The Baltimore Catholic League’s Top 50 Teams Of All Time (#s 6-10)

This is the sixth part in a seven part series looking at the top 50 Baltimore Catholic League teams of all-time, as Baltimore Sports and Life High School Analyst Willie Sean Coughlan sees it.  

6 ‘07 Towson Catholic Owls (32-6) Coach Josh Pratt > #1 in the Sun, BCL & MIAA undefeated regular season and tournament champions, Alhambra 4th 1-2 

Players 

Malcolm Delaney 6’3 SR; Sun POY, BCL POY, All-BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 2nd, Capital Classic selection, 19.5p/3.4r/4.5a/2.9s (Virginia Tech, NBA) 

Donté Greene 6’9 SR; McDonald’s All-American, Maryland Gatorade POY, All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, All-ACIT 1st, 18.3p/7.2r/3.2a/2.1s (Syracuse, NBA) 

Brandon Greene 6’6 JR; All-BCL HM, All-MIAA HM, All-BCL Tournament, 12.0p/9.1r/2.1b (Cecil / Bellhaven)  

Larry Bastfield 5’11 JR; All-MIAA HM, 11.8p, 3.1r/4.0a (Toledo) 

LaShon Edwards 6’4 SO 

Andrew Fitzgerald 6’7 SO; (Oklahoma) 

Towson Catholic entered the 2006-07 season with huge expectations, pressure second year coach Josh Pratt had gotten use to following the 20 year tenure of coach Mike Daniel, winner of four BCL titles and winner of 66% of his games as the Owls coach.  

Pratt was blessed with the return of a pair of All-Mets, 6’3 senior guard Malcolm Delaney and 6’9 senior forward Donté Greene, both ‘Power 5’ recruits, and both with big ‘upsides’. In addition, the Owls boasted Greene’s cousin Brandon, a 6’6 junior, four year guard Larry Bastfield, and a pair of talented sophomores in 6’4 LeShon Edwards and 6’7 Andrew Fitzgerald.  

Greene ranked among the top ten players (#7) in his class in the 247 Sports rankings, and among the top twenty (#17) high school players in the country in ESPN’s ESPN 100. Greene had committed to Syracuse and coach Jim Boeheim in October of his junior year. Delaney was ranked #89 in the country by Rivals, and had committed to Virginia Tech in September. Donté Greene was selected to the All-BCL first team as a junior, while Delaney was selected to the second team.  

The Owls had been knocking at the BCL post-season door, advancing to the tournament finals in ‘05 and ‘06, but couldn’t get over the hump. A hump dating back eight years since winning their last BCL title in 1998. Since, the Owls had lost four times in the BCL title game. The Owls ‘98 crown snapped a three year reign by St Frances, and gave the Owls their fourth league crown under Daniel in a ten year period.  

Though the Owls didn’t win the elusive BCL title in ‘05-06, Pratt’s first season showed great promise, with Delaney and Greene shining as juniors, going 27-10, and producing the second most wins in a season in their program’s history.  

There would be no cakewalk for Delaney, Greene, and the Owls, as there was a plethora of talented players and teams in the Baltimore Catholic League in the ‘06-07 season.  

Mt St Joe was coming off of a 38-1 season and a national top 10 ranking for the first time. The Gaels, who entered the ‘06-07 season having won three of the last four BCL titles, featured a trio of ‘Power 5’ recruits in senior Dino Gregory (Maryland), junior Henry Sims (Georgetown), and junior Eric Atkins (Notre Dame). St Frances had won 89 games over the last four seasons, and featured rising junior Sean Mosley (Maryland), who was ranked among the top 50 players in his class in the country. Calvert Hall boasted their own ‘Power 5’ big in Braxton DuPree (Maryland/Towson).  

In addition to the BCL and MIAA post-season tournaments, the Owls would also have to navigate several in-season high quality tournaments and showcases, traveling to the Hall of Fame Classic in Cambridge, Massachusetts to open the season, then go to Portland, Oregon over the holidays, then travel to Binghamton, New York in January. Add in dates with TC Williams VA, a pair of dates with national top 25 teams in St John Neumann of Philadelphia and DeMatha, and finish with the legendary Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, should they win a league championship.  

The Owls opened the season with a tough four point loss to the #2 ranked team in the country, St Benedict’s NJ, 79-75, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the Hall of Fame Classic, after notching a national top 25 victory over St John Neumann PA, 70-65. Greene led the Owls with 23 points in the loss to St Benedict’s. The Owls followed by winning a pair of games and the Bullis Tournament championship, just before Christmas break.  

Over the holiday break, the Owls traveled across the country to Portland, Oregon, to compete in the prestigious Les Schwab Classic. The opener presented Portland’s best Jesuit, the ‘03 tournament champions. The Owls and Crusaders traded leads back and forth, before going to overtime, tied at 53. The Crusaders exploded for 21 points in overtime, handing the Owls a 74-61 overtime loss. The Owls shot just 2-11 from beyond the arc, and 5-13 from the foul line. Greene scored 22 points, hauled in 17 rebounds, dished out three assists and picked off three steals.  

The Owls responded on day two by crushing West Salem OR, 53-27, then followed that with a win over Iolani, the four-time defending Hawaii state champion, 59-44. Ronald Nicholson led a balanced Owls attack with 16 points. Brandon Greene scored 13 points, hitting all of his six shot attempts from the floor. Donte Greene scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Delaney added nine assists.  

The Owls won a pair of games at the Stop DWI Classic in Binghamton, New York, before suffering a heartbreaking 73-71 loss to undefeated, 15-0 Boys & Girls High NY, in the final.  

The Owls took out St Frances and Mosley twice in January, winning the first, 73-63, after running out to a 21 point halftime lead. The Owls came into the first meeting ranked #1 in the area, while the Panthers were right behind at #2. Greene scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked six shots. Edwards added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Delaney added 19 points, as well.  

Three weeks later, the #1 Owls visited St Frances for their second matchup with the Panthers. The Owls led for the first 27 minutes, until the Panthers tied the game at 57 with 4:18 to play. Greene and Delaney each scored four points in the ensuing 12-0 run leading to a 71-58 victory. Greene scored 22 points in the win, and Delaney added 21.  

The Owls ended January with a 78-71 loss to DeMatha in an ESPNU televised event from American University’s Bender Arena, featuring the top ranked team in Baltimore and the top ranked team in DC. The Stags started out with a 13-2 lead and never relinquished the advantage. The Owls trailed by 15 points early in the fourth quarter, before Greene and Delaney cut the deficit to five points, before ultimately falling short. Delaney scored a team-high 27 points, and Greene added 23 points, while Freeman scored a game-high 31 points for the Stags.  

The Owls two meetings with defending BCL champion Mt St Joe came in the final two weeks of the regular season, and a win over the Gaels in the first matchup would clinch both the MIAA and BCL regular season crowns.  

The Owls closed the deal, pulling out a 64-59 victory in Irvington over the #2 Gaels. The game was tight throughout, with the Owls holding a two point half time lead, before Delaney scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, snapping a nine game losing streak to the Gaels.  

The BCL regular season title was the third for the Owls program, after winning two under Daniel, in ‘90 and ‘99.  

Three nights later, the Owls held off the Gaels again, 55-53, with Greene and Delaney each hitting a free throw in the final minute to give the hosts a two point win. Maryland bound Dino Gregory was held to six points for the Gaels.  

The Owls entered the MIAA playoffs with a 26-4 record, and improved that with a dominating 96-61 win over St Frances in the MIAA semifinals, their third double-digit win over the 24 win Panthers. The Owls led 40-22 at halftime and never looked back. Dulaney poured in 35 points, with 17 coming in the decisive first half.  

The Owls continued their dominance in the MIAA championship game, pasting 22 win McDonogh, 71-49, with Greene scoring 19 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and blocking six shots, and Dulaney leading all scorers with 22 points. This was the Owls second MIAA post-season title, and first since winning the inaugural post-season championship game in 2001.  

The Owls began their quest for their first BCL post-season title in nine years by throttling St Maria Goretti by 44 points in the quarterfinals, 76-32, and by doing so, set a program record with their 29th win.  

The Owls notched their 30th victory with a 23 point win over Cardinal Gibbons in the semifinals, 66-43, with Greene scoring a game-high 21 points, and recording five rebounds, four blocked shots, three steals, and two assists. Dulaney added 18 points and nine rebounds.  

The win set up a third matchup with #2 Mt St Joe in the BCL championship game. The Gaels came in having won three of the last four BCL tournament titles. Though the Gaels dropped both of the previous games to the Owls, both were decided by five points or less.  

The third matchup was never in doubt,  as the Owls registered a convincing 70-54 win over the talented Gaels. Dulaney scored 20 points, while Donte Green scored 14 points and recorded 10 rebounds, and Brandon Greene added nine points and 12 rebounds.  

Donte Greene was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and Delaney and Brandon Greene joined their teammate on the all-tournament team. The Owls earned their fifth BCL post-season title, but first in nine years, and their first winning it all as the one seed.  

The Owls headed to the ultra-competitive Alhambra Tournament with a 31-4 record, already placing themselves among the BCL’s all-time great teams, having swept the MIAA and BCL championships, after going undefeated in league play. Anything else was icing on the cake.  

The Owls stumped St Johns DC in the quarterfinal, 70-46, routing the Cadets, who were ranked #4 in the Washington Post, and who featured Georgetown commit Chris Wright, who won the Alhambra’s Most Outstanding Player award in ‘06 as a junior. Greene led the way, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.  

The Owls were turned back in their rematch with St John Neumann PA in the semifinals, 80-69, after beating the Saints in December, 70-65. Greene scored 18 points and hauled in 14 rebounds in the loss to the Saints, who featured a pair of Syracuse commits, ‘Scoop’ Jardine and Rick Jackson, who would both team with Greene for the Orange the following season.  

The season finale would bring on DeMatha in the third place game, after the Stags were upended by Roman Catholic in the semifinals, 63-62. A rematch of the Owls and Stags late January meeting that saw the Stags earn a 78-71 victory.  

The battle between Baltimore and DC’s best teams proved to be a classic, with the Stags taking a buzzer-beating 58-56 victory. The fourth quarter saw five lead changes and three ties, before the Stags Jeff Peterson’s game-winning layup at the buzzer. Donté Greene led all scorers with 24 points, and was named to the all-tournament first team. The Stags were led by their own McDonald’s All-American, Georgetown commit Austin Freeman, who scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Delaney was named to the all-tournament second team.  

Dulaney and Donté Greene finished their illustrious high school careers by leading a team that become the first in program history to go undefeated in league play, win 30 or more games, and first to sweep the BCL and MIAA post-season titles.  

Dulaney was named the Sun’s Player of the Year award, averaging 19.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. Delaney, who played his freshman season at McDonogh, finished with 2,112 points in his four year high school career. Greene was named a McDonald’s All-American and the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, after averaging 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.  

Brandon Greene and Bastfield earned All-MIAA honors, with Greene averaging 12 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocked shots per game, and Bastfield averaging 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and four assists per game.  

Pratt helped lead the Owls to regular season and tournament titles in his second season, registering a 59-16 record through his first two years at Towson Catholic. Pratt’s ‘07 Owls became just the second team in 23 years to finish undefeated in BCL league play, but also second in two years, joining ‘06 Mt St Joe as the only two undefeated league champions since Duane Farrell led the Cardinals to their third undefeated season in league play for the third time in four seasons in ‘84.  

Notes;  

• Donté Greene played one year at Syracuse, becoming the first freshman to lead the Orange in scoring since Carmelo Anthony, another former Owl, did in ‘02-03. Greene averaged 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while snapping Gerry McNamara’s mark for three-pointers made by a freshman, with 90. Greene was named to the All-Big East 2nd team. Greene declared for the 2008 NBA Draft after his freshman season, and was selected in the first round, 28th overall, by the Memphis Grizzlies. In the off-season prior to his rookie year, Greene was traded to Houston, then Sacramento, where he played four seasons for the Kings, playing in 253 games, starting in 82. Greene’s best season was his second, when he averaged 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 76 games for the Kings. Greene then played professionally for more than a handful of years overseas.  
• Delaney played four years at Virginia Tech, and was named to the All-ACC 1st team in his junior and senior seasons, and the All-ACC 2nd team in his sophomore year. In his sophomore season in Blacksburg, Delaney averaged a team-high 18.5 points per game, adding 4.5 assists ,4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. His junior season, Delaney led the ACC in scoring, at 20.2 points per game, while providing 4.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Delaney averaged 18.7 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in his senior season. Delaney averaged playing 38.2 minutes per game in his senior season. Delaney ranks third all-time on the Hokies career scoring list, with 2,255 points. Delaney also ranks third on the Hokies all-time career assists list, with 543. Delaney wasn’t drafted in the NBA Draft, but he has had a successful professional career overseas, winning MVP awards in leagues in Italy, Germany, and Ukraine, and was named to the All-Euro League 1st team in 2016. 
• Bastfield played two years at Toledo, then two years at Morgan State, playing in 124 games over four years, starting in 100 contests. 
• Fitzgerald transferred to Owings Mills in his junior year, then Brewster Prep his senior season. Fitzgerald chose Oklahoma over Kentucky, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Texas A&M. Fitzgerald played four years at Oklahoma, two for Jeff Capel, and two for Lon Kruger. In his sophomore season, Fitzgerald averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds per game, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors. He followed his sophomore season with nearly identical numbers in his junior season, averaging 12.1 points and 5 rebounds per game. Fitzgerald scored 1,086 points and grabbed 472 rebounds in his four year Sooners career.  
• Pratt coached the Owls for four seasons before the school closed in 2009, going 98-41 (.705), including 40-16 (.714) in league play. Pratt followed Mike Daniel, who spent 20 seasons at Towson Catholic. Daniel helped lead the Owls to four BCL tournament championships, and two regular season league titles. Daniel inherited a program that had gone 42-102 (.292) in league play in its first 14 seasons and two games in the BCL. Daniel became the Owls seventh coach in 15 seasons in the third game of the ‘85-86 season. Daniel compiled a 361-185 (.661) overall record in 20 seasons with the Owls, before leading both City College and New Town to two state titles apiece. In 30 seasons, Daniel finished with a 566-243 (.700) overall record.  

7 ‘11 John Carroll Patriots (33-5) Coach Tony Martin > #1 in the Sun, BCL and MIAA regular season and tournament champions, Alhambra 6th 1-2, ESPN Rise Invitational invitee 

Players 

Malcolm McMillian 6’0 SR; All-Met 1st, BCL Co-POY, BCL Tournament MVP, 15.6p/4.2a/2.4s (Central Connecticut State / Canisius) 

Ronald Scott 6’0 SR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament, All-Alhambra 1st, 16.7p/4.1r/2.9a/1.9s (Texas A&M – Kingsville / Cambellsville) 

Jarred Jones 6’5 JR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st (Loyola) 

Rodney Elliott 6’0 SO; (UMBC) 

Lionel Owona 6’6 FR; (Franklin & Marshall) 

Kamau Stokes 5’9 FR; (Kansas State) 

Michael Owona 6’7 SO; (Farleigh Dickinson / North Carolina A&T) 

Christian Owona 6’7 SO; (Northern New Mexico) 

The Patriots made a splash in their first two years competing in the MIAA A Conference in the ‘07-08 and ‘08-09 seasons, before taking a step back in their third season. The Patriots finished tied for third in ‘08 and won 21 games, then finished third again in ‘09, finishing with 25 victories. Tony Martin’s Pats struggled in the ‘09-10 season, winning just ten games in 29 contests.  

Now, the 2010-11 Patriots were set to make their debut in the Baltimore Catholic League, taking a spot after Cardinal Gibbons closed in 2010. The Patriots returned a talented cast, with two veteran guards, a talented 6’5 junior forward, and a handful of the most talented underclassmen in the area.  

Martin had recruited quality talent in the past, but couldn’t keep some of the exceptional ones, with Josh Selby leaving John Carroll after his freshman year in ‘07, and sophomore Nick Faust leaving after one season with the Patriots the following season.  

This year, the Patriots were led by a pair of four year players, solid, if not spectacular, all-around guards – Malcolm McMillian and Ronald Scott. Add in 6’5 junior Jarred Jones, one of the best sophomores in the area in Rodney Elliott, one of the best freshman in the area in Kamau Stokes, the three Owona brothers, all underclassmen and all standing 6’6 or taller. The Patriots boasted a deep, talented cast, looking contend for their first major titles.  

In six seasons, Martin had turned around a John Carroll program that went 0-25 in the year before he arrived in 2004-05. Now, after six seasons, Martin was taking the Patriots to the ‘grandaddy of ‘em all’, the Baltimore Catholic League.  

Martin introduced another program to the BCL, when he coached Spalding in the Cavaliers very first year in the league in the ‘97-98 season, in his second year in Severn. Then, in that magical second season, Martin’s Cavaliers won the BCL tournament championship, and finished 31-5. Now, Martin looked to duplicate that success in Bel Air.  

The BCL looked like it was there for the taking in the ‘10-11 season, considering the huge graduating classes that decimated other ‘starting fives’ across the board in the league.  

For the first time in the 35 seasons (since the BCL selected an all-league second team), the ‘09-10 All-BCL 1st and 2nd teams had just one non-senior – St Frances 6’8 junior Gregory Lewis. Eric Atkins had used up his four years at Mt St Joe, as did Jonathan Graham and Damion Lee at Calvert Hall. With their two senior guards, and a lot of size, the Patriots were, at least, a legitimate contender, and, at most, a co-favorite with St Frances.  

While the Panthers returned the 6’8 Lewis, they did lose a pair of All-BCL selections in Dante Holmes and Wayne Sparrow to graduation. Still, on paper, the Panthers looked like one of the two teams to beat. Lewis was one of two holdovers from their ‘09 championship team that went 33-5, and undefeated in league play. The other was RJ Williams, who was approaching his fourth year as a starter. As a freshman, Williams was selected to the BCL honorable mention team.  

Pat Clatchey’s Gaels were young but talented, headlined by sophomore Kameron Williams, and complimented by freshman Phil Booth. Calvert Hall could prove to be a spoiler in ‘10-11 with its core of seniors.  

The Patriots rolled through December, going into the holiday break with a 14-0 record, playing a couple of MIAA B contenders, some county teams, but nobody to write home about. The Patriots did do what they had to do, boasting a point differential of +25.5 through 14 games, with just one game decided by single digits – that, a nine point win.  

Over the holidays, the Patriots headed to Binghamton, New York, to compete in the Stop DWI Classic, among a cast of eight quality teams. The Patriots held off New Rochelle NY, 54-51, in their first matchup, as Jones three-pointer with 58 seconds remaining in regulation broke a 49-49 tie, and that was enough. Jones scored a team-high 18 points, while Scott added 15 points in the win over the Huguenots. The game featured 17 lead changes and 11 ties.  

That set up a semifinal matchup with Imhotep Charter, the defending Pennsylvania 2A state champion. The Panthers handed the Pats their first loss of the season, 55-51. The Patriots led by four points at halftime, but the Panthers made a big run in the third quarter and held off their foes.  

The Patriots faced Jefferson High of Brooklyn in the third place game, where the Patriots persevered, coming back from eight points down with less than two minutes to go and steal a 49-48 win over the Orange Wave. The Patriots outscored the Orange Wave 9-0 in the last 1:56 of regulation time. McMillian’s transition layup was the game-winner. Jones scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked three shots.  

The Patriots hosted St Frances on the first Friday in January, and the Patriots put together a 16-0 run that straddled intermission that was enough to take a 64-53 victory. Though the Patriots came into their showdown with St Frances at 17-1, it was the Panthers who were the top ranked team in the area, while the Patriots carried in the #6 ranking.  

Down 30-29 late in the second quarter, the Patriots scored the last six points in the first half and the first ten points in the second half to build a cushion, a cushion the Panthers couldn’t overcome. Jones led all scorers with 24 points, while McMillian scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.  

Three league wins later, the Patriots were headed to Irvington to play Mt St Joe. Again, it was the Patriots burst out of intermission that was the difference, as they outscored the Gaels 15-2 to begin the third quarter that turned a three point deficit into a ten point lead, before extending it to a 63-47 win. Scott exploded for 27 points, while Jones added 16 points.  

The Patriots ended January with wins over St Maria Goretti and Spalding to head into February with a 24-1 record.  

The Pats began February with a strong win at St Frances, overcoming a seven point halftime deficit and scoring 57 points in the second half to run away with a 88-74 victory. The Patriots began the second half with a 17-3 run to take a 48-41 lead, then ran away from the #4 Panthers by scoring 33 points in the fourth quarter. McMillian scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half. Scott registered 22 points, while Jones added 18. The Patriots extended their winning streak to ten games.  

The Patriots entered their regular season finale with Mt St Joe with a 26-1 record and left it with a 26-2 record, as the Gaels handed the Pats their first league loss, 65-61, and snapped their 24 game win streak. St Joe led most of the game, but considering the Gaels shot 15 of 18 at the line, and the Pats 7 of 12, the Patriots had their chances.  

Despite the loss, two of the Patriots pre-season goals had been met, winning their first MIAA A and BCL regular season championship titles in their program’s history, and two were still ahead, their respective tournament championships. 

The Patriots earned their first berth in a MIAA A final with a 58-54 victory over McDonogh in the semifinals, with Scott scoring five of his 18 points in the final 97 seconds to preserve the victory. After holding an 11 point halftime lead, the Patriots saw the Eagles come back to tie the game twice in the fourth quarter, but took advantage of turnovers and hit free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. Jones added 15 points.  

The Patriots would need their third win in three tries over defending champ St Frances to win their first MIAA A title. The Patriots did just that, finding their offense in the second quarter, and earning a 70-58 victory over the Panthers. The Pats started out sluggish, hitting just 9 of their first 29 shots in the first half, before scoring the last seven points of the first half, to take the lead for good.  

The senior backcourt came through again, with Scott scoring 23 points, and McMillian adding 17 points. Scott and McMillian scored 14 of the Patriots 17 points in the third quarter, where the Pats built a 14 point lead. Three goals down, one to go – the Baltimore Catholic League tournament championship.  

The Patriots took out Mt Carmel, 59-49, in the quarterfinal, in their first BCL tournament game as a league member. The Cougars were invited to play in the tournament as the 8 seed, a year before they became an official league member. The Patriots trailed 38-35, midway through the third quarter, before a 10-0 run to close the quarter propelled the Pats to victory. McMillian led all scorers with 13 points.  

The semifinal round wouldn’t be easy for the Pats, as they faced a 22 win St Joe team that handed them their only league loss, just two weeks before. The Patriots held off the Gaels in a 56-52 win, but not before McMillian needed two free throws with two seconds to play to seal it. McMillian scored seven of his 21 points in the final stanza, while Scott added 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists.  

Now, the Patriots needed a fourth win over St Frances to secure their first BCL title in their first year in the league. The Patriots took charge early and cruised to a 57-45 win over the #5 Panthers, led by Scott’s 19 points, and having two of the three Owona brothers, freshman Lionel and sophomore Christian, defending the painted area and controlling the glass.  

McMillian was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while Scott joined his teammate on the all-tournament team.  

The Patriots headed to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament with a 31-2 record, after sweeping the MIAA and BCL regular season and tournament championships. The Patriots put away St Benedict’s NJ in the opener, 66-54, with McMillian and Scott each scoring 18 points.  

In a semifinal matchup with DeMatha, the Patriots were stung by early foul trouble to McMillian, and never recovered, losing a slow-down affair, 38-32. In the third place game, the Patriots suffered their second straight defeat, with a loss to Gonzaga, 62-58, in a game that stayed within a two possession margin for 28 of the 32 minutes. Scott scored a career-high 33 points in the loss. Scott was named to the all-tournament team.  

The Patriots were invited to the National High School Invitational, where the #4 team in the country, Montrose Christian awaited. The Patriots had several shots in the final minutes to tie or take the lead, but fell just short of the Mustangs, 64-59. Scott scored 25 points in his final game as a Patriot. The Mustangs would go on to beat Oak Hill VA in the championship game.  

McMillian shared the Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year honors with St Frances’ RJ Williams, and was selected to the All-Met first team. McMillian averaged 15.6 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, and finished his Patriots career with 1,349 points.  

Scott was selected to the All-Met second team, after averaging a team-leading 16.7 points per game, adding 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Jones joined Scott on the All-Met second team.  

Together, the three All-Met selections, and the five underclassmen – Elliott, Stokes, and the Owona brothers – sophomore Christian and Michael, and freshman Lionel, the 2010-11 Patriots set the standard at John Carroll, and put together one of the best seasons in BCL history.  

Martin, for his part, was named the Sun’s Coach of the Year, leading the Patriots to the league’s tournament championship in their first year in the league, twelve years after leading Spalding to the tournament championship in their second year in the league.  

Notes;  

• Martin went 69-30 (.697) in three seasons at Spalding, and 266-130 (.672) in 11 seasons at John Carroll, producing a 336-160 (.677) overall record over 14 seasons between Severn and Bel Air. Between the Cavaliers and Patriots, Martin won three BCL tournament titles, one at Spalding and two with the Pats, and two regular season crowns, both with the Patriots. Martin’s teams went 15-6 in BCL tournament play. 

• The Patriots posted the fourth best pre-Alhambra record in BCL history, when the Patriots headed to Western Maryland with a 33-2 record. Only ‘81 Calvert Hall (27-1), ‘82 Calvert Hall (31-0), and ‘06 Mt St Joe (36-0), had a better record than the ‘11 Pats as they headed to the prestigious three day tournament.  
• McMillian played three years at Central Connecticut State, playing in 89 games, starting in 85. In his sophomore season, McMillian averaged 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game for the Blue Devils. McMillian transferred to Canisius for his senior year, where he averaged a team-high 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Griffs. 
• Scott played his senior year at Cambellsville, in Kentucky, and averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. 
• John Carroll first played in the BCL tournament in ‘74 as a non-league member. The Patriots, coached by Addie Pons, lost to two seed Calvert Hall, 73-33. The Patriots wouldn’t compete in the league tournament again until the ‘10-11 season, 37 years later.  
• For college profiles on Jones, Elliott, Stokes, and the Owona brothers, see ‘12 John Carroll, #40 in this list.  

8 ‘80 Calvert Hall Cardinals (28-3) Coach Mark Armatucci > #2 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Alhambra 3rd 2-1 

Players 

Mark Wilson 6’0 SO; All-BCL 1st, All-Met HM, BCL All-Tournament,  14 ppg (Minnesota) 

Paul Kinney 6’5 JR; All-Met HM, BCL All-Tournament, All-Alhambra, 12.7p/8.7r 

Darryle Edwards 6’4 JR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st (Mt St Mary’s) 

Paul Edwards 6’3 SO; All-Met HM, 16 ppg (Mt St Mary’s) 

James ‘Pop’ Tubman 5’4 SO; All-Met HM, All-BCL 1st, 7 apg (Loyola) 

Mark Kauffman 6’0 SO 

Mark Armatucci was beginning his third season at Calvert Hall entering the 1979-80 season, a season before what is considered the greatest basketball game ever played by two Baltimore area high school teams when his Cardinals and the Dunbar Poets clashed in March of ‘81, and two seasons before Armatucci and three of his five starters on the ‘79-80 team would go unbeaten at 34-0 and claim the mythical national championship.  

Armatucci, who was a 26 year old when he took over the Cardinals program in the ‘77-78 season, looked to pick up a program that had lacked the talent and success of the other programs in the Baltimore Catholic League such as Loyola, Cardinal Gibbons, and Mt St Joe, had seen.  

Armatucci changed the culture, not only at Calvert Hall, but the league itself. Armatucci actively recruited the needed talent to match that of the DC and Philly private powers, and put together one of the best core groups to ever play together in the BCL, still, more than forty years later.  

Armatucci’s first two stops were Madison Square Recreation Center and St Mary’s rec’ program in Govans, convincing the top talent from those two recreation programs to come with him to Towson, and build a program that would become one of the most respectable programs just a few years later, not only in the area, but the country.  

Armatucci’s first recruit from Madison was David Blackwell, followed by a pair of guards in Mark Wilson and James ‘Pop’ Tubman, who would lift the Cards from the BCL bottom dwellers they were when they began, to national champions when they finished. 

Four others from Madison – Duane Farrell, Vernon Hill, Eddie Oliver, and Kurk Lee, would follow Blackwell, Wilson, and Tubman to Calvert Hall, and would be key ingredients on the legendary ‘81-82 national championship team. Armatucci enticed Darryle Edwards, Paul Kinney, and Edwards’ brother, Paul, all from St Mary’s in Govans, to join him and the others in Towson. From there, the Cardinals program skyrocketed to the premier program of the competitive Baltimore Catholic League.  

The ‘79-80 Cardinals were youthful, with a starting five that featured two juniors and three sophomores. Darryle Edwards and Kinney were the juniors – the two ‘bigs’, while Wilson, Tubman, and Paul Edwards, were the sophomores, a trio that would earn monumental rewards two years later. This starting five was youthful, but one that also became historical, as it was the first starting five in Baltimore Catholic League history to feature five Black starters..  

The road for the young Cards wouldn’t be easy, with defending champion Cardinal Gibbons and Loyola standing in the way. The Crusaders were the two-time defending BCL regular season champions, as well as the BCL tournament defending champions. The Dons had won five of the eight league titles since the BCL was born in the ‘71-72 season.  

Cardinal Gibbons, the defending champions, lost a load when they lost high school All-American Quintin Dailey to graduation, but still had senior Todd McClendon, who was an All-BCL 2nd team selection as a junior. Loyola had junior forward Bob Selby, the only underclassmen selected to the All-BCL first team in ‘78-79, and junior guard Kenny Johnson, an All-BCL second team selection as a sophomore. Mt St Joe would feature Frank ‘Spoon’ James and Teddy Russell.  

The Cardinals had their best start in their program’s history, winning their first seven games of the season, before losing to Philadelphia Catholic League power Cardinal O’Hara, 60-58, just before the holiday break.  

The Cards had defeated another Philadelphia private school, West Catholic, 62-50, earlier in the week. Wilson scored 20 points in the win, while Kinney added 14 points and 13 rebounds. In the loss to O’Hara, Wilson scored a team-high 20 points. The Cardinals final potential game-tying possession fell short, as Paul Edwards jumper released just before the buzzer hit off the rim and out.  

The Cardinals closed the calendar year winning the Baltimore County Holiday Invitational Tournament, with a 81-57 rout of Pikesville in the final. Paul Edwards led the Cardinals’ six double-digit scorers with 16 points, while juniors Jeff Yost and Mark Kauffman added 13 points apiece, and Tubman added 12 points and seven assists.  

The Cards put away undefeated Patapsco, 82-71, in the semifinal, with Wilson and Paul Edwards combining for 46 points. The #8 Patriots, who advanced to the MPSSAA Final Four in ‘79, started the season 6-0.  

The young Cardinals entered the new year with a 9-1 record, but their Baltimore Catholic League season debut against reigning league runner-up Curley was postponed due to snow, pushing defending league champion Cardinal Gibbons to the front of their league slate.  

The Cardinals needed overtime to put away the defending champs, but won the extra session convincingly, 15-2, to earn a 69-56 victory over the Crusaders. The Cards played the overtime period without arguably their best player, Darryle Edwards, who fouled out in the fourth quarter. Paul Edwards led all scorers with 21 points, while Wilson provided 16 points, seven assists, and five steals.  

Later that week, the Cardinals then topped five-time league champion Loyola, 70-60, with Kinney scoring 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The Cards followed with wins over Mt St Joe, Curley, and St Mark’s of Delaware to close January. 

Archbishop Curley handed the Cardinals their second loss of the season to open February, 59-54, their first loss of the season to an area team. The Cardinals rebounded with a convincing 80-67 victory over Cardinal Gibbons, with Paul Edwards scoring 19 points and Wilson adding 17.  

The Cardinals followed with a 56-54 win over Loyola, after the Dons fought back from a 17 point deficit to cut the lead to one point – six times, but never got over the hump. Wilson led all scorers with 18 points.  

The Cardinals clinched their first regular season league title with two games to spare in a win over Towson Catholic, then closed the league slate with wins over Curley and Mt St Joe. Darryle Edwards scored 26 points in the 73-70 win over the Friars, avenging their only league loss by coming back from a fourth quarter deficit. The Cardinals were without Paul Edwards, who was out with the flu.  

The Cardinals held off Loyola in a BCL semifinal matchup, 74-67, with Paul Edwards scoring eight of his game-high 25 points in the final two minutes. The Dons were playing with their two best players, Robert Selby and Kenny Johnson starting together for just the fourth time in three weeks, as Selby was benched for disciplinary reasons, and Johnson dealt with a knee injury.  

The Cardinals held a six point halftime lead, before the Dons, behind Selby, came back to take a 62-61 lead with 3:26 remaining in regulation time. Edwards bucket with 1:48 left put the Cards up for good, 65-64, denying the Dons bid to play in their sixth straight BCL championship game, and eighth berth in nine years.  

The Dons entered the tournament having won five BCL tournament titles in eight years. Kinney added 17 points, while Wilson added 16. Selby, the All-Met junior, scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed a game-high 22 rebounds in the Dons loss.  

The Cardinals pulled out a 65-62 victory over Mt St Joe in the final, overturning an eight point third quarter deficit. Darryle Edwards led the Cardinals with 18 points, and scored the eventual game-winning shot with 34 seconds to play to earn the Cardinals their second league tournament title in their program’s history, and first title in seven years.  

The Cardinals held a 29-22 lead midway through the second quarter, before the Gaels reeled off 13 straight points to take a six point lead, though the Cards cut their deficit to two points at intermission.  

Down eight points, 43-35, the Cardinals scored nine straight points out of a timeout to take a one point lead, before the lead would change eight times down the stretch. Wilson and Paul Edwards each added 16 points, and both were selected to the all-tournament team.  

The Cardinals won their second BCL tournament championship, and first since winning as the top seed in ‘73. 

The Cardinals earned a berth in the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Cumberland, a tournament loaded with top private school teams hailing from DC, to Salt Lake City, to Philadelphia.  

The Cardinals edged St Johns from the Washington Catholic League, 62-61, in the opener, overcoming a 17 point first half deficit to advance to the semifinals. Wilson, who shared scoring honors with Kinney with 20 points, scored 14 points in the third quarter to help give the Cardinals a 52-49 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Cardinals trailed by 13 points at halftime, before outscoring the Cadets 22-6 in the third quarter.  

Another WCAC opponent, Gonzaga, with  its star Tom Sluby, awaited in the semifinal. The Cardinals trailed 56-45 early in the fourth quarter before going on a 18-6 run to take a 63-62 lead with just over two minutes to play. The Cardinals held the lead for more than a minute, but couldn’t extend it, and the Eagles took the lead for good with 53 seconds left in regulation. Wilson scored 18 points, and Darryle Edwards added 16 in the 68-65 loss.  

The Cardinals took third place with a 79-71 win over Judge Memorial of Salt Lake City, the Utah AAA state champions. Wilson scored a season-high 29 points, and joined Darryle Edwards and Kinney on the all-tournament team.  

The Cardinals finished the season with a 28-3 record, the best in its program history (at the time) swept the league’s regular season and tournament titles, won two of three at Alhambra, and finished with the #2 ranking in the area, behind Dunbar.  

The Cardinals .903 win percentage was the best in BCL history, eclipsing the mark of the ‘76 Mt St Gaels (29-4), at .879. The Cardinals BCL title was the first not won by Loyola or Cardinal Gibbons since the Cardinals won their only other crown in ‘73.  

Amazingly, the Cardinals didn’t place one player on the Baltimore Sun’s All-Met teams – first or second teams. Youth likely played a factor, as 19 of the 20 players honored were seniors. All five starters were among the ten area players mentioned on the Sun’s ‘Players To Watch’ list that followed.  

Darryle Edwards was selected to the Evening Sun’s All-Met second team. Wilson, Darryle Edwards, and Tubman, were named to the All-BCL first team. Paul Edwards led the Cardinals in scoring at 16 points a game, while Wilson ranked second at 14 points per game. Tubman registered a league-best seven assists per game.  

In two years, Armatucci turned around a program that went 9-16 overall, and 1-9 in league play, into a powerhouse, with a starting five that featured two juniors and three sophomores.  

Notes;  

• Armatucci went 117-28 in his first five seasons at Calvert Hall, his first term, winning three consecutive BCL tournament and regular season championships from ‘79-80 through ‘81-82, capped off by the national championship in ‘82. After eight years at Loyola University and two and a half year at Anne Arundel Community College, Armatucci came back to coach the Cardinals from ‘94-94 through ‘06-07. In his second stint ‘the Hall’, Armatucci went 270-173 over 14 years. Overall, in 19 seasons at Calvert Hall, Armatucci went 387-201 (.658), including 130-107 (.549) in league play.  

• Prior to the ‘79-80 season, the Cardinals had gone 36-44 in league play in the BCL’s first eight seasons, including 15-35 over the last five seasons. 
• The overall and league records of the six BCL teams in the 70s – Loyola 180-62 (59-21), Cardinal Gibbons 169-76 (58-22), Mt St Joe 145-62 (44-36), Calvert Hall 104-88 (36-44), Towson Catholic 112-109 (24-56), Curley 102-108 (19-61). 
• Wilson, Tubman, and Paul Edwards went 91-5 over their sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.  

9 ‘87 St Maria Goretti Gaels (35-5) Coach Cokey Robertson > BCL regular season and tournament champions, Mid-Atlantic Invitational Tournament champions, Alhambra 3rd 2-1 

Players 

Rodney Monroe 6’3 SR; Parade All-American 1st, USA Today All-American 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, Alhambra MOP, 27.0p/10.3r/3.8a (NC State, NBA) 

Sean Fisher 6’5 SR; All-BCL Tournament, All-Alhambra, 11.2p/7.1r (Army) 

Chris Logsdon 6’0 SR 

Kenyatta Mason 6’2 SO 

Charlie McCusker N/A SR 

Danny Fearnow 6’0 JR 

Cokey Robertson came to St Maria Goretti in 1974 and built the Gaels program into a Western Maryland regional power, but one that had lacked the national acclaim the likes of Cardinal Gibbons, Loyola, and Calvert Hall had garnered during the late 70s and early 80s by playing in the ultra-competitive Baltimore Catholic League.  

That would change shortly following the Gaels inaugural season in the BCL in the ‘84-85 season, when they were led by a sophomore named Rodney Monroe. That season, the Gaels would set a program record with 30 wins and win their first BCL tournament title in their very first season in the league, after finishing tied for second in the regular season standings.  

The Gaels topped a Cardinal Gibbons team that spent most of the season ranked among the nation’s top 25 ranked teams. The following year, in ‘85-86, the Gaels swept the BCL regular season and tournament titles, and finished 29-7.  

Monroe had exceptional sophomore and junior seasons for the Gaels, becoming the first player to win the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award twice. Monroe averaged 23 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game as a junior, and was named a high school 

All-American.  

The star guard led the Gaels to 59 wins over two seasons. Monroe would have help in the middle in ‘86-87 with 6’5 senior Sean Fisher, who was getting recruiting looks from the academies. Chris Logsdon and Charlie McCusker were a pair of senior guards who could take some of the ball handling workload away from Monroe, and provide some scoring. Kenyatta Mason was a 6’2 sophomore and rising prospect. 

While the Gaels appeared to be in the driver’s seat in the BCL in the ‘86-87 season with Monroe, it was Cardinal Gibbons, with senior Barry Brown, and the Dickerson brothers, junior forwards Leon and Cleon, that were selected as the pre-season #1 team in the area, while Goretti, who was included in the Sun’s pre-season rankings, were ranked #6.  

Calvert Hall, who finished third in the BCL in ‘86, and returned senior Doug Able, the only other underclassmen other than Monroe to be named to the All-BCL first team, were ranked just ahead of the Gaels at #5. Loyola was deep too, with talent and experience, including seniors Ed Muldrow, Reggie Clay, and Anthony Hightower.  

One thing was for sure, the Gaels weren’t sneaking up on anyone in the ‘86-87 season, and rather, the Hagerstown private carried a large target on its back. Enlarging that target would be a national schedule that would include tournaments in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Las Vegas, Nevada, to go with their BCL league slate, and then the Metro Classic and Alhambra Catholic Invitation Tournament berths that would come their way with a league title.  

The Gaels began the season winning two of three games in the Raleigh Tip-Off, giving local fans a first look at Monroe, who would later team with Chris Corchiani in NC State’s backcourt for four years. While the Gaels suffered a ten point loss to nationally ranked DeMatha, they did knock off a pair of high quality teams, and Monroe set a tournament record with 103 points over three games, eclipsing former Tar Heel star Phil Ford’s mark of 93.  

The Gaels then hosted the #2 ranked team in Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, taking a 60-56 victory, after outscoring their guests 12-2 to close the game. Monroe poured in 38 points in the win. Monroe’s two free throws with 1:15 left in regulation time gave the Gaels the lead for good. Monroe made all 13 of his free throw attempts.  

The Gaels followed that win with a 63-62 overtime win over WCAC power Gonzaga, as senior guard Chris Logsdon’s short jumper with two seconds to play proved to be the game-winner. Monroe, who finished with a game-high 32 points, tapped a loose ball to Logsdon for the game-winner. The Gaels led by nine points in the fourth quarter, before the Eagles fought back to tie the game with two seconds left in regulation time to force overtime. Monroe shot 10-16 from the field, and 12-13 from the free throw line.  

The Gaels added another win over a Washington Catholic League power with a 66-55 victory over Mackin just before the Christmas break.  

The Gaels traveled to Las Vegas over the holidays to compete in ‘Sin City’s’ Holiday Classic, and returned with three wins in four games. Among their three victories in the desert, the Gaels defeated Las Vegas power Valley, 57-43, and Seattle power Kennedy, 69-55, while suffering a defeat to New Orleans juggernaut De La Salle, 52-42.  

Monroe scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win over Valley, while Fisher added 19 points and seven rebounds. Monroe scored 31 points in the win over Kennedy, where the Gaels outscored the ‘Seattlelites’ 27-6 in the second quarter.  

The Gaels opened the calendar year with another tournament championship, taking out Seneca Valley and Frederick County power Thomas Johnson in the Frederick Holiday Classic. The Gaels put away the Screamin’ Eagles, 61-43, in the semifinals, then held off the Patriots in the championship game, 52-46.  

Monroe scored a game-high 24 points in the final, hitting seven of eight free throws in the final stanza. The duel was tied at 31 after three quarters, before the Gaels scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, and the Pats never got closer than three points the rest of the way. The Patriots were four time state champions, including two-time defending 3A state champions.  

The Gaels opened league play with a win over Calvert Hall, before suffering their first loss to a Maryland high school team in a 83-64 defeat to Cardinal Gibbons. For the first time, and arguably the only time all season, Monroe was off the mark, shooting 10-27 from the floor, finishing with 25 points. The #3 Crusaders shot 31-51 from the field.  

The Gaels rebounded with a 59-53 win over Loyola, handing the Dons their first league loss. Monroe recorded 29 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots in the win. For the third time in the season, senior Charlie McCusker hit key free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Monroe scored four points, grabbed a rebound, dished out an assist, and recorded a steal in a Gaels 8-0 run in the fourth quarter that turned a one point deficit into a seven point lead. The Dons cut the margin to two points with 59 seconds to play, but McCusker hit his free throws, and the Dons went scoreless.  

With the win, the Gaels moved a half game ahead of both the Dons and Cardinal Gibbons in the league standings, and tied in the loss column.  

The Gaels found revenge in their second meeting with Cardinal Gibbons, smacking the #3 Crusaders, 77-60, with Monroe netting 34 points, Fisher adding 12 points and nine rebounds, and the sophomore Mason adding 11 points. The Gaels ran out to a 39-23 halftime lead, then maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. The Gaels converted 23 of their 27 free throw attempts. With the win, the Gaels recorded their eighth straight season with 24 wins or more.  

The Gaels needed a win over Loyola to clinch their second consecutive BCL regular season title, and clinch they did in a thrilling 61-59 victory, winning on junior Danny Fearnow’s 25 footer with two seconds to play. The Gaels trailed the #6 Dons by eight points, 55-47, with less than five minutes to play, before Monroe scored 10 of the Gaels next 12 points, and tied the game at 59 with four seconds remaining in regulation time. Monroe then tied up a Dons player on the inbounds, and the Gaels had the arrow and possession with three seconds to play, setting up Fearnow’s heroics. Monroe tallied 34 points in the win.  

The Gaels needed a rubber match win versus 26 win Cardinal Gibbons to advance to their third straight BCL championship game, and they did just that in a 52-48 victory before 2,100 at Reitz Arena at Loyola University. Monroe scored 22 points, and grabbed seven rebounds and five steals, and eclipsed former Cardinal Gibbons star Quinton Dailey’s state-best 2,844 career point mark in the win. The Crusaders tied the game with 5:21 to go, but clutch shots by Monroe, Logsdon, and McCusker, kept the Gaels up to stay.  

The Gaels knocked off 24-8 Loyola a third time in the BCL final, 63-58, with Monroe scoring a game-high 27 points. The Gaels fell behind 10-1 to start the game, but regrouped to take a 26-25 halftime lead. Monroe poured in 13 points in the second quarter. The lead see-sawed back and forth in the third quarter, before Monroe’s last bucket of the quarter gave the Gaels a 44-43 lead, with a quarter to play. The Gaels took their largest lead of the game at 59-53, and hit their free throws down the stretch to seal the win.  

Monroe became the first player in tournament history to win the tourney’s MVP trophy three times. Fisher joined Monroe on the all-tournament team.  

The Gaels then ended Lake Clifton’s bid for an undefeated season in a wild 73-72 win over the #1 Lakers in the prestigious Metro Classic, when Monroe’s 60-foot buzzer-beating shot went in, before 4,870 in attendance at the Baltimore Arena. The Lakers win looked all but assured, up 72-71, with three seconds to play, and Anthony Wiley shooting a ‘1-n-1’ at the line.  

But, Wiley missed the ‘front end’, then Monroe rebounded, took two dribbles, and swished in his two hand shot, sent from his jersey number, sending the crowd in the Baltimore Arena into a frenzy.  

Lake Clifton’s 6’9 All-American center Thomas Jordan, an Oklahoma State commit, left the arena at halftime, frustrated, and bothered. The Lakers trailed by nine points at intermission, and Jordan had scored just four points, while Monroe had torched the nets for 27 first-half points. Still, without Jordan, the Lakers fought back from 12 points down to take the lead, before Monroe’s shot ‘heard around Charm City’.  

It was the second consecutive win for the Gaels at the Metro Classic, after dispatching Dunbar a year before. Monroe, again, outside of the game-winner, was outstanding, scoring 47 points, on 16-26 shooting from the floor, and 15-16 from the line. The win was Robertson’s 300th win at the Hagerstown private school.  

Before competing in the legendary Alahambra tournament, the Gaels hosted the Mid-Atlantic Invitational Tournament, where the Gaels put away Archbishop Carroll and Long Island Lutheran in succession.  

The Gaels had no trouble in the opening round at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, staking a 17-0 lead over Incarnate Word TX to begin the game, before settling on a 68-53 victory, with Monroe scoring 21 points in limited minutes. Fisher added 18 points and 10 rebounds, as the Gaels earned a second meeting with DeMatha in the semifinals. 

The Gaels suffered a 60-59 loss to the Stags, when Monroe’s potential game-winning 20-foot jumper was off the mark. Monroe finished with 34 points, in a game where the Gaels had cut their deficit to one point four times in the final minutes. Monroe scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, as the Gaels scraped back from an eight point deficit. The Gaels closed the season with a win over Philadelphia power Roman Catholic, their program-best 35th victory on the season. 

Monroe was one of just five players named to the USA Today All-American first team, and was named the Sun’s Player of the Year, after averaging 27 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Monroe finished his Gaels career with 3,047 points, becoming the only Maryland high school player to score 3,000 points or more, and topping former All-Americans Adrian Dantley’s and Quinton Dailey’s all-time marks.  

Monroe led the Gaels to 120 wins in his four years at Goretti, winning 26 or more games in each of his four seasons. Fisher was named to the All-Area first team. 

The Gaels finished 35-5, and set a BCL record for overall wins. The Gaels not only beat 26 win Cardinal Gibbons twice, and 24 win Loyola three times, but handed Lake Clifton their only loss of the season, and defeated a handful of national and regional powers such as Roman Catholic, Gonzaga, and Harrisburg, Mackin, Archbishop Carroll, Long Island Lutheran, and Incarnate Word TX, among others. 

Robertson led the Gaels to their tenth straight twenty win season, and their third straight season winning 29 games or more. In Monroe’s last three years, the Gaels first three seasons in the BCL, Robertson’s bunch went 94-18 overall, 37-6 versus league opponents, won three tournament titles, and two regular season crowns.  

Notes;  

• Monroe played at NC State for four years, starting each of his 92 games over his last three seasons with the Wolfpack. Monroe averaged 11.1 points in 20.8 minutes per game off of the bench in his freshman season. The next season, his sophomore year, Monroe exploded for 21.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, garnering All-ACC 1st team honors. Monroe scored a game-high 26 points in the Pack’s 69-61 ‘Sweet 16’ loss to one seed Georgetown. His junior season, Monroe earned All-ACC 2nd team honors after averaging 23.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, in Hall of Fame coach Jim Valvano’s final season. Monroe came back his senior year and won the ACC Player of the Year award, leading the ACC in scoring at 27.0 points per game, while adding 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Monroe is the Wolfpack’s all-time leading scorer, with 2,551 points, 231 ahead of #2 on the list, David Thompson. As of the completion of the ‘21-22 season, Monroe still ranked fourth all-time on the ACC’s all-time scoring list. Monroe was named to the UPI’s All-American 2nd team. Monroe was picked in the second round, 30th overall, by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1991 NBA Draft. Monroe played just one season with the Hawks, playing in 38 games. Monroe played three seasons in the CBA, and twelve seasons overseas. NC State has honored Monroe’s #21 jersey, and in 2002, was chosen to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary basketball team, honoring the fifty greatest players to ever play in the ACC. 
• For Robertson’s notes, see ‘86 St Maria Goretti, #22 on this list.  

10 ‘77 Loyola Dons (26-4) Coach Jerry Savage > #2 in the Sun, BCL undefeated regular season and tournament champions, Alhambra runner-up 2-1 

Players 

Pete Budko 6’9 SR; All-American, All-Met 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-Alhambra 1st, 15.2p/12.2r/5.6b (North Carolina) 

Tony Guy 6’5 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-Alhambra 2nd, 15.7p/9.2r/6.0a (Kansas) 

Gene Kakalec 6’6 SR; All-Met HM (Franklin & Marshall) 

Andy Turner N/A SR 

Al Lucas N/A SR 

Brian Pollhammer N/A JR 

Entering the ‘76-77 season, Jerry Savage’s Loyola Dons program had established itself as the Baltimore Catholic League’s premier program, having won three of the first five BCL tournament titles, and playing in four of five championship games. The Dons had won three of five regular season crowns, and were 12-2 versus league opponents in playoff and tournament games.  

The Dons prospects look for the ‘76-77 season looked promising, with the highly recruited 6’9 senior Pete Budko in the post, and versatile 6’5 junior Tony Guy moving to the backcourt. The Dons would miss Bob Barry, who was off to Bucknell, but they did have 6’5 senior Gene Kakalec, assisting Budko in the paint. Seniors Andy Turner and Al Lucas, along with junior Brian Pollhammer, rounded out the Dons backcourt rotation.  

Budko was a highly heralded post, courted by a dozen of the top college teams in the land, including a handful of ACC powerhouses and Notre Dame. The ‘76-77 season would see North Carolina coach Dean Smith visit the Loyola campus and see Budko play in two games, proving the high level of interest the Tar Heels had in the 6’9 Don. Guy was beginning to gain national interest too, with his guard ability, and his size, at 6’5. Budko and Guy were as skilled as any two players the BCL had seen. 

Cardinal Gibbons, who won the tournament title in ‘74, and lost to the Dons in the ‘75 final, looked to be the Dons top challenger in the league, with senior Mark Valderas and sophomore sensation Quinton Dailey leading the Crusaders. The Mt St Joe Gaels were coming off of a 29-4 season, the second best in their program’s history, but lost their top two players, Delmar Harrod and Gene Nieberlein, to graduation, and were looking to retool. The ‘76 Gaels went 1-3 versus the Dons, and 28-1 versus everyone else. Still, the Gaels and Curley could both prove to be spoilers.  

The Dons had garnered some national recognition from high school basketball pundits with their Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament appearances in ‘75 and ‘76. In ‘75, the Dons finished third, losing to the eventual champion, Roman Catholic of the Philadelphia Catholic League by two points in the semifinals.  

Budko, as a sophomore, was selected to the all-tournament second team. In ‘76, the Dons advanced to the title game, becoming the first BCL team to do so, knocking off West Catholic of Philadelphia in the quarterfinals, then winning an epic 82-81 double-overtime thriller over Mackin of DC in the semifinals. The Dons fell to Roman Catholic again, 44-41, in overtime in the final. Budko was selected to the all-tournament second team for a second time.  

Budko, Guy, and Kakalec, were battle tested, and Savage was becoming a ‘Dean’ of local high school coaches.  

The Dons had to handle adversity early, losing their opener to Paint Branch and the Panthers Notre Dame commit Tracy Jackson, 59-54. Guy led the Dons with 20 points, while adjusting to his floor general role. Budko scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Jackson scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The Dons failed on a go-ahead possession, before the Panthers Elwood Matthews converted an old-fashioned three-point play at the other end with 28 seconds to play.  

The Dons rebounded with a last second 39-38 win over St Johns of DC, then put away Dulaney, the Baltimore County defending champion, 72-54, with Coach Dean Smith there to witness Budko’s 25 points and 12 rebounds. Rob Lardner’s offensive rebound and follow of a Guy miss beat the buzzer and gave the Dons the win over the Cadets. Guy had cut the margin to one point with a jumper, then grabbed a steal, setting up the game-winning possession.  

The Dons won two of three games at the ultra-competitive Benedicine Classic in Richmond, notching a pair of double-digit victories over Trinity Episcopal VA and host Benedictine, and suffering a defeat to DC Interhigh power McKinley Tech.  

In the third place win over Benedictine, Guy scored 17 points in their 62-48 win over the hosts, while Kakalec added 16 points, and Budko added 15 points. The Dons outscored the Cadets 32-19 in second, after holding a 30-29 halftime lead. In the win over Trinity Episcopal, Budko registered 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Guy provided 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Budko scored 22 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in the loss to McKinley Tech.  

The Dons began league play with a convincing 79-70 win over Cardinal Gibbons, where the Dons built a 19 point first half lead, and survived Budko’s three fouls before intermission. Guy scored a game-high 24 points, including 14 in the decisive first half. Despite being saddled by foul trouble, Budko finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots.  

The Gaels then handed undefeated Mt St Joe their first loss, in a slow-down 30-29 victory. Kakalec led all scorers with 13 points. The Gaels had won their first 12 games to begin the season. Budko was limited to just six points in the slow down affair, but blocked nine shots, while Coach Smith sat court side.  

Before a much anticipated with Anne Arundel power Annapolis and their All-State 6’7 forward Dale Solomon, Budko came down with the flu, taking him out for three games. The Dons couldn’t survive the loss of Budko, losing to the Panthers, 65-56, their third defeat of the season, and their last leading up to the Alhambra tournament final.  

Budko came back a week later for the Dons matchup with Montgomery Blair, a Montgomery County powerhouse. Budko, still not 100%, watched junior Brian Pollhammer lead the way with 20 points in a 75-58 victory. Kakalec scored 14 first half points, before leaving early in the third quarter after taking an elbow to the head on a rebound. Guy added 17 points.  

In his first start since returning, Budko registered a triple-double in a 86-65 over Cardinal Gibbons, scoring 14 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and blocking 12 shots. Guy scored a team-high 20 points in the 21 point win over the Crusaders, while Kakalec added 19 points. Dailey, the Crusaders sophomore star, was held to a season-low nine points.  

The Dons knocked off 16-4 Mt St Joe, 67-56, to clinch their third straight BCL regular season title, with Budko and Guy each scoring 20 points. Guy scored eight points in the third quarter, where the Dons pushed their lead from three points to thirteen points heading into the fourth quarter.  

The Dons closed the regular season with a win over #6 Edgewood and their star ‘Tub’ Bradley, 65-48, with Budko registering 18 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocked shots, and Guy providing 17 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. 

The Dons faced Towson Catholic in the BCL tournament semifinals, and the Owls took a page out of the Mt St Joe playbook, slowing down the Dons with ‘stall ball’. The ploy looked unsuccessful through the first few minutes of the second half, as the Dons scored the first six points after intermission to take a 32-18 lead. But, the Dons, with a handful of turnovers and a handful of missed shots, wouldn’t score again, and had to hold off the Owls in a 32-31 victory.  

Towson Catholic cut the margin to one, 32-31, with 4:54 to play, but neither team would score again, as the Owls elected to wind down the clock, and close on a game-winner that never came. The Dons had survived the earlier ‘stall ball’ one point win over Mt St Joe earlier in the season, scoring just two points in the fourth quarter.  

The Dons rebounded with a dominating 82-65 win over Cardinal Gibbons in the final, winning their third straight BCL tournament championship game, and notching their 13th straight win. The Dons led by 11 points after three quarters, then used a 6-0 run early in the fourth quarter to push their insurmountable lead to 18 points.  

Budko scored 16 points, hauled in 12 rebounds, and blocked five shots. Pollhammer shared team-high scoring honors with Budko, while Guy was one of the five Dons double-digit scorers with 14 points. Budko and Guy were named to the all-tournament team.  

The Dons became the first team to win back-to-back BCL tournament titles, and now became the first to win three straight tournament championships.  

The Dons entered the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament with a 24-3 record, and having won 22 of their last 23 games with Budko in the lineup. But the road in Cumberland wouldn’t be easy, with Mackin awaiting in the first round, just a year after the Dons edged the Trojans in double overtime in the semifinals.  

This would be much of the same, without the extra sessions, as the Dons would squeak by Mackin, 61-60, overcoming a ten point deficit with a 15-0 run to take a lead it would hold onto, barely. Budko, in foul trouble much of the second half, finished with 18 points, while Kukalec led all scorers with 19 points.  

The Dons easily handled St Joe’s Prep PA for a second time in the season in the semifinal, building a 25 point lead in the second half, before finishing with a 69-57 win. The Dons built a 51-31 lead after three quarters. Budko scored 18 points, on 7-11 shooting, and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Guy added 15 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.  

DeMatha awaited in the final, and the Dons gave the Stags all they could through three quarters, sharing a 46-46 tie heading into the fourth quarter, before faltering in a 74-62 defeat in front of 2,400 at Allegany High School. Budko finished his high school career scoring 19 points, hauling in 11 rebounds, and blocking seven shots. Guy added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Budko was named to the all-tournament first team, while Guy was named to the second team.  

Budko was named an All-American by Basketball Weekly, and was named to the Sun’s All-Met first team, and the Alhambra All-Tournament first team. Budko became the first player in BCL history to be named to the BCL All-Tournament team three times. On the season, Budko averaged 15.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.6 blocked shots per game. Budko would go on to play for Smith in Chapel Hill.  

Guy was named an All-Met, and was named to the Alhambra All-Tournament second team. Guy averaged a team-high 15.7 points per game, adding 9.2 rebounds and six assists per contest. Guy, a junior, became just the third player in BCL history to be named to their all-tournament two times, joining Budko and former Cardinal Gibbons star Norman Black. Kukalec was named to the All-Met honorable mention list.  

Savage had guided the Dons to the BCL’s first ‘three-peat’, and the program’s fourth tournament title in the league’s first six seasons, as well as their fourth regular season crown. It was also the fourth time in six seasons Savage’s Dons won 22 games or more, and the third straight winning 26 or more. 

Over Budko’s last three seasons, Savage’s Dons went 82-15, with three tournament titles, and three regular season crowns.  

Notes;  

• Budko played in a reserve role for four years for Coach Dean Smith and the Tar Heels, scoring 200 points and grabbing 231 rebounds in his four years, that spanned Phil Ford’s senior year, James Worthy’s freshman and sophomore seasons, Sam Perkins freshman year, and Al Wood’s four seasons in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels earned a NCAA tournament bid in each of Budko’s four seasons, and made the national championship game in his senior season. Budko played one minute in the final, missing a shot and grabbing a rebound, as Coach Smith placed his senior on the floor in the final minute of the 63-50 loss to the eventual champion Indiana Hoosiers. Isiah Thomas scored a game-high 23 points in the Hoosiers win. The Tar Heels won 96 games in Budko’s four seasons, finishing with a #9 ranking in his sophomore season, and #6 in his senior season. Despite the backup role, Budko was selected in the fifth round of the 1981 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but never played for the Mavs. 
• Gay played four years at Kansas under coach Ted Owens. Gay had an outstanding college career in Lawrence, producing 1,488 points, 415 rebounds, 327 assists, and 161 steals. Gay played in 117 games for the Jayhawks, starting in 105. Gay teamed for three seasons in the backcourt for eventual nine year NBA veteran Darnell Valentine. His freshman season, eventual NBA veteran Paul Mokesi was the Jayhawks center. Gay averaged 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, in his sophomore season. Gay led the Jayhawks in his junior season, averaging 15.8 points per game, adding 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per contest. The Jayhawks advanced to the ‘Sweet 16’ that season, before losing to in-state rival Wichita State, 66-65, thanks to the Shockers’ Mike Jones game-winner. The Jayhawks won the Big 8 that season, and finished 24-8. In the second round win over Arizona State, Gay drained 36 points, shooting 13 of 15 from the floor, and 10 of 12 from the line. The Sun Devils featured a pair of NBA guards in Byron Scott and Fat Lever. The Devils’ center Alton Lister also later became a NBA veteran. Gay averaged 14.9 points per game in his senior season, adding 3.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per clip. Gay was drafted in the second round of the 1982 NBA Draft by Red Auerbach and the Boston Celtics, 46th overall, but never played for the C’s. Gay later had tryouts with the Knicks and Cavaliers, but never signed.