Meet the Knights

There are a couple of theories when you approach Columbia’s PIAA playoff opener on Saturday against Strawberry Mansion.

First, had Columbia lost its District Three consolation game with Milton Hershey, they may have had a better draw. That draw would have been a play-in earlier this week against Christopher Dock (10-17) and then a battle against Holy Cross, the District 2 champ.

But, Columbia won and qualified for the state playoffs.

Secondly, it’s the state playoffs and you are going to have to play the best eventually.

So with that, let’s meet the Knights from Strawberry Mansion, the District 12 champs and perhaps the best Class AA team in the state.

The Knights coached by Gerald Hendricks bring a 19-5 record into Saturday’s game, having lost in the semi-finals of the Philadelphia Public League championship to Communciations Tech, 68-62.

To better understand, the Public League playoffs are actually the District 12 playoffs. All the public league teams play in their own class and advance by winning. In those playoffs, the Knights beat the Hope Charter School, 113-87, Prep Charter, maybe the second or third best team in the east, 66-53 and Imhotep Charter (see second or third best team in the east), 82-78.

Its over four losses are to Chester, 82-76. The Clippers are ranked in the top 10 in the nation; Glenn Mills, Prep Charter (non-league), Archbishop Carroll and Philly North Catholic.

Until losing to Communications Tech, the Knights had won 15 straight games.

The Knights, however, won’t be at full strength for the game. One of their starting guards, Marcus “Worm” Johnson suffered a broken leg in a pick-up game, the day before Mansion beat Imhotep.

Dwayne Davis is the team’s leading scorer at 23 points a game and he stands 6-4. The Knights are probably as big as Trinity, the team that beat the Tide in the District Three playoffs. Up front, look for 6-4 Eddie Frazier and 6-7 Devon White to bang the boards and try to dominate the paint. Another player to watch is Isaac Bradford, a lighting quick guard, who is only 5-10. The fifth player to watch is six-foot guard Darren Lawrence.

Fan buses are in question

As of 11:30 a.m., this morning, the school and the booster club are working out issues regarding fan buses to Saturday's game.

The cost of renting a bus for the trip is $500, but there are liability issues that concerns the school district.

Any info on fan buses will be posted here, or through other newspapers, or on the school web site.

If a business wants to sponsor a bus, or part of a bus, call the school.

It's really a shame, I think, that there are a number of fans, who have supported the team all year and won't be able to travel to the game without a bus.

Saturday's game

There is three o'clock game on Saturday at the Boys' 4-A level between Frankford and Ridley.

I've been told that parking is really limited at South Philadelphia High School.

Later today, I will post information concerning tickets, directions and the possibility of a fan bus or buses to the game.

Students should support their own

You probably won’t find a bigger backer of students and student/athletes than myself.

I love it when a student section at a particular school pulls together, rooting and dressing the part of a supportive student body.

In my travels across District 3 and the state for the last 30 years or so, I’ve seen some great student groups and some I wonder how they got away with what they did.

But at the same time, they are just students, anywhere between say 12 and 18 and as the old television show once said, “children say the darndest things.”

How true!

I believe schools with large student sections, who know the proper way to cheer for their teams, etc., are often worth a couple of points or can be the sixth or 12th man at games.

But there’s one thing I don’t really like is when students criticize other students for what they are doing on the court, field or mat. Sure, some of them may play the game and may understand what it takes to compete. Others, are probably clueless.

The same can probably be said for some adults at games as well. More often than not, some of the adults are more clueless than the students.

And like some of the students, the adults don’t think about harm they can cause by their comments. I just chalk that up to being stupid or ignorant on the part of the adults.

But with the students, that’s another story. They should be supportive of their classmates and cheer loudly for their success. Not become vocal in a harmful way when players aren’t shooting well, playing defense or rebounding, etc., etc., etc.

The criticism on an athlete’s performance should come from a coach, not from a fellow student. That’s when the imaginary line has been crossed.

That’s when problems start and tends to get hostile.

And when it gets to that level, its time for students to step back and consider not coming to the games. Or, if they want to continue to set the tone with their negative comments, then I think schools must step in and ban them from the games.

It really saddens to to here that there are students out there that would criticize one of their own, when the player is out there giving their all and hustling all over the place for not only themselves, but their teammates, the school and their town as well.

Again, more often than not those with the massive vocal cords are not “players,” but ones who wish they were.

It’s really sad that this goes on and needs to stop.