Roman's Simon has staying power

IT'S AS SIMPLE as this: Matt Simon is Roman Catholic High's lone senior basketball player. Last season, he was one of five juniors on the varsity squad, but then this guy transferred and that guy waved bye-bye, and two more decided to follow - one even did so during this school year - and that meant lone-wolf status for Simon.

If the other guys were still around, it's doubtful Simon would be receiving gobs of playing time. But higher in the rotation he has climbed and now the 6-foot, 185-pound wing guard is not only an important sixth man, but a hot name among Division III coaches looking for longdistance sniping.

Moravian wants him. So do Immaculata, York, Bryn Athyn (to debut in 2013-14) and Arcadia.

"It makes me feel pretty good," he said.

Sunday, Simon and Roman - and roughly 40 of Matt's good buddies - traveled to Radnor for a Catholic League game at Archbishop Carroll.

Even with soph forward TreVaughn Wilkerson missing due to the flu (ditto for Yosef Yacob, Carroll's point guard), Simon served as coach Chris McNesby's first sub. And in a 62-52 win - with Sixers coach Doug Collins (father-in-law of Carroll boss Paul Romanczuk) among the witnesses - he contributed nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

However, he would have missed, badly, if he'd been asked beforehand to make a close guess on when Roman's students would start bellowing, "We want Simon! . . . We want Simon!"

They waited just 69 seconds. They didn't get him until 4:12 remained in the quarter.

"I knew they'd chant it sooner or later, but I didn't think they'd do it that early," Simon said, smiling. "It's nice to hear. I have a lot of good friends and I always treat them well."

On Sundays, especially when important NFL playoffs are on TV, student support often borders on nonexistent, unless the schools are bitter rivals. But Carroll's section roughly matched Roman's and both displayed decent juice.

"I was a little surprised," Simon said. "I didn't think we'd have that many. But there was talk about coming here all week in school and the guys followed through."

The most entertaining moment occurred with 2 minutes, 38 seconds remaining. All game, during timeouts, Carroll's cheerleaders, usually two at a time, had been uncorking flips from one end of the gym to at least halfcourt. During this stoppage, Roman student James Loftus stepped onto the side of the court and tried a flip that turned out to be a rollover/tumble.

The Roman kids roared. Jim Corkery, Carroll's athletic director, did not. He briskly walked downcourt and ejected Loftus.

"Ah, man, I didn't see that," Simon said. "That's funny."

Simon, also a baseball mainstay, started for the freshman basketball team before serving the JV as the sixth man in 10th grade and a starter in 11th. Of course, he was surprised when so many teammates bolted.

"When it got down to one senior, I figured I had to take a leadership role since I'm the only one who's been here for 4 years," Simon said. "Leading wasn't really part of me before. But I feel I'm getting a lot better at it. I'm trying to be the best captain I can be. You have to be supportive of your team. Can't argue. Keep the pace going.

"Losing some of those guys hurt our team, but I also think it brought us together and made us stronger. It's like, 'This is our team now. Let's make it a good year.' "

Simon shot 2-for-5 beyond the arc and 3-for-4 at the line.

You'll love this piece of irony: Simon often camps out in corners and connects on treys from there. Just in road games, natch. Roman's gym is so narrow, the arc meets the sideline about halfway between the basket and foul line.

So, what's a mad bomber to do?

"When we practice in our gym for road games," Simon said, "sometimes we'll pick up the bleachers and move them out of the way. That makes the walls the sidelines. Or else we'll have maybe two practices a week at Shissler Rec [in Fishtown]."

Simon's first trey gave Roman a 33-23 lead heading into halftime. No. 2 provided a 41-30 edge.

"I've been struggling lately," he said. "Using too much palm on my shots; not enough fingertips. And not using my legs enough. When I'm missing, those are the reasons."

Roman's scoring leaders were junior guards Shep Garner (22) and Rashann London (21). Garner added four assists, the same number posted by soph Traci Carter. With Wilkerson unavailable, soph strongboy Manny Taylor needed to play well, and that he did. Aside from claiming 10 rebounds, he helped to limit Carroll's blossoming franchise player, soph Derrick Jones (also 10 boards), to six points (no field goals).

Soph guard Nick Jones (no relation) scurried to 23 points and junior sniper Joe Mostardi hit three treys en route to 14 points.

After two free throws by D. Jones brought the Patriots within 52-47 at 1:13, Garner broke free for two that'll-do-it baskets.

Simon lives on Magdalena Street in Roxborough, around the corner from Boyce Field, which is Roman's longtime baseball home. "Everybody thinks baseball's my favorite," he said. "I might try to do both sports in college, but basketball's my first love."