PAC Boys Basketball Final Four Preview: Spring-Ford-PJP, Methacton-Phoenixville

The Pioneer Athletic Conference playoffs continue with the Final Four on Friday night at Spring-Ford.

No. 2 seed Pope John Paul II faces No. 3 seed Spring-Ford in the first game at 6 p.m., while No. 1 seed Methacton plays No. 4 Phoenixville in the second game at 7:45 p.m. The semifinal winners will face each other in the championship Tuesday at 7 p..m. at Spring-Ford.

Here is a look at Friday’s games:

Pope John Paul II (2) vs (3) Spring-Ford, 6 p.m.

Records >> Pope John Paul II – 9-1 PAC Frontier, 13-3 PAC, 17-4 overall; Spring-Ford – 7-3 PAC Liberty, 12-4 PAC, 16-7 overall

Head-to-head >> Zack Skrocki, Patrick Kovaleski and Tyler Scilingo all scored in double figures as Spring-Ford held off Pope John Paul II for a 50-47 win on Dec. 14.

Playoff history >> PJP broke a two-year playoff drought by winning the Frontier Division last year before a lopsided 87-51 loss to eventual champ Methacton. The Panthers are looking for their first PAC playoff victory since winning the championship in 2010-11, the school’s first year of existence. … After losing in the opening round last year, Spring-Ford is hoping to make its fourth PAC title game appearance in five seasons, having last won in 2015-16.

On Pope John Paul II >> The Golden Panthers claimed their second straight Frontier title with a 63-51 victory over Phoenixville on Saturday, but this team is quite different from the squad that entered the league playoffs at .500 last season and didn’t win a single PAC crossover game. PJP has already set the program record for regular-season wins, while going 4-2 against the Liberty Division this season. Senior wing Drew McKeon (13.4 ppg ppg) is a 6-foot-3 sharpshooter, who leads the league with 57 3-point shots made. Junior forward Justin Green (12.4 ppg) is a good bet to record a double-double every time out. Luke McCarthy (10 ppg) and Green’s brother Kevin (8.2 ppg), a sophomore, give the Golden Panthers two more lethal shooters on the floor. Senior David Smrek (4.4 ppg) rounds out the starting lineup, while sophomore Jaden Workman (7.8 ppg) might be the top sixth man in the league, making plenty of big shots, including a game-winner against Phoenixville earlier this year. JP Baron, Liam Haffey and Evan Yasneski round out the team’s rotation.

On Spring-Ford >> The Rams defeated Upper Merion, 48-46, on Wednesday, fueled by a 24-point night by senior forward Tre Medearis (12.4 ppg). Junior point guard Zack Skrocki (10.3 ppg) missed Wednesday’s game with the flu, so his status for Friday’s game is uncertain. Tyler Scilingo (4.6 ppg)  stepped into his lead guard role and finished with seven points. Patrick Kovaleski (11.5 ppg), who also handled some of the primary ball handling duties, and sophomore forward Jake Kressley (5.1 ppg) both added six points in Wednesday’s win. Nate Santiago (3.7 ppg) gave Spring-Ford a boost in an enhanced role off the bench, scoring five points and grabbing a key offensive rebound late. Look for senior guard Michael Fitzgerald (10.3 ppg) to respond from a cold shooting night against Upper Merion. He has 41 made 3-point shots on the season.

Prediction >> The second meeting between the two teams should be another one that comes down to the wire. Justin Green and Medearis will be a fun matchup to watch inside. While both teams have plenty of capable shooters, the Golden Panthers hold the edge on the perimeter, leading the PAC with 162 threes this season (almost eight per game). Maybe one of those outside shots is good for a game-winner Friday… Pope John Paul II 60, Spring-Ford 57

Methacton (1) vs Phoenixville (4), 7:45 p.m.

Records >> Methacton – 10-0 PAC Liberty, 16-0 PAC, 20-2 overall; Phoenixville – 8-2 PAC Liberty, 9-7 PAC, 14-9 overall

Head-to-head >> Erik Timko led the way with 20 points and Owen Kropp and Brett Eberly both added 11 points in Methacton’s 64-20 victory over Phoenixville on Jan. 14.

Playoff history >> Methacton is looking to become the league’s first three-peat champ on the boys side after winning its fourth overall PAC title a season ago…The Phantoms’ win against Boyertown on Wednesday was the team’s first PAC postseason win since winning the league championship in 2006-07.

On Methacton >> The Warriors had won 17 in a row before falling to District 3’s No. 1 Class 6A team Wilson (20-1) in their regular season finale Saturday. Methacton has played just two PAC  games decided by single digits, a 44-42 win over Spring-Ford on Dec. 12 and a 50-41 victory over Boyertown on Jan. 9. Senior wing Erik Timko (19.7 pgg) is leading the PAC in scoring and has scored 20-or-more points in five straight games. Jeff Woodward (13.6 ppg), a 6-foot-9 center headed to Colgate next season, recently surpassed the school’s all-time scoring mark and the 1,000-rebound milestones. Owen Kropp (10.7 ppg) is the team’s third leading scorer and a terrific on-ball defender who can do a little bit of everything for the Warriors, while senior point guard Brett Eberly (8 ppg) is the team’s floor general and emotional leader. Sophomore guard Brett Byrne (4.3 ppg), sophomore forward Cole Hargrove (4 ppg) and junior forward Stephen Baldwin (3.2 ppg) round out the team’s rotation.

On Phoenixville >> The performance of high-energy senior forward Clay Kopko (6.1 ppg) played a key role in the Phantoms’ 45-41 win over Boyertown on Wednesday. Kopko and senior guard Steven Hamilton (13.7 ppg) led Phoenixville with 11 points apiece. Kopko scored what turned out to be the game winning bucket and then took a late charge on the other end, and Hamilton knocked down a pair of free throws to ice the game. Junior guard Mike Memmo (12.8 ppg) and sophomore Chris Weiah (7.5 ppg) added eight points each in the win, with Weiah securing the game clinching rebound. Senior guard Will Allain (7.9 ppg) scored seven in Phoenixville’s win. Chase McDonnell, Luke Breisblatt, Jackson Kuranda and Milton Weiah also saw action in Wednesday’s victory.

Prediction >> The Warriors have consistently overwhelmed their PAC opponents this season, outscoring their league foes by an average of nearly 40 points per game in their final eight PAC contests. While the Phantoms should be more competitive than their previous meeting, there has been no sign that Methacton is slowing down any time soon…Methacton 63, Phoenixville 41