Who: District 11 fourth-place Emmaus (21-7) vs District One runner-up Coatesville (26-2)
What: PIAA State Tournament
When/Where: Saturday 4 p.m./Pottstown HS
Coverage: Twitter: @Emmaussports.com; Facebook: Emmaus boys basketball
What’s on the line: A berth in the second round next Wednesday vs the winner of Butler (District 7 runner-up) or Chambersburg (District 3 fourth-place)
Tickets: $6
Coaches: Emmaus – Steve Yoder (11th season, 173-111); Coatesville – Fred Thompson (1st season)
Probable starters: Emmaus Sr. Zach Sabol (17.9 ppg., 14.3 rpg.), Sr. Bryce Diehl (10.3), Sr. Mark Swedberg (13.8), Sr. Ethan Parvel (10), Soph. Danny Bohman (3.9). Reserves: Sr. Cam Brooks (3.8) Sr. Devon Boyko (1.9), Sr. Josh Moyer (1.9)
Coatesville – Jr. PG Jhamir Brickus (27 ppg), Jr. PG Dapree Bryant, Sr. F Tione Holmes, Jr. G Donovan Brickus, Jr. F John Proctor, Sr. Dymere Miller, Sr. Aaron Young
About the Red Raiders – Coatesville is the runner-up from District One after falling to Abington in a wildly-entertaining 74-71 overtime loss last Saturday night at Temple University. In that game, Bryant (28 points) and Brickus (23) combined for 51 of their team’s points …..The Red Raiders only other loss this season came against an Abington Heights team (67-63 on December 28) that Emmaus had defeated earlier this season at Muhlenberg College (56-48)……Brickus and Bryant are both speedy guards and are the team’s best players. Brickus has received offers from LaSalle, Rider and Bryant and also interest from VCU, Temple, St. Joe’s, Drexel and Siena. He’s the second all-time leading scorer at the school and reached 1,000 points in just two seasons ……Bryant was a key member of the last fall’s football team that went 15-1 and reached the state championship game ….Coatesville went undefeated in the Ches-Mont League (12-0) and averages 68.6 pg, while allowing 59.6 …..A year ago, the Red Raiders went 21-6 overall and finished as the fifth-place from District One. In the opening-round of the state playoffs, they fell to Hempfield, the No.3 team from District 3, 66-53
On the Hornets – After an outstanding regular season that included winning 20 of 24 games, the Hornets have struggled down the stretch, losing two straight, three of its last four games and playing some of its worst basketball of the season …..Emmaus is appearing in the state playoffs for the fourth straight season and for the fifth time in the last six years. A year ago, they got handled in their opening-round game falling to Central Bucks West 53-35 in a game played at Council Rock South High School …… The Hornets last win in states came back in the 2016-17 season when they defeated Harrisburg 64-61 at Reading’s Geigle Complex. That year, they reached the state quarterfinals before a stunning 78-74 double-overtime loss to Carlisle in a game that was also played in Reading.
Coach Steve Yoder – “I thought it was great that we had a week off to get our mojo back. Our scrimmage the other night (vs Moravian Academy and Palmerton) was solid and our practices have been spirited and I just like where we are at. We can’t obviously simulate Coatesville’s athleticism, but we watched a ton of film on them and we have their tendencies and we really worked on that on both ends of the floor.”
“The boys are excited. We have a lot of seniors and they know this is their last chance at states and I’m hoping they play with a sense of urgency. If we get off to a good start there’s no reason to think that we won’t be in the game from beginning to end. Our focus is to come out energized.”
“Coatesville is freakishly-athletic. Nos. 1 (Dapree Bryant) and 2 (Jhamir Brickus) are special as far as their athleticism. They are a small team, but they are quick and physical and they like to get to the rim. They are probably the most athletic team we’ve played all year.”