Communications Tech

This season was not what Communications Tech senior Tony Parker had in mind. Until now. Parker broke his left foot in December and was out of action until six games ago. Making up for lost time, Parker led a comeback in the final quarter and the Phoenix stunned host Imhotep Charter, 66-61, in a District 12 Class AA boys' basketball semifinal and Public League second-round playoff game Tuesday. Communications Tech (17-8) will play Vaux, a 77-64 winner over Del-Val Charter, for the district Class AA title Saturday at a time and place to be determined.

Every game is a statement. The Communications Tech boys' basketball team doesn't just want to beat teams. The Phoenix want to dominate. "Everybody wants to beat us," Communications Tech point guard Antonio "Gee" Monroe said. "So we have to go out and play as hard as we can. . . . We have to go out and beat teams as much as we can. " Ben Franklin became Communications Tech's latest victim yesterday. The Phoenix rolled over the Electrons, 79-52, in a Public League C Division matchup at George Pepper Middle School.

Brandon Austin probably didn't need any special accessories to attract extra attention on the basketball court Thursday. But if anyone needed a reminder that he was the player to watch for Imhotep Charter, his fluorescent pink sneakers served notice. So did his dominant play in the second half. Austin scored 11 of his 18 points in the third quarter to lead Imhotep past Communications Tech, 66-40, in a Public League boys' basketball semifinal at Southern. Imhotep (22-4), The Inquirer's seventh-ranked team in Southeastern Pennsylvania, will go for its fourth league title in five years against Vaux on Sunday at the Liacouras Center.

Khidijah Gardner's 29 points and 17 rebounds on led Communications Tech to the Public League Class A title with a 63-41 win over Paul Robeson at Bartram on Friday afternoon. Bryce Garrett added 11 points and six steals. Micia McBurnette and Ashanty Wallace scored eight points each. Tiffany Then's 21 points led Robeson. Melvene Gainey scored nine. Paul Robeson 11 5 9 16 - 41 Communications Tech 24 8 14 17 - 63 PR: Najama Ali 4, Melvene Gainey 9, Danielle Jones 2, Totiana Myers 4, Nashadaye Taylor 1, Tiffany Then 21. CT: Sydney Barrow 7, Khidijah Gardner 29, Bryce Garrett 11, Micia McBurnette 8, Ashanty Wallace 8. Contact the Rally staff at rallysports@phillynews.com .

One of the nation's top uncommitted basketball stars showed again Monday why he has been so highly recruited. Vaux's Rysheed Jordan filled out the stat sheet in a 78-67 win over visiting Communications Tech in a Public League Division A game. Jordan, a 6-foot-3 senior guard who is considering Temple and visited UCLA recently, had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Sammy Foreman added 15 points for Vaux, which led throughout. Keith Fletcher chipped in with 11 points, and Lester Mattox had 10. David Johnson's 20 points led Communications Tech.

Olivia Encarnacion scored a career-high 31 points to lead Interboro to a 57-31 win over Communications Tech in the opening round of the Interboro Tournament on Friday. Stacie Hallinan added 15 points for Interboro. Hallinan and Encarnacion both had seven steals. Interboro will play Harriton, a 63-42 winner over Baldwin, in Saturday's final. Sabrina Tabasso led Harriton with 23 points and Alexandra Thaler had 16. Germantown Community Tournament. Caroline Myran scored eight of her 10 points in the first half as Germantown Friends downed Germantown, 53-20.

IF ANYONE should understand a big-picture concept, it's a guy who focuses on photography, right? Say hello to Basil Malik, a future lensman at Communications Tech and a 5-9, 150-pound guard for the basketball team. The spunky lefty has served as the sixth man through much of his junior season and, thankfully, he knows and respects the deal: Though not everyone can start, all who appear can surely contribute. Saturday at St. Joseph's Prep, in a game that was lively throughout, CT bested Bishop McDevitt, 55-53, for the Class AA City Title.

HERE IS A list of players from Public, Catholic and Inter-Ac schools whose teams are competing in the NCAA Tournament: Cameron Ayers, Bucknell 6-5, G, Junior Germantown Academy Contributed nine points, six rebounds and three assists as the Bison topped Lafayette, 64-56, for the Patriot crown. Boasts a great assists-to-turnover ratio (67-31) and is hitting 39 percent of his treys; his scoring average (12.5) is No. 2 on the team. Has retained spidery qualities while adding strength.

ON NOV. 23, 2011, with Turkey Day 1 day away, David Johnson was not exactly inclined to give thanks. He woke up that morning with numbness in the right side of his mouth and when he took a look in a mirror . . . "It was like I had 20 pieces of bubblegum in there," he said, laughing. Not quite. What he had was a cyst and, boy, did it ever turn his life upside down. "Even now," he said, "I still have to take care of that area every day. I have to wash it out with saltwater.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Team Rec. Last week's rankings in parentheses. 1. Chester (1) 24-3 2. Lower Merion (2) 25-3 3. Neumann-Goretti (3) 21-5 4. Imhotep Charter (4) 23-5 5. Vaux (5) 19-8 6. Math, Civics & Sci. (6) 23-2 7. St. Joseph's Prep (8) 21-5 8. Roman Catholic (9) 19-6 9. Martin L. King (7) 23-4 10. Germantown Ac. (10) 23-6 Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Abington (22-5), Archbishop Carroll (19-6), Coatesville (23-7)

It's that time of the boys' basketball season when only select teams are still playing. Chester, Lower Merion, Neumann-Goretti, Upper Moreland, Gospel of Grace Christian, Imhotep Charter . . . Never heard of Gospel of Grace Christian? Join the club. "No one knows us," coach Mario Berrios said. Gospel of Grace is the surprise entry in the PIAA state tournament, which will begin this weekend. The Cheltenham school qualified in just its second season as a PIAA member. The Saints made the field by advancing to the District 1 Class A final last week and will open against Math, Civics & Sciences at 6 p.m. Friday at Bonner-Prendergast.

IT'S NOT TOO often a guy can claim a win and suffer a loss in the exact same basketball game. Welcome to Terrence Brown's world. Return with us now to St. Joseph's Prep for Saturday's Class AA City Title, specifically to the court's west end with a shade under 7 minutes remaining. Out front, standing with the ball and preparing to make a move, is sophomore Jordan Burney, a 6-1, 180-pound substitute guard for Conwell-Egan. Maybe 5 feet directly in front is Brown, a 6-4, 195-pound senior forward for Communications Tech.

Boys' Basketball DISTRICT 1 CLASS A THIRD-PLACE Delco Christian 49, Phil-Mont Christian 39 DISTRICT 1 CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP Church Farm 52, Gospel of Grace 33 DISTRICT 1 CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP New Hope-Solebury 56, Christopher Dock 45 DISTRICT 1 CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP Upper Moreland 57, Pope John Paul II 49 DISTRICT 12 CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP Communications Tech 70, Conwell-Egan 60 ...

Imhotep/Neumann-Goretti matchup will determine who's best in city   BUCKLE UP, folks. Wild Ride Part II is set for Friday night. For the first time since 1980, a full-fledged City Title showdown will allow Philadelphia's high school basketball community to know which team in the Public/Catholic leagues is the best. Imhotep Charter, winner of four of the last five Pub crowns, will meet Ss. Neumann-Goretti, Cath kingpin for five consecutive seasons, at 8:30 at Saint Joseph's University.

Brandon Austin probably didn't need any special accessories to attract extra attention on the basketball court Thursday. But if anyone needed a reminder that he was the player to watch for Imhotep Charter, his fluorescent pink sneakers served notice. So did his dominant play in the second half. Austin scored 11 of his 18 points in the third quarter to lead Imhotep past Communications Tech, 66-40, in a Public League boys' basketball semifinal at Southern. Imhotep (22-4), The Inquirer's seventh-ranked team in Southeastern Pennsylvania, will go for its fourth league title in five years against Vaux on Sunday at the Liacouras Center.