Photos/Videos: Zack Beavers & Donna Eckert
By: Marc Narducci
ANC Cleans Up to Reach Friends League Boys Basketball Final vs. George School
It was Tuesday night and his Academy of the New Church team had just earned a fourth consecutive trip to the Friends League boys’ basketball championship, so how did coach Kevin Givens celebrate?
Naturally by doing laundry.
Contacted less than two hours after his second seeded Lions defeated third seeded Friends Select School, 63-49 to earn a berth against top seeded George School in Friday’s championship game, Givens had to speak a little loud so he could be heard over the sound of the washing machine.
He was cleaning the team’s uniforms, and that is sort of appropriate for the Lions, who have been cleaning up this season, even after being hit hard by graduation.
ANC lost five seniors to graduation. Plus, current senior Elmarko Jackson transferred to Kent Academy in Connecticut and was named a McDonald’s All-American.
Somehow, the Lions still find themselves back in the title game.
The only thing definite is that there will be a new champion.
ANC vs. Friends Select - 2023 FSL semifinals - PSD Gallery by Donna Eckert
Westtown, which beat ANC, 60-52 in last year’s final, was the eight-time defending champion.
Yet in the other semifinal, top seeded George School beat No. 4 seeded Westtown, 70-39.
So it will be the top two seeds, George School (19-6) and ANC (17-4) battling it out in Friday’s 8 p.m. Friends League championship at La Salle University. That will be the second game of a championship doubleheader, with Westtown meeting Friends Central in the 6:30 p.m. girls’ championship.
ANC will be attempting to win the school’s first Friends League title since 2009, but the Lions have been in the previous three title games. (There was no championship in 2021 due to COVID).
In the semifinal win, 6-foot-3 ANC senior Deywilk Tavarez had 18 points six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Bahsil Laster, a 6-6 junior, added 16 points, five rebounds and three steals. Dior Carter, a 6-4 freshman, added 14 points and eight rebounds.
“The kids worked hard all year long and we deserve to be here,” Givens said. “I don’t think people had us earmarked for the championship game.”
Now that he is there, Givens said he has to figure out a way to attempt to neutralize the George School.
ANC vs. Friends Select 2023 FSL Semifinal - PSD Highlights by Donna Eckert:
On Jan. 24 George School beat visiting ANC, 75-52.
“They are a great team and their size dominated us and they also had a good perimeter game and shot the ball at a high percentage,” Givens said. “We can’t have them dominate us with their size and shooting, we have to try to take away something.”
In that first game, Tavarez, who has enjoyed an impressive senior season, had 17 points while 6-4 senior Jarell Keel had 16 points.
“We have to play physical basketball and find a way to neutralize their size,” Givens said. “Our coaches met (Tuesday) night for a game plan.”
Givens of course would be joining them, but first the uniforms had to be cleaned.
A coach’s job is never truly done.
George School looking to make history
George School has never won a Friends League title, but now the Cougars are one game away. It wasn’t a surprise that they beat Westtown, but by 31 points?
In the regular season Westtown beat George School, 59-51 for the Cougars only Friends League loss. Westtown has since lost its best player Matt Mayock due to a season-ending wrist injury, but George School has also improved dramatically, playing a team concept game where several players can take center stage.
Luke Bevilacqua, a 6-11 sophomore, led George School in the semifinal win with 19 points. Carson Mastin, a 6-3 senior, added 13 and 6-9 Xavier commit Kachi Nzeh, along with 6-4 junior Chris Bliss scored 10. Dante Weise, a 6-1 senior point guard, scored eight.
“That balance is one of our strengths as a group,” George School coach Ben Luber said. “We have a lot of really good players who can beat you in different ways.”
Luber said that Weise, who recently committed to Division II The College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, does so much to make the team go, even though he usually isn’t the leading scorer.
“A key to the team and not a lot of people talk about it, is point guard Dante Weise, who doesn’t score a lot of points but he is our floor general,” Luber said.
This semifinal win was among the more impressive this season for a George School team that has played a highly competitive non-league schedule that certainly prepared the Cougars for this postseason.
“When the team plays unselfish and hard and together, they are fun to watch and hard to beat and they play a good team game,” Luber said.
Despite the convincing regular season win over ANC, Weise isn’t taking the Lions for granted.
Senior Dante Weise #5 has been a valuable leader on the court for the George School this season - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
George School vs. Westtown - 2023 FSL semifinal Gallery - PSD Photos by Zack Beavers
“We are super excited, but the job is not finished,” Weise said. “We want to win the league and cement our legacy.”
He thinks that ANC will provide a formidable challenge.
“Regardless what happened the first time, they are a good team and they will be coming at us hard,” Weise said. “We know we are in for a tough game.”