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BOYS BASKETBALL: Philadelphia Catholic League Boys Basketball Semifinals Preview – Back to the Palestra

By Rich Flanagan, 02/21/22, 10:00PM EST

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PCL Round-Up Sponsored by Gwynedd Mercy University

Photos/Videos: Zack Beavers, Colleen Claggett, Rich Flanagan, John Knebels & Krystal Williams

By: Rich Flanagan

PHILADELPHIA – There are very few ways to simulate the raucous environment of the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals. Even more confounding is how to simulate the added element of playing at the Palestra, a place that is synonymous with Philadelphia basketball as much as it is with the Quakers, the nickname of the University of Pennsylvania athletic programs that play their home games on that floor. The Palestra last hosted an NCAA Tournament game in 1984 but it has hosted the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals consecutively since 2006 (semifinals games were held at respective schools last season).


West Catholic head coach Miguel Bocachica, PCL Coach of the Year - PSD Photo by Colleen Claggett

For Miguel Bocachica, the Philadelphia Catholic League Coach of the Year, playing at a neutral site in front of a rabid crowd is something his West Catholic Burrs are prepared for, particularly when considering where they have played this season.

“You play Archbishop Spalding at Archbishop Spalding for moments like these where you’re in a gym that you haven’t been before, and you have to figure it out,” Bocachica said. “Even early in the season, we understood as a team that we’re playing these games so that we’re prepared for later and now later is here. I’m hoping that gives us confidence come Wednesday night.”

West Catholic (19-3), the No. 2 seed, will make its first appearance in the semifinals since 1999 when it takes the floor against No. 6 seed Archbishop Ryan on Wednesday. The Burrs have done their fair share of traveling this season both out-of-state, like Baltimore to play Villanova commit Cam Whitmore and Archbishop Spalding, and locally, like visits to Philadelphia Public League power Imhotep Charter and upstart West Philadelphia in the span of two days.

The stage hasn’t been too big for the Burrs this season and it did not seem that way Friday night as they took care of Devon Prep, 68-56 to advance to the semifinals.

Junior forward Zion Stanford led the way with 24 points, including two three-pointers, and five rebounds while fellow junior Shemar Wilbanks-Acqui added 13 points in the win. Senior forward and Cal State Bakersfield commit Kaseem Watson chipped in 12 points and six boards and First Team All-Catholic point guard Adam “Budd” Clark was limited to four points but dished out 10 assists and tallied five steals.

Nearly 10 years ago, West Catholic went 0-13 in league play and the road to this semifinal appearance has been a long and difficult one. Bocachica came in with the mindset that he wanted to change the direction of the program and he has done just that, with the help of several key players.

Stanford is averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.6 blocks this season and he’s one of the most improved players in the league. Clark (11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.1 steals) has evolved from a pure scorer into potentially the most complete floor general the league has to offer. 

West Catholic vs. Devon Prep - PCL Quarterfinal Highlights by COlleen Claggett:

Wilbanks-Acqui (11.5 points per game) has been a welcomed addition while East Stroudsburg commit Nasir Griffin (8.9 ppg), Kaseem (10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds) and Kareem Watson (8.1 ppg) have been integral leaders to the program’s transformation as a part of Bocachica’s first class at West Catholic.

Friday’s victory was a critical moment for the program and community but, as he has all season, Bocachica hasn’t deviated from keeping his team’s gaze on the ultimate goal.

“It was different and there was a lot of excitement, but I made sure to let them know at the end that the job isn’t done,” Bocachica said. “There was a lot to take in and be proud of but we’re definitely not content.”

Two years ago, Archbishop Ryan (16-6) went into Bishop McDevitt and pulled off a huge upset without leading scorer Aaron Lemon-Warren in the league quarterfinals. They did something similar on Friday night by going into Archbishop Wood and taking down the reigning Philadelphia Catholic League champion Vikings, 74-73.

A year ago, the Raiders were dismantled by the Vikings by 30 points behind the illustrious 2021 class led by MVP Rahsool Diggins. Friday’s win was another milestone for head coach Joe Zeglinski and the Archbishop Ryan program as it advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time in seven seasons.

That’s no small feat in one of the deepest leagues in Pa. and Zeglinski’s teams have grown accustomed to playing in these types of situations.

“It comes down to being together, connected and raising the level of focus and intensity at practice,” Zeglinski said. “It takes everyone believing we can get it done and not turning negative. [What I mean by that is] not getting overwhelmed by the moment or falling into a situation where the opponent goes on a run and things start to snowball.”

Ryan vs. Wood - PCL quarterfinal highlights by Zack Beavers, Kathy Leister & John KNebels

Back in 2016, the Raiders, led by Izaiah Brockington (Iowa State), went into La Salle and were the only road team to win a quarterfinal game that year. Four years later, the Royal Lancers were favored but Gediminas Mokseckas (Campbell), Dominic Vazquez (Arcadia) and Luke Boyd led the way in the upset victory.

Ryan sophomore Darren Williams wasn’t surprised by the Raiders’ quarterfinal win over defending champion Archbishop Wood - Video/John KNebels

After a physical quarterfinal victory, Archbishop Ryan sophomore Tom Sorber is ready to play at the Cathedral of College Hoops - Video/John Knebels

The Raiders beat the Burrs in the first round to begin that run. Boyd, the 6-foot-1 senior guard, and Jalen Snead, the 6-3 senior guard, were members of the rotation during Archbishop Ryan’s last appearance at the Palestra. Boyd had 12 points while Snead had five against Neumann-Goretti, which would go on to win the title. Boyd, who is avg. 15.2 ppg and has hit 54 three-pointers this season, hit three shots from the outside on his way to 12 points against the Vikings and Snead scored the go-ahead layup with 4.1 seconds left to go along with four rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks.

The Raiders struggled down the stretch, going 1-3 over its final four regular season games, including a 53-44 loss to the Burrs. All four games to finish the season were against playoff teams and it was indispensable experience, especially for talented sophomores in Thomas Sorber and Darren Williams.

Sorber, the 6-9 forward, poured in 21 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks and Williams, the 6-4 lefty, hit three treys and scored 20 points on Friday night. Sorber and Williams both became the first Archbishop Ryan sophomores to score 20 points in a Philadelphia Catholic League playoff game since Brockington against the Vikings in the 2015 quarterfinals. Sorber is making a case for the most dominant big man in the league as he has avg. 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. Williams is avg. 12.8 ppg and has drilled 40 three-pointers this season.

Zeglinski stressed that Sorber and Williams play older than they truly are, and that fortitude has served the Raiders well.

“The game slows down for those guys and that’s what happens for the great players,” Zeglinski said. “They’ve been the two guys who show up every night and contribute at both ends. Even if Darren has an off note offensively, he’s there rebounding the ball and playing great defense. Thomas has been so huge for us manning the paint and he’s so talented that the points just come to him.”

Runs to the semifinals are impressive but the Raiders are hoping to make their first league title game appearance since 2008. A year after an improbable run to the PIAA Class 5A title game, Zeglinski believes this is the team to get them over the hump in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

While West Catholic-Archbishop Ryan will be the nightcap, Roman Catholic and Neumann-Goretti will get things started at the Cathedral of College Basketball. The two historic programs did not play at all during the 2020-21 season and the Cahillites took home a 64-55 victory on Feb. 4. Roman Catholic (18-3) took care of Cardinal O’Hara in the quarterfinals, 82-55 behind a masterful game from University of Cincinnati commit Daniel Skillings Jr.

The 6-6 senior forward and Philadelphia Catholic League MVP had 31 points on 13-for-17 shooting from the floor and added 11 rebounds in the victory. He became the first Roman Catholic player to score 30 points in a playoff game since Rakeem Brookins against La Salle in the 2009 quarterfinals. Junior guard Xzayvier Brown had 16 points, eight rebounds and nine assists while senior guard and Hofstra commit Khalil Farmer added 12 points. The Cahillites received a career night from 6-2 senior guard Quadir Brown, who scored 11 points and chipped in four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Roman Catholic senior Daniel Skillings Jr. scores 2 of his 31 points vs. O'Hara - Video by Dan Hilferty

This entire group returned from a league title game appearance last season. The only difference is the addition of 6-7 freshman forward Shareef Jackson (4.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) and the return of head coach Chris McNesby. McNesby is no stranger to the Palestra having led the Cahillites to seven semifinal appearances and two league titles during his first stint at his alma mater. He has Roman Catholic back in a familiar position and he’s hoping to duplicate some of the success he was able to engineer his first time around.

“That’s what makes the Catholic League one of the best leagues in the country is playing our league playoffs at the Palestra,” McNesby said. “For me, that’s our primary goal and see where that goes. To be back here is pretty special.”

Roman Catholic is no stranger to playing on the road or at neutral sites as they have been doing that for the past two seasons. The Cahillites have played the vast majority of their home games at Cristo Rey High School with the very occasional game at its gym that opened in 1890, which is located on the third floor of the school building at the corner of Broad & Vine.

McNesby, like his predecessors, wants the Cahillites to be comfortable in the environment that the Palestra presents and, with what this group has faced within the last two years, they should be more than up to the task.

“That’s why we always take the kids on the road, play in tournaments and challenge them,” McNesby said. “We like to put them in tough environments just to get them ready for this. I think it’s hard to replicate the Palestra and for some of these kids it will be their first time there but also their first time playing there. For them to have that opportunity, it’s a life experience.”

Skillings is avg. 19.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game and has nailed 32 three-pointers this season. Farmer is avg. 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists and has hit 31 treys on the year. Xzayvier Brown leads the Cahillites with 6.4 assists per game while adding 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 steals. Sophomore guard Toby Ojukwu, who had seven points and four steals against the Lions, is avg. 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks and has become a key part of the rotation in his first full varsity season.


Roman Catholic senior Daniel Skillings (#0) is avg. 19.1 points - PSD Photo by Dan Hilferty

Brown is the only member of the Cahillites to have played at the Palestra and that experience should help immensely on Wednesday night as Roman Catholic looks to advance to the Philadelphia Catholic League title game for the fifth consecutive season and eighth time since 2014.

On the other side, Carl Arrigale and Neumann-Goretti are looking for their first trip to the title game in two years. When the Cahillites and Saints tip-off on Wednesday, it will be the fourth time these programs have met in the semifinals since 2000. In their last meeting in 2019, Christian Ings (Norfolk State), Jordan Hall (St. Joe’s), Hakim Byrd (UMBC) and Cameron Young (Bowling Green) were the Saints top four options going against the star-studded lineup of Lynn Greer III (St. Joe’s), Seth Lundy (Penn State), Hakim Hart (Maryland), Justice Williams (LSU) and Jalen Duren (Memphis). The last time the Saints were at the Palestra, they secured Arrigale’s Philadelphia Catholic League record 11th title in a win over Roman Catholic. 

This is a Neumann-Goretti (15-4) team with experience at the top and talent in its lowerclassmen ranks. Senior guard Masud Stewart (11.8 points, 32 three-pointers made) was a member of the rotation on that title-winning 2020 team. He had 10 points, hit two three-pointers and slammed home an alley-oop from fellow senior Aamir Hurst (8.9 points, 2.1 steals) as the Saints edged La Salle, 51-48 in the quarterfinals.

Getting to this point is an expectation at Neumann-Goretti and Stewart made it a point of emphasis to push this year’s roster to be in this position once again.

“My sophomore year we went to the championship and won it then we weren’t able to play in the playoffs last year,” Stewart said after Friday’s win. “We wanted to get back to the same spot we were in 2020.”

Starting point guard Robert Wright III saved his best performance of the year for the postseason by tallying 20 points and eight assists. The 6-foot sophomore became the first Saints player to score 20 points in a Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinal game since Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (Villanova) in 2017. 

Senior guard Masud Stewart said the Saints learn and mature with every win & is excited to get back to the Palestra - Video by Rich Flanagan

Neumann-Goretti vs. La Salle PCL Quarterfinal Highlights by Rich Flanagan:

He scored 10 of his 20 in the second quarter and converted a crucial basket to put Neumann-Goretti up five with 2:23 left to play. Wright is avg. 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals and he leads the Saints with 35 three-pointers made this season.

It was Wright’s first playoff experience, and he was pleased with the conceded effort late in the game.

“It was very intense and came down to the wire, but we finished it off strong,” Wright said.

Sultan Adewale (12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks) has been a difference maker in the post. The 6-8 junior forward had seven points, six rebounds and two rejections against the Explorers. Sophomore guard Khaafiq Myers has been a spark plug off the bench as evidenced by his six steals on Friday night. Myers has been filling up the stat sheet this season with 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game.

While it’s a new group of Saints players, the mission remains the same in getting to the Palestra and continuing the tradition of Neumann-Goretti basketball, which historically has ended in title runs under Arrigale. This corps has received little fanfare as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and spectator guidelines within the city to this point, but everyone will get an opportunity to see the new crop of exciting prospects Arrigale has at his disposal.

They’ve only gotten better with more experience and Stewart feels that can get them to Monday night.

“With each win, we learn, and we become more mature,” Stewart said. “We truly get better after every win.”

The next chapter in Philadelphia Catholic League basketball history will be written on Wednesday with the first semifinal doubleheader in two years.

Game 1: No. 1 Roman Catholic vs. No. 4 Neumann-Goretti 6:15 p.m.

Game 2: No. 2 West Catholic vs. No. 6 Archbishop Ryan 7:45 p.m.