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

When you reference “the shot” at Roman Catholic, now you’ll have to be more specific.

Last year, Xzayvier Brown banked in a three-pointer from straightaway to send the Catholic League championship into overtime at the Palestra, where the Cahillites later held off Neumann Goretti, 57-52. On Monday night, Roman senior point guard Kabrien “Kabe” Goss hit a buzzer-beating jumper to sink Archbishop Ryan, 46-45, in overtime before a frenzied sellout crowd at the Palestra.

The thrilling final sequence, however, began when senior guard Ryan Everett drilled a corner three-pointer opposite his bench, putting the Raiders ahead by a point with about 8.5 seconds left, while sending Ryan fans into hysterics and its program to the precipice of its first PCL crown.

Clock still ticking, Goss, a 5-foot-4 point guard who transferred from Trenton, zipped downcourt and knocked down a pull-up jumper near the elbow across from his bench, narrowly avoiding the outstretched fingertips of 6-foot-10 senior Thomas Sorber, the Georgetown recruit who was once Goss’ childhood teammate in Trenton.

Goss’ shot had just begun its final descent as the horn blared and, for a moment, the gym nearly fell silent, as everyone awaited the outcome.

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The height disparity between Sorber and Goss was so stark, Goss never saw the shot go in because Sorber eclipsed his view. There might be one view, however, that will never be blocked.

“I ain’t going to lie,” Goss said in the postgame press conference, “if we can find a way to put it on my refrigerator, it’s going on my refrigerator.”

Here is a nearly panoramic accounting of that final sequence from those in attendance, including players, parents, play-by-play announcers, public address announcers, alumni, and more:

Ryan called timeout with 48 seconds left, trailing, 44-42. The Raiders probed Roman’s 1-3-1 defense, showing poise even after Ryan senior Jaden Murray slipped and nearly turned the ball over. When Sorber sneaked into the short corner, caught a pass from Darren Williams, and drove baseline, Everett, who was wide-open on the wing, drifted to the corner. A poorly-coached player may have just waved his hands on the wing and been upset when Sorber couldn’t find him. Instead, Everett smartly relocated into the corner, which was within Sorber’s line of sight, and then promptly hit the three-pointer.

Bob Long, play-by-play for Penn Sports Network:

“I thought Thomas Sorber’s unselfishness in that moment, to drive and get a paint-touch and kick to the open man was something special. Ryan Everett’s shot looked like it was going to be the shot of the year and the history-maker. I equate him to Marcus Paige in this situation to Kabe Goss’ Kris Jenkins…”

Paige was the North Carolina guard whose running, one-legged three-pointer banked in to tie Villanova before Jenkins hit the winning triple during the 2016 NCAA championship game.

Roman Catholic senior forward Hunter Johnson:

“My heart dropped … but I trust everybody on this team, so no matter who had the ball … I knew whoever took it was going to make it.”

West Catholic athletic director Jazz Williams, seated courtside in the corner nearest to Everett:

“I thought the game was over when he hit the three. Kind of got caught up in the moment. I was looking at my phone and I looked back up to record the crowd. Then I turned back around and [Goss] was making a 17-footer.”

By rule, in high school basketball, the clock continues to run even after a made basket, unless a team calls timeout. Roman had one timeout remaining. Sammy Jackson, a sophomore, inbounded the ball to Goss.

Goss:

“Immediately, I knew the score, I knew the clock was down, and I knew we were down one. I just needed to look and see how much time was left. … My dad taught me to always count down in your head. When I looked, I saw about six and I started counting down from there …”

Goss’s father, Brian Goss, seated two rows behind Roman’s bench:

“He’s cool as a cucumber. He was always taught to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. He lives for those types of moments.”

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Ryan didn’t celebrate after Everett’s basket. Instead, its defense readied past half-court in anticipation of Goss, who is a speedster.

St. Joseph’s freshman Xzyavier Brown:

“I saw coach Chris [McNesby] just believing in Kabe, and Kabe was as calm as ever …”

La Salle assistant coach and Roman alum Donnie Carr:

“I saw the time running down and he looked like he was in the moment, looking around, surveying the floor …”

Palestra public address announcer and Roman golf coach Dan Hoban, seated at the scorer’s table:

“I’m watching Kabe bring the ball up the floor and I’m looking at the clock and it’s like things slow down …”

Roman coach Chris McNesby:

“With time running down, I just didn’t think a timeout was necessary. If we would’ve called timeout, there would have been about four seconds left and that’s not enough time to get something good. I think Kabe was in the flow, he was up the floor, they were backpedaling …”

Goss:

“Coming across the court, my first instinct was to look at Coach Chris, as all great point guards do, to see what’s going on. Coach Chris wasn’t going to call timeout. Once I realized that, it was just time to go.”

Goss said his defender had been backpedaling all game out of respect for Goss’ speed. Ryan had no fouls to give. There’s a hashmark on the court used for volleyball. That’s where Goss decided to make his move.

Goss’s mother, Lakisha Barlow, seated two rows behind Roman’s bench:

“When they threw the ball to [Goss] there were about six seconds left and I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ But Kabrien has always come through in the clutch, and I just knew. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, and I was like, ‘He’s going to shoot that and it’s going to go in!’ ”

Roman alum, media member, and basketball coach RC Kehoe:

“That little dude has shown that he loves the pull-up, and the presence of mind with about 3.8 left, had the ball in his right hand, knew where he wanted to go, and he switches to his left hand, and gives a little hesitation …”

Carr:

“I guess he saw an open lane, and you know what, that’s what they teach. He didn’t try to force it in traffic. He got to his spot, pulled up, and that’s what you dream about when you’re a kid and you’re practicing in the backyard or in the schoolyard. You dream about walk-offs for the championship.”

Hoban:

“I kind of had a shielded view. I’m watching the ball in the air and I’m thinking, ‘Please, find the net. Please, find the net …' ”

Goss:

“Coming full head of steam, [the defender] was already gauging my speed … so coming across the volleyball line, I saw that he was backing up way too much, so I knew I’d have enough space to jump.”

Reporter: “The volleyball line?”

“As a point guard,” Goss said, “you have to see everything.”

Goss, who didn’t play until January after back-to-back injuries to both knees, released the shot from just right of center, about two steps beyond the foul line, with 0.7 seconds left.

Roman Catholic junior Shareef Jackson:

“I saw the ball in Kabe’s hands. … I was a little bit like, ‘I might need to get the rebound.’ But when I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh it’s going in.’ Then there was a moment like, ‘Wait, is it actually going in?’ And then it goes in and it’s just the most incredible feeling.”

Barlow:

“I knew from the form and how he let it go that it was going in. And it went in all net! I am so excited for him because of the year that he has had with the injuries. I was just so excited for him and the whole team as well.

Kehoe:

“Years ago I watched Rashid Bey (Neumann Goretti, 1994 grad) make a shot like that at the Spectrum and that was the first thing that went through my mind,: ‘He just ‘Sheed Beyed them.’ ... For Roman to win back-to-back [titles] that way, that’s just insane, inside a building where legends are made …”

Hoban:

“Like I said to the kids, ‘Nights like this never get old.’ This is year 33 for me. I have to admit, this was the first time ever that I let a little emotion show. I don’t do that [on the microphone]. I stay neutral. But there’s just nothing like [the Palestra].”

» READ MORE: Kabe Goss, who plays like an ‘energetic bulldog,’ isn’t a typical point guard for Roman Catholic

Brown:

“That was way better than [mine] last year, I’m telling you. They were down by one and he won it!”

McNesby:

“This game is an all-timer at the Palestra. I thought last year was good and then this happens. And you feel bad for [Ryan coach Joe Zeglinski]. He’s really built that program. He’s done such a hell of a job. I have a lot of respect for him. The downside of this is that somebody loses a great game.”

Long:

“It was pure pandemonium. It was an incredible moment for the Philadelphia Catholic League. And as we said in our call, it was pure elation for Roman Catholic and absolute agony for Archbishop Ryan …”

Barlow:

“Just don’t ever count him out.”

Brian Goss:

“They always sleep on him. Hopefully their eyes are open. He’s a fighter. He’s a pit bull. He’s just a great kid. He has a 5.0 GPA. They always judge him by his height, but judge him by his heart.”