By: Rich Flanagan
The Philadelphia Catholic League has undergone a lot of changes in the last decade. It began as a league split into two divisions: Red and Blue. It also saw the closure of three historic schools in Kennedy-Kenrick, Cardinal Dougherty and North Catholic, all with storied basketball programs. It also saw a run of dominance as Neumann-Goretti (five) and Roman Catholic (four) combined for nine league titles in the 10-year span.
While the Saints and Cahillites walked away with the majority of plaques, the league wasn’t short on talent. Several Philadelphia Catholic League programs had their fair share of success with players who evolved into linchpins that resonate at their respective schools today.
Here is the Philadelphia Sports Digest Philadelphia Catholic League All-Decade Team:
Derrick Jones Jr., Archbishop Carroll (2015)
The high-flying forward for the Miami Heat first began showcasing that ability with the Patriots. The 6-7 lefty was inserted into the rotation as a freshman and forced to play down low despite being about 150 lbs. He displayed his versatility from taking big guys off the bounce and posting up smaller guards. He had 15 points against Octorara in the PIAA Class 3A second round in 2011-12.
He became one of the most versatile players in the state, leading the Patriots to four Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal appearances and the state semifinals in 2013. He was a First Team All-Catholic as a junior and senior and capped off a stellar career by being named the Pa. All-State Class 3A Player of the Year after avg. 19.3 points per game in his final season. He posted a 23-point, 13-rebound performance against Roman Catholic in his final game against a league opponent at the Palestra. He finished his career with a school-record 1,645 points, 1,029 rebounds and 268 blocked shots.
The Chester native played one season at UNLV then went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft before signing with the Phoenix Suns. He spent time in the G-League and on Phoenix’s roster for two years before joining the Heat, where’s become a key member of the rotation
Derrick Jones Jr., Archbishop Carroll (2015) was named the Pa. All-State Class 3A Player of the Year -photo courtesy Archbishop Carroll Athletics
Quote on Jones from former Archbishop Carroll head coach Paul Romanczuk: “The first thing that jumps off the page, pun intended, is the athleticism...He was a very intelligent player in how he picked up concepts on the court. I could’ve played him at a number of different positions but he was very unselfish in his willingness to play inside for us. As he got more comfortable, we were able to play him more out on the wing.”
Ja'Quan Newton, Neumann-Goretti (2014)
With Newton in the lineup, the Saints tallied a 50-2 record in the Philadelphia Catholic League. He was inserted into the starting lineup as a freshman and scored 12 points in his first playoff against Bonner-Prendergast. His individual accolades included three straight First Team All-Catholic selections from his sophomore to senior years including averaging 21.6 ppg.
He ushered in the beginning of one of the most successful runs in league history by being the driving force on a team that won four Philadelphia Catholic League, four District 12 and three PIAA 3A crowns. The final game of his career may have been the most memorable as he scored a career-high 33 points including six in overtime to help Neumann-Goretti outlast Susquehanna Township in the state championship, the Saints fourth in five years.
He finished his high school career with a PCL-record 1,972 career points. He went on to have a terrific career at Miami (Fl.) where he started 58 games over his final two seasons and scored 1,145 points, 28th in school history.
Quote on Newton from Neumann-Goretti head coach Carl Arrigale: “He had a knack for winning. It’s really hard to explain but he performed. He’s the only player in our program, that I can remember, who started from day one. That was the era where we were entrenched in the states. We had Catholic League, district/city and state playoffs. He won 10 out of 12 titles...When the lights were brightest, he did not disappoint.”
Juan'ya Green, Archbishop Carroll (2011)
Green was a starter on the Patriots 2009 PIAA 3A state title team as a sophomore and that was just the beginning of a stellar career for the high-scoring guard. He scored 16 points in that win over Greensburg Salem to claim the program’s first state title. The three-time First Team All-Catholic propelled Archbishop Carroll to three straight trips to the Palestra including two league title game appearances against the Saints. The 6-0 guard avg. 25.0 points in his two Philadelphia Catholic League title game appearances.
He avg. 20.8 ppg as a senior and was named a Pa. All-State Class 3A First Team pick. At the time of his graduation, his 1,493 were the most in school history. He took his scoring prowess to the next level where he surpassed 1,000-point mark with two Division 1 programs in Niagara (1,131) and Hofstra (1,186).
Quote on Green from Romanczuk: “I thought early on that it wasn’t difficult to predict how much success he was going to have...He brought a terrific basketball IQ to the table and a lot of natural ability and skill to the table...He won at all levels.”
Juan'ya Green was a three-time First Team All-Catholic for the Archbishop Carroll Patriots - Photo courtesy of Juan'ya Green.
2013 St. Joseph's Prep grad, Steve Vasturia, was the 2013 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year - Photo courtesy of SJPrep Athletics.
Steve Vasturia, St. Joe’s Prep (2013)
Before he arrived at the intersection of 17th & Girard Ave., the Hawks had not made the Philadelphia Catholic League title game since 2005. Vasturia had 24 points as a freshman in a game vs. La Salle, a game in which St. Joe’s Prep head coach William “Speedy” Morris recalls “he was a sub but he started and had a great game. He just got better and better.” He avg. 17.9 ppg as a sophomore but he and St. Joe’s Prep fell to Green and the Patriots in the quarterfinals. His junior and senior seasons finished without a Philadelphia Catholic League title at the hands of Neumann-Goretti including the 2012 championship game which the Saints won in overtime.
The 6-5 combo guard finished off his high school career alongside teammate Miles Overton (Wake Forrest/Drexel) by and avg. 23.0 points during the Hawks run to the 2013 PIAA 4A semifinals where they fell to two-time defending champion Chester, which was led by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Toronto Raptors). He was named the 2013 Pa. Gatorade Player of the Year in 1,764 career points are the most in St. Joe’s Prep’s history.
He capped his career by playing four seasons at Notre Dame starting 122 out of 137 career games. He scored 1,400 points for the Irish and is listed 22nd all-time in scoring.
Quote on Vasturia from Morris: “I remember when he was in sixth grade and came to my camp. He played with extreme confidence and never disappointed. He always played hard and kept getting better. He was ultimately the state player of the year as a senior and he deserved it.”
Amar Stukes, La Salle (2013)
The last 1,000-point scorer out of the Explorers program, Stukes put together a sensational career. He scored 17 points against Archbishop Wood in the 2011 Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals to allow La Salle to advance to the league semifinals. He was a First Team All-Catholic in his junior and senior seasons, the latter of which he avg. 19.6 ppg which included a 33-point game against Vasturia and St. Joe’s Prep. His high school career culminated with 1,036 points. He was a Pa. All-State Class 4A Third Team during his final year.
He moved on to play at La Salle University for Dr. John Giannini and played four years with the Explorers (126 career games), where he scored 868 points.
Lamarr Kimble, Neumann-Goretti (2015)
As a freshman, “Fresh” was part of a rotation that included Newton, Derrick Stewart, who played at Holy Family, and John Davis, who went on to Towson. From there, he was inserted into the lineup as a sophomore and made Second Team All-Catholic while helping the Saints win their fifth straight Philadelphia Catholic League title. He avg. 14.2 ppg as a junior in helping Arrigale’s program become the second ever to win six straight league titles. Alongside Newton, Kimble also led the Saints to their first state title since 2011.
He closed out his career with a second consecutive PIAA 3A title and a total of 1,166 points. He began his collegiate career under Phil Martelli at St. Joe’s, where he was three-time captain (the only player to do that in program history), and is currently playing at Louisville as a grad transfer.
#2 Amar Stukes, a two-time Explorer who played for La Salle College High School and La Salle University - PSD Photo by Patty Morgan
Former Neumann-Goretti standout, #0 Lamarr Kimble, drives to the basket for SJU - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Quote on Kimble from Arrigale: “He was a three-year starter. When he was a freshman, we were deep and he was able to step in as a sophomore. He was versatile and could play off the ball. He was really strong and played in a small lineup as a senior. He had those leadership qualities and always fit in.”
Tony Carr, Roman Catholic (2016)
Tony Carr became the first Penn State men’s basketball sophomore to surpass 1,000 points, led the Nittany Lions to the 2018 NIT title and was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft that year by the New Orleans Pelicans. Even before all of that success, he was leading the next run of star-studded Roman Catholic teams alongside future Nittany Lion teammates Lamar Stevens and Nazeer Bostick. Carr transferred in as a sophomore after spending his freshman year with Abington Friends. Under former Roman Catholic head coach Chris McNesby, he was named Third Team All-Catholic in his first year with Cahillites playing with another future Penn State teammate in Shep Garner, another member of this list. That team fell to Newtown, Kimble and the Saints in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game.
Tony Carr avg. 12.4 ppg in his final two seasons at Roman Catholic and won two PCL titles - PSD Photo by Devin Fonrose
He grew to 6-foot-5 and became one of the best multifaceted point guards in the league. He avg. 12.4 ppg over his final two seasons, both of which culminated with two league titles over Neumann-Goretti and a pair of PIAA Class 4A crowns. He scored 21 points in the 2016 league title game victory then added 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the PIAA 4A final over Allderdice.
Quote on Carr from McNesby: “He was a throwback point guard. He came into Roman at 6-1 but then in about two years grew to 6-5 so that added a lot to his game. From not only being able to pass first and score when he needed to but now he becomes this great rebounder at the point guard spot. It was a pretty quick transition because as he was able to rebound, he was then able to get it and go. His junior year set him apart from a lot of other players.”
Shep Garner, Roman Catholic (2014)
A Chester native who was always known as a deadly shooter, Garner burst onto the scene as a freshman, scoring 21 points in a game against Cardinal O’Hara and helping the Cahillites reach the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals. He was named First Team All-Catholic in each of his final three seasons. He was a four-year starter who helped Roman Catholic make the league semifinals four straight years as well as three appearances in the state playoffs. He finished his high school career with 1,437 points.
He was even more impressive with the Nittany Lions, starting 132 out of 138 games while scoring 1,629 career points (fifth in school history) and making 336 three-pointers, most in program history.
Quote on Garner from McNesby: “He always had great range. As a freshman, he started many games for us due to his shooting ability. It was something that he always had. His ability to shoot the ball really set him apart...Shep saw guys like Maalik Wayns play.
Stevie Jordan, Conwell-Egan (2015)
Jordan has surpassed 1,250 career points with Rider and it was easy to see the type of player he would become while playing at Bucks County’s sole member of the Philadelphia Catholic League. He made Second Team All-Catholic as sophomore playing with LaPri McCray-Pace (Morgan State) and Vinny Dalessandro (Holy Family). That season, the Eagles began to emerge as a force defeating Archbishop Ryan for the first time in a decade and advancing to the league playoffs. Jordan scored a team-high 19 points in the Eagles loss to Bishop McDevitt in the quarterfinals while McCray-Pace (13) and Dalessandro (10) also scored in double figures in what would develop into an impressive trio of options for Conwell-Egan.
All three returned as a juniors but Jordan was the catalyst, avg. 16.8 ppg and garnering First Team All-Catholic honors. The 5-9 point guard took the Eagles on an incredible in the PIAA Class 2A Tournament, defeating Camp Hill in the first round, Conwell-Egan’s first postseason win since the 1963-64 season, and culminating with the school’s first state title, a victory over previously unbeaten Aliquippa.
After the monumental season, Jordan, the 2014-15 Pa. All-State Class 2A Player of the Year, decided to transfer to Advanced Prep Institute in Dallas. In what was supposed to be a senior year with lots of optimism, it ended up not materializing. As former Conwell-Egan head coach Frank Sciolla,“I don’t think people remember how good he was. I think if he stayed, we would’ve gone to the Palestra.” Still, Jordan put Conwell-Egan among the best in the state for one season and will be remembered for that.
Quote on Jordan from Sciolla: “Halfway through his sophomore year, we changed to a dribble-drove offense around him. We put him in every possible way that we thought would give us an advantage. By the time his junior year came about, we had some time under his belt and he was great. He was such a high IQ player and he really thrived in the space of that system.”
Izaiah Brockington, Archbishop Ryan (2017)
The 6-4 lefty was known for his defensive prowess but he ignited a tremendous run by the Raiders in his final two seasons. As a sophomore under Bernie Rogers, now at the helm of the Haverford School, he posted a 32-point performance against Conwell-Egan and a 22-point game in the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals vs. Archbishop Wood on his way to Second Team All-Catholic.
He was even better as a junior under head coach Joe Zeglinski. He avg. 14.8 ppg which included a 27-point outing to down La Salle in the league playoffs to help the Raiders advance to the Palestra for the first time since 2008. He was named First Team All-Catholic in each of his final two seasons and his senior year set a new standard for the Archbishop Ryan program. Another trip to the Palestra was cut short by the Vikings, the eventual champion, but the season wasn’t over. The Raiders advanced to the state playoffs for the first time in school history and made it all the way to the PIAA Class 6A semifinals before falling to Lonnie Walker (San Antonio Spurs) and Reading. Brockington avg. 21.3 ppg during that state semifinal run and finished his career as the Raiders all-time leading scorer (1,292 points).
After starting his career with St. Bonaventure, he transferred to Penn State and is now the sixth man for the nationally-ranked Nittany Lions.
Quote on Brockington from Zeglinski: “I think Izaiah bought into his leadership role and bought into what we were trying to do. He led through example then became more of a vocal leader heading into his senior year...
2017 Archbishop Ryan grad Izaiah Brockington is the Raiders all-time leading scorer (1,292 points) - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
"Your team is at its best when your best player is your hardest worker. He was the staple that really started building our program and took it where it was during those two years.”
LaPri McCray-Pace, Conwell-Egan (2016)
Jordan’s backcourt mate had a sensational career. A three-time All-Catholic selection including a First Team choice as a senior. McCray-Pace scored 22 points including going 14-for-18 from the free-throw line in the state title victory over Aliquippa. When Jordan transferred, he took an even bigger role. He scored 33 points in a win over Archbishop Wood and 30 vs. Minersville in the state tournament. He finished his Conwell-Egan career with 1,264 points, the most in school history. After graduating, he did a prep year at Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) and is now a junior playing at Morgan State.
Quote on McCray-Pace from Sciolla: “He was extremely athletic and could guard all five spots on the floor. He and Stevie gave us a power-packed backcourt...LaPri was so great at attacking the rim. When Stevie left, LaPri was the ball man. We took advantage of his ability to post up and play on the wing.”
LaPri McCray-Pace, Conwell-Egan (2016) in game vs. La Salle -PSD photo
Ryan Daly, Archbishop Carroll (2016)
He scored exactly 1,000 points in two seasons at Delaware and scored a career-high 32 points with St. Joe’s in a win over Villanova but the 6-4 guard began as one of the top scorers in the Philadelphia Catholic League. He began his career at State College High School, where his dad was an assistant coach but transferred to play for Romanczuk and the Patriots.
He played sparingly as a sophomore on a team that had Jones, Josh Sharkey (Samford), Ernest Aflakpui (Temple) and Austin Tilghman (Monmouth) but did a 12-point game in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals against Philadelphia Electric. He began to come into his own as a junior which included a 10-point, seven-rebound game against Roman Catholic in the league semifinals. He was also a key contributor during Archbishop Carroll’s run to the PIAA 3A title game against Neumann-Goretti.
With Jones and Aflakpui having moved on, Daly took off as a senior winning the Philadelphia Catholic League MVP, the first Archbishop Carroll player to claim the award since Green in 2011. He scored 35 points in a game vs. the Solebury School. He led the Patriots back to the semifinals where they lost by one point to the Cahillites. Daly had the opportunity to win the game but his potential game-winner did not fall. He finished his high school career with 992 points.
SJU guard Ryan Daly (No. 1) was the 2016 Philadelphia Catholic League MVP - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Quote on Daly from Romanczuk: “He had to prove himself from day one and he did that. His ‘proving doubters wrong story’ is similar and mirrors (Derrick Jones Jr.) as far as people saying he couldn’t be this or that. That’s what a lot of elite athletes go through. I think that’s what Ryan’s impetus in the Catholic League. He got better and better on a daily basis, no pun intended again...He has such a toughness about him and a clever way to score the basketball.”
Marc Rodriguez, Father Judge (2017)
A four-year starter, a perfect example of the type of player Rodriguez was. After not being selected as an All-Catholic his sophomore year, the 6-3 guard went inside the Bill Fox gymnasium to get shots up before school started and a couple of hours before the opening round of the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs. Bonner-Prendergast was one of the schools that did not vote for him to be on the All-Catholic list and coincidentally the Crusaders were hosting the Friars that night. He poured in 25 points including hitting six three-pointers as Father Judge routed the opposition.
Marc Rodriguez scores his 999th & 1,000th baskets in a 2017 regular season 68-60 victory vs. Archbishop Wood - PSD Video by Sal Tommassello
He was named Second Team All-Catholic as a junior and culminated his career with being named First Team All-Catholic as a senior after avg. 19.7 ppg. He was the first Crusader to be named to First Team since Reggie Charles in 2011. He had 27 points in the league opener against Archbishop Wood to surpass 1,000 career points then scored a then-school record 34 points vs. West Catholic. He became the Crusaders first 1,000-point scorer in program history. His career ended in the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals at the hands of longtime friend Brockington, who played with Rodriguez at Resurrection of Our Lord and won a CYO Region 1 title in eighth grade, and Archbishop Ryan. He was a Pa. All-State Class 6A Third Team selection as a senior.
Quote on Rodriguez from Father Judge head coach Sean Tait: “The thing we saw from him, even as a freshman, was leadership. He was a natural-born leader. The jump from sophomore year to junior then junior to senior year was huge...He was very humble and led by example. He went out and got it done...I always bring Marc up in our practices and huddles about what it takes to be great. He had talent but he did all of the extra stuff, too.”
Collin Gillespie, Archbishop Wood (2017)
Now the starting point guard leading Jay Wright’s Wildcats, Gillespie was under-recruited heading into his senior season and he got on Villanova’s radar after a huge performance against Neumann-Goretti but let’s start at the beginning.
After playing minimal time as a freshman, he became a starter as a sophomore playing alongside Tyree Pickron (Quinnipiac), Tommy Funk (Army) and Luke Connaghan (DeSales). He avg. 7.8 ppg that season and continued to improve. He showcased a lot of what would lead him to the Wildcats program as a junior including a 23-point game against La Salle and led the Vikings to the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals where they fell to Daly and Archbishop Carroll in double overtime.
2017 Archbishop Wood grad Collin Gillespie help lift the Vikings to a PCL and State Title - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
He put together one of the most prolific seasons in league history as a senior avg. 22.0 ppg while winning the MVP award, becoming the first player from Archbishop Wood to accomplish that feat since Matt Spadafora (2005) in the Northern Division. He tied the school record with 42 points against Quade Green (University of Washington), Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (Villanova) and the Saints at Archbishop Ryan (the Vikings had to play all of their home games at neutral sites after a wall in their gym collapsed during the season). He helped take down Neumann-Goretti once again, this time at the Palestra to give Archbishop Wood its first Philadelphia Catholic League in program history. He added to his accolades by leading the Vikings to the PIAA Class 5A title, another first for the program, by beating Meadville. Gillespie had 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the state final. He finished his career with 1,132 points and was named Pa. All-State Class 5A Player of the Year.
Quote on Gillespie from Archbishop Wood head coach John Mosco: “His drive and determination to want to be a Division 1 player (made him special). It’s what is making him successful now. Villanova has other guards always coming in and he doesn’t care about any challenge. I saw his work ethic and his determination to play at the next level.”
Tyree Pickron, Archbishop Wood (2018)
Pickron was a starter from day one under Mosco and it wasn’t hard to see why. The 6-3 combo guard, now at Quinnipiac, scored 17 points in his first-ever Philadelphia Catholic League game against Bishop McDevitt. During his sophomore year, he had a 24-point outing vs. Bonner-Prendergast. His junior year saw him help construct the most successful season in Vikings history. He avg. 13.5 ppg that season and played even better in the biggest games. He had 13 points vs. Neumann-Goretti in the league title game and added a team-high 18 points in the PIAA 5A title game.
Tyree Pickron becomes Wood's all-time leading scorer, surpassing the previous record of 1,302 set by Tim Whelan who graduated in 1999 - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
After Gillespie and Matt Cerruti (Lock Haven) graduated, he and Andrew Funk (Bucknell) became the go-to options and he avg. 15.9 ppg in his final season which included a 32-point performance vs. West Catholic. He left Archbishop Wood as a three-time All-Catholic (one Second, two First) and the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,386 points).
Quote on Pickron from Mosco: “He was a mature kid and a bigger guard so he was able to come in and play the four for us. He rebounded and wasn’t asked to do a lot because we had guys around him so he could learn and he had (Connaghan) and Collin, which helped...He was the first guy to come to Wood from the city.”
Ajiri Johnson, Bonner-Prendergast (2018)
The Nigerian native came over to the U.S. and helped change the Bonner-Prendergast program in his two seasons on Lansdowne Avenue. The 6-8 forward avg. 13.2 ppg in his first season in helping the Friars advance to the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Archbishop Wood.. He had 29 points in a win over Lansdale Catholic. Johnson was named First Team All-Catholic in his first year on the roster and things only got better from there.
Former Bonner-Prendergast head coach noted Johnson “was a big piece for us turning the program around. He was a great ambassador for our program and school.” His senior season, playing alongside two key players in Isaiah Wong (Miami (Fl.)) and 6-9 forward Tariq Ingraham (Wake Forrest), saw him expand his game out more on the perimeter while avg. 11.6 ppg. He was named First Team All-Catholic once again, becoming the first Friars player to be named to the First Team in consecutive seasons since Jeff Jones in 2006 and 2007. He helped lead his team to the Philadelphia Catholic League title game then helped engineer a memorable run to the PIAA Class 5A semifinals. He’s currently playing at Rider.
Ajiri Johnson helped lead Bonner-Prendergast to the Philadelphia Catholic League title game in 2018 - PSD Photo by Chip Frenette
Quote on Johnson from Concannon: “The one thing that would stand out would be his athleticism. He really didn’t start playing competitive basketball until his freshman year of high school. He was behind skill-wise but He was fantastic athlete. He got better from his junior to senior year...He could beat other bigs and even guards down the floor.”
Isaiah Wong, Bonner-Prendergast (2019)
Before transferring over from Notre Dame (N.J.), Wong was already known for his scoring prowess (16.9 ppg as a sophomore). The 6-3 guard scored 21 points in his first Philadelphia Catholic League game vs. Conwell-Egan. He won league MVP in his first year in the league and made a memorable shot while falling to the ground against Archbishop Carroll at the Palestra with under two minutes left to send the Friars to the title game. He was instrumental in the run to the state semifinals.
He avg. 22.1 ppg over his two seasons, leading the league in scoring as a senior. He scored a school-record 44 points in a game against Neumann-Goretti then took home league MVP honors, becoming the first back-to-back winner of the award since Vasturia. He led the Friars to the PIAA 4A title game, scoring 29 points in his final game. He finished his two-year run with Bonner-Prendergast with 1,281 points. He has moved on to Miami (Fl.) and already a member of the Hurricanes rotation.
Quote on Wong from Concannon: “He was just on a different level from any of the other kids not only in our gym but in any gym. I remember seeing him up at St. Joe’s in a showcase and he just stuck out...He’s good enough to score 20 but he’s the type of kid that doesn’t need to necessarily score 20 for himself. He makes other players better. That’s a coach’s dream. He led the Catholic League in scoring two years in a row but it wasn’t in a selfish way.”
An 1,000 point scorer for Bonner-Prendergast, Isaiah Wong became the first back-to-back winner of the PCL MVP award since SJP's Steve Vasturia - PSD Photo by Chip Frenette
Seth Lundy, Roman Catholic (2019)
As a freshman, he was a member of a Cahillites team, led by Carr, Stevens, Bostick and Paul Newman (Bucknell), that claimed a second consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA Class 4A title. He was inserted into the starting lineup as a sophomore and had 20 points in the league semifinals against Neumann-Goretti. Along with Lynn Greer III, Hakim Hart (Maryland) and Allen Betrand (Towson), Lundy ushered the next great Roman Catholic team as the Cahillites captured the Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA Class 6A over Abraham Lincoln during his junior season. He had a team-high 28 points in that state final.
A three-time All-Catholic selection (two First Team appearances), the 6-6 versatile forward capped off his career to lifting the Cahillites to their second straight league title but their run at another state title ended at the hands of La Salle in the PIAA 6A quarterfinals. He finished with 1,150 career points and is teammates with Stevens once again at Penn State.
Seth Lundy helped lift Roman Catholic to its second straight PCL title in 2019 - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (2017)
Even before he donned a Saints jersey and became of the most accomplished players in Philadelphia Catholic League history, Green was an eighth grader touring the school. Head coach Carl Arrigale was overseeing an open gym and Green said his mom, ‘‘I’m putting my sneakers on. I want to play,” according to the longtime coach. Playing against Kimble, Newton, Troy Harper (Drexel), Zane Martin (New Mexico) and Vaughn Covington (Caldwell University), Green “came in and was one of the better players at open gym that night.”
The rest is history.
He had 13 points in his first league game against Lansdale Catholic. He was three-time First Team All-Catholic and won one Philadelphia Catholic League and four straight PIAA Class 3A titles. He was the first McDonald’s All-American out of Neumann-Goretti as a senior. He had a game-high 22 points in the final state title victory over Lincoln Park.
Green finished his career as the second all-time leading scorer (1,853 points) behind only Newton. He began his collegiate career with John Calipari and Kentucky but transferred to the University of Washington where he’s the starting point guard for the Huskies.
Quote on Green from Arrigale: “He came in and started his career with Lamarr and Ja’Quan. He wanted to go against them both each day...He brought that same attitude and confidence when he finally came to Neumann-Goretti. He was a big contributor as a freshman then he won four straight state titles. He had a great connection with the school. He’s the only McDonald’s All-American we’ve ever had.”
Quade Green was the first McDonald’s All-American out of Neumann-Goretti, he currently is the starting point guard for the University of Washington - PSD Photo by Zamani Feelings
Quade Green was three-time First Team All-Catholic and won one PCL and four straight PIAA Class 3A titles for Neumann-Goretti. PSD photo by Zamani Feelings
Tony Chennault, Neumann-Goretti (2010)
The 6-2 guard played two years at Wake Forrest and his final two seasons of college basketball under Wright at Villanova but before any of that he was one of the most electrifying players in the Philadelphia Catholic League. He contributed immediately as a freshman on a team which boasted Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson, both of whom played at Syracuse, as evidenced by his 13-point game against the Cahillites in the league title game. He was a First Team All-Catholic as a sophomore after avg. 15.3 ppg.
He was named Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division MVP as a junior. That year, he scored 19 points to down Roman Catholic in the league title game. The Saints fell to league rival and eventual champion Archbishop Carroll in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals with Chennault scoring 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter.
He had a 31-point performance against Cardinal Dougherty as a senior, a year that saw him win Blue Division MVP once again, becoming the first player to win the award from either division in consecutive seasons since the Cahillites’ Maalik Wayns (2008-09). His career was capped off with another league title and a PIAA 3A title to go along with a 30-1 record. He had 18 points in the state title win over former 76ers guard T.J. McConnell, now with the Indiana Pacers, and Chartiers Valley. He scored 1,621 career points.
Quote on Chennault from Arrigale: “He had a toughness about him and he was physically ready to play. Generally, you can’t do that, especially in a program like ours. Tony was ready for it and come in. He didn’t start right away. He was a back-up but grinded and fought. He looked like he belonged and played alongside Scoop and Rick to start his career.”
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