The first round of the 6A district 1 boys basketball playoffs kicked off this week with the Perkiomen Valley Vikings facing off against the Pennridge Rams at Perkiomen Valley. The Rams went 13-5 this season, placing twelfth in the district, while the Vikings went 11-3 placing fifth in the district. In 1019, Pennridge were state runners-up, establishing a strong precedent for the years to come.
Perkiomen Valley started off cold, putting up only 7 points in the first quarter as opposed to the Rams’ 11. The second quarter was more of the same from both teams, 17-16 in favor of the Vikings. However in the second half, things really started to heat up. Senior forward Kam Parks had 11 of his 13 points in the second half, with some good defensive stops in crunch time.
“I think what’s getting us through these big games is our desire to win. We all love being here and enjoy playing together so we want to ride this ship as long as we can. The fight we all have for one another is amazing.” Parks said.
Along with Park’s big performance, senior guard Tyler Lapetina poured in 28 points, with 18 coming in the second half and overtime.
Through four quarters, the game was tied at 49 a piece. The teams went into overtime firing away, but it was junior Dawson Debebe’s two clutch free throws that gave the Vikings the 56-52 win.
The team as a whole made it incredibly difficult for Pennridge to score, collecting defensive rebounds and not allowing easy buckets inside the paint.
“It was 100% a team effort and it took all of us to crash the boards and make sure they couldn’t get any more second chance points.” Lapetina said.
Perkiomen Valley will continue their playoff run on Friday March 12 against fourth seeded Garnett Valley.