FEB. 26
CL QUARTERFINAL
Neumann-Goretti 61, Roman 41
   When this game started I had a few questions/concerns. First, was how would Neumann come out after a disappointing loss against St. Joe’s. Next, would this game be as close as the previous match up at Philly U. And lastly, how would Roman match up against a much taller N-G team. I’ve seen them play the previous 2 times but never took notice at the height advantage. For one, Earl Pettis was covering Bob Jordan. Earl is a solid 6'5", Bob is a generous 5'11". Roman was undersized in every position.
   The first quarter favored the Saints, as did the entire game. Roman went down early 10-4, followed up by a time out. Roman battled hard through the first quarter but didn’t take advantage of some opportunities. Neumann was in some foul trouble, but Roman soon began to play less physical and almost seemed like they changed their style of play. Next was the play of Brian Wanamaker (3 points). I’m not bashing by any means. I actually think the kid plays hard and aggressive, but he had 3 turnovers in a row and gave N-G the lead at the end of the first quarter 13-6. The second quarter was a battle, but it seemed like every time Roman closed in, Neumann had an answer. Bob Jordan (6 points) hit a 3 only to be followed up by a 3 from Earl Pettis (19 points). Neumann proved to be too strong and extended their lead to 8 at halftime, 27-19.
   Roman came out in the third quarter energized and brought it to 3 after a dunk by Malik "Mad Hops" Perry (6 points 6 boards). This was the first great dunk of the night. It wasn’t flashy but he got up. His head was practically at the rim. Just as Roman was right back in it N-G pulled away. The next series of plays put the Saints up 11 and the game out of reach for good. Right after the Perry dunk, D.J. Rivera (25 points) nailed a 3, followed by an electrifying dunk from Pettis. Roman came to the other end where Perry was denied by Rivera. N-G missed their next attempt, and Roman pushed it up and a charge was called on Brad Wanamaker (4 points). Another petty foul call on Mike Ringgold (16 points 7 boards) which led to a Scoop Jardine (9 points) 3 pointer. Roman overcame all these mistakes to bring it to within 6 at the end of the third quarter, after a layup by Ray "Doodles" Sims. After all this it was tough for me to think that Roman still had a chance. They let so many chances slip through their hands to let anyone think they were still in it.
   The fourth quarter opened up with a basket from Bill Lally. Roman had brought it to 4, but I still didn’t have the feeling. Probably because I’ve been disappointed before when my hopes were up with this team. Like last meeting at Philly U when they were up 11 the entire game only to finally blow it in OT. One of the biggest blunders down the stretch were the 2 blown free throws by Doodles. To me, they really sealed the deal on the game. Right after that came THE dunk. If you haven’t heard about it by now, I’ll do my best to explain it. Scoop is pushing up the ball, DJ is out on the left wing. Some how they get a connection, Scoop launches the oop from NBA 3 point range, right in front of the rim, where it is caught and slammed home reverse 2 handed by DJ. Alright so we’ve all seen a reverse dunks. Pretty cool right? But how bout this. DJ left for the oop with his back already facing the baseline. It was amazing how he felt the rim behind it and was able to convert. Sort of reminded me of the dunks I pull off on the 8 foot net in my backyard, off a sweet dish from my man Bernie. The best play of the year was followed by the funniest. DJ stole the ball and brought it the length of the court. He went up for a reverse, double pump, but was rim blocked. Roman ended the with a terrible fourth quarter. They only scored 4 points to Neumann’s 18. Couldn’t have pictured a rougher way to end the game . . .
   Research I did on my own but took from Paul Breen: 1. Roman has been put out of the playoffs the last 3 years by Neumann.(Tough luck though. I mean a coin flip? Come on!) 2. Roman hasn’t won a playoff basketball game in 4 or 5 years. As so kindly pointed out by Breen. He said "HAHA you guys are like Arch. Wood of the southern division." 3. ...Fill in your own here... pretty much any numbers to point out that they can’t close out a game!
  Shoutouts: First and only shout out goes to my CYO team, who made the championship after a win tonight against St. Anslems. Our Lady of Calvary has been a beast in region 1 since I was in 5th grade and it ain’t letting up anytime soon. Let's look at some facts: 8th won everything but lost in the State Finals to a team that was stacked (RJ Traszka Sr. Holy Ghost, Tom Manes Sr. Ryan, Jim Roche Sr. Ryan, Mike Varanavage Jr. Ryan, Dave Simolike Sr. GA, and someone named Joe Zeglinski??) Anyone who knows HS basketball will know these names. Except maybe Dave because he gave up b-ball for soccer, but I think he had the most potential. There’s a dynasty for you. But enough living in the past, more on tonight’s win. Calvary was led by Srs. Jon "Kobe" Bryant, Eddie "AI" Heuser and Bryan "Chimp" Wachter. Championship game Thursday night at St. Matt's. Tough loss for Anslem's. They are a really good team but couldn’t pull off the win tonight. Good games were turned in by Joe Dwame, Nick Pratico and last but not least because he bugged me all year for a shout out, Kyle Bernard.
  Other Notes: Not really sure what to think of "Jordan’s Fire Crew", as NG fan section was named. They had on their fire hats and hoses, and had a few " He’s on fire" chants. Was it funny, maybe, but I was sitting right in front of his entire family so it was weird, but I’m sure they all already know that he has red hair, or I hope so.

FEB. 18
   My recent report on the RC/AC game contained some incorrect information. I very much
regret the error and apologize to the player involved. That part of the report has been removed.
Thank you,
Steve Hosack

FEB. 11
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Roman 57, Carroll 42
   Roman came into tonight’s game with a record of 6-4 and was looking to silence any doubters and put to rest any doubts that they wouldn’t make the playoffs. Carroll opened up the game with a 3-2 zone, which focused on keeping the ball out of the paint, and in the hands of Bob Jordan, Bill Lally and Ray "Doodles" Sims. Roman’s guards were up to the task, as Jordan scored the first 5 points of the game. He finished with 12 points (3 of 8 from the field and 6 of 8 from the line) to go along with 4 assists. Dutch " Overrated" Gaitley and Eugene Adams did a good job of keeping Malik Perry in check. Perry had 3 points but brought down 6 rebounds. Dutch heard it all night from the Roman student section, who positioned themselves at the end of Carroll’s bench. Though they didn’t have a great amount of students, they did their part, under the leadership of "Big Den" Menardi, Mike McFarlane and countless other seniors like Joe Wiz, Ryan Murphy and Bob Spinks. Roman’s fans are probably the only members of the Dutch Gaitley fan club, and they showed it all night, chanting "We Want Dutch!", "Where is Dutch", and "Dutch is Garbage." All right, so maybe calling someone garbage wouldn’t put you in their fan club, but . . . Roman dominated the first half and the entire game. They went up 18 at halftime and 16 after three periods.
   In the fourth quarter could have blown the game open, but they chose to hold the ball, and keep the score down. If they wanted to, Jordan, Sims and Lally could each have had career highs. They were being guarded by John "Bill Lally broke my ankle last year in JV, but I still talk trash" Durante. Durante had a solid performance, with 3 points and just as many turnovers. While Roman’s guards paced their team to victory. Lally had 10 points on 2 of 5 shooting from behind the arc, and Sims had 7 points to go along with 6 assists. Sophomore Sensation Brad Wanamaker added 8 points and 5 rebounds. The highlight of the game came from Mike Ringgold. Ringgold took a pass from "Doodles" in transition and threw it down. The dunk brought the crowd to their feet, followed by a "You got dunked on" chant. Ringgold led all scorers with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Midway through the fourth quarter, Roman’s students began beckoning for Carroll’s girls team. They are nationally ranked, and according to some could beat the boys' team. I’m not sure about that but it would definitely be a close game. As time wound down, Roman’s section started chanting " This is boring", and with that cheer walked out of the gym with about 2 minutes left. If they waited it out, they could have seen fan favorite Dan DiBerardinis get some solid playing time.
   Research I did on my own: 1.) Lally, Jordan and Sims combined for more points (29) than Perry and Ringgold (18). This is the second time all year this happened and the first was against K-K, a game where Perry didn’t play (out for a suspension) and Ringgold had 20 points in very limited action. The guards combined for 21. 2.) Carroll’s Eugene Adams came into tonight’s game as their leading scorer. He was averaging 13.6 points but didn’t score his first point until there was 1:33 left and he finished with 1 point.
   Shoutouts: The first goes to Arch. Ryan’s girls team, who is in the #1 position in the CL north, after a 1 point victory over Arch. Wood. Ryan was led by LeighAnn Burke who had 17 points. She led Our Lady of Calvary to a State Championship my 8th grade year. In grade school I beat Burke on a daily basis (just thought I’d let everyone know). If she wants a rematch I ain’t scared. Next goes to Carroll’s mascot, who would get the award for the worst mascot ever! If there was one? I know it takes courage to get out there and do it, but he did the same thing the entire night. He paced up and down the base line, while making some crazy hand gestures, and trying to dance to the music. Every time I needed a laugh I could count on you, my man. The last shoutout goes to Sr. Ryan Murphy, who organized the purchasing of Student Section T-Shirts. It bring back memories of the Griffin 3:16 shirts. Thanks for the memories and if anyone has an extra Griffin 3:16 shirt and would like to give it to me, feel free to do so.

FEB. 2
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Neumann-Goretti 74, Roman 69 (OT)
   After I left Arcadia last night, I thought no game could top the Episcopal vs. Germantown game I had just seen. Tonight’s contest between Roman and the Saints of Neumann-Goretti was not so far behind, if not better. The level of play I saw tonight was only a notch below that of Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson. No offense to any of Roman's or Neumann's players, but those two players are on such a different level it's hard to compare. Neumann boasts 5 D-1 prospects to Roman’s 3 or 4.
   Tonight’s game got off on the right foot for Roman who grabbed all of the momentum en route to an early 6-0 lead. After battling back and forth, N-G took a one point advantage after back to back dunks by Earl Pettis and D.J. Rivera. Ray "Doodles" Sims nailed a 3 pointer as timed expired to boost the Cahillites lead to 5 after the first quarter. Sims finished with 12 points and 6 dimes. Roman came out charging in the second quarter and took a 27-17 lead behind a dunk from Brad Wanamaker and a 3 pointer from Bill Lally. Wanamaker was on a fast break, left from 2 or 3 feet behind the foul line and threw it down hard. And when I say hard I mean it as the whole place erupted. As good Brad’s dunk may have been it doesn’t come close to the dunk DJ threw down. Antonio "Scoop" Jardine brought the ball up to the top of the arc, lofted up a perfect oop which was received and thrown home emphatically by Rivera. D.J. left from outside the lane and went over a Roman guard, who shall remain nameless for his own ego’s sake, and powerfully slammed it home. Everyone went nuts, even Roman’s student section but they were excited about something else: the fact that Roman was still up 10, 29-19, as they quickly pointed out by chanting score board, which quieted the crowd. Roman was able to maintain a 4 point lead heading in to the locker rooms despite some questionable calls. How bout the one where Sims as punched in the face, fell to the ground but no whistle. Good no call by the refs? Or the walk they called on Sims, as he tried to stop and go up for a shot as Pettis was climbing over his back. Of course Doodles is going to slide, but maybe it wasn’t a walk, maybe it was because he had 6'5" 225 lb. Earl Pettis all over him. Wait, maybe 2 calls they just missed we’ll let it go, but how could they miss when Conor Kennedy changed his pivot foot, moving both feet around without dribbling. But it went both ways I’ll admit it as Brad got away with what looked like a self pass, and it looked as if Sims doubled dribbled, but no call so you won’t ever know.
   Roman didn’t let up in the third quarter either. They extended their 4 point advantage to 6 after three periods. This was due in large part to the play of Wanamaker and Mike Ringgold. Ringgold finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds, and if you ask me got the best of all three of their big men: Rick Jackson, David Burton and Phil Love. Burton, who is fresh off a one week suspension for an undisclosed reason, was in foul trouble early, and fouled out with 2:18 left in regulation. What happened next was no surprise to the Roman faithful. Roman blew a fourth quarter lead because they couldn’t make foul shots. Brad, who proved himself tonight as Roman’s go-to guy, socred 15 points, while adding 3 assists and 4 boards, and tried to carry Roman to victory by hitting shots down the stretch. Roman took the ball with 1:30 left and a tied score. They then held the ball until there was 13 seconds left, when Doodles drove the lane and threw up a shot which rimmed out. After a Saints timeout, Scoop drove the length of the court and threw up an off balanced runner which also rimmed out. We were now deadlocked at 59 at the end of 4 quarters. N-G took control of the extra period with quick scores from Pettis and Phil Love. Just when it looked like it was out of Roman’s reach Malik "Mad Hops" Perry sank 2 free throws. Followed up by a steal and a hard take. He was fouled on the attempt and missed the shot. At the line he again sank his foul shots and brought Roman within 2, but Neumann was determined not to let this one slip away, which was helped by Scoop, who hit 4 of 6 fouls shots in over time. Roman had a shot at it when they were down three with 13 seconds remaining. Bill Lally was in for this reason, but was overlooked as Bob Jordan took and missed the final shot.
   Other Notes: I was hoping to see Roy Williams, the head coach of UNC, in attendance tonight as he was at Arcadia the previous night. Last night I chickened out of talking to him, but could you blame me? I had a Duke shirt on. That could have been pretty awkward.  Tonights game was a "home" game for Roman.   Roman students get in to all home games for free.  Last time vs. Prep at Philly U all students got refunds if they got their tickets stamped.  Needless to say I was very upset when I learned there was no plans of refunding the students' $3.   Now it's not the money -- $3 was well worth it for tonight's game -- but why aren't we getting are money back?
   Shoutouts: The shoutout tonight goes to the fan from Neumann-Goretti who was getting in the faces of several female fans. It happened when Bob was at the line with Roman down a couple. I looked over and saw a large, grown man getting in the faces of several young girls, screaming and pointing at Jordan. I’ve seen some tough guys in my life but this guy could be the toughest. Nina Braceetta, Erica Fulforth and Julie Henry were not backing down at all. My money was on the girls.
   Research (ok I took this from Paul Breen but he's my boy and gave me permission) I did on my own: 1.) In a losing effort Ray "Doodles" Sims scored a career high 12 points in a CL contest. 2.) In Roman’s four loses in the CL they have been outscored 75-48 in the fourth quarter.

JAN. 28
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
SJ Prep 59, Roman 51
   This game had all the makings of a great one. How would Roman avenge an earlier loss to the Hawks? How would they deal with legendary coach William "Speedy" Morris, who has pretty much been Roman’s "Daddy"over the last several seasons (Yes Speedy had his patented blue sweater on, just like the last time they met). The trash talking had been going on for over a week. The fans were just as pumped as the players. And it showed throughout the game, as there were just as many battles in the stands as there was on the court.
   The game started off with Roman picking up an early lead off a monster fast break dunk by sensational So. Brad Wanamaker. Brad finished with 14 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. Roman owned the first quarter. The Prep burned a pair of early timeouts, one after the dunk and one after Roman went up 15-5. After each of the timeouts, the Prep answered with treys, one from Reggie Redding and one from Dave Stefanski. In the first half of this game, Roman was getting the better of the defenders inside the low post. Malik "Mad Hops" Perry had 8 points, 3 boards in the first half and the other force in the paint was Jr. Mike Ringgold. Ringgold finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds. He showed great presence and skill with the ball. He definitely improved his footwork but his foul shots and location under the basket need some improving. I think Roman could have taken this game if they just kept feeding the ball inside. Fr. Larry Loughery was in foul trouble and absent from the game for an extended period of time and Roman didn’t even try to take advantage. At one point Ringgold had 2 or 3 baskets in a row and didn’t touch the ball for the next several minutes. Could this make any less sense? As good as Redding may be, the Prep couldn’t handle the Cahillites in the low post and it showed. They had no chance of stopping Perry or Mike but Roman did, by not giving them the ball! Going into halftime, the score was deadlocked at 25 until Sr. Joe "No Left" Fox hit a 3 giving the Hawks a 3 point halftime lead. Roman and St. Joe’s battled back the third quarter with the Prep coming out with a 3 point lead. Early in the fourth quarter it looked like Roman could pull this one out after a pair of quick buckets by Wanamaker. But Reggie Redding proved to be too much as he hit big shot after big shot, none bigger than the wide open 3 he nailed to give St. Joe’s a 45-44 lead and all the momentum. They never let go of the lead although Roman came close several times and pulled it back to with 2 or 3. Loughery’s layup with 4 seconds remaining sealed the deal on their victory and sent Roman home.
   Other Notes: Alright, maybe I made to bold of a statement saying that we were taking over the Prep, I admit it, but I was just trying to get everyone into the game. Next up for the Cahillites are the Saints of Neumann- Goretti, Wednesday 7:30 at Philly U.
   Shoutouts: The one and only shout out goes to the guy who played the national anthem on the saxophone. Great job and SWEET MULLET!

JAN. 21
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 83, Kennedy-Kenrick 37
   No one came into tonight’s game expecting much of a game, and that's what they got. A rout of visiting Kennedy Kenrick, 83-37, by Roman Catholic. Roman was without Sr. Malik "Mad Hops" Perry, who was out serving a one game suspension for a scuffle he had Monday night at West Catholic. 6'6" Jr. Mike Ringgold, 6'0" Sr. Bob Jordan and 6'3" So. Bradley Wanamaker stepped up big time to boost the Cahillites. Ringgold saw limited action (less than half the game) and still ended up with 20 points and 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jordan and Wanamaker both added 14 points a piece to go along with 5 assists, 2 boards for Bob and 8 rebounds for Brad. K-K was not given much of a chance for a win today. They were demoralized by the fans and beat up on by the players. As Matt Moroz pointed out before the game, "They look like a bad High School CYO team." To be honest they played like it too. They were outscored by 17 in the first quarter and were trailing by 29 after the first half. In the first half, K-K scored 15, one more than Mike Ringgold who only played about 5 minutes in the half. While exiting at halftime some members of the student section told the Kenrick players "Don’t come back out", "Forfeit", and "Give up." I thought they actually did, because after the 10 minute halftime was up, K-K was nowhere to be found in the gym. They didn’t show up until a few minutes after the horn sounded. They really shouldn’t have. Things only got worse for the Wolverines who were outmatched, outplayed and dominated in every aspect of the game, who faced a 43-point deficit after the third period. At the end of the third quarter #25 Scott Marston from K-K had the ball at the top of the key with 10 seconds left. The students started chanting 4-3-2-1 and at 1, Marston shot the ball with his back facing the basket, over his head and over the backboard, only to find out there were really 4 seconds left. Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, including Marston, his whole team and his coach.
   The Roman faithful have been waiting all season for a monster dunk from big man Mike Ringgold. Maybe we’ve been spoiled with the likes of Eddie Griffin, Rasual Butler, Tamal Forchion and Brent Welton throwing down at Broad and Vine over the past decade. Most recently Charron Fisher (Niagra) who for 3 years dunked whenever and over whoever. We all got what we’ve wanted tonight, when Ringgold took a feed from Jr. Ray "Doodles" Sims (2 points, 9 assists) and went the length of the court for an enormous 2 handed slam . He followed the jam with good hustle to the other end of the court where he blocked the shot of Tim Bowman. Roman’s entire bench scored tonight led by a pair of 6'5" Jrs. Sean Joynes and Lonnie Perry who each had 8 points. Roman’s tandem of Sr. Guards Bill Lally and Bob Jordan shot a combined 7 for 14 from the field. Jordan opened up 4 for 4 from the field. Solid game for B.J. who has come out of his "slump" with 3 solid games in a row. Sr. Dan DiBerardinis scored the first 4 points of his varsity career tonight. What a performance he turned in tonight despite battling a severe illness.
   Roman looked very good tonight, but let's not kid ourselves: they played Kennedy-Kenrick. I could sit here and lie to you that K-K isn’t that bad, but they are. At least they were tonight.
   Shoutouts: As my man Jesus Christ once said, "Ask and thou’ shall receive." This is for everyone in the student section who started a chant, "HOSACK, we want shoutouts!" All I can say is look out next Friday when we take over at the Prep. Go Birds!

JAN. 17
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 57, West Catholic 50
   Tonight’s match up at the "Burr Dome" was a fight to the finish (literally). I’ll explain later on. The first quarter was tight and back and forth, until Sr. Bill Lally hit a 3 to go along with a pair of foul shots from Sr. Malik "Likky" Perry. Perry finished with 19 points, 6 boards, and 3 steals. The first half of this game was one to forget. West supplied the energy and pressure defense and Roman gladly had their share of turnovers, en route to a 1 point deficit at half. West played physical. They dominated Roman on the offensive boards to take a 1 point lead at half. Actually physical could be an understatement. On one play, West Catholic Jr. Roosevelt Ben wrestled Fr. Anthony King to the ground, and was surprised to learn that he had been called for a foul.
   The second half was much better. Roman came out energized and behind the great play of So. Bradley Wannamaker, who poured in 2 quick baskets, dished out 2 assists and added a huge block on the other end of the court. Brad finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. West’s Joe Askew added the highlight play of the night. Askew threw down a missed three point attempt by Anthony Lee. Perry and Jr. Mike Ringgold owned the paint on offense. Ringgold, who finished with 12 points and 6 boards, could have easily had 10 more but he blew a lot of shots down low. He needs to start taking the ball up stronger. Ringgold also had a hand in one of the biggest blunders I’ve ever seen. Jr. Ray "Doodles" Sims ( 2 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals) was on a fast break and took it strong to the hole. As his layup was on its way in the hoop, Ringgold rose up, grabbed the ball and attempted to slam it home. I know he was just being aggressive, anticipating a miss, but please wait until the ball comes off the rim or else its goal tending big guy. Sr. Bob Jordan’s three foul shots down the stretch kept the game out of reach for West, but the game was far from over. With around :20 seconds left and the game already over a brawl erupted. Who and why it started I’m not sure, but I can guess that it was more than likely due to trash talking, between Perry and Sr. Derrell Hand. All I saw was Perry and Hand going at it like a 12 round championship fight, and that led to some spectators getting involved. After it was separated and both fighters went to their corners. The refs and head coaches met at center court. The atmosphere was crazy, the house was rocking, until West head coach Bill Ludlow took control. He ordered everyone in their seats so the game could finish. I don’t know why they didn’t just call the game. 15 seconds left and west down 7, why risk anything else. This fight put a dark cloud over a terrific, hard fought game. Everyone has to wait and see if there will be any punishments handed out beyond the ejections given to Perry and Hand.
   Shout Outs: First goes to my man Dan Hoban, "The voice of the Cahillites", head golf coach, and stat man for Roman, who helped me out with stats and info throughout the game. Next goes Ryan Sr. Jim Roche, who in the midst of an all- Catholic worthy season learned that his days of playing could be over. He broke a couple bones in his foot and could be out the remainder of the year. What a rough way to end your career., but I hope he comes back to lead the Raiders to a CL North title.

JAN. 14
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 63, Carroll 38
   Tonight’s much anticipated Catholic League South contest was the home opener for Roman at the legendary third floor gym. Although Carroll isn’t the best team in the league, this game is always a big one for Roman. Some players and many students have ties with players and students at Carroll, so bragging rights were on the line. There were two questions entering this game: How would Sr. Bob Jordan come off a rough first two games? And would Malik "Likky" Perry and Mike Ringgold be able to handle 6'9" Sr. Dutch "Overrated" Gaitley? Dutch was held in check tonight due to superb defense from Perry and Fr. Anthony King and Roman’s student section who had a field day on big Dutch.
   Roman took control of the game early with pressure defense from the whole team and down-low scoring from Mike Ringgold, who finished with 10 points, 9 boards, 1 block, 2 steals and numerous hustle plays that set the tone for Roman. Carroll was held just 8 points in the first quarter and 19 in the half. One of the best plays in the first half came when Malik Perry rose up and denied Anthony Watson, who clung on to the ball and was sent to the ground. Perry finished strong pouring in 17 points, 7 of which came at the foul line (7-10 at the line) , a place that has haunted him this year, to go along with 7 rebounds. Roman came out flat after halftime and saw their 14 point lead diminish quickly to being up only 6. They failed to score in the first 4+ minutes of the third quarter. Bob Jordan, who was labeled as the most overrated player in the league, hit a huge 3 off a pass from Ray "Doodles" Sims to extend their lead to 9, killing the momentum of Carroll. Jordan should have silenced his critics tonight; nothing amazing but he finished with 8 points (2-4 from trey), 1 board, 5 assists and only 1 turnover. Roman picked up the pace and the pressure to go back up by double- digits, on the way to their 25 point victory. Roman got contributions from Sr. Bill Lally (7 points 5 assists) and Freshman Anthony King (7 points and 6 boards). King looked promising in his first varsity action. He filled in well for Perry, when he needed a break, and he looks like he could be one of the better youngsters in the league. Leading the way for Carroll in a losing effort was Eugene Adams (10 points) and Dutch Gaitley (9 points, 8 boards). The game ended with a pair of blown dunk attempts by twins Bradley (6 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal) and Brian Wanamaker.
   Best Chant: Tonight there was definitely a tie for best chant. As Carroll was taking the court before the game, they were greeted with much love from the students who scream "We want your varsity team, not the JV." Oh, wait it was the Varsity. Could you tell the difference? Second best came after a technical foul on one of Carroll’s assistant coaches, when they started chanting "Get a tissue" and "Please stop crying." That was directed at their head coach, who was pleading his case to the ref. He couldn’t even keep a straight face.
   Shout Out: To Srs. Mike McFarlane and "Big Den" Menardi who did a good job leading the rowdy crowd tonight, capped off by a Randy Moss like mooning gesture and dance by McFarlane.

JAN. 4
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 57, Roman 50
   Roman fell to Speedy Morris and the Prep tonight, for what feels like the 100th straight time (actually only 4 in a row Roman beat Prep on Jan.12 65- 59), in front of a packed house at Philly U. Thinking I wasn’t going to be able to get seats, I arrived a solid 55 minutes early only to be greeted by a somewhat empty gym. But anyway, when the game finally got started I got a good taste of what the night was going to be like. St. Joe’s opened up in a zone defense that was one step ahead of Roman’s offense. Early on it was tough for Roman to get open looks, but Bobby Jordan got a clean look at a 3 pointer and nailed it. It however, didn’t phase the Hawks as they came back with even tougher defense. Their match up zone held Sr. SG Bill Lally to just three attempts from beyond the arc. Lally did a great job early and often in the game of creating his own shots of the dribble, pouring in 10 points to go along with 3 boards. Prep’s big men, Reggie "Whole Team" Redding and Larry Loughery did a good job shutting down Malik "Mad Hops" Perry, holding him scoreless in the first half. Also hampering Perry were the 2 quick fouls he picked up early in the first quarter. The first quarter ended in a scurry, with Ray "Doodles" Sims sinking 2 foul shots after time had expired to tie it up at 13. Sims finished the game with modest numbers 3 points, 3 boards and 5 assists. The Cahillites battled through foul trouble and poor shooting during the entire second quarter. Anyone who left the gym at half to grab something to eat or just stretch missed the greatest half-time performance since last year’s Super Bowl. I give the Roman cheerleaders credit for trying and surely working hard, but when your tape stops in the middle of the song and everyone on your team stops and laughs you have to realize that its time to go back to being pretty faces on the sidelines. But again I give them credit, they stopped, re-grouped and pulled it together for an amazing performance not soon to be forgotten. When the second half started it seemed as if Roman wanted to win, they began seeing open shots and working the ball down low. Jr. C Mike Ringgold and Malik Perry opened the third period with a bang and several quick baskets leading to a pair of Speedy Morris timeouts. As soon as Roman had a tiny lead and looked like they were going to pull away with it, cheap fouls plagued the Cahillites. With Lally on the bench Sophomore sensation Brad Wanamaker (8 points, 5 boards) picked up two or three lazy fouls in route to fouling out early in the fourth. Roman’s cheap fouls, and yes cheap calls by the officials, gave the game to the Prep, who gladly took it behind a solid outing from Jr. Reggie Redding 20 points, Joe Fox 12 points and Corey O’ Rourke 14 points. Fox did a nice job all night running the offense and keeping the Hawks in the game. Though they might not have as much talent on the floor every time they play, the Hawks certainly have a mastermind on the bench in William "Speedy" Morris who guided the Hawks past his alma mater, Roman Catholic. Roman leaves this game hanging their heads only to have the pleasure play an even more talented opponent Friday night, the Saints of Neumann- Goretti. Hopefully Roman can get-er-done.
   Shoutouts: Tonight my shout out goes to the Roman student section who made themselves known early in the game but had no affect on the outcome -- better luck next time. Especially Roman Sr. Joe McGarrity who sported a blue sweater to match that of Speedy. But did anyone even notice?

JAN. 4
CATHOLIC SOUTH PREVIEW
Roman Catholic
   Under the leadership of head coach Dennis Seddon, Roman is poised and ready to make a run at the Catholic League crown that has eluded them since 2000. Seniors Bob Jordan, Malik "Mad Hops" Perry, and Bill Lally hold the Cahillites hopes in their hands, along with Jrs. Mike Ringgold and Ray "Doodles" Sims. Perry and Ringgold will handle the majority of the scoring, as Roman starts their quest for the title. This could be Roman’s year with solid play inside the paint and beyond the arc with the ever present long ball threat from Jordan or Lally. A good start for Roman in their first 2 regular season games 1/4 vs Prep and 1/7 vs Neumann-Goretti could get them rolling to the championship game, where they will likely meet either of these two teams.
Neumann-Goretti
   After disappointing stints in the playoffs the past two seasons, Neumann- Goretti, is ready to challenge all comers for the title. They come into the season as the favorites to win, ranked first in Southeastern PA after a win over nationally ranked Mt.Zion (NC). The strength of the Saints would be their amazing depth. Don’t be shocked it all 5 starters average double- digits. Coach Carl Arrigale must like his chances this year with a team that returns almost the whole team, minus Tabby Cunningham ( LaSalle). Among those are Sr. David Burton, So. Antonio "Scoop" Jardine, and Jrs. Earl Pettis and Derrick "D.J." Rivera. Although the scoring will be distributed, look for "DJ" Rivera and Jardine to take the helm of the offense. Look out for the Roman vs Neumann- Goretti games on Jan. 7 and 31. They could be a foreshadowing of the Catholic League Champ.
St. Joseph's Prep
   This could be a rebuilding year after a pair of Catholic League championships. I use the term rebuilding year loosely because any team with Speedy Morris as coach could be a contender. Also they return one of, if not the best player in the CL in Reggie Redding. Redding looks like he will have to put the Hawks on his shoulders if they have any chance of making it a three-peat. Redding along with fellow Jr. Dave Stefanski and Sr. Corey O’ Rourke will lead Speedy’s squad into battle against the perennial powerhouses, Roman and Neumann- Goretti. If Prep has any chance, they need to put tons of points on the board because their defense might not be enough to stop the likes of Malik " Mad Hops" Perry and "DJ" Rivera.
Other Teams to Watch
   The fourth and final playoff spot, like every year is totally up for grabs. Its hard to say who is the front runner to loose to the top finisher in the league. Bonner, West, Carroll and O’Hara all could make runs for the spot.
First Team Preseason
Bob Jordan
Derrick Rivera
Reggie Redding
Malik Perry
Antonio Jardine
Second Team Preseason
Ray Sims
Derrick Graff
Dave Burton
Earl Pettis
Mike Ringgold

DEC. 10
NON-LEAGUE
Roman 63, Judge 36
   This game was a showdown between two legendary coaches, Bill Fox of Judge and Dennis Seddon of Roman Catholic. Seddon came out on top of the coaching war tonight, with Roman shattering Judge, 63 -36. Tonight’s non league affair between the Cahillites of Roman Catholic and the Crusaders of Father Judge was your typical Catholic League North game. Relatively low scoring (Judge only scored 36 points) and lots of hard nose, tough defense for both teams. As close as it may have seemed at times, Judge was never really in the game, despite the best efforts of  6'4" Jr. Forward Arthur Livingston, who pulled down several boards to go along with 10 points. Livingston, along with Sr. Center Mike Brisella, did a good job of keeping Malik "Mad Hops" Perry quiet in the first half. Roman’s 6'4" Sr. Forward held it together, finishing with 15 points (3-4 from the line), 5 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal. He was kept off the boards in the first half only pulling down 1 rebound. 6'6" Jr. Forward/ Center Mike Ringgold had a solid game at both ends of the court. Ringgold rose up early in the first quarter to emphatically pin a Chris Swartz layup attempt, only to blow a layup at the other end off a nice feed from Raymond "Doodles" Sims. Ringgold finished with 11 points, 6 boards, 1 assist and 2 blocks. Sr. Guard Bobby "Redz" Jordan was impressive in his first game back after knee surgery. Jordan along with "Doodles" handled the ball exceptionally well against Judge’s pressure defense. "Redz" ended up with 10 points (1-4 3 pointers, 7-8 from the line), 2 boards, 6 assists and 1 steal to go along with Sims’ 3 boards, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Sr. Shooting guard Bill Lally was "money" from behind the arc, sinking 4 of 7 attempts for 12 points. Judge attempted to control the tempo of the game by holding the ball for extended periods of time. They held the ball twice in the fourth quarter for over 45 seconds without producing a single point. Sophomore sensation Bradley Wannamaker put up more impressive numbers across the books: 7 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. Only a soph., Brad poses a threat to be one of the top players in the league over the next couple years. Roman’s reserves were led by Sr. Guard Danny DiBernadinis who had 1 board and 1 assist, which went to big man Mark Reeves who recorded 3 points, 1 board and 1 steal. Roman was much improved at the foul line tonight, shooting 16 of 23.
   Shout Outs: First shout outs of the season go to Roman’s Varsity Ice Hockey team, champions 2 of the last 3 years, who defeated rival McDevitt 4-3 on Thursday. They were led by senior assistant captain Matt Moroz who had 2 goals and 2 assists. Second goes to somewhat of a Roman student section, which outshone the Judge fans. Pretty bad for Judge, which had a large number of students there but was unorganized.

DEC. 3
PHILA. HOOPS TOURNEY SEMIFINAL
Roman 73, North Catholic 57
   Roman, despite the absence of senior guard and team leader, Bobby Jordan, took care of North Catholic. Although the Cahillites struggled from the line, shooting just 33% (6-18), they were able to keep the Falcons out of reach. Adding to the misery at the foul line was Roman’s 6'4" Sr. forward Malik "Mad Hops" Perry who converted just one of his nine attempts from the free-throw line. Roman relied early and often on the low post presence of Perry, who poured in a game high 29 points to go along with 15 rebounds. After a fairly steady first quarter, North opened the second quarter with 2 quick threes from 6'3" So. Andrew Pomager who stood out as a star on a fairly average North squad. Roman coach Dennis Seddon took a time out to try and calm everything down but his efforts were futile as North rolled to an 11-0 run early in the second. Seddon again took a time out after a blown oop attempt from Sr. guard Bill Lally to Malik Perry. Following this timeout came a strange technical foul on North for putting an incorrect number in the book for a player (Hockey Puck admits to messing up; he listed the player's practice jersey number). Seddon’s message must have gotten through this time as Roman picked up the intensity. The tone of the game was set by the outstanding hustle of So. twins Bradley and Brian Wanamaker, who harassed the Falcon’s guards all night long. Brian was all over the court causing turnovers, picking up 4 steals to go along with 2 points, 3 boards, and 4 assists. Brother Bradley contributed with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. After North controlled the early stages of the second quarter, Roman got a couple quick baskets from Perry and 6'6" Jr. transfer Mike Ringgold. Ringgold as a bit shaky in his first start at Roman, blowing a wide open lay-up and missing everything on an open jumper from the elbow. He battled back to finish with 15 points and 3 rebounds. Sr. sharpshooter Bill Lally couldn’t find his shot tonight, shooting just 3 of 9 from beyond the arc, however he made 2 huge three pointers to tie up the game, midway through the second period. Lally held it together throughout the game to finish with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. The best play of the night shifted the momentum to Roman’s side when Perry flew from seemingly nowhere engulfing the three point attempt from North’s Jason Mendez, sending it into the bleachers with a pounding thud that silenced an already quiet cheering section. More sloppy play from Roman gave the Falcons a 36-34 lead at the half. North was led by Pomager, who scored all of his 14 points in the first half, also pulled down 10 rebounds and guard Nate Edwards who, despite 7 turnovers, played a good, solid game, finishing with 10 points. Roman outscored the Falcons 20-10 in the third quarter in large part due to the tenacity of 5'8" Jr. guard Raymond "Doodles" Sims. Doodles had 2 points, 3 boards and 10 assists and controlled the offensive tempo for Roman. He showed that he isn’t just a leader on the offensive side of the ball but also plays great defense. He was "in the pocket" of every North guard all night. Jeremy Coombs, a 6'6" Sr. center, was owned by a more athletic and talented pair of big men in Ringgold and Perry. Malik Perry's dunk with 2:37 left in the game sealed the deal on a game that Roman had a strong hold of throughout the second half. Roman easily finished the game, which ended in a score of 73-57. Roman earned the right to play Germantown Academy who defeated Wissahickon. This is set to be show down between the high rising Perry and GA’s 6'11" Jr. center, Andrew Ott.
    On the Side: In the house for tonight’s games were ex-La Salle coach Billy Hahn and Randy Ayers, former Sixers coach and father of Germantown Academy play Ryan. I’d also like to thank the guy that was giving out the free t-shirts. Lastly I was just wondering if anyone knows what happened to a Roman student section tonight. There wasn’t one chant all night except from some kid across the court who felt it was necessary to yell something during every foul shot. (It wasn’t).