CHSAA boys basketball beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down the Class A intersectional first-round games being played at Bishop Ford and Mount St. Michael on Saturday.
Here’s the schedule:
At Bishop Ford
1 p.m. – Regis vs. Monsignor Scanlan
2:45 p.m. – Monsignor Farrell vs. Nazareth
At Mount St. Michael
4:30 p.m. – St. Joseph by the Sea vs. Cardinal Spellman
6:15 p.m. – Fordham Prep vs. St. John’s Prep
Regis Raiders
Record: 9-15
Head coach: Kevin Cullen
Player to watch: Rob Mohen
Monsignor Scanlan Crusaders
Record: 4-14
Head coach: Andrew Ayers
Player to watch: Brandon Hill
Outlook: Hill is the CHSAA’s version of Vinnie (Microwave) Johnson, able to get hot in a matter of seconds. That was on full display Thursday afternoon when the junior guard scored in bunches and finished with 35 points in a 73-62 win against LaSalle in an outbracket game at Mount.
Regis won both regular-season meetings, but the Raiders are reeling, heading into the postseason on a five-game losing streak. The winner meets Xavier in the second round Tuesday.
Monsignor Farrell Lions
Record: 7-16
Head coach: Jeff Franzreb
Player to watch: Anthony Keane
Nazareth Kingsmen
Record: 8-15
Head coach: Todd Jamison
Player to watch: Yaw Boeteng
Outlook: Farrell defeated Moore Catholic in a tiebreaker to earn a spot in the ‘A’ playoffs a year after competing in the ‘B’. Keane, who averages a team-best 14.2 points per game, is the star, but the Lions share the ball and are patient with their offensive sets.
Nazareth, which should press throughout the game, has lost its last three games of the regular season, including a 45-39 loss at St. John’s Prep Tuesday in Astoria. The winner meets Stepinac in a second-round game Tuesday.
St. Joseph by the Sea Vikings
Record: 14-9
Head coach: Scott Welle
Player to watch: Joe Stabach
Cardinal Spellman Pilots
Record: 8-15
Head coach: Fred Opper
Player to watch: Chris Manhertz
Outlook: St. Joseph by the Sea is a wildcard in the Class A playoffs, a relative unknown for the rest of the field. While Joe Stabach is the leading scorer (16.4 ppg), the Vikings start five guards who have played together since the third grade and who are all dangerous from the perimeter.
Sea will need to hit its outside shots on a fairly consistent basis because there won’t be too many rebounds around when Chris Manhertz is in the game. The Canisius-bound forward is as dominant a force in the paint as there is on this level and 6-foot-4 James Pamphile will be a matchup problem for Sea. The winner faces St. Edmund Prep Tuesday in the second round.
St. John’s Prep Red Storm
Record: 9-12
Head coach: Darius Panikus
Player to watch: Ryan Yearwood
Fordham Prep Rams
Record: 9-17
Head coach: Kevin Pigott
Player to watch: Tom Whelan
Outlook: It’s been a roller coaster season for a young St. John’s Prep squad under first-year coach Darius Panikas. The future clearly is bright, with 6-foot-5 sophomore Ryan Yearwood, but the present could be pretty good too if Johnny Mendez can hit a few outside shots.
Fordham Prep, meanwhile, is making the most of its second season, blitzing St. Agnes, 66-39, in an outbracket game Thursday. The Rams won the regular-season meeting, with Tom Whelan scoring the game-winning bucket at the buzzer in a 51-50 win in Astoria on Dec. 28. The winner takes on Cardinal Hayes Tuesday in the second round.
