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One wonders what foes think when going against South Philly-rooted athletes. Much like the city in which they reside, they have earned reputations as never-say-die performers. Last year frequently found them frolicking after championship moments and giving followers hopes for a fruitful 2015.
Seasons change, bringing bouts with unpredictable weather, but one certainty has emerged among South Philly’s performers: They are always hot.
JANUARY
Reno Dagostino, a registrant at Positive Force Karate, 1704 Jackson St., earned world champion distinction through the North American Sport Karate Association thanks to dominating performances at the Philadelphia Independence Open Karate Championships. The boy received tutelage from fellow Packer Park resident Hugo Armando Jr., himself a world-renowned practitioner.
Thanks to sharpshooting senior guard Jeffrey Williford, the boys’ basketball team at Girard Academy Music Program, 2136 W. Ritner St., tallied an 8-4 mark in the Public League’s Division E, earning the Pioneers a Class A Quarterfinal berth. In 17 games, Williford averaged 16.9 points.
Following his transfer from West Catholic, senior guard Anwar Epps became a scoring machine for The Academy at Palumbo, 1100 Catharine St., erupting for 546 points in 24 games. That 22.8 average placed him fifth in city scoring and helped the Griffins to register a 17-7 record.
Senior guard Regine Prentice dominated teams while enjoying her shot at stardom at Universal Audenried Charter High School, 3301 Tasker St. In a mismatch versus the A. Philip Randolph Raptors, for example, the resident of the 1300 block of South Corlies Street nearly doubled up the opposition by scoring 27 points in a 57-15 thrashing.
Having claimed two state championships while playing for Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., Markieff and Marcus Morris returned to South Philly as members of the Phoenix Suns, who downed the 76ers 124-113 at the Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St. The twins combined to score 17 points, grab six rebounds and tally four assists.
FEBRUARY
After a successful stint as an assistant coach for Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., John Mosco squared off against the Saints as the head coach of the Warminster-based Archbishop Wood Vikings. The Point Breeze product guided the team to a 7-6 Catholic League mark and an 11-12 overall record.
A year removed from capturing the District 12 Class AA title, the girls’ basketball team proved its prowess by registering a 21-0 regular season. The squad secured the flawless slate with a 74-28 throttling of the Bishop McDevitt Lancers.
For his academic achievements and football accomplishments, including leading his club to a 9-3 mark and a Thanksgiving Day win over Neumann-Goretti, Michael Riley, the senior quarterback for South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St., won a Mini Max Award. The signal caller also shared the divisional MVP award with teammate and fellow All-Public standout Mark Webb.
Lovers of history had their fill Feb. 24, as the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams from Neumann-Goretti left the Palestra with Catholic League titles. The girls beat Archbishop Wood, 55-46 to win their school’s first such plaque since 1978, while the boys downed Roman Catholic 53-48 for their sixth-straight parochial crown.
MARCH
Mark Casasanto Jr., of the 2400 block of South 20th Street, captured Conference Player of the Year distinction for helping Community College of Philadelphia to win its first Eastern States Soccer League title. The Girard Estate star gained secondary education renown while a member of Roman Catholic High School.
Already with time as a practice goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers, Peter Dundovich, of the 2500 block of South Colorado Street, intensified his hockey journey by overseeing Dundo Goalie School lessons at Rizzo Rink, 1101 S. Front St. The Girard Estate inhabitant has also logged time in Croatia and for squads in the Federal Hockey League.
The day after losing his mother to cancer, Neumann-Goretti senior guard Ja’Quan Newton tallied a career-high 33 points to lead the Saints to a 64-57 overtime win over Susquehanna Township. The Hershey-set win gave the Saints their fourth state title in five seasons.
APRIL
As products of the Neumann-Goretti baseball dynasty, seniors Charlie Jerla and Josh Ockimey gained great exposure to scouts. That publicity led to their signing with Marist College and Indiana University, respectively.
New Jersey resident Christian Carto, who trains at Rosati’s Gym, 1937 S. Chadwick St., and the Grays Ferry Boxing and Fitness Club, 1500 S. 28th St., won the 108-pound Pennsylvania Golden Gloves championship in Chester. The Deptford dweller went on to win the national championship in Las Vegas May 17.
Coming in with an 0-3 ledger, the baseball team from Horace Furness High School, 1900 S. Third St., erupted for 16 hits at the South Philadelphia super site, 10th and Bigler streets, to defeat Fels 18-6. The Pennsport club would place senior pitcher Jose Gil and junior infielder Marshall Drummond on the All-Public team, as the Falcons went 5-7 in the Public League’s stacked Division B.
Roman Catholic graduate Mark Ziegler returned to his alma mater to coach the Cahillites at the Penn Relays. The resident of the 2500 block of South Chadwick Street helped the school to a third-place finish in the 4×400 Philadelphia Catholic race.
MAY
Gunning for their third-straight regular season win over perennial powerhouse Frankford, the Prep Charter baseball players squandered a six-run edge to lose 11-9 at Citizens Adjusters Park, Seventh Street and Packer Avenue. The Huskies compiled a 6-6 record in Division-A play and dropped the Class AA final to Philadelphia Academy.
Hot bats and flashy glove work from juniors David Destouet and David Russino guided the Southern Rams to a 7-6 super site-situated win over Delaware Valley. Both earned All-Public nods, as the Lower Moyamensing club went 9-3 in Division C play.
Senior star Jacob Kurtz reached base four times, as the GAMP Pioneers earned a 15-2 Class A semifinal victory over Rush at Citizens Adjusters Park. The All-Public pick and his mates would go on to drop their class final to long-time foe Masterman at Richie Ashburn Field, 20th Street and Pattison Avenue.
The Neumann-Goretti Saints again proved themselves the jewel of the baseball diamond, crushing Roman Catholic 11-0 to claim their fourth league crown in six seasons. The La Salle College High School-situated blanking capped a run in which the East Passyunk-based athletes won five elimination games.
JUNE
Attorney Carl Ewald appreciates order, so he loved lining up in Fairmount Park as the organizer of the fifth Odyssey Half Marathon. The Queen Village resident started the event to add yet another bonding experience to a burgeoning local race calendar.
Point Breeze resident Demetrius “Meech” Isaac capped his two-sport career at William Penn Charter School with baseball duties at the Carpenter Cup. The Chestnut Hill College-bound player registered two hits in a pair of games.
With an amazing ledger that included three Catholic League titles and four Class AA City championships, Neumann-Goretti first baseman Josh Ockimey became the Boston Red Sox’ fifth-round draft pick. The Blue Division MVP reported to the American League’s Florida-based Gulf Coast League club.
Philly Play held a signup session at Herron Playground, 250 Reed St., to draw youngsters to its multi-activity summer slate. First District Councilman Mark Squilla ventured to the Pennsport site to fraternize with registrants.
JULY
New Jersey inhabitant Anthony DeAngelo, who trained at FDR Park, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, joined the Tampa Bay Lightning following the club’s selection of him as the 19th overall pick in the NHL Draft. More than 100 relatives and friends cheered for the defenseman at the Wells Fargo Center.
Neumann-Goretti product Mike Riverso enjoyed a masterful senior season at Widener University, batting .434, scoring 38 runs and driving in 43 more. He claimed the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Player of the Year honor and won the tournament MVP based partly on knocking in the winning run in the championship game.
Following a dynamic freshman season at Penn Charter that saw him earn an All-Inter-Ac Second-Team honor and rejoice as the Quakers captured the league championship, Matt Gorman enjoyed a great summer through the John Marzano Scout League. The Whitman dweller honed his pitching prowess as a member of the Delaware Valley Senators.
Neumann-Goretti alumnus Tyreek Duren graduated from La Salle University as one of only three Big 5 guards to tally at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. The guard, who helped the Explorers to advance to the 2013 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, signed a contract to play in Cyprus.
Mark “Frog” Carfagno, a former grounds crew member for the Philadelphia Phillies, oversaw an Ashburn Field-situated rally to draw support for former Phillie Dick Allen’s election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In early December, the 1964 Rookie of the Year fell one vote shy of enshrinement based on a vote by the Veterans Committee.
AUGUST
Ray Charles had Georgia on his mind, but Samantha Convento had North Carolina on hers, as she achieved three first-place finishes and scored the Adult Female Dan Grand World Championship in the Tar Heel State. The resident of the 1600 block of Moore Street and Prep Charter student trains at Castelli’s Shin Karate, 709 W. Oregon Ave.
Joseph Messina pitched his way to two victories in the New York-situated National Youth Baseball Championships. The resident of the 2700 block of South Marvine Street was the only Pennsylvania inhabitant on the East squad and notched 11 strikeouts over eight innings.
Tony Chennault turned tragedy into triumph by premiering his web series “Oldhead” at Neumann-Goretti High School, with whom he won two Catholic League titles and the 2010 state title. The Villanova University graduate lost his brother in May ’12 in a shooting incident and parted with his mother the next year following a heart attack.
The South Philly-heavy Taney Dragons claimed third-place out of the eight-squad strong American contingent at the Little League Baseball World Series. The club won hearts all across the nation, with pitcher Mo’ne Davis becoming a role model for youths no matter their gender. She would go on to win the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award.
SEPTEMBER
Novelty came to the super site, as The Academy at Palumbo football team played the first game in program history. The Griffins fell to Boys’ Latin 40-0 on their way to a 1-9 season.
Philadelphia Eagles employee and East Passyunk Crossing resident Sean O’Hara led The Breakaway Bunch in The Ride to Conquer Cancer, which benefits Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. The avid cyclist biked in honor of stepmother Sandy O’Hara, who succumbed to breast cancer in February.
Neumann-Goretti baseball coach Kevin Schneider made the most of his hopes to mold young talent by opening the Bubba Baseball Academy, 1401 S. 25th St. The resident of the 700 block of Mountain Street came to the Saints following successful sojourns in his birth state of New Jersey, including time with the South Jersey-based Tri-State Arsenal.
In what would become a up-and-down pigskin campaign, the Southern Rams lost a late lead and fell to Central 30-29 at the super site. The Lower Moyamensing athletes would end up being the guests’ lone victim on their way to a 3-7 slate.
OCTOBER
Philadelphia Flyers great Bernie Parent visited Flat Iron Philly, 26 E. Oregon Ave., to mark the naming of a booth in honor of him and agent Dean Smith. The goalie will live on forever for guiding the Orange and Black to two Stanley Cup titles and serves as the eponymous inspiration behind the Bernie Burger at the Whitman location.
CrossFit PHL and Philly Girls in Motion initiated a partnership at St. Thomas Aquinas Mission School, 18th and Morris streets, to offer a physical and mental maturation slate of activities for young females. The program will last the entire school year and will include such options as volleyball, dance, Pilates, yoga, Zumba and lacrosse.
With his ill daughter watching, current heavyweight Steve Cunningham, the two-time International Boxing Federation cruiserweight title holder, scored a technical decision victory over Natu Visinia at the 2300 Arena, 2300 S. Swanson St. Kennedy Cunningham would receive a Pittsburgh-situated heart transplant in December.
Alexa Davis hopes to acquire a Olympic gold medal in the not-too-distant future, and the standout netminder is gaining experience through a Roman Catholic High School program and inclusion on clubs through the Edward O’Malley Athletic Association, 144 Moore St., and Rizzo Rink. The resident of the 200 block of Mifflin Street has thrice won Goalie of the Year honors through EOM.
NOVEMBER
The girls’ volleyball team at The Academy at Palumbo spiked all doubters by winning the Public League championship. The Hawthorne-based club scored the title by defeating Central 3-1 at the Community College of Philadelphia on its way to a 15-5 campaign and a state tournament berth.
The football players from Prep Charter entered into their West Passyunk institution’s annals by downing Del-Val Charter 14-12 at the super site. The victory gave the Huskies the Class AA title, the premier pigskin championship in program history. Junior defensive end and Division I recruit Karamo Dioubate sealed the win with a sack on the final play.
A week after winning their first title since 1954, which came courtesy of a 34-12 thrashing of West Catholic in the Catholic League AA final, the Neumann-Goretti Saints held off Prep Charter 12-6 to win the City AA title at the super site. Junior running back Khalil Roane tallied 171 rushing yards and determined the outcome by scoring from three yards out with 1:13 to go.
Thanks to their victory over Prep Charter, Neumann-Goretti won the right to host a state playoff game at the super site. Roane again proved unstoppable, gaining 146 yards on 17 carries in a 32-7 triumph over Springfield (Montco). The Saints dropped their AA State Quarterfinal 30-18 to Dunmore to finish 9-5.
DECEMBER
In honor of his 625 victories and immense influence on local families, St. Gabriel School, 2917 Dickinson St., honored late basketball coach Henry “Hank” Clinton by naming its gymnasium in his name. The occasion marked the 25th observance of an eponymous tournament to commend the Grays Ferry native.
The baseball team at Chestnut Hill College, which features South Philadelphians Dom Raia, Michael Borelli and Demetrius Isaac, added Bucks County youngster Owen Frenia to its roster through Team IMPACT. The 10-year-old, who is fighting a tumor disorder, threw out the first pitch in the school’s Oct. 13 Red/Yellow game and enjoyed a Dec. 10 trip on Big Griff, the squad’s bus.
Proving once is seldom enough when it comes to winning titles, South Philadelphians Joe DuMond, Ed Mooney and Ed Rementer helped St. Joseph’s Preparatory School to repeat as the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AAAA state titlists. The Whitman residents also assisted the Hawks’ seizure of the Class AAAA Catholic and City championships.
Lionel Simmons, who guided Southern to the 1986 Public League basketball championship, returned to his alma mater to have his No. 22 jersey retired. The Queen Village product, who went on to star for La Salle University and the Sacramento Kings, scored 1,539 points for the Rams, claiming two league scoring titles in the process.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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