Philadelphia High School Basketball A Look at

Dennis Seddon's 22-Year Coaching Career at Roman Catholic High (1987-2008) This page includes stories, special lists, record breakdown,

recaps of wins in championship games and (at the bottom) the names of all varsity players during Coach Seddon's 22 seasons. . . . To provide additions/corrections: . Thanks!

Fighting for loose balls in the 1990 Catholic League championship game . . . Roman's Marvin Harrison (left, rear) and Bernard Jones (right, floor)

Coach

Seddon's All-Stars

and 1,000-Point Scorers ALL- CATHOLIC HONOREES 19 87 - 2008 - Played in NBA # - Played in NFL FIRST TEAM 1987 Clayton "Stink" Adams 1988 Ed Jenkins 1989 Alan Watkins 1990 #Marvin Harrison 1991 #Marvin Harrison 1991 Bernard Jones 1991 Mike Watson 1992 Kyle Locke 1993 Marc Jackson 1994 Eugene Small 1994 Lari Ketner 1995 Lari Ketner 1995 Donnie Carr 1996 Donnie Carr 1997 Rasual Butler 1998 Rasual Butler 1999 Eddie Griffin 2000 Eddie Griffin 2000 Tamal Forchion 2001 Tamal Forchion 2001 John Huggins 2002 Charron Fisher 2003 Charron Fisher 2004 Charron Fisher 2005 Mike Ringgold 2006 Mike Ringgold 2007 Bradley Wanamaker 2008 Maalik Wayns SECOND TEAM 1987 Chuck Veterano 1988 Alan Watkins 1989 Jim O'Rourke 1990 Mike McKee 1990 Bernard Jones 1990 Mike Watson 1993 Dwayne "Sugar" Hill 1993 Mike Tabb 1994 Donnie Carr 1995 Arthur "Yah" Davis 1996 Rafi Stevens 1997 Rafi Stevens 1999 Mike Wild 2000 Michael Wild 2001 Brent Welton 2003 Andre Sloan-El 2005 Malik Perry 2006 Bradley Wanamaker 2006 Ray "Doodles" Sims 2007 Brian Wanamaker 2007 Maalik Wayns 2008 Courtney Stanley 2008 Will Kirkland THIRD TEAM 1987 Che Perry 1991 Jeremy "J.J." Smith 1992 Dwayne "Sugar" Hill 1996 Curtis King 1996 Jakub Juskowiak 1998 Eddie Griffin 2002 Andre Sloan-El 2003 Brett Johnson 2004 Andre Sloan-El 2004 Bobby Jordan 2004 Brett Johnson 2005 Brad Wanamaker DAILY NEW ALL-CITY - Played in NBA # - Played in NFL FIRST TEAM 1989 Alan Watkins 1991 Bernard Jones 1993 Marc Jackson 1995 Lari Ketner 1996 Donnie Carr 1998 Rasual Butler 1999 Eddie Griffin 2000 Eddie Griffin 2001 Tamal Forchion 2007 Bradley Wanamaker 2008 Maalik Wayns SECOND TEAM 1987 Clayton "Stink" Adams 1990 Bernard Jones 1991 Mike Watson 1991 #Marvin Harrison 1995 Donnie Carr 2000 Tamal Forchion 2002 Charron Fisher 2003 Charron Fisher 2004 Charron Fisher 2005 Mike Ringgold 2006 Mike Ringgold THIRD TEAM 1988 Ed Jenkins 1992 Kyle Locke 1994 Lari Ketner 1995 Arthur "Yah" Davis 1997 Rasual Butler 2001 John Huggins 2006 Ray "Doodles" Sims 1,000-POINT SCORERS (All or Part of Career) - Played in NBA # - Played in NFL 1,804 -- Charron Fisher 1,656 -- Eddie Griffin 1,633 -- Bernard Jones 1,470 -- Donnie Carr 1,382 -- Rakeem "Rahk" Brookins 1,306 -- Bradley Wanamaker 1,283 -- Tamal Forchion 1,247 -- Alan Watkins 1,237 -- Rasual Butler #1,166 -- Marvin Harrison 1,151 -- Maalik Wayns | FIRST TEAM | 1987 | Clayton "Stink" Adams | 1988 | Ed Jenkins | 1989 | Alan Watkins | 1990 | #Marvin Harrison | 1991 | #Marvin Harrison | 1991 | Bernard Jones | 1991 | Mike Watson | 1992 | Kyle Locke | 1993 | Marc Jackson | 1994 | Eugene Small | 1994 | Lari Ketner | 1995 | Lari Ketner | 1995 | Donnie Carr | 1996 | Donnie Carr | 1997 | Rasual Butler | 1998 | Rasual Butler | 1999 | Eddie Griffin | 2000 | Eddie Griffin | 2000 | Tamal Forchion | 2001 | Tamal Forchion | 2001 | John Huggins | 2002 | Charron Fisher | 2003 | Charron Fisher | 2004 | Charron Fisher | 2005 | Mike Ringgold | 2006 | Mike Ringgold | 2007 | Bradley Wanamaker | 2008 | Maalik Wayns | SECOND TEAM | 1987 | Chuck Veterano | 1988 | Alan Watkins | 1989 | Jim O'Rourke | 1990 | Mike McKee | 1990 | Bernard Jones | 1990 | Mike Watson | 1993 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | 1993 | Mike Tabb | 1994 | Donnie Carr | 1995 | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1996 | Rafi Stevens | 1997 | Rafi Stevens | 1999 | Mike Wild | 2000 | Michael Wild | 2001 | Brent Welton | 2003 | Andre Sloan-El | 2005 | Malik Perry | 2006 | Bradley Wanamaker | 2006 | Ray "Doodles" Sims | 2007 | Brian Wanamaker | 2007 | Maalik Wayns | 2008 | Courtney Stanley | 2008 | Will Kirkland | THIRD TEAM | 1987 | Che Perry | 1991 | Jeremy "J.J." Smith | 1992 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | 1996 | Curtis King | 1996 | Jakub Juskowiak | 1998 | Eddie Griffin | 2002 | Andre Sloan-El | 2003 | Brett Johnson | 2004 | Andre Sloan-El | 2004 | Bobby Jordan | 2004 | Brett Johnson | 2005 | Brad Wanamaker | FIRST TEAM | 1989 | Alan Watkins | 1991 | Bernard Jones | 1993 | Marc Jackson | 1995 | Lari Ketner | 1996 | Donnie Carr | 1998 | Rasual Butler | 1999 | Eddie Griffin | 2000 | Eddie Griffin | 2001 | Tamal Forchion | 2007 | Bradley Wanamaker | 2008 | Maalik Wayns | SECOND TEAM | 1987 | Clayton "Stink" Adams | 1990 | Bernard Jones | 1991 | Mike Watson | 1991 | #Marvin Harrison | 1995 | Donnie Carr | 2000 | Tamal Forchion | 2002 | Charron Fisher | 2003 | Charron Fisher | 2004 | Charron Fisher | 2005 | Mike Ringgold | 2006 | Mike Ringgold | THIRD TEAM | 1988 | Ed Jenkins | 1992 | Kyle Locke | 1994 | Lari Ketner | 1995 | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1997 | Rasual Butler | 2001 | John Huggins | 2006 | Ray "Doodles" Sims | | 1,000-POINT SCORERS | (All or Part of Career) | - Played in NBA | # - Played in NFL | 1,804 -- Charron Fisher | 1,656 -- Eddie Griffin | 1,633 -- Bernard Jones | 1,470 -- Donnie Carr | 1,382 -- Rakeem "Rahk" Brookins | 1,306 -- Bradley Wanamaker | 1,283 -- Tamal Forchion | 1,247 -- Alan Watkins | 1,237 -- Rasual Butler | #1,166 -- Marvin Harrison | 1,151 -- Maalik Wayns | Dennis Seddon Tribute Page Dennis Seddon coached basketball at Roman Catholic for 22

seasons (1987-2008), winning 516 games and 10 Catholic League championships.

Six crowns were won in succession (1989-94). In 1990, the Cahillites beat La

Salle, in overtime, on a late shot by a future NFL Hall of Famer, Marvin

Harrison . Here is that story . . . By Ted

Silary When Marvin Harrison plays offense in football, two people, minimum, are

close enough to hear his every breath. Yesterday, when Marvin Harrison played offense in basketball, at least in

the final 0:59 of overtime in a vintage Catholic League final at the

Palestra, he could have had 8-foot arms, he could have made like a

helicopter and still, he would have hit no one. True, Marvin Harrison, a 6-1, 170-pound junior from Roman Catholic, is

not a dangerous jump-shooter. But he is a marvelous athlete, and La Salle certainly paid the price for

forgetting that fact. After Roman's Mike Watson fashioned a spectacular block-rebound sequence

on Keith Conlin to keep the OT scoreless, the Cahillites decided to hold for

the final shot. At 0:10, Harrison took a pass from point guard Mike McKee just beyond the

foul line, beep-beeped down the left side of the lane virtually unmolested

and, while soaring, banked in a lefthanded layup at 0:06. The Explorers managed two shots in the final 0:03, after pushing the ball

to halfcourt and calling time, but neither a "three" by Chris Lazorcheck nor

a hurried follow by Ernie Koschineg, who had to rebound and shoot all in one

leaping motion, would fall. With the 64-62 win, Roman captured its second consecutive title and 10th

in 22 years. The Cahillites (24-3) also became the first CL team since 1965

(Bishop Neumann) to storm through the regular season and playoffs unbeaten,

and they'll take an 18-game winning streak to Frostburg (Md. ) State

Thursday for the eight-team Alhambra Catholic Invitational. "Before the playoffs," Roman coach Dennis Seddon said, "the word was

getting . 'Fourteen-and-oh and down they go. ' (Sub) Bill

Dougherty said, 'Fourteen-and-oh and away we go.' " In the final 0:59, Harrison's defender John Butler continually backed up

into the lane area, fearing a sneak-attack entry pass to the inside forces,

Bernard Jones and Watson. "I'd expect them to do that," Harrison said. "I wasn't doing much the

whole game (seven points). They slacked off and forgot about me." As McKee dribbled to his right, he gave Harrison an eye-contact sign. "Before my man left to double Mike, Mike gave me a look that said, 'Be

ready. It's coming,' " Harrison said. "He gave me a great pass. The lane was

open. I just wanted to get as high as I could and put the ball in the

basket." No hesitancy about using his weaker hand? "Nah," he said. "I write lefthanded. Bat lefthanded, too." Harrison, a halfback, slotback and safety, is one of four football

players on Roman's basketball roster. Though Harrison is the only

rotation player, the others - Dougherty, Jim McGeehan and George Jackson -

wanted just as much revenge for La Salle's 13-0 win in the football title

game Dec. 2. "We had to get paybacks," Harrison said. "I went home that night and

thought about the game over and over. I'll go home and think about this one,

too. Nicer thoughts." Seddon said the Cahillites had dedicated the game three times over: to

the football team ("For improving school spirit so much"); to the late Hank

Gathers ("He worked out in our gym occasionally"); and to Agnes Leinheiser,

the mother of former Cahillite Mike Leinheiser, a substitute guard in 1986. "Mrs. Leinheiser was too sick to come," Seddon said. "This net is going

right to her." Seddon then cited three dates that helped convince him that the

Cahillites would at least win the South: Jan. 3, when they won at Reading,

68-56, before 4,000 fans ("That simulated Palestra pressure"); Jan. 6, the

day after they defeated O'Hara by only 55-54 in the division opener ("We had

a good 'rap' session. Aired a lot of things out"); and Feb. 26, when the

South coaches did their All-Catholic voting. Bernard Jones, who's averaging 18.5 points and 10.2 rebounds, finished an

incredible ninth that night. Yesterday, Jones shot 12-for-18 and 6-for-9 for 30 points, tying the

title- game record set in 1988 by Monsignor Bonner's Brian Daly. He also

grabbed 13 rebounds. Friday, he collected 22 points and seven rebounds as

Roman won the South, 66-54, over Neumann. "The South coaches helped us win the title," Seddon said, bluntly.

''Here's a kid who's heard from 104 schools; we've cut the number to 20. The

main schools recruiting him, already, are La Salle, St. Joe's, Seton Hall,

Maryland and Wake Forest. We can't control what (the division coaches) feel

about Bernard, or his game. But the people who know basketball, the

recruiters, know a good player when they see one." Jones's only comment on the snub was, "Look where they (coaches who

voted) are. And look where we are . . . It did give me motivation. Very much

so." In the first half, riding the hot shooting of Koschineg (who scored 16 of

his 24 points), La Salle (17-9) built an 11-point lead. Roman closed the gap

as the half ended, 37-30, and stormed to the first 10 points of the third

quarter. "Coach Seddon was mad," Jones said. "He said, 'Let's go out and show them

who the real champs are.' " With 0:49 left in regulation, Koschineg circled around Conlin's healthy

pick and nailed a "three," creating a tie at 62-62. Roman held for the last

shot, but McKee's rushed lefthanded layup was no good at 0:04 and Watson

failed on a follow. Watson, a leaping 6-4 junior, had six points (and 18 total) in the final

4:35 of regulation, however, after returning from a 7 1/2-minute exile due

to foul trouble. On Roman's final possession, Watson was an original option. "It can be dumped low to Bernard, or me," he said. "When I saw Marvin

start in, I thought he was going to lose his dribble. But he got there,

quick." | Coach Dennis Seddon SEASON BY SEASON League / Overall 1987:

13-1 / 24-7 1988: 9-5 / 17-8 1989: 13-1 / 25-3 1990: 14-0 / 26-4 1991: 14-0 / 28-3 1992: 12-2 /

25-5 1993: 13-1 / 27-4 1994: 12-2 / 24-7 1995: 13-1 /

27-4 1996: 14-0 / 27-3 1997: 10-4 / 18-7 1998: 11-3 /

21-7 1999: 12-2 / 27-5 2000: 13-1 / 25-7 2001: 12-2 /

23-7 2002: 6-8 / 16-9 2003: 11-3 / 19-8 2004: 12-2 / 22-7 2005: 10-4 / 21-9 2006: 13-1 / 26-6 2007: 12-2 / 28-3 2008: 14-0 / 19-6 TOTAL RECORD 22 Seasons, 1987-2008 League - 263-45 Overall -

516-128 PLAYOFF BREAKDOWN Appearances

Ended in . . . Quarterfinals (5) 1997,

2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 Semifinals (2) 1988, 1998 Finals (14) 1987, 1989, 1990,

1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007 TOP 15 CL

SCORERS Donnie Carr 1996 27.1 Rasual Butler 1998 26.7 Eddie Griffin 2000 26.1 Eddie Griffin 1999 25.6 Bernard Jones 1991 21.5 Alan Watkins 1989 21.3 Charron Fisher 2002 21.1 Charron Fisher 2003 21.1 Maalik Wayns 2008 19.9 Ed Jenkins 1988 19.3 Bernard Jones 1990 19.1 Charron Fisher 2004 18.9 Tamal Forchion 2001 18.5 Kyle Locke 1992 18.3 Marc Jackson 1993 18.1 STARTERS FOR CHAMPS 1989 Alan Watkins Tyrone "Tike" Bacon Ruben Colon Mike McKee Jim O'Rourke 1990 Bernard Jones Mike McKee Mike Watson Marvin Harrison Jeremy "J.J." Smith 1991 Bernard Jones Mike Watson Marvin Harrison Jeremy "J.J." Smith Josh Wagner 1992 Kyle Locke Marc Jackson Dwayne "Sugar" Hill Dennis Bohn James "Flame" Lewis 1993 Marc Jackson Dwayne "Sugar" Hill Mike Tabb Dennis Bohn Eugene Small 1994 Lari Ketner Eugene Small Donnie Carr Tamir Harbin R.C. Kehoe 1996 Donnie Carr Rafi Stevens Curtis King Jakub Juskowiak R.C. Kehoe 1999 Eddie Griffin Mustafa Bey Michael Wild Tamal Forchion John Huggins 2000 Eddie Griffin Tamal Forchion Michael Wild Dave Levetter Jim Kelly 2007 Bradley Wanamaker Brian Wanamaker Maalik Wayns Will Kirkland Nick Daggett | TOP 15 CL

SCORERS | Donnie Carr | 1996 | 27.1 | Rasual Butler | 1998 | 26.7 | Eddie Griffin | 2000 | 26.1 | Eddie Griffin | 1999 | 25.6 | Bernard Jones | 1991 | 21.5 | Alan Watkins | 1989 | 21.3 | Charron Fisher | 2002 | 21.1 | Charron Fisher | 2003 | 21.1 | Maalik Wayns | 2008 | 19.9 | Ed Jenkins | 1988 | 19.3 | Bernard Jones | 1990 | 19.1 | Charron Fisher | 2004 | 18.9 | Tamal Forchion | 2001 | 18.5 | Kyle Locke | 1992 | 18.3 | Marc Jackson | 1993 | 18.1 | STARTERS FOR CHAMPS | 1989 | Alan Watkins | Tyrone "Tike" Bacon | Ruben Colon | Mike McKee | Jim O'Rourke | 1990 | Bernard Jones | Mike McKee | Mike Watson | Marvin Harrison | Jeremy "J.J." Smith | 1991 | Bernard Jones | Mike Watson | Marvin Harrison | Jeremy "J.J." Smith | Josh Wagner | 1992 | Kyle Locke | Marc Jackson | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | Dennis Bohn | James "Flame" Lewis | 1993 | Marc Jackson | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | Mike Tabb | Dennis Bohn | Eugene Small | 1994 | Lari Ketner | Eugene Small | Donnie Carr | Tamir Harbin | R.C. Kehoe | 1996 | Donnie Carr | Rafi Stevens | Curtis King | Jakub Juskowiak | R.C. Kehoe | 1999 | Eddie Griffin | Mustafa Bey | Michael Wild | Tamal Forchion | John Huggins | 2000 | Eddie Griffin | Tamal Forchion | Michael Wild | Dave Levetter | Jim Kelly | 2007 | Bradley Wanamaker | Brian Wanamaker | Maalik Wayns | Will Kirkland | Nick Daggett

FIRST TEAM

1987 | Clayton "Stink" Adams

1988 | Ed Jenkins

1989 | Alan Watkins

1990 | #Marvin Harrison

1991 | #Marvin Harrison

1991 | Bernard Jones

1991 | Mike Watson

1992 | Kyle Locke

1993 | *Marc Jackson

1994 | Eugene Small

1994 | *Lari Ketner

1995 | *Lari Ketner

1995 | Donnie Carr

1996 | Donnie Carr

1997 | *Rasual Butler

1998 | *Rasual Butler

1999 | *Eddie Griffin

2000 | *Eddie Griffin

2000 | Tamal Forchion

2001 | Tamal Forchion

2001 | John Huggins

2002 | Charron Fisher

2003 | Charron Fisher

2004 | Charron Fisher

2005 | Mike Ringgold

2006 | Mike Ringgold

2007 | Bradley Wanamaker

2008 | *Maalik Wayns

SECOND TEAM

1987 | Chuck Veterano

1988 | Alan Watkins

1989 | Jim O'Rourke

1990 | Mike McKee

1990 | Bernard Jones

1990 | Mike Watson

1993 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill

1993 | Mike Tabb

1994 | Donnie Carr

1995 | Arthur "Yah" Davis

1996 | Rafi Stevens

1997 | Rafi Stevens

1999 | Mike Wild

2000 | Michael Wild

2001 | Brent Welton

2003 | Andre Sloan-El

2005 | Malik Perry

2006 | Bradley Wanamaker

2006 | Ray "Doodles" Sims

2007 | Brian Wanamaker

2007 | *Maalik Wayns

2008 | Courtney Stanley

2008 | Will Kirkland

THIRD TEAM

1987 | Che Perry

1991 | Jeremy "J.J." Smith

1992 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill

1996 | Curtis King

1996 | Jakub Juskowiak

1998 | *Eddie Griffin

2002 | Andre Sloan-El

2003 | Brett Johnson

2004 | Andre Sloan-El

2004 | Bobby Jordan

2004 | Brett Johnson

2005 | Brad Wanamaker

FIRST TEAM

1989 | Alan Watkins

1991 | Bernard Jones

1993 | *Marc Jackson

1995 | *Lari Ketner

1996 | Donnie Carr

1998 | *Rasual Butler

1999 | *Eddie Griffin

2000 | *Eddie Griffin

2001 | Tamal Forchion

2007 | Bradley Wanamaker

2008 | *Maalik Wayns

SECOND TEAM

1987 | Clayton "Stink" Adams

1990 | Bernard Jones

1991 | Mike Watson

1991 | #Marvin Harrison

1995 | Donnie Carr

2000 | Tamal Forchion

2002 | Charron Fisher

2003 | Charron Fisher

2004 | Charron Fisher

2005 | Mike Ringgold

2006 | Mike Ringgold

THIRD TEAM

1988 | Ed Jenkins

1992 | Kyle Locke

1994 | *Lari Ketner

1995 | Arthur "Yah" Davis

1997 | *Rasual Butler

2001 | John Huggins

2006 | Ray "Doodles" Sims

1,000-POINT SCORERS

(All or Part of Career)

* - Played in NBA

- Played in NFL

1,804 -- Charron Fisher

*1,656 -- Eddie Griffin

1,633 -- Bernard Jones

1,470 -- Donnie Carr

1,382 -- Rakeem "Rahk" Brookins

1,306 -- Bradley Wanamaker

1,283 -- Tamal Forchion

1,247 -- Alan Watkins

*1,237 -- Rasual Butler

#1,166 -- Marvin Harrison

*1,151 -- Maalik Wayns

TOP 15 CL

SCORERS

Donnie Carr | 1996 | 27.1

Rasual Butler | 1998 | 26.7

Eddie Griffin | 2000 | 26.1

Eddie Griffin | 1999 | 25.6

Bernard Jones | 1991 | 21.5

Alan Watkins | 1989 | 21.3

Charron Fisher | 2002 | 21.1

Charron Fisher | 2003 | 21.1

Maalik Wayns | 2008 | 19.9

Ed Jenkins | 1988 | 19.3

Bernard Jones | 1990 | 19.1

Charron Fisher | 2004 | 18.9

Tamal Forchion | 2001 | 18.5

Kyle Locke | 1992 | 18.3

Marc Jackson | 1993 | 18.1

STARTERS FOR CHAMPS

1989

Alan Watkins

Tyrone "Tike" Bacon

Ruben Colon

Mike McKee

Jim O'Rourke

1990

Bernard Jones

Mike McKee

Mike Watson

Marvin Harrison

Jeremy "J.J." Smith

1991

Bernard Jones

Mike Watson

Marvin Harrison

Jeremy "J.J." Smith

Josh Wagner

1992

Kyle Locke

Marc Jackson

Dwayne "Sugar" Hill

Dennis Bohn

James "Flame" Lewis

1993

Marc Jackson

Dwayne "Sugar" Hill

Mike Tabb

Dennis Bohn

Eugene Small

1994

Lari Ketner

Eugene Small

Donnie Carr

Tamir Harbin

R.C. Kehoe

1996

Donnie Carr

Rafi Stevens

Curtis King

Jakub Juskowiak

R.C. Kehoe

1999

Eddie Griffin

Mustafa Bey

Michael Wild

Tamal Forchion

John Huggins

2000

Eddie Griffin

Tamal Forchion

Michael Wild

Dave Levetter

Jim Kelly

2007

Bradley Wanamaker

Brian Wanamaker

Maalik Wayns

Will Kirkland

Nick Daggett

-- This story about Dennis Seddon was

written in 1991 . . .

By Ted Silary Dennis Seddon knows ceramics. He also has a good feel for arts and crafts, floor hockey, dance, soccer,

tumbling, softball and . . . well, all sorts of neat endeavors. For several hours a day, Seddon heads one of the most prestigious high

school basketball programs in the country, at Roman Catholic. Otherwise, he's Dennis the Playground Worker. Seddon's full-time job is with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation.

He has been stationed for two years at Cohocksink Recreation Center, in Port Richmond, and he formerly worked at McVeigh. "Some people know I coach Roman," Seddon said. "But it's not like it's

any big deal. "Last year, somebody put the article where I was chosen Coach of the Year

on the board. People said, 'Hey, that's our Dennis.' " Tonight at the Palestra, in the second game of a division-finals

doubleheader (North's Kenrick-La Salle at 7, South's Roman-West at about 8:45), Seddon and his players will continue their

relentless pursuit of a third consecutive Catholic League championship. Like his predecessors, Speedy Morris, who compiled a 347-82 record from

1968 through '81 with six league titles, and Barry Brodzinski, whose mark was 115-33 from '82 through '86 with two titles,

Seddon has the program rolling along. In five seasons, he has produced a record of 117-23 and two titles. Yet, unlike his predecessors, Seddon maintains a profile not much higher

than the scorekeeper's. Morris drew attention largely because of his bench histrionics. Brodzinski often made strong, ill-timed

statements. Seddon, in contrast, is almost without ego. He lets his kids play, he

rarely throws a sideline tantrum, and when the time comes to dole out credit, his first words are often, "Which kid do you want to

interview? You don't need me, right? " Every CYO and youth club coach in the city should have Seddon's picture

over his desk. He's the little guy who made it big yet never forgot his roots. His assistants, Jeff Stepp, Rodney Handy and

Steve Wermuth, followed the same path. At North Catholic, Seddon was never quite good enough to make the

varsity. After winning an academic scholarship to the University of Richmond, he was the self-admitted 13th man on a 12-man

freshman team. He had done some youth coaching while in high school, however, and he quickly gravitated in that direction

at Richmond. "When the freshman coach had to go scouting, he'd let me run the

practice," Seddon said. "I literally had the keys to the gym." After returning to Philadelphia, he coached grade school (Ascension) and

youth club ball. Seddon's Little Club teams, stocked mostly with future North Catholic stars, including Brodzinski, won numerous

area and city championships. When Iggy Brodzinski, Barry's brother, became North's head coach for the

'80 season, Seddon came on board as an assistant. He switched to Roman in '82, when Barry replaced Morris. When Brodzinski resigned, Seddon worried the school might seek another

name person. "Over 20 people applied for the job," Seddon said. "But we thought we had

proven ourselves, recordwise, with the freshmen and JV, and I felt comfortable with the relationships I had developed around

here. I felt I was as qualified as anybody; if not more so because of the relationships I had with the younger kids. "I'm very fortunate. I have the best coaching job in the city of

Philadelphia. I'm happy every day I walk in here. I love the people, the building. It's a special place. " When one of his players has a problem, Seddon, the true older-brother

figure, works doggedly to find a solution. He knows what it's like to feel alone, as if there's nowhere to turn. He

also knows life can be cruel. Between '81 and '87, Seddon endured seven operations on his nose. A form

of cancer, rhinophyma, produced a series of cysts that in time caused his nose to swell to the size of a small child's

fist. In his first season as Roman's head coach, Seddon coached while wearing a

baseball cap pulled tightly over his forehead. "Sure, subconsciously, I was trying to hide it," he said. "People's first

tendency is to look at faces. It would make them uncomfortable. I just dealt with it. "I can breathe fine now. The doctors think it's under control. I go once

a year for a cancer screening." Sophomore forward Gus Wagner, whose brother, Josh, starts at point guard,

already has a deep appreciation for Seddon, coach and man. "When he gets mad, he doesn't yell or scream," Wagner said. "He talks

things out. He'll correct you in a nice way. It makes you want to do right even more. "He gets to know his players on a personal level. Any time you have a

problem, you can go to him. He's helped Josh a number of times." Said starting wing guard Marvin Harrison: "On and off the court, he does

whatever he can for us. He tells us what we have to do and keeps our minds sharp along the way. If we need (scolding), he

does it individually. No one likes to be hollered at in front of 500 people." --

This story was written in the fall

of 2008, when Dennis retired . . .

By Ted Silary The manner did not surprise. When Dennis Seddon yesterday announced his retirement after a wildly

successful, 22-year run as Roman Catholic High's basketball coach, he did so not while standing behind a lectern, peering

over a thicket of microphones. He made a telephone call, and simply said, "Well, it's time. " Rumors of Seddon's impending departure persisted throughout the summer

and into the fall. Whenver he was asked about them, he laughed and came out with quips such as, "I'm having a press

conference tomorrow? What time should I be there?" But now, rumor is fact, and the Catholic League is losing a gem. The more

he produced, the less he seemed to realize it. "It was always about the team," Seddon said. "I cringed any time I saw a

reference to 'Dennis Seddon's basketball team.' This was always Roman Catholic's basketball team. It was always about the

players. I just happened to be there." Said Delaware assistant R.C. Kehoe, a mid-'90s point guard for Seddon:

"He's a terrific person. Every coach should take a page from his book. It was always about the team and the school. Not him. " Seddon went 516-128 for an .801 career winning percentage. He ranks

second in city history behind William "Speedy" Morris - 557-137 (.803) in 23 seasons at Roman, Penn Charter and St.

Joseph's Prep - in that category, and also barely trails Morris in wins per season, 24.2 to 23.5. Seddon stands alone in Catholic League championships, with 10,

highlighted by a six-season run from 1989 to '94, and his playoff winning percentage (.784, a record of 40-11) is mighty darn close to

his overall number. This decision, he said, is based strictly on time - not enough of it. Last May, Seddon was appointed to a supervisory position at Cione

Playground in Port Richmond. He'd earlier spent 10 years apiece as a staff member at Shissler in Fishtown and Cohocksink in

Port Richmond. "In my current position," Seddon said, "I have to be around earlier in

the afternoon, and there's just more responsibility, in general. "I could make it to only a couple of our summer-league games, and once we

got through this first month of school, I could see that my chances to get to Roman in the afternoon were limited. From the

time standpoint, it just wasn't going to work anymore. I couldn't give 100 percent." Seddon fell just short of lasting through '09, which had been his intent

after the '04 season resulted in a third consecutive disappointment - not even a visit to the semifinals. "I set five goals to accomplish," he said. Get . Check. Make sure the cupboard would not be

bare upon his departure. Check. Return the program to national prominence. Check. Arrange return trips (as happened in

December '04 and '06) to a prestigious pre-Christmas tournament in Hawaii. Check. "The fifth thing I wanted to do," he said, "was mentor somebody who'd be

able to keep things going. And that has happened with [JV coach, varsity righthand man] Chris McNesby." How the opening will be filled is undecided. "He deserves it," Seddon said. "He'll do a great job." When asked whether he felt melancholy, Seddon at first said, "Don't know.

Too early to tell." He then added: "I'm not. We accomplished a lot and had fun along the way.

We won. We lost. Hopefully, the kids feel like I do, that we got as much out of the experience as we could." While Seddon intends to become involved in coaching Special Olympics

basketball, he hopes to remain with Roman in an advisory capacity. He's especially excited that '95 grad Lari Ketner, who advanced to the

NBA (as did Seddon-era Cahillites Marc Jackson, Rasual Butler and Eddie Griffin), has joined Roman's staff as an assistant. "That's 32 former players who've gone into coaching," he said. Even there, he couldn't bring himself to add the qualifier, "of mine." Dennis Seddon . . . Still humble after all of these amazing

accomplishments.

Recaps of victories in

Catholic League championship games . . . 1989 At the Palestra Roman 66, La Salle 56 Jim O'Rourke fired away for 25 points, including eight of

Roman's final nine, and Ruben Colon had 11 points, 11 rebounds and

seven blocks. Mike McKee sprinkled nine assists and Alan Watkins

scored 14 points. La Salle got 17 points from Chris Lazorcheck and

trailed by just one, 54-53, with 2:20 left. 1990 At the Palestra Roman 64, La Salle 62 (ot) With 0:10 left, Marvin Harrison took a pass from Mike McKee

(nine assists), sped down the left side of the lane virtually

unmolested and flipped in a lefthanded layup at 0:06. La Salle

called time at 0:03 and then missed two shots, Chris Lazorcheck's

three and Ernie Koschineg's hurried follow. Roman was the first CL

team to storm through division and playoff action unbeaten since

Neumann in 1965. Bernard Jones shot 12-for-18 and 6-for-9 for 30

points, tying the title-game mark set in 1988 by Bonner's Brian

Daly. Jones added 13 rebounds. Mike Watson had 18 points. Koschineg

scored 24 points for La Salle. 1991 At the Palestra Roman 70, La Salle 36 Marvin Harrison (nine rebounds) and Bernard Jones totaled 18

points apiece and Mike Watson added 11 points and 14 rebounds as

Roman won its 44th CL game in succession (regular season and

playoffs). The Cahillites won their 14 division games by an average

score of 83-48 and their three playoffs by an average score of

77-45. No one reached double figures for La Salle. 1992 At the Palestra Roman 77, Dougherty 68 Kyle Locke, a 6-6 senior forward, exploded for 39 points —

most in CL playoff history — as the Cahillites won their fourth

title in a row. Locke shot 11-for-17 and 17-for-18 and added eight

rebounds. James "Flame" Lewis notched 15 points, seven boards and

5-8 Dwayne "Sugar" Hill plucked a game-high 11 rebounds. Dougherty's

Cuttino "Cat" Mobley scored 28 points to finish with 42.8 percent of

his team's 166 playoff points. The Cards used two sets of twins —

starters Dan and Ed Kearney and subs Shawn and Brian Simkins. 1993 At the Palestra Roman 62, North 55 (ot) Marc Jackson accumulated 22 points, 18 rebounds and three

blocks and Dwayne "Sugar" Hill added 17 points, eight assists and

three steals as Roman won a fifth consecutive title under coach

Dennis Seddon to match a feat that had been done only once in CL

history — by Roman from 1924 to '28. There was no scoring in the

final 2:30 of regulation and then Jackson passed to Mike Tabb for

the first two baskets of overtime. Joe Harvey (14) and Matt Comey

(13) paced North. 1994 At the Palestra Roman 60, North 53 Lari Ketner produced 20 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks,

sub Will McKnight added 16 points and R.C. Kehoe hustled for nine

assists and six steals as the Cahillites won yet again. The teams

combined for 48 turnovers. North's Chris Heck hit four threes en

route to 23 points while guard Dennis Comey added 10 points and 14

rebounds. 1996 At the Palestra Roman 57, Carroll 47 Donnie Carr (19), Jakub "Jimmy" Juskowiak (15) and Rafi

Stevens (13, 10 rebounds) led in scoring, R.C. Kehoe distributed six

assists and Curtis King rejected five shots as the Cahillites

claimed their seventh title in eight years and 15th in 28. Dennis

Seddon, the coach for 10 seasons, won his 250th game. Tom Dearborn

(20) and Martin Ingelsby (15) paced Carroll. 1999 At Temple's Apollo Roman 68, West 45 Eddie Griffin, a 6-8 junior, totaled 22 points, 10 rebounds

and eight blocks as Roman won its seventh title of the decade and

eighth in 11 years under coach Dennis Seddon. Griffin finished the

playoffs with 68 points, 36 rebounds and 23 blocks. Point guard

Mustafa Bey (five assists) was the only senior in the Cahillites'

nine-man rotation. Sophs Tamal Forchion (12 points), Brent Welton (a

career-high nine off the bench) and John Huggins (eight) combined to

shoot 13-for-15. For West, Ronald Banks scored 17 points and Greg

McCleary had 12 points, 10 rebounds. 2000 At Temple's Apollo Roman 58, Neumann 55 After enduring a mostly frustrating season, sub John Huggins

had 15 points and four assists in 26 minutes and made a steal and

two free throws with 32.4 seconds left to provide a 56-53 lead.

Neumann's Brandon Brigman (follow) and Roman's Brent Welton (two

foul shots) traded scores, then Neumann's Cantrell "Man-Man"

Fletcher barely missed a buzzer-beater from the right side of

halfcourt. For Roman, Michael Wild (17 points) hit three treys,

Tamal Forchion grabbed 14 rebounds and Eddie Griffin had 15 points,

10 boards, six blocks. Five Pirates scored from nine to 13 points

while Fletcher had seven assists and Brigman had 13 boards. Robert

"Beattie" Taylor (pronounced) and David "Meatball" Crawford (mild)

played with limps after suffering ankle injuries. Both schools'

rooters threw trash at each other and Roman's net-cutting ceremony

was delayed by 10 minutes. 2007 At the Palestra Roman 59, Neumann-Goretti 56 Just when it appeared the Cahillites were dead meat, with

just under six minutes left, they overcame a 10-point deficit by

roaring to 11 consecutive points in 1 minute, 40 seconds, and wound

up scoring 17 of the game's final 21 points. The win gave 21-year

coach Dennis Seddon his 10th title, eclipsing the CL record of nine

by Roman's Billy Markward in the 1920s and '30s and preventing N-G's

Carl Arrigale from capturing his fifth in seven years. Roman went

ahead for good, at 56-54, with 2:22 left as members of the team's

two sets of twins did the honors: Will Kirkland (also Wes) scored on

a pass from Pitt signee Bradley Wanamaker (also Brian). Will

Kirkland was the defender in '06 when Derrick "D.J." Rivera hit his

game-winner; he said he wasn't himself for a whole month afterward.

Bradley Wanamaker had 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and

four steals. Wayns (13), Will Kirkland (12) and Brian Wanamaker (10)

also scored in double figures. N-G's leaders were Syracuse signees/best

buddies Rick Jackson (20 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks) and

Antonio "Scoop" Jardine (11 assists). Jackson's three-game playoff

averages were 22.7, 14 and six. Will Kirkland sank the first of two

free throws at 6.4 for a 62-59 lead. Teammate Courtney Stanley

grabbed the rebound of the missed second shot, then clanked two FTs

of his own. N-G's Jamal Wilson rebounded and passed ahead to sixth

man Mark Hatty, who hit the rim with a 24-foot, right-wing trey at

the buzzer. As the Cahillites began to celebrate, roughly a

half-dozen, liquid-filled plastic bottles were fired onto the court

from high above N-G's bench. Roman's contingent sought refuge in the

locker room, then later returned to accept the plaque and cut down

the net.

--

Below are the players who helped Dennis Seddon claim 516 wins and 10 Catholic League championships in

22 seasons as the coach at Roman Catholic. The year indicates the player's final season. Most were seniors. Some transferred and some were underclassmen who did not play in the following season.

Bill Carr | 1987 | Arthur "Yah" Davis | 1995 | Joe Clancy | 2002

Che Perry | 1987 | Chris McNesby | 1995 | Jon Duperon | 2002

Chuck Veterano | 1987 | Cliff Harris | 1995 | Tyree Wallace | 2002

Clayton "Stink" Adams | 1987 | Drew Swift | 1995 | Calvin Jones | 2003

Eugene Smith | 1987 | Lari Ketner | 1995 | Charlie Squitiere | 2003

Paul Johnson | 1987 | Lavelle Ellison | 1995 | Chris Stepp | 2003

Dave Robinson | 1988 | Mike Ford | 1995 | Kevin Hightower | 2003

Ed Jenkins | 1988 | Ronnie Conway | 1995 | Aaron Hester | 2004

Kenny Hayward | 1988 | Tamir Harbin | 1995 | Andre Sloan-El | 2004

Maynard Merriman | 1988 | Will McKnight | 1995 | Brett Johnson | 2004

Nate Thomas | 1988 | Donnie Carr | 1996 | Charron Fisher | 2004

Alan Watkins | 1989 | J.D. Dodds | 1996 | Khalil Ferguson | 2004

Cliff Smith | 1989 | Jakub Jaskowiak | 1996 | Malik Easterling | 2004

Jim O'Rourke | 1989 | Mike Corkery | 1996 | Scott Mascio | 2004

Rob Williams | 1989 | R.C. Kehoe | 1996 | Anthony King | 2005

Ruben Colon | 1989 | Alan Stevens | 1997 | Billy Lally | 2005

Tyrone "Tyke" Bacon | 1989 | Chemar Withrow | 1997 | Bobby Jordan | 2005

Bill Dougherty | 1990 | Curtis King | 1997 | Dan DiBerardinis | 2005

George Jackson | 1990 | Dennis Hobbs | 1997 | Jarrett Burks | 2005

Jim McGeehan | 1990 | Juwan Justice | 1997 | Malik Perry | 2005

Kenny Tymes | 1990 | Kenyatta Bey | 1997 | Devon White | 2006

Mike McKee | 1990 | Mike Canady | 1997 | Lonnie Perry | 2006

Bernard Jones | 1991 | Rafi Stevens | 1997 | Mike Ringgold | 2006

Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore | 1991 | T.J. Leis | 1997 | Ray "Doodles" Sims | 2006

Jeremy Smith | 1991 | Don Miller | 1998 | Rockeed McCarter | 2006

Josh Wagner | 1991 | Mike Montgomery | 1998 | Sean Joynes | 2006

Marvin Harrrison | 1991 | Rasual Butler | 1998 | Bradley Wanamaker | 2007

Mike Watson | 1991 | Rich Ennis | 1998 | Brian McBeth | 2007

Bill Shank | 1992 | Eric Davis | 1999 | Brian Wanamaker | 2007

Zachary Crawford | 1992 | Gianpaolo Giampaolo | 1999 | Leroy Evans | 2007

Danny Harris | 1992 | Mustafa Bey | 1999 | Mark Reeves | 2007

James "Flames" Lewis | 1992 | Tim Hogan | 1999 | Nick Doggett | 2007

Kyle Locke | 1992 | Anthony Miller | 2000 | Aaron Brown | 2008

Aaron Holloway | 1993 | David Levetter | 2000 | Anthony Mayo | 2008

Dennis Bohn | 1993 | Eddie Griffin | 2000 | Courtney Stanley | 2008

Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | 1993 | Emil Buccilli | 2000 | Kevin Regan | 2008

Greg Alexander | 1993 | Marcus Gantt | 2000 | Maalik Wayns | 2008

Justin "Gus" Wagner | 1993 | Mike Wild | 2000 | Quasim Jones | 2008

Marc Jackson | 1993 | Tim Mahon | 2000 | Rakeem "Rahk" Brookins | 2008

Mike Tabb | 1993 | Brent Welton | 2001 | Rasi Jenkins | 2008

Eugene Small | 1994 | Jim Kelly | 2001 | Scott Stratton | 2008

John Atkinson | 1994 | Joe McCourt | 2001 | Wes Kirkland | 2008

Kendall Norman | 1994 | John Huggins | 2001 | Will Kirkland | 2008

| | Mike Boles | 2001 | |

| | Scott Paxson | 2001 | |

| | Steve Brodzinski | 2001 | |

| | Tamal Forchion | 2001 | |