PIAA 3A Quarterfinal: West Catholic 58, Riverside 50

In a state quarterfinal rematch from a year ago, West Catholic of the Philly Catholic League again knocked off District 2 champion Riverside for a berth in Tuesday's Class 3A semifinals. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2693524' first='Rakim' last='Johnson'] led the Burrs with 20 points while senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1576722' first='Kingston' last='Wheatley'] added 15 points up front. Riverside's star sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2643837' first='Nico' last='Antoniacci'] delivered a game-high 36 points.    Controlling the game from the opening tip, Johnson impressed with mature levels of poise and composure throughout. The sophomore guard did the bulk of the ballhandling for West Catholic, taking pristine care of the ball while playing with advanced pace and selectively pushing tempo when appropriate. He put solid pressure on the paint off the dribble, probing well off of ball screens and doing a good job of patiently taking what was there for him as a scorer. Despite being on the smaller side, he showed solid strength to be able to take on contact as a finisher at the rim. Johnson showed himself to be a capable perimeter shooter with his feet set but didn't present much of a pullup threat and did have some struggles with his efficiency at the foul line. Nonetheless, he finished with 20 points while continuing to establish himself on scholarship radars moving forward.     A two-time state champion who made sure to extend his high school career for at least one more game, Wheatley was consistently able to impose his will up front while punishing an undersized Riverside lineup. The Florida Gulf Coast commit was effective operating inside and out but made a point of not settling for anything away from the rim, playing patiently but aggressively on every catch while consistently attacking the basket as a faceup scorer on his way to 15 points. Wheatley never stopped in his pursuit of the ball while shining as a dynamic athlete around the rim on both ends of the floor, racking up eight rebounds and a pair of highlight-reel blocks. He added a clutch 3 off the catch late in the game to extend the Burrs' lead to multiple possessions. The versatile forward is a nice high-upside addition for the Eagles to build with into the future.     Despite some struggles with his shooting efficiency on a tough diet of shot attempts, Antoniacci put on a Herculean effort on his way to 36 points in the season-ending loss. Facing heavy pressure for 94-feet the entire game, he was relentlessly aggressive in pursuit of any sliver of space beyond the arc, shaking free for a whopping 20 attempts and knocking down five while displaying wildly advanced footwork and balance to create relatively clean looks despite multiple defenders often in his airspace. He stayed active as a cutter and getting out in transition for easy buckets, showing continuously evolving athleticism as a finisher near the rim. Antoniacci also flashed with his instinctive hands on the defensive end. He continues to profile as a budding high-major prospect as his calendar flips toward AAU season.     Contributing 10 points in support of Antoniacci as the Vikings' only other reliable source of offense, Rose displayed impressive two-way versatility despite being held well below his typical scoring average. The junior swingman was effectively able to initiate some offense as a ballhandler, showing deliberate pace and footwork as a driver with nice scoring instincts from the midrange and in. He showed soft touch as a shotmaker from the middle area along with the athleticism to play above the rim both as a finisher offensively and as a shot-blocker while guarding up the lineup as the Vikings' biggest player. His skill and IQ as a passer were also highlighted in Riverside's read-and-react system. Rose doesn't necessarily fit into a conventional mold but should have the type of versatile production and winning experience to attract attention up to the scholarship level over the next year.     Chipping in as a valuable two-way support piece in the win, Farlow showed continued signs of his impending emergence as a prospect. The rangy swingman contributed an efficient eight points, knocking down a pair of clean corner 3s to help establish an early West Catholic lead and knifing into the lane for a smooth lefty finish in traffic. He'll be more effective within the confines of the halfcourt as he adds strength to his slender frame, but he showed some ability as a slasher and decisionmaker when attacking closeouts into space. Farlow also did a nice job using his length and quickness to bother Antoniacci into some difficult misses on the other end of the floor. He's still not the most consistent with his output but Farlow's plug-and-play ability should earn him a wide range of attention at the next level based on how his body continues to develop moving forward.

In a state quarterfinal rematch from a year ago, West Catholic of the Philly Catholic League again knocked off District 2 champion Riverside for a berth in Tuesday's Class 3A semifinals. Sophomore guard Rakim Johnson Rakim Johnson 5'8" | PG West Catholic | 2028 State PA led the Burrs with 20 points while senior forward Kingston Wheatley Kingston Wheatley 6'7" | PF West Catholic | 2026 State PA added 15 points up front. Riverside's star sophomore Nico Antoniacci Nico Antoniacci 6'2" | CG Riverside-Taylor | 2028 State PA delivered a game-high 36 points.