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When the final buzzer sounded Feb. 11 at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., Nicolette Peccina and her teammates from St. Pio Regional Catholic School, 1826 Pollock St., needed no suggestions on how to revel in yet another triumph.
“We all freaked out because we were so happy,” the eighth-grader said Tuesday. “Even though we were nervous, we still won and that’s what matters.”
The resident of 18th Street and Oregon Avenue and her 11 peers comprise the varsity Catholic Youth Organization basketball squad for St. Richard, the former name of their Marconi elementary institution. Facing anxiety and a stern test from Our Lady of Hope Regional Catholic School, 1248 Jackson St., they claimed a 13-12 win at the East Passyunk Crossing site to seal their third-straight Region 6 championship and undefeated campaign.
“We played relaxed all year and even with our history, we couldn’t calm down for most of the night,” eighth-grader Alexandra Arrigale said. “You might even say we were lucky to win.”
The resident of the 2900 block of South 15th Street, who has accumulated a plethora of hoops knowledge courtesy of her father, Carl Arrigale, the boys’ varsity coach at Neumann-Goretti, capped St. Richard’s scoring with a fourth-quarter free throw and watched breathlessly as an Our Lady of Hope player missed a pair of charity-stripe attempts in the final seconds to incite her unit’s celebration. Alexandra had notched 17 points in Feb. 9’s 34-22 win over St. Gabriel School, 2917 Dickinson St., at Neumann-Goretti, as her contemporaries sustained their faith in giving the ball “to the tall girl,” but the go-to athlete struggled. Despite that, the ballers showed they are not a one-trick pony, relying on an ego-free style that helped ingratiate themselves with first-year varsity coach Lynn West.
“She has had us involve everyone in the offense and made us even better players,” eighth-grader Dominique Giancaterino, of the 1700 block of Stocker Street, said of the advisor, who succeeded Letty Santarelli, now leading the girls’ varsity program at Neumann-Goretti.
West had instructed the junior varsity unit before assuming her duties and joined her predecessor as an esteemed voice, with varied defensive and offensive sets helping her youngsters to become what eighth-grader Dana Albanese, of the 2900 block of South 16th Street, saw as “the team to beat.”
“We weren’t down in many games, but when we would be, we played more aggressive,” eighth-grader Bridget Miller, of 18th Street and Oregon Avenue, said.
Along their way to an 18-0 Region 6 slate, the girls found their friendships growing in direct proportion to their leads, with each blowout encouraging them to believe more in their ability to become close chums who value sharing than in their chances to be perfect performers.
“We’ve played together forever, so we’re very close,” Amanda Armata, of the 1700 block of Stocker Street, said. “If we lose, it’s not the end of the world.”
The eighth-grader’s team and recent varsity squads have not needed to become accustomed to accepting consoling handshakes, as this year’s blemish-free run brings St. Richard’s five-year CYO record to 87-1. The current group also frolicked in late December, winning the Dan Perillo Tournament at St. Monica School, 16th and Porter streets, proving their three-days-a-week practice schedule at Palumbo Recreation Center, 700 S. Ninth St., their home court, is well worth appreciating and maximizing.
Most of the roster members have gained additional acumen through involvement in Philly Girls Got Game, an organization that uses basketball as the centerpiece of a motivational campaign for area females and that enlists Santarelli, of the 2900 block of South Broad Street, as its outreach director. Softball and volleyball also appeal to many of them, with the Delaware Valley Youth Athletic Association, 2840 S. 18th St., serving as another location for their commitment to being reliable competitors and persistent pals.
As for their basketball bravado, the girls are waiting to learn whom and where they will play in Saturday’s City regional tournament, where they will look to build upon last year’s second-round result. No matter the outcome, the team’s outgoing contributors have enjoyed furthering their school’s reputation as a producer of selfless athletes and have set up their younger friends for a chance at a four-peat and even greater acclaim.
“I’m a little nervous,” seventh-grader Deanna Sansone, of the 2900 block of South Cleveland Street, said. “We’ve learned well, though, so we should be OK.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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