Videos: Chloe Conwell (PSD Jr. Reporter, Mount Saint Joseph Academy), Rich Flanagan & Mike Livingston
By: Mike Livingston
PHILADELPHIA – Character.
It is what has defined Catholic League basketball for the better half of the last century and made the league one of the most consistently competitive in the country.
A rematch from the Catholic League and State 6A championships from just a year prior usually is cause to bring out the fattened calf, a rented-out college gym, and hiked ticket prices are commonplace nearly anywhere.
Not in the PCL, the mingy yet cozy gym at Father Judge High School does the trick, just as it has over the course of the 70+ years these two teams have been facing off on Solly Ave. A short drive for a majority of fans, students, and patrons, who pack the four walls to its brim and belt out the National Anthem when the 50-year old PA cuts out - the cinder block walls, exposed wall-air-conditioning units, and the looming theatre stage occupied by a raucous band, squeezed together between curtains and rolled up wrestling mats on the Bill Fox Jr. court at Father Judge, exemplify just that – Character.
So, when Rocco Westfield nailed a three-pointer from the corner and fell back into a jam-packed Father Judge student section to give his team the 69-68 win over Roman Catholic Friday night, the reasoning for keeping such a hallowed game on Solly Ave became just that much clearer.
“Yeah, I feel like it's better here,” said Westfield, who is committee to Merrimack College. “Especially here at Judge, all the students, alumni, and fans came out to support us, and it created energy. And we just fed off of that all day.”
That support is nothing new for the Crusaders, and it is what has made them one of the most revered Catholic League blue bloods.
Father Judge senior guard Rocco Westfield nails a three at the buzzer to lift the Crusaders past Roman Catholic 69-68 - PSD Video by Rich Flanagan
The tight-knit community in the Rhawnhurst/Pennypack section of Philadelphia revolves around Father Judge basketball during the winter months, and it shows – with Friday’s game selling out by Monday afternoon, not a seat was left unfilled by tipoff.
“We aren’t giving up a home game,” said Father Judge head coach Chris Roantree. “It is that environment right there for us. We will never get that environment out of here, and I hear it all the time when we play Ryan, you guys could sell 5000 tickets to see Ryan/Judge. But neither Joy nor I want to give up the environment.”
For as much as that environment is revered for each time Judge takes the court on Solly Ave, it was one that the Crusaders didn’t see much of in the early going of their season.
Judge would play their first nine games at neutral sites, not playing a true home game until their Catholic League opener, a 63-58 loss to Archbishop Wood. That loss served as a capstone of sorts to an underwhelming start to the season for the Crusaders, who were 3-6 coming into PCL play and 3-7 following that loss to the Vikings.
Projected as a Catholic League favorite at the year’s open, Judge has quickly stumbled under the likes of Neumann-Goretti, Bonner-Prendie, Archbishop Wood, and Roman.
PSD Jr. Reporter & PCL Sports Network Correspondent Chloe Conwell catches up with Rocco Westfield moments after hitting his 3-point buzzer beater to seal the win for Father Judge:
“We needed it,” said Roantree. “We kept talking about winning close ones and 50/50 games, and I point back to Wednesday, and a lot of people were like, ‘man, I can’t believe La Salle took you to overtime.’ But for our guys, I went to the locker room and told them we needed that because we hadn’t won a game like that all year. Non-conference wins were big blowout wins, and then we came back and lost two nail-biters to Wood and Bonner, and we needed to relearn how to win at times.”
On the heels of a seesawing start to the year, which recently closed with a 3-1 stretch encompassing wins over Devon Prep, Lansdale Catholic, and La Salle College, along with a one-point loss to Bonner, it was plain to see a matchup with Roman would be a telltale sign of things to come.
Though as things got underway in the first half, things served as they typically do for Judge, and it would go that way throughout nearly the entire game, for that matter.
From the opening tip, it was clear that Roman was in control, with the Cahillites keeping a steady arms-length advantage before pulling away for a 20-10 lead at the end of the first period.
Things would come square in the second quarter nonetheless, as Westfield and Derick Morton-Rivera began to find their rhythm with Westfield going lights out from beyond and Morton-Rivera owning the paint as he’d finish with 19 points on the night, shooting 80 percent from the field.
At the half, it was still Roman with the advantage, not yielding, the Cahillites led 28-27.
“We’ve been sluggish since the start of the year,” said Westfield. “Not getting a lot of wins, whatever it may be that we wanted to, but we trusted in each other and that’s what keeps getting us through.”
Father Judge vs. Roman Catholic - PSD Game Highlights by Mike Livingston
And while the Crusaders' deficit grew in the third period, it did not seem to deter the defending PCL champions. Even as Roman reached an eight-point lead with some huge momentum swingers from Bryce Presley and Sammy Jackson, it never felt as though Judge was wavering.
When the fourth period opened, Roman stalled, just as they had multiple times through the night; their offense failed to keep its high level of production consistently. This time, however, Judge capitalized, turning a 53-45 game at the quarter’s open to a 57-56 deficit in just three minutes.
On back-to-back possessions, it was the heroics of DMR who put Judge right back into the game, with a hard-nosed lay-up and an electric three-pointer. The Temple University commit made it a one-point game as the final stretch began.
The two sides would jockey for the final few minutes as Roman maintained the slight advantage into the waning seconds. A big time three from Jackson with 1:09 to go would be the last time Roman felt in the driver's seat as the tally became 65-62 Cahillites.
Westfield would take a foul on a big three with around 30 seconds remaining, putting down two of three from the line and setting himself up for a huge opportunity on the game's final possession.
Father Judge head coach Chris Roantree notes how much "Trust" played a factor in their victory vs. Roman Catholic - PSD Video by Chloe Conwell
So, following a Roman basket to make it 68-66, Max Moshinski would go coast to coast before dishing the ball to a ranging Westfield in the corner as the Northeast kid chalked up a Pennypack prayer that dropped in without a shadow of a doubt, giving the Crusaders the victory.
“I think alumni, friends, family, they want that environment,” said Roantree. “You look at the Palestra, right, that's alumni, fans, and just good basketball. Our players make the league, we have really good players in our league from top to bottom, and that is what makes our league and what makes people want to come out and enjoy that.”
Alumni and fans alike will get their next chance to see the Crusaders when they take the floor Monday night for a home matchup with Cardinal O’Hara at 7 p.m. in Northeast Philadelphia.
As for the Cahillites, they have a date with Conwell-Egan, also on Monday night at Holy Family University for a 7 p.m. tip-off.