PHILADELPHIA – Over the holiday, the Cahillites of Roman Catholic (9-1, 1-0) took on the Bulldogs of Simon Gratz on Thursday, December 23rd. Coming into the game, the Cahillites had just defeated West Philadelphia High in a tough battle two days prior, where they won 74-73. After winning by just one point, the Cahillites knew that this game would not be a casual walk in the park.
Da'Kquan Davis shoots at the line for Roman vs. Simon Gratz - PSD photo by Kendrick Wright
With that being said, since the start of the season Roman has been playing with the hustle, heart, and fire that no other team seems to know how to stop. This appeared to be the same case against Gratz, as the Cahillites took care of business on their home court with a full gym of fans eager to see the team go to work.
Like many of the Cahillites games this season, the first quarter was very close with very little scoring. In the second quarter not much changed. Then, junior Allen Betrand got off to a good start scoring 10 points in the second and finishing the game off with 15 total. The Cahillites went into halftime with a two-point lead scoring 26 to the Bulldogs 24.
Things started to pick up for the Cahillites in the third quarter. Senior captain, Jon-Paul "JP" Sanders, helped the team pick up the pace scoring 8 straight points and finishing the game off with a total of 18.
The Cahillites also received help from senior captain Da’Kquan Davis who took control of the floor, contributing a total of 12 points. The Cahillites went on to win 59-45.
Moving forward, the Cahillites went on to compete in the Rotary Roundball Classic at North Charleston High School in South Carolina. The Cahillites finished second in the International Bracket, losing to Roger Bacon in the final, 64-41. On their way to the final round, Roman surpassed Pinewood Prep 70-69 and West Ashley High School 67-66. Seth Lundy was named to the All-Tournament Team and Da’Kquan Davis was awarded as the Most Outstanding Player.
Senior, Da'Kquan Davis was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player in the 2016 Rotary Roundball Classic - PSD photo by Zamani Feelings
As the Cahillites move further on into Catholic league play, they look to make a statement early on. So far, Roman has done just that – topping Bishop McDevitt 88-55. The team has been facing adversity since the pre-season and they approach every game, practice, and work-out with a chip on their shoulder. It will be very interesting to see how far this team can go, especially with the support of the Roman Family pushing them to exceed expectations.
Looking Ahead: Roman is set to face West Catholic at home this afternoon at 3:30PM. On Jan. 6th the Cahillites will travel on the road to face Father Judge before matching-up against Neumann-Goretti at Holy Family University on Wednesday, Jan. 11th.