2018 PCL Semifinal Photo Galleries by PSD Photographer Kathy Leister
MBAP vs. Carroll - Photos by Kathy Leister
SJP vs. Roman - Photos by Kathy Leister
PHILADELPHIA – It’s been well documented this season that Catholic League boys’ basketball has been historically balanced, with more than half the games being decided by single digits.
So never has it been more important for every player, regardless of his pedigree, to contribute anything he can muster – points, rebounds, assists, defense, encouragement, etc.
In a doubleheader Wednesday night before a packed house at the famed Palestra, the Catholic League boys’ semifinals were settled with little room for error, hence the need for donations from every performer.
Top-seed Bonner-Prendergast defeated fourth-seed Archbishop Carroll, 48-45. About two hours later, third-seed Roman Catholic edged seventh-seed St. Joseph’s Prep, 69-66. The Catholic League championship is set for Monday night at the Palestra. After Neumann-Goretti and Cardinal O’Hara battle for the girls’ title, Bonner-Prendergast and Roman Catholic will do likewise for the boys’ honors.
Both squads will need rugged efforts from both starters and reserves if they expect to participate in the traditional net-cutting ceremony.
“Every game we have a next-man-up philosophy,” said Roman coach Matt Griffin, a 2007 Prep grad who defeated his former high school coach, legendary Speedy Morris. “If one player is having an off game, somebody else has to step up and do their part.”
Bonner-Prendergast coach Jack Concannon, a 1983 Monsignor Bonner alum who willed the Friars to the Catholic League title over Father Judge squad in the 1983 final with 21 points and 15 rebounds, echoed those sentiments.
“You cannot win at the Palestra with three players,” he said. “You need five or six players to step up and play well in order to win in the playoffs at the Palestra.”
Neither the Friars nor the Cahillites would have advanced to the final had it not been for lesser-known players Donovan Rodriguez of Bonner-Prendergast and John Kelly of Roman Catholic.
With B-P leading, 33-30, after three quarters, Rodriguez came off the bench to tally eight of the Friars’ fourth-quarter 15 points. He began the stanza by nailing a three-pointer and then a short jumper to put the Friars ahead by 38-30. With 5:31 remaining in regulation, Rodriguez hit two free throws to make it 42-32. He later scored the last point of the game when he converted one of two free throws with 6.7 seconds left.
“At first it wasn’t coming to me,” said the 6-foot, 1-inch sophomore guard. “I just had to stay calm. It’s a game of runs. Had to stay focused. The ‘three’ got me going.”
Rodriguez was joined on offense by junior league MVP Isaiah Wong (10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists), junior Tariq Ingraham (10 points), junior Mike Perretta (nine points, 10 rebounds, three blocks), senior Ajiri Johnson (eight points, nine rebounds four blocks), and senior Yohance Garner, whose only points, a three-pointer with 5:20 left in the third quarter, gave Bonner-Prendergast a 28-26 lead, one they would never surrender.
Roman head coach Matt Griffin talks about defeating his alma mater and watching his players move on to the championship:
Bonner-Prendergast head coach Jack Concannon thanks the student body who supported the Friars:
Bonner-Prendergast sophomore Donovan Rodriguez scored 8-pts in a pivotal 4th quarter
Roman's John Kelly explains why his team is very confident:
For Roman’s Kelly, a 6-5 senior forward, watching the Cahillites lose from the sideline in last year’s semifinals wasn’t fun. He looked forward to an opportunity to help his teammates advance further. Mission accomplished.
“Coming out, I knew it was going to be a great crowd and I had to perform, so that’s why I played with great confidence, energy, and heart,” said Kelly. “That’s all I got.”
After scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds, Kelly said he is confident that he could supply more offense if needed. With teammates such as senior Allen Betrand (team-high 20 points, eight rebounds, five blocks), Lynn Greer III (17 points), junior Seth Lundy (14 points), and junior Hakim Hart (11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists), Kelly can work on other areas of necessity.
“We know that anyone can get any amount of points on any given night, so we know that we have to share the ball,” said Kelly. “Most of us were on the team last year. We had great chemistry throughout the summer. We have great confidence in each other. We knew that we were going to make a big run this year.”
Teammate Betrand netted 12 of his 20 points during a pivotal fourth quarter that saw the Cahillites outscore the Prep by 27-22 and by a whopping 49-32 in the second half. Roman’s dominance over the final two quarters almost wasn’t enough thanks to Prep senior Kyle Thompson (25 points), senior Darius Kinnel (19 points), junior Trevor Walls (10 points), and senior Ed Croswell (nine points, 12 rebounds, three blocks). The quad trimmed a 60-49 deficit to 69-66, but the Hawks had utilized all of their timeouts and the Cahillites didn’t have to inbound as the final four seconds ticked away.
“Anybody can be beaten on any given night, so it’s about how you come out and how you finish,” said Betrand. “We might come out slow but we always finish strong. That’s been our mentality. Always finish with a bang. That’s us.”
This latest victorious script is nothing new for the Cahillites. They have been behind in numerous games, most recently by 15 points to La Salle in the quarterfinals. No big deal.
PCL Semifinals Highlight Video (MBAP vs. Carroll - SJP vs. Roman) - Shot By Kathy Leister, John Knebels & Jt Hoagland
Allen Betrand (left) and John Kelly (right) discuss winning close games:
“We believe that we are going to win,” said Betrand. “It’s about believing in yourself and your teammates. We practice situations where we are behind, so it’s nothing new to us.”
Roman’s next opponent, Bonner-Prendergast (21-3), is in a quest for its first CL title in 30 years. The Friars led Carroll most of the way but nearly relinquished a commanding 42-32 lead with 5:31 remaining in regulation. The Patriots (17-7) used seven straight points by senior Kyron Butler (15 points) to climb within 46-43 with 46.5 seconds left. A bucket by sophomore AJ Hoggard (13 points) closed the gap to 46-45 with 31 seconds remaining.
During an interminable final half minute, Bonner-Prendergast struggled at the foul line (2 for 5) and Carroll turned the ball over on four straight possessions.
#21 Catholic League MVP Isaiah Wong scored 10 points vs. Carroll - PSD photo by Kathy Leister
“Defense was important,” said Wong. “Both teams had to fight for all their points.”
On January 19, the Friars defeated Roman in overtime, 68-66. The Cahillites (18-5), whose only two league losses were by two points to both Bonner-Prendergast and two-seed Neumann-Goretti, have won two of the past three league crowns.
Roman senior Allen Betrand #2 tallied 20 points vs. SJP - PSD Photo by Kathy Leister
“I’m just extremely excited for our guys,” said Griffin. “This is about our players having the opportunity to play in a championship, which we did not have last year. As a coach, I just want to create opportunities and memories for these guys that they might not otherwise have had. I’m very proud of them.”
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)