Quaker Valley boys overcome adversity to claim 21st straight playoff berth

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, February 16, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The postseason is a familiar neighborhood for the Quaker Valley boys basketball team. The Quakers have advanced to the playoffs for 21 consecutive years.

QV qualified for the WPIAL playoffs this season via a fourth-place finish in Section 2-4A.

“As all teams face during a season, we really had our share of adversity for an extended period,” QV coach Mike Mastroianni said, “but we continued to keep working and adjusting. I’m really proud of this group and hoping this growth will serve us well moving forward.”

QV received the No. 10 seed in Class 4A and a Feb. 14 matchup at Deer Lakes in the WPIAL first round.

Beaver and Avonworth tied for first in the section with 8-2 records, Central Valley was third at 7-3 and the Quakers ended up fourth at 4-6. Beaver (18-4), Avonworth (17-5), CV (18-4) and QV (15-7) had solid regular-season records.

No. 7 Deer Lakes finished third behind North Catholic and Knoch in Section 1 with a 16-5 overall mark. The Lancers won the past two WPIAL Class 3A titles and are led by 6-foot-4 senior forward Nathaniel Moore, a 20-point scorer.

“It is very exciting. It’s like Christmas Day for anybody involved in high school basketball,” Deer Lakes coach Albie Fletcher said. “Class 4A is very difficult this year. We’ve had some great games, and we anticipate more in the playoffs. Obviously, we’re excited to get a home game. We always have great fan support and community support.

“The guys have experience being in these playoffs to where they know they can’t look too far ahead and how they have to focus on one game at a time. We’re going to prepare for Quaker Valley and what we have to do to be the better team that night.”

QV’s leading offensive threats are a trio of backcourt players: 6-foot-2 junior Zach Washington (13.3 ppg in 10 games), 5-10 freshman Nic Cohen (13.2 ppg) and 6-3 sophomore Sam Chapman (12.6 ppg).

Cohen leads the team in total points with 278, 3-point field goals with 65 and free-throw percentage at 83%. Chapman hit on 53% of his shots, 44% of his triples and 79% of his free throws.

Dominic Cox-Giles, a 6-4 senior forward, is the team leader in rebounds (332), rebounds per game (15.8), field goal percentage (60%), assists (73) and double-doubles (4).

Senior Dana Kromah, a 6-5 forward, blocked the most shots (30) while averaging 8.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 56% from the floor.

Harrison Kearley, a 5-8 freshman guard, paced the squad in 3-point field goal percentage at 47%, followed by Chapman (44%) and Cohen (40%). Chapman converted 79% of his foul shots and 53% of his field goals.

Sophomore Kolten Johnson, a 6-2 forward, led in steals with 43, and averaged 8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 57% from the floor.

Washington and Kromah missed stretches of the season because of injuries.

“At this time, final (playoff) decisions for both Zach and Dana have not been determined,” Mastroianni said prior to QV’s final regular-season game Feb. 10 against Shenango (11-11), a 43-30 nonsection win for the Quakers.

Cohen’s 16 points paced QV, which finished with the second-best defensive average in Class 4A by allowing 46 ppg. Central Valley was first at 42.6 ppg.

The Quakers lost to Uniontown, 64-45, in the first round of the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs last year.

The winner of the QV-Deer Lakes matchup faces No. 2 North Catholic Feb. 19 in the quarterfinals. NC is 17-5 and riding an eight-game winning streak.

Tags: Quaker Valley