealey showed how much of a difference-maker he can be, going toe to toe with the highly-touted Angeline, who boasts 20 offers from Division I football institutions.

Angeline hit for game highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds, but his bruising counterpart more than held his own.

Ealey converted a three-point play, a put-back, and a powerful finish inside during a first quarter that featured eight lead changes and ended with the Cougars (3-8, 8-13) ahead, 18-13. East led 22-16 when Angeline found Jarret Cooper ahead of the pack for a layup a minute into the second quarter. After that, it was all Red Raiders.

Coatesville ended the period on a 19-3 run on the hot hands of Ealey and Rome Boyer, who started the spurt with consecutive baskets and scored all 10 of his points in the

quarter. Ealey made a free throw and put back his own miss to give the Red Raiders the lead for good at 23-22. Ealey and Boyer combined for every point of a 12-4 stretch to open the frame, and Ealey finished the half by stealing an inbounds pass and heading the other way for a layup plus the foul, giving the hosts a 35-25 lead at intermission.

After coughing up six turnovers in the first quarter, Coatesville cleaned up its ball handling and cranked up the pressure on East, getting out in transition and overwhelming the Cougars with speed and athleticism. The Red Raiders forced 19 East miscues and turned it over only five times during the final three quarters, one of them on a lane violation.

“We came out a little lackadaisical,’ Coatesville coach Chuck Moore said. “I think defense has been our gift all year long, and that’s something we can’t step away from. We’re still playing for something, and we wanted to make sure we locked in a spot in the (Final Four). They woke up and we were able to put the clamps on them.’

The Red Raiders put it away for good with a run right out of halftime. Ricky Southcott buried a 3-pointer on their first possession before Justus Martinez took over. After picking up two early fouls and playing just 1:13 in the first half, the physical center posted six of his 10 points and four rebounds in the third quarter. A jump hook made it 40-27 Coatesville, and after he and Boyer traded assists to one another on back-to-back possessions, the Red Raiders had opened up an 18-point bulge at 47-29. Coatesville led by as many as 21 in the fourth quarter.

John Rodriguez offered eight points and three of Coatesville’s 12 steals, while Kevin Crutchfield added seven points.

With Martinez on the bench for almost the entire first half, the Red Raiders went to Ealey again and again, and the big man simply went to work inside.

“That’s just how the game played out,’ he said. “Nine times out of 10 when me and Justus are out there together, we play better. I give all the credit to our guards.

“We have to have that mindset to go out there and try to dominate.’

Moore is certainly thrilled to have Ealey back in the fold for the stretch run.

“Amir is a competitive guy, and we struggled without him early in the year,’ Moore said. “It showed in our play. He is the heartbeat of what we try to do. He gets under our players’ skin and lets them know when they’ve been slacking, so that’s a huge load off my shoulders. He was a monster tonight.’

Cooper, a transfer from Coatesville, scored eight points in his return and Marquan Gallimore connected on a pair of deep triples in the first quarter, but it was the Angeline Show from start to finish for East. He showed off an array of smooth post moves, twice put back his own misses, and wowed the crowd with an impressive sequence late in the game in which he snared a rebound, spun around a defender and finished with his left hand in transition.

“Cary Angeline is a freakin’ beast, man,’ said Moore. “I wish I could ask Downingtown East if we can borrow him for the playoffs.’

Were that possible, Angeline would certainly have a long line of suitors. As it is, Coatesville’s arsenal appears well stocked. After starting the season 5-5, the Red Raiders have won 10 of their last 11 games.

Now, they turn their attention to the regular-season finale, a Thursday night date with Henderson. After that, it’s on to the Final Four and the District 1 Class AAAA playoffs.

With a focused Ealey to complement a bevy of capable perimeter scorers, Coatesville looks well-positioned for a postseason flourish.

“We went on a nice little run there, a stretch we really needed,’ Moore said. “Now it gets interesting. Now the fun begins. This is when everything that we prepared and played for comes to fruition.’