Ranking the top 10 male athletes to emerge from Cardinal Dougherty.
Cardinal Dougherty may have closed in 2010, but CD pride is alive and well.
That is at least in part due to the great tradition of excellence in the world of sports.
It could be argued that Dougherty had some of the best athletes in Northeast Philadelphia, and when you take a look at the list, you’ll see good reason for that argument.
With two NBA players leading the way, and a host of football players who excelled at the Division I level, this school is loaded with talented players who went on to great things.
Once again, let’s go over the rules.
We’re picking players from the past 30 years. We are picking players from a mix of sports, and the list is very subjective. If you disagree, feel free to share your opinion in the comments section, on the Northeast Times Facebook page or via email. Obviously, our area is loaded with great players, so talented people will be left off. It’s not a slight. I could easily do top 100 athletes at these schools and still have great names left over.
A special thanks to high school sports website Tedsilary.com, which provided a lot of high school statistics for this series.
Here is our list of top 10 male athletes in the past 30 years at Cardinal Dougherty.
1. Kyle Lowry
Good rule of thumb, if you win a gold medal at the Olympics, you’re a good athlete, and that’s exactly what this 2004 graduate did last summer when he helped the United States win in Brazil.
Lowry was a stud in high school, where he led the Cardinals to the Catholic League championship game in both his junior and senior seasons. The gritty point guard then went to Villanova, where he helped the WIldcats reach the Elite Eight during his sophomore year.
After the two-year stint on the Main Line, Lowry was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th pick in the 2006 NBA draft. He also played with the Houston Rockets before going to the Toronto Raptors, where he really came into his own.
Lowry has been to the past three All-Star games, and last year, he led Toronto to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2. Cuttino Mobley
Another NBA star, this 1992 graduate came into his senior season at Dougherty with a lot of untapped potential. He went on to have a dynamic season that ended with a loss to a Roman Catholic squad that is considered one of the top teams in city history. In that game, Mobley scored 28 points.
Mobley moved on to play at Rhode Island and led the team to an Elite Eight appearance during his senior season.
He was drafted in the second round of the 1998 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, and went on to play for the Orlando Magic, the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mobley averaged 16 points per game during his NBA career, and after a nine-year hiatus, he’s back playing in the Big 3, a summer basketball tournament featuring former NBA players.
3. John Waerig
The bruising linebacker and fullback graduated in 1995. He led Dougherty to some great times, including a Catholic League Northern Division final in 1993, and a Northern Division semifinal appearance in 1992. Both seasons were spoiled by Archbishop Ryan, which was in the midst of a four-year championship run.
After an injury-plagued senior season, Waerig attended Wisconsin, where he played fullback and saw time as a true freshman.
Waerig transferred to Maryland after his freshman year and was converted to tight end, where he starred as a punishing blocker.
Waerig graduated in 1999 and then signed with the Detroit Lions. He also enjoyed a short stint with the New York Giants before heading to NFL Europe, where he played with the Amsterdam Admirals. He retired after the 2001 season.
4. Imani Bell
The massive two-way tackle created havoc along the defensive line before graduating in 1996. Bell started at defensive tackle during his sophomore year, helping Dougherty make the Northern Division finals. For his efforts, he made All-Catholic during the final three years of his high school career, including making the first team on both sides of the ball during his senior season.
Other coaches weren’t the only people who were impressed. So was Joe Paterno, who offered him a scholarship. Bell started out as a defensive lineman for Penn State, and switched to offensive line for his senior year.
Following his football career, Bell entered the boxing world, where he won both of his professional fights.
Athletic genes run in the family. His father, Bruce, played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the NFL.
5. Shane Clark
The teammate and cousin of Kyle Lowry had a huge hand in all of the success the Cardinals had during the successful period.
Clark was a top player during his three years as a starter. He was able to play both inside and outside thanks to his large frame and athleticism.
Clark netted more than 1,000 points during his three seasons at Dougherty, and he was just as comfortable passing the ball to his talented teammates.
Like Lowry, Clark ended up at Villanova. During his senior season, when he was a starter, Clark helped the Wildcats reach the Final Four before falling to North Carolina.
6. Tom Brogan
The Lawncrest native and 1990 graduate was a four-year starter in soccer at Dougherty and a three-time All-Catholic pick. He also was a two-time All-City selection and during his senior year, was an All-State pick.
Brogan was also on the final Dougherty team that won a Catholic League crown in 1989, when he scored the winning tally and was named the league MVP.
He also went on to play for nationally ranked Textile, where he was a captain in his senior season.
7. Sean McGovern
The 2002 graduate may have been better at baseball, but got plenty of recognition for his play at quarterback.
Under Jerry McConnell, Dougherty liked to throw, throw, throw, and McGovern was the guy to make it happen. As a junior, he threw for more than 2,500 yards and 24 touchdowns. During that season, he set a Catholic League record for yards in a game by throwing for 379 yards against McDevitt.
He followed that up with a good senior season. Despite losing most of his offensive weapons, McGovern threw for 1,517 yards and 13 touchdowns.
His arm was just as good during baseball season. McGovern was the ace of Dougherty’s staff, and after a solid senior season, he earned a scholarship to La Salle. He later transferred to Gwynedd Mercy.
8. Mickey King
High school fantasy football isn’t a game, but if it were, you would have wanted this 2001 graduate on your team. He put up video game numbers at receiver, and was good at two other positions as well.
King caught a record 16 touchdown passes during his senior season. He also snagged 73 passes and broke the 1,000-yard mark, which up to that point had been done only twice before.
For his efforts, King did very well in the All-Catholic voting, taking first team at receiver and punter, and getting a second-team nomination at defensive back.
King went on to play at King’s College.
9. Troy Kersey
The Cardinals had a run of four consecutive years producing a Division I football player, and Kersey got it all started before graduating in 1993.
The speedy wideout helped quarterback Walt Bartle put up great numbers, and led Dougherty to the playoffs, where it fell to Ryan in a game that came down to the final minute.
Kersey accepted a scholarship to Temple, where he continued terrorizing defensive backs.
He caught 89 passes and 10 touchdown passes during his college career. For his career, he averaged better than 20 yards per catch.
10. Tom Indio
The 1994 graduate did everything for the Cardinals during his senior year. On offense, he chipped in at running back, but was primarily a receiver. He was even better on defense, where he started at cornerback. He also was a dynamic kickoff and punt returner. Because of his versatility, Indio was named Northern Division MVP.
Indio was just as successful on the track, where he excelled in the sprints. He went on to play at Temple University, where he was primarily used on special teams as a return specialist. ••
