Playing in the Abington Heights boys basketball program created a lot of memories for Corey Perkins.
Being a starter on three straight championship teams, including the 2018 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 5A state champs, also helped point Perkins toward his athletic future.
“Probably since about sophomore year, after we won the state championship, I realized that basketball was something I really enjoyed doing and I would like to continue in college,” said Perkins, who recently committed to continue his academic and athletic careers as a business management major and basketball player at Marywood University.
The decision was a multi-layered one for Perkins.
The senior chose basketball over football where he was a two-way standout as a wide receiver and defensive back. After making a basketball recruiting visit to FDU-Florham in New Jersey earlier in the process, Perkins came to the realization that he preferred to stay closer to home. After also considering Wilkes University, he chose Marywood.
The Pacers are landing a battle-tested guard, who led the Comets in 3-pointers made and in scoring at 12 points per game. He stood up to those tests as a sophomore in the state championship run and increased his impact over the past two years, becoming a first-team Lackawanna League Division 1 all-star.
There were some memorable contests along the way.
“A lot of the games in playoffs, especially the state championship year when we played against Bonner-(Prendergast),” Perkins said. “We had a tough time, but it was fun playing against those guards like Isaiah Wong. Playing against guys like Robbie Carmody, it was special.”
Bonner-Prendergast’s Wong started in 2019-20 as a freshman at the University of Miami. Carmody, Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year from Mars, the state final opponent, became the first Notre Dame player in 15 years to start in his debut as a true freshman.
“It was fun for us because we’re a competitive team,” said Perkins, who also went head-to-head with many recruits as a member of the JB Hoops Callahan National AAU team after the high school season ended in 2018 and 2019. “We love to fight. Especially in me, I love playing against good kids. It’s something I really enjoyed.”
The Comets won Lackawanna Division 1 titles in all three seasons that Perkins started. They won District 2 titles in his sophomore and junior seasons and reached the state Final Four both times.
Marywood, coached by West Scranton graduate and Abingtons resident Enrico Mastroianni, had its best season ever in 2018-19, going 17-11 before slipping to 8-19 last season.
Perkins got a chance to see some Marywood games.
“I like the style at Marywood,” said Perkins, who liked that Mastroianni showed a willingness to play as many as four guards at a time. “They play fast, but they also shoot a lot.
“I enjoy shooting the ball.”
Perkins scored more than 700 career points for the Comets.
On the football field, Perkins had 52 catches for 896 yards and 8 touchdowns as a junior. For his career, he caught 109 passes for 1,699 yards and 15 touchdowns while making 99 tackles, assisting on 45 more and intercepting seven passes.
In his only start at quarterback as a senior, Perkins completed all four of his passes.
