UPPER PROVIDENCE >> There were a lot of uncertainties about Pope John Paul II basketball before this season.
Last year, the Golden Panthers didn't make it to the District 1-4A title game for the first time in five years.
However, a combination of experienced senior leaders and new underclass contributors, along with a new coach in Earl Wise, overcame initial challenges to win the program’s first District title since 2021 and the right to host a state playoff game.
The Golden Panthers’ comeback season ended on Friday with a 53-49 overtime loss to Overbrook of District 12. The result showed that the program still has work to do but also highlighted the determination of the squad that brought PJP back from a rough start to the season.
“It’s tough to have a new coach in your senior year after playing for the same coach for so long,” said Wise.
“But I knew we would get it together, and towards the end of January we did just that. Better late than never, as they say.”
Unfortunately, that was also Overbrook’s Omar Davis’ mindset on Friday.
Davis, Overbrook's top scorer with 15.3 points per game in the regular season, had a rough start on Friday, with only two successful attempts out of his first twelve shots. His early foul trouble made matters worse.
However, starting from the final minute of the third quarter, the senior guard was unstoppable, contributing 20 of his total 25 points. His back-to-back 3-pointers at the start of the overtime period after a strong PJP rally secured the lead for Overbrook.
“I was rushing, and I think I got in my own head early,” said Davis. “My teammates were there for me, keeping my head up. In the end, we pulled it together and came out on top.”
The victorious Overbrook team mentioned that they were inspired by the energetic PJP student section.
“Everyone always talks about keeping your head, on and off the court,” said Davis. “And as long as we do that, I love playing here with the fans being so into it.”
The game was hard-fought from the beginning, with PJP taking a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. The quarter featured prolonged possessions, tough defense, and limited scoring chances for both teams.
The focus of the offense was the inside game for the first three quarters, with PJP’s Caleb Zavertnik and Overbrook’s Tahmiere Manning exchanging baskets.
Manning's seven blocks were a highlight of Overbrook's defensive effort, which allowed them to survive a slow offensive start in the first half and take the lead at the end of the third quarter with a score of 27-26.
Then Davis got hot.
“As a senior and a captain, it's my job to support my teammate (Davis),” said Manning. “I know what he's capable of, we just had to keep working, keep going, and he turned it around.”
Zavertnik led PJP with 17 points. The Golden Panthers closed a late seven-point gap through strong free throws and a Chase Mondillo 3-pointer to take the game into overtime.
Zavertnik said the year started off rough and many people didn't think they would get this far. He will always remember this season and the memories they made. He would advise the younger guys not to miss a moment because time flies by quickly.
Overbrook (13-13) moves forward to the second round on Tuesday where they will play against Scranton Prep from District 2, who beat Fleetwood of District 3.
Manning believes they have the potential to go far. When they play together as a team, they feel unstoppable.
PJP ends the season with a 12-12 record. Besides winning the District 1-4A championship against Bishop Shanahan, the team bounced back from a 3-8 start to finish the regular season with five consecutive wins. This streak continued in Districts, allowing them to enter Friday’s game on a seven-game winning streak.
Friday night marked the final game for seniors Dom DeMito, Caleb Zavertnik, Kevin Bustynowicz, and Chase Mondillo in the PJP uniform.
Wise summarized that the seniors worked extremely hard and fought, and they are the reason the team was able to regroup.
Teams should beware of them now. They believe that after a full off-season, they will be a real problem.
BOX SCORE
Overbrook — 3 14 10 13 13 — 53
Pope John Paul II — 7 13 6 14 9 — 49
Overbrook: Kelly 0 0-0 0, Davis 4 5 2-7 25, Hall 0 0-0 0, Manning 7 3-8 17, Jones 0 0-0 0, Warring 2 0-0 4, Belcher 2 1 0-0 7, Armstrong 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 6 5-15 53.
Pope John Paul II: Wise 2 0-1 4, Zavertnik 5 1 4-4 17, DeMito 1 5-6 7, Mondillo 0 3 1-2 10, Owens 1 0-4 2, Bass 2 0-0 4, Green 0 2-2 2, Reed 0 1 0-0 3. Totals 11 5 12-18 49.
