Archbishop Wood (10-0), which has won double-digit league games for the second straight year, is the last remaining undefeated team. Rahsool Diggins, the 2020 league MVP, leads the Vikings, who have won eight games by double figures, with 18.0 points per game. The 6-foot-3 UConn commit had 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks in a 69-52 win over St. Joe’s Prep. In that same game, La Salle commit Daeshon Shepherd (16.0 ppg) scored 12 points and became the 10th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points. Richmond commit Marcus Randolph (15.1) and James Madison commit Jaylen Stinson (11.9) have also performed well this season. 

With four Division 1 commits, the Vikings were expected to be in this position but the difference this season has been 6-5 senior forward Muneer Newton. Performances such as his 17-point, 11-rebound game against Father Judge and his 18-point, 10-rebound and four-block line versus Roman Catholic has given Archbishop Wood a fifth option at the offensive end.

Despite an offseason where they lost Lynn Greer III, Jalen Duren, Justice Williams, Christian Kirkland and Will Norman, the Cahillites (8-1) have been rolling with their new corps this season.

Their only blemish came against the Vikings but that hasn’t stopped head coach Matt Griffin from piecing together new players and role guys from last season to create a lineup that has already exceeded expectations.

St. Joseph-Hammonton transfer Daniel Skillings and Shipley School transfer Khalil Farmer have burst onto the scene in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Skillings, the 6-6 versatile forward who is avg. 20.7 points and 8.9 rebounds, has been phenomenal this season. Griffin has put him out on the perimeter, where he has blown by defenders, and inside, where he has finished against smaller players and controlled the glass. Farmer is avg. 20.8 points and has been the Cahillites best shooter, as evidenced by his five three-pointers against Cardinal O’Hara.

Griffin has been extremely impressed with how they have taken off from the beginning and become go-to players in their first season.

The Raiders boast the biggest frontcourt in the league with 6-9 senior Christian Tomasco, who is avg. 14.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks, and 6-5 senior Aaron Lemon-Warren (15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds). In the frontcourt, senior point guard Dominic Vazquez along with junior guard Luke Boyd, who had 18 of his 21 points in the first half in a win over the Explorers, and Jalen Snead have all taken huge steps forward for a team looking to add to a semifinal appearance a year ago.

There are still plenty of games and teams like Devon Prep (7-3) and Bishop McDevitt (6-3) are still very much alive. It will be a hectic finish to the season but there are several games to keep an eye on. The Cahillites and the Saints face off on March 10. Archbishop Wood has matchups with the Tide and the Raiders to close out the season. Roman Catholic and Archbishop Ryan have a game set for Friday. In a league as deep as this one, there is always the possibility that an upper echelon team could lose to one with a winning record, so that is always something to be mindful of down the stretch.

He brought in Cheltenham transfer Justin Moore and Lansdale Catholic big man Hunter Healy to pair with 6-4 sophomore Terrell Pitts, 6-8 junior Alassane Amadou, 6-2 junior Shawn Smith and 6-4 senior Quinn Guilyard. Moore, the 6-foot-1 point guard who is avg. 11.7 ppg, has stepped into the role vacated by Robert Smith and Ahmir Harris. Healy is a 6-7 forward who has played the role of Manigo. He posted a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds against the Patriots. Pitts has been steady in his second season avg. 9.1 ppg while Shawn Smith has been productive at 8.8 ppg.

No one expected this new group to reach the accomplishments of the 2020 class but Chavis has been masterful in his approach and the new players have integrated into the program perfectly. 

Conwell-Egan has lost 10 games this season but 6-8 senior forward Donald Imo has been one of the bright spots. He is avg. 12.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game this year. He has posted three double-doubles, including a 22-point, 10-rebound performance against West Catholic. The Eagles have also received a strong year from two senior guards in Jalen Cary and Derrick Dolan. Cary, a 6-2 guard, is avg. 9.4 ppg with a 14-point game versus Bishop McDevitt. Dolan, a 6-1 sharpshooter, is avg. 9.2 ppg and hit three triples against the Vikings.

Archbishop Carroll has had an up-and-down season but it has not been short on talented players proving they should have more wins than their record displays. Anquan Hill, the 6-8 senior big man, is avg. 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this season. 

Father Judge claimed its first win of the season with a 57-49 win over Cardinal O’Hara on Monday, led by its dynamic, senior backcourt in Nahseer Johnson (18.4) and Justin Blythe (13.5). Blythe poured in a career-high 29 points and Johnson added 16 in the Crusaders victory.

Jimmy Casey is avg. 11.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game for Lansdale Catholic this season. The 6-6 big man, who will be playing football at the next level, posted 22 points and seven rebounds against the Patriots then 14 points, 10 rebounds and two rejections in a loss to the Vikings. Casey has been one of the better bigs over his two seasons in the league since transferring in from Quakertown and has given Lansdale Catholic a legitimate inside-outside presence.