The Philadelphia Catholic League is built on intensity. For Archbishop Carroll, intensity doesn’t just come from the players: it also comes from the stands. In the Patriots 66-57 upset win over Monsignor Bonner, students packed the stands, creating a difficult environment for the Friars.
Carroll Head Coach Francis Bowe was grateful for the crowd energy.
“I want to personally thank the Carroll Student section,” said Bowe. “It brought us the juice we needed to take us home.”
The Patriots were not expected to be in this position after losing three starters in the offseason, yet the Pats have knocked off multiple PCL contenders and the #3 team in the state of Pennsylvania in Monsignor Bonner. The real key for the Pats has been the senior leaders, most especially guard Ian Williams.
Before tearing his ACL and missing out on his junior season, Williams was widely regarded as the best point guard in the state. Since coming back Williams has yet to miss a beat. Williams tallied 14 points, including a clutch three ball to secure the victory for his squad.
Williams is no stranger to a big moment and he surely knows how to get fans riled up.
“I’ve always been in these types of moments,” said Williams. “I live for the crowd; my teammates live for the crowd.”
Emerging from Williams’ shadow is his counterpart, Yasir Turner. The young guard has been praised by Williams in the past, and he continues to thrive. Turner could not miss in last night’s contest, scoring 14 on a variety of different shots.
The center play for the Pats was also an issue for the Friars, with newcomer and Haverford transfer Nick Lugendo tacking on 14 points of his own, as he was seemingly in the right spot every single possession. Lugendo is adapting to Catholic League competition and improves every game. Lugendo credited Williams with his positioning.
“Ian’s telling me where to go,” said Lugendo. “He makes the right reads, right passes. We get what we want.”
The Patriots continued to feed off of the crowd, dominating Bonner in the post and on defense, with the Carroll crowd sticking with them every step of the way. Although Bonner came back and took the lead in the fourth quarter, Carroll held on to take a massive victory over the Friars.
Carroll completed a 3-0 week in Catholic league play, giving them four straight victories and etching them in third place in the PCL standings. Things will continue to be hard for the Pats, as they face off against Devon Prep and Father Judge this week, but thankfully for the Pats, both of those games will be in front of Patriot Nation, boosting Carroll’s energy and giving them a chance to win any game.
