ERIE, Pa. — Neighborhood Academy is heading to Hershey, Pa., and the PIAA Class 1A title game after a 55-38 win against District 9 champion Otto-Eldred in the PIAA semifinals Friday night at the Hagerty Event Center in Erie.
“It’s special,” Bulldogs head coach Jordan Marks said. “It’s a special time for the school. It’s a special time for the young men. You know we have had a lot of them since sixth grade. The common theme we saw after we won the WPIAL championship was they recruit. They recruit everybody. These kids have been here since sixth grade.”
The final score didn’t really indicate how close the game was, as Neighborhood Academy led by just six, 31-25, with four minutes left in the third quarter following a 3-pointer by Otto-Eldred’s Landon Francis, the school’s all-time leading scorer.
But as it had done so many times in the game, the Bulldogs answered right back with a 3 from Courtney Wallace, the Yale recruit. That triple started a game-deciding 19-6 run that saw Neighborhood Academy hit its first six shots of the fourth quarter while shooting 8 of 10 in the quarter.
“We are built on making runs,” Marks said. “Every game you expect a run of a certain standard, whatever it may be. It could be a 5-0 run, it could be an 8-0 run, it could be a 6-0 run. We know there will be a run for us. That’s when guys start believing and the ball is shared more.”
Kedron Gilmore was the catalyst of the fourth-quarter start for the Bulldogs (28-1) hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the first minute of the frame to push a nine-point lead, 36-27, to 13 points, 42-29, right out of the gate in the quarter.
“Ked came in as a freshman two years ago,” Marks said. “He has lived in the gym a lot. He works on his shot. He goes against (Wallace) every day in practice. He’s gotten dramatically better going against a kid like Courtney every day. Courtney doesn’t take it easy on him.”
It was a balanced effort overall for Neighborhood Academy with four players in double digits led by 14 from Gilmore, 13 from Syncer Nicholson, 12 from Shamar Simpson and 10 from Wallace, who completed a double-double with 11 rebounds.
“Those guys are getting shots up before practice,” Marks said. “They are getting shots up after practice. The work ethic is contagious.”
While Wallace was held well below his season average of 21.3 points per game, he still had a massive impact on the game helping to limit Francis to 14 points. The senior averaged 20.7 coming into the game and over 22 in postseason play.
“Courtney is averaging a triple-double for the year,” Marks said. “He guards the best player every game. It is non-negotiable. He doesn’t switch off of him. He fights through the screens. He affects the game in so many different ways. It’s insane. It’s insane.”
A quick start also played a key role in the win with Neighborhood taking a 12-2 lead right out the gate before settling for a 22-17 halftime advantage.
“The first three minutes of both halves are vital to us,” Marks said.
The Bulldogs will face District 12 champion Sankofa Academy, a 63-41 winner against Lancaster Country Day, in the title game at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
First Published: March 22, 2025, 2:04 a.m.
