Photos/Videos: Zack Beavers & Rich Flanagan
By: Rich Flanagan
PHILADELPHIA – Shareef Jackson has been in the spotlight since before arriving at Roman Catholic.
His father, Marc Jackson won two Philadelphia Catholic League titles as a member of the Cahillites in the early 1990s under Dennis Seddon and had several, memorable performances along the way to those crowns including a 14-point, 19-rebound and four-block game against Archbishop Carroll at the Palestra in the 1993 semifinals. Jackson went on to play one year at VCU then went to Temple, where he tallied 1,001 points and 565 rebounds over two seasons under the late John Chaney and helped the Owls reach the NCAA Tournament twice. He was drafted in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft and played seven seasons in the NBA, including two with the Philadelphia 76ers.
That was the history and prestige Shareef brought with him when he began his career at the intersection of Broad & Vine, and while it was a lot to live up to, he embraced it early and has forged his own path at the same time. He was a starter of the 2022 PIAA Class 6A championship and last season’s Philadelphia Catholic League title team, but for the first time in his career, he is the face of Roman Catholic, just as his dad was three decades ago.
Even with three Palestra games under his belt, he had to admit that the hallowed arena has regularly presented its own share of challenges outside of the game of basketball.
“I’ve been here a couple times but not in this role, so I was definitely a little nervous coming out on the court,” Shareef said. “It really helped me get my gear going and have an opportunity to play in that final on Monday.”
Shareef Jackson #44, scored 20 points in semifinal victory over Father Judge - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
Shareef had his best performance at the Palestra with 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks as Roman Catholic sprinted past Father Judge, 65-57 in the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals. The victory gives Shareef and Roman Catholic the opportunity to win their second consecutive title on Monday night and this time, it’s the 6-7 junior forward who will be leading the charge. He scored the first four points of the game for the Cahillites and used his wide array of post moves from a left hook to an up and under to finish inside past the likes of 6-6 Anthony Lilley and 6-9 Everett Barnes.
While he has led the team in scoring all year and demanded the attention of opposing defenses whenever he has touched the ball in the post, this was Shareef’s first true moment to shine on the biggest stage the Philadelphia Catholic League has to offer, and head coach Chris McNesby felt he more than lived up to expectations.
ROman Catholic vs. Father Judge - PSD PCL Semifinal Highlights by Rich Flanagan
Shareef has been the go-to guy throughout the season as Roman Catholic (22-2) has incorporated several new faces into the rotation and one of those players happens to be his younger brother, 6-5 sophomore forward Sammy Jackson. Sammy fit in perfectly alongside Shareef and performed even better when the elder Jackson missed some games with an ankle injury. Sammy got his first bucket on a quick cut down the lane to begin the second quarter then Shareef converted a left hook on the ensuing possession, and the Cahillites were in front, 15-14 with 5:42 left before halftime.
Sammy poured in nine points, five rebounds and five assists in his first extended action at the Cathedral of College Basketball, and even though Shareef knows firsthand the talent his brother possesses, he too was in awe just like the Roman Catholic faithful in the crowd.
“People always tell me it’s going to be awesome and it’s this special thing in my mind, but when you finally get there and see it play out on that court, it’s a proud moment,” Shareef said. “I’m happy for him.”
Roman Catholic jumped on the inexperienced Father Judge Crusaders (16-8), who were playing in their first league semifinal game together and had lifted the program to the Palestra for the first time since 1999, in the second quarter and took control of the game. After the Crusaders hit three three-pointers in the opening quarter and had a three-point advantage, the Cahillites went on a 10-0 run to begin the second with the highlight being Sammy intercepting a pass and finding Robert Cottrell, another member of last season’s title team, in transition for an and-one to put Roman Catholic up, 21-14. Sammy and Shareef then converted a basket apiece and Travis Reed Jr., another one of those newcomers, scored two of his 13 points as the Cahillites took a 25-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Shareef & Sammy Jackson - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers
The Caillites limited Father Judge to two total points in that second quarter alone and the Crusaders, who had been in sync up to this point, looked enigmatic for much of the night. McNesby noted that “it was a two-point quarter for them, and we pride ourselves on defense,” and for veteran players like Cottrell, once their defense starts igniting their offense, that’s when Roman Catholic is at its best.
“Coach was telling us to stay together, be with each other, and fight through adversity,” Cottrell said. “That’s what we try to do here, and we did that throughout the game.”
Shareef hit a pair of free throws then converted another finish through contact to put Roman Catholic up by double digits for the first time. Kabrien Goss, another new face, drove baseline and found Reed on the wing for a three to give the Cahillites a 34-19 lead with 5:56 left in the third. Reed and Sammy would hit back-to-back treys on the next two possessions as the lead grew to 19, and Father Judge never got the lead under 10 until the waning seconds of the game.
Shareef and Sammy worked the high-low offense beautifully against the Crusaders, but contributions from Cottrell, Reed, Goss, and Hunter Johnson – a former Philadelphia Catholic League player at Cardinal O’Hara who hit two three-pointers in the final quarter – once again showcased the offensive versatility that has carried the Cahillites to the doorstep of another title.
Shareef was the first one to praise his teammates after one of the best nights of his career.
Roman Catholic vs. Father Judge - PSD PCL Semifinal Gallery by Zack Beavers
“I always say it like this, everyone talks about me, but I can’t do everything, especially during the quarterfinals against O’Hara, these guys hit threes on the wing,” Shareef said. “It put us more in the game.”
The Crusaders did shoot 10-21 from behind the arc with Rocco Westfield hitting four from deep and Laquan Byrd, who led the team with 14 points, drilling three of his own. On a night where fellow All-Catholic selections Derrick Morton-Rivera (eight points) and Kevair Kennedy (six) had difficulty finding their spots, Byrd tried to spur the offense. His trey to begin the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 46-35 but Shareef halted any final run in the cards with another and-one finish then Johnson hit his two makes from three and Sammy sank two free throws to push the lead to 56-37.
Roman Catholic will play Archbishop Ryan, a team it lost to in the regular season finale, in the title game on Monday, and it will have one major addition it did not have in that game: Shareef. Following the best game of his career to this point, the vaunted big man will get to go against Georgetown commit Thomas Sorber in what should be a battle of inside-out teams, and Shareef will get the chance to join his dad on an exclusive list.