This is the third part of a seven-part series looking at the Top 50 Baltimore Catholic League teams of all-time, in the mind if the author. After thorough  research over two years, this  is the most comprehensive look at the BCLs  greatest teams, players, and games. Much thanks to Chris Pike, the Director of Communications for the BCL, for compiling all of the records over the BCL’s illustrious history.  

21 ‘05 Mt St Joseph Gaels (31-4) Coach Pat Clatchey > #2 in the Sun, MIAA tournament champions, BCL regular season champions, Alhambra 3rd 2-1 

Players  

Brian Johnson 5’10 SR; BCL Co-POY, All-Met 1st, All-ACIT 2nd, 10.2p/6.0a/2.2s  (Delaware) 

Louis Birdsong 6’5 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 14.1p/10.1r/2.8b (George Mason) 

Greg Woody 5’8 SR; All-ACIT 2nd (Stevenson) 

Dejuan Goodwin 6’0 JR; (Marist) 

Courtney Thomas 6’4 SR 

Dino Gregory 6’7 SO; (Maryland) 

Chase Adams 5’10 JR; (Centenary / Pittsburgh)  

Henry Sims 6’8 FR; (Georgetown) 

The Mt St Joseph basketball program made very little noise in the Baltimore Catholic League’s first 31 seasons, before winning back-to-back BCL regular season and tournament titles in ‘02-03 and ‘03-04. The Gaels had never won a BCL regular season or tournament title in its first 31 seasons, and had advanced to just one league championship game in twenty seasons.  

Gaels coach Pat Clatchey had turned around his program, and after never having gone better than 8-6 in league play in his first nine seasons in Irvington, the coach guided his team to a 24-8 overall record in ‘01-02, and 9-5 in league play.  

The 24 wins were the second most wins in a season for the program since the BCL was formed in 1971, and the most overall victories in 26 seasons. The Gaels carried that momentum into the next two seasons, winning back-to-back BCL regular season and tournament titles in ‘02-03 and ‘03-04, while also winning their first MIAA A title in ‘03-04. The ‘04-05 two-time defending BCL champion Gaels would be the team to beat.  

Clatchey’s Gaels lost All-Met forward Will Thomas to graduation, but returned a decent core, and added several pieces to give themselves a legitimate chance for a ‘three-peat’. Senior Brian Johnson was considered one of the best point guards in the area, while senior forward Courtney Thomas and senior guard Dejuan Goodwin were also two of the better returnees in the league.  

Louis Birdsong, a 6’5 forward, joined the Gaels as a junior transfer from Randallstown, and was a player Clatchey could build around. Senior Dwayne Woody and junior Chase Adams would bolster the backcourt, while 6’6 sophomore Dino Gregory and 6’8 freshman Henry Sims would fortify the frontcourt.  

The Gaels were sure to receive challenges from McDonogh, featuring one of the better juniors in the country in Dejuan Summers, and St Frances, with one of the most highly heralded freshman in BCL history in Sean Mosley, and senior guard Reggie Holmes. There was Towson Catholic, with two of the best sophomores in the area in Malcolm Delaney and Donté Greene. To add, Calvert Hall was returning All-Met second team selection Ricky Harris.  

The road would be rough, from the Gonzaga DC Classic, through league play and tournaments, to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament .  

The Gaels started strong at the Gonzaga Classic, knocking off the #7 team in the country, Germantown Academy PA, 59-56, on Chase Adams three-pointer at the buzzer. Adams also hit a ‘three’ to put the Gaels up 53-50. Goodwin scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out five assists, while Birdsong added 12 points and 12 rebounds.  

The final brought on another national top ten team in DeMatha, and the Stags handed the Gaels their first loss of the season, 75-66. Goodwin scored 23 points in the loss, while Birdsong provided 16 points and eight rebounds.  

The Gaels closed the calendar year with a twenty point win over Howard County favorite Mt Hebron, a 21 point win over Pallotti, and added a 56-45 victory over St Maria Goretti just before the holidays, with Birdsong scoring a game-high 17 points.  

The Gaels opened the new year with a 55-49 win over 11-2 McDonogh and their star Summers. Birdsong’s three-point play late sparked a Gaels 7-1 run to push their 44-43 lead to a 51-44 margin, and the Eagles couldn’t recover. Birdsong led the Gaels with 19 points, while Summers scored a game-high 23 points for the Eagles.  

The Gaels followed that with a 52-50 win over league contender Spalding, when Johnson’s pull-up jumper with :02.8 left proved to be the game-winner. The game-winner was the Gaels first lead since leading 7-4 early in the first quarter. Woody’s three-pointer tied the game at 50. Birdsong led the Gaels with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Gaels followed that with a 51-33 win over St Frances, with the Gaels shutting down the Panthers offense, taking a 21-7 halftime lead. Goodwin scored 15 points, Birdsong, 13, and Johnson, 12. 

The Gaels closed January with a second win over 17-3 McDonogh, 53-47, to move to 20-1. The Gaels ran out to a nine point halftime lead and held off a late Eagles rally, spurred on by their star, Summers, who finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, and six blocked shots. Adams led a balanced Gaels attack with 12 points.  

But the Gaels would have to go indefinitely without both Goodwin and Thomas, after both suffered knee injuries. For Goodwin, it was a season-ending injury. Thomas would be out for weeks, and not likely to fully recover until the off-season. The Gaels moved to 9-0 in MIAA A league play, and 7-0 in BCL league play.  

The Gaels got by St Frances again, 69-57, with Birdsong leading the way with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Adams and Woody added 15 and 14 points, respectively. The Gaels made just 17 field goals, but made 30 of 40 free throws.  

The Gaels suffered their first (and only) BCL league loss to Spalding, falling by two, 58-56, snapping their 19 game win streak. The Cards Lawrence Dixon’s three-pointer with 31 seconds remaining gave the Cavs a two point lead. The Gaels had two chances to tie in the final 15 seconds, but had a shot blocked, and missed two free throws. The Gaels had won seven straight games over the Cavaliers.  

The Gaels clinched their third straight BCL regular season crown with a 59-58 victory over Towson Catholic, notching their 45th win in 46 home games. Birdsong made the key play on a three-point play that gave the Gaels a 57-55 lead with 33 seconds to play. Adams had cut the Gaels deficit to one point with a bucket with 43 seconds to play. Birdsong finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.  

The Gaels finished 13-1 in BCL league play, three games ahead of Towson Catholic.  

The Gaels squeaked by 22 win Calvert Hall for a third time in their 39-36 win over the Cardinals in the MIAA semifinals. The Gaels led 37-29, before a Cardinals 7-0 rally that cut the margin to one, 37-36. Woody’s two free throws with :18 left gave the Gaels the final three point margin. Birdsong finished with 16 rebounds and 11 rebounds.  

The win would bring a third matchup with McDonogh, Summers, and the 23-5 Eagles, after two six point wins by the Gaels in the regular season.  

The MIAA A final would mirror the first two contests, with the Gaels taking another six point win, 52-46, to win their second MIAA A tournament title in three years. The Eagles led the Gaels 25-19 at intermission, before the Gaels went on a 9-4 run in the fourth quarter, punctuated by Woody’s three-pointer to take a 44-43 lead with 4:58 to go, a lead they’d never relinquish. Birdsong scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half.  

The Gaels were going for their second MIAA A and BCL tournament sweep in three years, and won their BCL quarterfinal matchup with Cardinal Gibbons, 53-43, using an 11-2 run to opener the fourth quarter to push a three point lead to a 47-35 margin midway through the fourth quarter. Birdsong led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Johnson scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.  

After topping St Frances by 18 and 12 points in their two regular season meetings, the Gaels struggled offensively in the BCL semifinal, and fell to the Panthers 46-43, with the Panthers Desmond Thomas scoring the game’s last eight points at the free throw line. The Gaels led 43-38 with 2:38 to play, but didn’t score again. Birdsong was named to the all-tournament first team. 

The Gaels fell to 29-3, with the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament remaining. 

The Gaels faced a familiar but tough opponent in the quarterfinal in DeMatha, after losing by nine points to the Stags in early December. Again, the Stags were too much, taking an 82-71 win over the Gaels, who were without Goodwin and a healthy Thomas.  

The Gaels rebounded with a 54-45 win over St Joes Prep PA, winning their program record 30th game. Birdsong scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Woody added 14 points and six assists. The Gaels added another win over Towson Catholic, 47-38, and their two dynamic sophomores Greene and Delaney to win the fifth place game. Johnson and Woody were named to the all-tournament second team.  

The Gaels finished 31-4, establishing a program record in wins and win percentage (.886) as a BCL member, dating back to the ‘71-72 season. The Gaels did go 26-2 in ‘70-71, a season before the BCL and its tournament was established.  

The ‘04-05 Gaels beat the #7 team in the nation at the time in Germantown Academy PA, added another pair out-of-conference high quality wins over Jesuit CA and St Joe’s Prep PA, and won 14 games over six league rivals – McDonogh (MIAA only), Towson Catholic, Calvert Hall, Spalding, St Frances, and St Maria Goretti (BCL only), who went a combined 79-21 versus out-of-conference opponents. All six won 19 games or more.  

Clatchey’s Gaels won their third consecutive BCL regular season crown, joining St Frances (‘95-97), St Maria Goretti (‘85-87), Calvert Hall (‘80-82), and Loyola (‘75-78), as the fifth team to win at least three consecutive regular season titles. The Gaels posted 17 wins over opponents that won 19 games or more, while two of their four losses came to DeMatha, and the other two losses were one possession margins to league rivals, Spalding and St Frances, the latter in the BCL final.  

Johnson was named the BCL Co-POY along with Calvert Hall’s Ricky Harris, and was also named to the Sun’s All-Met first team. Johnson, the Gaels floor general, averaged 10.2 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Birdsong, a junior, joined Johnson on the Sun’s All-Met first team, averaging a team-high 14.1 points, a team-high 10.1 rebounds, and a team-high 2.8 blocked shots per game.  

As many as ten Gaels contributed greatly to their success, including Goodwin and Thomas. The Gaels received big games in big moments from Woody and Adams, and the emergence of sophomore Dino Gregory, and freshmen Henry Sims and Justin McCoy, gave them depth, and experience for down the road.  

The Gaels ‘04-05 season set up their best season ever in their program’s history the following season, in ‘05-06, when they finished 38-1 and finished with the #5 ranking in the country.  

Notes;  

  • Johnson played four years at Delaware, starting at point guard in each of his first three seasons, and accordingly, led the Blue Hens in assists in each of his first three seasons. As a freshman, Johnson averaged 38.5 minutes per game, producing 9.6 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game. His sophomore year, Johnson averaged 9.5 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game, in 37.5 minutes per contest. As a junior, Johnson averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 assists per game, in 34.3 minutes per contest. After missing his senior season with a torn ACL, Johnson came back for a fifth year and played a backup role to freshman Devon Saddler, the former Aberdeen star, averaging 3.8 points and 2.1 assists per game. Johnson scored 1,017 points and dished out 510 assists in his four years as a Blue Hen. 
  • Woody played four years at Stevenson and left leaving his name on more than a handful of the Mustangs all-time lists. Woody finished with the most career three-pointers made and free throws made in the program’s history, and second in career points, steals, and games played. Woody scored a career-high 35 points versus both Mary Washington and Catholic University.  

22 ‘86 St Maria Goretti Gaels (29-7) Coach Cokey Robertson > #2 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Buford Invitational tournament champions, Metro Classic champions, Alhambra 5th 2-1 

Players 

Rodney Monroe 6’2 JR; Street & Smith’s All-American, All-BCL 1st, BCL tourney MVP, All-ACIT 1st, 23.0p/7.8a/5.1a (NC State, NBA) 

Lee Hicks 6’3 SR; All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 17.3p/10.2r (Mt St Mary’s) 

Danny Burke 5’9 SR; All-BCL HM 

Sean Fisher 6’5 JR; (Army) 

Chris Logsdon 5’11 JR 

Coach Cokey Robertson was entering his twelfth season at St Maria Goretti, after stints at Westminster and Thomas Johnson, and leading a Gaels program that could no longer be overlooked, coming into the ‘85-86 season as the defending BCL tournament champions, led by ‘super soph’ Rodney Monroe, who would be around to torment league opponents for another two years.  

Monroe had led the Gaels to the tournament championship in their first season in the Baltimore Catholic League, after finishing tied for second in the league standings in the regular season.  

Robertson had led the Gaels to eight straight 20 win seasons, but it wasn’t until the Gaels ‘84-85 tournament title did Goretti receive the attention it garnered by winning it all, in its first season or otherwise.  

That team finished 30-6, and with the dynamic Monroe coming back for his junior season, and 6’3 forward Lee Hicks coming back for his senior year, the Gaels outlook for the ‘85-86 season looked very promising. The Gaels were set at point guard with senior Danny Burke, and they had 6’5 junior Sean Fischer complimenting Hicks in the interior.  

The Gaels would have to navigate a robust schedule, first competing in the Coca-Cola Classic in DC, featuring DeMatha, Gonzaga, and Dunbar of DC, then make a trip to South Carolina to play some of the Palmetto State’s best, followed by a trip to Atlantic City for a holiday tournament, and then face the usual competitive BCL slate.  

Mt St Joe was returning the only junior to make the ‘83-84 All-BCL (Monroe was the only sophomore) first team in 6’5 senior John Miller, while Towson Catholic had All-BCL second team selection Gamel Spencer coming back. Calvert Hall had senior Doug Able, and Cardinal Gibbons, who spent time among the nation’s top ten teams the year before, was replacing seniors Rodney Walker, Bernard Royster, and David Brown, with senior Chris Brandt, junior Barry Brown, and sophomore Leon Dickerson, a trio that may not make up that experience or possess that level of talent, but nonetheless a certainly talented trio and a solid core to build around. 

The Gaels lost their opener in the Coca Classic at Catholic University to DeMatha, 83-66, though Monroe poured in 34 points. The game was tied at 38 at halftime, before the Stags outscored the Gaels 45-28 after intermission. The Stags were led by Steve Hood, John Gwynn, and Jerrod Mustaf, who combined to score 68 points.  

The Gaels rebounded by knocking off the pre-season #2 team in the country, Gonzaga, 52-50, coming back from a ten point third quarter deficit to take the win on Danny Burke’s layup with 24 seconds remaining,. The Gaels held the Eagles scoreless on the ensuing possession. The Gaels trailed by ten points midway through the third quarter, before Monroe ignited a 10-2 run to cut their deficit to two points after three quarters. Monroe led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Hicks added 14 points.  

The Gaels then traveled to South Carolina to play in the Buford Invitational, and the defending BCL tourney champions came home with a pair of wins over Hammond SC and Savannah Christian SC, and the tournament title. The Gaels traveled to New Jersey over the holidays and won two of four games. 

The Gaels opened their league slate with a 74-60 win over #5 Cardinal Gibbons, with Monroe scoring a team-high 20 points, and Burke and Hicks adding 19 and 16 points, respectively. The Gaels suffered their first (and only) league loss at Mt St Joe, losing to the #10 Gaels, 69-64. St Joe led 18-13 after one quarter, and kept the lead the rest of the way. Monroe scored 22 points in the loss.  

The Gaels responded from the loss with a 67-60 win over #6 Meade. The Gaels took a 42-31 midway through the third quarter over the 11-1 Mustangs, and the visitors never came closer than six points again. Monroe scored 28 points, shooting 18-22 from the foul line.  As a team, the Gaels converted 27 of 33 from the charity stripe. Hicks added 14 points and eight rebounds.  

The Gaels sailed through the rest of their league schedule, clinching their first BCL regular season crown when they pulled out a thrilling 73-66 triple overtime victory over Cardinal Gibbons. Monroe scored 12 of his game-high 28 points in the 12 minutes of overtime sessions. The margin was never larger than five points until the third overtime, when Hicks three-point play pushed the Gaels lead to seven.  

The Gaels won their first BCL regular season championship by a margin of three games, finishing 11-1 in league play, winning their last ten league games.  

The Gaels topped Cardinal Gibbons for a third time in the BCL semifinal, 58-55, holding off the Crusaders late flurry that put them in position to win in the final seconds. A Monroe layup with 2:00 remaining gave the Gaels a 56-50 lead, but the Crusaders answered on the ensuing possession, then capitalized on two turnovers with a free throw and a bucket to cut the margin to one, 56-55, with 41 seconds left.  

The Crusaders took possession on a blocked shot with 26 seconds remaining, before running down the clock for a last shot (or follow), but the shot from the corner was off of the mark, and Monroe nailed two foul shots to advance the Gaels to the title game. Monroe scored a game-high 27 points, and Hicks supplied 15 points and 10 rebounds.  

In the final, the Gaels faced Calvert Hall, who had upset Mt St Joe in the semifinals. The Gaels used a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter, sparked by Hicks, who scored ten points in a run that pushed a 51-47 lead into an insurmountable 63-49 margin, before settling on a 69-59 win, successfully defending their tournament crown.  

Hicks scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, adding eight rebounds and three assists. Monroe led the Gaels with 20 points in the title game win over the Cards, and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for a second year in a row. Hicks joined Monroe on the all-tournament team. 

The Gaels tournament title earned them a berth in the Metro Classic at the Civic Center, and a date with the Dunbar Poets. Winning the BCL was one thing, but beating Dunbar in the 80s was another.  

The Poets had won the first three Metro Classic championships, a showcase pitting the top city public school team versus the top Baltimore Catholic League team, and came into the season winning two of the last three mythical national championships.  

But, the Gaels from Hagerstown featured one of the best players the BCL had ever seen, and his name was Rodney Monroe. The Gaels and Poets had never played before, but the defending national champions would get an up close and personal look at the special junior guard from Goretti.  

Monroe led the Gaels to a 66-64 victory over the Poets, scoring ten of the Gaels last 13 points. Monroe, who was selected as the Metro Classic MVP, scored 29 of his 36 points in the second half. Monroe shot 13-24 from the floor, and 10-11 from the line. The Gaels led 63-60, before the Poets Lewis Lambert stole a pass and converted a layup with 12 seconds remaining to cut their deficit to one. Hicks then found Burke streaking to the basket that resulted in an ‘And 1’, to put the game on ice at 66-60. Hicks added 14 points.  

The Gaels lost to Carroll DC and Mt St Joe in the Mid-Atlantic Invitational tournament they hosted, falling behind early in both games, and never really threatening in either contest. In the semifinal loss to the Lions, the Gaels missed their first nine shots, and fell behind 16-5 after one quarter, before suffering a 58-51 defeat.  

That set up a matchup with Mt St Joe in the consolation game, where the Gaels of Irvington used a 16-2 run the first quarter to propel themselves to an eight point halftime lead. St Joe shot 15 of 23 in the second half and ran away from Goretti, 77-56. Monroe, who suffered an ankle injury, but played through it, finished with 16 points.  

The Gaels couldn’t overcome the loss of Hicks and a hobbled Monroe at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament on day one, losing to defending tournament champion St Johns DC, 38-24, as the short-handed Gaels attempt at ‘slow-down’ ball failed. Monroe, who didn’t start, scored 14 points, but was noticeably hampered by an injured ankle. The Gaels rebounded with wins over Bishop McGuinness NC and Jesuit Prep CA, to finish 2-1 in Hagerstown.   

Robertson’s Gaels finished 29-7, after losing three of their last five games down the stretch, following the Metro Classic win. Still, the Gaels dominated their league competition, going 13-1 versus league opponents in league and tournament play.  

To add, the Gaels added a win over the then #2 team in the country, Gonzaga, beat the Baltimore area’s top team in Dunbar in the Metro Classic, won a pair in Atlantic City, won a pair in South Carolina, beat Dunbar of DC, beat Bishop McGuinness NC and Jesuit Prep CA.  

Monroe was named to the All-BCL first team for a second year in a row, as well as the Sun’s All-Met first team. Monroe averaged 23 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game in his junior season. Hicks was also named to the All-BCL first team, after averaging 17.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Danny Burke was named to the All-BCL 

honorable mention team.  

The Gaels would head into Monroe’s senior season as the two-time defending BCL tournament champs, and the reigning regular season champions, having won 59 games in two seasons.  

Notes;  

  • Robertson finished his career with an overall 781-611 (.561) record, ranking second all-time among Maryland high school coaches in career wins, trailing only DeMatha’s Morgan Wootten 1274-192 (.868). Robertson’s 1392 games also ranks second only to Wootten’s 1466 games. After coaching at Westminster and Thomas Johnson, Robertson coached 34 years at St Maria Goretti, where he went 698-449. Robertson coached 26 years in the BCL, which ranks as the third most of all-time. Loyola’s Jerry Savage coached 32 years in the league, and Mt St Joe’s Pat Clatchey just finished his 30th year in the ‘21-22 season. Robertson ranks tied for fifth in BCL tournament championships won, with four, tied with Towson Catholic’s Mike Daniel, behind Clatchey, who has eight, Cardinal Gibbons’ Ray Mullis and St Frances William Wells, who both won six, and Savage, who won five. 
  • Hicks played at Mt St Mary’s for Jim Phelan, following former Calvert Hall star Paul Edwards’ four seasons at ‘the Mount’. Hicks picked off 10 steals in a game versus Bloomsburg in ‘88. The mark still stands as the second most steals in a game by a Mountaineer.  

23 ‘74 Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders (26-4) Coach Ray Mullis > #2 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Alhambra 7th 1-2 

Players 

Norman Black 6’4 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 2nd, 14.4p/11.7r (St Joseph’s, NBA) 

Bob Valderas 6’7 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, 15.3p/9.4r (St Joseph’s) 

Damian Maggio N/A SR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st, 13.2p/5.8a 

Mike Sweeney 6’0 SR; All-BCL Tournament, 9.0 ppg 

Barry Carter 6’1 SR; 7.4 ppg 

Mark Massimini N/A JR 

Coach Ray Mullis was entering his tenth season at Cardinal Gibbons as the Crusaders approached the ‘73-74 season. Mullis started the basketball program on Wilkens Avenue in 1964, the year the Crusaders joined the MSA A Conference, and first competed against the other Baltimore area Catholic schools in their own double round robin schedule that determined the regular season champion.  

The Baltimore Catholic League was established in the ‘71-72 season, when the five Catholic schools from the MSA A Conference – the Crusaders, Loyola, Calvert Hall, Mt St Joe, and Towson Catholic, left and joined Curley in establishing the Baltimore Catholic League.  

In his first nine years at Cardinal Gibbons, Mullis’ Crusaders were just above a ‘middle of the road’ club, going 47-41 against the other five Catholic schools in regular season play over those nine seasons.  

Mullis saw his best years in ‘68-69 and ‘69-70, when the Crusaders went 8-2 versus the local privates in ‘68-69, tying Mt St Joe atop the unofficial league standings, then sharing a MSA title with City College in ‘69-70, after unrest in city schools at the time had the Superintendent to cancel extracurricular activities, and in turn, the three game MSA A championship series between the Crusaders and the Black Knights.  

In the first two seasons of the BCL, in ‘71-72 and ‘72-73, the Crusaders finished third in the league standings in ‘72, at 5-5, then were entangled in a three-way tie for second in ‘73, at 6-4. Loyola won the inaugural BCL tournament championship game over Calvert Hall in ‘72, before the Cardinals flipped the script on the Dons in the final the following year in ‘73.  

The Cardinals and Dons would be the biggest obstacles in the path of the ‘73-74 Crusaders, and their quest for their first league title, as would Towson Catholic, who featured 6’10 Larry Harrison, and Mt St Joe, who was the best of the privates from ‘69-71. Calvert Hall would be led by senior Tim Hanifen, and Loyola was led by junior guard Robbie O’Conor.  

Mullis’ ‘73-74 Crusaders looked to be his most promising roster yet, with a pair of talented juniors in 6’4 forward Norman Black and 6’7 post Bob Valderas, and one of the best point guards in the area in senior Damian Maggio. The Crusaders had gone 19-12 in ‘72-73, and with another year of experience under their belt, Mullis and the Crusaders looked poised to contend for their first Baltimore Catholic League tournament title. Black and Valderas would be two of the best players in the league.  

The Crusaders opened the season winning their first seven games in resounding fashion. Through seven games, the Crusaders were averaging 74.3 points per game, allowing just 47.4 points per contest. The Crusaders pasted Howard, 67-39, outscoring the Lions 30-9 in the fourth quarter. The Lions were the defending Howard County champions, and the county favorites in ‘73-74. Maggio led the way with 17 points, while Carter added 14 points, and Black added 12 points and 14 rebounds.  

The Crusaders posted a quality victory over Kearney NJ, then moved to 7-0 with a 67-34 rout of St Mary’s from Connecticut, after running out to a 20-2 lead to begin the game. Black led a balanced attack with 13 points.  

The Crusaders closed the calendar year with a 92-48 trouncing of Arundel, after sprinting out to a 32-11 advantage through the first eight minutes. Maggio scored 22 points, and Black added 17 points and 13 rebounds.  

In addition to Howard, the Crusaders put away HoCo’s second best, Mount Hebron, too. The Crusaders handed Catonsville their first loss, after building a 26 point lead over the Comets early in the fourth quarter.  

The Crusaders most impressive out-of-conference victory was a 73-64 win over Archbishop Carroll DC, with Valderas scoring a game-high 22 points, and Black providing 14 points and 14 rebounds.  

The Crusaders began league play suffering their first loss of the season, falling to Calvert Hall, 50-49, on a Cardinals game-winning shot as time expired. Valderas left the game with a foot injury. Maggio scored 20 points, while Black added 18 points and 11 rebounds.  

The Crusaders rolled through league play the rest of the way, sweeping Loyola, Mt St Joe, Towson Catholic, and Curley, and winning the second meeting with Calvert Hall, finishing 9-1 in league play, and winning the program’s first BCL regular season crown.  

In their second meeting with the Cardinals, the Crusaders raced to an eight point lead after the first quarter, and a 30-20 halftime lead, before the Cards cut it to a one possession game with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. Massimini drained two free throws with 25 seconds to play to give the Crusaders a 51-48 lead, a lead they’d hold onto in a 51-50 victory. Valderas led the Crusaders with a team-high 14 points. 

The Crusaders entered the post-season with a 23-2 record, with both losses decided by one point. The Crusaders finished three games ahead of second place Calvert Hall in the league standings. 

The Crusaders earned a first round bye as regular season champions in the BCL playoffs, and met Loyola in the semifinals, after the Dons put away Mt St Joe 52-46 in the quarterfinals. The Crusaders had beaten Loyola twice, including 75-54, in the last week of the regular season. This time was different. The Crusaders had to fight back from a 12 point halftime deficit to force overtime, and pull out a 55-52 victory to survive and advance.  

Black scored five of the Crusaders seven points in overtime, and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Crusaders trailed 15-4 after one quarter, and 29-17 at intermission, before their second half rally. In overtime, Black’s follow up of a Valderas miss put the Crusaders up 54-52 with eight seconds remaining in the extra session, and his steal and subsequent free throw with one second to go sealed the Crusaders first tournament championship berth.  

The Crusaders would face two seed Calvert Hall in their first BCL championship game appearance, while the Cardinals were making their third straight appearance in the third year of the league’s existence. The Cardinals had handed the Crusaders their only league loss, 50-49, and just one of their two overall losses in 26 games. 

The Crusaders and Cardinals third meeting in the BCL final would produce another one point margin, and the exact score of the Crusaders first victory over the Cards, 51-50. The Cardinals had to fight back after shooting 1-11 in the first quarter, and cut it to one point at 49-48, when Mark Massimini answered with two points for the Crusaders with :25 left.  

The Crusaders held on to win their first BCL tournament title, to go with their newly minted first regular season crown. The Crusaders had a number of contributors, with Black scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, Mike Sweeney adding 11 points, Valderas scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds, and Barry Carter supplying 10 rebounds. Black and Sweeney were named to the all-tournament team.  

The Crusaders became the first Baltimore Catholic League team to win 25 games, with three games still to play in Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. 

The Crusaders lost their third game of the season to nationally acclaimed Mackin, 76-74, in the quarterfinals of the Alhambra. Cardinal Gibbons held a 45-29 lead early in the third quarter, before the Trojans roared back. Black registered 21 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, and Maggio scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists.  

Next up was nationally ranked Roman Catholic PA. After trailing the Callihites for most of the game, the Crusaders trimmed a double-digit deficit to three points in the final minutes, before the Cahillites went on a 7-0 run, leading to a 64-50 victory. The Crusaders finished the three day tournament with a 42 point win over Bishop Walsh. Black was named to the all-tournament second team.  

The Crusaders set a Baltimore Catholic League record for overall wins (26) and overall win percentage (.867). Three of their four losses were decided by a total of four points. 

Black was named to the All-Met first team as well as the All-BCL 1st team, averaging 14.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Valderas joined Black on both the All-Met and All-BCL first teams, after providing 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Maggio was selected to the Evening Sun All-Met second team, and the All-BCL first team, with the floor general providing 13.2 points and 5.8 assists per contest.  

Senior Mike Sweeney was fourth on the team in scoring, at nine points per game, while senior Barry Carter finished third on the Crusaders in rebounding, at 7.4 per clip.  

Notes;  

  • Black started all four seasons at St Josephs, leading the Hawks in scoring in all four years, and leading the team in rebounding three seasons. Black played all four seasons with former Crusaders Robert Valderas at St Joe, as well as Towson Catholic’s Alvin Hubbard. Black averaged 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, then 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his sophomore year. His junior year, Black teamed with freshman Boo Williams to give the Hawks two 17 point scoring forwards. Black averaged 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game that season, shooting 50.9% from the field. In his senior season, the first under Jim Lynam, Black averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the 19-11 Hawks. Black finished his Hawks career having scored 1,726 points and grabbed 906 rebounds. After not getting drafted, Black signed on with the Detroit Pistons, where he played three games. It’s in the Philippines where Black is a legend, both as a former player and as a coach, where he has succeeded at both the college and pro level. Black played three seasons in the CBA, averaging 23.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 80 games over three seasons. He started to play in the Philippines while playing in the CBA, and stayed on to play eight seasons in the PBA, becoming one of the league’s greatest scorers. Black averaged 51.8 points per game in an abbreviated 14 game rookie season, but came back the next year to prove the small sample size wasn’t a fluke, and averaged 42.7 points per game over 66 games. Black put together three more 40 point-plus seasons, and three more 32 point-plus seasons. Over his last five seasons playing full-time, Black was also coaching, serving as player-coach. Since, Black has won 11 PBA championships on the professional level, and five UAAP titles at the collegiate level. In February of ‘22, Black became the second coach in PBA history to win 700 games. 
  • Robert Valderas played four years at St Joseph’s, playing in 98 games, scoring 714 points and grabbing 401 rebounds. As a freshman, Valderas averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Hawks, and 7.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Valderas averaged a career-high 9.1 points and a career-high 5.4 rebounds per game in his senior season.  

24 ‘13 St Frances Panthers (33-6) Coach Nick Myles > #2 in the Sun, MIAA regular season and tournament champions, BCL regular season champions, Alhambra 5th 2-1 

Players 

Tevon Saddler 6’5 SR; Sun POY, All-BCL 1st, All-ACIT 2nd, 18.9p/6.7r/3.0a (UNC – Greensboro / Nicholls State) 

Maurice White 6’4 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 2nd, 18.7 ppg, (Siena / Clayton State) 

Kurk Lee Jr 5’10 SO; (Drexel / Alcorn State) 

Dwayne Morgan 6’7 JR; (UNLV / Southern Utah State) 

Joshua  Ayeni 6’7 SO; (St Bonaventure / South Alabama / Tennessee – Chattanooga)  

Dayshawn Wells 6’1 SR; (Bowie State) 

Khalil Richard 5’11 FR; (Siena / Southern Connecticut State)  

The St Frances Panthers had gone from ‘the team’ of the 90s in the BCL to just ‘one of the contenders’ as the turn of the century came. The Panthers won four BCL tournament titles and played in six championship games in the 90s.  

In the thirteen years since, the Panthers didn’t disappear, as they won three tournament titles since, but they played in just four of the last 13 championship games, about half the rate of their notable 90s run.  

After winning five BCL regular season crowns from ‘91-98, the Panthers finished atop the league standings just once in the fourteen years since. Coming into the ‘12-13 season, the Panthers had finished second in the league standings for three straight seasons, a three year span that saw an average of 21.3 wins per season, which followed a three year stretch where the Panthers averaged 27.7 victories per season, highlighted by the ‘09 BCL championship team.  

That ‘09 team was the first of the three seasons the Panthers were coached by former star Mark Karcher, who left after differences with Athletic Director Nick Myles. Myles replaced Karcher with himself, going 21-9 in his first season in ‘11-12.  

The Panthers lost Daquan Cook and Josh Fortney to graduation, but Myles second edition was full of talent, with Tevon Saddler, who was returning after an All-BCL season as a junior, headlining the cast. To add, Myles and the Panthers had 6’4 senior Maurice White, senior guard Dayshawn Wells, talented 6’7 junior Dwayne Morgan, 6’7 sophomore Joshua Ayeni, and a pair of young talented guards in sophomore Kurk Lee Jr and freshman Khalil Richard.  

Still, with all that talent coming in, they were still ‘one of the contenders’. Mt St Joe would be the favorites, with the Baltimore Catholic League Most Valuable Player Kameron Williams returning for the Gaels, as well as rising junior Phil Booth, who was selected to the All-BCL first team as a sophomore. Fellow contenders figured to be John Carroll, coming off a 30 win season and led by Rodney Elliott Jr, as well as Goretti and a resurgent Spalding team, who was looking to put together their best season in eight years.  

In addition to their tough league slate, the Panthers were competing in a quartet of high quality in-season showcases and tournaments in December and January, including the Kobe Bryant Classic, outside of Philadelphia, the Brandon Jennings Invitational in Wisconsin, the Big Apple Invitational in New York, and the Montverde Inviational in Florida.  

The Panthers won their first nine games, registering victories over Goretti, Poly – a state title contender, Princeton Day – featuring Aquille Carr, and John Carroll. The Panthers put away Princeton Day, 72-66, in a back and forth tussle. With the game tied at 66, Lee drove the baseline for a score with just more than two minutes to play, part of a 6-0 run to close the game. Morgan hit a baseline jumper, and Saddler hit two free throws to close the scoring. Carr, in his return to Baltimore, shot 6-19 from the floor, and finished with 19 points.  

Two nights after the Providence Day win, the Panthers held off #6 John Carroll, 40-39, winning on a Morgan tip-in with 9.8 seconds remaining. The Patriots led by one point at halftime, and the last twelve minutes featured five lead changes and two ties. Morgan scored a team-high 14 points.  

The Panthers pushed to 10-0 with a 63-58 win over Fort Bend Travis TX, a Texas defending state finalist, who featured twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison, two of the top recruited guards in the country. The showcase in the I-95 Elite Challenge at Loyola University was the Panthers third big game of the week, following the matchups with Providence Day and John Carroll.  

Travis, who came into the game ranked #13 in the country, played without Andrew Harrison, who was out with a hamstring injury. Down two, Lee and Morgan hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Panthers a 57-53 lead, a lead they would hold. White scored a team-high 19 points.  

The Panthers traveled to the Philadelphia suburbs to take part in the Kobe Bryant Classic and took their first loss of the season to Lower Merion, 73-62. BJ Johnson, a Syracuse commit, scored a game-high 29 points for Lower Merion. White led the Panthers with 20 points in the loss. The Panthers rebounded with a 57-49 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh PA, to head into the new year with a 14-1 record.  

The Panthers began the new year with a hard fought 58-57 win over league favorite Mt St Joe. The Panthers withstood a 22-4 run by the Gaels in the third quarter that turned a nine point Panthers lead into a nine point Panthers deficit. Saddler led the Panthers with 19 points, while White scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including five in the final minute. White’s three-pointer with just over a minute to play gave the Panthers a 56-53 lead, a lead they wouldn’t surrender.  

The Panthers followed that win with six straight victories, including handing Spalding their first league loss, 61-51, with White scoring 23 points and Morgan scoring 17 points. The Panthers then traveled to Wisconsin to play Chicago power Bogan in the Brandon Jennings Invitational, and won, 60-44, with Saddler scoring 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and White adding 17 points.  

The Gaels returned from Wisconsin with a date in Irvington with the #2 Mt St Joe Gaels. The #1 Panthers came in 20-1, while the Gaels, with Williams and Booth, were 18-3. The Panthers controlled throughout, pushing a six point halftime lead into a 14 point lead midway through the third quarter, using a 10-2 run to begin the second half, leading to a 61-48 victory. Saddler scored eight points in the run and led the Panthers with 19 points. White scored 16 points, including eight in a stretch that pushed the Panthers lead to 18 points just inside the fourth quarter.  

The Panthers suffered their first (and only) league loss at John Carroll, 42-41, after edging the Patriots by one point in mid-December. The victory was the Patriots ninth in the last ten games with the Panthers. The Patriots Rodney Elliott Jr hit the game-winner with four seconds remaining.  

The Panthers were soon on the road again, to play in the Big Apple Invitational, and take on Staten Island’s best, the 18-2 Curtis Warriors. The Panthers came back from a 16 point first half deficit and defeated the Warriors, 51-46. Saddler scored a team-high 15 points, while Morgan added 14 points and seven rebounds.  

After a win over Goretti, it was off to the high-powered Montverde Invitational tournament in Florida, where the Panthers dropped two of three games. The Panthers lost their opener to Oldsmar Christian FL, then beat Inglewood CA, before losing to Shiloh GA on day three.  

The Panthers closed the regular season with four league wins to bring their record to 29-4 heading into the post-season. The Panthers won their eighth BCL regular season crown, finishing 13-1 in league play, two games ahead of Mt St Joe.  

The Panthers faced 25 win John Carroll in the MIAA semifinals, after the Patriots handed them their only league loss in January. The Panthers used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to push a tie at 32 into a nine point lead that led to a 61-47 win over the Patriots, ending the Patriots two year reign as MIAA champions.  

The Panthers led by 15 points midway through the second quarter, before the Pats cut their deficit to five points at intermission, and tied the game by scoring the first five points of the second half. The Panthers countered with an 11-2 run that would prove to be decisive, punctuated by a three-pointer from Lee. The sophomore Lee led all scorers with 17 points, while Saddler added 16 points.  

The victory set up a third matchup with Mt St Joe, and their two stars, Williams and Booth. The Panthers dominated, scoring the game’s first 11 points, and building a 24 point second half lead, ending in a 75-62 victory. The two seniors, Saddler and White, along with the junior Morgan, combined for 69 points and 21 rebounds. Saddler led all scorers with 24 points, adding eight rebounds, while White scored 23 points, and Morgan supplied 22 points and eight rebounds.  

This was the Panthers third MIAA tournament title, after winning back-to-back crowns in ‘09 and ‘10.  

The Panthers entered the BCL playoffs as the one seed with a 31-4 record, facing eight seed Mt Carmel in the quarterfinals, after beating the Cougars by 30 points in their first meeting, but managing just a three point victory in the second matchup. The 11-17 Cougars shocked the Panthers, 59-50, eliminating the regular season champions in the first round, and denying them of a MIAA-BCL tournament sweep.  

To say the upset was shocking would be appropriate, as the Cougars finished 1-13 in league play, the polar opposite of the Panthers 13-1 mark. The trio that combined for 69 points in the MIAA final – Saddler, White, and Morgan, scored less than half that in the quarterfinal, combining for just 33 points in the BCL quarterfinal.  

Still ahead for the 31-5 Panthers was the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, where they would meet Benedictine of Richmond, the VISAA Division 1 champion, who sported a 32-4 record. The Panthers fell to the Cadets, before winning their final two games at Alhambra, including a fourth win over 31 win Mt St Joe, 66-65, on day three, after the Gaels last second potential game-winner rimmed out.  

The Gaels finished 0-4 versus the Panthers, and 31-4 versus everyone else. Saddler was named to the all-tournament second team.  

Saddler was named the Baltimore Sun’s Player of the Year, as well as to the All-BCL first team, after averaging 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. White joined Saddler on the All-Met first team, after averaging 18.7 points per game.  

Myles captured his first MIAA tournament title in his second season at the helm, as well as his first BCL and MIAA regular season crowns, while the BCL tournament championship eluded the Panthers for a fourth season in a row.  

The Panthers faced three eventual state champions from across the country, going 2-1. The Panthers notched victories over Texas state champion Fort Bend Travis, who finished 33-5, and New York State champion Curtis, of Staten Island, who finished 25-3. The Panthers fell to Kobe Bryant’s alma mater, Lower Merion, who won a Pennsylvania state championship and finished 33-5. In addition, the Panthers  posted quality victories over Princeton Day, Bogan, and Inglewood.  

Notes;  

  • Saddler started his freshman and sophomore seasons at UNC -Greensboro, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Saddler led the Spartans in scoring in his sophomore season, averaging 13.4 points per game, adding 4.6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Saddler transferred to Nicholls State for his senior season, averaging 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the 21 win Colonels. Saddler finished his college career with 1.274 points, 458 rebounds, 297 assists, and 134 steals, in 92 games. 
  • White played two seasons at Siena for Jimmy Patsos, playing in 61 games, with seven starts, scoring 223 points and grabbing 130 rebounds. White played his final two years at Clayton State in Georgia, averaging 4.6 points per game in his junior season, and 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. 
  • Morgan played two full seasons at UNLV, then received a redshirt year after injuring his shoulder after nine games in his junior year. Morgan averaged 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 27 games for the Runnin’ Rebels as a freshman, and 5.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in his sophomore season. Morgan transferred to Southern Utah, where he stayed three seasons, after receiving a second medical redshirt in his fifth year, after playing just three games. Morgan averaged 12.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Thunderbirds in his first season in Cedar City, and 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in his final season with the ‘Birds. 
  • Lee Jr spent four years at Drexel, receiving a redshirt year in his final season, before transferring to Alcorn State for his fifth year. Lee ranked second on the Dragons in scoring in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, while also leading the team in assists in his freshman season. Lee averaged 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game his freshman season, and 12.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Lee averaged 10.0 points and 3.1 assists per game playing in 12 contests for Alcorn State in his final season. 
  • Ayeni played two years at St Bonaventure, one injury-plagued year at South Alabama, before receiving a redshirt year, and two years at Tennessee – Chattanooga. Ayeni’s best season for the Moccasins was his first season in Chattanooga, averaging 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. 
  • Wells played three years at Bowie State, starting his last two years with the Bulldogs, averaging 9.2 points per game his junior season, and 8.9 points and 2.8 assists per game in his senior season. 
  • Richard played two years at Siena, one year at Southern Connecticut State, and his final season at Stevenson. At Siena, Richard played in 59 games, with 17 starts, averaging 6.4 points per game, shooting 44.9% from beyond the arc, and 81.5% from the line. In his final season, at Stevenson, Richard averaged 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.  

25 ‘04 Mt St Joseph Gaels (29-6) Coach Pat Clatchey > #1 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, MIAA regular season champions, Alhambra 7th 1-2 

Players 

Will Thomas 6’7 SR; Sun Co-POY, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, 18.9p/12.1/3s/3b (George Mason) 

Brian Johnson 5’10 JR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament, 11.2p/5.8a/2.4s (Delaware) 

LJ Mack Jr 6’3 SR; All-BCL 3rd 

Courtney Thomas 6’4 JR; All-ACIT 2nd (Loyola)  

Greg Woody Jr 5’8 SO; (Stevenson) 

Chase Adams 5’9 SO; (Centenary / Pittsburgh) 

Pat Clatchey’s Mt St Joe’s Gaels were riding high entering the ‘03-04 season, having won the Baltimore Catholic League tournament for the first time in the 32nd season of the league’s history. The Gaels also captured their first BCL regular season title for the first time in 32 years.  

Of the original six Baltimore Catholic League members, only the Gaels and Curley (left the BCL in ‘93) never had their time in the sun in the league’s first 20+ years.  

Loyola, Cardinal Gibbons, Calvert Hall, and Towson Catholic, all had won multiple titles, but neither the Gaels or Friars had won their first. Each one of the three schools to join afterward, St Maria Goretti, St Frances, and Spalding, all had won multiple titles, too.  

Finally, the Gaels had won their first in ‘02-03, and they had a legitimate chance to join the other half dozen league foes with multiple titles following the ‘03-04 season.  

Clatchey had good reason to feel optimistic, with the Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year returning to the Gaels in 6’7 senior Will Thomas. The Gaels would miss a trio of graduating starters in Kyle O’Connor, Keon Lattimore, and 6’7 Anthony Fair, but with the headliner Thomas and the others, the Gaels would be in great shape to battle the for the league crown.  

Thomas averaged 16.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists as a junior. The Gaels had one of the best junior point guards in the area in Brian Johnson, and another key contributor to their ‘02-03 championship team in 6’3 rising-senior LJ Mack. The Gaels also had 6’4 junior Courtney Thomas to pair with Will Thomas (no relation) in the middle, and a pair of talented guards in junior Greg Woody Jr and sophomore Chase Adams.  

The Gaels would have to battle the lines of a Rudy Gay-led Spalding Cavaliers squad, who had played in four of the last five BCL championship games, winning three, an always tough St Frances squad, who was coming off another 20 win season, Cardinal Gibbons, who was returning a pair of All-BCL selections, and Towson Catholic, featuring Jamal Smith, who joined Thomas and Gay as the one of the three underclassmen on the all-league first team in ‘02-03. 

The Gaels season began in earnest at the Gonzaga DC Classic, where the defending BCL champions won two out of three games, edging Potomac VA 42-40, and handling McQuaid Jesuit NY, 66-56, after losing to Pennsylvania private power St Joe’s Prep, 58-51.  

In the third place game win over McQuaid, the Gaels ran out to a 36-13 halftime lead and cruised. Johnson scored 19 points and Will Thomas added 15 points. Johnson scored scored 46 points in the three games, while Thomas added 41 points and 26 rebounds.  

The Gaels began their league slate with a 54-46 win over #7 Cardinal Gibbons, closing the game out on a 13-4 run. Courtney Thomas scored eight of his 14 points in the third quarter, and Will Thomas supplied 13 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocked shots.  

The #4 Gaels handed #2 St Frances a 55-48 loss in their first meeting in January, to move to 5-0 in league play. Will Thomas’ short jumper put the Gaels up 49-45, with 1:28 to play, then rebounded a Panthers miss and got the ball to Woody, who was fouled and drained two free throws. Will Thomas led the way with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocked shots, and Courtney Thomas scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds.  

The Gaels followed that victory with a double-overtime 63-58 win over #1 Spalding and Gay, with Mack pouring in 27 points, draining six three-pointers. Mack’s hit two three-pointers to keep the Gaels alive in the first overtime. The first three minutes of the second overtime went scoreless, before Johnson nailed a three-pointer with 40 seconds remaining in the extra session to put the Gaels up 57-54.  

After a Cavaliers bucket, Woody found Will Thomas underneath, good for an ‘And 1’, with 24 seconds left on the clock. Will Thomas added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and help limit Gay to 7-26 shooting. Courtney Thomas added eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.  

The Gaels took a 19-1 record into February, before suffering their first MIAA league loss to McDonogh, 56-49. The Gaels scored just two points in the third quarter versus the Eagles and never recovered. The Gaels were dealt their first BCL league loss at St Frances, 63-60, after squandering a seven point halftime lead. Thomas scored a game-high 23 points in the loss. 

The Gaels pulled out a 93-90 double-overtime victory over #2 Cardinal Gibbons in their second meeting with the Crusaders, producing one of the biggest comebacks in their program’s history. The Gaels trailed by 16 points, 70-54, with just 2:10 remaining, before Johnson led a Gaels charge that remains one for the history books. Johnson scored 13 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, including two free throws to force overtime with no time remaining.  

With Spalding looking to grab a share of the BCL regular season crown, the Gaels edged #3 Cavaliers again in their second meeting, and again it went beyond regulation time, and again LJ Mack provided the heroics. Mack’s tip-in with one second left in overtime proved to be the game-winner in the Gaels 76-75 overtime victory before a packed house in Severn.  

With the win, the Gaels secured their second BCL regular season crown in two years. Mack finished with 16 points, while Will Thomas scored a game-high 22 points. Gay scored a game-high 27 points for the Cavaliers.  

The Gaels came into the post-season with a 25-3 record, and looking for their first MIAA tournament championship.  

But, that wouldn’t happen, as the 26 win Cardinal Gibbons Crusaders bounced the Gaels in the MIAA semifinals, 60-51. The Gaels came back from ten points down to cut it to 52-51 with a 9-0 run with 1:35 to play, but never scored again. The Crusaders win snapped the Gaels eight game winning streak in the series.  

The Gaels still had the BCL tournament title to defend, and they came out with guns blazing, staking a 42-17 halftime lead over Loyola in the quarterfinals, before settling on a 68-46 victory over the Dons. Will Thomas led the Gaels with 20 points.  

The Gaels topped 21 win Towson Catholic a third time with a 57-43 win in the semifinals. The Gaels shot 13-21 from the field after intermission, led by Will Thomas, who scored eight of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. Thomas added eight rebounds and five assists. Johnson scored the first five points of the second half and pushed the Gaels five point halftime lead into a double-digit margin, where it would stay.  

The BCL final offered a third presentation between the Gaels and the Spalding Cavaliers, after a pair of overtime thrillers in their two league meetings. The #1, 27 win Gaels, versus the #2, 27 win Cavaliers. The Gaels led by 6’7 senior Will Thomas, and the Cavs led by 6’8 senior Rudy Gay. This one would be just as tight, but at a far different pace.  

The Gaels won with a stifling defense, limiting Gay to ten points, and limiting the Cavs to just three field goals in the second half. The Cavaliers led 23-20 at halftime, but with the Cavs leading 30-28 late, Woody scored five straight points for the Gaels, scoring a bucket and adding a three-pointer to give the defending champs a 33-30 lead, before ending with a 36-33 victory and a second consecutive BCL tourney crown.  

Just a year before, the Cavaliers had five attempts at the rim to win the championship game in the final eight seconds before the Gaels pulled out a 49-48 victory. In this one, the Cavaliers had two three-point attempts in the final seconds to tie it, but couldn’t convert. Will Thomas scored 12 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked four shots, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, to match his BCL Player of the Year award. Johnson joined Thomas on the all-tournament team.  

The Gaels won just one of three games at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, losing to national powers DeMatha and Roman Catholic, and coming away with a 25 point win over host Bishop Walsh, with Will Thomas scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.  

In the 81-74 loss to Roman Catholic, the Callihites held a 28-3 margin at the foul line. Thomas scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the loss. Woody scored a game-high 23 points in the loss to the Stags, while Will Thomas added 21 points. Will Thomas was named to the all-tournament team after scoring 74 points in three games.  

The Gaels topped 29 win Spalding and Gay three times, following the ‘02-03 season where the Gaels went 3-0 versus the Cavs. The Gaels posted seven wins over opponents that won 25 games or more, and recorded a total of twelve victories over opponents that won 20 games or more. The Gaels matched a program record in wins, with 29, joining the ‘76 and ‘03 Gaels’ editions with that mark.  

Thomas added the Sun’s Co-Player of the Year award to his accolades, sharing the honors with Gay, and  finished his Gaels career with 1,631 points. On the season, Thomas averaged 18.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, three steals, and three blocked shots per game. Johnson, the junior point guard, was named to the All-Met second team, after averaging 11.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Mack, who came up huge in two victories over Spalding, was named to the All-BCL third team.  

Clatchey was named as the Sun’s Coach of the Year, as the Gaels finished with their program’s very first #1 ranking in the final Sun poll, and captured their second BCL championship in two years.  

Notes;  

  • Thomas played for four years at George Mason for Jim Larranaga, including being a part of the Patriots miraculous Final Four run in ‘06 as an 11 seed. Thomas, a sophomore that season, started all 35 games he played in, averaging 11.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.0% from the floor. Thomas scored 18 points, on 8-12 shooting, and hauled in 14 rebounds in the Patriots opening round upset win over Michigan State. Thomas scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Pats 86-84 win over top seed Connecticut in the ‘Elite 8’. Thomas averaged 13.3 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game as a junior, shooting 62.7% from the field. As a senior, Thomas led the CAA champion Patriots in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, shooting a career-best 64.2% from the floor. In his final game as a collegian, Thomas scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out three assists, and grabbed three steals in the Pats NCAA opening round loss to Notre Dame. In four years as a Patriot, Thomas scored 1,564 points, grabbed 993 rebounds, dished out 202 assists, took 85 steals, and blocked 91 shots. Thomas played 14 years overseas, and was the Belgian League MVP in 2010, and EuroCup Finals MVP playing for Valencia nine years later in 2019.  

26 ‘76 Mt St Joseph Gaels (29-4) Coach Gene Neiberlein > #3 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament runner-up, Maryland High School Tournament champion, Alhambra 3rd 2-1 

Players 

Delmar Harrod 6’7 SR; All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 2nd, 19.0p/10.8r (St Bonaventure) 

Gene Nieberlein Jr 6’5 SR; All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 2nd, 17.0p/14.0r (Indiana football / Rutgers basketball) 

Jeff Stone N/A SR; All-BCL 1st 

Jeff Cross 6’2 SR; All-BCL 2nd (James Madison) 

Tom Baker N/A SR 

As the ‘75-76 season began, coach Gene Nieberlein’s Mt St Joe Gaels’ were looking to produce the best season in their program in five years, since the ‘71 team went 26-2 and won the MSA A championship. That Barry Scroggins-led team was the last Gaels team to compete in the MSA Conference before the Baltimore Catholic League was established in the ‘71-72 season.  

The private schools departed the MSA following a brawl in the final seconds of a heated matchup between the Gaels and Dunbar Poets in February of ‘71. Since, the Gaels had gone 17-23 in the BCL in league play in the league’s first four seasons, never going better than .500 in the final league standings.  

The defending champion Loyola Dons would be the favorite going into the ‘75-76 season, as they returned senior Bob Barry and 6’8 junior Pete Budko from a 29-5 team, while adding emerging 6’3 sophomore Tony Guy. Despite the losses of Norman Black and Robert Valeras, Cardinal Gibbons couldn’t be counted out, with a solid cast, led by Valderas’ brother, Mark.  

The ‘74-75 Gaels finished 4-6 in league play, but were 18-9 overall, going 14-2 outside of league competition (lost one league playoff game). The 18 wins were the most the Gaels had recorded since ‘71, and they were returning a quartet of seniors, including the coach’s son, 6’5 Gene Jr, 6’7 Delmar Harrod, Jeff Stone, and Jeff Cross.  

While both Cardinal Gibbons and Towson Catholic suffered huge losses to graduation, the Gaels would be running out their most talented roster since joining the BCL. The two-time champion Dons may very well have had their most talented team in their program’s history too, with Barry, Budko, and Guy.  

The Gaels began the season with eight wins, and with only one opponent coming within 14 points of the Irvington squad. The Gaels blew out Wilde Lake, who made the MPSSAA Final Four in ‘74, by 36, 86-50, then walloped Mt Hebron by 40, 82-42. The toughest test the Gaels faced was against Atholton, the defending Howard County champion, holding just a two point halftime lead over the Raiders, before stretching it to a 64-56 win. 

The Gaels first test, outside of Atholton, would be over the holidays at UMBC in the inaugural Maryland High School Tournament, featuring many of the top teams in the area, including the Dons of Loyola. The Gaels would meet the Dons in the final if both were to win their first two games in the tournament.  

The Gaels delivered, taking out Walbrook and Northern, but the Dons did not, falling to Southern in the semifinals. The Gaels topped Southern, 68-63, to win the tournament championship, with Nieberlein Jr leading the way with 20 points.  

The Gaels went into the new year unbeaten, with a record of 11-0. Following a 21 point win over Milford Mill, the Gaels had their first of two league meetings with the Dons, before 1,200 fans at St Joe. The Gaels shot 56% from the floor and produced five double-digit scorers in a 77-63 win over the Dons, led by Nieberlein Jr, who scored 10 of his 24 points in the first quarter, a quarter where the Gaels shot 7-10 from the floor, and never looked back.  

The Gaels followed that victory with a 77-45 win over Towson Catholic and a 85-75 win over Cardinal Gibbons, to move to 15-0. The Gaels ran their win streak to 19 games heading into their second matchup with the #3 Dons, at Loyola.  

The Dons dominated the second matchup, particularly the second half of the game, where they outscored the Gaels 41-26 in the second half to close with a 69-49 win, to even the series, and give the Gaels their first loss of the season. The Gaels were in foul trouble throughout the game, and had three starters foul out, and another finish with four fouls, but the Dons earned the victory, hitting every one of their first twenty foul shots.  

The Dons finished 29-35 at the line, while the Gaels went 5-8. Harrod, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter, scored a team-high 17 points, while Nieberlein Jr, who finished with four fouls, was limited to four points.  

The Gaels aced their final regular season test with a 76-54 win over Cardinal Gibbons. The Gaels finished the regular season with a 9-1 record in league play, tied with the Dons, and a BCL best ever 24-1 overall record.  

The Gaels would play the Dons a third time just to decide the regular season champion, preceding a likely fourth showdown in the BCL final.  

The Gaels held a seven point halftime lead in the one-game playoff, before the Dons outscored their counterparts 14-4 in the third quarter, and grabbed a 51-48 overtime win. The game was tied at 48 at the end of regulation, but the Gaels were outscored 3-0 in the extra session. Both Harrod and Nieberlein Jr scored 18 points, while Budko, who would go to the University of North Carolina a year later, led the Dons with 18 points and 11 rebounds, after producing 24 and 11 in the Dons regular season win over the Gaels.  

The Gaels faced Cardinal Gibbons a third time in the BCL semifinals, and took their third double-digit victory over the Crusaders, 86-67. Cross hit all five of his field goals attempts in the first stanza, as the Gaels took a 19-9 first quarter advantage. That lead ballooned in the second quarter, as the Gaels outscored the Crusaders 17-4 to begin the quarter to take a 36-13 lead midway through the second quarter. Neiberlein Jr scored a team-high 22 points, Harrod added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Cross finished with 18 points.  

A fourth matchup with the Dons awaited in the final. The Dons took command early and held on for a 59-55 win, taking their third victory in four games with Gaels. The Gaels cut it to four, 50-46, with just under four minutes to play, but couldn’t get any closer than four points the rest of the way. Neiberlein Jr scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter rally. Both Nieberlein Jr and Harrod were named to the all-tournament team.  

The Gaels and Dons would be featured in a Baltimore-Washington private school showcase before heading to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Western Maryland. The doubleheader would pit the top two Baltimore private school teams, Loyola and Mt St Joe, against Washington’s top two private school teams, DeMatha and Mackin, both considered national juggernauts.  

Both DeMatha and Mackin were ranked among Basketball Weekly’s top ten teams in the country in their pre-season national rankings, and the Stags held a #13 ranking coming into the high quality mixer at UMBC.  

The Gaels drew Mackin, with All-American Jo Jo Hunter, while the Dons faced DeMatha, with All-American ‘Hawkeye’ Whitney. The Gaels upset the Trojans, 72-71, after Joe O’Boyle picked up a loose ball and converted a bucket with nine seconds to go that proved to be the game-winner. Harrod had the game of his life, pouring in 33 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Nieberlein scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds before fouling out, and allowing for O’Doyle’s heroics.  

The Dons would stun the Stags too in the nightcap, 70-68, giving the top area privates the upper hand over their contemporaries just south for the first time since, well, possibly ever.  

At Alhambra, the Gaels and Dons would get another look at Mackin and DeMatha, this time with the Gaels facing the Stags in the first round, the Dons and Trojans meeting in the second round, and the Gaels meeting the Trojans a second time on day three.  

On opening day, the Gaels held off the #13 nationally ranked Stags, 74-71, after staving off a 12-0 rally by DeMatha that cut the margin to 68-67, before holding on. The Stags held a 44-40 halftime lead, with the Stags All-American ‘Hawkeye’ Whitney pouring in 22 points in the first 16 minutes, and the Gaels Harrod matching Whitney point for point, with 22 in the first half. The Gaels built a double-digit lead with a 12-1 run in the third quarter, before the Stags countered. Harrod finished with 34 points, on 16-23 shooting, and added nine rebounds. Nieberlein Jr supplied 18 points and nine rebounds.  

The Gaels fell to 28-4 with a 67-55 loss to eventual champion Roman Catholic PA in the semifinals. On day three, the Gaels topped Mackin a second time, 99-95, for third place in the tournament. The Trojans Hunter exploded for 53 points, setting a tournament record, on 22-38 shooting. Harrod scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the victors, while Cross added 20 points on 7-11 shooting. Nieberlein Jr added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Tom Baker added 16 points and seven assists in the win. The Gaels finished 29-4.  

The 29 wins were a Gaels program record, and matched the ‘75 Loyola Dons BCL record for overall wins. The Gaels finished #3 in the Sun, behind nationally ranked #5 Lake Clifton, and Loyola, the BCL champ and Alhambra runner-up to Roman Catholic.  

The Gaels and Dons combined to go 5-0 versus DeMatha and Mackin over the last two weeks of the season, something never been done by any two teams, inside or outside of the Stags league. Though the Gaels went 1-3 versus Loyola, they were the only league team to beat them, and they were the only team, among anyone, to hand the Dons a double-digit loss all season.  

The Gaels went 28-1 versus everyone else, including a pair of wins versus Mackin, another over DeMatha, and won a Maryland High Schools Tournament championship trophy, with wins over Walbrook, Northern, and Southern, who beat Loyola by one.  

Nieberlein Jr was named to the All-BCL first team, as well as the All-Alhambra second team. Stone joined Nieberlein Jr on the All-BCL first team. Harrod was selected to the All-BCL second team, and joined Nieberlein Jr on the All-Alhambra second team. Nieberlein averaged 16.8 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, while Harrod averaged 19.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Cross joined Harrod on the All-BCL second team.  

For Coach Nieberlein, he turned a team that had never had a winning record in league play into a 29-4 powerhouse, as can be attested to by such national juggernauts such as DeMatha and Mackin.  

Notes;  

  • Harrod played four years at St Bonaventure, starting his last three seasons, and starring his last two. Harrod averaged 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds as a sophomore, Harrod averaged 18.2 points and 6.9 rebounds for the 19-9 Bonnie’s in his junior season, shooting 58.9% from the field, and 81.5% from the line. In his senior season, Harrod averaged 14.8 points and a team-leading 9.1 rebounds per game. In his four seasons with the Bonnies, Harrod scored 1,378 points and grabbed 739 rebounds, seventh best on the all-time Bonnies list, and shot 55.4% from the floor in his collegiate career, which ranks third in Bonnie’s history. 
  • Nieberlein Jr played two years of football at Indiana, then played two seasons of basketball at Rutgers. 
  • Cross started his freshman year at James Madison, averaging 6.2 points and 7.0 assists per game,then played in a reserve role for the Dukes in his final three seasons. Cross supplied 252 assists in his four seasons with the Dukes.  

27 ‘18 St Frances Panthers (36-7) Coach Nick Myles > #1 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Providence Day Tournament champions, Alhambra 7th 1-2 

Players  

Elijah Epps 6’3 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 10.0/3.4r/3.2a (Bowie State) 

Adrian ‘Ace’ Baldwin 5’11 SO; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, 13.8p/4.7r/6.5a/3.2s (VCU) 

Rajeir ‘Ra Ra’ Jones 6’2 JR; BCL DPOY, All-BCL Tournament (Chicago State / Grayson) 

Jordan Toles 6’3 SO; All-ACIT 2nd, 11.4p/4.3r (LSU football) 

Koran Moore 6’8 SR; 8.4p/6.7r 

‘Bass’ Diop 6’6 JR; 6.7p/5.6r (Louisburg)  

Jason Murphy 6’8 JR; (NJIT)  

The Panthers entered the ‘17-18 season following a year when the Panthers had their worst season in 15 years, and recorded a an overall losing record (16-18) for just the second time in 25 seasons. The Panthers hadn’t won a BCL tournament championship in eight seasons, or advanced to a BCL final since 2011, after winning back-to-back tournament titles in ‘08 and ‘09, their third title in five years.  

In the eight seasons since, Mt St Joe had won four titles, and John Carroll and Calvert Hall won two apiece. The Gaels had become the team to beat though, having played in six of the last eight finals, and winning five of eight BCL regular season crowns. The Gaels were coming off of a 37-4 season in ‘16-17, while Mt Carmel won 29 games, Goretti, 27, and John Carroll, 22. 

Coach Nick Myles’ ‘17-18 St Frances Panthers squad would be full of underclassmen determined to make a mark, anchored by a pair of senior pillars. Sophomore guard Adrian ‘Ace’ Baldwin was a dynamic talent, garnering All-BCL Honorable Mention honors as a freshman.  

Senior Elijah Epps and junior Rajeir ‘Ra Ra’ Jones would join Baldwin in the backcourt, while 6’8 senior Koran Moore, 6’6 junior ‘Bass’ Diop and 6’8 junior Jason Murphy would patrol the paint, with 6’3 sophomore Jordan Toles using his athleticism all over the court. The Panthers also offered 6’4 senior ‘swingman’ Edward Ferguson.  

This group had the talent to prevent a back-to-back losing season for the first time in the program’s history, but the league slate would be treacherous, with John Carroll returning senior Immanuel Quickley and junior Montez Mathis, two high D1 guard prospects, and Mt St Joe featuring senior 6’10 Jalen Smith and junior guard James Bishop, another pair of high D1 prospects.  

Quickley and Smith were the only juniors to be selected to the All-BCL first team in ‘16-17. To add, St Maria Goretti returned junior RJ Blakney, and Calvert Hall returned Brendan Adams, who along with John Carroll’s Mathis were the only two juniors on the All-BCL second team.  

The 2017-18 season would be the first time in BCL history that two former BCL POY’s would be returning, with Quickley winning the award as a sophomore in ‘16, and Smith winning the honor as a junior in ‘17.  

The Panthers began the season with five straight wins, including victories over Shiloh GA and Village Christian NC, and earning an overtime win in their first meeting with John Carroll, 78-73.  

John Carroll played without Quickley, who was nursing an injury. The game with the Patriots was tight throughout, with the margin never larger than seven points. The Panthers led by seven points at halftime, and led by three points after three quarters. Baldwin led all scorers with 24 points, adding eight assists, five rebounds, and five steals. Epps, the captain, added 18 points, hitting four of six shots behind the three-point line.  

The Panthers were then handed their first loss of the season by Gonzaga, in a lopsided 81-57 affair, a night after beating Spalding by forty points. The Panthers rebounded from their first defeat by winning their next eight games as they headed into the Christmas break.  

Included in those eight victories were a win over Goretti in their first meeting, a strong out-of-league win over Iona Prep NY, and a 81-75 win then #1 Mt St Joe. Epps, the senior, scored 26 points, on 7-8 from the field, and 10-10 from the line, and added four rebounds and four assists in the win over the Gaels. Epps’ two free throws gave the Panthers a 76-70 lead with 57 seconds to go, and the final margin stayed at six. The Panthers hit 15 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter, and 24 of 26 for the game. Toles, the sophomore, added 23 points. 

Over the holidays, the Panthers traveled to North Carolina to play in a holiday tournament at Providence Day School. On day one, the Panthers outlasted 14-1 Carmel Christian NC, 61-57, and on day two the Panthers put away the host, Providence Day NC, 77-61, with Koran Moore controlling the middle with 18 points and nine rebounds, and Baldwin adding 17 points, dishing out 11 assists, and grabbing five steals.  

The Panthers win streak came to an end in the final, losing 61-59 to Lincoln of Brooklyn, in a game where they shot 14 of 27 from the free throw line.  

The Panthers had a January to remember, going 12-0, winning their second meeting with John Carroll, 71-61, their second meeting with Goretti, 68-33, and added wins over 16-3 Boys Latin and 18-7 Pallotti, both MIAA contenders.  

In addition, the Panthers added wins over Poly and Patterson – both defending state champions from Baltimore City, Martin Luther King from Philadelphia, and Morgan Park from Chicago. In the John Carroll win, an Epps bucket gave the Panthers a 53-51 lead, a lead they wouldn’t surrender. The Panthers held the Pats to three points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, and took a ten point win.  

The Panthers posted 20 point wins over both Patterson and Morgan Park, and eight point victories over both Martin Luther King and Poly. Baldwin scored 17 points and added five rebounds and five assists in the win over King, and Diop scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win over Poly. The Panthers left January with a 27-2 record.  

The Panthers won their first two games in February, over Gilman and Calvert Hall, before suffering two straight losses. The first, was a mind bending 82-81 double overtime loss to Loyola, and the second was a 66-56 loss at Pallotti. The Panthers shot 5-24 from beyond the arc in the loss to the Dons, and 2-18 from beyond the arc in the loss to the Panthers.  

After a twenty point win over Glenelg Country, the Panthers closed the regular season with a 65-58 win over Mt St Joe, their second victory in two clashes with the Gaels. The win clinched the BCL regular season crown for the Panthers, and snapped the Gaels 19 game winning streak. The Panthers held the lead from the end of the first quarter on, but the margin remained in single-digits throughout. Moore scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Baldwin added 11 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.  

The Panthers won their eighth BCL regular season crown, and first since 2013. The Panthers, at 13-1, finished two games ahead of Mt St Joe in league play.  

The Panthers bid for their fifth MIAA tournament title was stopped in the semifinal. After posting a 22 point win over Mt Carmel in the quarterfinal, the Panthers were turned back by 24-6 Boys Latin, 68-65, in the semifinals. The Lakers would lose in overtime to John Carroll in the final.  

Next, was a quest for the Panthers first BCL tournament crown in nine seasons. It began with a 85-51 drubbing of Mt Carmel in the quarterfinal, followed by a convincing 70-53 victory over John Carroll, in the semifinals, their third win in three tries with the Pats. Jones led seven Panthers that scored seven points or more, with 16 points. Moore added 10 rebounds, and Baldwin added 11 assists.  

Now, they needed a third win in three tries over Mt St Joe to win the crown. Things were going the Gaels way, as the kids from Irvington led by four after the first quarter, and held seven point leads at both halftime and after three quarters. Then, Baldwin went to work, scoring 11 points in a three minute span in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer that would give the Panthers the lead for good, 43-42, with 3:25 to play. When the 12-0 run ended, the Panthers led, 50-42.  

The Panthers first BCL championship in nine seasons was their eighth overall, putting them one ahead of both the Gaels and Calvert Hall. Baldwin was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while both Epps and Jones joined their teammate on the all-tournament team.  

The Panthers trip to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament was uneventful and unsuccessful, winning just one of three games. On day one, the Panthers lost to 29-8 Bishop O’Connell VA, 82-73, before losing to the Gaels for the first time in four contests on day two, 71-58.  

The Panthers thumped the hosts on day three, Bishop Walsh, 92-71, to win their program record 36th game in a season. Toles was named to the all-tournament second team.  

This, after a 16-18 season. The BCL champions went 3-1 versus 31 win Mt St Joe, 2-0 versus 30 win Goretti, and 3-0 versus 29 win John Carroll. 8-1 versus league foes that won 29 games or more. The Panthers beat Carmel Christian NC, who finished 24-4, and beat Providence Day NC, who finished with 25 wins.  

The Panthers beat eventual state champion Poly, and eventual Illinois state champion, Morgan Park. The Panthers registered 17 wins over opponents that won 18 games or more, and twelve victories over opponents that won 24 games or more.  

Both Baldwin and Epps were named to both the Sun’s All-Met first team and the All-BCL furst team. Baldwin averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.2 steals per game. Epps averaged 10.0 points and 3.2 assists per game. Jones was named as the BCL Defensive Player of the Year, and joined Baldwin and Epps on the BCL All-Tournament team.  

Toles was the Panthers second leading scorer, averaging 11.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Moore averaged 8.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, and Diop added 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.  

Myles won his first BCL title with the Panthers, and was named the BCL’s O. Ray Mullis Coach of the Year for the first time.  

Notes;  

  • The ‘17-18 season capped the Panthers 30th season in the Baltimore Catholic League, a 30 season period that saw the Panthers win more BCL tournament championships than any other BCL opponent, and eight BCL regular season titles, second only to Mt St Joe, who won ten during the period. The Panthers .679 (275-130) win percentage in league play in its first 30 seasons in the league ranked tops in the BCL, as did their .639 (39-22) post-season win percentage.  
  • St Frances, founded in 1828, was the first, and is the oldest continually operating Black Catholic educational facility in the United States. The school has been in its current location on East Chase Street since 1871. After 146 years as an all-girls boarding and day school, St Frances went coed in 1974, and the building’s living space was converted into classrooms in 1978. 
  • For twenty-one-plus years, Wells’ Panthers were without their own gym, practicing in rec’ centers or wherever they could, and playing their games elsewhere, often at the University of Baltimore. In January of 2002, the gym and addition was completed, with access to a parking lot from Eager Street. The Panthers won four BCL tournament titles in the 90s without a home gym.  

28 ‘95 St Frances Panthers (24-5) Coach William Wells > #3 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Rocket Roundball Classic champions, Alhambra 3rd 2-1 

Players  

Mark Karcher 6’4 SO; BCL POY, All-Met 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, Alhambra MOP, 21.6p/11.3r/4.1a (Temple, NBA) 

Alphonso Jones 6’1 JR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st 

Keon Chavez 5’9 SR; All-BCL Tournament team 

Charles Beaufort 6’3 SO 

Corey Bradford 6’5 SR 

Darryl Dantzler 6’0 JR 

Though the Panthers finished 13-8 in the ‘93-94 season, things looked bright on East Chase Street for Coach William Wells and his troops heading into the ‘94-95 season.  

For one, Wells had 6’4 sophomore Mark Karcher returning, coming off a freshman season that was one of the two best freshman seasons ever produced in the Baltimore area, along with NBA veteran Duane Farrell’s freshman campaign at Calvert Hall during the ‘80-81 season. Karcher became just the second player to be named to the All-BCL first team as a freshman, joining Farrell as the only two to ever achieve that distinction.  

In addition, Wells was also welcoming back 6’1 junior guard Alphonso Jones,  eight months after the talented guard helped lead the Douglass Ducks to a state championship. Jones played his freshman year at St Frances. Wells also returned a pair of stellar two-way guards in point guard Keon Chavez and Darrell Dantzler. Charles Beaufort, a 6’4 sophomore, was an emerging talent, and gave the Panthers some needed size.  

The Panthers entered the ‘94-95 season having gone 22-17 in league play and 33-32 overall over the last three seasons, after winning their only BCL regular season crown in ‘91. Still, with Karcher leading the way as a freshman, the Panthers finished tied for third with Calvert Hall in league play, with a respectable 7-4 league record.  

The Panthers improved as the ‘94-95 season went on, and advanced to the BCL championship game, losing to Cardinal Gibbons and Steve Wojciechowski, 70-66, blowing a nine point lead with just 1:50 remaining, and getting outscored 16-3 by the Crusaders in the final 110 seconds. The Panthers had it, until they didn’t.  

Though Gibbons lost ‘Wojo’, they did return talented rising junior Josh Davalli. Calvert Hall had senior John McKay and sophomore Juan Dixon, and Goretti had senior Kenny Logan and junior Phil Lane. Danny Whye, who along with Karcher and Davalli, was one of three freshman and sophomores to make either the All-BCL first or second teams, returned at Mt St Joe.  

The Panthers began with a busy December, beginning with the Towson Catholic Mixer, followed by a tournament in Ohio, then the always competitive ‘Function in the Junction’, then the Fuel Fund Classic at UMBC, before closing with a holiday tournament in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. That’s five showcases and tournaments in the first month of the season.  

The Panthers started with a 76-66 win over Bishop McNamara, using a 13-4 run in the third quarter to put away the Mustangs. Karcher scored a game-high 25 points, while Beaufort added 22 points. Trailing by six points at halftime, the Panthers outscored the Mustangs 41-25 after intermission.  

The Panthers then won a showcase in the ‘Buckeye State’, topping Winthrow OH, 66-52, with Karcher scoring a game-high 27 points, and Beaufort adding 21 points.  

The Panthers stunted Edmondson in the ‘Function in the Junction’, 63-47, sans Karcher, with Jones leading the way with 23 points. Leading by three points after three stanzas, the Panthers outscored the Indians, 25-12, in the fourth quarter.  

Then, the following day at the ‘Junction’, with Karcher, the #3 Panthers lost to #4 Southwestern, 61-58. After the #4 Sabres went up eight points, 60-52, with less than 30 seconds remaining, Jones converted a four-point play, then Karcher followed a Beaufort missed free throw, the Panthers cut the lead to two points with 10 seconds to play. Jones desperation three-pointer to tie the game was off the mark.  

The Panthers rebounded from that loss by dominating Edgewood, 59-36, in the Fuel Fund Classic at UMBC. Up 23-20, with 3:25 remaining in the first half, the Panthers went on a 17-2 run that straddled both halves to take an insurmountable 40-22 lead.  

The Panthers then recorded a 24 point win over Mt Hebron and it’s star Patrick Ngongba, where Karcher scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Jones added 21 points. Down two points late in the second quarter, the Panthers scored the last nine points of the first half, before dominating the second half. 

The Panthers won two games in the Spring Grove Holiday tournament in Pennsylvania to close the year. The Panthers stumped Lancaster Catholic PA, 76-46, after coasting to a 23 point halftime lead. Beaufort led all scorers with 24 points, while Karcher tallied 20 points. The Panthers took the Rocket Roundball Classic with a 61-57 win over host Spring Grove. Karcher poured in 26 points in the tournament championship game. 

The Panthers began the new year with a 65-53 victory over Calvert Hall in their first meeting with the Cards, with Karcher leading five double-digit scorers for the Panthers, with 16 points. After scoring 39 points in the first three quarters and holding just a four point lead heading into the final stanza, the Panthers exploded for 26 points in the fourth quarter.  

The Panthers ran off five straight wins following their victory over the Cards, running their winning streak to ten games heading into their Charm City Classic showdown with Laurel Baptist and their star, Louis Bullock.  

The #3 (the top two, Lake Clifton and Dunbar, were both nationally ranked among the top 15), 16-1 Panthers, versus 23-2 Laurel Baptist, featuring Bullock, already a University of Michigan commit. The Panthers fell to the Eagles, 77-74, after surrendering a 11 point first half lead. The Panthers fell behind by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter, before rallying and coming up short.  

Bullock finished with 32 points, including going 22-22 from the free throw line. Karcher scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the loss, while Jones added 18 points. The Panthers fell to 15-2, with a pair of three point losses to Southwestern and Laurel Baptist.  

Unfortunately, for the Panthers, the losing streak didn’t stop there, receiving their first decisive loss of the season at the hands of St Maria Goretti, 77-61, seven days after handing the Gaels a 74-67 loss in their first meeting. In the second meeting, the Panthers held a five point lead after three quarters, before getting outscored 34-13 in the fourth quarter.  

Then, the third loss in four games came when a foul-plagued Karcher and the Panthers took a 86-63 pounding from Calvert Hall. Karcher received his first two fouls three minutes in, but scored six straight points to begin the second quarter to cut an eight point margin to two, before picking up his third foul with 4:22 to play in the first half, and the Cardinals capping off a 13-0 run to give them a 36-21 lead.  

The Panthers closed the regular season winning its final four games, including a regular season crown-clinching 58-30 win over Mt St Joe, carrying a 20-4 record as post-season play arrived. The Panthers won their second BCL regular season crown, and first in four years, finishing a game ahead of Calvert Hall, and three games ahead of Goretti.  

After receiving a first round bye in the BCL tournament, the Panthers topped Mt St Joe for a third time, 55-48, in a semifinal game at UMBC. The Panthers held off the Gaels, after the latter fought back from an 11 point fourth quarter deficit to cut the margin to three points twice. Karcher led the Panthers with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  

That meant a third meeting with 26-win Calvert Hall, three and a half weeks after the Cardinals drubbed the Panthers by 23 points. In the final, the Panthers defense was suffocating, limiting the Cardinals to just two field goals in the first half, and walking away with a 45-34 title-winning victory. Karcher led the way with 18 points, and the sophomore earned the tournament’s MVP honors. Chavez, who helped hold the Cardinals leading scorer John McKay to three points, joined Karcher on the all-tournament team.  

The Panthers finished third at the Alhambra Catholic Invitation Tournament, beating St Benedict’s NJ, 48-44, then losing to DeMatha, 78-55, before topping St Matthews of Ontario, 67-60, for third place. Karcher was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, registering 81 points (27 ppg) and 43 (14.3 rpg) rebounds over three games.  

Karcher was selected as the Baltimore Catholic League’s MVP, becoming the first sophomore to win the award. The All-Met first team selection averaged 21.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Karcher was the only sophomore among 20 players to make either the All-Met first or second teams. Jones joined Karcher on the All-BCL first team, as well as the All-Met second team. Chavez was selected to the All-BCL second team.  

Wells’ Panthers set a program record in overall wins, with 24, and overall win percentage, at .828. Wells guided the Panthers to their second BCL tournament title in five years, and second regular season crown in four years.  

The Panthers won tournament and showcases in Ohio and Pennsylvania, swept the BCL regular season and tournament titles, won their matchups in the ‘Function in the Juntion’ and the Fuel Fund Classic, and added wins over Bishop McNamara and St Benedict’s, among others. Meanwhile, half of Karcher’s high school career was still ahead of him.  

Notes;  

  • Wells coached 28 seasons at St Frances, including the Panthers first 20 seasons in the BCL. Wells won 516 games while at the helm of the Panthers program, winning six BCL tournament titles and five BCL regular season titles. As of ‘22, Wells has the third highest post-season win percentage in BCL history, at .641, with a 25-14 record. Wells’ six tournament titles is tied with former Cardinal Gibbons coach Ray Mullis for the second most in BCL history, trailing only Mt St Joe’s Pat Clatchey, who’s won eight. Wells teams produced two 30 win seasons, and six other 20 win seasons. Wells coached four BCL POY’s – Devin Gray (‘91), Mark Karcher (‘95, ‘96, ‘97), Shawn Hampton (‘08), and Sean Mosley (‘08).  

29 ‘03 Mt St Joseph Gaels (29-5) Coach Pat Clatchey > #3 in the Sun, BCL/MIAA regular season and tournament champions, Alhambra 7th 1-2 

Players 

Will Thomas 6’7 JR; BCL POY, All-Met 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, 16.9p/10.1r/3.2a (George Mason) 

Kyle O’Connor 6’2 SR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st, 14.4p/4r/4a (Marymount) 

Keon Lattimore 5’11 SR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 2nd (Maryland football) 

Anthony Fair 6’7 SR; (Delaware State / Towson) 

Brian Johnson 5’10 SO; (Delaware)  

LJ Mack Jr 6’2 JR 

As Pat Clatchey entered his 11th season in Irvington, a Mt St Joe program that had been mired in mediocrity for more than a quarter of a century, seemed to be on a vertical trajectory, after coming off a ‘01-02 season where the Gaels posted the most wins in a season in 27 years. The 24-8 season followed a 25 year period that saw the Gaels finish with better than a 6-4 or 8-6 league record just once, two years before Clatchey arrived.  

The Gaels entered the ‘02-03 season having never won the BCL tournament championship in its 31 year history, and had advanced to just one league tournament final in 20 seasons.  

Though those twenty seasons produced a large amount of parity across the BCL, that parity seemed to include all league members but the Gaels. Over the last 20 seasons, from the ‘82-83 season through the ‘01-02 season, every one of the four BCL original members had advanced to the league tournament title game five times or more over those 20 seasons, while the Gaels had secured a berth in the championship game just once (‘98).  

Towson Catholic had played in seven title games over that time, while Gibbons had played in six, and both Calvert Hall and Loyola played in five. Even St Frances and Goretti, who, respectively, had just 14 and 18 years in the league, both had advanced to the title game five times or more, with the Panthers making six appearances, and the Gaels, five. Coming into the ‘02-03 season, Spalding had just five seasons in the league, and had already won three tournaments. 

While the forecast seemed to be brighter in Irvington, things in Severn looked even brighter at Spalding, as the Cavaliers were adding 6’7 junior Rudy Gay to their cast, after the ultra-talented forward transferred from Eastern Tech, joining a talented pair in 6’10 senior Will Bowers and junior guard Jesse Brooks. Gay was a national prospect, and Bowers was selected to the All-BCL first team as a junior, the season before, when the Cavaliers won both the BCL regular season and tournament championships, and finished 29-7. Now, they had Gay. St Maria Goretti returned Derrick Davis, who was selected to the All-BCL second team as a junior, and helped his Gaels to 24 wins.  

Clatchey, for his part, had talented 6’7 junior Will Thomas and 6’2 senior guard Kyle O’Connor returning, and after contemplating sitting out the season so he could devote more time to football training, senior Keon Lattimore decided to play, after earning All-BCL second team honors as a junior. In addition, the Gaels had 6’7 senior Anthony Fair, 6’3 junior LJ Mack Jr, and talented sophomore guard Brian Johnson slated to go. Still, everyone ranked behind pre-season #1 Spalding were contenders, not favorites.  

The Gaels first two uneventful weeks of the season produced five wins in five games, as they headed into their first showdown with #1 and fellow unbeaten Spalding, before Christmas break, in Irvington. Among the five victories was a 66-51 league win over Cardinal Gibbons, with Thomas scoring 23 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.  

The Gaels controlled the first meeting with the top ranked Cavaliers from start to finish – taking an eight point lead after one quarter, a ten point lead at halftime, and a 14 point lead early in the fourth quarter, before the Cavaliers came within four points five times in the final stanza, but never closer. The Gaels closed the game on an 8-1 run to take a 66-55 win.  

Lattimore was the catalyst for the Gaels, registering 19 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocked shots. O’Connor scored a game-high 20 points, including five three-pointers, while Thomas recorded 13 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocked shots, and helped limit Gay to 12 points. Lattimore, Ravens great Ray Lewis’ younger brother, was playing in just his second game of the season, after reversing his decision not to play. 

The Gaels suffered their first loss of the season to McDonogh, 45-44, at the Special Olympics Tournament in York, Pennsylvania, after holding a 28-15 lead. Will Thomas was held to five points. The Gaels rebounded with a 71-49 win over York Catholic in the consolation game, with O’Connor scoring 21 points, Lattimore, 19 points, and Thomas, 16. The Gaels headed into the new year with a 8-1 record.  

The Gaels began 2003 taking their first BCL league loss, losing to Towson Catholic, 54-51. The Gaels responded from that loss by earning a hard fought 39-37 win over St Maria Goretti in Irvington, with O’Connor leading all scorers with 18 points.  

A week later, the #7 Gaels unseated St Frances from the unbeatens, capturing a 73-68 over the #4 Panthers, after holding a 19 point halftime lead. The game featured 77 free throw attempts, with the Gaels shooting 32 of 38 from the charity stripe, and the Panthers shooting 30 of 39 from the line. Thomas scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win, while O’Connor added 19 points, going 10-10 from the line.  

The Gaels topped Calvert Hall twice in January, 53-41, then 45-40 in the second meeting, with LJ Mack Jr coming off the bench to score 10 of his team-high 15 points in the second half. The Gaels trailed by a point after three quarters, but the Cardinals went scoreless for nearly six minutes in the fourth quarter.  

The Gaels then avenged their earlier loss to Towson Catholic, topping the Owls, 45-36, after limiting the visitors to 13 first half points. O’Connor scored a game-high 19 points. The Gaels headed into February with a 21-2 record.  

The Gaels won their first four games in February to push to 25-2, including a 63-57 win over Spalding in Severn, to clinch their first BCL regular season title in 32 years. The victory pushed the Gaels winning streak to 16 games. Thomas scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.  

The Gaels ended the regular season with a tough 54-52 loss to St Frances, snapping their 16 game win streak, to finish the regular season 25-3 overall, 13-3 in the MIAA/BCL, and 12-2 in the BCL, as they headed into the combined MIAA/BCL tournament.  

Both the Gaels and McDonogh finished 13-3 in the MIAA, but St Joe received the one seed based on a tie-breaker.  

The Gaels defeated Towson Catholic in the BCL/MIAA tournament, 54-44, in the quarterfinals, after the Gaels 12 point halftime lead had dwindled to just three points early in the fourth quarter. The Gaels then went a 9-0 run, to take a comfortable 48-36 lead, with just minutes left. O’Connor scored a team-high 17 points for the Gaels.  

The Gaels won the rubber match with St Frances in the semifinal, 58-55, holding off several late Panthers rallies. The game featured seven ties and no margin larger than seven points. The Panthers cut it to 54-52, before O’Connor and Thomas both made free throws to seal the deal. Thomas scored 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked three shots. Fair scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.  

The Gaels needed to beat Spalding and Gay a third time to win their first BCL tournament title.  

They did, as the Gaels won a back-and-forth 49-48 duel, to capture their first league tournament trophy in its 32 year history. The game was tied at half at 25, before the Cavaliers took a 42-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Lattimore hit a three-pointer to tie, before Gay put the Cavs up by two. Johnson answered with a three-pointer to give the Gaels a 45-44 lead with three minutes left in regulation.  

Bowers answered for the Cavs, to take back the lead, before O’Connor’s three-pointer gave the Gaels a 48-46 lead with 1:59 to play. Thomas added a free throw with 1:07 left, to give the Gaels a three point lead. Bowers answered for the Cavs, to cut the margin to 49-48 with 40 seconds on the clock.  

Both teams would go scoreless the rest of the way, with both teams missing front ends of ‘one-and-ones’, and the Cavaliers missing several last-second tip-in attempts after Bowers eight-footer came off of the rim. Lattimore led all scorers with 20 points, converting four three-pointers. Thomas was held to just one field goal and five points. Bowers led the Cavs with 26 points, and while Gay was limited to eight points, he added 14 rebounds. 

Thomas was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while Lattimore joined the junior forward on the all-tournament team.  

The Gaels won just one of three games at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, losing to Judge Memorial UT, 58-52, on day one, then to Cathedral (Ontario), 68-60, on day two, before beating the hosts, 78-59, Bishop Walsh, for seventh place. Lattimore was selected to the all-tournament second team.  

The ‘02-03 Gaels matched the program’s record in wins, with 29, and won their first BCL tournament championship in its program’s history. Clatchey won his second straight O Ray Mullis Coach of the Year award, and third overall, leading the Gaels to 53 wins in two seasons, a program best.  

Thomas was named the Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year, and was named to the Sun’s All-Met first team, after averaging 16.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.2 blocked shots per game. O’Connor was named to the All-BCL first team, as well as the All-Met second team, after averaging 14.4 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game. Lattimore was named to the All-BCL second team.  

Notes;  

  • Lattimore played four seasons of football at Maryland, leading the Terps in yards from scrimmage in his junior season, and leading the team in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage in his senior season. After playing in 12 games and gaining 196 yards and scoring three touchdowns on 65 carries in his first two seasons in College Park, Lattimore rushed for 743 yards and caught 20 passes for 210 yards in his junior year. Lattimore started his senior season with four 100 yard games in the Terps first five contests, and finished the year with 805 rushing yards and scored a team-best 13 touchdowns. Lattimore spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, before agreeing on an injury settlement.  

30 ‘20 Mt St Joseph Gaels (29-6) Coach Pat Clatchey > #3 in the Sun, MIAA tournament champions, BCL tournament runner-up, JR Orange Bowl Classic champions, Alhambra cancelled  

Players 

Jason Edokpayi 6’6 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 15.6p/7.3r/2.1b (Fairfield)  

Tyler Brelsford 6’4 SR; All-BCL 1st (George Washington / Bryant) 

Ausar Crawley 5’9 JR; All-BCL 2nd (Morgan State football) 

D’Angelo Stines 6’1 JR; All-BCL Tournament (Old Dominion) 

Antonio Hamlin 6’0 SO 

Cam Sapienza 6’0 SR; (Stevenson)  

Sean Carr 6’6 JR; (Salisbury) 

The Gaels entered the 2019-20 season three years removed from Darryl Morsell, two years from Jalen ‘Stix’ Smith, and now a season removed from James Bishop IV, three highly recruited talents, with Morsell entering his senior year in College Park, Smith preparing for his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns, and Bishop in Baton Rouge, with the LSU Tigers.  

Coach Pat Clatchey’s ‘19-20 Gaels lacked that marquee player, but they did possess enough pieces, that if things went right, could contend with the heavily favored St Frances Panthers. The Panthers were the two-time defending champs, and were adding two high profile junior transfers to their already stellar cast.  

Ausar Crawley, a 5’9 point guard, was the lone All-BCL selection returning for the Gaels in ‘19-20, selected to the second team as a sophomore. Clatchey was going to count on 6’6 senior Jason Edokpayi to produce on both ends in the middle, while Crawley, junior D’Angelo Stines, and highly heralded sophomore Antonio Hamlin would lead the backcourt, while 6’4 Tyler Brelsford would provide an inside-outside threat. 

The Panthers, for their part, were returning first team selections, ‘Ace’ Baldwin and Jamal West, and an all-league second team selection in Jordan Toles. To add, the Panthers were getting 6’10 Julian Reese from New Town, and Anne Arundel County senior guard and 20 point scorer, Byron Ireland, from Annapolis. The Panthers would be the clear pre-season favorite.  

Spalding and John Carroll, led by dynamic sophomores Cam Whitmore and Tyson Commander, respectively, looked to be BCL contenders, as well.  

While the Panthers had won the last two BCL titles, it followed a period where Clatchey’s Gaels’ had won 7 of 15 BCL titles, and though the Gaels were denied a berth in the 2019 BCL championship game, the Gaels had played in 11 of the previous 16 BCL title games.  

After two blowout wins to begin the season, the Gaels faced DeMatha in the Charm City Classic before December even began. The nationally ranked #10 Stags controlled throughout, and used a 16-0 run in the third quarter to put away the Gaels in a 83-62 victory. Edokpayi led Gaels scorers with 14 points.  

The Gaels rebounded with two wins, then took their first MIAA A loss to McDonogh, 80-67. Again, the Gaels responded, knocking off #4 Glenelg Country, 62-48. The Gaels built a 23 point lead over the Dragons after three quarters. Edokpayi led four double-digit scorers for the Gaels with 17 points. 

The Gaels closed out December winning three games at the Junior Orange Bowl Classic in Miami. The Gaels crushed 8-1 North Miami FL, 81-56, on opening day, then beat Pittsburgh private power Mt Lebanon PA, 50-48, in the semifinals, before taking out 11-2 Mater Academy Charter FL, 64-50, in the final. The Gaels held an eleven point halftime lead in the championship game, and the Lions never got closer than eight points.  

For the Gaels, it was their second JR Orange Bowl Classic title in four years, after topping South Miami in the 2016 final. The Gaels turned the calendar with a 10-2 record.  

The Gaels opened the new year with a 66-63 overtime loss to Boys Latin, but then ran off 11 straight wins over the next thirty days, including a 62-53 win over #1 St Frances in their first meeting of the season. The Gaels used a 23-13 third quarter to create a large enough margin to hold off the top ranked Panthers, who had cut the lead to two, 55-53, with just under two minutes to play. The Gaels closed the game scoring the last seven points. Edokpayi scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. Brelsford added 19 points.  

The Gaels victory was Coach Clatchey’s 700th win with the program. The Gaels moved to 7-0 in BCL league play, a game over the Panthers, who fell to 6-1.  

The eleven game win streak also included a 65-46 victory over Spalding, who had won eight of ten games, and two dominating wins over John Carroll.  

The Gaels produced an 89-63 blowout win over the then 10-2 Pats in the first meeting, with Brelsford leading the way with 24 points, then put together a 69-39 rout over the then 15-5 Pats, 17 days later. Berslford, Edokpayi, and Crawley, combined for 23 points in the third quarter of the first meeting with the Patriots, raising a five point halftime lead into a double-digit lead, where it stayed. 

Then, after a 65-55 win over Loyola to open February, the Gaels lost their first BCL league game, falling to Spalding, 67-56, dropping them into a tie for first in the league standings with St Frances, and snapping their 11 game win streak. The Cavaliers led the top ranked Gaels from start to finish. The Gaels won their next two games to rise to 24-4, heading into their regular season finale at St Frances, in a battle for the BCL regular season crown.  

Two weeks prior, the Panthers became the first BCL team to be ranked among the nation’s top ten since the Gaels team in ‘08, before they stumbled down the stretch. The Gaels looked to be on the verge of a sweep of the 32-3 Panthers, building a 63-50 advantage with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.  

But, from there, Baldwin took over, and the Panthers outscored the Gaels 18-3 in just over four minutes to take their first lead of the second half, 68-66, with 58 seconds to play. The Gaels fell short, 73-69, and the Panthers would rise to #6 in the country the following week, in time for the MIAA A tournament.  

This would be the 20th MIAA post-season tournament, with the Gaels and Panthers holding five tournament crowns apiece over the first 19 years of the tournament’s existence. The Gaels had advanced to 12 of the last 18 MIAA A championship games, including the ‘19 game, where the Panthers thumped the Gaels, 77-61.  

In the quarterfinals, the Gaels had to hold off Pallotti, who had taken a one point lead with less than two minutes to play, before escaping with a 65-63 win. Crawley hit two free throws with three seconds to go to give the Gaels the victory, and finished with a team-high 19 points.  

Crawley was a catalyst in the 55-43 semifinal win over Spalding, hitting two three-pointers to end the third quarter, and another to open the fourth, to provide the Gaels seperation from the Cavs. The Cavaliers came back to cut their deficit to two, 40-38, with 3:51 to play, before the Gaels put the game away with a 13-1 run, including a baseline drive by Crawley to push their lead to seven points. Edokpayi scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the win.  

Now, round three, with the now #6 nationally ranked Panthers, who stood 35-3. The Gaels started strong, like they had the first two meetings, building a nine point halftime lead into a 18 point lead, 60-42, on the first possession of the fourth quarter. After losing a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter of their second meeting, the Gaels saw their 18 point lead dwindle to six points, with 3:22 to play.  

Stines and Crawley hit buckets, and Brelsford hit a three, and the Gaels outscored the Panthers 9-3 following their rally to take a 71-59 lead with just over a minute to go, and settled with a comfortable 76-63 victory. Edokpayi was phenomenal, scoring 22 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocking three shots. Brelsford, Crawley, and Stines, all contributed 16 points apiece.  

Next, the BCL playoffs. The Gaels survived and advanced in the quarterfinals, after a 52-47 win over seven seed St Maria Goretti, with Stines scoring a game-high 20 points, and Edokpayi scoring nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, after Goretti had cut St Joe’s lead to one.  

Next was six seed Mt Carmel, after the Cougars upset three seed Spalding in the quarterfinals. The Gaels handled the Cougs, 73-60, to advance to their 13th BCL title game in 18 seasons, seeking their eighth tournament championship.  

At the same time, the Panthers were looking to produce a BCL ‘three-peat’, and justify a national top ten ranking. The Panthers did just that, going wire-to-wire in a 81-65 win over the Gaels, scoring the game’s first nine points and never looking back. Edokpayi scored 19 points in the loss, while Hamlin added 15 points. Edokpayi and Stines were selected to the all-tournament team.  

Nonetheless, the Gaels won their league best sixth MIAA A championship, and split four games with a team that went 38-4 and finished among the top ten in the country. To add, the Gaels captured the Jr Orange Bowl Holiday Classic championship. The Gaels registered 20 of their 29 wins versus teams that finished with 17 wins or more, and just six of the 29 victories came against teams that finished with losing records.  

Edokpayi was named to both the Sun’s All-Met first team and the All-BCL first team, after averaging 15.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.2 blocked shots per game. Brelsford joined Edokpayi on the All-BCL first team, while Crawley was named to the All-BCL second team.  

The Gaels MIAA A tournament title was Clatchey’s 13th post-season championship in his last 18 years in Irvington.  

Notes;  

  • Mt St Joe is just one of three founding members of the BCL remaining in the league, with Curley pulling out after the ‘92-93 season, and Towson Catholic closing in ‘09, and Cardinal Gibbons closing in ‘10. Through the ‘21-22 season, the Gaels have registered a 1081-516 (.677) overall record since the BCL’s inception in the ‘71-72 season, and a 395-240 (.622) league record in 50 full seasons, plus a shortened ‘20-21 season. Both marks rank second only to St Frances (.708 overall, .703 league) in both categories.  
  • Edokpayi has played a reserve role at Fairfield for two seasons. 
  • Brelsford played a reserve role at George Washington in his freshman season, and did the same at Bryant in the ‘21-22 season. 
  • Stines played in 27 games in his freshman season of ‘21-22 at Old Dominion, averaging 9 minutes per game.  
Willie Sean Coughlan
Willie Sean Coughlan

HS Sports Analyst

Willie, a native of Chicago, and now a resident of Columbia for 40 years, is an educator at Homewood Center in Howard County, after spending 12 years as a real estate agent, following 10 years of running a small men’s retail company. Willie has contributed to Max Preps, Digital Sports, and Varsity Sports Network. Willie has produced MPSSAA top 25 rankings for both football and basketball for 15 years, across various platforms. From a large ‘sports family’, Willie’s brother Mike led Reservoir High to the 3A basketball state title game in 2018, while his nephew Anthony serves as the Indianapolis Colts College Scouting Coordinator.

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