Ryan Daly (above) and Archbishop Carroll are on a mission after falling just short in the Catholic League semifinals. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
By CoBL Staff
A trio of Philadelphia-area squads lead the field in the PIAA Class AAA tournament, with defending champion Neumann-Goretti challenged by one Catholic League foe and one Public League opponent that proved last week it’s up for the challenge. But there’s plenty of competition from the central and western parts of the state too, plus a talented team from up north who all hope to have their say in things.
Here’s a look at the Class AAA field, with all games taking place Friday night at various gyms across the state:
The Favorites
Archbishop Carroll (22-3): Despite a not-insignificant turnover from a year ago, Paul Romanczuk’s Patriots are playing perhaps their best basketball since a PIAA championship run in 2009. D-I bound seniors Josh Sharkey (Samford) and Ryan Daly (Hartford) lead the way for a roster that gets production from its top 10. They’ve got good size inside in the form of 6-8 Latvian big man Miks Antoms, while 6-4 senior wing John Rigsby has enjoyed a very strong year as well; 6-3 junior sharpshooter Colin Daly, Ryan’s younger brother, rounds out the starting lineup. Beyond them, Romanczuk has a number of players he can call upon off the bench: 6-6 junior Jesse McPhearson, 6-3 junior Khari Williams, 6-6 senior Alex House, 6-5 sophomore Devin Ferrero and others are all capable of coming in to contribute a bucket or two, grab some rebounds and play tough D.