Natural rivals bond at right time for Catholic League stars
PHILADELPHIA >> In every sense of the word, no one needs a reminder as to just how parochial the Philadelphia Catholic League can be.
Battle lines are drawn, from elementary to high school, that endure and help define a person for a lifetime — sadly, in some cases, beyond the lifespan of said institutions.
The league’s tribalism is a boon in the process of fleshing out a Carpenter Cup Classic each year. In the 31st edition of the all-star competition, it’s landed the Catholic League in Friday’s final against Suburban One American/Continental at 10 a.m. at Citizens Bank Park.
The depth of the Catholic League’s roster is merely an extension of the internal competitiveness that powers the league during the season. Players from each team channel those competitive juices and vie to represent their schools most prominently in the tournament. After the league title has been decided, there’s still the good-natured race to prove who has the most impressive individuals for the Carpenter Cup stage.
“It’s pretty cool that we almost hate each other during year,” said Bonner & Prendergast catcher Steve Furman, a senior playing in his third Carpenter Cup. “There’s not really any other choice. But when you get here, it’s just like all your friends together back on the bench, year-in and year-out.”
Particularly with certain programs, the factionalism encourages the best players on each team to pursue bragging rights in the construction of the team. This year’s squad features five from Neumann-Goretti, four each from Roman Catholic and Bonner and three apiece from La Salle, Archbishop Wood and Archbishop Carroll.
“I don’t know why some other people wouldn’t want to,” Neumann-Goretti senior pitcher Ethan Pritchett said. “It’s great. Why wouldn’t you want to play in this? We’re at Citizens Bank Park. We want to send the best guys we have, and we want to represent Neumann well.”
One of the Catholic League’s biggest challenges is striking a balance with the end of the PIAA tournament, in which Catholic League squads like La Salle and Neumann have traditionally fared well. The Catholics this season played without the Neumann-Goretti contingent until the quarterfinals, a day after the Saints clinched the PIAA Class AA title.
In that way, the Carpenter Cup provides a decompressing transition from the high school season to the summer, a kind of scholastic baseball stepdown program.
But it’s also a chance for the Catholic League players to unite. Though arguably the two best players in the Catholic League — league MVP Dan Hammer of Father Judge and Archbishop Wood’s Joey Lancellotti — passed on the tournament, nine of 13 first-team All-Catholic selections are on the roster, along with five second-teamers.
Achievement in the Carpenter Cup serves as a surrogate for many players. Neumann-Goretti, which won the Catholic League tournament, was the only league team to win a PIAA tournament game. For teams like Bonner, it’s the last chance to add a piece of a title.
“I love it,” said first baseman Tim Dougherty, who supplied the game-winning RBI in the top of the ninth in Tuesday’s semifinal. “My Bonner team, we made a nice run, but I’m actually going to get to play in a championship.”
SOL A/C, which edged Delaware County 5-4 Tuesday to advance to the final, is in search of the franchise’s first championship. The Catholic League has won the Carpenter Cup three times, the last coming in 2005. The previous titles were long ago in 1987 and 1990.
No one captures the Catholic League sentiment quite like Furman. He professed his desire to win a championship after Tuesday’s semifinals … and he did so in a quintessentially Catholic League way.
“It’s definitely awesome,” he said. “Personally, the Neumann guys have already gotten three championships this year. But at Bonner, we didn’t win one. So this will kind of not be as great as a PCL plaque, but it would definitely fill the void a little bit.”
