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By Josh Verlin

Bob Miller’s plans changed drastically in October. That’s when Onyekachi Nzeh walked into the Upper Darby coach’s office and told him he was interested in joining the basketball team.

“I wanted to try out basketball this year, see how far I could go with it,” Nzeh said. “My mom, she’s really big on the NBA, so she wanted me to be an NBA player.”

That sounds like an ambitious plan for a sophomore who didn’t play organized basketball as a freshman. But Nzeh is not your average sophomore. 

First of all, as a freshman on Upper Darby’s track team, Nzeh ––who goes by Kachi –– started to attract Division I interest for his abilities as a 400 meter sprinter, winning some major races as a 14- and 15-year-old. On top of that, Nzeh had enjoyed a growth spurt since his freshman year, rising from 6-foot-5 to somewhere around 6-7, and wasn’t done adding height to his frame. 

So with some prodding from his mother, Uloma Nzeh, Kachi decided to give basketball another shot.

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By Ari Glazier

You can dissect a game as much as you want, but more often than not the difference between a resounding win or a deflating loss comes down to making shots. Last Friday, Neumann Goretti went 1-for-23 from deep against Cardinal O’Hara at home, resulting in a seven-point loss in which the Saints trailed by 16 at halftime, costing N-G a regular season Philadelphia Catholic League championship. 

One week later, N-G stormed out of the gate with an even more commanding opening half than O’Hara enjoyed last week: they went into the third quarter up 22 points, and finished with a 71-46 win.

Unlike the previous meeting, where the trailing team was able to make things interesting down the stretch, Neumann didn’t let up. 

“We were open,” Saints coach Carl Arrigale said. “We were open in our home gym and missed shots like that because we weren’t ready to play. We just didn’t shoot them with any conviction. We didn’t play with any kind of force. Tonight we saw a different group.”

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By Matthew DeGeorge

As the lead volleyed back and forth Thursday night at The Christian Academy, so did the onus of the Crusaders offense.

In the third quarter, as TCA weathered a run by Delco Christian in an entertaining Bicentennial Athletic League semifinal, Grant Sareyka stepped to the forefront. He knocked down four shots in the frame for 10 points, keeping TCA within five after three quarters.

And when it came time to spark the run that would put DC away for good, Sareyka deferred, creating space for Isaiah Mitchell.

Each player had eight points in the fourth quarter, all of Mitchell’s coming from the field, as TCA outlasted Delco Christian, 61-58.

“To be honest, the lane’s open because they’re focused on Grant,” Mitchell said. “Every team tries to double-team him. They know we’ve got other assets, but they want to stop him. If they stay open on him, I’ve got an open lane and I’m going to finish over anybody, over contact.”

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By Bob Grotz

Archbishop Carroll rode the long-distance shooting of John Camden and the inside game of Tairi Ketner to a 74-66 victory over St. Joseph’s Prep Wednesday and a trip to the quarterfinals of the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs.

The 6-7 Camden drilled three three-pointers in the third quarter and scored the Patriots’ last four points at the free throw line on his way to 17 points.

The eighth-seeded Patriots (15-8) oppose Archbishop Wood, the top seed, or second-seeded Bishop McDevitt Friday in the quarterfinals.

“We haven’t peaked yet,” said Camden, who scored 13 points in the second half. “We continue to improve every game. And that’s what I think makes us the scariest team in the Catholic League, is that we’re underdogs. I think it just gives us an edge. Coming in as the eighth seed, no one’s expecting us to take down the No. 1 or the No. 2 seed or whoever we end up playing on Friday.”

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By Matthew DeGeorge

It was just 28 days ago that Haverford retreated to its locker room to face what it hoped would be rock bottom.

The Fords had just been beaten by three points at home by Harriton, a sixth straight setback and eighth loss in 10 outings to overshadow a 4-0 start. More devastating still, those six losses were by a combined 16 points, comprising five overtime sessions, two in a two-point defeat to Penncrest Jan. 9.

Those woes seemed remote as Sean Reynolds and his fellow Fords climbed the ladder at Harriton Tuesday night to snip down the nets. From 2-7 in the league in early January, the Fords are Central League champions for the first time since 1970.

And the resilience it took to traverse that distance, more than anything else about these Fords, is undoubtedly championship caliber.

Tuesday’s was a rare game in which the Fords didn’t have to sweat to the last second, clearing the bench in the final moments of a 49-40 win over No. 3 seed Penncrest.

That makes 10 straight wins for the Fords (16-8), including a clean sweep of the last rotation of 6A teams in the league and a pair of wins over top-seeded Garnet Valley. Beating Penncrest was the final statement of faith in the bond that kept the Fords together when the going got brutally tough.

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By Matt Smith

With red eyes and tears streaming down her face, Ridley High junior Shannen Hinchey gave a big hug to her coach, Roe Falcone.

The 52-40 victory over Springfield for the Central League championship Tuesday night at Harriton was quite an emotional experience for the Green Raiders.

For years, the Green Raiders were no better than a middle-of-the-pack Central League team. They often were over-matched against the league’s elite.

After going 9-13 last season, the Green Raiders are champions. They have earned a first-round bye in the District 1 Class 6A tournament.

They proved again Tuesday that they are for real.

And that explains why Hinchey was so teary-eyed when she was looking for anyone – coaches, teammates, fans, family members – to embrace.

“It’s because we never got the respect that I feel we deserve and now we have finally shown that we are the best team in the Central League,” said Hinchey, who produced nine points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. “Everybody has contributed all year and we practice every day of the week — well, except for Sunday – and we go out and we work our butts off every single day.

“We finally got what we deserve.”

Webmaster’s note: Missed the game? Listen to the entire game on our archive file listed below. Go to our Broadcast Archives page for all game archives.

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