In the first round of the PIAA-6A state playoffs, Archbishop Wood (12-3) won against Methacton with 55 points from Jalil Bethea and Josh Reed out of their 81 points total.
In the second round against Lower Merion on Wednesday night, Wood's Bethea and Reed, both part of the first team All-Philadelphia Catholic League selections, contributed 24 of Wood’s 66 points.
Six Vikings scored between eight and 15 points in their 66-64 victory over the Aces at Bensalem High School.
Mike Green led with 15 points, followed by Bethea with 13, Reed with 11, Deuce Maxey with 10, Tahir Howell with nine, and Milan Dean with eight.
Wood coach John Mosco emphasized the team's balanced effort, highlighting contributions from multiple players, especially praising Mike Green, Deuce Maxey, and Tahir Howell.
Several team members made significant contributions, whether through scoring or playing strong defense, resulting in an overall team victory.
Bethea expected the game to be more about team play than scoring and acknowledged the crucial role played by Mike Green, who scored 15 points.
Green and Bethea were instrumental in the fourth quarter, with Green scoring nine points and Bethea scoring seven, including a three-pointer and two dunks during a crucial Wood run.
Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer recognized Bethea's exceptional talent and the impact of the fast-paced game on his performance.
Green also made a significant contribution during the crucial 10-2 run, hitting a three and two others in the fourth quarter.
Green engaged in a three-point battle with Owen McCabe of Lower Merion, ultimately scoring a crucial three-pointer in response to McCabe's attempts to close the gap.
Green described the fast-paced nature of the game, emphasizing the need for composure and maintaining focus amidst the rapid scoring exchanges.
Although Lower Merion managed to reduce the deficit to three points at one stage, they did not get possession to tie the game.
McCabe stood out with five threes and a team-high 15 points, supported by John Mobley with 14 points and Carson Kasmer with 11.
The victory propels Archbishop Wood to the state quarterfinals, where they will face Spring-Ford on Saturday.
Lower Merion's season concludes with a 28-2 record, marking the fifth consecutive season in which they were eliminated from the state playoffs by a Philadelphia Catholic League school, with losses to Roman Catholic and Wood.
"We're not taking anything away from Wood, Roman, and other teams," Downer stated. "They're doing what they should be doing. They have the right to recruit, and we don't."
"I don't mean any disrespect to the Catholic schools. They are my friends – Mosco, (Roman coach Chris) McNesby, (Archbishop Ryan coach Joe) Zeglinski, but the PIAA needs to make a change. Allowing these non-boundary schools to play in these tournaments is simply unfair."
Archbishop Wood 66, Lower Merion 64
Archbishop Wood 15 16 12 23 – 66
Lower Merion 18 14 9 23 – 64
AW: Deuce Maxey 2 2 0-0 10, Jalil Bethea 3 2 1-2 13, Mike Green 1 4 1-2 15, Milan Dean 2 0 4-4 8, Josh Reed 3 0 5-9 11, Ihsan Beyah 0 0 0-0 0, Tahir Howell 4 0 1-1 9, Brady MacAdams 0 0 0-0 0. Total 15 8 12-18 66.
LM: Owen McCabe 0 5 0-0 15, John Mobley 3 1 3-5 14, Adam Herrenkohl 1 0 5-6 7, Jayden Robinson 4 1 4-4 15, Justine Mebane 1 0 0-0 2, Carson Kasmer 1 3 0-0 11, Gus Wright 0 0 0-0 0, Tate Perkins 0 0 0-0 0. Total 11 10 12-15 64.
