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Duck
Tales Jon
"Duck" Gray is one of our most ardent web site supporters. His
main sport is basketball, and he's partial to his alma mater, FLC. Actually, he's partial
to anyone who can play and behaves. How cool is it that his nickname is a good fit with Tom
"Puck" McKenna and Ed "Huck" Palmer? |
FEB. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE ROUND OF 16
Univ. City 62, Southern 55
There is nothing in the world like the
Public League Playoffs......... Anything that can happen will happen......... The
University City Jaguars played seven players, none taller than 6-1, yet they stood high in
stature and composure as they stunned the Public League Division D regular season
champion, Southern. Southern led most of the game. The talented Rams just could not shake
the Jaguars and then late in the game huge plays from 6'1 junior forward Anthony
Morrison (28 points, 15 rebounds and 5 treys), 6'1 junior center Jeffrey
Andrepoint (13 points and lots of heart) and senior guard Terrence Cutner (13
points, nine in the fourth quarter) helped the visitors inch closer and closer. Finally, a
stretch of a huge putback basket by Morrison, a Cutner drive and basket, plus a Cutner
free throw had the improbale winners up three with 1:24 remaining, Southern looks
like it is going to senior forward Shawn Sabb (who ends a stellar career
with 1,337 points, good for third all-time at Southern.) Yet instead of finding the team's
captain, a teammate misses an ill-advised three, the Jaguars convert on the other end with
an acrobatic lay-in by Cutner and hold on from there. The Rams' downfall was a lack
of teamwork and I have to admit some selfishness on the part on one of their key players.
A key foul call in the early stages of the fourth quarter placed lead guard Antoine
"Doo Dirty" Brown (13 points, 5 assists and 4 steals) on the bench with four
fouls for about a minute and half. With Brown out the Jaguars plotted their move and when
he returned they finished their classic victory. The University City players,
supported by their coach Ken Gritter and his assistants, celebrate a
moment of Public League history and the sizeable contingent from the "Bottom"
celebrated the biggest upset in the Public League since Donnel Feaster took out Ben
Franklin in 1997. The Southern side of equation was unbalanced with tears following from
all of the seniors and most of the reserves. A season filled with hope ends in despair. I
just hope that the younger players in the Southern program learn and grow from this.
As for U. City no team around competes like them and their inspirational victory
likely encouraged some peace and quiet celebration in Mantua, at least for one afternoon.
Table Talk- That is what it's all about -- crying on the court and players losing
control of their emotions. I love it, can't wait for Thursday........ Volunteer asssistant
Jarrard "Mutch" Jones was telling players a simple motto he
borrowed from P. Diddy: "The sun don't shine forever. As long as we here, we might as
well shine together.".....Remember the name of U. City sophomore point guard Aaron
Stephens. He had 7 assists, many of them on some dynamite passes.
FEB. 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 62, King 45
I attend this game pretty
much every year, with good reason it is pretty much always entertaining. This year was no
different thanks in large part to the efforts of a feisty Central Lancers team. Leading
the way for Central was junior guard Scott Rodgers, who tallied 15
points. Lending him a helping hand were fellow underclassmen, 6'4 junior Malcolm Ingram
(13 points), 5'10 junior point guard Lamar Williams (7 assists and 5 rebounds) and
sophomore guard Kenny St. George. Most if not all of the Central players have
similar skills, (ballhandling, tough defender) so they mesh pretty well. Also, with their
quickness they cause problems for the Cougars who shot a horrid 17-52 from the floor and
only mustered 16 rebounds, and their leading rebounder was team with five). Yet, the
better days for the King program maybe in two years, I really like the potential of the
younger players - sophomores Zane Oxley, (6 points and 4 steals), Curtis Jackson
( 4 points) seem to have the best hint of what needs to be done on the court right now.
Both could become productive scorers very soon. In time their classmates, Dewayne
Bradley and Darnell Moore should improve their contributions. Three King
seniors had good moments as well, guards Sean Amos, Ricky "Smooth"
McClain and Ricardo Laing all deserve some level of college interest as
well. Central rarely trailed and was at its best in the third quarter when the Lancers
executed extremely well. Rodgers has emerged as one of the Pub's elite juniors; he likely
will garner D-I looks over the summer. Central is an absolute danger team in the most wide
open Public League Playoffs in years. I was sitting in Belfield Recreation Center and I
really struggled to name my final four, anybody is vulnerable and any team that gets its
"act together in time" has a better than decent shot. What can I say, I
can't wait. I love crazy playoffs, it keeps people on their toes.
Table Talk- Belfield is really a nice place to watch a game
except for the sun Blazing through the East side of the gym. How can you shoot free
throws?
FEB. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 57, Central 50
Intense contest for the
#18 ranked team in America by the USA Today. Simon Gratz had all they could handle in this
game. Their leader (savior?) Mark Tyndale totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists
and a major league block in carrying the Bulldogs to victory. The 6’5 Tyndale is a
major candidate for City Player of the Year. First quarter, Central moved out to leads of
10-6 and 13-6, but every time they advanced forward, Tyndale would put Gratz up with a
hard slash or smart jumper. By halftime the score was 29-21 - Gratz, with Tyndale scoring
19 of the 29. Central with its ball hawking defensive schemes is almost always a tough
out. In this one they got Simon Gratz’ point guard Tyrone Smith in major foul
trouble in the first half. In the third quarter with Central applying pressure, Gratz put
Tyndale on the point and he is up to the challenge with some tricky ball handling and
snappy passing. At one point, Gratz went pretty close to ultra big with 6’8 Matt
Walden (9 rebounds, 4 blocks), 6’7 Abdullah Moon, 6’6 Donald
"Biggie" Curtis up front and in the backcourt they had Malcolm Welles and
Tyndale. With that lineup on a small Belfield Recreation Center court, they were able to
cramp the style of the shorter, slashing Lancers. At one point in the fourth quarter, the
Bulldogs led by ten, then the Lancers mounted a comeback behind the play of junior Scott
Rodgers (17 points) and sophomore Kenny St. George (11 points, 8 in the fourth
quarter). The Lancers after a St. George drive and a Rodgers jumpshot the score is 51-48
under a minute remaining. Then Rodgers blocks a Tyndale jumpshot and is racing down court
for a layup, Tyndale (who else?) follows him every step of the way and blocks the layup.
The large Central crowd, which was as enthused as I’ve heard this year, argues for a
goal tend, but Tyndale fires down court to Smith for a layup, then Smith steals the
inbounds pass and Tyndale scores. It was academic from there on in.
FEB. 3
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin LC 73, Mastbaum 63
This game was played at
Northern Liberties Recreation Center, which was ironic because it was Senior Day for FLC
and how weird is it to have senior day at an alternate site gym. (The heater blew at good
ol’ Cunningham Community Center.) Oh well, it still did not distract from a large
crowd and good basketball game. FLC won in part to the overall play of seniors (6’1
guard) Meril Branch ( 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists) and (6’4
forward) Joshua Grier (21 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.) Mastbaum was/is a
dangerous ball club, they play match-up zone and have a lethal scorer in Marion
"Buddy" Rose who went for 30 points. Rose gets to the foul line often, in
this one he shot 21 free throws!!! He has a born scorer’s mentality as he uses his
body well to get to the line. Despite his scoring exploits, really the Panthers had more
success behind the inside play of 6’5 senior Kevin Spencer (10 rebounds)
and 6’6 Tariek Belcher (16 points and some impressive low post moves.) Specner
deserves some small college attention. The Bobcats rarely trailed but was hardly led
comfortably until the later stages of the third quarter. Key to their success as always
was senior point guard Michael Scott (10 points and 11 assists), Scott, a qualified
senior, is beginning to garner Division I and high Division II attention and deservedly
so. The Bobcats have four toughies left in Mansion, E&S, Fels and Franklin to complete
their schedule.
Table Talk- I had the pleasure to see some old schoolmates and
administrators from FLC from back when I roamed the halls, and because of an excellent
turnout and good basketball atmosphere, I have a lot of extra tidbits…The seniors for
FLC all received large T-shirts with an FLC b-ball logo on the front and their name and
number on their back……. I owe this to Dr. Staniskis (Prinicipal), Claudia
Gard, ( Counselor) and Coach Powell to give you these particulars- Grier,
Branch and Scott are all qualified. Grier has over 900 on his boards, manager Marcus
Bourne has over 1100. Forward Blair Frazier has an 1,000 on his boards and the
other seniors Antonio Mitchell and Kyle Bush are great kids as well and well
respected students at FLC. Throw in that with Mike Green ‘03 is
widely considered one of the top freshmen, if not the top freshman, in the Colonial
Athletic Association and Tyreek Byard ‘03 is in the rotation at
Temple, something good is going on at 15th and Wallace…….. (Shameless plug for
my Alma Mater).
JAN. 20
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Straw. Mansion 66, Franklin 64
Name
people/nations that hate each other like they took their last meal from them, and take
that mentality to a basketball game and what do you have? The answer is Franklin-Mansion,
the Un-Civil War of North Philly!!!!!!!!!! You could play this game on the North Pole and
the ice would melt; the tension and emotion is always white hot. Early going the story was
Mansion’s 6’3 senior small forward, John Scarbrough (23 points,
14 rebounds and 5 assists). Today, Scarbrough mixed impressive power/herky-jerky drives
and just all out warrior play. Scarbrough reminds me when he takes those left handed
forays into the lane of one of my All-time Public League favorites - Rasheed
Brokenborough (University City '95) Of course, he is not quite as athletic or as
good a deep shooter, but Scarbrough deserves some major league LOVE from some top
JUCOs as he could be a star down the road. His adversary for the Electrons was a similar
player in 6’3 junior lefty wing guard, Andre "Anny" Glover.
For those of you who really want to know if "Anny" is really back? The answer is
Hell yeah!!!!! He had a bevy of silky drives through heavy traffic for tricky layins with
either hand. On occasion he would embarrass two or threes players on one move. In the
second quarter, it was "Anny’s Inferno" -- four times in a row, using
different upfakes and dribble moves he scored near the tin. This catapulted the Electrons
forward, then Mansion responded with strong play from Scarbrough, co-franchise 6’3
senior wing guard Tracey Worley (16 points and 5 steals), 6’2
sophomore guard Eugene Moss ( 9 points) and 6’5 sophomore
center John Brooks (6 points and some physical play inside). The Knights
had a two-point lead at the half. Third quarter, behind the play of Glover, senior guard Shakee
Johnson (13 points, 3-4 from trey),6’6 senior center Anwar Rascoe
(9 points, 10 rebounds, one ferocious slam) and 5’11 senior wing scorer Morris
Savage, the scales were tilted in favor of the Electrons. Savage packed 8 of his
ten points into the third quarter, helping the Electrons turn the tide. Then in the fourth
quarter 6’5 senior forward Sedale Mason wakes up and scores all
seven of his points in a seven-zero run that got the Electrons back in control. They would
led all the way until the final stages of the game, Scarbrough would tie the game 64 with
two free throws with only 36 seconds remaining. Then, after Mansion guards junior Leon
Rollins and sophomore Stanley Williams combined on a
clutch steal, Scarbrough burried the game winners from the line ( in all honesty, well
officiated game but I did not agree with the final foul call just because it was not
overly obvious and I always want to see a basket decide the game) with only five seconds
remaining. A last ditched effort from Mason goes awry with Glover and Rascoe in better
scoring position. This one was a gem.
Table Talk - I loved the defensive energy provided by two
Franklin role players in 6’7 senior Bryson Mills and 5’10
sophomore guard Antoine Smith…… Rascoe’s jam was off a
high low feed from Mason and he hammered it home from outside the lane, he has length and
hops, he could be a top JUCO performer as well…. Franklin coach Larry Gainey,
who I have long felt gets a bad rap for being subtle, was animated in this one. He even
argued with the refs, something he normally refrains from. Mansion’s braintrust of Gerald
Hendricks and Marc "Big Andy" Starling could go on the
motivational speaking circuit with the game-long dialogue they provide the players….
Providing key defense and rebounding throughout the game for Mansion was 6’1 senior Mike
Mitchell, who snared seven rebounds and had two key steals (4 total.)
………. Mansion played four sophomores (Moss, Williams, Brooks and point guard
Matthew Johnson), who should be heard from in time.
JAN. 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Germantown 50, Dobbins 44
A yearly treat…… The crowd was small because of an early
dismissal but in the second half they sure did get involved. First half, it was Germantown
getting out in front early. Their leader, 6’4 senior small forward Ivan Evans
(22 points and 10 rebounds), was VERY impressive at times in this one. The first half was
a little hard on the eyes with some sloppy play on both ends but then the second half was
definitely entertaining. G-Town was up in front by eight at one point, but here came the
Mustangs. 5’7 Junior guard Dujuan "Bud" Anderson (16 points) has
some potential. He is a classic waterbug, with quicks, court vision and savvy. (Dujuan is
easily this year’s crowd favorite at the legendary Hank Gathers gym.) Dujuan
would get the Mustangs within three with 6:41 remaining, but Evans hit his third trey from
about 24 feet to give the Bears some breathing room. Evans was sizzling in the second
half, he shot 6-6 ( two threes) from the field and 0-1 from the line proving too much for
Dobbins. He received help from senior combo guard Corey Bethea (11 points),
6’5 senior forward Brian Carroll (8 points) and sophomore reserve guard Corey
James ( 4 points, key ball handling in final quarter.) For Dobbins, Anderson’s
main playmates, 6’3 junior Kassim Green (14 points and 12 rebounds) and
6’5 senior center Ahkieme McClendon, had flashes but were not very consistent.
Green knew how to get open and was an impressive 6-7 from the free throw line, but he
often missed layups; he will be pretty good in time. McClendon, who could make for a good
D-III player, is still a little uncoordinated, that will come with age as well. Ahkieme
did throw down a hard one-hand dunk in the second quarter. The Mustangs will have their
moments as well.
Table Talk- Terrell Ferrell actually reffed a good
game…….. Germantown's managers were very tentative about sitting at the
legendary table at the "Hank," which appears to be in mid air. Athletic
Director/Football Coach Doug Macauley is proud of his alumni: Raheem Brock
(NFL-Colts), Andre Davis, Michael Baldwin, Barren Grier (Kutztown),
and Lateef Ferguson (West Chester)……. Once a couple of fans mimicked
coach "Yank" when he screamed "Use your left hand." The crowd
exclaimed, "Your left hand!"
JAN. 8
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Lamberton 64, Kensington 52
I had a great time at this one. If you like kids that compete
non-stop then you must got to a Kensington game. They may have only one kid capable of
playing D- III basketball in the person of 5’8 PF (yes, he is really a guard) Omar
Stanley ( 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists), but man they don’t stop diving on
the floor for loose balls. Lamberton is "one tough cookie" of a team. They are
led by junior guard Robert Phillips and senior forward Chris Clahar (20
points). They have a nice mixture of decent size, depth and not bad quickness. Kensington
actually led the majority of the game but the Lions relinquished the lead soon after
the halftime break and could not regain it although they never truly were out of it.
Lamberton’s most consistent player was Clahar, a clever and physical player that
never stop setting screens and posting up. Phillips is one of those tricky ball handlers
with speed and can be really elusive at times. Kensington’s 5’7 wing guard, Josh
"Eggy" Williams, made some very deep threes en route to 9 points.
Lambie’s Harold Hall is kinda a hit or miss shooter. He bombed his way to 13
points and his makes looked picture perfect; his misses weren’t near. Forward Cameron
Brickle, a beefy junior, must hear it from fans all the time but
Kensington’s supporters were persistent. "He’s a grown man, he must
be 40 years old….He should get a football scholarship…..He tackled
him……He's just to big to play high school sports."
Table Talk- You have to check out this gym, it is very
quaint.
JAN. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Southern 45, Engineering and Science 43
This one ended much different than it began, Southern opened up
leads of 10-2 and 20-6 before E&S went to work. E&S came back because they put
five guards on the floor and at times made the Rams match up with them. Problem. The Rams
do not seem to listen to each other or even the coaches at times; E&S does listen and
the game took a turn towards the visitors from 17th and Norris. For E&S, 5'11 senior
combination guard Kechan Myers mustered 18 points. He has a knack for taking the
ball outside the three- point arch making a move (normally a subtle upfake) and then
taking and making a 10-12 foot runner. (If you get my drift it is fun to watch Kechan
attack -- he passed the test.) His primary help came from fellow guards Mike Ganier and
Tramaine Jackson. Gainer primarily off feeds from Jackson and Myers on treys (hit
three in the second half). He packed 11 of his 13 in an intense run in which South Philly
started to sputter. Jackson busied himself to the tune of 9 rebounds and 5 assists. He
also scored 5 points. South Philly held a 43-41 lead from the five minute mark, they
missed three key one and ones which kept the Engineers close. Finally an Antoine Brown
layup gave them a four point lead with under a minute remaining. After an E&S basket,
Southern missed a free throw but grabbed the rebound. The ball was stolen by Myers who
jetted upcourt. Patiently, the Engineers took a good shot, a left wing trey from Jackson
that was dead on but slightly short. Southern procured the rebound and held on. Kashief
Carr lead Southern with 12 points, Keith Grimes added 11 and probably
played the best game of the regulars. I'm not going to be harsh and harp on their errors,
but E&S really kind of "deserved" to beat them.
Table Talk - Former Franklin head man, Kenny Hamilton was in attendance and
for a portion of the halftime was talking to E&S coach C.M. Brown.... One
instance Southern was called for a lane violation. The legendary referee, Sonny Pitts,
says "let it hit", Coach George Anderson says "let it hit",
Assistant Bill Williams, who holds a camcorder at games, says "let it
hit". Volunteer assistant Jarrard "Mutch" Jones says "let it
hit". So what happend on the ensuing free throw? The Southern player who committed
the violation and another Southern player both entered the lane early. Go
figure? Nice National Anthem rendition by a Southern student.
JAN. 3
INTER-AC TRIPLEHEADER
Episcopal 48, Haverford School 36
What better way to tip off the New Year than watching the crowd
pleasing sophomore duo of 6’5 Gerald Henderson Jr. ( 7 points, 2 high rising
stuffs) and 6’4 Wayne Ellington (17 points, 7 rebounds and 6 steals)? But this
is basketball and for key stretches early, the Churchmen were led by 5’10 senior
guard Brian Shanahan (16 points), who made many keys jumpers in the first half,
and he had to because the Fords played a WHALE of a game. They gave off a
distinctive Cardinal O’Hara/Buddy Gardler feel and it is obvious that young
coach Steve Cloran has taken a lot from his mentor. The Fords led a majority of the
first half behind the play of lead guard Pete Kathopoulis (13 points) a
heady and tough senior guard who merits much Division III attention. Also playing with
poise was freshman guard John Haldy (8 points) and on the defensive end senior Dan
Coleman. Speaking of defense sometimes there is no defense on the high school level
for Henderson and Ellington. Henderson took off from the right baseline literally eight
feet from the basket and jumped over a Haverford player and jammed it home. It was beyond
athletic -- it was kinda scary. And what makes it scary is that I’ve seen him do this
crazy stuff all summer. Ellington had a couple of dribble moves where the defender is in
perfect position and he still gets embarrassed. Ellington also shows excellent rotation on
his jumper. He made two big plays in the second half when the Churchmen finally broke away
from the Fords. He had a steal and a layup. Then Ellington burried a deep straight on trey
and the Churchmen finally had the breathing room they needed to move on to victory.
Table Talk- Not much, I got sit with Norm Eavenson (Bob Gibbons
All-Star Report) and Steve Keller (Hoopgroup) two highly respected basketball
gurus.
DEC. 23
NON-LEAGUE, SCHOLASTIC CLASSIC II
Dougherty 70, Chester 65
This one had the right amount of atmosphere. You have to love the
grit the Clippers showed in getting out to a impressive 16-4 lead in the first
quarter. Then Dougherty mounted a comeback and leading the way was senior Kyle
Lowry (30 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 7 assists and 3 blocks.) Dougherty was a
little unnerved mainly because of the large pro-Clippers crowd, and playing in front of
the top basketball writer in America, Dick "Hoops" Weiss.
(Weiss is famous for being Ted Silary’s predecessor
at the Philadelphia Daily News -- smile. He now writes for the New York Daily News.)
Lowry's top teammate today was DeSean White (19 points, a couple of
impressive dunks and some good mid range shooting.) Overall the Cardinals were off. Lowry
and White took over in the third quarter coming right out of a five-point halftime
deficit. Lowry connected with 6’7 SF Shane Clark for a high rising
alley-oop jam. The Cardinals began to reach full stride after a few White
jumpers and then a Lowry steal led to a one-handed jam by White. Lowry was also pretty
much dead-eye from three as he connected from deep a two times. Also playing key for the
Cardinals was Bilal Benn (8 points and 6 key rebounds), Tim Smith
( 5 points) and Tom Magnum (4 off the bench).
The Clippers' headliners were 6’6 senior sky walker Kevin Thomas (14
points) and 6’3 junior wing guard Devon McClendon, who also
contributed 14 despite being in foul trouble the majority of the game.
Table Talk- Chester has the best cheerleaders on the planet.
DEC. 20
SCHOLASTIC PLAY-BY-PLAY CLASSIC
Chester 63, Simon Gratz 61
Lots of anticipation in the air for this one. Gratz and Chester went at
it full throttle for 32 minutes. Gratz had a first half lead of 11 at one point, then the
Clippers responded behind the play of 6’3 junior wing guard Devon McClendon
(25 points and 3 assists). For Simon Gratz, 6’5 senior swingman, Mark Tyndale
was a force. Tyndale, scoring mostly on drives and occasional wing jumpers, he left every
ounce of his being on the floor like he was playing for the NBA championship. Gratz
despite controlling the game for a majority of the time trailed by six with under a minute
remaining. They managed to forge a tie on two free throws from senior guard Tyrone "Tamir"
Smith (7 points). After an inexplicable foul on McClendon with only 10.8 seconds
remaining. (The Clippers star made both free throws.) Tyndale missed a running fifteen
footer from the right side of the key. Tyndale burst out in tears as he was presented an
MVP trophy. For Gratz, it fairly obvious that not all the players are familiar with
the system. Coach Leonard Poole rarely played his reserves for extended minutes of
time. That could change shortly as the Bulldogs have four transfers who could be prominent
reserves in the fold. 6’8 center, Matthew Walden did a good job of rebounding
inside. Chester looked MUCH better than they did against Southern, a key reason was
sophomore combo guard Darrin Govens (who I believe once attended Cardinal
O’Hara). At times he was handling the ball and making great decisions.
Table Talk - I had the pleasure to watch this game with the Gratz
managers, who seem to have a good friend in Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright.
DEC. 20
SCHOLASTIC PLAY-BY-PLAY CLASSIC
Neumann 63, Southern 51
This game lacked the atmosphere that it should have had. And with
respect to Southern and St. John Neumann, both teams for stretches of time looked
lackadaisical. If you get my drift that I would rather have been at Broad and Snyder or
26th and Moore at 3:30 rather than noon at an almost empty Palestra. Neumann won in large
parts to Adon El. The 6’5 forward had the most complete performance of any
player in this game. 19 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks. Southern which had comeback from
a first half deficit had a seven point lead entering the final stanza. Two things
I’ve noticed about Southern that might change: they don’t have a true energy
player (scrappy guy, jumps on the floor, gives a boost of adrenaline) or a consistent
inbounder. (A player who served in both capacities in the past could return in a few
days.) That was key to the demise of the Rams as three key inbounds plays went awry, and
also while Neumann with El and reserve Derrick "DJ" Rivera hustled
and retrieved many key loose balls and/or hustle plays. I was slightly disappointed in the
point guards, Antoine "Doo-Dirty" Brown (16 points and 5 assists) and Richard
"Tabby" Cunningham (12 points.) Both had some "oohs" and
"aahs." But Brown didn’t demand the ball in the fourth quarter and
Cunnigham seemed a little "caught up" with the many one and one match-ups
between the two South Philly schools.
Table Talk- I had the pleasure to talk with Tom Konchalski (HSBI) for awhile. He
seemed slightly intrigued by the lineage of some of the players. Both Kasheif Carr (12
points) and Keith Grimes (11 points) are nephew’s of Roman legend Donnie
Carr. And Rivera is the nephew of the great Eric "Hank" Gathers.
DEC. 16
NON-LEAGUE
Franklin 55, Lincoln 49
This game was like a roller-coaster ride; at first it was a
little on the mellow side after awhile it got a little shaky and then it went steady and
then it got a little loud from the crowd. The crowd attendance wasn’t great but the
Ben Franklin fans did get involved at times. The Electrons are a dangerous team, they have
all the classic symptoms of the Public League spoiler squad. (Traditionally there is
a team or teams in the "Pub" not picked for much success that ruins a more
ballyhooed team's season. Examples: West Philly in 1997, Southern in 1999, Central and
Northeast in 2002.) They are led by North Philly playground legend, 6’3 junior wing
guard Andre Glover. Glover, who played major minutes as a freshman only to
disappear off the radar last year, is making a strong comeback. An effective a one-on-one
scorer as any in the Public League this year, Glover led the Electrons with 20 points. On
several occasions he routinely set his defender up and moved by him for layups and/
or "baby jumpers." His primary playmates are senior inside workers, 6’ 5 Sedale
Mason (17 points and 11 rebounds) and 6’6 Anwar Roscoe ( 4 points and 8
rebounds). Franklin was in control for the majority of the game, but Lincoln is very
competitive. The top "Railsplitter" is 6’2 lefty Steve Hassell ( 25
points, 3 treys, 4 assists and 2 steals). On a few occasions, Hassell and Glover went
toe-to-toe it sure both were up to the challenge. Hassell looks like he is projecting mid-
lower level Division II or at a VERY good Division III program. He packs plenty of savvy,
because he is able to find spots in defenses for open shots, and he is clever enough to
break down defenses somewhat subtly. In this one 6’4 Maurice McPherson was not
his normal self, yes he rebounded 10 times, but he struggled from the field (2-11 and
missed three crucial field goals). However he is strong as an ox and should have big games
in his future. Another Railsplitter with possibilities is 6’2 senior Dennis Davis (7
points) a lively and promising wing player. The Railsplitters’ downfall was the play
of their other players who while active lacked consistency on both ends of the floor. This
one was in doubt at times late, but Glover would make move after move and convert
key baskets. Add some good play from the hardworking do-everything type Mason and the
Electrons would triumph. Also, playing a key role was senior point guard Shakee Johnson
who by my book had 5 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Also, you must like the hard play
of 5’11 sixth man Morris Savage .
Table Talk- The correct score was 55-49. The scorekeepers missed a Johnson free
throw and although notified of the occurrence the referees totally let it go. I wish the
game was decided by a point, then I would really have a story to tell.
DEC. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Central 45, Franklin LC 40
This one was intense in front of an overflow crowd at tiny
Cunningham Community Center. Early on FLC went out to a 13-6 lead behind the play of
senior guard Michael Scott (9 points, 4 assists.) Central battled back to
come within two at the half on a driving lay-up from Andre Woodlin. The score was
22-20. This game was as physical and defensive as it gets. Third quarter Central surges
ahead by three to lead 27-24. FLC responds with three straight baskets from senior forward
Meril Branch ( 13 points, 2 blocks) put the Bobcats up going into the final
quarter. Fourth quarter, with the entire building seeming to shake from the noise inside
of it. Scott fouls out with 5:09 remaining. FLC would go the rest of the way with a
sophomore and a freshman in the backcourt. Three Central players were HUGE in the fourth
quarter, senior guards Noam Fliegelman and Reggie Strickland both hit
clutch threes. (Strickland also forced the fifth foul on Scott.) Strickland hit back to
back threes to turn a 33-29 FLC lead into a 35-33 Central advantage. Then Fliegelman adds
a trey of his own. Junior standout Scott Rodgers hit four big free throws under
duress from the FLC fans. Rodgers totaled a game high 14 points but it not how much it is
when you score them, as he scored 10 in the second half. Central really digs in on
defense, and I know that this is early but I see Central as one of the few teams deep
enough to play with Gratz in the "Pub." Although they do not have great team
height, they make up for it with intelligence and quickness. Two other key players for the
Lancers are 6’5 junior forward, Malcolm Ingram (3 blocks) and 6’4
sophomore guard Kenny St. George (4 assists.)
Table Talk - The crowd was really beyond overflow. People were all over the stage
and almost flowing unto the court. Maybe next year this can be played at a bigger venue?
DEC. 12
NON-LEAGUE
Germantown 58, Bok 36
Okay, this one was ugly, not too much to write about. Germantown was
fun to watch at times, they have some good athletes and a very good player in Ivan
Evans, a 6’4 senior forward. "Ivan the Nice" had 11 points (one for
three from trey.) Evans also swiped the glass for 12 rebounds. He is VERY unselfish. I get
the impression that Coach Otis Hackney would prefer "Ivan the
Terrible." His top playmates were a pair of athletic guards in 5’9 Darnell
Simmons ( 10 points and 4 assists) and 6’1 Corey Bethea (15 points,
5 assists and 5 steals.) Both guards went up high for dunks and fed Evans for impressive
slams as well. Simmons threw a backboard pass and Evans flushed over a Bok player. The
other time, Bethea threw a lob over the defense and Evans rose HIGH to slam it down with
two-hands. Bok . . . well, Bok will get better when senior swingman, Jamal West returns
from a slight injury. His partner, 6’2 senior small forward James Pope, had an
OFF day shooting 7- 25 from the floor for 16 points but did grab 9 rebounds. In junior Lamont
Butler, (8 points, 4 steals) a 5’11 guard they do have an aggressive "old
school" type backcourt player. With some development he could wind up making decent
enough contributions.
Table Talk- A Germantown player's shorts were falling down and referee Paul Graham
Sr. told him to get it together. When he couldn't get the string fixed, he took him
out of the game. "Okay, since you can't figure it out, come out the game and fix
it."
DEC. 9
NON-LEAGUE
Southern 71 Chester 47
This one I had circled in red since I got my schedule a couple of
months ago. I eagerly wanted to see these two schools do battle, with a sizeable but not a
sell out crowd on hand for this one, I knew that I was not the only one intrigued with
this match-up. For Southern, this was an impressive performance. 6’2 senior point
guard Antoine "Doo Dirty" Brown was at his best today. The long armed
point guard put together a stellar all around performance check the stat line- 8 points,
11 rebounds 10 assists, 7 steals and 2 blocks. The Rams won the first quarter 16-12, then
exploded through the second and third quarter periods. Leading the charge was 6’6
senior forward, Shawn Sabb (22 points and 10 rebounds), 6’4 senior forward Ryan
"Monster Poom-Poom Cincinnati" Williams (11 points) and 6’5 junior
swingman Kashief "Cadillac" Carr (17 points). Just like last week, again
Carr looked impressive, he hit a couple of deep jumpers and played tough inside defense.
During a third quarter stretch when the Rams began to exploit the Clippers at will, the
crowd went bananas. First Carr grabs a rebound and takes the ball the length of the court
and jams two-handed over the Chester frontcourt. Then Brown breaks the Chester press by
himself with a couple of breathtaking dribble moves and finds Sabb for the reverse lay up.
Then 6’7 senior forward Steven Rudd battles for a loose ball and hits Williams
open for three and he knocks it down. The score is 61-35, Rams at that point and early
fourth quarter a three by junior reserve guard Jalil Harris makes the score a 66-36
a thirty point lead and that means the clock runs the rest of the way. (I cannot recall
Chester ever getting mercy ruled.) That is very impressive because Chester is loaded!!!!!
I mean they are ridiculously deep and athletic. They were led by a pair of 6’6 senior
forwards Kevin Thomas (24 points and 9 rebounds) and Charron
Richardson (14 points and 3 assists). Their coaches were not gentle either; they let
the Clippers have it.
Table Talk - In the house was N.D. Kalu from the Philadelphia
Eagles, he must be a fan of Southern athletics because he was at a Southern football game
as well….. When Southern played pressure defense many fans said it reminded them of
mid to late 80’s (and of course early 90’s) when Southern pressure was awesome.
DEC. 4
NON-LEAGUE
Southern 82, Frankford 76
Talk about a good early season game, this one was
just what the doctor ordered. Southern entered this one 0-1 in most part because five key
rotation members had to sit out against University City because they did not have their
physicals. (That must have been a crowded doctor’s office.) In this one Frankford was
more than game competition for the Rams. Frankford led by 6’3 sophomore wing guard Lewis
Leonard, 5’9 junior point guard Ryan Smith, 6’3 junior forward
Lorenzo Byrd and junior shooter Alfred Thomas forged a halftime tie of 35-35.
This despite the efforts of Southern’s senior point guard Antoine
"Doo-Dirty" Brown, 6’5 junior wing forward Kashief
"Cadillac" Carr and 6’2 senior combo guard Keith Grimes. All
three were impressive and had to be early because 6’6 star senior forward Shawn
Sabb was in early foul trouble. Carr has major league possibilities, he has long
strides and attacks the rim with evil intent. He had an impressive two-hand stuff in the
first half en route to 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Grimes, the sixth man, played
very well as well. He played some point and made some very strong offensive moves in
scoring 20 points. (Grimes although a senior is only 16 years old.) He also tallied 20
points. Brown scored 18. The key stretch in this one began at 6:12 of the third
quarter. Smith goes down with an ankle injury and has to be re-taped on the sideline by
Coach Bernie Handler. A minute later, Carr made a steal on the sideline and jetted
down court, he was fouled clearly before taking off and then wolfs down a dunk. Referee Terrell
Ferrell calls the basket good and the foul which provokes Handler. Handler yells and
stands up and is given a technical. Then Handler throws the ankle tape and is given the
heave-ho. The result a nine point play for Southern. So what was then a four point lead
becomes a thirteen point bulge for the Rams. The fourth quarter the Pioneers scored 32
points, but by then Sabb had awoke and tallied 10 of his 12 in the final frame. He also
had eight rebounds. For Frankford, Leonard was very impressive, he gets to the foul line
at will he hit 11-16 from the stripe en route to 23 points.
Table Talk - Handler told Ferrell after the game: "If it makes
you feel better, we were worse than you were."
DEC. 2
NON-LEAGUE
Franklin LC 72, Overbrook 41
This one was over in a hurry. FLC jumped out in
front behind the play of steady senior point guard, Michael Scott. Scott along with
fellow senior 6’1 Meril Branch got the Bobcats out to leads of 18-2 and 34-4
in the first half. The 5 ‘11 Scott dished five assists while scoring 19 points (two
three-pointers), he also had five steals. That is the kind of performance he will have to
make game after game for the Bobcats to be successful this season. Today, Coach Cedric
Powell’s gang pounded the Panthers on the glass. Branch, the two guard was able
to snare eleven rebounds, he also buried a deep three-pointer in the second half in route
to 13 points. 6’4 senior forward Joshua Grier also looked good, he contributed
14 points and more importantly looked to score. All of the Bobcats seniors (as Coach
Powell proudly points out) are qualified for freshman eligibility and have been so for
quite some time. (They are six seniors on the roster.) The underclassmen showed flashes:
6’5 junior forward Jahkal Curry (9 points) had some big boy rebounds, he has
to make that a permanent habit. 6’6 junior forward Denis Delli (6 points) had
some positive moments in the first quarter where he played major minutes. The Bobcats seem
to be using "the sum is greater than the parts" approach this year, as they
seemed to rotate ten players easily. In the near future, 5’10 sophomore guard Brandon
Williams, 6’3 senior Blair Frazier and 6’4 junior William Logan
will have to produce in key situations. The Panthers were at times hard on the eyes, but
with many Public League programs they will get better throughout the year. Senior guard Kyle
Copeland, who stands roughly 5’4, was a pest all day getting his hands on
balls and diving all around the court. His running mate, Maurice Milner was
uncharacteristically off with his shot. He did not score, he will have his days though.
The ‘Brook banner was carried by Shane Bent, who scored 11 points. A couple
players who should help in time are 6’2 junior Emanuel Talbert and 5’9
guard Michael Williams; they played with heart and competed throughout the game.
Table Talk: We have a finalist for FAN OF THE Year if there is one- Rodrigo,
the loud talking maniac was the most entertaining fan I’ve encountered in a long
time. His one liners show creativity and his energy level unmatched. He is said to be even
more raucous when he plays his baseball for the Bobcats……..‘Brook had
mismatched shorts, what’s the deal.