PAISAA Quarterfinals: Haverford School 72, Perkiomen 42

Inter-Ac champion and third-seeded Haverford School blitzed past Perkiomen on its home floor on Friday night, earning a berth in next week's PAISAA semifinals against Hill School. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1406771' first='Dillon' last='Gamble'] delivered 25 points and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1454260' first='Silas' last='Graham'] added 24 on a night in which he became the school's all-time leading scorer.    In the last home game of his high school career, Gamble came out with an immediate spark, pouring in 17 first-half points on his way to a game-high 25 overall. A long and wiry guard, he was impossible to keep away from the rim with an effective blend of quickness and herky-jerky footwork. Gamble was effective both finishing inside over length and drawing contact en route to 14 free throw attempts. Sharing lead guard responsibilities, he was also an effective setup man within Haverford's well-oiled offensive system. He could stand to improve as a perimeter shooter but the unsigned senior is peaking at the right time, playing the best basketball of his career, and could prove to be a late steal at the scholarship level if he continues on this current trajectory.     On a night that saw him set the school's all-time career scoring record, the newly-crowned Inter-Ac MVP delivered a workmanlike 24 points to engineer the blowout. With Haverford slicing and dicing the Perkiomen defense in the first half, Graham was able to rack up easy points as a high-IQ cutter for open layups, along with tossing in a smooth catch-and-shoot 3 for good measure. He would take on more ballhandling duty as the game went along, navigating to the rim off the dribble and finishing around length with improved quickness and athleticism. Graham's consistent penetration and ball movement helped dictate the flow of the game and start the churn for the Fords' overall team offense. He continues to trend up as a potential high-major target in the 2027 class.     Matched up with a big and talented Perkiomen frontcourt, Butts more than held his own while contributing 10 points to the runaway win. He scored all but one of his points in a first half that saw Haverford establish a 20-point advantage, consistently setting up shop on the right block and scoring efficiently over his left shoulder. Butts was able to use his quickness to beat the Panther defenders to his spot in the lane and get off the ground swiftly for smooth jump hooks. Once he started commanding double teams, he was effective kicking the ball out to shooters or hitting moving cutters for easy layups. He remains available as a blue-collar option in the frontcourt at the scholarship level.     Despite the lopsided score, Royal was able to impress in his role while showing steady overall progress as a long-term prospect up front. The repeat sophomore by way of Carlisle (PA) played with consistent energy and physicality from start to finish, using his size and broad frame to take advantage of a smaller Haverford frontcourt. He showed strong fundamentals on deep post catches, with an understanding of leverage and the ability to finish in rhythm using either hand. While he didn't get any to fall, Royal also flashed some intrigue as a floor-spacer with consistently sound mechanics on a few catch-and-shoot attempts from 3. There's still development left to be done but that type of motor and inside-out versatility with Royal's frame could give him a chance to be recruited at a pretty high level before all is said and done.     Another bright spot for Perkiomen despite the uneven score, Sysko was at his best during the opening half while the game was still relatively competitive. He keeps the game simple as a dynamic floor-spacer in the frontcourt, with a smooth release and impressive versatility as a perimeter shooter. The Delaware native and post-grad from George School (PA) knocked down a trio of 3s for his 9 points, while also standing out as a quick and smart decisionmaker when his shot wasn't there. While he has his limitations, Sysko showed the clear value he offers as a plug-and-play stretch forward at the small-college level.     It came in scoreless fashion but Leatherbury nonetheless earns mention here for the spark he provided off the bench. Coming in with the game still competitive, the repeat sophomore via Freedom HS (PA) packed an instant punch as a downhill threat off the dribble. His cat-like quickness and sturdy handle made him difficult to keep out of the paint, where he proved to be a crisp and timely passer on kickouts and dumpoffs alike. It was the first extended evaluation of Leatherbury to this point and he left us eager to see more moving forward.

Inter-Ac champion and third-seeded Haverford School blitzed past Perkiomen on its home floor on Friday night, earning a berth in next week's PAISAA semifinals against Hill School. Senior guard Dillon Gamble Dillon Gamble 6'1" | CG The Haverford School | 2026 State PA delivered 25 points and junior Silas Graham Silas Graham 6'4" | CG The Haverford School | 2027 State PA added 24 on a night in which he became the school's all-time leading scorer.