RBJ = VICTORY FOR ROMAN

C'mon, folks. Doesn't everyone know everything about those beloved Philadelphia Eagles?

Those guys were part of the practice squad during the recently ended season and you know what that role entailed: work like crazy all week, then never get near the field on Sunday.

RBJ could relate . . . Not that he wanted to.

Brown-Johnson, a 6-4, 185-pound junior swingman, is Roman Catholic High's sixth man. Sure, he'd love to be starting, but serving as the first sub beats spending time in no man's land.

Last night, Brown-Johnson shot 3-for-8 and 2-for-3 for eight points and, as did his teammates, played relentlessly sticky defense in the meaty part of the game as the visiting Cahillites trimmed Archbishop Ryan, 54-48, in a Catholic League game.

Then, he discussed why he'd missed the first four games of the season.

Math, specifically Algebra II, was slappin' him around, and the school's administration decided to keep him out of action until an improvement was made. He could continue to practice, however, after first attending daily 45-minute tutoring sessions.

"It's frustrating to practice every day while knowing you're not going to be in the games," Brown-Johnson said. "But that was what I had to do, and I'm proud of myself for the way I handled it all. I had to go real hard in practice, like always, so I'd be prepared when I got my eligibility back."

Then came the oh-so-special day. Brown-Johnson was sitting in a seventh-period history class when he was handed a note to report to the office of Brian Conroy, the assistant principal for academic affairs. Such moments are usually accompanied by a gulp and uh-oh feeling, right? Brown-Johnson, instead, maintained a positive mindset.

"When I got there, Mr. Conroy was in a meeting with someone else," he said. "He popped outside quick and said, 'Don't worry. This'll be good news.' When I got in there, he said he was very proud of me and that I'd made the necessary progress to get back to playing basketball."

So, what happened next? Did Brown-Johnson immediately send happy text messages to everyone on his contacts list?

"Nooooo," he said, laughing. "I wasn't on my phone. I don't want to get that taken away [for violating school policy]."

He added, "But that meeting gave me a good feeling because I knew I'd earned it. And, as you can see, I've worked my way back to being an important member of the team."

Though Ryan controlled things early, Brown-Johnson put Roman ahead for good, at 16-15, by hitting a free throw 3:37 before halftime.

He was also part of what was likely the play of the night. In Ryan's offensive end, Shep Garner made a steal and whipped a pass far downcourt. With a leap across the baseline, Britton Lee gained control in midair and guided the ball to Brown-Johnson, whose layup made it 23-17.

Over the middle two quarters, Ryan was outscored, 24-9, and went almost 13 minutes without a field goal.

"It kind of frustrates you when your opponent is running possessions that last 45 seconds, even a minute," Brown-Johnson said. "You just have to keep your concentration. Pay attention to all those back cuts and stay near their shooters, and they have a lot of them."

During his time in exile, Brown-Johnson, who lives on 15th Street near Reed, in South Philly, worked extra hard even away from Roman.

"I'd get home and stay in my books until I fell asleep," he said.

For himself, for sure, but also for his father. Terry Johnson, a gritty guard, was a starter for Franklin Learning Center's 1993 Public League runners-up. He now hits all of Roman's games, offering encouragement mixed with a hint of instruction.

And the mentoring doesn't stop there.

"He wants to make sure I'm not just a good basketball player," Raquan said. "He wants me to be a good man when I get older."

Sticking with hoops, Brown-Johnson's future position is up for debate.

"I've grown 3 1/2 inches since freshman year," he said, "and the doctor told me I should be about 6-7 going into my senior year. I can see for myself that I keep getting taller and people keep telling me, too.

"It could be cool. I'd be better at post play, but still have my guard skills."

Thanks to Bryan Okolo (15 of his 20 points) and Christian Rivera (11 of 13), Ryan made a fourth-quarter rush and caused at least a hint of consternation. Garner (22 total points) and Shafeek Taylor (nine points, eight rebounds) helped to keep the Raiders at arm's length. Well, elbow's length.

Meanwhile, Algebra II is going well for Brown-Johnson.

"I've done all the hard work," he said. "Now I walk in there confident."