Main Line boys’ basketball squads tip off 2018-19 campaign

The 2018-19 Main Line boys’ high school basketball season features several strong teams coming off record-setting 2017-18 campaigns, such as Lower Merion, which advanced to the PIAA state tournament for the eighth consecutive year – the longest current streak in PIAA Division 6A.
Gregg Downer, now in his 29th year as Lower Merion head coach, leads a group of Aces who are looking to make more history this winter.
The Aces are off to a 3-0 start this season (as of Wednesday), winning two games in the McDowell Tip Off Tournament in Erie, then defeating Haverford High Tuesday, getting out to a 39-11 halftime lead. In the season opener Dec. 7, the Aces defeated Taylor Allderdice 68-52, then the following day defeated host McDowell, 76-68, in overtime, with 6-5 senior guard Jack Forrest scoring 26 points and winning tournament MVP honors.
Lower Merion (24-6 last winter) is a very seasoned team, featuring 11 seniors, five of whom have been with the team for four years. Two of them are 1,000 point scorers – Forrest, and 6-2 point guard Steve Payne, who reached the milestone in the championship game of the McDowell Tip Off Tournament. Both are coming off stellar junior campaigns.
Forrest, who recently committed to Columbia University for basketball, last winter averaged 18.1 ppg and 5.2 ppg for the Central League champions, tied an LM single-season record with 73 treys (40 percent from behind the arc) and received All-Central League first team honors.
Payne, also a first team All-Central League selection last winter, became the first Lower Merion player since Kobe Bryant to lead Aces in all three categories (18.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 5.2 apg) in a single season, and made 54 treys while shooting 44 percent from behind the arc.
Unfortunately, the Aces hit a bump in the road a few minutes into the Tuesday night win against Haverford – Forrest went down with an ankle sprain and is expected to be out for at least a month. Forrest was off to a great start this season, tallying 20 points and 14 rebounds in the season opener, then scoring 26 points in the McDowell Tip Off Tournament championship game.
Without Forrest, the Aces still have a solid senior lineup, including Payne, 6-5 center Josh Martin, 5-11 wing Darryl Taylor, 6-1 guard Julian Hairston, 6-3 guard Matt O’Connor and 6-0 guard Theo Henry. Another 6-0 senior, Villanova football commit Jalen Goodman, is on the squad as well.
Here’s a beginning-of-the-season look at the other Main Line high school boys’ basketball teams:

Archbishop Carroll
Head coach: Francis Bowe Jr., first year.
Last year’s record: 20-8 overall, 10-3 Catholic League.
Key returnees: 6-5 senior guard Luke House, 6-2 senior guard Kiyl Mack, 6-1 senior guard Shawn Johnson, 6-4 senior guard Cole Burkitt, 6-3 senior guard Padraig Casey.
Others to watch: 6-5 junior forward Tairi Ketner, 6-0 junior guard Zaiair Jenkins-Johnson, 6-7 sophomore forward Anquan Hill.
Lost to graduation: Keyon Butler (Chestnut Hill), Devon Ferrero (Bloomsburg), Justin Anderson (Phelps), AJ Hoggard (Huntingdon Prep).
Outlook: Bowe, who lists the Patriots’ biggest strengths as experience and depth, said, “The biggest key to our success this season is to build off of the success of last year’s team. Senior leadership will drive this team. The outlook is very bright for the program.”

Conestoga
Head coach: Mike Troy, 13th year.
Last year’s record: 16-10.
Key returnees: 6-1 senior guard Zachary Lezanic, 6-1 senior guard Shane Scott, 6-2 senior guard Milt Robinson, 6-4 senior forward Evan Medley, 6-5 senior center Wes Brace.
Others to watch: 6-0 senior guard Scott Martin, 6-3 junior guard Connor Steele, 6-7 sophomore Andrew Fox.
Lost to graduation: Charlie Schappell (playing at Dennison), Mike Erickson, Colin McFillin.
Outlook: The senior-laden Pioneers return five of their top seven players, have good team speed and according to Troy are an unselfish group who can push the ball and also looks for the extra pass to get the best open shot. “Experience will be a key in the close games this year,” said Troy. “This team has a bright outlook. Our goals include a return to the state playoffs. Our biggest keys to success include playing excellent team defense, rebounding, and playing up tempo offensively and using our team speed. Our outside shooting is also a strong point, so another key forn us is making the extra pass and find the open man for the shot.”

Devon Prep
Head coach: Jason Fisher, fifth year.
Last year’s record: 8-14.
Key returnees: 5-8 junior point guard Nick Crowe (missed most of last season with injury), 6-2 sophomore guard Eamon Walsh (10.5 ppg as a freshman).
Others to watch: 6-6 junior forward Scion Dorsey (transfer from Haverford School), junior Kevin Walton.
Outlook: Fisher said, “This is our first year in the Catholic League so we are not really sure what to expect. We know it will be a challenge but one that we are looking forward too. We have upgraded our schedule significantly and play a lot of 5A/6A local schools (Pope John Paul, Upper Merion, Shanahan, Math/Civics/Science) in attempt to prepare us for the PCL. We return and add a lot from last year, but we are still a young team.
“I have been involved in basketball for a long time and I can say for sure that this is one of the hardest working teams that I have ever been around. There is a nice group of four seniors – Jablonski, Rullo, Walker and Belden – who have gone through the program and know what is expected. They do a great job leading the younger guys.”

Episcopal Academy
Head coach: Craig Conlin, ninth year.
Last year’s record: 11-15 overall, 3-7 Inter-Ac League.
Key returnees: 6-6 senior forward Matt Dade; 6-4 senior forward Jack O’Reilly, 6-4 junior guard Alex Capitano, 6-0 junior guard Colin Chambers.
Others to watch: 5-10 senior guard Jalin Meachem, 6-1 senior guard John McElwee, 6-3 senior forward Luke Lesher, 6-2 junior forward Andrew Alikakos, 6-1 sophomore guard/forward Malcolm Folk, 6-0 sophomore guard Will Delaney.
Lost to graduation: guard Justin Hershey, center Colin Phillips.
Outlook: Conlin listed EA’s biggest strengths as working together as a team and shooting the ball. “Our goals are to play hard, play smart, and play together,” he said, “If we compete and trust the process of improving everyday, we should have a successful season. Our biggest concern will be injuries, depth and scoring options.”

Friends’ Central
Head coach: Ryan Tozer, seventh year.
Last year’s record: 12-13 overall, 4-3 Friends’ Schools League.
Key returnees: 6-1 senior guard Bryce Spriggs, 6-4 senior forward Myles Robinson, 6-1 junior guard Omar Nichols, 5-11 junior guard BK Kothari, 5-11 junior guard Mason Mosley, 5-9 junior guard Brandon Banadda, 6-3 sophomore guard/forward Edward Holland.
Others to watch: 6-4 sophomore forward Ryan Ellison, 5-11 sophomore guard Basim Horshaw, 5-11 sophomore guard Diego Spielman-Rodriguez, 6-3 sophomore forward Isaiah Waddington, 6-1 sophomore guard Thabo Tsotetsi, 6-0 sophomore guard Tom Foley.
Lost to graduation: forward Josh Friday (Oberlin College), forward Toure Mosley-Banks (Covenant Prep), forward Jordan Friday (Oberlin College).
Outlook: Tozer said, “We are an undersized but experienced team. We will be a tough out each night because of our ability to shoot the three. If we can share the ball, defend hard, and rebound well, we will surprise a lot of teams this season.”

Harriton
Head coach: Kyle Sample, second year.
Last year’s record: 6-16 overall, 4-12 Central League.
Key returnees: 5-10 senior point guard Michael Stewart, 6-2 junior guard Markus Bradley-Lowry, 6-2 junior guard Lance Chestnut.
Others to watch: 6-0 senior guard Lazarus Louca, 6-3 junior guard Alex Torbeck, 6-5 junior forward Michael Tabasso.
Lost to graduation: Luke Glickman, Nicholas Bugbee.
Outlook: Sample said, “Our biggest strengths are versatility and length. The biggest keys to our success will be playing with heart and hutle, defense and rebounding. Our biggest challenge as a team is to communicate at all times – we call it ‘Sharing information on the court.’”

Haverford School
Head coach: Bernie Rogers, fourth year.
Last year record: 23-6, Inter-Ac champions.
Key returnees: 5-10 senior guard Gavin Burke, 6-6 senior guard Christian Ray, 6-5 senior center Asim Richards, 6-2 senior guard Jameer Nelson.
Lost to graduation: Kharon Randolph (playing basketball for Holy Family), TJ Malone (playing lacrosse for Penn State), Bob Stratts (playing soccer for Skidmore), Will Yoh, Tom Bagnell, Joe Dignazio, Nasir Smith.
Outlook: Rogers said, “We are a veteran team with a a lot of skill and poise. Our biggest challenge will be to stay hungry, ready and focused.”

Malvern Prep
Head coach: John Harmatuk, sixth year.
Last year’s record: 18-8 overall, 8-2 Inter-Ac.
Key returnees: 6-1 junior guard Deuce Turner (first team All-InterAc as a sophomore), 6-0 sophomore guard Rahdir Hicks, 5-11 junior guard Spencer Cochran, 6-0 senior guard Tygee Leach (Lehigh football commit), 6-6 sophomore post player Fran Oschell.
Outlook: Harmatuck said, “We have young but experienced guards. We are fast, and shoot the ball well. Pressure defense will be the key. We hope to build on last year’s record. We play as tough a non-conference schedule as anyone in the city. This should help us prepare for league play.”

Radnor
Head coach: Jamie Chadwin, third year (also coached at Immaculata University).
Last year’s record: 3-17.
Key returnees: junior guard Jack d’Entremont, sophomore guard Lew Robinson, senior guard Bennet Mueller, senior guard Doug Campbell.
Others to watch: senior guard Sean Mullarkey.
Outlook: Chadwin said, “We are eager to continue our progress from the end of last season. We’ll need to generate some consistency on both ends of the floor.”

Shipley
Head coach: Phil D’Ambrosio, seventh year.
Last year’s record: 14-13.
Key returnees: 6-10 senior center Ray Somerville, 6-6 senior forward Chaz Owens, 6-1 senior guard Grant Jacoby, 6-0 junior guard Khai Champion, 5-8 junior point guard Amyr Henry, 5-11 junior guard Joe Gruzinski, 6-2 junior forward Randall Brown.
Others to watch: 6-1 junior guard Eli Smith, 6-3 freshman guard Khalil Farmer.
Lost to graduation: point guard Sam Sessoms (Binghamton University), forward Tom Sobelman, forward Ronan Higgins.
Outlook: D’Ambrosio said, “We have a good core of guys back from last year’s team, so we will rely on that experience to help us get through this season. With the addition of two newcomers (Eli Smith and Khalil Farmer) we feel as though we have enough pieces in place to compete night in and night out. We will play up-tempo and look to play inside out within the half-court. Our biggest key to success will be our chemistry and how unselfish can we be. In addition to that, we will have to defend, rebound and make shots.”