Huck's Corner Return to TedSilary.com Home Page     Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal. Puck is not even close. Huck owns Puck when it comes to making picks during FB season -- smile). He will make reports on games he sees.     You may contact him at TEDDYCAT10@aol.com.

DEC. 30
WEST CATHOLIC HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT (Finals)
West Catholic 58, McDevitt 44
     What a tale of two halves! In the first half the teams raced up and down the court and this produced some free-spirited hoops. There were lots of fast breaks and nice finishes that kept the crowd entertained. I guess that a second half repeat of the first half was too much to ask. Things just got slower, and slower, and slower as the third quarter wore on. Stop! Let’s go back to half number one before I fall asleep. The teams were tied 19-19 after one quarter. They had combined to shoot 16-for-36 in that opening quarter, by no means an earth-shattering percentage, but still there was plenty of excitement to be had. In the second quarter the Burrs (7-4) continued with this pace, but the Lancers (6-4) struggled mightily with turnovers. Led by a couple of one-handed slams by sr. 6-2 F Joe Askew and a deep left-wing trey by frosh. 6-2 Eric Brennan at the buzzer, the Burrs went into the intermission with a comfortable 39-26 lead. The third quarter saw McDevitt cut into the West lead as the trailed by just seven entering the final quarter. However, the pace was greatly reduced. The Lancers went into a sagging three-two zone, and just allowed the Burrs to hold the ball on the perimeter. In fact, West held the ball for the final minute and a half of that third quarter. Statmen all around were beginning to get restless. I really couldn’t blame West since they had the lead, but what was McDevitt thinking? It was more of the same in the early stages of the fourth quarter, and by the time the Lancers got out of the zone it was too late. You couldn’t help but wonder if the stagnant defense led to Lancer miseries on offense. They shot just 2-for-13 in the final quarter and scored just five points. Askew was awarded the MVP of tournament, and finished with 16 points (8-for-12 FG’s), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. This kid continues to demonstrate serious hops and had three breakaway stuffs tonight. Sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand had his best offensive game of the year with 15 points. He finished 7-for-9 from the field, with nearly all of his made shots coming from in close. He also added 6 rebounds. Sr. F Maurice Denton was the other Burr to be named to the All-Tourney team and he finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Brennan scored eight of his ten points in that control-taking second quarter. He connected on 2-of-3 from distance and also added 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. Jr. WG Chris Mayo hustled for 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Early on sr. PG Anthony Lee was nearly put on crutches after a couple of ankle-breaking moves by McDevitt’s sr. PG Greg Stitt. However, he later recovered and did a nice job in containing the ultra-quick Stitt by twice stealing the ball right out of his hands and also by drawing a charge. He finished the game with four steals. As for the Lancers their leader was Stitt (All-Tourney) who scored 14 points, but shot just 5-for-15. He also added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a couple of steals. Like I mentioned this kid is lightning-quick and can go either way with the ball, but he does exhibit a little too much one-on-one in his game. As it turns out this kind of rubbed off on a few other Lancers and running a set offense was rarely prevalent. Still, this Lancer club does have some athleticism and grit, and if they can compete more as a team they may be able to create a little havoc in the CL North. The only other Lancer in double figures was sr. WG Rich Womack (4 rebs, 3 steals), who finished with 11 points. Womack showed a nice ability to slash along the baseline on a few occasions. Again I left impressed with sr. 6-6 F Leroi Taylor, who came off the bench to contribute 9 points, 9 rebounds (7 offensive), and 2 blocks. This kid is raw, but is also long and athletic. D-3’s should give him a look-see for his best days appear to be ahead. The Lancers will be without Head Coach Jack Rutter for the remainder of the season as he recovers from surgery; Sean Ryan is running the team in Jack's absence. I received an e-mail the other day from Coach Rutter informing me of this and he seems, like always, to be in good spirits. On behalf of all of us on this website we wish Jack nothing but the best. Here’s to a safe and healthy New Year, Coach Rutter!

DEC. 29
WEST CATHOLIC HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT (SEMI)
McDevitt 81, Wyncote 24
     The Lancers (6-3) aren’t exactly a giant from the CL North, but they sure played that role tonight in the first game of this holiday tournament played at West Catholic. To say that Wyncote (1-6) was overmatched is putting it lightly. The tiny school from the Cheltenham area had only seven players dressed. Two of these players donned different uniforms and looked like they were just grabbed off a CYO team to fill up the roster. In fact, one was actually an eighth grader. Even though the score may indicate otherwise the Lancers did their best to not totally go out and embarrass their opponent. Believe me when I tell you, if McDevitt had wanted to they could have scored 50 more points. The Lancers had ten players dressed and all played and contributed. In fact, every player scored and had at least one rebound, assist, and steal, except for one player who did not get an assist. Seven Lancers scored eight points or more. Leading the way was sr. 6-3 WG Richard Womack, who scored 22 points in just 17 minutes. He showed nice form on his shot from behind the arc and connected on 4-of-9 from distance. He also added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals. Sr. 6-3 F Andrew Crawford (4 rebs, 2 asst.) and sr. 6-6 C Leroi Taylor each scored 10 points. Taylor is long and appears to still be a project, but he did demonstrate good feet and soft hands on a few occasions. He was active and added 10 rebounds and 4 steals. Usual headliner sr. PG Greg Stitt took a back seat in this one, but still accounted for 8 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He made a couple of nice no-look dishes. Sr. CG Steve Merlini shot 4-for-5 for his 8 points, and also added 3 apiece of rebounds, assists, and steals. He is as gritty on the hardwood as he is on the gridiron. Jr. PG Tom Maha, also a Lancer football player connect on all four of his shot for 9 points, he also added 4 assists. During the last few football seasons I got to see each of these kids often and have had some contact with them through e-mail. It was good to actually meet them in person. Another Lancer football player, sr. F John Gorman, powered home 8 points from the low block and grabbed 7 rebounds. Remaining reserves jr. F Tom Clark (4 rebounds), jr. F Trevor Lee (8 rebounds), and sr. WG Terrel Norton (4 rebounds) all contributed and hustled. The Lancers were able to get off 72 shots in this baby, connecting on 36 of them. The game actually moved along quickly as the teams combined on just 11 personal fouls. Wyncote was a woeful 2-for-25 from behind the arc, including three ceiling balls. Those were balls that hit the low ceiling in the Burrs’ gym.

DEC. 29
WEST CATHOLIC HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT (SEMI)
West Catholic 72, Mercy Vocational 41
     Well, I wish I could tell you that the nightcap was much more competitive than the opener, but as you can see from the score that was hardly the case. The Burrs (6-4) stormed out to a 48-16 halftime advantage and then put it on cruise control thereafter. All ten of the Burrs who were dressed played at least 13 minutes, except sr. G Anthony Mungin who managed just 8 minutes of playing time only because he was disqualified on fouls in ultra-quick fashion. Record fashion? Not exactly, because the Monarchs (6-3) sr. F Shannon Taylor fouled-out late in the second quarter in only seven minutes of playing time. For those of you keeping score at home that’s one foul for every 1-minute and 24-seconds. Now, that’s being active! Apparently, Mercy must have a rule that if you foul out before halftime, then you don’t have to sit with the team for the rest of the game. Taylor was spotted on the stairs during the second half enjoying a hot dog. Only in the VOC! Now for the game, the Burrs got balanced scoring with three individuals reaching double-digits. Sr. F Maurice Denton shot 5-for-7 from the field and scored 12 points. He also swept 10 rebounds, made 3 steals, and added 3 assists. Sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand also scored 12 points, while adding 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists. The third Burr to reach double-figure scoring was sr. F Joe Askew who had 11 points (4-for-6 FG’s). He was active throughout and added 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Askew over the last couple of games has made a habit of providing some highlight-level jams. Tonight was no different, as twice he soared to basket-level heights. The second one was downright nasty as he jammed right over a Monarch defender while drawing a foul. A few moments later that same defender left the game and I overheard him say with a rather wide grin on his face, “Damn, I got dunked on.” Sr. PG Anthony Lee didn’t score (Took only 1 shot), but chipped in with 3 steals and 3 assists. Sr. WG Chris Mayo added 6 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Sr. G Antonio Banks finished with a nice stat line of 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. Frosh. CG Eric Brennan added 6 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. Seeing his first action of the year was sr. G Will Austin. He added 8 points and 7 rebounds. In hopes of not allowing the score to get way, way out of hand the Burrs offense featured a few wrinkles in the second half. During the third quarter the Burrs were only allowed to shoot after they had made at least five-to eight passes beforehand. Then, for the first six minutes of the fourth quarter no Burr was allowed to shoot except jr. 6-5 F Roosevelt Ben. Big Roes was slightly off and connected on just 2-of-10 during the final quarter. He did add four rebounds. It appeared to me that head Coach Bill Ludlow was just trying to give the kid some confidence. He doesn’t look all that bad when shooting it, but it all starts with believing that the ball is going to go in. Far too many times I thought I saw him shoot and then begin to chase after the rebound almost immediately. For now on, I would just concentrate on catching the ball, facing up to the basket, and then letting the shot flow. Do this, and let’s see what happens. Here’s a stat only Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino could love. From the second quarter on Mercy attempted 38 shots, 29 of them were from behind the arc. There are going to be some sore shoulders on that Monarch bench for tomorrow’s consolation game. West will take on McDevitt at approximately 6:30 tomorrow night in the final of the tournament.

DEC. 27
NON-LEAGUE
Conestoga 66, West Catholic 62 (OT)
   The Burrs (5-4) trailed 50-37 entering the fourth quarter and appeared to be left for dead by a solid Pioneer (8-3) club. However, they scratched and clawed their way back and used an 8-0 run to end the fourth quarter to draw even. They even had a chance to win the game on their last possession. West started the possession with :14 seconds left, but as the clock ran down jr. WG Chris Mayo had to launch an NBA-distance trey from the deep left wing. The shot was long and the horn sounded before anyone could occupy the rebound. The Burrs could not muster any offense in the overtime and went 0-for-7 from the field. Conestoga iced the game with two free throws with :04 seconds left in the extra session. West did a nice job to up-tempo the game in the final quarter, thus creating havoc and easy opportunities. For the game they forced 23 Pioneer turnovers. The Achilles heel for West was again poor foul shooting. They converted just 17-of-30 chances from the charity stripe, while Conestoga connected on 16-of-21. Sr. 6-2 F Maurice Denton paced the Burrs with 16 points and 9 rebounds. As usual he did much of his damage within three feet of the basket. He shot 6-for-9 from the field, but struggled mightily from the line going just 4-for-11. Mayo (11 pts) did a nice job filling up the stat sheet, but was a woeful 2-for-16 from the field (0-for-6, 3’s). He did contribute 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. Sr. F 6-4 Derrell Hand also scored 11 points, including 7 clutch points during the fourth quarter comeback. He also added 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Sr. F Joe Askew (11 pts) was quiet for much of the night. However, he did supply a couple of the more athletic plays of the game. Early on after a steal he took an outlet pass and wolfed down a one-handed slam. Later on, with about a minute to play in regulation, he made a steal around mid-court. He then sprinted in for a crowd-raising two-handed slam, complete with a slap of the backboard afterwards. Very nice! The play drew the Burrs within two. He then connected on a couple of free throws to knot the game shortly thereafter, but like I mentioned he was quiet for major chunks in between the two slams. The Pioneers had some nice players including sr. 6-4 F Josh Cohen, who starred for their state-playoff and Central League champion football team at QB. Tonight he proved he could be effective on the hardwood as well with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He is a very heady player. Sweet-shooting sr. 6-3 WG Ryan Fitzpatrick drilled a trio of threes for his game-high 18 points. Jr. 6-4 F Matt Fazzini was next with 17 points and supplied the game-sealing free throws in the end.

DEC. 23
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 68, American Christian School 66
     After a nip-and-tuck first half West looked like they were about to win going away after a 23-11 third quarter. During the quarter the Burrs pushed their lead out to fourteen points, and were scoring with rather ease against ACS’s token press. However, during the final quarter ACS brought their pressure up a few notches with an in-your-pants pressing defense. This, along with some complacency from the Burrs allowed ACS to get back in the game. Another factor was that West was woeful from the free throw line in the final stages. They missed their last seven attempts before sr. PG Anthony Lee connected on the second of his two shots with 7.9 seconds left. On ACS’s last possession freshman sensation 6-4 CG Tyreke Evans dribbled the length of the court and missed a running shot to the right of the basket. West sr. F Maurice Denton secured the rebound as the horn sounded. It’s not too often I get out see a Pub game, Ohhh—Wait a minute this wasn’t the Pub, but it certainly had that Pubish feel to it. The game was played at the Tri-States Complex in Aston and during the second half an elementary school game was being played on the court directly next to this game. Well, let’s just say that half #2 featured a plethora of whistles and horns. I couldn’t tell where they were coming from, and it’s amazing it didn’t affect the players more than it did. On top of that we had our share of sideline antics, with a few clusters of rooters hanging on the court and directing comments at the players. It didn’t get too ugly, but it definitely had me reminiscing of times spent at Mansion, Franklin, Southern, etc. The Burrs received solid performances from a few players. After missing a few chippies early sr. 6-2 F Joe Askew played extremely well. He finished with 19 points (8-for-15 FG’s) and 10 rebounds. Twice, he missed on slams on what would have been of the highlight variety. On the first one he actually attempted to go over two ACS players while receiving a pass on a break. The ball caromed off the back of the rim, drawing oohs and aahs from many. Despite the miss it was still very impressive. He actually packed 15 of his points into the second half. In my opinion D-3’s should be eyeballing him. He is undersized and needs to improve his perimeter game, but does possess serious athleticism and has a young looking face so additional growth is a possibility. Also putting in a workmanlike effort was Denton who also garnered 19 points with an efficient 8-for-10 shooting performance. He had some nice finishes around the basket, and also contributed 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Both sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand and jr. WG Chris Mayo fouled out, but each put up 8 points and 8 rebounds before doing so. Hand scored a few baskets on the block with a couple of nice moves. In my opinion, this is where he needs to be more often. He needs to realize that his strong and wide body is better served in the paint blasting people. He does have good feet and soft hands, so he could do damage down there. However, it’s when he finds himself on the perimeter, over-handling the ball that gets him in trouble. If possible, he needs to get hold of a game tape of his brother, former FLC star Faron “Meatball” Hand. The elder Hand would had 20-point, 20-rebound outing in a game like this when he played. Derrell, -- give me a little less finesse and some more bully. It will be better for your team as well as yourself. Getting his first varsity start was freshman 6-2 CG Eric Brennan. He had some rough moments, a few turnovers and missed freebies down the stretch, but for the most part did some nice things. He finished with only 4 points, but did end the game with an impressive 8 rebounds and 6 assists. This kid already has very good vision and nice shooting touch. I commented to Head Coach Bill Ludlow after the game that in my opinion, in terms of basketball IQ, he is the most advanced freshman the West program has had since I’ve been with them. He agreed completely. In the team stat department we had a case of the good and bad for the Burrs. The good—28-for-56 (50%) FG’s, 18 assists, and a 46-to-26 rebounding advantage. The bad—12-for-24 (50%) FT’s and 22 turnovers. ACS isn’t a team we cover, but I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about a couple of their players. Both are freshman, one will be a serious big-timer and the other should also have D-1 scouts drooling over him as well. First, there is Evans, already widely considered a Top 5 freshman in the country. This kid has the look and is supremely talented. Tonight he finished with 28 points (all came after 1st quarter), 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He shot 9-for-20 (4-for-10, 3’s) from the field and 6-of-7 from the line. A couple of his threes were from NBA range. He ran the point much of the night, and I’m not sure this is his natural position, but it is certainly not out of the question. Another thing I liked about this kid was his court demeanor, rarely did his expression change. He seemed to play very much within himself, and he never gave off a ‘me’ or selfish attitude. I was impressed with this because it appears that he has quite the entourage following him already. Many of the sideline antics came from this crew. Let’s just hope these MEN keep the best interests of this future star in mind. The other much-heralded freshman is 6-5 F Nasir Robinson who already has a blacksmith-like body. He shot 8-for-11 and scored 18 points, while adding 8 rebounds and 3 steals. The sky is also the limit for this youngster. If I had two concerns with these young talents it would be the level of coaching and how much discipline they will learn while playing at such a small school.

DEC. 22
NON-LEAGUE
Bonner 62, Penn Wood 44
     The Friars (7-1) continue to play well and impress in the early portion of the season. Tonight, they seized control early and never really allowed the Patriots to threaten, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout. They were led by the rapidly improving sr. 6-9 C Derrick Graff, who dominated the paint on his way to the triple-double. He finished with 14 points (6-for-13 FG’s), 17 rebounds (15 defensive), and 10 blocks. On a few occasions he just totally engulfed Penn Wood players who tried to challenge him. Early on it appeared that Graff was going to struggle somewhat. He missed a couple of in-close shots that in the past would have sent him into a loss-of-confidence mode. However, he kept plugging away and in the end turned in a remarkable performance. This kid has been a work-in-progress for a couple of years, but it appears that all the hard work is starting show in the coming of age of this kid. Also, not to go unnoticed was the fact that he drained a trey, and actually attempted four in the game. Now, I’m not sure that Head Coach Jim Welde wants him constantly jacking threes, but he didn’t look bad shooting them either. Over a decade a go the Patriots (2-5) had a super talent and All-State performer in Rap Curry, who later went on to have a super career at St. Joe’s University. Well, Curry is now the Head Coach of Penn Wood, and even though he doesn’t have a player quite the caliber of himself on his own team, he did get a chance to see one who could be mentioned in that same breath on the opposing team. Bonner’s soph. 6-3 CG Jeff Jones has all of the tools to be a special player. He is long, quick, and adept at getting into the paint for quality looks. Tonight, he quietly notched 23 points (6-for-12 FG’s), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot a steamy 11-for-11 at the charity stripe. There is much to like about this kid, and as long as he continues to improve he should be one of the premier players in the Catholic League by the time he is a senior. The Friars got some nice production from a few other players as well. Soph. 6-4 F Tim Vanderslice chipped in with 8 points and 8 rebounds. I really liked the play of jr. 6-3 F Steve Wheatley, who came off the bench and gave a ton of effort and hustle. He finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Jr. 6-6 F Brian Campuzano scored six inside points to aid the cause. Sr. PG Mike Heppler (3 assists) did commit some turnovers, but had to fight off constant Patriot pressure throughout and hung in there admirably. After seeing the Friars for a second time there is much to like. As long as Graf can stay consistent and stay on the court they should be a tough out for most teams. My two concerns still remain depth and how well they can handle pressure defense. For now, they seem to be doing just fine and are one of the early season surprises around the city. Some interesting stats in the game were that Penn Wood only turned the ball over nine times. They didn’t shoot too many threes, but did connect on three of five. However, overall they shot just 16-for-68 (23.5%) from the field. It’s nice to take care of the ball, but occasionally you would like to see a few go through the nets. For the Patriots, PG Shawn Johnson had a nice all-around performance with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. He was pest-like throughout.

DEC. 21
NON-LEAGUE
Wood 58, West Catholic 48
     The Vikings (4-3), who led from start to finish, used a 6-0 run at the end of the third quarter to pull away from the pesky Burrs (4-3). They entered the final quarter up, 39-28, and not before long saw their lead swell to sixteen. I left very impressed with this group of Vikings who are big, physical, and do a nice job of looking for one another. Their headliner is sr. 6-5 PG Matt Spadafora. Tonight, he impressed me more with his demeanor, and ability to dictate tempo than his stats. However, he did finish with a modest 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. It was obvious to me that this kid makes a concerted effort to get his teammates involved, while putting his own offensive capabilities on the back-burner. In the long run, this will probably serve the Vikings better, thus allowing them to be a more formidable team by season’s end. Right now, they appear to have at least seven or eight interchangeable parts that could/should all contribute. Tonight, they received quality production from nearly all who played. At the top of this list was jr. 6-2 F Chris Crawford who showed a nice mid-range game, as well as the ability to operate along the baseline. He shot 6-for-10 from the field, and 6-for-6 from the line for a game-high 18 points. He also added 6 rebounds, and two each of steals and assists. Wood also received a solid outing from sr. 6-8 C Rob Pearson. He finished with 12 points (5-of-9 FG’s), 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Pearson has a strong body and should be able to do some damage in the Northern Division. One thing that concerned me tonight about his game was the inability to finish around the basket consistently. In reality, and he'd probably be the first one to admit this, he should have had a few more baskets. He missed at least three bunnies with no real shot-blocking threat in the area. A little better concentration should be able to correct this problem. The Vikings were happy to see sr. WG Corey Filer (3 rebs, 3 assists) and sr. F Mike Piselli (6 points) back in the line-up. Both have been sidelined with injuries, but both are important to the cause. Two other important cogs for the Vikings are sr. 6-5 WG Allen Borovich and sr. G Mike Murnane. Neither of these players had tremendous offensive outings tonight, but both are capable of adding a scoring punch here and there. Wood helped their cause by connecting on 18-of-21 foul shots (85.7%). In my opinion this Viking squad has all of the ingredients to take the CL North regular season. I really like their balance. They appear to have five or six guys who could lead them in scoring on a given night. Also, they are well-coached and seem like they enjoy playing with one another, giving off a feeling that they really know each other. With Spadafora they have an experienced and solid floor leader. One key will be to get consistent play out of Pearson in the post. If he can play solid defense, rebound the ball, and be a viable threat to score every so often, then Wood will be very tough to beat for the rest of the CL North. As for West, well, there are going to have games like this. They just don’t have a consistent scorer, and at times it looks like they're shooting into a utility bucket; that’s how tough it gets at times. They came out and played hard, and were very much in the game late into the third quarter. However, they hit a dry spell, and the more experienced Vikings were able to pull away. Sr. WG Chris Mayo led them with 14 points (5-for-10 FG’s). He did hit a couple of long range treys. Chipping in with 12 points was frosh. CG Eric Brennan (5-for-9 FG’s, two 3’s). I’m not going to hesitate to say this, even though he is only in the early stages of his playing career, but right now this kid is probably the Burrs' best threat from the perimeter. Every time he shoots the ball it looks good and it always seems to have a chance of going in. The Burrs shot an icy 17-for-56 (30.4%) from the floor. A few of the main culprits were sr. F Joe Askew, sr. F Derrell Hand, and sr. WG Antonio Banks who combined to go a frigid 3-for-26 -- ouch, ouch, and ouch again! Askew did do some decent things and finished with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a couple of blocks. A lighter moment occurred prior to the game when Spadafora approached head football coach Brian Fluck.   Mary DeMasi, a teacher at West, and I were also standing nearby, and we were all taken aback when Spadafora asked Brian if he could direct him to the trainer’s room. What? Did he really say trainer’s room? Not likely! The closest trainer’s room was 12 blocks east somewhere on Penn’s campus. Must have thought the Burrdome was the Nova Care Complex. Luckily, Matt did get his ankles taped, courtesy of none other than Coach Fluck himself.

DEC. 18
NON-LEAGUE (Main Line Classic)
Carroll 50, Conestoga 47
     The second game of the Main Line Classic was much more competitive than the game that preceded it. However, early on the Patriots (4-3) came out flying and held leads of 16-6 after one, and 30-18 at the half. They appeared to have a pretty good hold on the game to this point. Then, the Pioneers (6-2) made their run and drew within three, 36-33 after the third stanza. Early in the fourth, Conestoga grabbed their first lead of the game at 38-36. This is when the Pats got two huge offensive plays. First, sr. G John Durante buried a trey to regain the lead, and then after a steal, jr. 6-8 C Dutch Gaitley scored and was fouled. He converted the freebie to give his team 42-38 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. Later in the game, after the Pioneers drew within 48-47, sr. 6-5 F Eugene Adams scored off of a pass from sr. WG Taney Willcox with :52 seconds left, making the score 50-47. However, things would get interesting, as Carroll missed the front ends of two one-and-ones. During this stretch Conestoga missed four threes that could have tied the game, the last one fell short at the buzzer. This was a nice win for this Carroll club, which is still without Head Coach Paul Romanczuk (illness), and is being led by assistant coach Lou Becht. Leading the way for the Pats was Adams, who shot 5-for-9 from the field for his 13 points. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and had 3 assists. This kid is deceivingly strong and showed a good knack of maneuvering around the basket. Also supplying a quality performance was Gaitley. He also scored 13 points (4-for-6 FG’s, 5-for-5 FT’s), grabbed 6 rebounds, and blocked two shots. Once, he showed a soft touch from about 10-feet, and looked good in connecting on all of his freebies. He will need to work on his footwork, but that should get better with more experience and repetition. Sr. CG Anthony Watson had an excellent first half, and scored 10 of his 12 points during the early going. He looked good in nicely knocking down a couple of threes. He also added 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Frosh. PG Ellis Rogers got a start and he already possesses a strong body. Rogers, who was a starter on the Patriot football team as a DB, has the look of an excellent defender on the basketball court. He is worth keeping an eye on in both sports over the next few years. Jr. 6-3 F Darrell Floyd (5 rebs) took a few ill-advised shots, and wasn’t too productive on the offensive end today. This kid is athletic enough to help the Patriots along the way, but he’ll need to work on being a little more consistent. Adams, who scored six of his points in the final quarter, took home MVP honors for the Patriots.

DEC. 18
NON-LEAGUE (Main Line Classic)
SJ Prep 77, Springfield (D) 42
     This was the opening game of a tripleheader in the 2nd annual Main Line Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at Cabrini College. On paper it appeared to be the best game of the day. Both teams came into the game unbeaten, and Springfield has a top D-1 prospect in jr. 6-8 F Dan Geriot. On top of that, the Hawks (7-0) are as sound as they come, and they too have a big timer in jr. 6-4 F Reggie Redding. However, despite all this, the game was a total landslide in favor of the Hawks. They took a comfortable 29-17 lead into the intermission, but for good measure exploded in the second half and ran way, barely breaking a sweat. It was just another day in the office for Mr. Redding, who scored 14 of his game-high 25 points in a dominating third quarter. He also added 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. This kid just gets better and better, and certainly is one of the top underclassman performers in the area. He can score in a number of ways, whether it is on short drives, put-backs, medium-range jumpers, and even from behind the arc. Pleasantly for the Hawks, and unfortunately for their competition, this is not a one-trick pony. The roster is filled with more than enough pieces to make a run at a third consecutive CL Title. The Hawks as usual are disciplined, smart, and play unselfishly.  With the departure of D-1 G’s Chris Clark (Temple) and John Griffin (Bucknell) the backcourt had to be a concern for Head Coach Speedy Morris and his staff coming into the season. Running the point is sr. Joe Fox, and from early reports he is doing just fine. Today, he managed 14 points and 3 assists. Sr. WG Corey O’Rourke, who served as a role player and defensive stopper on last year’s team has been asked to score a little more this year. In today’s game his shot was off (5 pts, 1-for-7 on 3’s), but he has had a few double-digit outings thus far, and seems to be comfortable with the extra burden. Jr. F Dave Stefanski was 3-for-5 from behind the arc, and finished with 9 points. He demonstrates good marksmanship form.  One of the Hawks top subs is frosh. 6-4 F Larry Loughery. This kid already possesses a strong body and looks like he’ll be a keeper. This year he’ll probably serve as a role player, but future stardom isn’t out of the question. In this game he finished with 6 points and 5 rebounds, all off the offensive glass. Another Hawk impressed during garbage, and that was frosh. 6-3 WG Oscar Griffin. He connected on  both treys he took, and finished with 8 points. For good measure he added a couple of boards, a block, and an assist in a short amount of time. Once again the Hawks are very unassuming. They just go out and play the game the right way. Rarely do they have a poor possession or fail to get a quality look at the basket. Today, I looked up at the score in the third quarter, and I said to my self, wow their actually up thirty, even though it didn’t seem like it was that bad. For the game, the Hawks made more shots (30), than Springfield attempted (29). The Hawks attempted 34 more shots than the Cougars (6-1). One of the reasons is that they forced 20 turnovers, and only gave the ball up a mere five times. Folks, they just know how to play the game, it’s as simple as that. As for the Cougars marquee player, Geriot, he was solid. He shot 8-for-12 (1 trey) and scored 19 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked a couple of shots. He is a nice player who should only get better. However, in my opinion he needs to carry more of a load, especially on a stage such as today. Twelve shots just isn’t going to cut it, he should be shooting at least 18-to-20 times a game. In his defense the Hawks did run multiple defenders at him whenever he touched the ball, forcing him to give it up quickly. Springfield looks and relies on the three-ball a lot, but today the Hawks perimeter defense was superb. The Cougars only took seven shots from distance, converting on three. The Hawks on the other end attempted 27 treys, making 10. In my opinion to be successful against the Hawks teams are going to have to pressure their guards and make them work the entire 90 feet. Fox and Geriot were awarded MVP honors in the game. Rumor has it that our own Tom “Puck” McKenna was in charge of selecting the players.

DEC. 17
NON-LEAGUE
Bonner 54, Father Judge 32
     When the Crusaders (5-2) play their next game their first made shot will be an ice breaker to say the least. Crusader jr. PG James Franklin hit a right-wing trey with about five and half minutes left in the third quarter, and that would be the last time the Judge faithful would see a ball go through the net on a shot from the field. Astonishingly, Judge missed their last 24 shots from the field, yes 24 shots (spanning over 13 minutes), and were a frigid 1-for-27 (0-for-17 in 4th) in the second half. This was mind-boggling to say the least. Over the years Judge’s teams have been known for their behind the arc prowess and solid shooting. Tonight was a total mystery. I actually got to the game just in the nick of time, and missed player introductions, but I don’t believe the Crusaders had Jack Frost or Old Man Winter in their starting line-up. For the game, and you might want to put a scarf and hat on before reading this, but Judge shot just 9-for-53 (17%), brrrr! The Friars (5-1) after falling behind early, 9-4, ended the first quarter on 11-0 run. They coasted from here on in, and played loose and confident ball. I was impressed by the way they moved the ball, which ultimately led to better shots. Leading the way was impressive soph. 6-3 PG Jeff Jones. Tonight, he notched 18 points (7-for-17 FG’s), and dealt six assists. He seemed to be much more under control tonight. He showed great form on his mid-range jumper, usually along the baseline. This kid just turned 15, and appears to be still growing. By the time he finishes his high school career he just may end up being a pretty solid prospect, possibly on the D-1 level. I was very pleased with the play of sr. 6-9 C Derrick Graf. This kid has been a major project over the last two years, and honestly it’s been hard to get a good read on him. However, tonight he seemed much surer of himself than I noticed in past performances. A couple of times he even put the ball on the floor and dribbled three-quarters of the court. He finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks, and a couple of assists. Now, I’m not ready to anoint him as a big-timer or anything, but he is 6-9, and D-2’s and maybe some lower D-1’s might want to sniff around. From afar I always thought that confidence was a major issue with this kid, well for one night he played loose and with a lot of poise. We’ll see what happens. The Friars got a very solid game from soph. 6-4 F Tim Vanderslice, who already seems to enjoy the wing. He finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds, and was 3-of-5 from downtown. He hit back-to-back treys that really put a dagger in the hearts of the Crusaders during the third quarter. This kid looked to have a nice release and a soft shot, and if Bonner can get more games like this they should be very competitive. With teams concentrating on containing Jones, and keeping Graf away from the basket, there just might be some opportunities for this kid to shine. Bonner’s other two starters were; sr. CG Mike Heppler (2-for-3, on 3’s) and jr. 6-5 F Brian Campuzano (6 rebs, 4 asst). Both did some nice little things to help the cause. The Friar sixth-man was jr. 6-2 F Steve Wheatley, who should serve as a hustler and banger underneath. Friars had 15 assists on 19 made baskets. With Jones, the Friars have a rising star in the CL League, and if Graf can contribute like he did tonight good things can happen for this club. Being able to stay consistent will be a focal point for Head Coach Jim Welde, but they should contend for that final playoff spot in the Southern Division. Right now, if I had to point out potential weaknesses, it would be depth and being able to take care of the ball against constant pressure. There are not too many good things I can say about the Crusaders tonight. The only player that stood out offensively was jr. 6-5 F Jim Schule, who scored 14 points (4-for-7 FG’s, 6-for-6 FT’s). Jr. 6-3 F Chris Swartz did hustle for 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Judge starters Franklin, sr. 6-5 F Mike Briscella, and WG Damien Palantino combined to shoot a miserable 4-for-33, Ouch!!!!! Palantino, a usually reliable long-range bomber, had a night he would soon like to forget -- 0-for-13, all missed treys. The Crusaders played without jr. 6-4 F Arthur Livingston (illness), who is a competent post player. The Crusaders are much better team than they showed tonight, and they just need to put this one behind them and move on. I still believe they’ll challenge for a Northern Division playoff berth.

DEC. 16
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 47, La Salle 34
     After the game West Catholic assistant coach Dave Bertoline and I drove out of the driveway of La Salle High. As we exited I noticed a sign that read, Leave to Serve. It should have said, Leave to avoid falling asleep. That’s exactly what would have happened if had to endure another few minutes of this baby.  No, the game wasn’t filled with wild shots, or an unordinary amount of turnovers, nor was it marred by rough and physical play.  Let’s just say that the game was bland or vanilla, and that’s being generous. I always go into a game hoping to get a topping-filled sundae, well tonight I got a half-eaten Dixie cup! However, Head Coach Bill Ludlow was more than happy to take the W, knowing any road win is a good win. The Burrs (4-2) held La Salle at arm’s length starting in the early stages of the second quarter. They took a nine-point lead into the intermission, and then maintained that lead after three quarters. The Burrs’ lead swelled to fifteen early in the fourth quarter and LaSalle never threatened from that point on. The Burrs only managed to place one player in double-digit scoring as sr. 6-2 F Joe Askew (4 rebs, 3 blocks) went off for 10 points. Just a touch of sarcasm there, smile! Next in line for the Burrs was jr. 6-2 WG Chris Mayo (8 pts, 4 rebs), and then sr. PG Anthony Lee, sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand (5 rebs), and sr. 6-2 F Maurice Denton each scored 7 points. Lee actually played a pretty solid floor games, and dealt four assists, while not committing a turnover. Early in the game he made a tremendous steal around half-court. He picked the ball from a La Salle player, and then scrambled around him to save it before going out of bounds, all the while tip-toeing the sidelines to recover the loose ball. Very nice! However, he was woeful at the charity stripe going just 3-of-9. This is something he’ll want to improve upon before the league season comes rolling around. The Burrs most exciting moment came in the fourth quarter when sr. WG Antonio Banks made a steal around mid-court, and then sent Askew home alone for a one-handed jam. These were actually the first two points of the fourth quarter, and the clock read 4:50. Just to give you an idea of the offensive futility that was commonplace tonight. As a team West did have a few bright spots. They shot 18-for-36 (50%) from the field. I’ll have to go into the archives to find a game where West had so few field goal attempts. I can’t ever remember one being this low. They also did a good job of taking care of the ball and only committed 9 turnovers, easily their lowest output of the season. Defensively, though the Explorers were offensively-challenged, they were able to do a good job of stifling any kind of sets the Explorers ran. They held LaSalle to just 32.4% from the field (12-for-37). The Explorers (1-5) played hard, but right now are lacking a go-to guy on the offensive end. Sr. 6-2 F Joe Sobocinski was tough last year when he served as the Explorer policeman and top role player. Now, he is being asked to carry a serious load in the offense. He scored 8 points (4-for-13 FG’s) and hustled for 10 rebounds (8 in 4th QT). He would be a nice complimentary player if LaSalle had a more natural scorer, I’m just not sure if #1 option fits this kid, but we’ll see. The high-man for La Salle was sr. 6-2 WG Kevin Miller who scored 13 points (8-for-8 FT’s). Sr. WG Mike Chapman added seven points, and jr. PG Tyrell Marshall (6 pts) connected on all three of his field goals in the first half, but went scoreless after the intermission. The Explorers do have a big-man in the paint in sr. 6-7 F Brian Carlin, but on this night he was a non-factor. He went scoreless and only grabbed two rebounds. In seeing this kid in the past I thought he possessed good hands and soft touch from 10-feet and in, but all of that was lacking tonight. Maybe it’s a confidence issue right now, but for the Explorers to have any success this year he’ll have to contribute more than he did tonight. In the Explorer rotation was frosh. 6-3 F Joe Megliris. He didn’t do much in terms of stats (But, who did?), but didn’t look out of place while in the game. He’ll be worth keeping tabs on. Speaking of stats, this was a statman’s nightmare, just not enough of them. I know the Burrs have to play away games, but isn’t there a way to bring the Mecca of stat-producing with them? That place is commonly referred to as the Burrdome. Boy, did I miss it tonight!

DEC. 14
NON-LEAGUE
Episcopal 59, West Catholic 45
     It’s rare that you get a chance to see two of the best junior high school basketball players play in the same game, let alone on the same team. But that’s exactly what I saw tonight with Episcopal’s F 6-5 Gerald Henderson and WG 6-4 Wayne Ellington. What a joy it is to watch two ACC-caliber thoroughbreds hit the hardwood. During the game each had moments of I’m-taking-over play. The dynamic duo combined to score 48 of the 59 Churchmen points. In the first half it was the freakish Henderson (9-13 FG’s, 6-6 FT’s) who took charge, as he scored 16 of his game-high 25 points. A few times he nicely received a pass, made a quick move, and then kissed a lovely shot off the glass. He didn’t unleash any of his rim-rattling dunks tonight even though he had a chance, but instead threw down one of the calmest two-handed slams I’ve ever seen. Sort of in a . . . Oh well, I’ve done this before manner. He did have a wicked two-handed block that he sent off the backboard. It was reminiscent of how a volleyball player standing at the net would block an opponent’s kill shot. For good measure he added 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. As for Ellington he did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 15 of his 23 points. At one point he hit four straight shots from the field. In the midst of this was the play that turned the game around. Episcopal had a narrow 36-34 lead with just under three minutes to play in the third quarter. That’s when Ellington, who was playing at the top of the Churchmen zone, used his quick hands to make a steal, allowing him to streak in for a solo two-handed slam. Later Ellington supplied another dagger to the Burrs when he calmly sank a jumper just inside the arc at the third quarter horn. With that Episcopal ended the quarter on a 10-0 run and lead more comfortably 46-36. The Burrs could never recover. In the game Ellington shot 9-for-21 from the field, he also added 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. Not a bad all-around performance! Jr. F 6-8 Mike Yocum gives the Churchmen an inside presence, which allows Henderson and Ellington to play along the wing and baseline, where they will ultimately play at the next level. He didn’t do too much offensively, but did snatch 11 rebounds. Also, though it didn’t show in the stats he altered a few Burr shots around the basket. Rounding out the starting line-up for Episcopal are football players sr. PG Dylan Brown and hustling sr. F 6-2 Joe Rosati. Brown is handling the point guard duties, but occasionally gets help from Ellington in that department. He rarely looks to shot, but does bring a pest-like attitude to the defensive end. He committed a few more turnovers than he would like, but did deliver five assists and pluck three steals. With Henderson and Ellington the Churchmen should be in every game, no matter who they play. However, this isn’t a team without an Achilles heel. They look to be a little short in the depth department. Until the final minute they played just one sub, soph. PG Pat Kelly. A stat that legendary Head Coach Dan Dougherty is going to like is his team had 18 assists on 23 made field goals. A stat he won’t enjoy too much is that they also turned the ball over 18 times. The Burrs came out firing and for most of the night they were game. Even though they lost by fourteen points, there was much to be encouraged about with their performance. They had to be feeling real good when sr. WG Antonio Banks hit his third trey of the first quarter. The shot was really a lob to sr. F Joe Askew, but it somehow found the cup. Strange to say the least! Behind Banks’ bombarding West took an 18-15 lead into the second quarter. At halftime they trailed just 31-27, and were very much in the game. However, their offense experienced frequent lulls over the next three quarters and eventually the Churchmen pulled away. Over the final three quarters West only managed nine points in each quarter. Banks ended up being high-man for West and finished with 16 points. Fourteen of these points came in the first half. He shot 6-for-12 from the field, including 4-of-6 on treys. He also added 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and made an Iverson-like 7 steals. No other Burrs reached double-digits. Askew (9), jr. WG Chris Mayo (8), and sr. F 6-4 Derrell Hand (7) were next in line. Askew made an incredible block on the 6-8 Yocum from behind, and finished with three swats in the game. As for Mayo he fouled out for the fourth time in five games. This kid is strong and athletic, and often draws the toughest defensive assignment. He has to find way to be more liberal on his fouls, and not to contest everything. You don’t want to take his aggressiveness away, but his team needs him to stay on the floor for longer stretches. Hand was directly involved in the Burrs’ best offensive play of the night. After taking a pass coming down the lane, the beefy Hand took a dribble, and then nicely hit Askew with a behind-the-back pass, he subsequently finished. This drew plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Sr. F Maurice Denton battled and grabbed 6 rebounds. The Burrs suffered a tough break when they learned that sr. PG Seward Joway would be lost for a while because he was put on conduct probation. Joway has not been dismissed from the team, but he will be out of action for roughly a month. This is a tough loss for the Burrs, but their play tonight was encouraging enough that maybe they’ll be able to get through this. With Henderson and Ellington in the Burrdome I thought I see a few more big-time D-1 scouts. However, I only noticed one, and he was from UCLA. I sat with former La Salle, and now current Lafayette assistant coach John Gallagher throughout. One of Episcopal’s reserves is sr. G Brian FitzPatrick, who starred this fall for the Churchmen football team. The Inter-Ac Player of the Year told me that he will probably attend either Cornell, Bucknell, or another Ivy League school (slips my mind) next fall to play football. There was still a buzz in the building tonight from an appearance from a legendary football coach earlier in the day. None other that Penn State’s Joe Paterno was in the house to make a last-ditch effort to acquire the services of major D-1 football prospect, sr. OL Marques Slocum. Rumor has it that he was also there to get a look see at fellow D-1 prospect jr. WR John Maddox. Even though recruiting rules didn’t allow the two to talk. Stay tuned!

DEC. 12
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 61, Archbishop Ryan 57
     The Burrs (3-1), after trailing for nearly three quarters, went on a run towards the end of the third quarter to seize control. Their lead actually expanded to nine, 52-43 with about five minutes left in the final quarter. However, the Raiders (2-2) had one last run in them. Jr. CG Joe Zeglinski made a beautiful running shot while being fouled, converted on the free throw, and cut the Burr lead to one at 58-57 with :37 seconds left. West sr. F Maurice Denton immediately following the in-bounds play was fouled and calmly sank the front end of the one-and-one, along with the bonus. Ryan would miss two shots on their next possession, a drive by Zeglinski, and then a top-of-the-key trey by jr. WG Mike Varanavage. By the time the dust had settled, West had secured the rebound, and Denton was back at the charity stripe with just five seconds remaining. He converted the first shot, and any hope of Ryan tying the game went out the window. West used balance scoring, pacing six players between 12 and 8 points. Leading the way was sr. F Joe Askew who finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Included in this was a nice one-handed stuff off a Burr break. Askew has some serious hop in him, and he demonstrated this when he nearly threw down a slam off an alley-oop, only to have the ball rattle out. Denton scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. He shot a clutch 5-of-6 from the line in the final quarter, and in the game converted all three of his field goal attempts. He also hustled for 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. Once again playing a pivotal role for the Burrs was frosh. F 6-2 Eric Brennan. All he did this time was nail three consecutive treys to give his team some much needed life in the third quarter. He had a fourth go halfway down before spilling out. For good measure he chipped in with 3 rebounds and a couple of assists, while playing the last thirteen minutes of the game. Sr. PG Seward Joway probably had his best floor game of the young year. He scored 8 points, dropped 7 dimes, and made 3 steals. He converted on a tough driving lay up, and then followed that up with a long distance trey during the Burrs go-ahead surge. Sr. WG’s Chris Mayo and Antonio Banks (3 steals) also notched eight points apiece. Mayo, who didn’t play in the opening quarter, only managed 14 minutes in the contest before fouling out. Overall, this was a nice win for the Burrs as they continue to improve, despite having very few players with varsity experience. West was missing sr. F 6-4 Derrell Hand who was on a football recruiting visit to the University of Wisconsin over the weekend. The main man for the Raiders was none other than the extremely talented Zeglinski. He finished with a game-high 25 points, and added 7 rebounds and 3 assists as well. He scored 16 of his points after the intermission, and was 9-for-19 from the field for the game. Zeglinski, who is also a headliner for the Raider football team should vie for Player of the Year honors in the CL North. He is strong and crafty, and has a nice knack of getting himself free for quality looks. The only other Raider in double-digits was Varanavage who scored 13 points. He also collected 4 rebounds and made 3 steals. After a couple of early threes he hit a dry spell and misconnected on his last five attempts. Hustling jr. F Jon Bruce does a lot of the little things for his club. He managed 9 points and six rebounds. This kid exhibits all of the qualities of a solid role player. Sr. PG Tom Manes, a lefty, had a rough go of it in the early going with turnovers. Still, he played hard throughout and did make things happen occasionally. He finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ryan played without jr. C 6-8 Kevin Hudgeons. He was sidelined with a knee injury, and his return is not yet known. He was to have it examined today at Temple. His replacement was sr. F 6-6 Mark Seirvc, who played an encouraging game for Head Coach Bernie Rogers. He ended with 7 rebounds, and had three first quarter blocks. I didn’t get the story on this kid, but he wasn’t on their roster last year, and hadn’t scored in the prior two games. He looks like he can serve as an adequate backup to Hudgeons once big guy returns. Also in the Ryan rotation was frosh. PG Andrew Rogers, the brother of the head coach. This Ryan club should certainly be in the mix for a playoff spot in the Northern Division.

DEC. 11
NON-LEAGUE
Carroll 49, Overbrook 38
     I almost didn’t stick around to catch the final of the Carroll Classic. Yes, I said stick around. See, I wasn’t sure what time the games were suppose to start. One local paper had tip-off of this game at 8:30. I arrived at Carroll just before 7:00, thinking I be able to catch the consolation game between Malvern and LaSalle too. However, as I entered the gym the LS/MP game was in the waning moments. No big deal, right? Not exactly, the AC/OV was still starting at 8:30, but in-between would be the final of the girls’ portion of the tournament. Initially, I said, I’m out of here, but when I saw Tom “Puck” McKenna we started to converse, along with Carroll AD Fran Murphy, and low and behold I didn’t go anywhere. As far the game, much of it was hard on the eyes. The teams combined to shoot 28-for-79 from the field, including 2-of-24 from the arc. They also committed 46 fouls and turned the ball over a combined 36 times. Not pretty! The Patriots (3-2) had just enough offense to pull away from the Panthers in the latter stages of the third quarter. The ended the quarter on a 9-2 run, and took a 34-26 lead into the final stanza. Leading the surge was sr. WG Taney Willcox (4 rebs.) who scored seven of his team-high 17 points during a quick third quarter spurt. In the game he shot 5-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the line. He struggled mightily from distance going just 2-for-9. However, he did show decent form, and maybe it was just a cold shooting night. Next in line for the Patriots was tourney MVP sr. F 6-5 Eugene Adams. He scored 13 points (4-of-5 FG’s), and pulled 8 rebounds. This kid is athletic and has long arms. He was very active around the basket, but I didn’t notice him put the ball on the floor much. When this happens he has to rely on his teammates to get him the ball, which would explain him only getting five field goal attempts. For the Patriots to be successful he’ll need to demand the ball more and be a little more aggressive. Jr. F 6-9 Dutch Gaitley, a transfer from Haverford School now patrols the middle for the Pats. Tonight he only posted modest numbers with 4 points and 7 rebounds. It appears he is still on the raw side of his basketball playing, but he does posses a big body which should allow him to get some room in the paint. The Patriots featured a three-guard lineup to begin the game with sr. CG John Durante and sr. PG Anthony Watson joining Willcox. This trio struggled with their shooting going a frigid 2-for-19 from distance, but Durante did hustle for 7 points and six rebounds, while Watson chipped in with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a couple of steals. A problem I see with the Patriots right now is that none of the three guards who started look to be a pure point guard. We’ll see how that develops as the season progresses. Jr. F 6-3 Darrell Floyd (5 rebs.) has the chance to be an athletic and energy-supplying performer off the bench, but tonight he just seem to drift, never really getting into the flow. Check this out! The Patriots attempted just two shots from the field in the fourth quarter. All of their points came courtesy of the charity stripe, where they went 15-for-25 in the final quarter. Carroll Head Coach Paul Romanczuk continues to be sidelined with a health ailment. His return is not known at this time. In the meantime, assistant Lou Becht has taken over at the helm for Carroll. Becht has been an assistant at Carroll for a few years now, and some of you may remember him from his playing days at Cardinal O’Hara. I will say this about the Panthers (1-2), they appear to be much more under control than last time I saw them, which ironically was at last year’s Carroll Classic. The Panthers actually led for a good part of the first half, but offensively things got difficult for them as they game wore on. Right now, the Panthers have only one scoring option in sr. F 6-5 Tyrick Moy. This kid is actually pretty polished and can probably play at the next level for a D-3 program. He is athletic, exhibits good body control, and has a nice touch from 12-to-15 feet. He finished with a game-high 18 points, shooting 7-for-15 in the process. A few of his misses did spin out. He also made three steals and snatched 10 rebounds. Another quality I liked about this kid is that he didn’t force the issue. He had to know that he was probably the only Panther who could score the basketball, but still he didn’t force things and played within himself. Not once did I notice him give off a selfish-type attitude, which was good to see. Jr. CG Milan Carter scored two very late buckets and was the Panthers second leading scorer with six. Amazingly, seven other Panthers scored two points apiece. Thus, creating an odd box score, one you don’t see all that often. Sr. WG Michael Jones was active and finished with 6 rebounds and four assists. Carroll attempted 37 fouls shots to 16 for Overbrook. In the consolation game, LaSalle bested Malvern 53-50. All-Tourney honors went to Adams (MVP), Willcox, Moy, Malvern’s sr. F 6-5 Matt Borgerson, and La Salle’s sr. F Joe Sobocinski.

DEC. 7
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 95, North Catholic 85 (3-OT)
    Phew, I’m winded! I needed to catch my breath, and yes, I needed an entire night to do so. When leaving for the game I figured, it’s a six o’clock start, maybe I’ll be home by eightish. Not exactly, this baby lasted around three hours, but overall it was well worth it, as these teams went at it hard and competitively for much of the night. The Burrs (2-1) outscored the Falcons (1-3) 12-2 in the third overtime to secure a well-earned road win against a decent squad. Head Coach Bill Ludlow can honestly say that he got good contributions from nearly all who saw significant playing time. In the game the Burrs featured five players who reached double-figure scoring. Early on, it was jr. WG Chris Mayo supplying a lift, he scored 16 of his team-high 19 points during the first three quarters before fouling out early in the second OT. He also contributed 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists. On three occasions he used a quick first-step to blow by an opponent, and instead of getting too deep into the lane, he pulled up and nailed short baseline jumpers. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this, he looked comfortable in doing it, and this could help him avoid the out-of-control type play that he sometimes finds himself involved in. Next in line for West was sr. F Maurice Denton, who was an efficient 6-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the line for 16 points. He also garnered 13 rebounds. Nine of his boards came from the fourth quarter on, and seven were of the offensive variety. Nearly all of his made shots were off misses by his teammates. Denton has an unusual way of taking a lot of time to gather his body, but nonetheless was a strong finisher. It’s almost like he is scoring in a sneaky kind of way. Sr.’s F Joe Askew (5 rebs, 4 blocks, 3 steals) and G Antonio Banks each notched 15 points. They did so by combining to shoot 9-for-15 from the field. Banks went 6-for-6 from the line, while Askew played 43 of a possible 44 minutes. Askew also supplied the defensive moment of the night when he unleashed one of the best swats I’ve ever seen from a player 6-2 or smaller, sending a shot four rows deep along the baseline. Sr. PG Seward Joway was given the PG duties prior to the game. In the long run I think this might be the best thing for the Burrs and for Joway in his hopes to play at the next level. Tonight, he did a decent job considering it was his first outing and that the news of this was sprung upon him shortly before the start of the game. He once again struggled with his shooting, going just 4-for-16, but he did finish with 12 points. He also dropped 8 dimes (5 in the OT’s), made four steals, and grabbed 4 rebounds. He made two lovely driving left-handed lay-ups in the final OT. I think the more he becomes comfortable with the position the better he’ll get. He was a little tentative early, but really seemed to have a good sense of things during the extra sessions. Sr. PG Anthony Lee came off the bench in this one, and was a non-factor for most of the game. Entering the second OT he had just one point, and had not attempted a shot. Then, with the Falcons holding a three-point lead he nailed a big-time trey, and on the next Burr possession calmly sank a 16-foot right wing jumper. These two plays really seem to give the Burrs a lift. Sr. F 6-4 Derrell Hand, in just his third day with the team started, but was plagued with fouls for the most part. He fouled out just a minute into the fourth quarter, and only managed four each of points and rebounds. Look for more production from him in a few weeks. Another kid just back from football season is frosh. WG 6-2 Eric Brennan, take note, this kid will be a player. Up until the fourth quarter he played less than a minute, and then with multiple Burrs disqualified because of fouls he played 17 of a possible 20 minutes in the fourth quarter and the OT’s. He finished with 8 points (3-for-5, 1 trey), 3 rebounds, and a couple of assists. However, the most impressive thing about this kid was his court awareness and high basketball IQ, especially for having just one practice under his belt. Not once did he look out of place, confused, or timid. His physical skills will only get better, but it’s the aforementioned qualities that have his coach smiling already. The Burrs had a good day shooting from the field going 32-for-61 (52.5%), and that was despite a 3-for-17 performance from the arc. In the early going the turnovers were again a factor, the Burrs had 18 after three quarters, but only loss the ball an additional five times over the last 20 minutes. This turnaround undoubtedly was a factor in them getting the win. The Falcons seemed to be in control in the third quarter and held a lead of eight for a few minutes. They even took a six-point advantage into the fourth quarter, but squandered that almost immediately. Leading the way for the Falcons was beefy sr. F 6-5 Jeremy Coombs, who possesses soft hands and a smooth touch from in close. For the game, he shot 8-for-10 from the field and a warm 11-for-13 from the line leading to a game-high 27 points. Twice, he sent the game into an extra session. First, in regulation he scored on a short shot with under ten seconds left. Then, he nailed a couple of freebies to tie the game in the final minute of the first overtime. If there is one thing I would have liked to seen Coombs do better is go after the ball on the defensive glass. He only managed five rebounds total for the game. You would like to see a player of his size accumulate more than that. Still, D-3’s who are always looking for inside players, should begin to give him a look see. Jr. CG Nate Edwards has plenty of game, and for occasional spurts in this one was the best player on the court. However, he at times found himself reeling with a costly turnover or poor shot selection. He did contribute 19 points (5-for-15 FG’s). Most of his damage came in the third quarter when North threatened to expand their lead. He scored 11 quick points and looked good in doing so. Then, he went into an out-of-nowhere funk and missed his last seven FG attempts of the game. Another sore spot was his erratic foul shooting, where he went 8-for-14 from the charity stripe. He had a chance to end the game at the end of the second overtime, but only made one-of-two freebies with 4.5 seconds left. It’s good to get to the line, but you have to convert, especially when you’re a guard in the Catholic League. However, this kid has talent and will for sure be one of the more athletic guards in the CL North this season. It was a strange outing for intriguing soph. F 6-3 Andrew Pomager. This kid has a lot of good skills. He shoots the ball with both hands, sees the floor well, and is athletic enough to run with most players. His most noticeable concern might be his propensity to always be trying to make the flashy play. At times he looks brilliant, but at other times he ends up costing his team a possession, when a safer play would have probably served best at that time. Tonight, he only scored 5 points, but did have 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. He didn’t shoot well, just 2-for-8, but I wouldn’t say he was overly forcing things. On top of that he only committed two turnovers. However, he left the game with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return. I’m not sure of the reasoning, but I don’t believe he was hurt. His absence throughout the overtimes was nothing short of odd. Maybe I missed something, or maybe he did something that drew the ire of Head Coach Mike McCarron, who knows? In the long run this kid will be fine. He has so many skills for such a young and developing player. Sr. WG Danny Breen hit double-figures with 11 points, but had a rough shooting night overall. He finished just 3-for-14, and 3-for-12 on three’s. Sr. PG Brett Bryan (6 pts, 7 assists) ran the point for the Falcons. He made some nice dishes, and is in the mold of a typical scrappy Northern Division guard. The Falcons were missing some key players for the tilt. Sr. F 6-3 John Adamski (ankle), jr. PG Hanif Edwards (ear), and jr. F 6-5 Joe Rod (undisclosed) all sat out with injuries. Adamski is a long-range sniper and has a lovely shot when dialed in. When the Falcons get healthy they could make some noise in the CL North. They will be deep, and have both an inside and outside threat. I expect them to be very competitive and near top of their league. Some interesting numbers for the game; the teams combined to commit 58 fouls, five players fouled-out, 81 foul shots were attempted, and their were a total of 48 turnovers. Damn! I wanted to ease into this season, but leave it to the Burrs to throw me into the fire almost instantly.

DEC. 5
NON-LEAGUE
Father Judge 58, West Catholic 49
   The Crusaders (2-0) used a 14-2 run to open the third quarter to pull away from Burrs (1-1), affording them to capture their second win in as many tries to start the season. West, early in the fourth quarter got back within 42-39, but eventually ran out of steam. Judge hit 9-of-11 free throws at one point to ice the game. Leading the way for the Crusaders was sr. WG Damien Palantino, a lefty, who nailed five three’s for a team-high 15 points. All but one of his thirteen field goal attempts came from distance. He actually got off to a rocky start, missing his first five shots (four 3’s). All of this took place just two minutes into the game. Can you say license to heave? However, he did connect on a couple before the end of the first stanza. He was much more selective in the second half and was able to hit 3-of-4 treys, including a couple during a critical stretch of the fourth quarter. The Crusaders like to free him off multiple screens, and he gets a nice soft arc on his shot. Next in line for judge was jr. PG James Franklin, who chipped in with 14 points. Franklin did most of his damage in the second quarter where he scored six quick points allowing the Crusaders to cut into the West lead. Franklin is also a lefty, and a couple of times left West defenders in his dust with a hesitation move around the foul line. He nicely finished with a couple of high floaters off the glass. Patrolling inside for Judge was jr. 6-4 F Arthur Livingston. He possesses a strong body and looks capable of playing physical. He only mustered seven points, but did claim 12 rebounds, all off the defensive glass. He also added 3 steals and 3 swats. Sr. F 6-6 Mike Briscella (6 pts, on 3-for-3 FG’s) and 6-4 F jr. Jim Schule (6 points) provide height to the Crusader frontcourt and plenty of grit. Head Coach Bill Fox is currently using an 8-man rotation, which includes football holdovers jr. WG 6-3 Justin DeCritofaro (Crusader QB) and jr. WG Will Taggart (starting DB). Jr. G Chris Swartz rounds out the rotation. Fox used the same rotation pattern throughout the game. Entering three reserves five minutes into each quarter, and then removing the other two starters with one minute left in each quarter. He began each quarter with his initial starting lineup. He strayed from this somewhat in the latter stages, but for the most part followed the same system. The Crusaders were 20-for-40 (50%) from the field, and were 16-for-27 (59.3%) from the second quarter on. Though the Burrs fell they displayed solid basketball for periodic stretches. Some of what happened had to encourage Head Coach Bill Ludlow, considering the current state of his team. Practices have been rough without the services of a complete team due to members still playing football. West actually jumped out to 11-2 lead, and still led at the intermission 24-23. However an offensive lull that began in the second quarter, then carried over to the third quarter allowing Judge to grab the lead they would not surrender. High-man for West was sr. F Joe Askew, who shot 7-for-10 (1 trey) for 15 points. Showing excellent athleticism and body control he finished a few times up near the cup. Jr. WG Chris Mayo added 11 points, but was far too erratic with the ball, committing 7 turnovers. The Burrs got an off night from sr. CG Seward Joway, who shot just 1-for-10 and scored just 4 points. He did contribute 8 rebounds and 4 assists, but with the offense being limited right now they can’t afford too many poor shooting performances from him. With 19 turnovers the Burrs again committed far too many miscues. The Burrs did get five football players back for this game. Sr. F 6-4 Derrell Hand had a commendable performance, especially with what took place the night before. He managed 7 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Frosh. WG Eric Brennan, the football QB, who took some hard shots the night before even made a cameo performance. One gridiron player that was missing was jr. F 6-4 John Maddox. Reports are circulating that Maddox will no longer play basketball. A D-1 football prospect he may opt to use this time to get stronger. Though not a polished offensive player, Maddox would add a strong defensive presence and the ability to rebound and run the court with his athleticism. Stay tuned!

DEC. 3
NON-LEAGUE
West Catholic 60, Academy Park 26
     The Burrs opened up their 2004-05 basketball season in the shadows of their football team. The boys from the gridiron will settle the CL Blue Championship tomorrow against Archbishop Wood. Due to this the hoopsters had just nine players in uniform for this contest, since more than a few contributors are still with the football team. Anyhow, to say they weren’t needed against a woeful Academy Park squad would be an understatement. The Burrs seized control early and never looked back, taking a 16-3 lead after one quarter. They later led 29-12 at halftime, and 51-17 after three quarters. The Knights highest output in a quarter was just nine points, and they shot a miserable 11-for-51 (21.6%) from the field. The Burrs fielded a line up that included no player over 6-2, but supplied plenty of quickness. Their headliner today was sr. CG Seward Joway, who finished with 17 points (3-for-5 on 3’s), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Not a bad way to open the season. Joway is an interesting story. As a freshman he started out at West, only to find himself at Bonner for his sophomore and junior years. This past summer he eventually made it back West, and now appears to be a player who just may open some eyes. His brother, Amos, was a contributing member for the Burrs in ’01. Seward, is much like him in court savvy and quickness, but appears to have more of scorer’s edge to him. Sr. 6-2 F Joe Askew had a solid all-around performance with 14 points (7-for-11 FG’s) and 10 rebounds. A late bloomer, this kid caught my eye last year on the JV level. I thought he did a good job using both hands around the basket and being able to get the ball to the goal rather quickly. Well, he showed some of that tonight, and has a chance to be fairly decent. Sr. 6-2 F Maurice Denton hustled for 10 points, 15 rebounds (8 offensive), and 3 blocks. This kid has a chance to be a pretty good role player by banging the boards, looking for put backs, and playing steady defense. He is not overly gifted offensively, but in the past he has overcame that by working hard and being tireless. Sr. PG Anthony Lee scrapped for four steals and ran the offense for the most part. He struggled with some turnovers, but if he stays within himself he’ll have a chance to be a serviceable floor leader. Jr. 6-2 F Chris Mayo had a nice all-around game with 7 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asst, and 2 steals. Consistency will be this kid’s main concern. Right now, he is certainly West’ most experienced player. For them to be competitive in the early going they’ll need him to supply some scoring, rebounding, and play solid defense. Overall, the Burrs played well, but they did turn the ball over 24 times. Some of that might have to do with the reckless abandon in which the Knights played. My stat keeping skills were really tested tonight. Aside from being the first game, with the slower pace of football still in my system, it was rough. Oh, let’s not forget that the game was played in the hectic confines of the Burrdome, which always causes even the most seasoned statman to gasp. It was good to see West Head Coach Bill Ludlow get the victory in the opening game. The coach pulled extra duty in this one, and was forced to serve as scoreboard repairman prior to the start of the game. During the game the scoreboard went without a hitch, but I knew it was all right well before then. When? At about the time the world’s loudest horn blew directly into my ear just prior to tip-off. It’s a wonder why I never upgraded my season tickets when I had the chance. Instead, I remain in the corner to the right of the visitor’s bench, at least for another year, smile!