JAN. 31
PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT
Roman 53, Bartram 43
  What can you do? Sometimes the outcome doesn’t come close to matching the expectations. Roman and Bartram have experienced some frustration this season and I figured they’d go after each other REAL hard and that the battle within a war between Roman sr. WG Rakeem “Rahk” Brookins (Tulane) and Bartram sr. CG Tyrone Garland would be very good, if not sensational. Maybe the extra early start – noon on a Sunday – was part of the problem. And/or the fact that no more than 50 people were in the stands – at Villanova, no less – at tipoff time. (Supposedly, the admission price was $12. Phew!) Brookins wound up having a decent performance. Though his floor shooting was not exactly pinpoint (6-for-20, no treys), he did go 10-for-10 at the line. He also had three assists and six steals along with eight rebounds. As for Garland, well, this was not an early afternoon to remember. He shot just 4-for-18 through three quarters and was riveted to the bench throughout the fourth, and coach James Brown declined to get into the reason. “Coach’s decision,” he said. Garland’s 11-point outing raised his career total to 1,965 and the Braves will host Frankford Tuesday. Meanwhile, sr. G Quasim Jones wasn’t around at all. Brown said he missed the game due to illness. Roman coach Chris McNesby used a nine-man rotation by halftime and the result was a 26-21 deficit. On more than one occasion, the Braves outhustled the Cahillites for rebounds and loose balls and as the latter headed to locker room, I was thinking their ears would be blistered. Instead, McNesby and his assistants advised the players to figure things out for themselves and then headed out of the room. Sr. PF-C Anthony Mayo, the recipient of DN ink, said the seniors did most of the talking, in calm fashion, and dedicated themselves to playing harder and showing better fundamentals. I’d be surprised if Anthony, though friendly and level-headed, said more than five words because this dude is seriously quiet (smile). Mayo (Boston U.) had finished the first half with all of one rebound. He knew one thing he had to do: box out better. He finished with six and collected his 10 points on perfect shooting (3-for-3, 4-for-4) and one of his makes was a dunk off a follow that capped Roman’s 18-4 third quarter. The lead reached 17 points in the fourth stanza before Bartram made things respectable. Once again frosh G Britton Lee had a nice outing with seven points and three assists. He seemed to work pretty well with Brookins. Sr. WG-SF Kevin Regan had five points and six boards and frosh SF Shafeek Taylor had five boards in a starting role. The friskiest Brave was jr. F-C Dijon Wright, a beefy guy who was pretty light on his feet. He had 10 points and 15 boards and was great at talking and showing defensive enthusiasm. A few times we heard him say, “Don’t let guys cross in front of your face” and “Shooter on my side” whenever Brookins was near his section of the zone. More guys need to follow his lead. Sr. G Coron Fletcher came off the bench to hit a pair of threes and notch three steals while G Darrell Robinson (not sure of his year) snagged 11 rebounds despite being his team’s smallest rotation member. Sr. F-C Devin Moore had seven boards. At least two head coaches were in attendance to scout future opponents: Frankford’s Ben Dubin and Bonner’s Tom Meakim.

JAN. 29
CATHOLIC BLUE
Wood 72, Dougherty 64
  This was one of those “all-nighter games.” As in, I could have watched it all night (well, except for pesky deadline issues). The teams went at each other with passion and skill and again and again, one terrific play on offense was followed in short order by another on defense. Thanks for great viewing, guys! One of the many joys of this job is getting the chance to tell great stories and they don’t come much better than tonight’s variety. Just before game time, a woman and man came across the baseline at the north end of Wood’s gym and took spots right next to me in the corner. They were Ann and Jack Walsh, parents of Wood’s first-year coach, also named Jack, and grandparents of the jr. sixth man, also named Jack. Grandpop is Jr., coach is III, and player is IV. (Believe it or not, there’s a CL football coach who’s V! One day maybe he’ll even let me tell people that – smile). Anyway, as I found out later, grandpop, who watched from a wheelchair, suffered two massive strokes about four years ago and this was the first time since then that he’d felt up to coming out to watch grandson play basketball. The results were surreal. Jack IV took no shots in the first half. Second half? He took six from the floor and made ‘em all, and IV were IIIs. He also went 1-for-2 at the line to finish with 17 points while adding four rebounds and one assist/steal apiece. I can’t even imagine how excited Grandpop and Grandmom had to be while watching all of this, and it was so cool to be footsteps away right after the game when III came over to exchange a hug with Jr. Jack the Coach enjoyed a great career at Wood (’81) and finished just nine points short of 1,000, so it wasn’t Jack the Grandpop’s first experience with watching a family member light up that gym. For much of the night, a win for the Vikings was hardly a foregone conclusion. Dougherty was bringin’ it and Wood was slightly off-kilter. In the second quarter, sr. SF Brandon Brown stepped out to hit a couple of treys and one of them gave Dougherty ahead, 24-14. Wood closed the half with a nice rush and moved within 33-30. Maybe even tied it up, actually. As the clock hit 0:0000000001 or 0:00, sr. WG Fran Dolan picked up a loose ball and launched one while falling out of bounds in front of Dougherty’s bench. Swish! The refs ruled it no good. As the zebras walked past us into their locker room, good-guy crew leader George Geiss joshed, “We’re going into the replay booth right now.” Anyway, Wood scored the first four points of the third quarter and, swoosh, the Redbirds rang up nine in a row in  rather short order as Brown hit a trey, sr. CG Brandyn Wims spurted for two buckets and jr. G Christen “Not Christian” Gibbs added another. Next run: Wood’s. Sr. SF Brian O’Grady, of baseball fame (well, and hoops fame, too), posted an in-tight bucket to make it 50-50 with 6:27 left and it was on, baby! Unfortunately, soon thereafter, one CD guy and then another were hit with techs for unacceptable behavior. One dropped a high-volume F-bomb after his shot was blocked even though the call went in his favor. (The curse was directed at the defender. As in, you blocked my shot, but you also hacked me and now I’m going to the line. Don’t think you got the better of me.) Wood hit three of the four free throws and, after the second T, jr. PG Joe Getz, who’s as athletic as a white guy can get (smile), drove for a twisting layup and a 60-51 lead. The Vikes maintained from there. Getz scored nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, during which he also posted two steals, two boards and a block. O’Grady finished with 13 points and eight rebounds total and notched three rejections in the fourth quarter (maybe even four; I wasn’t positive about the swatter’s identity on one play). Seventh man Drew Greenfield, a jr. F who’s dad, Mo, played at Judge, made some very important contributions down the stretch, as well. Dolan had 10 points and three assists and scored at least one basket in every quarter. Stats for Dougherty: Wims (15 points, three assists), Brown (11 points, 12 rebounds, three apiece of steals/blocks), Gibbs (10 points), sr. F Art Comas (seven early points en route to nine; his brother, Dan, starred for Wood). Also, soph G Laquan Coaxum, who’s new to the varsity, easily drained the free throws after getting smacked while attempting a trey. Tonight’s legend award was shared three ways by the Greenberg brothers. Leading the way was Tucker, coach Walsh’s good buddy and ex-Wood teammate/classmate. Also on hand were Jim and John. Well, at least I think it was John. Might have been Greg. Hey, there are hundreds of Greenberg brothers (well, seven) and I don’t see them THAT often anymore. When Jim sat down right next to me, I said enthusiastically, “What’s up, boy??!!" Know why? I thought it was Jerry, one of the all-time characters. Jim quickly said, “You think I'm Jerry, right?” Ha, ha, ha. They look very much alike, especially from the side, and especially since I'd only glanced up quickly while writing down numbers into the scorebook. Sorry, Jim. He was a member of Abington’s 1974 state championship team, which I covered while working for suburban weekly papers. Another of the brothers, Chip, was our City Player of the Year for La Salle in ’82.

JAN. 29
PUBLIC C
Hope 56, Prep Charter 55
  Take a guess on how many people were in the stands at Lonnie Young Rec Center, a couple blocks from my childhood home in East Germantown, when this one started. Hint: You would have needed only one hand to count ‘em. Another hint: Two fingers could have taken a vacation. That’s right. THREE!! Soon, the crowed swelled to 16 and maybe to 30 by the start of the second half. Eric Worley, Hope’s principal and a former hoops assistant (and player) at Central, said he’d banned his school’s students from this week’s games due to some poor behavior choices. OK, now take a guess on how many pure point guards, as in true floor leaders, were part of these proceedings. Try none. Thus, the play was often sloppy with, whoa, turnover here and, whoa, turnover there and, whoa, turnover here again. But as I’ve often said, you have to be satisfied when the outcome is still in doubt in the waning moments and that definitely happened here. How, I’m not quite sure (smile). Hope led by 13 points after three quarters and PC missed 11 free throws in the final eight minutes, yet there were the Huskies at the very end, just a steal and bucket away from stealing the win. That didn’t happen due to a very brassy/heady play by sr. WG-SF John Creighton. PC jr. G Akhir Frazier had just turned a steal into a quick layup, drawing the Huskies within one with 0:09 showing. Creighton inbounded from under PC’s basket and, before doing so, noticed that the defender’s back was fully facing him. So, he thumped the ball off the kid’s back, gathered in the carom and steamed upcourt. The Huskies never did foul Creighton, or the next guy, before the buzzer sounded and that was it. Creighton was VERY productive all over the stat sheet with 17 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, six steals and three blocked shots. He boasts a 3.4 GPA and qualifying SAT score and Worley promised to work hard on Creighton’s behalf to find a D-2 or D-3 school for him. Creighton was rather polite, too. When we finished the interview, he said, “It was an honor talking to you, sir.” Niiiiiiiiiiice (smile). Creighton’s co-headliners were classmates Jamere Wilcox and Steven Randall. They, too, are wing guard-types who also have to play some forward. Wilcox was a whirlwind in the first half, posting 15 of his 18 points. He finished with 10 total rebounds. Randall, formerly of Germantown, added seven points and six boards. PC is a shell of its former self due to 2009’s graduation ceremonies and the unkind transfer winds. Sr. SF Matt Hankerson had 13 points, though his shot was off. Six-six jr. strongman Mark Wilmer added 11 points and nine rebounds despite missing lots of time due to foul trouble. Soph WG Laquan Stevens had 11 points, nine boards and four steals and Frazier managed 10 points and six steals. There was only one ref through the first quarter. A second guy then arrived. I wrote the DN story in the basement office, apparently, of the guy who heads the boxing program at Lonnie Young. At one point one of the kids came in to get weighed. I finished the story there, but couldn’t connect to the Internet there with our wireless device (probably because of the cinder block walls) and then drove to Wood. The device worked just fine in the cafeteria, with windows right nearby.

JAN. 28
PUBLIC C
Comm. Tech 56, Imhotep 55
  Ten in the 2007-08 season. Fourteen in '09. Eleven in this one. Yes, Imhotep had posted 35 consecutive wins in Pub regular season play since falling to Prep Charter, 52-50, to conclude division play in '07. Not exactly a record streak as Gratz won 107 -- yes, 107 -- consecutive league games from the '89 to '98 seasons, but decent nevertheless. Decent, too, was Imhotep's chance to keep this one going, as the Panthers got off FOUR shots on their final possession. That was nothing new, but missing all four was. Imhotep won the rebound battle, 50-23! That decisive edge was canceled out by the fact that only 17 of 58 shots were made. Additionally, coach Andre Noble's club went just 1-for-15 on treys. Ouch. Under normal circumstances, DN ink likely would have gone to sr. CG Shaquille Shannon, who buzz-sawed his way (while also playing under control) to 15 points, seven steals and five apiece of assists/rebounds. Shaq was terrific and often was allowed to start out front and just do what he pleased on sashays. He's primarily a wing guard, but also shows the savvy required of point guards. (I wrote about him back in late December, after a tourney game in Wildwood.) The regular point guard is jr. Gameel "Pepsi" Strange, who is WAY up there on the competitive spirit scale. When Shannon has the ball, Strange just moves to the wing. He had 10 points and five steals and experienced double-teaming success with Shannon at the top of a zone. DN ink did go to sr. WG-SF Sherman Blanford, who shot 8-for-11 (one trey) and 1-for-4 for 18 points while adding four rebounds. Blanford twice made big plays to break ties: a drive for a three-point play to make it 47-44 with 3:56 left and a right-wing trey (a shade toward the top) to break the last tie, 51-51, with 1:03 left. He said he hardly ever shoots threes, but decided to take it because the defender was giving him so much room. A drive-kiss combo by warrior-like jr. WG Ameen Tanksley (16 points, 10 boards) brought Imhotep within 54-53 and Shannon answered with a hard drive of his own. Jr. WG David Appolon, playing throughout the second half on a tender right knee, airballed a trey, but gritty jr. WG-SF Tyhiem "Redz" Perrin (12 points, six rebounds) was there to convert a follow at 0:28. I don't think Noble wanted this, but the Panthers fouled almost right away and Blanford went to the line for a one-and-one. Miss. Rebound to jr. F Earl Brown (12 boards). The first shot in the Panthers' frustrating last sequence was a treyball by jr. PG Terrell Johnson; the miss left him 1-for-13. Three follows failed -- things were wild! -- and the ball went over the baseline, possession to CT at 0:02 (after everybody ran onto the court and the refs restored some time). Six-eight jr. C Erik Copes, already committed to GW, grabbed 12 rebounds for 'Hotep. The play that produced Appolon's injury was VERY scary. He appeared to be severely hurt at first, but luckily wasn't. There are still some big games left in this division: Mansion visits Imhotep on Tuesday, Mansion hosts Comm Tech on Feb. 11, and Del-Val/Vaux are still involved. Should be interesting. Today's landslide legend winner: '09 CT grad Ackeeno Jolly, who last year made 10 tackles behind the line in one game (likely a city record; despite being a VERY thin defensive end) and, as always, provided great theatrics as the basketball team's No. 1 fan.

JAN. 26
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Malvern 53, Gtn. Academy 33
  Germantown Academy has not been accustomed to losing too many Inter-Ac games during the wonderful Jim Fenerty era, but here we are, still in January, and the largely inexperienced Patriots have suffered I-A setback No. 3. And this one was a borderline doozy. The three losses have by come three points to Malvern (see report down the page), by 12 points to CHA (also see report down the page; just not as FAR down) and by 20 points to Malvern again. Throw out these last two L’s. In its previous six I-A setbacks, the Patriots had lost by a TOTAL of 19 points. How’d this happen? In workmanlike fashion. The Friars stormed to an 8-0 lead with points three through five and six through eight coming on wing treys by soph G Brendan Kilpatrick. Soon, Malvern was boasting a triple-'em-up lead, at 21-7, and its bulge stood at double-'em-up (plus a little extra) proportions, at 50-24, when Fenerty summoned the deep subs with 3:24 left. Malvern coach Jim Rullo got great early mileage from a diamond-and-one defense on GA’s top player, sr. CG Cameron Ayers (Bucknell). Cam finished with six points and did not get his first basket until 2:55 remained in the half (on a lefthanded drive). The other guy capable of scoring outbursts, sr. PG Austin Curry, managed just three points and his bucket came right before halftime. No Patriot scored more than six points (phew, wonder if that’s a school record?) and the club shot 13-for-48. Sr. F Jake Beil did have five boards, two assists, three assists and two blocks. Jr. F Beau Jones posted three blocks. DN ink went to jr. PF-C Tracy Peal, who goes 6-5, 250, and would appreciate not being asked to play football ever again (smile). He helped his squad immensely by not getting into foul trouble and mixed 11 points with as many boards, along with three steals. Kilpatrick had 13 points, six boards and three assists. Jr. SF Lamon Church dogged Ayers in the triangle in addition to garnering 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jr. WG DeQuann “Bootsie” Walker contributed 11 apiece of points and rebounds along with four assists. Sr. PG Ryan Creighton went scoreless. Not good, right? Wait, he didn’t even shoot. Not once! He was very effective in running the offense, though, and he wins the Most Unselfish Award for dropping the ball back to a teammate after a steal and three-quarter-court adventure. He then followed almost immediately by taking a charge on Ayers. Nice sequence. Sub jr. F Mike Dougherty had eight points and four steals. CHA coach Bill Dooley and assistant Ted Monaco were in the house, as was at least one Blue Devil player, Todd Cramer. Malvern FB/lacrosse star Bobby Hill ran around the court a little, even taking shots at a side basket that was in full upright position (maybe 25 feet above floor level?) well before the game began. Today’s legend: Joe Giacchino. Reason TBA.

JAN. 25
CATHOLIC RED
Judge 62, O’Hara 48
  So, you’re experiencing shooting perfection and it’s early in the fourth quarter. Would you risk the streak by using your off hand to try a reverse layup with a pinch of spin-the-ball-off-the-glass mixed in? That Reggie Charles is one daring dude, folks. (smile) The shot missed, barely, and  Charles said he didn’t hesitate to try it because he’d made a similar one earlier in the game. He later failed to connect on his final attempt of the evening, a front end of a one-and-one, but it’s doubtful anyone will hold it against him. The jr. CG, who has the true feel and snappy decision-making skills of a PG, finished with 24 points in what turned out to be a goin’-away victory. He shot 10-for-11 (one trey) and 3-for-4 while adding three rebounds, two assists (other passes that led to two-shot fouls) and two steals. The Regster truly practices what he preaches: He DOES try to get his teammates going early. He didn’t take a shot until the second quarter. Once he discovered that O’Hara had few answers in trying to cover him, he kept on going. In Judge’s 23-point quarter, he was responsible for the first 15 with 12 of his own and a pass for a trey to jr. wing sniper Joe Kehoe (15 points). There was little suspense in the second half. Jr. QB-F Tony Smith had a strange outing. Though he claimed eight rebounds, he didn’t get his first until after intermission. Tall drink o’ water Jr. C Seamus Radtke, assumedly, will be spending a LONG stretch of practice time today (I’m writing this Tuesday morning) practicing his free throws (he hit just one), but he was active on the glass with nine and finished with five blocks as well. He still drops some passes and finds himself slightly out of position, etc., but the potential is there and daily improvement is being made and I hope that he sees it, feels it, is encouraged by it, builds on it, because he could have a whole lot of fun in this sport. Sr. F Bob Tinney saw only limited duty because Radtke did not experience foul trouble, but made his only two shots. Jr. G Nick Sullivan, Charles’ good buddy, had three assists in the second quarter. The DN story focused on how Reggie is back at Judge, where he spent his freshman year, after starring last season at McDevitt. He said he tried Lancerville because his older brother, a McDevitt alum, convinced him how cool, in effect, chasin’ the females would be (smile). But he lost some of his academic focus and his mom sent his butt back to Judge. It’s at Rowland and Solly, ladies, if you still want to connect with him (ha ha). No one scored in double figures for O’Hara, and the TEAM barely rebounded in double figures (with 10 for the game). Sr. PG Anthony Bertolino hit two late shots to raise his point total to eight after earlier just trying to run the offense and make things happen; he added five assists and three steals. Sr. WG Dan Kearney hit three treys in the first half, but did not score thereafter. Soph backup C Ed Allen packed all three of his FGs into the second quarter. Jr. sub guard Joel Davidson buried two late treys. This was the second Bob Zanneo sighting of the day. He reffed Bonner-Prep and then hustled to Judge to watch his son, Brett, play for the JV squad (and make a late varsity appearance). Also spent some time talking with Father Joseph Campellone, Judge’s president, about the many issues now facing the Catholic schools and even the Catholic League. Always interesting. Tonight’s legend: the Judge kid who scrambled out of the stands at halftime and nicely buried a wing jumper. I told him, “Come back out. Do that again and I’ll take your picture.” He did. Brick. He did again. Brick again. One-for-three. Not horrendous. But not Reggie Charles quality, either (smile).

JAN. 25
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 64, Bonner 45
  So, when senior manager Drew Peabody strolled out to midcourt and, as the first kid to launch a shot during the usual halftime ceremony for prizes, posted a perfect, 47-foot swish, was anyone really surprised? Doubtful. Under coach Speedy Morris, the Hawks have put on some serious sniping exhibitions through the years and today produced an all-timer. It's possible the Hawks hit SIX consecutive treys. If not, they definitely hit six of seven in a hot (scalding) streak that lasted roughly from the middle of the second quarter until the middle of the third. The only miss from Treyball Land was by sr. WG Joe Nardi and I'm just not positive whether it took place right before the serious marksmanship commenced, or during it. Maybe someone from the Prep can check the videotape and let us know for sure. Anyway, the makes “ruined” a game that had just started to get respectable. Sub jr. G Joe McGinn hit a jumper, then followed with a quick steal and went to close to three-quarters court for a layup, drawing Bonner within 17-15. Then it was bombs-away time, as soph WG Gene Williams and Nardi got things started. It was 23-15, then 26-15, then jr. PG Mike Fee knocked home a regular off a follow to send everyone into the locker rooms at 28-15. Second half: Drive by Fee. Fee from Nardi and, then, finally Bonner responded with a drive by sr. PG Jamal Melvin. There’d be more long-distancing and the bulge reached 47-24. For the game, the Prep shot 11-for-21 from beyond the arc and Williams led the way at 6-for-8. Phew! Gene was playing with a passion, as he wanted to honor his just-deceased grandfather. All he did was shoot 11-for-16 total en route to 28 points. He also had two assists. Fee and Nardi halved four treys en route to 12 and 10 points, respectively. Frosh coach Joe "Blue Wave" Donahue credited Nardi with seven assists. Yo, calm down, buddy! I had him for five. (smile) Don’t forget the ol’ “caught and thought” rule. If a guy caught the ball and then thought about whether to launch the jumper, it’s not an assist. It has to be instinctive. Joe and his sidekicks also had sr. PF-C Connor McIntyre for 13 rebounds. The Puckster and I had him for 11. Hmmmmm. Whatever the correct number was, he did yeoman work (Bonner only had 17 as a team). Frosh backup CG Steve Vasturia dealt four assists. Bonner was guilty of not being nearly frisky enough defensively. The Hawks got loads of open looks, even off inbound plays, and that just can’t happen. Also, the Friars never developed an offensive rhythm. One of the assistant coaches told me afterward that 10 of the team’s 25 first half possessions resulted in turnovers and that only 2.5 passes per possession were made. Get this: Bonner did not post its FIRST assist until 3:59 remained. It came as McGinn hit a right wing jumper on a pass from soph sniper Billy Cassidy; Cassidy then nailed two treys of his own and one resulted from the Friars’ only other assist (credited to soph Craig Slade, brother of jr. Scott and a recent addition to the varsity). Is it my imagination or is every Prep player the son/nephew of someone I used to cover back in the day? Connor McIntyre’s dad, Paul, played for Judge, as did his uncle, Mike. Meanwhile, why is the Prep's gym so dark? It's starting to make some of the Pub caves look like nighttime along the Vegas strip.

JAN. 24
CATHOLIC RED
La Salle 46, Ryan 40
  There's only one thing less enjoyable than playing defense against Ryan's Princeton-style offense: Doing so when you're way behind. OK, so it was still semi-early and we're going with a loose definition of "way," but La Salle did trail the Raiders by 17-9 and it was not hard to imagine coach Joe Dempsey's club having a very difficult time over the final 2 1/2 quarters. Good thing Troy Hockaday was in da house. The sr. WG began the comeback with a drive for a three-point play. And with 2:30 left in the third quarter, he followed his own miss for another three-point play, thus giving the Explorers the lead for good at 30-27. Three more baskets followed and, yes, the Raiders were the guys feeling very uneasy. Those buckets went to jr. sub G Kevin Piotrowicz on a left-baseline jumper, off a pass from jr. F Joe Brown; to Hockaday on a follow of his own miss, and to jr. PG Eddie Mitchell on a fast break layup. Ryan never quite went away and even rallied within 43-40 with 26 seconds remaining, but there was no late-game drama. DN ink went to Hockaday and we had some fun by bringing up memories of ex-Sixers legend Moses Malone, who was famous for following his own misses for buckets. Hockaday shot just 4-for-14, but made up for his lack of marksmanship by rebounding four of his own flubs and getting seven offensive rebounds total, according to the La Salle stat sheet. His extra rebounding was necessary today because jr. PF-C Brennan Woods experienced foul trouble that limited his activity. Troy is hearing from West Chester, Bloomsburg and Neumann and will be a good fit from the leadership standpoint, as well. He shows a good competitive spirit and makes sure his teammates are likewise on board. Mitchell, a true quickster, had 18 points. Brown mixed five rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal while also hitting a trey. C'mon, please, someone's gotta tell me. Is this kid lefthanded or righthanded? His shooting form is driving me crazy! (smile) Jr. G Michael Poncia had four assists. You know how my goofy mind works. From now on, whenever this kid fakes out a defender and dribbles around him for a layup, we'll say he pulled off a Poncia Scheme. Ryan leader Eric Fleming, a jr. WG, reached 20 points in curious fashion. After missing his first two shots, he then hit six in a row with a treyball included. He then went cold again (five misses) before finishing with seven points in the fourth quarter. Also very productive, from an overall standpoint, was soph PF-(even C) Christian Rivera. He had 12 points and as many boards, with two assists mixed in. The Raiders missed MANY close-in shots. Almost all were contested, but I'm guessing the players and coaches felt a lot more should have gone in. Today's legend contest was a landslide in favor of ex-website writer Phil Consalvo. . . Wait, we have to reconsider. Ex-Ryan FB coach John Quinn was also in attendance. Now, THAT man is a legend. Sorry, Phil, you're still in the budding stage. If La Salle had lost, I might have banned from future games. The Explorers were 0-2 in my presence.

JAN. 22
CATHOLIC BLUE
Carroll 53, Conwell-Egan 29
  So much for a fantastic rerun. When these teams met back on Dec. 21, Carroll needed OT to secure an 80-77 win and the game was tremendous. This one was a true stinker. The first uh-oh came maybe three seconds in as C-E won the tap and star sr. WG-SF Ike Robinson came streaking in for a semi-breakaway layup. Oops. He missed it. The first time around, Robinson poured in 42 points for a school record (at least in the CL portion of the school’s history). This time he managed just four while shooting 2-for-7. At least four guys took turns guarding him, from sr. PG DJ Irving to sr. PF-C Ben Mingledough to jr. WG Juan’ya Green to sr. sub F Anthony Butler. Butler was very determined, getting down into crouches with serious scowls on his face. Robinson worked hard to try to get the ball, running around and around and trying to work off screens, but a comfort zone wasn’t attainable and, oddly, C-E had its best stretch when Ike was on the bench. DN ink went to Mingledough (13 points, 11 rebounds, two apiece of assists and steals), who last year willingly filled a support role as the Patriots’ fifth starter. He could pogo-stick, but mostly stayed near the basket. I’m never around during practice, of course, and don’t get to see how guys intermingle in those situations, or away from the court, but Mingledough always gave off a great-teammate aura and it’s nice to see that his approach and hard work are now paying off with increased visibility and D-1 interest from schools such as Bryant, St. Francis (Pa.), St. Peter’s and Long Island. Everything is better: his handle, his shot, his “juke-ability” and, most importantly, his confidence level. Some of the pursuing schools even see him as a wing guard. Irving (Boston U.) had nine points, three apiece of assists/steals and even seven rebounds. More than once, especially late, he got into duels with C-E sr. counterpart Devon Thomas, who no doubt figured he could enhance his rep by playing well against a high profile guy such as Irving. They kept trying to break each other’s ankles (smile). The best show took place as the third quarter wound down. Thomas had the ball out front and shake, shake, shake, tried to create room for a jumper. He launched and Irving got a piece of the ball. Along with a sliver of his hand, as a foul was called. Thomas had 11 points and two assists (hard to collect them when your team is shooting 13-for-38 overall and 0-for-13 beyond the arc.) He plays with serious attitude and I wish more point guards would do so. Down the stretch, however, he might have been guilty of a dirty play on a hard drive by a Carroll player. Some muttered words were exchanged. Green, mixing drives with pops and a pair of treys, had 17 points along with seven boards and two apiece of assists/steals. C-E wound up getting crunched on the boards, 39-19. Thanks to follows, Carroll got off 10 shots before four minutes had been played. There was a strange scene at halftime. Even though C-E had closed the second quarter on a roll, it remained in the locker room until 45 seconds were showing on the clock. Carroll, meanwhile, came out way early and the starters were sitting on the bench, just lounging and watching the subs do the shooting, as halftime wound down. The Patriots then powered to 25 of the next 34 points. The line of the night was uttered by Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk after Irving went flying down the lane, and then sprawling out of bounds. No foul was called. “I admit he was out of control,” Romanczuk said, “but he got bumped!” The play happened right in front of me, as I spent the evening in a chair backed up against the wall behind the far-end basket. As for Paul’s statements: true and true (smile).

JAN. 21
PUBLIC B
Dobbins 64, West Phila. 57
  There’s no such thing as a bad visit to Dobbins. Even when the crowd isn’t too big, even when no cheerleaders are on hand, even when neither team has a boatload of talent like back in the day . . . watching a game in this place is still a treat. Don’t let the score fool you. The outcome was still in doubt until the final moments and the energy level was high. It’s hard not to think West coach Frank Steed sacrificed this affair to send his team a message. Some of his better guys spent large stretches of time on the bench in the second half. Stat guru Big Steve Reid and I were sitting in the southwest corner of the gym – with Dobbins ALL-timer Horace “Pappy” Owens and legendary talent evaluator Allen Rubin standing nearby – and, as you might know, there’s no PA system at Dobbins. We didn’t think the sitting West guys were there because of foul trouble, but just to be sure I strolled over to the mid-air scoring table to ask the gals if any of the players had as many as three fouls. Our suspicion was correct. The Speedboys were being disciplined. Steed said afterward that they’d taken some bad shots and had been lax about getting back on defense. Luckily for West, two of the guard replacements, jr. PG Nigell Hester and soph WG Desmond Sams, actually played very well. Hester, in particular, made some smooth, yet aggressive moves. Anyway, the stuff I just talked about shouldn’t take away from Dobbins’ success. These guys were spirited throughout and I liked how the bench guys, even those who had no prayer of getting onto the court, kept expressing rabid support for their teammates. And though the far-and-away hero was 6-8, 230-pound jr. C Jerrell Wright, the recipient of DN ink, he got plenty of help and pretty much every Mustang made a BIG play at a KEY moment. Wright, a lefty with MUCH promise, hustled for 26 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. He shows good hands and solid fundamentals and he’s slightly quicker off his feet than you think he’d be, based on his bulk. The best thing about Wright: He ignored overtures from “every school in the city” to remain at Dobbins. He said he loves the place and he’s definitely not alone. In all these years of covering the Mustangs, I can’t remember ever sensing that a kid hated being there. OK, enough of the Dobbins commercial (ha ha ha). Jr. WG-SF Basir Fulmore, an on-the-move trickster who last year played for FLC, had 13 points (5-for-5 at line). With another guy now among the missing (school issues), sr. Ermon McMillan received lengthy PG exposure and was pretty much flawless. His teammates were very excited for him. Jr. SF Khalil Curtis grabbed five rebounds and hit a key shot down the stretch. Jr. G-F Fred Jones used just three shots to notch eight points (and it was nice to see his pop, Fred, a star shortstop for Gratz in the early ‘80s!). Soph WG Walter Lawrence also had some special moments. One was a HARD drive from the right wing for a three-point play with 1:04 left, and it provided a 59-55 lead. West has some interesting players. Sr. WG Naquil Jones, a lefty, is thin and bouncy with legs that go from floor to ceiling. His long strides get him from here to there quite quickly and he also shows sniping tendencies. Much potential. Jr. WG-SF Terrell “Sleepy” Daye, yet another port-sider, has a strong body and good savvy. He’s tough to cover. Jr. WG Raymond “Meatball” Nesbitt (he’s nowhere close to fat) is also good on the move. Shaquille Bowman, a 6-4 jr. is the team’s only true inside player. He did grab five boards, but was not a factor offensively. Back to Dobbins: Wright and Fulmore were clutch in the final 15 seconds, hitting two free throws apiece. Also in attendance was Mark Dwight, a rugged, take-no-crap guy for West’s 1975 Pub champs. His son, also named Mark, is one of West’s bench guys. Frisky West footballer Greg “Grasshopper” Richie (listed at 5-6; doubt it – smile) saw no light, but he did earn a pic in warmups. He’s a great kid and got to see an Eagles game this past season, thanks to Donovan McNabb. Pretty cool, right?

JAN. 20
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Chestnut Hill 38, Malvern 34 (OT)
  Let's crunch the numbers. Thirty-six minutes played. Seventy-two points scored. Even a PC grad knows this: two points per minute. And that means very few thrills. There were almost no fast breaks and I doubt that baskets were scored on consecutive possessions more than three-four times all game. Hey, at least it was close and the teams definitely went hard at each other. The theme of the day was . . . Step in front and take a charge! CHA was better at that and I'm sure some guys, especially sr. PG Pat Connaghan, have the bruises on their chests to prove it. Connaghan was a trooper. He was in obvious pain almost from the very beginning due to the re-tweaking of a left hamstring injury, and he was limping rather noticeably downstairs after the game. Early, CHA had trouble even getting off shots and it was pass-pass-pass . . . hey, maybe this guy will shoot . . . nah, pass-pass-pass. Malvern experienced semi-early foul trouble, though, and that loosened things up. Well, a little. DN ink went to soph WG Luke Mulvaney, who shot well last Friday in the stirring win over GA and did so again today, albeit on fewer attempts. He hit important treys in the second and third quarter and got his other four points off hard drives -- bucket and, after a foul, two free throws. Even a miss worked out great. It's OT. CHA is up, 35-32. Inbounder soph G Billy Dooley, son of the coach, whips a long pass to Mulvaney way over Malvern's pressure. A shade too long, actually. Though Mulvaney can't convert the layup, in part because he's almost behind the backboard, classmate SF Malik Garner is right there for the follow. The clinching point was provided at 14.6 as sr. F Andrew Kraft hit the first of two free throws. Connaghan had eight points, five rebounds (team high) and four assists. Garner managed eight points and three steals. In part due to foul trouble, sr. SF Todd Cramer had to settle for five points. Jr. WG DeQuann "Bootsie" Walker led Malvern in points (13) and boards (seven) while jr. SF Lamon Church had seven markers. Both guys are no doubt still feeling frustrated about their combined 16 misses. They undoubtedly got hit on some of them. They also know, hopefully, that the next time every foul gets called will be the first and that somehow they just HAVE to find a way to finish while absorbing contact that's anything short of murder and mayhem. Jr. C Tracy Peal took just two shots and made 'em both. He pulled down just one rebound in a VERY foul plagued outing. Jr. swingman Mike Dougherty, off the bench in extended minutes, was a bright spot with eight points on 4-for-6 shooting. Today's legend-in-da-house was former Edison coach Howard Ratinoff. He was watching because Garner's dad, Urian "Bug" Garner, played for him at Edison. Also, after the game, teenage-years friend Chuck Dowds (Oreland 4-ever!) came over to say hello. Whoa. Haven't seen him in decades. Great to see ya, Chuck! Looking at CHA's roster, there's a freshman named Andrew Dowds. Gotta be his son/nephew, right? I hit this game after the Fran Dougherty press conference and wrote part of that story in CHA's cafeteria after arriving at about 2:25 for the 3:45 tilt. The post-typing snack? A small pack of chocolate chip cookies. Only 90 cents. Not bad.

JAN. 19
PUBLIC B
Phila. Elec. 61, Mastery South 56
  It’s now 11:50 and I’m starting this report on an old Gateway computer that redefines slow. Reason? The battery pack/power cord/whatever it's called on the Dell laptop has died and there’s no way to use a regular plug. I downloaded the pics from this game, linked a couple of DN stories, made the announcement about not being able to update the site until further notice and signed off before the battery on that computer completely died. Talk about frustrated!!! This keyboard has a different feel than the other one and I can barely type on here. Grrrrrrr. Oh, well. This game, played at the EOM Club in the Pennsport section of South Philly, was pretty good. PET appeared to have more talent and a better mix of personnel (MS is almost all guards), but rookie coach Omar Richburg, most recently an assistant at SJ Prep, had his kids competing throughout and the outcome was in doubt until the final 15-odd seconds. Always appreciated/preferred. DN ink went to jr. PG Devante Chance, and I learned right after the game that he’s the son of ex-Furness star Warren Chance (’94), who still holds a share of the school scoring record with 41 points. How? Well, Warren was in attendance and came over to say hello. Also in the house was ex-Dobbins star Marvin Stinson (’91). He’s related (uncle?) to someone who also played today, but darn if I can remember who he said it was. It’s not easy being an oldhead! I do not recommend it! Ha, ha. Anyway, it was great to see both guys and I had fun in the story with Devante’s P-I-G battle with his pop. Chance is an aggressive kid and today he competed quite hard. On several occasions, he embarked – this keyboard is driving me nuts!!!!! – on strong drives that he finished with his off (left) hand. Impressive. And though he missed some, I liked how he stepped right to the line in the late going to prepare to shoot free throws. As in, I WANT to be here and now I’ll make you pay. Chance finished with 19 points and two apiece of assists and steals. His teammates weren’t always ready for his snappy passes and, man, did he do some threading. As everyone knows, productive big guys are scarce these days in city ball but PET has one to watch in 6-7 frosh Jai Williams. He has some beef and a very large frame and it’s not hard to picture him as a prospect down the road. His parent/guardian/coach/somebody should do one thing right now: buy him a jump rope and make sure he uses it religiously. That would greatly improve his footwork, which isn’t bad already. The small forward is sr. Kyle Baldwin, who is coming off a broken wrist. He’s listed at 6-5 and is definitely thin. Had a few springy moments, however. Jr. Carrington Ward (does things on the move), sr. Chris Green (treys, anyone?) and frosh Hakeem Baxter (frisky defender, couple key steals) also play guard for coach James “Flame” Lewis, a former starter at Roman. MS’ top player is sr. PG Wanyae Hartsfield. He didn’t shoot too well today, often leaving his shots short, but his form was good and he assuredly showed waterbug qualities. He was at his peskiest in the fourth quarter and that’s what you want out of your leader. No one on this team is taller than 6-2 and that makes things difficult. Sr. WG Malcolm Lyles played with all kinds of authority in the fourth quarter as MS kept hanging around. The strangest guy was jr. G Ronnie Gambrell (thanks to MS teacher Craig Irrgang for providing the correct identity. We originally had him listed as someone else. A number discrepancy was not relayed to me.) This kid’s shot is an all-timer. When he shoots, he looks like he’s the most pissed-off guy in world history and actually fires the ball at the hoop, making it look like a line drive to, say, shortstop. But twice he did that and the ball went in. Amazing! He also grabbed some tough/clutch rebounds in serious traffic. Yet another you-know-what, jr. Khalil Newsome (right, a guard), had five steals. Back in the flow today was stat man Big Steve Reid, who recently experienced a health scare. It was great to see him walk in the door, and hang out together again. We also resumed a tradition. After I take pics of cheerleading squads, Steve immediately snags the camera, pushes the zoom button and starts making evaluations. “Oh, she’s cute . . . Nice. I like this one . . . Check her out.” He said we might have to start a feature on the web site where he picks the prettiest girl in each cheerleading squad. Hmmmmmmmm. Well, that’s it for this report. Now I just have to figure out how to access email on this damn thing. (Couldn't do it. The wife signed on to the Gateway computer in the morning, figured things out, emailed this report to my work account, I accessed it from there after coming into the office and getting the computer fixed, and here it is. As I prepare to post it, it's 11:25 in the morning. Almost time to head to Wood for Fran Dougherty's press conference. And then to Chestnut Hill for the game against Malvern. Should be fun.)

JAN. 18
COACHES VS. CANCER EVENT (AT IMHOTEP)
Steelton-Highspire 69, Math, Civics and Sciences 66
  This was my first look at MC&S for 2009-10, and to see these guys last year I would have needed to hit games involving all kinds of schools. The Mighty Elephants have NUMEROUS transfers and one of them, sr. G Kwahmere Gredic, who wound up getting the ink, was prevented from playing over the final two-thirds of last season by his previous school, Upper Darby. Also in the starting lineup were jr. PG Thomas Moore (King), jr. WG Tyreek Riddick (Freire) and jr. WG-SF Nigel Caldwell (Kensington). Jr. frontcourt sub Muhammad Amin played last year for Southern and another sub, jr. G Chris Stokes, played for Prep Charter earlier THIS season. Oh, and I’m told yet another sub, 6-6 soph Quentin Davis, played JV ball last year at Frankford. Phew! Talk about strong transfer winds! Smile. Coach Danny Jackson and assistant Lonnie Diggs, also the AD, are active, hard-working guys and indications are strong that they truly care about their players and have their best interests at heart. Nevertheless, you can understand why behind-the-scenes muttering by other Pub coaches is prevalent. Growing/nurturing a school’s own talent is one thing. Somehow winding up with other schools’ decent players, especially so many of them, is something else. Transfers are everywhere in the Pub this season – Amauro and I think the number is 30-plus; might even be higher – and the grumbling is increasing. One thing the charter schools have in their favor: All of them are seen as having better learning/behavior environments than the neighborhood high schools, so when an athlete says he’s transferring for non-sports reasons, it’s difficult to call him a liar. Annnnnnyway, despite the loss, this was a positive outing for MC&S. Steel-High had a talented group with size and strength (and feisty ways) and sr. G Ryan Hill (21 points) is a Bucknell signee. Six-six sr. Andre Thomas is really MC&S’ only true inside player (Amin, a strongman, doesn’t play too much) and the rest of the cast is guard, guard, guard, guard . . . you get the idea. Though Caldwell (16 points), who wears Tyrone Garland-style braids and shows some NICE athleticism, is really a guard, but he mostly operates on the baseline. Riddick and Stokes are mostly wing snipers. They combined for 15 points while going just 3-for-16 on treys. Moore also had a rough shooting outing (10 points, 2-for-9 on treys). Imhotep is not too far from King and a lot of Moore’s admirers were on hand. He was probably too amped. Gredic also took some deep jumpers, but was mostly in attack mode. He also played the hell out of defense (six steals) while also dealing three assists. Gredic was a whirlwind in the fourth quarter. As the session began, Gredic made a terrific, open-floor steal and drove close to three-quarters court for a layup. Then, he again showed his quick hands for a theft and passed ahead for a layup, by Caldwell, that provided a 55-48 lead. The Mighty Elephants then began to spread the floor, undoubtedly thinking that they’d fare well by making the taller S-H chase. Didn’t work out. The MEs did not treasure the ball enough, and rebounded hardly at all, and S-H went on an 18-4 run. Ouch. To its credit, MC&S mounted its own rally and a late launch of a trey could have forced OT. Riddick, stationed in the left corner off a scramble, was off-balance and the shot didn’t come close, however. With so few returnees, and so many new guys accustomed to playing in assorted systems, it’s understandable that MC&S is not a finished product. There are good elements, though, so this squad could be dangerous by playoff time. While heading to the car afterward, right outside Imhotep, I saw something amazing: a tricked-out limousine that was about as long as a football field! Just kidding. It was as long as a regular school bus, though. Definitely! No idea why it was there. Was somebody famous among the spectators? Andre Noble, Imhotep's coach and AD, said $900-plus was raised for Coaches vs. Cancer. The money will be passed along in the name of three people -- two staff members and ex-Panther star Will Adams, who is battling cancer that's now in remission. Originally a Towson signee last school year, Will now intends to enroll next September, Noble said. Best of luck, Will!      

JAN. 17
CATHOLIC RED
Roman 81, North Catholic 53
  No offense to the folks at Father Judge, but what the heck happened to Roman Friday night? I’m guessing only one member of the Crusaders’ starting lineup would even play much for Roman, but when the results came pouring in Friday night, there it was, Judge OVER Roman. Amazing! North’s setback vs. Bonner was surprising as well, but at least North had a hint of an excuse because two guys were held out for violating a team rule (they arrived in time to play, supposedly, but not by the time they SHOULD have been there). Anyway, that was the setup and the question had to be, Which team (or will both?) rebound nicely and really get after it today? The answer: Roman. This was never a contest. Led by sr. WG Rakeem “Rahk” Brookins (Tulane), who scored 10 early points (en route to 24), Roman roared to a 19-11 lead after one quarter. Then it happened. I was finally going to get a look at 6-8 jr. PF-C Fortunat “Junior” Kangudi, who’s here from Montreal. His family roots are in Congo, but he was born and raised in Montreal and French is his primary language. He was nursing a knee injury when I saw Roman vs. Ryan a while back, but now he’s blending back in. In a stint that likely didn’t total a quarter, Kangudi had 10 points (two dunks), five rebounds and two blocks. It’s a pretty neat coincidence that Roman assistant Lari Ketner is his new mentor because that’s who he looks like! Playingwise, bodywise, jumpingwise. Kangudi’s former high school didn’t offer basketball, so he was limited to club ball. Also, he’ll be 18 in May, so he’s older than the average junior. There is definitely potential, though, and Kangudi said he’s mostly known as a face-up forward. It’ll be interesting to see if Roman’s staff encourages that development or tries to make him more of a lunch-pail guy, keeping him closer to the basket. The Cahillites already have a center in Boston U. commit Anthony Mayo, a sr. On his dunks, Kangudi soared VERY quickly and hammered the ball home with authority. Another time he went up to dunk, but left his feet a little too far away from the basket and thumped the ball against the rim. He said he was hit a little, too. He went 2-for-4 at the line and one of the misses was an airball. Hey, it happens. Mayo finished with four points (also two slams), nine rebounds and three assists. Sr. SF Kevin Regan had seven points and nine boards and did a great job defensively by slacking off his man to help in the lane area. Only three of the Falcons are inclined to take outside shots, so that strategy made great sense. Jr. WG Dennis Regan had a perfect 10 points (4-for-4, 2-for-2). The PGs, soph Montana Mayfield and frosh Britton Lee, were also very effective. Lee has that “special” look. It’ll be interesting to monitor his progress. Sr. WG Mike Terry (also Boston U.) led North with 16 points and 10 rebounds, though he went just 4-for-14 from the floor. Another sr. WG, Jaleel Mack, also had 16 points, plus six steals. Football star David D. Williams grabbed six boards. The best part of the afternoon was the ceremony honoring former coach Dennis Seddon, who merely won 10 CL titles in 22 seasons while posting 516 wins. Phew! Dennis is as humble as a guy can possibly be, so it was strange to see him having to deal with the spotlight. His speech was short and entertaining and he mentioned being happy that his name and coaching years have been painted on the court right by Roman’s bench. Ceremonies later this season will honor Speedy Morris and Billy Markward. One nice touch today: Dennis is a North grad, so the timing was perfect. As the ceremony was winding down, Dennis posed for a group pic first with Roman and then with North. It was classy of the Falcons’ players and coaches to do that. Meanwhile, hung along lockers outside the classroom used by North as a "locker room" was a looooong red-and-white sign. It was signed by Roman's students (or maybe just athletes? not sure) and thanked the Falcons for "83 years of great competition." Ditto for classy.

JAN. 15
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Chestnut Hill 48, Gtn. Academy 36
  Pat Connaghan served as CHA’s hero even after this one ended. At least for my money. You know how things work: We pick someone to profile while adding assorted game details. In view of what happened this week at CHA, however, it was impossible not to focus, at least in part, on the passing of Mr. Chestnut Hill Academy, teacher and assistant football coach Jack Plunkett. Pat and I spoke about some other things first and then I eased into some questions about Jack, and how difficult the week had been for everyone. He could not have been more gracious. Believe me, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, I’ll ask a guy to, say, speak about his teammates and the response will be little more than, “Yeah, they played nice.” As in, let’s get back to me. Pat had some wonderful comments about Jack and even told a cool story related to football practices. Your help and understanding are much appreciated, Pat. This was one memorable night, folks. Sleepyhead Amauro (he had a long day -- smile) and I guesstimated that the stands at CHA hold about 375 people – six rows, they run the length of one side – and that maybe half that many were standing in the corners or along the baselines. The emotion was flowing and once CHA went on a surge early in the third quarter, expanding a 20-19 halftime lead to 30-19, I’m sure pretty much everyone on hand (maybe even GA’s players) had the feeling the Blue Devils would prevail, and maybe DESERVED to prevail considering what the school community is going through (Jack’s viewing/funeral are Sunday/Monday). How’d it happen? The BDs had that well-oiled-machine look. There were very few bad plays and the spread, keep-moving offense was quite effective. At the other end, soph F Malik “Da Freak” Garner did a great job on GA’s franchise WG, sr. Cameron Ayers (Bucknell), and sr. F Andrew Kraft did likewise on the only other dangerous scorer, sr. PG Austin Curry. They got help and there were occasional switches, but they were the main defenders on each guy. You knew it was the Blue Devils’ night when they missed the first one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, EIGHT free throws they attempted in the fourth quarter, yet didn’t come close to paying a price. Unbelievable. Connaghan, also a star K-P, will play basketball at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (by the time you get that out, the first semester’s over – ha, ha). He’s ticketed for swingman duty there, but is mostly serving CHA at point guard because the roster doesn’t include a true one. He went for eight points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and four blocks. Sixth man Luke Mulvaney, a soph WG, shot 6-for-8 for a team-high 13 points. Garner posted 12 points. Sr. CG-SF Todd Cramer had six apiece of points and rebounds along with four assists while soph Billy Dooley, son of coach Bill Dooley and the apparent next PG, dished five dimes. After a respectable start, Ayers just didn’t have it. Though he scored 15 points, he was 3-for-16 from the floor. He did add nine boards. Jr. F Beau Jones managed seven boards, two assists and two blocks. When Ayers and Curry are making their shots, GA’s lineup works well because the other guys have worker-bee mentalities and truly add good things. The lesser lights don’t appear to be capable of much firepower, though, so when Ayers and/or Curry are unable to be their usual fill-it-up selves, a result such as this can occur. CHA’s game with Malvern, postponed last Tuesday after Jack’s passing, will be played Wednesday. Should be very interesting. Just two games into league play, GA is looking at dire straits. In a six-team league with no playoffs, starting off 0-2 is not a good idea. Had a wonderful pre-game conversation about Jack (and mid-'70s Pub basketball) with his CHA colleague, Ed Aversa. As for tonight’s legend sighting . . . let’s go with ex-CHA guard Mike “Spike” Christiansen. Check out his hair from this '05 Team Pic. It’s normal now. That doesn’t mean he’s any less cool (smile).

JAN. 14
PUBLIC D
Robeson 84, Boys’ Latin 73
  Compared with this place, E&S’ old gym was as big as all outdoors. I’d heard bits and pieces about Robeson’s gym, but today was the first-ever visit. Talk about a phone booth. It was a fun place to watch a game, but it’s also a lawsuit waiting to happen. The walls are maybe 18 inches from the sidelines and maybe 4 feet from the baselines. The table used by the timer/scorers is tucked into the southeast corner and the edge of it comes within inches of the court. Once a Robeson player came barreling into the legs of it – and against my feet; I was sitting in a chair right next to the end of it – and only a miracle prevented a conk-out. Check this out: the teams sit at opposite ends with Robeson in the northeast corner and the visitor in the southwest. When Boys’ Latin’s subs wanted to enter, they stood up to the side of the bench and the scoreboard guy was entrusted with noticing them. BL’s scorekeeper/athletic director, Joe Dunn, used some kind of wireless device to stay in touch with the coaches, so as to advise them about fouls/timeouts. Next to the teams at both ends were two lines apiece of cheerleaders. And every possible inch of space was occupied by standing students. BL coach Maurice Watson Sr. was NOT happy. He said his players were not given a room to change into their uniforms, so they did so right in the gym. Robeson coach Rob Powlen said Watson did not shake his hand afterward, and I know Watson could not have been happy about the fact that Robeson’s cheerleaders rushed to that corner of the gym and sang the nah-nah, hey-hey goodbye song as BL’s players gathered their belongings prior to heading to a room not far from the court. Oh, the court? It can’t be more than 55 feet from basket to basket and there are three halfcourt lines – the real one and two more to determine backcourt violations. Annnnnyway, this game was very competitive and it didn’t seem as if Robeson was ahead by as many points as the scoreboard showed. The Huskies owned a 20-point bulge after three quarters and BL charged within nine, mostly thanks to impressive soph PG Maurice Watson (yes, Jr.), before fading. DN ink went to sr. PG Jay Harris. Several schools were in attendance to check him out and one was Rider. Also on hand was Temple assistant Dave Duke. His main purpose, I was told, was to get an early glance at Watson, but he had to have been impressed with Harris and perhaps he can mention him to other D-1 coaches. We’ll see. The 5-10, 160-pound is the son of former pro boxer Willie “The Rock” Harris and boasts, no doubt, a fighter’s spirit. He’s cat quick – hands AND feet – and has a strong sense of what needs to be done, whether it’s shoot or penetrate hard and whip wraparound passes. He collected 19 points, five assists, four steals and even five rebounds. Though Watson finished with 31 points, six assists and three steals, he was not a major factor early and credit for that went to sr. WG Jamair Williams, who counted Watson’s cavities again and again. In halfcourt sets, Watson has a habit of dribbling and dribbling as he waits to make things happen. I’m sure he’s able to blow past lots of guys, but Williams mostly prevented that from happening early and when Watson did make impressive passes, his teammates only rarely were able to convert. Williams also had 13 points and three assists. Sr. Marquis Pollard was a gigantic help early, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the first quarter. The frontcourt was anchored by jr. Andre Washington (nine rebounds) and sr. sub Jaleel Smith (15 points, 12 rebounds), who spent the fall playing football for West Philadelphia as part of a cooperative sponsorship. BL’s inside force, 6-6 jr. Isaiah Gans, had a rough outing. Well, scoring-wise. He missed his first seven shots and needed two late field goals to get to seven points. He did post 17 rebounds and three blocks. Soph WG Carlos Taylor had 15 points and he’s one to watch as well. Jr. PF Kwahlil Coleman-Jones grabbed seven rebounds. Frosh G Yamir Greenlee had an off day shooting en route to eight points of his own. Robeson, which was known as Human Services when it entered the Pub in the 2004-05 season, is located at 42nd and Ludlow in the building that once housed the Octavius Catto disciplinary school for boys. What a wild place that was.

JAN. 13
CATHOLIC BLUE
Neumann-Goretti 96, Carroll 73
  Three things were exhausted by the end of this tilt. Not three players. Three things . . . The referees’ whistles. Oh, my goodness. Check that. Oh, my badness. The teams combined for 50 personals (25 apiece) and 54 free throws and seven players finished with four personals and every starter had at least three. If the game had not turned one-sided in the fourth quarter (by the end of three, really), MULTIPLE guys would have fouled out. An overflow crowd was on hand at N-G and I guess the stripes wanted to prevent rough play that could have led to outbursts of emotion. They did so by calling heavy breathing a foul (smile). Nah, not really, but there were definitely numerous ticky-tacks and, honestly, the non-stop tweeting really became annoying. Oh, well. DN ink went to sr. PG Tyreek Duren (La Salle) and, as you’d imagine, we had to focus on the revenge factor, considering that N-G, after winning the overall CL championship last year, fell to Carroll in a AAA state quarterfinal and the Patriots went on to become the league’s first-ever state titlist (in year one of being able to try). In one of his quotes for the story, ‘Reek said N-G wanted to score 130 points and win by 50. He was serious, even though he said those words, when first spoken to coach Carl Arrigale as the game drew close, drew laughter. Duren was seriously pumped right out of the gate. With treys to start and finish, he poured home 13 points in the first quarter as the Saints roared to a 26-20 advantage. Meanwhile, Duren’s great friend and fellow D-1 commit, sr. PG DJ Irving (Boston U.), had none and didn’t even attempt a shot in that session. Pretty much right away, Irving made a strong rush for the basket and was called for an offensive foul. As Amauro mentioned later, DJ seemed slightly tentative after that. This was my third look at Carroll this season. DJ has totaled one first quarter point and that came via a tech conversion. Very weird. Duren finished with 21 points, five assists and four steals while exerting his will in all areas. His primary backcourt partner, sr. Tony Chennault (Wake Forest), went for 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals in a wonderful overall show. Sometimes in big games I’ve sensed that Tony has said to himself, every so often, “I’d better do something here to remind people that I’m Tony Chennault.” There was none of that. And he wound up being more Tony Chennaultish than ever! Nice! Sr. PF-C Danny Stewart (Rider), after finishing the first half with two points, wound up with 21 thanks to his personal top-this dunking contest. Man, can this dude jump! The other starters, WGs Mustafaa Jones (Hartford, sr.) and Lamin Fulton (jr.) halved 16 points, and Fulton added four assists. Soph PF-C Derrick Stewart, hit all four of his shots for eight points while matching Big Bro’s rebound total (five). With Irving not inclined to force (also, he picked up his third foul 5:30 before halftime), Carroll was propelled almost exclusively by the tandem of jr. WG Juan’ya Green and sr. pogo-sticker Ben Mingledough. They wound up with 22 and 20, respectively. Green’s offensive savvy is no surprise. Mingledough’s is, at least from the standpoint that he was a background guy, though VERY important, a year ago. He shows much better feet and hip action this year and, naturally, is more inclined to step up as a senior veteran. He always gave off a great-teammate aura last year, so it’s impossible not to be happy about the way he has blossomed. He added nine rebounds. The deep subs finally hit the floor with 3:27 left, and N-G ahead by 28 points. Arrigale believes, in blowout situations, that the losing coach should be the first one to clear his bench. The instant Carroll boss Paul Romanczuk did that, so did Arrigale. The lesser lights favored mad bombing. Jay Donovan, Franco Pellicciotta (hey, shouldn’t he be playing for Neumann? – smile) and Thomas Boyle went deep for Carroll while Mark Squilla did so for N-G. More legends in attendance than you could blow a whistle at. The top dog in that department? Hmm, let’s go with Pub referee Will “Chilly” Williams. If I don’t pick him, he’ll probably email to complain (smile). A close second is Billy Shank, father of the N-G sub guard of the same name. Dad was a key threeballing sub for FLC’s ’93 Pub runners-up. Also, it was great to see N-G’s No. 1 fan and helper, Wayne Esposito. Wayne, who has battled back from a recent health scare, sat right on the bench between two players. Shows you how special he is. Wonder if North would let Puck do that? (ha ha).

JAN. 12
PUBLIC A
University City 55, Germantown 50
  This game was decided early in the fourth quarter, and not in a way you might have expected. Ah, but first there was comic relief in a frustrating kind of way. Wondering why Germantown wasn’t yet shooting one-and-ones, the refs went to the scorers’ table and found that the gal keeping the home scorebook, UC’s, wasn’t bothering to write down the number of team fouls. Ugh. Faced with no other option, they checked with G-town’s scorekeeper, Preston Branch, who said he already had UC with eight. The ol’ correctable error. One right after the other, TWO Bears would go to the line for one-and-ones. Sr. WG Ramadan Abdullah (yes, the star FB quarterback) went first and missed. Everyone then returned to the basket area and sr. PF-C Eddie Callender went next. He missed, too. Rather then pick up four free points, the Bears had bagged none. Not good. The situation turned worse when UC sr. PG Brandon Baynes promptly zoomed through everyone for a three-point play, thus providing a 41-39 lead. He quickly added another layup off a steal and soon, sr. PF-C Micah Peeler (12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four steals) was bullying for his own three-point play and a 48-41 bulge. Though there would still be late doubt, that sequence could not be overcome by the Bears. DN ink went to Baynes, who spent the first part of this school year at Del-Val but had to return when administrators refused to approve his transfer. He made onto the court in time for game No. 3 and has proven to be a frisky leader. Delaware State has at least inquired and assistant Nate Ware, of Wilmington University, was in attendance to make an evaluation. Baynes is only 5-5, 145, but he doesn’t consider his size an issue and it definitely did not appear to be. Meanwhile, I wonder what Nate thought of Callender, a lefty who stands about 6-6 and has been playing competitive basketball for only three-four years. He showed nice possibilities and, while strong already, he has one of those frames that could easily take on more weight. He can run and jump and he also played football (receiver), and he told me afterward that his grades are solid. (He attends G-town’s Lankenau campus; that place’s students are usually quality kids). Callender had 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. Another receiver, sr. F Dominique Twiggs, had 17 points, nine boards and two rejections. Abdullah added seven assists and that total could have been doubled with better finishing. Here’s an oddity: UC’s starters scored from nine to 12 points even though the team total was just 55. Baynes (three assists, two steals) scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Sr. SF Michael Clemmons and jr. G-F Martez Lyles tabbed 10 apiece. Sr. PF Nashawn Gray managed nine. Lyles was the guy who gained a certain amount of fame during FB season when he posted three receiving TDs in the extra sessions of UC’s four-OT win vs.  Overbrook. The weird thing was, he’d made only two catches for the SEASON before the OTs began. The visit to UC’s gym began with a wait (Germantown’s bus was late), a nice talk with Ware and UC’s girls’ coach, Mike, and curiosity about why so many of the rafter lights were burned out. I counted 'em up – 15. Plus, another half-dozen were not at full strength. Ugh again.

JAN. 11
CATHOLIC BLUE
Dougherty 62, Kennedy-Kenrick 42
  On a night when it surrendered the first 17 points, K-K at least could take solace in the knowledge that it provided the game’s best sequence. Credit Cullen Rota for that. The star wideout, the best FB Wolverine, made a steal and three-quarter-court drive for a layup, added another layup off a slash from the right wing and then got absolutely plastered by Dougherty sr. F Art Comas while taking an under-the-basket charge. And I mean TRAMPLED. K-K was losing, 51-33, so to show that kind of heart in that situation is admirable. Both schools are in their final season and I’d yet to see either team, so that’s why the choice was made to trek to Norristown. One problem: two of coach Jack Flanagan’s top players were unavailable. One is permanently gone and the other is on an, ahem, forced vacation. The remaining crew just couldn’t hang with Dougherty’s advantages in speed, strength and just flat-out basketball savvy. The very first sequence told the story as Dougherty, in the person of DN inkman Brandon Brown, a sr. PF-C, scored on a miss, miss, follow. Well, Comas had the first two misses and Brown did the cleanup. Brown finished the session with eight points and six boards en route to nine and 10; coach Bill Day liberally sprinkled in substitutes and no Card scored in double figures. Sr. WG Brandyn Wims, still as tricky as ever, ended the night with eight points, two assists and three steals. Comas fought back from his initial mini-bricks to post seven points and three steals. Two other guards, sr. Dawan Earle (point) and jr. Christian Gibbs (wing), scored six and seven, respectively. Sr. F Ryan “Not Deuce” Colbert grabbed five rebounds in the third quarter and soph G Jamal “Say This Surname Fast Once” Nwaniemeka showed some impressive flashes as the ninth man. Brown said that one of his teammates is thinking of going to Friends’ Central next year. Maybe Nwaniemeka’s the one? Rota competed all game long while tabulating 11 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, five steals and three blocks. He struck me as someone who’s able to produce not so much because he’s a pure basketball player but because he’s an overall athlete who knows how to translate those skills. Given time, I’m guessing he could be respectable in any sport. Sr. G  John Candelore hit three treys en route to 13 points and sr. F-C David Tornetta managed six points, five rebounds, two assists. It was nice talking beforehand with Flanagan and assistant Dan Neeld, whose brother, Dave, formerly coached the Wolverines, about the old days of K-K and Kenrick basketball and to exchange quick hellos with two more assistants, Rafferty fraternal twins Dan and Mike (or is it Mike and Dan? – smile). Conspicuous by his absence, though, was Ryan "Doc" Dougherty, who assisted with the Wolverines through last season. Jack said Ryan has moved to the big city (Philly) and has eased away from coaching. He’s still an ALLLLLL-time legend, though! Know why? He was our first-ever student website reporter! In the 2000-01 school year, Ryan was a senior at K-K and he offered to do reports on the baseball team. His first one was about a night game between K-K and Dougherty. That one was also one-sided . . . In K-K’s favor. Also not on hand was CD aide Mike Patterson, a long-time help with all things Dougherty hoops from the roster/schedule/etc. standpoint. Kidding around with Day, and two more assistants, Shawn Smith and Doug Sauder, I said they should tell Mike, a true character, that he missed out on being the subject of my first-ever story on an assistant coach. Man, if only he'd shown up! He was gonna get the ink! (ha ha). As always, it was also great to see Dougherty's No. 1 fan, Bill Higgins. He's trying to decide what school to follow next year. If North finds a way to stay open, that'll likely be his choice.  

JAN. 11
NON-LEAGUE
Palumbo 53, Roxborough 48
  There are times for a coach to send a message to his team, and a game that doesn't count in the standings is one of them. Overall, Roxborough's approach was pretty admirable because the players kept giving the ball to each other and, if anything, overpassed on occasion. But in the fourth quarter, the Indians had the chickens-with-heads-cut-off look and coach Terrell Burnett replaced the five on the floor with a handful from the bench. Palumbo led at that juncture, 45-44, having just received a threeball from its best player, sr. WG-SF Anthony Wallace. The main men didn't stay out long and when they returned, the Griffins' lead was only 48-45. But a late reversal was not to be and Palumbo rolled out with a nice road win over a team with a higher enrollment. I wasn't here for DN purposes. The way the Pub is these days, with so many damn teams, it's impossible to see them all. Maybe not even half. So I figured I'd hit this game before heading up to Norristown for Kennedy-Kenrick vs. Dougherty. It's 6 o'clock and I'm sitting in a classroom. My guess is that history gets taught in here. Strong clue: the World History books under every desk and pictures on the wall of famous figures lined up in a timeline from 1860 to 1990. Pretty smart, eh? One problem: it's brutally hot in here! We're talking 90s, at least. If they dial down the furnace, maybe K-K can save enough money to remain open. I'm actually sweating! Phew! Anyway, Wallace again gave a good impression, as he did in one game I saw last season. I'm not sure he's quite a D-2 talent, but I could picture him having a great career at a D-3 school. He plays within himself, has good strength, and sees the floor well. He had 18 points (two treys), seven rebounds and four apiece of assists and steals. Sr. C Devin Uqdah, a partial wide-body, contributed eight points, eight boards and three assists. Sr. sniper Mike Sawan went 3-for-7 on treys en route to 11 points. He took one of them as Palumbo nursed a one-point lead in the final minute. No idea why he launched that one. Good thing he hit it or he might have been walking back to South Philly (ha ha). Jr. F Maurice Harris mixed seven points, five rebounds, three steals and eighth man Von Howard, a sr. G, converted a big one-and-one with 7.3 remaining, expanding the lead to five points. Clutch, especially since he'd taken only one shot beforehand. Roxborough's most interesting player was PG Rashawn Anderson and he was being watched by a famous relative . . . NFL hopeful Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley! Boonah rushed like a madman at Roxborough and West Catholic (city records for yards in a game/season/career upon his graduation), and then became Syracuse's top back as well. He was shot before getting a chance to make San Diego's roster, but is now feeling great and is about 2 1/2 weeks into full workouts. He'll head out there come springtime with the hope of realizing his dream. Best of luck, Curt! Also to his grandmom, Marge Cason, who continues to battle cancer. Anderson is cat-quick and, honestly, his teammates weren't always ready for his passes. He had 10 points and three assists. Another decent D-3 possibility is sr. SF Anthony Patterson. He was able to slink around inside and get off his feet quickly and he looks like someone who'll continue to grow and get stronger. He had 17 points and seven boards. Sr. WG Justin Bailey, a lefty, had four assists and six steals, though at times he tried to do a shade too much. Sr. F Troy Starkes also showed a nice share-the-ball feel with five assists. Sr. F Kalik Stanley scored 10 of his points in the second half. Also in attendance was ex-Roxborough star Clayton Brothers, who's now playing at Hartford. He was in town for a funeral and said he'd be heading back tonight. All the best, Clayton, and we're sorry for your loss. The gal on the clock was brand new and, oh, baby, it got messy. For a while she was starting the clock the instant the refs merely handed the ball to inbounders. Plus, she was trying to text and do her job at the same time. Not a good idea. She got the hang of it later on.

JAN. 10
CATHOLIC RED
Judge 57, Bonner 51
  There's a McDonald's down the street from Bonner and today it provided dinner. Along with a pleasant feeling. Followed by frustration. The gal on the speaker, the gal collecting the money, the gal handing the food through the window . . . each said one, "Enjoy the rest of your day." OK, I'm thinking, no need to overdo it, but a nice thought nevertheless. Then I bite into the good ol' No. 2, no onions, and . . . ONIONS! Yup, they were in there, in all their non-glory. I hate onions more than phone call No. 23 from Puck every day (three so far just tonight as he compiles his suburban rankings for Tuesday's paper; check out his wardrobe today). I did not enjoy the rest of that burger -- even after the scrape-off, the taste still lingered (yuck!) -- and now Puck is ruining the night. I'm guessing the Bonner guys aren't feeling too good, either. They were well on their way to Red win No. 1 and then, the buzzer sounded and Judge had ITS first Red win. All season, rumor has it, Bonner has played poorly in the first half of games and regrouped nicely thereafter. Today brought the opposite. The Friars scored 11 of the first 13 points and sr. G Jamal Melvin, now often playing on the wing (to give him more room, assumedly), was killin' from Threeball Land. The good vibrations mostly continued until halftime arrived with the score at 29-17. Third quarter? What a reversal! Judge won it, 22-6, mostly because everyone did a great job of moving without the ball, often through the back door, and looking for each other. It was a borderline clinic. The Crusaders continued to play well in the fourth and Melvin, so tuned in earlier, was slightly off on his down the stretch launchings. DN ink went to backup C Bob Tinney, the lone senior in the rotation. He's also a member of the football and baseball squads, ranks No. 4 in his class, hopes to enroll at Penn and is focused on becoming a doctor. The interview at Bonner was largely unproductive -- he was nervous, it was noisy -- so I followed up later with a phone call and fleshed things out. Make no mistake: Bob was hardly Judge's best player today. But he's a terrific representative of the school and assistant Bill Koch was justified in twisting my arm (smile). Tinney had five points, three rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Jr. Seamus Radtke, the starting C, had 10 points (though only two rebounds). His footwork and positioning were decent, enabling him to get off shots despite the presence of some good jumpers in Bonner's lineup. Jr. WG Reggie Charles had 11 points, five assists and three steals. Though not the purest ballhandler, he definitely shows PG tendencies, especially the one that enables him to see two plays down the road, not just one. FB QB Tony Smith totaled 14 points and eight boards, showing he's not a FB player who just happens to be playing hoops for the heck of it. He can play. Jr. G Joe Kehoe hit two treys en route to 14 points and had nine in the third quarter. Jr. PG Nick Sullivan had four dishes. Believe it or not, the quite-short Melvin was Bonner's co-rebound leader with seven. You can see his leaping ability in more than a few of the pics, while rebounding and shooting jumpers. Sr. PF-C Dan Vanderslice also claimed seven boards. An eight-man rotation was used. The other six guys all had respectable moments. Just not enough to keep Judge from claiming a win that sure looked unlikely early on. Man, I just belched. Can still taste the damn onion. To the folks at McDonald's: Enjoy your next attempt at getting an order right! (smile)

JAN. 9
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Chestnut Hill 49, Episcopal 25
  After an entertaining middle game, it would have been hard for the finale to match up. It didn't. Not even close. Episcopal's best player, G Omari Grier, did not return this year and now can be found, supposedly, at a prep school in Las Vegas. Six-seven jr. C Isaiah Baker has improved his aggressiveness and low-post footwork (still more work to do), but he was the only Churchman with more than four points (12) and five rebounds (12). Episcopal settled for two points in the fourth quarter as the game went from not too good to ouch. CHA, which finds itself without a true point guard, is now using sr. Pat Connaghan, of K-P fame, in that role. This guy finds a way to do anything that's asked of him and he could probably ref the game, too. While playing. I love it when he guy has more total stats than points and that was P-Conn's story today -- his 17 points were eclipsed by 10 rebounds, one assist, five steals and two blocks. Sr. WG Todd Cramer provided a great start with seven markers, four boards and two thefts in the first quarter alone. Much later, he got crunched in the nose and that thing STILL might be bleeding. Here's an example of Episcopal's lack of luck: Twice in the second quarter, soph WG Luke Mulvaney hit long jumpers. Not long enough to be treys, though, because each time the nearest ref pointed to the floor and did NOT put up both arms. Three points were ch-chinged onto the scoreboard each time, though. Mulvaney nailed three more (legit jobs) in the second half en route to 17 points (well, 15 actually -- smile). I've heard some good things about 6-5 soph Malik Garner. There were occasionally impressive moments, but not enough to make me say wow! Then again, he didn't need to star today. Soph CG Billy Dooley, son of the coach, hit none of his shots, but dealt four assists. It was nice to hang out with CHA trainer Bill Dorner, who defines class and gets a kick out of discussing all things Blue Devils/Hillers.

JAN. 9
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Malvern 75, Gtn. Academy 72 (OT)
  Well, we know one thing about Cabrini College's gym: The heat works. Can you say stifling? Overall, I love this facility, which is kind of a sawed-off Palestra. Very cool place to play, watch and take pictures (good lighting). Oops, did I say cool? Next year I'm showing up in shorts and a T-shirt (smile). This tilt, the middle of three in the I-A's annual opening tripleheader, will be talked about for a while, and one specific play will be the focus. Late in regulation, with the score tied at 60-60, Malvern was hoping to get the last shot. Soph backup PG Steve Perpiglia and jr. WG DeQuann "Bootsie" Walker were out front, exchanging possession and then, zoom, GA sr. WG Cameron Ayers (Bucknell) was going in the other direction after picking Walker's pocket at about halfcourt. One problem: Ayers wasn't quite zooming enough. He wasn't lumbering, of course, but he was proceeding like someone who felt there'd be little chance anyone would be able to catch up and contest his layup. To his everlasting credit, Walker did that, though. Swat! The GA folks felt Walker had been guilty of goaltending. Marcus Wright, of varsity365.com, was sitting right next to me and he rewound the play on his video camera. "Good block," he stated. In OT, Walker, a 6-3 lefty with on-the-move savvy, scored seven points to cap a 25-digit contest and earn the Friars a VERY important Opening Day win. He also had nine rebounds and two blocks. Talk about scoring distribution. Walker's by-quarter breakdown: four, six, four, four and seven. OT began with an easy basket by Walker on a dump-in feed from his fellow slinkster, jr. G-F Lamon Church. The tone was set. Malvern wound up with five scorers in OT, however, as Church, jr. PF-C Tracy Peal and a pair of jr. subs, G Sean Gordon and F Mike Dougherty, had two apiece. Dougherty didn't appear until Church fouled out with 2:40 left. Aside from hitting his free throws, he made a nifty pass to Peal for a layup and claimed a tough rebound. Church had 18 points, seven boards and five assists. Peal's afternoon began with two needless reaching fouls way far from anything important. He learned his lesson, though, because he never did foul out and made several tough inside moves in the second half, thus having a strong impact on the result. Overall output: 13 points, 10 carom-clutches. Soph WG-SF Brendan Kilpatrick is very similar to the SJ Prep frosh, Steve Vasturia, who's already making waves. He's light on his feet and plays with a certain zeal and shows NO hesitation to fire those shots he figures he can make. Even better, it appears everyone has supreme confidence in him. Though slightly off, he posted 13 points as well as a trio of blocks. Foul trouble helped to limit sr. PG Ryan Creighton to two points and three assists; Perpiglia filled in nicely with three dimes as well. Ayers rang up 27 points, and 12 of those came via three-pointers. Very few other stats, though: three rebounds, one assist, two steals. Sr. PG Austin Curry totaled 20 points and three assists. Sr. F Jake Beil had 11 points, six boards and three steals while jr. F Beau Jones had five boards and three dimes. Jr. WG Jim Hammer hit two treys. The inner workings of this game were this: GA was the home team and thus will have to travel TO Malvern in the second round of league games. That'll make things more difficult. A championship isn't captured on Opening Day, of course, but Malvern took a maxi-step today. Today's Legend in Attendance goes in hands-down fashion to former Friar grid star Paul Ostick, now attending Cornell. How could it not go to him? (smile)