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What’s the worst thing about a championship drought?
Is it the numerous losses, or the notion the team becomes an afterthought over a long period of time?
Following a 49-year hiatus, Neumann-Goretti’s baseball fans, players and coaches are no longer pondering over the agony of defeat.
The boys from 10th and Moore streets are celebrating not one, but two crowning moments. The first, and the biggest, came in the May 26 Catholic League title game against La Salle, which the Saints won 3-1 in eight innings.
"Our mindset was unfinished business from last year. We were six outs away from going to the championship," coach Lou Spadaccini said. "We bought two different T-shirts this year. In the fall, we wore T-shirts that had ‘Unfinished Business’ on the back. In the spring, we wore T-shirts that had a target on the back because I knew we would be targeted throughout the season."
The last time the South Philadelphia school won the league title, gas was 31 cents per gallon, the school was on 26th and Moore Streets and it was called Bishop Neumann and no player or coach on the current roster was born. Since then, the school has gone through two name changes, including a merge with St. Maria Goretti, the Philadelphia Phillies won two World Series and Veterans Stadium was imploded.
But in its debut season as Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District 12 members, the squad had little time to celebrate with the Class AAA City title game taking place two days later. This one was a little more lopsided, with the local boys crushing Public League representative Franklin Towne Charter in a four-inning contest. Reno Regalbuto surrendered just four hits while striking out eight.
The final leg of the championship journey took the Saints to Pine Grove for Monday’s state tournament opener against Blue Mountain, in which the South Philly squad won 8-4. Pitcher Al Baur tossed a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Offensively, Dom Riverso’s two-run triple in the eighth put the Saints ahead for good. Joey Armata also delivered with three hits and two RBIs.
The squad hits the road again for today’s noon quarterfinal against Twin Valley at Spring-Ford. The final four advance to Monday’s semifinal round with the championship game taking place 1 p.m. June 12 at Altoona’s Blair County Park.
Neumann-Goretti entered the playoffs with a 13-3 record and boasted four First Team All-Catholics to boot, including last year’s Blue Division MVP Mark Donato. His pitching helped propel the Saints to the top of the Catholic League mountain. In the league final, the lefty tossed a four-hit complete game with 10 strikeouts.
To advance, the squad needed to eliminate reigning champ St. Joe’s Prep in a revenge outing from the 2008 playoffs. The team outlasted the Catholic League champions with a 10-9 come-from-behind victory.
"The St. Joe’s Prep victory was an emotional win for us. They were the two-time defending Catholic League champions," Spadaccini said. "The team coming back showed the heart of our kids. Once we won that game, I told people that we wouldn’t lose another game. The kids proved me right."
It gave the program its first championship appearance in 14 years. In 1995, the squad then known as Neumann, lost the final 5-3 to North Catholic. This time around, the Saints looked and played the part of a championship team all season and throughout the playoffs.
"I think the expectations got to the team. At the midpoint of the season, the team got better. The team put in hard work and played loose and it showed," the coach said.
No matter what happens the rest of the way, Nuemann-Goretti can say it exercised ghosts of seasons past thanks to those long-awaited championships. In his short time at the helm, Spadaccini transformed a 3-18 team in his first season to league and city champs in his third.
"I have the most loyal group of kids you can find," he said. "These kids have the biggest hearts I’ve ever seen."
In other state playoff action, the Girard Academic Music Program Pioneers dropped its Class A state tournament opener against Camp Hill, 6-0. The High School for Creative and Performing Arts softball team also made an early exit, dropping Monday’s Class AAA opener to Bethlehem Catholic, 15-0.
Friday, the school’s boys’ volleyball team, representing District 12 in states, lost 3-0 to Manheim Central.
