Turning points

Jason Dogan goes the extra mile to get the best high-school education he possibly can. Actually, he goes a little farther than that.

The Mount Airy resident wakes up every morning at 6 to catch a 6:30 bus, which starts his hour-plus commute to Prep Charter School, 1624 S. 26th St.

After spending his freshman year at Sister Clara Muhammad, an Islamic private school, the high-school junior said he has found the right fit in South Philly.

"I knew [Prep Charter] was strict on academics, and I wanted to be more focused on academics than basketball," said Dogan, an honor student.

To pursue those goals, the 16-year-old spends one Saturday a month taking classes at Community College of Philadelphia. Last year he was enrolled in chemistry lab and this semester is taking SAT prep courses. Next year, Dogan will take college prep courses. There is a sacrifice, though: No sleeping late on Saturdays.

"It’s worth it because it gets me up in the morning so I can work out," said Dogan, who also volunteers one day a week at the Samuel S. Fels Community Center daycare.

That dedicated attitude has led the athlete to play offseason basketball with the Amateur Athletic Union’s Hunting Park Warriors. Prep Charter basketball coach Jon Groom coaches the team. Last summer, the squad took trips to Ohio, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. The Warriors also participated in the Adidas Big Time tournament in Las Vegas. The summer tour was a worthwhile experience for Dogan, who is Prep Charter’s offensive leader with 15.2 points per game.

"It was a real experience," said the Division I prospect, who is drawing interest from UNC Wilmington, UNC Charlotte and Towson. "I got to explore, see new things and meet some of the best players."

It also gave him a chance to spend more time learning the game from Groom, whom Dogan credits for his development.

"He really taught me a lot about the game," the athlete said. "He taught me how focused you need to be during a game, and not to lose your composure."

Dogan can use those pointers as he perseveres with the Prep Charter Huskies, who are still a work in progress. The team, now in its third season of Public League competition, won only one league game in each of its first two seasons and finished a combined 7-33 overall. Dogan has been one of the team’s top contributors since last year, when he averaged a team-best 15.9 points per game.

This year, the freshmen and sophomores from the previous squads have matured, and the progress is showing with an overall record of 12-10 and a 7-7 mark in league play. The Huskies finished tied for fourth in Division D with Audenried and Bok.

It’s much better, but not good enough to make the playoff field of 16.

Still, Groom believes "the experience will help give these guys confidence" for future seasons.

Dogan stepped up his game this year by scoring a career-high 29 points in a loss to Lamberton and 25 in a win over Swenson. He is expected to be an important part of a team effort next year as Prep Charter once again shoots for the playoffs. There will be little room for error, as just two teams typically make the cut from Division D.

"Next year, I think we’ll be ready to make a strong push," Groom said.

The squad is graduating only two players, both of whom had limited playing time. Another 11 athletes are expected to return, including sophomore Rodney Green, who averaged 12.6 points per game this season.

"I see a championship next year," Dogan said.

Seems a pretty lofty goal for a team that just completed its third season of Public League play and hasn’t yet made the playoffs. But the player has a strategy behind his vision.

"I feel as though we get better every game and we can develop more," he said. "We just have to focus on playing the game first. We can’t go out and play individual ball. We’ve got to play as a team."

CYO crowns hoops champions

The St. Thomas Aquinas boys’ basketball team won the Region Six Catholic Youth Organization title, 46-36, over Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

St. Thomas had lost both regular-season meetings, making the championship win that much sweeter for the 15-3 team. Mount Carmel kept the match competitive, trailing by only four points at halftime.

"They played us very close," said St. Thomas coach Mark Olkowski. "We adapted very well."

Eighth-graders Tyrell Taylor and Jahmir Harris played key leadership roles, while seventh-grader Larron Byrd led the offense with 19 points. The team also made a strong showing in last weekend’s Archdiocese Tournament with a win over Conshohocken Catholic. The Region Six champ will face other South Philly squads in the upcoming Neumann Tournament.

St. Monica Parish has a reputation for winning softball titles, but basketball crowns have eluded the girls. On Valentine’s Day, the team defeated Our Lady of Mount Carmel 39-36 to win its first CYO championship.

The 14-2 squad, which split its two regular-season meetings with Mount Carmel, relied on defense to pick up the big win.

"Defensively, we were a very good team," said coach Michael Mulvihill.

Eighth-grader Dior Novello led St. Monica with 26 points, while teammate Megan Thomaselli chipped in six.

"They are probably the best group of kids I’ve ever coached as far as attitude and work ethic," said Mulvihill, who just completed his eighth season.

–by Bill Gelman