History of Plymouth Whitemarsh Boy's Basketball
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School officially opened its doors in 1952. In 1958 the school joined the Suburban I league, and just 5 short seasons later, in 1963, won its first state championship. Immediately a standard of basketball excellence was
established. Under the direction of Pennsylvania Hall of Fame coach Henry Stofko, the program grew to be recognized as one of the most respected in the state. Coach Stofko oversaw the Colonials for 32 seasons, leading his teams to a total of 583 wins, 8 league titles, 8 district semifinals, 6 district finals, 4 district titles, and 2 trips to the state final (1963 & 1964). The incredible success of these early days sparked a passionate fan base of students and community members that exists to this day.
With each successful season players from various teams became household names. To engage in a conversation with a lifelong fan today inevitably brings up names like Shantz (’61), Pergine (’64, NFL), Szczesny (’64), Morgan (’74), McCarthy (’74),
Minick (’84), and Bell (’90), just to name a few from the Stofko era. When one of Coach Stofko’s most impressive performers as a player, Albert Angelos (’76, Textile), took over the coaching helm starting in 1990, it may have felt like a new era, but the
results were just as impressive. Over a 7-year run Coach Angelos’s teams won 170 games against just 37 losses for an intimidating 82% winning percentage. The program collected 4 more league titles, 3 more trips to the district semifinals, its 5th district title in 1998, and its 2nd state title in 1997. Players like Mike Melcher (’94, Penn) and Abdul Collier (’96, Philadelphia) paved the way for the Angelos era teams to reach national prominence. As high school basketball grew in popularity, so too did the media attention, and with that not just local but state, regional, and national
rankings. With players like John Salmons (’98, Miami, 13 year NBA career), Gene Shipley (15 year pro in Tijuana, Mexico), and Vanderbilt graduate and current PW Head Assistant Coach Chuck Moore (’97), the 1997 and 1998 teams earned top 20
rankings in USA Today.
By the time current head coach Jim Donofrio took over in 1998, Plymouth Whitemarsh had earned the well-deserved reputation as one of the premier high school basketball programs in the state. Now in his 27 th season as head coach, after a 7 year run as the head JV coach and varsity assistant, Donofrio’s teams have continued the tradition of excellence, having accumulated 537 wins that include 17 league titles, 12 trips to the district semifinals, 7 district final appearances, 3 state
semifinals, the 2010 state title, and the 2016 and 2023 District One titles. As with the Stofko and Angelos teams prior, individual performers such as Courcy Magnus (’04, NJIT), Ronald Moore (’06, Siena, Italy), Thomas Young (’05, IUP), Lance Wilson (’07, Hamilton), Da’Rel Scott (’06, Maryland, NFL), Anthony Minor (’07, Hartford), Whis Grant (’10, East Stroudsburg), CJ Aiken (’10, St. Joseph’s), Jaylen Bond (’11, Temple), Xzavier Malone ’22, Oregon State), Naheem McLeod (’24 Florida State) Qudire Bennett (’23), Chase Coleman (’23 Triton), and Jaden Colzie (’24 Jefferson) have etched their names into PW basketball history. Both Aiken and Bond were named as the Pennsylvania Players of the Year at the end of their senior seasons.
There are 24 total 1000-point scorers in PW boys’ basketball history; 17 have played under Donofrio.
Since 1958 the program currently holds an overall winning percentage of 72% for its history, with over 1200 wins. The league record stands at over 770 wins for a 78% winning percentage. The team has made 54 district tournament appearances and reached the district semifinals 23 times, the finals 13 times, and won 7 district titles, the latest coming in 2023. There have been 28 trips to the state tournament, including 9 semifinal appearances, 4 championship game appearances, and 3 state titles. The program earned its 29 th league title during the 2022-23 campaign. It was the 17 th
under Donofrio, whose teams have averaged over 20 wins per season during his tenure. He was inducted into the Plymouth Whitemarsh Distinguished Graduate Organization in 2011, and the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017.
This past December, Donofrio earned his 500 th win. Three weeks later, Qudire Bennett scored his 1000 th career point. Prior to the start of the District One tournament, the Colonials earned their 2 nd Suburban One Post Season Tournament
title. In the 2023-2024 Season, Senior 4 Year Starting Guard Jaden Colzie scored his 1000th point. The Colonials have fairly high expectations entering the 24-25 season, they are led by star Junior Guard Mani Sajid and they are searching for more titles.
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Quick Facts
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​ Henry Stofko
583-228 32 seasons
8 league titles 8 district semifinals
4 district 1 titles 6 district finals
1963 state title 4 state semifinals, 2 state finals
Al Angelos
170-37 7 seasons
4 league titles 3 district semifinals
1998 district one title 1 district final
1997 state title 2 state semifinals, 1 state final
Jim Donofrio
537-192 27 seasons
18 league titles 12 district semifinals
‘16 & ’23 district 1 title 8 district finals
2010 state title 4 state semifinals, 1 state final
