Pioneer Conference Quarterfinals Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a league that gets better every year, the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs are exponentially getting nore competitive too. With the top 2 teams getting a bie, the "PAC6" quarterfinals can't be overlooked. So I tapped in to Wednesday night's action and wasn't disappointed. Here's how the opening round went:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">#5 Perkiomen Valley over #4 Methacton, 47-44</span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">#3 Pottstown over #6 Norristown, 77-57</span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alex Hermann | 6'3 W 2024 Methacton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors fell to the Vikings, but Hermann played his heart out. The two-way player got in the first quarter, stepping into a three, spinning into a layup, then cashing another three. He spent the rest of the game trying to limit PV's scorers as a help defender and later as a primary on-ball defender. Adding two more threes in the second half, he amassed 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1848538' first='Sadeeq' last='Jackson'] | G 2024 Pottstown </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Putting up 11 of the Knights 14 first-quarter points, Jackson was reved up to beat Norristown for the second time in 6 days. He mercilessly attacked the basket in the half court and in the open floor. His athleticism allowed him to finish over and around whoever was in front of him. After only being up 2 at the half, Jackson led his team to a 20-point victory by flying around on defense. The turnovers he helped create (3 steals) fueled his 34-point outing, as the Knights advanced to the semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1589403' first='Julian' last='Sadler'] | 6'1 G 2024 Perkiomen Valley </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sadler was not to be denied on Wednesday night. His pull-up jumper got the Vikings going, drilling a three to start the game and adding two middies in the second quarter. But that wasn't the only way he put up numbers. He also scored on a backdoor cut into a layup. Then, with the game on the line, he scored 7 fourth-quarter points in isolation, clearing out the right side before beating his man off the dribble. In total, Sadler notched 25 points and a couple boards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1848628' first='Kyle' last='Shawaluk'] | 6'4 W 2024 Perkiomen Valley </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawaluk got off to a slow start as he played through a minor injury, but he made winning plays nonetheless. He mixed playmaking with his scoring, getting the ball to teammates in the post, posting up, and knocking down a few jumpers. And what he did defensively was just as important. Shawaluk stepped up in the second half, creating havoc via the Vikings 3-2 zone. He finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2383238' first='Jurrell' last='Young'] | 6'2 G 2024 Pottstown </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 17 points and 7 boards, Young was instrumental in the Trojans' big win. When he had a full head of steam, he used his momentum to finish through contact at the rim. Young showed off his strength on the glass too. His rebounds usually turned into fastbreaks or second-chance points, including a putback of his own. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1850292' first='Jayden' last='Byrd'] | 2024 Norristown</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sal Iemello | 2025 Methacton </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Abdul Jackson | 2024 Pottstown</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Myon Kirkew | 2024 Norristown </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2247339' first='Christian' last='Matos'] | 2026 Methacton </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joshua Tagert | 2024 Perkiomen Valley </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->