[ad_1]
Ardmore >> The PIAA District 1 6A champion Lower Merion High School boys’ basketball team has enjoyed a memorable ride this winter.
The Aces (27-1) currently are on an 18-game win streak, and their only loss was a 65-62 defeat to Stow-Munroe Falls (Ohio) on Dec. 28, during a team trip to Arizona.
This season, Lower Merion has relied on a balanced attack. A trio of senior guards — John Mobley, Owen McCabe and Adam Herrenkohl — each are averaging 14 ppg. Also contributing are junior Carson Kasmer (10 ppg), senior Jayden Robinson (8 ppg) and senior Justin Mebane (5 ppg).
Herrenkohl, who played for the Aces’ junior varsity team as a sophomore, has developed into one of the most valuable players in the Central League this winter, averaging 5 assists per game, providing tough defense, and pulling down 10 rebounds in Lower Merion’s 57-49 win against Garnet Valley in the District 1 6A championship final.
“It’s been an amazing journey the past two months,” said Herrenkohl, who will be attending Baylor University in the fall. “At the end of the district final, it was just pure bliss – celebrating with my teammates, the coaches, the student section. We have just been working for this moment. All of us – managers, coaches, players — worked so hard to get here. …. I worked really hard every single day last summer with Owen (McCabe), trying to get better, and we see the results now.”
McCabe said, “We have a great group of guys, all 15 of them have bought in. Last summer, we built a lot of (team) chemistry and we’re seeing it this season. We’ve played with each other for a while, and we know each other’s tendencies. Our chemistry is clicking, and it’s fun.”
Mobley said, “I think the biggest key for us this season has definitely been our unity. Being with each other (dinner, movies, etc.) outside of the game helped our chemistry a lot, and it kind of shows on the court that we’re just clicking.
“We were clicking really well in early December too but when we went to Arizona we took a hard loss (to Stow-Munroe Falls) that honestly I think we needed. Before that game I don’t think we were fully mentally locked in, and it kind of caught us off-guard. Every good team needs some adversity to face, so after that loss we just knew that we needed to be consistent no matter who we were facing.”
Mobley is a strong rebounder as a guard (5 rpg) and received second team All-Main Line boys basketball honors as a junior. This winter, he bounced back from an injury (torn RCL in his right thumb) that required surgery last April. Mobley credits the off-season work he did with professional basketball player and Philadelphia native Jared Armstrong.
“Knowing my thumb on my shooting was going to be weak (for a while), we found a shooting coach (Armstrong), and all throughout the summer I would work out with him 3-5 times a week,” said Mobley.
For the Aces, this is their 14th consecutive trip to the PIAA 6A state tournament, the longest current streak in PIAA 6A boys’ basketball. Under the 33-year reign of head coach Gregg Downer, the Aces have won three state titles (1996, 2006, 2013) and 18 Central League championships.
“The (winning) tradition means a lot to me; I’ve been coming to camps here since I was in second grade, playing for LM is something I’ve dreamed of my entire life,” said Herrenkohl. “So it means a lot to be part of something this big.”
Mobley said, “Being able to uphold the standard, to make the state tournament every year (is special). It’s a legacy here at Lower Merion – keeping the (winning) tradition going here, that’s a big thing.”
McCabe said, “You know you’re going to play on the highest level at Lower Merion – going to States for all these (consecutive) years is something special.”
Following the District 1 6A championship final, Garnet Valley coach Mike Brown noted that the Aces probably have about 10 Division III players.
“I think our depth is a big advantage for us,” said Herrenkohl. “A lot of teams when they go to their bench, their skill level decreases but I don’t think that’s true with our team. I think with our team, you can go 6-7-8-9 and the skill level is the same.”
A few minutes after the District 1 final, Herrenkohl was asked what playing for the district championship at the Liacouras Center meant to him.
“It just shows that hard work pays off and it’s true for everything I am going to do in life,” said Herrenkohl. “My basketball career will be ending following the state tournament. If I work hard enough I can accomplish my goals.”
– Eddie Levin contributed to this article.
[ad_2]
Source_link
