Harrison also helped Archbishop Carroll to seven Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal appearances at the Palestra during his tenure and was on the bench when Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., Josh Sharkey and Bryant University assistant Ryan Daly fell to league rival Neumann-Goretti in the 2015 PIAA 3A championship. The former West Philadelphia guard has spent much of his life in southeastern Pa. with stops as head coach of Girard College for one season then also serving as an assistant coach at Cheltenham High School and later assistant athletic director. He even worked with AAU programs K-Low Elite and Team Final.

Harrison is back in the Philadelphia Catholic League as the new head coach at Lansdale Catholic, which has undergone a leadership change at president with alum Meghan Callen and athletic director with B.J. Hogan coming over from Cardinal O’Hara. There is also a gymnasium renovation that was completed in time for the 2024-25 scholastic year that includes a new sound system, score table and Hudl camera. The court is named in honor of Paul Jefferis, who coached the program for 29 years.

Recapturing the success of winning the District 1-3A title in 2001 and 2002 has been difficult and reimagining the direction of the program is now at the forefront of Harrison and the administration’s agenda.

“The uphill battle will be turning this program around and I wanted to see if I could embrace and be part of something different and new,” Harrison said. “When I was talking to the administration, their excitement of wanting to make Lansdale boys basketball relevant in the Catholic League, that was all in line with what I wanted to do.”

Several veterans return including 6-5 senior wing Rowan Romero, 6-2 junior guard James Webb, and 6-2 junior guard Yeboa-Ackah Cobbold. Romero, who averaged 9.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.5 apg last season, is receiving interest from Division II and Division III programs.  Romerio “has really stepped into a leadership role here…He has been receptive to the change, and he has embraced that. He’s been a big leader to the younger guys and making their transition smooth as well,” according to Harrison.

Anthony Wack is an “extension of the coaching staff on the floor.” The 5-10 senior guard scored 17 points against Dock Mennonite and John Bartram last season. He will be a leader this season and someone Harrison can lean on. Matt Johnson is a 6-1 junior guard who played JV last year and will see varsity minutes for the first time. Thomas Gendek, a 6-5 sophomore forward, will also see time.

Harrison has brought in a vaunted freshmen class led by his son, TJ Harrison, Melore Aylmer and Chase Stevens. Harrison is a 6-foot guard who’s “a year away from being a main contributor. We’re excited for his development.” Aylmer is a 6-foot guard who could also be the future in the backcourt and Stevens is a 6-3 guard who is already receiving interest from St. Joe’s. Stevens is “ahead of schedule as far as expectations.”

During this stretch following Sciolla’s departure, Conwell-Egan had a 44-120 overall record and only 14 Philadelphia Catholic League victories.  Furthermore, the program hasn’t made the postseason since the 2016-17 season.

Tait recorded a 132-133 record at Father Judge and advanced to the postseason in nine of his 12 seasons at the helm. He coached Father Judge’s only two 1,000-point scorers in Marc Rodriguez and Nahseer Johnson and regularly had his alma mater in contention during his tenure. 

He will be without Sebastian Khan, who transferred after the season, but he will have 6-2 senior guard Antwone George, a four-year rotation player coming off a season where avg. 14.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.1 apg and 2.2 spg on 46.2 percent shooting. George had four 20-point games including a 27-point performance against Bonner-Prendergast. Jared Velez, a 5-9 sophomore guard, started 21 out of 22 games in his first varsity season and will have an expanded role in year two.

Justin Bobb avg. 5.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg in his first with Conwell-Egan after transferring in from the Academy of the New Church and the 6-7 junior forward provides the Eagles with some true versatility upfront. He poured in 16 points against West Catholic a season ago. Tyler Johnson, a 6-1 junior guard, and Isaiah Johnson, a 6-3 senior forward, will be part of the rotation as well as 6-6 junior forward Tristan Ganges.

Dean, 6-5 senior wing, has shown flashes of brilliance over his career with his skillset and athleticism and after filling up the stat sheet with averages of 7.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.3 spg and 2.4 bpg, his stat line should only improve. Dean scored 16 points against South Shore (N.Y.) last season. Look for 6-4 junior guard Brian Donahue, 6-4 sophomore wing Malakhi Warren, and 6-4 junior guard Brady MacAdams, who avg. 3.8 ppg and made 20 three-pointers, to all see increased minutes.

Jaydn Jenkins may give Mosco his most versatile forward since he’s been in Warminster as the 6-9 sophomore with offers from Albany and Bryant is primed for a huge season. He appeared in 23 games as a freshman but with more confidence plus more muscle on his long frame, he will showcase his unique combination of rim protection and perimeter shooting from the wing and corner.

“His confidence level is in a place where he can catch the ball and shoot it,” Mosco said. “He’s able to move without the ball and also catch then put it on the floor. He’s doing a lot more things than he could even do in the spring. It takes longer with big guys and while he’s not going to be Thomas Sorber by demanding the ball in the paint, he’s going to be his own type of player.”

Head coach Francis Bowe knew the talent was there from the beginning and the way this group matured over the course of last season has given added intrigue to a season that is ripe with expectations.

“When you talk about these guys now that are juniors, they’ve been together since they were freshmen whether it’s a little JV basketball or being thrown into the fire as freshmen,” Bowe said. “You’re looking at a group of kids that have truly matured in front of our eyes. As freshmen, they had to grow up then last year it’s like there’s a couple nice pieces plus Munir Greig and they’re still young.”

“We took losses and lumps early in the Catholic League then pull off a crazy win against La Salle as Ian gets this crazy buzzer-beater for our first league win. I felt it put us on the map a little bit and it showed that we can do this, and we’ve grown up.”

Ian Williams was an All-State 4A Third Team after avg. 13.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.3 apg and 2.2 spg while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor. The 6-foot junior point guard is one of the league’s best floor generals and converted that game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to beat La Salle. He hit 25 three-pointers and orchestrated an offense that connected on 205 makes from deep. He led the Philadelphia Catholic League with 189 assists and should have similar numbers in that department with the assortment of options around him.

Greig, the 6-6 sophomore wing with offers from Villanova, Penn State and Seton Hall, avg. 11.0 ppg and 5.6 rpg while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor in his inaugural season. He scored 20 points against Scranton Prep in the state semifinals and should continue to build on a strong campaign.

Drew Corrao stands at 6-9 and the junior forward fits in perfectly with the Patriots’ open offense with his ability to protect the rim and knock down shots from the outside. He avg. 4.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 1.6 bpg and led the team with 45 blocks. He should blossom this season and add more offers to his current list that includes Marist, Manhattan, Penn, High Point and College of Charleston. Chris Kingkiner appeared in nine games last season and the 6-foot junior will see extended minutes with Davis having moved on.

Bowe welcomed two crucial additions this offseason in Methaction transfer Christian Matos and 5-11 freshman guard Yasir Turner. Matos is a 6-2 junior lefty who avg. 17.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 1.5 apg while shooting 52 percent from the field. He drilled 67 three-pointers in helping Methacton advance to the District 1-6A quarterfinals and the state tournament. Turner is the latest impact freshman on a list that includes Nasir Ralls and Moses Hipps. Ralls, the 6-2 junior guard, will bring everything together after avg. 11.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg with 59 three-pointers last year.

Korey Francis leads the next iteration of the Friars after the 6-3 sophomore wing avg. 7.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 2.1 apg while shooting 43 percent from the field. He scored 12 points against Archbishop Ryan then scored in double figures in all three postseason games, including a 20-point outburst against Abington Heights to open the state tournament. He raked in offers from Bryant and Albany during the AAU season and is ready to be one of the league’s breakout stars.

Alongside Francis will be Devon Nelson, who didn’t play a single game last season due to being ruled ineligible by the PIAA following his transfer from Upper Merion. Nelson turned that setback into a commitment to Millersville and will be one of the most impactful newcomers to the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Kam Jackson played in 19 games as a freshman and the 5-10 guard will get to showcase his quickness in the open floor in an expanded role. Jakeem Carroll is a 5-11 sophomore guard who will be a bigger part of the rotation after playing in six games last season. 

“We have a good group of kids who understand what it takes to put in the work for a long season,” Arrigale said. “It’s a combination of a few seniors and juniors then a lot of young guys. Even though some of those juniors have played and have some game experience, we’re looking for a leader right now. We’re trying to convince them that the sum of the parts is better than the individual parts. We have to keep doing whatever we can on a daily basis to make each other better.”

Arrigale became the fourth coach in Philadelphia Catholic League history to win 300 league games and already owns the record for league titles with 12 to go along with nine PIAA state titles. He also picked up his 600th career victory and the court on which he has created one of Philadelphia’s premier programs now bears his name.

The goal is the same for the Saints and he will look to Stephon Ashley-Wright to lead the way this season. The younger brother of Baylor guard Robert Wright III with offers from St. Joe’s and Bryant to his name avg. 11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg and 1.3 apg on 44 percent shooting. He poured in his best game of his career last season with 28 points against Berks Catholic in the state tournament.

As has been the case the last few years, Arrigale is finding success with transfers as 6-5 junior forward Alassan N’Diaye, 6-1 sophomore guard Cassius Laws and 5-11 junior guard Kody Colson enter the fold. N’Diaye comes over from St. Mark’s (Del.) after avg. 11.9 ppg & 6.1 rpg while making 15 three-pointers last season. Laws played his freshman season at Cardinal O’Hara, and Colson - the son of former Franklin Learning Center standout Sean Colson - arrives from Imhotep Charter after being part of back-to-back Public League and PIAA 5A titles at Imhotep Charter under Andre Noble, who surpassed Arrigale for the all-time mark of PIAA state titles with his 10th last season.

Cardinal O’Hara hasn’t been to the Palestra since 1998 and hasn’t won a Philadelphia Catholic League title since 1968. Krawczeniuk wants to change that and put the program back on the map. His track record of player development coupled with the attraction of a head coaching job in the deepest league in the state made Cardinal O’Hara an appealing situation.

“Frankly, I had opportunities to take public school jobs in the last couple of years and I didn’t jump at those because it didn’t offer the same competitiveness and opportunities that the Catholic League does,” Krawczeniuk said. 

Malik Brown comes over from Lower Merion and the 6-7 sophomore forward offers the Lions a terrific inside-outside threat. He will be a huge part of Krawczeniuk’s game plan at both ends of the floor. Kahseem Bronzell was a 2023-24 Honorable Mention All-Ches-Mont League National Division selection as a sophomore and the 6-1 junior guard brings several facets to his new team, notably his scoring ability as evidenced by his 27-point performance against Avon Grove and 15-point game against State College. Lymir Green is a 5-9 guard who transferred in from Spring-Ford and figures to be a big part of the rotation. His father, Marques Green was a star at St. Bonaventure where he scored 1,734 career points in the early 2000s.

Tygee Clark is a 5-8 junior guard who enters the season as the Lions top returning scorer at 6.8 ppg and will be one of the leaders on this team. Look for 6-foot junior guard Jack Quinn, 6-4 senior forward Edwin Ujor, and 6-2 senior guard Matthew Cervellero to see minutes as well as sophomores in 6-foot guard Kaleb Hargrove and 6-foot guard Gabe Skehan.

“Much like the guys who were there before them and who they are now, this group had to go through some things to get to where they’re trying to go, and I think that’s what last year was for us,” Bocachica said. “We’re better equipped this year to be competitive, win basketball games and make another run at it.”

Aside from Tariq Jennings (Holy Family), much of the roster returns and it starts with 6-2 senior point guard Saaid Lee, who avg. 10.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.8 spg. Lee started his career at Bonner-Prendergast and after appearing in 19 games as a junior, he’s ready for his best season to date.

“The most important aspect of Saaid’s game that has grown is his leadership and leading by example in touching the paint and sharing the ball really well,” according to Bocachica.

Jayvon Byrd, the 5-10 sophomore guard who avg. 6.3 ppg and 2.1 rpg and made 28 three-pointers in his first varsity season, will join Lee in the backcourt. Byrd scored 16 points against Conwell-Egan and Lansdale Catholic. “He’s grown in size and character and taken nothing but steps forward."

Kingston Wheatley is one of the more versatile forwards in the league and the 6-7 junior forward is “getting to the point where he’s very mature and consistent.” He avg. 9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.9 bpg and is finding more and more ways to impact the game. Jalyn Hopkins comes over from West Philadelphia and the 6-7 junior forward is the exact type of player Bocachica has developed over his career at 45th & Chestnut. “He’s probably the hardest playing basketball player I’ve ever coached. He’s the loudest kid in the gym.”

Bocachica feels this team emulates the 2019-20 team that consisted of Kareem and Kaseem Watson, who were in their sophomore seasons, Anthony Finkley, Nasir Griffin, Stanford, James Johns Jr. and Eric Chamberlain. There is a robust amount of talent that must be brought together and this group has that kind of potential.

“We’re talented and good enough to beat everybody but we’re also a little young and immature enough to lose to anybody,” Bocachica said. “It’s up to us to continue to work and get rid of immaturity. We have high expectations, and the standard here hasn’t changed.”

“The legacy left is they’re two of the top players all-time,” Zeglinski said. “Overall, they created a culture and brought a winning mindset to practice every day. They put our program up there as one of the top in the area. We were building toward that, and they grew it. They exemplified what we want in our program as a family culture and building a championship program.”

Matt Johnson returns as the starting point guard and the 5-11 junior avg. 2.8 ppg as the primary ball handler. After setting up Williams and Sorber, Johnson will see a jump in other categories. Zeglinski emphasized, “He’s that floor general and pass-first guy but he needs to be more aggressive. He’s been working on his shot and getting that mindset to score the ball.”

Brandon Russell avg. 3.5 ppg in 30 games last season and now moves to the starting lineup where his strong frame will give smaller guards fits. The 6-3 senior guard scored 18 points against Archbishop Wood. “He’s getting into the paint, slowing down a bit and playing poised. The game has really slowed down for him to where he’s making better decisions with the ball.”

There are spots aplenty with the departure of Sorber, Williams, Rocco Morabito (Gannon University), Jaden Murray (East Stroudsburg), Ryan Everett (Delaware Valley University), and Christian Durham (prep year at The Phelps School). Semaj Stone is a 6-3 sophomore guard who came in very highly touted and will get his first chance to contribute. 

Laquan Byrd (Lock Haven University) and Anthony Lilley (Elizabethtown College) have moved on, but a multitude of options remain, starting with 6-2 senior guard and Merrimack College commit Kevair Kennedy. He avg. a team-leading 17.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 6.0 apg and 2.0 spg while shooting 45.1 percent and saved his best performance for the quarterfinal matchup against Archbishop Wood with a Father Judge postseason record 33 points which included a Philadelphia Catholic League record 18 free throws (17 of those came in the final quarter). The four-year player has “been a great leader for us and putting it together all around. He’s been shooting the ball better and he hasn’t had to shoot the ball too much because there aren’t too many guys who can keep him in front,” according to Roantree.

Derrick Morton-Rivera avg. 15.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg last season and his greatest attribute is his shooting ability. The 6-3 junior guard, who holds offers from La Salle, Temple, Albany and Bryant, shot 38.8 percent from the perimeter and knocked down 62 three-pointers as a sophomore. He had 19 points in that win over the Vikings in the quarterfinals and also added a 26-point game against Friends Select School In the regular season. “Guys are not going to leave him much space to get a shot off. It’s about how he can put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim. He’s really maturing, especially on defense in using his length.”

Look for growth from 6-3 sophomore guard Nazir Tyler, who avg. 7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.0 apg with 35 three-pointers. He scored 20 points against Conwell-Egan and 16 against Roman Catholic in the regular season. Rahkiy Mason, a 5-11 sophomore who avg. 3.2 ppg and 1.1 spg at Math, Civics & Sciences last season, will be part of the rotation as will 6-6 junior wing Max Moshinski, 6-5 senior wing Kevin Beck and 6-1 junior guard Rocco Westfield, who made 28 three-pointers last season.

“It had been in the making for a while,” Harrigan said. “We had lost Tristen Guillouette before the season and were looking forward to having him, but that group had spent a lot of time together. They were committed to getting better and getting the program better. Last year was something we were expecting and over the last two seasons we have been seeing constant improvement. These guys really established themselves as great players.”

Jalen Harper (prep year at The Newman School (Mass.)) and Matt Gorman (Catholic University) graduated but Dayton commit Jaron McKie and Florida Gulf Coast commit Jordan Ellerbee are back.

McKie, the 6-3 senior guard, was named All-State 6A First Team after avg. 18.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.7 spg. He’s one of the league’s best shooters as evidenced by his 63 three-pointers on 41.7 percent shooting from behind the arc.

Ellerbee, the 6-3 senior guard, avg. 14.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.8 spg with 42 three-pointers. He’s a dynamic scorer with elite athleticism and will flourish for a second straight season alongside McKie. Fellow senior Olin Chamberlain Jr. also returns and the 5-11 senior guard avg. 12.2 ppg and 3.1 apg while nailing 51 three-pointers at 44 percent clip as a junior.

The addition of Mekhi Robertson from Life Center Academy (N.J.) gives Harrigan a 6-3 sophomore guard who can score from the outside and above the rim. He has accrued offers from Villanova, Samford, Drexel, High Point, Rider, and Mississippi State, and will provide a dimension few teams in the league can match. He avg. 14.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 4.1 apg to go along with 47 three-pointers in his freshman season. He scored 20 or more points 11 times last season including a 27-point night against New Foundations Charter.

“Last year was about setting the standard on how we do things and guys stepped up to play at a level a lot of people weren’t sure we would be able to with the roster we had,” Ansel said. “It’s still an adjustment this season with football players coming in and playing key roles following their fall season. We had older guys who had limited varsity experience and while we’re going to miss those guys, we won’t be overlooked this year with certain guys coming back.”

Nick Parisi earned Second Team All-Catholic after putting together a breakout season that saw the 6-4 senior guard lead the Philadelphia Catholic League in scoring at 20.2 ppg to go along with 3.3 rpg, 1.4 apg and 1.6 spg. He recorded 12 games with at least 20 points, including a 33-point performance against Archbishop Wood. “It was one of those situations where I was thinking, ‘Are they going to figure out how to stop him,’ but he’s a talented scorer and his teammates worked to get him open shots. He scored efficiently and for us to make that jump this year, he’s going to create for them more with more threats around him,” according to Ansel.

McKeogh, who holds offers from Penn State, Duke and Syracuse, moved to left tackle on the gridiron. He avg. 7.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.3 bpg as a sophomore.

He’s a bruising big man who requires a lot of attention in the paint and should give the Explorers a true post presence. As Ansel described, “Last year was his first varsity experience and now we want him to make that stride of using his size and strength out on the court. He can use his strength inside then also step out and hit a three. He has the full package and now it’s about getting him in basketball shape.”

O’Brien took home Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division MVP after catching 68 receptions for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns in leading La Salle to a 10-1 record this season. The athletic wing holds football offers from Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, Ole Miss, Missouri, Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami (Fla.), and Tennessee.

Ansel praised O’Brien and the second-year head coach expects the talented football star to be a critical part of La Salle’s season.

It has been an unprecedented run for the Tide after being a program that had never made it past the state quarterfinal round prior to its first state championship in 2022 behind Allen Cieslak (Susquehanna University), IV Pettit (Chestnut Hill College), Lucas Orchard (Monmouth University), Jacen Holloway (Army West Point), and Ty Mishock (DeSales). Last year’s group had been part of that 2022 team including Zane Conlon and Shane Doyle, both of whom return to the Tide’s starting lineup this season.

Doyle, the 6-3 senior guard, stuffed the stat sheet a year ago, most notably the state championship where he tallied 15 points, five rebounds and seven assists. He avg. 9.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 5.3 apg and 2.8 spg in helping Devon Prep win its first District 12-3A title in program history and first district title since 2012 when the school was still part of District 1. 

Doyle should see his production in scoring increase, as should 6-7 senior forward Reece Craft, who avg. 11.9 ppg, 6.4 and 1 bpg. The versatile big man shot 55.8 percent from the floor and poured in 11 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and four blocks in the state title game. He is tied with Conlon for the program rebound record which he established against Dobbins Tech with 18 points and 17 boards. He averaged a double-double during the state tournament and performances like his 21-point, nine rebounds outing against Executive Education Charter should become more of a regularity.

Calvin Smith (Harriton) and Mason Thear (Perkiomen Valley) were integral parts of the Tide’s success last season but held out of the postseason due to PIAA transfer rules. Smith, a 6-3 senior guard, avg. 7.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 3.0 apg with a team-high 43 three-pointers. He set the school record with eight three-pointers against La Salle and finished with 24 points. 

The Cahillites turned around and made a run to the PIAA 6A quarterfinals before falling to Parkland. Goss (Montclair State University), Travis Reed Jr. (Chestnut Hill College), Hunter Johnson (Allen University) and Robert Cottrell (Alvernia University) all transferred in prior to last season and created a team willing to sacrifice individual production and accolades to achieve team success. Having an accomplished coach like Chris McNesby at the helm with four league titles to his name certainly helped with that and having a transcendent player like Shareef Jackson may have been as equally important. 

“Shareef was a younger guy and now he’s established himself, so we’re leaning on him to be the leader,” McNesby said. “Even with the pieces that we added, they were older but not experienced in the Catholic League. This year’s team has a little more youth that will need more experience as high school players and as that grows, we’ll grow.”

McNesby is one of four Roman Catholic coaches with four Philadelphia Catholic League titles, a list that includes legendary names like Billy Markward, William “Speedy” Morris and Dennis Seddon. All those had historically great players, especially McNesby who had Tony Carr, Nazeer Bostick and Lamar Stevens and now has Jackson. The 6-7 senior forward avg. 17.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.4 bpg while shooting 58.2 percent from the floor. He hit two three-pointers in the title game and finished with 16 points, two of which accounted for the game-tying basket to force overtime. He enters his final season with 864 career points and 665 rebounds.

Shareef’s brother, Sammy Jackson avg. 7.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.1 spg and 6-7 junior forward provides a great complement to his brother with the ability to control the ball, play in the short post and shoot from the perimeter (38 three-pointers). Sammy had 24 points in the District 12-6A title game and will see a rise in production after a stellar sophomore campaign. The sons of former Roman Catholic standout and Philadelphia 76ers big man Marc Jackson will be one of the best frontcourt tandems in the area.

Sebastian Edwards and CJ Miller will be key rotational players this season once again. Edwards is a four-year player who has been part of those two titles and the 6-2 senior guard avg. 8.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.0 apg and 1.3 spg with 34 three-pointers. Miller played 23 games with 12 starts and the 6-5 senior forward will have an expanded role after helping the football team reach the PIAA 5A title game in Hershey, where he scored a touchdown on a fake punt.

After moving from Brown to Goss, McNesby welcomes one of the biggest additions to the Philadelphia Catholic League in 6-2 sophomore guard Tyler Sutton, who comes over from George School and brings offers from Oregon, Villanova, Miami (Fla.), St. John’s, McNeese State, Mississippi State, High Point, West Virginia, Penn State, Iowa, Washington and Cal Satet Bakersfield. Sutton avg. 12.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.7 spg with 22 three-pointers in his first high school season. He’s an electric scorer and a player that should help keep Roman Catholic at the top of the league standings over the next three seasons. “He’s an aggressive player and a guy who is always on the attack offensively and defensively.”