Philadelphia High School Basketball A Look at
Roman Catholic's Six Consecutive Catholic League Championships, 1989-94
This page includes stories, special lists, record breakdown,
recaps of the 18 playoff wins and (at the bottom) scoring totals for all players in dvision/playoff games during the six seasons.
The Cahillites were coached by Dennis Seddon throughout this period of dominance. Except for Central in the early part of the 20th century, no city leagues
team had won six consecutive titles. Those with five: Roman (1924-28), Penn Charter (1940-45, one shared), Malvern
Prep (1973-77, one shared) and West Philadelphia (1974-78). To provide additions/corrections: .
Thanks!
SEASON BY SEASON League / Overall 1989: 13-1 /
16-1 1990: 14-0 / 17-0 1991: 14-0 / 17-0 1992: 12-2 /
15-2 1993: 13-1 / 16-1 1994: 12-2 / 15-2 TOTAL RECORD 6 Seasons, 1989-94 League -
78-6 Overall -
96-6 TOP 10 CL
SCORERS Bernard Jones 1991 21.5 Alan Watkins 1989 21.3 Bernard Jones 1990 19.1 Kyle Locke 1992 18.3 Marc Jackson 1993 18.1 Marvin Harrison 1991 17.0 Marvin Harrison 1990 16.9 Eugene Small 1994 14.5 Mike Watson 1990 14.1 Lari Ketner 1994 13.6 Coach
Seddon's All-Stars
and 1,000-Point Scorers ALL- CATHOLIC HONOREES 19 89 - 1994 - Played in NBA # - Played in NFL FIRST TEAM 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 SECOND TEAM 1989 Jim O'Rourke 1990 Mike McKee 1990 Bernard Jones 1990 Mike Watson 1993 Dwayne "Sugar" Hill 1993 Mike Tabb 1994 Donnie Carr THIRD TEAM 1991 Jeremy "J.J." Smith 1992 Dwayne "Sugar" Hill DAILY NEW ALL-CITY - Played in NBA # - Played in NFL FIRST TEAM 1989 Alan Watkins 1991 Bernard Jones 1993 Marc Jackson SECOND TEAM 1990 Bernard Jones 1991 Mike Watson 1991 #Marvin Harrison 1995 Donnie Carr THIRD TEAM 1992 Kyle Locke 1994 Lari Ketner 1,000-POINT SCORERS (All/Part of the Six Seasons) # - Played in NFL 1,633 -- Bernard Jones 1,470 -- Donnie Carr 1,247 -- Alan Watkins #1,166 -- Marvin Harrison | TOP 10 CL
SCORERS | Bernard Jones | 1991 | 21.5 | Alan Watkins | 1989 | 21.3 | Bernard Jones | 1990 | 19.1 | Kyle Locke | 1992 | 18.3 | Marc Jackson | 1993 | 18.1 | Marvin Harrison | 1991 | 17.0 | Marvin Harrison | 1990 | 16.9 | Eugene Small | 1994 | 14.5 | Mike Watson | 1990 | 14.1 | Lari Ketner | 1994 | 13.6 | FIRST TEAM | 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 | SECOND TEAM | 1989 | Jim O'Rourke | 1990 | Mike McKee | 1990 | Bernard Jones | 1990 | Mike Watson | 1993 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | 1993 | Mike Tabb | 1994 | Donnie Carr | THIRD TEAM | 1991 | Jeremy "J.J." Smith | 1992 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | FIRST TEAM | 1989 | Alan Watkins | 1991 | Bernard Jones | 1993 | Marc Jackson | SECOND TEAM | 1990 | Bernard Jones | 1991 | Mike Watson | 1991 | #Marvin Harrison | 1995 | Donnie Carr | THIRD TEAM | 1992 | Kyle Locke | 1994 | Lari Ketner | | 1,000-POINT SCORERS | (All/Part of the Six Seasons) | # - Played in NFL | 1,633 -- Bernard Jones | 1,470 -- Donnie Carr | 1,247 -- Alan Watkins | #1,166 -- Marvin Harrison | | | | | | | | | Roman Catholic's Six Straight Titles Dennis Seddon coached Roman Catholic to six consecutive Catholic League
championships from 1989 through 1994. The first one came as Jim O'Rourke scored 25 points, 16 above his average. Here is that story . . . By Ted
Silary Discuss the involvement of Jim O'Rourke's extended family in Catholic League
basketball and you're discussing immersion. These folks are into CL hoops much more than waist-deep. Like,
eyebrow-deep. O'Rourke's great uncle, Markward Club treasurer Ed "Dutchy" Doyle, once
coached St. Joseph's Prep and is acknowledged to be a foremost CL historian.
O'Rourke's second cousin, Matt Alexander, is the starting lead guard for
Father Judge. Altogether, O'Rourke figures that close to 20 relatives - male and
female; from O'Rourkes to Alexanders to Doyles to Murphys to Keenans; from
Roman Catholic to North Catholic to Father Judge to St. Joseph's Prep to
Bishop McDevitt to St. Hubert's - have played in the league. O'Rourke's brother, Chris, is even part of the crazy-'bout-basketball act
as Roman's scorekeeper. And yesterday at the Palestra, next to big brother's name, Chris got to
jot down all kinds of X's, 3's and filled-in circles. Jim O'Rourke, a 5-11, 160-pound senior wing guard, shot 8-for-17 overall,
3-for-10 from three-point land and 6-for-6 from the line for 25 points,
including eight of his team's final nine, as Roman downed La Salle, 66-56,
to win its first CL championship since 1986. The title was also the Cahillites' fourth this decade (also '80 and '82)
and their ninth in 21 years (also '69, '73, '74, '78 and '79). "I can remember coming down here to playoff games every year, back when
Speedy Morris was coaching," O'Rourke said. "I can remember (class of '80) was playing. It was my dream to someday play
here and help Roman win a title. My dreeee-am." His pipe dream, some thought. "People always told me I was too small, even that being white would keep
me from playing," O'Rourke said. "I didn't believe it. I was 5-4 as a
freshman, but coach (Dennis) Seddon gave me a chance. Sophomore year, he put
me on varsity. With this, I hope I've paid him back." In a way, Chris O'Rourke deserves to take as many bows as Jim. It was
Chris who Saturday rebounded the ball at Textile as Jim shot nothing but
jumpers for 1 1/2 hours. "I must have shot 1,000 'threes,' " Jim said. "I don't know - maybe just
500. I live in East Falls, so I've been going to Textile for years. I'm
friendly with coach (Herb) Magee. He lets me shoot when I want, makes sure
no one bothers me. "It worked out perfect. We were getting there just when some team -
Gannon, I think - decided not to take its shootaround (for the Mideast
Collegiate Conference consolation against Pace). We had the gym to
ourselves. This was before our team practice, which didn't start until 5:30. "I was determined to shoot well today. I knew La Salle had some guys with
meat. I knew their game plan would be to pack it inside and let the guards
fire it up." With 3:33 remaining, when O'Rourke incurred his fourth personal foul,
Seddon's plan, in all honesty, was to plant him on the bench and perhaps
keep him there. O'Rourke was only 1-for-4 in the quarter to that point (0-for-3 on
''threes") and the last thing Roman needed for a frantic stretch run was a
cold-shooting guard known to be, at times, a defensive liability. As O'Rourke reached the bench, assistant Jeff Stepp told him, "We might
need you for a shot in the last 30 seconds, if it comes down to that." O'Rourke, responded: "Hey, it might not come down to that! I want to be
in there now! This is it! This is our season! I'll be all right!" Afterward, Stepp thanked O'Rourke for maintaining such a positive
attitude. continued right below . . . | Coach Dennis Seddon ROTATIONS FOR CHAMPS 1989 Starters Alan Watkins Tyrone "Tike" Bacon Ruben Colon Mike McKee Jim O'Rourke Key Subs Marvin Harrison Bernard Jones Cliff Smith 1990 Starters Bernard Jones Mike McKee Mike Watson Marvin Harrison Jeremy "J.J." Smith Key Subs Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore Josh Wagner Kenny Tymes 1991 Starters Bernard Jones Mike Watson Marvin Harrison Jeremy "J.J." Smith Josh Wagner Key Subs Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore Kyle Locke Dennis Bohn 1992 Starters Kyle Locke Marc Jackson Dwayne "Sugar" Hill Dennis Bohn James "Flame" Lewis Key Subs Bill Shank Mike Tabb Danny Harris Justin "Gus" Wagner 1993 Starters Marc Jackson Dwayne "Sugar" Hill Mike Tabb Dennis Bohn Eugene Small Key Subs Greg Alexander Justin "Gus" Wagner 1994 Starters Lari Ketner Eugene Small Donnie Carr Tamir Harbin R.C. Kehoe Key Subs Will McKnight Chris McNesby John Atkinson | ROTATIONS FOR CHAMPS | 1989 | Starters | Alan Watkins | Tyrone "Tike" Bacon | Ruben Colon | Mike McKee | Jim O'Rourke | Key Subs | Marvin Harrison | Bernard Jones | Cliff Smith | 1990 | Starters | Bernard Jones | Mike McKee | Mike Watson | Marvin Harrison | Jeremy "J.J." Smith | Key Subs | Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore | Josh Wagner | Kenny Tymes | 1991 | Starters | Bernard Jones | Mike Watson | Marvin Harrison | Jeremy "J.J." Smith | Josh Wagner | Key Subs | Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore | Kyle Locke | Dennis Bohn | 1992 | Starters | Kyle Locke | Marc Jackson | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | Dennis Bohn | James "Flame" Lewis | Key Subs | Bill Shank | Mike Tabb | Danny Harris | Justin "Gus" Wagner | 1993 | Starters | Marc Jackson | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | Mike Tabb | Dennis Bohn | Eugene Small | Key Subs | Greg Alexander | Justin "Gus" Wagner | 1994 | Starters | Lari Ketner | Eugene Small | Donnie Carr | Tamir Harbin | R.C. Kehoe | Key Subs | Will McKnight | Chris McNesby | John Atkinson
TOP 10 CL
SCORERS
Bernard Jones | 1991 | 21.5
Alan Watkins | 1989 | 21.3
Bernard Jones | 1990 | 19.1
Kyle Locke | 1992 | 18.3
Marc Jackson | 1993 | 18.1
Marvin Harrison | 1991 | 17.0
Marvin Harrison | 1990 | 16.9
Eugene Small | 1994 | 14.5
Mike Watson | 1990 | 14.1
Lari Ketner | 1994 | 13.6
FIRST TEAM
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
SECOND TEAM
1989 | Jim O'Rourke
1990 | Mike McKee
1990 | Bernard Jones
1990 | Mike Watson
1993 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill
1993 | Mike Tabb
1994 | Donnie Carr
THIRD TEAM
1991 | Jeremy "J.J." Smith
1992 | Dwayne "Sugar" Hill
FIRST TEAM
1989 | Alan Watkins
1991 | Bernard Jones
1993 | *Marc Jackson
SECOND TEAM
1990 | Bernard Jones
1991 | Mike Watson
1991 | #Marvin Harrison
1995 | Donnie Carr
THIRD TEAM
1992 | Kyle Locke
1994 | *Lari Ketner
1,000-POINT SCORERS
(All/Part of the Six Seasons)
1,633 -- Bernard Jones
1,470 -- Donnie Carr
1,247 -- Alan Watkins
#1,166 -- Marvin Harrison
ROTATIONS FOR CHAMPS
1989
Starters
Alan Watkins
Tyrone "Tike" Bacon
Ruben Colon
Mike McKee
Jim O'Rourke
Key Subs
Marvin Harrison
Bernard Jones
Cliff Smith
1990
Starters
Bernard Jones
Mike McKee
Mike Watson
Marvin Harrison
Jeremy "J.J." Smith
Key Subs
Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore
Josh Wagner
Kenny Tymes
1991
Starters
Bernard Jones
Mike Watson
Marvin Harrison
Jeremy "J.J." Smith
Josh Wagner
Key Subs
Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore
Kyle Locke
Dennis Bohn
1992
Starters
Kyle Locke
Marc Jackson
Dwayne "Sugar" Hill
Dennis Bohn
James "Flame" Lewis
Key Subs
Bill Shank
Mike Tabb
Danny Harris
Justin "Gus" Wagner
1993
Starters
Marc Jackson
Dwayne "Sugar" Hill
Mike Tabb
Dennis Bohn
Eugene Small
Key Subs
Greg Alexander
Justin "Gus" Wagner
1994
Starters
Lari Ketner
Eugene Small
Donnie Carr
Tamir Harbin
R.C. Kehoe
Key Subs
Will McKnight
Chris McNesby
John Atkinson
"He said, 'You were right, you
little bugger,' " said O'Rourke, who returned to the game momentarily. "Hey,
I love hooting the ball under pressure. I've never cracked and I never will. I
wanted the ball when it counted." O'Rourke had an incredible final minute, totaling 6 points, 2 rebounds
and the steal of the game. It came at 0:32, as O'Rourke intercepted a pass, raced three-quarters court and ducked under
Jack Stanczak for a layup, staking Roman to a 62-56 lead. The block of the game, meanwhile, had occurred at 0:51. Roman's Ruben
Colon, who had seven blocks total, absolutely engulfed a layup bid by Mark Fitzgerald. Marvin Harrison rebounded, then
Alan Watkins (14 points; 1,247 for career) made the first of two free throws at 0:43. "We said to Ruben all day, 'Put the ball in the stands,' " Seddon said.
''In key situations, La Salle's players were jerking the ball on their shots. We noticed that Fitzgerald had certain tendencies, that
he was predictable. We told Ruben that he could look to help on (Chris) Lazorcheck. Obviously, he did a good job." Colon, a 6-7 junior from Salinas, Puerto Rico, Friday contributed 18
points and 16 rebounds, but no blocks, as Roman took the South final from Cardinal O'Hara, 72-56. Yesterday, he had 11
points and rebounds apiece, in addition to the blocks. "Defense was needed more," Colon said. "It was more important. I looked
for blocks, and got them." In some respects, La Salle amazed by remaining close deep into the
contest. Coach Marty Jackson's two prime scoring threats, Fitzgerald and Lazorcheck, combined to shoot 7-for-26 and the
Explorers' first-half, foul-line showing was 6-for-15. However, 6-6 bull Marc Borrelli had 12 points and 11 rebounds, despite
being limited to 20 minutes by foul trouble, and several times made back-in moves that seemed to say, "You guys can run and
jump all you want, but here's some strength. Just try to stop me." He set the no-fear tone. "Our kids are tough," Jackson said. "They don't back down. Colon's blocks
killed us, though. He was quick off his feet." Seddon also was quick - to point out some facts involving his club. "We finished 25-3," he said. "We played the toughest schedule in the
city. We lost only one game east of the Mississippi two losses were in tournaments). We lost by three at O'Hara, then won our
next 10 games in a row, all by double figures. That includes the three playoffs. "That says something about how good this team is . . . Now maybe we'll
get our just due." TITLE TIDBITS Mike McKee, Roman's junior lead guard, had nine assists . . . La Salle
thrice drew within one in the final quarter - 50-49 with 3:17 left, 52-51 at 2:47 and 54-53 at 2:20 . . . Dennis Seddon credited
former player Maynard Merriman for making a moving speech before the game. Seddon also said he appreciated receiving a
pregame telegram from teacher Fran McMenamin, a Roman star in the 1940s now recuperating from surgery . . . La
Salle last won the title in '81, under Bill Michuda . . . Alan Watkins: "Remember how I said Roman was on a mission this
year? Mission accomplished." . . . Seddon's three-year record is 66-18.
-- 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.
Results and leading scorers for all
division/playoff games during the six consecutive championship seasons . . .
1989 | W-L | RC | Opp. | Points
Leader(s) | Points
Southern Division | | | | |
West Catholic | Won | 91 | 56 | Marvin Harrison | 25
Bonner | Won | 86 | 44 | Alan Watkins | 26
St. James | Won | 76 | 46 | Alan Watkins | 18
Carroll | Won | 64 | 46 | Alan Watkins | 33
Neumann | Won | 87 | 64 | Alan Watkins | 21
SJ Prep | Won | 75 | 66 | Alan Watkins | 24
O'Hara | Lost | 42 | 45 | Bernard Jones | 24
Bonner | Won | 47 | 35 | Bernard Jones | 14
West Catholic | Won | 97 | 55 | Alan Watkins | 26
St. James | Won | 125 | 65 | Bernard Jones | 17
Carroll | Won | 72 | 53 | Alan Watkins | 23
Neumann | Won | 65 | 47 | Alan Watkins | 21
O'Hara | Won | 74 | 61 | Alan Watkins | 23
SJ Prep | Won | 64 | 43 | Watkins/Cliff Smith | 13
Playoffs | | | | |
Carroll | Won | 67 | 57 | Alan Watkins | 23
O'Hara | Won | 72 | 56 | Ruben Colon | 18
La Salle | Won | 66 | 56 | Jim O'Rourke | 25
| 16-1 | 1270 | 895 | |
1990 | W-L | RC | Opp. | Points
Leader(s) | Points
Southern Division | | | | |
O'Hara | Won | 55 | 54 | Bernard Jones | 24
St. James | Won | 104 | 68 | Bernard Jones | 20
Carroll | Won | 76 | 33 | Mike Watson | 15
Neumann | Won | 90 | 74 | Bernard Jones | 27
West Catholic | Won | 98 | 66 | Marvin Harrison | 28
SJ Prep | Won | 88 | 66 | Marvin Harrison | 23
Bonner | Won | 54 | 52 | Marvin Harrison | 17
O'Hara | Won | 54 | 53 | Bernard Jones | 18
St. James | Won | 69 | 42 | Bernard Jones | 18
Carroll | Won | 72 | 59 | Bernard Jones | 21
Neumann | Won | 82 | 63 | Bernard Jones | 27
West Catholic | Won | 85 | 55 | Bernard Jones | 26
SJ Prep | Won | 71 | 47 | Bernard Jones | 28
Bonner | Won | 83 | 63 | Mike Watson | 23
Playoffs | | | | |
West Catholic | Won | 47 | 32 | Mike Watson | 13
Neumann | Won | 66 | 54 | Bernard Jones | 22
La Salle | Won | 64 | 62 | Bernard Jones | 30
| 17-0 | 1258 | 943 | |
1991 | W-L | RC | Opp. | Points
Leader(s) | Points
Southern Division | | | | |
Neumann | Won | 71 | 63 | Bernard Jones | 24
SJ Prep | Won | 88 | 45 | Bernard Jones | 25
Carroll | Won | 91 | 27 | Jones/Jeremy Smith | 13
West Catholic | Won | 89 | 44 | Smith/Marvin Harrison | 21
St. James | Won | 81 | 48 | Bernard Jones | 26
Bonner | Won | 85 | 47 | Marvin Harrison | 20
O'Hara | Won | 76 | 44 | Bernard Jones | 28
Neumann | Won | 66 | 43 | Marvin Harrison | 23
SJ Prep | Won | 82 | 47 | Marvin Harrison | 18
West Catholic | Won | 98 | 66 | Bernard Jones | 29
Carroll | Won | 89 | 44 | Jones/Harrison | 22
St. James | Won | 99 | 55 | Bernard Jones | 32
Bonner | Won | 84 | 60 | Bernard Jones | 24
O'Hara | Won | 67 | 48 | Smith/Mike Watson | 14
Playoffs | | | | |
Bonner | Won | 89 | 55 | Bernard Jones | 21
West Catholic | Won | 73 | 43 | Marvin Harrison | 16
La Salle | Won | 70 | 36 | Jones/Harrison | 18
| 17-0 | 1398 | 815 | |
1992 | W-L | RC | Opp. | Points
Leader(s) | Points
Southern Division | | | | |
Bonner | Won | 65 | 40 | Kyle Locke/Dennis Bohn | 16
SJ Prep | Won | 55 | 48 | Kyle Locke | 15
Carroll | Won | 67 | 60 | Dwayne Hill | 19
Neumann | Won | 68 | 38 | Kyle Locke | 20
West Catholic | Won | 91 | 90 | Kyle Locke | 35
O'Hara | Lost | 46 | 53 | Dwayne Hill | 15
St. James | Won | 58 | 41 | Kyle Locke | 14
Bonner | Won | 56 | 52 | Kyle Locke | 18
SJ Prep | Won | 83 | 64 | Kyle Locke | 22
Carroll | Won | 73 | 60 | Dwayne Hill | 24
Neumann | Won | 90 | 61 | Dwayne Hill | 24
West Catholic | Won | 90 | 83 | Locke/Marc Jackson | 24
O'Hara | Lost | 43 | 45 | Locke/Bohn | 12
St. James | Won | 89 | 61 | Kyle Locke | 24
Playoffs | | | | |
Bonner | Won | 54 | 52 | Kyle Locke | 20
O'Hara | Won | 52 | 50 | Marc Jackson | 15
Dougherty | Won | 77 | 68 | Kyle Locke | 39
| 15-2 | 1157 | 966 | |
1993 | W-L | RC | Opp. | Points
Leader(s) | Points
Southern Division | | | | |
O'Hara | Won | 50 | 36 | Marc Jackson | 28
Bonner | Won | 58 | 45 | Marc Jackson | 18
St. James | Won | 64 | 29 | Jackson/Eugene Small | 13
Carroll | Won | 41 | 35 | Dwayne Hill | 12
West Catholic | Won | 46 | 44 | Dennis Bohn | 12
SJ Prep | Won | 74 | 40 | Marc Jackson | 20
Neumann | Won | 63 | 46 | Marc Jackson | 20
O'Hara | Won | 58 | 50 | Marc Jackson | 18
Bonner | Won | 62 | 58 | Dwayne Hill | 18
St. James | Won | 85 | 47 | Eugene Small | 18
Carroll | Lost | 57 | 62 | Marc Jackson | 20
West Catholic | Won | 91 | 50 | Marc Jackson | 20
SJ Prep | Won | 78 | 59 | Marc Jackson | 23
Neumann | Won | 92 | 50 | Marc Jackson | 31
Playoffs | | | | |
West Catholic | Won | 58 | 50 | Marc Jackson | 19
Carroll | Won | 58 | 47 | Jackson/Dwayne Hill | 14
North Catholic | Won | 62 | 55 | Marc Jackson | 22
| 16-1 | 1097 | 803 | |
1994 | W-L | RC | Opp. | Points
Leader(s) | Points
Southern Division | | | | |
SJ Prep | Won | 71 | 51 | Donnie Carr | 19
Carroll | Won | 72 | 68 | Tamir Harbin | 22
West Catholic | Won | 57 | 47 | Carr/Lari Ketner | 17
Kennedy-Kenrick | Won | 97 | 44 | Eugene Small | 20
O'Hara | Won | 58 | 45 | Eugene Small | 21
Neumann | Won | 69 | 61 | Donnie Carr | 20
Carroll | Lost | 50 | 68 | Eugene Small | 14
SJ Prep | Won | 79 | 59 | Lari Ketner | 21
Kennedy-Kenrick | Won | 79 | 43 | Small/Harbin | 15
Bonner | Won | 67 | 48 | Tamir Harbin | 16
Neumann | Won | 76 | 71 | Eugene Small | 27
West Catholic | Won | 52 | 47 | Lari Ketner | 13
O'Hara | Lost | 56 | 68 | Lari Ketner | 17
Bonner | Won | 67 | 58 | Lari Ketner | 19
Playoffs | | | | |
Neumann | Won | 67 | 56 | Donnie Carr | 22
Carroll | Won | 56 | 49 | Eugene Small | 16
North Catholic | Won | 60 | 53 | Lari Ketner | 20
| 15-2 | 1133 | 936 | |
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Recaps of the 18 playoff
victories, 1989-94 . . . 1989 Quarterfinal Roman 67, Carroll 57 At St. Joseph’s University, Alan Watkins shot 10-for-11 and
3-for-4 for 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Mike McKee dealt
seven assists. Carroll’s Joe Warden had 16 points, 10 rebounds. Semifinal At the Palestra Roman 72, O’Hara 56 Ruben Colon posted 18 points (9-for-12) and 16 rebounds and
Alan Watkins (16, 10) was close behind. Mike McKee had five assists.
O’Hara’s Eddie Malloy had 26 points, 15 boards. 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 Quarterfinal Roman 47, West 32 At Bonner, Mike Watson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three
blocks and Bernard Jones added 10 points, nine boards. Jeremy
‘‘Saddle’’ Lawimore and Jeremy ‘‘J.J.’’ Smith held West’s Kevin
Smith, the South scoring leader (21.1 average), to four points. Semifinal At the Palestra Roman 66, Neumann 54 Mike McKee sprinkled 14 assists — setting CL and city-leagues
playoff records — while Bernard Jones scored 22 points and Mike
Watson had 12 points, 11 rebounds. In three games versus Neumann,
Jones shot 27-for-45 en route to 76 points. Neumann sub Troy Aursby
scored 18 points. Final 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 Quarterfinal Roman 89, Bonner 55 At Dougherty, sub Jeremy ‘‘Saddle’’ Lawimore had 15 points,
seven boards and five assists in 18 minutes while Bernard Jones had
21 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes on a tender ankle. The
Cahillites scored 26 consecutive points to create a 34-16 bulge.
Mark Mulroy and Chris McFadden had 10 each for Bonner. Semifinal At the Palestra Roman 73, West 43 Marvin Harrison led the rout with 16 points while Jeremy ‘‘J.J.’’
Smith added 13 points and nine rebounds. Rob Wharton (10) topped
West. Final 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 Quarterfinal Roman 54, Bonner 52 (ot) At Carroll, Dennis Bohn drove straight down the lane and flipped
in a layup with 0:02 left. The lead was Roman’s first of the game.
Bohn had 12 points, six rebounds and eight assists and Kyle Locke
had 20 points. Bonner’s Bill Carr had 19 points, 10 boards. Semifinal At the Palestra Roman 52, O’Hara 50 Seventh man Bill Shank scored five points in the final 0:23 —
a one-and-one, a layup on an outlet pass from 6-9 Marc Jackson (15
points, six blocks) and a free throw at 0:02 after O’Hara was
assessed a technical for calling a timeout it did not have. For
O’Hara, John Watson had 22 points and Adonal Foyle had 12 points,
nine boards, six blocks. Final 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 Quarterfinal Roman 58, West 50 At Dougherty, Marc Jackson banged for 19 points and 20
rebounds while Dwayne ‘‘Sugar’’ Hill added 18 points, five assists.
West’s Scott Galloway scored 24 points. Semifinal At the Palestra Roman 58, Carroll 47 Marc Jackson mixed 14 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks and
Dwayne ‘‘Sugar’’ Hill added 14 points, nine boards, six assists.
Bryan Brennan (17) paced Carroll. Final 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 Quarterfinal Roman 67, Neumann 56 At North, Donnie Carr bagged 22 points, Eugene Small mixed 10
points and 14 rebounds and Lari Ketner swept 17 rebounds. Neumann’s
Rashid Bey had 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four
steals. Semifinals At the Palestra Roman 56, Carroll 49 Days after winning the state indoor championship in the triple
jump (45-11), sub Will McKnight shot 6-for-8 and 2-for-2 for a
season-high 15 points in 20 minutes as Roman broke the CL and city
records for consecutive playoff victories. Roman upped its total to
17. West Philadelphia won 16 in succession from 1974 to ‘79. Eugene
Small added 16 points and 11 rebounds and put the Cahillites for
good, 46-44, with a left-baseline jumper on a pass from R.C. Kehoe.
For Carroll, Mike Dzik scored 16 points and Brian Dunn dealt seven
assists. Final 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.
Points totals for all players during
the six championship seasons . . . Division games and playoffs . . .
Name | Years | Points
Bernard Jones | 3 | 798
Marvin Harrison | 3 | 679
Marc Jackson | 2 | 473
Mike Watson | 3 | 462
Kyle Locke | 3 | 422
Dwayne "Sugar" Hill | 3 | 400
Eugene Small | 3 | 381
Alan Watkins | 1 | 351
Dennis Bohn | 4 | 319
Jeremy Smith | 3 | 292
Jeremy "Saddle" Lawimore | 3 | 225
Lari Ketner | 1 | 225
Donnie Carr | 2 | 193
Mike McKee | 2 | 188
Mike Tabb | 2 | 180
Jim O'Rourke | 1 | 174
Tamir Harbin | 2 | 166
James "Flames" Lewis | 2 | 145
Tyrone "Tyke" Bacon | 1 | 118
R.C. Kehoe | 2 | 112
Ruben Colon | 1 | 109
Josh Wagner | 3 | 102
Greg Alexander | 3 | 93
Gus Wagner | 2 | 87
Will McKnight | 1 | 82
Cliff Smith | 2 | 71
Justin Wagner | 1 | 69
Danny Harris | 2 | 56
Chris McNesby | 2 | 53
Bill Shank | 1 | 45
John Atkinson | 1 | 40
Rob Williams | 1 | 39
Kenny Tymes | 1 | 32
Lavelle Ellison | 1 | 26
Aaron Holloway | 1 | 22
Bill Dougherty | 1 | 18
Kendall Norman | 1 | 13
Mike Ford | 1 | 11
Ronnie Conway | 1 | 9
George Jackson | 1 | 8
Jim McGeehan | 1 | 6
| | 7294
Author
Published
March 5, 2026
Updated
March 5, 2026