It was one for the books.
The winter season lasted well into the spring this year because the Father Judge High School basketball team played into the final weekend of March when it went on to win the state championship. This was weeks after it secured a Catholic League crown.
But the Crusaders weren’t the only team who lit things up this year.
It was a great winter full of great achievements and today we celebrate some of the finest.
The following athletes, along with our fall athletes, spring athletes and overall winners, will be honored May 14 at the 39th annual Northeast Times sports banquet. The fall winners were announced earlier this year, the spring and overall winners will soon be announced.
The banquet will be held at the Emerald Room, 14002 McNulty Road, in the Far Northeast. Tickets are available online.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Catholic League Player of Year
Derrick Morton-Rivera
Father Judge
The Crusaders were loaded with talent at just about every position, but whenever they needed a big bucket, they went to their junior guard.
The sharpshooter was one of the top long-range snipers in the Catholic League, and he also worked himself into a much better all-around offensive player and defensive player. He also became the first Crusader to reach 1,000 points prior to his senior year.
Next year, he’ll return to help the Crusaders defend the Catholic League championship, as well as the state championship.
Public League Player of the Year
Iaaz Kornegay
Samuel Fels
This was an emotional year for the Panthers, but one that became a great one for the program. Fels not only won 19 games, it went on a 10-game winning streak that lasted until the Public League championship game.
Kornegay did his part, averaging 17.2 points per game and leading the team with 15 rebounds per game. The forward also was one of the better defenders in the Public League, which was one of Fels’ strengths.
While the Panthers were a veteran team, they’ll return Kornegay, giving them a great starting point for next year.
Coach of the Year
Chris Roantree
Father Judge
The Crusaders made history this year, and they did it while competing in one of the toughest Catholic League seasons in recent memory.
Judge finished 24-7 and won the Catholic League championship and the Class 6A state championship. In both games, the Crusaders knocked off a very good Roman Catholic squad, a team Judge defeated three times this year. It also twice defeated Imhotep Charter, defeating the Panthers in the regular season and again in the state playoffs.
This year marked the first time in 27 years Judge won a Catholic League championship. The last time Judge won, Roantree was a player on the team.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Catholic League Player of the Year
Luca D’Andrea
St. Hubert
The Bambies had a very young team, but whenever they needed a lift, they turned to their senior.
On top of being a great leader for the underclassmen, she was a very good basketball player.
D’Andrea played 30 minutes a game, meaning she rarely came off the floor. She scored 12.4 points per game, pulled down 9.4 rebounds per game and handed out 3.5 assists per game. She was also one of the top defenders, chipping in with 3.7 steals per game and blocking 1.4 shots per game.
Public League Player of the Year
Janeliss Laboy
Frankford
The Pioneers danced all the way to the sweet 16 of the Public League and their veteran leader was the main key to it all.
Though only a junior, the two-time captain averaged 17.9 points per game, grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game and was one of the best defenders in the league, grabbing 5.9 steals per game. She also averaged 3.5 assists per game, which helped her teammates get going.
Not only is she a star on the floor, she’s a star in the classroom where she’s a member of the National Honor Society. She’ll return next year for the Pioneers.
Coach of the Year
Jonathan Michels
Frankford
The Pioneers were expected to be a year away from being a top team. The roster had talent, but with just one senior, it looked like this year would be about getting better.
But this wasn’t a rebuilding year. This was a year worth remembering.
The Pioneers went undefeated in the Public League Liberty Division, and went on to play in the Sweet 16 of the Public League playoffs.
Michels made all the right calls for his team, and it bodes well for next year. Frankford will see just one member of this year’s team graduating, so the Pioneers will return an experienced roster next year.
WRESTLING
Catholic League Wrestler of the Year
Liam Carr
Archbishop Ryan
The Raiders had a big reason to celebrate at the District 12 tournament this year. Despite having a rough year in the Catholic League, Liam Carr brought home a District 12 championship for the Raiders and did so in convincing fashion.
The sophomore 121-pounder went 3-0 at the tournament, winning his first match by tech fall before pinning his final two foes of the afternoon.
Overall, Carr went 29-10 on the season with 18 pins and six victories by tech fall.
While he didn’t place at regionals, he did gain valuable experience as he heads into his junior year with 48 career wins.
Public League Wrestler of the Year
Luis Desilva
Frankford
Advancing to states in wrestling is no easy task. It’s even more challenging when coming out of the Public League, where you don’t always get consistent opposition during the regular season.
Luis Desilva did just that. The Frankford 152-pounder, wrestling in a very competitive weight class, took fifth place in the PIAA AAA Northeast Regional. And he did so by knocking off two very tough Catholic League wrestlers, Gianni Primavera (La Salle) and Rocco Trivelli (Roman). The win over the Cahillite avenged a loss in the district championship.
DeSilva advanced to regionals three times during his career, but this year was the first time he placed. He ended his career 42-12.
Coach of the Year
Mike Siravo
Northeast
There are times every year where the Vikings look vulnerable.
There are times when Northeast looks like they’re going to be in for a long season. And it’s usually not a shock to Mike Siravo.
The Northeast coach loads up his schedule with matchups against some of the toughest teams around. They join tough tournaments and take their lumps early in the season. It almost always pays off later.
This year, it did again when Northeast once again won the Public League championship. Despite having a young team and battling the injury bug, the Vikings went 5-0 in Public League play and once again danced to the championship.
Northeast also went on to win the team title at the Public League individual tournament and brought home five Public League champions after six wrestlers made the championship.
SWIMMING
Boys Swimmer of the Year
Oleksandr Zholob
Philadelphia Academy Charter
Ever since he arrived in high school, Oleksandr Zholob has been one of the best swimmers in the area. And that’s despite not having a high school team to work out with.
The Penn Charter-club swimmer represents Philadelphia Academy Charter, which has no team.
Not only did he qualify for the PIAA state championship, he took second in the 100-yard breaststroke. He finished the event in 56.19 seconds.
While his best event is the breaststroke, he’s also one of the top competitors in the 100-yard freestyle race and the 100-yard backstroke.
Girls Swimmer of the Year
Gina Paczewski
Archbishop Ryan
Being the best in the district is a huge accomplishment. It’s even better to be the best in two events.
That was the case with Gina Paczewski, who won gold medals in both the Catholic League and District 12 meets in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. The Ragdoll also was a part of two relay teams that brought home gold medals.
Paczewski, a junior, also came up big in the state meet, finishing 24th in Pennsylvania in the 200-yard freestyle and 13th in the 500 freestyle.
Coach of the Year
Ed Roussel and T.J. Farrell
Nazareth Academy
The Pandas’ coaches have certainly made their mark on the Catholic League.
Since joining the league two years ago, Nazareth Academy won two straight PCL girls swimming championships. The Pandas are also two-time District 12 champions, meaning for two years, they’ve been the best team in the city.
Nine Nazareth swimmers were named first-team All-Catholic, including three freshmen, and three earned second-team honors.
The coaches, who also guide the Holy Ghost Prep swim team, should return enough talent to be right back in the mix next year in both the PCL and District 12.
