Saints march in as champs

Instead of partying on Dec. 31 like everyone else, the Neumann-Goretti boys’ basketball players saved their festive mood for New Year’s Day.

They had good reason: a 73-65 win over Mount Zion Christian Academy (N.C.) to clinch the prestigious Bojangles Basketball Shootout in Charlotte.

This is the same Mount Zion team that Houston Rockets forward and NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady attended before jumping to the pros. This is the same Mount Zion team that features three players ranked in the nation’s top 100, including 6-foot-6 Brandon Rush, who could be heading straight to the NBA, and 6-foot-8, 215-pound Shawn Taggart, bound for Iowa State.

"Beating Mount Zion is a pretty big deal," summed up Neumann-Goretti coach Carl Arrigale. "They are a national power with fifth-year players, and we are a 16-and-under team."

Make that a 16-and-under team that USA Today has ranked 17th in the nation.

The Saints’ roster is loaded with young talent, including 6-foot-5 guard forward Earl Pettis, who made all 10 field-goal attempts and scored a game-high 22 points. The junior was equally stellar on defense, where the all-tournament selection held Rush — who has a 47-inch vertical leap — to 10 points in the championship game.

Fellow junior Derrick "D.J." Rivera also came up big with 16 points on six of his eight field-goal attempts. Family members who made the nine-hour car ride to Charlotte were able to see Rivera take MVP honors.

He finished the tournament with 15 steals, including four in Saturday’s game.

The high-performance Saints became a crowd favorite with the North Carolina fans.

"By the end of the tournament, we had the crowd on our side," Arrigale said. "They fell in love with our team."

Neumann-goretti won all three of its games in the eight-team national tournament, which featured squads from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The Saints also picked up victories over Charlotte Latin (N.C.) and I.C. Norcom (Va.).

Although the members worked as a team to clinch the tournament, lone senior David Burton has emerged as a leader. The 6-foot-5 power forward, who is being recruited by Division I schools Central Connecticut State and St. Francis, led the offense with 12.4 points per game in his junior year. Now the veteran among a starting lineup that includes two sophomores and two juniors, Burton has added a new dimension to his game.

"David has been a big surprise with his leadership ability," Arrigale said. "It’s tough when you have to lead every day. I am proud of him so far."

Burton also displayed his ability to score in Monday’s Catholic League opener against West Catholic. The athlete tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds in the Saints’ 65-55 win. Rivera led the offense with 22 points.

Arrigale was somewhat concerned that the big tournament win would distract his players heading into the West Catholic game.

"Our biggest thing is we have to keep our focus," the coach said.

That concentration is becoming increasingly important as the undefeated Saints gain momentum in the national rankings. After opening the season ranked 25th nationally, the Saints are now 17th in the latest USA Today poll, which came out on Monday. Neumann-Goretti is the only Pennsylvania team currently ranked in the top 25.

The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News also have the undefeated squad at number one in the region in their respective polls.

Several of the squad’s members are receiving individual attention from Division I college coaches. Virginia Tech, La Salle and Saint Joseph’s are showing early interest in Pettis, while Cincinnati, Georgetown and Villanova have Rivera on their radar screen.

Sophomore Antonio "Scoop" Jardine also is showing plenty of promise after replacing former All-Catholic Richard "Tabby" Cunningham at starting point guard. Cunningham now plays for La Salle.

"Scoop is starting to understand the point-guard position, when to shoot and when not to shoot," Arrigale said. "When we have a high assist total, we are tough to beat."

The Saints are now back home at 10th and Moore streets, looking to add a Catholic League title to their already- impressive list of accomplishments. The South Philly squad, which last won the Catholic League crown in 2002, is considered the early favorite to knock off defending champ St. Joseph’s Prep.

For now, the Saints are still basking in their auspicious start to 2005.

"We expected to compete and have a chance to win," Arrigale said of the tournament. "We fulfilled expectations."

2005 schedule

Jan. 22 Mount St. Joseph Away (Seton Hall) TBA*

Jan. 24 St. Joe’s Prep Home 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 28 West Catholic Home 8 p.m.

Jan. 29 St. Benedict’s Away (Parkland High) TBA*

*Denotes a non-league game