Seniors Lead Roman Past McDevitt to Their 9th Straight PCL Win
PHILADELPHIA- It was an emotional day for Roman Catholic’s seniors as they played their last ever home game against Bishop McDevitt Sunday afternoon to end their regular season.
The historic third-floor gym was filled to capacity with family and friends of the Cahillites’ seven seniors that were ready to cherish a bittersweet moment.
Roman Senior Nazeer Bostick floats through the air for the first dunk of the game -photo by Anthony Simuro
From the opening tip, the Cahillites took command and never once let up. The senior laden team displayed their dominance and experience, jumping out to an early lead in the first quarter. Nazeer Bostick started the game with two, high-flying, alley-oops from fellow teammate Tony Carr.
“I was trying to get one to be a windmill dunk, but I couldn’t get that,” said Bostick. “Playing with those senior guys feels good, those guys are out there getting a chance to play. It was a fun day, and a great experience.”
Bostick and teammates Lamar Stevens and Paul Newman added a couple more dunks to end the first quarter in a dominating fashion, ahead of Bishop McDevitt 24-7.
Seniors Anthony Dawson and Mark Tobin also contributed to the Cahillites' victory, taking advantage of their last opportunity to play on their home court. Roman never took their foot off the gas, instead they entered halftime with a 47-16 lead.
Not only was it a special day for the players, but it was also a special day for Cahillite alumni.
“It’s nice, having a lot of the former players come back here to Roman, there is a lot of tradition,” said Roman head coach and 1995 graduate Chris McNesby. “They don’t get out here a lot but they all come back for the alumni day, so it’s nice for them to see our team play. We played well and it’s an enjoyable day for our seniors to have a win like that.”
Senior Mark Tobin receives his Senior Day award with his parents -photo by Anthony Simuro
Freshman Mikael Jones soars through the air for a two-handed slam -photo by Anthony Simuro
The Cahillites carried their momentum into the second half of the game, with every player on the team getting in the scorer’s book. Despite McDevitt’s efforts, the Lancers were overmatched against Roman Catholic’s six-foot-plus lineup and ended the third quarter trailing Roman 24-62.
Despite it being senior day, freshman Mikael Jones found a way to make the highlight reel. Jones displayed his true athleticism with an abundance of dunks and huge blocks. As Roman prepares to head into the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs, Jones will prove to be a key asset for the Cahillites.
Roman huddle wearing team shirts with motto #RepsAreEarned -photo by Anthony Simuro
Led by the seven seniors: Tony Carr, Paul Newman, Nazeer Bostick, Mark Tobin, Lamar Stevens, Khalil Vincent, and Anthony Dawson, Roman Catholic cruised to victory, crushing the Bishop McDevitt Lancers 83-31 to end the season with nine straight PCL wins.
After the victory, Carr reflected on the real impact of this game.
“It feels great… I’m actually kind of speechless. Just the feeling you get with all your family and friends watching and knowing it’s going to be your last game with your team on this court is a special moment,”
With this win, Roman improves to 19-4 on the year and gears up for a chance to win back-to-back PCL championships, something they haven’t done since 1999-2000.
Roman will play their first playoff game this Friday, 2/12, at Philadelphia University at 7pm.
