This is the final installment of a seven part series looking at the Baltimore Catholic League teams of all-time, as seen by Baltimore Sports & Life high school analyst Willie Season Coughlan. This looks at the top 5 BCL teams of all-time.
1 ‘82 Calvert Hall Cardinals (34-0) Coach Mark Amatucci > #1 in the USA, #1 in the Sun, Alhambra Tournament Champions 3-0, BCL undefeated regular season and tournament champions, Las Vegas Prep Holiday Classic tournament champions, Pepsi Challenge champions, WARM tournament champions
Players
Mark Wilson 6’1 SR; Hertz Maryland POY, All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, All-Alhambra 1st, 19.2 ppg (Minnesota)
Duane Farrell 6’5 SO; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 16.4p/11.2r (Georgia Tech, NBA)
Paul Edwards 6’3 SR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st, All-Alhambra 1st, 15.7p/8.3r (Mt St Mary’s)
James ‘Pop’ Tubman 5’7 SR; All-Met 3rd, All-BCL 1st, All-Alhambra 2nd, 9.5p/6.7a (Loyola)
Pat Sass 6’5 SR; Senior transfer from St Johns DC
Mark Kauffman 6’1 SR; Three-sport athlete, All-Met 1st football
Vernon Hill 6’2 SO; (Loyola)
Eddie Oliver 6’0 SO; (San Jacinto CC / West Texas State)
There is no doubt as to who was the best Baltimore area private school basketball team of all-time, it’s the one that produced one of the four best seasons of all ‘Charm City’ area high school teams, joining the legendary ‘82, ‘83, and ‘92 Dunbar Poets national championship teams. The famed ‘83 Poets team was the second area team to finish #1 in as many seasons, with the Cardinals finishing as the top ranked high school team in the country in ‘82, with a record of 34-0, just ahead of the 29-0 Poets, who finished #2.
The Cards and Poets never met in the ‘81-82 season, a meeting that would have served as the mythical national championship game, but instead remains the best boys high school basketball game never played.
A season before, in March of ‘81, the Cardinals pulled out a 94-91 triple-overtime thriller that is still talked about forty years later. The game would set the tone for the ‘81-82 season, and position the Cardinals as the pre-season #1 team in the country, a position they’d never surrender.
The ‘82 Cardinals would go on to win tournaments and showcases in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, DC, and Scranton, and became just the second Baltimore area team to win the prestigious Alhambra Tournament, topping arguably the most legendary high school basketball program in the nation – the DeMatha Stags, in the final game of their magical season.
The Cardinals were led by a trio of three year starting seniors – 6’1 guard Mark Wilson, 6’3 forward Paul Edwards, and 5’7 point guard, James ‘Pop’ Tubman. To add, the Cardinals boasted one of the top sophomores in the country, in 6’5 Duane Farrell. Pat Sass, a 6’5 senior transfer from St Johns DC, joined Farrell and Edwards in the frontcourt, and senior Mark Kauffman and two talented sophomores, Vernon Hill and Eddie Oliver, were the first trio off the bench.
Wilson, Tubman, and Edwards, were all exceptional talents, but the chemistry they exhibited in their sophomore years, and continued together with the supremely talented Farrell their junior years, was something to behold.
As the ‘81-82 season approached, coach Mark Amatucci, along with starters Wilson, Paul Edwards, and Tubman, had gone 57-5 overall in ‘80 and ‘81, and 19-1 in league play, while carrying an 18 game win streak (including league tournament) against league opponents into the season.
The ‘81 Cardinals finished ranked #8 in the country, having gone 29-2, highlighted by the epic win over the Poets. Coach Amatucci recruiting prowess turned around a program that went 9-21 in league play in the three seasons before he arrived, and 1-9 in his first season in Towson.
Amatucci’s ‘81 recruiting class of Darryle Edwards and the late Paul Kinney, along with his ‘82 class of Wilson, Paul Edwards, and Tubman, would set in motion a rocket-like trajectory that would see Amatucci’s program go from 8-16 overall and 1-9 in league play in his first season, to national champion four years later.
Across the Baltimore Catholic League, Cardinal Gibbons looked to be the Cardinals biggest threat in ‘81-82, with a pair of talented ‘bigs’ in 6’7 Tim Coles and 6’8 Dave Burgess. Crusaders coach Ray Mullis had the hottest sophomore recruit in the area outside of Farrell, in 6’3 Mike Brown. The Crusaders also had junior point guard Marty Johnson running the show. Mt St Joe figured to be in the mix, with seniors George Young and Gene Nieberlein Jr., who were two of the best in the league. Loyola lost a lot from their 23-5 team in ‘80-81, but they had overcome losses before, as ‘81-82 was the sixth time in ten seasons that the Dons won 22 games or more.
The Cardinals were chosen as Street & Smith’s pre-season top team in the land for the ‘81-82 season, then went wire-to-wire with the top ranking in the country from the season’s beginning to end.
The Cardinals began the season with a trio of victories over over three DC powers – Spingarn, Mackin, and Dunbar. In the season opener, the Cardinals knocked off Spingarn, who featured junior Michael Graham and freshman Sherman Douglas, 63-51. Down 28-24 at half, the Cards rallied to outscore the Green Wave 16-4 in the third quarter, and never trailed again. Wilson scored a team-high 19 points, while Edwards added 17 points and seven rebounds.
The following weekend, the Cardinals faced DC’s top ranked team, Mackin, who featured high school All-American guard Johnny Dawkins and star forward Dominic Pressley. The Cardinals trailed the Trojans 47-33 at halftime, but again put away an opponent in the third quarter, with the Cards scoring 31 points in the quarter and taking a lead they’d never lose in an 82-77 win. Wilson was outstanding, scoring 21 points and dishing out 13 assists. Dawkins, a Duke commit, scored 20 points.
The Cardinals followed that with an 81-66 victory over Philadelphia’s LaSalle, with Farrell scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
The next weekend brought on the Crimson Tide of Dunbar, the defending DC Interhigh champ, and for the third straight weekend, the Cards beat one of DC’s best, topping the Crimson Tide, 77-65. The Cardinals never trailed. Farrell scored a team-high 20 points, while Wilson, Edwards, and Tubman, added 15, 14, and 13 points, respectively.
Just before the Christmas break, the Cardinals won the WARM Tournament in Scranton, PA, topping Bishop Hannan PA, 94-55, in the semifinal, and host Bishop O’Reilly PA, 84-50, in the tournament final. Edwards was named the tournament’s MVP.
The Cardinals closed out December winning the inaugural Nike Prep Holiday Classic in Las Vegas, winning four games over five days, registering a quartet of quality wins.
On day one, the Cardinals exploded for 103 points in a 103-83 win over Las Vegas’ Western, led by Farrell, who poured in 36 points. Farrell shot 16-21 from the field, and 4-4 from the line. Wilson scored 10 of his 20 points in the third quarter, a quarter where the Cards outscored the Warriors 24-12. Tubman added 16 points and seven assists. Next, the Cardinals kicked out another one of Vegas’ best, Clark, routing the one-loss Chargers, 84-50, with Wilson scoring a game-high 28 points.
The Cardinals faced nationally acclaimed St Barnard’s CA in the semifinals, and needed last-second heroics to put away the Vikings, 65-64. Wilson’s layup with three seconds to go proved to be the game-winner, after starting the game with a 12-0 deficit. Wilson scored 20 points, while Farrell added 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Cardinals faced Valley NV in the tournament championship, the two-time defending Nevada state champion, led by future UNLV Runnin’ Rebel, Freddie Banks. Again, the Cardinals came back from a double-digit first quarter deficit to pull out a victory. The Cardinals countered a Vikings 24-12 first quarter, with a 26-12 quarter of their own in the second, to take a two point halftime lead. Wilson’s 15 footer with 2:28 to play put the Cards up for good. Farrell scored 18 points, and Wilson added 16 points.
After a resounding win over Towson Catholic in the league opener, the Cardinals trounced their fourth DC power, one loss Eastern, 89-57, in a rare doubleheader at Cole Field House, with the Terrapins and Tar Heels following the Cardinals-Ramblers clash. The Cards took a 49-25 lead over the Ramblers into intermission and coasted. Wilson scored 20 points, while Edwards added 16.
The Cardinals followed that victory with a 87-65 win over East Patterson NJ, with Farrell controlling the paint with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Next, two big challenges awaited in Philly, at the four team Pepsi Challenge. The Cards responded brilliantly, taking out defending New York Class C state champion Long Island Lutheran, 68-53, in the semifinal, and the Street & Smith’s pre-season #2 team in the country, Camden NJ, 67-62, in the Pepsi Challenge final.
Camden was led by two Louisville commits, All-American forward Billy Thompson and guard Kevin Walls. Wilson led four double-digit scorers with 19 points in the win over Long Island Lutheran. In the final, Wilson led the Cards with 17 points, while Tubman added 15 points and seven assists, and Edwards added 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
With the win, talk of a not yet scheduled date between the nationally top ranked Cardinals and then the #3 Poets started to become the talk of the town in the ‘Charm City’ area.
The Cardinals followed the two high quality wins in ‘Philly’ with a 84-74 win over Cardinal Gibbons, in their first of two meetings with the Crusaders, before an overflow crowd of 5,200 in the Towson Center.
The Crusaders, who began the season ranked #13 in the country by Basketball Weekly, were likely going to catapult to a national top 10 ranking, after their win over #8 Carroll DC earlier in the week, but unfortunately had the Cards next, before the next poll arrived. Both Wilson and Farrell scored 24 points in the victory over the Crusaders, where the Cards exploded for 50 points in the second half, finding separation from a two point halftime lead.
Following that win, the Cardinals came away with a narrow 72-69 victory over Mt St Joe, with Wilson leading the way with 21 points, and Farrell adding 18 points. Sass added 15 points, including making nine of ten from the line. The Cards closed January with a 80-70 win over five-time BCL champion Loyola, with Farrell scoring 30 points, and Wilson scoring 26 points.
The Cardinals trumped Mt St Joe in their second meeting with the Gaels, 89-73, with Wilson pouring in 26 points, and Farrell producing 18 points, eight rebounds, and four blocked shots. Edwards added 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Cards clinched their third straight Baltimore Catholic League regular season title with a 74-67 victory over Cardinal Gibbons before 3,500 at UMBC, pushing the Cards to 9-0 in league play, and dropping the #3 Crusaders to 6-3.
Wilson scored 25 points in the comeback win (Cards trailed in the third, 39-32), despite he and Tubman sitting out the first five minutes of the game, after arriving just minutes before tip-off. Farrell and Sass both added 12 points, with the latter raining in six long jumpers. The Cards closed out the regular season with a 86-63 rout of Loyola before a sold-out crowd, with Edwards scoring a season-high 32 points.
The Cards ran away from Loyola, 75-57, for a third time, in the BCL semifinal, with Wilson leading the way with 18 points, setting up a matchup with Mt St Joe in the final, after the Gaels put away Cardinal Gibbons for a second time that season, in the other semifinal.
The Cardinals held off the Gaels in the finals, 85-81, after the Gaels cut their deficit to one point with six minutes left in the game. From there, the Cardinals went on a 12-4 run to extend their lead to nine points, with Farrell scoring eight points in the run, before clinching their third straight BCL tournament crown.
The victory was the Cardinals 30th consecutive win over a league opponent, including the post-season. Farrell finished with 20 points, and Wilson added 18 points. Wilson and Farrell were named to the all-tournament team.
It was off to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational in Frostburg, just three games away from a mythical national championship and a 34-0 record.
The Cardinals put away Monsignor Bonner of Philadelphia in the first round, 72-63, with Edwards scoring a game-high 18 points, and Farrell adding 16 points, setting up a rematch with Mackin in a semifinal. The Cardinals had came back from a double-digit deficit to beat Mackin in the third game of the season.
The Cardinals had advanced to the Alhambra semifinals in each of the last two years, but fell both times in the ‘Final Four’ round, losing both to two other Washington Catholic League teams, Gonzaga and Carroll.
This time, the Cardinals prevailed, holding off the Trojans, 85-77, keyed by a 9-2 spurt in the fourth quarter, raising a four point lead to a comfortable 11 point lead. Edwards led the way with 24 points, while Wilson and Farrell supplied 22 points and 18 points, respectively. Dawkins was held to 16 points, in large part because of Wilson, while Dominic Pressley led the Trojans with 25 points.
All that was in the way of a mythical national championship was national top five ranked DeMatha, the five-time defending Alhambra champions, awaiting in the tournament final.
The last game of this memorable season was one for the ages, one where the Cardinals closed the game on a 12-1 run to earn an 82-76 victory over the Stags, and finish with the #1 ranking in the land. Trailing 75-70 with less than four minutes to play, the Cardinals rallied to become just the second Baltimore area to ever win the Alhambra, twenty years after Towson Catholic took the crown in 1962.
Wilson began the rally with a three-point play, followed by an Edwards steal and a Tubman lay-up to even the game at 75. The closing run was done without Farrell, who left early in the fourth quarter with a twisted ankle.
Hill, the sophomore, filled in for Farrell and caused a jump ball by tying up the Stags Carlton Valentine. Hill won the jump ball, and Wilson hit a 15-foot jumper to give the Cards a 77-75 lead. After a Stags miss, Edwards hit the first of two free throws to give the Cards a three point lead. Then, after Edwards missed the second, the Stags Mike Alexander threw the ball away to Wilson, who all but put away the game with a steal and layup that gave the Cardinals a 80-75 lead with 28 seconds to go.
Wilson scored 14 of the Cards last 17 points, and scored 28 points for the game. Edwards and Tubman each added 11 points. Farrell was limited due to foul trouble, and finished with eight points. Sass (8 points), the senior transfer, and the two sophomores, Oliver (8 points) and Hill (5 points), all provided big minutes. Both Wilson and Edwards were named to the all-tournament first team, while Tubman was selected to the second team.
Amatucci and his ‘82 class had gone 91-5 over their last three seasons, won 35 of 36 games against league opponents, won three straight BCL regular season and tournament titles, won the biggest game ever played between two area powerhouses, and notched national top 10 rankings in back-to-back seasons, including a national championship in ‘82.
The ‘82 Cardinals racked up eight wins over teams that were ranked among the nation’s top 25 during the ‘81-82 season – DeMatha, Camden NJ, Long Island Lutheran NY, Archbishop Carroll DC, Mackin DC (twice), and Cardinal Gibbons (twice).
In addition, the Cardinals registered four quality wins out West in Vegas, including victories over St Barnard’s CA and Valley NV, reeled off three wins versus the DC Interhigh’s best three – Dunbar, Spingarn, and Eastern, added three wins over Mt St Joe, two over a pair of Philadelphia private powers in Monsignor Bonner and La Salle, another over East Patterson, and you have 21 quality victories.
Wilson was named as the Hertz Maryland Player of the Year. Wilson was also named to the Sun’s All-Met first team and the All-BCL first team, after averaging a team-leading 19.2 points per game. Wilson, a three year All-BCL selection, finished with a program record 1,585 career points over his three seasons with the Cardinals. Farrell, the sophomore, was also named to the All-Met and All-BCL first teams, averaging 16.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
Edwards and Tubman joined their teammates on the All-BCL first team, while Edwards was named to the All-Met second team, and Tubman to the All-Met third team. Tubman, who averaged 9.5 points and 6.7 assists per game, was instrumental in the Cards success over three years, running the Cardinals offense, and causing havoc up top on defense. While the other three of the Cards ‘Big 4’ garnered a bit more of the spotlight, Amatucci called Edwards “our MVP” more than a a few times. Edwards averaged 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Notes;
- Wilson started for four years at the University of Minnesota, teaming with 1981 Baltimore Sun Player of the Year Tommy Davis of Aberdeen, his first three seasons. Wilson was a two-time All-Big 10 selection, and when he finished, he ranked among the Gophers top ten lists in career points, career assists, and career steals. Wilson played 114 games for the Gophers, scoring 1,386 points, grabbing 397 rebounds, dishing out 325 assists, and taking 138 steals. Wilson was a double-digit scorer all four seasons with the Gophers. Wilson led the Gophers in scoring in his senior season, averaging 16.2 points per game, adding 5.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest, shooting 52.8% from the field. Wilson has spent more than 20 years as an assistant coach in women’s college basketball.
- Edwards played four years for Jim Phelan at Mt St Mary’s, and still stands as ‘the Mount’s’ all-time steals leader, with 316, holding the top three single-season marks in steals, more than 35 years after he graduated. As of the completion of the ‘21-22 season, Edwards still ranks tenth all-time on the Mountaineers career assists list, with 373, and 12th all-time on the Mountaineers career scoring list, with 1,641 points. Edwards (along with his brother Darryle) helped lead the Mountaineers to the 1985 NCAA Division II Final Four. Edwards was inducted into the Mt St Mary’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
- Tubman played three years at Loyola, playing for Amatucci. In 85 games, Tubman scored 271 points and produced 255 assists.
- Amatucci coached the Greyhounds for seven seasons, finishing with an 85-116 record, before going back to Calvert Hall for another tour of duty.
- The Cardinals battled more than a handful of players in the ‘81-82 season that would go on to have a major impact at the next level in the Final Four. Michael Graham would be named to the All-Final Four Team with Georgetown as a freshman in ‘84, and crowned a national champion. Billy Thompson’s Louisville team knocked off Johnny Dawkins Duke team in the ‘86 NCAA finals. Freddie Banks poured in 38 points in UNLV’s 97-93 loss to Steve Alford and the Indians Hoosiers in the ‘87 NCAA semifinals. Sherman Douglas’ Syracuse team advanced to those ‘87 semifinals as well, and advanced to the championship game, before falling to the Hoosiers on the Hoosiers’ Keith Smart’s game-winning shot. Danny Ferry, a freshman on the Stags ‘81-82 team, played in three Final 4’s, including ‘86, with Dawkins. Ferry, Thompson, and Graham, were all Parade All-Americans during their respective senior seasons, while Thompson and Ferry were also named as juniors, making them two of very few players to be two-time Parade All-American selections. In addition to those six, the Cardinals faced DeMatha’s Mike Alexander, who scored more than 1,400 points at Boston University, his Stags teammate Carlton Valentine, who went on to Michigan State and was the Spartans MVP his senior season, Dawkins’ Mackin teammate Dominic Pressley, who’d play two years in the NBA, and Cardinal Gibbons’ Tim Coles, who would score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 800 rebounds at UConn.
- Farrell’s notes, including his four years at Georgia Tech, and 11 years in the NBA, can be found on the ‘84 Calvert Hall profile, #14 on this list, as can Oliver’s notes on his two years with Amatucci at Loyola.
2 ‘06 Mt St Joseph Gaels (38-1) Coach Pat Clatchey > #5 in the USA, #1 in the Sun, BCL & MIAA undefeated regular season and tournament champions, Gonzaga Classic champions, Benedictine tournament champions, Alhambra 2nd 2-1
Players
Louis Birdsong 6’6 SR; BCL POY, All-Met 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, All-ACIT 1st, 12.2p/8.5r/2.2b (George Mason)
DeJuan Goodwin 6’2 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 12.2p/4.1r/3.4a/2.0s (Marist)
Dino Gregory 6’8 JR; All-BCL 3rd, 11.9p/8.9r/2.8b (Maryland)
Chase Adams 5’10 SR; All-BCL 2nd, All-BCL Tournament (Centenary / Pittsburgh)
Kevin Swecker 6’2 SR; All-BCL 3rd (Longwood)
Henry Sims 6’8 SO; (Georgetown, NBA)
Mt St Joe entered the ‘05-06 season having won three straight BCL regular season titles, and two of the last three BCL tournament titles, creating huge expectations for the upcoming season with the talented cast they returned.
Coach Pat Clatchey’s 04-05 Gaels became just the fourth team in BCL history to win the league regular season crown in three consecutive seasons, joining Loyola’s ‘75-78 teams, Calvert Hall’s ‘80-82 teams, and St Frances’ ‘95-98 squads.
The ‘05-06 team would not only add a fourth in a row, and become just the third BCL team to do so, but set a state record in wins (38) and consecutive wins (38), adding their third BCL tournament championship in four seasons, and finished with the #5 ranking in the country. Expectations met, and more.
It had been a while since the Gaels had seen that level of success. Before the Gaels had won both their first BCL regular season and tournament titles in ‘03, they had gone 31 seasons in the Baltimore Catholic League without either. The Gaels ‘03 season was the program’s best since ‘71, the year before the BCL evolved, when those Gaels went 26-2 and won the MSA A championship.
In Clatchey’s first ten seasons in Irvington, his Gaels went 61-71 overall in league play, and 7-10 in tournament play. Then, Clatchey recruited Will Thomas to St Joe, the 6’7 forward that led the Gaels to back-to-back BCL regular season and tournament sweeps in ‘03 and ‘04.
Clatchey continued to recruit top frontcourt prospects, gaining a top ‘big’ in each of the ‘06, ‘07, and ‘08 classes, including a junior that led the Gaels to the BCL regular season title and a 31-4 record as a junior in the ‘04-05 season.
That junior was 6’6 forward Louis Birdsong, a returning All-Met First Team selection, and the top returning senior in the league. Bolstering the Gaels frontline was 6’7 junior Dino Gregory, who had already committed to Maryland. The backcourt was solid, with seniors DeJuan Goodwin, Chase Adams, and Kevin Swecker.
The highly talented Goodwin was coming back after missing virtually all of the last two seasons with knee injuries. Adams provided veteran leadership at the point guard position, and the 6’2 Swecker added leadership and scoring ability. The Gaels would also call on 6’8 sophomore Henry Sims, one of the best big men in his class in the country, early on in the season.
The Gaels were sure to receive challenges from both St Frances and Towson Catholic in league play, with the Panthers coming in as the defending BCL tournament champions, and the Owls coming off of a second place finish to St Joe in the regular season standings, and a 25 win season. Both were returning key components.
The Panthers were returning sophomore sensation Sean Mosley, who took the five seed Panthers to a tournament title as a freshman. The Owls were returning highly touted rising juniors Donté Greene and Malcom Dulaney. Greene was ranked among the top 10 in the country in his class, and Dulaney, like Mosley, ranked among the top 100 players in the country in his class.
The Gaels ran off seven straight double-digit victories to begin the season, including wins over Good Counsel, 4A power Old Mill, and two over a pair of the MIAA B’s best in Pallotti and Mount Carmel. The Gaels win margin through seven games was +25.2 points.
Old Mill had advanced to the MPSSAA 4A Final Four in ‘05, and again were favorites in their region. The Gaels ran out to a 36-21 halftime lead over the #10 Patriots, before taking a 62-43 victory. Birdsong led the Gaels in the win over the Pats with 21 points, while Gregory added 15 points.
Then it was off to the Gonzaga Classic, and it’s talented cast of rosters, including league rival, St Frances, host Gonzaga, and another handful of quality teams, including Roman Catholic, of the Philadelphia Catholic League, and St Johns, of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
The Gaels throttled Brooklyn’s Bishop Laughlin, 72-53, in the opening round, then handed Philly’s Roman Catholic it’s first loss of the season, edging the Callihites, 56-54, in the semifinals. That win set up an unscheduled date with league rival St Frances in the tournament final, after the Panthers knocked off Roosevelt (DC) and St Stephan’s & St Agnes.
The Gaels would take the first of what would be three single-digit victories over the Panthers in the ‘05-06 season in the final, 60-54. The Gaels opening round win looked more impressive when Bishop Laughlin beat both St Johns and Gonzaga, while Roman Catholic won two of three, as well.
The Gaels continued their roll over the holiday break, going to Richmond and capturing their second tournament championship in two weeks, taking the Benedictine Capital City tournament crown.
The Gaels began play in the Commonwealth by wiping out Wythe VA, 71-53, in the first round. The semifinal round presented Philadelphia private power Germantown Academy, and the Gaels handled the Patriots easily, 69-51, with Swecker and Goodwin combining for 30 points.
In the final, the Gaels topped host Benedictine VA, 51-40, leaving Richmond with three double-digit victories and another tournament championship. Goodwin scored a game-high 20 points in the title game victory. The Gaels ended the calendar year with a 14-0 record, winning 12 of the 14 games by 11 points or more.
The Gaels opened the year with wins over St Maria Goretti and Loyola, before hosting 14-4 Towson Catholic, who featured Greene and Dulaney.
The game wit the Owls was a tight duel throughout, but it was Birdsong’s short jumper in the lane with 2:20 remaining in regulation that gave the Gaels a 54-52 lead, a lead the Gaels would hold onto for good in a 56-55 victory. Birdsong scored 12 points, and helped keep Greene to a season-low eight points. Gregory scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Swecker shared team scoring honors with Gregory, with 13 points.
After three more wins, the Gaels hosted St Frances in the first of two league games with the Panthers in six days.
After having beaten the Panthers in the Gonzaga Classic final, the Gaels pulled out another single-digit victory over their league foes in their first of two meetings in a week, 60-51. The Gaels trailed by ten points at halftime, before outscoring the #3 Panthers 40-21 after intermission. Birdsong was instrumental again, scoring 13 of his 17 points in the second half, while adding ten rebounds and five blocked shots, and helping limit Mosley to a season-low nine points. Goodwin scored a team-high 21 points, and connected on 12 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter.
With the win, the Gaels propelled themselves to a national top 10 ranking, the first time the program had ever nabbed a national top 25 ranking.
Six days and two wins later, the Gaels traveled to St Frances to play the Panthers a third time in five weeks. And for a third time, the Gaels edged out a close victory over the #3 Panthers, pulling out a 59-56 win. The Gaels moved to 24-0, then followed that with two wins, before heading to Towson Catholic for the second game of their two game series. After falling behind the #5 Owls by eight points in the second quarter, the Gaels closed the first half with a 15-2 run to take a five point lead into halftime, then cruise to a 56-37 victory. The Gaels limited the Owls to just 14 second half points. Gregory led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points, adding eight rebounds.
The Gaels won their final four regular season games, which included three league wins, clinching their fourth straight BCL and MIAA regular season crowns, and becoming the first team in the BCL to go unbeaten in league play in 22 seasons, dating back to the ‘84 Calvert Hall Cardinals, who had just accomplished the feat three times in four seasons.
Loyola and St Frances had been the only other teams to win four straight regular seasons crowns, when the Dons reigned supreme from ‘75 through ‘78, and the Panthers won four straight titles from ‘95 through ‘98.
The Gaels became just the second Baltimore area team to register back-to-back 30 win seasons with their 67-54 win over Calvert Hall, to move to 30-0. The only other Baltimore area program ever to record back-to-back 30 win seasons were the legendary Dunbar Poets teams in ‘82 and ‘83.
The Gaels became just the third team in the BCL’s 35 year history to win the regular season league crown by four games (and first in 26 years), joining the ‘79 Cardinal Gibbons and Crusaders and the ‘80 Calvert Hall Cardinals.
The Gaels survived McDonogh and DeJuan Summers, 53-49, in the MIAA A semifinals, using a 16-8 third quarter to turn a three point halftime deficit into a five point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Birdsong scored seven of his 11 points in the quarter. Swecker and Adams both hit two free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the victory. Swecker led four double-digit scorers for the Gaels, with 14 points. Summers, the Georgetown commit, scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his final games as an Eagle.
The Gaels faced Towson Catholic in the final, their third meeting with the Owls, after a one point victory in their first meeting, and a 19 point rout in the second. The Gaels used an 11-0 run in the third quarter to propel themselves to a 64-49 victory to capture their third MIAA A tournament title in four years.
Goodwin, who missed nearly all of his sophomore and junior seasons with knee injuries, scored five points in the run and finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and four steals. Swecker led the Gaels scoring with 18 points. The Gaels trailed the #4 Owls by ten points at halftime. Birdsong added nine points and 11 rebounds, while Gregory added 10 points and seven rebounds.
In the BCL playoffs, the Gaels eliminated Cardinal Gibbons and Calvert Hall in the quarterfinals and semifinals, to set up a fourth matchup with the Owls in the championship game.
The 62-41 win over the Cardinals gave the Gaels an all-time Baltimore area record 35th win, surpassing the Cards ‘82 national championship team’s 34 wins. Swecker scored a team-high 15 points in the win over the Cardinals.
The Gaels had little trouble in the title game, recording their fourth win over the Owls in a 62-52 victory. Swecker hit two ‘threes’ during a 10-5 run to begin the fourth quarter that extended the Gaels lead from nine points to 14 points. Birdsong led the Gaels with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Swecker and Adams added 14 points apiece.
The Owls were 0-4 versus the Gaels, and 27-6 versus everyone else. Similarly, St Frances lost all three games versus the Gaels, and were 24-7 versus everyone else. Birdsong was named the tournament MVP, while Goodwin and Adams joined the forward on the all-tournament team.
The Gaels moved to 37-0 with a 88-35 rout of host Bishop Walsh in the opening round of the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, before winning their state record 38th game in a 53-47 victory over St Joes Prep of Philadelphia in the semifinals. The Gaels win surpassed the ‘00 Riverdale Baptist Crusaders’ 37 wins for the most victories in a season in Maryland boys high school basketball history.
That set up a title game featuring the nationally fifth ranked Gaels and the nationally fourth ranked DeMatha Stags, who came in at 33-1. The game was played before more than 5,000 fans at Frostburg State University’s Bobcat Arena.
Trailing 33-27 at halftime, the Gaels outscored the Stags 19-12 in the third quarter to take a 46-45 lead into the fourth quarter. The Stags opened the final stanza with a 9-2 run and never looked back, adding to their lead in the final two minutes to finish with a 70-55 victory, while the Gaels suffered their first loss of the season to finish 38-1. Birdsong finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Birdsong was named to the all-tournament team.
The Gaels became the first Baltimore area team to be ranked among the top five teams in the country in 14 years, dating back to the ‘92 Dunbar Poets, when they captured their third mythical national championship.
Birdsong was named as the BCL Player of the Year, was selected as it’s tournament MVP, and was named to the Sun’s All-Met first team for a second year in a row. Birdsong averaged 12.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocked shots per game.
Goodwin, playing his first full and healthy season with the Gaels, joined Birdsong on the All-Met first team, after averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds. 3.4 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Adams was selected to the All-BCL second team, and both Gregory and Swecker were selected to the All-BCL third team.
Clatchey was named as the BCL O Ray Mullis Coach of the Year for a record fifth season in a row. The Gaels posted ten wins over teams that finished with 24 wins or more.
Notes;
- The Gaels became the ninth Baltimore area team to be ranked among the top five in the country in the final rankings of a national publication, joining ‘82 Calvert Hall (#1), ‘82 Dunbar (#2), ‘83 Dunbar (#1), ‘84 Dunbar (#2), ‘85 Dunbar (#1), ‘91 Dunbar (#2), ‘92 Dunbar (#1), and ‘94 Southern (#4). Four other Baltimore area teams finished among the top 10 in the country in the final rankings – ‘76 Lake Clifton (#6), ‘81 Calvert Hall (#8), ‘87 Lake Clifton (#8), and ‘95 Dunbar (#9).
- Birdsong played four years for Jim Larranaga at George Mason, and was a part of the Patriots ‘07-08 CAA championship team. Birdsong played 127 games with the Patriots, starting 76 contests. Birdsong finished his Patriots career with 597 points and 396 rebounds.
- Gregory played four years for Gary Williams at Maryland, starting in all 33 games he played in his senior season. Gregory ranked fourth in scoring on the ‘10-11 Terrapins team, at 9.1 points per game, and second in rebounding, at 5.8 per contest. Gregory played in 107 games for the Terps, finishing with 509 points, 406 rebounds, and 106 blocked shots.
- Goodwin played four years at Marist, playing in 99 games, and starting in 65. Goodwin finished his Red Foxes career with 483 points, 228 rebounds, and 119 assists.
- Adams played his first three years of college ball at Centenary, where he started in each of the 91 games he played. Adams led the Gents in assists in his sophomore and junior seasons, and produced 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in his junior season. Adams transferred to Pittsburgh for his senior season, where he came off of the bench for Jamie Dixon in 27 games in a supporting role for the 25-9 Panthers.
- Swecker played three years at Longwood, starting 60 of the 61 games he played in his junior and senior seasons. In 81 games for the Lancers, Swecker scored 774 career points.
- Sims played four years at Georgetown, starting his senior season and averaging 11.6 points, 6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocked shots per game. Sims played four seasons in the NBA, starting in 32 of his 73 games with the Sixers in the ‘14-15 season. That season, Sims averaged 8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Sims had been traded from Cleveland in mid-season the year before, and Sims averaged 11.8 points and 7 rebounds per game in 26 games with the Sixers.
3 ‘81 Calvert Hall Cardinals (29-2) Coach Mark Amatucci > #8 in the USA, #1 in the Sun, BCL undefeated regular season and tournament champions, WARM tournament champions, O’Connell tournament champions, Alhambra 3rd 2-1
Players
Darryle Edwards 6’4 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL All-Tournament, 15.2 ppg (Mt St Marys)
Marc Wilson 6’1 JR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL All-Tournament, 16.3 ppg (Minnesota)
Duane Farrell 6’5 FR; All-Met 2nd, All-BCL 1st, 14.7p/10.6r (Georgia Tech, NBA)
Paul Edwards 6’3 JR; All-Met 3rd, All-BCL 2nd, 13.9 ppg (Mt St Marys)
James ‘Pop’ Tubman 5’7 JR; All-Met HM, All-BCL 2nd (Loyola)
Jeff Yost 6’2 SR
Mark Kauffman 6’1 JR; Three-sport athlete
The ‘81 Cardinals were the first Calvert Hall team to be recognized as one of the nation’s top 25 teams in the pre-season rankings, despite having just two seniors among their top six players, with seniors Darryle Edwards and Paul Kinney leading three juniors and a freshman.
Juniors Mark Wilson, Paul Edwards, and ‘Pop’ Tubman, joined the elder Edwards and Kinney in leading the Cards to the Baltimore Catholic League regular season and tournament titles in the ‘79-80 season as sophomores.
The ‘80-81 team looked to be even more formidable, as the Cardinals would welcome a 6’4 freshman that was considered by many to be one of the twenty best in his class in the country in Duane Farrell.
The Cardinals garnered the #13 ranking in the country in Basketball Weekly’s national pre-season rankings. Coach Mark Amatucci, in his fourth season at the Catholic school in Towson, seemed to be all set, before an unspeakable tragedy set upon the program just days before the season began.
Kinney, a 6’6 talent that was considered to be one of the best in the area following a junior campaign where he received All-Met accolades after averaging 13 points and nine rebounds per game, died just days before the season began. Kinney had collapsed on the bench after being subbed in for late in the first quarter of the Cards final pre-season game versus Parkville. Kinney suffered a heart attack and died two days later.
The Kinney family and Calvert Hall community were devastated. Kinney had drawn interest from as many as 45 colleges, and his prospects entering his senior season looked bright. Kinney scored 52 points in three games at the ‘80 Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, where the Cardinals finished third, and was named to the all-tournament team. Kinney’s older brother Vince was a two-sport star at Calvert Hall, before becoming a cornerback for the Denver Broncos.
While both the Kinney family and the Cardinals family searched for comfort and peace, the Cards had to regroup, as a full season lie ahead of them.
And did the Cardinals respond, notching the highest national ranking ever for a Baltimore Catholic League team when the season concluded, going 29-2, highlighted with a program defining victory that likely led to the Cardinals grabbing the #1 ranking in the country a year later.
It was a season to never be forgotten, both for its pain and its ultimate bittersweet success, punctuated with a victory in the Baltimore area’s scholastic ‘Game of the Century’.
Cardinal Gibbons, who had won two the last three BCL regular season crowns, along with Loyola, the five-time league champions, who were returning ten letterman, would be the biggest challenges for the Cardinals in league play in the ‘80-81 season. Coach Ray Mullis’ Crusaders returned senior small forward Charles Pate and 6’6 junior post Tim Coles.
The Dons, coached by Jerry Savage, would be led by a pair of seniors, forward Bob Selby and guard Kenny Johnson, who was being courted by coach Terry Holland to play at the University of Virginia, where he could team with the most highly heralded college player ever seen outside of Lew Alcindor, in Ralph Sampson.
While league play didn’t begin until January, the Cardinals faced a brutal December slate, including matchups with two DC Interhigh powerhouses in Eastern and Dunbar, another with Philly private power West Catholic, and then competing in a pair of tournaments, both featuring high quality opponents, one just before the Christmas holiday in Wilkes Barre, and another over the break at Bishop O’Connell.
The Cards blew out Eastern, 85-60, with Darryle Edwards leading the charge with 27 points, and his brother Paul adding 21 points. The Cardinals then put away West Catholic, 83-57, after staking a 19 point lead at intermission. Farrell scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Wilson added 16 points and four assists.
Next, was the defending DC Interhigh champions, the Crimson Tide of Dunbar, featuring All-American Anthony ‘Ajax’ Jones. The Cardinals suffered their first loss of the season on a buzzer-beater by Jones, who scored a game-high 30 points. Farrell scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the 63-62 loss.
The Cardinals then went to Wilkes Barre and won the WARM tournament, thumping LaSalle of Philadelphia, 73-55, in the semifinal, then ran away from host Valley West PA, 79-57, in the final. The Cardinals trailed LaSalle by one at halftime of their semifinal game, before outscoring the Explorers 40-21 in the second half. Wilson scored a game-high 20 points in the win, while Farrell added 18 points and nine rebounds. In the final, Wilson scored a game-high 24 points, and Farrell added 17 points and 13 rebounds. The freshman Farrell was named the tournament’s MVP.
Over the break, the Cardinals participated in the Bishop O’Connell Holiday Tournament in Arlington, Virginia. In the opening round of the three day event, the Cardinals topped another Philadelphia Catholic League member, St Joseph’s Prep, 65-57, coming back from a seven point deficit at halftime. Farrell scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Cardinals then handed Holy Trinity NY their first loss of the season in a 68-62 triumph. Wilson scored 18 points and grabbed three steals, and Farrell supplied 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cardinals had little trouble in the competitive Baltimore Catholic League, finishing with an unbeaten record in league play for the first time in the program’s history. January opened with a tribute and ceremony for Kinney before their league opener with #8 Mt St Joe, where the Cardinals retired Kinney’s #42 jersey.
It took a while for the Cards to get going, but after watching a 19 point third quarter lead dwindle to just three points with 17 seconds remaining, they pulled out a 62-56 win on an emotional night. Darryle Edwards scored a team-high 16 points, while his brother Paul added 13 points.
While it was great to open with a win over the Gaels, the Cardinals still had a pair of games directly ahead with both Cardinal Gibbons and Loyola, their top two contenders in the BCL. With both contenders also winning on the league’s opening night, the Dons stood at 12-1, and the Crusaders boasted a 13-2 overall record, while the Cards checked in at 10-1.
The Cardinals traveled to Cardinal Gibbons for their first of two meetings with the #4 Crusaders, and played before a packed house on Wilkens Avenue. The Cards came out like gangbusters, sprinting out to an 18-3 lead after one quarter, but the Crusaders kept fighting back. The Crusaders opened the fourth quarter with a 10-3 run to cut their deficit to four points, but couldn’t get any closer in the Cardinals 74-67 victory. Wilson scored a game-high 26 points, while Farrell scored 18 points and hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds.
Four nights later, Calvert Hall hosted an overflow crowd of 1,700 fans in their first meeting with five-time BCL champion Loyola, with another 200 or so, including Orioles star Brooks Robinson, stuck outside. The #2 Dons fought tough, but the Cardinals put together a 13-3 run early in the fourth quarter and went on to win, 62-56. Darryle Edwards recorded 14 points and 13 rebounds, while his brother Paul scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Wilson added 14 points.
The Cardinals had an easier time the second time around with both Cardinal Gibbons and Loyola, posting a 72-61 victory over the Crusaders, then a 75-61 win over Loyola to clinch their second consecutive regular season league crown.
The Cardinals held the edge in both games throughout, with Wilson scoring a team-high 18 points in the win over the Crusaders, and Paul Edwards scoring a team-high 19 points in the win over the #4 Dons. The Cardinals finished two games ahead of the Dons in league play.
The Cardinals topped the 19 win Crusaders a third time in the league semifinals, 59-54, breaking open a tie at 52, by closing the final 1:24 with a 7-2 run. Farrell scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Darryle Edwards scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Tubman scored 10 points and dished out eight assists.
The Cardinals dominated Loyola in the final, 81-62, as Wilson poured in 25 points. The Cardinals closed the first half on a 12-2 run to secure an 11 point halftime lead, and a double-digit lead they’d never surrender. Darryle Edwards added 16 points.
The Dons lost all three of their games with the Cardinals, and went 23-2 versus everyone else. Wilson and Darryle Edwards were named to the all-tournament team, as was Loyola’s Selby and Johnson, who had recently committed to Virginia.
Before anyone could utter the word ‘Alhambra’, the Cardinals had a date with Dunbar, in a matchup of the two top teams in the area, and two of the best teams in the country.
It was a milestone of sorts, as it had been ten years since the BCL members disbanded from the MSA Conference, due to a brawl at Dunbar during the Poets and Mt St Joe game in 1971. The BCL formed, and for the most part, there was very little inter-league play between the BCL schools and MSA schools over the next decade-plus.
This would be the biggest high school game between local powers in ‘Charm City’s’ history, pitting the #1 Cards, carrying a 26-1 record, against the #2 Dunbar Poets, sporting a 24-2 record. In an article prior to the game, the Sun talked to eleven area coaches, with nine leaning or strongly leaning toward Dunbar, and two that didn’t lean either way. Or, didn’t lean, publicly.
The Poets were formidable, with 6’6 senior Kevin Woods in the middle, two talented juniors in David Wingate and Gary Graham, and one of the best sophomores in the country in Reggie ‘Russ’ Williams.
The game lived up to its billing and beyond, with the Cardinals producing an incredible comeback in a 94-91 triple-overtime thriller, where the Cards came back from a 80-71 deficit with 1:24 to play in regulation to win. The comeback, the game, the atmosphere, made it one for the ages, and one that gave the Cardinals an inside track to the national title in ‘82. Darryle Edwards followed a Tubman miss at the buzzer to force overtime, capping off a 10-1 run in the final 84 seconds.
The first overtime went ‘slow down’ and scoreless. The pair of juggernauts shared four points in the second extra session, before the freshman Farrell came up big in the third overtime, scoring five straight points to seal victory. Wilson scored 27 points and Darryle Edwards scored 25, with the freshman Farrell adding 15 points.
After the monumental win, the Cardinals still had three days in Western Maryland competing in the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. The Cardinals fought through a 79-73 opening round win over ‘Philly’s’ Father Judge, before suffering just their second loss of the season to Archbishop Carroll DC, 73-63, in the semifinals. The Cardinals looked exhausted against the Lions, and shot that way, hitting just 23 of 68 shots from the field.
In the third place game, the Cardinals rebounded to beat Philadelphia Catholic League champion Roman Catholic, 64-57, with Darryle Edwards leading a balanced attack with 16 points, and Wilson and Paul Edwards adding 15 and 13 points, respectively.
After suffering a huge loss just before the season with the death of their senior leader and teammate, the Cardinals persevered and produced the best season in the program’s history. In the name of Paul Kinney.
Darryle Edwards and Wilson were named to the Baltimore Sun’s All-Met first team, with Edwards averaging 15.2 points per game, and the junior Wilson averaging a team-leading 16.3 points per game. Farrell, the freshman, was named to the All-Met second team, after averaging 14.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Paul Edwards was named to the All-Met third team, averaging 13.9 points per game. Tubman, the 5’7 junior floor leader, was named to the All-Met honorable mention team.
The Cardinals finished ranked #8 in the country in Basketball Weekly’s final national rankings. The Cardinals became the first area private school team to finish the season with the #1 ranking in the area in ten years, dating back to Mt St Joe’s top ranking in ‘71, the season before the Baltimore Catholic League began. Since, Dunbar had finished with the #1 ranking in the area seven times, and Lake Clifton, twice.
Notes;
- It wasn’t until late February that negotiations began to arrange a private-public, post-season clash between Calvert Hall and Dunbar, the top two teams in the area, and two of the best teams on the East Coast. Loyola would play Lake Clifton in the first game of the proposed doubleheader. After Loyola’s coach Savage said the Dins were done for the season after 28 games, Mackin of DC faced Lake Clifton in the opener of the doubleheader. The Cardinals and Poets played before a sold crowd of 5,028 at the Towson Center. Lake Clifton held off Mackin in the opener, 87-83, with the Lakers Eddie Johnson scoring 35 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. The Trojans All-American guard Johnny Dawkins shared game-high scoring honors with Johnson, with his 35 points. The following year, in ‘81-82, the Cardinals finished #1 in the country, the Poets finished #2, and never played each other, despite an outcry from the basketball community that rose to a fever pitch. In ‘83, the Metro Classic was born, pitting the BCL champion versus the Baltimore City Public School champion. The Metro Classic ran ten years, until the city schools joined the MPSSAA and the game had to be dissolved.
- The ‘81 Cardinals became just the second Baltimore area team to finish ranked among the top 10 teams in the country, joining the ‘76 Lake Clifton Lakers, who finished #6, with both of their losses coming to the #1 team in the country, the Dunbar Crimson Tide, the DC Interhigh powerhouse.
- Darryle Edwards played four years for Jim Phelan at Mt St Mary’s, the last three with his brother Paul. In his junior season, the Mountaineers advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four. Edwards ranks third all-time on the Mountaineers career steals list, with 226. His brother Paul ranks first, with 316. Edwards scored 1,285 career points for the Mountaineers, shooting 55% from the floor over four years, fifth all-time on the Mountaineers career field goal percentage list.
- The following fall, Kauffman, a reserve on this team, was selected as a First Team All-Met defensive back, picking off seven interceptions for the #1 Cardinals. Kauffman also caught 51 passes for 818 yards and nine touchdowns.
4 ‘96 St Frances Panthers (30-4) Coach William Wells > #14 in the USA, #1 in the Sun, Alhambra Tournament Champions 3-0, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Charm City Classic champions
Players
Mark Karcher 6’5 JR; Sun POY, BCL POY, Co-MVP BCL tournament, Alhambra Most Outstanding Player, 24.4p/8.7r/6.6a (Temple)
Alphonso Jones 6’0 SR; All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, Co-MVP BCL Tournament, All-ACIT 1st, 18.8p/7.1a/6.7s (Coppin State)
Shawn Hampton 6’7 SO; All-BCL 2nd (VCU)
Eric Payton 6’2 SR
Charles Beaufort 6’4 JR
Ronald Wingate 6’3 JR
Darryl Dantzler 5’10 SR
William Wells’ ‘95-96 Panthers were coming off of a BCL championship season, the second in their program’s history, and returned the best player in the Baltimore area in 6’5 junior Mark Karcher, who had won the BCL’s Player of the Year award in ‘94-95 as a sophomore.
Adding to the Panthers riches were talented senior guards Alphonso Jones, Darryl Dantzler, and Eric Payton, two-year starting forward Charles Beaufort, and a 6’7 sophomore transfer from Overlea, Shawm Hampton, who was already garnering ‘D1 looks’. Things looked bright for Wells and the Panthers on Chase Street.
Karcher, at this point, entering his junior season, was one of the most talented players in the Baltimore area’s scholastic basketball history, a 6’5 ‘swing’, who could score inside with his size, or outside with precision, while possessing a deft passing game. Karcher was coming off a sophomore season where he averaged 21.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
In three games at the legendary Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, the sophomore averaged 27.7 points and 16.7 rebounds per game. Jones was coming off of a junior season where he was selected to the All-Met second team, and to the All-BCL first team. Beaufort was a fellow starting sophomore forward with Karcher on the ‘94-95 BCL championship team, and now the Panthers front court was adding Hampton, the talented 6’7 sophomore.
Coach Wells had built the St Frances program from scratch, taking the Panthers from the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) to the nationally recognized Baltimore Catholic League in the ‘88-89 season. The Panthers struggled their first year in the league, going 3–16 overall, and 1-13 in league play in its first season in the BCL. That team was led by sophomore Devin Gray, a supremely talented 6’5 sophomore small forward.
Wells and the Panthers, behind Gray, saw their success skyrocket their second season in ‘89-90, as the small Catholic school program on the ‘Eastside’ finished second in the league standings, before shocking one seed Towson Catholic in the tournament final. Gray was selected to the All-BCL first team. As a senior, Gray led the Panthers to their first regular season crown and was named the BCL’s MVP.
After Gray left, the Panthers muddled in the middle of the league standings for two seasons, before another 6’5 supremely talented small forward made his way to the small St Frances campus.
From there, Karcher led the Panthers to the tournament championship game in his freshman season, and then the tournament crown in his sophomore season. Like he and they did with Gray, Wells and the Panthers were going to ride on the shoulders of their bonafide superstar.
Things wouldn’t be easy for the Panthers, as Calvert Hall had their own great talent in junior guard Juan Dixon, who helped lead the Cardinals to 26 wins and a runner-up finishes in the BCL in ‘94-95 in both the regular season and tournament. Plus, Cardinals coach Mark Armatucci was welcoming 6’8 Patrick Nnongba, a senior transfer from Mt Hebron, who was starting to receive major college interest.
St Maria Goretti, who finished with 24 wins and third place in the BCL in ‘94-95, looked to be a contender, with All-BCL selection Phil Lane returning, and Gaels sophomore Kyle Logan emerging. Cardinal
Gibbons was coming off of a 22 win season, and returning their best player and one of the best in the league in senior Josh Davalli. Loyola was a senior laden team, led by Jason Vogtman, and the Dons could prove to be a tough out.
The Panthers would compete in three competitive tournaments during the regular season – traveling to Canada, Erie PA, the Eastern Shore, and DC. The Panthers would capture their second consecutive BCL regular season and tournament titles, and finished the season with arguably the two biggest wins in the program’s history, and the first national Top 25 ranking in the program’s history.
The Panthers schedule began in November with a two game sweep at the St Matthews Tournament in Ottawa, Canada.
The Panthers then went to Cincinnati and edged one of the ‘Buckeye State’s’ top teams in Winthrop, 82-80, in the All-Ohio Slam N Jam Classic showcase. Karcher exploded for 40 points, but it wasn’t until Darran Byrd’s two free throws in the final seconds that the Panthers secured an 82-80 victory. The Panthers trailed by ten points heading into the fourth quarter, before outscoring the Tigers 36-24 in the final stanza.
The following weekend, it was off to the ultra-competitive Gonzaga Classic, where the Panthers put away Florida private power St Thomas Aquinas, 77-58, in the first round, with Karcher pouring in 31 points, and Jones adding 18.
The Panthers then pummeled the #19 team in the country, St Raymond’s NY, 91-68, with Karcher scoring a game-high 32 points and providing seven assists, converting 17 of 18 shots from the line. Payton provided eight points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The Panthers faced the host, Gonzaga, in the final, before 3,300 at American University’s Bender Arena.
After averaging 84 points over the first two games in the tournament, the Panthers saw the Eagles slow down the pace to a crawl, and it took the defending BCL champions out of their element. The Panthers trailed 23-16 at intermission, and continued to trail throughout the second half, before suffering their first loss of the season to the Eagles, 57-51. Karcher, who scored 25 points in the loss, was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, scoring 87 points, grabbing 24 rebounds, and dishing out 15 assists over three games.
The Panthers suffered their second loss of the season at the Slam Dunk To The Beach Tournament in Delaware over the holidays, losing to New Jersey public power Pleasantville, 70-60, before taking out Delaware’s St Marks, 53-27, in the consolation game.
January not only brought on the league slate, but a matchup with Dunbar at the First National Bank Charm City Classic, and a trip to Erie, Pennsylvania, to compete in the McDonald’s Classic. The Panthers put away the mighty Poets, 63-47, before 2,800 at the Towson Center, propelled by a 13-2 run in the third quarter. Karcher scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
In the Charm City Classic final, the Panthers struck down ‘Lonestar State’ power Strake Jesuit TX, 63-59, coming back from a 12 point second half deficit, led by Karcher, who scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter.
After dismantling Cathedral PA, 86-59, in the McDonald’s Classic semifinals, the Panthers suffered their last loss of the season in the McDonald’s Classic final to Patterson Catholic NJ and high school All-American Tim Thomas.
Karcher recorded a triple-double in the win over Cathedral, with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Hampton added 16 points, eight rebounds, and six blocked shots, and Jones added 16 points and eight assists. Karcher scored 24 points in the loss to Patterson Catholic.
The Panthers went 11-1 in league play, losing only to Calvert Hall (25-8), 60-54, in their first meeting, finishing two games ahead of the Cardinals. The Panthers avenged that loss with a 91-61 rout of the Cardinals in their second meeting, with Karcher scoring 30 points and Jones adding 18 points.
The Panthers swept the six games over the league’s other 20 game winners – St Maria Goretti (23-12), Loyola (20-10), and Cardinal Gibbons (22-12).
The Panthers began their BCL title defense with Cardinal Gibbons in the semifinals. The Panthers put away the #7 Crusaders a third time, 83-73, with Jones scoring 21 of his 25 points after intermission. Karcher supplied 20 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Hampton added 14 points, while Byrd added 11. The Panthers pushed a seven point halftime lead into a 17 point lead midway through the fourth quarter, setting up a rematch of the ‘95 BCL final with #4 Calvert Hall.
The Panthers held off Calvert Hall in the final, 71-67, before a standing room-only crowd of 2,200 at Goucher College. The Panthers survived, despite surrendering the nine point lead they held after three quarters. The Cardinals tied the game at 60, with just less than five minutes left in regulation, before Karcher scored six straight points, and the Panthers never looked back.
Karcher nailed a three-pointer at the top of the key, then followed that 14 seconds later with an ‘And-1, to give the Panthers a 66-60 lead. The Cards led by eight points, 29-21, midway through the second quarter, before the Panthers fought back to tie the score at 37 at intermission.
Karcher finished with 26 points, and Jones added 17 points and seven assists. Karcher and Jones shared the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
The Panthers pulled out a back-and-forth thriller in the quarterfinal round of the Alhambra Tournament, topping Carroll PA, 80-77, with Karcher scoring a game-high 34 points, and Jones adding 18 points, five assists, and five steals.
The lead changed hands eight times in the second half, and Jones steal and lay-up gave the Panthers the lead for good, 74-73, with 1:37 remaining. Karcher added a bucket and two free throws, and Jones hit two free throws to seal the win. Karcher nailed 19 of 25 free throw attempts.
That set up a semifinal matchup with DeMatha, a team that had eliminated the Panthers in their two previous Alhambra appearances, and who had advanced to the championship game of the tournament in 18 of the last 19 seasons.
This time would be different, as the Panthers found some separation in the fourth quarter in a tightly played game. Leading 50-45, with 2:33 to play, the BCL champions missed the front end of three straight ‘one-and-ones’, but held the Stags to just two points the rest of the way, before Jones and Karcher hit two free throws each to seal a 54-47 victory. The game was tied at 25 at intermission. Karcher scored a game-high 21 points, while the Stags were led by Keith Bogans’ 18 points.
The Panthers became the first BCL team to reach the Alhambra championship game since Cardinal Gibbons in ‘88.
The Panthers faced Gonzaga in the final, after the Eagles pulled out a 65-64 overtime win over nationally ranked #8 Roman Catholic PA in the other semifinal. The Eagles had handed the Panthers one of their four losses in the Gonzaga Classic final, but again, this would be different. The Panthers forced the Eagles into 11 first quarter turnovers, and never looked back in a 61-46 title game win. Karcher scored 16 points in the Panthers 16th consecutive win. Hampton, the sophomore, blocked six shots.
The Panthers became just the third Baltimore area team to win the Alhambra Tournament, joining the ‘62 Towson Catholic team, and the ‘82 Calvert Hall national championship team.
Karcher was named the Baltimore Sun’s Player of the Year, and named BCL Player of Year for a second year in a row. Coach Wells was named the Sun’s Coach of the Year for a second time, and was named the BCL Coach of the Year for a second time.
Karcher averaged 24.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. In 2021, Karcher was named the greatest BCL player of all-time on their 50th anniversary team. Jones, who shared the BCL tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honors with Karcher, joined his teammate on the All-Met and All-BCL first teams, after averaging 18.8 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.7 steals per game. Hampton, a sophomore, was selected to the All-BCL second team.
The Panthers, who won their second consecutive BCL championship and finished the season on a 16 game win streak, finished #14 in the country in the USA Today. It was a season that saw the Panthers post wins over both the Dunbar Poets and DeMatha Stags, to say nothing of victories over St Raymond’s, Strake Jesuit, Gonzaga, Carroll PA, and Calvert Hall, twice. The Panthers boasted 16 victories over 20(+) win teams.
The Panthers became the first area private school team to finish #1 in the area since Calvert Hall’s ‘82 national championship team did, 14 years earlier. Coach Wells had guided the Panthers to their third BCL tournament title in seven seasons.
Notes;
- Karcher had committed to Villanova during his junior season, before re-opening the recruiting process. At the time, Karcher said his final five choices were Villanova, Maryland, Miami FL, Kentucky, and Clemson. He later committed to John Chaney at Temple. After not meeting the NCAA’s academic eligibility requirements, Karcher sat out his freshman year. Karcher led the Owls in scoring in both his sophomore and junior seasons, before declaring early for the 2000 NBA Draft. Karcher averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, for the A10 champs who had advanced to the ‘Elite 8’. Karcher scored 21 points, including draining five three-pointers, in the Owls ‘Sweet 16’ win over Purdue. The Owls were eliminated by the eventual national champion Duke Blue Devils. Karcher was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team. In his sophomore season, Karcher averaged 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, and earned All-A10 1st team honors. Karcher was selected 48th overall in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, but never played a game. Karcher played professionally for five years in France, one year in Iran, and one year in Argentina. Karcher came back to coach St Frances for three seasons from the ‘08-09 season through the ‘10-11 season, winning the BCL regular season and tournament titles in his first season at the helm.
- The ‘96 Panthers became just the third team in BCL history to finish ranked among the top 25 in the country, joining the legendary ‘81 and 82 Calvert Hall teams.
- Jones played one year at Coppin State, playing in 19 games for the MEAC regular season champions.
- The eight BCL teams went an all-time best 99-29 (.767) versus out-of-conference opponents in the ‘95-96 season.
- For notes on Hampton, see ‘97 St Frances, #20 on this list.
5 ‘20 St Frances Panthers (38-4) Coach Nick Myles > #9 in the USA, #1 in the Sun, BCL regular season and tournament champions, Slam Dunk To The Beach tournament champions, Alhambra cancelled
Players
Ace Baldwin Jr 6’0 SR; Sun POY, All-Met 1st, All-BCL 1st, BCL Tournament MVP, 11.1p/7.3a/3.0s/54 3s (VCU)
Jamal West 6’6 SR; BCL POY, All-Met 1st, All-BCL Tournament, 16.0p/8.7r (South Alabama)
Julian Reese 6’10 JR; All-BCL HM, 10.6p/6.7r/3.5b (Maryland)
Khyrie Staten 6’1 JR; All-BCL HM, 9.7 ppg (Delaware State)
Byron Ireland 6’2 SR; 7.6 ppg (Maine)
Jordan Toles 6’3 SR; 10.2 ppg (LSU football)
Jahmal Barnes 6’4 SR; 9.8 ppg (Wake Forest football)
Andre Roye 6’7 SO; (Penn State football commit)
The 2016-17 season was a low mark at St Frances Academy, with the Panthers finishing with both a losing league record and losing overall record for the first time in 15 seasons. There weren’t signs of doom on Chase Street, the ‘16-17 roster just had been the least talented cast of any of the Panthers last 15 teams. It happens to the best of programs.
Several times before, the Panthers had an underclassmen carry them from lean years to multiple successful years thereafter, from Devin Gray taking the Panthers from a 3-18 record to a BCL tournament championship the following year, to Mark Karcher, who raised the Panthers from mediocrity to three-time BCL champions, to Sean Mosley, who ended a seven year post-Karcher drought, and added two tournament titles in four years.
Like Karcher and Mosley, rising sophomore Adrian ‘Ace’ Baldwin Jr made an immediate impact for the Panthers as a freshman. After being counted as ‘the guy’ his freshman season, and battling through that 16-18 record, Baldwin took the Panthers to a BCL sweep in his sophomore season, winning both the regular season and tournament titles.
Baldwin, senior Elijah Epps, and fellow sophomore Jordan Toles, were the Panthers ‘go-to’ guys. The following year, Baldwin and Toles welcomed in fellow junior Jamal West in from Dunbar, a 6’6 power forward that helped lead the Poets to a state title as a sophomore. Together, the three juniors led the ‘18-19 Panthers to a second consecutive BCL tournament title and a 34-7 record.
The 2019-20 St Frances Panthers were coming off of two straight BCL tournament and regular season championships, and returning a star-studded cast, including Baldwin, West, and Toles, who were the three top scorers on the 34-win ‘18-19 team. Baldwin and West were named to the All-BCL first team, and Toles was named to the All-BCL second team.
The Panthers also returned 6’3 senior Jahmal Barnes, who, like Toles, was a two-sport star being recruited in both basketball and football. Khyrie Staten, a junior guard, would help take some of the load off Baldwin’s hands in the backcourt.
Coach Myles was also bringing in reinforcements, with a pair of notable transfers bolstering the roster. Byron Ireland, a 6’2 senior transfer from Annapolis, was an All-County first team selection and nearly a 20 point scorer for the Panthers. The Panthers were also getting junior Julian Reese from New Town, a 6’10, high ‘D1’ prospect.
This was Myles most talented group he had since taking over the program from former Panthers star Mark Karcher, who followed Hall of Fame Coach William Wells after a 28 year tenure dating back to their inaugural season in the BCL in the ‘88-89 season. This roster had the talent to be the best Panthers team since the Karcher years.
The talented 2019-20 Panthers would be tested, with Mt St Joe standing in their way in league play, several competitive tournaments and showcases on the regular season slate, including matchups with nationally renown powers Oak Hill, Chicago’s Simeon, and IMG, not to mention three-time defending state champion Poly, then finishing with three grueling post-season tournaments, ending with the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament.
Mt St Joe surely would be their biggest challenge in the BCL, with the Gaels returning seniors Jason Edokpayi and Tyler Brelsford, and junior guard Ausar Crawley, an All-BCL second team selection as a sophomore. Edokpayi was an athletic 6’6 two-way player, and Brelsford was a 6’4 all-around guard. The Gaels had been in the BCL title mix for 17 seasons, ever since winning their first regular season and tournament titles in ‘03.
Before the Panthers back-to-back sweeps in ‘18 and ‘19, the Gaels had won seven tournament tiles in 15 seasons, and won nine regular season crowns in that same time. The Gaels would be in the mix. Loyola, with 6’8 Mitchell Fischer, and Spalding, with super sophomore Cam Whitmore, could prove to be spoilers.
After winning their first three games in November, the Panthers opened December with wins over Riverdale Baptist and Coolidge DC, the latter who would beat WCAC runner-up St Johns later on. The Panthers routed the Colts by 37 points.
The Panthers then traveled to the Chicago Elite Classic to take on city power Simeon. The Panthers trailed the Wolverines by eight points at intermission, but rebounded by scoring 40 points in the second half to take a 61-57 victory from the ‘Windy City’. Junior Kyrie Staten led the Panthers with 20 points, while Toles added 13, West, 11, and Reese, 10. The Panthers out rebounded the Wolverines 47-33, led by West’s 13 boards, and Reese’s nine rebounds.
Just before the holiday break, the Panthers traveled to the ‘Sunshine State’ to participate in the City of Palms Classic. In the opener, the Panthers sluggish start versus national powerhouse Sunrise Christian KS was too much to overcome and they suffered their first loss of the season. The Panthers followed that defeat by edging eventual 25 game winner West Oaks FL, 67-65, in the consolation game.
The Panthers closed December with a pair of wins at the Slam Dunk at the Beach Tournament in the ‘First State’, routing eventual Delaware state quarterfinalist Salesinum DE by 64 points, then Milford Mill by 37 points in their bracket championship.
The Panthers would have to finish the season without Toles, who left over the holiday break for Baton Rouge, with the intention of playing both basketball and football for the Tigers, and pick up a semester as an early enrollee before competing in the SEC. Banks also left for Wake Forest.
Staten and Ireland would be counted on even more if the Panthers were to see a BCL ‘three-peat’, to say nothing about competing with the likes of Oak Hill, Poly, and IMG. Banks, like Toles, was a two-sport star that started for the national top 10 Panthers on the gridiron.
The Panthers headed to the Ascender Classic in Bradenton, Florida with a 18-1 record, before knocking out Philly power Imhotep Charter PA, 64-39, in the semifinals, then falling to host IMG in the final, 85-67, after shooting 34% from the field. West and Ireland each scored 18 points in the win over Imhotep, while Baldwin led the Panthers in scoring in the loss to IMG, with 22 points.
Up came the first matchup with Mt St Joe, and the Panthers were dealt their second defeat in four games in a 62-53 loss to the Gaels, as they adjusted to the loss of Toles and Banks. The Panthers led 26-22 at halftime, but the Gaels began the second half with a 10-0 run, and eventually built a double-digit lead in the third quarter. The Panthers cut their deficit to three points with just under five minutes to play, and two points, 55-53, with 1:56 remaining, but never got closer. West scored a game-high 26 points in the loss.
The Panthers bounced back with a 81-60 win over John Carroll, after taking a commanding 49-24 halftime lead. Ireland led five double-digit scorers for Panthers with 19 points.
A week later, the Panthers met Poly in a ‘Charm City’ battle royale, featuring a pair of national top 25 teams. A year earlier, the Engineers topped the Panthers, 59-58. This time, the Panthers pulled out a 57-53 victory over the area’s top ranked Engineers, with Baldwin scoring 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter. West added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The Panthers closed out the final stretch of the regular season with a dominating win over Oak Hill, 80-61, with the Warriors sporting the #2 ranking in the country coming into the East Coast Bump Showcase. West scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Staten added 20 points, three assists, and three steals.
The Panthers evened things up with Mt St Joe in the regular season finale with a comeback victory, taking a 73-69 decision, after outscoring the Gaels 30-16 in the final quarter. Baldwin scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists. Baldwin scored 13 of his 18 points in the final 3:49 to secure the victory and the Panthers won their third straight BCL and MIAA regular season titles.
The Panthers became the sixth group to win at least three straight BCL regular season titles, joining Calvert Hall from ‘80-82, the Panthers from ‘95-97, Spalding from ‘00-02, and two that won four straight – Loyola from ‘75-78, and Mt St Joe from ‘03-06.
The Panthers headed into the post-season with a 33-3 record, and with the MIAA, BCL, and Alhambra tournaments still ahead, a realistic chance at 40 wins.
The Panthers began the post-season with an 80-56 rout of Glenelg Country in the MIAA A quarterfinals, after building a 16 point lead heading into the second quarter and coasting the rest of the way. Reese scored a team-high 21 points, while West and Baldwin added 16 and 14 points, respectively.
The Panthers trounced 21 win John Carroll by 20+ points for a third time, taking the semifinal matchup, 98-71. The Panthers extended a ten point halftime lead into a 28 point third quarter lead, with both West and Ireland scoring 11 points in the quarter, and Baldwin adding seven points in the stanza. Six Panthers scored in double figures, led by West and Staten, who shared team-high scoring honors with 18 points apiece, and Ireland, who added 15 points.
That set up a third matchup with St Joe, after the two split their two game league series. The Panthers came into the game with the #6 ranking in the country. That ranking would slip, as the Gaels snapped the Panthers 14 game win streak with a 76-63 victory. The Panthers trailed by as many as 17 points in the second quarter, and 18 points in the third quarter, before coming as close as six points with 3:22 to play. Baldwin scored a game-high 25 points in the losing cause, but shot just 7 of 19 from the field.
The Panthers hoped to get one more shot at the Gaels in the BCL championship game, after falling to #10 in the country following their loss in the MIAA title game. And they’d get that shot, after trouncing Calvert Hall by 41 points in the quarterfinals, then pouncing Loyola in the semifinals with an 82-58 win.
In the 92-51 win over the Cardinals, West scored a game-high 21 points, on 8 of 11 shooting, while Reese shot 7 of 8 from the field and scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Baldwin provided eight assists and four steals. In the semifinal, the Panthers blitzed the Dons with a 28-7 margin in the second quarter.
That set up a fourth showdown with the Gaels in the BCL championship game.
After falling behind in various stages in each of their three previous matchups with the Gaels, the Panthers scored the first nine points of the title game and never looked back in a 81-65 win to capture their third consecutive tournament championship. Baldwin, like he had been for four years, was magnificent. The senior guard scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and dished out a game-high five assists. Gray-like, Karcher-like, Mosley-like.
Baldwin became just the third player in BCL history to win the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award three times, joining Karcher and former St Maria Goretti great Rodney Monroe. Five other Panthers finished in double-digit scoring in the championship game, with Staten adding 14 points, Ireland adding 11 points, and West, Reese, and 6’8 sophomore Andre Roy, each adding 10 points. West joined Baldwin on the all-tournament team.
The 38-4 Panthers were denied a bid for 40 wins when the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament was cancelled due to coronavirus concerns on the morning the tournament was to start.
The Panthers finished ranked #9 in the country, their highest national ranking in their program’s history, topping the ‘96 Panthers, who finished #14 in the land. The Panthers matched the ‘06 Gaels for the most wins in Maryland boys high school basketball history.
The Panthers 108 wins from ‘17-18 to ‘19-20 were the most victories over a three season period than any other group or team in BCL history.
Baldwin, who came up big for the Panthers in crucial situations time and time again, was named the Sun’s Player of the Year, after averaging 11.1 points, 7.3 assists, and 3 steals per game, hitting 54 three-pointers. West joined Baldwin on the All-Met first team, averaging 16 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Reese averaged 10.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.5 blocked shots per game. Toles averaged 10.2 points per game, while Banks averaged 9.8 points per game, and Staten averaged 9.7 points per game. Ireland averaged 10.3 points per game after Toles departure.
Coach Myles won his fourth regular season crown in his ninth season with the Panthers, to go with three straight tournament titles. Myles’ Panthers won 34 or more games in a season for the third year in a row, and 25 games or more for the seventh time in eight seasons.
Notes;
- The Panthers became just the fourth team in BCL history to finish ranked among the top ten teams in the country, and just the second in 38 seasons. Calvert Hall finished #8 in ‘81, before winning the mythical national championship the following year. The only other BCL team to finish among the top 10 since ‘82 were the ‘06 Mt St Joe Gaels, who finished #5 in the country.
- Baldwin Jr has started at VCU his first two seasons there, leading the Rams in assists both seasons, and becoming the first Ram to lead the team in assists in his freshman season. Baldwin averaged 6.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game his freshman season, then ranked second on the team in scoring in his sophomore season, averaging 11.4 points per game, adding 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and a team-high 2.5 steals per game.
- West has played two years at South Alabama, starting 17 of 27 games in his freshman season, when he averaged 5.7 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game.
- Toles has played in 14 games for LSU on the gridiron, playing eight games as a freshman, and playing six games in his sophomore season, totaling 16 tackles over two years.
- Banks has played six games at Wake Forest, recording seven receptions for 115 yards.
- In his freshman season at Maryland in ‘21-22, Reese averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 32 games.
- Staten played in nine games at Delaware State in ‘21-22, averaging 4.7 points per game; Ireland played 13 games at Maine in ‘21-22, averaging 4.8 points per game.
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.