Parkland Does the Unlikely (Hoops)

[RoverNation05]

Pretty wild March for the Parkland Trojans, who become the first District 11 team since Parkland in 2004 to make the PIAA Finals in the largest basketball classification. This team is coached by Eddie Ohlson, who was the point guard on that 2004 team. The obvious story in the Valley is that they went through two Philly Catholic League teams to get here - beating Roman Catholic last weekend and Archbishop Wood on Tuesday night. I think it's the first time a D11 team has beaten a PCL team in the 4A or 6A playoffs. I know Parkland was previously 0-5 against Roman, most notably losing with the Sam Iorio (pro in Europe), Devante Cross (NFL), Kenny Yeboah (NFL) team in quarterfinals which is the best D11 basketball team in my memory. I know the PCL doens't win every year (Reading is the defending champ, who lost in the final 4), but it's clearly a better brand of basketball, so a pretty collosal set of wins for Lehigh Valley hoops as a whole.

If the win, it will be the first D11 champ in the biggest class since Whitehall won 4A in 1982. Also in moments of symmetry, the star of that Whitehall team was Scott Coval, who played at William and Mary and was an assistant at W&M and Penn State before coming back to the Valley as the head coach at DeSales for the last 28 seasons. His son Nick is the star of this Parkland team.

What's crazy is that I wouldn't say it's a team overflowing with talent. Nick Coval is a Davidson commit and a 2,000 point scorer in his career, and is obviously very good. But he's a 6'2 shooting guard who isn't exactly a physically dominant player. He's their only college prospect - four of their other seven guys in the rotation are football players, quarterback Luke Spang (going to Franklin & Marshall to play football), wide receiver Connor Johns (going to UPenn to play football), tight end/defensive end Robbie Ruisch (going to East Stroudsburg to play football), and backup quarterback Blake Nassry (just a freshman, he's one to watch in both sports, he hit two monster free throws down the stretch of the Wood game, very impressive compsure for a 9th grader in addition to being 6'4 and athletic). I don't follow high school basketball super closely, I know that Central York was 5th in District 3, but has been hot in the tournament and has three low-level Division I players in their lineup (Patriot League types?).

 

[bucksftball]

Really an unbelievable run, especially the win over Roman. Wood seemed to be squeaking by each round with huge 4th quarters from their all-American Bethea. Great to see two publics in the final.

 

[RoverNation05]

I did read that Roman had three starters ineligible for the postseason as transfers, which really shifts the dynamic of the team. But they locked up Bethea on Tuesday, I think he only had ten points and got in foul trouble early. Parkland is essentially seven guys who are 6'2-6'6, most of whom are pretty physical, then one shooter/Division I guard who has tons of gravity on the floor, which opens up other guys to score. And Coval hasn't gone crazy, he averages 22 points per game for the year, but in the playoffs has been 11, 27, 19, and 13. And in the 19-3 run they had in the second half against Roman, he only scored 5 points.

 

[DripDrop]

I did read that Roman had three starters ineligible for the postseason as transfers, which really shifts the dynamic of the team. But they locked up Bethea on Tuesday, I think he only had ten points and got in foul trouble early. Parkland is essentially seven guys who are 6'2-6'6, most of whom are pretty physical, then one shooter/Division I guard who has tons of gravity on the floor, which opens up other guys to score. And Coval hasn't gone crazy, he averages 22 points per game for the year, but in the playoffs has been 11, 27, 19, and 13. And in the 19-3 run they had in the second half against Roman, he only scored 5 points.

Great run for parkland. I love when I see not the usual suspects in the finals. Who would have thought there'd be a public school finals in 6A. Roman had 2 starters last year ineligible for the same thing . I don't think anyone thought neuman or roman wouldn't be in the finals. I'm predicting the best game will be 4A with Lincoln Park and archbishop Ryan. We will see blow outs in 5A Imhotep winning and 1A with Imani winning.

 

[lilromeo]

Great run for parkland. I love when I see not the usual suspects in the finals. Who would have thought there'd be a public school finals in 6A. Roman had 2 starters last year ineligible for the same thing . I don't think anyone thought neuman or roman wouldn't be in the finals. I'm predicting the best game will be 4A with Lincoln Park and archbishop Ryan. We will see blow outs in 5A Imhotep winning and 1A with Imani winning.

Lincoln park rolled over Ryan. It was announced that Ryan did not have any juniors or seniors starting . I would think they will be back for the next couple years.

 

[bucksftball]

I believe we're talking about Arch Carroll, not Ryan, who is in 5A. Carroll not only has no upperclassmen starters, but they also don't have any on the roster. There must be a story behind this... transfers out?

 

[DripDrop]

I believe we're talking about Arch Carroll, not Ryan, who is in 5A. Carroll not only has no upperclassmen starters, but they also don't have any on the roster. There must be a story behind this... transfers out?

Yes I meant Carrol

 

[BradlyPitt]

can't believe it's been 20 years since Penn Hills beat Parkland

strange year not to see Roman Catholic, Neuman Goretti, or Archbishop Wood in the finals

not that I'm complaining

what happened to Neuman Goretti? they blew out Lincoln Park in the regular season and then somehow an Archbisop Carroll team led by freshman and sophomores made the finals, making it an easy win for LP

 

[RoverNation05]

can't believe it's been 20 years since Penn Hills beat Parkland

strange year not to see Roman Catholic, Neuman Goretti, or Archbishop Wood in the finals

not that I'm complaining

what happened to Neuman Goretti? they blew out Lincoln Park in the regular season and then somehow an Archbisop Carroll team led by freshman and sophomores made the finals, making it an easy win for LP

Wild that was 20 years ago. Also, that 2004 Parkland team wasn’t even the D11 champs - they lost three times to Whitehall (regular season, conference championship, district championship). Whitehall got knocked out in state quarters, their best player was Jason Greene, who led the NCAA in assists when he was at UMBC, and I believe was on their coaching staff when they beat Virginia a couple years back. Easton also beat both of those teams within like five days of each other during the regular season (the Easton-Parkland game was one of the best I’ve seen in that gym), good year for Lehigh Valley basketball, with Parkland going on a run for the ages to go to state finals. The backbone of that team was current head coach Eddie Ohlsen, who is about 5’6, but was a four-year starter, who was just an incredible ball handler and floor general. Didn’t have the size to play anywhere but DeSales (where I think he still holds the assists record?) but he was a perfect high school point guard.

While I’m bringing up old stuff, the 2004 Parkland team was nowhere near as good as the 2002 Trojans. Coming off of back-to-back D11 titles and state quarterfinals trips, they went 25-0 during the regular season, including beating the Neumann (pre-Goretti merger) team that won the Philly Catholic League 76-57 during the season, and beat Gerry McNamara’s Bishop Hannah team 82-78, though McNamara had 52 in a losing effort. They were led by Adam Lane, who played at Navy, and a handful of D3 players, plus Ohlson (current coach) and Rick Seltzer (who I think played professional baseball?) were sophomores who ended up the backbone of the 2004 team. They got shocked in the opening round of districts as the #2 or #3 team in the state, losing to 8th seeded Emmaus. Emmaus got 23 points and 15 rebounds from junior seven-footer and future Pitt and NBA center Aaron Gray, and hit a buzzer beater three to beat Parkland 47-45 after losing by 33 in the regular season. Lane was also the quarterback for Parkland in ‘99 and ‘00 that ended in shocking playoff losses (particularly the ‘99 team that was #2 in the state), so quite the cursed career for a great athlete.

But it’s either that team or the 2016 Parkland team that went 28-4, beat Imhotep and LaSalle during the season, lost to eventual champ Roman in quarters. That was definitely the most talented team with Sam Iorio (American/Niagara/professional in Europe), Kyle Stout (Lafayette), Devante Cross (UVA football/NFL), and Kenny Yeboah (Temple/Ole Miss football/NFL). It’s been a really good basketball program.

 

[RCH13co18]

I'm so happy for parkland. there's parity within 6A

 

[BradlyPitt]

I'm so happy for parkland. there's parity within 6A

yeah this year, i'm sure Roman and Wood will reload

I will never forget Lamar Stephens saying at the end of the 2016 final when the PCN guy asked him what the difference was between this Roman team and the title team in 2015, after they trounced a very good Allderdice team

he said "the difference was I wasn't on the team last year" LOL

isn't Imhotep moving up to 6A? it won't get any easier to win 6A

 

[BradlyPitt]

Wild that was 20 years ago. Also, that 2004 Parkland team wasn’t even the D11 champs - they lost three times to Whitehall (regular season, conference championship, district championship). Whitehall got knocked out in state quarters, their best player was Jason Greene, who led the NCAA in assists when he was at UMBC, and I believe was on their coaching staff when they beat Virginia a couple years back. Easton also beat both of those teams within like five days of each other during the regular season (the Easton-Parkland game was one of the best I’ve seen in that gym), good year for Lehigh Valley basketball, with Parkland going on a run for the ages to go to state finals. The backbone of that team was current head coach Eddie Ohlsen, who is about 5’6, but was a four-year starter, who was just an incredible ball handler and floor general. Didn’t have the size to play anywhere but DeSales (where I think he still holds the assists record?) but he was a perfect high school point guard.

While I’m bringing up old stuff, the 2004 Parkland team was nowhere near as good as the 2002 Trojans. Coming off of back-to-back D11 titles and state quarterfinals trips, they went 25-0 during the regular season, including beating the Neumann (pre-Goretti merger) team that won the Philly Catholic League 76-57 during the season, and beat Gerry McNamara’s Bishop Hannah team 82-78, though McNamara had 52 in a losing effort. They were led by Adam Lane, who played at Navy, and a handful of D3 players, plus Ohlson (current coach) and Rick Seltzer (who I think played professional baseball?) were sophomores who ended up the backbone of the 2004 team. They got shocked in the opening round of districts as the #2 or #3 team in the state, losing to 8th seeded Emmaus. Emmaus got 23 points and 15 rebounds from junior seven-footer and future Pitt and NBA center Aaron Gray, and hit a buzzer beater three to beat Parkland 47-45 after losing by 33 in the regular season. Lane was also the quarterback for Parkland in ‘99 and ‘00 that ended in shocking playoff losses (particularly the ‘99 team that was #2 in the state), so quite the cursed career for a great athlete.

But it’s either that team or the 2016 Parkland team that went 28-4, beat Imhotep and LaSalle during the season, lost to eventual champ Roman in quarters. That was definitely the most talented team with Sam Iorio (American/Niagara/professional in Europe), Kyle Stout (Lafayette), Devante Cross (UVA football/NFL), and Kenny Yeboah (Temple/Ole Miss football/NFL). It’s been a really good basketball program.

yep like I always say timing is everything in life, those Parkland teams probably would've won a state title this year or 2004

2004 Penn Hills didn't win the WPIAL, they lost in the semifinals though they won the WPIAL in 2003

still to this day only one of 3 teams when the WPIAL won the state title in the largest class, once they went to at least 4 classifications

with 2014 New Castle being one and of course those 1995 RInggold Rams