Who would've thought Archbishop Carroll losing Monday in the Catholic League championship would be the least of its problems?

Already coping with All-Delco point guard D.J. Irving sidelined with a fracture in his shooting hand, the Patriots have another problem afoot following their 75-59 loss to Neumann-Goretti at the Palestra.

Senior forward Ben Mingledough (pictured) was ejected from the game after stepping in to break up a confrontation between teammate Vince Mostardi and the Saints' Tony Chennault, a Wake Forest-bound guard who is four inches taller than Mostardi. That means the Patriots will be without both Mingledough and Irving (assuming he doesn't cut off his cast) when they take on Simon Gratz Wednesday in the District 12 Class AAA play-in game.

A year ago, Carroll beat Gratz in the play-in on its way to the PIAA crown. Still, you have to imagine the Patriots would like their odds against the Bulldogs a whole lot more with their second- and third-leading scorers on the court instead of on the bench.

Archbishop Carroll's D.J. Irving has never missed a game in his four-year varsity career, though it seems likely the senior will sit out Monday's Catholic League championship game against Neumann-Goretti.

Irving broke the middle finger on his right shooting hand Wednesday during the Patriots' 51-47 Catholic semifinal victory over La Salle. His hand is set in a cast. Irving said he will make a decision Monday based on how he feels.

Here's more from Irving on the injury:

Q: How do you feel about your team playing without you?
A: I'm pretty confident and we haven't even had practice yet, because of the snow the last two days. Everybody's going to step up and do what they need to do to be successful.

Q: How did you know your finger was broken?
A: I felt something and I heard a little crack. I thought it was just my knuckle cracking. I knew I never felt anything like that before. Usually I could just shake it off, but this was killing me.

Q: So why did you try to get back in the game?
A: I had to test it. I told the trainer that I felt fine and I checked myself back into the game, basically. When I first got in, I could dribble a little with my right hand. I drove to the basket with my right and missed a layup. Later, I shot a 3. I was wide open and I missed it. I knew it was something serious when that happened.

For the full story, check out Saturday's Daily Times.

There are so many reasons to like Archbishop Carroll's odds to get past La Salle Wednesday and punch its ticket to the Catholic League championship game: Mainly, you've got three: D.J. Irving, Juan'ya Green and Ben Mingledough.

These are three of Delco's top 12 scorers this year. Irving, an All-Delco guard (pictured), provides leadership in the backcourt whereas fellow senior Mingledough, a forward, does so down low. And Green, well, he does just about everything right.

Against La Salle, however, the Patriots will face one of their stiffest tests of the season. The Explorers (19-4) have won 11 of their last 12 games, including Saturday's Catholic League quarterfinal. They are the Red Division's top team.

Sure, La Salle hasn't won a league title since 1981. But they own eight, which ranks among the league's leaders in that category. And in Eddie Mitchell and Troy Hockaday, the Explorers have two potent scorers who will create fits for any defense.

It's going to be a heck of a game (Palestra, 7 p.m.), so be sure to get there early to guarantee yourself a ticket.