By: Jordan Hirsh
January 25, 2023
FAIRLESS HILLS, PA. – The Falcon’s Nest was rocking on Tuesday night as Pennsbury picked up a huge win over rival Neshaminy, 58-48. The win moved the Falcons into first place in the SOL Patriot division and improved their record to 11-6.
Tuesday night was Senior Night at Pennsbury High School. Pregame, Pennsbury celebrated their two seniors, guard Ty Kocak and forward Ryan Zuckerman. Falcons’ head coach, Wes Emme, had this to say about his two senior players: “They’re just really good people, and to get to celebrate them against their rival is everything that you want in a senior night.”
In addition to senior night, it was also Coaches vs. Cancer Night. All season, the Falcons have honored former player, Joey Monaghan, who passed away last September after a battle with a rare form of sarcoma, so this night not only meant a lot to the team, but to the entire Pennsbury community.
As for the game, it felt like a rivalry from the opening tip. Both teams came out on fire. In fact, all five Pennsbury starters and four Neshaminy starters scored in the first quarter, which finished with Pennsbury leading 18-15 after four lead changes.
The second quarter featured more high intensity, back-and-forth action. Neshaminy junior guard, Emeer Coombs, scored 7 of his 14 points in the second to keep the Skins close. At halftime, the Falcons led 30-28. Neshaminy was able to tie the game up on three occasions in the quarter, but could not take the lead.
This trend continued in the second half. After the break, Neshaminy twice was able to pull even with Pennsbury, including at 39-39 with just over a minute to play in the third quarter, after junior guard Nate Townsend scored 2 of his game high 19 with a layup off an inbound pass.
From that point, however, it was all Pennsbury. The Falcons finished the game on a 19-9 run, which included clutch buckets from guards Teddy Mangan and Ty Kocak. When the final buzzer sounded, the Falcons found themselves with a hard-fought, emotional 58-48 win.
As stated earlier, it was senior night, so it seemed only fitting that Ty Kocak led Pennsbury with 17 points and earned player of the game honors. “This is what we live for, moments like this” said Kocak, speaking about the rivalry with Neshaminy postgame.
Ryan Zuckerman also provided major contributions for the Falcons. He finished with 9 points and was a force on the defensive side of the ball, making key plays when his team needed him.
Perhaps the biggest factor in the game, however, was the crowd. Both team’s student sections were electric all night, which made for an unbelievable atmosphere. At one point, even Coach Emme was getting the Pennsbury student section hyped up.
The Falcons will look to make it back-to-back wins on Thursday, as they host the Truman Tigers. Meanwhile, the Skins will look to get back on track Friday, when they head to Council Rock South to take on the Golden Hawks.