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St Patrick HS Varsity Boys BasketBall |
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St. Patrick 88 - St. Benedict 62
Game Recap and
Analysis Article
Coming Soon Boys Basketball Defeats Life Center
Prepares for Annual Showdown with St.
Benedict's
The St. Patrick boys
basketball team soundly defeated Burlington Life Center on Saturday by a score
of 86-60. Kyrie Irving has now hit full stride, pouring in over 20 points for
the second game in a row to lead all scorers.The Celtic's offensive balance also
continued, as Dexter Strickland (15), Paris Bennet (10), Derrick Gordon (10),
and Michael Gilchrist (14) all scored in double figures for the second game in a
row as well. Kevin Boyle and Chase Plummer also added 7 points
each.
With this victory, St. Patrick
gained its 15th win of the season and now prepares for its biggest in-state test
of the season. The St. Patrick Celtics will meet the St. Benedict's Gray Bees on
Wednesday, February 4th at Rutgers RAC in Piscataway at 7pm. Both teams are
currently ranked in the top 5 in the ESPN national high school basketball poll.
This game features many interesting individual matchups and could have a major
impact on the battle for a mythical national championship. Over the ten days,
St. Benedict's will face Mater Dei of California, and St. Patrick will face Oak
Hill, both of which are also ranked in the top 5 nationally. St. Patrick Storms
South
Carolina
Tournament
The St.
Patrick Celtics rebounded from their second place finish at the City of
Palms Classic by winning, in convincing fashion, the
Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle
Beach. The
Celtics won four games to move to 6-1 on the season, with their only defeat so
far coming to top ranked team in America, Mater Dei of California. St.
Patrick won over many of the neutral southern fans with the defensive clinic
that they put on and with their unselfish offensive approach that resulted in a
different high-scorer in each game.
In the
first two games of the Beach Ball Classic, the Celtics played well for one half,
yet failed to put together a complete performance. The team flew in the morning
of the 26th and played later that night against Mullins, SC. They played poorly in the
first half of that game, trailing 27-26 at intermission. Derrick
Gordon and Chase Plummer kept the game close with a combined 14 points off the
bench. Coach Boyle lit a fire under them in the locker room, almost literally,
and they responded in the second half. Dexter Strickland scored 14
of his game high 20 points after the break, and Chase Plummer continued to play
well (he shot 68% from the floor for the tournament, averaged 8 points per game
in only 11 minutes per game, and took at least one charge in each
contest).
The Celtics
got off to a quick start against in-state rival Paterson Catholic in the
quarterfinals, jumping out to a 35-18 lead. Paris Bennett led the
offense in this game, pouring in 15 of his game high 21 points before the
intermission. He also finished with 9 rebounds against Paterson
Catholic’s physically imposing center, Trevor Clemmings. Michael
Gilchrist chipped in with 15 points. In the second half, Paterson
Catholic clawed their way back into the game due hot shooting from 3 point
territory and a few lapses from the Celtic defense. St. Patrick
held on for a 64-57 victory to advance to the semifinals. However,
the Celtics had clearly failed to put together 32 straight minutes of solid
basketball up to that point in the tournament. That was about to
change.
After two
days off, the Celtics matched up against a well-coached, fundamentally sound
Pennsbury team, much like they faced in Winter Park in the Florida tournament. West Virginia bound Dalton Pepper led Pennsbury.
In this low scoring contest, the Celtics mesmerized the South Carolina fans with their stifling defense.
Howard Garfinkel, former director of the world famous Five Star
Basketball Camp, told Coach Boyle after the game that it was the greatest
defensive performance that he had ever seen on any level – high school, college
or professional. Whether that was accurate or not, he meant the
comment with sincerity. The team prepared for their sets and the
tendencies of each player in an extended practice session/walk-through the
morning of the game. Pennsbury practiced at the same time in
another gym in the same building, so Coach Boyle took every precaution by
hanging sweatshirts over the windows looking into our gym. The
Celtics took the game plan and followed it exactly, executing in every
aspect. The bench did a great job of keeping the team emotionally
pushed with chants of “defense” and other expressions of positive energy.
Pennsbury was held to only 1 point in the first 10 minutes of the second
half. On the offensive end, St. Patrick kept it simple: they
passed the ball to the open man, and the open man took good shots.
The balanced offensive attack saw only two Celtics in double figures,
with Michael Gilchrist scoring 11 and Derrick Gordon leading all scorers with
12. An elderly man commented to Coach Boyle after the game that
“It was a pleasure to watch a team that actually passes the ball to each
other.”
The Celtics
saw an extremely talented, athletic Wheeler (Georgia) team facing them in the
finals. Coming off such a dominant performance in the semifinals,
the team entered the game with focus and confidence. The game
began with somewhat of an ironic twist. On one of
the first plays of the game, Wheeler had the ball out of bounds under
their own basket. They ran a set that had forward Ari Stewart,
guarded by Michael Gilchrist, fake an up screen and then roll back toward the
rim for a lob. The play worked. Stewart grabbed the
pass and slammed the ball through the hoop right over Gilchrist.
What seemed like a play around which Wheeler could rally and get off to a
quick start, ironically, probably sealed their fate. As Mike
attested to after the game, getting dunked on like that really fired him up and
brought his focus to another level. He proceeded, over the next
30 or so minutes, to completely dominate the game. Mike netted 31
points and grabbed 14 rebounds to go with 3 assists, 2 steals and 2
blocks. The performance earned him the much-deserved tournament
MVP award. Dexter Strickland put in another great night with 16
points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals. Kevin Boyle Jr.
played well with 7 points and 5 assists, many of which were perfect feeds to
Gilchrist for dunks. Chase Plummer and Derrick Gordon gave their
continued steady play off the bench.
St. Patrick
won the championship game 72-53, but it really was not even that close.
The led by as many as 27 with 5 minutes remaining in the game.
The Beach Ball Classic ended on a higher note than the City of
Palms. The host family ambassadors
did a great job of providing the team with everything we needed, including
getting our game jersey’s switched to green for the semifinals and finals after
we had won the first two games in that color (superstitions work
sometimes). The team and staff had many good times and laughs
with each other, especially as they celebrated the New Year together at the
hotel after the championship game victory. |
BOYS BASKETBALL WIN AGAIN; WATCH FINALS LIVE TODAY @ 5
pm on ESPNU
The St. Patrick Boys Varsity basketball team won again yesterday, defeating
a tough, gritty Winter Park squad by the score of 59-54. The victory propels
the boys into a 1 vs. 2 showdown with Mater Dei for the City of Palms
championship live on ESPNU at 5 pm. The Celtics will need to play well to win
against this very formidable squad from California.
The semifinal conquest over Winter Park occurred in front of a raucous,
pro-Florida crowd (Winter Park is located right outside of Orlando). The
Celtics were booed at times, especially when they held the ball for the final
minute of the half as the opponent went into a 2-3 zone. The fans also booed
loudly when Austin Rivers (son of Boston Celtic coach Doc Rivers, who was
sitting in the front row on the baseline) was whistled for what appeared to be
his third foul. As it was announced on the P.A., the thousands of Floridians in
the packed gym went crazy. The refs huddled and for some reason decided that
the foul was not on Rivers, but on another player who was nowhere near the
action.
The Celtics played well in the first half. With a minute left in the 2nd
quarter, they held a 7 point lead and the ball. Winter Park went into a 2-3
zone, and Dean Kowalski pulled the ball out and held it, willing to have us take
the last shot. As the crowd booed, St. Patrick guards simply tossed the ball
back and forth. When Winter Park tried to make something happen and trap Dean,
he found Paris Bennett in the short corner, and the Celtics got a layup to go up
by 9. They went into their diamond full court press, created a steal and went
up by 11. The press then turned Winter Park over again with 6 seconds
remaining, and the Celtics had a chance to pad the lead further, but the shot at
the buzzer by Dexter Strickland fell short. St. Patrick led 30-19 at the
break.
Winter Park cut into the lead several times in the second half, but never
got it past 4 points. They went to the foul line 16 times after the break, and
made 10 of them (12 for 19 for the game). Winter Park also benefited from
Michael Gilchrist picking up his 4th foul early in the 3rd quarter. As
Gilchrist sat, though, Chase Plummer, perhaps the MVP of the game, rose to the
occasion. After hitting both of his shots in the first half for 4 points,
Plummer came in the second half and shot 3 for 4 from the field. He finished
with 10 points and 5 rebounds in only 14 minutes of play. His second
half buckets also came at critical junctures to silence Winter Park
runs. Derrick Gordon also came up big again, hitting a huge 16 footer after a
time out when Winter Park had cut the lead to 5, and then grabbed a
defensive rebound on the other end on the very next possession.
Paris Bennett played like a giant, leading St. Patrick with 16 points and
grabbing 10 rebounds. Michael Gilchrist scored 11 points, had 5 rebounds and
blocked 3 shots. Dexter Strickland saw his first action of the season off the
bench and played well. He had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals. Kevin Boyle
Jr. dropped in 8 points and dished out 7 assists. Dean Kowalski again played
the role of floor general, aggravating the Winter Park point guard all night to
disrupt their sets. Derrick Gordon finished with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2
steals and a block.
The Celtics were happy to emerge with a victory, but need to play more
consistently on Tuesday to win the title. Coach Boyle did a great job
preparing the team by thoroughly scouting Winter Park. Doc Rivers even joked
after the game with how frustrated his son and the team were because St.
Patrick's bench was calling out every set that Winter Park tried to run,
especially their back door options. Special thanks to Dean Kowalski's family
for their help in the scouting process. St. Patrick is now only hours away from
a chance to win their first ever City of Palms Classic title and take over the
top spot in the national rankings. |
THE SATURDAY SOPHOMORE SHOW
The St. Patrick Varsity Boys basketball team, currently ranked number 2 in
the country, opened their season with a convincing 77-69 victory over Word of
God Christian Academy on Saturday. The Celtics, competing in the talent-rich
City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, shut down John Wall, the top
ranked senior in America, and his teammates with tough team defense, solid
rebounding, and hustle that often put fans in the front row in physical
jeopardy. St. Patrick led the entire game as they impressed the crowd with
their unselfish, team-oriented play.
Many of the fans in the Bishop Verot gymnasium came to watch UNC-bound
All-American Dexter Strickland. Puzzled to see him in street clothes during
warm-ups, many probably thought that the Celtics would not be able to handle
Word of God. The team, however, quickly demonstrated to the crowd what the St.
Patrick program thrives on: unselfish, fundamental basketball. No matter who
puts on the green and white, no matter who is injured or out for whatever
reason, when the ball goes up and the clock starts, the Celtics expect to
win.
An outstanding performance was turned in by sophomore Michael Gilchrist,
who quickly showed why he is ranked as the top 1 or 2 players in his class. He
carried the team offensively in the first half with 20 points, and finished the
game with 30 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals. Paris
Bennett (9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block) also played very well
inside against the towering Word of God front line despite being in foul trouble
throughout the game. Kevin Boyle Jr. dropped in 9 points and dished out 8
assists. Senior PG Dean Kowlaski continued his solid play and leadership by
being on the court for 31 out of 32 minutes and anchoring the team. Dean
distributed 5 assists and kept the Celtics composed whenever Word of God tried
to make a run. Jarrel Lane played very well off the bench by doing exactly
what was asked of him when Kevin Boyle was in foul trouble. Chase Plummer and
Josh Daniel gave quality minutes in the front court when called upon.
But, as the title says, this Saturday afternoon really belonged to
sophomores. In his first varsity game, and his first varsity start, Derrick
Gordon personally made sure all the fans got their money's worth. Like "Joe the
Plummer" during the presidential election, he went in a matter of two hours from
having no one at the tournament knowing who he was to a national celebrity. He
dropped in 27 points, mostly in the second half. He grabbed 5 rebounds, had 3
assists and 5 steals. More than that, he was all over the floor for loose
balls, and twice dove with reckless abandon for a ball into the front row of the
crowd. On one play, he actually leaped over the scorers table at half court
(picture can be seen online at www.news-press.com/citypalms in the photo gallery of this
game) and threw the ball back in bounds. Word of God recovered the ball, but it
was soon stolen by Kevin Boyle. As Derrick climbed back over the crowd and
stepped on the official score book for the game, he stood on the table for a
second, trying to see the court and where he needed to go. He got back on the
court just in time to break toward the St. Patrick basket and receive the pass
from Boyle for a layup. "D Gordon" was ready to play from the beginning. The
initial game plan had Dean guarding John Wall, but Derrick came over to Coach
Boyle with 45 seconds left in warm ups and said: "I want John Wall." Coach
accommodated him, and Derrick locked him down in the first quarter until the
Celtics had to switch to zone due to foul trouble. Most impressive of all
perhaps was that Derrick played all 32 minutes. It was a truly outstanding
display of effort and heart.
With all that said, the victory marked only the first game of three in the
tournament. The Celtics face a tough, gritty Winter Park squad on Monday at 9
pm that has already knocked off 2 top ten ranked teams so far. Winter Park is
led by sophomore Austin Rivers, son of Boston Celtic head coach and former NBA
player Doc Rivers. The winner of that game will play in the championship on
ESPNU at 5 pm on Tuesday against the winner of Wheeler versus Mater Dei
(currently #1 in America). |
Senior Spotlight Interviews: Meet Dexter Strickland and Paris Bennett Dexter Strickland SPHS Class of 2009 Verbally Committed to the University of North Carolina National Championships 1982, 1993, 2005 What classes are you currently taking in your senior year? The classes I am taking right now are College Math, English 4: British Literature, Journalism, Political Science, Psychology, Public Relations, Computer Applications, Religion and Economics. What class do you find to be the most interesting so far? Of the classes I am taking, I find Political Science to be the most interesting. We are exploring how the government works, how the country is controlled, and how the president is elected. The course is particularly relevant in that this is an election year. What book are you reading in your spare time? Currently I am reading "Letters to a Young Brother" by Hill Harper. It teaches you lessons about life, about how to achieve your goals and about how to help yourself when you are in need. What are your goals for next year? I will be a freshman in Chapel Hill. My priorities are to do well academically and to be contributing significantly on the basketball team. Why did you choose UNC? I chose to go to UNC for many reasons. The main reason why I chose that school is because they have a rich history of star basketball players attending their school. The coaching staff was very helpful, and they were there every time I needed help on understanding something they were talking about. The team itself was also very helpful in many ways. When I visited, they made sure that I ate 3 times a day, and they made sure that I knew the school system. They even made sure that I was comfortable wiTh everything that was going on. Those are some of the main reasons I chose UNC. What do you plan to study in college? I have several options that I am considering, but I plan to most likely major in business. What are your plans for when your athletic career ends? After my athletic career has come to an end, I still plan to stay very active. I would like to still teach the game to young athletes, and I hope to raise their expectations for themselves when it comes to basketball and life in general. In what ways do you plan to give back to society? Charity and giving back are a big priority for me. I would like to give back to my neighborhood by by giving food and clothing to people who are in need. The goal is not to just put food in people's stomachs or clothes on their backs. The goal is to give them an opportunity to look at life in a different and better way. What activities are you involved with at school other than basketball? Besides basketball I participate in the Gospel Choir. I have done so for all four years here. Why did you choose St. Patrick four years ago? Actually, I attended the St. Patrick grammar school in eighth grade and then continued here as a freshman. I wanted a chance to start fresh and be away from the public school system. I want to try and to learn something new. I also wanted to play basketball for a team with outstanding coaching. How would you describe your four year experience here at St. Patrick overall? Throughout my four years of attending St. Patrick, I have learned many things. As far as the basketball team, I have learned to be patient. Coming into the school as a freshman, I planned on playing on the varsity basketball team. I did not get that privilege because there were many juniors and seniors who at that time had more experience than I did. I was able to be a part of the program and support them in practice as they led us to our third T of C title. This experience helped me to be patient toward basketball and life. But I learned and grew, and I was able to take a more active role as a starter my sophomore year as we repeated as T of C winners. Last year we fell short of that goal. I want to help lead us to a 5th overall T of C this year. My senior class would be the first to ever win three T of C titles during their run. Who has been the biggest influences on your life? There have been many people that have influenced my life. I would have to say that my father and Mr. Chavannes are the ones who play the biggest role in my life. They both teach me how to be a man in many ways such as respecting others, putting forth a good image, and knowing right from wrong.
How do you want people to look back on your life and comment when it is all said and done many years from now? I want people to look back and see me as someone who was helpful, funny, and respectful to others. Paris Bennett SPHS Class of 2009 Verbally Committed to George Mason University 2006 NCAA Final Four Qualifier What classes are you currently taking in your senior year? The classes I am taking right now are Math IV/Calculus, English 4: British Literature, Marketing, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Public Relations, and Computer Applications. What class do you find to be the most interesting so far? My favorite class is Math IV/Calculus because I like dealing with numbers and problem solving. Mrs. Calindas, my teacher, makes the class very intense and fast paced. It is an honors level course. What book are you reading in your spare time? Currently I am reading the book by Jim Larrinaga, the head coach at GMU. Why did you choose George Mason University?
I chose George Mason because it is great school. Still under construction, the school is not even 40 years old yet. Therefore all of the buildings and classrooms are newly furnished with modern amenities and technology. And there is are many improvements to come; it is a school on the rise. The US News actually ranked them as the Hottest College on the Rise this year. They have high academic standards, and the programs I am interested in are all strong. The basketball team is the winningest in the conference, which puts them in the NCAA tournament nearly every year. They made the cinderella run to the Final Four back in 2006. Jim Larrinaga, the head coach, is one of the most highly respected coaches in the country. He was a high caliber player at Providence, and he has done many things off the court besides basketball. The players are talented, they work hard, and off the court they are committed to their own academic success. When I came down they made me feel like a part of the family. I believe Coach Larrinaga can help me in all aspects of my life, whether it is on or off the court. He has many connections that can help me get a job after college if I decide not to play beyond my GMU days. What do you plan to study in college? I plan to study Sports Management. I want to stay close to the sport in any way possible as a coach, agent or trainer. What are your plans for when your athletic career ends? After my athletic career has come to an end, I plan to get involved in the coaching industry. I would like to help people with the game of basketball, giving people the same opportunities I had because of the sport and more. In what ways do you plan to give back to society? This past summer I, along with other players, gave away over 500 boxes of food to families in need. It was a hands-on experience in which we carried the food to their vehicles. It was humbling because you realize how blessed you are. I enjoyed this task because seeing little kids and their parents smile in happiness because they knew they were going home to a good dinner made me proud. I would do it again, and I plan to. What activities are you involved with at school other than basketball? I participate in the Gospel Choir and the Cultural Club. I am also the lead role in this year's drama club production of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Why did you choose St. Patrick four years ago? I chose St. Patrick because it is a small school, and it is family oriented being that everyone knows everyone else. The small class sizes allow students to learn more effectively and to get individual help when it is needed. I know that if I went to my local high school I would not have been able to focus on school and there was a chance that I would have associated myself with the "wrong crowd." Also, the basketball team here is one of the premiere teams in the country. We have one of the best coaches in American in Coach Boyle, and the assistant coaches are excellent as well. JV Coach and Varsity Assistant Chris Chavannes is probably one of the top coaches in the state himself. So it is a great advantage to play for a team and to develop over the summer when 2 of the top few coaches in the state are in the same program. We play the toughest schedule in America against the best teams and players across the country. The coaches also push me and my teammates to be better both on and off the court. How would you describe your four year experience here at St. Patrick overall? My experience at St. Patrick has been up and down. It has been rocky at times, but I think everyone goes through that, no matter where they go to high school. It is a part of growing up. Who has been the biggest influences on your life? Growing up and to this day, the biggest influences on my life have been my family. My coaches and immediate friends have also played a big role. How do you want people to look back on your life and comment when it is all said and done many years from now? I want people to say: "Paris was an intelligent man who helped people in so many ways." |
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