A-K Valley PIAA boys basketball playoffs preview capsule: Highlands vs. Mars

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, March 15, 2018 | 8:24 PM

Friday's game

Boys

Class 5A quarterfinals

Highlands (20-5) vs. Mars (23-4)

7:30 p.m. at Gateway

Winner plays: Milton Hershey (25-3)/Archbishop Carroll (20-7)

Coaches: Tyler Stoczynski, Highlands; Rob Carmody, Mars

Players to watch: Johnny Crise, 6-7, So., G/F, Highlands; Robby Carmody, 6-4, Sr., G, Mars

Layup lines: Highlands will try to break a 15-game losing streak against Mars and faces the Fightin' Planets in the state quarterfinals for the second time in three years. Mars won 77-48 in the last meeting and eventually lost to Neumann-Goretti in the 2016 Class 3A state finals. The Golden Rams' last victory against Mars was on Jan. 15, 2010, a 62-58 road win. Prior to the move to six classes in 2017, Highlands and Mars were in the same section for many years. … Highlands had four players score in double figures in a 73-54 win over Carrick in the second round Tuesday. Luke Cochran led the way with 21 points, Romello Freeman and Shawn Erceg scored 16 apiece and Crise had 10 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Both teams have been superb defensively in the state playoffs, with Highlands allowing 42.5 points per game and Mars yielding 43.5. … Carmody, the 2018 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year, battled foul trouble in Mars' second-round game against Trinity, but scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half to lead the Planets to a 48-40 win.

— Jerin Steele

Tags: Highlands, Mars