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Ja’Quan Newton will likely never suffer from a lack of confidence if one uses his Monday evening heroics at the famed Palestra as proof of his poise. The sophomore guard concluded a breathtaking Catholic League Final by hitting two last-second free throws to secure a 59-57 victory for the Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School Saints, 1736 S. 10th St. The overtime classic garnered the East Passyunk Crossing representatives their fourth consecutive league crown and 70th-straight conquest of parochial adversaries.
“I’m a big-time player, and big-time players make big-time plays,” Newton, a First-Team All-Catholic honoree, said of his drive to the bucket that presented him with the opportunity to play his squad’s savior.
The Southwest Philadelphian led all scorers with 21 points, with his biggest scratches deflating his North Philadelphia-based opponents’ attempt to end his school’s impressive streaks. The charity stripe successes, though individual accomplishments, also solidified his status as a key figure among a resolute set of teenagers.
“This is a composed group of confident kids,” coach Carl Arrigale, a resident of the 2900 block of South 15th Street, who hoisted his eighth championship plaque, said. “Ja’Quan came up huge and is going to be a big part of our foundation moving forward.”
Their team will look to build on its 23-3 mark tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. when facing Boys’ Latin for the PIAA District 12 Class AAA title at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St. It also will see if it will again need to test its ability to make a game’s final stages dramatic gut checks.
If the Saints had felt any pressure before tipoff, they hid their feelings well, as they joked and viewed the girls’ title clash. Like a general inspecting a battle plan, Arrigale consulted notes before addressing his athletes.
“Do not approach this game with a sense of entitlement,” he said, well aware of the hype that had developed based on their previous wins, including Feb. 10’s 66-53 road thumping of Speedy Morris’ ballers. “Impose your will immediately.”
Great listeners, his charges charged to an 11-0 lead, with Newton registering five of his nine first-quarter scores in the first three minutes. Their shooting cooled and the Prep’s heated up, as offensive rebounds led to baskets that diminished the deficit. After the first frame, the Saints held a 17-12 edge, and senior forward Derrick Stewart, another First-Team pick and a future fixture for Rider University, sought to prove his perimeter prowess.
Having never needed to be a massive scoring option because strong supporting casts have always surrounded him, the Upper Darby dweller nevertheless has prided himself on his offensive maturation. His two three-pointers and another triple from Newton gave the Saints their only second quarter tallies. Four missed three throws from senior guard La’Quan Coaxum and junior forward John Davis, another First-Team member, aided their foes’ comeback, as did six turnovers. The Saints escaped with a 26-22 advantage, gaining plaudits from Arrigale for holding Prep star guard Stephen Vasturia, the league’s MVP, scoreless. Davis, however, also failed to have his name join the scoring sheet, so the halftime reflections included calls for him and his mates to move the ball more for inside looks.
“I need 16 more hard minutes out of you,” Arrigale said to his gang. “Be smart out there.”
The Prep has honed a reputation as a producer of intellectual heavyweights, and Vasturia and company began in the second half to show their brains were well-equipped to overcome the Saints’ cushion. Davis, of Fourth Street and Washington Avenue, displayed his athleticism by skying for rebounds and amassing six points.
The Prep nearly ended the Saints’ Catholic League run in a thrilling contest last February and seemed poised to make defeat for its counterparts a certainty. Its defenders stood tall against Stewart, the only other Saint to score in the quarter, and made enough outside shots and inside tries to craft a 37-34 bulge after three sessions.
Neumann-Goretti’s fan and student sections yearned not to witness infamous history and bolstered their support when failed Prep three-pointers sent their boys on fast breaks. Frenetic action produced four ties, with Coaxum, the lone Saints’ substitute to appear, depositing six of his band’s 14 final-frame points. Newton earned a late chance to pressure the Prep yet made only one of two free throws to give his team a 48-47 cushion with 35 ticks left.
Saints’ supporters had to have heightened heart rates, as a foul sent the Prep’s Gene Williams to the line for two shots with only 17 seconds to go. He nailed the first but bricked the other and retreated on defense to try to keep the patrons present for an overtime decider. Newton scurried to the goal, but his 10-foot right-side jumper failed to find the net and guaranteed another four minutes of action.
The sophomore registered his team’s first score to level the game at 50-50 and converted an interior shot to restore the lead. A Davis three-point play made the lead five, but the Prep responded with a deuce. A steal sent Williams in for what looked like an easy lay-up, but Newton, showing amazing hops that had his team’s fans in awe, swatted the shot.
The Saints sprang for a fast break, with senior guard Billy Shank, a Second-Team selection, scoring to up the edge to five again. Five straight Prep points again knotted the score and set up Newton for his momentous visit to the line.
“Coach Carl didn’t say I had to try to take over the game, but I knew it was me who could make a difference,” he said.
His first nearly fell out but dropped to much applause. His second was a rainbow that left the Prep 1.3 seconds to muster something. When an attempt failed, jubilation sent the Saints on a joyous reflection of their historic run. Only Roman Catholic, with titles from 1989 through 1994, have proven more potent.
Chants and cheers crafted smiles that grew brighter as the ever-popular net cutting ceremony gave each Saint another reminder of his contributions.
“It’s always good to be versatile,” Stewart, who finished with 13 points, said of stepping beyond the arc. “This year I grew as a player and let that growth continue tonight.”
He and Shank collected the final snips and joined their mates in running with the plaque to the student section.
“I really wanted this one for Billy and Derrick,” Arrigale said of the senior stars. “We didn’t get rattled and that’s a testament to their self-belief. This feels really rewarding.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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