The Obama Academy boys basketball team will be the first team to carry the City League flag to the PIAA semifinals in 10 years. The Eagles beat Deer Lakes, 53-41, in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals Friday night at Norwin to become the first City League team since Allderdice reached the state final in 2016 to make it so close to Hershey.
It’s a family tradition for coach Naron Jackson, whose son Naron Jackson II scored 10 points for the Eagles. Coach Jackson made the quarterfinals while playing at Schenley in the 1990s, while his dad won a championship with Schenley in the 1970s.
“It’s one of those things where I went to Schenley, I have that city pride, and I’m used to playing this late in the year,” Coach Jackson said. “My dad won a state championship in the ’70s.”
The Eagles (19-9) and Lancers had a bumpy road to start their game. It was moved to Norwin after power issues at North Allegheny. Both teams had already made it to NA when the game was moved.
The 33-mile trek between the campuses was an adventure.
Take the more scenic route and deal with downed trees.
Traverse the Pennsylvania Turnpike and deal with harsh winds that rocked buses and cars.
The Eagles built their early lead thanks to the rebounding of Zion Conner, who finished with a game-high 12 rebounds and scored 10 points.
Conner said he’s been more physical in the playoffs.
“I needed to grab more rebounds to help my team,” Conner said. “We wanted to go one-and-done on the defensive end.”
Obama Academy finished with 22 offensive rebounds. Eric James led the Eagles with 18 points.
Lancers coach Albie Fletcher said the Eagles’ physicality didn’t tell the whole story.
“To some extent,” Fletcher said. “They got the 50-50 balls.”
Obama Academy led 28-19 at halftime. The Eagles were content to slow the game down and be deliberate on offense in the second half.
“It was hard for us to slow them down because they wanted to get up and down after the game with Prep,” Coach Jackson said, referring to a 70-69 Obama Academy upset over Erie’s Cathedral Prep in the second round.
Deer Lakes cut the deficit to five, 40-35, by the end of the third quarter. The Lancers weren’t able to find enough juice on offense to get closer in the fourth quarter.
Evan Moore led Deer Lakes with 25 points, while Collin Rodgers had 12.
Fletcher said Moore’s production has steadily improved.
“He continues to grind every week,” Fletcher said. “I think he’ll grow within the system with what he’s going to do on the offensive end of the floor.”
The Eagles will play Carver Engineering & Science, the fifth-place team from District 12, at a site and time to be determined in the semifinals Monday.
Deer Lakes (14-15) made a strong run through the state playoffs. The Lancers shook off a rough run toward the end of the regular season to upend District 6 champion Huntingdon and District 10 third-place team Hickory on the way to the quarterfinals.
“They do a good job of rebounding deep on the perimeter and crashing hard,” Fletcher said. “It’s hard to replicate in practice in terms of that kind of size and physicality. The effort was there in terms of the mindset to do it. Sometimes, the guy across from you just gets you.”