Neumann-Goretti has best athletic department in PA

Congratulations go out to Neumann-Goretti High School in South Philly -- its athletic department was named best in the state by si.com.

This honor is a great way to recognize the hard work of athletic director Chip Reitano and his staff as well as the coaches, administrators, school faculty and athletes there.

There are over 800 high schools in PA! What an amazing feat, not only for Neumann-Goretti but for Catholic education in general!

Read the list of the top athletic programs in the country HERE.

Some more all-stars

In the CS&T's high school graduation issue on June 4, the names of all-stars in the Catholic League (and other leagues high schools in our Archdiocese belong to) were published. Not every school participated, unfortunately, and some were left out. Archbishop Ryan missed the deadline, so I thought I'd post the names of their all-star athletes here...better late than never!
Hopefully, next year I'll have a system that works better and no one will be left out!

Archbishop Ryan All-Catholics 2008-09

Russ Slawter, football, basketball, track and field
Rich Verrell, football
Matt Yabor, football
Ed Eliason, bowling
Bryan Landis, tennis
Lindsay Ward, tennis
Nicole Gatto, bowling
Brittany Frazer, bowling
Mary Sharp, bowling
Vicki Bispels, bowling
Vince Boyle, golf
Jon Burns, golf
Kyle Hunter, golf
Dan Pettit, soccer
Tim Stahl, soccerr
Fran Nelms, soccer
Henry Gonzalez, soccer
Dan Panepresso, soccer
Megan Tole, basketball
Jess Koci, basketball
Sarah Strybuc, basketball
Kelli Jerdan, softball
Katlyn Dinger, softball
Amanda Shaw, softball
Kristina Ostaszewski, softball
Stephanie McNesby, lacrosse
Jess Maloney, lacrosse
Sarah Means, lacrosse
Megan Tole, soccer
Amanda Johnson, soccer
Brittany Palmer, soccer
Corinne Retter, soccer
Jessica Roci, soccer
Christina Zambito, soccer
Anna Saklad, soccer
Anthony Keiter, basketball
Jon Schmidt, baseball
Tom Neeley, baseball
Roy Bakeoven, lacrosse
Kevin Gardner, lacrosse
Frank Seibert, lacrosse
Matt Vizza, lacrosse
Bill Beck, lacrosse
Sean Fadula, lacrosse
Joe Henry, lacrosse
Tim Ott, lacrosse
Marissa Perez, field hockey
Caitlyn McKeown, field hockey
Lisa English, volleyball
Kate Kutchera, voleyball
Kieran Hennessy, cross country, indoor track
Criag Gonzaga, cross country
Kelly Clavin, cross country
Sue Whitqworth, cross country
Joanna Shen, cross country
Leon Wormley, indoor track, track and field
Ben Badilla, indoor track
Rick Berrall, indoor track, track and field
Tamisha Thomas, indoor track, track and field
Deirdra O'Leary, indoor track, track and field
Alyssa Hanley, indoor track
Dorcas Sovgui, indoor track
Alyssa Hanley, indoor track
Andrew DeSanto, track and field

Good luck grads

I graduated from high school on June 7, 2001 -- my 18th birthday. It was very fitting to make the transition from high school into what I thought was the "real world" on the day I legally became an adult.

I'm an extremely emotional person, but I didn't shed a tear at graduation; not even after my Prendie classmates, some of whom I haven't seen since, serenaded me with "Happy Birthday" before the ceremony began. I guess it's because I knew I had a lot to look forward to. Although it was hard to say gooodbye to the comforts of high school life, I was confident there was more for me to experience. So I walked forward, diploma in hand, and never looked back.

To read about the extraordinary accomplishments of the Class of 2009, read today's CS&T.

A few good men

This week's sport section features an article titled "Bonner baseball team learns winning isn't everything" by CS&T columnist John Knebels. He writes about the Friars participation in community service throughout the season and specifically describes their service project last Saturday at Don Guanella School. The school, run by archdiocesan Catholic Social Services, provides residential and rehabilitative services for boys ages 6-21 with developmental disabilites.

Accompanying the story are several touching photos taken by our staff photographer Sarah Webb. Upon seeing these photos for the first time, tears filled my eyes. These high school boys, who could be doing anything else on a Saturday, spent their afternoon playing softball with the DG boys. The genuine happiness in the Bonner boys' eyes is captured in every photo, not to mention the sheer joy displayed by the DG boys.

This experience, like any playoff win or memorable game, will stay with the Bonner boys for a lifetime. Their coach, Joe DeBarberie, and community service coordinator Trish Phillips, should be commended for remembering that winning isn't everything, and that much is to be learned off the field.

To browse the photo gallery or purchase photos from this special day, clicke HERE.

To read the story, click HERE.

Remembering 'The Voice'

Unfortunately for Philadelphians, this week got off to a rough start after it was announced that legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas suddenly passed away Monday afternoon in D.C. Harry the K , whose smooth, baritone voice was a fixture in living rooms, pick-up trucks and corner bars around the area, was found in the place that brought him decades of happiness -- the broadcast booth. Talk about a way to go ...

I can't think of much more to say that hasn't already been said about him. Borrowing words from countless articles and interviews that have surfaced this past week, the soundtrack to my summers is silenced and the voice of the Phils is gone. I'll never turn on a Phillies' game again without hearing his voice in my head.

I'm lucky to say that I did watch his last broadcast on Easter Sunday and was able to hear his last home run call when Matt Stairs hit one "outta here" in the ninth inning. I actually feel bad because my 7 year-old twin nephews, who recently became obsessed with all things Phillies, were jumping around and screaming with joy after the homer. I told them to cool it, that it wasn't the playoffs and that there's 150+ games to go this season.

Harry wouldn't have liked that to hear that, since he called every game with the same amount of enthusiam and passion, whether we were down by 5 or winning by 10, whether it was April or October. Things like this make you realize what we take for granted, and I vow never to quiet down a home run celebration again.

Along with the endless success hall-of-famer Harry Kalas had as a broadcaster, it's heartwarming to hear the memories those in the Delaware Valley and beyond have about him that occurred off the baseball diamond and outside the booth. Harry was truly a good man who had a real connection with us Philadelphia fans. Lots of sports media criticize us, Harry understood us.

Rest in peace, Harry. I'm sure you'll be looking down, calling the game with Whitey tonight. And I'm sure all of us will hear you in our hearts.

Vote for Philly's own Sister Mary Scullion!

Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M., is nominated for Time Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People.
VOTE HERE!

Sister Mary, 55, is co-founder of Project H.O.M.E., a homeless shelter in Philadlephia. According to its web site,

"The mission of the Project H.O.M.E. community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.

"We believe that all persons are entitled to decent, affordable housing and access to quality education, employment, and health care. "

Treating all people with respect and kindness was at the forefront of Jesus' mission. Sister Mary is surley living as a servant and disciple of Christ though her dedication to Project H.O.M.E.

Please, make sure to vote!

Carroll wins two state titles for PCL!

Congratulations to Archbishop Carroll's girls AND boys basketball teams!!! Both the boys and girls won the PIAA Class AAA titles in their respective divisions.

The boys beat Greensburg Salem 75-54 March 20.
The girls beat Lampeter-Strasburg 68-45 March 21.

Being our first year in the PIAA, this is the first time a Philadelphia Catholic League team has won a state title in any sport!

A parade will take place today on the school's campus in Radnor to celebrate this amazing achievement!