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When the Neumann-Goretti baseball team closed out its 2007 Catholic League season with a 3-18 record, first-year coach Lou Spadaccini wasn’t discouraged.
After dropping the 18th game, he told his squad the losing times were in the past. This former First Team All-City and All-Catholic Neumann baseball standout saw so much potential in his young players he promised them the ’08 season would be a successful one.
"I said no matter what happens [in ’07], you’ve got to believe we are going to turn it around next year," Spadaccini, 33, said. "I promise you next year that you are going to be in the playoffs and be the first [Neumann/Neumann-Goretti] team that makes it in 11 years."
In ’08, the South Philly squad finished second in the Catholic League Blue standings with an 11-3 record and 15-5 overall mark. More importantly, Spadaccini proved to be a coach of his word as the Saints didn’t just make the Catholic League playoffs, they defeated La Salle 1-0 in the quarterfinals and fell six outs shy of advancing to their first title match since 1995. The team was eliminated 5-1 by eventual champs St. Joe’s Prep in last month’s semifinal round.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed; Spadaccini was named Catholic League Blue Coach of the Year. To the man who put the Neumann-Goretti baseball program back on the South Philly and Catholic League map goes Review Coach of the Year honors.
Spadaccini, who graduated in ’92, couldn’t think of a better place to find success as a high school coach. As a center fielder and pitcher for Neumann, he made three-straight trips to the Catholic League playoffs.
"This program did a lot for me," he said of Neumann. "I had a lot of good times as a high school student. A lot of good people did a lot of good things for me at this school."
The coach earned a baseball scholarship to Temple University and played for the legendary Skip Wilson, who the Saints’ coach credits for "teaching me how to play the game the right way." His father Louis Sr. also provided a lot of motivation during his early years as a player. Returning one day as a head coach, however, is a scenario Spadaccini didn’t see coming.
"If you would’ve told me 10 years ago that I would be coaching at my alma mater and taking a program that was down in the dumps and bringing it back to where it used to be, I would’ve laughed at you," he said.
It takes more than good coaching to make a program competitive in the Catholic League. Hard work, dedication and talent also were key to recreating that winning formula.
"I just laid the foundation and these kids did everything else," Spadaccini said. "They wanted to work hard enough and they believed in what I was telling them. That was the most important thing, getting them to believe we could win again."
Before taking the Neumann-Goretti job, Spadaccini was quite familiar with many of his athletes when they were 10 and playing for the South Philadelphia-based Senators National team. Several went on to earn All-Catholic honors, including a Catholic League Blue MVP winner in Mark Donato. The first baseman/pitcher was a First Team selection at both positions.
When the Catholic League season ends, the Saints don’t stop. Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures hovering close to 100, they were at 26th and Moore streets practicing. Every player on the roster showed up and no one complained about the heat.
Neumann-Goretti also will compete in a wooden bat league during June and July, followed by a conditioning program in the fall and winter.
"When I say we outwork everybody, there aren’t a whole lot of teams out in this weather right now," he said.
Spadaccini, who is an assistant coach on this year’s Catholic League Carpenter Cup team, said he has such a close bond with his players that they are constantly texting him with holiday wishes and other messages.
Now that Spadaccini has delivered on his first promise, he is looking to guide the Saints to the next rung of the championship ladder.
"It’s nice to play the underdog role, and we had that all year," the coach said. "There are going to be no surprises next year. We are going to be one of the top teams in the city."
Runners-up
George Anderson, Southern basketball
The boys’ team finished two wins shy of advancing to its first-ever Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association AAAA championship match. Anderson earns consideration for leading a very young squad, with only two senior starters, to the elite eight of states. The two state tournament victories set a new standard as the ’07 squad was eliminated by Chester in the second round. Anderson also finally broke through the blockade of Simon Gratz, a team the coach had never defeated in his 15 seasons with the Rams. They advanced to face Frankford in the semifinals, but fell, 81-76.
John Hecker, CAPA softball
In the May 22 Review, Hecker said, "No one is more shocked than I am. I can’t figure it out," following CAPA’s 13-6 victory over Washington in the Public League semifinals. The Pegasus advanced to their first league championship match where they fell 10-5 to Central. Add the Public League District 12 AAA crown and Hecker earned some serious consideration for Coach of the Year.
Tom DeFelice, Bok football
Even with all the challenges of not having a home field, DeFelice had no problem getting his troops motivated for battle as his Wildcats captured a fourth-straight PIAA District 12 Class AAA crown. This time around, 11-1 Bok passed on states to compete in its first league title match since 1999, where its lost 34-6 to Washington. DeFelice picked up his 100th career victory against Central.
Male and Female Athlete of the Year winners will be announced June 26.
