Flash Burton (above) and Cardinal O’Hara have won seven of nine entering the postseason. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
By Josh Verlin
Archbishop Carroll has come close to pulling off some big upsets in the Catholic League quarterfinals under Francis Bowe.
In Bowe’s first year on the Carroll sidelines, 2018-19, the seventh-seeded Patriots took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter at No. 2 seed La Salle, only to suffer — according to hoops historian Ted Silary — the largest come-from-behind-after-three-quarters victory in PCL quarterfinal history as the Explorers won 49-47. The following year, just ahead of the pandemic, Carroll almost pulled the 8-1 upset at Archbishop Wood, the Vikings taking advantage of a backcourt violation late in regulation to force overtime and win 82-78 in the extra session.
If a couple plays go a couple different ways, it’s possible that Bowe wouldn’t be aiming for his first trip to the Palestra, but his third. Now once again the No. 8 seed and going on the road to face the Catholic League regular-season champs, Neumann-Goretti, in the quarterfinals on Friday, Bowe has some history to lean on.