Northeast’s finest: Tacony Charter head coach Sean Riley is this year’s Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.
While the snow has been stubborn to melt and winter has slogged on into early March, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. Temperatures are expected to be in the 50s and 60s this week, and with March Madness and Opening Day around the corner, spring is mercifully almost here.
But before packing away the snow boots and parkas until next year, we must first reflect on an action-packed high school basketball season, which will soon be over despite the fact that it feels like the season began just yesterday.
As usual, there were plenty of shining stars on the basketball court this season, especially within the borders of Northeast Philadelphia. From seniors enjoying fine swan songs to underclassmen rising to the occasion to accept the baton, this season had it all. So before we bust out the bats and balls for spring season, let’s take a look back at the players and coaches who enjoyed exceptional seasons.
These individuals will be honored at the annual Northeast Sports Awards Banquet in May (time and date to be determined):
Boys Basketball Coach of the Year
Sean Riley, Tacony Charter
In Tacony Charter’s inaugural season in the Public League, its first-year head basketball coach put the young school and program on the map in a big way. A little over a year ago, Riley was a few years out of college and enjoying a successful career in an unrelated field. When he was unexpectedly laid off, he had little idea where to turn next. Through some networking and a serendipitous twist of fate, Riley got a sitdown with Tacony Charter athletic director and Father Judge alum Ryan Nase, a former football player who was looking for a powerful yet relatable motivator to fill his vacant boys basketball position. Nase found that in Riley, as the Lions often looked like seasoned vets in their first season in the Public League Division E. Tacony went 13–8 overall and 11–2 in the division, which was tied for second; the Lions won their first playoff game in their first try, a thriller over World Communications Charter. Though they didn’t advance further than that, many of the team’s players said they wanted to fight for Riley, mainly because of the struggles he’s been through and how he’s managed to overcome them. Despite several key seniors headed for graduation, the future is bright for Tacony Charter basketball, and Riley is a big reason why.
Girls Basketball Coach of the Year
Mike McCusker, Archbishop Ryan
In just his second year on the job, McCusker made many take notice of the program he’s trying to build over at Ryan. Armed with determined, hard-working seniors and several rising juniors, McCusker helped guide his Ragdolls to a 15–9 overall record and 7–5 Catholic League mark in a league that included the №1 team in the nation (Neumann-Goretti) and several other talented squads (O’Hara, Wood, Carroll, Bonner-Prendie). The Ragdolls went on the road in the postseason quarterfinals and upset Bonner-Prendie on a last-second shot; though the team fell to Wood in the semifinals, Ryan fought tooth-and-nail and gave the Lady Vikings all they could handle. When next year begins, the Ragdolls should be right back in the mix to get back to the semis and are showing that when a program has a head coach that cultivates a winning culture, any goal seems attainable.
Catholic Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Izaiah Brockington, Archbishop Ryan
Brockington, a lightning-quick sophomore guard with a natural scoring ability, helped lead the Raiders back to the playoffs in 2015 after missing out the previous year. He also gave the team a glimpse into its future, as he averaged nearly 15 points per game overall and above 15 in league play in his first varsity season. He scored a team-high 22 in Ryan’s opening-round playoff loss to Wood, and netted 32 points in a loss to Conwell-Egan, which was the most points a Ryan player had scored in a league game since 1998. Paired with returning seniors-to-be Austin Chabot and Austin Slawter, there appears to be bright days ahead for head coach Bernie Rogers’ program, and his talented guard is leading the charge.
Public Boys Basketball Player of the Year
Charles Brown, George Washington
George Washington High School has stood out athletically over the decades, but never really in boys basketball. Charles Brown helped change that in 2014–15. Brown, a 6-foot-6 forward, has freakish athleticism. He has the ability to jump out of the gym on a fast break, can spot up and shoot the three, put the ball on the floor and take it to the rim and rarely misses a free throw. On the defensive end, his super-long wingspan makes him a nightmare to deal with for opposing offenses. All these qualities and more ensure the fact that Brown will play at the Division I level next year. As a senior, he put Washington basketball on the map, helping to take the program to unprecedented heights. Brown averaged a shade over 16 points overall and 18.4 in Division B games. Washington went 12–0 in the division, and Brown was its Most Valuable Player. The team went 19–7 overall, advancing to the Class AAAA title game, where it lost to Martin Luther King of Division A. Though the team fell short in its quest for a Public League title and berth in the state tournament, Brown helped usher in a new era of Washington basketball, and now it will be up to head coach John Creighton and a new batch of players to sustain the success Brown helped build in his two years with the program.
Catholic Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Marissa Sylvester, Nazareth Academy
From the time Marissa Sylvester stepped on the campus at Nazareth Academy, she was tied to the hip with the Pandas basketball program. She was an instant starter — first as a shooting guard, then switched to point guard when her team needed her to learn a new position — and has led the Pandas in scoring each of the last two seasons. She led the team in scoring in all but four games this past season, averaging 15 points and seven rebounds per contest. Sylvester helped guide the Pandas back to the district postseason tournament, where she scored 22 points in a 53–29 first-round victory over rival Villa Joseph Marie. Nazareth head coach John Turner said Sylvester has a motor that never quits, and she’ll keep motoring along with her basketball career at the University of the Sciences next season.
Public Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Taylor Fritz, Philadelphia Academy Charter
Philadelphia Academy had just seven players on its girls basketball roster this season; luckily for the Lady Chargers, Fritz was one of them. The team went 12–8 overall and 10–3 in the Public League Gold Division, finishing fourth behind Palumbo, Bartram and Frankford. Fritz, a wing player who is an excellent slasher, led Philadelphia Academy in scoring with nearly 13 points per game overall. Fritz, a sophomore, was a First Team All-Public selection along with teammate Elisa Curtin, and her scoring ability led the Lady Chargers to the Public League playoffs, as well as the Class AA state playoffs. Fritz and company fell to St. Basil Academy, but the future is bright. ••
Shining stars: Above, Archbishop Ryan sophomore guard Izaiah Brockington is named this year’s Catholic Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
