High school boys basketball: Perkiomen Valley Vikings seniors leave their legacy

When assistant coach Jim Stinger took to the court for the first time as the Vikings head coach three years ago, no one--including himself--was quite sure what to expect.

As Stinger and his staff lined up with his squad on that December day in 2008 and heard announcer Derek Pongras call the names Kenney, Stewart and Rykaczewski, they meant little more than numbers on a depth chart and a position that had been filled.

Wednesday night, those same names resonating through the high school gymnasium, as the class of 2011 was honored at Perkiomen Valley’s senior night,  conjured up Stinger's memories of the journey that the trio--along with additions Steve Conboy and Jake Schlichter--has made together.

“I have seen the boys grow up right in front of me,” said Stinger. “To see the maturity level and work ethic this group has brought to practice every day has made me so proud of them. When we came here three years ago, we knew it would be a work in progress; nobody expected 1-21. The last two years, these senior have built something special that the younger players can carry forward as a legacy has been established by them.”

In their sophomore campaign, things went any which way except how the season was planned as the Vikings went 0–13 in conference play and finished the year with a 1-21 record overall.

Perkiomen Valley has come along way since then: In 2010 the Vikings finished third in the Liberty division of the Pac-10, and this season had won the ninth game as early as Jan. 20 before injuries sparked a late-season swoon.

“I remember that 1-21 season,” said Schlichter. “It was just awful. We didn’t get on each other though; we got to work, and have become a very close group since then. It’s going to be sad the last time I leave the court as a Viking. I don’t want it to end. We are just going to keep working and hopefully make districts.

 The Vikings, who have been in a tail spin since losing leading scorer Andrew Kenney to a broken hand and youngster Bret Davis to a leg injury, had no answer for North Penn’s perimeter attack as the Knights buried eight three-pointers, led by Sean Brooks who had five for the game and four in the first quarter.

“We knew they could shoot from outside,” said Stinger. “But he was on fire. I am disappointed for the kids; we just didn’t execute tonight. A win tonight would have given us a winning record. Now we have to beat Owen J. Roberts tomorrow, then wait and see.”

 The Vikings caught a little spark in the third quarter as Chris Stewart hit two buckets of his team high eight points, but it was not enough to overcome the early lead claimed by North Penn as they left the Valley with a 54-30 win.

“It’s hard to watch from the sidelines,” said Kenney as he glanced at his cast.

“All I want to do is be out there and finish off the season with the seniors,” he added. “We have worked so hard from day one. Two years ago stunk, but the last two seasons we have really came together as a team.  I’ve thought about what it will be like to take this jersey off for the last time, but I don’t think it will hit me until later.”

“Nobody has worked harder than the coaches,” added Kenney who will be suiting up for the varsity baseball squad as soon as his hand heals. “We were all already talking tonight about when we are going to come back next season during Christmas break so we can catch a game together.”

The seniors and Stinger will now have to sit and play the waiting game to see if they receive a district bid, following a huge win over Owen J. Roberts on Thursday night 63-32. 

The Vikings are now 10-12 overall and 6-7 in a very tough Pac-10 conference, with several wins over AAAA schools, one of the criteria for grabbing the District selection committee’s eye, they very well may suit up again to fight another day.

“It’s hard to play through injuries,” said Stinger. “As coaches were are excited though that our young guys like Marcus and Erik have seen so much varsity time. I can’t say enough about Andrew Kenney. He is the best all-around player I have been around in my 15 years of coaching. Actually, that’ a joke; I have never actually had to coach him. Chris (Stewart) has matured beyond belief; he is going to be an asset next year at college. Ian, who was put in a bad spot two years ago, as he was thrown in to the position to learn under fire, has developed into such a good player and handled the offense as well as any one could ask.”

“As an educator it has been a thrill to see these kids stabilize the basketball program at Perkiomen Valley. The parents of each of these should be proud; they are all exceptional young men.”