Max Lebisky, Deacon Baratta shine in Phoenixville’s win over Sun Valley

Max Lebisky and Phoenixville boys’ basketball came into its season opener against Sun Valley ready to make a statement.

Though they won just 10 games a year ago, the Phantoms had all five starters back in the fold — with more size than most teams in District 1, some burgeoning young talent, and a coach with a proven track record in Eric Burnett. They might not be the preseason favorites in the Pioneer Athletic Conference or District 1 Class 5A fields, but they know they’ve got the pieces to make a run at both.

The Phantoms needed a couple minutes to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor but ultimately advanced easily with Lebisky leading the way in a 74-40 win over the Vanguards.

“I think that just set us up for the season, knowing what we can do and showing people what we can do,” Lebisky said. “Showing people the spark that we have, the firepower that we can bring.”

Lebisky was dominant Friday night, putting together a 24-point, 16-rebound, and five-assist outing. A 6-foot-5 point forward, Lebisky plays a combination of the ‘1′ and ‘5′ for Phoenixville. He’s skilled with the ball in his hands and powerful in the post. He spent most of the first half playing point guard, scoring eight points and cleaning up the glass while his teammates built up a 41-19 lead.

He took over in the third quarter, scoring 15 points as Phoenixville opened its lead up to 32, with three 3-point plays and everything else right around the bucket.

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“It’s pretty much impossible to guard [him],” said Phoenixville junior wing Deacon Baratta. “He’s so big, so fast, and he has handles. He can finish and he also creates for his teammates. He just took over tonight.”

A number of area Division III programs have shown interest in Lebisky, including Arcadia, DeSales, and Misericordia — all coaches were in the building for him Friday night. Lebisky said Scranton is also in the mix.

”It’s awesome, the support system they bring,” Lebisky said. “Knowing that if basketball’s not there, I can still be able to have a good college experience. Obviously, the basketball aspect’s a huge [part] of it, the team I’m going to compete [on] and fit in.”

Baratta, whose father is former Penn forward Andy Baratta, contributed 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. The lanky 6-5 wing was the beneficiary of several of Lebisky’s dimes. Senior guard Christian Cervino added 10 points and three steals.

Lebisky and Baratta are part of Phoenixville’s sizable frontcourt, which features 6-6 senior Aidan McClintock and 6-3 guard Bryce Absher.

”That’s definitely our strong point, our size,” Baratta said. “When we get it into Max and Aidan, [that] pretty much creates our offense because they can kick it to threes and that’s our main way to score.”

Sun Valley led 9-6 approaching the midway point of the first quarter, but that was the high point for the Vanguards. Phoenixville ended the first quarter on a 22-4 run with Baratta scoring 12 in the opening frame.

The Phantoms have a game against Harriton, victors over Council Rock South in the opening game of the doubleheader, for the tournament title Saturday at 3 p.m.

Pioneer Athletic Conference play starts later this month, and teams are unlikely to take the Phantoms lightly.

“I think it definitely set the tone,” Baratta said. “People know that we’re coming now, we’re not flying under the radar anymore. I feel like we have a target on our back now, and we just have to play through that.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.