Neumann-Goretti has owned Carroll lately

Neumann-Goretti has certainly had Archbishop Carroll's number since losing to the Patriots two seasons ago in the PIAA Class AAA state quarterfinals.

Last year, en route to a state championship, the Saints won four times by an average of 15 points. In last month's regular-season meeting, they rallied for a 74-68 victory in Radnor.

The familiar foes will square off again in Monday's Catholic League final, set for an 8:15 p.m. (after the girls' final between Carroll and Archbishop Wood) at the Palestra.

In addition to slowing the pace, a key for Carroll in its bid to snap a five-game losing streak against N-G will be keeping 6-foot-5 junior Derrick Stewart, 6-4 sophomore John Davis, and 6-2 freshman Ja'Quan Newton off the offensive glass.

On Jan. 16, the Patriots, then The Inquirer's No. 1 team in Southeastern Pennsylvania, comfortably led, 55-42, early in the fourth quarter. The No. 8 Saints, sparked by quick-footed guard Lamin Fulton, turned the tide with an 18-2 run in an electrifying three-minute stretch.

Fulton produced 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Stewart finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, including five on offense. N-G went in front for good, 58-57, when Fulton turned Stewart's missed free throw into an uncontested layup with 4 minutes, 24 seconds to go.

In last Wednesday's semifinal doubleheader, third-place Carroll downed second-place La Salle, 58-45, and first-place Neumann-Goretti nipped fifth-place Roman Catholic, 47-46.

In beating the Explorers in the semis for the second straight year, the No. 7-ranked Patriots (20-4) received 18 points from sophomore point guard Yosef Yacob and 16 from senior wing Juan'ya Green. The No. 5-ranked Saints (20-4) needed Stewart's last-second block, on a drive down the lane by Montana Mayfield, to turn back the Cahillites.

Fulton, Newton, and senior guard Billy Shank will have to get out on Carroll's perimeter shooters. The Niagara-bound Green (30) and 6-2 senior Jay Donovan (37) have combined for 67 three-pointers. Yacob is also a deep threat.

Tracy Peal, a 6-5 senior forward and Malvern Prep transfer, will be primarily responsible for keeping Stewart in check. Donovan, 6-2 junior Alec Stavetski, and 6-5 junior sub Shane Randall need to help out on Stewart and also keep tabs on the high-leaping Davis.

In last year's emotionally charged final, which included a pair of player ejections, N-G bested Carroll, 75-59, for its second straight crown. The Patriots were without injured point guard D.J. Irving, now at Boston University.

Green and Fulton, signed with St. Peter's, are averaging 21 and 16.5 points, respectively.

Three-peat. Behind juniors Damien Williams and Shawn Valentine, Phelps School beat Perkiomen School, 58-48, Thursday to earn its third consecutive Tri-County League championship.

Williams, a 6-5 guard and 1,000-point scorer, averaged 18.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.6 steals. Valentine, a 6-9 swingman who has committed to Rider, averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 assists.

The other leading contributors for the Lions (24-5) were 6-9 junior forward Isaiah Gans (11.1 ppg., 10.8 rpg.), 6-3 freshman guard Ryair Smith (10.1 ppg., 7.6 rpg.), and 5-10 sophomore guard Devon Haines (10.1 ppg., 11.2 apg.).

"The season has been very rewarding for us," said Phelps coach Matt Scavitto, who is 84-15 in three seasons. "As a team, we got better each day, both in games and practice."

Tap-ins. Before Friday's District 1 Class AAAA consolation-round loss at North Penn, Dave Carpenter (42) and Zack DeVito (38) of Springfield (Delco) had combined for 80 three-pointers in 231 attempts. . . . St. Joseph's Prep sophomore guard Steve Vasturia made 84 of 92 free throws (91.3 percent). In Catholic League action, he was 76 for 80 (95 percent). . . . Andrew Kenney (17.2 ppg., 42 treys in 17 appearances) missed Perkiomen Valley's last six games with a broken hand. . . . Penn Charter is accepting applications for its head-coaching position. Jim "Flipper" Phillips stepped down after going 135-133 in 10 seasons. . . . Malvern Prep's Brendan Kilpatrick, a 6-5 swingman and the Inter-Academic League's most valuable player, averaged 15.5 points and 5.1 boards. He hit 43 of 145 three-point tries. Teammate and fellow junior Steve Perpiglia, a combo guard, averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 assists, with 13 treys. . . . Central Bucks South's Steve Schneider (15.5 ppg.) drained 28 treys in 22 contests.