The Baltimore Catholic League’s Top 50 Teams Of All Time (#s 16-20)

This is the fourth part of a seven part series looking at the top 50 Baltimore Catholic League teams of all-time, according to the author. Part four looks at teams #16-20, including one that played the #3 team in the country, then a Tracy McGrady-led juggernaut two days later. Another team that featured a UNC Tar Heel and a Kansas Jayhawk. Another that featured a two-time national champion.  

16 ‘19 St Frances Panthers (37-7) Coach Nick Myles > #3 in the Sun, BCL and MIAA tournament champions, Gonzaga Classic tournament champions, Alhambra 7th 1-2 

Players 

Adrian ‘Ace’ Baldwin Jr 6’0 JR; Sun POY, All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, 14.1p/5.6a/3.9r/3.5s (VCU) 

Jamal West 6’6 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 12.9p/7.4r (South Alabama) 

Jordan Toles 6’5 JR; All-BCL 2nd, 11.7ppg (LSU football) 

Rajeir ‘Ra Ra’ Jones 6’2 SR; BCL DPOY, All-BCL HM, All-ACIT 1st, 10.4ppg (Chicago State) 

Jason Murphy 6’9 SR; (NJIT) 

Carlos Alexander 5’10 FR 

Things for Coach Nick Myles and his ‘18-19 St Frances Panthers outlook looked very promising as they entered the season, with three of their four best players returning from a BCL championship team that went 36-7 and finished with the #1 ranking in the area for the first time since former Panthers star Sean Mosley’s senior season in ‘07-08. To add to Myles riches, the Panthers would welcome a 6’6 junior transfer that was one of the two best players on a state championship team as a sophomore.  

‘Ra Ra’ Jones was back for his senior year, and ‘Ace’ Baldwin and Jordan Toles were entering their junior seasons. Baldwin, who along with Mt St Joe’s James Bishop and St Maria Goretti’s RJ Blakney, was one of the top three returnees in the league and led the Panthers in scoring and assists as a sophomore, earning All-Met honors. Toles, one of the best athletes in the league and a top football recruit at 6’3 190, was the Panthers second leading scorer, and fourth leading rebounder.  

While the Panthers lost guard Elijah Epps to graduation, they were welcoming in Jamal West, a 6’6 rising junior who also earned All-Met honors as a sophomore at Dunbar, after helping lead the Poets to another state title. Jason Murphy, a 6’9 senior post, would round out the starting five.  

The young ‘17-18 Panthers were talented enough and resilient enough to overcome a loss in the MIAA A semifinals and to bounce back by running past an Immanuel Quickley-led John Carroll squad in the BCL semifinals, then a Jalen ‘Stix’ Smith-led Mt St Joe team in the finals. This group returning for the Panthers was both battle-tested and accomplished.  

Mt St Joe saw Smith become a Terrapin, but the Gaels looked to be a contender just as they had for all just about every season for the last 16 seasons, with the sharp-shooting Bishop returning, and sophomore guard Ausar Crawley emerging as one of the league’s best guards. St Maria Goretti was certainly a contender, with Blakney and 6’8 senior forward Abdou Tsimbila returning for a Gaels team that finished third in the ‘17-18 BCL standings and won 30 games. Loyola could prove to be a spoiler, with 6’8 Mitchell Fischer returning, as well as fellow senior Tryllian Young.  

John Carroll, who won 29 games in ‘17-18, would see its roster decimated, with Quickley off to Kentucky, All-BCL first team selection Montez Mathis off to Rutgers, and 6’7 Yavuz Giltekin, a rising senior selected to the All-BCL second team, transferring to Bishop Walsh.  

Though the Panthers were the defending BCL tournament champions, St Frances hadn’t captured both the MIAA ‘A’ and BCL tournament titles in the same season since 2009, in formers Panthers star Mark Karcher’s first of three seasons as their coach. Myles, the Panthers Athletic Director, took over the reigns after Karcher was forced out in the summer of 2011. The Panthers were primed to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the ‘09 BCL and MIAA sweep with one of their own.  

The Panthers won their first four games, before getting upended by the WCAC’s Paul VI VA, 67-58, in a game where Baldwin and Jones combined to shoot 3-21 from the field, compounded by the Panthers shooting 2-20 as a whole from beyond the arc. The Panthers rebounded with a 59-52 win over BCL contender St Maria Goretti. The Panthers trailed by ten points, before outscoring the Gaels 30-9 from the last five minutes of the second quarter through the entirety of the third. Baldwin and West shared team scoring honors with 13 points apiece, overcoming 20 points from Blakney, and 17 from Tsimbila.  

The Panthers carried that momentum into the Gonzaga Classic semifinals, where they put away Chicago powerhouse Whitney Young, 66-57, before handing Abington PA their first loss of the season in the championship game, 77-54, after the Galloping Ghosts beat both Gonzaga DC and Episcopal TX to advance to the final. West led the Panthers with 20 points in their victory over the Dolphins of Whitney Young, while Baldwin recorded 19 points, nine steals, and five assists in the final.  

The Panthers added a win over Brooklyn Collegiate NY, the following week, before suffering their second loss of the season to Mt St Joe in their first of two league meetings, 74-63, just before the holiday break. The Gaels hit six three-pointers over over the third quarter and first two minutes of the fourth, to keep the Panthers at bay. Again, the Panthers were cold from outside, shooting 4-17 from ‘three’, and those outside Baldwin and West shot 8-28 from the field, collectively. Baldwin finished with a game-high 26 points.  

It was off to the Chik-fil-A Classic in Columbia, South Carolina, and join its talented cast of teams. The Panthers captured a pair of quality wins over nationally renown programs Memphis East TN and St Benedict’s NJ, before falling to Bella Vista Prep CA in the final.  

On day one, the Panthers put away nationally renown St Benedict’s, 53-44, with Toles scoring 16 points, Jones, 14, and Baldwin adding 12 points and nine assists. While in South Carolina, both Clemson and South Carolina made scholarship offers to Baldwin.  

In the 59-58 semifinal win over defending Tennessee state champion Memphis East, the Panthers scratched back from a ten point halftime deficit. Baldwin, who led the second half charge, finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals. Murphy added 14 points and 10 rebounds, while he and West battled with the Mustangs 7’0 James Wiseman.  

The Panthers won their next eight games, racking up victories over 12-4 McDonogh and 14-3 Goretti in league play, and registering two high quality out-of-conference wins over Wilson of DC and Chicago’s Simeon.  

In the win at Goretti, the Panthers trailed by eight points at halftime, before outscoring the Gaels 41-28 after intermission to take a 63-58 victory. Goretti’s only three losses were to the Panthers, DeMatha, and Poly. Baldwin scored 22 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists, and nabbed five steals in the win. Toles added 18 points and seven rebounds.  

Jones scored a team-high 18 points in the 77-51 rout of Wilson. Baldwin scored 25 points, dished out four assists, and added four steals in the win over Simeon, a matchup that was part of the annual Mayors Academy at Morgan State.  

The Panthers eight game win streak was snapped by two-time defending state champion Poly, 59-58, at the William Wells Challenge at Towson Center, as the Panthers missed two free throws and a three-pointer in the final 15 seconds with a chance to go ahead or win.  

The Panthers led, 54-45, with five minutes left in regulation, before Ian Wallace capped off a 14-4 run to close the game with a game-winning three-pointer with 18 seconds to go. Jones scored a team-high 21 points in the loss, while West added 15 points and eight rebounds. Baldwin had a rare off night, finishing with nine points, on 3-11 shooting, including 1-7 from beyond the arc.  

The Panthers than ran off eight straight victories before losing to Mt St Joe a second time, 66-63, in the regular season finale. The Gaels led the entire way, holding off several late charges by the Panthers. The Panthers faced a double-digit first half deficit.  

With the win, the Gaels clinched the top seed in the MIAA tournament. Both the Panthers and Gaels finished with 16-2 records in the MIAA, but the Irvington squad grabbed the tiebreaker with the pair of wins over the Panthers.  

The Panthers shared the BCL regular season crown with St Maria Goretti, who also finished at 12-2 in league play, but grabbed the one seed in the tournament with a pair of wins over the Gaels. The crown was the ninth regular season championship won or shared by the Panthers.  

The Panthers entered the post-season with a 29-5 record, one win away from their seventh 30 win season.  

The Panthers routed Annapolis Area Christian in the MIAA A quarterfinals, topping the Eagles by 40 points, 104-64, with West pouring in 41 points, on 17-22 shooting from the field, adding 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals.  

The Panthers followed that win with a 34 point rout over 27 win Boys in the semifinals, 81-47, with Baldwin scoring 21 points, hitting six of nine three-point attempts, adding five rebounds and six assists. The win set up a third meeting with Mt St Joe, after the BCL co-regular season champions (tied with Goretti) suffered their only two league losses to the Gaels.  

This would be different, as the Panthers overcame a seven point halftime deficit and outscored the Gaels 50-27 in the second half to take a 77-61 victory, and win their fifth MIAA A tournament title in eleven seasons.  

Baldwin scored 28 points and dished out six assists in the win, while West supplied 23 points and 10 rebounds. Baldwin and West combined to score 33 points after intermission, including 17 of 18 Panthers points during a stretch in the third quarter that turned an eight point deficit into a three point lead. The Panthers outscored the Gaels 26-13 in the fourth quarter.  

The Panthers continued their dominance in the BCL quarterfinals, crushing Mt Carmel by 55 points, scoring 95 points, the second most points ever scored in a BCL tournament game. The Panthers sprinted out to a 42-12 halftime lead. West scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Baldwin added 19 points, four rebounds, five assists, and five steals.  

The Panthers won comfortably over Loyola, 63-42, in the semifinals, with Toles leading the way with 17 points. Jones and West each added 16 points, and Baldwin supplied ten assists.  

The Panthers faced 25-5 Mt Carmel in the final, after the Cougars bounced Mt St Joe in the semifinals. The Panthers pulled out five and seven point victories over the Cougars in the regular season. This would be no cakewalk, either. The Panthers countered an eight point deficit entering the fourth quarter with a 16-3 run to begin it. Still, the Cougars fought back to tie it, and the Panthers needed a game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer from Baldwin to capture their second consecutive BCL tournament crown with a 71-68 win. The tournament title was their league-best ninth overall.  

Baldwin finished with 25 points, eight assists, seven steals, and six rebounds, and was named the tournament’s MVP. In the decisive fourth quarter, Baldwin scored 11 points, dished out five assists, and grabbed four steals and two rebounds. West scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds. West joined Baldwin on the all-tournament team.  

Two days later was an opening round matchup at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament with 30-5 DeMatha, but the Panthers would be without Baldwin for the three day tournament, out with a lingering injury from the BCL championship game two nights before. The Panthers held a nine point halftime lead, 40-31, before the Stags fought back to tie the game in regulation, and eventually pull out a 79-75 double overtime win over the BCL champs.  

The Panthers led 64-62, before the Stags tied the game with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation time to force overtime. West hit two free throws with :00.8 to play in the first overtime to force another extra session. Jones scored a season-high 28 points, hitting five of nine shots beyond the arc. Toles added 20 points, four assists, and three steals, and West provided 15 points and 10 rebounds.  

After losing to the Panthers three times on the season, Goretti finally flipped the script in their fourth meeting on day two in Cumberland, routing the Baldwin-less BCL champs, 66-46. Jones was the Panthers only double-digit scorer, with 14 points.  

The Panthers closed the season with a 72-67 win over 28 win Gonzaga. In a game where the point margin stayed within six points for 31 of the 32 minutes of the game, the Panthers pulled out a victory, behind Jones, who scored 24 points, and surpassed 1,000 career points. West added 19 points and eight rebounds. Jones was selected to the all-tournament first team.  

Baldwin was named the Sun’s Player of the Year, adding to his BCL regular seasons and tournament MVP accolades, as the three-year starter surpassed 1,300 points, with another season to play. Baldwin averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. West joined Baldwin on the All-Met first team, averaging 12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Toles, being recruited by ‘high D1s’ in both football and basketball, averaged 11.7 points per game. Jones was named the Baltimore Catholic League Defensive Player of the Year for a second year in a row, while averaging 10.4 points per game.  

Of the Panthers 37 victories, 18 came against opponents that won 19 or more games, and nine came against opponents that won 25 games or more. A BCL-MIAA sweep, and out-of-conference wins over the likes of Whitney Young IL, Memphis East TN, St Benedict’s NJ, Simeon IL, Wilson DC, and Gonzaga DC, was enough to garner national recognition.  

Notes;  

• Baldwin won 127 games as a Panther, more wins than any other player in the Baltimore area’s high school basketball history. Baldwin’s Panthers won 36 games in his sophomore season, 37 in his junior year, and 38 in his last season on Chase Street. No other player in BCL history, or in the Baltimore region’s history, has started for three teams that won 35 or more games. Only two others, his teammates West and Toles, have started for two teams that won 35 or more games. Toles started a part of a third, before enrolling early at LSU in January of his senior season. The only other four BCL teams to win 35 games or more as of April of ‘22 are ‘87 St Maria Goretti (35-5), ‘06 Mt St Joe (38-1), ‘17 Mt St Joe (37-4), and ‘22 St Frances (35-8). 
• West scored 41 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the MIAA A opening round 104-64 win over Annapolis Area Christian, hitting 17 of his 22 shots from the field. West averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds per game as a sophomore for the Poets during their ‘18-19 championship season.  

• Jones played two years at Chicago State, averaging 6.1 points per game in 27 games in his freshman season, and 4.4 points per game in nine games of an abbreviated, pandemic fueled, ‘20-21 season.  

17 ‘14 Mt St Joseph Gaels (34-5) Coach Pat Clatchey > #2 in the Sun, BCL tournament champions, MIAA A tournament champions, Gonzaga Classic tournament champions, Alhambra 5th 2-1 

Players 

Phil Booth 6’2 SR; Sun POY, BCL POY, BCL Tournament MVP, All-ACIT 2nd, 19.0p/5.8r/2.9a (Villanova) 

Jaylen Adams 6’0 SR; All-Met 1st team, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 1st, 14.9p/3.1r/4.9a (St Bonaventure, NBA)  

Jordan McNeil 6’5 SR; All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament (Towson)  

Daveyon ‘Doc’ Barnes 6’4 SO; (Adelphi) 

Pierre Johnson 6’3 SO; (Seward CC) 

The ‘13-14 Mt St Joe Gaels entered the season as the two-time defending BCL champions, after winning their fifth BCL tournament championship in eleven years in March, coming out on top in a league that featured five teams that won 21 games or more. The ‘13-14 Gaels had All-Met senior guard Phil Booth returning, joined by his classmates – Jalen Adams, the point guard, and 6’5 Jordan McNeil. But, the Gaels did lose star guard Kameron Williams to graduation, and several other key pieces as well. 

Clatchey and the Gaels had won five BCL tournament titles and six BCL regular season crowns in the last 11 seasons, led by former Gaels stars like Will Thomas, Louis Birdsong, Dino Gregory, Henry Sims, Eric Atkins, and Williams, and now would be led by Booth. Booth joined Williams on the All-BCL first team in ‘12-13, after being the only sophomore selected to the All-BCL first team in ‘11-12. In July, Booth had committed to coach Jay Wright and Villanova.  

In addition to Booth, Adams, and McNeil, the Gaels boasted a pair of talented sophomores in 6’4 Deveyon ‘Doc’ Barnes and 6’3 Pierre Johnson. Booth emerged as a star in his junior season, when he teamed with Williams to lead the Gaels to the ‘13 BCL championship, with Adams also starting, and McNeil serving as the ‘6th man’, but finishing third on the Gaels in scoring.  

The league slate would be as brutal as ever, with Calvert Hall returning one of the best backcourts on the East Coast in Drew Edwards and Nico Clareth. St Frances was coming off a 33-6 season and returning one of the top recruits in the country in 6’7 senior Dwayne Morgan, and sophomores Daquan Bracey and Khalil Richards. John Carroll was coming off a 26 win season and returned talented junior guard Kimbal Mackenzie, while Spalding, who grabbed their first top 10 area ranking in nine years after advancing to the BCL title game, returned senior Jordan Grant, an All-BCL second team selection in ‘12–13.  

The league had no easy ‘outs’, proven when 12-17 Mt Carmel upset 31-4 and top ranked St Frances in the tournament quarterfinal just eight months before.  

While the Gaels won their second consecutive BCL title that previous March, they hadn’t won the MIAA ‘A’ tournament in seven seasons, with St Frances claiming three crowns in that time, and Towson Catholic and John Carroll both claiming two.  

Coach Pat Clatchey was entering his 22nd season in Irvington, and he, Booth, and the Gaels, were looking to sweep the two tournament championships for the first time in eight seasons.  To add, the Gaels would be playing in the ultra-competitive Gonzaga Classic and the formidable Benedictine Classic in Richmond over the holidays.  

The Gaels won their first four contests before suffering their first loss of the season to defending MIAA ‘A’ champion, St Frances, 60-51. The visiting Gaels held an 11 point third quarter lead, before the Panthers closed the quarter on an 18-7 run to tie it at 42 after three quarters. The Panthers Bracey scored five straight points in the final two minutes to push their lead from two to seven points.  

After a win over Gilman, the Gaels handed Calvert Hall their first loss of the season, in a 62-57 overtime thriller. After dueling to a 26-26 halftime tie, the Cardinals had to close regulation time with an 11-5 run to send the game to overtime, tied at 49. Then, Adams scored nine of his 14 points in the extra session to lead the Gaels to the overtime win. Booth scored a team-high 19 points.  

It was off to Gonzaga’s ‘DC Classic’, where the Gaels carried a target on their back as defending champions, outlasting Josh Hart and Sidwell Friends in the final the season before.  

The Gaels won the notable tournament again, rolling out three straight victories – the first over an undefeated Herndon VA team (80-71), the next over legendary Archbishop Molloy (63-60), capped off by a championship game win over Cesar Chavez DC, 71-58. McNeil was named the tournament’s MVP, after scoring 22 points in the final, and was joined on the all-tournament team by Booth and 6’4 sophomore Daveyon ‘Doc’ Barnes, who scored 18 points and hauled in 16 rebounds in the championship game.  

Just before the holiday break, the Gaels suffered their second league loss to John Carroll, 47-39, a Patriots team that had beaten Gonzaga in the DC Classic, but lost to Herndon by one. The Patriots employed a ‘slow-down’ game, and led 18-13 at halftime. The Gaels shot 23% from the field.  

The Gaels won a pair of league games before heading off to the Benedictine Classic and losing to Trinity Episcopal VA,68-63, then crushing Walshingham Academy, 75-47, in the consolation game.  

The Gaels began the new year with three straight league victories, before hosting St Frances in the second meeting of the two.  

The Gaels avenged their loss on Eager Street with a decisive 63-48 win over Panthers, evening up the home-and-home season series. The margin could have been larger, had the Gaels not missed 17 of their 33 free throw attempts. The Gaels opened up a double-digit lead in the third quarter and cruised. Booth scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Adams added 14 points, and Barnes added 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.  

While the Gaels evened up their series with the Panthers, Calvert Hall evened up their series with the Gaels, to move to 21-3, and drop the Gaels to 21-4, and a game back of the Cards and St Frances in the league standings.  

The Cardinals countered their overtime loss in December with a 69-66 win, handing the Gaels their very first loss  in their sparkling new Smith Center, where the Gaels started 10-0. The Cardinals outscored the Gaels 30-6 during a period late in the third quarter through the first half of the fourth quarter that flipped a nine point deficit into a 15 point lead.  

On Senior Night, in the sparkling new Smith Center, the Gaels avenged an earlier league loss to John Carroll, by running away from the Patriots in the fourth quarter in a 62-42 win. McNeil nailed back-to-back three pointers midway through the fourth quarter to give the Gaels a commanding 15 point lead. McNeil scored a game-high 25 points, while Booth added 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists.  

A week later, the Calvert Hall lost to John Carroll, and they and the Gaels shared the regular season crown. This was the eighth time in 12 seasons the Gaels won or shared the BCL regular season title.  

The Gaels began their quest for their first MIAA ‘A’ championship in eight seasons with a 75-42 rout of 23 win John Carroll in the semifinals. The Gaels jumped to a 23-9 lead, and cruised. Adams scored a team-high 17 points, while Barnes added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots, Booth added 10 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, and McNeil added 13 points.  

The Gaels faced St Frances in the MIAA A final, a rematch of the ‘13 final, when the Panthers beat the Gaels for the second time in four seasons in the final. This was different, the Gaels sailed to a 68-58 victory, with Booth scoring a game-high 25 points. The win notched the Gaels fourth MIAA A tournament championship. 

The Gaels entered the BCL tournament looking to become just the second team in five years to sweep both the MIAA ‘A’ and BCL tournament titles, with Calvert Hall, St Frances, and the others, looking to deny them of that glory.  

The Gaels were looking at a first round exit in the quarterfinal, trailing St Maria Goretti by one point with 12 seconds to play, with Goretti holding possession. However, the Gaels of Hagerstown failed to inbound the ball, and the Gaels of Irvington turned two turnovers in the final 12 seconds into four free throws to take a 68-65 win. McNeil, who hit the four from the charity stripe, finished with 17 points, while Adams earned team-high scoring honors with 20 points.  

That set up a fourth matchup with 25 win St Frances in the semifinal, before the Gaels took their third straight victory over the Panthers in a 86-59 rout, with Adams pouring in 28 points. 

The championship game with Calvert Hall projected to be an instant classic, after their two regular season meetings both coming down to the final possessions. This one was no different, as the Gaels pulled out another overtime victory over the Cardinals to win their third straight BCL tournament championship, and complete the MIAA-BCL sweep.  

The Gaels needed Adams two free throws with less than a second left in regulation to force an extra session. Then, McNeil’s three-pointer from the top of the key with 13 seconds left in overtime put the Gaels up for good in their 72-69 win, as the Cardinals’ Clareth’s potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark. Booth scored 28 points and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Both McNeil and Adams joined Booth on the all-tournament team, and both added 18 points in the final.  

The Gaels won their sixth BCL tournament title in 12 seasons, something that had never been done before. 

After a three week layoff, the Gaels lost in the first round of the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament to Bishop O’Connell, before closing with two wins. Day two, the Gaels held off Benedictine VA, 78-74, with Adams leading the way with 27 points, and McNeil adding 20 points.  

The Gaels gave Calvert Hall a crushing 99-66 defeat on day three, leaving no doubt as to the best Baltimore private school team in the ‘13-14 season. The Gaels used a 35-9 run in the second quarter to mount a 55-24 lead at intermission. Booth poured in 37 points in his last game as a Gael. Adams added 21 points. Adams was selected to the all-tournament first team, while Booth was selected to the all-tournament second team.  

Clatchey, Booth, and Adams, had been part of three teams that produced 93 wins over three seasons, something only the Gaels teams from ‘03 to ‘06 did twice over those four seasons. The Gaels became just the fourth team in BCL history to win 34 games in a season, joining ‘82 Calvert Hall (34-0), ‘87 St Maria Goretti (35-5), and ‘06 Mt St Joe (34-5). 

Booth added the Sun’s Player of the Year award to his BCL regular season and tournament MVP honors. Booth closed his Gaels career with three straight BCL crowns and his first MIAA ‘A’ title. Booth averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. Adams was also named to the Sun’s All-Met first team, averaging 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. McNeil was named to the All-Baltimore Catholic League second team.  

Clatchey captured his sixth BCL championship and fourth MIAA ‘A’ championship with the Gaels, who became the first BCL team to win three straight titles since St Frances did so from the ‘95 through ‘97 seasons. The MIAA-BCL tournament sweep was the third for the Gaels, joining the ‘03 team and the 38-1 ‘06 team.  

Notes;  

• Booth played five seasons at Villanova, after getting a redshirt year after playing just three games in his third season as a Wildcat. Booth averaged 5.8 points per game as a freshman, then 7 points per game for the ‘16 national champion Wildcats. Booth came off the bench in the national championship game to score a team-high 20 points in the 77-74 win over North Carolina. Booth hit 6 of 7 shots from the field, including both of his three-point attempts, and made all of his six foul shots. Booth scored 10 points and grabbed five steals in the national semifinal win over Oklahoma. In ‘17-18, Booth became a two-time national champion, when the Wildcats put away Michigan, 79-62, in the 2018 national title game. In his final season, Booth averaged a team-high 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a team-high 3.8 assists per game. Booth was a part of 133 wins at Villanova, and a part of three teams that won 33 games or more. Booth finished his Wildcats career with 1,507 points, 388 rebounds, 374 assists, and 98 steals. Booth played two seasons in the CBA, and now plays in the Belgian BNXT professional league. 
• Adams played four years at St Bonaventure, and was named the A10 Player of the Year in his senior season for the Bonnies. Adams averaged 10 points and 4.5 assists per game as a freshman, starting in all 22 games he played. Adams started in each of his 30 games as a sophomore, averaging 17.9 points, 5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game for the A10 regular season champions. In his junior season, Adams ranked second in the A10 in scoring, averaging 20.6 points per game, and led the league in assists, at 6.5 per game, adding 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per contest. Adams shared the A10 POY award with Davidson’s Peyton Aldridge, after averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. In 110 games, 108 starts, Adams scored 1,912 points, dished out 590 assists, grabbed 372 rebounds, and picked off 170 steals. Adams averaged playing 37 or more minutes per game in each of his last three seasons, helping lead the Bonnies to 22 wins or more in each of his last three seasons. Over four years, Adams averaged 17.4 points and 5.4 assists per game as a Bonnie. Adams finished sixth on the Bonnie’s all-time scoring list. Adams played 44 games over three seasons in the NBA with Atlanta, Portland, and Milwaukee. Adams was named the Australian National Basketball League Player of the Year in 2022, after averaging 20.1 points and 6.1 assists per game. 
• McNeil played four years at Towson, playing in 125 games, and finished with 558 career points, averaging 6.6 points per game in his senior season. 

18 ‘76 Loyola Dons (27-6) Coach Jerry Savage > #2 in the Sun, BCL tournament champions and regular season co-champions, Alhambra runner-up 2-1 

Players 

Pete Budko 6’9 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 2nd, 18.9p/12.2r (UNC) 

Bob Barry 6’5 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 2nd, All-ACIT 1st, 14.4 ppg (Bucknell) 

Tony Guy 6’4 SO; All-Met HM, All-BCL Tournament, 11.5p/7.5r (Kansas) 

Brian Plunkett 6’1 SR; All-BCL Tournament 

Duey Levine N/A SR; All-BCL 2nd 

Gene Kakalec 6’5 JR 

As the Baltimore Catholic League entered its fifth season of play, Loyola had established itself as the top team in the new league, having won two league tournament titles and having played in three of the four tournament championship games. Coach Jerry Savage’s ‘75-76 Dons were looking to solidify that position, with two of their best three players returning from a 29-5 championship club, and a handful of talented teammates surrounding them.  

Bob Barry, a 6’5 senior forward was returning, as was highly recruited 6’9 junior Pete Budko.  The Dons lost star guard Robbie O’Conor and forward Mark Clark from the ‘75 championship team, but had capable pieces on the roster in senior transfer Duey Levine, a point guard from New Jersey, 6’1 senior Brian Plunkett, and a supremely talented 6’4 sophomore in Tony Guy.  

Budko had become one of the top power forward prospects in the nation, and Guy himself started to gain the attention from college coaches across the country. 

The Dons ‘75-76 trek wouldn’t be easy, as Mt St Joe looked to have its best team since its ‘71 MSA A championship team, and while Cardinal Gibbons lost two stars to graduation, coach Ray Mullis Crusaders program was littered with talent seemingly ever year, winning a league-best 87 games in the first four seasons of the league, including the ‘74 BCL championship. Seniors Gene Nieberlein Jr, Delmar Harrod, Jeff Stone, and Jeff Cross would lead the Gaels, while junior Mark Valderas would lead a balanced Crusaders unit.  

Though the Dons lost O’Conor and Clark, the Crusaders lost forwards Norman Black and Robert Valderas, Mark’s older brother. Both Black and Robert Valderas, along with O’Conor and Clark, were named to the All-BCL first team. While the Dons and Crusaders, particularly the Dons, looked to have enough pieces to absorb much of their graduation losses, Towson Catholic, who finished 7-3 in league play in ‘75 just as the Dons and Crusaders did, did not.  

In addition to having to battle Mt St Joe and the others for the BCL title, coach Savage had an ambitious schedule ahead for he and his Dons. The Dons would face a trio of DC’s best private school programs before Christmas break, then compete in the Maryland High School Tournament over the holidays, before the even more competitive, two round, inaugural Capital City Classic at Annapolis High School.  

The Dons posted a 62-53 victory over a strong Poly program in the opener. Budko scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds, and blocked a game-high six shots. The Dons followed that win with an 88-42 rout of Dulaney, who was considered a MPSSAA Final Four favorite, with Budko scoring 31 points, on 14-16 shooting from the floor.  

The Dons suffered their first loss of the season to St Johns of the Washington Catholic league, 59-50, but rebounded with three wins before the Christmas break, including a pair over DC private powers Mackin and St Anthony’s.  

The Dons handled Mackin and their star Jo Jo Hunter, 70-56, pushing a three point halftime lead to 12 points after three quarters, and coasted. Budko scored a game-high 29 points, while Guy added 19 points. The Dons held off St Anthony’s, 62-57, at McDonogh Arena at Georgetown University, with Budko scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and Guy adding 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

The Dons headed to the three round, three day Maryland High School Invitational Tournament over the holiday break, carrying a 5-1 record, with several quality victories. The Dons left with a 6-3 record and a two game losing streak. After a 67-45 win over Northwestern on opening night, the Dons fell to Southern, 47-46, in the semifinals, then were stunned by Northern, 62-53, in the consolation game.  

Budko scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the win over Northwestern, then recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in the loss to Southern, followed by 18 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Northern.  

Just after the new year, the Dons opened with the highly competitive Capital City Classic in Annapolis, and took out the talented hosts in the semifinal matchup, 58-53, with Budko scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.  

The win set up a matchup with national top ten Lake Clifton in the final. The Lakers featured ‘Clyde’ Gaines, ‘Pop’ Wright, Robert Brown, and the Graham brothers, Kevin and Earnest.  

In the final, the Dons held a 14 point halftime lead, before the unbeaten Lakers rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter and pull out a 70-67 victory, and preserve their #10 ranking in the country. The Dons were within a point with 2:12 remaining, but Lakers sophomore Lance Hill scored four points over the next 30 seconds to push the point margin to five.  

The Dons added two wins before their matchup with unbeaten Mt St Joe. The Dons were without Guy, who was out with the flu. After cutting their deficit to one point in the third quarter, the #2 Gaels went on an 8-0 run and on to a 77-63 win to move to 13-0. Meanwhile, the Dons fell to 9-5.  

The Dons closed January with a convincing 72-56 victory over Cardinal Gibbons, for whom they were tied with in second place, with Budko scoring 26 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and blocking five shots. Barry scored 16 points and added eight rebounds.  

The Dons began February avenging their week one loss to St Johns, going on the road to take a 59-50 victory over the Cadets. Budko scored 21 points, while Levine added 14 points. The Dons looked forward to another shot at undefeated Mt St Joe in the second week in February, and responded brilliantly, handing the Gaels their first loss of the season in a 69-49 rout to grab a share of first place in the league standings.  

Leading 50-36 after three quarters, the Dons started the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run to push their lead to 25 points with just over five minutes remaining. Budko hit 9 of his 12 shots from the floor, and finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Barry added 14 points, while Guy added 12 points and four assists. The Gaels had won 19 straight games to begin the season.  

The Dons topped Cardinal Gibbons, 74-67, in the regular season finale, to match the Gaels at 9-1 at the top of the standings, forcing a one-game playoff for the regular season crown, and the one seed in the BCL tournament. After a 14 point Gaels win, and a 20 point Dons win, the third meeting was a nail-biter, with the Dons pulling out a 51-48 overtime win over the then 25-1 Gaels.  

Budko scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win, while Barry added 15 points, and Guy added 12 points and seven rebounds. The Dons, who held the Gaels scoreless in overtime, out-rebounded the Gaels, 46-30.  

The Dons rolled over Curley in the BCL semifinals, 83-60, setting up a fourth clash with the Gaels in the final. The Dons scored the last 14 points of the first quarter to take a 19-6 lead over the Friars, before taking a 20 point lead into halftime. Budko scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half. Guy added 15 points.  

The win ushered in a fourth matchup with Mt St Joe in the final, with the Dons coming in with a 2-1 edge. The Dons would hold off the Gaels, 59-55, after running up a 14 point lead late in the third quarter. Plunkett scored 11 of his team-high 19 points (9-13 FG) in the third quarter, while Guy scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to stymie any comeback bid.  

The Gaels were 1-3 versus the Dons, and 26-0 versus everyone else. The Dons won their third BCL tournament title in five years, and second consecutive crown. 

Before Alhambra, organizers assembled a double-header at UMBC between the two top teams in the Baltimore Catholic League and the two top teams in the Washington Catholic League (Washington’s Metro Conference). The Dons drew DeMatha and Morgan Wooten’s legendary Stags program.  

The Dons started strong, with Budko scoring 14 points before intermission, as the Dons took a 27-25 halftime lead, before holding on to win their 16th straight game, 70-68, and first over the legendary Stags program. Kakalec’s free throw put the Dons up by three, 69-66, with 15 seconds to play.  

The Stags ‘Hawkeye’ Whitney cut the margin to one, then fouled Barry, with two seconds to play. Barry hit the first of two, but missed the second and the Stags desperate attempt at a game-tying shot fell short. Budko was phenomenal, scoring 31 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Barry scored 14 points and dished out six assists, and Guy supplied 11 points and 10 rebounds.  

It was off to Alhambra, where the Dons edged Philly’s West Catholic, 67-65, winning on Plunkett’s running one-hander with three seconds to play. Next up was Mackin, the #2 team in the Metro Conference, in a rematch of their December meeting with the Trojans. Barry played the best game of his career, pouring in 42 points, on 17-21 shooting, and grabbed 14 rebounds, in the Dons 82-81 double overtime victory.  

The Dons faced national top five Roman Catholic of Philly in the final, looking to become just the second Baltimore area team to win the prestigious tournament. It wasn’t to be, as the Dons played their second overtime game in as many nights, and fell to the Callihites, 44-41. The Dons led in the extra session with just more than two minutes to go on a Budko layup, but didn’t score again, suffering their first defeat in 19 games.  

The Dons finished the season 27-6, including winning 18 straight games until the Alhambra final. The Dons played four of the best teams in the country, all who either finished or were ranked among the top ten in the country sometime during that season in Lake Clifton, DeMatha, Mackin (twice), and Roman Catholic, going 3-2. Lake Clifton finished ranked #6 in the country, and Roman Catholic finished #9.  

The Dons beat 29-4 Mt St Joe three times, posted quality wins over St Johns DC and West Catholic PA, and registered two wins over teams who would later advance to the Maryland 4A state semifinals that season, Dulaney and Annapolis.  

Budko was named to the All-Met and All-BCL first teams, after the junior led the team in scoring, at 18.9 points per game, and rebounding, at 12.2 per clip. Barry was named to the All-Met first team, as well as the All-Alhambra tournament team. Barry averaged 14.4 points per game. Guy, a sophomore, averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest, and was named to the All-Met honorable mention team, as well as the BCL’s all-tournament team. Levine was named to the All-BCL second team.  

Savage led the Dons to their third tournament championship in the league’s fifth season, as well as their third regular season crown.  

Notes;  

• Barry had a Hall of Fame career at Bucknell, finishing with 1,809 points and 986 rebounds in his four years with the Bison, which as of 2022, still ranks third all-time in scoring, and third all-time in rebounding. As a freshman, Barry led the Bison in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.6 points and 10 rebounds per game. Barry led the Bison in scoring and rebounding again in his sophomore season, and again in his junior season, when he shared scoring honors with former McDonogh Eagle Al Leslie, at 18.7 points per game, to go with his team-high 9.2 rebounds per game. His senior year, Barry and Leslie led the Bison to their first 20 win season in their program’s history, with the former Don averaging 16.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, the fourth year the 6’7 center led the Bison in rebounding. Barry was named to the All-ECC 1st team twice, and the All-ECC 2nd team once. Barry was inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989, just nine years after he wore the Bison jersey. Leslie ranks second on the Bison’s all-time scoring list, with 1,973 points. 
• For more on Budko at UNC, and Gay’s notable career at Kansas, please see ‘77 Loyola, #10 on this list.  

19 ‘15 Calvert Hall Cardinals (30-7) Coach John Bauersfeld > #1 in the Sun, BCL and MIAA tournament champions and BCL regular season co-champions, Roundball Classic tournament champions, Alhambra 7th 1-2 

Players 

Nico Clareth 6’4 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, All-ACIT 2nd, 15.3/4.3r/3.1a (Siena) 

Drew Edwards 6’3 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 1st, 16.0p/4.9r/3.3a (Providence) 

Evan Phoenix 6’9 SR; All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament, 12.9p/8.2r (Central Conn. State / Gannon) 

Justin Gorham 6’8 SR; All-BCL 3rd, 9.8p/6.2r (Towson / Houston) 

Reggie Rouse 5’11 SR; (St Mary’s MD) 

TJ Duckett 6’2 SR; (Lycoming) 

Kenji Bahar 6’3 SR; (Monnouth football, NFL) 

While the Calvert Hall program had established dominance in the early 80s, including a national championship in ‘82, and some continued success through the mid-90s, with Juan Dixon and Co., the Cardinals entered the 2014-15 season having won just one BCL tournament title (‘10) in the 30 seasons since Duane Farrell led the Cards to their fourth tournament title in five years in 1984.  

Similarly, the Cardinals hadn’t won a MIAA tournament title since the playoffs began in 2001, nor a regular season crown since 1996.  

Since Dixon left following the ‘96-97 season, the Cardinals had gone 107-117 (.478) in BCL league play over 17 seasons, after going 150-63 (.704) in the 18 seasons prior.  

Coach John Bauersfeld had guided the Cardinals to a second place finish and a 30-7 overall record in ‘09, in his second season with the Cards, before falling to three seed Loyola in the semifinals. 

Still, Bauersfeld had much to look forward to in the 2014-15 season, with his top three players returning for their senior seasons from a Cardinals team that went 29-8 and lost to 34-5 Mt St Joe, 72-69, in overtime, in the 2014 BCL tournament championship. The Cardinals shared the regular season league crown with the Gaels, with an 11-3 record.  

Senior guards Nico Clareth and Drew Edwards each averaged better than 14 points per game as juniors, while 6’9 senior Evan Phoenix averaged 9.9 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game. Adding to that trio was their point guard and leading assists man, Reggie Rouse. Bauersfield’s Cardinals roster also would be blessed with 6’7 junior Justin Gorham, a quickly emerging prospect, and 6’2 senior TJ Duckett. 

Mt St Joe, the defending tournament champion that tied the Cardinals at the top of the league standings at 11-3 in ‘13-14, graduated their three best players in Phil Booth, Jaylen Adams, and Jordan McNeil. The Gaels still had some talent, including junior Randy Miller, but they’d be hard pressed to match their 34-5 record in ‘13-14, if even compete for a BCL title. John Carroll and St Frances, who both won 25 games in ‘13-14, however, had talented enough casts to contend with the Cardinals, as did Mount Carmel and St Maria Goretti.  

The Patriots returned guard Kimbal Mackenzie, who was one of three juniors, along with Edwards and Clareth, to be named to the All-BCL first team in ‘13-14. St Frances offered junior guards Daquan Bracey, Khalil Richards, and Kirk Lee Jr, along with forward Josh Ayeni. Mount Carmel was led by senior Will Jenkins, while Goretti would be led by senior Tobias Christensen and junior Ameka Akaya.  

The Cardinals began the season with four victories, including a pair over league foes Mt Carmel and McDonogh, and another over Haverford PA. In the win over Mt Carmel, the Cardinals used a 21-7 second quarter to take a 32-19 halftime lead. Gorham and Phoenix each scored 14 points.  

The Cardinals then suffered their first loss of the season to St Frances, 70-65, after surrendering a 13 point third quarter lead. Within four minutes of securing that lead, the Panthers outscored the Gaels 21-7 to take their first lead, 52-51, one they’d hold on to.  

Next, was a three game foray into the ultra-competitive Gonzaga DC Classic. The Cards topped Riverdale Baptist in the opener, before losing to Roman Catholic PA in the semifinal. Trailing 37-33 at halftime, the Cardinals exploded for 47 second half points in their 80-59 opening night win over the Crusaders, before taking a 78-56 drubbing from Roman Catholic.  

The Cardinals bounced back with an impressive win over host Gonzaga, 75-74, in the third place game, overcoming a 26-17 deficit after one quarter. Edwards poured in 34 points, while Clareth added 15.  

The Cardinals closed December with seven straight wins, including three league victories, and four high quality out-of-conference wins. After double-digit wins over Spalding, Glenelg Country, and Loyola, the Cardinals traveled to Oakland Mills and put away the eventual 2A state champion Scorpions, 84-68. The Cards began the second half with a 11-2 run to give themselves a double-digit lead over the Scorpions that they would never relinquish. Edwards scored 19 points, while Phoenix supplied 18 points and 11 rebounds.  

Over the holidays, the Cardinals traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, to play in the Rotary Roundball Classic. The Cardinals topped Pinewood Prep SC in the quarterfinal round, 71-56, then advanced to the championship game with a 71-62 win over Gaston Day NC.  

In the final versus Linden NJ, Rouse’s free throw with no time remaining in overtime gave the Cardinals a 79-78 win over the Tigers. Rouse was fouled on a three-point attempt just as the buzzer sounded, then missed the first two free throws, before draining the game-winner. Edwards scored a game-high 30 points. Gorham provided 14 points and 14 rebounds.  

The Cardinals began the calendar year with two straight losses – to Gilman and John Carroll, before winning ten of their remaining 11 regular season games. Included in the ten victories, were two tight wins over St Maria Goretti. First, a 60-57 win over the then 12-3 Gaels, then a 59-58 thriller over the then 17-7 Gaels.  

The Gaels only defeat over their last 11 games was a wild 93-90 double overtime loss to Mt Carmel. In the double-overtime loss to the Cougars, Montez Mathis hit a bucket as time expired to force a second overtime. Edwards and Gorham each scored 22 points.   

The Gaels avenged league losses versus both St Frances and John Carroll, pulling out a one possession game in both. With the 43-40 win over John Carroll, the Gaels tied the Patriots atop the league standings, and the two would share the regular season crown.  

The Cardinals had to face 25-6 John Carroll in the MIAA A semifinals, as the Patriots lost a pair of regular season games to McDonogh, who is not a member of the BCL, and moved to the three seed in the MIAA. Mt Carmel took the top seed, as the Cougars took a loss to Goretti, not a member of the MIAA. The Cardinals lost to the Patriots in early January, and edged the Pats, 43-40, in their last league game.  

The Cards were too much for the Pats in the semifinal, staking a 11 point halftime lead, and holding a double-digit lead after three quarters, leading to a 75-61 win. Edwards scored 25 points, shooting 15 of 16 from the free throw line.  

The Cardinals returned to the MIAA A championship game for a second consecutive year, but were still looking for their first MIAA A tournament title in the tournament’s 15th year. Mt Carmel, the top seed, awaited in the final. The Cardinals beat Mt Carmel at home in the first week in December, before the Cougars pulled out a thrilling 93-90 double overtime victory in mid-January.  

The Cardinals held a tight 28-27 margin at intermission in the final, before pushing the lead to 65-48 with less than five minutes to play. It wasn’t over. The Cougars outscored the Cards 20-6 and had a chance to tie in regulation before the Cougs Rodney Elliott’s three-point attempt rimmed out, ending in a 71-68 Cardinals victory.  

The Cardinals won their first MIAA tournament title, after winning back-to-back regular season crowns in ‘95 and ‘96.  

The next goal was the BCL tournament championship. Though the Cardinals made the finals in ‘14 and lost to Mt St Joe in overtime, it was just the second time the Cards had reached the finals in 17 years, and the 2010 title was their only BCL title to show after the last thirty seasons, dating back to when the Cardinals were national contenders.  

The Cardinals routed Spalding, 80-42, in the quarterfinals, then handled Mt Carmel a third time in the semifinals, 82-54. The Cardinals expanded a seven point lead over the Cougars to an 18 point margin after three quarters. Clareth scored 18 of his 27 points in the 28 point rout of the 27 win Cougars. Phoenix added 20 points and 11 rebounds.  

The Cardinals would face John Carroll a fourth time in the BCL final, having won two of the first three, including a 75-61 win over the 27 win Patriots in the MIAA A semifinals. That was a comfortable win for the Cards. This one was not, as the Cardinals trailed 52–47, with less than two minutes to go, before scoring the game’s final six points and pulling out a 53-52 victory on Gorham’s tip-in off Clareth’s miss at the buzzer.  

Clareth finished with 18 points, while Gorham and Edwards and 12 and 11 points, respectively. With the Cards trailing by five points, Gorham took a pass from Rouse for a layup to cut the lead to three, then, after a second defensive stop, Clareth took it to the rim and converted to cut the lead to one with 50 seconds to play, before Gorham’s game-winner.  

Clareth was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while both Edwards and Phoenix joined their teammate on the all-tournament team. The Cardinals won just their second BCL tournament title in 31 seasons, but seventh overall.  

The Cardinals faced St Johns DC, the DCSAA champions , in the first round of the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. The Cardinals would fall short in another double overtime game, 82-78, surrendering a nine point first half lead to the Cadets, and squandering two potential game-winning attempts in the final seconds of the first overtime to win the game. That placed the Cards in the consolation bracket, with a fifth matchup with 32 win Mt Carmel.  

Again, the Cardinals faltered down the stretch, watching an 11 point halftime lead evaporate in a 95-91 double overtime loss. Edwards scored a game-high 33 points, while Clareth added 25 points. Phoenix supplied 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. This was the Cardinals third double overtime loss of the season, and second to the Cougars, who they ousted in both the MIAA and BCL playoffs.  

The Cardinals were victorious on day three, posting a 74-53 win over the hosts, Bishop Walsh, becoming just the second team in the program’s history to win 30 games in a season, joining the ‘82 national championship team. Edwards was named to the all-tournament first team, while Clareth was named to the second team.  

Clareth and Edwards were both named to the All-Met and All-BCL first teams, with Clareth taking the BCL Tournament MVP award. Clareth averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Edwards averaged a team-high 16 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest. Phoenix joined Clareth and Edwards on the All-BCL first team, after averaging 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.  

The senior laden Cardinals had won 59 games in two seasons, sharing regular season crowns in both seasons, sweeping the MIAA and BCL tournament titles for the first time in their program’s history, after going 25-33 overall the two prior years, including 12-16 in BCL league play.  

Coach Bauersfeld won his first two league tournament titles with the Cardinals, both the BCL and MIAA, and notched his fourth 20 win season in his eighth season at ‘the Hall’, including the third season in seven seasons recording 29 wins or more. 

Of the Cardinals 30 victories, twenty were versus opponents that won 17 games or more games, and 17 were against teams that won 19 or more games. The Cardinals stockpiled three wins over 28 win Mt Carmel, three over 28 win John Carroll, one over 25 win over St Frances, one over 25 win Gonzaga, one over 24 win 2A state champion Oakland Mills, two over 22 win Goretti, one over 22 win Gaston Day NC, one over 22 win Linden NJ, and another over 21 win Riverdale Baptist.  

Notes;  

• Clareth played three seasons at Siena under Jimmy Patsos, and proved to be an effective scorer for the Saints, primarily coming off of the bench. Clareth averaged 13.1 points per game as a freshman and 13.7 as a sophomore, starting in just 13 of the 56 games he played. His freshman total is a program all-time best for a freshman. Clareth was averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game in his junior year, before he and Siena had decided on a mutual split, after six starts in 15 games. Clareth transferred to Georgetown College in Kentucky, where he averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 86.3% from the line. 
• Edwards played four seasons at Providence, including his sophomore year where he received a redshirt year, and a year at Charlotte. Edwards played for three Friars teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament. In 104 games at Providence, Edwards scored 265 points. Edwards started for the first time in his fifth year at Charlotte, averaging 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, ranking third in scoring, second in rebounding, and third in assists for the 49ers in the ‘19-20 season. 
• Gorham played two years at Towson, then transferred to Houston to play his final two years of eligibility, after sitting out a year due to transfer rules. Gorham averaged 9.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his sophomore season at Towson. After seeing limited duty in his first season in Houston, he became a Cougars starter for coach Kelvin Sampson in his second season, averaging 8.4 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. Gorham was named the AAC Most Improved Player, and was named to the All-AAC 2nd team. 
• Bahar, a quarterback, played four years on the gridiron at Monmouth, where he was named the Big South Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, after throwing for 3,684 yards and 30 touchdowns. Bahar holds several Monmouth’s passing records, including career passing yards (9,642) and career passing touchdowns (70), among others. Bahar signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in 2021, and was activated but did not play one week, after getting signed and waived several times that season.  

20 ‘97 St Frances Panthers (32-7) Coach William Wells > #2 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Reebok Holiday Tournament champions, Alhambra runner-up 2-1 

Players 

Mark Karcher 6’5 SR; McDonald’s All-American, Sun POY, BCL POY and tournament MVP, Alhambra MOP, 28.7p/8.8r/6.5a/3.4s (Temple) 

Shawn Hampton 6’8 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 19.4p/11.1r/4.9b (VCU) 

Darran Byrd 6’3 SR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament 

Charles Beaufort 6’4 SR; All-BCL HM 

Kevin Smith 6’5 SO; All-ACIT 2nd 

Larry Tucker 6’3 SO; (Coppin State) 

Entering the 1996-97 season, Coach William Wells had built the St Frances basketball program into a nationally recognized one, in large part because of rising senior Mark Karcher, one of the top recruits in the land, and in part to the Karcher-led Panthers 30-4 record in ‘95-96, and BCL and Alhambra tournament titles.  

Wells’ program had come a long way from its inaugural varsity season in the Baltimore Catholic League in ‘88-89, when the Panthers were known at St Frances – Charles Hall.  

Wells, the longtime Madison Rec’ Director, coached the Panthers in what was called the Catholic Youth League, until the oldest currently run Black Catholic school in the country gained membership in the BCL. 

After it’s 1-13 league record in its first season in the league, Wells’ Panthers took the BCL by storm in its second, capturing the tournament title, and going from cellar dwellers to second place in the competitive eight team Catholic school league. That team was led by a very talented 6’7 forward in Devin Gray, the Panthers first superstar who played at Clemson and played two seasons in the NBA.  

This ‘96-97 team, would be led by a very talented 6’5 ‘wing’ in Karcher, the two-time BCL Player of the Year and two-time All-Met. In addition, Karcher would be joined by 6’8 junior Shawn Hampton in the middle, and 6’3 senior forward Darran Byrd, among others. Hampton was garnering high D1 interest after an All-BCL second team selection as a sophomore.  

The two-time defending BCL tournament champions were primed to win their third straight league title, and came into the season ranked #7 in the country in the pre-season USA Today Top 25 rankings. The Panthers weren’t sneaking up on anybody, and instead, would have a large target on their back, as defending Alhambra champions, becoming just the second Baltimore area team to win the lofty tournament in 35 seasons.  

Calvert Hall, who finished two games behind the nationally ranked Panthers in league play in ‘95-96, and finished 25-8, were likely to be just as good or even better, with senior guards Juan Dixon and Aaron Herbert returning for their senior seasons, and sophomore Reggie Bryant quickly emerging as a top prospect. The Cardinals were the only team to hand a Panthers a league loss in ‘95-96. Loyola featured a nice quartet coming back, with seniors Ryan Heacock and Carlos Somarriba, and juniors Brian Cosgrove and Reggie Gray. St Joe, though relatively depleted from graduation, would be led by seniors Corey McNeil and Aaron Bowles.  

Coach Wells had gotten his Panthers national exposure in the ‘95-96 season, and ‘96-97 season would be no different. The Panthers would open in the Towson Catholic Tip-Off at Goucher College, with a possible championship game matchup with LaSalle of New York, featuring Ron Artest. Then, it would be off to Vegas to for five games in the Reebok Holiday Tournament, before competing in the Slam Dunk To The Beach Tournament in Lewes, Delaware, to close the calendar year, with a showdown with Rice of New York.  

In addition of having to battle Dixon and Calvert Hall among others in league play, the Panthers would have regular season dates with three of the best teams in the country in Mt Zion NC, Oak Hill VA, and St John’s Prospect Hall MD. That’s all before the BCL playoffs and a likely Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament appearance as defending champions.  

Wells ‘95-96 Panthers also traveled to Vegas, and played in the Slam Dunk To The Beach. Those Panthers also played in the DeMatha Invitational at US Air Arena, formerly known as the Capital Centre. These Panthers would be battled tested, come tournament time.  

The Panthers started the season with an impressive 75-54 win over Germantown Academy PA in the Towson mixer, before losing their first game of the season to Artest and LaSalle NY in the final, 72-56, ending the Panthers 19 game win streak, dating back to January of ‘96.  

It was on to ‘Sin City’, where the Panthers would register four wins in five games. On day four, the Panthers lost to nationally renown Harvard Westlake CA, 59-54, with the Panthers shooting just 10-20 from the line. The Panthers routed Issaquah WA, 80-56, and Parkview AK, 89-51, and topped AB Miller CA, 65-57, and Roswell NM, 71-55.  

The beach trip to Delaware over the holidays presented Good Counsel in the quarterfinal round, and the Falcons flew out to an eight point halftime lead. It was all Panthers and Karcher in the second half, as they outscored the Falcons 40-15 in the second half to move on with a 62-45 victory. Karcher recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.  

The Panthers fell to Rice NY, 57-53, in the semifinals, before rebounding in the third place game with a win over Roger Bacon NC, 96-82, as Karcher poured in 37 points, and Hampton added 19. 

After a pair of wins to open the new year, including a 77-47 rout of Loyola, the #1 Panthers faced a tough week ahead, with Ben Franklin of Philadelphia and #2 Lake Clifton awaiting in the Charm City Classic on Friday and Saturday night, and the first meeting with top league contender, Calvert Hall, on Sunday. 

The Panthers pummeled Ben Franklin in the headliner on opening night, 71-44, holding the Electrons to 13 first half points. Karcher led the way with 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Hampton added 11 points and 10 rebounds.  

The following night, the Panthers met the #2 Lakers, while both were ranked among the top 25 in the country, with the Lakers #23, and the Panthers #24. The game was the marquee matchup at the inaugural Mayors Academy, and after two overtime games preceding it, the game didn’t begin until 11 o’clock and didn’t end until well after midnight.  

The Panthers put away the Lakers with a 15-1 run to open the fourth quarter to turn a 42-41 deficit into a 61-45 lead with 3:15 to play. The Lakers went on a 13-2 flurry to cut the margin to 63-58 with 1:01 remaining. The Panthers would hold on to the top spot in the area with a 70-62 win, with Karcher scoring a game-high 25 points, and Hampton adding 14 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. Beaufort added 14 points.  

Less than 16 hours later, the Panthers hosted Calvert Hall, and ran out of gas, losing to the Cards, 61-59, after Darran Byrd’s layup was deemed to fall through after the buzzer had sounded. The Panthers led 53-52, with 4:36 left, before the Cards went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by Dixon’s fourth three-pointer of the night. Karcher scored 25 points in the loss, while Dixon scored a game-high 26 points.  

Two weeks later, the Panthers would face another tough three day slate, with the Charm City Classic tournament bookending a second date with league contender Loyola. The Charm City semifinals on Thursday night, Loyola on Friday night, and a potential Charm City championship game on Saturday.  

Opening night, the Panthers topped the AP’s top ranked team in the country, St Johns Prospect Hall MD, 75-74, on Karcher’s game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Karcher poured in 35 points, draining seven three-pointers. The Panthers trailed the Vikings, 40-34, at halftime. The Vikings, who were ranked #3 in the country by USA Today, were led by Jason Capel and Damien Wilkins, who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively. Beaufort added 16 points for the Panthers.  

After a 22 point win over Loyola, ‘the Classic’ and the Panthers played host to the #2 team in the country, Mt Zion Academy NC, who featured arguably the best player in the country in 6’8 Tracy McGrady. The two heavyweights played before 4,217 at the Towson Center in the prime time game of the Charm City Challenge. Mt Zion turned a one point halftime lead into a nine point margin in the third quarter, and hung on for a 70-63 win. Karcher and McGrady each scored 29 points.  

The Panthers found revenge on Calvert Hall their second time around, topping the Cardinals, 63-50, before a standing room only crowd of 1,500 on the Cards home floor. Karcher, despite being saddled with foul trouble, scored a team-high 20 points, while Hampton added 15 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocked shots. The Panthers led from start to finish. The Cards did cut the margin to 48-42, with less than five minutes to play, before Karcher and Byrd scored back-to-back buckets to push it back to a double-digit lead. 

The Panthers clinched their third straight BCL regular season crown, and became just the second program in BCL history to win three straight outright titles, joining Calvert Hall’s, ‘80, ‘81, and ‘82 teams. The Panthers finished 11-1 in league play, and two games ahead of both the Cardinals and Dons.  

The Panthers clobbered Spalding in the BCL tournament quarterfinals, 88-37, with Karcher scoring 23 of his 26 points in the opening half, as the regular season league champions ran out to a 51-18 lead. Hampton added 15 points, seven rebounds, and five blocked shots.  

The Panthers toppled Towson Catholic for a third time in the semifinals, 77-58, with Karcher scoring a game-high 28 points, and Hampton adding 18 points. For the third year in a row, the Panthers would meet Calvert Hall in the BCL championship game.  

The Panthers took the season’s rubber match with 25-5 Calvert Hall in the final, 61-57, with Hampton scoring a team-high 18 points, and Karcher adding 14 points and seven assists. The Cardinals took their first lead since the first quarter late in the third quarter, 51-50. After the Panthers grabbed the lead and possession early in the fourth, they held the ball for more than three minutes, before Karcher was fouled, then hit two free throws to push the lead to three points. Hampton sealed the win with a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining.  

The Panthers had now beaten the Cardinals in three straight championship games.  

Finally, the Panthers had to defend their Alhambra crown, and they advanced to the semifinal with a 74 point blowout of Bishop Walsh on day one, 109-35. In the semifinal, the Panthers beat 42-3 St Thomas Aquinas (Canada) a second time, after notching an early December 69-66 victory over the Raiders. This time, the Panthers won comfortably, 78-57, with Karcher scoring 19 points, Kevin Smith adding 17, and Hampton providing 14 points, 18 rebounds, and seven blocked shots.  

Aquinas had eliminated Gonzaga DC in the quarterfinal. The Panthers met Archbishop Carroll of DC in the final, after the Lions dispatched DeMatha, 62-50, in the semifinal.  

The Panthers bid to become the just second team to defend their Alhambra title fell short, as the Lions pulled out a 69-64 victory before 3,500 at Frostburg State. Karcher led the Panthers with 24 points, but the BCL champs missed both Hampton and Byrd down the stretch, who were both plagued with foul trouble, before fouling out.  

Karcher was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for a third year in a row. Smith, a sophomore, was named to the all-tournament second team.  

The Panthers finished 32-7, with 18 of those victories coming against opponents with 18 wins or more. The Panthers registered victories over St Johns Prospect Hall, Lake Clifton, three over 26 win Calvert Hall, two over 42 win St Thomas Aquinas, a victory over Germantown Academy, Roger Bacon Academy, and Good Counsel.  

Karcher was named a McDonald’s All-American, and added the Sun’s Player of the Year award to his accolades for a second straight year, and the BCL MVP for a record third straight year. Karcher averaged 28.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.4 steals per game. Hampton joined Karcher on both the Sun’s All-Met first team and the All-BCL first team, averaging 19.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.9 blocked shots per game. Byrd was named to the both the All-Met second team and the All-BCL second team. Beaufort was named to the all-league honorable mention team.  

Wells won his fourth BCL tournament title in eight years, and became just the third coach in BCL history to win four BCL tournament titles, joining Loyola’s Jerry Savage and Cardinal Gibbons’ Ray Mullis. All in nine years of  league play.   

Notes;  

• Karcher finished with 2,770 points in his four years with the Panthers, which ranked third in state history when he finished in ‘97, and now ranks fourth, behind St Maria Goretti’s Rodney Monroe (3,047), the Panthers Sean Mosley (2,933), and Cardinal Gibbons’ Quinton Dailey (2,844). Karcher and Calvert Hall’s Duane Farrell remained as the only two players in BCL history to be named to the All-BCL 1st team as a freshman, until the abbreviated ‘20-21 season, when the Panthers Derik Queen was selected to the top team. Queen transferred to Monteverde FL for the ‘21-22 season. There are only 13 other players outside of Karcher and Farrell to be selected to the All-BCL 1st team as sophomores – Loyola’s Robert Selby in ‘79, Calvert Hall’s Mark Wilson and ‘Pop’ Tubman in ‘80, Calvert Hall’s Jake Davalli in ‘88, St Frances’ Devin Gray in ‘89, Towson Catholic’s Donté Greene in ‘05, St Frances’ Sean Mosley in ‘06, Calvert Hall’s Jonathan Graham in ‘08, Mt St Joe’s Phil Booth in ‘12, John Carroll’s Immanuel Quickly in ‘16, St Frances’ ‘Ace’ Baldwin in ‘18, John Carroll’s Tyson Commander in ‘20, and Calvert Hall’s Mike Williams in ‘21. 

• Hampton played his first two years of college ball at VCU, and excelled, finishing third in scoring and first in rebounding, both his freshman and sophomore seasons. As a freshman, Hampton averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, then averaged 10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocked shots per game in his sophomore season. What’s notable is Hampton achieved this success having just started 23 of the 59 games he played for the Rams. It was thought that Hampton would play at Rutgers, but that never materialized, and three years after playing at VCU, helped Bowie State win the program’s first CIAA championship. Southwestern’s Cornelius ‘Pooh Bear’ McMurray and City College’s Omarr Smith started for the Bulldogs, while Hampton was the first ‘big’ off of the bench.