'Splorer Spin, Basketball 2010-11

MARCH 7
SEASON CATCH-UP/LOOK-AHEAD
It’s not over yet! I kept reassuring myself of this as the bizarre world of the PIAA keeps the La Salle Explorers playing…and playing. After a tough loss to Carroll in the CL semis, La Salle lost a heartbreaker to Frankford on Saturday, leaving them (as many thought), out of the 4A state tournament. This is not so, as La Salle takes the 2nd seed in District 12 and continues on to play Reading on Saturday in a first-round match-up. I have been quiet for some time on the Explorers’ late-season action, so here we go: a mix of post-game, pre-game analysis.
Well, what can be said on the Carroll game? Simply, I think La Salle looked a bit tentative and really, Carroll came to play. After losing in OT to La Salle in the regular season, the Patriots looked solid in the semis. I did not post a report of this game because honestly, I think Ted said it all in his column on the game. Some quick thoughts though: I had heard a little talk about Carroll soph PG Yosef Yacob, but he completely exceeded expectations. With such a skinny frame, the boy can play! Second, senior big man Tracy Peal played hungry and physical, completely owning the paint. Third, even after a slow start, senior G Juan’ya Green went perfect at the line, ending with 16 points. A few bright lights for La Salle were excellent defense by senior G Kevin Piotrowicz and soph G Amar Stukes. Stukes is notable for his “sticking” of Joe Getz in the Explorers’ regular season game against Wood, but he stepped up again alongside the hard-working Piotrowicz to cover Green. I was slightly disappointed by La Salle because I felt the team appeared discombobulated (and you thought I couldn’t fit that word in a column?) down the stretch. An example: on one inbounds play coming off a timeout, the Explorers had to settle for senior C Steve Collins launching a trey. No knock to Collins, who actually has made some three-balls on the year, but I expected a more polished play, considering La Salle’s documented success with their inbounds plays. To summarize, I think Carroll is a better team, hands down, and I think La Salle had a tough night. This team has played above and beyond expectations all year in games against Carroll, Wood, Roman, and Judge in the regular season, but I think this was an off night.
With regards to the City Title game, I cannot say I completely disagree with the referee’s call at the end. To be honest, I despise last-second whistles deciding games, but in the case of a player on the floor (as seen in Ted’s picture), a call has to be made. Because I was not at the game, I simply can’t make a true judgment on the play, but from what it seems: the whistle was just. In two-point games like this, coaches can drive themselves nuts overanalyzing what-could-be or what-if. In this case, La Salle has another chance, this time against Reading, and I believe the Explorers will treasure the final opportunity.
NOTES
It was truly a shame I could not make it to the La Salle-Frankford game because it truly was a family affair. My mom went to Lincoln High back in the day (where the game was held), and my mom’s dad went to Frankford. A funny story about that is when I brought my grandpop to La Salle for Grandparent’s Day, he was astonished and muttered, “Man, this looks nothing like my high school. This is amazing.” Even in the aftermath of the Explorer’s loss: La Salle 1. Frankford 0.
The La Salle hockey team has a long-deserved shout-out coming their way! As I write, the team is battling Malvern Prep for the Flyers Cup. The Explorers hold the #1 seed in the Flyers Cup Tourney and beat St. Joe’s Prep and Father Judge (in a 3-2 comeback win after being down 2-0) to reach the final. Coach Muehlbronner was my Phys. Ed teacher in the first semester and graciously let me slide when I would occasionally (every week) forget my gym uniform. Congrats to the team!

FEB. 17
LA SALLE PLAYOFF PREVIEW
So Archbishop Wood it is. With the results from last night’s CL-first rounders in, the La Salle Explorers know who their quarterfinal opponent will be. Does Wood scare me right now? Yes, they do. The Vikings are talented, driven, and knowledgeable of the Explorers’ game plan, having only played La Salle two weeks ago. Yet, the mind still wonders if the La Salle Explorers will lay an egg in what could shape up to be a mesmerizing postseason for them. Well, I didn’t do too hot with an Explorer season preview, so to atone for my sins (so to speak), here is a full playoff preview of the Catholic League’s second-ranked basketball team, the red-hot La Salle Explorers!
Game Plan for Wood
Well in order to stay topical here, I’ll begin with an overview of tomorrow’s game. These teams met at Wood eleven days ago, with La Salle triumphing 52-49. The Vikings led most of the game until La Salle brought a fourth-quarter surge to victory. Soph G Amar Stukes (3rd Team All-Catholic) was the Explorer star that game, sticking Wood stud senior G Joe Getz (1st Team All Catholic) and limiting him for most of the game, until a late breakout gave Getz 12 points. With Getz’s drought, Wood soph F Shane Neher scored 17 points as the playmaker for Wood.
I am anxious to see how Jack Walsh of Wood and Joe Dempsey of La Salle adapt to this playoff game after the regular-season matchup. My fear of Wood comes from how Walsh will utilize his newly sharpened weapons. With La Salle now keeping an eye on Neher, will frosh G Tommy Rush, or big man Joe LoStracco eat up points? La Salle cannot really defend Wood in a zone, because Getz is too good of a shooter, and I would still be a little leery of Rush. The best way it seems is to throw Stukes at Getz again, with senior G Eddie Mitchell (1st Team All Catholic) to back him up, and have La Salle's big men, seniors Brennan Woods, Joe Brown (2nd Team All Catholic, and Steve Collins find some collective way to all but eliminate the production of LoStracco in the middle. Wood has playmakers to complement Getz and they should not be left out of the discussion when speaking of Wood. Kudos to Rush for stepping up in the absence of Wood senior G Jack Walsh, getting DN ink from last night’s Wood-Ryan game, and having dropped 15 points on McDevitt earlier in the season. Though he had a quiet game against La Salle (3 points), junior G Kyle Adkins is another Wood player that’s going to keep these Explorers awake tonight. Getz, LoStracco, Rush, Adkins. The question posed is simply, how to stop them.
I have given Archbishop Wood their fair due, but honestly, there must be a reason this Explorer team is second in the highly competitive Catholic League. I wouldn’t classify the La Salle Explorers as overachievers but as men set with a goal. Mitchell has been playing out of his mind this year, en route to another breakout year. Throughout the season, Mitchell has still managed to refine his game, transforming his outside shot from a sometime occurrence to a lethal weapon. The credit falls to him and his coaches for keeping a great player continually improving. A pleasant surprise for the Explorers this year has been Stukes, who has earned himself the premature role of La Salle’s franchise for the next two years. Capping off a terrific La Salle starting five are seniors Joe Brown, Mike Poncia, and Brennan Woods. Brown is a versatile player, helping his team on all cylinders, let it be assists, rebounds, or points. Poncia is Dempsey’s resident outside shooter, letting the three-ball become his trademark, but Poncia contributes in many other ways. His hustle play continually helps his team in clutch moments, like when he batted away a Wood inbound pass to seal an Explorer win two weeks ago. Woods has an important job this week, as he has had all season. Along with Collins, with whom he splits time, Brennan has to ache for rebounds and use some senior muscle on frosh LoStracco (smile). Truly, a top presence in the middle can give La Salle the crucial push in tomorrow’s game. Leading the bench attack for the Explorers is Collins and senior G Kevin Piotrowicz. I always liked Piotrowicz because of his interior drive to play three sports at La Salle, even as a senior. Though his name might not light up the stat sheet, Kevin contributes valuable leadership on the team, present in his actions on the court and in timeouts. Piotrowicz will respectfully input his thoughts occasionally, something ever helpful on a winning basketball team. May the JV Explorers learn from his professionalism.
Beyond
Listen, no one in the CL is beating Neumann-Goretti right now. The place for La Salle to achieve long-term postseason success is in the 4A City-Title game, and the 4A State Tournament. I think that is achievable this year. Obviously, I am not saying La Salle should give up and bow down to N-G. If somehow the Explorers were to beat the Saints from South Philly on February 28, I would be the first one to drool over the victory, pumping a 2,000 word monstrosity out of the air. Yet, we must be realists and look to where this season is going. Can La Salle beat some Pub 4A team like Frankford or Bartram? Yes, I think so. What I am terrified about beyond tomorrow’s game is a re-match with either SJ Prep or Carroll, depending upon the result of their quarterfinal. Prep soph G Stephen Vasturia (1st Team All Catholic) is a serious player, and along with fellow Hawks like soph G Miles Overton (3rd Team All Catholic) and junior G Gene Williams (2nd Team All Catholic); and that ridiculous flex offense, I am not looking forward to a second rivalry game. On the other hand, we have Carroll, who is loaded with players led by senior G Juan’ya Green (1st Team All Catholic). This is a scary playoff season but I believe in my Explorers.
NOTES
Thanks to the awesomeness of Mr. Rob Johnson and Mr. Ray Shay, I might be able to watch the live stream of tomorrow’s game. Along with the rest of La Salle’s Speech and Debate Team, I will be trekking up to Massachusetts for four days. If the live stream plan works out, I will write a report, as best I can. Thank you both for your help.
My freshman Explorers finished 18-2, and had a great year. I had a lot of fun managing the team, and best of luck to my classmates as they continue down the path of JV and V. It has been a terrific season covering La Salle 2010-11 basketball. Here’s to a long postseason, and a successful ending to an enjoyable season.

FEB. 11
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
La Salle 59, Bonner 45
Highlighting the La Salle Explorers’ regular season home finale was a victory over Bonner on senior night. Before the game, each senior player and manager was introduced with their parents. A teary-eyed Joe Dempsey thanked the kids and parents in what was a classy pregame gesture by La Salle. The early festivities did not translate into early success though, and Bonner was able to jump to a premature advantage. After a deadlocked first quarter ending with La Salle up 10-9, the Friars took over. A litany of Bonner players contributed with junior Josh Hoho dropping 10 total first-half points, senior Scott Slade with 8, his brother junior Craig Slade with 6, and junior shooter Billy Cassidy with 5. The last time I saw Bonner play against LC, the offense went straight through Hoho. Though he still held a huge role in Friday’s game, the Friars’ offense was more balanced. The only sign of trouble was Craig Slade did have three fouls at the end of the half, limiting some of his time. The Explorers meanwhile looked ready to pounce but seemed to always be undone by mistakes in the first half. They got constantly beat on the boards, and were never able to protect the paint against Bonner’s drives. Senior G Eddie Mitchell looked his normal self early, with 9 first-half points and two steals. Junior F Matt Murphy got some serious V time, and looked like he belonged. He finished with 4 points total.
Trailing 29-23 at intermission, the Explorers turned it on in the third-quarter. La Salle held Bonner to 4 points in the third quarter, letting Mitchell (23 points) open his game up to drop 10 points in the period. Satisfying the crowd were numerous circus-like displays from the home team. After a steal-and-lay-up by senior G Mike Poncia (8 points), Mitchell slammed down a dunk to tie the game at 29-29. Later, two consecutive treys by Mitchell handed the Explorers a 35-31 lead, and the momentum for good. Before the quarter could end, Mitchell had to add in a few more tricks though. Capping a 16-4 run by La Salle was a Mitchell steal and converting-one handed slam! While the offensive explosion by Mitchell was key to sealing the game for La Salle, some credit has to be handed to La Salle big-men, seniors Joe Brown, Steve Collins, and Brennan Woods for defending the paint significantly better than in the first-half. Though Woods (6 points) got into foul trouble, with his third foul coming early in the third quarter, Collins and Brown picked up the slack. Collins contributed a lone trey, while helping keep Hoho and the Slades away from the rack. Everyman Joe Brown (6 points) had 8 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
The fourth quarter saw a resurrection of sorts to Bonner’s offense, with Hoho scoring six points in the period, after being shut down for most of the second-half. Sophomore Amar Stukes (7 points) had a good period of play for La Salle, scoring 5 points including a trey. Mitchell finalized an Explorer W while going 4-4 on free throws down the stretch. Late in the game, senior Explorer Joe Naji, known primarily for his exploits on the football field, leading to a 1st Team All-Catholic nod at defensive end, and a commitment to the University of Penn, was inserted into the game. This appeased the Explorer students who chanted “We want Naji” periodically. He sufficed, scoring a lay-up as time expired.
NOTES
I have been noticing this more and more as I have attended La Salle basketball games: I love Coach Dempsey’s inbound plays. For some reason, they always seem to get an open shot. During the St. Joe Prep game, the drawn-up play at the end got Mitchell a wide-open trey. At this game, a play in the middle of the fourth quarter got Brown an easy lay-up. I just have been seeing over and over these inbound plays to be very efficient.
Lansdale Catholic won their first CL game against O’Hara, also on Friday. They play on Sunday v. Neumann-Goretti. It’s always a fun one when N-G comes to town.
Playoffs start soon and I make my solemn vow that, in atonement for my lack of an Explorer season preview, I will provide an in-depth guide to the Explorer postseason. Happy reading my friends, and GO EXPLORERS!

FEB. 6
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
La Salle 52, Wood 49
It truly was a great weekend for Joe Dempsey and his Explorers. Coming off of a strong twelve-point win over Father Judge, La Salle had to face Wood at the worst possible time. The Vikings came off of a beat down by Neumann-Goretti in which N-G dropped a whopping 92 points on Wood. They had to be out for revenge when they faced La Salle two days later at home. It showed in their performance, as the Vikings never once ceded the lead until 4:30 remained in the third quarter. Jack Walsh’s squad fought hard, but fell victim to some excellent game management by Dempsey and some superb play by the Explorers.
Soph. G Amar Stukes (14 points) played the most complete game for La Salle, expertly sticking Wood superstar senior Joe Getz for the majority of the game. Through ten games in the CL, Getz averaged 20 points a game, and is truly the player La Salle focused their game plan on stopping. Stukes fulfilled his defensive duty by never leaving the side of Getz. At one point in the game, instead of extending help defense on a Wood player driving the lane, Stukes stayed with Getz. The intelligence of that play was seen later, when the same act occurred but Getz was left open by another La Salle defender, and he drained a jumper. Getz is a spectacular athlete, but Stukes won the battle today, leaving the senior with 12 points, and forcing him into a lengthy scoring drought from early in the first quarter until a little into the third.
Stepping up for Wood in this game was soph. F Shane Neher. He aptly lived up to the nickname given to him by the Wood PA announcer: “In Your Hair” Neher. He scored 17 points on the game, a high for both teams. Complementing him well was frosh. G Tommy Rush, who scored 8 points, and had a lot of nice looks. Frosh. big guy Joe LoStracco (6 points) looked striking when he was in the game, but he did sit out major stretches after being in the starting five. His impressive size was the big talk surrounding LoStracco when he played for St. Jude last year in CYO ball. I watched LoStracco and Rush play last year and have been pleasantly surprised on how well they have adapted to the varsity level. Though he still has room for improvement, LoStracco has refined his interior moves, definitely forming an imposing presence against La Salle. I see him having a nice future at Wood. Rush is getting good time for a frosh and can only get better as he develops, considering he seems to already have a keen sense of the game.
Aside from Stukes’s defense, my main source of happiness in this game was the way Dempsey coached the game. Trailing 42-37 entering the final quarter, he was collected and ready for action. Wood had ended the third quarter on a 6-0 run, but La Salle was strangely calm. The Vikings held the first possession and wisely began to waste precious time off of the clock. After over a minute, senior C Steve Collins (4 points) blocked a Wood shot, sealing a much-needed defensive stand by the Explorers. La Salle then grabbed four quick points on a shot by Stukes and a lay-up by senior G Eddie Mitchell (10 points). This sequence exemplified the calmness I have spoken about, and was a crucial period in this game where La Salle made its move. Thus, with Wood leading 44-41 after a LoStracco shot, Stukes tied the game with a clutch trey, deadlocking the game with 4:20 remaining. After a block of LoStracco, Dempsey called a timeout, and the comeback was accomplished. Here, the game’s momentum was easily switched to the Explorer team that had only 4 fouls, and thus could easily blow time off of the clock. After Neher fouled out at under 3 minutes, La Salle sealed its victory by making vital foul shots. To his credit, Getz played very well down the stretch, making up for an earlier drought. Also, Explorer senior sharpshooter Mike Poncia made a beautiful play when with his team up 50-48, and under a minute remaining, he stole Wood’s inbound pass.
NOTES
I apologize for the obvious lateness in posting this report. In an almost comical calamity of the fates, I left my notebook at school and thus had to delay the writing a bit (the Super Bowl might have been a reason too).
Two more notable spottings occurred during the triple-header at Wood. During the freshman game, I sighted La Salle legend Chip Greenberg (the third-highest scorer in Explorer basketball history). Greenberg, who was a part of the last La Salle team to win a CL championship in basketball in 1981, was in the house to see his son Sean play for the frosh Explorers. The great thing about Greenberg is he will probably get very mad at me for this shout out, as he is too modest. Also, showing his friend was classmate of Greenberg in the class of ’82 and La Salle communications czar, Chris Carabello. Carabello always is present at La Salle events, contributes greatly to the school through his running of the Explorer magazine, and is always a pleasure to talk to.
On La Salle’s television studio last week, the students got to witness a video of Joe Dempsey’s English class. Surprisingly, he didn’t talk much about Julius Caesar or Lord of the Flies but focused on the upcoming game against Judge. He railed on about the CL Standings and the must-win game. This kind of fun stuff I love from La Salle coaches, and it made me laugh when I watched it. The truth is, though, according to a friend of mine in Dempsey’s freshmen English class, he is very thorough with the books the kids read and is a terrific teacher.

JAN. 30
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
La Salle 63, McDevitt 49
Coming off of a huge OT win against Archbishop Carroll, La Salle got the job done today against McDevitt. The visiting Explorers did not once cede the lead to McDevitt, en route to a comfortable CL win. La Salle had a great shooting day, hitting seven treys, including six alone in the first half. The same could not be said for the Lancers, who made very few outside jumpers. Their offense came primarily from junior F Brahieme Jackson, who had a monster day, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jackson scored 17 of McDevitt’s 27 first-half points, and was active in the paint all day. La Salle’s offense was led by senior G Eddie Mitchell, who scored 20 points. The Explorers had five different players scoring in double digits, exemplifying what a balanced day they had on offense.
Early on, La Salle clearly had the upper hand, taking a 22-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. The La Salle shooting attack was already on display with soph. Amar Stukes (11 points) hitting two treys in the quarter, one of which was a buzzer-beater at the end. Coming off of a breakout game against Carroll (22 points), Stukes is truly a player to watch. McDevitt relied heavily on Jackson, as no outside shots were falling and La Salle was having trouble guarding him early. Later in the game, as La Salle guarded Jackson more heavily, the Lancers’ offense opened up, allowing junior F Markeise Chandler 10 points including a trey. McDevitt’s zone was getting rattled by La Salle’s onslaught of treys, so in the second quarter, Lancer coach Jack Rutter wisely switched to a man-to-man D.
A huge asset to the Explorers in this game was senior F Joe Brown. Brown (10 points), is a true team player, handing out many assists and helping the offense flow. He even drained a three today (smile). Complementing Brown were seniors F Brennan Woods and G Mike Poncia. Woods played rough-and-tough in the paint, and Ponica played a good game from the perimeter, hitting two three-pointers early and then made lay-ups down the stretch.
The one thing obvious from McDevitt’s players is their athleticism. Even as Jackson dominated the 1st and 3rd quarters, scoring 7 of McDevitt’s 9 in the first and 6 of their 7 in the third, other Lancers started to get involved. Soph. PG Kenyatta Long (4 points), along with the other McDevitt guards, had a tough day from the perimeter, but made an outstanding play late in the first half, stealing the ball from Poncia as he shot and getting it down the court to set up the offense. McDevitt can clearly attack the paint and score points, but the foul shooting down the stretch (3 for 9) needs work as does the outside shooting.
The win for the Explorers capped off 3 W’s for La Salle at McDevitt. A fun fact for the day is that the actual Bishop McDevitt, the namesake of the Lancers, actually graduated from La Salle High School and later La Salle College (before it became a university). I wonder who he was rooting for (smile).

JAN. 24
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
SJ Prep 52, La Salle 49
I suppose Coach Joe Dempsey won’t have an easy night sleeping after this one. The stats lay bare for all to see: a 29-point fourth quarter for St. Joe’s Prep, including 14 points alone for soph. G Steve Vasturia in that span, en route to 22 for the evening…both senior F Joe Brown and soph. G Amar Stukes fouled out for La Salle in crunch time in the fourth quarter, making it difficult for the remaining Explorers to mount a mini-comeback…two missed free throws by senior C Brennan Woods with twelve seconds left and La Salle down 49-46…and the wide-open corner trey attempt (on a brilliantly drawn-up play by Dempsey), thrown up by senior G Eddie Mitchell with four seconds left, that could not go down leaving La Salle with a 52-49 loss.
In a JV game that similarly went down to the wire between the two rivals, the Prep narrowly won. An omen of sorts began an otherwise terrific night at La Salle. The gym was packed with La Salle and Prep fans alike, anxious to see the singular rivalry basketball game of the year. Unlike in previous years, when playing basketball in the Catholic League Red Division, there had been two annual regular-season match-ups between the Hawks and Explorers. Now, with the CL combined, this is the only game between these two teams (excluding playoffs.)
The terrific rise and subsequent fall of La Salle tonight, began in the second half. After a scoring draught lasting the entire first half, Mitchell brought his A-game in the third quarter. With La Salle down, 19-14 to start the new half, Mitchell rattled off eight straight points, forcing a TO by the Prep’s coach, Speedy Morris. Using their famed flex offense, the Prep’s scoring had hit a wall in the third quarter. Prep soph. G Miles Overton (10 points) also had to be removed periodically from the game, after picking up his third foul with 5:40 remaining in the second quarter. After an 11-2 run by the Explorers, the lead got up to 25-21, and later 29-23 with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter. With the Prep sporting six second half fouls already, it appeared heading into the final quarter that La Salle held the game in hand.
La Salle began the 4th up 31-23. Enter Vasturia. His aforementioned performance in the final period of play began a quick cutting of the deficit. In President Obama’s speech tonight, he should take tips from the Prep on how to cut the deficit. (I know it’s a bad joke but I wanted to say it.) Even with the Prep’s rally, Speedy used his last TO with 2:01 remaining, giving hope again to the La Salle faithful that their team could weasel out a “W”. Suddenly the game was under two minutes, and the Prep took control. Vasturia nailed a trey which put the game at 46-45 La Salle. After being fouled by Stukes, Vasturia made two foul shots (he was perfect from the FT line), giving his team a one-point advantage. After a long La Salle possession, Stukes was called for a charge with 36 ticks left. Later, after Woods’s missed lay-ups, Overton made 1 of 2 at the line giving La Salle the ball. Mitchell made a perfectly executed drive resulting in an and-one lay-up. After two more Vasturia FTs, Dempsey called his final TO with four seconds left. We know what happens here as Mitchell’s attempt does not hit the mark.
In all tough games, there are always a few positive points to be made. Brown played a terrific game up to his foulout, and was a crucial player for the Explorers during Mitchell’s first-half scoring draught. After a beautiful steal and converting layup in the first quarter to force a Speedy TO, Brown consistently took the ball to the rack, getting fouled. He finished with 12 points. Woods endured the fear of every high school basketball player in missing those two foul shots. It happens to everyone and his productivity should not be doubted for those missed shots. He finished with 4 points, and two first-quarter blocks. Senior sharpshooter Mike Poncia had 8 points while Stukes ended up with 5 points.
La Salle will always have those tough losses but the season is not close to over and in actuality, La Salle’s loss leaves them tied with the Prep in the CL standings, and the Explorers still edge out the Hawks in overall wins/losses. The Prep has won the annual rivalry game, but overall La Salle is still in the hunt.

JAN. 23
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Bonner 54, Lansdale 43]
In another episode to the evolving saga that is this 2010-11 Lansdale Catholic basketball team, we have reached a standstill. Moving forward is hard to do but something that is necessary in the rumbling Catholic League. More inspired play came from the Crusaders, but it was not enough to beat the visiting Friars of Monsignor Bonner. A bright light once again for LC was senior C Kyle Pagan. Pagan scored 12 of the Crusaders’ 14 first half points en route to 18 for the day. His interior moves grow smoother each game, and he is much more adept at drawing fouls. Plays that would have resulted in all-ball blocks now become two freebies for Pagan. He is a definite leader on the floor and is inspiring to his teammates with his selfless play. Complementing Pagan nicely for LC was frosh G Brian Rafferty. After scoring eight against La Salle, Raff dropped ten points, contributing on both ends of the court for the Crusaders. While being a perfect 6 for 6 from the FT line, Brian also helped out on defense and the boards.
Certain players have the ability to control a team’s flow, and that is exactly what junior F Josh Hoho did for Bonner today. After scoring six quick points early, Hoho got into some foul trouble and had to be taken out. Immediately, the game shifted to LC. After leading 9-6 at the end of the first quarter, the Friars went on a scoring drought that lasted until 1:35 was remaining in the second quarter. The Crusaders, whose outside shots were stifled by the swarming Bonner D, seemed to find susceptibilities in the Friars’ interior defense. They got the ball into Pagan giving him his aforementioned first-half points. The Crusaders took a 14-11 lead heading into the halftime break.
Here we experience the common conundrum (say that five times fast) of the Lansdale Catholic season. With the momentum and lead heading into half, you would think that the Crusaders could expand the lead and start taking the game running away. To start the second-half, why not insert one of LC’s specialized sharpshooters, like sophomores Jim Rock or Nick DeMeno? DeMeno, who only saw a minute of playing time near the game’s end, drilled a nice corner trey once substituted in the game. If only for a short while, made shots from DeMeno/Rock could have revitalized the LC shooting corps of Hays, junior G Alex Talarico, and frosh G Andrew Riviello. Ultimately, head coach Bernie Fitzgerald decided to not play one of his soph. shooters (DeMeno) until late in the fourth quarter, but I thought that some early second-half shots there could have spearheaded a Crusader rally. I admire many things Coach Fitzgerald has done, like advancing LC’s press break and transforming its defense into “starving dogs”, but I just thought it would have helped for a sharpshooter to have seen a little bit of time earlier in the game.
This rally I envisioned the Crusaders having at the beginning of the third quarter never happened, and the Bonner Friars stole the game away. Hoho came out of exile to boost his teammates out of their offensive funk. The Friars went on a 12-2 run in the third quarter and never trailed the rest of the way. In an impressive sequence at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Hoho made a layup off of an offensive rebound, and after pressing, junior Billy Cassidy made a layup. Four points in the span of about ten seconds put the Friars up from 29-23 to a ten point lead. To their credit, Bonner also made critical foul shots when it mattered, going 12 for 16 from the line down the stretch. Leading the Friars for the day were Hoho with 22 points, senior Scott Slade with 12, and Cassidy with 7.
As I write this, I am listening to my new favorite song, “Blackbird” by the Beatles. Shockingly, as a self-described Beatles apostle, I have never heard this tune, and when I did recently, I was hooked. I fear the risk of being melodramatic, but the Crusaders are the “blackbird” and are “only waiting for this moment to arise.” The moment is here, my friends. You must take it.
NOTES
My boy, sophomore G Matt Angelone came up big in the JV LC-Bonner game with two treys. His six points were the high for the JV Crusaders.
The boys from 17th and Girard come to La Salle tomorrow night. I have been waiting for this day and I hope the Explorers come through with a big victory.

JAN. 21
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
La Salle 64, Lansdale 35
There’s nothing like watching three CL a basketball games to cap off a brutal week of midterm exams. The La Salle Explorers obliged beautifully tonight in three wins over the Lansdale Catholic Crusaders. In a kind gesture, plenty of La Salle alums from the Class of ’77 came out to support their classmate, Bernie Fitzgerald, now coach at Lansdale. Even La Salle president Brother Richard Kestler was in the house to watch the battle between the two members of his faculty, Joe Dempsey of La Salle and Fitzgerald. Finally, the bleachers began to rock, the announcements were said, and the first-ever matchup between the La Salle and Lansdale Catholic varsity basketball teams had begun.
Brian Rafferty, a freshman guard, once again started for the Crusaders of Lansdale. After shuffling up the starting five a bit, it seems Coach Fitzgerald has settled on the frosh for good. Raff hung in well, playing strong against the seriously athletic senior G Eddie Mitchell, of La Salle. I watched Rafferty thinking, was it only one year ago when I played CYO football with this kid? Now he starts varsity? Kudos to Brian, who finished with eight points and two treys.
With Mitchell hitting a wall in the first quarter, the La Salle big men picked up the slack and played strong against LC senior C Kyle Pagan. Senior Brennan Woods was especially a force, finishing with 10 points, but impressing me more with his leadership. With LC’s bleachers leaving the crowd right on top of both teams’ benches, I had an eyewitness view of Woods during the game. He is fearsome, fighting through a hard cut to the lip, suffered in the third quarter. Woods also embraces his role as a senior leader, constantly firing up his teammates and cheering whenever on the bench. I was proud to see his passion on display but also his toughness, as shown with the bloodied lip.
With the Explorers only up 11-8 at the end of the first quarter, Mitchell, Woods, and senior G Mike Poncia (11 points) took control for the rest of the way. Poncia drilled three treys to help La Salle score 17, 19, and 17 points in the remaining quarters. LC hung in there at the beginning but ultimately Mitchell broke it away, finishing with a stellar 17 points. Signs of Mitchell’s type of athletic presence can be seen in sophomore Amar Stukes, and hopefully in years to come, he can lead the Explorers to victory in the tradition of Mitchell and Troy Hockaday ('10).
In the fourth quarter, Dempsey called off the dogs, inserting numerous JV players and other subs. Crowd favorites, junior G’s PJ Acierno and Darnell Artis got some time, finishing with 2 pts. each. Darnell defies his small height with some cool dribbling skills. Acierno is a true renaissance man, with reports saying he has played up to four sports at La Salle! MMR boy, senior Mike Glatz got in the game, getting to guard his old classmate, Pagan. Next up for the Explorers is their rival game with Speedy Morris and the SJ Prep Hawks. Let’s hope Hawk junior G Gene Williams takes a break from his 200 jumpers a day (smile).
NOTES
The JV game turned out to be a massive blowout for the Explorers but some bright lights were seen for LC. Soph. PG Matt Angelone had a nice sequence near the game’s end, taking the ball “to the rack” and getting fouled. Fellow soph. G Pete White also is very passionate and makes a difference. I was very impressed by White in the LC-SJ Prep JV game. In that game, LC was also being blown out but White stepped it up to give some energy to LC. Way to go Pete!
It was nice meeting Mr. Bob Moran ’69 and his wife, Mrs. Moran. They were very complimentary to me on my writing and Mrs. Moran was very helpful to me when I would miss which player made a particular shot. She knew every single player on the court! I was casually told by Brother Richard that Mr. Moran happened to be a member of the Board of Trustees. I responded “Oh”, completely dumbfounded. Another instance of kindness I would like to point out was during the La Salle-Roman game when I headed to the snack bar to buy a drink. The women there recognized me and wouldn’t let me pay for my $1 Sprite, (smile). One woman, Mrs. Winslow, was La Salle K/P Ryan Winslow’s mother and thanked me for my football articles. I spoke many times this year on the La Salle community being supportive of each other. Being only a freshman, it shocks me to see the compassion and generosity of the people around me. It could be simply giving someone a free soda or just casually complimenting a wonder-eyed kid during a basketball game. I thank all of you many times over.

JAN. 17
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
La Salle 64, Roman 58 (OT)
These kinds of games are the reason I love Catholic League basketball. Capping off an old-fashioned triple-header at La Salle on Monday was the varsity game, in which the host Explorers narrowly outlasted the visitors from Roman in an overtime thriller. La Salle’s high scorers were senior G Mike Poncia and soph. G Amar Stukes, both with fifteen points. Poncia scored eight of his points in overtime, covering the slack for senior G Eddie Mitchell (14 pts.), who fouled out at the 3:03 mark in the fourth quarter. With the help of the La Salle big men, the Explorers survived a Roman onslaught from its freshmen phenoms, G Shep Garner (15 pts.) and G Rip Engel (14 pts.). Engel was fantastic, drilling four treys (among them a bank-in from half-court), all as the sixth man. Garner, who is freakishly athletic, complemented Cahillite senior C Fortunat “Junior” Kangudi (8 pts.) well.
A back-and-forth game in which La Salle always seemed to have the edge, but just couldn’t escape the grasp of Roman, climaxed near the end of the fourth quarter. With Mitchell fouling out, the Cahillites found new strength and began gaining on the Explorers. With a little over two minutes remaining, Roman soph. G Britton Lee puts his team up 49-48. In a sequence in which Joe Dempsey’s squad showed its resilience and talent even with the loss of their leader, Mitchell, Stukes made two foul shots and after nice defense on Roman, La Salle took a 52-49 lead on a layup by senior F Joe Brown (13 pts.). In a game against one of the Catholic League’s best teams, the Explorers successfully fought to the finish, but ultimately, Garner tied the game 52-52 with a three-pointer, and the game was headed to overtime.
OT, baby! Poncia earned his stripes for La Salle in the overtime period by providing offense on all cylinders. After scoring a nice trey on an assist from three-sport star senior G Kevin Piotrowicz, Poncia made a layup and three foul shots. A layup by Brown and two freebies by senior C Steve Collins (7 pts.) in between gave the advantage to La Salle, 64-58 as the final.
NOTES
Oh man, Roman is stocked with athletes from the dunkin’ center, Kangudi, to the two freshmen. The Cahillites will face the typical pitfalls of a youthful team as the year progresses, but still have that firm foundation to keep their legendary program thriving. Along to guide the freshmen on their way are soph. G’s, Britton Lee (13 pts.) and Shafeek Taylor (6 pts.).
The La Salle big men greatly impressed me today. The play by Brown, Collins, and senior PF/C Brennan Woods was gritty and just what the Explorers needed. Truly it was a team effort for the Explorers surviving without Mitchell. The provided a great finale to an Explorer triple-header sweep.
There were surprisingly a lot of fans in the house for this one. I didn’t expect to see a lot of La Salle students due to no school today and midterms beginning tomorrow. There was a packed student section though, along with a great many visitors from Roman. It created a nice atmosphere for a game that went down to the wire.
After the freshman Explorers play Lansdale Catholic at La Salle on Friday, I will head up to LC to watch the JV and V tilts. I guess it will be seen if the upset-ready Crusaders put a scare into La Salle.

JAN. 16
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Judge 48, Lansdale 45
I came to Lansdale Catholic today expecting to see a blowout, but I wanted to check out Judge’s arsenal. The word was that Coach Sean Tait had developed a deep roster and was building a solid program up in Northeast Philly. The roster included kids from now-closed North Catholic and was shaping up to be part of the Catholic League’s elite teams. With this in mind, I watched an LC starting five play their hearts out in a 48-45 loss. Only in the CL could this have happened, where LC goes down to the wire with a Judge team that beat SJ Prep, when the Prep crushed LC, 72-19. The Green Crusaders played the best game I have seen this team play during my three years of watching them play basketball. A tough second half though was their undoing, and Judge narrowly escaped.
Let’s begin with the end of today’s game. The stage has been set with Judge having only three fouls, so they have four to give before getting in the bonus. With forty seconds remaining, a trey by LC senior G Chris Hays puts them within one, 46-45. After a foul on Judge big man, senior Seamus Radtke (10 pts.), the Blue Crusaders extended their lead to three, leaving 26 ticks left. LC cannot convert on the ensuing possession as Hays’ three-point attempt misses the mark. After another foul by LC, senior Joe Kehoe cannot make the front end of a one-and-one, giving LC the ball back with 2 seconds remaining. Frosh G Brian Rafferty throws in a wild pass that ultimately lands in the hands of soph. G Nick DeMeno (3 pts.). DeMeno misses the shot from beyond the arc and Judge’s win is sealed.
The Blue Crusaders won down the stretch, but the excellent play from Lansdale early on cannot be ignored. Coach Bernie Fitzgerald started Rafferty, and the freshman did not disappoint. Though the stat sheet gives him a single point, Raff hung in there, skillfully dribbling the ball up against Judge senior Reggie Charles (8 pts.). In the first quarter, Rafferty set the tone with numerous defensive rebounds. LC did a great job of breaking Judge’s press and taking a firm hand in the game’s early stages. Lansdale led 19-13 at the end of the first quarter, shocking everyone and putting Judge on the ropes. Senior C Kyle Pagan scored 5 points in the first period, en route to 14 for the game. Pagan consistently took the ball early to the rack against either Radtke or fellow Judge big man, senior Zach Hirst.
While LC players contributed on all cylinders, from the three treys by senior Chris Hays (13 pts.) to the magnificent hustle defense by junior Alex Talarico (5 pts.), the star of the game was Judge soph. Steve Griffin. Griffin seemed to make every shot he took, and finished with five three-pointers and 21 pts. He will hold a special role in Tait’s program when 9 seniors leave next year.
I was extremely pleased by Lansdale’s coaching tonight. Head coach Bernie Fitzgerald got them into a zone, which allows them to compete better in the athletically outrageous CL. His team also mastered the press break; with Hays and Rafferty getting Pagan open layups. On offense, Hays finally opened up and fired more shots. Fellow senior Matt Pinzka also scored some big points for LC, finishing with 9 points and two treys. Tait played damage-control for the majority of the game, coming back from a halftime deficit to take control of the game. His Blue Crusaders were able to take control late in the game, with Griffin firing and Radtke finding his game with 8 of his 10 pts. coming in the second half. Late in the game, Radtke blocked a ball into the stands, solidifying his return to the game after an absence taking up most of the second quarter.
I didn’t get to see the full-fledged firing of Father Judge that I expected, but I did see the hardest and most selfless play I have seen from Lansdale Catholic, and also some nice cleanup by Judge, atoning for early mistakes. Radtke and Hirst were able to handle Pagan in the second half, and LC could barely make it to the rim.
NOTES
Some LC kids wore togas to the game, and proceeded to make Seamus Radtke their special target for the game, chanting humorous cries of “SEAAMUS!” I was quite amused by this. At least they are being creative.
I might be alone here, but I really like Judge’s uniforms. The powder blue is unique and I find it a very attractive color for basketball, even though I don’t root for North Carolina.
This has been a terrific weekend for LC basketball. First, the Crusaders played McDevitt on Friday night and hung in that game pretty well too. Pagan and Hays both dropped 17 points and are on something of a hot streak. The Crusaders led at the end of the first quarter, but had bad second on fourth quarters en route to a 58-46 loss. They still are in search of that first Catholic League win, but after today’s performance, everyone knows this team is no pushover.
I will be at the Roman-La Salle game tomorrow. It should be a pretty tough one for the Explorers, but they are coming off of a thrashing of West Catholic, so the players will be pumped.

JAN. 6
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
SJ Prep 72, Lansdale 19
Coach Bernie Fitzgerald and the Lansdale Catholic Crusaders are going to be in for a long year. After scoring only five points in the first half, the Crusaders were still befuddled by SJ Prep’s reserves the rest of the way, en route to a 72-19 victory for the Hawks. The Catholic League opener for both teams was dominated by the Hawks and their stud sophomores, G/F Miles Overton and G Steve Vasturia. In predominantly first-half action, Vasturia dropped 14 points, which included four treys, while Overton (son of ex-NBA player and La Salle U grad Doug Overton) had 10 points and two from beyond the arc.
The Prep set the tone in the first quarter by jumping to a 23-0 lead, dominating the boards and easily forcing turnovers. The Crusaders could barely get a shot off, only putting up five attempts in the quarter. LC would have been shut out for the quarter if not for a nice and-one lay-up by junior G Alex Talarico (5 points) with under a minute remaining. Coach Speedy Morris’ methodical flex offense gave the Hawks a great capacity to shoot threes; they converted many early on.
With a 39-5 lead at half, the Hawks had clearly shown their superiority. The surprise to the onlookers present was the way the Hawks played in the second half. While a mercy clock was running and the Hawks switched to varying zone defenses, Speedy’s bench still put up 33 points. The Hawks are young and full of players, not only Vasturia and Overton, but also junior F/G Gene Williams (9 points), a serious athlete. LC’s high scorer for the night was soph. G Nick DeMeno with 9 points and two treys.
NOTES
In a gutsy move near the end of the game, Fitzgerald put three freshmen on the court: G’s Darius Wallace and Andrew Riviello, and G/F Kyle Pavlik. Perhaps this could signal a jump in playing time for the underclassmen, as I hinted at in my season preview of the Crusaders. With teams like Neumann-Goretti, Carroll, McDevitt, La Salle, Roman, and Wood (with superstar Joe Getz), LC has to figure out something now if it wants to compete. Ultimately, this year is going to be beyond-tough for the Crusaders, but it seems like Fitzgerald is building a base with these underclassmen, and the question to be seen is how the team responds and builds around it. Guidance from seniors, C Kyle Pagan (2 pts.) and G Chris Hays (3 pts.) is something this young team will need throughout the year. Hays is a good player and an athlete, but many times gave up nice looks to shoot. I want to see Hays take some of those shots, especially considering this team only shot five total times in the first quarter. Talarico, who as of now seems to be the only senior LC will have on its roster next year, has to nurture his ability this year and begin to eye a leadership role next year.
On a curious note, Crusader sophomore G Jimmy Rock started both the JV and V games for LC. Fitting to see Rock always on the floor, as the word is that this “gym rat” never stops practicing. Nice hard work there by Jim.
The Prep will give La Salle a run for its money, but I believe the Explorers will pull out a victory due to its obvious advantage: height. Even though Overton and Vasturia will run the table, I think La Salle’s big fighters under the rim will be the difference. The Prep’s players max out at 6’3”, but were athletic and talented enough to torch LC. With La Salle, I think it will be close, but the superior height on the Explorers’ side will make the game fall their way.
Ted spoke in his article of the tragic death of La Salle former All-Catholic basketball player, Matt Crozier ’08. Speaking as a student, there have been a number of deaths in the La Salle community early in the year, and it has been amazing to watch the community gather around the loved ones of those who died. To see the community join together in mourning these untimely deaths has been a truly beautiful thing to watch, and something that makes me proud to be a part of La Salle.
OTHER SCORERS
SJ Prep
Matt Stahl-4 pts.
Wes Hackman-9 pts.
James Stewart-4 pts.
Kevin Oberlies-6 pts.
Mike Fee-4 pts.
Mike Levy-5 pts.
P.J. Kelly-7 pts.

DEC. 23
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 40, Chestnut Hill 35
In an almost paradoxical game of sorts, La Salle never once ceded the lead to Chestnut Hill Academy, but at most times, it seemed that CHA held greater momentum. The game, completing a triple-header at La Salle of freshman, JV, and V, had a huge attendance. The JV game ended at around 6:30, so after a half-an-hour delay, the game began.
The Explorers satisfied their huge home crowd in the first quarter by jumping to a 14-0 lead, and playing gritty defense. In a slowed-down affair to start, the Blue Devils were left scrambling for a shot early on. Both teams played tough man-to-man but it was the Explorers’ shots that were falling. The quarter went in succession for the Explorers: lay-up by senior Joe Brown, short shot in the paint by senior Eddie Mitchell, a corner 3 by senior Mike Poncia, another short shot by Mitchell, a 3 by sophomore Amar Stukes, and a lay-up by senior Brennan Woods off of an inbound. After a layup by Malik Garner for CHA, the score at the end of the quarter was 14-2, in favor of La Salle.
Right before the second quarter was to begin, a sudden wave of CHA fans, wearing the dark blue of their Blue Devils, began to trickle into the gym. I thought it was only a few, but before I knew it, most of a bleacher section was full of CHA fans. Either a fiery speech by coach Bill Dooley, or this surprising fan support, lifted the Blue Devils’ play to superior heights in the second quarter. In the second period, it seemed that nothing could go right for the Explorers. After an offensive foul by Woods, Garner converted a lay-up (on which he was fouled by Woods but did not make the and-one free throw). After a Mitchell layup, the Blue Devils responded with sophomore Bobby Keyes drilling a 3. After Billy Dooley of CHA intercepted a La Salle pass, Keyes scored a layup. The quick turnaround by CHA now left the score at 16-11, La Salle. After a quick timeout by the Explorers, the Blue Devils once again converted off of a La Salle turnover. Junior Luke Mulvaney made a 3, putting CHA to within two.
On a tough possession at the end of the quarter, La Salle had both of their shots blocked, and on the third try for a basket, Garner stole the ball and took it the other way. On a terrific hustle play, Mitchell appeared to block Garner’s shot. The questionable call by the referee (could have gone either way) was called goaltending on Mitchell. The game was now tied at 16, and the Explorers, who were once up 14-0, were not at their lowest point in this game, and had to find a way to dig back up. The half ended 18-16, after senior Steve Collins made two free-throws.
After being put to an emotional low in a brutal second quarter, the Explorers showed tenacity and endurance in sealing this game in the second-half. La Salle jumped out to a 23-18 lead, but after a technical foul call on Poncia (and the four free throws because of it; the technical was added on to a prior shooting foul called on Poncia), the Blue Devils were once again within two. The Explorers played great D the rest of the quarter, and had a 27-21 advantage heading into the game’s final period.
With under three-and a-half minutes remaining, Mitchell made the play everyone there will remember. To extend La Salle’s lead to 38-30, Mitchell faced Dooley in the open court and proceeded to dunk the ball, sending the crowd into frenzy. To his credit, Garner fought back from this, scoring a lay-up, stealing the ball, and hitting Dooley for a 3. Stukes made a nice steal at the end, as CHA could never tie it up again. The game ended 40-35.
NOTES
The JV game, between La Salle and Wood, was won by La Salle on a buzzer-beater by Dominic Cuoci (representing the class of 2014).
After Mitchell’s dunk, the La Salle faithful began to chant “Why so quiet?” The CHA fans responded with a clever, but painful chant of “North Allegheny!”
CHA does not have one senior on their varsity roster, and the team consists mainly of sophomores.
This was actually the first La Salle varsity basketball game I have ever been to. Last year, I was never able to go. It was a great experience, and I was proud of the way the Explorers never ceded the lead in a well-fought game.
The top scores were Garner of CHA with 19 points and Mitchell with 14. Joe Brown and Steve Collins, who seem to split even time, each had six rebounds. Mitchell did not miss a free throw the whole game, which was crucial down the stretch.
One activity I do when not writing for this wacky website is managing the La Salle freshman basketball team. The little Explorers (though most of them are not very little) are 4-0 on the year, and beat Wood 52-20 to begin the triple-header. On a team with sixteen players, head coach Alex Brown does a terrific job of getting everyone some time. Eleven of the sixteen players scored in the Wood game. Good luck to the freshman team the rest of the way!

DEC. 13
LANSDALE CATHOLIC PREVIEW
My superstitious nature will not permit me to mention the upcoming 4A state championship game, so I will divert attention to the upcoming basketball season. Nostalgic memories set in of Friday night CL marathons (frosh-JV-V), of years past. Boy, is it time for some hoops! I will kick off this season with a Lansdale Catholic season preview, and a La Salle one later in the week (homework permitting).
Coach Bernie Fitzgerald and the Crusaders have a long year in store for them in the now-combined Catholic League. Though they will not have to face powerhouses Neumann-Goretti and Carroll twice, the Crusaders have to take on SJ Prep, La Salle, Roman, N-G, Carroll, and McDevitt (which is rumored to be good this year as they apparently took all the Dougherty kids) once. LC is a young team, but will rely on strong desire and leadership from the upperclassmen to lead them.
When it is considered that LC went 4-12 in the CL Blue last year, with underrated superstar Mike Barr (only was 3rd Team-All Catholic while averaging 19.6 ppg) at the helm, the future looks very bleak for the Crusaders, with Barr now at the University of Scranton. The void must be filled by seniors Chris Hays, Alex Talarico, Ray Harmer, Kyle Pagan, and Matt Pinzka. Pagan and Hays both received decent varsity minutes last year, and are surefire starters for this year’s squad. Leading the Crusaders at PG will be senior Chris Hays, with soph. Nick DeMeno handling the ball a good bit. Here is a specific look at different parts of LC’s squad for the 2010-11 year:
OFFENSE
At the Crusaders’ opening game (a loss to Hatboro-Horsham), the offense had trouble getting the ball inside to Pagan, and most points came from perimeter shooting. DeMeno can drain nice 3s once in a while, but the offense needs more consistency in the paint. If LC is to utilize the perimeter offense seen in the H-H game, more shots will have to come from Hays and Talarico. Pagan visibly leaves every fiber of him on the court, but will have his hands full guarding some of the CL’s best, and this was foreshadowed in the H-H game. Rebounding will be a challenge all year because of the strength of the CL.
YOUTH
Already, Fitzgerald has brought up some JV players to swing varsity. Receiving minutes for the Crusaders early on is soph. WG Jimmy Rock (son of famous Herr’s Chips salesman Jim Rock Sr.), along with some time for fellow soph. Dave Eckroth. Along with the sophomores, major opportunities are in store for frosh. WG Andrew Riviello, who is getting good time on varsity, and will continue to over the course of the season. Frosh. G Brian Rafferty is dressing varsity and will probably see minutes as the year moves along. Most likely, more JV players over the course of the season. Complementing Riviello will probably be soph. PG Matt Angelone (son of local legend Mark Angelone), who plays JV and most likely will see some V time.
NOTES
This is a likable basketball team, and I wish them great success throughout the year. Playing time on V seems to be very malleable, as the looming threat of the underclassmen grows.