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BOYS BASKETBALL: It’s The Final Weekend of PCL Play, See Notable Highlights as Teams Prepare for Playoffs

By Rich Flanagan Photos: Colleen Claggett, James Williamson, Dan Hilferty, 02/10/22, 4:30PM EST

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PCL Round-Up Sponsored by Gwynedd Mercy University

Photos/Videos: Colleen Claggett, Dan Hilferty, Kathy Leister, Rachel Macauley, Lennie Malmgren, Tommy Muir, James Quinn, Krystal Williams & James Williamson

By: Rich Flanagan

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Catholic League basketball season is in its final week of the regular season with a lot still left to be determined. Your top three seeds currently are West Catholic, Archbishop Wood and Roman Catholic with Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Ryan not far behind.

The top four seeds, all of which will host quarterfinal matchups on Feb. 18, could potentially shift over the course of the final week. The Burrs will take on the Vikings on Feb. 11 followed by a contest with Devon Prep, also vying for a quarterfinal spot. The Cahillites have matchups with St. Joe’s Prep and Archbishop Carroll to finish their season while the Vikings will play Neumann-Goretti and Lansdale Catholic in addition to their game with the Burrs.

The Raiders have games with the Saints and La Salle Explorers while the Tide will finish with the Saints, Bonner-Prendergast Friars and Burrs. Neumann-Goretti’s regular season culminates with a difficult stretch of Devon Prep, Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Wood, Conwell-Egan and Lansdale Catholic in the span of seven days.

If you’re confused about who will host quarterfinal games or who will secure the last few playoff spots, you’re not alone but that’s part of what makes the stretch run of the Philadelphia Catholic League regular season so exhilarating.

Roman Catholic vs. La Salle Highlights by Colleen Claggett:

Bonner-Prendergast vs. West Catholic Highlights by Lennie Malmgren:

With that being said, here is what to look for in the next few days as the regular season comes to an end:

Fight for the final playoff spots coming down to the wire:

The top ten teams with the best winning percentage advance to the playoffs but after La Salle (5-3), which is currently in the seventh spot, there are several teams vying for the final three spots. Cardinal O’Hara currently owns the No. 8 spot while Bonner-Prendergast, Archbishop Carroll, Father Judge and St. Joe’s Prep all have realistic opportunities to secure a playoff spot by Monday.

Bonner-Prendergast boasts a backcourt of Shakur Smith and Baasil Saunders to go along with versatile forward Touri “Deuce” Ketner and big man Brady Eagan in the front court. Smith, the 6-foot-4 senior guard and Imhotep Charter transfer, leads the Friars at 13.1 points per game. He had a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Archbishop Carroll on Feb. 2. He followed that up with seven points but also 10 boards, four assists and three steals in a victory over Conwell-Egan two days later. Saunders, the 6-4 junior guard and Constitution transfer, poured in 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists against the Patriots then chipped in 12 points versus the Eagles. Ketner, a 6-5 sophomore, has come into his own, avg. 19.5 ppg over the last two games and has hit four three-pointers in this stretch. Eagan hit a pair of treys against the Patriots then chipped in 14 points, six boards, five assists and three steals against the Eagles. The Friars have beat the Hawks and Patriots but lost to the Lions this season.

Bonner-Prendergast vs. Conwell-Egan Highlights by Colleen Claggett:

MBAP senior AJ Dreger stresses the importance of their win vs. Lansdale - Video/James Williamson

MBAP vs. Lansdale Catholic Highlights by James Williamson:

MBAP's Baasil Saunders says the Friars are on a hot streak - Video/James Williamson

The Patriots boast the most dynamic scorer in the league in 6-4 sophomore guard Moses Hipps, who is avg. 17.8 ppg. He has scored in double figures in all but three games (two of those he did not play due to injury). He posted a career-high 35 points vs. Neumann-Goretti on Jan. 31, becoming the first Patriots player to score 30 or more points in a single game since Anquan Hill (Fairleigh Dickinson) had 32 vs. Archbishop Ryan on March 7, 2021. He is a matchup nightmare for defenses because he can score from all over the floor and fills it up in bunches. The resurgence of 6-4 junior guard Dean Coleman-Newsome (13.9 ppg) has been a major reason Archbishop Carroll is in this position. He has scored 23 points against the Friars followed by 13 in a two-point loss to the Tide. The perimeter play of 6-3 senior guard Shawnn Smith (8.7 ppg) and 5-9 freshman Jake West (8.1) has been complementary elements of the Patriots offensive attack.

Izaiah Pasha has been controlling games for Cardinal O’Hara in the same manner that Tre Dinkins (Harcum College) did two years ago and that elevated the Lions to a postseason berth.

The 6-5 junior guard is avg. 17.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game this season and has been THE impact transfer since coming over from Central Dauphin East this offseason. In a 76-67 loss to Neumann-Goretti, he drilled four three-pointers on his way to 26 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and five blocks. His versatility has changed the dynamic of Ryan Nemetz’s offensive and defensive strategies and he gives the Lions a legit chance to win a game or two in the playoffs.

Cardinal O'Hara vs. Devon Prep Highlights by James Williamson:

Hunter Johnson, the 6-2 sophomore guard who is avg. 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals, had 21 points in that loss to the Saints and has become even better in year two. Add in 6-foot junior guard Josh Coulanges (10.6 ppg), 6-4 sophomore guard Amir Speights and the length of 6-6 sophomore forward Pearson McGuinn (24 blocks this season) and the Lions have the potential to make some noise.

There was a lot of optimism surrounding Chris Roantree’s inaugural season at Father Judge and with good reason. That optimism could be rewarded with a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. It all starts with 6-4 junior guard Kyle Jones, who is avg. 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season. The vaunted scorer has hit 30 three-pointers and scored 19 points in a 90-86 overtime win over the Hawks. Ernest Shelton, a 6-3 junior guard and Bishop McDevitt transfer who avg. 12.1 ppg, has finally found his spot and has nailed 51 treys while shooting 44% from behind the arc. The emergence of 6-foot freshman guard Kevair Kennedy, who is avg. 11.7 ppg since Jan. 21, has helped the Crusaders’ postseason push. Down low, Father Judge has two underrated bigs in 6-7 sophomore Anthony Lilley (5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds) and 6-5 junior Tearran Peete, another Bishop McDevitt transfer. Peete leads the Crusaders with 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as well as three blocks against St. Joe’s Prep.  Laquan Byrd, a 6-3 junior transfer from Constitution, scored a team-high 20 points vs. the Hawks in his biggest game since joining the lineup and senior leader Jalen Flowers (7.3 ppg) gives Father Judge a battle-tested starter.

Father Judge defeated St. Joe's Prep 90-86 in OT on 2/4 - Video by Rachel Macauley

Father Judge Junior Kyle Jones talks about the Crusaders OT victory - Video/Rachel Macauley

St. Joe’s Prep has a dynamic inside-outside duo in 6-1 freshman guard Jaron McKie, son of the Temple men’s basketball coach, and 6-9 sophomore forward Tristen Guillouette.

McKie leads the Hawks with 12.3 ppg and scored in double figures in 12 games this season. Guillouette, the Life Center Academy (N.J.) transfer, is avg. 11.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. He has been dominant at both ends as evidenced by his 19 point, 11-rebounds, seven-block performance against the Crusaders. The improvement of 6-6 junior Jackson Gaffney, who is avg. 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while hitting 19 three-pointers, has given head coach Jason Harrigan another scoring option. Olin Chamberlain Jr. (2.8 assists) has commanded the offense at the point and 6-3 sophomore guard Jalen Harper, who had 11 points vs. Father Judge, has quietly put together a solid first season in the rotation. Senior guards Jaiden Vargas (6.4 ppg) and Thomas Hart have been invaluable to the Hawks growth throughout the year.

La Salle hands Archbishop Wood its first league loss:

The Explorers delivered the biggest victory to date when they took down the defending Philadelphia Catholic League champion Vikings, 66-61 on Feb. 4. It was Archbishop Wood’s first loss to a league opponent since falling to Roman Catholic in the 2020 Philadelphia Catholic semifinals at the Palestra. Furthermore, it was the Vikings first regular season league loss since losing 66-55 to Neumann-Goretti on Jan. 24, 2020.

Nix Varano, the 6-2 senior guard and Army commit, scored 12 points in the final quarter and shot 9-for-10 from the free throw line for the night. He finished with 19 points and four assists in the victory. He has hit 43 three-pointers but has shown vast improvement in his assertiveness to go get his own baskets when he needs to and has become more than simply a spot-up shooter. Sam Brown, the 6-2 senior and Rutgers football commit, had 17 points, six rebounds and three assists while 6-6 junior Horace Simmons hit two three-pointers on his way to 17 points to go along with seven boards and two blocks. Simmons has been equally as impressive on the perimeter (36 three-pointers, 40.9% from behind the arc) as in the post (7.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks per game).

When the trio of Varano, Brown and Simmons score in double figures in the same, the Explorers are 7-2 in those games. The combination of the seniors guards and the talented point forward will make La Salle a difficult contest for any opponent come playoff time.

Basil Laster led the Vikings with 19 points and five assists while Drexel commit Justin Moore added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for Archbishop Wood, which still has a chance to lock up the top seed in the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs as it holds the tiebreaker over Roman Catholic.

Congratulations to Wood senior Justin Moore, who scored his 1,000th pt. in game vs. La Salle- Video/Ryan Nix

La Salle College High School (66) vs. Archbishop Wood (61) - PSD Game Highlights by Ryan Nix

La Salle's Sam Brown said the loss to NG was a lesson heading into Wood MatchUp - Video/James Williamson

While Skillings and Farmer score, Brown emerging as premiere distributor:

The Roman Catholic Cahillites are primed to be one of the top contenders for the Philadelphia Catholic League title once again. Cincinnati commit Daniel Skillings Jr. is avg. 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while hitting 27 shots from deep. Hofstra commit Khalil Farmer is avg. 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists while knocking down 26 treys of his own. Sophomore guard Toby Ojukwu (9.4 points, 3.5 assists, 2.3 assists) has developed into a complete player and 6-7 freshman Shareef Jackson (3.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks) has been as good as advertised in the post.

The piece that brings everything together and could potentially vault Roman Catholic back to the summit of the league is 6-1 junior guard Xzayvier Brown. In a lineup spearheaded by Skillings and Farmer, Brown has been able to show his offensive prowess, avg. 14.1 ppg. What has put the Cahillites in this position has been Brown’s expansion to a true point guard. He leads the team with 6.1 assists per game, which was also the best in the Philadelphia Catholic League through Feb. 5. In a win over Father Judge on Jan. 31, he posted a double-double with 14 points and 17 assists then in Roman Catholic’s annual rivalry game with Neumann-Goretti, this time at St. Joe’s Prep, he tallied 19 points and eight assists to lift the Cahillites to a victory.

He has dished out 85 assists this season, a season after accounting for 83 and an average of 6.9 per contest. He does a tremendous job of getting into the lane and finding open shooters like Skillings and Farmer on the wing and in the corner for open perimeter jumpers. Brown can fill it up on his own but his patience to create and ability to penetrate have put the Cahillites in prime position to make another deep run.

Daniel Skillings Jr. addresses 88-50 victory vs. Father Judge - PSD Video by Rachel Macauley

ROman head coach Chris McNesby said it was a team effort in win vs. Neumann-Goretti - Video/TOmmy Muir

freshman Shareef Jackson notes what attributed to Roman's defensive success vs. NG - Video/Tommy Muir

Coonahan, Hopkins have been bright spots for Lansdale Catholic:

While the Crusaders will not be going to the playoffs this year, 5-10 senior guard Jake Coonahan and 6-3 junior wing Matt Hopkins have been focal reasons why Lansdale Catholic has been competitive throughout the season.

Coonahan leads the team with 10 ppg and 17 three-pointers. He poured in 11 points against Archbishop Carroll then had 12 points vs. Archbishop Ryan. He has scored in double figures in nine games, including a season-high 19 points against Pope John Paul II on Dec. 19.

Hopkins is avg. 6.2 points but leads the Crusaders with 6.4 rebounds, where he has done the most damage. He posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against the Patriots. He hit two three-pointers and shot 6-for-6 from the foul line then five points and 11 boards vs. the Raiders. Hopkins’ play in the second half of the season will help his confidence heading into his senior season.

Notable Numbers:

Robert Wright III, Neumann-Goretti: The electric 6-foot sophomore guard is avg. 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals and has hit 25 three-pointers on the season. Looking to be the next multi-talented guard to come out of head coach Carl Arrigale’s program, Wright had 19 points, nine boards, four assists and two steals in a recent win over Cardinal O’Hara. In a major win over La Salle, he led the way with 20 points, including three treys, to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. After beginning his career during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wright is making a name for himself and his Division I offers have exemplified that (Wichita State, Wake Forest and Seton Hall, to name a few).

Neumann-Goretti holds off La Salle in a close 63-61 victory - Highlights by James Williamson:

Neumann-Goretti's Masud Stewart addresses win vs. La Salle - Video/James Williamson

Zion Stanford, West Catholic: The Burrs have put themselves in position to host a quarterfinal game next week and the 6-5 junior forward has been a big reason why. He is avg. 14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.6 blocks this season and has been even better as of late. He had 20 points, seven boards, five steals and three blocks in a win over Bonner-Prendergast then posted 12 points, nine rebounds and six rejections in a huge win over Archbishop Ryan. He does most of his damage around the basket and has been expanding out but his defensive versatility to guard multiple positions has greatly benefitted the Burrs this season.

Zion Stanford said the Burrs knew they had to shoot & share the ball to defeat Ryan- Video/James Williamson

Kareem & Kaseem Watson address West Catholic's milestone victory vs. Ryan - Video/James Williamson

Darren Williams, Archbishop Ryan: Williams fits the mold of Raiders all-time leading scorer Izaiah Brockington with his intensity of defensive and athleticism but he’s a better shooter at this stage in his career (34 three-pointers made so far). The 6-4 sophomore lefty is avg. 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals this season and had a career-high 23 points against Lansdale Catholic on Jan. 31. Luke Boyd and Jalen Snead are the returning starters from a state final run and 6-9 sophomore Thomas Sorber has been the impactful big man inside but Williams is a difference maker and could be the reason the Raiders can finally push past the semifinal round.

Archbishop Ryan vs. West Catholic - Highlights by James Williamson

Archbishop Ryan vs. Devon Prep - Highlights by Rachel Macauley:

Philadelphia Catholic League Standings Through Feb. 6:

West Catholic (10-1)

Archbishop Wood (9-1)

Roman Catholic (9-1)

Neumann-Goretti (6-2)

Archbishop Ryan (7-3)

Devon Prep (6-3)

La Salle (5-3)

Cardinal O’Hara (4-6)

Bonner-Prendergast (3-6)

Archbishop Carroll (3-7)

Father Judge (3-7)

St. Joe’s Prep (2-8)

Lansdale Catholic (0-8)

Conwell-Egan (0-11)