Junior forward Ryan Keating is one of the top returners back for Marple. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL File)
By Joseph Santoliquito
They don’t mind the label. They actually embrace it. It’s them. It is what the Marple Newtown boys’ basketball team will be about this year — a bunch of scrappy dogs looking to make up for the growing pains that arrived in the form of a 12-13 overall record and 7-9 Central League finish in 2022-23.
The Tigers lost to eventual District 1 Class 5A champion Radnor, 55-29, in the first round of the District 1 5A playoffs, and lost to West Chester Rustin in the playback round ending their year.
That rocky journey will hopefully pave the way for a better season this year.
Coach Sean Spratt enters his seventh year as head coach of the Tigers, who return 6-foot junior guard Matt Gardler, 5-10 senior guard P.J. Esposito, who was plagued by injuries his junior year, 6-2 senior guard Dave Bertoline, 5-11 senior guard Steven Tansey, 6-4 junior forward Ryan Keating, 5-11 senior guard James Kirby and 6-1 senior forward Andrew Cappello. Spratt is hoping newcomer 6-2 senior forward Iraklis (pronounced Hercules) Kaltsidis can help the tiny Tigers on the boards.
