MC&S captures state Class A championship

UNIVERSITY PARK - Thomas Moore took a few steps back, pounded his chest three, four, five times while backing away at the edge of the court, then stormed forward to accept two things from coach Danny Jackson - a powerful hug and a gold medal.

Standing right nearby, having just accepted his special prize, was another senior and starting member of Math, Civics & Sciences Charter's basketball team, Warren Dogan.

It was a shame the lanyard wasn't a little bigger. Jackson could have grouped his co-point guards and awarded them one gold medal to share.

Talk about justice.

"Those two are one and the same," Jackson gushed. "Can't even separate them."

Who would have thought?

Entering this now-completely glorious season, Moore was the returning starter at the one spot. Having arrived by transfer from Portal, Ga. (and having played for Overbrook as a sophomore), Dogan was the guy who would have to make a choice.

Would he be standoffish toward Moore? Secretly root against him? Even try to undermine him, with the hope of somehow stealing his job?

Not by a long shot, er, snappy pass.

"That's my best friend," said the 6-1, 170-pound Dogan, a senior and usually a wing guard. "We're like Siamese twins. Really, we are always together. Always."

As the celebration continued to roar around him, Dogan spoke late Friday afternoon in a corner of Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. He and Moore - and others, of course - had just helped MC & S quell Lincoln Park Charter, of Midland, a Pittsburgh suburb hard by Ohio, 70-55, for the PIAA Class A state title.

Dogan finished with 18 points, five assists and two steals in 31 minutes. Moore posted eight points, six assists and five steals in his 22 minutes.

Why the lower amount of playing time for Moore? A shade before halftime, he suffered a ding to his right knee and had to sit down. Even had to allow the trainer to apply some ice.

Moore was still a spectator as the third quarter opened. Dogan was Mr. Dish. He fed star sophomore Jeremiah Worthem for a three-pointer. Hit Tyreek "Ty-Ty" Riddick for another. Then he zipped the ball back to Worthem, who nailed a left-baseline "regular."

That eight-point blitz, making the score 43-33, did not completely seal the deal, but it restored some confidence to the Mighty Elephants after some pre-halftime hiccups, and it illustrated how Moore/Dogan-Dogan/Moore (take your pick) have become mirror images.

"We're both ballers," Moore said. "We handle it and find the open teammate. We do the job together.

"It's like we're either-or guys. Whichever one of us is running the show, you don't have to worry because the job is going to get done."

Though Dogan did play last year for Portal High, he said he was ineligible for postseason action as a transfer. The experience was particularly distressing because he was not even permitted to sit on the bench. Upon returning to Philly, he wasn't sure what to expect at MC & S, a fifth-year Public League member.

"I met Tommy right away," Dogan said. "Hit it off, too. He's a good guy and we think the same way.

"There's never a time when we're apart. Serious. Where you see him, you see me. I'm like his shadow. We have every class together. Every single one. And the same lunch, too."

Dogan saw Moore standing maybe 10 feet away.

"Tommy! C'mere, bro!" he hollered.

Moore walked over and Dogan hugged him hard. He added, "You gotta put that in the paper. We are best friends . . . Really. It's like we're family. Like he's my brother, for real."

Aside from bonding with Moore early in his MC & S stint, Dogan heard stories, especially the ugly one concerning the Mighty Elephants' dismissal from last year's playoffs in the second round on an 83-53 rout by Reading Central Catholic

No getting around it. Certain players, reacting to what they considered crappy officiating, behaved poorly, even in inexcusable fashion. Charges of racism later were made.

"All I kept hearing," Dogan said, "was how upset everybody still was. And from the administration on down, I was told how a microscope would be on us all season, and how we had to handle ourselves the right way."

Consider it done. MC&S finished 26-5 and there was never a hint of knuckleheadism.

"I go back to my quote at the beginning of the season; this was Team Redeem," Jackson said. "Certain things happened last year. We wanted our guys to prove themselves as young men. Not only did we do that, but now we also have a state championship."

Also crucial to MC & S' cause was the performance of Worthem, who's already a brassy, outspoken team leader in addition to a heckuva player. While notching 22 points, he shot 10-for-14 from the floor. He also snagged 12 rebounds.

Riddick shot 3-for-6 on treys en route to 11 points and the 6-5 Muhammad Amin used his bulk to do a respectable job against 6-10 Devontae Watson (5-for-13, 13 points) of Lincoln Park (21-8).

The fourth quarter did not unfold in completely smooth fashion. In fact, LP stormed within 54-51 with 4 minutes, 42 seconds left on a jumper by Chaquille Pratt (27 points). MC & S reeled off the next seven points. Dogan had four points in the spurt. Guess who had two of the assists?

"We were very fortunate to have those two guys," Jackson said. "At any given moment, one would take over for the other and we wouldn't miss a beat."

That's what happens when guys' hearts beat as one.