Photos/Videos: Zamani Feelings, Jesse Garber, Lennie Malmgren, Jeremy Goode
By: Marc Narducci
Two-Time Defending Champ ANC Getting Into The Groove
Academy New Church is the two-time defending Friends League champion and coach Kevin Givens said early in the season his team may have had a little championship hangover.
“We came out kind of flat this year,” Givens said. “We had most of our team back and we are starting to find our way.”
ANC 2025 Friends' Schools League Champions - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren
A win 67-56 win over Abington Friends on Friday was the sixth in a row for the Lions who improved to 12-5 and 4-1 in the Friends League.
The difference in the game was a 22-12 fourth quarter advantage for the Lions.
Senior point guard Bryce Rollerson led the way with 24 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range.
Rollerson is leading the team in scoring (18.0 ppg.) and assists (4.2).
“He has been very efficient and has really picked up his game recently,” Givens said.
Dior Carter, a 6-5 senior who has been making an impact since his freshman season, is averaging 10.3 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Ryan Warren, a 6-7 senior, averages 16.5 points and 8.9 rebounds. Yet another 6-7 senior, Cam Smith, averages 13.6 points and 6.0 rebounds.
This is a veteran team that has a championship DNA, and the Lions won’t relinquish their title very easily.
Their first Friends League loss was 69-54 to Westtown. In that game, Westtown set the tone early by outscoring ANC, 24-9 in the first quarter.
“We are hoping to stay steady in the league, and we hope to get a chance to play them again,” Givens said. “Obviously against a team like that we have to get off to a better start. At that time, we weren’t playing well and got beat up by a couple of teams.”
ANC vs. Penn Charter - Early Season Non-League Highlights by Jeremy Goode
The last two years demonstrated that ANC knows how to round into form. Givens hopes that is the game this season as the Lions look to achieve the difficult task of three-peating.
Young Westtown team impressive moving forward
Westtown, which last won the Friends League championship in 2022, has the look of a major contender this season.
The Moose were 18-5, 5-0 in their first 23 games following Friday’s 63-39 win over Friends Select.
Junior guard Marshall Bailey had a team-high 22 points.
For Friends Select, Ahmeil McLaurin led the way with 13 points and LaRon Smith added 11.
This is a deep and relatively young Westtown team.
There are only two seniors on the team and both 6-11 Adam Walker and 6-6 Eb Ehigie come off the bench.
They have been integral parts of the team.
“Both have been great leaders,” veteran head coach Seth Berger said. “Coming off the bench they have been amazing teammates and have played great roles for us.”
Walker has accepted a scholarship to Division I Purdue Fort Wayne, while Ehigie has committed to Franklin & Marshall.
Two juniors, AJ Stewart and Wilson Udo have been receiving Division I attention, according to Berger.
Westtown vs. Friends' Central - 1/15 PSD Highlights by Jeremy Goode
The most coveted recruit is 6-6 sophomore Rowan Phillips.
“He will be a Top 25 player in the Class of ’28,” Berger said of Phillips.
Berger says that his team continues to grow.
“This is one of my younger teams, but I have loved the way they have worked and we’re looking to get better each day.”
Better enough to certainly make a run at the Friends League title.
A challenging beginning for new George School coach
Chris Harris didn’t face the easiest of tasks as the new head coach of the George School. A former player at Division II Southern Connecticut University, Harris replaced Ben Luber who left to become an assistant coach at Penn.
George School, which won the Friends League title in 2023 and lost in last year’s championship to Academy New Church, didn’t return a single starter this season.
In the first 15 games, George School was 3-12, but 2-2 in the Friends League.
“It’s been challenging in a good sense,” Harris said. “I had a major reload, losing every starter from last year.”
Harris, who played at famed Boys and Girls High in Brooklyn, NY, didn’t get the job until May and then had to go about building a new team.
The Cougars have been competitive even in defeat. A prime example is a 49-45 loss to Westtown. The other Friends League loss was a 67-57 loss to Academy New Church.
MJ Thompson, a 6-3 sophomore shooting guard, has been averaging about 17 points per game.
“The best part of his game is he is a three-level scorer,” Harris said. “He can score at the basket, he is 6-3 and athletic, has great height on his jump shot, can get to his spot at mid-range and is a threat from three.”
George School sophomore MJ Thompson #23 - Photo by Jesse Garber
Junior guard Frank Hoynowski averages around 13 points per game.
Harris feels a demanding schedule has paid dividends.
“I don’t think anybody signs up for moral victories, but we scheduled ambitiously in December and with the hope that it would prepare us for the Friends League and it helped in that regard,” he said.
Rebuilding at Germantown Friends
At Germantown Friends this has been a rebuilding year. The Tigers lost many key veterans and through 17 games, were 5-12, 0-4.
“We had roster turnover and lost our three leading scorers,” said coach Jamil Pines. The leading scorer has been Eisa Kelly, a 6-2 win who transferred from Cheltenham.
Germantown Friends sophomore guard Eisa Kelly #1 - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
“He has made a good transition and is really coming into his own,” Pines said.
Emmet Mullins, a 5-11 senior, is averaging 10 points per game.
“He has taken his game up a notch in terms of being a leader,” Pines said.
Alexander Kranzel, a 6-1 guard, has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.75.
“He is probably our best decision-maker and is doing a good job facilitating and taking care of the ball,” Pines said.
This is a team that doesn’t have great size, but the Tigers have been scrappy and when they are hitting from the outside, they can be a competitive squad.
Friends Central Boys Progressing
Friends Central improved to 3-2 in the Friends League with Wednesday’s 64-49 win over the George School.
Friends' Central guard Pat Feamster #4 - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
This is a team battling for one of the five playoff spots.
In a 57-46 win over Shipley, 6-1 senior Gabe Moore and 6-4 junior Pat Feamster each scored a game-high 19 points. Moore added a team-high 10 rebounds. Oben Mockonchu, a 6-6 junior, contributed six points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
Feamster added 19 points in a 45-38 loss to Abington Friends.
Shipley with a mix of experience and youth
Shipley has had to navigate the Friends League and have a deceptive record, 6-10, 0-4 in the first 16 games.
It’s a team without a single junior, although there are six seniors, while several younger players have also contributed.
Through the first 16 games, Shipley 6-3 senior point guard Jack Naegle was averaging 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists to lead the Gators in all three categories.
“Jack does it all for us and has been the engine,” third-year coach T.J. Ferrick said. “He has done it at both ends and really grown into a leadership role. He has been able to play toe-to-toe with some of the better players in the area.”
Fellow senior guard Stevie Maniatis is averaging 11.6 points, while senior swingman Danilo Linsalata averages 9.6 points.
As for the younger players, 6-4 freshman Drew Naegle, the brother of Jack, has been a key starter and is averaging nearly eight points per game.
“He has a lot of high upside, and is already a very confident and skilled basketball player,” Ferrick said.
Rocky Toussaint-Williams, a 6-7 sophomore, is another young player who has impressed.
“He has gotten a ton of experience and is coming on for us,” Ferrick said.
The Gators have been competitive and now Ferrick is looking for them to take that next step.
“We have been pretty much in every game,” he said. “Now the key is to get over the finish line."