Knockout!

It’s not too often that high-school basketball fans encounter ticket scalpers. But Saturday night’s Catholic League championship game between Neumann-Goretti and St. Joseph’s Prep was such a hot event that students stood outside La Salle’s Tom Gola Arena selling the $8 tickets for $12.

Sold-out signs taped across the front doors of the arena chased away many of the last-minute arrivals.

Upstairs, the stands were filled to capacity with the two teams’ sections trading friendly verbal jabs.

But of course the real bout took place on the court, where the nationally ranked Neumann-Goretti Saints dethroned the two-time defending Catholic League champion Hawks, 57-44.

Senior David Burton was so overwhelmed that he began to deliver an Oscar-style speech in which he thanked his mom, dad, sister, coaches and so on.

But any long-windedness could be understood, considering the player’s wait for this moment.

"I waited four years for this," Burton said as he stood in line to cut down the championship nets. "I needed one. I couldn’t leave without one."

The forward made the varsity team his sophomore year, but the former Pirates were eliminated in the semifinals the last two seasons. In his final Catholic League game, Burton was one of four Saints to score 10 points or more. He finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

The other double-digit scorers were juniors Earl Pettis, 15 points, 10 rebounds, and Derrick Rivera, 10 points; and sophomore Antonio "Scoop" Jardine, 15 points, five rebounds.

The Prep drew a team-high 23 points from senior Reggie Redding. The Hawks scored the game’s first basket but, after that, never came close.

PETTIS WAS SOexcited about the big win that he couldn’t wait to share the news with brother Robert Taylor, a senior at Rider University. Taylor was a key member of Neumann’s 2002 Catholic League championship team.

Until Saturday, that milestone had eluded Pettis.

"My brother kept teasing me that ‘I got one, I got one,’" he said. "Now I am going to try and one-up him."

Taylor couldn’t make it down for the championship game because his Rider Broncs were playing in the Atlantic Metro Athletic Conference tournament for an NCAA Tournament bid. Taylor’s 16-point effort in Sunday night’s semifinal game helped Rider beat Fairfield 76-74 and advance to Monday night’s conference championship game against Niagara (Rider lost 81-59).

Taylor took a break from his own high-stakes competition to give his little brother a few pointers.

"He said, ‘Don’t be nervous,’" Pettis said. "There is nothing to be nervous about. Just go out and play your game."

The Saints’ motivation was boosted by a little vengeance, as St. Joe’s Prep defeated them in the final game of the regular season, spoiling an otherwise perfect Catholic League record. Yet Jardine said the defeat might have been just the wakeup call his team needed.

"The loss made us realize that we weren’t great yet," he said. "I am glad we lost that game. It made us come in here focused."

When the Saints are on their game, few squads can stop them. They play tough defense and Burton, Pettis, Rivera and Jardine all averaged double figures in scoring for the season.

"When we all score in double figures, nobody can beat us – nobody," said a confident Burton.

Neumann-Goretti emphasized that point with the 13-point victory over the Hawks. The Saints won the first regular-season meeting by seven points, while the Prep squeaked out the regular-season finale by two.

"We felt the sting of that loss, and we didn’t want to leave anything in doubt," Neumann-Goretti coach Carl Arrigale said after winning his third Catholic League title in seven seasons.

This one is historic since it comes during the merged Neumann-Goretti’s inaugural year and is the first championship for any of the school’s athletic programs.

Senior guard Conor Kennedy was thrilled to close out his high-school career with the meaningful victory.

"It’s the first one and everyone got behind us," he said.

In classic fan fashion, that included schoolmates spelling out "Neumann" on their bare chests. The moment the game ended, the floor of the Tom Gola Arena broke out into a mob scene of players, cheerleaders, students, coaches and reporters.

With Rivera, Pettis, Jardine and sophomore Richard Jackson all expected back next season, it might be the beginning of a Neumann dynasty.

"I just know come next year we’ve got unfinished business," Jardine said. "We’re going to get another one."