Ryan Everett’s three-pointer at the Palestra marks Archbishop Ryan and PCL history

It still stings. Archbishop Ryan senior Ryan Everett hasn’t fully moved on from a loss to Roman Catholic in the Philadelphia Catholic League final.

That’s because for a moment on Monday night, the 6-foot-2 guard thought he won his team the game after hitting a corner three-pointer with six seconds remaining in overtime. But moments later, Roman’s Kabe Goss hit the game-winning bucket to seal a 46-45 victory.

“It was one of the best shots I’ve ever made in my life,” Everett said. “It was an unexplainable feeling. We were all definitely emotional after the game. Everybody knows a big shot, but that shot without the win … it was tough.

“We talked [on Wednesday] about even though we lost, it was still one of the most legendary performances at the Palestra ever, so we all just tried to stay positive through it.”

The historic performance created another memory inside the iconic Palestra, one highlighted hours later on local and national television, including the midnight edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter as the “Best Thing I Saw Today.”

Everett woke up Tuesday morning to numerous texts that he and the Ryan squad were on ESPN. The realization of what he did finally started to sink in. Despite the Raiders’ loss, head coach Joe Zeglinski reminded his team that it showed it’s one of the top programs in the state.

And Everett played a key role in that finish.

“That game will be remembered for the next 50 years and will always have that moment,” said Zeglinski, who’s in his ninth season with the program. “It really brought the community together, and Ryan’s name is going to be remembered for a long time around here.”

This year’s team, which includes nine seniors, Everett said, is one of the best groups in program history. The Raiders are led by 6-foot-10 Thomas Sorber, who’s heading to Georgetown next fall. Darren Williams (Florida Gulf Coast) and Jaden Murrary also are key four-year players.

And their season isn’t over yet. Ryan has aspirations of claiming a city title and making a state championship run. They’ll play Imhotep Charter on Saturday in the District 12 championship at Lincoln High School.

Everett, who finished with eight points Monday night, has been a jack of all trades this season for Ryan. He’s grown as a shooter, and Zeglinski has seen the combo guard transform into a tough defender.

“He’s stepped up every big moment that he was called on,” he said. “I think his best basketball is ahead of him. He’s really grown up this year, where physically he’s able to defend really great guards. I think he has a really bright future.”

Everett has been at Ryan since his freshman year, but he had a tough choice between the Raiders and Conwell-Egan. His dad, who owns Charger Nation Sports in Morrisville, was involved with the Eagles team that won a state title in 2015.

“My mom really wanted me to go to Egan, because of what my dad does there,” Everett said. “I just knew that Ryan was going to be a better fit, even though I knew I wasn’t going to play my first two years. When you’re on a really good team, that’s how it is for most people.”

» READ MORE: A panoramic account of Kabe Goss’ game-winning bucket for Roman Catholic in the PCL final

It was an adjustment for Everett, who was the sixth man his junior year. The 145-pound guard knew he was smaller compared to others and would have to work for every rep.

“I used to get tossed around a little bit in practice and stuff like being on the skinnier end,” Everett said. “A lot of these kids were a lot bigger than me. When I was a sophomore, I was scoring a lot of points on JV, but I just wasn’t fully varsity ready yet. Playing varsity in the Catholic League is no joke. It’s one of the best leagues — you [have] to be ready for it.”

He was ready last year as Ryan played a national schedule. But by the end of the season, Everett knew that if he wanted to be an impact player, he would have to do better defensively. So he spent the offseason lifting, working on ball screens, and shooting.

“If you can’t defend, you’re not going to be able to play,” Everett said. “That was a responsibility that I had to take on, knowing I wasn’t really a good defender back then. Playing defense is one of my big roles.

“Shooting-wise, my coach is the one who builds my confidence because even if I missed a shot, he says ‘Keep shooting, keep shooting,’ so that also plays a big part in why I just keep shooting.”

Everett plans to play in college. He’s spoken with a few Division III programs, including Penn State Abington, but doesn’t plan on making a decision until the end of the season.

For now, he’s focused on helping the Raiders make a state title appearance.

When he looks back on his high school career, however, he takes pride in knowing his name and this year’s Ryan program will go down in history.

“It was one of the greatest PCL championship games ever,” Everett said. “But that shot means a lot to me. I’ll probably get a picture frame of it. But that will always be a shot I, my family, and Archbishop Ryan remembers.”