Vaux captures state Class A championship

HERSHEY - Nothing like a last memory that's also the best.

Yes, Roberts Vaux High will be closing its doors this June, but the basketball team made its final game oh-so-special by storming to a state championship.

In its seventh season of Public League membership, the former junior high, stationed at 23rd and Master in North Philly, used a 32-point outburst by superguard Rysheed Jordan, among other posiitives, to claim PIAA Class A honors Friday with 83-63 win over Johnsonburg (up toward Erie; not that close to it, though).

Soon, the question became, what will happen to the trophy?

"I'm keeping it!" coach Jamie Ross exclaimed, while laughing, above the locker-room din. "Hey, we're closing in June. I'm taking everything I can outta that place."

Jordan's reaction?

"He has to share it," he said. "He tells us we have to share the ball. He has to share the trophy!"

Moments earlier, in comments to his players, Ross had urged them, "Make sure you take this with you to the grave. I won mine 25 years ago, and I'm still talking about it."

In 1988, Ross was a star wing guard for Frankford. As the Pioneers claimed the Pub title, 71-64, over West Philadelphia, in four overtimes, Ross contributed 13 points and five assists before fouling out. He also posted 43 total points in the quarterfinals and semis.

Ross showed nonstop glee during the oncourt celebration, and then in the locker room, but he momentarily found himself at a loss for words when asked to pinpoint which title meant more.

"It still hasn't hit me," he said.

"I just know I'm so happy we did this. It means everything. This kids fought back so hard. After we lost the Pub final [to Imhotep Charter], people were saying bad things about my players and that I couldn't coach. They were even saying Rysheed was overrated. But we fought through it all. Look where we are now."

Johnsonburg, which played no one over 6-1, did cause some consternation. The Rams were frisky throughout the first half (five threes helped) and even claimed a 37-36 lead at the buzzer, as Frank Kocjancic twisted around a momentarily uninterested Jordan to convert a follow off a missed free throw.

"I saw it," Ross said. "I didn't ream him out. He knows me by now. I just gave him the look and he said, 'My fault.' "

Said Jordan, who insisted he'll make his college decision (Temple, St. John's or UCLA; no favorite; don't even ask) on April 15: "I knew I messed up. Wasn't worried about it, though. I still knew we'd beat them."

Then he proved himself correct. Jordan shot 7-for-8 in the second half en route to 16 points, and the only shot he missed was an errant try-to-guide-it off an alley-oop pass. His sophomore sidekick, Sammy Foreman, was just as impressive beyond intermission, likewise racking up 16 points.

The Cougars finished the third quarter with a 16-6 run, making the score 61-50, and there were no nervous moments in the fourth.

With 1 minute left, Jordan swooped in along the left baseline and wolfed down a hellacious dunk. As the Cougars surged toward their bench for a timeout, big-guy Trayvond Massenburg picked up swingman Amir Butler and almost squeezed the life out of him.

Massenburg, on a feed from Jordan, uncorked a reverse dunk at 33.1 . . . Deep sub Gregory Edwards, a senior fan favorite, hit two free throws at 17.2 and someone hollered, "MVP! MVP!" . . . As the buzzer sounded, another deep sub, William Taylor, whipped the ball about 40 feet in the air.

Then, that ball bounced across the court toward press row, and Ross came running after it. Like lightning. (OK, not really. More like a purposeful trot.)

"No way I wasn't getting that ball," he cracked.

The Cougars then received their medals, along with a gigantic Hershey Bar (Karon Snead and Lester Mattox) pretended to take bites out of it); the captains accepted the trophy; everyone enjoyed appearing on PCN's postgame show; a few guys scrambled into the stands to interact with fans; and a joyous surge was made down a hallway toward the locker room.

"I wanted two titles, really," Jordan said. "It hurt to not get the Pub, but this is great. This is the states. I've been looking for one of these my whole time at Vaux."

Overall, Jordan shot 14-for-20 and 4-for-6. He added six rebounds, four assists and five steals, and his final career point total stands at 1,817.

After exploding for 45 points in the Pub final, he managed only 24 total in the Cougars' first three state playoffs. Not a problem, he insisted.

"I was just concentrating more on rebounds and assists," he said. "I know people like me to score a lot, but I never just try to do that. I do what's needed."

Foreman finished with 22 points. Butler added nine points and six points, while Massenburg bounced for eight boards and four blocks.

Cameron Glumley (17), Cole Peterson and Kocjancic (11 apiece) topped Johnsonburg, which went 1-for-11 on treys beyond intermission.

"We came out heated in the second half," Jordan said. "Played lock-down defense."

Now, the Cougars can only hope that their coach doesn't lock away the trophy, then lose the key.

"I'm gonna need to see that sometimes," Jordan said.