Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media Boys Basketball 2021-2022 All-Area Teams

This season was a return to normalcy for the Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media area boys basketball teams.

Gone were mask requirements on the floor and social distancing on the bench. Players were able to play in front of their friends, classmates, parents and fans. The spectators were treated to great basketball all season long.

The Suburban One League Liberty Division featured a four-team race that came down to the final game of the regular season. Plymouth Whitemarsh and Upper Dublin shared the league championship with matching 12-4 records while Abington and Wissahickon finished one game behind at 11-5.

Cheltenham went a perfect 16-0 to win the SOL Freedom title before going on to win the SOL Tournament crown. Upper Moreland finished second in the Freedom Division before going on a run to the District 1-5A semifinals.

In the Pioneer Athletic Conference, Methacton won its fourth league title in five years while Norristown reached the District 1-6A championship game — its first district title game appearance since 2009 — and PJP reached the D1-4A final.

Faith Christian Academy and Dock Mennonite Academy represented the Bicentennial Athletic League well. The Lions won the District 1-1A championship while the Pioneers reached the District 1/11-3A Regional championship game.

In the Philadelphia Catholic League, Archbishop Carroll and Archbishop Wood made deep state playoff runs. The Patriots made it to the PIAA-4A semifinals while the Vikings went all the way to the PIAA-6A final.

Local teams accomplished a lot this season, but it wouldn’t have been possible without outstanding individual efforts. Those players are recognized as members of the 2021-2022 The Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media All-Area Teams.

First Team

Moses Hipps, So., Archbishop Carroll >> Hipps finished third in the PCL in scoring with 18.9 points per game. He was one of the best shooters in the league, hitting 76 threes at a 40.6% clip. Hipps helped the Patriots earn a PCL playoff berth when he scored a game-high 26 points in a 72-66 win at La Salle in the final week of the regular season. He averaged 22 points per game during the Patriots run to the PIAA-4A state semifinals.

Archbishop Carroll’s Moses Hipps

Justin Moore, Sr., Archbishop Wood >> Moore led Wood in most major categories as the Vikings went 11-2 in PCL play. He averaged 15.2 points, 6.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds in his first season after transferring in from Bishop McDevitt.

Justin Moore (center) of Archbishop Wood is introduced before the PIAA 6A boys basketball championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (Mark Palczewski – For MediaNews Group)

Rasheem Dearry, Sr., Cheltenham >> Dearry averaged 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while leading the Panthers to an undefeated record through most of the season. The SOL Freedom and SOL Tournament champions suffered their first loss in the District 1-6A semifinals against eventual champion Lower Merion after starting the season 27-0. Dearry averaged 16.1 points during the Panthers six-game district and state playoff run.

Cheltenham’s Rasheem Dearry scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Panthers rallied to defeat Wissahickon 57-49 on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

Sam Brown, Sr., La Salle >> Brown averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists for the Explorers, who finished fifth in the PCL, this season. The Rutgers football commit used his physicality to get to the rim at will while shooting 47.1% from the field.

La Salle’s Sam Brown had a team-high 22 point in the Explorers’ 68-61 overtime win over Pittsburgh Central Catholic on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)

Qudire Bennett, Jr., Plymouth Whitemarsh >> Bennett averaged 18.4 points and 6.4 rebounds for PW this winter. He hit arguably the biggest shot of the season in the SOL Liberty Division. His double-overtime game-winner lifted the Colonials to a win over Upper Dublin, 47-44. The basket ended up earning PW a share of the league title when it finished tied atop the standings with Upper Dublin.

Plymouth Whitemarh’s Qudire Bennett scored 22 points against Cheltenham Friday. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Second Team

Justin Savage, Cheltenham

Horace Simmons, La Salle

Brett Byrne, Methacton

Cole Hargrove, Methacton

DJ Johnson, Norristown

Third Team

Derrius Lucas, Abington

Jalil Bethea, Archbishop Wood

Carson Howard, Archbishop Wood

Josiah Hutson, Cheltenham

Nix Varano, La Salle

Honorable Mention

Abington: Connor Fields

Archbishop Carroll: Dean Coleman-Newsome

Archbishop Wood: Tyson Allen, Bahsil Laster

CB West: John Lee

Cheltenham: Brandon Bush

Dock Mennonite: Nathan Lapp, Tomir Johnson

Faith Christian: Gerald Pinkney

Germantown Academy: Blake Smith

Hatboro-Horsham: Noah Schlosser

Jenkintown: Jake Hilton

Lower Moreland: Brian Grant

Norristown: Zaki Gomez

North Penn: Joey Larkins

Pennridge: Matt Campione

Pope John Paul II: JP Baron, Kevin Green, Jaden Workman

Plymouth Whitemarsh: Jaden Colzie

Souderton: Jay Bonnet, Aleks Smith

Springfield: Ben Cooney, Dylan McKenzie

Upper Dublin: DJ Cerisier, Seaton Kukla, Colin O’Sullivan

Upper Merion: Ty Jones

Upper Moreland: Byron Hopkins, Matt Tiernan

Wissahickon: Earl Stout, Josh Twersky

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