Photos/Videos: Donna Eckert, Patty Morgan, Colleen Claggett, Mike Nance, Kathy Leister, Jeremy Park, Zack Beavers, John Knebels, Lennie Malmgren, Krystal Williams & Mark Zimmaro 

By: Rich Flanagan

PHILADELPHIA - It was the crowning achievement of Miguel Bocachica’s tenure at West Catholic, but also perhaps the culmination of a program that began a rebirth a few years back and has reached the top of its sport.

The significance of that banner which now hangs in the gym has a resounding effect when an opposing team enters: the Burrs had been gaining steam in recent years and now they’re one of the elite programs not only in the deepest league but across the state.

That team will be remembered for generations and Bocachica was at the epicenter of bringing it together.

“It was wonderful to win a state championship and it’s a great feeling to walk into our gym and see a banner up every single day,” Bocachica said. “We used to look at those banners and talk about adding another year to them. It’s a new year back to work and a new group that’s hungry to prove themselves.”

Stanford finished his career with the fifth-most points in West Catholic history (1,174).

That group was integral to the state title run but also consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal berths, and what makes the transition to this season even more interesting is the returning pieces the Burrs have to continue their upward trajectory.

“With him coming up behind some of the guys that he has, it’s easy to just ride the wave. He’s been good and accepted the challenge. He wants to be really good and will open some eyes this season,” according to Bocachica.

Kingston Wheatley, the 6-7 sophomore forward who is only 15 years old, played in 16 games as a freshman and will man the middle. His athleticism and length will allow him to play in the post and on the wing. Jaden Banner, the 6-6 junior wing, “will play more minutes and be expected to play winning basketball” in his first season of extended playing time, as Bocachica notes. Micah Waters, a 6-3 junior guard, is hoping to build on his success in the postseason where he scored 11 points against Neumann-Goretti at the Palestra then had the same number against Trinity in the state semifinals. There is also Isaac Cole, a 6-6 junior wing who has been a member of the rotation for two seasons and holds offers from St. Bonaventure and Hampton. He will add length defensively and can hit from the outside (22 three-pointers the last two years).

The Burrs welcome 6-2 junior guard Saaid Lee, who transferred in from Math, Civics & Sciences after beginning his career at Bonner-Prendergast. Lee will step into the starting point guard spot vacated by Clark.

There are also a few freshmen who will compete for minutes in year one in 6-2 guard Xavier Fauntroy and 5-10 guard Jayvon Byrd, who earned an offer from St. Bonaventure before playing his first high school game.

West Catholic has won 41 games over the last two seasons and Bocachica is confident his team can keep the momentum going, even with a target on its back after having completed the most successful season in program history.

“It puts an expectation on us, but it’s a brand-new group and different things work for certain groups,” Bocachica said. “What worked for the Watsons and Nasir didn’t necessarily work for Zion, Budd, Shemar, and Amyr. What worked for them last season to win a state championship won’t necessarily work for this team. We do have a culture and will stick to the fundamentals of what West Catholic is: play extremely hard and share the basketball.”

“I believe there is skill at every position we have that from an overall standpoint we haven’t had over the last few years,” Bowe said. “But we’re so young. I can’t wait till these kids grow and get older because if they keep the same skill set and get better, it’s going to be great.”

Ian Williams was at the helm of one of the best shooting teams in the Philadelphia Catholic League last season. The 5-11 sophomore point guard, who boasts offers from Albany and Rider, avg. 9.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a freshman and made 36 three-pointers. He was one of six Patriots players to make at least 30 treys a year ago and the floor general was at the forefront of an explosive offense that made 253 three-pointers. Now, he has to lead a skilled but inexperienced team in only his second varsity season. “He knows going in he has to get everybody involved early and often. His voice, for a sophomore, is unbelievable being positive and he’s the voice of reason,” according to Bowe.

Nasir Ralls is another player who flourished in year one. The 6-foot sophomore guard avg. 6.9 ppg and drilled 34 three-pointers. He will have ample opportunities in this offense to increase those shooting numbers as he finds openings on the wing and in the corner. Drew Carreo will roam the middle for the Patriots as the 6-8 sophomore big man has added weight to this frame. “Drew foundationally has to be a strong presence who isn’t going to back down. He’s taking tremendous steps forward where he can take some brunt or hits to the chest and he’s not going to go down,” as Bowe notes.

Luca Foster is one of the most intriguing prospects on this roster. The 6-5 sophomore wing saw time in 17 games but now he will be thrust into an expanded role. He has tremendous athleticism and can score from the perimeter. That is why programs such as St. Joe’s, Penn State and Temple have already offered him. He has untapped potential that will be unleashed this season. Then there’s 6-5 freshman wing Munir Greig, who boasted an offer from Villanova without logging a minute of varsity time. He is as promising a prospect as there is the area, and, as Bowe describes, he “has a very unique ability to push the ball, make the right place, and make the pretty play. That’s rare for a kid at that size and age to do.”

The Patriots are one of the more anticipated teams to witness this season as they will not be short on talent and promise. The question for Bowe will be how they respond to adversity and bring everything together.

“We’re going to make some youthful mistakes but we’re also going to do some things that are going to make you scratch your head and go, ‘Oh yeah, he’s a freshman,’” Bowe said. “On the flip side, there will be a spark, dunk or an unbelievable crossover and you’re going to go, ‘Woah.’”

Fran O’Hanlon returns to the Philadelphia Catholic League at the helm of Cardinal O’Hara 25 years after leading Bonner-Prendergast to the league title. Brian Daly scored 30 points in that title game victory over North Catholic and O’Hanlon’s assistant on that team was University of Pennsylvania head coach Steve Donahue. O’Hanlon won 36 games at Bonner-Prendergast then became an assistant at Penn under Fran Dunphy before taking over as head coach at Lafayette, where he owns the Patriot League record for games coached with 794. He won 361 games there and led the Leopards to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Upon retirement in 2022, he was asked by then head coach Mike Richards to join the staff. Richards had replaced Ryan Nemetz, who enjoyed a successful tenure and led the Lions to their first two PIAA state tournament appearances in program history. Nemetz stepped down the day after Izaiah Pasha, who is currently doing a prep year at St. Thomas More (Conn.), and the Lions lost to Allentown Central Catholic in the PIAA Class 4A second round. Richards was given the job but unexpectedly stepped down in June and the administration came to the longtime head coach with a proposition.

“I was more of an observer and helped out here and there or thought I would maybe coach JV,” O’Hanlon said. “That was my plan. When Mike stepped away, it was late in the process, and they asked me to take over. It was not my original plan but it’s what I did. It’s been a transition and it’s certainly different from my first time in the league. It’s an adjustment for everybody.”

Pasha was dynamic in his two years in a Cardinal O’Hara uniform and avg. 17.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season.

A lot has changed in the Philadelphia Catholic League since O’Hanlon departed and the schedule compared to his days coaching at the Division I level certainly differs from what he is presented with now.

“When you’re running a Division I program, you’re doing a lot more drills and it’s quieter in the gym now,” O’Hanlon said. “As you establish a program, the older guys are teaching the younger guys. You’re only having a few new guys coming into the program each year and they can follow the elder guys or the upperclassmen. Here I’m teaching everybody and that’s the adjustment. The older guys are learning from me as are the assistant coaches. It takes years to establish a program.”

Roman Catholic (27-4, 11-2) entered the 2022-23 season having been four years removed from their last Philadelphia Catholic League championship. Head coach Chris McNesby, who led the Cahillites to two league crowns during his first stint with his alma mater, was in his second season back on the sideline and was coming off a state championship behind Daniel Skillings Jr. (Cincinnati), Khalil Farmer (Hofstra), Xzayvier Brown (St. Joe’s) and Shareef Jackson.

“With that team, people will remember the leadership of Xzayvier,” McNesby said. “You could just sense early on he was on a mission and locked in. He had such good maturity, and he was very deserving of that moment, both on and off the court.”

Robert Cottrell, who transferred over from Simon Gratz as a junior, avg. 6.2 ppg in 31 games (12 starts) but saw extended time during the state playoff run as Oliver-Bush and Stewart-Herring had to sit out due to PIAA transfer rules.

Looking for increased minutes and production from 6-3 junior guards Justin Ezeukwu and Sebastian Edwards, who had consecutive 12-point games against Conwell-Egan and Lansdale Catholic then added a 15-point performance against Perkiomen Valley in the state tournament. Sammy Jackson, a 6-4 sophomore wing and Shareef’s younger brother, will be part of the rotation this season after only appearing in 10 games and introduces the next edition Jackson legacy at Roman Catholic.

Kabrien Goss, a 5-8 senior guard, arrives by way of Trenton High School (N.J.) where he avg. 15.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 assists with 60 three-pointers made. He can light it up, as evidenced by his 32-point game against Allentown (N.J.) or his outing against West Windsor-Plainsboro South where he nailed eight treys. C.J. Miller, a 6-5 junior wing, transferred in from Woodbury (N.J.) where he avg. 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds, and should provide versatility for McNesby. He had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Collingswood last season. The final addition is 6-5 sophomore forward Malik Hughes, who played at Cheltenham as a freshman.

The interesting part for the reigning league champion will be infusing the returning pieces like Shareef and meshing them with Johnson, Reed, and Co., but McNesby is optimistic about what this team can accomplish.

“They all knew it’s about winning and being a part of something and it’s not an individual thing, “ McNesby said. “It’s all about working together, building this thing up and seeing what we can do. Going into it, they all knew that we’re here for a reason and on different nights, different guys are going to step up. It’s all part of it. Everybody has to be patient on different nights, and they all feel good about each other.”

Tyrone Lewis and Conwell-Egan (7-15, 1-12) only won a single Philadelphia Catholic League game in year one of his tenure but the former standout at Harry S. Truman, where he set the Lower Bucks County all-time leading scoring record (2,211 points), and Niagara is hopeful a few more wins should come to the Eagles program still looking for its first-ever league postseason victory.

Sebastian Khan, a 6-4 junior guard from Australia, moves into the starting point guard spot. The rangy guard is part of the school’s international program and lives on campus. “He and his father came and visited the school and liked what they saw. Being a basketball player was a plus. He stays in the dorms but the family is back in Australia,” according to Lewis. Recently, he avg. 15.5 ppg for Dandenong U18 in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL).

Justin Bobb, a 6-6 sophomore wing, transferred in from Academy of the New Church last December but was ineligible to play. He figures to be a force in the post and out on the perimeter by luring opposing bigs out then taking them off the dribble. As Lewis notes, “He brings size, athleticism and physicality, which is something we were missing last year.”

Franz Fabian, a 5-8 senior guard, joined his former head coach last season but was also ineligible due to PIAA transfer rules. He will be a key contributor. “He can score at all three levels. He has a good handle and feel for the game. He’s the only player who has been with me for four years,” as Lewis described. Morris Ivory, a 6-2 senior guard, and 5-9 freshman guard Jared Velez will figure into the mix as well.

Billy Cassidy’s tenure at Bonner-Prendergast (12-11, 4-9) started off on a high note as the Friars won their first seven games of the year. They dropped eight of their first nine league games before rebounding to sneak into the postseason, where they fell to Cardinal O’Hara. The Friars lost a tough matchup with Dobbins Tech in a PIAA Class 5A Tournament play-in game by two points and begin Cassidy’s second season without two quality bigs in  Brady Eagan and 6-8 forward Nelson Lamizana, who transferred back to West Chester Henderson.

The excitement around the Friars starts at the guard spots where Cassidy feels he has talent and depth to match up against some of the more vaunted backcourts in the league.

“Looking into year two, we added better guard play overall,” Cassidy said. “That’s definitely going to be one of our strengths having multiple guys who are able to handle the ball, hit shots from the outside, and make plays by getting downhill to make plays for themselves and their teammates.”

Two new additions to the roster this season include 6-foot senior guard Kyree Womack, another member of that 2021 state semifinal team at Chester. Womack avg. 14.6 ppg with the Clippers last season, and “has the varsity experience going far in the playoffs and brings that experience factor and leadership on the court.”

Kenny Gatling, a 6-5 junior wing, transferred in from Wilmington Christian School (Del.) and adds another scoring option. He had 17 points against MOT Charter last year. Kenjai Gatling, a 6-3 freshman guard and Kenny’s brother, is the QB on the football team. He passed for 691 yards and nine touchdowns in helping the Friars capture the District 12-4A title and advance to the state quarterfinals. He has a promising future on both the gridiron and hardwood. Fellow freshman Korey Francis, a 6-2 guard, “will make an immediate impact,” per Cassidy.

The La Salle Explorers (9-13, 2-11) welcome a new head coach in former Swarthmore assistant Ryan Ansel, who succeeds Mike McKee after five seasons. McKee went 68-42 overall with a trip to the 2019 Philadelphia Catholic League title game and PIAA Class 6A semifinals, but the Explorers haven’t won a playoff game since that run to the league final.

Ansel played at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where he helped the Blue Devils win their first outright Inter-Ac title in 2010 before going to Davidson to learn under legendary head coach Bob McKillop. He began his time there as the team manager then moved to the practice squad before finally making the team. Landry Kosmalski was an assistant at Davidson during Ansel’s time there and Kosmalski asked him to join the staff at Swarthmore. This was right in the midst of Swarthmore’s rise to prominence and Ansel was an assistant during the Garnett’s run to the 2018 Division III NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. From there, the drive and passion to become a coach and mentor was extremely palpable and he founded Ryan Ansel Basketball LLC, his company that focuses on individual and team instruction then later was named the head coach at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy for a season in 2021-22.

He has taken a long road to get to this point, but his vast experience and knowledge of the area gives him a leg up as he prepares to lead La Salle into a resurgence.

“The biggest thing that we’ve been focusing on and I’ve been preaching, is culture comes before winning,” Ansel said. “I want to develop a culture where guys care for and support each other. We talk a lot about a culture where teammates have your back, and these guys realize there’s going to be adversity in the Catholic League. We’re trying to get these guys to pull together when they face that and get through it on their own.”

Joey O’Brien was a wide receiver who tallied 24 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns on offense then 38 total tackles with 14 passes defended and three interceptions on defense. The 6-4 sophomore forward should see minutes in his first varsity season as should 6-1 sophomore guard Prestin Washington.

While there is a lot of unknown with the Explorers, there is also intrigue as Ansel begins his tenure. He’s looking forward to aiding this group in its development with an assortment of new faces stepping into expanded roles.

“They’re in new positions and a big thing is leadership for a team to be successful,” Ansel said. “We want to use our older guys who have been through the gauntlet of the PCL and understand the caliber that we have to compete to be successful. We want these guys to set the stage for the younger guys and know we’re taking on some of the best talent in the state. We’re realizing it’s new for them.”

“He realizes he can’t get 30 on his first shot,” Mosco said. “Nobody is going to come in and let him get 30, so he has to outwork everybody but he’s also a great passer and that’s what makes him a five-star recruit. He has learned to trust the system and play calm when he’s making those passes to his teammates.”

“You need to win with guards. There’s not many bigs out there. We’re going to be five guards, and we need to be tough and rebound,” said Mosco.

 Brady MacAdams, a 6-3 sophomore guard, and Brian Donahue, a 6-1 sophomore guard, will not only compete for minutes but be expected to contribute. Jarrod ‘Buddy'' Denard has potential and could see some time. Jayden Jenkins is a promising forward as a 6-8 freshman, but “he needs to take the quick step onto varsity and learn the quickness of the game,” per Mosco.

The cast is different for the Vikings, but the goal is the same for Mosco’s unit in pursuit of the program’s first league title since Diggins’ senior season.

“Like every year, our goal is to finish in the top four to get that home playoff game and get to the Palestra,” Mosco said. “Ultimately, we want to cut down the nets. With Jalil and Josh, we have two of the top seniors in the league and they can get us there.”

Lansdale Catholic (3-18, 0-13) is hoping a handful of new faces can get the program back into contention after consecutive winless seasons in league play. The Crusaders have only won three league games over the last four years and haven’t made the postseason since 2014. Joe Corbett lost six seniors and hopes an influx of youth will change the team’s trajectory. 

As Corbett notes, “We will slot him in as the five. We need him to play big this year, especially with the talented bigs we see in our league.”

Two years removed from their first state championship in program history, Devon Prep (13-13, 3-10) is looking for the kind of success it has had during the state tournament in the Philadelphia Catholic League standings. The Tide only won three league games but turned around and advanced to the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals before suffering a heartbreaking loss to Trinity in overtime. The last three starters from the 2022 state title team are gone in Jacen Holloway (Army West Point), Ty Mishock (transferred to Avon Old Farms (Conn.)), and Lucas Orchard, who is doing a prep year at Perkiomen School. Gavin D’Iorio (Muhlenberg College) and Tyler Scarpulla (Immaculata University) have also moved on.

Head coach Jason Fisher has elevated Devon Prep to a level it has not been playing at throughout its history and the duplication of success over the last three seasons is something Fisher is hoping to sustain.

Zane Conlon avg. 4.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 24 games (22 starts) and will now emerge as the lethal inside-out threat the Tide has come to expect him to be. The 6-4 junior forward had 12 points in a win over Parkland then 15 points and six rebounds against SLA Beeber in a District 12-3A seeding game. “He has developed more into a wing but still has the strength to battle with bigger guys. He has worked really hard at that,” according to Fisher.

Mason Thear comes over from Perkiomen Valley, where he helped the Vikings reach the PIAA Class 6A Tournament, and the 6-2 sophomore guard should be a focal point of the Tide’s offense. He hit four three-pointers on his way to 21 points against Pottstown in an overtime victory and later scored 10 points in a matchup with Methacton in the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs.

The Tide have played deep into March in each of the last two seasons and Fisher wants to continue that trend. This team has experienced players who have been part of those runs and, while no starters remain from that 2022 team, he feels this corps is prepared to do that.

“As far as playing longer, we’ve definitely taken that into account,” Fisher said. “Our preseason or December schedule has changed with the understanding that we’re going to be playing into March. We barely made the district playoffs a couple years ago then we eventually had our season end the first week of February and now we’re playing into March.”

The Raiders are coming off a home quarterfinal loss to West Catholic but rebounded to down previously unbeaten Radnor in the state quarterfinals before succumbing to Justin Edwards (Kentucky) and eventual champion Imhotep Charter in the PIAA 5A semifinals. While there was increased exposure during the 2016 and 2017 seasons with Izaiah Brockington (New Orleans Pelicans) and Matiss Kulackovskis, Zeglinski will be the first to express how much deeper this current team is.

“It’s the most experienced and talented team in terms of depth,” Zeglinski said. “It starts from our senior leaders who are really mature. Not only talent-wise, but it’s probably the most disciplined and consistent team that I’ve had in my eight years.”

He is physically imposing on the block with a combination of nimble footwork and brute force. Sorber also has shown an improving ability to go off the dribble from the high post and even shoots the occasional three (five makes last season).

Zeglinski knows the Raiders go as Sorber goes.

“Thomas is at the forefront as a leader and staying in the moment,” Zeglinski said. “It could be easy for a kid to look ahead of everything he will accomplish but he’s really focused. I think he is the best center in Pennsylvania and could be the best one in the country. It’s special to coach a guy like that with his personality and leadership qualities.”

As Zeglinski notes, “he adds a lot of toughness and has always had it since his sophomore year. He’s so poised with the ball in his hands now and he’s one of our best passers. He’s a connector for us and every team needs that.”

Christian Durham played in 16 games in his first year in an Archbishop Ryan uniform after transferring from Clayton High School (N.J.), and the 6-3 senior guard should be more of a contributor this season. Matt Johnson, a 5-10 sophomore guard, saw time in year one but broke his foot in September during a fall event. Once healthy, he should add depth and defensive prowess. The Raiders welcomed 6-3 freshman guard Semaj Stone, who “has a great IQ for the game and makes plays on defense. He’ll be part of the rotation and give us some length at the guard spot,” according to Zeglinski.

Brandon Russell joins the Raiders rotation after avg. 14.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals with 31 three-pointers at The Pennington School (N.J.). The 6-6 junior guard scored in double figures in 19 games and hit four three-pointers in games against Hun School (N.J.) and Friends’ Central.  “On any given night, he could play 30 minutes if things are going well. He’s been a great addition and fits right in with what we want to do as a program,” per Zeglinski.

It was a rather unsettling offseason for Neumann-Goretti (26-4, 12-1) after it lost to Roman Catholic in overtime in the Philadelphia Catholic League title game then fell to Lincoln Park in the PIAA Class 4A final by four points. Even more distressing, the offseason saw the departure of 6-8 forward Sultan Adewale (Iona College) and Bruce Smith (Peru State College) and the unlikely transfer of two-time All-State 4A Player of the Year and Baylor commit Robert Wright III, who transferred to Montverde Academy (Fla.).

Wright was one of the premier floor generals in the country, avg. 23.1 ppg last season and scored 20 or more points 33 times in the past two years. He secured a Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA 4A title as a sophomore and finished his career with 1,213 points, 10th on the Neumann-Goretti all-time list.

“Fortunately, we’ve been able to be on the good end most of the time and the last few years we’ve had some unfortunate endings in both the Catholic League and state playoffs. We’re open to bounce back and we can’t get caught up in that too much. It’s a long season and you have to get there first.”

The revenge tour is on and, if history is any indication, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Myers is joined by 6-6 senior wing and Hofstra commit Amir Williams, who avg. 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.7 steals. Williams is one of the elite 3-and-D players in the league after hitting 53 three-pointers and recording 50 steals. His length and athleticism allow him to guard the opposing team’s best player and it allows the other Neumann-Goretti guards to push the tempo.

Arrigale has two new additions who should pay dividends in their first season with the program. Torrey Brooks transferred from League Bound Academy (N.J.) where he avg. 16.9 points and 9.5 assists last season. The 6-foot sophomore guard is a lethal scorer and shooter with 689 points and 121 three-pointers in two seasons. “He’s a very cerebral player who can handle the ball and shoot it a bit. He’s been a very nice fit and he can fit with just about everybody,” as Arrigale described. Keon Long-Mtume avg. 23.9 ppg at Martin Luther King last season and the 6-3 junior is transitioning from being a ball-dominant guard to more of an off-the-ball role. “We’re bringing Keon along because he had the ball in his hands a lot and was a big-time scorer last year. We’re teaching him how to play our way,” per Arrigale.

Matt Guokas made 13 treys in 22 games last year and will be called upon to provide both shooting and rebounding as he moves into a forward spot in the rotation. Look for 5-9 sophomore guard DeShawn Yates to see extended minutes. Arrigale states “he’ll be giving us a nice spark off the bench and, in some games, be able to change the flow of the game.”

“We have a lot of our guys that we have groomed for the last three years,” Roantree said. “We’re in the culture that we want to be in and ready to compete. We’re much more mature. It was a different style my first year with several transfers than we wanted to play. We took a step last year getting to the playoffs and I think the overall culture of the program has changed in terms of expectations.”

The Crusaders said goodbye to two, high-volume shooters in Kyle Jones Jr. (Albany State) and Ernest Shelton (Gannon University), who combined to make 103 three-pointers a season ago, but this year’s roster will be more balanced and versatile than in years past.

The three-guard lineup is highlighted by 6-3 sophomore guard Derrick Morton-Rivera, the son of former Neumann-Goretti standout D.J. Rivera. He already boasts an offer from Bryant after avg. 10.3 points and 3.4 rebounds, but his best attribute is shooting the ball where he 41 three-pointers at a 35 percent clip as a freshman. He should make tremendous strides in year two as his all-around game develops. As Roantree notes, “The sky's the limit for him. He’s athletic and still growing and maturing into his body, but he can use his length defensively and communicate.”

Roantree has a plethora of options to put around Byrd, Kennedy, and Morton-Rivera, and it starts with 6-7 senior forward Anthony Lilley, who scored 14 points against Council Rock South and started 20 out of 22 games he played in. Max Moshinski, a 6-4 sophomore guard, “has length and is dunking the ball with ease,” as Roantree described. Kevin Beck is an improving shooter, and the 6-5 junior wing should flourish in Roantree’s system with open corner threes. Rocco Westfield, a 6-1 sophomore guard, will see more time this season and comes off the gridiron where he had 52 total tackles with three TFL, eight passes defended and one interception.

Everett Barnes should give Father Judge a much-needed post option. The 6-9 junior forward avg. 9.3 points, 7.5 rebounds & 3.0 blocks at Burlington City (N.J.) last season. He posted 17 points, 14 boards and four rejections in a game against Salem (N.J.) as a sophomore and, while he is still developing ways to be effective away from the basket, expects to be more consistent in an offense with high-level guards. “He’s going to help us in terms of size and length in the back of our defense. He’s a really good rebounding the ball and gotten so much better this offseason,” per Roantree. Nazir Tyler comes over from Germantown Friends School where he avg. 13.3 points and five rebounds with 57 three-pointers as an eighth grader. The 6-3 guard is now a freshman after scoring in double figures in 16 games (six 20-point games) and already has 332 points to his credit. Roantree said, ‘We’re expecting big things from him.”

Guillouette manned the middle of the Hawks defense and now Harrigan will have to prepare his team for life without a multifaceted big man.

“Even before we got wind of Tristen’s situation, those guys had goals and remained focused on getting better,” Harrigan said. “They spent the offseason getting stronger and more athletic. They understand what they’re up against and have some big goals for themselves. We have a little bit of a different identity without Tristen and we’re figuring out a different style of play.”

Will Lesovitz only appeared in four games as a freshman but should be part of an expanded rotation. The 6-3 sophomore guard “didn’t play much last year but had a good summer where he improved his body and athleticism. He’s going to be big for us,” according to Harrigan. With Guillouette gone, look for 6-4 senior forward Jackson Maguire to see increased playing time. Maguire played in 19 games and “was a backup for Tristen for us. We believed in him last year and didn’t use him as much with Tristen in there, but he will play a substantial role for us,” as Harrigan described.

The Philadelphia Catholic League will be deep once again and there are more than a handful of teams with true aspirations to cut down the nets on February 26. Roman Catholic and Neumann-Goretti gave us one of the most memorable title games in league history and it’s safe to say the Philadelphia Catholic League is alive and well. It’s still very much the deepest league in Pa. and there’s no shortage of talent across several teams. The only constant is the Palestra where a champion will be crowned once again.