Archbishop Ryan senior Brandon Russell scored 36 points in Wednesday’s win over Carroll. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)
By Owen McCue
Brandon Russellwas a complimentary piece in his first year in Northeast Philly.
The 6-foot-5 guard, who started his high school career at the Pennington School (N.J.), was deep in the rotation on an Archbishop Ryan team filled with seniors, including a pair of Division I-bound stars.
When Ryan’s season ended in the state semifinals last season, coach Joe Zeglinski let Russell know the Raiders would be his team during his senior campaign in 2024-25.
Facing a 22-point halftime deficit and a potential 0-3 start in the Catholic League on Wednesday night at Archbishop Carroll, the Raiders needed their leader and Russell rose to the occasion.
While he got plenty of help from his teammates, Russell’s 36-point effort paved the way in an 84-79 comeback overtime win Ryan hopes can fuel a run in PCL play.