When crowns weren’t being won or lost, athletes were returning home or getting ready to spread their wings beyond our borders.
Tony Chennault, left, led his Saints to Catholic League and City titles during the 2008-09 season, while Lamar Speller, right, scored for the Rams in a PIAA Class AAAA game.
It was a year of homecomings and heartfelt goodbyes.
The Phillies may have fallen short of becoming back-to-back world champs, saying so long to the World Series crown, but a slew of local high school teams stepped up, setting up winners for the next generation of play.
Fans said farewell to the 42-year-old Spectrum that once was home to the Sixers and Flyers. The fabled arena closed its doors in October to pave the way for entertainment district Philly Live!
But home is where the heart is as the return of stellar talent in just about every sport proved. From Point Breeze’s Rasual Butler and his LA Clippers playing at the Wachovia Center during one of the biggest snowstorms in city history to Mike Koplove’s bid to play for the Phils after coming from the Las Vegas 51s to Bishop Neumann grad Pat DiPilla becoming the new Saints athletic director, the returns were just as popular as leaving the nest seemed to be. High schools’ top talent called their college picks, the Neumann-Goretti boys’ basketball team headed to Hawaii for the Iolani Prep Classic and Rogers Mtagwa went to The Big Apple to fight for the junior featherweight crown in a year that saw a lot of action.
January
Everybody expected defending Super Bowl champs the Giants to still be playing, but not the Eagles. The Philadelphia team turned things around and faced their New York rivals in a divisional showdown.
The Neumann-Goretti Saints boys’ basketball team pulled double-digit victories on a routine basis. For their efforts, the squad was ranked No. 1 by the Harrsiburg-Patriot News in its Class AAA poll.
The Prep Charter girls’ basketball team chased the ultimate goal: Winning their first district championship. The Lady Huskies used the 11-game non-league schedule as preparation for more meaningful matches down the road.
With 1,942 career points and counting, Coppin State University guard Tywain McKee, from 12th and Bainbridge streets, left his mark on the school’s Division I men’s basketball program.
February
Neumann-Goretti girls’ basketball point guard Ashley White was surprised to find out she was closing in on 1,000 career points. Averaging 20 points per game, the senior was ready to lead her Saints into the Catholic League playoffs.
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How ’bout dat?
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Storybook ending
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Four more years
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Tiger on the prowl
