South Philly Review

Leaving city limits is nothing new for the Neumann-Goretti boys' basketball team.

Neither is boarding a plan for territories such as Texas, Florida or South Carolina.

However, leaving the continental United States for a seven-day excursion is a new and exciting experience. Early yesterday morning, before most people woke up, the players and coaches from 10th and Moore streets boarded a flight for scenic Honolulu, Hawaii, for the 16-team Iolani Prep Classic. The Saints are the lone Pennsylvania squad, joining others from the host state, Maryland, California and even China.

"We are trying to make it a business trip/mini-bonding experience for the guys," coach Carl Arrigale said. "One of the things we talk about as a staff is to try and give the kids lasting memories that they'll talk about when they go to college and after college."

The Nike-sponsored event is one the Neumann-Goretti coaching staff considered in past years, but Arrigale said he was always a little reluctant to take on the burden of raising the money in such a short amount of time. Last year, the coaches met with the players and parents and everybody decided to go for it.

For the past six months, Arrigale said his group has raised in the neighborhood of $15,000 to cover the airfare for the local contingent. Once the Saints land, all expenses are covered by event sponsors. He noted team parent Mark Squilla and assistant coach John Mosco helped organize the fundraising efforts.

Unlike routine foes Roman Catholic and Archbishop Carroll, the Saints know little to nothing about the four squads they'll be facing. Games are scheduled for tonight, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Kaimuki, the opening-round opponent, is from Hawaii.

"If you go out there and don't win it, you have a good idea of what you need to get done," Arrigale said. "I am more concerned with being a great team in February and March when we need to be."

The defending Catholic League and PIAA District 12 Class AAA champions are receiving some early national attention from USA Today, who has the local squad placed eighth in last week's East regional rankings. The roster also includes four future Division I basketball players in seniors Tony Chennault (Wake Forest), Tyreek Duren (La Salle), Mustafaa Jones (Hartford) and Daniel Stewart (Rider).

This week, the players will likely take advantage of the tropical weather to get in some rare December beach time. Arrigale also said his group will likely take an off-day excursion to Pearl Harbor.

This is the first of three out-of-state trips for Neumann-Goretti this season. The squad opens 2010 in West Virginia for a Jan. 2 tilt against New York's Christ the King. It's the third year in a row the Saints are participating in the Cancer Research Classic. Later in the month, on Jan. 15, the Saints will board a charter bus for Springfield, Mass., for the HoopHall Classic. The highlight of their third-annual appearance, besides visiting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is a Jan. 17 contest against Simeon Career Academy of Illinois.

For this week, the Saints are focused on enjoying the Hawaiian lifestyle.

"I imagine this is a pretty big deal for them out there," Arrigale said of the Iolani Prep Classic. "It should be a great experience for the kids and the coaches as well."

Contact Managing Editor Bill Gelman at bgelman@southphillyreview.com or ext. 123. Comment at www.southphillyreview.com/sports.