Roman Catholic Defeats St. Joseph’s Prep 67-57: Kehler on Hoops
Written by: Dell Jackson on February 10, 2024
Roman Catholic Defeats St. Joseph’s Prep 67-57: Kehler on Hoops
Article by David Kehler
Roman Catholic never trailed on Friday afternoon in a game between two of the very best teams in the state and defeated St. Joseph’s Prep 67 to 57 in the latest renewal of a 102 year old Philadelphia Catholic League rivalry. There was a standing room only crowd on hand for the contest between two Class 6A squads.
Roman’s offensive was effective from both the perimeter and in attacking the hoop. Roman’s man-to-man defense prevented The Prep from doing much damage inside, and only when Roman went to a zone defense did the homesteading Prep thrive on offense.
Although the game was tied twice in the early going, it was clear from the outset that Roman had a decided advantage. Five Roman players scored in the first quarter, and three of them hit from beyond the arc. 6’ 7” Roman junior Shareef Jackson had been out for a while with an injury, but he returned in this contest in fine form, powering baskets from inside and passing effectively from the top of the key. He proved to be a difficult matchup for The Prep. However, The Prep kept it close in the first half, largely due to sensational play by 6’ 3” junior Jordan Ellerbee, who hit two terrific turnaround jumpers in the second quarter en route to eight points in the frame, and to clutch play by the versatile 6’ junior Olin Chamberlain. Roman led 34 to 29 at halftime.
Roman’s offense exploded in the third quarter, partially driven by a nine to five rebounding advantage in the frame, and by a strong performance by 6’ 2” senior Travis Reed, who scored eight points in the period. Early in the third quarter, Roman built a double digit lead which expanded to 15 points late in the frame on a spectacular driving dunk by 6’ senior Hunter Johnson. The Prep never threatened from that point.
The view from here is that The Prep’s gym, Kelly Fieldhouse, provides the most difficult backdrop for shooters at any Pennsylvania high school. There are large spaces behind each basket, unlike anything else in the state. Visitors’ outside shooters are at a disadvantage in this setting. That did not prove to be a handicap for Roman in this contest, as they shot eight for 17 from beyond the arc, a significant factor in the win.
The principal objective of every Philadelphia Catholic League team is to win the league championship, a much more difficult achievement than winning a PIAA state title. That said, at most only two of the Philadelphia Catholic League Class 6A teams will participate in the state championship tournament, although four of them—Roman, The Prep, Archbishop Wood, and Father Judge—all should be considered leading contenders for the state 6A crown. Of these four, Roman right now looks to be the best, and they are much deeper this season than the team has been in several years.
Early in the third quarter, The Prep’s 6’ 3” junior Jaron McKie hit a 3-pointer for his 1000th career point.
For the game, St. Joseph’s Prep out-rebounded Roman Catholic 26 to 22. Roman committed eight turnovers, and The Prep had 10 miscues. Roman was 15 of 21 from the stripe, and The Prep was 12 of 15 from the free throw line. Roman made eight 3-pointers, and The Prep scored four times from beyond the arc. There were two ties and no lead changes.
Roman Catholic scoring: Shareef Jackson 18, Travis Reed 16, Sammy Jackson 10, Bobby Cottrell 7, Hunter Johnson 6, Kabrien Goss 5, and Sebastian Edwards 5.
St. Joseph’s Prep scoring: Jordan Ellerbee 21, Jaron McKie 12, Jalen Harper 10, Olin Chamberlain 9, William Lesovitz 4, and Jackson Maguire 2.
Roman Catholic 15 19 21 12 – 67
St. Joseph’s Prep 10 19 12 16 – 57
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