Sailing forward, looking back

One in a series of stories on the last independent year of St. John Neumann and St. Maria Goretti high schools.

The gymnasium at 26th and Moore tells the whole story.

The walls are covered with proud moments in St. John Neumann athletic history. This year’s graduates — the last Neumann class to attend the all-boy school — were around to experience some of them: the basketball team winning back-to-back crowns in 2001 and 2002, and the bowling squad completing a three-peat spanning 2001-03.

While this school year produced no championships, it still was an exciting one for players in several sports, including bowling.

The squad entered the 2003-04 season with hopes of becoming the first program in school history to win four straight Catholic League titles. Instead, the Pirates fell to eventual champ Father Judge in the semifinals.

The athletes had the consolation of playing for one of the most successful bowling programs in city history, with 10 Catholic League titles.

"Anybody who has been fortunate to be a part of it knows what kind of pride the program has and what it has generated," said coach Gene Mattioli, a 1977 Neumann grad.

For the coach, a former All-Catholic bowler, winning was only part of the rush. The program’s success inspired a contingent of fans — mostly comprised of players’ friends and relatives — that became the team’s family. Matches at St. Monica Lanes, 16th and Shunk streets, often were standing room only.

This year, the crowds watched as team MVP Matt Stankiewicz racked up a 210 average — the highest single-season average in Neumann history and tops in the Catholic League this season.

Stankiewicz, who will attend Holy Family University in the fall, said the topic of Neumann’s final year came up at team meetings this season.

"We felt a little added pressure to win for Neumann because it was the last year," the four-time All-Catholic said. "I am happy that I had the highest average in the league, but it would’ve been better to win a championship."

The basketball team also made it to the playoffs after finishing third in the Southern Division with a 9-5 record and a 19-8 mark overall. The great run ended with a 66-62 semifinal loss to Cardinal Dougherty.

Coach Carl Arrigale insisted that he and the team didn’t treat this season differently than any other. Of course, questions popped up about where Neumann would play next season and who would coach, but otherwise things remained status quo.

"We might have mentioned it at the beginning of the season, but we didn’t dwell on it," Arrigale said of Neumann’s last year as Pirates. "We just tried to go about our business."

That included Feb. 22, when the Pirates won their final home game ever, 68-45, over West Catholic.

Despite the stoic approach, Arrigale acknowledged "there was a lot of history in that gym."

The Neumann football team advanced to the Catholic League Blue semifinals, but made its biggest news during the off-season when beloved football coach Ed "Bubby" DiCamillo clashed with the administration over the move to Goretti and was let go.

The uncertainty about the future led some players to apply to West Catholic. But the school moved quickly to hire former offensive and defensive line coach Steve Smith as head coach for next season. An initial meeting with Smith last month drew 94 potential players.

All of the Neumann teams will have a different look and even a different name beginning in September. The Pirates and the Goretti Lambs will become the Saints, and athletic uniforms will reflect the new school colors of black, white and gold. The boys and girls will use a newly refurbished gymnasium.

The football, baseball and boys’ soccer teams will still have access to the fields at 26th and Moore streets, albeit with a 16-block commute. In the winter, the boys and girls’ basketball teams will have to coordinate their practice schedules to share their gym.

Baseball coach Gaeton Lucibello expressed serious concerns about where next year’s home games would be played. The plans are to remain at 26th and Moore, but things are murky beyond that.

For example, where will the freshman and junior-varsity teams practice? How will the players get to practice? Unlike Neumann, Goretti doesn’t have a baseball field adjacent to the school. Lucibello said he will likely push practices back a half-hour to give players time to make the commute.

"There are a lot of kinks that need to be worked out," he noted.

The situation isn’t as tenuous for the basketball team, which will play its home games in the Neumann-Goretti gymnasium. Arrigale said that at a glance, the rough draft for the renovated gym looks promising. A couple of early January wins could make the environs even nicer.

The bowling teams will have the easiest transition, as they will continue practicing and playing home matches at St. Monica Lanes. The Neumann Pirates and Goretti Lambs already practice together every Sunday morning, and cheer each other on during matches.

"I think the fact that we are merging with a school that we are already close with definitely helps the fact," Mattioli said.

Sports history

Here’s to the Pirates

When St. John Neumann High closes this month, it will leave behind a rich championship legacy. The following is a sport-by-sport look at the success the Pirates enjoyed as an all-boy school.

Baseball

1952 Southeast Catholic*
1953 Southeast Catholic*
1958 Neumann*

Bowling

1979 Neumann*
1985 Neumann
1987 Neumann
1992 Neumann
1997 Neumann
1998 Neumann
1999 Neumann
2001 Neumann
2002 Neumann
2003 Neumann

Basketball

1939 Southeast Catholic
1940 Southeast Catholic
1941 Southeast Catholic*
1944 Southeast Catholic**
1945 Southeast Catholic*
1954 Southeast Catholic
1958 Neumann
1965 Neumann*
1985 Neumann
1997 Neumann
2001 Neumann
2002 Neumann

Football

1948 Southeast Catholic
1954 Southeast Catholic*

Southeast Catholic changed its name to Bishop Neumann in 1955 and St. John Neumann in 1978.

*City title

**Pennsylvania state title