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Playing with as much, maybe even more, drive as the area’s professional performers, many contributors had their schools reveling by earning titles, signing with prominent postsecondary education sites and giving their all no matter the circumstances.
What will 2014 hold? If this year is any judge, the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, 76ers and Union might have found their next couple generations of stars.
January
Soccer star Darius Madison, a resident of 18th and Catharine streets and a product of the Anderson Monarchs at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center, 744 S. 17th St., helped the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. Eleven months later, he and his Virginia Cavaliers teammates reached the semifinals of the College Cup in Chester.
Senior forward Jeremiah Worthem powered the Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School to a 23-1 start on their way to a 26-3 mark and runs to the Public League’s Class A quarterfinals and the state semifinals. The resident of 21st and McKean streets attends Pittsburgh’s Robert Morris University.
On their way to a 13-10 year, The Academy at Palumbo Griffins basketball performers, 1100 Catharine St., dumped A. Philip Randolph High School 51-43 in a thrilling home contest. The Hawthorne ballers would later score their program’s first postseason victory.
Marvin O’Connor, a native of the 3000 block of Hemberger Terrace, earned enshrinement in the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame. The former Saint Joseph’s University Hawks star has turned his love of basketball into a campaign to open a Germantown-situated community center.
Though they could not gut out a win against Simon Gratz on coach Doreen Coleman’s birthday, the South Philadelphia High School Rams basketball standouts, 2101 S. Broad St., enjoyed a fine season, advancing to the Round of 16 in the Public League Class AAAA playoffs and registering a 13-9 record.
February
Four-hundred meters specialist Maliyah Matthews, of 20th and Titan streets, placed fourth in the Brooklyn-based 39th Colgate Women’s Games. That finish furthers a career that also features gold medals at the Keystone State Games.
Thirty years after she garnered renown as a football player for St. Edmond School, formerly 23rd and Mifflin streets, Roe Germana, a native of the 2000 block of South Croskey Street, reflected on her trailblazer status. The New Jersey resident expressed support for 11-year-old Doylestown dweller Carolina Pla, who eventually prevailed in her petition to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to let her continue to square off against boys.
Competing as St. Richard Catholic Youth Organization roster members, the girls at St. Pio Regional Catholic School, 1826 Pollock St., scored their third straight Region 6 title and undefeated season. The Marconi-based youngsters downed Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School, 1248 Jackson St., for the crown.
They had lost a touch of their air of invincibility against parochial foes with a rare league loss against La Salle College High School, but the boys basketball players from Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., showed they are still the hunted after beating St. Joe’s Prep 60-42 at the Palestra. The triumph earned the Saints their fifth straight league title. They would later earn their fifth consecutive Class AAA City championship, too.
March
Giving its East Passyunk Crossing school another set of bragging rights, the Neumann-Goretti girls’ basketball squad romped to the District 12 Class AA title with a 57-26 win over Imhotep Charter. The young ladies did so under the guidance of first-year coach Letty Santarelli.
West Catholic High School baseball standout Joe Aliano, of the 100 block of McClellan Street, entered the Burrs’ sports Hall of Fame.
A 2010 Neumann-Goretti graduate, guard Tyreek Duren made his junior campaign for the La Salle University Explorers a thrilling one, helping his institution to win three NCAA Tournament games. He deposited 14.2 points per game for the Atlantic-10 school, which made its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1955.
April
Overcoming a four-run deficit, the Prep Charter High School baseball unit, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., stunned the now-three-time defending Public League champion Frankford Pioneers 6-5. The Huskies took the lead in the home half of the sixth inning on a single by third baseman Joe Suppa.
Then-Palumbo sophomore Benny Sinakin earned the Philadelphia Golden Gloves 15-16 heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Chad Johnson at Kensington’s Front Street Gym. The resident of the 2400 block of South Orkney Street trains under former fighter Andre “The Bull” Horne, with whom he shares a nickname.
Already a decorated track star through a stint at West Catholic, Todd Townsend added to his accolades with a medal-heavy senior year for Neumann-Goretti. He helped the Saints’ 4×400 team to finish third at the 119th Penn Relays and received a scholarship to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Senior forward Jameal Tucker made history for the Palumbo Griffins by becoming his Hawthorne school’s first basketball player to earn a scholarship. The First-Team Division D honoree signed with Bloomsburg University.
May
A feared batter while at Neumann-Goretti, Albert Baur continued to imperil pitchers while suiting up for South Carolina’s Newberry College. The resident of the 200 block of Daly Street earned Second-Team All-Conference distinction and a Gold Glove and stroked 78 hits, good for fourth among Division II players.
Down to their last out in their program’s final home game, the Edward Bok Technical High School Wildcats, formerly 1901 S. Ninth St., rallied to beat the Samuel S. Fels High School Panthers 13-12 at the super site, 10th and Bigler streets. The comeback marked the institution’s lone win on the year.
Facing the end of its two-year reign as league champion, the Neumann-Goretti baseball team regrouped after going down 5-0 to score an 8-7 extra-inning triumph against the Cardinal O’Hara Lions. The Saints plated the quarterfinal win at McNichol Field, 26th and Moore streets, on a botched grounder in the ninth.
Looking to build up his football prowess by adding field events, then-sophomore Joe D’Emilio made Neumann-Goretti proud by registering a second-place shot put effort at the PIAA District 12 AA Championships. The resident of the 1300 block of Reed Street later added a Second-Team All-Catholic offensive line commendation.
June
In a battle of East Passyunk Crossing versus West Passyunk, Neumann-Goretti overcame Prep Charter 5-2 for their third-straight Class AA City baseball title.
Having completed a two-year return to his native Dominican Republic for baseball tutelage, pitcher Agustin Gil proved the ace for the Horace Furness High School Falcons, 1900 S. Third St. The right-hander, of 28th Street and Snyder Avenue, won MVP honors for the Public League’s Division D and the C/D All-Star Game at Ashburn Field, where he capped his career as a Carpenter Cup participant.
Following 65 years that included 270 wins and 206 All-Star selections, the football program at Bok officially ended as a result of the School District of Philadelphia’s staggering budget crisis.
Graduating as the second-ranked student at Girard Academic Music Program, 2136 Ritner St., Joe Brinkman also proved a baseball behemoth, too, earning a First-Team Division A accolade and the A/B All-Star Game MVP nod. The resident of Sixth and Shunk streets now attends the University of Pennsylvania.
July
Second baseman Mike “Zoom” Zolk, an ’11 Neumann-Goretti alumnus, helped the University of North Carolina Tar Heels make their 10th trip to the College World Series. He batted .269 for the Atlantic Coast Conference members and earned an All-Regional selection along their march to the semifinals.
Multiple South Philly Review Coach of the Year winner Art Kratchman retired after 29 years at GAMP. The leader and New Jersey denizen guided the baseball team to nearly 300 wins and the ’02 Public League title, while overseeing 130 wins for the Pioneers as the basketball head man.
The Flyers’ most successful regular season and playoff coach with 308 and 48 wins, respectively, Fred Shero gained posthumous admission into the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Builders category. He guided the Broad Street Bullies to the franchise’s two Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and ’75.
Their family’s fourth generation of tennis buffs, Terell and Cherelle Moore went from fledgling performers through the South Philadelphia Tennis Association’s program at Edwin M. Stanton School, 1700 Christian St., to respected ballstrikers through the National Junior Tennis & Learning program. The siblings, from the 1500 block of Federal Street, spent their summer improving their strokes at Barry Playground, 1800 Johnston St.
August
Alynn Phelan enjoyed a 37-goal season as a member of John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School’s inaugural lacrosse team. The then-freshman and resident of the 2100 block of South Howard Street tallied the first score in program history, earned Second-Team All-League honors and received an invitation to try out for the Under Armour All-American team.
The premier Ball 4 Peace helped Unity in the Community to bring an athletic element to its Peace Week celebration at Vare Recreation Center, 2600 Morris St. The basketball duel saw a team of North and South Philly athletes down a South Philly-only group featuring Neumann-Goretti alumnus Earl Pettis and Southern product Jason Saab, 75-71.
After a heavy recruiting season that included his helping Neumann-Goretti to more renown, senior guard Ja’Quan Newton ended suspicion by choosing the University of Miami. The two-time First Team All-Catholic entered this season well within reach of becoming the Saints’ all-time leading scorer.
Continuing their predecessors’ knack for gaining renown and enjoying travel, the Delaware Valley 12-and-under Senators ventured to Cooperstown, N.Y. for the All-Star Village Tournament. Based out of the Delaware Valley Youth Athletic Association, 2840 S. 18th St., the players compiled a 4-4 mark to finish ninth in the 32-team field.
Ahead of their final preseason game, the Philadelphia Eagles played host to homeless students at Lincoln Financial Field, 1020 Pattison Ave. The learners, all members of The Teen Evolution Experience Network, received autographs from the Birds following the well-received session.
September
Featuring many transports from the defunct Bok program, the football team from Southern succumbed to Prep Charter 32-8 in its season opener. The victors received two rushing touchdowns from junior running back Tarr Monway and 97 receiving yards from senior Curan Simmons.
Having gained a reputation as a stellar team player, Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School senior guard Louis Myers reaped the reward for his selflessness by committing to Norfolk State University. The resident of the 1600 block of Catharine Street starred for Southern before joining his current Center City-situated location.
Also the owner of a sound reputation as a basketball player, Neumann-Goretti senior wide receiver Jamal Custis made good on his more documented football prowess by committing to Syracuse University. The resident of the 1500 block of South 32nd Street became the third member of his family to win an athletic scholarship.
After a playoff-less season in their previous lockout-abbreviated campaign, the Philadelphia Flyers sought distinction in the always-tough Eastern Conference. Following a wretched start that led to coach Peter Laviolette’s firing, the hockey heroes have rebounded under replacement and former bruiser Craig Berube.
October
South Philly youngsters congregated at Sacks Playground, 400 Washington Ave., to participate in the 11th annual National Youth Soccer Month celebration. The event drew numerous members of squads based out of Capitolo Playground, 900 Federal St.
A hero to his family and friends for successfully dealing with a congenital heart defect, Roman Catholic High School freshman Alex Durelli became a commended Catholic League golfer by earning All-Catholic honors. The resident of the 2800 block of South Mildred Street finished as the second-ranked Cahillite and competed in the District 12 Championships.
The Work to Ride Equestrian team, featuring Kareem Rosser, formerly of Taney and Tasker streets, and Brandon Reese, a Palumbo graduate, traveled to Arizona for the Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati Polo Championships. The unit dropped a 9-2 decision to the University of Virginia.
After a sluggish start, the Prep Charter football team let its commitment match its talent in a 40-12 super site-situated thumping of Roxborough. The four-touchdown decision gave the unit its school’s first pigskin playoff victory.
November
Reaching its institution’s first championship game in 30 years, the Neumann-Goretti football team fell to West Catholic, 34-9, in the AA-title tilt at the super site. The local parochial squad had advanced to the contest by going 3-1 in their division under Coach of the Year C.J. Szydlik.
He as a runner and she as a walker, Gaeten Dominic and Carmena Pyfrom participated in the Gore-Tex Philadelphia Maraton. The former, a Packer Park resident, made his 18th appearance, while the latter, of West Passyunk, tested her tenacity for the sixth time.
Palumbo student Chris Bernard, of the 1600 block of Moore Street, earned a scholarship to the Drexel University-situated Lebow College of Business Summer Economics Institute by finishing as the top junior at the Seventh Philadelphia Metropolitan Grade/High School Chess Championship. He and his mates finished third overall.
Dueling for the 79th time on Thanksgiving Day, the Southern Rams and Neumann-Goretti Saints, the latter donning uniforms from their days as the Pirates, contested the Turkey Bowl at the super site. The public league team scored its first series win since 2004 by rolling 33-6.
December
Depositing 52 goals for the Penn Charter School Quakers, sophomore star Jlon Flippens led her institution to soccer glory with the acquisition of the Inter-Ac League title and Independent Schools Tournament championship. The resident of the 2200 block of South 24th Street has received Top Drawer Soccer’s ranking as the state’s top sophomore.
Thanks to a wonderful season-concluding effort against Furness, Curan Simmons became only the second Public League wide receiver to top 1,000 yards. The popular target tallied 63 passes for 1,012 yards and created 11 touchdown celebrations.
Senior wide receiver Jawan McAllister helped St. Joe’s Prep win the Class AAAA Catholic League crown, AAAA City championship and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association title by snaring 32 passes for 485 yards and seven touchdowns. The resident of the 1800 block of Sigel Street, who earned Second-Team All-League honors, will attend the University of Pittsburgh as a baseball standout.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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