Playoff Heroes: See the top playoff performances & vote in season's final Athlete of the Week polls!
We’re now two weeks into the postseason, with the District One playoffs getting underway last week. That means even more chances for our student-athletes to shine, and they did just that in basketball and swimming.
See the top playoff performers from the last week, and make sure to vote for Playoff Performer of the Week. It’s our last poll for the winter season, so get your votes in from now through 8 p.m. Thursday (scroll to bottom of page for polls.).
Top 10 Playoff Performers in Boys Basketball
Emeer Coombs, Neshaminy: Coombs scored 20 points in the second half of Neshaminy’s 62-48 win against Boyertown in the opening round of the District One 6A tournament. He finished with both a game- and career-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers.
Sean Curley, Neshaminy: Curley had 15 points in Neshaminy’s first-round win.
Jeremiah Lee, Abington: Lee led all scorers with 16 points in the No. 20 Ghosts' upset of No. 13 Pennsbury in the first round of districts. Lee hit a clutch 3-pointer in overtime to help secure the 45-42 victory, and also had 10 rebounds and a block.
Damon Rawls, Abington: Rawls scored the go-ahead basket in overtime in Abington’s upset of Pennsbury in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. He finished with 11 points.
Adrien Varella, Holy Ghost: Varella led the way with 16 points as the Firebirds topped Upper Moreland 54-36 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Luke Bevilacqua, George School: The sophomore center had 17 points to help the Cougars edge Haverford 63-60 in the first round of the PAISAA playoffs.
Christian Bliss, George School: The junior guard scored 16 points in the Cougars’ narrow victory over Haverford.
Jalil Bethea, Archbishop Wood: The junior showed why he was named Catholic League MVP with a dominating 30-point performance to lead the Vikings over St. Joe’s Prep, 84-73, in the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals.
Josh Reed Archbishop Wood: The junior scored 16 points in the Vikings' PCL quarterfinal victory.
Hoyt Bultje, Dock Mennonite: Bultje scored a game-high 19 points to give the Pioneers a 49-45 win over Church Farm School in the BAL Championship game.
13 Standout Playoff Performances in Girls Basketball
Katie Yoder, Pennridge: The senior, who scored her 1,000th point in the regular season, finished her high school career with an excellent 24-point performance in a close first-round loss to Garnet Valley.
Sofia Vitucci, Pennsbury: Vitucci scored 12 points in the first quarter alone as the Falcons dominated Penncrest 48-12 in the first round of District One 6A. Victucci finished with a game-high 16 points.
Layla Matthias, Pennsbury: The junior had nine points, eight rebounds and deflected several passes as the Falcons’ smothering defense was on full display in a 48-12 first-round win.
Caleigh Sperling, North Penn: The junior’s overtime buzzer-beater clinched the win for North Penn in the upset of the District One tournament so far. Sperling finished with 14 points in the 21st-seeded Knights' 59-57 victory over No. 12 Great Valley.
Abby Plaugher, North Penn: Plaugher had a game-high 17 points, including the game-tying shot late in the fourth, as the Knights went on to upset Great Valley in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Anna Barry, CB East: A huge game from Barry secured the Patriots’ win in a close first-round matchup. Barry scored 24 points, including 15 in the second half, in the 56-51 road victory over West Chester Henderson.
Holly Gohl, Upper Moreland: Gohl led the way with 18 points as the Golden Bears outscored Strath Haven 32-18 in the second half to put the first-round Class 5A game away.
Gabby Casey, Lansdale Catholic: Casey scored 14 of her game-high 17 points in the first quarter as the Crusaders cruised into the PCL semifinals with a 53-27 win over Archbishop Ryan.
Ava Renninger, Archbishop Wood: Renninger led the way with a career-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, as the Vikings topped Conwell-Egan to advance to the PCL semifinals.
Deja Evans, Archbishop Wood: Evans recorded 10 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks in a dominating defensive display in the Vikings’ PCL quarterfinal win.
Kendall Bennett, Germantown Academy: Bennett had 13 points and eight rebounds as the Patriots cruised into the PAISAA semifinals with a win over Academy Notre Dame. Bennett set the tone early, scoring five straight points to open the game.
Sam Wade, Germantown Academy: Wade tallied 11 points and eight rebounds in the Patriots’ 60-37 victory in the PAISAA quarterfinals.
Izabella Forker, Faith Christian: Forker scored 11 points as the Lions captured their second straight BAL championship with a 40-33 win over The Christian Academy.
10 Winning Performances in Diving and Swimming
Junior Mickie Soroka of Upper Moreland finished second in the District One Class 2A girls diving championships.
North Penn senior Kiera Allison placed second in the District One Class 3A girls diving championships. North Penn junior Brady Stanton won the boys diving championships with a score of 557.30. His teammate, junior Joshua Gratton, was a close second with 551.60 points.
Germantown Academy girls won the Easterns Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships for the second year in a row, while the boys team finished third.
Sophomore Libby Brewer won the girls diving championships, and earned a spot in the history books as she was the first GA diver to win the event at Easterns.
Patriots' sophomore Emily Hamill finished second in the girls 100 freestyle, completing it in 50.41.
Landon D’Ariano took first place in the boys 200 IM with a time of 1:47.13, and the junior also won the 500 freestyle in 4:25.46.
Junior Taylor Grimley won the girls 100 butterfly, with a meet-record time of 52.98. She also took home gold in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.68.
Senior Eliza Meth won the girls 100 breaststroke in 1:03.63.
6 Athletes who Excelled at the PAISAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
Dante Ndeta, George School: The senior won the boys 200-meter dash with a time of 24.14 and placed third in the 55-meter dash (6.84). Ndeta added another gold when he won the high jump, clearing 5-08, and finished second in the long jump (21-03).
Evan Badami, Germantown Academy: The freshman had an excellent showing at his first state championship meet. Badami won the boys 400-meter dash (51.97) and finished second in the 200-meter dash (24.15).
Margaret Massengill, George School: The freshman won two events, finishing first in the girls 1600-meter run (5:42.06) and the 3200-meter (12:45.89).
Faith Fuller, George School: The Cougars’ senior won the girls 55-meter hurdles with a time of 9.94, and placed third in the long jump and fourth in the high jump.
Gavin Fountain, Germantown Academy: The junior won the boys shot put with a distance of 49-11.
Robert Bright, Germantown Academy: The sophomore took first place in the boys pole vault, clearing a height of 11-06.
9 Wrestlers Who Took Home Gold at the PCL Individual Championships
Jeffrey Spofford, Conwell-Egan: Won the 107-pound championship with a 4-2 decision.
Kevin Bagnell, Conwell-Egan: Bagnell won the 114-pound title with a 7-2 decision and was named the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler.
Lukas Grodzki, Conwell-Egan: A 6-2 decision sealed the title for Grodzki in the 121-pound championship.
Steven Harris, Conwell-Egan: Harris won by technical fall in the 127-pound title match.
Charlie Robson, Conwell-Egan: His win by fall (2:37) earned Robson the 133-pound title.
Ricky Horger, Conwell-Egan: Horger needed just 50 seconds to pin his opponent in the 139-pound championship match.
Cormac Morrissey, La Salle: Morissey flattened his opponent in 1:46 to take home the 152-pound title.
Dante Burns, Conwell-Egan: Burns pinned his opponent in 50 seconds to win the 215-pound title.
Dylan Clair, La Salle: Clair earned the win by fall (2:24) for the 189-pound title.
Vote for the Boys and Girls Playoff Performers of the Week!
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Top Playoff Performances in District One PCL basketball, swimming
