Catholic League boys’ basketball quarterfinals: Kevair Kennedy powers Father Judge’s upset of Archbishop Wood
In other PCL action, Archbishop Ryan topped St. Joe's Prep, Neumann Goretti held off Archbishop Carroll, and defending champ Roman Catholic routed Cardinal O'Hara.
Mired in a free-throw slump a few years back, Father Judge guard Kevair Kennedy’s new coach offered him some help.
Little did Chris Roantree know, but that bit of advice would pay again and again — 17 of 18 times, really — in the fourth quarter of a Philadelphia Catholic League tournament quarterfinal. Kennedy kept stepping to the line, kept doing his routine, and kept knocking down free throw after free throw, with each inching Judge a little further away from Archbishop Wood and a little closer to its first trip to the Palestra in 25 years.
Kennedy scored 33 points, his remarkable composure at the foul line delivering No. 6 Father Judge a 78-71 win over No. 3 Archbishop Wood on Friday night.
“It started with Coach Chris. My freshman year, I wasn’t shooting it that good, but that summer, he told me take a few dribbles, and ever since I just stuck with that,” Kennedy said. “It’s breathe three times, dribble, dribble, dribble, spin it, breathe, then shoot.”
Sophomore Derrick Morton-Rivera added 19 for Judge, while senior Drexel commit Josh Reed scored 19, and senior Miami commit Jalil Bethea, the PCL co-MVP, scored 16 for Wood. Judge’s last trip to the Palestra came in 1999, when its coach was a senior on the team.
Archbishop Ryan’s Williams sinks St. Joe’s Prep
Tied in the final seconds of a PCL quarterfinal between Ryan and St. Joe’s Prep, Ryan senior Darren Williams caught the ball at the elbow and saw enough space to let one fly.
The lefty nailed it with two seconds left, sending No. 5 Ryan to the semifinals at the Palestra with a 49-47 win and ending No. 4 St. Joe’s Prep’s season. Williams, a Florida Gulf Coast commit, led Ryan with 22 points, including four three-pointers, and Thomas Sorber, a Georgetown commit and the PCL co-MVP, followed with 17. Juniors Jaron McKie and Jordan Ellerbee scored 16 and 13, respectively, for the Hawks.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster knowing your guys trust and believe in you, knowing they trust you to make the right play every time,” Williams said. “That just gives you more confidence, knowing you’re that guy and you take that shot and you finish the game for us.”
Neumann Goretti holds off Carroll
With Neumann Goretti clinging to a single-digit lead over Archbishop Carroll, senior Larenzo Jerkins made the biggest plays in the fourth quarter. None were bigger than the two free throws he knocked down to put his team up five with just five seconds left.
Those buckets sealed a hard-fought 89-83 victory for No. 2 Neumann Goretti over No. 7 Archbishop Carroll. Neumann will have yet another chance to play for a Philadelphia Catholic League championship at the fabled Palestra, something Jerkins was determined to achieve after having to watch from the bench last season because of his transfer.
“Motivation is an understatement toward something like this,” Jerkins said. “This is just something that I’ve been very patient with and just waiting for my moment. Now that it’s finally here, I’m willing to execute everything.”
Jerkins scored 26 points, and sophomore DeShawn Yates scored 18 to lead a quintet of double-figure scorers for the Saints. Sophomore Luca Foster poured in 31 points to lead a Carroll team that started three sophomores and two freshmen.
» READ MORE: Neumann Goretti’s Larenzo Jerkins had to sit out last season. Now he wants to make a difference.
Defending champ Roman Catholic rolls O’Hara
Top-seed and defending champion Roman Catholic left no doubt in its 71-32 win over No. 9 O’Hara on Friday night at Holy Family. Senior guard Robert Cottrell led the way with 16 points. Senior Travis Reed and junior Shareef Jackson added 12 apiece. Sophomore Sammy Jackson joined them in double figures with 11. Senior forward Pearse McGuinn scored 10 for O’Hara, which will continue its season in the PIAA Class 4A tournament.
Roman jumped out to a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and went into the half with a 31-16 advantage. That lead grew to 20 about a minute into the second half, and the Cahillites extended the advantage to 30 not long after. Roman outscored O’Hara, 30-7, in the third quarter to coast into the semifinals.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.