Archbishop Carroll is playing for a championship Friday. It's not the championship the Patriots perennially focus on, but it's a championship nonetheless.

The end-all, be-all of the Catholic League is the league crown. If you don't win one, you're season is a failure. But when the CL joined the PIAA this season, suddenly there's another reason to play.

At Wednesday's practice, I asked a couple of the guys about whether they think their head coach - Paul Romanczuk, who played for the Carroll team that won the Catholic League title in 1995 - is enjoying this state-title push more than the league-title season during his playing career:

Junior guard D.J. Irving (pictured): "He talked about the Catholic League championship he had and how special it was for him. We couldn't get that for him, so hopefully we can get this one for him. I think this (stretch) has been more fun for him, as a coach."

Senior forward Pat Daly: "You might have to ask him about that. If I had to answer, I'd say yeah he is having more fun this year. He feels really close to this team. He believes in us and has been pulling for us. He wants to see us go out winners."

Senior captain Andre Wilburn: "He's excited. We're all excited. We just have to get up there and take care of business and win the medal."

In 32 minutes Friday night, Archbishop Carroll went from PIAA Class AAA dark horse to favorite in the state playoffs.

The Patriots did the unthinkable and dispatched Neumann-Goretti, 70-65, in a quarterfinal at Archbishop Ryan High School. They move on to the semifinal round against York Suburban.

To get there, the Patriots needed to beat a team they hadn't since 2001. The District 12 and Catholic League champs, the Saints held an 18-game winning streak over the Pats' heads. This is the same N-G team that is ranked No. 1 in the PIAA by the Harrisburg Patriot News and No. 14 nationally by ESPN. Even though Carroll is the state's No. 2 team, this is considered a monumental upset and a huge step forward for Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk's program.

D.J. Irving had 26 points, leading a quartet of Carroll scorers in double figures.

More to come in Saturday's Daily Times.

Wednesday was a big day for Archbishop Carroll and Strath Haven, which locked up PIAA Class AAA state-playoff berths with victories.

Carroll senior D.J. Irving posted a career day in beating Simon Gratz. And Haven senior Calvin Newell (pictured) went off for 40 points, and knocked down the game-winning shot, to dispatch Holy Ghost Prep in overtime.

In an attempt to recap Wednesday night's playoff games, here are a couple great quotes from the games:

***Holy Ghost Prep senior John Glenn on Newell's clutch shot:
"I think he was parallel to the ground. I mean, I just couldn't believe he hit that shot, because there were a couple hands in his face and he seemed to be fading away from the basket. But he's a heck of a player."

***Archbishop Carroll senior D.J. Irving, on the Catholic League earning more state berths than the Public League:
"I like all this Public-Catholic stuff, too. We get to see who's better. We think we are and we want to show them that."

***Strath Haven's Calvin Newell, on his shot selection:
"No layup. No tie. I was going for the win."

***Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk, on the Patriots' win-or-go-home game:
"You want everyone to respond with urgency when it's one and done like this. You look to the seniors first, then the guys who have been doing it all season. And D.J. (Irving) has been doing it all season."

In an e-mail from Archbishop Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk, the details of the District 12 Class AAA Play-In Game have been finalized:

Who: Archbishop Carroll vs. Simon Gratz
When: Wednesday, Feb. 25; 7:30 p.m.
Where: Archbishop Ryan H.S., Northeast Philadelphia
At stake: District 12 Class AAA's third and final state-playoff berth

The District 12 playoffs are structured in a way that favors neither the Catholic or the Public League. The top Class AAA team from both will play Wednesday night at the Liacouras Center at Temple University for the city championship (Neumann-Goretti vs. Franklin Learning Center).

Because District 12 Class AAA gets only three state berths, the final one is determined in a one-game playoff between the second-place teams from both leagues.

It all comes down to this, folks. Better be there.

Archbishop Carroll coach Paul Romanczuk was named the Catholic League's Coach of the Year Tuesday, when the postseason awards were announced.

In his sixth season, Romanczuk led the Patriots to a 21-2 record and an appearance in Wednesday's league semifinal, where they will face Roman Catholic.

Romanczuk wasn't the only one from Carroll to garner high honors. Junior guard D.J. Irving and sophomore guard Juan'Ya Green (pictured, left to right) were named to the league's Blue Division First Team. Senior forwards Kasheef Festus and Andre Wilburn were picked for Blue's Second and Third teams, respectively.

CATHOLIC RED
At Monsignor Bonner, junior point guard Jamal Melvin was named to the Red Division First Team. Junior guard Keefer Francis was selected to the Second Team.

INTER-AC
Episcopal Academy junior guard Omari Grier garnered a First-Team nomination. Teammate and senior guard Cory Goodman made the Second Team, and senior guards A.J. Jones and Sam Kurtzman of The Haverford School were Honorable Mention selections.

Monday night, Archbishop Carroll had something to prove.

The Patriots were the last of Delaware County's unbeaten teams to lose, falling to Neumann-Goretti last weekend.

So Kasheef Festus and Andre Wilburn, who combined for 28 points, made sure the Pats didn't lose another one, in beating Archbishop Wood 54-45.

Festus, a hulking forward, looked good when all things are considered. The 6-6 senior suffered a debilitating ankle injury in the summer, which required surgery and prohibited him from playing much basketball in the offseason.

He's not 100 percent, but he's back and looking strong:

Daily Times: What kept you sharp when you weren't playing?
Kasheef Festus: Well, I gained a lot of weight, man. I probably got up to about 280, and now I'm down to 240. I don't remember ever being that much.

DT: How'd you drop the weight?
KF: Practice. (Coach Paul Romanczuk) was like, 'Not going to make the time for your sprints? Then you have to keep running.'

DT: What was the specific injury exactly?
KF: I tore ligaments completely off my foot, so they had to go in there and pin them back into place. And I popped a piece of bone in my foot. The doctors said I'm not supposed to be 100 percent until the end of the school year, which would be a year (since the injury), but I feel good.

DT: How did it happen?
KF: I was playing summer league for Carroll and I went up for a rebound and came down on someone's foot. Simple as that.

DT: At 280, did you consider going out for football?
KF: I did think about it, yeah. I didn't want to grow up and wonder if I could have played or made the team even. Being as though the injury happened, it didn't work out. I think I would've been a good tight end. I probably would've played defense or offense because I like hitting people.

Banging on the boards Monday, Festus finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Patriots (12-1, 7-1), who are in sole possession of second place in the Catholic League Blue Division.