Well folks, Week 3 is now in the books, and what an exciting three weeks it has been. The great Socrates once said “The only thing I know is that I know nothing”, and this year’s league action has left me feeling much the same way, especially on the boy’s side, where through three weeks only St. Demetrios of Upper Darby stands undefeated. Mr. GOYA was out of town this week, but had someone on the scene in Cherry Hill to help with the recaps, including a rematch of last year’s girl’s championships.
Holy Trinity Egg Harbor Girls – 30, St. Thomas Cherry Hill Girls – 15
In a rematch of last year’s championship, the girl’s from down the shore, led by Despina Lianidis, earned a decisive victory over the host girls from St. Thomas. Carried by their speed and transition offense, the girls in blue proved to be a tad too quick on the day, as Lianidis and company scored a large chunk of their points on fast break opportunities. The Holy Trinity defense also did a great job in limiting the offensive output of standout guard Maria Kokolis, who along with Maria Anna Pantelous and teammates, did all they could to stay in the game but ultimately fell short. A hard fought performance by both teams leaves Holy Trinity at 2-0 heading into the league-wide bye week, while the loss drops St. Thomas to 1-1 heading into the break.
Holy Trinity Egg Harbor Boys – 33, St. Thomas Cherry Hill Boys – 19
Speaking of hard fought, what a scrappy game this turned out to be. The host boys from St. Thomas, without standout big man John Nutaitis, played a hard fought and aggressive defensive game against the boys in blue, holding Holy Trinity to 11 points and taking a 15-11 halftime lead. Holy Trinity bucked down in the second half, anchored by huge defensive efforts from Yanni Dendrinos, an offensive surge by young guard Jonathan Salkeld, and key free throw shooting, helped Holy Trinity pull away in the second half to a convincing 33-19 win. Holy Trinity’s aggressive full-court press seems to be their calling card this year, as they really slammed the door on the Cherry Hill attack, holding the opposition to 4 second half points. Holy Trinity will head into Ambassador’s banquet weekend with a 2-1 record, while the loss drops St. Thomas, like their sisters, to 1-1.
Annunciation Elkins Park – 57, Evangelismos Philadelphia – 47
In the third game of the night, the defending champs looked to rebound from their opening game loss versus their Northeast neighbors from Evangelismos. Led by Jimmy Armentani, Elkins Park was able to overcome an early deficit and emerge victorious in the annual Battle for the Boulevard. Give credit to the boys from Evangelismos, who without star big man Antonio Nakos, put a ton of pressure on the Elkins Park guards early and often, building an early lead. Standout guard Cameron Elliott carried the offense for Evangelismos, but ultimately the team speed of Elkins Park, coupled with the return of big man Georgio Koulouris, proved to be the difference on the day. Elkins Park heads into the bye at 1-1, while the loss drops Evangelismos to 0-1.
As always, please stay tuned for more updates from Cosmos Philly, including (hopefully) a recap from the other action this week, with St. George Media and St. Luke Broomall squaring off at St Luke’s this past Sunday.