Neumann Goretti guard Masud Stewart stayed patient and bounced back to earn titles and a scholarship

Masud Stewart had learned not to get his hopes up. After having two seasons interrupted by the pandemic, he knew not to take anything for granted on the basketball court.

The result for Neumann Goretti was capturing league, district and state titles this season.

Back in 2020, when Stewart was serving as the seventh man in the Neumann Goretti rotation, the Saints looked poised to make a serious run at a trip to Hershey. That was, until the pandemic shut down the state tournament right after Neumann Goretti’s second-round win over Holy Redeemer. The following year, COVID-19 problems plagued the Saints until Carl Arrigale’s squad was forced to shut down the season altogether.

That junior year was supposed to be a pivotal one for Stewart. The 6-foot-1 guard had earned a starting spot, and Arrigale expected him to be a key contributor on both ends of the floor. That year also would have been Stewart’s chance to get valuable minutes in front of college coaches. But what should have been a breakout campaign for Stewart turned into another year of what-ifs.

It also put a lot of pressure on Stewart’s final year with Neumann Goretti.

“He really got cheated out of his junior season,” Arrigale said. “So, when he came in here his senior year, and we only had two seniors, he had a lot on his plate. We were very young, we had a lot of new pieces, and he had to kind of help show them the way and be a leader.”

Neither Stewart nor his lone senior counterpart, Aamir Hurst, had much experience leading, and both were gearing up for their first full seasons as starters. That didn’t stop Stewart, however, as he quickly embraced his new responsibility.

That leadership was tested early in Neumann Goretti’s season. Shortly after the new year, a COVID outbreak put a halt to the Saints’ midseason schedule. But unlike the last two years, this time the team was able to get back on the floor. COVID-related cancellations still left the Saints playing 12 games in just 20 days.

The grueling string of games came in the heart of Philadelphia Catholic League play. With all its efforts focused on preparing for the next game on the schedule, Neumann Goretti had limited time to focus on improving and figuring things out. When the Saints’ lost to PCL rival Roman Catholic on Feb. 4, it was a stumbling block.

“I think everybody was wondering a little where it was going to go from there,” Arrigale said. “Then I heard that [Stewart] started a private group chat — which is unlike him because he’s kind of quiet — and he named the group chat PCL Champs.

“When I found that out after the fact, I was pretty blown away by it. For him to have that confidence after a loss, thinking we can get it together, and trying to keep everybody together and keep the focus on what the goal was, I thought that was pretty big and important in our success.”

That moment did prove pivotal in the Saints’ season. After the loss to Roman, the Saints lost just once the rest of the season en route to capturing the PIAA Class 4A state title. The championship was the ninth in Neumann Goretti’s history, and it extended the streak of success that has seen every Saints senior class since 2009 win at least one title with the program.

For everyone involved with the Neumann Goretti program, the championship was years in the making. The experience was especially rewarding for Stewart and Hurst, who — after two years of interruptions and missed opportunities — finally got their chance to cut down the nets at the Giant Center.

“For it to be our first and last time, we had to go out with a bang,” Stewart said. “It just showed us that all the work we put in since around this time last year to now all paid off.

Just over a week after the championship, Stewart announced his commitment to Binghamton. The Bearcats extended their offer to Stewart on March 23, one day before the state final in Hershey.

By that point, Stewart had been communicating with the program for almost a year, with Binghamton having first reached out to him last summer. Because of uncertainty around the number of available scholarships, the school didn’t offer Stewart until this spring.

Stewart’s original plan had been to commit to a school in the fall. When that plan was interrupted and it began to look as if his recruitment could stretch into spring, he didn’t panic. Instead, Stewart relied on the same patience that he utilized on the basketball court.

“Honestly, I just had to stick with it, keep doing me, and keep grinding,” Stewart said. “I couldn’t worry [and] be stressed over recruitment or anything. I knew something was going to happen for me. I just said, keep being confident and know that it’s going to be OK.”

In addition to Binghamton, Stewart had Division I offers from St. Peter’s, Rider, and Holy Cross, among others. He also had a good relationship with Division II East Stroudsburg, which was another strong contender in his recruitment. Stewart felt his best fit was with Binghamton.

Stewart is set to play Sunday in the Philadelphia All-Star Labor Classic at Ridley High. On Wednesday, he is expected to sign his national letter of intent.

“It’s going to mean a lot,” Stewart said. “Ever since I started middle school, my goal was to go to college for free, and to be able to do that [at Binghamton] is just a blessing. To go into college winning — not many people get to win two PCL championships — and have a triple crown this year, it’s just crazy. Going into college and winning, I just want to keep that going.”